Beadle's Dime Library No. 199 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

yf -_—- — justice and attempt to save his coward life. ut, let me explain. I came here to hunt a man who has fearfully wronged me and mine-—the murderer of his own innocent wife and chil- dren, All this is, of course, personal; but, when I tell you that this same man is the scourge of New Mexico, you will all be inter- ested, as well as myself, in hunting him to the death. ‘When I started from my home in the States, I was on a wild-goose chase, without any clew to guide me. I have been in Denver for some time, and while there I picked up a few points which gave me grounds to think that I had struck the right trail. ‘‘What first attracted my attention was the fact that I was followed; [ had a spy on my track, and knowing that no man had any Oc- casion to pry into my affairs, except the das- tard for whom I was in search, I began in turn to watch the spy. Noticing, from my room in the hotel, that he passed some letters into the post-office, I bribed the clerk to allow me to see the superscription, and copy it.” Turning to Bowldér Bill, Dick said: ** Bill, will you and Jim Jams favor me by ascertaining if Pueblo Pete has returned to con- sciousness? I do not wish him to bear what I have tosay. My reasons for this will be obvi- ous to you all before | am through with my explanation.” ‘** He hain’t got no more sense than a D’iled owl,” was the report of Bowlder Bill, after ex- amining the prostrate man. 3 “Well, gentlemen,” continued Diamond Dick; “‘ there were three letters mailed by the man who had been shadowing me. One was directed to ‘George Holbrook, Taos, New Mexico; in care of Cache Charley.’ The other two bore the address of Cache Charley and Pueblo Pete, respectively. ‘*No sooner had I seen these letters than I knew 1 had struck the right trail for my re- venge. I waited some days, watching the spy, and even tried to pump him, but in this I did not succeed. I then lit out for Taos, strikin ers} town last evening at a late hour. Goo uck followec me, for I entered the bar of Placer Palace, and the first man I saw held a lette: in his hand, the superscription of which caught my eye at once. It was ‘George Hol- brook, Taos, New Mexico; care Pueblo Pete.’ This letter was post-marked, ‘ Ogdensburg, New York.’” ‘An’ thet letter war in Pete’s pocket. Cache Charley hed ther one ther cuss writ in Denver,” said Bowlder Bill. “T am glad of that,” said Dick; ‘‘but who has seen Cache Charley? Where is the man?” “He is the man who shot you from the cedars,” said Square Sim, pointing to the dead body. “Shot me?’ “Yes,” replied the sheriff, “and it was a mystery why he did it, until the letter we found on him explained it.” ‘* Gentlemen,” suid our hero, “‘I was about to say that there was a mark upon the envelope which I ey. It a hang ce 7 >. hand—a man’s left hand—all the fingers g ampu- tated below the knuckles. This was drawn in one corner with a lead pencil, evidently by Pete himself after he had taken it from the office, Tbe man I am in search of, George Holbrook, is, I am positive, Captain Halfhand the noto- rious. outlaw, road-agent, and murderer, who is the chief of the Wild Cats, for he had his hand cut off in the same manner as the drawing on the envelope represents. Iheard of the ban- dit at Denver, but little thought he was the Same man for whom I hun so long. The man who now lies there insensible—I hope he is not dead—has a letter which he will deliver et the risk of his life; and if he is watched aud followed, we dan ascertain where the Wild Cats hide themselves.” ‘ Yer has got ther hull thing down squar’ ter bottom bed-rock truth, Everything is es you a pard Dick!” ithout noticing this remark of Bowlder Bill, he went on, “ Now you know why I did not kill Pete, and why I have interfered with your pic-nic. Bring that burly ruffian back to life. Make him be. lieve we have mistaken him for some other man. Then leave him tome. Do this, and I swear to you that Captain Halfhand shall never agaiv Slash a mail-bag!’’ The crowd calmed down almost instantly. Bowlder Bill ran for some brandy, ana poured the fiery liquor down the throat of Pueblo Pete: and the letter which had been taken from him was shoved back into the pouch of the senseless man by Square Sim. Our hero still sat his horse, his pallid face ap- pearing even more so from contrast with the lit- e ed Streams of blood that oozed from a wound- scalp; the bullet from Cache Charley’s rifle having glanced along his skull. , While this was going on, Dashing Dolores, who, from a position near them, had heard every word that the sport from Denver had spoken,and knew all that had happened, suddenly appeared upon the scene. Gliding as gracefully as a Ba relle to the side of the black horse, this beautiful waif of the wilderness grasped the hand of Dia- Diamond Dick, the Dandy from Denver. v4 mond Dick, and turned her dark, expressive eyes upward to his face. ' The citizens looked significantly at each other in surprise, for Dolores had never been known to smile upon, or speak familiarly to any man since she first appeared in vuhe range. It was well understood that the wrongs she had sus- tained, and to avenge which she waited, made ber the vehement hater of the opposite sex. We have said that Dolores was beautiful, and in saying so we have not stretched the truth in the least. She was a brunette, with wavy masses of soft, dark hair, ornamented in Mexi- can style. Her skirt was short, and made of fawn skin, as were her leggings, which she wore tucked into neatly fitting French boots. Both skirt and leggings were embroidered in bead- work, while a oll silk sash about her waist sup- ported a Spanish dagger and a Colt’s navy re- volver both heavily embossed with filagree work of silver. At times she carried a Sharp’s car- bine, and that she was a good shot, the bullet in the forehead of Cache Charley fully proved. Little was known of the girl, except that she was the child of American and Mexican parent- age. That she had been tolerably well educated was evident, if from nothing else, from her look apd manner. While Dolores stood thus, looking upward at Diamond Dick, the eyes of the latter were fixed in a strange manner upon the motions of Bowlder Bill, who was endeavoring to resuscitate Pueblo Pete, and he seemed oblivious of the presence of the lovely girl. It was at this time that Big Medicine, the In- dian ex-chief, stalked, with a look of deep con- cern from the undergrowth toward the moun- tains, and with long strides approached the spot where the young man, who had saved him from insult, and perhaps death, sat his horse as one in a trance. The circle of citizens were all eagerly, and with deep interest, watching the movements of Bowlder Bill and Jim Jams, who were both bending over Pueblo Pete. It was a strange, wild scene, with the tower- ing Rocky Mountains as a high-rising back- ground—a scene the counterpart of which has often been witnessed by the people of the plains and of the mountains, and ose which would naturally tend to make the thoughts of the be- holder of a grave and solemn kind; but Jim Jams, after witnessing the extravagant use of the brandy, Bowlder Bill having spilled some of the liquor, the aroma of which was very tempt- ing, clutched the bottle, sprung to the trunk of the tree, and gluing his lips to its neck, drank with insane satisfaction. his caused a roar of laughter to run around the circle, and the sound seemed even to have been heard by the pros- trate Pete, for he opened his eyes in a dazed manner, It was only for an instant, however, for he again sunk into a state of insensibility. ‘‘ Ef this hyer cuss didn’t have a mighty close shave, I’m the boss prevaricator 0’ New Mex’,” said Bill, ‘‘I wouldn't bet high on his not glidin’ over ther range es hit is.” “He wasn’t jerked up very hard,” said Square rs m. ‘‘He’ll come round to business, never ear. Big Medicine meanwhile approached the side of Dashing Dolores, and, glancing at her for a moment, took the hand of the young man in is. ‘‘Diamond Dick heap sick. The lodge of Bi Medicine is open. My white brother is wel- come. The bark and leaves that the Great Spirit has made to grow on the mountains will make him strong and well. The heart of Bi Medicine is filled with sorrow, for the bullet o the bad white man has caused my brother tobe blind, and his ears deaf when those who love him speak,” Not_a word fell from the lips of the sport from Denver in answer to this. Silent and mo- tionless as a statue, he sat his horse, looking erred on the outstretched form of Pueblo ete. Just then the clatter of horses’ hoofs sounded from the north, comingat lightning speed down the street, and Diamend Dick turned his head quickly, as if a strong magnetism had drawn his attention. No sooner did our hero see the fast-galloping stranger who approached, than all his former fire, and vim, and energy seemed to return on the instant, and he gathered the reins in his left hand, whirled his horse about, and drawing one of his revolvers, yelled: ‘‘Gentlemen, that is the spy of the Wild Cats! He is the man who wrote the letters at Denver!” With these words Diamond Dick dashed to- ward the street, but ere he reached it his arms fell limp at his side, his frame swayed for a moment, and he fell backward from the saddle, as if stricken, to the sward. The stranger, seeing the excited crowd at such a late hour, and the rope dangling from the tree, all so suggestive of a lynching party, began to think that his presence had been looked | for, that the citizens of Big Medicine City knew | character and moyements, and were only Waiting for his arrival. Thus it is ever with the guilty. This man who came at such speed down the street at midnight was young, good-looking and well dressed in frontier rig far above the uverage in quality and ornamentation; but his face bore marks of dissipation, and his eyes wandered nervously, as if he apprehended dan- ger at any time and from any point. As Diamond Dick urged his horse from the vicinity of tue Indian and Dolores, the latter watched him with intense anxiety, and when he fell to the earth, she gave a cry of anguish aud rushed for the spot where he lay. Suddenly she stopped, brought her rifle to her shoulder, then aimed and fired at the stranger horseman, who was now abreast of the point at which the citizens were assembled. Realizing that her shot had not taken effect, she cried out, while her form trembled wildly: ‘““Reckless Rube! My bullet flew wild this time, but Pll have your life before the moon wanes.” With a yell of derision, now that he saw he had a chance to escape, the night-rider urged his horse at headlon down the street. toward the scattered thickets and foot-hills, Dolores sprung upon the horse of Diamond Dick, whirled him about, and the black steed bounded like the wind in pursuit of Reckless Rube, while wild cheers for Dashing Dolores Sa from the crowd. alf-a-dozen of the citizens who had been deeply impressed by the words of our hero, and. were anxious to capture the bandit spy, ran for their horses that were picketed in the rear of the shanties, and were soon in full chase, deter- mined that if they could not overtake the outlaw, they would at least protect Dolores, for there was nota manin Medicine City who did not respect and hold in high esteem this lone maiden of the mountains, or who would not have shot to the death any one who dared insult the young, beautiful, and mysterious woman who had taken up her abode among the bowlders of the burg. CHAPTER VIIL THE BETRAYED. SQUARE Sm had not been mistaken in his opinion in regard to Dashing Dolores, in her conduct both before and after the shooting of Cache Charley. We have heard the very laconic manner in which the girl answered the query of Bowlder Bill as to who the dead man was. As she hurriedly left the clump of cedars, she eame within view of Diamond Dick, who lay outstretched in the dust of the street, and apparently dead. Then it was that she uttered a stifled cry, and for an instantstood asif trans- formed into stone. Soon, however, she darted over the intervening space, threw down her rifle, and sunk on her knees to the earth. Lifting the head of the young men in her lap, her frame meanwhile trembling with excite- ment, her tears fell upon the pale face of the Bay ro hailing from Denver, who, though he ha een but one short hour in the town, had gained the respect and admiration of all, notwith- standing his somewhat flashy “‘ make-up.” But we will now glance back, and explain how Dolores came to cross the track of Cache ey. About the time that George McClellan was approaching Big Medicine City, and was within a mile of the town, Dashing Dolores was patil impatiently back and forth over the roms floor of her little cabin, which was situated at the of the rocky range, about two rifle-shots from the rear of Placer Palace, and to the north of the two rows of shanties called a city. The dwelling was very small, and built of saplings, not any of them being more than four inches in diameter, but notched and placed in the same manner as fhe common log cabins of the border. The roof was formed of poles, to which were bound layers of long grass, one overlapping the other in such a way as to pre- vent the ingress of rain, The inner sides and ends of the dwelling were covered with thick white cloth, such as is used for army tents, the same being stretched and tacked to the saplings, and giving the room the appearance of being plastere In this single apartment there were a small bedstead, a table, chairs, book-case, stove and cooking utensils, Several pictures bung upon the w and well dressed skins of various animals an the plumage of rare birds, with peculiar and beautiful grasses and ferns, brightened and gave a tasteful air to the interior. Vines and flowering creepers almost covered the cabin without, and several mountain pines which stood near it so concealed it from view that one might walk or ride within balf a pistol- shot of the home of Dashing Dolores, and not once dream that there was the abode of any human being nearer than the little town below. We have already had a description of the girl herself, and it has been stated that she had the black hair and eyes of her Mexican mother, and also that her complexion indicated that the blood of the Montezumas ran in her v mingled, however, as the light, creamy _ rose tints of her skin proved, with that of the. Anglo-Saxon. But, if there were naught else to indicate that a Mexican woman gave her birth, her eyes would have betrayed that such was the case, S) (E(e) GCOMIEDOO