Beadle's Dime Library No. 199 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

22 Diamond Dick, the Dandy from Denver. Rube. She hed ther gerloot tied ter ther saddle, an’ he looked es slimsey es a sick cat-fish—hedn’t no more sense nor a.b’iled owl. I’m plum sartin sure he’s ther cuss what Dolores hes bin layin’ fer more’n a year, up an’ down ther range. ‘Arter a while she come on ther stompede ter find out what ye-ou hed p’inted. But ther fact air, ’'m mised to ee the order to fire, after which all should draw their revolvers, and carry the camp at a six- shooter charge. All greed to adopt Dick’s plan; but, before they started, a succession of unearthly | shrieks in their rear drew the attention of the ban- so dog-goned mix’d up thet I doesn’t know fer sure | whether I air Bowlder Bill er some other soft-headed pilgrim. Jim Jams, Rube, Dolores, Cap’ Halfhand, an’ yerself, all disappeared, an’ you is ther only hu- man what hes ‘roved back ag’in. An’ hyer hit’s nigh dark, an’ ther cits hain’t struck out this-a-ways yit. But whar in ther dickens air yer shooters?” “The Wild Cats confiscated them, but 1 expect to get them back before another sun shines. Halfhand | The bandits | is in his cave, butis preparing to leave. are having a jollification—in fact, they are drunk, | and now is our time to strike. Come, Bill! we noust go for Square Sim and his men. This night is to end he career of the Wild Cat band.” **Thopes ter thunder hit’ll turn outes yer ses, Dick,” said Bill, running briskly up the ‘* wash-out,” and returning mounted upon his horse, which had been secreted on the margin of the canyon bank among the mesquites. Reaching the plain above, they found Square Sim and some thirty miners encamped. Dick and Bill were welcomed with shouts and cheers. **What in thunder hes yer bin layin’ hyer fer, boys?’ inquired the latter. “‘Why didn’t yer levant up — range an’ help ter clean out ther cussed bag- ers 7 ‘We are not fixed for such a desperate enter- a arg said Square Sim. ‘We were forced to send k for ammunition and grub, besides we have been waiting for some of you advanced scouts to return with information in regard to the retreat of the Wild Cats and their a strength. You two boys, with Jim Jams, Big Medicine, and Dolores all disappeared; but we oe that at least one of hee return to eus. Where is Dolores? ae seen anything of Jim Jams, or the In- *We have not seen either of them,’ answered Dick. ‘1 was not aware that Jim Jams, poor fel- low, had gone ee canyon.”’ Why,’ said the sheriff, *‘ he followed close after ou , “T have not seen him since I left him here,” said ck. ‘**He is probably asleep in some gully,” ested ure > Sim; “ but tibwe bows, what shout the Wild The miners listened with the most intense surprise to what Dick and Bill had to relate, especially when the former gave the details of capture and escape. x Then the Woman in Black has returned to this section,’’ said Square Sim. ‘The last we heard of her she was on the range some fifty miles below. She is a perfect fiend, and has shot more men than any five of her ; poco only because she is 4 woman, and a beautiful one at that.” “If you knew the crimes committed by this Woman in Black before she left the State,’’ said Diamond Dick, “you would say that she merits death at the stake. She is beyond the pale of mercy; but if we can capture her, I will, with the consent of you gentlemen, deliver her to the authori- ties for trial. In the event of my death, I will state that there is a large amount of gold concealed in a small clump of cedars to the north-west of the nt where we shall bably attack the Wild Cats. cedars con a secret entrance to the cave, and more treasure may be found inside, not accessi- ble from the main caverns.”’ ‘Better dismount, Dick,’’ advised Square Sim, “There is a good saddle and bridle, which we took from one of the horses shot in the canyon, Don't talk about passing in your chips, for we can’t spare such men as you.” ae the ground, Diamond Dick saddled bridled his horse and then mounted, gtrer f in his impatience, to wait for refreshments. Merely drinking a cup of coffee, as did Bill, both being already mounted, they started off down the south trail, scarce twenty minutes after they had arrived in the camp of the citizens, and galloped up the canyon toward the basin; the sky being here and there scattered with wind clouds, which promised, as there was a bright full moon, to make their movements more secure from observation. Bowlder Bill volunteered as advance Scout, and Dick was consequently under the necessity of re- maining, as guide, with the citizens; the latter, ered to a motion or ode from Square , electing our hero leader or captain, in the expected contest. CHAPTER XXVIII. VICTORY OR DEATH. WHEN within two rifle-shots of the opening where Dick had discovered the horses of the bandits, the citizens were ordered to halt, and four men were directed to keep watch over the animals of the out- laws, and prevent an escape from that direction. Your others were sent to the secret entranee; these last with orders to take Captain Halfhand alive if possible, and also the Woman in Black, should she attempt in that way to leave the cave. td horses of the citizens were then secured within a dense motte of pines, and two men de- tailed to guard them. Then, led by Diamond Dick, they stole forward, and soon reached a point where the shouts of the Wild Cats, who their distinctly heard. drunken orgies, could be The citizens were soon upon the thicket —— bank of the basin, from which they could see the wild and lawless crew. ' around and oaths indifferent ga of the gang, but was ouncing it to be bent hich oxered with was cove pushes; then, breaking cover, with th upon r ready, to call haps and surrender. obey on the instant, thea he pro- LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL a dits, who sprung at once to their feet in apprehen- sion of coming danger. It was now quite late, and the moon was at times obscured by drifting clouds. The citizens noticed thal, to their left there was a gully that led directly into the basin within which were the Wild Cats; and, as the strange yells sounded nearer, they de- cided that they proceeded from this ravine. Both they and the outlaws now stood, in anxious expec- tancy of what might be coming. Out from the branches that arched the little pas- sage bounded a foam and blood-flecked steed, its eyes glaring wildly as it snorted in terror and sprung rapidly and madly forward. Upon the horse sat Jim Jams. He was without a hat. His hair was flying be- hind him in the wind created by his great speed. Blood was flowing from the wounds he had received when he sprung in fright among the rocks, to hide from the grizzly bear. His horse dashed unguided, there being neither saddle, bridle, nor rope upon him. Jim Jams, as he thus bounded into the basin, yell- ing like a fiend, and holding his knife above his head, presented a sight that was horrible to witness and which caused the Wild Cats to spring right and left to avoid being trampled upon by the frenzied horse tha’ a on like an arrow shot from a bow, directiv through the camp, then up the incline, on ring in the scattered pines and cacti. ethe bandits stood staring after him in utter amazement, 4 low whistle from Diamond Dick called the citizens to action, and all at a gesture from their leader stole in a line down the declivity, through the bushes, springing from the same to the open basin bed, and bringing their rifles to their shoulders. The Wild Cats were all facing the opposite way; when, out on the night air, rung the words im stern command: “Hands up! Surrender to the Sheriff of Big Medicine City!’’ Thus yelled Diamond Dick, in a voice that meant business, but every bandit seemed suddenly to have lost the power of motion, - Then came the words from the outlaw ranks, ina voice of desperate energy: “Use your teeth and claws, Cats, or die by the rope!’ xt wild, taun yell burst from the bandits, as they grasped at their revolvers; but to many it was the last cry they ever uttered, fora score of rifles belched fire as one, and a leaden hail hurtled through the horde, dropping manyjto earth, with weapons half-cocked in their hands. Throwing aside their rifles, the citizens drew re- volvers, and rushed toward the Wild Cats, firing as they ran, and soon the basin was a scene of fierce hand to hand hting; the livin struggling to- gether, and stumbling over the dead and dying. A rattle of revolver shots filled the air for a moment or two, subsiding to a few scattered reports mingled with shrieks o agony then the citizens st masters of the field, although six of their number lay dead, and several more were severely wounded. Directing those who were unhurt to attend to the wounded, and signaling the horse-guard to lead in the stock, Diamond Dick and Square Sim, proceeded to the cave tomake a thorough ins ion of the same and search for Captain Hal d and the Woman in Black, neither of whom had been seen. The search, however, as the reader knows, was fruit- less: but the gold and jewels were secured, and the guard left at each entrance while the dead and wounded were conveyed upon horses to Big Medi- cine City. Great was the surprise and disappointment of all, but especially of Dick, when they were forced to the conclusion that both the leaders had escaped. All were greatly concerned too, in regard to the safety of Dashing Dolores and Big Medicine, neither of whom had been seen; and fear was expressed that the jor hy f when he left the secret passage, had been shot down by the sentinels who were on the watch. “How about Jim Jams?’’ asked Dick. ‘“ Where has he been, and how came he in possession of that horse?” “That was my mare,”’ ** She strayed from the burg a week ago. said the Sheriff. | Jim Jams, I | suppose, drank all the whisky, and then lay down | somewhere to sleep, and awoke wild with delirium. He’s got the “jim-jams”’ again. This is the third time, and I reckon he'll pass ** over the range ’’ this trip.” as oor fellow!’’ said Dick. ‘ Will not the mare circle toward the town?”’ ‘She'll be apt to make for home when she gets into open ground. You can count on her taking Jim Jams into the burg, if he holds his gripe.”’ ** How about the wounded bandits?’ asked Dick. “ There are not many of them who will bother us. Our boys shot to kill, and didn’t fall wide of the mark at any time. It isstrange that both the parties you were so anxious to capture have escaped.” _ “T'll have them yet,” said the young man, “if 1 have to search from here to the Pacific! ‘*We'll scour the country to-morrow,” said the As they two were thus conversing they had ridden down the canyon, and as they entered the big basin they were surprised and delighted to see their red : mounted. The Kioway was standing upon the south bank, and he and his animal were outlined against the sky. As they urged the horses up the bank, the Indian turned and headed southward, going slowly over the re) nota up, my red friend!"’ Dick called out to him. “Have you seen Cap d, or the Squaw Chief, as you call her?" The Kioway halted for a moment, and then point- ed uttering but a single word—‘t Come!” ——— An unaccountable presentiment of some dread ex- perience yet to come—born of the singular manner of the Kiowdy and the course he was traveling— caused them to gaze out over the prairie to the southward whenever the moon shone out clear from the drifting clouds. Sin Had they known what a horrible sight was to be seen upon the plain but a short distance ahead, they would have been chilled to the very heart. CHAPTER XXIX. NEMESIS. THe blood-red sun sunk below the horizon, and lett a twilight gloom. The moon, skulking behind the shifting clouds, seemed loth to cast her pure silvery rays down upon the heads that projected above the level plain. Heads that were blood-stained and begrimed with earth. Faces that were drawn with the most death- ly anguish, agony, thirst and despair. Eyes that glared into each other with a horrid stare. Lips that were parched and cracked. To describe the terror of Captain Halfhand, as he recovered consciousness and found himself thus, would be beyond the power of pen ortongue. He was at first unable to comprehend his situation, but when his gaze fell upon Reckless Rube but a few feet from him, the dread truth was brought home to him at once. The lips of the sufferer in frant of him kept mov- ing, and Halfhand strove to catch the words which they formed, but naught except a ghastly amy ted caught his ear. Then, perceiving that the man bad become a maniac, the bandit chief, filled with frenzy, uttered shriek after shriek, prayed, cursed, and eaaned in insane glee, his brain almost burst- ing with the pressure of horrors. us time passed, and the moon, now and then bursting free from the clouds, showed plainly the heads of the two outlaws and the carcass of the jae horse, upon which were perched a pair of buz- S. As time advanced, the short, sharp yelp of numberless coyotes sounded on all ules: a these cowardly sneak wolves came up, and the buz- zards drew off and stood motionless on the prairie. One or two of the coyotes, bolder than the others, rung forward upon the dead horse and buried eir teeth in the flesh, and the next moment a hundred more were snarling and fighting, a mingled mass of yelping brutes covering the carcass for which they struggled from view. ee these sounds, too, were hushed; for — and loud came the how! of the “loafer” or wolf of the Manos, and the coyotes sneaked away. Then the huge black wolves, with their red tongues, glittering and fiery eyes, flew through the air in bounds, and sprung upon the dead iy One Sof these, “spying the hu- man heads, crouched near them cast its flery, rolling eyes upon the face of the bandit chief, who, having now an interval of —— was filled with a dread more terrible than no ad yet felt. The ee ag FS ay? its form, as er spring forw upon new scovered prey, but a oot and piercing ery Towdne | even the savage wolf to draw off in evident fear and perplexity. Like an echo tothis shriek, theré now sounded over the plain a prolonged yell which appeared to reach even the ears of Reckless Rube; for his head bobbed from side to side, and his eyes changed at once from their death-like stare. Then he listened and at last the sound of a horse galloping over the prairie struck his ear, crushing own the faint hope that had flashed upon his tortured brain. Nearer and nearer came the night rider, and the wolves walked off sullenly over the , and stcod me their fierce eyes fixed upon the approaching orse. As the steed came nearer, Captain Halfhand gave a loud yell; but, urged on, the horse sprung within a few feet of him before coming to a halt. Then Dashing Dolores, with a bound, sprung to the earth, and drew Lucile Luzerne after her. ith a scream of triumph, she laid the Woman in Black upon the ground—the face of the latter near to that of Cap- tain Halfhand—the one, a semi-maniac, buried to the neck in the earth; the other, bound hand and foot, scorched, blistered and blackened, and shud- dering with a dread of horror, in comparison with which death or insanity would be a relief. With frantic haste, Dolores secured her horse, and roceeded to dig a hole near at hand, meanwhile aughing and talking in insane glee, asthe moans of the Wild Cat Queen reached her ears. In time the cavity was of sufficient depth, and Do- lores dragged the Woman in Black toward it, and then into it, filling in the earth, glancing, when she had ended, from one to the other with great satis- faction. Py Lucile Luzerne, paralyzed with horror, was unable to struggle during the fearful ng; but she fully comprehended the terrible fate to which she was doomed. Glancing at the agony-racked fea- tures of Reckless Rube, whom she recognized, she thought of her own sufferings yet to come, and then, appalled at the thought of the dread torture she must undergo, with the eyes of her companions in crime filming in death before her, she shrieked until her swollen tongue refused to articulate, and then, gasping for breath, she sunk into insensi- bility. AL at once, Dolores seemed to realize that she had accomplished all she had intended, and even mcre than filled the bill. Her revenge was complete. She had prenged her own wrongs, and the dastardly murder of her child. Rube olds could not es- cape the fate to which she had doomed him. She had also condemned to death the woman who had agen ae to come between her and Diamond Dick. he now pressed her hands to her hot throbbing temples, and tried to calm the mad whirl of her par while she gazed at the head of the bandit ef. Quickly she seized upon the thought, born of the knowledge that Dick was on the trail of the Wild Cat leader, that the moa bm from Denver was ead sp tabeg hog mai Copery and in her absence buried him by the of Reckless Rube, No sooner did this occur to her, in an interval of sanity, than it brought all hér mad loveina 3 back to her heart, crushing down all other cushis and <S (E comicboo con