Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 154 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

» Joaquin, the Saddle King. two animals which Tio Tomas had led away from the rest and equipped forthe road. Closer not far from midway between the crowd an her present ition, lay the corpse of Perico, and Carmela’s eyes began to glow with a steadier light as she saw the ruddy beams of fire-light reflected from the silver ornamented weapons that still remained in the dead man’s belt. *“TItcan—it shall be done!” she mentally ex- claimed, as she prostrated herself and pega creeping toward the corpse. _ ‘‘ They are fully occupied—they have eyes and ears for naught else—the very audacity of the plan is its best guarantee of success. Unobserved Carmela reached the body of Perico, and slipped the keen knife and brace of pistols from his belt. These she secured in the silken sash that encircled her own waist, then taking advantage of the scattered bowlders and scrubby bushes with a skill and adroituess that would not have discredited a veteran scout, she stole toward the spot where the two horses zed. There was no time to lose, Carmela heard the fierce shout which greeted the demand of Antone, the command of Gaspard to produce the horse which was to bear the tongueless Mazeppa; she saw the hasty rush which followed to obey, and knew that on her alone depended the only hope for Tio Tomas. ai Had the emergency been less critical, her courage might have failed her; as it was, nothin could be more admirable than the coolness an skill with which she set to work. With but little difficulty she secured the two horses, knot- ting the ends of their lariats together, then crouching low down, leading them in a gradual manner toward the enemy. The fiery young horse was brought up, and from its actions seemed to suspect something of the torture that was in store for it, biting, kick- ing ahd rearing in a manner that speedily cleared that side of the circle. Carmela heard the malignant laughter of the dying man as he gras Tio Tomas by the and flourishing the bloodstained knife be- fore his eyes, and she knew that now or never must she act. Springing into the saddle, she drew a revolver and urged the two horses forward. So sudden and unexpected was the onset, that she was fairly upon the outlaws before they could realize the truth, and as G. rd turned his head with a fierce curse of mingled amazement and anger, a bullet crashed its way through his brain. “You are surrounded—draw a weapon, and you die like dogs!” cried Carmela, her eyes glowing, the picture of a beautiful fury. Another leap her horse made, Antone was knocked over backward, and one heavy hoof was planted upon his chest, crushing the feeble remnant of life out of his carcass forever, “Quick! Into the saddle, Tio Tomas!” cried Carmela, threatening the bewildered ruffian wie ibaa li dead, he dragged the vete ell de e dragged the ve gambusino down with him, but the love of life was ' in the old man’s heart, and wresting himself free fromthe death-gripe, he climbed into the saddle with an agility lent by the emergency. “Take this and fight your way out—shoot straight!” cried Carmela, thrusting a revolver into his hand, then cutting the lariats which bound the horses together with one swift stroke. ‘¢ Wheel and follow—'tis for life!” The outlaws were beginning to recover from the surprise and confusion into which they had been thrown by the sudden charge of the maiden \and the death of their leader. They saw that she was alone—that no armed force responded to her call, and as Tio Tomas climbed into the saddle beside her, they realized the shameful truth—that they had been cowed and almost put to headlong flight by a single girl! Yells of anger burst forth—there was a mad rush forward as the two horses wheeled above ° the dead men and thundered away along the winding trail that led to the open groun far away. Rapidly detonating revolvers sent a storm of lead after the fugitives, and at such short range, escape for those bold hearts seemed an utter impossibility. Carméla saw Tio Tomas bend low along the neck of his steed, to lessen the size of the mark presented by his body, and she mechanically imitated his action, leaving her horse to pire its own way through the thick-lying obstacles, All at once the animal she rode gaveas modic leap that almost unseated its fair rider. As by i ct Carmela divined the truth—that her horse was struck heavily if not mortally wounded—but before she could do aught to pre- veut the catastrophe, the stricken animal plunged eee the ground, BESTE her violently from the saddle. A painful shock, then all was blank. The new day was dawning when Carmela Felix recovered her consciousness, not all at once but gradually. Aft first she felt like one awakening from some horrible nightmare, not et certain whether all wasstern reality or only @ baseless fabric of a troubled dream. Her head pained her. She attempted to raise her hand to still its acute throbbing, but was unable to do so—they were bound together with stout thongs. And then, like a dread revelation, she realized the truth. She remembered the daring attempt she had made to rescue Tio Tomas from mutilation and death. She could recall the stumble of her wounded horse. and her fall. She knew that she must have been recaptured by the outlaws, else why these bonds? But Tio Tomas—hkad he succeeded in making his escape? If so, Carmela knew that he would lose no time in seeking aid and returning to rescue her from these bloodthirsty rascals. With a desperate effort, she raised herself to a sitting position and gazed eagerly around her, Near the smoldering camp-fire stood the horses of the party, saddled, bridled and all in readiness fur the road, Close by, in little knots stood or sat the outlaws, their faces dark anc ugly with frowns, while a little to the right— erciful heavens! what was that? A low, gasping cry burst from Carmela’s lips as she bowed her head and closed her eyes to shut ouf the soul-sickening sight! Bound. to a rock, facing her position, was a human form. Its eyes were open, but that ghastly, stony stare spoke of death, not life. Dark lines across the ashen gray face told where blood had trickled and dried. No need to ask from whence it had flown, for the ruddy beams that heralded the rising sun, shone ona bare and flesbless skull, where the scalp had been barbarously torn off. And in that one glance, Carmela recognized the corpse of her faithful old servant, Tio Tomas, The cry which had been extorted from her lips by this fearful sight, attracted the attention of the outlaws, and Diego a Ne her, bearing a supply of food and drink, “Take this food, lady,” he said as he knelt be- fore her and severed her bonds. ‘‘ You will need all your strength, for there isa long and hard ride before us this morning.” Carmela raised her head as her bonds fell one and snatching the weapon from Diego’s hand, buried the long blade to its very hilt in his bosom, Then, with an almost maniacal laugh, she rose erect, sped across to the horses leaped upon one and dashed away before a hand could be raised to stop her! CHAPTER XXT. FOR LIFE AND LIBERTY, For a brief space the outlaws were thrown into utter confusion. The affrighted horses lunged here and there, and it was only by ively motions that some of the Mexicans es- ecaped being trampled under foot, Added to to this the desperately daring deed of the mai- den who, but a minute before, they more than half-belisved would never waken from that deathlike swoon, and a strong suspicion that Diego was es, oe them foul, and the momen- tary demoralization is not greatly to be won- dered at. The first ergy was that Diego had set Car- mela free, bidding her flee, and promising to cover her flight, for more than once since the departure of Don Manuel Camplido had the oung Mexican revealed the soft spot in his éart, Naturally they turned toward him as they drew their weapons, but a single glance revealed the truth. Diego lay upon his back the red beams from the eastern sky reflected from the silver haft of the knife whose blade was invisible, whose guard rested directly over his heart. od, thet devils!” cried Sanchez the one- ener ‘the girl has a Diego, and is off! 0 horse! mount and follow—if we let her give us the slip now, I'd rather face the devil himself than tell Don Manuel!” Active as cats the outlaws sprang to their horses, mounting in hot haste and thundering away after the fleeing maiden. Only a few moments had been lost, but Carmela had made the most of them. Already she was beyond pistol range, urging her horse on with voice and heel. _ This desperate burst for liberty was made en- tirely without premeditation. The frightful discovery which.Carmela made the moment she recovered consciousness, for the moment un- settled her brain, and it was more as a mad- woman than a rational being that she caught up the young Mexican’s knife and drove it so surely home to his heart. She felt a blind im- pulse to flee from the horrible object, and the ruffians near the horses were no more to her then than so many stocks and stones, But the swift motion through the cool’ morn- ing air acted as a restorative, and the blood-red mist suddenly faded away from before her eyes. The angry yell of Sanchez the one-eyed reached her ears, and glancing back over her shoulder, Carmela saw the outlaws mounting in hot haste and stretching out in chase. The horse she had so blindly chosen seemed to be a good one, and as Carmela watched his movements for a few rods, her heart grew lighter and her hopes of ultimate escape in- creased. Her mount was both strong and ac- tive. She knew that there were few who were her superiors in the saddle for skill or courage; whether on level racing ground, or as now, ange thick-lying rocks, bristling cacti and re) a ae see 23 stiff thorn-bushes, to successfully thread which might well puzzle the best of rough-riders, nce more Carmela glanced over her shoulder as she heard the shouts of Sanchez the one-eyed ring out anew, and her eyes dilated with a look of terror, while her face grew white as that of a corpse, for she feared she had made a fatal mistake, Instead of following directly in her tracks, the outlaws were Reering. to the right along another trail, as though in hopes of thus cutting her off. In no other way could she account for the yells of triumph which rung upon the morn- ing air, yet still her more than womanly nerve did not fail her. She cried encouragingly to her good horse, lashing him with the reins and plying her little heels with vigor. Louder yelled the ruffians, paler grew her ‘countenance, as the trail she was following seemed to end abruptly against a high rock; but still she urged her horse on, pre- ferring death by dashing against the cul de sac to falling again into the hands of those brutal assassins, The fateful collision seemed inevitable, but still her good steed dashed on, and then, just as Carmela was about to close her eyes to shut out the death that she felt could not be avoided, the way seemed to open for them like magic. In fact the narrow trail made an acute bend to the oy just before the perpendicular rock was reached, and then ran on, apparently free and unobstructed, Again Carmela took hope, but she knew that the chances of escape were indeed desperate. By its unlucky choice of trails where the division occurred, her horse was forced to cover nearly double the distance those were who kept to the direct trail. Not that there was any doubt but what she would reach the point where the severed trail united ahead of her pursuers, but a glance showed Carmela that she would lose nearly all the vantage ground gained by her at the , and should the enemy attempt to cripple her mount, as they had once before, escape was hardly possible Her fair face stern-set, Carmela drew the silver dagger from her hair and pricked her horse sharply with the toy weapon, With a sharp snort, its pace quickened, the ground seemed to glide backward, and then the old trail was regained. But Sanchez the one-eyed and his comrades had improved their advantage to the utmost, and now were less than two-score yards away. The cunning villains, who had assumed com- mand on the death of Gaspard, knew the horse thoroughly, and knew that if managed skillfully, with Carmela’s light weight upon it, there was little hope of its being overtaken in a fair by any other horse in the t . He had ho to confuse the maiden by his exultant ye ;} when the trail divided, and to hten er into turning aside where the thick-lying rocks and many chasms would speedily an end to her flight, but when gee, In this, he drew his pistol and bade men try to TES. or kill her mount. ; e low, comrades!” he cried, Piying his already pioney oa viciously. ‘The devil will be to pa e is killed—but better even that that suffer her to escape!” : Fow yee can handle firearms with any- thing like certainty from the saddle, more es- pecially while riding at full speed over a break- neck course, and thus a double peril threatened r Carmela. An oy | shot might cut short er thread of life, or if her horse should fall broken limbs or instant death against the cruel rocks might be her portion. The chances were heavily against her, but not the slightest of flinching did she show. Swiftly the re were lashed from side to side, Again the sil- ver dagger was buried in the haunches of the snorting steed. Spitefully the revolver of Sanchez the eyed rung out, and Carmela felt a faint Rail run up her bridle arm. Though she could not divine the cause then, the bullet had struck the taut bridle reins and almost cut them in twaiti. Rapidly the pistols of the outlaws oded, and Carmela’s heart sunk low as she felt her gal- lant horse give a spasmodic spring, for instinct told her that at least one of the leaden missiles had found its mark. But the collapse she ex- ted, did not come. Her horse wheeled into he straight trail, and bounded along with in- creased Loud and furious were the curses which broke from the brigands as the horse sped away, seem- ingly uninjured, and faster than ever were their pistols dischar And to increase their mad chagsiD, a silvery laugh floated back, mocking their fury. au The devi is aA that hate !” snarled Sanchez one-eyed, exchanging his now empty pistol for its mate. ‘‘ Ha! a bloody trail! ater car lead was not wasted! your spurs deep, boys—it’s only a question of time, now.” ere and there along the trail were distinct- ly visible drops of blood upon the white stones, and the ruffians urged their animals with renewed eagerness. ‘* Ha! look—the devil of a horse gives in at last!” screamed the one-eyed ruffian, as the ani- chase — ee re ElLOOO) Com “SalC (0)