Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1092 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

ry se he > - ian. ‘he bad last In a few minutes after he ey rig shot Old e was al} alone, and heard = Old Cross-Eye, 1 Then the men got off their borses, and the first. voice said: “Tie the hosses to the trees at the edge of the timmer. Don’t makefno more noise than ye kin help. The old cuss sleeps light.” . Old Cross Eye trembled as be heard the voice, for it was that of Tomlinson, the son of the man who had injured him, so many years ago. ‘*Sleeps light?!’ he muttered to bimself, ** Yes, you will find he sleéps light enough to give you what your father ought to have had, years ago,” The old man tried to see the sights of his rifle in the dark, but the intervening branches pre- vented any accuracy of aim, and be had to wait till the men were close to him. — But he had taken bis ambush for that very purpose, and the muzzle of his carbine was not three feet from the path, by which they must all come. ‘ He saw them dismount from their horses and lead them to the trees; not twenty feet away from the place where he Jay bidden, And then came an unexpected difficulty. As the horses were brought there, they began to snuff and snort, as they scented the old man’s body through the bushes, and the wary despera- ee ae the fact at once, with the caution of their life, “What's the matter with the hosses?” asked’ one man suspiciously. Then they all stood, with their bands on their weapons, staring into the thicket, and watching the actions of the horses, as well as they could, in the darkness, Old Cross Eye drew up bis rifle, and waited silently, CHAPTER XIX, OLD CROSS-EYE SEES STRAIGHT. THE men outside the motte stood ‘there as much as two minutes, listening, when the voice of Tomlinson was heard again, saying: ‘?Reckon it’s nothin’ but a snake, or su’thin’ o’ the sort; boys, Go ahead, but don’t make no noise. If they jump out, be'Teady to give it to em, Then the men filed into the path leading tothe motte, and thence to the raneh of the Maverick- Hunter, each man. with a pistol, drawn and cocked, in bis band. Oid Cross-Bye saw the dark figures as they stole past him, not three feet away, headed. by Tomli: son, whom he recognized by his dress; for the cesperado wore a Mexican rig, while the rest bad buckskin garments. He never fired till the last man had entered the path, and he wassure that he had six ene- mies to contend with. Tnen hs suddenly rose up, as the last man went past him, »nd let him have the contents of his carbine in the back, He had taken care to get on the right side of the path leading from the ranch-house, and had the advantage of bis Jeft sboulder to the enemy when he rose, The first man dropped instantly, and the otvers wheeled round, not knowing from whence-came the attack; for the first man had been shot dead asa stone, Before they bad recovered from the confusion of the unlooked. for assault, the old man bad fired a second shot and dropped anovher of his enemies, but this time the flash of his rifle betrayed him, and the report was drowned in the sound of a regular volley of pistol-shots, sent at the place where he was standing. The desperadoes came rush back and fired into the darkness, tearing at the bushes to get into the wood, so as to come to close quarters Old Cross Eye, who had made his ambush for the very purpose it now filled, was not burt by the first volley, for the reason that bis body was sheltered by the trunk of a sapling, and tbat another had been trained tostand by the first, so as to make a perfect shade. He could see them distinctly, as they tore at the saplings and bushes, and saw that his second shot had downed a second man, Then he fired a third, and it was answered by a second volley, when he felt a sbarp pore In the side, and knew that he was hit badly, from the faintness that ensued. Pe ag | His eyes began to fail him, and he fell forward against the trees that he was sheltered by, As he went down, he saw a third man fall, of the assailants, Then he slipped down at the foot of the tree and beard the men calling to each other to “get out of that! There was no chance !” , Old Cross-Eye smiled faintly as be heard the cry, and lay back against the tree, while the assailants of the ranch went rushing out of the path, and he heard them mounting and riding away, with a baste that showed they had had enough of the contest in the dark.. They had proved the danger of,a night attack, where the enemy is prepered; for they had fled from one man, who wks badly wounded and could bave . offered no further resistance, thinking that they _ were confronted by at least two, and not know- a of the departure of Tom Field to seek the “eee galloping feet of their horses, as they fled for their lives from the motte, Then the old man seemed to himself to be fall- ing asleep, for he remembered notbing more till ! the light of the sun shone into bis face, and he |! heard voices near him. He opened his heavy eyes, and saw that the sun was up, and that be was at the foot of the sapling be had used for a shelter. he voices he -had. heard were those of Tom Field and some Indians, who had followed bim to the edge of the motte. They were coming from the inside, and had evidently been at tbe jacal. The tones of Tom’s voice were full of anxiety, as he called out: ** Jake, Jake, where are you? For God’s sake answer! Thseyunust have killed bim.” Then he heard the voice of Wild Cat, saying in the Indian tongue: ‘‘The brother with the crooked eyes was not here. He has gone into the wood. See the place where he went. He has killed his foes, and they bave run away.” Then Old Cross-Eye, unable to speak for weakness, saw the form of an Indian in the th, and the red-man was peering into the ushes. The old man made a motion so as to stir the branches round him, and the quick eye of the Indian noted it. In a quiet way, asif he were not at all astonished, the savage said to the man bebind bim: ‘The man is bere. He is hurt, or he would have come out to see us.” Then Old Cross-Eye saw them coming toward him, and in a few minutes more the Indians were by bis side, and bad picked him up, with the skill they use when a comrade is badly burt. They carried him out to the jacal, and there bis young friend Tom, with the tears stream- ing down. bis face, knelt beside bim and mur- mured: ‘*Ob, Jake—Jake! why did I leave you? If I bad ovly been here, this would not havé bap- ned, The old man was too faint to say anything, and lay quietly while the young doc'or ex- amined bis wound with great care. When be had finished, Old Cross-Eye smiled at him, and whispered: . ‘Gone, ain’t I, boy? Better I should go.”. Tom Field smothered a sob, ; He knew the old man was right. ‘The bullet from a pistol had passed through the left lung, very close to the heart, and the long exposure to the night air, which is always chilly imTexas, bad bad the effect of sapping the vital powers, so that there was no hope. Old Cross-Kye bad not many hours to live, The Indians looked at the wounded man with ny stolid calmness of their race, and Wild Cat said: , ‘*The man with the crooked eyes has done well, He basslain three of his enemies. The scalps are bis.” . The old man smiled faintly; but his eyes sought those of Tom Field, as he whispered: ‘‘ Is he dead?” _ aoe understood bim, and sadly shook bis ead. Bowel ib Fe ‘The other one, who was here, was killed,” he said, ‘‘ but Tomlinson has escaped. e you sure he was here?” . seh Old Cross-Eye made a sign to be raised up, and when he was more erect he seemed to be easier, for his voice grew stronger, and be said in a low tone: ) | ‘He led the party, boy. He came back, as I thought he would. He must. have met bis friends near by. How did you come back so soon ?” ‘*{ met Wild Cat out on a bunting-party, and he came with me at once,” said Tom. ‘“ We got here at dawn, ond as soon as the chief set eyes on the motte, he said there had been a ght. He showed the tracks of horses at a gal- lop, and he bas sent some men out after -them. They must bave come back on purpose to rob and murder us,” . Old Cross-Eye nodded bis head. “Ay, ay; that was their game, boy. The temptation was too great, when they saw tbe herds all alone out here by the Indian coun- try. Now they’re all yourn, boy, and ye kin be a rich man, if ye wanter. If ever ye meet that Tomlinson, don’t furgit he was the one, shot me.” Tom started, ‘* How do you know? Are you sure?” “They was all in a buuch,” said the old man, faintly; ‘‘but the man that fired that shot waited till he saw the flash of my rifle. . It takes . a good man to kill another, as he did, in the dark, guessing at the place. It was Tomlinson, or no one.” | Tom Field raised his hand to heaven. “If ever I meet the man, I will avenge your deatb,” he said, solemnly, ‘It was a foul and causeless murder, and should be punished.” - Old Cross-Eye faintly answered: | ““Ye’ll doit. boy. Ye’ll do it, I feel it here. I seem to see clearer now than ever I did in all my itp. Tom Field, you’ve the makin’s of a terror in ye, and this night has br it out. ou won't furgit = . : : ’ Z : ~ ‘ oS - * =a HE ee “ * a ine ere SOR Sa be Se e Maverick-Hunter. es! ~ . ? . é sr S Syne” wien minh wae 17 Tom seized bis hand and kissed it reverently,. as he said: “Jake, you bave done for me what no other man in Texas ever did. You took me in when I was a pauper, and treated me as a man. You've had the life of a martyr, and you will win the crown of a martyr.” _. The old man smiled again. He looked quite bappy as he sat there, propped up by the arms: o _ of the Indians, and looking at the boy be oved, . ‘*l’m a-goin’, Tom,” he said, ‘‘to the place where they straighten out eyes, and mebbte lL bave a. chance there, where I wouldn’t git-one on arth. Boy, you never knowed what it was to have the eyes that all creeters bas denied ye. I’ve had a bard time in this life. No one keered fur me, and I guess I warn’t desarvin’ of it, I’m better out of the way, and you kin have the times I might bave bad if it hadn’t b’en fur the body the Lord give me. Take the cattle, and sell them fur what they’re wuth You oughtn’ter be out here, a common cowboy. Go to the cities, and makea name fur yerself, boy. l’ll see ye, and I’]] be proud of ye, Tom. I never had a son of my own, and p’r’aps it's jest as welt I didn’t. He mou’t have been cursed as | was, and never got Overit. We sort are better out of the world. But you be my son, Tom. You go and make me proud of ye, boy. 1 must have loved ye, or I wouldn’t have staid back to give ye a chance to live. If you’d b’en bere it’s rore’n like youd ha’ got it instead of me, boy. There gin’t no stoppin’ bullets; they go where they’re sent. But, Tom, don’t ye fur- git me. When ye seea poor critter that men mocks at, because the Lord bas crooked his eyes, or his back, or his Jegs, don’t jine them as laughs at him. Mebbe bis soul’s as white as any other man’s, and when he gits to the other side of Jordan he'll see God as plain as them that bas the best sight of all.” The length of bis speech seemed to have ex- hausted bim, for be lay back and closed his eyes. Wild Cat made a sign to the other Indians and they came and stood by the dying man in a reverential attitude; so that be might ee them when be opened his eyes again. Presently this: bappened, and be said: ‘Wild Cat, I never liked Injuns afore. I thought they was all alike, Now | see it ain’t fair vo call’em all the same. There’s good and bad. You might have done what these white men has done. Will ye give me yer hand aud say good-by?’ The Indian gravely offered bis hand, and all of his comrades did the same. The dying man grasped them, one by one, and wbep it was over, be said to Tom: “ You was right, and 1 vas wrong, boy. Injuns is mép and women, the same és the rest of us, They have their faults. and we hsve the seme, When I’m gone, there may be some a ‘em, who'll be sorry even for Old Cross- ye.’ . After thet be got very weak and lay back for some time io a stupor which . gradually deepened, as they laid him downtosleep. slumbered till about the middle of the afternoon, when he suddenly woke up with his ee - ———_=— _ SS eyes staring round him, with an expression of terror and pain. ‘He seemed unable to draw his breath, and Go ur, til be drew s bageidaeennke m up, till he drew a long, i " Then bis hand, weak and nerveless, sought that of the young man, and he clasped it faint ly, as be tried to whisper someth ng. a Tom listened, but could hear nothing sensible and the next minute the clasp loosened, and poor old Cross-Eye, the butt-of fortune for so. many years, was gone to the place w his ofTom Field + ripeiger GoBy the breath om Field n “4 ‘surprise, es the br left the body, that the eyes, Oirected inward in the last struggle, straightened out and looked as natural as those of any man be had ever seen. Death removed the defect on which ibe poPe old men had been so sensitive during s life, That evening at sunset the Indians came and belped bury the body, and Tom Field: felt that he was at last alone in the world. CHAPTER XX. LIMPY BALSTROP’S MISTAKE. tee Limpy BALSTROP wes riding over bis ranch, about three weeks after the settlement of the cattle company with the ranchers,: apis “He looked depressed in spirits, and he felt gloomy enough. His cattle were eee grass on his claim and he foresaw that the time was coming when be would have to sell offa part o. his stock, or see them starve for the want of sufficient grass. | Outside the hated fence that had caused all the trouble, the cattle of the company were frisking about, just as bis own cattle used to. | frisk, with an unlimited pasture and no one to. © say them nay. He had found out, when Judge Cellingsworth went to Austin, that the claim . Fork Fars ted cots tome the rk. put a fence on *c ‘ a sae 8 ‘- . 7 . " « : a . . ’ ye ~ | han meahegd teu Anchphe-s sipinnesa’; any was so as to include a strip ten. ‘ a oe P o —— -* t= RSip oe ° #. a ¢ 4 ~ o - . ; w,¢ ‘ey,