Beadle's Dime Library No. 199 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 Diamond Dick, the Dandy from Denver. and especially at this time, as she paced up and down with impatient, nervous step, the floor of ber little cabin home. A hatred intense flashed so fiercely from those dark orbs that an observer could not have refrained from a shud- der, as the glances so murderous shot like light- ning, showing that a pent-up volcano of rage was scathing her very brain. That these same eyes could, under certain circumstances, dart looks of love from beneath their long lashes, and glance shyly, and with innocent trust and idolatrous affection into those that had the power to call forth such feelings, none who ever associated with women of her mixed blood could doubt, Generally speaking, children of such parent- age, especially girls, speak the language of the mother, and also adopt the religion, manners and customs of her people; but Dolores was an exception. She spoke English as fluently as she did Spanish, for the good reason that she had been educated in San Antonio, Texas, where American schools abound. As the young woman paced over the floor, faster and faster, her furious passion seemed to increase with her movements, and she beat the air with her small, delicate hands, which were clinched tightly, her fingers cutting fnto her palms, while her pearly teeth were shut tightly together. ack and forth, like a caged wild beast, she walked, and, at last, as if her brain would burst from the cranium if she did not give vent to her feelings in words, she cried out in a voice so agonizing, desperate and hopeless, that Oe > it would have melted a heart of stone. ** Madre de Dios! How I loved him; and yet he deceived me! He laughed in my face when my little baby boy was gasping out its feeble | the els wail, calling for angels to take its little soul back to the home whence itcame. Yes! Laughed and sneered, and said I was no wifeof his; that he had a wife in Galveston—a white wife, he said—when he led me to the altar. Asif I was not as white and pure as an infant, when first h‘s false tongue and deceitful smiles lured me from friends, and home, and happiness! ‘*Taunted me when my babe—his babe—was dying within his accursed grasp, and I was too weak to lisp a prayer for my darling, or to curse the dastard who had so basely deceived my innocent, trusting girlhood! ee “But, Reuben Reynolds, or Reckless Rube, mC as you are now Called, [ shall yet exult over your misery, despair and death. I shall yet gaze into your coward eyes that ever avoided my glances and gloat over your downfall. My sworn revenge, as slowly the power of sight leaves you, and demons come with their somber wings that beat the air with sounds like the last gasps of strong men being tortured to death, to ag you down to the bottomless pit where your quaking soul will burn in the fire that is never quenched! For two years—two long and weary years—have I strove in vain to meet you face to face, and sheathe my knife in your craven heart. Miles by the thousand have [ traversed, over prairie, desert, plain and wood- land—over rocky range, through deep canyons and the wilds of Apache and Comanche lands— often within a few rifle-shots of my game, but never knowing it until the Evil One or your ¥ coward conscience had warned you onward, oo From mine to mine have I traced you, but never have I fastened my eyes upon your hated, “ accursed form. As much as [ madly loved you ar once, a thousand times more do | detest and :, abhor you now! I shall never smile until I _ witmess your death-agony; until the death- . sweat stands in big drops upon your brow; un- } til your horror-filled eyes turn glassy, and your teeth grind togetber with the harrowing pangs - of the body, that shall be as nothing compared with the tortures of the soul to which you are doomed! : **On, on, like the Wandering Jew, have you . been urged by the knowledge that I was on : your track; but now you have left no trail, no nor trace. However, 1 bide my time. It surely come. As the needle to the pole, so os will eventually be drawn to this obscure welling of mine, and to your death. Oh, little did my good mother think when she bad me tized Dolores, that it would prove a name wn be ing ber child—that sorrow would be my f lasting heritage! | **T wonder sometimes that I am not a maniac; but all that keeps my poor brain from an in- sane whirl! is the memory of that dreadful night ~ - which calls for revenge—that nignt when, ibe ’ gpurned and cursed by you, Rube Reynolds, i you that I had Ha asa god, I lay in de- -spair and anguish, with my murdered baby in my arms. All that keeps me sane, or seemingly Siew 2. e, is my oath of vengeance; and I must live . until I hear those dying moans and gasps, which ' will be the sweetest music that ever greeted my ears! “But I must go out into the night and peenpes the fresh air of heaven, for my brain throbs with the agony brought on by these maddening thoughts.” Pressing her hands for a moment upon her , brow, Dolores caught up ber sombrero and rifle . and rushed out from the cabin and down the ; decline toward Big Medicine City. ce The poor, half-crazed Fa soon reached the rear of Placer Palace, and passing around to the north side of the building, was brought to a sudden halt by the appearance of the dand\ from Denver, who at this moment urged his horse past the front of the hotel, and secured him to a bush but a short distance from the spot where Dolores stood, she being screened from view by a dwarf pine. With lips apart and eyes bent in surprise and | admiration, forgetful of the hatred she professed to feel for every man, she stood chained to the spot; then, when the gayly attired youth en- tered the building, Dolores crept up, and stood, as she had often done before, where {she could view the interior of the bar. ee side of Pueblo Pete and ordered the champagne. For the time being Dolores forgot her dream of vengeance, and did not even realize where she | Was, nor understand the new emotions which seemed to have taken possession of her mind and heart. Soon they resolved themselves into a feeling of deep concern and anxiety, as she saw that the handsome stranger was evidently in great peril. However, as she witnessed the peculiar but highly effective manner in which the young man, who had been by Jim Jams | christened **Diamond Dick,” prostrated the igantic Pueblo Pete upon the floor, ber fears | for him vanished, and increased admiration, akin to new-born love, took their place. The second time that Pete was stricken down Dolores was filled with exultant joy, and a i and satisfied smile played upon her lips, or the first time, perhaps, in years. It was almost as if she had an interest and ownership in the dashing sport from Denver. When Dick forced the redoubtable Pete into | the street at the muzzle of his revolver, with the intention of fighting a duel with the des- | perado, Dolores did not catch the words nor ‘understand the intentions of the parties, but | thinking that the youthful stranger was coming after his horse, and might discover her, she stealthily made her way to the rear of the | building, pausing only a moment to peep _ through a crack at the gaming tables. To her surprise she saw that the crowd had all departed, and the hotel was deserted. She now began to understand why there had been such an unusual shuffling of feet and tramping upon the floor, and it flashed upon her that something unusual was transpiring upon the street. The next instant Dolores heard the reports of the revolvers of the duelists, and she started to run around to the south side of Placer Palace just as the crack of a rifle rung sharp on the still night air, and a man broke from the dense thicket of cedars, shoving a cartridge into his weapon as he ran. The man soon discovered, however, that he was observed; that a human form stood be- tween the shanties in bis path of escape, and he raised his rifle to bis shoulder; but, ere he caught sights, a bullet tore through his. brain, and he fell to the earth a corpse—shot dead by Dashing Dolores. A moment more and Bowlder Bill sprung upon the scene, at the head of nearly the entire posse of citizens. Dolores had noticed that Bill had taken a fancy to the youth from Denver, and had seemed disposed to stand as his friend while in the bar-room, and she now saw that Bill was pale as death, and was also greatly excited. At once the thought occurred to her, as she revealed the name of the man she had killed, that perhaps Diamond Dick had been shot. No sooner did this suspicion enter her mind, than she darted through the cedars to the street, utter- ing a cry like that of a wounded animal, and sunk to her knees in the dust, taking the head of the stranger youth upon her lap, while the tears from founts which had long n dried up by her own anguish of soul, fell freely, relieving for the time her weary, overtaxed CHAPTER IX. “A LODGE IN SOME VAST WILDERNESS.” ‘“TaKE that stiff, boys, and plant it. I reckon we can carry out Diamond Dick’s plan with a better prospect of success, if Pueblo Pete don’t get a sight of his defunct pard, when he comes to his senses,” “‘Thet’s a solid, black-flint, bed-rock reason, sheriff,” said Bowlder Bill. ‘‘ Hyer, bud, let me h’ist yer up till yer kin cut ther lariat offen ther limb. Ther cuss better not see hit when he opens his i od rh ‘‘Dashing Dolores has lost her wits again,” asserted Square Sim. ‘‘ She hain’t had a spell for some time. Shouldn’t wonder if that stranger was the man she’s in hunt of.” ‘*’m a-bettin’ she’s found ther very cuss she’s bin layin’ for. Thet air, she got a squint at him. TI wouldn’t be in his boote fet a peck o’ nuggets.” hus spoke Bowlder Bill, as he laid Pete back on the ground, a parently dead, and joined Square Sim and Big Medicine, who were exam- ining Diamond Dick. A number of the citizens were at the same time carrying the corpse of _—- -— lcs From her position she could look directly into | the face of the stranger as he walked up by the | rrr SS cc — Cache Charley to the rear of the shanties for burial. ‘Air ther lively, high-kickin’ sport from a ia *bout ter glide over ther range?” asked ill. ‘** No,” said the sheriff; ‘‘ he’s not of the kind that go off so easy. His brain has got a jar, though. How is he, chief?” ** Big Medicine take Diamond Dick to lodge,” replied the Indian. ‘‘ Make well before sun come.” ‘*Wa’al,” said Bill, ‘reckon yer kin take bet- ter keer o’ him than any of us. He’s a cool cuss, clean from Alfer ter Omeger, dang’d ef he ain’t! He’s chuck full o’ chain-lightnin’ when he’s at hisself, but he ain’t got no more vim now nor a slice o’ hot bacon, Hit’s a dang’d good thing he-did wilt, I reckon, fer he’d ’a’ broke his hoss’s “neck er his own, a-skootin’ through ther guilies arter thet Reckless Rube, es Dolores calls him. Reckon ther cuss won’t come a-root- in’ round this burg ag’in.” **T hope the boys will catch him,” said Sim; *‘only Pete must not see him if they do.” ‘*Thet Dolores air a reg’lar panther-cat, an’ ef she gits nigh enough ter thet Rube she’ll drap him, er wing him. She’s a plum center shooter when she ain’t r’iled up.” **T hope the outlaw won’t kill ber,” was Sim’s reply. ‘By ther t’arin’ terrantaler o’ Taos, sheriff, ef ther ornary whelp kinks a ha’r o’ her head I won’t chaw bacon ontil ve bored a dozen side- shafts through his *natermy.” . ‘The whole burg would take the trail if it came to that,” said the sheriff. ‘‘She’s a lady, say what they will.” ‘She’s a daisy!” exclaimed Bowlder Bill. ** She’s ther neatest piece o’ beaded buckskin I ever froze my peepers onter— Say, what ails a Big Medicine? Can’t yer tote Dick? Waal, ‘ll jine yer. Sheriff, you kinder run things hyer-a-ways till I shows up ag’in.” ‘* All right, Bill. You assist the chief. Vil ’tend to Pete.” The two then lifted Diamond Dick and bore him beyond the line of shanties up to the base of the range, where, some fifty yards from the cabin of Dolores, they entered a narrow passage between two huge rocks, and soon emerged into a clear grassy space, on the far side of which stood a large buffalo-skin lodge, or wigwam, a cone-shaped, tent-like dwelling. Laying Dick npon the sward, the Kioway sprung into his lodge, returning with a soft, dressed robe; this he spread on the grass, and Bill assisted him to lay the young man carefully upon it. ‘“*Thar,” said the borderer, with a sigh of re- lief, ‘‘ Dick air hunky dory fer awhile; but I reckon he’ll be b’ilin’ over with be ole ’zasperate when he ‘roves back ter reg’lar thinkin’, and finds out he’s slipped a deal in this lively little ame. Yer reckon he’ll be on ther whiz, Big ed’, fore sun-up? Waal, ll levant back an’ sling soft-sawder an’ cotton at Pueblo Pete. Ef we-’uns git on ther trail o’ ther Wild Cats, we’ll make fur fly. Thar’ll be a show fer yer ter sling in a few war-whoops, ef yer feels inclined thet-a-ways, ’sides t’arin’ ha’r sum consid’able. Take keer o’ Dick. So long!” | As Bowlder Bill brought his remarks to a close he gy so felt of Dick’s pulse, tore offa huge quid from a plug of nigger-head, and strode away through the rocky passage on bis returo to the burg. Big Medicine paid no attention whatever to the words of Bowlder Bill, his solicitude in re- gard to his patient banishing his interest for the time being in aught else. Procuring some ice cold water from a tiny streamlet that flowed down the mountain side at one corner of his rock-inclosed retreat, the Indian bathed the head of the youth and washed away the blood from his face ard hair. He bounded up the side of the cliff and soon return- ed with a bunch of roots and green leaves, which he pounded until they were reduced to a pulp. This he pressed upon the wound, and secured in place by a band of soft buckskin, The Kioway then placed in position a minia- ture lodge constructed from buffalo skins that had been scraped and bleached nearly as white as canvas. It was about four feet in hight, and without “ opening at its top, as is usually the case, here was a square entrance on one side of the little lodge, a piece of skin being sewed closely at the top, while strings were secured along the sides of this flap piece and close to the others that were attached fo the main wigwam. Big Medicine then built a huge fire near at hand, and then selected from a pile of stones near him, and which had evidently been brought from the bed of some stream, a dozen choice ones, which he placed around the edge of the burning mesquite—a wood that throws out a most intense heat. He then glanced at Dick, who was still in a comatose state, and then disap- peared for a few moments, returning with an armful of herbs, which threw out a pungent per- fume. These he threw down, and then spread- ing a robe inside the little lodge, he grasped ck by the shoulders and dragged him inside the miniature tepee, placing him in a sitting posture against the center-pole, and binding 00} com (E “Ss 2 €o A > me oe st es i