Beadle's Dime Library, No. 142 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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Captain Crimson. 5 can match Indian cunning with cunning, is well known; but I never knew of him, before this, acting as guide; aS he seemed to roam the prairies merely from love of danger; is he with you now?’ ‘*‘ He Jeft us this morning, and as he is behind his appointed time to return, I fear danger has befallen biu” ‘‘ Hal rode he a white horse?” quickly asked the Man of the Ircn Face. +s Yas. ) “Then he isa prisoner—” ** What?” “True, for, as I cut through yonder line of tred-skins, | saw a white man bound’ upoa the ound, and beside him a white horse also tied own; the man hailed me as I passed, but an Jn- dian guard threw himse]f upon him, and I was a little too busy just then to see more; but come, sir, as Fancy Frank is not here, I will act as your guide, and advise that you at once hitch up and start for yonder motte, for there is a good spring there, thick timber, and you can stand a siege should the Indians press yon. Come, sir, you must force your teams, for we have no time to lose.” The advice of the stranger was at once taken, and in ten minutes more the train was moving along ata rapid pace toward the motte, while Captain Crimson, as some of the teamsters said he was called on the plains, scouted around, ac- companied by Ross Elliott, Dick Harwood and several other young men of the com ' Tue band of Indians slowly before them, keeping out of range, but showing no de- sire to depart, a circumstance that proved to Captain Crimson that a larger party were near by to support them. An hour’s march through the gathering gloom, and the Indians seemed to comprehend that the motte was the place of destination, and they at once 4 a to eae the a ™ - woe) grants by first taking possession of it, for they started at a full run for the place, just as the train suddenly changed its course, for it had not been renter for the timber, for the pur- ‘pose of throwing the red-skins off the scent. ‘*Come! we must ride for life, for the Indians are making for the motte, and if they reach it first, we will be at their mercy.” The warning cry came in the ringing tones of the stranger, and at a rapid run the y of horsemen, a dozen in number, set for the timber, and between them and their foes it be- came indeed a race of life and death. CHAPTER VIL. FOR LIFE OR DEATH. Tae “‘ timber island,” or motte, toward which the Indian band, and the small et on horse- back from the train, were urging their horses at full speed, was about three acres in size, and was thickly wooded, though it had long been a camping-place for roving red-skins, scouting and emigrants. A spring of clear water, rous in its flow, bubbled up in its center, and a number of trees had been felled and He ige in position as a bar- ricade, by parties who had stood a siege there in days gone by, so that no better place for re- sistance could be found, and the Indians well knew that if they could reach the motte they would force the whites to encamp on the open rairie, while they dispatched messen for lack Kettle and his warriors, of which band of marauders they were a part. To deceive the Indians as to their intention, Captain Crimson had told Major Malcohn to head rer from the motte, and nd, 92 doing t foes retreated before thém, until a point was reached where the two were about equal distance from the haven of refuge. But the moment the train turned directly for the timber, the red-skins saw how cleverly they had been deceived, and at full speed started for the shelter; but at the same time Captain Crim- son and his band spurred for the same destina- tion, and thus it became a race for life or death between them. Unh the fact that the red skins-out- numbered four to one, Captain Crimson urged his half-score followers to drive the row- els deep and follow him, and in silence the two bands were flying toward the common center, and at the start a little over two-thirds of a mile apart, while the train came on as rapidly as ible on the trail of their friends, they drew nearer the motte the whites and the Indians gradually came eloser and closer to each other, and Captain Crimson @is- covered with joy that the em nts were so well mounted that they were slowly drawing ahead of the red skins, and, if their horses could keep up the killing pace at which they were go- ing, they would reach the timber just im: time to dismount and open fire upon their foes, who he knew would dash in upon them to break their line if possible. His own splendid horse seemed only in ‘a fast gallop, and was evidently capable of far greater speed; but his master did not urge him, until he saw that his companions’ steeds were failing slowly. : Then he said tersely: * Hold on as you are, gentlemen, and I will dash ahead and endeavor to check the speed of the red-skins; spare not your spurs, and form your line of defense as soon as you reach the timber.” Before reply was made the daring» man wheeled: suddenly to the right, and darted away like an arrow directly for the flying band of Indians. Ere the splendid steed he rode had gone half a dozen bounds the red-skins saw his daring act, and momentarily they drew rein, while a wid yell went up from them, for they but too wellremembered the prowess of their iron-faced foe. : But, realizing the importance of réaching the timber befor? their enemies, they again pressed on, half a dozen only swerving to the left to meet their dangerous antagonist, But had the whole band — upon him, it is doubtful whether Captain Crimson would have given ground, for, with one of his wild yells of defiance, he raised his trusty repeating rifle, and those of the train, nearly a mile away, saw the vn se flashes of the weapon, and heard the yells of hatred that told but too well that the red-skins were suffering. With cries of terror those that remained of the party that had gone to meet the white horseman turned in pursuit of their comrades; but Captain Crimson was hot on their trail, and every bound of his horse drew him nearer an nearer, until turning in their saddles, through the gloom they beheld upon their path the man who had given them such cause for dread. And rapidly as he — u them, he made his rifle rattle, and, as he alon like the wind, a fallen horse, or dead human form, told him that his aim was true. But, determined, now, at all hazards, to reach the timber, the red-skins seemed content to suf- fer, rather than fail in their intention, and see- ing that the failing of the emigrants’ horses placed them now neck and neck in the mad race, they urged their own me ponies on with lash and yells, while their hearts grew black with hatred of the fearless foe they dare not turn and fight, for fear of losing the ad- vantage they were making such efforts to gain, and were slowly succeeding in doing. As if discovering that the red-skins would certainly reach the timber in advance of his comrades, Captain Crimson suddenly deter- mined upon another course of action, and dashed away abruptly to the right oblique, and | me | | | i such fearful rapidity and. tellin ; -black steed oe —_— the red+skins beheld tho within the shadow of ti timber; almost immediately followed. @ fasrii : then another, and another, fromitsdarkdep? - There was but one course now to pursue, aisi that was forthem torush boldly intothethickef, and have it out ina hand-te-béaid struggle br - fore the train could come up, and they felt thy: in es an unequal contest they must be sue- cessful, ea But, hardly had the: chief given his orders, when that deadly repeating rifle opened with the straining eyes of disa ppear result, that ponies and riders went down in the front, and the band temporarily wavered and drew rein. But, one man must not keep them from the goal they sought, and with wild yells they again urged their herses onward; but the temporary delay had given the almost forgotten emigrants an advantage, and into the sheiter dashed Dick Harwood and his followers, their rifles also _ dealing death upon their red foes, ** Let one man take the horses; the balance come here! Now give it to them!” The erder wasin the stern tones of Captain Crimson, and throwing themselves from their saddles, the emigrants hastily found shelter be- hind trees, and form a line, opened a scat- tering fire upon the i now not sixty yards away, and mast er, Lag at full d, and with demoniacal yells t would ike terror to almost any heart, no matter how brave. But the fire that met them, in spite of the reckless courage of some of their warriors, brought them to a stand-still; then their ranks wavered beneath the hot shower of lead, and they wheeled and sought refuge out of —— of the rifles of their foes, for the half-score whites at bay were more t a match for the red- skins, though they were yet nearly two score in number. Disa ted in reac the timber, at the loss of their co es, and thirsting for revenge, the red-skins turned and rode from the motte in the direction of the coming train. “They are going to attack the train,” ‘ Yes, come, let us to the rescue, ” answered “ Hold! that is but a feint to draw us from the timber, for they know their horses are the freshest, and they can ride us down; there is a white man to meet nearly e Indian, in at a speed that ca the savages to believe he | yonder train, so they’ll not attack them openly; rode a flying horse. ut you remain here, I will go out and fol- With bounds that caused him to fairly fly | lowthem.” =. over the prairie, the black stallion gained upon | _ cree Crimson gave a and his intel- the ponies of the Indians, and Se, began | ligent stallion came trotting to side with a a — a os tegte eos is _— par see A nei = ae At eeping up the while a ra re upon oes. oun ecengs mean seca pur- Vautl wrraee tee gain agi baneus semted suit of the. Indians, w o were circling around abreast of the Indians, and about three hun yards distant, while almost opposite on the other side, and equally as far away, was the small band of emigrant horsemen, burying their spurs deep into the sides of their tired steeds. Thus the scout, the Indians, and the half-score of white riders pressed toward the haven of re , the timber, distant about a mile, while far in the rear came the train, hurrying on, anxious indeed re ing the small party that had left them, and praying earnestly that suc- — a a their — —— and well ow struggle they were mak- ing CHAPTER VIII. AT BAY AND A NEW FOE. WuHen the remarkable man with the face of iron, gained a position abreast of the flying band of red-skin swerved'a little to the left, as if in dread of his fearful rifle, and ex- to see him hee charge them as he did fore, ‘and the chief hastily called out for a dozen of his warriors to be ready to meet him in that event, while he and the remainder con- tinued-to press on for the timber. But the calculations of the Indians were wrong, as Captain Crimson urged his stallion on at a greater speed, and rapidly he to — the ponies of the redskins behind, and, with yells ‘of rage, they realized that their deadly foe held the power to reach the timber before them, and once in its shelter they dreaded his terrible aim. | As the black carried his master swiftly away from them, the chief in command was in a uandary what to do; but, as the timber seemed their only salvation to keep the train out on the open prairie, they determined to reach it at all hazards, should half their number fall, for the coming of their ehief, Black Kettle and _ his force, would wreak upon the whites a fearful revenge. Yot, should the whites gain the timber, they well knew half a thousand warriors would fin it difficult to dislodge them. Having made up his mind to reach the motte, Captain Crimson bent his energies to that duty, and his noble black went over the prairie at a speed that won admiration from the Indians, im spite of their hatred for his master, and made them determined to capture him, and, for this reason, not a shot was fired upon ‘the daring man, who was certainly within easy range. Thus several moments of suspense passed, and d rag ba han h Dick Hareotell. Ross Elliott. y h and igh th firing ge,and keeping One glance rapid in ringing ton gerness known, ing d e coming train, rang ing on the off side of their ponies to avoid the bullets of the emigrants. Suddenly, as the Scout i the red- skins drew rein, held an i t’s consultation, and then sped away like the wind. 6 One over the and the Man of that his horse into a rapid run; and in a few moments he dashed up to the head of the train; crying out ‘‘For your lives, drive! The Mad Colonel and his band are coming!” He pointed across the roe ing moon ee number of = ry gaze, a closer glance prov that they were not Indians, and instantly eve was ea and dread, for the name of the Mad Colonel was enough 'to bring terror to each e his evil deeds were wn, and his band of renegades were the scourge of the plains. a their arrows at long the Iron Face gave irie as he e, and heart, for far and ITH Cc a speed they ha sear balivet ned to babtan tae wagons went over the prairie, while’ thée’shout- ene a the frightened sfemteddendecend nfusion. That they could be both seen and were dis- tinctly heard by the renegades Was evident to all, and basty neces’ over the plain showed that the Mad Colonel was vantage of the situation, a once throwing himself into the motte, aa pence orce _ emigrants to encam) on the o or the size of the train proved to false that ihave were eno ‘defenders to give him a hard- fought battle, should he a them openly. ith this intention, he moved rapidly toward the timber, and though further off than the train, it was evident that he could reach the shelter before the emigrants: but suddenly out of the shadows of the motte flashed a bright blaze, and then -anotlier, and another, which ep the renegades to a halt, for as the train still held on, it was evident that the emigrants had nothing to fear. With bitter curses at their ill-luck, the Prai- rie Tigers watched the long train until it disap- pete to take ad- JOOKS (E@) fia G (E()