Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 90 — page 1: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— ttt a Single Number. — ee a The Dread Rider: OR, THE TEXAN DUELIST. BY GEORGE W. BROWNE, PROLOGUE. ‘‘ A stranger tale ne’er graced the poet's art, And fiction never played a wilder part.” I, SUNSET. The spirit of the dying day ebbing out in a flood of golden light, streams athwart the western sky from the horizon almost to the zenith. Majestic Mississippi, ‘‘ Father of the Waters,” like a funeral train is moving sluggishly on in a lonely way toward the sea. Suddenly, a human form is mirrored in Nature’s solemn scene; a fairy figure glides to the brink of the som- ber waters; a woman’s voice breaks the stillness. * Oh, Father in Heaven, look down in pity upon me! For- give me, forgive me! but be- trayed, deserted, spurned by parents, and scorned by the world, life is a burden I can no longer bear! Oh, mother, fa- ther, forget your erring child, and the wrongs she has done ou! In her silent grave let pee faults and crimes be hid- den! Oh, perfidious man! you know not what you have done; ou know not the anguish of a roken heart! But it will soon be over. Home, friends, joy and sorrow, I bid you all adieu, forever—ever !”’ A sudden splash, a few tiny bubblés rising to the surface, and the placid river sweeps on as tranquil as before. MIDNIGHT. I. Partially obscured by fleet- ing, hazy clouds, the eat, round moon floats high in the heavens, looking down upon a settler’s humble cabin far away on the bank of the lonely Red river. Its inmates wrapped in the quiet of repose, the forest bome stands like a sentinel in the pale moonlight, Around, the encire timber casts its sable gloom far out over the clearing, while through the tree-tops the wild wind surges in musical tones. Out from the somber growth steal a dozen dark objects— forms of crouching men. Swift- ly they glide across the open- ing. . The lone cabin is quickl reached. No barrier stays their onward course. With bitter maledictions, they force an entrance, and the defenseless occupants are aroused from their slumber to find them- selves rudely seized and borne from their couches of rest. "Midst shrieks, and curses, and shots, and fierce fighting, they are dragged out into the night. In spite of tears, and pitiful entreaties, the fair wife and = Vt! lt Vl ul SE —_ =A i Nel = N rt , Aue a y — 4 \ \ LIN NON 4 N aN . Ws Copyrighted in 1879 by BEADLE AND ADAMS. No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. —— - -—— a helpless babe are stricken down with cruel blows. In desperation, the man tries to hurl aside his foes; as well to battle with fate. Up from the dwelling, only a moment ago a hap- py home, springs a cloud of smoke and forked tongues of fire; rapidly spreading, leaping higher and higher,till the building is one living sheet of flame Away from the heat of the glaring furnace, the midnight flends bear their victim. Over the branch of a neighboring tree a coil of rope is thrown. One end is secured in a noose around the captive’s neck. Willing hands seize the other, and, covered with blood from ghastly wounds, weak, faint, yet still struggling, suffering untold ag- ony, he is swung into mid-air! ith a flood of silvery light, the moon darts from her retreat, and the flames, with increased fury, flash higher than ever, gleaming far above the tree- tops. In weird, fantastic hues, the elements blend- ing glare for a moment upon the scene, disclosing in fearful distinctness, the bodies of the murdered wife and babe, the husband’s lifeless form dangling | from its support, and the figures of the marauding rule : aD, My tt Pita" i THEY (Peppa ure ~ % aot «aU 07713} \s ~ \\ \ - < Sr 1\)) Y ‘ “hy ey 1 ——— —=——_—=—= = — —[S— —=> | lit {a | a at Y PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS, THE DUELISTS CLUTCH THEIR RIFLES, BUT SHOW NO SIGNS OF FEAR. SILENCE UPON THE SCENE IS PERFECT—THE SUSPENSE, TERRIBLE. m0 em ——— ay Ss <3 2 | > a a Z i gem »~ . at es NS April 15, 1879. No. 90. — Ww. OWR = Go WON ; | a ——- Price, 5 Cents. ———> demons skulking away into the shadows of the for- est; and then, as if blinded by the frightful specta- cle, the moon is vailed in darkness, and the fire dies to smoldering embers. All is shrouded in gloom, and bound by a deathly stillness, save the wind sigh- ing a mournful requiem. CHAPTER I. THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. Tue scenes of our story are, for the most part, laid on the Texas border, during the reign of the rifle and bowie. Thus,if any of the incidents we shall por- tray may seem too startling to be real, too strange to be true, we wish it to be borne in mind that they occurred when the Lone Star State was in its dark- est hour, when robbers and outlaws made up a good share of its inhabitants, when deeds of lawlessness were everyday occurrences, when no man felt safe at home or abroad without his trusty “ guards — rifle and bowie, Shelby county, lying in western Texas, on the bor- der of that wild and broken tract of country known as the Red Lands,” was, in 1839, rather thinly pop- ulated; and the most impor- tant settlement to be found in the whole county was Chesicr- ville, situated near Chester Plain, in its extreme western Bath and only two hours’ ride rom the border of the ** Red Lands.”’ In and around this settlement the scenes of our narrative are laid. Our story opens at a shoot- ing-match, which is being held back of Chesterville, where nearly all of the male inhab- itants of that place have con- gregated, to “try their hand.” A shooting-match was not in those days an uncommon af- fair, yet, no matter how often they occurred, there were al- ways pleasure and excitement enough about them to warrant a full attendance, Among the most prominent at the match, and comprising about one-half of those there assembled,were a score of men, self-styled ‘‘ Rangers and Reg- ulators,” who had banded to- gether for the protection of the settlement against the de- prodat ions of outlaws who had een harassing the country, and who were supposed have their rendezyous some- where in the wilds of the Red Lands. In fact, these Regu- lators had but just returned from am unsucce 1 expedi- tion against these outlaws, and were now making up for their defeat by trying their skill at target-shooting. One by one the men had taken their turn and some splendid shots had been made, but when the others saw the leader of the Regulators, Cur- tis Dash, come forward to try his never-failing rifle, they knew that defeat awaited them for Curt Dash was considered the best shot in Shelby county. In appearance, Curt Dash presented a perfect model of manly beauty; he was a lit- tle above medium hight and size; his features were regular, and extremely handsome; his face was cleanly shaven, with the exception of a_ glos- Sy brown mustache and impe- nal, which seemed to give firm- ness to his pleasant coun- Eomicbooks