Beadle's Dime Library No. 204 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

— - > - eS pe ; Big Foot Wallace. ee 9 directly upon the enemy before him, who was so startled and amazed at the unaccountable and mysterious appearance of the Mestizo at such a time and place that he was rendered, for the time being, almost helpless, and had not even time tc draw his weapon before the cowardly savage had clutched him. As the half-breed sprung forward, George arose to his feet and grasped the knife-hand of his would-be murderer on the instant; then both, with arms and legs at times interlocked, writhed and staggered about among the thick bushes, each making superhuman efforts to throw the other to the earth; their muscles strained to the very utmost tension, while the swollen face, bloodshot eyes, and clinched teeth of the Mestizo broughf close to the young man’s face, caused him to shudder with all the aversion and dread that one feels when just escaping the spring of a rattlesnake, Not more than a minute did the two men struge'e together on the bank of the river; for recovering him on a sudden, George Adler pressed the half-breed forward with resistless force, the heel of the latter striking a root, which caused him to lose his balance, and both the combatants fell headlong, crashing through the dense undergrowth that bordered the bank, into the Rio Medina, striking the waters with a sounding splash, and then disappearing be- neath the inky surface, CHAPTER VIL WILD WOLF. STILI retaining his grip about the right wrist of the Mestizo, George Adler, as they sunk together beneath the waters of the Me- dina, released his left hand by a quick jurk from the grasp of the balf-breed, and clutched him by the throat, causing him to writhe and contort in, apparently, the spasms of death. When he ceased his struggles, George released himself, and quickly swam to the bank, where, climbing up if, be was confronted by Wild Wolf, whe stood silent in the moonlight, his stoical face showing naught of the thoughts that ruled bis brain. Tbat the slight commotion occasioned by the struggle with the Mestizo, had caused an alarm in the camp of Colonel Bowen, was evident; for a hum of voices reached the ears of George and the Waco, and an increased light showed that the fires had been replenished. The Indian was the first to speak. ‘“‘My white brother is not a beaver, that he should swim in the river. Waters of Medina show nv trail. Make heapnoise. Bad on war- path ” ‘““Wild Wolf talks good sense,” said the young man in reply; “‘but I was forced into the river. An enemy was in my path. He came upon me so quick that I had no time to | draw my knife, and we fell in the water while trying to get the advantage of each other. But I believe I choked his life out.” “Whe enemy—white, red, black, yellow?’ ** Well, you have me there, chief; for he is neither one nor the other. He’s a mixture—a half-breed.” *“Mestizo, mebbe so? Heap bad man.” ‘Yes; I believe that is what Post Oak Bill called him,” ‘‘How Post Oak Bill see to Medina? How he speak to my white brother over heap big plain?” | “Tam not afraid of him. with his life this time. sure thing of it.” ‘‘ He has seen the camp of my white brother’s friends.” The Waco turned away, and George fol- lowed him across the river to the secret open- ing, where he found a fire blazing, and a young and very pretty squaw cooking venison at the same, As the two entered the open space she arose | } He has got off | have found his way down to the bend. Choos- The next, Ill make a | ing a spot where the path led through a mass of undergrowth, the Mestizo climbed a tree at one side, and secured the end of the lariat to a large limb some ten feet from the ground; then, spreading the noose in the other end he adjusted it loosely on the bushes, it being about the right distance from the earth to al- low of a horse passing under it. Thus, a man riding along the path would be caught in the noose; and, if his horse should be moving quickly to an erect position, and looked toward | quickly, would stand a chance of having his them. neck broken by its tightening suddenly and “Warnona is the squaw of Wild Wolf, the | jerking him from the back of the animal. The Rose of the Wacos,” said the chief by way of introduction. ‘*‘ My white brother is the friend of the’Great Scout of Texas.” faster the borse went, the less chance there would be of the rider’s escaping with his life, The half-breed now sneaked away in the “The friend of the Chief of the Post Oaks is | dark shades, a fiendish laugh bursting from his welcome.” Seating himself by the fire, George Adler began to watch with great interest, the move- | ments of these children of nature. 'a fawn, Warnona glided here and there, occa. | sionaily casting a glance of mingled love and | gone out. Wild Wolf ready for Big Foot, ' | pride at her handsome savage lord, Not long had George been seated in this posi- lips. Wild Wolf, baving at length completed his war-stripes, rose again to his feet, and ex- Graceful as | claimed: ‘“*Gun loaded. Chief wokeup. Council-fire The war-path is open.” Thus spoke the Waco chief. Then he in- tion, whén once again the same unearthly | quired: shriek shot through the timber, from the same ““Why does the white-haired chief take | point to all seeming, from which he had left | young squaw with cheeks like prairie rose : | the river. The Indian merely glanced upward an in- stant, and then looked as though the sound was unworthy of notice. ‘“‘Has a young panther lost its mother?” | asked Warnona, “Wild Wolf is ashamed of bis squaw,” was thereply. ‘‘She knows not the bark of acoyote from the song of a bird.” ‘The sounds of the night are strange to Warnona,” shesaid, ‘‘ She has been but three moons from the lodge of her mother.” “Wild Wolf’s words were hard toward the Rose of the Wacos,” said the chief. “ It is the cry of a Mestizo, whose knife isin his hand, | ' ; and whose eyes look for the trail of our white brother. Wild Wolf must put on war-paint. | His blood grows hot.” “Let bim come,” said the young squaw. ‘*His death-yell will sound sweeter to War- nona than the song of birds. The enemy of the white chief is the enemy of the Wacos.” “The words of Warnona are good,” replied Wild Wolf.” But while George is drying himself by the fire, and the Waco is putting on his war-paint, let us look after the Mestizo. While beneath the surface of the water, the cunning half- | breed had sense enough left to know that there was but one chance for his life; and that was to simulate death. This he at once did, though at the time he was nearer dead than alive, As soon as he was released, therefore, he whirled upon his back, and allowed himself to | float down the stream, with nothing but his face abo’: ‘he water, When he decided in his mind that he could climb the bank without being observed by his hated enemy, he swam silently to the shore, } and there lay, panting and exhausted, hissing out curses, not loud but deep and bitter at hav- ing again been foiled by the young Texan. | Then it was that, an idea suddenly occurring _ to bim, he gave full vent to his feelings in the ' yell which first startled George. Then he crawled along the bank of the river ” Well, I ought to have explained that. | in the direction of the camp of Colonel Bowen, This same Mestizc tried to knife me in San | giving utterance as he did so to another shrill Antonio, arid I gave him theu a blow with my | unearthly shriek. fist between the eyes that laid bim out senseless | ' for some little time.” Upon reaching a position where he had a view of the camp, the Mestizo rolled on the ‘Mexican never forget blow with hand. | earth in fiendish glee then sprung erect, and Indian never forget blow with band. ‘Worse | darted like an arrow up the river for a couple than cut with knife.” “You may be rigbt—I presume you are— but that Mexican is past liking or disliking it now.” At this moment a loud and piercing yell shot up the vast natural archway of towering rees. George Adler looked into the face of the Waco, inquiringly. “My white brother go on first war-path?” “Vos, Wild Wolf, this is my first. Bat what does that terrible cry mean, from down the stream?” . ‘“My white brother forget? Mestizo no die easy.” “You don’t mean to say that the half-breed gave that yell?’ ‘‘Ts was the war-cry of the Mestizo. He is filled with the thirst for blood. My white brother must keer eyes open.” of rifle shots. There he entered a dense thicket where stood a wiry mustang, the bridle of the same hanging from the horn of the saddle. Quickly loosening an extra lariat from the can- tle, he rushed in wild bounds toward the _Tiver, over which he made his way in the same manner that Wild Wolf and George Adler had done. Down a tree on the north bank he slid, and then ran on through the bottom timber to the opening at the bend where George had met the Waco, and where the horse of the former was still grazing. The animal threw up its head and snorted in alarm, which caused the half- breed to bound ‘back into the bushes with a vile oath upon bis lips. He next examined the ground until he came upon a well-beaten path which led toward the ford, and by which he knew from the fresh prints of the hoofs that George Adler must ’ | where Apache war-cry will make her face white as the lily?” ““] cannot tell you why, my red friend. It is a mystery to me. He is very foolish, I think.” ‘““My white brother bas a straight tongue. White Hair isa fool. His scalp will hang on an Apache lance. I have spoken. Lies build not their nests on my tongue.” “I would like to ask you one question,” said George: “* Let my white brother speak.” ‘““Why was it that the Mestizo screamed, when he must have known that it was so dan- gerous?” ‘He yell, then crawl fast in bushes. Watch forenemy. He want scare White Hair from camp.” “Do you think that Colonel Bowen will move camp?” ** White Hair gone. Squaw gone. gone.” **How do you know this, chief?’ demanded George. ‘Wild Wolf has ears,” was the brief but significant reply. ‘“‘And I am not deaf, but I heard no sounds that would indicate a departure of the wag- ons.” ‘‘Hear my white brother and Mestizo fall in river. Hear Mestizo yell. Mebbe so think Apaches come. Get scare. Go off in dark. Think wagons make no noise on grass, but Wild Wolf's ears are open. Hear little bird sing ’way off in tree. Ask Warnona.” ‘* Warnona has heard the wagons,” said the squaw, George Adler sprung toward the entrance of the opening. ‘““Where go?’ asked the chief, with some show of anger. ‘*To mount my horse,” replied George, “‘ and cross the ford, to see if the wagons are in sight on the plain.” ‘‘No see wagons. Plenty mesquite bush. My white brother lose scalp. Mestizo hide in dark bushes. Wild Wolf is not a fool. Bad white men on Frio. Give gold to Mestizo, Send wagons in night.” The young man waited to hear no more. He felt that the Waco spoke the truth, and that Belle and the colonel were in great danger, Rushing in frantic haste to his horse, he mount- ed and spurred up the stream toward the ford in the way that he came. As he urged his horse at speed along the narrow trail, he approached the thicket in which the deadly noose awaited him; but a sneaking coyote darting across the path caused the steed to spring upward, and the lariat in- tended for the rider encircled the neck of the beast. Thus choked, the animal feli to the earth, hurling Adler far into the midst of the timber, where, bis head striking the trunk of a tree, he lay senseless. This was the Mestizo’s opportunity, and he improved it. Springing astride of his fallen foe, he raised his cuchillo in the air, the long blade glittering in the moonlight. The snake-like eyes of the half- breed shone like those of a basilisk, as he gloated over his helpless victim, trembling ali the while with the intensity of his insane de- light. At that moment, so critical, the proud Wagons JOOKS —— a com (E Com ae * 2 Se ae ee — PE ee ee Ee SD Seg