Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 939 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

f > Dr es aa rik A ait: | a, ee phe ena ety a A F . BO... athe 20 the entrance and fired a couple shots into the | thicket outside to let the outlaws know they were still on the alert in the cave. The robbers returned the compliment by firing a volley into the cave, one of the builets grazing Bandy’s shoulder and drawing blood. The retreat was now begun. Bandy took the lead and was the first to scramble up the inclined hole and step out into the moonlight. Oneby one the Apaches crawled out. Never were men more cautious. A shadow could have been less noiseless. When all were out Kit led the way back into the plain aways, then swung around and entered to the basin again. When under cover of the cedars Bandy sent a scout to see how matters were at camp. He | suffice that you are with friends. My good fa- ther wil] bein soon. You have been here since morning. It is now nearly evening again. You must be hungry and perhaps thirsty. I will order you food and drink. Excuse me a moment.” Zulita rose and left the room. Dan watched her until shehad disappeared. Then he glanced around him. The room was emall, but clean and neatly furnished, A small window admit- ted light. There were pictures on the walls, and on a little table near his couch stood a bouquet of flowers that diffused fragrance through the room, From the desert and the companionship of death, seabe) ye room and the companionship of a beautiful girl, was a great change; yet soon returned and reported the camp in charge | Dan knew nothing of how the transformation of but two or three men besides those wounded out on the plain. The natural marauding instinct of the Apache asserted itself, and every warrior be- came eager to make a raid on the camp and corral, nor was Old Kit one whit less eager to strike them a blow that would cripple them severely. Again Bandy took the lead and with the silence of phantoms they moved down upon the camp, slew the guards, appropriated their arms and ammunition, destroyed much camp equi- page, then mounted their own horses, stamped- ed the robbers’, and then started to leave the valley. The had tarried, however, just a minute too long, for the party at thegave, hearing the con- fusion at camp, hastened to investigate the cause, They came up just as the Apaches were riding off and killed three of them at the first fire. Kit and the others made good their escape. When Captain Sangre looked upon his camp and the destruction that had been wrought, his fury knew no bounds; and ‘when he learned, zome hours later, that Jaguar Head and his band had escaped from the cave, and that they were the authors of the havoc and ruin in camp, he became crazed with rage, and swore eternal vengeance on Kit Bandy and his Apache friends, CHAPTER XVI, A TRANSITION TO DESERT DAN, We left Desert Dan just recovering from a state of unconsciousness to find himself lying upon a soft couch, and the fair face of the mys- terious waif of the night, Zulita, standing by his side and gazing down into his face, but it was a long time before he could relieve his mind of its last impressions—the dead Mexican lashed upon his back; the coral-necked vulture; the winnowing wings above him; therhot sun; the pain of the contracting lasso; the extending arms of the co ! ; The transition had been so great that he thought he must be dreaming—lying still upon the desert. Yet plainly he could see the fair face of Zulita framed in with its wealth of dark hair, and her slight, willowy form dres#d in snow-white. He could see a roof above and walls about them. Yet heheard nosound, He was speechless himself—held silent as if in a trance. . Suddenly, however, he sees the girl, Zulita, start up, a smile flit over her face, He sees her lips move—hears her say: ‘* Desert Dan, you are feeling better.” The sound of -her voice broke the spell that held him motionless—speechless, He started up as all the horrors of the desert ficoded his brain, and gazed around him like one bewil- d ered, Zulita smiled, then broke into a little laugh as she again said, to the confused youth: ‘“*You are pertectly safe, Desert Dan, and you must rest quietly. You have passed through a severe spell of prostration.” ‘* Where am I? and how came I here?” 34 You were found unconscious on the des- ‘* Ah!” he broke in, with a shudder, “‘ lashed to a bloated ag by ‘‘No matter, Desert Dan; you were found eg and brought here, and been kindly cared or, ‘* And you are the maid Zulita?” ‘Yes; you recognize me, though we met but once before,” the strange little beauty re- sponded. ‘“ But where am I?” queried Dan, resting upon his elbow in a reclining position and gaz- dug around him, and then up into the maiden’s acc. ou are stronger, I will teH you all you may wish to know. For the present, let it RR RT RN had been made. Hours had passed since he had fainted on the desert, overcome with pain, heat and horror, andin that time he had been carried to that room unconscious, But was it the room of a home hidden away on the desert? The return of Zulita ended his mental specu- lations. The maiden brought him some food and acup of tea, He thanked her most kindly, and sitting up on his couch he partook of the viands. Never did food taste sweeter. He ate heartily for he was nearly famished, After bis repast he felt ever so much better and on on stronger. He soon became anxious to be out—to be on the move—to know where he was and who the good people were to whom he was indebted for their kindness. Suddenly a heavy footstep sounded near, and a tall, noble-looking man entered the room. Dan raised his eyes until they met those of the stranger. ‘* This is my father, Jean Ballé, Desert Dan,” Zulita said, rising as her father entered, Desert Dan, in his frank and hearty way, ex- tended his hand, saying: ‘* Mr, Ballé, 1 am verv glad to meet you,” Jean Ballé was of sixty years, tall and broad- shouldered, and deep-chested, with long white hair and beard,a pleasant yet keen blue eye, and strong intellectual features. A grim smile was upon his face as he took the extended hand of the Boy Prince of tke Saddle and pressed it warmly, saying: ‘* My boy, I am glad to see you around again. We found you in a very sad plight.” ‘*T presume so,” responded Dan, ‘‘for I have a vivid recollection df lying down on the desert lashed to a corpse, 1 must have fallen asleep, for the next I knew I was right here.” ‘Yes, you were sound asleep,” added Ballé, ‘and for awhile we thought you were in -your last sleep, I think you had fainted.” ‘*AmIfar from where you found me?’ the youth asked, gazing into his host’s eye with an eager look. ean Ballé smiled, stroked his beard and re- plied: ‘* You shall see for yourself shortly; it will be well for you to walk out. I will sendin Zulita for youin anhour. Here are your clothes; you may dress yourself and be ready when she comes,” ** Thank you,” said Dan gratefully. Jean Ballé arose and left the room. Desert Dan arose and dressed himself, feeling, with the ex°eption of a slight pain in the head, as well as he ever did, Presently there was a light footstep heard at the door and little Zulita came in, her pretty face aglow with blushes and smiles, . ‘* Puther sent me to conduct you to the house- top to spend the evening,” she said, ‘* Vour father is very kind, and I am ready to accompany you,” Dan replied, rising to his feet. Together the two passed out of the little room into a hallway, and thence into the open air, that was all aglow with the radiance of a glori- ous sunset, ¢ CHAPTER XVII. BEAUTY, FLOWERS, MUSIC AND A DEMON, INTO a little square or pleza in the rear of the long, low adobe building, of Mexican style of hacienda, Zulita Ballé conducted her young guest, Desert Dan, and then turning they ascended a broad flight of steps to the low, flat roof of the house where a scene met the eves of the lad that fairly bewildered him, And this is what he beheld: A lovely little oblong valley walled in by green-clad bluffs that were fringed with pifion and cedaralong their base, A green, grassy plaza ioterspersed with chaparrals of young cedars, stretching away toward the west for half a mile, Two or three horses, a cow, Kit Bandy’s “Star” Engagement. >. and a herd of goats grazing in sight down the vale. Nothing beyond therim of this sunken valley is to be seen except sky. The house-top was large and wide and covered with dirt and gravel. Around its margin grew creeping vines that ran over the edges and fall- ing in green festoons to the earth completely covered the outer walls of the building. There was a profusion of semi-tropical plants and flowers also growing along the borders of the roof, that filled the air with the incense of a paradise. ** By Jingrickies!” burst from the lips of the astonished youth, as he gazed around him upon the lovely scene which the fiery glow of the set- ting sun brought out in all its emerald beauty, ‘*this seems to be an enchanted valley—a valley suspended in the air, for 1 can see no desert— nothing beyond except sky and space,” Before Zulita could reply another surprise awaited the boy. Jean Ballé appeared upon the house-top with another young girlteaning upon his arm, a ae of about Zulita’s agc—a slender, pale-faced, blue-eyed, golden-haired girl—so fair, so delicate, that it seemed a breath of air would have wafted her away. ‘This, Desert Dan, is my daughter, Lucille,” said the old man, Dan bowed politely, but was too greatly 2on- fused and bewildered to speak. ‘* Lucille,” continued Ballé, “‘ is just recover- ing from a long siege of sickness, and is weak. But she bas been anxious to meet Desert Dan, the Prince of the Saddle.” ‘¢Tt’s an honor I don’t deserve,” the boy man- aged to reply, manifesting some confusion, The four seated themselves upon benches and entered into conversation, the vivacious Zulita taking thedead in a manner pleasing to all. In the course of ten minutes there was another amy of three persons joined them on the roof. wo of them were colored—one male and one female, The third was undoubtedly of Spanish blood—a man of some forty years, with a lithe, supple figure neatly dressed in the suit of a ranchero, and with all the bearing of a gentle- man. He was introduced to Dan as Juan, the Scout, and as the individual who bad found the youth on the desert and brought him there to Paradise Vale. Old Jubal, the male negro servant, carried in his hands a banjo and guitar. The latter he handed to Zulita. Turning to Juan, the Scout, Jean Ballé asked: ‘*Do you think it safe, Juan, to use the instru- ments?” ‘* Perfectly safe, sefior, I should say. The desert seems to bo entirely free of all dangers,” “The desert!” exclaimed Dan, unable to main- tain his silence longer, ‘*‘ then this is an oasis in the desert?” ‘‘ Yes, my son, this is Paradise Vale, and is just ten miles from Spring Basin, in the ver heart of a barren sand-waste,” responded Ballé, ‘‘and it is sunken so deep that its existence can- not be detected until you are on its very rim,” ‘* And you have never been troubled here by outlaws or Indians?” Dan questioned. ‘“*To the best of my knowledge, or, rather, Juan’s, no Indian or stranger except yourself, has been nearer than ten miles of this place since we have lived here.” ‘* You have lived here a long time,” said Dan, e judging from appearances?” ‘Some years,” responded Ballé, evasively,. “* Jubal, give us one of your melodies,” Old Jubal struck in on alow negro melody into which the darky threw all his soul, and his notes awakened in the breast of Desert Dan an enthusiasm that had lain dormant there since his mother’s sweet voice had become hushed in the silence of death. When Jubal had finished, Zulita took up; her guitar, and as her fingers flashed over the strinys the very heavens seemed to bend a listening ear, and as Dan sat in enrapt silence, his eyes gazing down the valley, he was startled to see a noble black horse emerge from the cover of 2 clump of cedars, arch its neck, prick up his ears and stand motionless, as if enchanting strains of music from Zulita’s in- strument, After listening a few minutes, it started off on a lone toward the hacienda, and as it came near- er, Desert Dan could see he was the very coun- rt of Black Robber. Ys m the heautiful black the boy transferred his gaze to Zulita and the guitar, for he was a. lover of music as well as of horses, As he did so, the music suddenly 2eased. He saw the maiden’s hand hang motionless above the strings, and lifting his eyrs to her face he. saw it pale and blanched, her lips slightly part- 900! comic ao ben's , * " " SS — —— ieee - rinking in the sweet,’ = = i. fee ———— ll = = Fase — > i ce ee ee ee Sa po