Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 20 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

~ “ a a Eee Rn ca. wh, f 7” = -, _ 0S ae Se Oca Be oQ? eee ee AD ey Riese on lip ft) The latter resumed his place by the coun- cil-fire ; and, addressing the other sachem, said : ‘* Here are the white hunters.”’ “Very good,’’ an old warrior answered, ‘Jet them speak, we hear.”’ Red Cedar advanced, and, leaning on his rifle, he took the word, at a sign from Black Cat ‘* My red brothers,”’ he said, in a clear and marked voice, ‘‘are all as wearied as our- selves by the continual attacks of that co- yote who belongs to no nation, or no color, and who is called the Son of Blood. If they willallow themselves to be guided by the experience of a man who bas, for many years, been thoroughly acquainted with the tricks and villainy of which that man is capa- ble, before long, in spite of the imposing force he has at his command, they will have driven him disgracefully from the prairies, and compelled him to recross the frontier, abandoning forever the rich hunting-grounds over which he pretends to reign as a mas- ter. ‘* We await till our brother has explained himself more clearly, with frankness, and without equivocation,”’ Black Cat interrupt- ed him. “That is whatI am about to do,’ the squatter went on. ‘‘ The prisoners you made were precious to you, because there was a white woman among them. You allowed them to escape, and must capture them again. They will be important hostages to you,” ** My brother does not tell us where these prisoners have sought shelter.” Red Cedar shrugyed his shoulders. “‘That is, however, very easy to know. The prisoners had only one spot where they could obtain refuge, before reaching the fron- ‘** And that is ?’”’? Black Cat asked. “The great summer village of the Coman- ches of the mountains, the most faithful al- lies of Bloodson, the sons of Unicorn, that nation which has renounced the faith of its fathers, to become completely dependent on the whites, and to whom you ought to send petticoats. Hence you need not seek your prisoners elsewhere, for they are there.”’ The Indians, strack by the correctness of this reasoning, gave unequivocal marks of approval, and prepared to listen with greater interest to what the hunter had tv say to them. ‘““My brother must, therefore, do two things,”’ the squatter continued; ‘first, sur- prise the Comanches’ village, and, secondly, march inmediately against Bloodson.”’ ‘*Good,”’ Stanapat said, ‘‘my brother is a wise man; his advice is good; but the Teo- cali inhabited by Bloodson is well defended. In what way will my brother set about seiz- ing it?’ *“My brother will listen,” Red Cedar con- tinued. ‘‘] have ten boldhunters with me; but I have left eighty, all armed with. good rifles, on an island of the Endless River where they areencamped, which are await ing myreturn. The detachment intended to attack the Teodcali will invest it on all sides, though the warriors will not let them- selves be seen; during that time I will ac- company black Cat and his tribe to the Co- manche village. As soon as the prisoners have fallen into our hands, I will go and fetch my young men from the island where I left them, and return with them and Black Cat to help my brother in seizing the Teocali, which can not resist us.’’ This promise, made in a loud and firm voice, produced all the effect the squatter expected. The indians, dreaming of the immense pillage they could indulge in, and the in- calculable wealth collected at the spot, had only one desire: to seize the Teocali as soon as possible. Still, through the Indian stoi- cism, none of the passions boiling in their veins were displayed in their faces, and it was ina cold andcalm voice that Black Cat thanked Red Cedar and told him he could withdraw while the chiefs deliberated on what he had brought before them. é The squatter bowed and left the council, followed by his companions. “*Well,”’ the Gazelle asked him, ‘ what do you fancy the red-skins will do?’ *““Do uot be uneasy,” the squatter an- swered, with a-most meaning smile; ‘‘I know the Indians; the plan I have submit- ted to them is too simple, and offers too many advantages for them to decline it; I can assure you beforehand that they will follow it exactly.” ‘*Ts it far from here to the Comanche vil lage ?”” ‘* No,” the other said, emphatically; ‘by pics at once we should reach it this eve- ning. he girl gave vent to a sigh of satisfaction, and a vivid blush suffused her charming face. Red Cedar, who was watching her aside, could not refrain from muttering to himself: Oc. PP "te... ee The Bandit ; at Bay. “‘I must have the solution of the enigma ere long.’’ They returned to the tent. Ia the council of the chiefs all happened as Red Cedar had foreseen: after a short de- liberation, referring more to the mode of execution than to the plan itself, it was adopted unanimously. An hour later, all was movement in the camp; the warriors rose to join the detac)- ments and form squadrons; there was an indescribable confusion. At length, calm was gradually restored, the two war-parties started in the directioas proposed by Red Cedar, and soon, of the crowd of warriors who had been yelling and dancing in the camp, only thirty remained to receive the warriors as they arrived. Black Cat placed himself at the head of his band, followed by the Pirates. The Apaches started for the Comanche Village, in Jndian file, at their peculiar pace, which a trotting horse finds difficulty in keeping up with. ‘The greatest silence and caution prevailed in the ranks, and it seemed as if the Apaches did not wish to be heard eyen by the birds. With extraordinary dexterity, of which the Indians alone are capable, each marched in the other’s footsteps so exactly that it looked as if only one person had gone along the path, carrying their care to such an ex- tent as to stoop for fear of grazing the branches, and avoiding any contact with the shrubs. They marched as far as was possible on broken earth or rocks, that their traces might be less visible, making detours after detours, and returning a dozen times to the same spot, for the purpose of so thoroughly confusing their trail that it would be impos- sible to discover it. When they reached the bank of a stream, instead of crossing it at right-angles, they followed or went up it for a considerable distance, not landing again till the soil was hard enough to take the marks of their foot- steps. They did all this with exemplary patience, without checking their speed, and still ad- vancing to the object they had chosen. They found themselves at about half-past six in the evening at the top of a hill, whence the summer village of the Comanches could be perceived scarce two miles dis- tant. The sound of the songs and chickikouis reached the Apaches at intervals, thus telling them that their enemies were rejoicing ad celebrating some ceremony without any sus- picion of a sudden attack, The Indians halted and consulted as to their final measures. The Comanches have two sorts of villages, summer and winter. The latter are built with care, and some regularity. Their houses are of two stories, well arranged, light, and even elegant. But the Comanches are birds of prey, continually exposed to in- vasions, and menacing others with them: hence they construct their villages on the point of rocks, exactly like eagles’ nests, and seek all means to render them impreg- -nable. The most curious village we have seen is formed by two lofty pyramids, standing on either side of a ravine, and connected by a bridge some distance up. ‘hese pyramids are about four hundred and twenty-five feet long by one hundred and forty-eight wide; as they rise this width diminishes, and the total hight is about eighty-six feet. These two villages, divided into eight floors, contain five hundred inhabitants, who are enabled to defend themselves against aswarm of enemies from these extraordinary fortresses. In the Comanche winter-villages the door is not on the ground-floor, as in civilized countries..The Comanche, when he wishes to enter his house, places a ladder against the side, mounts on the roof, and thence de- scends by a trap to the lower floors. When the ladder is once drawn up, it is impossible to enter the house, he summer villages are only constructed for habitation in tine weather, or peace times, to facilitate getting in the crops and the chase ; so soon as the first frost arrives, orasound of war is heard, they are imme- diately deserted. All the summer villages are alike; the one to which we allude here was surrounded by palisades and a wide ditch, but the fortifiea- tions, which had not been kept up, were in a complete state of dilapidation; the ditch was filled up at several spots, and the pali- sades, torn down by the squaws to light fires, offered, at many places, a conyenient passage for assailants. The Apaches wished to descend into the plain, unnoticed by the inhabitants, which would have been difficult; but the Indians, Whose wars are Only one succession of sur- prises and ambushes, know how to surmount such difficulties. It was arranged that the band, divided into three detachments, the first commanded by Black Cat, the second by another chief and the third by Red Cedar, should craw down the hillside, while the few men left to guard the horses would come up when the Village was. invaded. This settled, Black Cat had torches pre- pared. When all was ready, the three detach- ments lay down on the ground, and the de. scent of the hill began. Assuredly, a man standing sentry in the place could not have suspected that more than five hundred warriors were marching on the village, crawling in the lofty grass like serpents, not even making the branches or leaves under which they crept oscillate, and keeping such order in their march that they always formed front. he descent had lasted more than an hour, and as soon as the plain was reached the greatest difficulty was surmounted; for owing to the hight of the plants and bushes, it was almost impossible for them to be perceived. At length, gaining ground inch by inch, after surmounting enormous obstacles and difficulties, they reached the palisade. The first to arrive was Black Cat, who imitated the barking of the coyote. ‘Pwo similarsignals answered him, uttered by the chiefs of the other detachments, who had also arrived. Black Cat, now confident of being vigior- ously supported by his friends, seized his war-whistie, and produced from it a shrill and piercing sound. All the Indians rose as one man, and bounding like tigers, rushed on the village, uttering their formidable war-cry. They entered the village by three sides simulta- neously, driving before them the terrified population ; who, taken unawares, fled in every direction, howling with terror. Some of the Apaches, as soon as they got in, lit their torches, and threw them on the straw roofs of the huts. They immediately caught, and the fire spreading around, served as the vanguard of the Apaclies, who excited it with every thing they could lay hands on. The unhappy Comanches, surprised in the middle of a ceremony, surrounded by a belt of fire, and attacked on all sides by their fe- rocious enemies, who were killing and scalp- ing women and children, suffered from the: most profound despair, and only offered a weak resistance to this fierce assault. In the meanwhile the fire spread further: The village became a burning furnace— the heated air was oppressive to breathe, and masses of sparks and of smoke, driven by the wind, blinded and burnt the eyes. The hunters on the roof of the hut de- fended themselves vigorously, not hoping to escape, but wishing, at least, to sell their lives dearly. They were already surrounded by the flames which met over their heads, and yet they did not dream of giving way. Still, when the first moment of terror had passed, a band of Comanche warriors had succeeded in uniting, and offered a most ob- stinate resistance to the Apaches. All at once, White Gazelle, with flashing eye, suffused face,clenched teeth, and blanch-. ed lips, rushed forward, followed by Red Ce- car and the Pirates. **Surrender!’’ she cried to Valentine. ““Coward!’’ the latter replied, who took her for a man; ‘* here is my answer!”? And he fired a pistol at thé girl. The bullet passed through Orson’s arm, who uttered a yell of pain, and rushed mad- ly into the melée. “Surrender! I say again,” the girl went on; “‘ you must sec that you will be killed.” “No! a hundred times no,” Valentine shouted. ‘I will notsurrender.” The Gazelle, by a prodigious effort, reach- ed the wall of the hut, and by the help of her hands and feet, succeeded in reachin the roof before her intention was daspecter With the energy and fierceness of a tigér she bounded on Dona Clara, seized her roun the waist, and put a pistol to her forehead. ““Now, wil you surrender?’ she sid, fu riously. “Take care, Nina; take care” Sandoval shouted, It was too late! : Curumilla had felled her with the bntt-end of his rifle. The Pirates rnshed to her aid, but Valen- tine and his friends repulsed them. A hor- rible hand-to-hand combat began over the body of the girl, who lay senseless on the ~ round. 5 Valentine took a serutinizing glance around him; with a movement swift as thought he caught up Dona Clara, apd, leap- ing from the hut, he fell into the milst of a detachment of Comanches, who wJeomed him with shouts of joy. Without joss of time the hunter laid the maiden, y/ho was half-dead with terror, on the ground and comicboo + i Rs ; _—=_