Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 20 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

| ee a a asa: we aoe, > ——— a ir = rs s 7 -_ * ‘ > SSS LS - . a é ma * a + ~~ a rn ings we shall have to make, we should reach it inan hour; but we shall not arrive till the last song of the maukawis.”’ ‘“*Good; you and Don Pablo will go on ahead with the squatter’s daughter.” ‘‘ Do you fear any thing ?”’ Don Pablo ask- ed. ‘‘Nothing; but I wish tospeak a few min- utes with the Spanish girl.”’ ‘All right.” The two men pushed on with the maiden, and Vulentine took his place on the right of the Gazelle, who was riding thoughtfully without paying any attention to her horse, The revelations made by Curumilla had the more struck Valentine, because he did notat all comprehend the Gazelle’s hatred of Ellen. Every feeling must have its rea- son, every hatred a cause; and both these escaped him. In yain did he seek in his memory a fact which might account for, if not excuse, the strange conduct of White Gazelle ; hefound nothing that would put him on the right track. _ He recalled to mind that he had seen the git several times in the vicinity of Don iguel Zarate’s hacienda, at the Paso del ‘Norte; he also remembered that Don Pablo had done her a slight service, when she eraved his help, but her relations with the haciendero’s son had terminated there. He believed it certain that, although Red Cedar’s daughter lived near the hacienda, the Gazelle had never seen her before they metat the Indian village, Still, as he knew Don Pablo’s love for Ellen, a love of which she young man had never spoken to him, but which he had long seen; as, too, the position was grave, and Ellen might at any moment fall into danger, which must be avoided at any cost, Valentine resolved to havea conversation with the Spanish girl, and try to read clearly what was in her heurt, were that possible. But if gentle means failed, he would show her no indulgence, orleta gentle and unoffending creature be exposed to the per- fidy of a cruel woman, whom no considera- tion seemed to arrestin her sinister plans, Valentine looked round. Ellen was about two hundred yards ahead, aAtween Kagle-wing and Don Pablo. bens gh reassured, he turned to the Spanish girl, who at this moment was talk- ing eagerly, and in a loud voice, with Pedro Sandoval. The girl blushed, and ceased epee ing. Valentine, not appearing to notice the confusion his presence caused the speakers bowed slightly to the Spaniard, and addreésse her ina calm voice: ‘*T beg your ,””’ he said, “if I in- terrupt a doubtle eresting conversation ; but I wish to havea few words with you.”’ The girl blushed still more deeply. Her black eye flashed fire under the long lash that vailed it, but she answered in a trem- bling voice, as she stopped her horse: , *L am ready to_listen to you, sir.”’ “Do not stop, I beg, sefiora,’’ Valentine said. “This worthy man, who doubtless shares all your secrets,” he added with an ironical smile, ‘‘can hear our conversation, which, indeed, will relate to him.” ‘Tn truth,’’, the girl answered in a firmer voice, as she lether horse proceed, “I have nothing hidden from this bey? man, as you do him the honor of calling him,” _" Very good, my lady,” the hunter con- tinued, with equal coldness, ‘Now, be yvood enengt not to take in ill part what I am about to say to you, and answer a ques- tion I shall take the liberty of asking you.”’ I presume you intend me to undergo an interrogation ?’ _“ That, isnot my intention, at least at this oment;, it will depend on you, madam, that we. do not, pass the limits of a friendly conversation.” ‘‘ Speak, sir. . If the question you ask me is one which a woman may answer, I will satisfy you.’’ , | “ “Be good enough to,tell me whether you found us cruel enemies last night ?”’ «Why this question ?”’ ‘Be so kind as toanswer it first.”’ ‘J can only speak in terms of praise of your conduct.” ‘‘T thank you. And how did Miss Ellen treat you ?”’ ** Admirably.”’ ‘‘Good. You are not ignorant, I think, that through your yesterday’s aggression, an aggression which may be regarded as attempted murder and robbery, since you _ aré not at war with the Indians, and, be- longing. to our race, should regard us as friends—you are not pei I say, that you have ro st yourself amenable to the prai- rie law,which says, ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’”’ * What do you wish to arrive at?’ ‘Pardon me. You are not ignorant, I assume, that, instead of treating you as I did, with the most perfect respect, I should haye been quite justified in passing a rape The. New York <Library. round, your neck, and hanging you, with your worthy friend, to the branches. of the first tree: and there are some magnificent specimens in these parts!”’ Sir!’ the girl exclaimed, as she drew herself up, and became livid with fury. ‘Pardon me,’’ Valentine continued, im- pressively, ‘‘I am alluding here to an in- contestable right, which you can not deny; do not get in a passion, but answer me Ca- tegorically, yes, orno.”’ ‘ Well, sir, yes; you had that right, and oe still. have it. What. checks you? hy do you not use it?’ she added, as she gave him a defiant look. ‘* Because it does not suit me to do so at this moment,” Valentine said, coldly and dryly. These stern words suddenly checked the passion that was boiling in the girl’s heart; she let her ee fall, and replied ; ‘‘Ts that all you have to say to me?”’ ** No, it is not all; and I have a final ques- tion to ask you.”’ ‘*Speak, sir, as 1am condemned to listen to you,”’ ‘‘T will not occupy much of your time.,’’ ‘* Oh, sir,’’ she answered, ironically; ‘‘ my time can not be employed better than in conversing With so polished a gentleman as yourself.”’ ‘‘] thank you for the good opinion you are kind enough to have of a poor hunter like myself,’’ he replied, with a tinge of sar- casm; ‘‘andI now reach the second question I wished to ask you.”’ ‘*In truth, it seems, sir, that you have classified in your head the questions that compose my examination: for, in spite of what you did me the honor of telling me, I persist in seeing only an examination in what it pleases you to call our conversa- tion.’’ ‘“‘As you please, madam,’’ Valentine re- plied, with imperturbable coolness. ‘‘ Will ou explain to me how it is, that, after aving been treated, according to your own statement, by us so kindly, you laid aside all ratitude and feelings of honor last night o join two Villains in a plot for carrying off a girk to whom you owe your life, and hand- ing her over as a slave to the most ferocious Indians on the prairies—the Sioux?” —_—_——s CHAPTER XXIX, THE AMBUSCADE, IF the lightning had struck the ground at the Spanish girl’s feet, it would not have caused her greater terror than this revela- tion, made in a clear, dry, and unmoyed voice. ) Her features were contracted—the blood mounted to her head—she tottered on her horse, and would have fallen off, had not Valentine held her. But overcoming by the strength of her will the terrible emotion that troubled her, she repulsed the young man, saying in a firm voice, and with an im- placable accent : ‘* You are well informed, sir; such 1s my intention.”’ : Valentine felt momentarily stupefied. he regarded this woman, who had hardly emerged from childhood, whose lovely fea- tures, distorted by the passions that agita- ted them, had become almost hideous; he recalled, as in a dream, another woman near- _ ly as cruel whem he had once known. An indescribable feeling of sorrow pervaded his heart at the terrible reminiscence thus sud- denly evoked. So much perfidity seemed to him to go beyond the limits of human wick- edness; and for an instant he almost fancied himself in the presence of a fiend. “And you dare confess it to me?” he at length said, with badly concealed ter- ror. ‘“*“And why not? What can you do to mé? Kill mé! A glorious revenge for a brave man! And, besides, what do I care for life? Who knows ?—perhaps, without wishing it, and fancying you are punishing: mé,' you would do me an uncommon service by killing me.” “** Kill you? nonsense,” the hunter said with a smile of contempt. ‘Creatures of your kind are not killed. In the first flush of passion we crush them under our boot~ heel, like venomous reptiles; but, on reflec- tion, we prefer plucking out their teeth. That is what I have done, viper; now bite if you dare !” fearful rage took possession of the Spanish girl; she raised her whip, and with amovement more rapid than thought struck Valentine across the face, merely hissing the word : mt ** Coward !” bed ‘ | At this insult the hunter lost his coolness, He drew a pistol and fired it point-blank at this woman, who sat before him motionless and smiling. But she had not lost one of. the Frenchman’s movements. She made — ee Ire ee her horse leap on one side, and the bullet whistled inoffensively past her ear, At the sound of the firing, the hunters felt alarmed, and they galloped up to the spot, to inquire what had occurred. _ The shot had been searce fired ere Pedro Sandoval, who had hitherto listened with apparent indifference to the conversation, dashed at Valentine, brandishing a long knife which he had managed to conceal. The hunter, who had regained his presence of mind, awaited him firmly; and as the Pirate came up to him, he stopped him short with a bullet through his body, The yillain rolled on the ground with a yell of disappointed rage. The Spanish girl looked around her dis- dainfully, made her horse bound, and started at an incredible pace amidst the bullets that whizzed round her. from all sides, crying in a hoarse voice : ‘‘We shall meet again, soon, Valentine. Till then, farewell.’’ The hunter would not allow her to be pursued, and she soon disappeared in the tall grass. ‘*Oh, oh, this seamp seems fo me very ill,”’ the General said, after dismounting. ‘‘ What the deuce shall we do with him ?”’ ‘Hang him !’’ Valentine observed, dryly. ‘‘Well,”’ the General continued, ‘‘ that is not such a bad idea. In that way, we shall et rid of one of the villains, and, on reflec- ion, that will prevent. him feeling the pain of his wound.” ‘*‘ Let us finish with him,’’ Don Miguel in- terrupted. ‘What a hurry you are in, my friend,” the General answered... ‘‘ Hum! Lam cer- tain he is not in such haste—are you, my good fellow ?”’ “Come,” Valentine said, with a mocking expression, which broke out at intervals; ‘‘our friend is inluck. He has fallen at the feot of a splendid tree, which will form an observatory. whence he can admire the land- scape at his ease. Curumilla, my worthy fellow, climb up the tree, and bend down that branch as much as you can.”’ Curumilla, according to his laudable habit, executed immediately the order given him, though without uttering a word, “* Now, my good fellow,’’ the hunter con- tinued, addressing the wounded man, “if you are not a thorough Pagan, and can re- collect any prayer, I should recommend you to repeat it, for it will do you more good than ever it. did.”’ ¥ ses And, raising Sandoval in his arms, who maintained a gloomy silence, he passed the cord round his neck. ‘‘One moment,’’ Curumilla remarked, as he seized with his left hand the bandit’s thick hair. - | ‘That is true,’’ said the hunter.‘ It is your right, chief, so make use of it,”, The Indian did not wait for this to be re- peat In a second he had scalped the paniard, who looked at him with flashing eyes, and coldly placed it in his girdle. | Valentine turned away his head in disgust at this hideous sight, but the Spaniard did not give vent to a groan. _ As soon as he had placed the running noose round the bandit’s neck, Valentine threw the cord to Curumilla, who attached it firmly to the branch, and came down again. ‘‘Now that justice is done, lét us go,’’ said Valentine. The witnesses of the execution remounted. The branch which had been held down flew back, bearing with it the body of the Pirate. oA Pedro Sandoval remained alone, quivering in the last convulsions of death. So soon as Valentine and his comrades were oat of sight, several Apaches, at the head of whom were Red Cedar and the White Gazelle, started out of a thicket. An lndian climbed up the tree, cut the rope, and the body of the Spaniard was gently laid on the ground. He did not give a sign of existence, The girl and Red Cedar hastened to give him help, in‘order to recall life, were it pos sible, to, this poor and fearfully mutilated body; but all their efforts seemed futile, Pedro Sandoval remained cold and inert in the arms of his friends, In vain had they remoyed the slip-knot which pressed his :roat-—his swollen. and blue veins would, not diminish in size, or his blood circulate. _ All seemed over, As a Jast chance, an Apache took a skinful . of water, and poured it on the head of the Spaniard, At the contact of this cold shower his whole body trembled, a deep sigh burst with an effort from his oppressed chest, an the dying man painfully opened his eyes, fix- asad and languishing glance on those wh in 0 surrounded him, ‘“ Heaven be praised!” said the girl; ‘he is not dead,”’ : The bandit looked at the girl with that ewe and wandering stare which is the in- allible sign of speedy death ; asmile played ee ie een - 4," ~ 4 + + et putt PO Xe GATE x