Beadle's Dime Library, No. 149 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

27. voice: ‘John Davis has himself rubbed down and saddled your horse; come.”’ They left the tent; they found the American hold~ ing the soldier's bridle, and the latter leaped into the The Border Rifles. “ As you please, caballero; within a r of an hour you be in the presence of the man you de- sire tosee. You will have an explanation with him and my task will be accom ed,” ‘* Because, if you open it, I cannot deliver it to the man for whom itis intended.” ‘* What do you mean?” ; “You do not understand me,’ the soldier said, ie ‘“*And I shall have nothing but thanks to offer | with ill-concealed impatience.” dle without using his stirrups, in o to show | you,”’ the soldier quickly interrupted him; “but let . fat is probable,” the captain answered. that he was quite fresh. ‘**T only ask you to listen to me for five minutes.” | © ‘‘ Mind,” the Jaguar observed, ‘“‘that you employ us not remain any vonget here; we may attract at- tention, and become the mark fora bullet, which I, ‘‘Speak.” _ confess to you 1 am not at all desirous of.” | The wee Toy appointed for the captain The hunter, without replying, let his horse feel the _ and the general is the Laguna del Nenado. Before spur, and they continued to advance. reaching the Laguna there is a very narrow and Within afew minutes they entered the circle of , densely-wooded gorge.” light cast by the fire; almost immediately the s | “The Paso de Palo Muerto; I knowit.”’ click of a rifle being cocked was heard, and a roug | “Good. You will hide yourself there, on the One word more,” voice ordered them to stop in the devil’s name. right and left, in the bushes; and when the con- “Tl am listening.” The order, though not poaiively polite, was not | ducta i you. will attack it on all sides at ‘** Manage so as not toreach the gorge till nightfall, the less peremptory, and the two adventurers | once; it is impossible for it to escape you, if, | for darkness goes a great way toward the success of thought it advisa Ra 0 Duay” as I suppose, your arrangements are properly | a surprise—and now good-by and good luck,”’ Several armed men then issued from the fntrench- | made." **I] wish you the same.” ments; and one of them, ad the strange *Yes, the spot is most favorable for an attack. The Jaguar and the American escorted the dragoon des asked them who they were, and what they wanted | But who guarantees that the conducta will pass | to the barrier, in order to pass him through the sen- at such an unseasonable hour. - through this gorge?” tries, who, had not this precaution been taken, “Who we are?” the American answered, firmly; te — would have infallibly fired at him, owing to the uni- “what we want? To come in as quickly as we can.’ form he wore, “ That is all very fine,” the other replied; ‘* but, if When he had left the camp, the two men looked you do not tell us your names, you will not enter so after him so long as they could distinguish his dark’ soon, especially as one of you wears a uniform which outline gliding like a shadow through the trees of is not in the odor of sanctity with us,” the forest, when it speedily disappeared. ‘All right, Ruperto,” the Ameri replied, ‘I “Hum!” said John Davis, “that is what I call a am John Davis, and you know me, 1 suppose; so let thorough scoundrel; he is more cunning than ar me pass, Without delay. I answer for this caballero, opossum; what a fearful villain!” ; who has an important communication to make to ‘Well, iny friend,’’ the Jaguar answered, careless- the chief.” The Jaguar gave the soldier a giance which seem- | ly, ‘‘men of that stamp are necessary, else what. ‘‘ You are welcome, Master John; do not be an ed trying to read the bottom of his heart. would become of us?” with me, for you know that prudence ig the mother “You are a daring fellow,” he said to him, “butI “That is true. They are as necessary as the of safety.” fancy you settle events a little too much as you plague and leprosy; but I stick to what Lsaid, he is “ Yes, yes,” the American said, with a laugh, would like them, Ido not know you; Isee you to- | the most perfect scoundrel l ever saw; and the Lord “deuce take me if you easily get into a scrape for | day for the first time, and, excuse my frankness, it | knows the magnificent collection I have come across lack of prudence, gossip.” is to arrange an act of treachery. o answers for | during the course of my life!” They then entered the camp without further ob- | your good faith? If I am foolish enough to let you A few minutes later the Border Rifles raised their stacle. ' dietly, what assures me that you will not turn | camp and mounted to proceed to the gorge, where The border rifles were generally eget Pe the | against.me?”’ ! the rendezvous had been mace with Gregorio Felpa, = Ree boty Ba — words = a ightest ——_ , for you are abou deal wish the bravest and most skillful ctiicer in the whole Mexican army.” ‘ ‘Trust me, captain. Canarios! the stake is too large for me to run any risk of losing the game.”’ ** What do you mean?” “‘ Certainly, as I shall act as guide.”’ “Tium! we no longer understand one another.” “Excuse me, we do, perfectly. I will leave you, and go to the captain, to whom I will deliver the gen- eral’s dispatch; he will be compelled to take me for his guide, whether we like it or not; and I will lead him into your hands as surely as a novillo taken to the shambles,’’ rt ro fires, but a cordon of. vigilant sentries, pi at the ‘““My own interest, in the first place; if you seize | the assistente of General Rubio, who placed in him o) cnings of the camp, watched over the common | the conducta by my aid, you will give me five hun- | a confidence of which the soldier was in every re- security. dred ounces.”’ spect so worthy. : Jott Dewi teereentes, — his comrade to Aa is me too dear; still, allow me to make a : ollow ple; then m mas to fol- er objection.” CHAPTER XxX low, We oe rece ese) Frogeh / vada ‘Do so, excellency,” ‘ whicha weak lig be ‘Stert ‘Nothing proves to me that you have not been TES 4 PAs, On reathing the entrance of the tent, the hunter | promised doublethe amount to trap me.” Tre Jaguar’s measures were so well taken, and. stemmed, and tapped twice, “Oh!” he said, with a shake of the head. the traitor to whom the guidance of the conducta “Are you p, Jaguar?” he asked, in a sup-| ‘Hang it all! listen to me; more singular things | was intrusted had maneuvered so cleverly, that_ the P pressed voice, Mexicans fell literally into a wasps’ nest, hich than that have been known, and ong head may be worth little, I confess to you t have the weakness of attaching remarkable value to it; hence I warn you, that unless you have better w “Is that yo perita yee comrade?”’ was im- it was very difficult, if not impossible, for them to mediately asked from 7) Ss b | “Come in, for I was impatientiy waiting for you.” The American raised the curtain which covered the entrance, and glided into the tent; the soldier fol- lowes him gently, and the curtain fell down behind them, The Jaguar, seated on a buffalo skull, was a voluminous correspondence by the dubious ligh of acondil; and in a corner of the tent might be seen two or three bear-skins, evidently intended to serve as a On seeing the new-comers, the young man folded up the pape and laid them ina small iron casket, the key of which he placed in his bosom, then raised his head, and looked anxiously at the soldier. “Who's this, John?” he asked; “ have you brought prisoners?” “No,”’ the other answered, ‘this caballero was most desirous of seeing you, for certain reasons he will himself explain ; so 1 thought I had better carry out his wishes.” “Good; we will settle with him in a moment. What have you done?” ye you ordered me.” “Then you have succeeded ?”’ “ Connitesels . “ Bravo, my friend! tell me.all about it.” “ What American need of details?’ the answered, looking meaningly at the dragoon, who stood mo- tionless a couple of paces from him. The Jaguar understood him, * That is true;” he said; “suppose we see of what sort of wood thisman is made;” and, the soldier, he added, ‘‘ Come hither, my good fellow.” * Here lam, at your orders, captain. “ What is your name?” “ Gregorio I am a dragoon, as you can is your motive for wishing to see me?”’ “An anxiety to render you an important service, excellency. “I thank you, but edly dear, and l am not a “ You will become so. “IT hope so. But what is the great service you pro- pose to render me?’’ “I will explain to you, in two words. In every services are confound- ch man,” political question there are two wien ond that de- on by Ss poy, teed from whi Pye a pt ap aera enae aoe of @ No pe can Indian woman, which rdiall Getest the Americans” Pee TI Pe ‘ “le = ae _ soldier against my will, am so . ores Ru intrusted me with ad patel for in which he him a place means 80 as to avoid the Iie Seco, shade the ~ port runs ou ambush, “RMA Gs Peta od, sin ary Sten e ar ) ‘ tive, a2 how paar know the contents of the d » a very simple way. The general places utinaet goalies Gs eond end be fend seertee ae patch, because I am serve as the captain’s e “Then you are your chief?’ “Is that the name you my action?" “I am looking at it from the general's side,” “ And from He ry he Pr ve succeeded Fan tell you,” ‘ ere ” top!"’ the soldier hurriedly exclaimed. “ What for?Y” re- in order to. security to offer, the affair is broken off.” “That would be a pity.” ‘“*lam well aware of that, but itis your fault, not mine; you should have taken your measures better before age ss Fae agar ‘“Then nothing can convince you of my good Nothing.” ““Come, we must have an end of this!’ the soldier exclaimed, impatiently. ‘*I ask for nothing better.”’ “It is clearly understood between us, excellency, ee will give me five hundred ounces?”’ “If by your aid I carry off the conducta de plata; I promise it.” “That is enough; I know that you never break your word.” He then unbuttoned his uniform, drew out a hung round his neck by a steel chain, and offered to the captain. **Do you know what this is?’ he asked him. “* Certainly,”’ the ag replied, crossing himself fervently; “it is a relic.” ‘** Blessed by the Pope! asthis attestation proves,” ‘* It is true.” He took it from his neck, and laid it in the young man’s hand, then crossing his right thumb over thc left, he said, in a firm and marked voice— Ne ads Sk Felpa, swear on this relic to accom- lish f all the clauses of the bargain I have concluded with the noble captain called the break this I renounce from this and devote seat to eternal “keep precious relic; you will rere oe main Vikas l in immediately hun out replying, at round his nD: neck. a . . ¥y . trange con iction of the human heart, and inex- plicable anomaly ; these Indians, for the mde eng part a: gans, in apite of the baptism they have received, and e ostensibly who, while affecting to follow the of the Catholic re n, secretly practice the rites of oe oS games ree a lively faith in relics and amu- all wear them round their necks in Sa ee and these perverse and dissolute men, to whom noth- lng 9 secend, who la at the most noble Ww life is passed inven roguery and pre- a acts of treachery, Protea so great’ p r these ore that is no instance of an taken on one of them having ever been broken. my Bory who pleases explain extraordi- nary ; we t ves with it. Before the oath taken by the soldier, J . suspicions at once faded away to make room for the most perfect confidence, , vv The conversation lost the stiff tone it had up to the present, the soldier sat down on a buffalo skull, and the three men, henceforth in good harmony, quietly Gaspeed the means to be employed to prevent a ‘ The plan proposed by the soldier was so sim d easy that it guaranteed Fp , and the discussion turned on po ta rather late hour of the nicht the three men order to take a few moments at separated, in Of india le rest between the f of the past and that. a : day they would have to ure on the morrow. Gregorio slept a pierna sualia, to eniploy the Span- ish paress, that is § “sunset reel. > the sleeper and ee him; tert of Fubed his e¥es for au instant, and he had been eight-and y hours. wit is’ thane te start,” : aguar said,in a low escape. Although demoralized for a moment by the fall of their chief, whose horse was killed at the beginning of the action, they still obeyed the ca 's who, by asupreme effort, rose again ost simul- taneously, and 4 collected around the string of mules laden with the treasure, They boldly formed a square, and prepared to defend coura the precious depot they had under their . The escort commanded by Captain Melendez, though not es was composed of old tried sol- diers, long habituated to pat pre and for whom the critical tion in which their unlucky star had brought them, possessed nothing very ex- traordinary. The d had dismounted, and throwing away their long useless in — like the one that. was preparing, seized their ines, and with their oe. ein tis on the bushes, calmly awaited the order Captain Melendez studied the terrain with a hur- ried glance, and it was far from being favorable. On the right and left steep slopes, crowned by ene- mies; in the rear a large ty of Border Rifles am- bushed behind a Bareionde oe which, as if 4 enchantment, suddenly interrup the road an prevented a retreat; ly, in front, a precipice about twenty yards in width, and incalculable et OF l hope. therefore, of getting safe and sound out. of the position in whicky thes were beset seemed taken from the Mexicans, not only through the con- siderable number of enemies that surrounded them, but also through the nature of the battle-field: still, after carefully examining it, a flash burst from the captain’s eye and a gloomy smile passed over his The dragoons had known their commander a time, and they placed faith in him; < een pnioatne } this fugitive smile, and their courage was hight- ened. s the captain smiled, he must have hopes, it is true at not a man in the whole escort could have said in what that hope consisted. the Se eed recmnined taete oti <+., tisfying ere motio sa bementesh with attentively watching the move- mothe ae | fited by this respite which the e s enemy #0 generously offered him, to take a few de- fensive measures, and amend his of battle. The mules were unloaded, and the ones pa right away at the rear, as far as ble- the enemy; then the horses and mules, led to the front were ed so that their bodies should serve asa rampart for the ing. breastwork. who, aaa and stooping behind this — fou ee sompetntivaty . aieBered om the b When these measures were and the a ae tually executed, he eat” doen't orders were pun execu down to the ear of tista, the chief arriero, and whis- pered a few words. ; The arriero gave @ start of surprise on hear- ing the captain's words, but reco himself im- mediately, and bowed ; “You will obey?’ Don Juan asked, as he looked. Wipe ce honor captain,’ the arriero guaweeed. “ my A ° e z “Very good,” the young man said gayly; “we shall have some fun, I promise you.” The arriero fell back, and the 7 self in front of the soldiers. He him- irce taken His fe dereteclnas mec Oh ok the captain | murmured, is the 7 ” m ia meaning Of this? are they ete tede lest, Ebooks Goilm com