The Brand Burners of Cimarron — page 31: what you’re looking at

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- Hi eee tr a alee ne ge ee ee eee The Brand-Burners of Cimarron. 29 Then the desperado, retreating a step, quickly closed and locked the door, and the rancher was again a prisoner. For a moment Captain Brand stood un- decided. “Curse it! Is ill luck never to cease! ” he grumbled, glancing at the risen sun. “Tt is the day again and everything in a snarl! “ Could Belmont have released the cap- tives? Could he have had uimself locked in to disarm suspicion? Were I sure—’”’ The crack of a rifle down by the corral checked that half-audible strain. Captain Brand started vialently. What was amiss? Before he could stir, a defiant yell rang out. It was quickly followed by a furi- ous exchange of shots, and then the brand-burners came stumbling out of the draw, retreating toward the cabin. Captain Brand realized it all clearly enough, then! The marshals, discovering his lair, had stolen a march on him, and ruin was at hand! A frenzied yell burst from his throat, and he dashed aside the cowl-like mask. Further concealment of his identity was useless, he knew, and in another minute he was in the midst of his followers, urg- ing them to make a stand. The men rallied under his goading voice, and sought such shelter as was at hand; but they knew, and the gambler knew, that the day was lost. The attack- ing party had moved up in two divisicus, and now held both banks of the draw. “ Quick, Noolan! Take two of the boys and get out the horses, while we hold the hounds at bay,” ordered Spanish John sharply. “ Pallas, fire the house! There are se- crets there they must never learn! ” The men addressed sprang quickly to the tasks assigned to them, while the gambler and the remaining outlaws, crouching out of range, kept up a hot fire on the deputies moving through the tim- ber. A few minutes thus, then, just as a burst of flame came from the doomed eabin, a shrill-signal announced that the horses were ready, and the brand-burn- ers made a dash for the stables. Noolan and his aids had done their work well. Not only were the horses bridled and saddled for flight, but tiny tongues of flame were shooting up here and there in the long hay shed! Then came the order to mount, and in another minute the survivors—six in all —spurred away through the timber, fol- lowed by a volley from the deputies. Spanish John was in the lead, with ‘Pallas close beside him. Both saw that there was yet a gap in the attacking line on the west, and through that gap they ept. | SA aha command rang through the timber, and a leaden hail whistled around the fleeing desperadoes. Just ahead was a knoll; beyond it lay safety, and rowel- ing spurs sank deep in the flanks of the frightened horses. : The erest of the rise was gained with ranks unbroken. Then, when another bound meant security, the gambler’s horse quivered and sank, with a ball through the head. . Spanish John landed on his feet. At the same instant Pallas uttered a shout of agony and fell from his horse. A fly- ing leap carried the gambler alongside the riderless steed, and in another breath he was again in the saddle, heading the column! a A wild cheer from the reckless spirits greeted that dexterous feat. Then all swept down the hill and out into a val- ley, where a brief halt was made. “Pards, we must disband for the pres- ent, and scatter,’ Spanish John amn- nounced. “A month from to-day, we'll all meet at the old ranch and divide the booty.” “No, to-day!” four voices cried, as one, and each of the desperadoes leveled .g weapon at, the chief. | ae : \ | H : : | ‘ 7 ‘ ) i 4 Pi, e “ i UF ie itd , Pe The beady black eye of the gambler glittered wickedly, and his slim yellow y we 4 r+, be 5 - - = the, ote Bare Vl* oe 2 yee ee ; hands crept stealthily to the butts of the weapons in his holsters. “Stiddy, chief! Don’t try thet! ” Noo- lan warned. “I hates ter lift hand ag’in’ ye, but we’ve sworn ter hev fair play, an’ fair play et shall be! “Go with us quietly, an’ divide fairly, an’ ye’re still our chief, through thick an’ thin. “Refuse, an’ ye’ll eat cold lead, right hyar! : “Do I speak et straight, pards?” “Ye bet! ” came the answer in chorus. Spanish John laughed harshly. “So be it, then!” he exclaimed. “ But I warn you, men, that you are building your own ruin, for the delay will give time for pursuit. “ But forward, now! We must strike the bad lands to cover our trail, and there is not a moment to lose.” With suspicions lulled by that ready acquiescence, the outlaws obeyed, and for upward of an hour the five men held on due west. About the middle of the forenoon, they rode out upon a bold ridge, where, in response to a gesture from the gambler, all silently drew rein. In the valley below them was a man, and all saw that he was none other than their escaped captive, Major Duncan! CHAPTER XXXVI. GOLDSPUR’S DISCOVERY. In forming for the attack on the corral, Detective Goldspur, with Gimps, Jack Rabbit, and five men had crept through the tall grass in the draw and entered the timber south ofthe enclosure, while Pawnee Bill with Lightfoot and the re- maining members of the posse stole into position on the opposite side. After some minutes, an exchange of signals announced that all was in readi- ness, and then the deputy marshal stepped boldly into view, at a point di- rectly above the northern line of the cor- ral, and hailed the nearest of the brand- burners. It chanced that the man was Noolan. He looked up with a start, and an oath came from his lips as he recognized the deputy. “ Surrender! ” shouted Pawnee, sharp- ly. “You are hemmed in, and cannot es- cape! ” A rifle shot was the answer, and the leaden ball passed within an inch of the deputy’s ear. Down he dropped and from both sides of the draw a deadly fire was poured into the corral, driving the brand-burners, in utter confusion, through the upper gate, and a moment later out of the draw. Then Spanish John appeared, checked the headlong flight, as we have seen, and held the advancing lines at bay until Noo- lan signaled that the horses were ready. Quick to detect this move of the out- laws, both Goldspur and Pawnee urged their men forward, hoping to cut off es- cape. But the distance intervening was too great, and Spanish John and his fol- lowers succeeded in slipping through the lines, Detailing two men to push on to the top of the knoll and watch the movements of the fleeing outlaws until the horses could be brought up, the deputy turned to the burning cabin. That the building was doomed was evi- dent. The eastern room was burning fiercely, but the flames had not yet eaten througlt the partition, and it was quickly decided to enter and search the intact apartment. Accordingly a rail was procured from a pile near by, and the sash and bars of,a window were quickly battered in, giving egress to a number of the men. As a result of the hasty search that followed, a square tin box filled with cor- respondence, was brought to light, and a mere glance at the contents of a few of the letters convinced both officers that the find was a most important one. Searcely had this discovery been made when two of the men approached, lead- ing a prisoner, Lg oe «bd? iP || > al ted ie ‘es ' “ , ar > % Ail. i gal ATTN Gel Fila ten ae r a ‘4g eee ee ; » Mi Prat he h ; J 22") ' ~~) ah > * és Se ; io ae a Mb arab oR . de if o Soa ee! A Ty RES “Hallo! It’s Belmont!” Goldspur ex- claimed. “ We’re not altogether out of luck, after all, Pawnee! ” “You will be if you tarry here,” the rancher retorted, with a frown. “If you intend to round up Spanish John, you must move quickly.” “Indeed! ” “ Keep your sneers, sir! I do not seek to curry favor with you, but to avenge myself upon one I hate. “I came here to trip the gambler, but was myself captured. Knowing his plans as I do and his sécret haunts, I tell you to go to the old ranch house south of here if you would take him.” “Is that the truth, Belmont? ”’ “It is the truth, Detective Goldspur! “I broke with him because of his crimes, abandoned my property, and started away, but was way-laid, assault- ed, and robbed by his agents. “Then I went to the old ranch house to pass the night, and met there Cobbler Pegeges and his wife. With them I planned to rescue the girls, and came here for that purpose, but was forestalled by the boy Gimps, who, believing me an enemy, knocked me senseless and dragged me into the prison in which the girls had been kept. “There I was found by Spanish John. Holding me in his power, he confessed to the assault and robbery, and I mental- ly swore vengeance against him. “As your prisoner, my hands are tied, yet will I work him all harm possible.”’ Bitter was the voice of the rancher; but his words rang with truth and were believed. “The fellow is no longer of importance to us,” Goldspur declared. “‘ Even the evi- dence he can give us may readily be spared should he violate his promise and steal away.” Pawnee assented to this view, and Bel- mont, much to his surprise, was released. Shortly thereafter, the dead—two out- laws killed in the corral fight—were buried. Then the horses were brought up and preparations for pursuit were hastily made, The two men stationed on the crest of the knoll to watch the retreat of the brand-burners came in and reported the outlaws in full flight some miles away ‘and heading westward. This report led to a division of the force. Pawnee and his posse decided to follow Spanish John’s trail, while Gold- spur, with Lightfoot, Gimps, Jack Rabbit, and the prisoner, Denver Red, with three wounded brand-burners, were to push on to the old ranch house and there entrap Spanish John, picking up the fugitives, Major Duncan and the two girls, on the way. With the adoption of this plan, Pawnee and his posse, accompanied by Belmont, mounted and rode away across the knoll, while Goldspur’s party, guided by Gimps, proceeded to the spot where the lad left the two girls some hours earlier, and thence up the stream. No trace of the fugitive maidens was © discovered, but Gimps was positive they had obeyed his instructions and gone south along the creek. Several miles had been covered, and the sun was nearing the meridian, when in a bit of broken ground bordered with huge bowlders and thickets of haw bushes Goldspur suddenly halted the little caval- cade and dismounted. The grassy earth just ahead was tram- pled and scarred, and as the keen eye of the detective noted these signs he looked up, saying: “There has been a struggle here. “Come, Lightfoot. See what you can make out of it.” CHAPTER XXXVII. SURPRISE. Upon leaving Gimps, the fugitive maid- ens had stolen through the darkness in utter silence, and with no small degree of trepidation. They had proceeded nearly a mile when the path dipped into the deep shadows of ¢ ty