Beadle's Dime Library No. 204 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

a = es a em ee ee ea ee eS a Big Foot Wallace. 21 The captives, especially Belle, being on the alert and watchful, had also observed these four horsemen. Belle, at first, thought that George Adler might be one of the number, he having, perhaps, engaged others to accompany him; but when she reflected that they were proceeding directly toward the point at which she had decided the bandits were encamped, she knew, or at Jeast felt sure, that her lover could not be one of the quartette; if so, he was riding to his doom. Then, suddenly, she recalled the words of the bandit chief, and she became positive in spies, communicated with Frank Ames. He _ sessed of so much information in regard to the | Bowens and himself; unless, indeed, Frank | ' her mind that the four night riders were Frank | Amesand some of his lawless associates, who were on their way to the camp of the bandits, expecting to find ber there, and force her into a marriage with him, which the outlaw chief had spuken of as ths arrangement between them. Capitan Caramba had in view a liberal com- Although bound and helpless, and in the | power of biood craving savages, and with no well-based bope of release, Belle Bowen felt some consolation from the consciousness of having escaped being forced into a marriage with Frank Ames, who had been the direct means of launching them all into a sea of misery, suffering, torture, and death—or per- haps, for herself and Rosa, a fate ten thousand ¢imes worse than death. | _intended to either the colonei or his daughter; , _but there could be no worse fate imaginable than for his darling to be linked for life to | such an unprincipled rascal The attention of both the Comanches and | their captives was directed up-stream, that being the point from which both parties were apprehensive of danger; but if as they ap- proached the dark shades of the San Miguel, amid which was concealment, perhaps safety ; if, at this time, red marauders or white prisoners had casta glance down-stream to the east, they would have seen a strange and perplexing sight plainly outlined in the moonlight—a sight | galloped horseman was the wounded Mestizo, that would have filled the hopeless heart of Belle Bowen with joy, and would have drawn from her lips a prayer of the most earnest, heartfelt gratitude. That sight, upon the moonlit plain, was made up of two human beings, both mounted upon prancing steeds.which they skillfully managed. The one was a squaw, young and handsome, her costume glittering with thou- sands of beads; the other was a young Texan, his face pale as death, and desperation flashing from his eyes as he strove to break from the iron grasp of the Indian woman, and dash to the rescue of the lovely maiden who ruled his heart and soul, and whom he now saw bound, and in the power of the merciless Coman- ches. These two were George Adler, or Water Warrior, and Warnona, the squaw of Wild Wolf, the Waco, CHAPTER XVIII. WOMAN'S WISDOM. AFTER Warnona had asserted that the horse- man who galloped southward from the Rio Medina was the Mestizo, George Adler sat his horse for a moment, wrapped in deep thought. Then he asked quickly: ‘‘How do you know that it is the half- breed?” . ‘‘ Hold his hand in air,’’ was the squaw’s re- ply. ‘‘The bullet of Wild Wolf bas cut off his fingers.” ‘That is very good proof that he is the man you mention; but I could not detect at such a distance that he held his hand in that position. Warnona’s eyes are keen as the eyes of an eagle.” “Warnona has played on the prairies and lived in the woods since the Great Spirit gave her strength to walk,” said the squaw, evi- dently pleased at the complimant. ‘‘ She can point at a flower-sucker (humming bird) across the Medina, when her white brother might say it was a fly. When the bee flies home to his hollow tree, he darts like the lightings of the Great Spirit, but be escapes not the eye of Warnona.” “J can readily believe you, my red sister; but where have the wagons gone? The Mes- tizo is not riding in pursuit of them, I hope,” ‘“Come. Trail point down Medina. The friends of my white brother were afraid. They go not straight to prairie.” Urging her horse down the stream, the beau- tiful squaw, with her form bent toward the earth, kept on at a rate that was lictle more than a fast walk, easily following the wagon- trails where the tall bunch-grass had been crushed down. George Adler followed close after, filled with great anxiety in regard to the departure | | covered that Belle was in the power of the | eee ......008—9— 5° eee OOOO Warnona called to him from the trail toward the motte, and he at once rode up to her side, observing, as he did so, a slight smoke which arose from a bed of dying embers. The evidence now before his eyes was con- clusive. The iron work of a wagon lay among the ashes, proving plainly that the Bowens were taken. ‘*The friends of my white brother are gone. Bad white men and bad Mexican take them over the plain to the San Miguel. What will Ames had known of the departure of all at the | Water Warrior do?” very time they left the Trinity. | Thus spoke Warnona, watching George’s face However, it was plain that the Bowens were | as she did so, in great danger, and that the outlaw chief was | ‘* I shal! follow them even to the ends of the leagued with Ames for no other purpose than | earth,” was the answer, in a hoarse but deter- to bring about a marriage between the latter | mined tone, and Belle; although there was no doubt that | ‘“‘ My white brother cannot fight a war-party alone,” said the young squaw, sadly. “T can crawl into the camp, and make an effort to save them, even if I am killed in the attempt.” “ Water Warrior is a great brave, but his legs or his horse would carry him too fast among his enemies. He must be sly as a fox, and Warnona wiil help him to get bis squaw away.” ‘“T do thank you, my red sister. I need help now, if ever; but there are those in yon wagon who now shed tears of sorrow atthe thoughts of their condition. They must be saved, if possible!” “Black people are not in wagons,” said Warnona., “If the negroes are not in that wagon, where are they?’ asked the young man in surprise. Warnona guided her horse to the north side of the motte, George following her, and point- ed inward to asmall clear spot, not ten feet from them. ‘‘Merciful God!” he exclaimed in horror. “The dastardly wretches bave murdered the poor negroes. Great Heaven! My darling is in the power of brutes far worse than the savages of the Pecos. Come, Warnona! We'll bandit could take action with a view of captur- | trail them to their lair. Then we will gallop ing all hands, with the speed of the wind to Post Oak Bill's Without a word, our young friend followed ranch, We must have help. Colonel Bowen | of the half-breed, and regretting that Wild Wolf had not put a bullet through the miscre- ant’s heart. He had now no doubt that the Mestizo was connected with the band of Capi- tan Caramba, and that the latter had, through also felt sure that the half-breed had been em- ployed to kill him, but he was greatly puzzled as to how the bandit chief bad become pos- pensation for his services, Although George | knew that Colonel Bowen intended to purchase land and stock, he bad no idea of the amount of money which the latter bad taken with him from the Trinity. Reasoning in this strain, the young man be- gan to feel positive that no bodily injury was as was Frank Ames, and George resolved that he would save her at the risk of his life. In fact, he feared that be would become so enraged if he dis- bandits, that he would be imprudent and throw caution to the winds, thereby losing all chances of assisting his promised wife in her great need and extremity. Since Warnona had decided that the fast Ee who bad upon three occasions attempted his life, George was positive that the half-breed was now hastening to report tu Capitan Caram- ba the presence of the Bowens south of the Medina, and also of himself, in order that the close after Warnona, thankful from his inmost | and my darling shall be saved, if I have to heart that he had met the Waco chief, and that his brave squaw had volunteered to accompany him, otherwise he might have gone astray on the trail. It did seem as though the fates were against Come Warnona, we must follow them!” Driving spurs to his horse, George Adler, bis face drawn with anguish, his eyes blazing with insane fury, dashed off at full speed toward the all who were his friends, and favored those | point where he had last seen the heads of the who were bent upon dastard deeds; for, when | horsemen. Warnona, knowing it would be he had counted upon the assistance of Big | worse than useless to reason with him, followed Foot Wallace and Post Oak Bill, as well as | close in the rear, her long hair flying wild, her that of Wild Wolf, all three had been called | black eyes blazing with the war-spirit of her from his side by their own most urgent affairs. | people, brought forward by the distress of one The Wacos would, without doubt, be brought | she had but just met for the first time, but in contact with the Comanches, which would | who was the friend of Big Foot Wallace and leave Capitan Caramba to act his part, without | Post Oak Bill. This, with the indorsement of let or hindrance, Wild Wolf was enough to cause her to risk ber The exciting scenes and dangers through | life in bis service. So, on she dasbed, a very which the young man had passed since he | Queen of Nature, in the full glare of the yellow arrived in San Antonio, together with loss of | moon, and disdaining any concealment from sleep, and the severe contusion he had received | lurking foes on either hand. on the head, when hurled from his horse, all On, on flew the death pale man, and close tended to discourage and enervate him, and | followed the red beauty, sweeping the plain the departure of the scouts and Wild Wolf had ahead with her eagle glance, their horses pant- well-nigh caused him to despair, but the brisk | ing with exertion, and tbe white foam flying walk of his horse along the border of the cool | from the prairie grass and flowers! shades of the Medina bottom timber revived Why had they not been sooner? Why had him, and when Warnona turned abruptly south, | they lingered at the motte” Why was it that bu6 away from the river, and passed through the | a few fleeting moments, a few bounds of their belt of scattering mesquites, he braced himself, | steeds, were all that was required to save the feeling sure that by daylight they would reach | three human beings crouching among the prai- a point where the wagons could be seen—per- | rie grass? So, the red demons surrounded haps encamped where he could get an oppor- | them; and Belle Bowen, within sight of her tunity to speak with his darling, and inform | lover, now struggling with the more prudent her of the dangers that threatened her on all | and rational Warnona to rush to her'rescue, sides, was urged forward, with her father and her For some time George and Warnona main- | faithful maid, into the dark shades of the San tained the same rate of speed and distance | Miguel, in the company of fiendish, paint- apart, without exchanging a word; then they | daubed Comanches, whose hands had been broke for the mesquites, and pushed out boldly | often bathed in the innocent blood of helpless upon the trail, which was easily followed upon | Women and babes. | | the moonlit plain. When they came near to As the Indians and their captives became the motte, they could see, far off to the south- | swallowed up in the dense undergrowth it seem- west, the heads of a number of horsemen bob- | ed to George Adler that they had gone from his bing up and down, and beyond these the white | sight forever; and, with a despairing cry, he tilt of a wagon. again strove to urge his horse forward on the As George Adler caught sight of this dis- | trail, but Warnona, who had discovered the couraging view, he drew rein quickly, and | Indians first, had secretly slipped an extra jaw- grew faint as death, for he felt that he had | strap into the mouth of his mustang, attaching come too late; that the Bowens were in the | the other end of it securely to her own saddle- power of the bandits, although it was impossi- | horn, well knowing what the young man ble that the half-breed could have communi- | would attempt to do, and then, when the criti- cated the movements of the wagons to Capitan cal moment arrived, she had easily prevented Caramba and his band. the animal from obeying the spur of Water While looking after them with a fixed stare, ' Warrior. 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