Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 939 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 pee — —— _ -_— ‘*God bless you, my children! Oh, that my | | honest, manly young mah, child, here! Then 1 could die happy ** Desert Dan and Tom Rattler are in search o’ her,” said Old Kit, *‘and, my word for it, if Old Tom ever comes back, the gal ‘ll be with him.” ‘Ha! ha! ha!” suddenly came a hoarse, mocking laugh from the porch to the ears of Jean Ballé and his friends, It came from the lips of Captain Sangre, who was lying so near the open door as to be able to hear all said within. “You'll laugh outen t’other side of your mouth, pardner, before anotker week,” said Old Kit, then to the door and looking down upon the wounded outlaw. “* Oh, 1 expect that, old man,” coolly respona- ed the villain; ‘‘and it all comes of my not shooting Jaguar Heed on sight in Spring Basin night before last. I always mistrusted you were a fraud, and tried to convince the reserva- tion Apaches of the fact, but your devilish cun- wag hg ail-powerful, ‘* But now that thesecret*of the Black Arroyo Massacre is known to so many, I want to throw a little light on that affair, since Horace Mead’s message, as I heard it read, saya nothing what- ever about the much-talked-of Trinchera gold- mine. “That gold-mine,” the villain went on, like one slightly delirious, ‘‘is*what we were strikin’ for. 1 had no desire to harm Jean Ballé and his family, andif he had given me the contents of Horace Mead’s message as sent out upon the black horse, no blood would have been shed. ‘‘Hualpa José heard Carlita Bond’s dying story, for he was Captain Olarke’s guide. But he muet bave lied about her saying aught of Mead giving directions by which the Trinchera mine could be found, Hualpa José, I now see, has deceived me, and no telling how many more, ** He has the face and tongue of a saint and the heart of adevil. He was one of Muerta’s band that butchered Horace Meadand his party. He was Captain Clarke’s guide when Carlita Bond told her story. He deserted the captain that same night and started out to peddle her secret. I paid him well for it, and it has roven a boughten curse, a ig em Clarke put it Bandy in the field, and I know not but one José has a party out also, ‘* Naturally enough, 1 settled upon the famous Black Robber as being the borse that had es- caped with the secrets of the Arroyo Massacre locked up in his shoulder, and sent Swift-Wing with most of my band to capture the horse, ‘‘ Meanwhile, as Jacarilla Jim, the Scout, I endeavored to watch the movements of Captain Clarke, so that if he got hold of the secret be- fore I did, I could be ready to deprive him of it instanter. I succeeded in gaining his confidence to the extent of his recommending me as guide to conduct Ben Mead across the desert from Bonito Camp in the Sacramento Mountains to the Rio Hondo, when that young gentleman should arrive. ‘*But Mead and his companion concluded they’d rather have Tom Rattler as guide, be- cause they’d read a story once about his wonder- ful achievements, and they got him. ‘‘That left Jacarilla Jim sitting, and so I gathered up the remnants of my band and struck into the desert, determined to trap the young smarties and their blood-and-thunder idol at Spring Basin, I didnot expect torun up against Old Jaguar Head and his Sunday-school class there. But I did, and there’s where my first mistake occurred, I’d ought to have had the renegade and his class shot on sight.” ** Captain Sangre,” said Ben Mead coming to the door, ‘‘ would you mind telling me, if you know, what took Captain Clarke away from Camp Bonito so sudden?” ‘* Certainly not, boy,” the outlaw chief re- sponded in an pd ae happy mood, ** Captain Clarke left Camp Bonito with a lit- tle lizard-face man named Ichabod Flea, for Aztec Ranch on the Rio Hondo. Just what they were in such a hurry about I don’t know, but I mistrusted Clarke was endeavoring to run Hual José down, It was intimated that that Ichabod Flea was a detective, but, if he is he is used like a ferret to run the rats out ot their holes,” A broad smile passed over Bandy’s face at this allusion to his little partner, Ichabod Flea, but no one noticed it. sam petren| to the bedside of Jean Ballé, Ben Mead seated himself and for some minutes gave way to reflections, ean Ballé fully realized his condition—that he must die, and prayed fervently that he might see Zulita again before he away, Zulita, was \” Ki t Bandy’s “Star Engagem ‘** Ben, he finally said, ‘‘ I believe you are an | You have promised | to be a brother to my soon-to-be orphan child, and I now, in the presence of these witnesses and Almighty God, intrust her to your care and protection should she be rescued alive,” ‘* And I will be her sister so long asemy life is spared, father,” declared Lucille. In his possession the old man had bonds and securities of wealthy Enxstern corporations to the amount of many thousand dollars upon which nointerest had been realized for a long period of years. Ont of this he wanted his faith- ful servants, Old Jubal and Shady, provided a comfortable home. Juan, the scout, was to have a handsome sum, and the rest was to go to the education and support of Zulita and Lucille. That night was a long and dreadful one in Paradise Vale—especially to the wounded and suffering—a number of whom died before morn- ing. And the strangest and most surprising thing of all was to*find Captain Sangre silent in death when all supposed the outlaw simply sleeping. e had died without a murmur or complaint, When his wounds were dressed they were not even considered dangerous, and so after all his evil life, the great villain died game. Jean Ballé was still alive at daybreak and struggling bravely against death in hopes of seeing Zulita, who was still absent. And his hopes ‘were realized, for the sun was just coming up when Desert Dan and Tom Rattler rode up to the hacienda with Zulita alive and well. The maiden was at once conducted to the bed- side of her dying father, and now we will leave it for the reader to imagine that parting of fa- ther and ehild—that death-bed scene, Our pen cannot describe it, nor can one conceive the anguish of mind and the choking agony of heart that Zulita and Lucille suffered, unless he has "pe through the same ordeal. About noon that day the spirit of Henri Mont- forte passed away to seek the companionship of that sweet spirit that for years had waited his coming on the other shore, and the hearts of all in Paradise Vale were sad with sorrow and vailed in mourning. CHAPTER XXVIII, FAREWELL, PARADISE VALE, EARLY one Sy just three weeks after the death of Jean Ballé, a party of twelve per- sons rode out of Paradise Vale and headed north- ward across the desert. At the head of the rty rode Juan, the scout, and Kit Bandy. ehind came Tom Rattler and Ben Mead, Desert Dan and Lucille Montforte, Frank Warfield and Zulita Mead, and Old J ubal and Shady. The party had bid farewell to the lovely little oasis and all its associations, and headed for civilization, They would have departed sooner but for Frank Warfield’s wounds, but not until the brave youth had fully recovered would Kit Bandy hear to his undertaking the journey across the desert. The objective point of the party was Cedar- Pend Ranch on the Rio Hondo, and as the jour- ney was unattended with any incident worthy of note we will not attempt to give the dry de- tails of that long ride. Suffice it to say that they arrived safely at the ranch on the evening of the third day and were welcomed to the place with all the hospitality characteristic of the ranchman, Desert Dan became the lion of the party, for he proudly rode into the ranch on Black Rob- ber—the wild horse that had defied the most skillful rancheros in the Southwest. He had not been there an hour before Mr. Brown, one of the proprietors of the ranch, offered him five hundred dollars for tbe horse. Dan smiled and said: ‘*Don de Vaca sent north for me to come down and catch the horse for him. Iam to have u thousand dollars.” ‘‘ But you'll not get it of him now, Dan,” said Brown, “Why not?’ ‘* Don de Vaca is dead. Hadn’t you heard of his death?” ‘*T have been in the desert over three weeks, I have heard nothing,” the boy replied. ‘* Well, De Vaca is dead, sure. His hot amd ish blood got him into a quarrel with one Hual- pa José about some old meanness of theirs years ago, and they came to blows and shots and laid each other out.” “Horn o’ Joshua!” exclaimed Old Kit, who had heard this story, ‘‘dollars to dimes, Ben Mead, De Vaca is the treacherous, Muerta, who led the sav and outlawsin the Black Arroyo massacre, But Cap Clark and Ichabod Flea are up there, or should be—” ent.”’ ee ooo ——— ee ‘* They are there,” said Brown; ‘‘ Il just came down from Aztec Ranch to-day.” ‘* Hew far is it there?” | ‘¢ Ten miles, only. If you wish to see those gentlemen, I’ll send for them to-night.” ‘* Td like to see ’em, Mr, Brown, very much, if it’s not taxin’ your kindness ton heavily.” Captain Clarke and Ichabod Flea were sent for, and arrived at Cedar Bend the next morn- ing. The meeting of the friends was a happy one, and the story Old Kit had to relate to Clarke and Ichabod fairly delighted the captain. The only exception was the surprising revelation of Jacarilla Jim being Captain Sangre, the leader of the Desert Pirates. ‘The whole matter, then, is settled,” Cap- tain Clarke said, when Bandy had finished his narrative, ‘‘ for Hualpa José and Lon Alvar de Vaca got into a shooting-match, using each other as targets, and Hualpa and Von Alva are no more, Befors Hualpa died, he admitted that he had sold the secret of Carlita Bond’s story to ot 9 Renee, and then reminded De Vaca that he was the leader, Muerta,in the Arroyo Massacre, and demanded hush-money, To be sure the Don has been leading an honest life of Jate years and making money, and he didn’t want to be disturbed by Hualpa, who was a participant in the massacre himself, hence the shooting. Hualpa also told me why Muerta, alias De Vaca, had sought to murder Horace Mead and his family and friends. Muerta had loved the woman Mead married, and it was his blind Spanish jealousy that led to the murder. When the v heard of Carlita Bond's story, he became uneasy, and thought if he could get hold of Horace Mead’s message, he could defy me and justice. Like all the rest, he concluded Black Robber must be the black colt. . sent adrift with the secret locked up in its shoulder, and so brought Desert Dan down here to catch the wild horse,” ‘“‘And all the time,” added Old Kit, “the black colt, the message and the child, ‘ Dolly,’ have been quietly fom in Paradise Vale with the recluse, Jean Ballé. The story of there being a ‘ key’ to the Trinchera gold mine was all a hoax,” The yo f remained but a day or two at Cedar Bend Ranch, and then, accompanied by Captain Clarke, pushed on northward to Santa Fé, Here the ifttle band’s ways began to di- verge. Ben Mead, with his sister and Zulita pa old Jubal and Shady, went East to his old , ome. Desert Dan, the Prince of the Saddle, accom- panied by Juan, the Scout, went back to the northern ranges, while Old Kit Bandy pS ape and Tom Rattler pushed out into the hills in quest of whatever in the way of adventure and glory was offered them. Five years since the parting at Santa Fé, In one of the richest valleys of California there is a horse-ranch known as the Big-Three Ranch, The owners of that ranch are Desert Dan, Ben Mead and Frank Warfield, and at the head of the drove of fast horses is Black Robber, the famous wild stallion of the great Rio Hondo plains, There have been some remarkable changes in the lives of those young men since we parted | with them at that quaint old New Mexican town. All three are married to estimable and charm women, : Ben Mead found his wife in his native State. Desert Dan and Frank Warfield first met theirs in Paradise Vale. The fair Zulita is Mrs, Warfield. Lucille is Mrs, ‘‘ Desert ” Dan. All six are living at Big-Three Ranch, and all are happy. , And there, in their full enjoyment of life, we will leave them, THE END. NEXT HALF-DIME LIBRARY, No. 940, Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Shake-up: Tulip Tilly’s Trump Hand. BY EDWARD L. WHEELER. | 900 com Cc he