Beadle's New York Dime Library, Vol. II, No. 15 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

The hacienda was silent; not a light burned there; all was calm; it looked like a deserted habitation. This profound tran- ulllity excited the suspicions of the Black ear; it seemed to forebode an impending storm. Before risking a landing he wished to assure himself positively of what he had to expect. He uttered the ery of the iguana, and swam toward the bank. The Apaches comprehended their chief's intention, and stopped. At the end of a few moments they saw him crawling along the sand. Th¢ Black Bear walked a few paces along; he saw nothing, heard nothing; then, complete- ty reassured, he returned to the water’s edges and gave the signal for landing. he Apaches quitted the trees and began swimming. Cucharés profited by the mo- ment of disorder to disappear, which was an casy matter as no one was thinking of him. Still the Apaches formed ina single line, and swam vigorously; in a few min- utes they reached the bank, and landed; then they rushed at full speed toward the hacienda. ‘* Fire |”? a stentorian voice suddenly com- manded. A frightful discharge instantane- ously followed, The Apaches responded by howlings of rage, and themselves surprised by the inen they had hoped to surprise, rush- ed upon them, brandishing their weapons. CEAPTER XV. SET A THIEF TO CATCH A THIEF, WE will now return to thehunters, whom we have too long neglected, for during the events we have been narrating they had not remained entirely inactive. After the departure of the two Mexican Belhumeur and his friends remained silent for an instant. The Canadian played with the charcoal that had fallen from the brazier on the ground; in fact, he was lost in thought. Don Louis, with his chin resting on the palm of his hand, was watching with distraught air the sparkles which crackled, glistencd, and went out. Eagle-head, alone of the party, wrapped up in his buffalo-robe smoked his calumet with that stoicism and calin appearance which belong exclusively to his race. ** However it may be,” the Canadian sud- denly said, replying to the ideas which bothered him, and thinking aloud rather than intending to renew the conversation, “the conduct of those two men seems to me extraordinary, not to say something else.”’ ‘* Would you suspect any treachery ?”’ Don Louis asked, looking up. ‘* In the desert you must always suspect treachery,’’ Belhumeur said, peremptorily, * especially from chance compeniors,”’ ‘Still this Tigrero, this Don Martial— that is his name, I think—has a very honest eye, my friend, to be a traitor.” ‘*That is true; still you wil agree that ever since we first met him his conduct has been remarkably queer.”’ “] yrant it; but you know es well as I how much passion blinds a man. I believe him to be in love.” ‘**8o dol. Still notice, pray, that in all this affair which regards him specially, and in which we have only mixed ourselves to do Him a service, while neglecting our own occupations, he he has always kept in the background, as if afraid to show him- self.’ At this moment Blas Vasquez, after sta- tioning the peonus a short distance off, so as to remain unseen, came up and took his seat by the fire. ‘“‘There!”? he said, “‘all is ready: the Apaches can come and attack us whenever they think proper.” ‘One word, capataz,” Belhumeur said. “Do you know the man to whom you de- livered a letter a now ?” “Personally I know very little of him. All I can tell you is, that he enjoys an ex- cellent reputation through the whole pro- vince, and is generally regarded as a cabal- lero and gallunt man.”’ ‘ “That is Something,” the Canadian mut- tered, shaking his head; ‘‘ but, for all that, I do not know why, his sudden departure makes me very restless.”’ * Wah !”” Eagle-head suddenly said, with- drawing from his lips the tube of his calumet, and bending forward, while bidding his com- rades to silence. All remained motionless, with their eyes fixed on the Indian. “ What is it?’ Belhumeur at length asked. ‘ Fire!’ the other replied, slowly. ‘‘ The Apaches are coming; they are burning the prairie before them.” ‘““ What?’ Belhumeur exclaimed, risin and looking allaround. ‘I see no trace o ’ “« No, not yet; but the fire is coming—I can smell it.’ “ Hum! if the chief says so, it must be o ~ he must redouble his vigilance. The Tiger-Slayer. true; he is too experienced a warrior to be deceived. What is to be done?” “We have et to fear from fire here,”’ the capataz observed. ** We have not,’’ Don Louis quickly ex- claimed + ‘*but the inhabitants of the ha- cienda ?’ ‘* Not more than we,”’ Belhumeur replied. ‘* See, all the trees have been cut down, and rooted up to too great a distance from the colony for the fire to reach it; itis onlya stratazem employed by the Indians to arrive without being counted.” ‘** 8till lam of this caballero’s opinion,” the capataz said; ‘‘ we should do well to warn the hacienda.”’ “* There is something even more urgent to do,’’ Don Louis said, “‘and that is to send off a clever scout to learn positively with whom we have to deal, who our enemies are, and if they are numerous,” ‘*One does not prevent the other,’’ Bel- humeur remarked. ‘In a case like the present, two precautions are worth more than one. This is my advice. Eagle-head will reconnoiter the foe, while we proceed to the hacienda.”’ ‘* All of us ?”’ the capataz observed. ‘* No; your position here is secure, and’ ou will be able, in the event of an a | o render important service, Don Louisan I will preeeed alone to the colony. Remem- ber that you must notshow yourselves under any pretext. Whatever may happen, await the order for acting. Is that agreed to?” ** Go, caballeros; I will not betray your confidence.”’ ‘“Good! Nowtowork. Ihave no advice to offer you, chief: you will find us at the hacienda if you learn any thing of import- ance,”’ Upon this these men, so long accustomed to act without losing precious time in useless words, separated; Don Louis and Belhumeur returning to the main land on the side of the hacienda, while the chief rode otf in the opposite direction. Blas Vasquez remained alone with his peons; but as he had been for many years accustomed to Indian warfare, and understood the responsibility he took on himself from this moment, he felt that Hence he posted sentinels at every point, reeommend- ed them the utmost attention, came back to the brazier, wrupped himself in his fressada, and went quietly to sleep, certain that his men would carefully wateh all that took piace on the main land. We will, for a moment, leave Don Louis and his friend, to follow Eagle-head. The mission the chief had undertaken was any thing but easy; Eagle-head was a man of great experience, and thoroughly versed in indian stratagems. Alter leaving his companions he walked quietly down to the water's edge, and when he reached the spot where he jntended to cross the river his plan was all arranged in his head. The chief, instead of passing to that side of the river by which the enemy would come, preceded by the conflagration, crossed to the other. So soon as he reached the bank he allowed his horse a few moments for breath- ing; then leaping at a bound on to the pan- ther-skin that served as his saddle, he gal- loped at full speed in the direction of the enemy's camp. This furious race lasted two hours. Night had long ago succeeded the day; the pale gleams of the conflayration served as a beacon to the chief, and showed him in the darkness the road he should follow. At the end of these two hours the chief found himself just opposite the most advanced point of the island, where the Apaches were at this moment engaged in collecting the drift-wood they meant to use in the surprise of the colony. Eugle-head stopped. Ou his right, far behind him, the coutiagration raged in the horizon; around him all was silence and obscurity. For a long time the Indian attentively watched the island: a secret presentiment warned him that there was the danger for him. Still, after careful reflection, the chief re- solved to advance a few paces further, and recross the river at the point opposite this island, which seemed to him more suspicious because it was so tranquil. However, before carrying out this plan, a sudden inspiration flashed across his mind. He dismounted, hid his horse in a thicket, laid aside his ritle and buffalo-robe; then, after attempting to eet the surrounding gloom, he stretched imself on the ground, and crawled to the river’s bank. He gently entered the water and swimming and diving in turn, proceeded to the island, which he presently reached. But at the instant he landed, and was about to rise, an almost imperceptible sound smote his ear; he fancied he could notice pores ag ane te a the water nd bim, Kagle-head plunged n and retired from the bank A whieh nehad been on the point of landing. Suddenly, at the moment he rose to the surface to take in a fresh supply of air, he saw two burning 21 — fay flashing pefore him; he received @ violent blow on the chest, and felt a power- ful hand clutch his throat as in a vice. Eagle-head saw that, unless he made a des- perate effort, he would be lost, and he at- tempted it. Seizing in his turn his unknown foe, who held him by the throat, he clung round hii with the vigor of despair. Then a horrible and silent struggle com- menced in the river—a sinister struggle, in which each sought to kill his adversary, without thinking to repel his attacks. The water, troubled by the efforts of the two combatants, bubbled as if alligators were engaged. At length a bloody and distigured body rose to the surface, and floated. A few seconds later, and a head appeured above the water, casting startled glances around. At the sight of his enemy’s corpse the victor indulged in a diabolical smile; he swam up to Sim, seized him by his war-lock, and swimming with one hand, dragged the neers not to the island, but to the muin n Eagle-head had conquered the Apache who attacked him in so unforeseen a manner. The chief reached the bank, but did not leave the corpse, which he dragyed along till it was completely out of the water; then he lifted the sealp, placed the hideous trophy in his belt, and remounted his horse, The Indian had divined the Apaches’ tac- ties: the attack of which he had been 80 nearly the victim revealed to him the strata oe they designed. It was unnecessary for im to push his investigations on the island further. Still, had he abandoned to the current his enemy’s corpse, it would have infallibly floated down among his brothers, and revealed the presence of @ spy; 80 he had been careful to convey it to the bank, where no one, save by some extraordinury accident, could discover it Defore sunrise. The few minutes’ rest he had granted his horse would have been sufficient to restore all its vigor. The chief might have returned to his friends, for what he had discovered was Of immense importance to them; but Belhumeur had specially recommended him to discover the strength and nature of the war detachment which was marching on the colony. Eagle-head was anxious to accom lish his mission; and besides, the strugyle fe had undergone, and from which he had emerged as victor by a miracle, had produced a detain amount of excitement, urging him to carry out the adventure to the end. He plucked a few leaves to stop the blood from a slight wound he had received in his left arm, fastened them on with a piece of bark, and rode his horse once more into the river. But this time, as he had nothing to examine, and did not wish to be discovered, he took care to pass ata considerable distance from the island. On the other bank, owing to the care taken by the Indians to burn every thing, the trail was wide and perfect! visible. In spite of the darkness the chie found no difficulty in following it. The fire kindled by the Indians had not caused such ravages as might be supposed. All that part of the prairie, with the excep- tion of a few scattered clumps of poplars at great distances apart, was covered with este grass, already half burned up by the torri eams of a summer sun. This grass had burned rapidly, producing what the incen- diaries desired—a large quantity of smoke but seurcely heatin e ground, which h allowed the red-skins to march rapidly on the colony. Owing to his headlong speed, and the few hours those who preceded him had been compelled to lose, the chief arrived almost simultaneously with them before the ha- cienda; that is to say, he came up with them at the moment when, after making a futile assault on the isthmus battery, the fled, pursued by a shower of grape, whic decimated their ranks; for, having burnt every thing, they had no trecs to shelter them. Still the majority managed to escape, owing to the speed of their horses, Eagle-head found himself unexpectedly in the very midst of the fugitives, At first each man was too anxious about his own safety to have time to notice him, and the chief profited by it to turn aside and step fehind: a rock. But then a strange thin happened. The chief had scarce escape from the fugitives, and examined them for a moment, ere a strange smile played on his lips: he spurred his horse, and bounded into the very midst of the Indians, uttering twice ashrill and peculiar cry. At this cry the Indians stopped in their flight, and rushin from all sides toward the man who utter it, they ranged themselves tumultuously round the chief with an expression of su- perstitious fear, and passive and respectful obedience, The Eagle-head looked haughtily at the crowd that surrounded him, and was a head taller than any man present. ‘“* Wah !’’ he at length sald, in a gutturas Voice with an accent of bitter reproach, gg er I a See OP ame ap Se . nd - ~~ ee “—_ ——- ee Se ae tr mee ter Oe we GComicbooks com Nearer —-- —,-~