Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 154 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

= - ——E Though not an eye-witness of the affair, he had received an accurate report of it from be- ginning to end, and without) mentioning Joa- quin by name or otherwise giving any certain clew to his identity, he painted a graphic pic- ture of the events already nlaced before the reader. In his earlier days, Don Carillo Felix had been celebrated for his skill in horsemanship, his prowess as an athlete, nor had old age en- tirely chilled his enthusiasm as a cavalier. His eyes glowed, his cheeks grew flushed and his tall form grew more erect as he listened to the wonderful display made by the unknown. He was eager to learn the name of the man, for, strange so say, he never once suspected the truth. ‘That is a man, and one, too, in whose veins no ignoble blood flows, else nature has greatly belied itself!” he exclaimed, enthusiastically. ‘Tis strange you have forgotten his name. Possibly some of the escort know it. Ask them and ascertain. ‘* Surely I will remember the name. in a mo- ment,” hastily replied Tio Tomas. ‘‘1 can al- most speak 1t—'tis upon the veryrend of my tongue, But of this lam sure, Dou Felix—your good judgment has not misled you here, for the young man who covered Don Manuel Camplido with confusion and shame belongs to one of the proudest and purest blooded families in all Sonora. Possibly they may not be the richest, but at all events they have wealth enough to guard againstthe necessity of this young gen- tleman’s following such an humble life. they say he became a vaquero that he might be better — to care for his own herds when his father 1es— For several moments Carmela had been try- ing to catch the garrulous old man’s eye, but in vain. She noticed. a look of suspicion deepening on Don Felix’s face, and saw that the favorable impression made upon his mind was being shaken. In desperation, she caused her horse to cavort and plunge violently against that ridden by Tio Tomas, cutting short his speech and nearly overturning him into the bargain. But the mischief was done, and the voice of her pa- rent; was cold and measured as he turned upon er, * Tell me the name of this person whom you two have been so extravagantly praising, Car- mela. No evasion—you know it only too well,” ‘*And am proud to utter it, tool” she ex- claimed, spiritedly. ‘‘ The gentleman in whose veins you so 2 pant declared that no ignoble blood could flow is Don Joaquin Murieta.” ‘** Unless nature greatly belied herself, I add- ed,” was the cold comment. ‘‘That she does this occasionally is proved by my daughter plot- ting with a foolish old servant to blindfold her father and- entrap him into giving a false inion. As for you, Tio Tomas, fall back to the rear, and hold escaping with my displeasure’ alone,” he added, The old man bowed low and retreated, yet not wholly dissatisfied with the result $f his bold venture, ‘‘Let him frown and sulk now,” he muttered behind his beard, ‘‘but the good seed sown has taken root and will bear fruit in time. Old TI may be, but not foolish—no, no! Joaquin will bear evidence to the contrary when he is the husband of Senorita Carmela, and the master of— Holy Mother of Mercy! ' I forgot the ad- vice I gave him!” By the merest chance Tio Tomas had turned his head and caught sight of the three columns of smoke sent up by Don Manuel Camplido. The regular arrangement of the signals forbade the idea of its being the work of chance, and the old man instantly jumped to the conclusion that it was pra with the advice he had iven Joaquin Mmurie e The discovery had come so unexpectedly that he gave a great start, and.his nearest compan- ion, following the direction of his gaze, also noted the sinister appearance. ‘How do you veadtbat sign, uncle?’ he mut- tered, with an air of uneasiness that deepened as the veteran slowly shook bis head. ‘* You think it bodes danger to us?’ * Who kuows? is not now the time of the Mexican Moon, but the red devils do not al- ways strike by rule. ‘It may be that they have set a trap for us—they or the whiter skinned but even blacker-bearted salteadores. In my day I have fought them both, and plunged headiong inte the thickest of the fight, Hike a brideggoom i the arms of has new- made *wride—but then there were no women alang. Kow,1 oould wish that we were all mitly ob one end or the other of this joalgney |” ‘" ! you are too fond of the sound of your @ewn voice, Tio Temas,” rudely exclaimed the lender of the “You are making & Batya out of @ lg A dian feaviy Ouse of a Vaqnero’s camp-fire — sore utd beware ie you arouse the fears BO , orita Garm be eps mischief was already wrowmht. Dan Felix noticed the 4 espera bie men, and in peeking the canse, he caught sight of tae three amoke pillars, now dying away at Joaquin, the Saddle K yourself truly fortunate in} @ —_-—-----os-sese-- the base. Instantly halting, he summoned Go- mez to his side and questioned him. ‘‘T am quite sure there is no cause for alarm, senor,” the fellow said, respectfully but with the confidence of a man wholly at ease. ‘‘ ’Tis too early for Indians this low down, and the white thieves would not care to molest us. If yonder smoke be the work of a spy, be sure its meaning is to open, rather than to close the way, for we bear no plunder of any amount, and the ladrones do not stomach hard blows unle:s there is an abundance of pay before their eyes. Don Felix was somewhat reassured, by this plausible line of reasoning, but still he was too old a soldier to neglect a)l reasonable precau- tions, and by his orders, Gomez sent two men ahead to explore the way. This was a sensible move, for now the caval- cade had left the level, sandy plain behind them, and were entering upon a region of far different nature. In the distance rose high, rocky and frowning hills. Around them the ground grew more and more broken, huge bow]l- ders and masses of rock were scattered thickly on every hand, while here,and there grew mon- strous cacti in fantastic shapes, with an occasional clump of shrubbery, where a con- siderable force of armed and even mounted men might lie hidden in ambush all unsuspected by their hapless victims until fairly in the toils. ‘io Tomas edged closer to his fair mistress, the fires of a long-vanished youth glaring in his eyes, reanima by a suspicion of what ,the near future contained. He felt sure that Joa- quin had concluded to act upon his advice, and keenly eyed each favorable cover as they neared it, expecting to see the ambush sprung with the passage of each moment, But steadily on the advance scouts ride and give no sign. He knows them to be cowards, ut the boldest of all warriors might have envied their intrepid bearing now, and a strange suspicion flashed across the veteran’s mind, only to be dismissed the next moment as untenable. ‘‘ They are tools of and friendly to the interests of Don Luis: and Manuel Camplido—conse- quently his bitter enemies, Besides, Joaquin could not have tampered with them after he left me, last night.” The worthy veteran was thoroughly puzzled, but not for long. The trail led directly through the heart of a spot favorable in every respect for the forma- tion of an ambush. The two scouts advanced without giving any warning, seemingly unsus- picious of ‘danger, but when the cavalcade was fairly involved, a chorus of bideous yells rent the air, a blinding volley of flame-tinged smoke burst out from every side, and then a horde of paint-bedaubed, plumed savages burst from ambush upon their ap a A scene.of the most frightful confusion nsuled. ©’ Full one-half of the escort went down before the first volley, among them the:two scouts and Tio Tomas, while: the! rest were thrown into utter dismay and seemed to think only of flight, The eee though dismounted when they opened fire, leaped upon their horses when they charged, and at onee closed around Don Felix and Carmela, neither of whom had been. touched by the first volley. Indeed, it seemed to be the aim of the savages to capture at least those two, alive and unharmed, but they reckoned without their host in this instance. In his earlier days, Don Felix had been a noted warrior, and now, in his old age, he did not belie his ancient reputation. As by magie all of his youthful energy returned. Quick as thought a pistol was out and thrust almost into the face of a brawny warrior who had grasped his bridle reins. At its explosion the savage fell, half of his face shot away, an as though awe-stricken by this horrible sight, his eemrades flinched and involumtarily fell back. Another shot followed, and then hurling the empty pistols into the midst of his enemies, Don Felix rew his good sword and reached the side of Carmela, who had bean separated from his side by the mad rugh. “‘Courage, child!” and his voice rung out clear and deflant as the blare of a trumpet.’ ‘* Keep close to my side, and we willcheat these painted heathens yet!” {ven as he ke, a t-bedaubed on oe made a quick clutch at his bridle-rein, but like a beam of light, the gleaming through the air, and sinewy hand, clean severed at the wriet, humg Adiealinn & moment from the reins ere it fell to the ground. A how! of mingled agony and fury burse from the mutilated warrior, Dom burst from her lips and she ur her horve against that of the red «kin. at the same time drawing a revelver and sending ball after ball into his naked bedy. 28 eee et — oe SS ee ee eS ee ne en ee 9 Swift as had been her action, it could not en- tirely save Don Felix, shang through it his life was preserved. Instead of piercing his lungs, the Indian’s lead only tore through the muscles of his shoulder, and though the old hero flinched visibly on feeling the lead, he was not disabled. All this had occurred almost with the rapidity of thought, and before the main body of the peat i could recover from the surprise of this deadly resistance, father and dangiiter, side b side, wheeled and charged straight throug them, saber gleaming, revolver flashing—and then sped swiftly away along the back trail! ‘** After them! Thousand devils! they must not escape us now!” thundered a squat, heavy- set rasc+l (good Spanish, ‘ Kill or cripple the horses—..ke the girl alive, the old man either dead or living.” Kitber his voice lent them courage, or else it was the sight of the terrible old man now fleeing, for, with loud yells of fury, the painted demons urged their animals on in swift pursuit, their fire-arms speaking at every bound. ‘You are hurt, father—I fear you are slain!” g d Carmela, as she noted the red stream that flowed from the wound inflicted by the savage whom she had slain, but the voice of the Satoh old hero gave no token of weakness as he T . “Tis only a scratch, such as one might make with a bodkin; but you, darling?’ and a look of terror came into his eyes as he noted a red blotch upon the bosom of her white dress. ‘*Unharmed; it came from the hand of the brute you cut off—the same who shot you, in spie of my efforts to prevent it. Thanks to the lessed Virgin! he will never more do harm on earth!” and the stern spirit which characterized her fiery race gleamed in her dark eyes. “If we were only on the level ground once more there would be hope,” and Don Felix scowled as he rode for a moment with beard on shoulder, noting the oncoming enemy. ‘‘ See how the thrice accursed heathen fire! And a chance shot may make all the difference between life and death!” It was not for himself that he feared, for a more dauntiless heart never throbbed in mortal bosom. He knew how horrible was the fate of all unfor- tunate women who fell alive into the power of the Apaches. And while he prayed to esca those fiends, he also prayed that his poor chi might be slain outright in preference to being taken captive. It was a mad, reckless race. There was no eral to pick and choose. To hesitate meant ea the winding; difficult trail and hope against hope that neither of their horses might stumble and fall or be struck by one of the bullets that hissed and hurtled past them on every side, A race such as few ons are ever forced to make and fewer still who live to tell of it. But the end came speedily. Once more Don Felix was glancing back over his shoulder, while Carmela gazed ahead. Sud- denly she canght a glimpse of a human head—a human form rising up from behind a rock close to the trail—a face and form which she instant] recognized, with an appe shriek for aid, But her voice was blended with a shot that came from the leveled rifle of the man, in front, and then, as though stricken by a thunderbolt, the horse ridden by Don Felix fell in beep. cast- ing its sagan > sg rider with fearful violence upon the 8! CHAPTER VII. THROWING ASIDE THE MASK. Ly that one brief instant, Carmela Felix lived through an eternity of torture. She saw the horse ridden by her father stumble and fall, casting ite rider far over its head with a sicken- ing violence upon the stones—she saw him ly there like a dead man, and even caught si of the blood, that was dyeing his white hair crimson, A shriek of heart-rending grief well ed from ber bosom, and wrenching in ker horse, she leaped to the ground. The next instant she waé kneeling beside her father, forgetful of her a danger, with only room for thought af m. Like one a dream, Carmela was dimly com- scious that a single horseman emerged from behind the roek, and with lend, flerce ories charged upon the enemy. She recognized botis his voice and his war-cry, but never onee did she glance up or around to notice him, but bent over that h figure, now pressing her eold laps to bis, mow striving to stanch the blood that flowed from his wounds, calling upon him im pite- ous tanes to return bo life, to ber. cane et it was truly a Sage paras igo oa ng t—one man ¢ at speed upom nearly a score i iar and armed war- y riors, flushed with victory — utter | one would say, and yet, ite very au seemed to compel sucsess, ! “A Pau ide--® Campline te qne Sescwa Loud and menacing defiant slogan rung eat, and riding with re free, a re- volver grasped by each hand, twin spouts ef flame-tinged smoke leaping from their mrzalee at every bound meade by the morting horve, Desa Manuel Camplido charged upen the enemy, or worse, They could only dash along CONIC OOOKS (E()