Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1061 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

_/@ulf. The fire spurted from the revolvers of See ee a ————— — havoc so lately made in their ranks by his fire Thus sat the Indian, gazing after the fleeing through the sashless windows of the ruined | bandits, master of the field, the. wild war spirit filling his eyes, and eager for the blood of those Sam’s face was pale, his teeth set with the | whom he knew it was useless to follow alone. ration of a tiger at bay as he whirled The surprise of the bandits had been great ack Cloud about, and dashed the spurs cruelly | when ‘‘ Reckless Joe” put in bis voice and arm; into his quivering flanks. Off like the wind | but when Warlula, in his own war-paint, and they bounded nerth, toward the deep and dan- | sounding his war cries, came upon the scene gerous asaque, the yelling horde of yellow- sinned devils close in their rear, and the zip- | ping bullets cutting the air above and around em. their chief, who bore away as captive, one of | those nope had risked so much to secure, | Lena Castro gave one look of despair at the One tremendous bound and Black Cloud and | pale face of Sam, who lay amidst the slain, his burden cleared the asaqu-, orirrigating ditch, , with the blood welling from his wounded face; and Sam, with nimble dncers, half unwound | and then, as she was carried with great speed his silk sash and bound it about the slender hugged tightly in the arms of the bandit, all waist of Lena Castro, resting ber form over bis | hope left her. No mercy or pity-could she see hips in such a manner as to shield her in a | in the brutal faces of her captors, : measure from the flying balls and enable him Had Sam been captured instead of the Spanish to use both arms in the coming struggle. He | girlthere isno doubt but that Warlula would knew the bandits, even if they had to skirt the | have followed to the death. As it was, he Mission, could overtake him before he’ could | loosened quickly a gourd from one of the sad- reach San Antonio, burdened as he was and bis | dles; and procuring water, commenced to horse almost broken down by hard riding. bathe the head of Sam and Joe as tenderly as Lena was safely secured. The sight of her | any woman, Meantime he muttered words of upturned face, so innocent and ravishingly | vengeance against the yellow dogs, or gazin lovely, added to the deadly hate he bore toward | around upon the slain exultantly, sung songs o his foes and nerved his arm and brain to carry | praise for his white brother, whose recent Ces- out the desperate resolve born on the instant. perate situation and valiant defense made him Black Cioud wads once more turned toward | more than ever an object of reverence. the Mission. The bandits, balked by the—to asians them—impassable asaque, were huddled in a mob upon the south side of the deep ditch as Sam, to their extreme surprise, came toward them like a thunderbolt, hoiding with firm grip a deadly revolver in each hand, taken from his holsters. His long hair flying in the wind, his eyes laring hate, his mustang snorting and strain- ing every muscle of his sinewy frame, he came lke an avenger. For a moment they gazed in wonder, not un- mixed with fear, incapable of action. In that moment the Texan yell burst from Sam’s throat, as flying over the asaque he landed in their midst, his revolvers flashing fire and sending death on all sides. At this instant the Texan yell burst once more on the air, and sweeping down from the river bottom came ‘Reckless Joe,” to the assistance of his lifelong pard, who, cutting safely through with his fair burden, met bim half-way between the river and the bandits— who were now forming for a charge en niasse. ‘* By all the gods of war and love, Sam, I find you ina pretty pickle! That muslin must be worth its weight in gold for you*to take suck desperate chances to protect it. How’s this, do yonder base, craven abortions of the aborigines think to banish the buckskinned knights of the Lone Star State. Come on, ignoble ladrones, we'll send you to so warm a clime that hence- forth you'll renounce your favorite seasoning of chill Colorado. Sam, you freeze to that angel in muslin, and Pll go it alone against the cowardly curs.” ‘CHAPTER VIII. COMING BACK TO LIFE. WARLULA Without stint laved the wounds of Sam and Joe with the cool water, making several trips to the river for a fresh supply. Upon returning from his last trip to the river the Indian observed Joe sitting up, supporting himself with his hands upon the earth before him, with a dazed, half insane look upon his feai ures. Upon seeing Warlula approach Joe became somewhat excited, and crawled along until he came toa dead mustang. Leaning over the body of the animal, and bringing the revolver which he had found on the ground to bear upon the Tonkaway, he exclaimed with a hoarse, wavering voice: ‘Who art thou, bold warrior, that thus ap- proacheth the victor of this bloody field?— Comest thou with fell intent, toward thy peer in all thirigs? Comest thou with murderous thoughts revolving within thy feather-bediz- ‘ened, paint-daubed skull? If this be thusly, warble sweetly upon the midnight air thy death-song; prccure.a through ticket to the happy hunti:g-grounds of thy tribe; give a farewell gaze upon the works of thy father, Nature; for, although sorely wounded, and somewhat mixed, and concloberated, I think I can lay out thy noble form. Joseph, be true to Saying this Jee spurred toward the Greasers, | thyself. The Last of the Mohegans stands be- but his mustang had not gone ten feet before | fore thee. Son of the forest and prairie, the bandits in line charged down upon the two | giey? Rangers, with fierce, vengeful yells, flashing their lomg knives in the air, as they had not had time to reload their old-fashioned escopetas. It was like the continuous flashes, of the vivid Vainly the wavering arm strove to bring lightnings, seen during a storm on the Mexican the revolver to bear on the Indian. The iron tube described circles in the air, the weak finger spasmodically pressed the trigger as Joe fell back in a dead faint, and the contents of the pistol were buried in the dead mustang. Warlula’s quick perception saw Joe’s con- dition, and he was ready to evade the shot, should the latter succeed in bringing the sight to bear upon him. “Joé heap big brave—no know Warlula— heap sick—lose heap blood—Greaser cut deep!” —muttered the Indian, as he continued to act the Good Samaritan. , Warlula soon had gratifying evidence that Sam was still alive. His heart beat feebly in- deed, and he uttered heavy sighs. Placing him in an easy position he returned to Joe, who soon recovered, under the cold water treatment of the Indian, and opened his eyes, ‘‘ Avaunt, foul fiend!” cried Joe; ‘and quit me sight! But, stay!—methinks there’s some mistake—or thou wouldst long ere this have artistically removed my skull-cover, ears in- cluded, Hast thou a strawberry on thy right arm? Ay, dreams! and such dreams as would stop digestion and make each nerve within thy flesh to creep and cringe, to coil and squirm, like fire-singed serpents! What, bo! guards!” and Joe sprung to his feet, his hands clutching wildly in his hair, and staggering like a drunken man, supported by Warlula, he gazed about the scene of the conflict. The whinny of Black Cloud drew Joe’s at- tention; and just by the horse the loved form of his pard, *‘ Buckskin Sam,* lying upon the blood-stained earth, near a heap of dead bandits. Joe feebly brushed the hair away from his brow, and assisted by the Indian gained the spot, and knelt by his side, exclaiming in deep Sam and Jove, lighting up the scene, and bring- ing the combatants into a mingled crowd of cursing men and prancing, fear - stricken mustangs. Many saddles were emptied; many wounded sent up groans of anguish from the trampled, blood - stained sward; many mus- tangs, maddened by wounds, dashed here, and there through the bush with wild snorts; but there were enough of the miscreants left to hurl themselve supon the two brave Ranger-boys. Steel clanged to steel; a stiletto flashed before the eyes of Sam; hissed through the air, pene- trated his cheek; and striking his teeth, crum- bled two to atoms, fracturing his jaw. Af the same time a carbine struck him on the head, and he reeled and sunk among the slain,{drag- ing Lena Castro, who had revived during the melee, with him. Her arms were weund about his form, asif her life and salvation depended upon him, while terrer and despair were de- picted upon her countenance. Reckless Joe, fighting like a hero, was knocked senseless from his horse, after receiving a stab in the leg from one of the wounded bandits, who was dismounted, One burly ruffian tore loose the fair girl from her now powerless pro- tector, and vaulting into his saddle, with a yell of triumph, bounded southward, Two of the ruffians leaped to the ground, to male sure work of Sam and Joe, when the wild war-whoop of Warlula broke upon their ears, followed by a shot from his carbine which killed the bandit, who already held the glitter- Ps teel over the heart of Sam. Like an venging spirit from an unknown world came the Tonkaway chief, and his scalping-knife found a home in the heart of Joe’s would-be murderer. Springing upon the back of Black Cloud, who stood by his fall’n master, whinny- ing and pawing the earth, Warlula again sounded the war-cry of his t:ibe. they were appalled, and right willingly followed" | august body, | emotion as he grasped the hand of his fellew Ranger: ‘‘T remember all now, Sam, old boy. . You are not dead, great God in Heaven forbid!” Suddenly turnivg, and grasping the arm of the Indian, Joe demanded: ‘Speak if you have a tongue, man! fiend! devil, or— no, forgive me. 1 know you are a friend, and as such tell me, is my poor pard, who sailed the sea with me to this wild land, who has slept for years under the same blanket, who has divided his last drink of precious water on the burning sands of the Llano Estacado—tell me, is he dead? Ifso, bear me ye gods of war! for every hair upon his head a Greaser dies; and these hands, which have so oft been grasped by him in friendship and brotherly love—these hands shall know no rest until he is avenged!” Weak and trembling Joe raised bis arms skyward, as he ceased. The Indian for a mo- ment looked at Joe with awe; then, under- standing by his manner and words his deep af- fection for Sam, which found an echo in his own heart be answered: ‘Buckskin will jive—the Great Spirit is good—my white brother no die—go on heap trails— kill more Greasers—kill more Com- anches,” and the Indian gently pressed Joe down to a sitting position, while he dressed Sam’s wounded. face in a primitive manner and bound up Joe’s thigh with a silken sash, taken from one of the slain. Soon Sam moved restlessly, breathed heavily, opened his eyes, and, in a feeble voice exclaimed, as he recog- nized Joe and -Warlula, who each held one of his hands; ‘* Howdy, pards, what's up?’ Then, as he suddenly changed his position, and the blood flowed into his mouth, the events of the night flashed back upon his brain, and he sprung to his feet, gazing about the mes- quites, river bottom, and Mission, his eyes brightening as the joyful whinny of Black Cloud struck his ear, and he felt his. faithful mustang rubbing its head against his shoulder, ‘*Sam, old pard, sbake! Put it right. there)” cried Joe, overjoyed. ‘*I’m not blushing t6 say that there’s been a salt spring bu’st out is both me optics, and me cheeks are damp yet.- Sure as shooting I was dubious about your ever again bestriding your noble steed. I thought your trail had come to end, you certainly look as though you’d been badly. murdered. [’m cut deep myself; but don’t show the buteher’s work as much as you do. Never say die, Sam, till this chicken has lost his comb, head in- cluded. I'll sell out for a string of suckers when you pass in your checks,” Then turning to Warlula, Joe added: ““Come, thou representative of a fast disap- pearing race; dose see yon tower and battle- ments? Hie ye to its uppermost pinnacle and shout the war-cry of triumph! Ring the loud tocsin; for Samuel and Joseph still live, although the republic of Mexico has vomited its hordes of ladrones and assassins over the Bravo to blot out our existence from this mun- dane sphere and the red tribes of the West have at several distinctly well remembered oc. casions almost interlaced their digits in an ex- tremely affectionate manner amid our flowing locks while they gracefully carved the atmos- phere before our optics with their glittering scalping-knives! I repeat it, sir. The Union must and shall be preserved. The geese that howled at the gates of Rome shall trample the proud banner of England in the dust, and the British lion shall crawl, like a woodtick-cov- ered coyote, beveath the gigantic rock of Gib raltar there to die, ay, die. Hang out your banners on the outer wall when you see me come, Gentlemen, I have the honor of repre- senting the Lone Star ‘State, before this I’ll oppose this measure to the bitter end. I’m a warrior, and peace troubles the regular gliding machinery from which me thoughts find birth. Horatio, I; would rest. Wrap m2 up in pleasant dreams; waft me to lullaby lands.” During the latter portion of his mixed oration, Joe had stepped upon the carcass of a dead mustang, and interlarded his speech with various well-timed gestures, which, in spite of wounds and grim, ghostly surroundings, caused Sam to laugh; but Warlula, not know- ing Joe personally, thought surely he was sing- ing his deathsong, and listened without a muscle moving in his stoical face. . ‘*Come here, Joe,” said Sam, ‘I really be- lieve if you were condemed to be hung you would spout Shakespeare, or somebody else, on the scaffold. Come here, I wish to make you acquainted with my red dseeeing ose white 4 comicboo (S.C v=