Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 961 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

s — “Keep as still as if you were dead!” Rimero hissed, drawing back his head. “‘Pbese are the ones who got out of the Ind*>in town last night. Those pearls must haye come from there. They will be sought soon,”’ He looked at his comrades, as if for in- struction, “Kill them!” tYabe Bunton grated. “Ay, ay!” chi sed in Thistle Jim, his fingers working greedily. Romero did not wait for much discus- Sion. Time was precious. He had in his belt a knife which had remained there in spite of the adventures that had befallen him. He drew it, and slipped forward. His comrades crept after him, all writh- ing forward as stealthily as snakes. Aztec Al was the first reached. He was lying with his face turned from these ene- mies, and was sleeping like a top. Romero crouched near him, and there he remained until Bunton had crept to the side of Isett and Thistle Jim to the side of the tramp. They were adepts at tasks of this kind. With the celerity of pickpockets, they “went through” their intended victims; then each drew out a dirty handkerchief. With the skill that comes of much prac- tice these handkerchiefs were knotted and drawn tight about the wrists of the sleep- ers, who were, of course, instantly aroused. The trio sat up, dazed by sleep and by the bonds they felt on their wrists, Even when they beheld the malevolent faces of their captors they did not imme- diately comprehend their terrible situation. But only a few moments were needed to make everything clear. All three paled and drew back as if struck violent blows. They knew they could hope for nothing from these men. Romero jerked Al's feet together and tied them, and hastened to the assistance of his pards, who were having much trouble in their attempts to serve the others in the same way. The tramp made but little resistance, be- ing so sorely frightened, but Israel Isett had leaped up, and would have darted away if he had not been caught and thrown, Even then he fought like a madman, and was with difficulty subdued and bound. “We could have killed you,” panted Ro- mero, ‘‘but we spared your lives because we wanted you to tell us about the town and the valley andthe river. Who lives there ?" Gabe Bunton had removed the strings of pearls from the neck of Al, and was now, With Thistle Jim, examining them. “I say, Thistle, if you and 1 was only out of hyar with these strings, we'd he heeled now, I tell you.” He glanced meaningly at Romero, and Thistle Jim nodded. It needed only the oportunity to make them murder Romero for the sake of this wealth. “Is there a way out of here?’ Romero ‘was asking, his first question having been answered. He did not get a reply. A half hundred Indians'rose all about them, seeming to emerge from the very earth, As they got up the Indians began to utter shrill cries and to flourish weapons. Romero and his pards looked around. with blanching cheeks, and then seeing that a way was partially opened in the di- rection of the river, they made a dash. Gabe Bunton clung to the necklaces of pearls, unwilling that such wealth should slip through his fingers. The yelling of the Indians increased, and those armed with bows and arrows began to fire at the fleeing men. * > 42. 5 a. ~ Ds The Tramp’s Trump-Trick’ —_> = -_— Thistle Jim hurled himself into the river and attempted to swim it, but was wounded, and sank from sight before he was half-way across. A730 Romero turned down stream, fear- in& a similar fate, and was hotly pursued and hedged in a hundred yards below, where he stood at bay, like a Stag ringed in by deer-hounds. The fight that too. place here was say- age beyond description Romero knew that he was struggling for his life, and with the reeking knife in his hand, he fought the Indians that crowded against him, hurling them back, one at a time, until half a dozen lay dead or dying at his feet. As for our friends, though they had been bound and made helpless by these men, they could not but admire and pity Romero when they saw him +making such a gal- lant stand against overwhelming odds. But it was all over in a little while. Romero fell, covered with wounds; This- tle Jim was shot and drowned in mid- stream, and Gabe Bunton, pierced through and through by an arrow, lay stretched on the rocks, clasping in his stiffening fingers the strings of pearls. CHAPTER XVII. A NARROW ESCAPR. The prisoners expected only instant death. The Indians were enraged beyond “measure, and had shown that they little regarding the lives of enemies. Having disposed of the strangers, they now gathered about Aztee Al and the others, and brandishing their weapons in i manner that was most threatening and alarming. Isett spoke aloud, calling for the inter- preter. However, no interpreter came, but some one who seemed to be a chief, waved the threatening Indians back. Then their bonds were cast off and they were placed on their feet. About them an escort gathered and pushed them in the djrection of the town. This did not encourage them, however, as the attitude of the Indians was that of suppressed wrath, which would soon seek to wreak itself on their helpless heads. Al looked about, seeking some way of es- cape, and grew almost hopeless. Scores of angry eyes glared at him, angry faces wrinkled and scowled, and murderous hands frenziedly shook weapons in his di- rection. It was plain that their enemies were in complete control and that death was the only thing to! be expected. “T’m afraid it is all up with us,” said Isett, in a low tone. ‘“ You can’t think of any way out of this muddle, can you, Ba- z00? None of your tricks wouldn’t work now, I reckon.” The tramp was in a state of physical and mental collapse. However, at Isett’s suggestion, he called out, to draw further attention to himself, and sought to comb some object out of the hair of the nearest Indian. But his tricks seemed to have lost their potency. His hand was dashed down, with a screech, and a knife was threaten- ingly drawn as if with the intention of plunging it in his breast. “We're lost!’ he moaned, his knees seeming to sink under him. “ That was a trick that never went back on me before.” The anger of the Indians increased, ap- parently, as they drew near to the village, which was in an uproar. The inhabitants remaining behind—con- sisting chiefly of women and children— poured out, and, surrounding the party. vented their rage in such a babel of wild cries as Aztec Al had never dreamed could come from human throats. ~ oF e's ee a ' I - hw “——* | ‘? %. tet yh > FY) wh3 7 7 5 ; i . J - 4 : ; we wll , a> wee, re Tih mt ‘ ; te Cale OS eS Por Win 13 ——— Into the principal street went the pris- oners and their escort. Then Al beheld something that puzzled him, and at the same time gave him hope. On the flat roof of the estufa was his Indian foster-mother, She was looking toward him and making mysterious signs, but emitting no cries. She was fear-stricken and anguished, yet determined. : He understood her, fortunately; under- stood that she was risking for him the life he had saved, and that she wished him to climb into the estufa for shelter. But, as he later knew, he did not under- stand all. She waved a bow and arrow, when she saw that he observed her, and again pointed to the only opening into the estufa. * Do you see that?” he asked, speaking to his father, in English. ‘That old woman wants us to come up there.” Shall we try it? Can we do it?’ isett Was in a desperate mood. “We'll try anything! anyway, if we don’t make a try. Don’t look at her. Give me a minute to think.” Almost unconsciously they had slackened their pace, an act of which they were made aware by smart blows across their shoulders. Al leaped under the blow given him, which, fortunately, set the Indians in a roar of delight, and thus served in a measure to appease their wrath. Isett was not wasting his time. Run- ning his keen eyes over those nearest him he observed that most of them weré armed With Knives in belts at their waists. He hurriedly communicated this disecovy- ery to Al and Bazoo and acquainted them with his plan. ‘In two or three minutes more we will be close by that council-house. When we get near the ladder and I give a whistle, each one of you grab a knife. * Then we'll all break for the ladder to- gether and try to get up to the roof where the old woman is. Shc wants us to take refuge in the council-house, that’s clear. T suppose it will only prolong things a while, but I'm not going to die without making an effort.’ The Indians heard his words and again lashed him, and would have speared him, no doubt, if they had known what he was saying. The details of the plan were hardly firm- ly fixed in their minds, when they found themselves near the foot of the clumsy ladder that led to the estufa’s roof. Isett’s whistle arose in a startling blast, and, snatching a knife from the belt of the nearest Indian, he pushed the Indian vio- lently back against his fellows, throwing them into confusion, and broke for the ladder. : Aztec Al and the tramp imitated his ex- ample, as well as they could, and followed close after. Only a few bounds, were needed, and then they were climbing up the ladder, They were halfway up before the In- dians had recovered from their astonish- ment and knew what the prisoners were trying to do. Loud cries then resounded and there was a flight of arrows. Fortunately none of the arrows inflicted wounds, and before the Indians recovered from their astonishment the three were on the estufa. The old woman screamed like a fiend as they mounted, brandishing her bow and now, as Al, who came lJast, tumbled off the ladder, she threw it backward from the roof, thereby crushing down two In- dians who were essaying to mount it. “Into the estufa!” she cried, in her native tongue, pointing to the round open- ing exactly in the center of the flat roof. # ‘ -Ecom rie eB oJ wk : a i= o 4 (Gee) oe ar : We'll be killed, s M ‘ . Ps + : J | s ; Ss» > CDOOKS.C 2 [ 0 > 2 s- at é & ho >» % pet i” 7 ha > ’ , ¥