Beadle's Dime Library No. 199 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

nm eae SE ee Sees ™s , -* Diamond Dick the Dandy from from the west, and turning, Dick saw a score of masked riders dashing over the bed of the basin toward him, at great speed. Before he had time to think what move to make Dashing Dolores sprung toward him on her horse, yell- ing: “Follow me, and spur for your life!’’ As this command left her lips, Dolores struck the hams of Dick’s horse with her rifle, and be- fore our hero could comprehend in what man- ner they could possibly escape, he found himself speeding through darkness, only relieved by a narrow ribbon of starry sky over his bead. Dick felt that he had twice been saved from being riddled with bullets, and each time by a_ woman. First, by one whom he hated and ab- horred more than any poisonous snake, and last by one in whose eyes blazed the terrible light of madness. His chief object in following the canyon had been to save Dolores; but she had turned the tables and saved him. He remembered faintly having seen this girl at the lynching of Pueblo Pete, and also that she had kindly nursed him at her cabin after he had been rendered senseless by the bullet. He had likewise been informed that Dolores had killed the man, Cache Charley, who had fired the coward shot. pression of her face, her acts and manner, that | she had more than a mere passin his welfare. This conclusion, which was forced upon Dick, pained him exceedingly, for he wanted no human being to come between him and the duty he had set before himself. All the love the young man had ever felt, aside from the affection which he lavished upon those of his own household, had been for the aunt and cousins whom he had sworn to avenge —for the dear ones who had been driven to despair, insanity and death by the same beauti- ful, but fiendish woman who, a few moments weg had saved him from the bullets of the andits. As Diamond Dick wheeled his horse to follow his strange guide, Captain Halfhand regained command of himself, and yelled in wg ‘Ride aside, Lucile! Ride aside! You are mad! Back, I say! You are shielding your own worst foe, and mine—George McClellan!” At this the face of the beautiful woman changed its expression to one of hatred and rage, and she whirled her horse to follow the fugitives, but, in the confusion which had suc- ceeded their fligbt, & horseman rode at break- , neck speed against her as she wheeled, and she fell senseless from her saddle to the ground, her white face, with the fiendish look frozen upon it, upturned to the moonlight. en Captain Halfhand, the man whom Dia- mond Dick well knew to be George Holbrook— his own uncle by marriage—yelled his orders for the woman Lucile Luzerne to ride aside, at the same time calling her by name, then it was, that the words catching the ears of the young man as he galloped off, he realized that the two whom he most detested of any on earth, the two whom he had sworn to hunt to the bitter end, had both stood before him, and that for the time he bad been incapable of action. He then berated his weakness, regretting that he had not sprung to one side of the wretched ad- venturess, and shot Holbrook in his tracks, even if he himself should have fallen in the attempt. Never, from the first bad he entertained the thought of personal violence toward Lucile Luzerne. His respect for the sex to which she belonged forbade it. But he had vowed to make her bitterly regret the day she was born, or the day she first met George Holbrook. Now that he recalled the tone of voice in which Captain Halfhand had spoken to this woman, for whom, in his infatuation, he had sacrificed wife and children, the young man felt that the feeling had already given place to one of fear or aversion, and that the exciting life which they now led in common was the only tie between them. Dick now saw that it would be an extremely difficult task to ascertain the location of the secret stronghold of the Wild Cats, as they would now move with great stealth and take every precaution to mislead or conceal their meyer ae sug e had observ is friend the Kioway firin from the high bank, his warning aon had sounded afar, and Dick had some hope that Big Medicine or Buwlder Bill would watch and follow the bandits without the latter having any suspicion that spies were on their trail. One fact often crowded into his mind. and caused him deep annoyance and anger, It was the knowledge that there was some person at his old home who had learned of his departure for the West, and the object of his journey, The letter found upon Cache Charley proved this plainly, as well as their sending a to nver to watch for him. Already he felt that the guilty pair must be feeling the first pangs of his sworn revenge. In time, he believed, the consciences of both would be racked and tor- tured, but he was still resolved that he would bear a hand in the business and hasten the denouement, for he felt not like leaving his grist in the famous *' mills of the gods.” While these thoughts flew through his brain, | the youug man was scarce conscious of his sur- ee —— interest in | | | roundings, All at once he was brought back to the living present by his horse stumbling to its knees in the darkness, as he plunged through the “ wash-out.” Blamivg himself for not hav- ing spoken to his noble steed, from which he had been for some hours separated, and which had been instrumental in saving his life, Dick leaned forward, patted the animal’s neck, and spoke soft words, which were acknowledged by its turning its head around, and rubbing it against his hand. High above him now was a narrow ribbon of sky, which seemed to prove that the ** wash- out” was of great depth, or else that it was much narrower at the surface of the earth than at itsbed. Dick listened for a moment intently, but all was silent; nothing but the panting of his horse and the beating of his own heart could be heard, Surprised, he called out: ‘Dolores! O-o-0-oh! Dolores!” Still the same silence reigned in the deep, dark, winding ‘‘ wash-out.” Our hero was forced to admit that he was riety and that Dashing Dolores had deserted im. He reasoned that, probably, the girl upon be- coming calm, had felt mortified at having so Now, he felt, from the ex- | plainly betrayed her feelings; which, although penne not observed by others, or if they were, er actions and appearance attributed to a dif- ferent cause, would, nevertheless, be strongly felt by herself. Now that Dolores had vanished as mysterious- ly as she had previously appeared, Diamond ick was in a quandary as to the future. His main object, henceforth, was to trace the Wild Cats to their lair; but he knew it would be useless to make the attempt at a time when they were maddened by their recent losses, and the escape of those who had succeeded in killing many of their number, as also of their horses, in a perfectly miraculous manner. While thus cogitating, Dick had allowed the bridle reins to drop over the horn of the saddle; and his intelligent horse, after stumbling, had arisen, and unnoticed by its master, slowly turned about and retraced its steps toward the basin. CHAPTER XVI. THE QUEEN OF THE WILD CATS. As Dashing Dolores and Diamond Dick dis- appeared in the depths of the ‘ wash-out,” Bowlder Bill and Big Medicine secreted them- selves, rightly judging that the bandits, now teinforoed, would be too much excited to make any search for foes. he Kioway felt positive that he had not been observed; and Bill, having left his horse in a secure hiding-place, crawled through the mesquites and across the bed of the canyon to the ‘* wash-out,” up which Dolores had passed. Climbing up the bank, Bill joined his re pard, first, however, giving him a signal of his approach. “Dog my cats an’ kittens, Big Med’!” said Bill, “‘ain’t this ther liveliest leetle fandang’ yer ever kicked a foot at? Didn’t Dolores waltz off though? She’s a daisy—dang’d ef she ain’t! But dang my skin ef ther range ain’t chuck full o’ Wild Cats, an’ they'll be a thunderin’ sight wilder arter ter-night. Who war ther fancy she duck in jacket an’ breeches thet war sent ter ther sand so lively?” ‘*That squaw. Dress like warrior,” said the Indian. ‘* Wa-al, she stood ther riffle like a little man, ‘most equil ter Dolores; an’ I'd ’a’ bet heavy ther’ warn’t another shemale in er out o’ New Mex’ thet hed es much sand. Dang my pictur’, what a cirkuss!” ‘“Two war-party, bad white men,” said the Kioway. ‘“Shechbief one. Halfhand, he chief other. Heap Half-hand braves give death-yell. Some much sick. Some go on long dark trail when sun come.” While the two pards were speaking, the party of masked riders, who had just galloped up, athered about the prostrate form of the ‘oman in Black. Lucile Luzerne had received no serious in- jury, having been merely stunned by the fall. She now opened her eyes and looked around upon the dead and dying, then covering her face with her hands, the bandit queen indulged in deep thought, while the rough, brutal men, who surrounded her, looked on in deep respect and admiration of her bravery and will. ‘Can it be possible,” she muttered, in a whis- per, ‘‘that the brave youth for whom I risked my life, that he laid his hands upon me in vio- lence? Can it be that he attempted my life and then fled? Ab! I remember. HaJfhand re- vealed my name. But even so, the hatred which George McClellan bears me, and which I deserve, would not surely carry him to that ex- treme. Has he traced us, I wonder, to this far- away land, that he may carry out a vow of vengeance? Have the Fates — him? eavens, how he has changed! from a way- ward boy to that daring youth above the com- mon stature of men. And he will keep his oath. Half-hand is doomed. But I cannot be- lieve that George would harm a woman, I will believe nothing cowardly of him. Oh, Lucile Luzerne! Are you falling in love with him ee ee eee nee ee ES CD 13 now, as you did once to your ruin, with his uncle, whom you now detest more and more. every day that you live?” Rising at once to her feet, she demanded: ‘**Which way did they go?” ‘““Yunder side,” said one, as he pointed north. our jist skuted inter thet wash-out on ther whiz! ‘**Did none of you try to capture them?” ** Mout es well ’a’ tried ter kerral a streak o’ chain-lightnin’. An’ thet ain’tall. We’reina tight box hyer, for ther folkses from Big Med- sun City must ’a’ heerd ther shootin’, an’ they’ll levant up this-a-ways.” In a clear, ringing voice, and as if nothing unusual had occurred, Lucile cried out: ‘* Half-a-dozen of you lasso the loose horses and lead them here! Get the wounded upon the animals and take the arms from the dead! Where is Captain Halfhand? He has proved himself incapable of commanding even the few men he had left. Move lively! We are in danger of attack. Another such fight would blot out the Wild Cats forever. Halfhand was a fool to allow two men—for that is all that were seen—to hold their own against him, and deal out death to nearly all his band!” The orders of the Woman in Black were obeyed. ‘* Hyer’s Captain Halfhand!” called out one of the men. Lucile Luzerne spurred at once toward the spot. ‘** He’s hurt,” said the bandit, ‘‘but I reckon Be bones are broke. His nag war shot under im. ‘Lift him up and give him a drink!” com manded the bandit queen. A large dose of brandy was administered to the captain, which soon revived him, and he sat up and viewed the scene in great . Meeting the look of scorn and contempt in the a of Lucile, he sprung to his feet and yelled: ‘* Where is the man who slew my brave boys? Have you allowed him to escape? Curses on you, Lucile Luzerne, to protect the one who has sworn to have my life!” ‘“‘Hold!” she exclaimed, as she spurred her | horse forward, and presented her revolver at Halfband’s head. ‘‘ Dare to call down curses on me, George Holbrook, and I'll shoot you like a dog! I should have known that one so devoid of honor was a craven, a dastard! You have this night shown yourself unable to cope with a mere boy, even with a score of men to back you. Why did you not meet George McClellan openly, in fair fight, and show that vou had a fraction of manhood about you? Fume and rage, if you will; your braggadocio will never reinstate you with the Wild Cats. Henceforth Iam in sole command, and you must bow to my word and superior will!” he fury of Captain Halfhand at these words from the lipsof the woman who had Jured bim from home and friends, from virtue and honor, it would, be impossible to describe. The white foam flew from his lips. He tore bis bair in madness, and then fell to the earth in his rage, tearing up the sward like a wounded beast. The Wild Cats rushed here and there, obeyin the orders of their queen unquestionin ly, an feeling that the captain had indeed led r- tion of the band to their death, when there was no prospect of gain. Not only this, but they felt sure that, by approaching so near to Big Medicine City, he had jeopardized all their lives, and laid them open to an attack from a ey with which they could not hope to con- nd, Besides this, there was another danger; they were almost positive that — were lurking on the margin of the basin, who might follow and discover their retreat. Three enemies were known to be in the vicinity, the disguised young woman, the daring youth who had followed her, and the man who had led the black steed to the border of the basin. From the words of Lucile Luzerne, as well as from what they had seen, they were forced to the conclusion that this George McClellan was a foe not to be despised, and that he was one who would not be easily foiled. The outlaws had all been gradually alienated from Captain Halfhand by his gloomy temper, absent-mindedness, and his reluctance to lead- ing them out to capture trains, and intercept stages; such expeditions having of late been planned and led by the Queen of the Wild Cats, as they had dubbed Lucile Luzerne. So it was that they were more pleased than otherwise at the open rupture, which promised to-reunite the band under their female leader. For all this, the bandits were not looking for the order now given by their Queen when all were ready for a move; for they supposed that Captain Halfhand was to accompany them. ‘* By twos, forward!” _ As this command was given by the Woman in vAlver she pointed toward the west with her ~ Denver. rev@lver, her sable steed prancing and snorting with fright at the scent of human blood. The order, however, was promptly obeyed; and the Wild Cats, some supporting their wounded comrades upon their horses, rode toward the gloomy chasm by which they had entered the com Cc cS JOO