Beadle's Dime Library No. 204 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 arrived in the Alamo City on the same day as himself, and a few hours earlier! There were but two reasonable conclusions in explanation, Eitber Frank Ames had posted a spy in the magnolia grove when Belle and himself had met the last time on the Trinity, cr else he had in some manner been informed of the departure of Colonel Bowen and his daughter, and had sent an emissary to follow, and inform bim of the course taken by them. He then, baving purchased the best horses to be had, felt that he could easily over- take the loaded wagons, If this was the case—and it was the most plausible explanation of the presence of Ames— | ee ford, he gave the signal as directed. _hbad the last hoot left his lips when there came | sounded directly behind him: the last must also have been informed by the | same spy, that he, Adjer, was following the | before him, his arms folded over bis broad Bowens. From this he came to tbe conclusion that Frank must now be aware of his presence in San Antonio, and doubtless had made in- quiries concerning him at the Menger and | | | as straight as a forest pine, a warrior in every Big Foot Wallace. north side upon which he stood, consequently | patience to learn something in regard to the had there beer fires or wagons just over the | camp of the Bowens. stream from him he could not have seen them. | “ Wild Wolf,” be began at last, “‘ have you Surprised that Colonel Bowen had not en- | seen two wagons that came from San Antonio camped in so favorable a spot, George then | this evening?’ thought of the Indian, and turned his horse ‘One wagon got so many horses,” holding down the stream. Reaching, as near as he | up two fingers of his right hand, and then four could judge, a point some two miles from the | of bis left, adding, ‘‘and one wagon so many Scarcely | mules?’ ‘‘ Yes,” said the young man; party I am after.” ‘Old man, white hair. Young squaw, face like daughter of Great Spirit?’ the Waco chief His horse gave a snort, and whirling in his | inquired further. tracks, faced the point of alarm. ‘Yes, yes; those are they. Where are they ‘“‘that is the to his ears a single guttural expression, which sé Waugh! ” Without a word Wild Wolf pointed directly across the river. “Can I reach them without swimming breast, his head proudly poised, and standing sense of the word. across?” . As noble a specimen of physical manhood as ‘‘ Climb in tree. Cross on branch to branch other public places. Hecongratulated himself George Adler had ever seen, had seemingly | other side.” _ been conjured up from the ground by the sig- **Good! I must go and see where and how now, that he had not made known his name or object toany one except the two scouts, and also felt greatly rejoiced that be bad secured those faithful men on his side. So far, it was promising. But all this trouble and danger to his betrothed would have been avoided, had he not been robbed of his rights. Had not Duncan Dudley absconded with his father's money, he weuld have been in a position to marry Belle without stopping to ask the con- sent of any one; and he would bave done so, as soon as ho discovered that she was being persecuted by the worthless young scapegrace, if he had anything like a home to offer her. However, small as was his fortune, in com- parison wiih what it had formerly been, and to that of Belle, he determined to make her his own at the first opportunity. He felt the most intense contempt for Frank Ames, and for the young men whom the latter had by some means induced to accompany him; all of them being weil known to him by sight and reputa- tion, which was none of the best. He deter- mined however, to dismiss all thought of them from his mind, as unworthy of consideration. Pondering upon the singular conduct of Col- onel Bowen, George began to reason that Belle could not te prized by her step-father as the apple of bis eye, and he grew suspicious, for the first time, that she was being conveyed into these scenes of danger for the purpose of getting ber murdered by savages or bandits, in order to get possession of her fortune. But this, in the face of the strong attach- ment that the colonel had never striven to conceal, though masking all other emotions behind a stern air and manner, was unreason- able. Nor was it natural to suppose that the latter and Frank Ames had any friendly com- ‘pact in regard to the disposal of Belle’s hand. Take it all in all, the departure to the fron- tier, the following of young Ames, and the encounter with the Mestizo, all were puzzles which George strove in vain to unravel; for, although he had not spoken of it to the scouts, he could not banish from his mind the thought that the half-breed had been set upon his track to assassinate him. There was no reason for the dastardly wretch to plant bimself in bis path in the way he did, for Adler was a stranger and had never seen him before; besides there was an unmistakable expression in the eyes of the lurking spy that spoke of pleasure and tri- umpb, as the latter attacked him. He believed this fully, and also that Frank Ames was the man who was hav’ng him shadowed. The moon now shone brightly in the heavens, and as his horse had been in a gallop since leaving town, he had gone som3 two-thirds of the distance between it and the Rio Medina, having left the mesquites, and was now riding across the bald open prairie. Soon the dark ribbon of timber that marked the course of the river ahead was in plain view; a broad belt of chaparral being of suffi- cient hight to shield him and his horse in their approach to the stream, Deeming it imprudent to keep the traveled road, George guided his horse into the mes- quites, among the winding trails toward the Medina, and soon after he rode beneath the moss-draped trees of the river-bottom. Here and there an arrow of moonlight shot down through the foliage, enabling him to note the lay of the land. Up toward the ford he slowly guided bis horse, until he arrived at the mar- gin of the timber near the same, but he could discover no signs of acamp. Across the river the bank was some thirty feet higher than the ' although George was boiling over with im- ‘nal he had given. crowned with a fillet of eagle-feathers, and he hung over his shoulders was suspended a bullet- As the young man gazed forward, he saw | camped?” they are located. I shall want to see them start off in the morning also; or I may want to go ahead of them. Where will they be likely to encamp to-morrow night?” ‘*Mebbe so go to San Miguel. Mebbe so go long ride to Frio,” ‘‘ Will my red friend cross the river with me?” “Wild Wolf will go where white brother say. He is friend of great scout of Texas, It is well. Come!” George followed the Waco along winding paths, and soon the ripple of waters broke on his ear. The next moment the ink-like surface of the Medina was at his feet, here and there relieved by a patch of silver, and by bars of moonlight that shot throvgh the foliage of the grand archway of limbs far above. The Indian sprung nimbly into the branches of a tree, George following him, until they reached a dizzy hight where the limbs from either side twined together. Over the river in this way they passed; de- scended, and stood on the south side of the Rio Medina, All was silent, except the hoot of owl, or bark of coyote. “Come,” said Wild Wolf, in a whisper. Once again the ycung man followed on the heels of the Waco; this time up-stream, and along the bank, it being about ten feet above the water. Not more than a bundred yards had been gone over when the Waco halted, and pointing ahead of them, said: ‘There, camp. Two wagon. White bair chief, Squaw, face like rose of prairie. My white brother go see. Wild Wolf stay here. Want Waco chief, hoot like owl.” With these words the Indian seated bimself in the dense shade, lit his pipe and puffed with an air that showed he was confident there existed no necessity for caution in that section. George went on as the Waco had directed bim, but had advanced some distance before he could distinguish the wagons and fires, It was plain to our young friend, as be pro- ceeded, that the colonel had not stationed a guard, and that the camp was open to the in- spection of any one who might be passing in the vicinity. He cast longing glances toward the Dearborn, and wished, from the inmost re- cesses of his beart, that be could go boldly into the camp, and speak with his soul’s idol; but he knew that sucb a course would raise a storm from Colonel Bowen which would be hard to bear, and not only that, but it would doubtless be of great injury to his cause in the future, Dropping upon bis bands and knees, be crawled forward, resolved that be would reach the Dearborn and get speech with Belle, if possible; but he bad not gone thirty paces when, right in front of him, he beheld the form of a man crawling, like himself on hands and knees. There was no retreat, for both were in a cattle trail, narrow, and bordered with bushes, which, if either entered, would betray his presence to the other. Between the two men there was a moonlit space, and this was not five feet from where George had halted in his surprise. Not until within this patch of moonlight, did the stran- ger, who was evidently a spy, discover George Adler. As he did so, the latter saw distinctly the swollen and repulsive face of the Mestizo, his eyes glaring with malignant hatred and a look, at the same time, of intense exultation. Only for a moment did the two strangely met buman beings gaze at each otber. The next the half-breed sprung forward like a panther, The head of the brave was was naked to the waist. Below this he had fancifully decorated buckskin leggins, and moccasins with thick buffalo-skin soles, In a. beaded belt was thrust a long scalping-knife, and a Colt’s revolver, while from a strap which pouch and paint-bag. This was Wild Wolf, the Waco. The eyes of the two men met in a long, un- flinching gaze, during which nota word was spoken; then George sprung from his horse, and passing the bit of antelope horn, upon which were engraved some rude characters, to the Indian, he stood waiting for the latter to speak. Only for an instant did the red-man glance at the horn; then, making a step forward, he caught the hand of George Adler, and placed it upon his breast, in token of friendship and brotherbood, saying: ‘Friend of Big Foot Wallace is friend of Wild Wolf. My white brother is welcome. Come. The lodge of the Waco chief is open. His tongue is not forked.” ‘Thanks, Wild Wolf. I am on the trail, but I will halt and rest a little with you.” “Tie mustang here. Want eat grass. Mebbe so will fast when sun come.” “Yes, my friend; I presume I may have occasion to ride fast and long for the next few days. But how do you come to know of it?” ‘‘ Big Foot, be alwayson war-path. Friends on war-path. Wild Wolf on war-path all time. Bad white men in woods. Apaches, Comanches, Kioway, all got on war-paint. Heap much fight. Heap much scalp.” ‘*Do you go on the war-path alone, my red friend?” ‘““No. Got warriors up river. Hide in thick trees. Wild Wolf ride down Medina. See Big Foot come.” ‘Big Foot will be here to-morrow,” said George. ‘Good. Come in bush. No talk where moon shines. Riflesshootin day. Rifles shoot in night, all same on war-path.” George Adler secured his horse to a sapling, and followed the Indian into the timber. They entered a dense thicket of wild plums, within which was a clear space, circular in form, and some thirty feet in diameter. In the middle of this well-guarded opening was a lodge made from the reeds of the river; while in front of the dwelling was a platform made in the same manner. Upon this was a pair of buffalo- robes, the skin side strangely ornamented in vermilion. Over the door of the lodge was hong another robe, indicating that other than Wild Wolf were dwellers there, but the latter threw aside a robe on the platform, ‘‘Let my white brother rest,” he said, as he did so. ‘‘He shall have meat. The rifle of Wild Wolf shoots straight, and the deer run fast when they see the Waco chief.” He then brought from a smoldering fire broiled venison and parched corn upun a large green leaf, and placed the same before his guest, and the latter partook of the simple meal with an appetite born of his twelve-mile ride over the plain, This done, be produced his tobacco-pouch and passed it to the Indian, who with a gruntof satisfaction filled his pipe, and igniting it, began to smoke with great gusto, Fer ten minutes not a word was spoken, a me eee ss TC — — cboo com ‘ ' '