Beadle's Dime Library No. 204 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

No sooner was the last rock hurled, and the effects of their efforts known to them, than the Indians gave an exulting whoop, which was the signal for a grand rush toward the ranch from all points; but Maggie knew in her own mind tbat the faithful Mexicans were at the breach, with weapons ready, to send the first red murderers who approached, to their doom. She was right. As the whoops of the painted fiends broke on the ears of the two men, they located the spot where the lurking Comanches lay hidden; then, with rifles grasped, and fingers on the triggers, both dashed through the gap and toward the timber, shooting two braves dead that barred their way, and knocking two others senseless with their rifle barrels. So unexpected was this movement to the Indians, that they stood for a full minute as if incapable of word or motion; but the next, the opening and the bottom rung with fiendish yells, and the whole war-party dashed in pur- suit of the two Mexicans. For a moment, all who saw the desperate run for life of Juan and Antonio, had little thought other than admiration for their des- perate courage. ° In the excitement of the moment, thinking only of the defenseless girl, whose many acts of kindness had won their esteem and regard, both Antonio and Juan rushed to the nearest point of cover, then down through the timber toward the burning hut, losing sight of the fact that the blaze would reveal their pres°nce to the enemy. Soon they climbed into the large oak, with the thought that they could reach Maggie Moore without being discovered. Throwing their now useless rifles aside, the vaqueros, ran, as though the fiends of Hades were at their back, as indeed they were, or as bad, To their consternation they now saw that the leaves of the tree had been burned to such an extent, that it could afford them no conceal- ment. The heated air and gasses almost suffocated the two men, but with set teeth, they strained their muscles to superhuman efforts, really believing that their young mistress must have perished in the flames, Not more than twenty feet from the lower branches, had they climbed, Antonio being above, when they were greeted with the vengeful yells of their pursuers, and a shower of arrows hurled around them, Juan shrieked out: ‘‘ Madre de Dios,” relinquished his hold, and fell to the earth. Antonio cast one glance of horror downward. Juan lay upon his back, near to the burning ruins of bis hut, with half a dozen arrows projecting through his body, and feebly making the sign of the cross, while his eyes were filming in death. Antonio, shuddering from head to feet, and expecting the same fate for himself, again sprung upward, and reached a point where the green foliage hid him from view. The next moment, with acry of ‘“‘ Gracias a Dios,” be fell prostrate into the elevated retreat where crouched his young mistress. ‘‘Oh, Antonio!” exclaimed Maggie, ‘‘ why did you come up here? You have made escape impossible for me now. But forgive me—I am almost crazed with the horrors of this night. Where is Juan?” ““My life-long compadre is dead,” said the poor fellow. ‘‘ El Diablo Comanches have killed him!” Then, while the tears fell from the poor Mexican’s eyes, he drew knife and revolver, braced himself, and stood as if determined to face death alone. Maggie also, with weapons in hand, her face the hue of death, and a prayer on her lips, stood ready to shoot into the first painted face that broke through the foliage. However, the Indians had met with such heavy loss they prudently avoided showing themselves to one who had proved himself so daring and skillful; and ascore of braves sprung into the surround- ing trees, the branches of which were inter- laced with the giant oak. Then, with cautious movements, they wormed themselves this way and that amid the vines and moss to positions of advantage near to Maggie and Antonio, who, although expecting to be discovered, were not aware, so stealtby had been their move- ments, that they were now surrounded and overlooked by the hideous fiends who glared upon them, taking care, however, not to reveal their presence by exposing even an arm be- yond the outer screen of leaves that hid them. Maid and man, so strangely situated, stcod listening intently, but hearing naught except _ Big Foot Wallace. —_ a eS a eR ‘the throbbing of their own hearts and the slight flutter of leaves that met their ears. Then the horribly suggestive dragging of bodies along the rough branches proved to them that the crisis was at hand; that perbaps in another moment their hearts, which now beat so wildly, would be stilled forever. It was indeed enough to cause the bravest man to quail; and both trembled at the ap proach of the unseen but deadly danger, against which they knew that they were pow- erless to combat. The burning but was now | a smoldering mass of coals, and threw out a | strange red light, which caused objects to as- sume unnatural shapes. night, together with the distorting glow from beneath, was torture to Maggie, for she knew that the very air she breathed was pregnant with blood, torture and death—ay, woise than death at its worst! But the dread silence and suspense was sud- denly broken by a chorus of horrible yells of exultation, sounding all about them; then followed the whirr of a volley of arrows, and Aatonio, with a cry of agony, sprung high in the air, and fell with acrash to joi Juan in the jornada del muerto ! With a ery of horror Maggie cocked her re- The silence of the | volver, but ere she could fire, a dozen warriors | were about her, red arms encircled her, yells sounded in her ears, and then—God was mer- ciful—she became unconscious. CHAPTER XVI. RIDING TO THE RESCUE. It was midnight when Big Foot Wallace and Post Oak Bill joined Sharp Eye on the south bank of the Medina, and all drove spurs, point- ing their course southwest, toward the San Miguel, aiming to strike the stream at the ranch. It required but a few words from Sharp Eye, shouted on the run, to explain the situa- tion of affairs. Big Foot Wallace said not a word, for he heard that the Comanches; might cross the river, when they would be sure to notice the stock-paths, and by following them, discover the home of his pard., The mind of the Giant Scout was racked with thoughts of the probable danger of Mag- gie Moore, who was considered by Big Foot to be but a child, and who was very dear to him also. Often had he tried to prevail upon Bill to send Maggie to San Antonio, where she could mingle with ‘‘kaliker-kivered bumans,” and be safe from marauding Indians and Greasers; and Bill himself had endeavored, more than once, to frighten her into the plan, but she loved the wild, free life at the ranch too well to leave the San Miguel. The trio of scouts were all most dreadfully concerned by the probable danger which threatened the beautiful girl who ruled them with her wand of love, and not one could speak the word of consolation which he felt that he had no ground to offer. Spurring on, without mercy, the eyes of the three men soon became fixed on a far-off lurid glow, that spoke the worst. Grasping their rifles and tossing the barrels over the hollow of their left arms, they drove the torturing steel into the bleeding flanks of their steeds, that now made fresh efforts to obey the will of their masters, They had but just cleared the belt of oaks, when, as they swept the plain with keen glance, they discovered four horsemen afar to the eastward, who appeared aiming to strike the San Miguel some twenty miles below the ranch of Post Oak Bill. Instantly, the latter and Big Foot Wallace thought of the four strangers they bad met in the bar-room at San Antonio; but supposing they were at the Menger House, they were puzzled in regard to who the night riders might be, although forced to conclude that they must be some of the bandits under the notorious Capitan Caramba, who might be on a spying expedition. They thought it possible that the Mestizo might have communicated with them in regard to the presence of Colonel Bowen and his daughter, and if so, the latter were in great danger. This, added to the anxiety of mind which already oppressed them, made the scouts less merciful in their treatment of the noble ani- mals they rode, than they would otherwise have been. No men could be more considerate in regard to the kindly usage of their horses than were these scouts; but this was a time when all such regard was pitted against the life of a helpless maiden. With all this, they might be too late, but should such be the case, | | | | | | | 19 they would, in the time to come, have the satisfaction of knowing that they did not spare their horses, when human life depended upon their speed. On, on, over the prairie, grinding the ten thousand flowers into the dust, and throwing out afar the silvery dew drops from the bend- ing grass. Ou, like the rush of a norther, the swish of grass, the tramp of hoofs, the frequent snort, and the continuous panting of the steeds, being | the only sounds that broke the night; the sil- very moon smiling down in seeming mockery of the misery of these men, who might for aught they knew be now dashing into the midst of a hundred red-handed fiends, who would yell with delight and triumph as they tore the reeking scalps from the heads of their foes. The blaze died down, the red glow blended with the darkness, until but a faint glimmer rose and fell to guide the scouts, who, as they neared the ranch, were filled with dread the most intense, as with eyes that burned like coals of fire, they gazed, the ominous silence seeming conclusive proof to them that they had come too late. Each of the trio, as they cleared the under- growth and entered the opening, halted as-if paralyzed, for the silence of the grave ruled. all in front of them. One glance toward the giant oak, and all hope was gone, for the smoldering ruins of the berder’s but proved to all that Maggie Moore was not in the tree; that, if the smoke and heat had not killed her, she had been com- pelled by it to leave the tree, and thus place herself in the power of her foes. Sharp Eye rushed up the oak like a mad- man. ‘“‘ Bill,” said Big Foot Wallace, sadly, “ we- ‘uns hes ’roved too late, but don’t wilt. We'll rip up ther bull dang’d country from this ter ther Rockies, afore we'll give up leetle Mag- gie. Hit’s a open warm trail ahead, an’a fa’r show fer comin’ out O. K. I doesn’t ‘low ter close my peepers, nor chaw dried beef, ontil Maggie air es free es her own leetle birds on ther San Miguel!” Post Oak Bill reversed his rifle, and bowed | his head upon his hands which clasped the breech. As Wallace ceased speaking, he considerate- ly walked toward the cabin, leaving his pard to give vent to the anguish that racked him to the core. Big Foot had no sooner turned the corner of the dwelling, than he stopped short, and cried out in fury: ‘‘Dog-gone ther cussed Comanches inter dangnation! Bill, jist h’ist yerself this-a-ways, an’ I'll show you a sight that’ll make yer chaw yer tongue half off with pizen mad. MHyer’s Juan an’ Antonio strung up like butchered mav’ricks. Ther boyees stood ter ther posts, bet yer life; but I ain’t a-goin’ ter linger roun’ hyer-a-ways. I’m off ter hunt up some fresh pags; then, ef I doesn’t hump myself fer ha’r, on a solid jump clean through ther biz ontil I makes ther hull perrarer pirate outfit puke, I’m a dod-blasted out-an’-out pervaricator !” Post Oak Bill braced himself, and with a desperate and murderous look, walked rapidly to the front of his home. The doors were open, and many things that were useless to the In- dians were scattered about. At this moment Sharp Eye came running in, crying out in a voice of despair: ‘‘Maggie’s gone, pard Bill! Maggie's gone! The red fiends bave carried her off. I have been sick and faint, and almost hopeless, Bill; but now,” raising his clinched fist, “‘my mus- cles are of steel, my will is iron, my brain is filled with such merciless madness toward the painted devils, that I feel I can scorn fatigue and Lunger, and laugh all sleep to scorn while on the trail. We cannot spare time even to bury these poor defenders of Maggie and your home. Cut them down, Bill, and lay them in the smoke-house, while I go and assist Big Foot.” Post Oak Bill seemed utterly prostrated, and the horrid sight before him added to the tor- tures of his brain. Opposite the door of the cabin, with their beads downward, were hang- ing the mutilated bodies of the faithful Juan and Antonio. The scalps of both had been torn from their heads, and the Comanches bad given vent to the hate and fury, caused by the death of their fellow warriors, by mutilating the bodies of those brave and faithful men. Only for av instant did Bill gaze at the hor- Ebooks "eom o — a oe ee oe, ~~ —~- ner —_— = See eee fe wes -_— . a ee ‘ ° f 2 >