Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 188 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

—— ee ai — he must have ridden over here to see cousin Ramsey.” ‘‘No, sefiorita, he has not been here, and the Don is still absent, having gone to Platte with the prisoners you so bravely captured; I con- ¢ratulate you upon your wonde ul nerve, sefio- rita.” ; Arta blushed at the compliment, but her anxiety regarding her father caused her to de- cide upon at once returning to her ranch, and she sald: ‘‘Tf he is not there, then I shall leave a note on the door for him, and return here,” ‘‘ Permit me to goin your stead,” asked Car- ter Conrad. *““Oh no, I will enjoy the allon: I will be back by dark if father isnot at home,” and with a wave of her hand in farewell, she darted away over the prairie. ' At a rapid gallop she held her way for miles, until she r ed the Birdwood, and then turned down the stream toward her home. But hardly had she ridden a score of lengths when from the cottonwoods and willows sud- denly sp half a dozen forms, a lasso settled over the head of Red Ranger, securing him firmly, and with horror Arta Preston gazed into the hideously-painted faces of her red-skin cap- tors. CHAPTER XXXVII, ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GuopD.” Two men lay at ease upon the sloping bank of the Birdwood, just where a shady glen broke off at the river. The sloping hillsides were dotted with flow- ers, the birds sung merrily in the trees, the banks, covered with ferns, formed a sott rest- ing-place, and the river before them glided on with low murmuring, and far down in its clear depths were seen fishes sporting without fear of the angler’s hook, Back in the ravine, or glen, were two horses, lariated to stakes, and enjoying to their stomach’s content the luscious grass, and occa- sionally ge es sip of the cool waters of a spring that bubbled up out of the green bill- side. ‘‘Your Texans should now be here, Mr, De Leon,” said the elder of the two men, and in whom the reader will recognize Merton Mabrey, senior; but upon whose face rested a more cheerful look than when, several days before he was in the cottonwood grove, by the side of what he deemed his son’s grave. “Yes, for Star must have found Fielding “r7’s AN and the party he said were searching for me, and I hope that they will not long delay, for I am anxious to return to North Platte, and do not care to go unless I have backers, as I intend to carry out certain reforms,” replied Arm, the Ranchero, who was the other one of l\ue two men resting mpco the Birdwood’s banks. The two, after leaving the cottonwood grove, had gone to the ranch of Lucien De Leon, on the Dismal, and had been told by Star, one of the herders, that Fielding turned back irom the drove to go in search of him. Wishing for the present not to clear the mys- tery of his disappearance, Iron Arm dispatched Star after Fr Fielding, with orders for them to meet him on the Birdwood, and hither he and Mr. Mabrey had gone to await the coming of the Texans. ' ' And while they sat there, both impatient. af the delay of the mustangers, they were startled by loud shouts coming from the trail over the bill. Instantly Iron Arm sprung to his feet, and, calling to his companions to saddle their horses, dashed up the hillside and disap : He was gone but a short time, and returning, said, quickly: “ There is deviltry going on over on the trail down the Birdwood, for haif a dozen Indians have captured a lady.” ‘* A lady, De Leon?” ‘‘'Yes, she was On borseback and is now their prisoner; they have headed up the trail, but we can cross here and head them off at the crossing ten miles above.” ‘*But what lady can be here?” “There is but one that 1 can think of, and that is Miss Preston, who came west with the train your son—” ‘‘Ah! I remember your speaking of her. Thep come, let us to her rescue,” and the tw» men quickly mounted, urged their borses into the stream, and crossing to the other side, head- ed up the river, soeping behind the sand-bills as a af a ib e. : » teas rap Op, and they reached a trail that _ fresh tracks upon it. and here they drew rein. ‘Seven horses have gone along here within the last few hours, and eT must be the same party I saw, so here we will await their return.” Concealing their horses and themselves in a ravine bordered with a small thicket, they waited for some time, and the Indians not ap- yr in sight, Iron Arm ascended a sand- ill and glanced cautiously over the prairie, That Ratene showed him the party he looked for, and. descending, he said: **Mr. Mabrey, they are coming, and there are ~— oo ; ~ , . ni The Phantom Mazeppa.. . eS seven of them; but, if I mistake not, they are “apy playing Indian.” ‘*Playing Indian, De Leon?” ‘“Yes: they have the look, to my eye, of white men i as Indians; but in their midst they have the prisoner, and I shall attack them.” ‘Seven to two.” “‘T have taken greater odds, and my plan is for you to remain here with my repeating rifle while I charge them from the end of this ravine. ‘*' Your fire and my charge will throw them into disorder, and, if I mistake not, we will gain the day.” ‘You take great chances.” ‘The prize is worth it, for the lady is Arta Preston,” was the calm rejoinder. ‘‘T am at your service in the matter, De | n, so command me.” “Very well; you can see me when I ride out of the ravine, so then open upon the devils, and make every shot tell; but do not kill the large man on the iron-gray, for I have anidea I know biz.” So saying, Iron Arm handed his repeating rifle to his companion, and, mounting Flash, rode down the ravine, He bad scarcely reached his pis of conceal- ment when the enemy arrived ht First came a large man, d as a chief, and mounted upon an iron-gray horse, and by his side rode the fair prisoner, her hands bound with a lariat, and her head bent as though in utter dejection. Behind these, two-and-two, rode six other horsemen, all in war-paint and feathers. Tron Arm took a revolver in each hand, set- tled himself well in his saddle, and waited until the rest of the party had passed the mouth of 4 | told Perry that you were his daughter, though the ravine. And then, with a ringing war-cry that struck awe to the party of kidnappers, he dashed out upon them. And, as be left his covert, a shot was heard, and one of the horses went down. Taken wholly by surprise, and attacked from two quarters, while they were in the pass be- tween the sand-hills, and could only fly up the steep ascent on either side, the horsemen hud- dled together for defense. a es 21 ee —— ee eee ———————— “You know her, then?” said Arta, also sur~ “Yes, I met her once.” . ‘And do you know her husband?” and Arta. fixed her eyes full upon his face. “Yes, we met once, also, though not under” pleasant circumstances, I assure you.” “Will you tell me of your meeting?” and her seemed to fascinate him. ‘Oh, yes; it was some months ago, when I was in n, lheard a young girl singing in front of a fashionable club-house. ‘Struck by the exquisite beauty of her voice used to listen, and was witness to an in-ult, offered her by Carter Conrad, who had raised a, considerable sum, I believe, to ee to her. ‘‘In my usual impulsive style I resented tho. insult, and the réealt was a challenge from Con- rad, which I accepted.” ‘““A challenge, and a duel followed?’ she asked, quickly. “No, for I had a visitor who proved to be none other than Conrad’s wife, and she begged mé not to meet her husband, and I did not, and at once left the city,” ‘Mr. De Leon, you are 4 poble man.” “Thank you.’ ‘May | ask,” éontinued Arta, blushing at her’ own mepnlsireness, ‘‘if you knew the singer?” “IT did not, though her voice had a most fa- miliar ring. and, I may say, Miss Preston, was strangely like the tones of your voice, as it was rent heard you sing years ago, for our meet- ing at Dave Perry’s the other night, when you were disguised as a boy, was not our first meet- in g. “Did you think I had forgotten you, for a moment to think so?” she asked, in a low tone. ‘“*T hoped not, though I feared so; your father dressed asa boy, and I had al y discovered the secret, for l recognized you from the door, _and that is why I entered and acted as I did.” ‘‘And from what did you not save my father and myself? } “But I will not speak of that, now, but tell you a secret.” ‘*T am all attention, Miss Preston.” ‘*When you visited our bumble home for a | few days, | wasin my fourteenth year, you may But right upon them rode Iron Arm, his re- | remember?” volvers rattling merrily, and his bullets drop- | ping here a mustang, there a rider, while his repeating rifle, in the hands of Mr. Mabrey, was pouring in a hot fire that utterly demoral- ized the survivors, and up the steep ascent to the right darted the three remaining horsemen. A few bounds only had the Jar iron-gray taken, with his rider leading the captive’s horse, when Iron Arm dashed alongside, es- caping the fire turned upon him, and, leveling a pistol at his head, said, sternly: ‘* Draw rein, or you die!” “IT draw rein in preference ter passin’ in checks any time, ,” was the characteristic remark of the supposed chief, and Iron Arm, as the three horses came to a halt, said, sternly: HJ I thought, you are that devil, Grizzly ‘*And you is ther feller meat; but yer isn’t, I sees. “No, nor will I die until I see you hanged I thought was dead and this last act of yours has run your head into the noose. e, Mr. brey, and we will tie this painted renegade,” called out Iron Arm, as his companion approached, having fired at the three escaping fugitives as long as they were in sight. ‘Save trouble to tie the rope around his neck,” said the old man, bluntly. = True, but the boys would not forgive me if I deprived them of the s there, now, Mr, Grizzly do,” and having bound the desperado firmly iron Arm turned to the now happy Arta, and, raising his hat, said, politely: ‘*We meet again, Miss Preston.” “Yes, sir, and under circumstances where, as usual, l am under obligations for services rendered: oh, sir, how can I thenk you?” and Arta’s magnificent eyes filled with tears. ‘* By not referring to any service that it has been my pleasure to do you; there, now you are free from the bonds these devils placed upon you; but may I ask ney it was that you were alone upon the prairie, for I saw your capture?” and Iron Arm told of their being in the wood when Grizzly upon her, and be introduced Mr, Mabrey, tell- ing her in a few words who he was. Arta warmly greeted the old man, her two rescuers about the absence. of her fa- ther from home, and of her having ridden over to the ranch of Ramsey Preston in search of be, I think you will started as soon as the dead rene hastily buried in the ravine, she told of the scene at the Preston ranch, and of her partici- pation in if. The young man seemed surprised at what he heard, and remarked: ‘* Well, lam glad that Carter Conrad has at last had the manliness to acknowledge his beau- tiful wife.” Bird- | Gabe and his followers set | I had passed three ha “ce Yes. 7 ‘Five years after I saw you and recognized you. ‘‘ Indeed! where was it, may I ask?” and he looked surprised. ‘One night, some months since, in front of a club-house in ton.” ‘* By Heaven! then my ear did not deceive me: it was your voice?” he said, hastily. ‘Yes, and I will tell you why I was there, and how the beautiful gift you sent me long ago, helped my father and myself in our pov- erty and distress, though it peony, broke my heart to part with it,” and Arta told the story of her sufferings, and the selling of her ” ** Miss n, I saw that guitar in ven- worth, Byrnes it, heard from whom the shopman had bought it, and I purchased it from him to one day restore it aya ‘‘ It was to see you that I followed your train and came on alone to North Platte, instead cf joining my Texas comrades and the herd on the Arkansas river, as I originally intended to do,” Arta tried to speak, but her words would not find utterance, and the tears came in her beau- tiful eyes, and, as they were some distance in front of Mr. Mabrey and his prisoner, Lucien De Leon continued, in his low, earnest tones: ‘‘Miss Preston, circumstances of an unpleas- | ant nature made me a Texas plainsman, and a of hanging him; a once, following the bent of my reckless humor, I rode on horseback through many of the States, “It was then that I met you, and. gir] though you were, yourimage went with me back to the mountains and prairies of Texas: I saw your face in the coals of my analy camp-fire, I heard your voice in the sweet singing of the birds, and as my heart losing the love of a half-sister I bad made my idol from boyhood, treasured you in I was coming to Nebraska, | her place, and as | naite on an important duty, and to settle here as aranchero, I determined to let my herd come on under Frank Fielding, my partner, while I ran East by rail to see if the gir] had grown to womanhood aJ] that I believed she would. ‘* Alas! I found others in the old house where ppy days, and was told tha you and your father had gone, no one knew me your trail, and thank God I arrived in time to be of service to the one iuol of my heart, for, im, _ Arta, you are to me all that I say you : And also, as she rode abead with Iron Arm | “Wile at on their way back down the Birdwood, fer they | des had been | have heen, ever since you were a little girl, ‘* Arta, have you ever thought of me?” He turned the full fascination of his geze upon her, and holding out her hand, she said soft!: : ‘*Even as the man loved the little girl. she loved him, and each year has but added to her love for him, until now he is in her eyes all that man can be in the eyes of the woman who loves him and never has, never can love another.” ‘“* Arta, God bless you.” <€om JOO (E “S where. and told | “Unable to find you, on my way west, the | guitar in the shop window at Leave.worth gave