Beadle's Dime Library No. 204 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 form of the Waco chief appeared in. the trail by the side of the struggling horse. assuring her that they would soon reach a place that was quiet and peaceful, where man weak with dread and terror, the young girl stood there alone in the darkness of the thicket, — Wild Wolf, without a pause, raised his rifle to his shoulder, and the sharp report sounded on. the instant, quickly awakening a thousand ‘echoes of the night, and rolling along the na- tural archway to.tae ford, It was none too soon, The uplifted hand of the murderous Mestizo was shattered by the bullet of, the Waco, the ee ma knife flew through the air, and with a cry of | agony and terror the half breed rushed away from his prostrate foe and disappeared among the shadows. The Indian bounded forward, cut the lasso clear from the half.dead horse, and then, after reloading his rifle, began examining his white friend. Finding that Adler was not injured, except by having been brought into such sharp collision with the tree, which had bruised and stunned him, Wild Wolf deliberately seated himself upon some deadwood, ignited his pipe, and placidly puffed away as if nothing had oc- _ cured to interrupt the still, deen current of his thoughts. CHAPTER VIIL. DREAD SCENES OF NIGHT. BELLE BowEN bad passed from childhood to the age of nineteen without having known any great trouble, except the sudden departure of her brotber from his home. Had sbe known where Edward was, she would have written, urging him to return, as it had turned out that Frank Adler was but slightly injured in their encounter. As time went by, however, she began to reason that Edward was quite able to take care of himself, and she pictured him in her mind as a wealthy and honored member of society, and looked forward to the pleasure cf some day meeting him and being proud of him. Not remembering anything of her own father, and having been loved and cherished so devotedly by Colonel Bowen, she had as deep an affection for him as if he had been in reality her parent. That some great grief hung over _ him, she well knew; but when sbe had ques- _ Ames, that Colonel Bowen could scarce look him in the face without a shudder. the spirit of the man whom he had killed _dead man’s son. know of that murder in the Trinity bottom- = tbe pieza, and afterward saw, as they rode shot and then hung to the mesquite, the young tioned him in regard to it, he had always turned abruptly away. As to the demand of Frank Ames for ber hand in marriage, she knew nothing; although she had been perse- cuted beyond measure by bis unwelcome atten- tions, which were the most persistently urged when, as was often the case, the young man was intoxicated. Had Belle known that the man whom she called father had seen and heard all that had passed between her and Frank Ames at their last interview, and tbat it was this that caused him to remove at once from the Rio Trinity, she would have been not only puzzled but in- dignant that the colonel should allow himself to be driven from his home for so trivial a cause, and by so worthless a person. . But there was much that she did not know. For some time past Belle had noticed that her father was more morose and absent-minded than ever, and she would not have wondered at it bad she known of the demands made upon him by Frank Ames. No other man in the world could have spoken to the old colonel in such a manner, without being called to face the muzzle of a revolver; but the young man so much resembled his father, Captain Jack In fact seomed to haunt him day and night, and to gaze into his very soul from the eyes of the He felt that Frank must timber, and that he was at any time and place liable to accuse him of his father’s death, With this dread before bim, the colonel had hastened his departure for the wilds of Western Texas, Until their arrival in San Antonio, Belle had greatly enjoyed the journey; at times riding in the Dearborn and at others galloping like the wind upon a favorite pony over the prairies, in the advance of the wagons. When, how- ever, she had been insulted by the Mexican on along in the rear of the crowd, ber insulter girl began to realize something of the dangers by which she was surrouaded. The rough- garbed men of many nationalities greatly im- pressed her. She witnessed the shooting of Miguel Rios, and plainly saw the face of the man who shot bim. But to all her entreaties to her father to return, he turned a deat ear, Ce had not marred the handiwork of nature, and where she would enjoy life. to the full, among | unfeding flowers and the ceaseless song of birds. He failed, however, to instill any of the confidence that he felt into her mind. She had forebodings in spite of it, though she under- stood them not. But she felt that George SS Adler would follow and protect her, and she | began to bave a hope that.the scout WaHace would make it his business to come toward the Frio, and perbaps induce the colonel to settle nearer to San Antonio, When the wagons reached the Rio Medina, and were drawn through the clear rushing waters at the ford, just as the sun sunk in the west through the branches of the giant trees bedecked with flowering vines, and ten thou- sand hanging festoons of silvery Spanish moss, then Belle Bowen was in raptures, and even the old colonel smiled at her enthusiasm, pleased that his prophecy was already verified. Truly everything looked brighter already. ee g:diy and swaying with a deathlike faintness; sfe at last became aware of a singular mur- muring sound proceeding from a point but a little further down the river. The same fasci- nation which had led her to leave the camp, and which she could not for her life resist, caused her to steal toward the point wherce the peculiar noise came. She had gone but a short distance amid the bushes, when another sight of terror met her gaze. Was she becom ing insane? Could it be that sbe was only dreaming that such strange scenes were pre- sented to her view, or her mind's eye, she could not decide which? Belle Bowen had never seen an Indian; but there stood one, in full war-paint, bis eagle-featbers flaunting in the moonlight and his rifle grasped in his band. “* Merciful Heaven!” In a hoarse whisper of prayer and dread, these words burst from poor Belle’s lips; but, as the form and face of the Waco were photo- | grapbed on her brain, she little thought that ** Papa,” exclaimed Belle, as she ran into the | camp from a visit to the river, “it is really | delightful here. further away from San Antonio. There can be no danger here from Indians, and I am sure land must be as cheap here as on the Rio Frio.” “This land is all owned by those who will not sell,” said Colonel Bowen. ‘‘But wait until you see the Frio, my dear, and I doubt not you will be better pleased.” “But there is danger there, papa; and our lives are to be considered. We ought to think more of that.” “A fig for danger!” said the colonel, con- | temptuously. ‘‘Those Indian stories are only idle tales gotten up by the stock raisers, who wish to prevent any one from settling on their extensive free ranges; besides, we can erect a block-house that will be as strong as a fortress. Don’t worry me, Belle, with your groundless fears. I feel relieved to get away from the Trinity, and it is for your sake as much as my own.” Please, let us not go any | | ee | When darkness settled down upon the earth, | and all were asleep, Belle, who had made her- self a couch in the Dearborn, could not close | her eyes, for the events of the past day had greatly excited her. The hideous face of the Mexican, as he hung from the mesquite, was constantly before her, and she could not banish the scene from her mind. Besides this, the thoughts of George Adler, and also of Big Foot Wallace, that were flitting through her brain, | made her at last fancy that she saw the noted scout and her lover dancing gleefully with the Mexican who had been hung, and the one who | had fired the fatal shot. These pictures, conjured up by bhe occur- rences of the day, so impressed her, that she sprung to a sitting posture, and rubbed ber eyes, determining that she would not again try | to court sleep. As she looked out from the rear of the Dearborn toward the river, she was startled by the sight of a man crawling upon his hands and knees in the moonlight. To her disordered imagination he bore a striking re- semblance to the Mexican she had seen hang- ing from the mesquite; and, as he disappeared among the bushes, she was seized with an un- controllable desire to watch him—a terrible fascination which she could not resist, although she was conscious of the great danger of dis. covery. Speechless with a nameless dread, Belle Bowen glided toward the river, and to her horror discovered another human form, also upon hands and knees, approaching the first. Although she could not see his face, she knew by his movements that he was not aware of the presence of the first; and, not only this, but felt sure that he was some one whom she knew. But before she had time to collect her thoughts the two men were engaged in a death- struggle, in which they staggered and stumbled toward the river. Belle strove to cry out, but her tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of her mouth; and when, for an instant, an arrow of moonlight shot across, and revealed the face of the man she most loved, as the assassin’s knife glittered above his breast, and poth he and his antagonist fell with a sounding splash into the river, the maiden sunk senseless to the sward, without the strength to cry aloud. How iong she lay thus Belle knew not; but when she revived she regretted tbat she had not remained so; for to the borror of the past was added the almost certainty that her lover could not have escaped with life. | | _ matter. this paint-daubed savage would, in the time to come, save her from a worse fate than death. She only knew that he was an Indian; and with that knowledge was conjured up all the savage cruelty of his people of which she had read. With her eyes fixed upon the Waco for a moment, Belle at length became conscious tbat he was addressing some one, and glancing downward, she discovered anotber human form recumbent upon the earth. That this was a captive, bound and ready to be taken to torture, she felt sure: but she was soon unde- ceived, by seeing the mun arise and walk down tbe bank in company with the Indian. Looking upward next, she caught sight of a white face afar up among the branches, where the moon shone clear—a face that was turned toward the camp she had left, the one face to ber in the world— that of George Adler! She clutched the sapling by her side with both ber delicate hands, and strove again to cry out; but the name, George, died away in a gurgling whisper, and the next moment a huge black bear came waddling up the cattle trail, its red tongue lolling outward, and as it tossed its bead, displaying its horrible teeth, while it snuffed the air on either side. Back to the camp as if the fiends were in pursuit wernt Belle Bowen—back to where the old eolonel lay wrapped in his blanket and sleeping soundly—and there she fell by his side, insensible. Startled from his slumbers, Colonel Bowen sprung up, glanced at the prostrate form of his daughter, and swept the surrounding wood with a piercing gaze. There were no trees be- tween them and the water, nothing except clumps of bushes, and the ground beyond was clearly illuminated. As the colonel’s eyes roved around, he saw amid the branches on the north side of the river the painted face of an Indian; for, at this moment, Wild Wolf was peering downward to ascertain if the form of the Mestizo was in view, for he doubted very much if the latter had been killed by George Adler, Alarmed at the sight, Colonel Bowen was at first unable to comprehend whether he was asleep or awake; but the huge bear now coming up with his savage grow], quickly decided the There was no time for preparation. The colonel’s pistols were under his saddle, i | \ j which he had used as a pillow. Luckily his bowie was in his belt, so placing Belle hastily out of harm’s way on the sward, he grasped a heavy woolen blanket and tossing it over the head of the bear, as the latter arose on its hinder legs, he drove the knife to the hilt in the brute’s side, just back of the shoulder blade. Out came the steel, and again and again was it _ plunged into the vitals of the bear—the animal, ' ' | i : ' | blinded by the blanket, being unable to injure his assailant. Soon seeing that the beast was mortally wounded, the colonel caught up his daughter in his arms, and hastening to the Dearborn, laid her upon the blankets inside. Panting with exertion, he stood for a moment, watching the death-struggles of the bear, which had torn the blanket to sbreds; then, he procured some water, and bathed Belle’s head, unable to comprehend why it was that she bad left her couch in the first place, and also puz- zled by the unexpected sight of a war-painted Indian so near to San Antonio. Belle Bowen presently opened her eyes, moaned, and a convulsive shudder shook her Faint and ' frame; but when she recognized her father, GOMmMIIGERDOOKS (E(e) ——s 7 = a ae - «