Beadle's Dime Library No. 204 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

18 Big Foot Wallace. stantly!” cried out Sharp Eye. ‘' We must ford the stream and take a look over the south plain. I Ssar the Comanche war-party is close at hand.” Without a word, Maggie followed her lover over the stream, the latter climbing a tall tree on the outer edge of the timber. “ The red devils are coming!” he exclaimed. ‘iT see them plainly. They are pointed for the Sar Miguel.” Quickiy descending, the young Texan sprung into his saddle, his face filled witb anxiety. “ Maggie, my darling,” he said, ‘‘we must gallop like the wind. There is blood, torture, death and worse flying down on the western breeze!” ‘*‘How many of the red fiends are there, Ed?’ Maggie asked at length, as she urged her horse close to the one ridden by her lover, whose mind wasso filled with thoughts bearing on the situation, that he seemed scarcely to be aware of the presence that was so dear to him. “TI should judge there are three score of them. Maggie; and, had you seen them, you Would be eager to fly towrad the Medina. You will go there with me now, will you not?” *‘ Ed, I will not leave the San Miguel! There are many hiding-placer near, and at our cabin, and yor car ride on much faster without me. You will probably meet your friends before you reach the Medina, and you can’also inform Wild Wolf that we are in danger, and need his assistance. You said he was at the ford. If so, he can get word to his braves in a short time. idon’t think I should have the least fear or anxiety, if he and Big Foot Wallace ' were at the ranch.” ‘Can it be possible, Maggie, that you are re- solved to stay at the ranch while I am away?” “Certainly I am. Ican hide away very easily.” “ But the merciless devils may find you out, for all that.” ‘*If they come before you return, which I much doubt, they will conclude that all the whites have left the vicinity, and will waste time ix searching.” ‘““That is reasonable, I admit, Maggie; but I hesitate about leaving you, all the same. It seems to me that the fright you experienced up tke stream, when you had but one Comanche before your eyes, has been very soon forgot- ten.” “ Why, Ed, my fright was not on my own account, but yours. If that Indian had killed you, I would have faced the war-party on the plain alone!” Sharp Eye, as he looked at the lovely girl by his side, felt, by the expression of her face, and his knowledge of ber character, that she spoke the truth. Upon thinking over her de- cision. he decided that it would probably be safe for her to remain, and that he could, as she had said, proceed on his mission with greater speed if he went alone. He knew besides that, in the way of the Comanches was the ranch of a Texan, who, on seeing the war- party, would without doubt hasten down- stream for help, in which event he would stay with Maggie until the arrival of the scouts. If the Indians did discover the ranch, it would delay them at least a day; so Sharp Eye, find- ing it useless to try and persuade Maggis, con- tented himself with this reasoning, and gal- loped off toward the Medina, at headlong CHAPTER XV. THE ATTACK ON THE RANCH. Tue cabin of Post Oak Bill was situated in a small natural opening within the bottom tim- ber, shielded from view on all sides; the rip- pling waters of the San Miguel being audible from the wide veranda, although the stream was hidden from sight by a narrow belt of timber and dense undergrowth. Towering some eighty feet above the ground, near a herder’s hut at the corral in a little opening, further up-stream, was a gigantic oak, its branches literally covered by long festoons of Spanish moss.. Huge grape-vines alse wound about ana amid the limbs, forming, by their natura! network, an arbor shut in from the sun. Two-thirds up this tree, Maggie Moore had once, in her wild and reckless way, climbed to gain a view of the plain; and, finding there such a cosey nest. had prevailed upon Juan, one o1 the vaqueros, co construct some ladders of raw hide, commeucing at a point which could not beseen from below. This was easy of access, and Maggie soon learned to reach the ‘‘ nest”? without much exertion. Juan and Antonio, the herders, were absent on the prairie when Sharp Eye and Maggie galloped up to the ranch, but the young scout avowed his intention of sending them back, to remain there until his return. Maggie, refusing all assistance from _ her lover, and bidding him start immediately, car- ried a pair of blankets and some food up to her arbor in the tree, not forgetting a small rifle and a brace of revolvers, recently presented to her by Sharp Eye. Looking out over the plain to the north, as soon as she had completed her arrangements, the maiden saw her lover speeding like the wind toward the Medina, and also discovered Juan and Antonio galloping toward the ranch, they having been warned by the young scout of the danger that was hovering over their home, and the necessity of their holding the cabin, should the Indians attack it, until he should return with their employer, and such other assistance as he might be able to pro- cure, Descending to the ground as the Mexicans arrived at the ranch, Maggie furnished them with plenty of ammunition, and then securely fastening the oaken window-shutters and the rear entrance to the dwelling, she stationed LLL LL Lat et See Juan at the front door, and directed Antonio | to scout about the corrals, and at times to cross the river, and ascertain if the Indians were within view along the line of timber. Directing the two men to enter the cabin at nightfall, or at any time when they were sus- picious of danger, and bar the door, as also to defend the dwelling to the best of their ability in case of an attack, Maggie again ascended to her perch, glanced quickly from the north and sovth lookouts without discovering anything of interest or danger. Then she selected a favorite volume of poems, threw herself into her hammock, and began to read as if nothing had occurred to interrupt the even tenor of her mind; indeed she was sur- prised herself at her unconcern under the pos- sible dangers that threatened her. However, situated as she was, she knew that, with her rifle and revolvers, she could defend herself successfully against a dozen Comanches, should such a number attempt to climb up the oak, as she would have every advantage. The previous night, Maggie had not retired until a late hour, as she had been conversing with her lover; and now, it was not half an bour after she had opened her book before she fell asleep. When she awoke the sun was just sinking in the west, In surprise the young girl gazed out over the plain to the south, in the direction of the Frio, and uttered a stifled cry as she did so; for, not half a mile from the timber of the San Miguel, and riding parallel with it, were a score of Comanches. The Indians were using their quirts without mercy, and their mustangs were flying over the grass at break-neck speed. It was a fear- ful sight to look upon, but it was some conso- lation to Maggie to know that the war-party had been weakened by the departure of those braves, and also that they were apparently ig- norant of the location of the cabin. As these warriors passed from view to the east, Maggie, although she knew that Sharp Eye had not had time to reach the Medina and re- turn, gazed out over the north plain, when again her face blanched as she discovered three In- dians in hot pursuit of one of Post Oak Bill’s herds of horses. She knew that the animals, if they possibly could evade the Comanches, would gallop directly to the corrals, and then the hostiles would discover the ranch. She soon saw that her fears would be verified, and she quickly descended the tree, ran to the cabin, and, after explaining the situation to Juan and Antonio, bade them secrete themselves near the corrals, and kill the three Indians if possi- ble; for in that way only could they hope to save the ranch and their own lives. The faithful Mexicans at once started for the corrals, and Maggie soon heard the dull rumble like thunder, as the horses, in a wild stampede, entered the hard-beaten corrals, After this there was an occasional din, caused by the animals rushing about the inclosures, proving to the anxious girl that the gates had been secured, and in a short time Juan and Antonio came running toward the cabin. ‘* Well, my brave boys,” said Maggie, ‘“‘ what success /” ** Los Comanches no steal el caballos,” said Antonio. ‘* What have you done? Tell me, Antonio!” ‘‘Hide in bush. Throw ropes quick,” was the reply. ‘* And the three Indians—where are they?’ ‘* Gone to jornada del muerto,” said Juan. ‘ Thank Heaven!’ exclaimed Maggie, ‘* You are brave boys, but I feared that one of the red fiends would escape, and if so, he would have brought down the whole band upon us. Do you think we will be safe now from attack during the night?’ ‘* Braves no go back. Other braves go see where gone. Best for senorita go up tree,” ‘*T will do as yuu advise, Juan,” said Maggie. ““T saw about twenty Comanches galloping down the river on the south side not long since. If we can hold out until the morning, we will then, [ hope, be in a position to defend the ranch.” “Plenty Comanches on San Miguel,” said Antonio. With a shudder Maggie returned to her nest in the tree. She saw the two Mexicans enter the cabin, and in the stillnees of night heard the heavy bars fall into place; then all was silent. Hour after hour passed, each seeming to be the length of a night, when suddenly the maiden’s heart sprung to ber throat, and a cry to her lips; for the bright flash and sharp re- ports of two rifles came from the loop-holes in the cabin. The flash revealed to the terrified girl two score of war-painted Comanches, weapons in hand, all cautiously approaching the opening. Soon their war-whoop burst on the air, as the reports of the rifles echoed through the natural arches, beneath which flowed the dark waters of the San Miguel. Close following the reports of the guns fired by the Mexicans, came a rapid fusilade of re- volver shots from the same source, followed by vengeful cries, which caused the terrified gir} to shudder, and grasp a limb of the tree for support. For a time all was now silent except the groans of the wounded, and the weird death- chants of the dying; these proving that Juan and Antonio had aimed their rifles well. The cessation of all sounds of conflict indicated that. the Indians had drawn off to concoct some plan of assault, which would point toward the capture of the cabin and its inmates, For a few minutes nothing was to be seen, but soon the hut of one of the herders, almost directly beneath the large oak, burst into a blaze, and dense clouds of smoke began to arise from it. Providentially, a light breeze from the west blew the smoke into the timber below, other- wise the poor girl would have been in danger of suffocation; but it opened out a scene that was truly fearful. Nearly all the Comanches were standing be- hind trees, or perched in the undergrowth, but some half-a-dozen were crawling like snakes in the low shrubbery at the rear of the cabin, The bake-oven was about twenty feet from the back door of the dwelling, and near it were a number of large stones, which had been left when the oven was constructed, and had not been removed. As the creeping savages reached the vicinity of these stones, one of their number gave a peculiar signal, and immediately several braves rushed from their hiding-places on the opposite side of the dwelling. A mixed volley of arrows and bullets was now fired at the front entrance, in order to draw the attention of the defenders from the rear loop-holes. That this movement was successful, was proved by the sharp reports of the rifles of Juan and Antonio, followed by the death-yells of two of the Indians, : This urged on the attacking party to greater fury. The skulking braves, in the rear of the cabin, each caught up a heavy rock, and rushed in single file toward the back door. When within three paces of it, the leader hurled his missile with great force against it, and then sprung aside, to give room to the one who followed; and so on, till the six warriors had all hurled these huge projectiles against; one particular spot. They then threw them- selves flat against the lower log of the cab to shield themselves from view at the loop~ holes, No door could stand such shocks. The middie plank was split, and the interior cross- pieces were knocked to the floor inside, making; a complete wreck. EGOMme S — ,00 ‘.. A