Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1061 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

— —__-—-- - a ~< ‘ “-% - a S i. ee 4 ‘ . * ra TLE . Ve a 7 r+ -_—-—— —- Hingered in their camps, losing much time, it | panther—the chaparral is thick, the thorns being ten days before they delivered their cap- tive at the hacienda of their chief. The Rangers, starting from San Antonio two days after the fight at the Mission, having been delayed by the wounds of Sam and Jee, and then by preparations for the long trail, had made some forty, miles each day, until crossing upon Mexican soil they increased: sharp—Warlula can crawl like snake—the walls high, Warlula fly like bird—he has seen Pale Lily from big tree—Warlula say Buckskin come—say many White warriors on trail—Pale Lily heap glad—Greaser dog thick in big house—drink much whis- ky, make heap noise—they much fool— sing death songs fore ’nother sun come— their length of march to fifty miles, being but | Warlula go back see big Greaser Chief no hurt eight days on the trail before reaching the | Pale Lily—my white brother will come with vicinity of the robber retreat. In fact the Rangers were within five miles warriors—he will be at big-gate when dark comes—big-gate look at sunrise—Warlula will of the retreat of Don Brogado when that de- | make clear trail—much big fight, many scalps generate son of old Castile had awakened from his drunken slumbers, and surprised Lena and — Panchito by appearing in the room of the former. : Although the Rangers had been enabled by the well understood sign left upon the trail by | the Tonkaway Indian, to gain a position so near to their foes, still they did not think it prudent to approach by daylight any «wearer the hacienda. -There might be a large force | great brave, There is room for another eagle- _ feather in his war-dress, and Buckskin will put within the walls, who in that case could by having the advantage of position, and being upon their own soil, succeed in holding their own, and even eventually so thin the ranks of | _ her face is turned toward her home and father, The thanks belong to Warlula. He has done nobly, and we depend upon him to-night more the Rangers that perhaps they might in the end annihilate the whole party. What they might accomplish they knew must be done by strategy and surprise. Night would be the most favorable time for the at- | tack, and they were now confident that with- in the walls was their daring spy the Tonka- way, who would ascertain the weak points and report to them before the time came for the assa ult. | It was not probable that Warlula would sup- pose them to be so near, but they knew he | any one on us has a word ter sling what'll mak’ any differ’ in ther fix o’ things. All [. _has heard puts up ther job in open order, an’ ther lay-out are spread ’zactly ter suit, A\ll’s would not hesitate at a fifty-mile ride to give them the desired information; and he must be aware that they were within that distance. The princpal. scouts in the invading party having come to this conclusion, they settled | are in danger ther Tonk’ better slide hisself back ag’in er she might git damaged afore we down to await news from the hacienda, secure- ly hidden meantime in an opening in the chap- wrral, their camp being well guarded and the | animals resting and luxuriating in the rich mesquite grass, which, in spots, grew thick and verdant. To the south of the Ranger encampment, be- | neath the cool shade of a thick clump of mes- quites, reclined Buckskin Sam and his pards, Upon the further side, toward the north, were Dutch Pete, Austin and Mick McFillinny, in the, usual arguments, so frequently brought about by their mixed nationality and ideas, though here prudencegchained their tongues to low tones, which gave a call for extra vent to wneir anger in gesture, grimace and movement, As Big Foot expressed it, after rolling on the sward with the other boys in suppressed mirth: “Tha w’u’d hav’ ther ground tromped down as hard as ther inside o’ a corral afore camp war broke?” While the scouts were enjoying the antics of the singular trio who formed the debating club of the Ranger band, the quick, loud crow of the chaparral cock, unheard except at night, broke on their ears, foliowed by ap exact imi- tation of the warning sigual of a dozen enraged rattlesnakes. Every man sprung to his feet in alarm, and every eye at the same moment guided by the sound fell upon the proud, erect figure of War- . hula, who stood with folded arms in their midst, his stoical countenance showing no unu- sual emotion. Guarded ejaculations of surprise and pleasure and warm hand-grasps greeted the Tonkaway brave. Then each Ranger seated himself on the sward, forming a circle, ' In silence the Indian slowly drew his pipe . from its pouch, seated himself also by the side of his white brothers, prepared for council. Never before had Warlula seen a pipe go | the rounds of a circle of braves so quickly; never before had his eyes encountered more ‘ eager, interested glances than those that were now centered upon him, awaiting anxiously the words to fall from his lips. '’ The pipe was returned to its owner, whose Itps parted as the same was thrust into his pouch. ** Warlula is'‘glad—he is rroud of his white brothers—their eyes are keen—they ride fast— they ride long—my white brothers are great warriors—they sleep not on war-path—War- Jula has trailed the wolf to his den—he is a unning wolf, but Tonkaway can see like ete |'—Greaser got much blanket, much gold, much heap powder—my white brothers’ guns shoot fast, shoot straight—Pale Lily will go back to | white-hair father-—Rangers no make noise— maybeso big chief Cortina come from Bravo— then too much Greaser for Rangers—Warlula go back—Pale Lily with wolves—wolves got sharp teeth—bite Pale Lily—Warlula no there —-got talk, speak quick,” ‘““My red brother,” returned Sam, ‘‘is a it thero with his own hands. Many thanks will be spoken from the lipsof Pale Lily when than upon ourselves, for cunning wins oftener than strength, powder or steel. We will be at the big-gate, which fronts toward the sunrise, when dark comes. When Warlula hears a coyote yelp three times he will know his white _brothers are ready for battle. The cry ofa 'raven will tell us allis well. Any thing you | boys think of to say to our red brother?” ““T dont rec’on,” answered Big Foot, ‘‘ that re’dy ter commence ther game. Ef ther gal gits her outen ther claws o’ ther cusses.” “Big Trailer talk good—Warlula got heap _work—his knife will be red, when next see white brother.” Waving his band the Indian arose and stalked away through the mesquites, and was soon lost to view CHAPTER XIX. UNBIDDEN GUESTS. AFTER leaving the camp of the Rangers Warlula followed a narrow, winding trail | through the dense chaparral, which towered | far above his crouching form. His eyes glanced suspiciously around upon ) all sides, at times stopping in his tracks and | listening intently. Then, with long, rapid strides, he glided noiselessly on his way, until, still hidden by the foliage of the mesquites, cacti, and bristling dagger-leaved palmas, he came to the high adobe wall which farrounded the hacienda of the bandit chief. Turning south, and following the wall, avoiding the thick clumps of red and black chaparro, cranberry bush, wax-berry, and junco, he came to a mesquite, the upper branches of which towered above the wall. Quickly mounting up through the limbs, the Indian loosened @ strong trailing vine, which he had evidently twined about the tree when he had started on his visit to the Ranger camp. The long, twining net-work of branches, and serpent-like twigs which sprung out in every direction from this vine, high up in a tree-top on the inner side of the wall, were strong enough to support a much heavier weight than the Tonkaway. The end held by Warlula had been severed by his knife from its connection with the earth inside the garden. Grasping this vine firmly the red-man made his way through the branches of the mesquite, as far away from the wall as the vine would admit, then braced himself, gave a flying spring, fur out over the wall, and its dangerous clumps of prickly pear, into the tree which sus- tained the vine. Warlula was inside the garden. Glancing about, the Indian, seeing nothing to alarm him, quickly slid down the tree to the ground, groped his way through the thickets of fruit trees, until, near the hacienda, he mount ed the cypress, and in a moment after was gaz- ing through the grated window into the room where Lena Castro was kept confined. a, \ ees , a Z rar) i y a - - ct 7 ea Fy io de yin Oe eae » Ld *, kh : y a . ‘es = 2 Wn oh Re la r 7 ‘ - ; - 7 * . 2 * a - : = ~ & 8 et > - - © * ; y a * ate t - icant. —_— - "ts H “ ° b 4 _” ae : AT Daly <o ity, gue, et < Y ho A ; : A f a a | - . vere 7 : » ’ . 4. ~ > a Knoll - 7 <« - « - - e J * . = - - - ee = - q + - A vt et - - ‘ nan *¢ £ Os a We > Lid we Ape oe ; : 7 SE —_— ——_ ' oon * » * aya? - ‘ 5 ® f + x, ot 4 ' - Much to Warlula’s satisfaction Lena wae seated in a chair, ia deep slumber. .She had not been troubled by the bandit chief during his absence. Not wishing to remain idle, Warlula climbed higher up the tree, and with some trouble suo- ceeded, after carefully making his way out upon a limb which projected over the flat roaf of the hacienda, in dropping upon the same withouf being seen or heard. Walking toward that part of the house-top under which the dining-hall was lotated, War- lula distinctly heard from the gbhimney the sounds of rude song and laughter, mixed with ribald jest and oaths, from the bandits who ‘were carousing below. His attention was, however, suddenly diverted from this din by the dull clang of a bell, and listening, be heard the clatter of hoofs upon the pavements of the | patio. Luckily the branches of the trees which stood by the main entrance drooped over the roof, and the Indian, hastening to the breast-high ‘wall, was enabled, secure from observation, to see plainly through the foliage that the bandit chief, Don Brogado, who seemed much intoxi- cated, was welcoming thc new-comers—a score of cut-throats, at whose head rode a finely- formed, large man, clad in a rich, highly orna- - mented blue velvet suit and armed to the teeth. One glance told the Tonkaway that Juan N, Cortina, the scourge of the Rio Grande, the king bandit of America, was below, and a double scowl! of hatred and gratification settled on his brow. Amid loud clatter the borses were stabled; but instead of Cortina entering the hacienda he turned his mustang, ordered the gate re- opened, waved an adios, and galloped to- ward Monterey, leaving his men as guests of Don Brogado. Thus, as was often said, the devil took good care that his right bower should not be caught in a trap. -Had Cortina entered the bacienda, hundreds of brave men, whose mutilated bodies now molder in lonely graves in the chaparral, might be living yet, hundreds of homes now sadly bereaved right never have known sorrow, and the rancheros of the Rio Grande might count their cattle and horses by thousands where not a boof-print is now seen. Although the extensive dining hall of the . hacienda was now crowded with lawless men, nearer brutes than humans, three to one against the little band of Rangers, Warlula’s actions showed that he had no doubt of the issue, Tightening his belt, he, with a spring, grasped the limb from which he had gained the roof, and wes soon in his old perch by the window of the captive maiden, who, awakened by the clang of the bell and the bustle below, was pacing her apartment, with great anxiety depicted upon her features. Suddenly the warning of the rattlesnake issued from the branches of the tree. At first the sound made her shrink with fear and utter a stifled scream; but connect- ing it with the signal she had heard while with Panchito in the ceilar, and also upon second thought knowing the rattlesnake does not frequent tree-tops, she advanced to the barred window. ‘‘Maybeso Warlula snake, maybeso War- lula bird,” spoke the Indian, in a low tonel— “Warlula been to Ranger camp—Buckskin here wher. dark come—heap more Greaser in big house—Cortina wolves—no bark more when sun come—sun go down in West— Greaser never see more—Pale Lily catch rope tie to iron.” . The Indian as he spoke tossed the end of a lariat to Lena, who fastened it to one of the window bars, Warlula, with all his strength and weight pulled on the lariat. The iron bar bent, and one, end slipped from its adobe socket and flew outward, Fastening securely the end he held to ¢ limb overhead he swung himself upon the win dow sill, unfastened the end from the bent bar, secured it to the one stid firmly imbedded, drew out the loosened iron, stepped through the window, and stood in the room with hie he had risked his life many times to save from a fate worse than death. Lena gazed at the paint-grimed warrior, then made her way to his side and took his hand, torn and bleeding from the chaparrat- groping, and tree-climbing. ‘‘ My kind, noble friend, how much | thans Comic © (2 ¥ —® le oe. ret: . ~~ =*— 4" a - . mre 4 ; * — [ pe at S in — + 4 Me - - . a cs - ode, PS . at's a ‘ + , - ery 4 ioe me eS er -_ a ne oe Tete , - arty ‘-4 7 ie ~ . iS ow 4, 5 — _—-— ‘ >, , ari ® tay celal tis Aims s . * ce es 7 i a ‘a a to Fr eaae ine F ie Be 5. te