Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 20 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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4 denial, ‘‘ the worthy principles you enuncl- ate, are but very slightly put in practice: but I ought not at this moment to complain of them being neglected, as it is to your generous intervention that I owe my being among the living.”’ The listeners bowed, and the stranger went on: ‘** Be kind corks 4 to tell me who youare gentlemen, that I may retain in my hea names which will ever be dear to me.”’ Valentine fixed on the man who thus spoke a piercing glance, that seemed to be trying to read his most secret thoughts. he stranger smiled sadly. ‘‘ Pardon,” he then said, ‘‘ any apparent bit- terness in my words: I have suffered much, and, in spite of myself, plenty thoughts often rise from my heart to my lips.’’ ‘¢ Man is sent on the earth to suffer,’ Val- entine gravely replied. ‘‘Each of us has his cross to bear here; Don Miguel de Za- rate, his son and General Ibanez, are a proof of my assertion.” At the name of Don Miguel de Zarate, a vivid blush purpled the stranger’s cheeks, and his eye flashed, despite all his cfforts to remain unmoved. ' ‘*« [have often heard of Don Miguel de Za- rate,’’ he said with a bow. ‘‘I have been in- formed of the dangers he has incurred— dangers from which he only escaped by the aid of a man— an honest hunter.’ “ That hunter is before you,’ Don Miguel said. ‘‘ Alas! we have other and greater dangers still to incur.” The stranger looked at*him attentively for gn instant—then stepped forward, and cross- ed his arms on his chest. ‘*Listen!’’ he said, in a deepvoice. ‘It was truly Heaven that inspired you to come to my belp—for from this niomentI devote myself, body and soul, to a service; and I poleng. fo you as the haft to the blade. I know the reason that compelled you to break up all old habits to visit the frightful solitudes of the Far West.”’ ‘‘ You know it?’ the hunter exclaimed in surprise. - Taye thing,’’ the stranger firmly answer- ed. “I know the treachery which cast yeu into the power of your enemies. I know, too,that your daughter has been carried off by Red Cedar.”’ “Who are you, then, to be so well in- formed ?’”’? Valentine asked. A sad smile played fora second round the stranger’s lips. ‘““ Who amlI?’’ he said in a melancholy voice. ‘‘ What matters, since I wish to serve you ?”’ ‘Still, as we answered your questions, we have aright to expect the same from you.”’ “That i» just,” the stranger said, ‘‘ and ou shall be satisfied. I am the man with the undred names: in Mexico Iam called Don Luis Arroyal; in the northern provinces of Mexico, where I have long rendered myself popular by foolish squandering, Don Melchi- or—on the coasts of the United States, and in the Gulf of Mexico, where I sometimes command a cutter, and chase the slavers, I am called the Unknown—among the red- men, the Son of Blood—but my real name, and the one men give me who know the lit- tle about me I think proper to tell them—it is la Venganza he. Sprains Are you satis- fied now, gentlemen ?”’ No one replied. The hunters had all heard of this extra- ordinary man, about whom the strangest rumors were rife in Mexico, the States, and even on the prairie. By the side of heroic deeds, and acts of kindness deserving all praise, he was brand- ed with crimes of unheard-of cruelty and unexampled ferocity. He inspired a mysterious terror in the whites and red-skins, who equally feared to come in contact with him, though no proof had ever yet been brought forward of the contradictory stories told about him. Valentine and his comrades had frequent- ly heard talk of Bloodson; but this was the rst time they had found themselves face to face with him; and, in spite of themselves they were surprised to see so noble an handsome a man. Valentine was the first to regain his cool- ness, . “Fora long time,” he said, ‘‘ your name has been familiar tome, I was anxious to know you. The aig: Aes offers, and I am pleased with it, as I shall be at length able to judge you, which was hitherto im- possible, through the exagecraees stories told about you. Yousay that you can be useful to us in the enterprise we are medita- ting, and we accept your offer as he you make it. On an expedition like this, the help of a brave man must not be de- spised—the more so, as the man we wish to orce in his lair is dangerous.”’ ‘“‘ More than you imagine,” the stranger interrupted him, in a gloomy voice. “I have been struggling with Red Cedar for The New York Library. twenty years, and have not yet managed to crush him. Ah! he is a rough adversary! I know it, for I am his most implacable ene- my, and have in vain tried all the means at my command to take an exemplary yenge- ance on him’ While uttering these words, the strangcr’s face had assumeda livid tint; his features were contracted, and he seemed to be suffer- ing, from an extraordinary emotion. alentine looked at him for an instant re a mingled feeling of pity and sympa- The hunter, who had suffered so much knew, like all wounded souls, how to feel for the grief of men who, like himself, bore their adversity worthily. ‘‘ We will help you,’’ hesail, as he cordi- ally offered him his hand. ‘‘ Instead of five, we shall be six, to fight him.” The stranger’s eye flashed forth a strange gleam. He squeezed the offered hand, and answered in a dull voice, but with an ex- pression impossible to render: ‘* We shall be fifty; for I have comrades in the desert.”’ Valentine bent a joyous glance on his companions at this news, which announced to him a valuable support, that he was far from ao eeaie aa ** But fifty men are not sufficient to con- tend against this demon, who is associated with the Pirates of the Prairies, and allied with the most dangerous Indians.”’ *“‘Do not trouble yourself about that,” Valentine observed. ‘‘ We will also ally ourselves with Indian tribes. But I swear to you that I shall not quit the prairie till I have seen the lastdrop of that villain’s blood run out.”’ ‘*“May hevven hear you!’ the stranger muttered. ‘‘If my horse were not so tired, I would ask you to follow me; for we have not a moment to lose if we wish to force the wild beast. Unfortunately, we are com- pelled to wait some hours.” Curumilla stepped forward. *“‘ Here is a horse for my pale brother,’’ he said, as he pointed to the animal he had lassoed a few minates previously. The stranger uttered a cry of joy. “To horse!’’ he loudly exclaimed, ‘to horse !”’ ‘* Where are you taking us?” Valentine asked. ‘*To join my comrades in the hiding-place I have selected for them. Then we will arrange the means we must employ to de- stroy our common enemy.” **Good,”’ Valentine remarked, ‘‘ that is excellent reasoning. Are we far from the place?” | ‘‘No, twenty to twenty-five miles at the most; we shall be there by sunset.’’ “ We will start then,’’ Valentine added. The gentlemen leaped into their saddlcs and started at a gallop in the direction o the mountains. A few minutes later, the spot had returned to its usual calmness and silence. Nothin was left to prove that man had passed tha way, save a few mutilated corpses over which the vultures were beginning to circle with hoarse croaking before they settled upon them, CHAPTER IY. RED CEDAR AT BAY. Tue six men rode one after the other, following one of those inexplicable tracks made by the wild beasts, which cross the desert in eyery direction. Bloodson served as guide to the little par- ty, followed immediately by Curumilla. The Indian chief, with the genius peculiar to his race, advanced silently as usual, but cast- ing right and left peering glances, which nothing escaped, and which render the red- skins peculiar beings. All at once Curumilla dismounted, and bent over the ground, cp | an exclama- tion of surprise. Valentine hurried up to inquire what had happened. ‘What's the matter with you, chief?’ he asked, as soon as he came up with him. ‘My brother can look,’’ Curumilla said, ie alentine dismounted and stooped to the ground. The Indian showed him a half-effaced foot- step, which still bore, however, the shape of a horse-shoe. The hunter looked at it for some time with the utmost attention, then began walking cautiously in the direction the hoof-marks seemed to go. Others soon presented them- selves to him. His comrades had stopped, and silently awaited his explanation. “Well? Don Miguel at length said. “There is no doubt possible,”’ Valentine answered, as it speaking to himself, ‘' Red Cedar has passed along here.” ‘“‘ What,” the General observed, “‘ do you believe it?” “Tam sure of it. The chief has just shown me the perfectly-formed mark of his horse’s hoof.”’ ‘‘But,’”? Don Miguel objected, “ta horse- shoe is a very slight sign; all are alike.” “Yes, as one tree resembles the other,” Valentine answered, quickly. ‘‘ Listen: the chief has observed that the squatter, I know not by what accident, is mounted on a horse shod on all four feet, while the men compo- sing his band have theirs only shod on the front feet; in addition, this horse in steppin throws back its feet, which causes the mar to be indistinct.”’ ‘‘In truth,’ Bloodson remarked, “ the observation is correct, and only an [ndian could make it; but Red Cedar is at the head of a numerous party, which can not have assed along this way, or we should notice he trail.” ‘‘That is true,”’ the General said; *‘ what do you conclude from that ?”’ ** A very simple thing; it is probable that Red Cedar has, for reasons unknown to us, left his men encamped some miles from here, and has ridden this way alone.”’ ‘‘T have it,’’ Bloodson said; ‘‘ not far from the spot where we now are, there is a nest of pirates, and Red Cedar has probabfy gone to ask their assistance in case of need.’ “That's it,’”? Valentine added; “ the track is quite fresh, so our man can not be far from us.”’ | ‘We must pursue him,’ Don Pablo quick- ly said, who had, till this moment, main- tained a gloomy silence. ‘“What do you say, gentlemen?” Valen- tine asked, turning to the rest. ‘Pursue him,’ they answered unani- mously, Then, without further deliberation, they a following the trail, under the guidance of Valentine and Curumilla, What the hunter stated had really hap- pened. Red Cedar, when he entered the desert, after installing his band jin a strong position, remounted his horse and set out, warning all his comrades that he should return in four days at the most, and leaving them tem- porarily under the orders of his confederate the monk, Fray Ambrosio, Red Cedar did not fancy himself so close- ly pursued by Valentine, and hence had taken few precautions to conceal his track. As he |p tap aa alone, in spite of the trail found by Curumilla, he would doubt- less have escaped pursuit, had net a dog fol- lowed him without his knowledge. The track left by that*animal served as a guide to the pursuers at the moment when they had completely lost his trail. Valentine and Curumilla had dismounted, and were advancing slowly and examining the sand and soil over which they passed. ‘‘ Take care,’’ the Trail-Hunter said to his comrades, who followed him step by step; “do not come on so quickly ; when pickin upa trail you must mind where you pu our foot down, and not look on both sides. tay,’ he added, suddenly stooping and stopping Don Pablo; ““here are traces you were about toefface. Let us have a look at this: they are the marks of the horse-shoe we have lost forsome time. Red Cedar’s horse has a peculiar way of putting down its feet,-which I guarantee to recognize at the first glance. Hum, hum,” hecontinued, “now I k..ow where to find him.” ‘You are sure of it?’ Don Miguel inter- rupted. ‘Itis not difficult, as you shall see.” “ Forward, forward!’ Don Pablo shouted. “Be good enough to remember that on the prairies you must never raise your voice,” the hunter observed. ‘The branches have eyes and the leaves ears here. Now, to re- mount and cross the river.”’ The six men, combined ina compact body, in order to afford a greater resistance to the current, which was very powerful at this spot, forced their horses into the Gila. The passage was executed without any mis- hap, andthe horses soon landed on the es - ev yr bart ‘* Now alentine sai open your eyes, for the hunt begins here.’ aed ” Don Pablo and the General remained on _the bank to guard the horses, and the re- mainder of the party set out. Valentine had recommended his compan- ions to concentrate their researches on @ space of one hundred yards at most, in a semicircle, so as to reach an almost impene- truble thicket, situated at the foot of the hill by the river-side. Each man advanced che with his gun thrust forward, loons Se 1 sides at once, and not leaving a bush, a pebble, or a blade of grass unexamined. Suddenly Cu- rumilla imitated the ery of the jay, the sig- nal for assembling in the event of any im- ortant discovery. one 7 All rushed coward the spot whence the signal came; inthe middle 0 the lofty Tawen the ground was trampled and the lower branches brokem — | JOO co MiG : g at ee eo] Na = RS .Conr