The Brand Burners of Cimarron — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

— —e ag! —— ye ~- pS a 9.8 tS ay T i} . ‘= ot Pb ‘ + - 7 ‘ bd a Ue! pre he a " °. } . , -, a L M = 5 7 a 4 ‘ A ° The Brand-Burners of Cimarron. thickened in the woodland along the river, and the pungent odor of burning grass and wood, crossing the rippling waters, suddenly assailed the nostrils of man and beast. Then, a murky, yellow glow appeared all along the north, and out of this glow descended a myriad of dull, red sparks. The wind, hot now as the breath of a furnace, arose with a sullen roar, and a shower of smoking cinders fell around the detective. In a twinkling, a thousand tiny tongues of flame sprang up along the southern shore, Uttering a wild snort of alarm, the horse stopped, and shivered violently. Springing out of the saddle, Goldspur | urged the animal down the bank, across the moist sands, and into the gradually , deepening waters of the river. Twenty paces from the shore, he stop- ped, just as a number of piercing shrieks jarred through the heated air. They were answered by an encouraging shout, a short distance up the river. Then came a burst of rifle shots, followed by a sharp , cry of agony. Startled, the detective turned his head, and peered sharply up-stream. At that moment, the wind yeered capriciously, rending the dense cloud of smoke. Through the rift thus formed, Goldspur beheld a thrilling scene, Riding madly across a timbered bluff on the northern shore, were Ruby Ranger and Polly Peggs, sharply outlined against a wall of flame ! A second thus, then an eddying burst of fire shut both girls from view. CHAPTER XVIII. ON THE RIVER. Goldspur shuddered. His face paled be- neath that cunningly applied stain, while from his parched throat came the cry: “Good God! Can nothing save them? Are they doomed? “No! no! They must escape! For- ward, good horse—we must save them! ” )Fairly quivering with anxiety and dread, the detective laid hands upon pom- mel and croup, and attempted to spring into the saddle, But the effort went for naught ! His feet were in the clutch of an in- visible vise ! In bewilderment he glanced down, and & peculiar tremor assailed his stout heart. The water, -hlack with cinders and ashes, had crept unnoticed from his thighs to his elbows ! Even then the detective felt himself slowly sinking ! “It is the quicksands !” he muttered, with forced calmness. Then, he looked quickly at the horse, and added: “ Poor fellow! you are doomed ! you may save me.” Hastily swinging his rifle across his Shoulders, Goldspur again grasped the saddle, Then began a desperate struggle, under which the terrified and helpless horse Sank deeper and deeper into the treacher- But - OUS Sand, while the detective slowly rose from its frightful grasp. Every thought, every energy was bent upon escape. The minutes wore away, until perspiration stood in great beads upon the forehead of the struggling man. With a last powerful wrench, he drew his feet from the clinging sand, and fell inertly across the saddle. A moment he rested thus, slowly churn- ing the water with his feet, until his strength had, in a measure, returned; then he unslung the rifle, raised it above his head and slipped out into the slug- gish current. Guided by intuition, straight toward that bluff on the northern shore Goldspur laid his course, swimming silently, with only his head and one hand above the surface. The smoke, lurid with the glow of the distant flames, hung in a steaming cloud over the face of the treacherous river, { a - ae be ‘ we a * i” a * " . t J 7. ‘se Ay -3 on aa §3.! wr nd - . bn WET, ed ~{. he a — “yy ~ -) vs ta r* Ae Fa vr Y be , “ 4 , - Ly —- =< - an { - hd He oa AY. ee pirate of the stream, a slowly-moving object floated against him—an object which a second glance identified as an empty In- dian canoe, drifting with the current. Goldspur uttered an ejaculation of pleased surprise, and seized the vessel. Laying his rifle in the bottom, he deftly climbed aboard. Thereupon, he found that the canoe contained an occupant, for in the forward end’ of the light craft lay a man, bound hand and foot! The fellow was conscious, and his keen black eyes peered sharply at the face of the dripping detective. ‘Then: ‘Hallo! Itis you—” “ Lightfoot—by heavens !” “Exactly, pard! Cut me loose, will you?” “ Assuredly. But what is the mean- ing of this, Lightfoot? ” “It means that I found the girls, sent them across the river at an old ford, just above here, and was captured. While this was going on, a second gang of the rascals came up in the canoe. At their suggestion, I was tied up and placed in the boat. “ By rocking and rolling, I finally work- ed the canoe off its mooring in the sand, and started adrift. Just then, I saw the girls hesitate on the bluff, and yelled te encourage them.: This drew the attention of the outlaws; they saw what I had done, and gave me a Volley. Their aim was poor, but as the easiest way out of it I Jet out a yelp, and tumbled over. ‘ There—that’s better. Those scoun- drels know how to tie knots, I assure you. My hands are numb, and—’” “ Hark !” Both men bent low and listened anx- iously. The wind had fallen for the mo- ment, but an incessant popping and crackling came from the burning timber. Added to this was the sullen murmur of the river. “T heard the dip of a paddle,” Gold- spur declared. “ Quite likely. There is an Indian vil- lage a short distance down the river. This canoe came from there, and it is probable the outlaws stole two while they were about it. “ Grip the paddle, there, and push over under the bluff.” The detective and Luke had addressed each other in guarded tones. Both knew that enemies were near, and neither de- sired an encounter just then. Goldspur seized the paddle, as request- ed. Before he could thrust it into the water, however, the sounds which had called forth his exclamation were re- peated. “Tt is a canoe,” Lightfoot declared, in a whisper. ‘“ It is dropping down stream, too—probably in search of this craft. It’s time to puckachee.” Fortunately, the detective was a skilled canoeman. In another minute the boat was gliding noiselessly toward the north- ern shore, and a moment later the search- ing bark swept by under cover of the dense smoke. The dip of the paddles grew faint in the distance, and finally ceased. ‘“ Now, for the girls,” exclaimed Luke, with an anxious inflection. ‘‘ Hold the boat close to the bluff, pard, and push straight up stream, “ You think they escaped?” “Tf they followed my instructions— yes,” “They seemed cut off by the fire.’ “On three sides, yes. On the fourth is a narrow ravine cutting through the western slope of the bluff and leading toa sheltered terrace overlooking the water. If they succeeded in reaching the ter- race, they are safe.” “They knew of it, then, and the route?” “T explained it all, and sent them there, intending to follow when you came up.” Goldspur was greatly relieved by this explanation, and bent to his task with re- newed vigor. Soon thereafter Lightfoot gave the order to lay to against the base - + - ta & ot A- ap tl eit ad wo ee “4 i may . tf - oes ii A ¥,* ot aS a a ‘ ; ' rewr 7 ie Pe <4 7 ro 7 ye : eT ot ‘ . . a d 4 - * “*e hoya a O_o . a @ de oA Op ie esta co eal —— . : ] 3 « \ XN + ee ec ee shutting both banks from view. Midway | of the bluff, then rose to his feet and uttered a peculiar chirrup. - Instantly the expected response came from above. A short parley followed, and the two girls descended a zigzag path to the boat. Both were greatly excited, and it was some little time before they regained their composure. Then it was learned that they had been compelled to abandon their horses. “They became frightened at the flames, and were utterly unmanageable,” Polly explained. “We were obliged to dis- mount, leave them, and run afoot to the terrace.” “My horse, too, is gone,” asserted Luke, ruefully. “As is mine,’ Goldspur added, with @ shudder as he recalled the quicksand, “Come, get into the boat, and we'll drop down the river. P— is not many miles distant, I judge, and we can secure fresh animals there.” Luke agreed to this, and at once em- barked, with the girls. A few strokes of the paddle sent the canoe into the ecur- rent, whence it floated slowly and silent- ly down the stream. The flames on either bank were dying away; the north wind, yet warm with the breath of the embers over which it had swept, was lifting and dispelling the cloud of smoke; the stars were beginning to appear, though blotted from view, anon, by the shifting haze. Against the southern sky was reflected a dull, red glow, marking the sweeping flight of the fire. The occupants of the canoe drifted on- ward in silence. A signal call, ringing out from the top of the bluff, had been answered some distance down the river, and all realized that the outlaws wWers alert and watchful. Presently a new sound broke the grim quiet—the splashing of numerous paddles. Then the rays of a lantern flashed across the dark waters, and three canoes swept around a bend in the river a short dis- tance below the fugitives. Luke glanced at Goldspur in dismay. “We're cut off,” the detective averred. “ Those fellows are out in force. We must be near their rendezvous.” “'Tis near,” Luke assented. what are we to do?” “We must land, woods.” “That is it! Pull under the willows on the south shore, yonder.” Turning the prow of the canoe shore- ward, Goldspur noiselessly forced the light bark through the water, and a mo- ment later ran into the shadows of a clump of willows. | Luke sprang out, and helped the girls ashore. Then the canoe was lifted from the water, and carried some distance into the burned forest. “TI think that will puzzle them,” Gold- spur remarked. ‘“ They won’t be able to determine just where we left the river without a long and patient search.” “And in the meantime, we can secure horses, and be on our way to Tiptop.” “ Horses?” “Yes. Old Abe, an Indian, lives a short distance up the river, and I think I can get ponies of him, if his place escaped the fire. Remain with the girls, and T’ll be back shortly.” The detective assented to this proposi- tion, and Lightfoot hurried away. The trailer was not long absent. He returned leading four ponies. Halting be- side the canoe, he looked around with an air of bewilderment. Goldspur and the maidens had van- ished ! “ But and take to the CHAPTER XIX. abs AGAINST ODDs. The detective and his charges had watched Luke Lightfoot glide away inte the shadows with feelings in which hope and uncertainty were strongly blended. All could hear the outlaws signa‘ing each a ee other along the river, and, while he had 4 ip! rN i cbhooks.com