Beadle's Dime Library No. 204 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

f my wife, you left.no feeling in me but one of just and murderous enmity.” Never before, it is probable, wasa man more dumfounded than was Captain Ames. Was this the man who had been such a pliant tool of his for years? His old pard, however, must have forgotten the hold he had over him. So. reflecting, he braced himself, put on an air and look of indignation, and demanded in a furious voice: ‘¢ Pay me that twenty-five thousand dollars, Tom Bowen, within twenty-four hours, and as much more.as I see fit to call for, or I will band you over to justice as the murderer of your own wife!” Never did man make a, greater mistake. Quick as_a flash of light, Bowen’s pistol was leveled, the trigger pulled, a blinding flash, a loud report, a heavy groan and a sudden fall, followed by a low, exultant Iaugh—and_ all was over! ‘Like a maniac, the colonel sprung from his horse; loosening the lariat from the horn of. his saddle, at. the same time retaining the end of the rope, he bounded forward to grasp. the bridle-rein of .the animal that had been rid- den by Ames. Securing the two affrighted steeds, and draw- ing his bowie-knife, he went.up to the side of his prostrate foe, an ‘‘Keep your oath, or Till haunt you, Tom Bowen!, Frank—Belle—” . The. words came in a gasping whisper, but they fell distinctly on the ear, of Colonel Bowen. , He heeded them not, however, as he fairly yelled: | | , “Die, Jack Ames! Die! I’d_ rather, you'd haunt me in death than in. life. Die, poisoner of one. who never harmed you! Dig, craven, dastard—die!” Again and again was the knife driven, through flesh and bone, with the strength and fury,of.a madman. ,, A aha ae is done, Colouel Bowen secured,,from the, pockets of his old partner, the, papers of . his which he had held; and then, dragging, the corpse to the niver bank, hurled it far out into the rolling waters. A splash, and, it sunk in the dark river forever. eds | was, Thomas Bowen freed from_ the curse of his life, But the spirit of the dead man seemed to haunt him day and night, call- wt, justice. _. : Knowing where Frank Ames was at school, the colonel sent for the boy, and put him ina similar institution near at hand, but would never allow him to come near the children of his murdered wife. _ Eddie Duyal, or Bowen as he was now called, never forgot the scene that he had witnessed from his crib, though he never spoke of it, and never saw the face of Captain Ames, again. When, however, at sixteen years of age, he saw Frank, who much resembled his father, he sought a quarrel with him, and a duel was speedily arranged between the two boys. Frank Ames fell.at the first fire. Edward, with the impression that he had killed him, took what ready money he had, said farewell to his sister, and fled, _ About the same time, Dudley Duncan, the adopted son of Major Adler, absconded with the whole proceeds of the cotton crop, besides forging his foster-father’s name for a large amount, This so preyed upon the major’s mind that he sickened and died, Previous to his death he confided to his son his suspicions in regard to the death of Mrs, Bowen, aud gnioining upon George to look after, protect, and, if he could, marry Belle Duval. | After bis father’s death, George Adler was rajes to dispose of the plantation and slayes, o satisfy the creditors. He then established himself, with ‘one servant, in a small cabin upon the Trinity, where he hunted, fished and studied, by turns;° often meeting Belle, and passing many happy hours away in her com- pany. It was not often that Frank Ames saw Belle Bowen; but, seldom as it was, he too fell in love with her, and swore in his heart she should be his. As for the colonel himself, as the years rolled on, he became more and more morose and absent-minded. The Jast words of his old enemy were ever sounding in his ears. The last look from the eyes of the dying Jack Ames haunted him. The one bright spot in his life was the presevce of Belle. Her songs and laughter, were his only comfort, and the thought that she might one day be linked for life to the son of her mother’s murderer, was bs « Bie Foot Wallace. not for a moment to be entertained. Indeed he wanted her with him always; he felt that he would die, were she taken from him. Captain Jack Ames having been a migra- tory gambler, with no one who really cared for him, there was no stir made when he finally disappeared; and, as no ono seemed to have seen him in East Texas, the story of his death was never even suspected. Among the papers which Colonel Bowen fook from the dead man’s pocket, was a well- executed statement, in which the wretch charged the colonel with the murder of his own. wife by poison; and the latter could con- gratulate himself on having thus secured what, had it fallen into other hands, would have consigned him to prison for the remainder of his days. Belle Duval had received the best educa- tional advantages her step-father could procure for her, and had grown up to be the very coun- terpart of her mother, of the nature of whose fate, she had been kept in ignorance... Her brother’s enforced absence was her one great grief, Little did Colonel Bowen dream that Ames had not only explained their old relations to his son Frank, but had left a sealed statement of the debt of twenty-five thousand dollars, and the contract.in regard to his marriage with Belle. This was to be opened and, perused by Frank Ames when he reached his majority, and that it was read with interest we may. Well believe. ‘Worthless and good for nothing, as he grew up to be, he waS not long in going to the colcnel, and, demanding the money, and the hand of Belle in marriage. Tne, indignation of, the colonel knew no bounds. He ordered the young. reprobate from his, house, and after be had, gone, resolyed suddenly that he would again move—this time to some place where he might be safe from the persecutions of his enemy’s son. The love which George Adler bore toward Belle, and the affection which she had for him, were also well known to Colonel Bowen; ,but he disliked young Adler for the reason that his father had dared to love, the woman whom he married, and therefore he vowed that neither should George Adler marry Belle. } Thus matters stood at the opening of our story, except. that the colonel had sold a por- tion of bis—or what he called his—plantation, and was then proceeding to the frontier, with the hope of finding some isolated spot, where neither Frank Ames nor,George Adler would be able to find them. His departure with Belle was secret—done in the night—but we have seen, or shall see, that Frank Ames and George Adler are never- theless on his trail, both seeking Belle Bowen. CHAPTER V. CROSSES AND CONFIDENCES. As the young man who seemed to avoid the notice of the occupants of the bar-room passed out, fellipg, as he did so, his would-be assassin, he walked on, over the prostrate body, which was none other than the Mestizo who was spy- ing from the roof at the hanging of Miguel Rios, Astonished. at being thus attacked, the young man paused to notice that the powerful blow he had given had badly bruised the half- breed; but he quietly passed on, after a single glance, between the Bull’s Head and Market House, through an alley, and thence out into the Main Plaza, scarcely a pistol-shotaway. The party at the bar had not observed him as he went, “Gentlemen,” said Mr. Ames, “we are extremely delighted to make your acquaintance, Can any of you kindly inform us if a man by the name of Bowen passed through the city recently, en route for the frontier? We are friends of his, and desirous of joining him,” Our three friends.exchanged glances, They all remembered. that, in the young lady’s letter, she had desired that George Adler, and no other, should know of them, For all this, Big Foot at once decided to put these men on the trail, for he felt sure they would come to grief in some way; besidés he would keep an eye on them. ‘“Yer hes struck ther right pilgrims fer infermashe,”’ he said, winking slyly at Post Oak Bill, as he did so, * Curnil Bowen,” said Bill, taking the hint, “levanted toward ther Medina this arternoon, an’ ll probably camp thar ter-night. a purty darter in his outfit.” cot OP saw them, I presume,’ said young Ames, He has | ‘““‘Ya-as, we see’d ’em. But they’re goin’ ter a dang’d dangerous section, an’ I’m glad yer going’ ter jine’em. Yer see thet country air chuck full o’ Rio Granders, an’ ’sides thet, ’Paches an’ Comanches air liable ter stompede in ’tween ther Medina an’ ther Frio, most any time, ’thout sendin’ keerds.” ‘““Tf that is so, we had better overtake them as soon as possible,” said Ames, winking at his comrades,‘ Did the colonel know of these dangers?” : ‘*Can’t say, fer we-’uns didn’t spoke a word to ’em.”’ ‘Well, gentlemen, the sooner we start the better. But haw are we to get a mule and some provisions?” ‘‘ Better put up at the Menger House,” sug- gested Campbell; “and I can bave them ready for you in the mornivg. I’m in the habit of attending to such,matters.” “Many thanks,” said Ames; “how much shall I advance you for the purchase?” ‘Not a cent, sir, until they are delivered.” “Thanks, again; though [ would much pre- fer it.” ‘* Never mind, hand.” ‘Gents,’ said Big Foot, ‘‘sculps air a dang’d& risky crop ter cultervate down whar yer in- clinatin’ ter glide, an’ I ’vises yer ter use Spaldin’s glue for ha’r ile from this on. T’m purpose ter skute toward ther Nueces myself, ‘fore many fleetin’ periods, ter see ef ther kali- ker in thet outfit air hunk, serene an’right side up witb care,” This last remark seemed to slightly annoy Ames and his friends. They said nothing, however, but ordered cigars, as if to hide their concern, “If you are down that way with your friend, here, we shall ‘sleep in our blankets witbout fear,” said Ames, assuming a cheerful air; ‘‘but we must: now bid you good-night, hoping we may have the pleasure of soon meet- ng youagain. By the way, can you breakfast with us to-morrow morning?’ Little did Frank Ames dream of the horrors he would pass through before that time; and his friends, if they had known what was in store for them before another sun arose, would have blown their brains out on the spot, if by so doing they could be freed from the horrors: and tortures that awaited them. “By ther grim Moses,” said Bill, in reply to the invitation, ‘“we-’uns is ’bleeged, but we couldn’t chaw our grub offen plates, an’ to sot: on cheers would spile our appetites. Menger wouldn’t keer ter hev us in his slam-up, ’risto- cratic ranch.” : “Which way from this is the Menger House?’ “Go right down this street, cross the bridge: and take the first left-hand turn,” directed Martin Campbell. ‘“ The hotel is on the Alamo Plaza.” Thanking him and touching their hats, the four strangers stepped out, mounted their horses and proceeded down Commerce street as directed, | ‘*Wa’al, dog-gone my great gran’mother’s. old settin’ hen!” exclaimed Post Oak Bill; “ef ther reds hain’t gut.a soft thing thar, Pll hitch onter a Piute squaw an’ squat in the middle 0’ ther staked plain fer ther brief remainder o” my days.” Just then the young man we have before: noticed re-entered, coming in this time through the went door, in the rear of the scouts. He stepped into the room briskly, with the look of a man of bravery and will, and advancing to the front of the two scouts, extended a hand to each, saying in a cheery, mellow tone of voice: ““My name, gentlemen, is George Adler. I wish to form the acquaintance of Big Foot Wallace and Post Oak Bill. You can rest assured I am not of the same staurp as the men who have just left you to go to the Menger Hotel,” Without hesitation, the scouts grasped the hands of the young man. There are instances where friendships are thus quickly formed and cemented, but they are rare. The two men were at first dumfounded at being thus, as it were, taken -by storm by a stranger, but for their lives they could not resist the magnetism of his looks and speech. Seeing their very’ natural embarrassment, he called for drinks, and clicking his glass with those of the border- men, he said: ‘‘Gentlemen, allow me to propose a toastf.., Here’s to Miss Belle Bowen, May her trail I have sufficient cash on comicboo SCO ne