Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 217 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

a where a cool spring bubbled from the rocks, and rank grass and flowers formed a thick carpet. Without loss of time Castro placed Dolores by the spring, and hastened to relieve the horse ‘,om bis equipments. He then approached the soring, and took a long draught. Poor Dolores elt tbat she was lost, that there was no bope; | qauaen of Toyah creek with the Rio Bravo del | ' | captive in the hands of his Apache-reared son, | | who, had he known that she was near, and in | nud a prayer burst from her trembling lips—a | prayer for death, for deliverance seemed im- possible! Castre took one step toward the maiden, the fiend in his nature showing plainly on every teature of his face, and flushing from his eyes. ‘* Madre de Dios !” This ery from poor Dolores only caused a fiendish laugh from her vile and merciless cap- tor. It was a laugh, however, that died on his lips, which trembled and turned of ashen hue, as did also his face, while his eyes sudden! filled with terror; for, as if the prayer of the girl was heard and answered, as if in echo to the cry, there rung out a wild scream, intonated in such a peculiar manner that, once heard, it was not likely ever to be forgotten. Dolores beard it, and then from her inmost soul came an ejaculation of devout gratitude: - a Dios !” Castro heard it, too, and a hoarse, gurgling sound came from his throat, while he cast ter- ror-stricken glances on every side. Then, tear- ing a kerchief from the neck of Dolores, he thrust it into her mouth, thus effectually gag- ging ker. This done, he drew his revolver, and bounded down the gulch, with murder in his eyes. Both captive and captor knew that the cry sare from the poor demented wanderer, Luny ize. To Dolores, it pointed to life, liberty, and a release from all that could make life terrible. Te Castro, it spoke of torture; a lingering death at the hands of a crazed and relentless woman, and she, as be believed, the mother of the maiden he had stolen from her friends, and whom he had sworn to make bis slave! Poor Dolores wrenched madly at her bonds, for she knew that this was the moment of all others in her life. Her future, her fate, her honor, were wavering in the balance, and de- rended upon the loosening of a silken knot. She strugg] d until she became exhausted, but without avail. A sickening despair almost overpowered the silences that now reigned in the gulch. It was most torturing, naught but the rippling of the water, and the sound made by the jaws of the horse, as he tore the grass from the bank, fell upon her anxious ears. So, in suspense, she waited. Lorenzo Castro, with a superstitious and cowardly fear in his heart, stole out from the mouth of the gulch, and, screened by a few stunted cedars, gazed beyond, to the broken cide of the range, aud there bebeld a sight that somewhat relieved his mind. As he had ex- pected, Luny Lize was in view, mounted upon a wild-eyed Apache pony, swinging her arms in the air, and apparently talking to herself, She was following a mountain path, which he supposed must lead to the plain some hundred yards west of his position, and one which it was impossible for her to leave. It was possible that she might see his horse, if she glanced down into the yawning abyss; but he knew that Dolores could not be within view, she being close under the cliff at its further end, Castro felt safe from discovery, as far as he and his captive were concerned; but, he knew if the madwoman saw the horse, she would proceed at once to inspect the gulch, He knew besides that Luny Liza was an expert shot, and as cunning as an Apache; not only so, but she was as keen of sight as an eagie. Determined that he would run no risks, he returned to his horse, re-equipped, and again mounted with his trembling captive, who now believed that her guardian angel had deserted her. Winding in and out, amid bowlders and clumps of cedars and cacti, proceeding toward the Rio Grande, resolved to enter the Mexican territory the following night, and giving his horse an easy pace, Castro continued his jour- ney. 4 mile from the gulch he removed the gag from the mouth of Dolores, but beyond this, paid her no further attention; for he felt sure that Luny Lize was liable to dash into view at any moment, and from any point. His sus- picions were not groundless, for, as he left the mountains some two miles behind him, he dis- covered. as he gazed back over his trail, none other than the woman whom he so dreaded, just leaving the range, and heading quite rapidly to- ward bim. But he had no fear of being over- taken, and he knew that Luny Lize had not the slightest was a captive in the arms of the man who was riding in front of ber. A long and weary ride over the hot plain, and there came again the cool night air, leaving Fort Quitman to the west. Then the outlaw dashed down the Rio Grande toward the point mt ttt, a tt CCl ll lll LLL LLL | — Coenen ee eEEEEERIEEEe ee ee ee 2 _ suspicion that her daughter Dolores | where he intended to cross into Mexico, at the | orte. Thus, by a strange combination of tragic cir- mm me ee ee ey The Serpent of El Paso. cumstances, Don Miguel Martinez had become a | and was now being borne upon a fast-flying steed over the maoonlit plain toward the Rio Grande, north from Laguna de los Patos; and | he ! | still another; tearing wildly through the mes- the sister of the one, and daughter of the other —each having been parted from the other since the childhood ef these children—being borne tn tbe arms of an outlaw, also galloping fast to- ward the same point, southeast from Sierra Blanca. While, in the rear of the last-men- tioned, following at full speed, sa a half-wild, snorting Apache pony, was Luny Lize, the woman who had been so deeply wronged, and who had caused father, son and daughter each to be a stranger to the other, each to follow a different life-trail! Fast following too, In the rear of the wild youth, now holding his wretched father a cap- tive, bis noble horse straining every nerve to reach the river at the same time with those whom be pursued, was Frontier Frank, an im- portant actor in the strange life drama of which we write. CHAPTER XIX. A TERRIBLE CONJUNCTURE. FRONTIER FRANK never before forced bis gal- lant horse at such headlong 5 pe as in that long chase over the plain from Laguna de los Patos to the Rio Grande; but all was of no avail, as too great a distanceseparated him from Mucha- cho del Noche and his captive. Five minutes in advance, after fording the river, would be sufficient for Muchacho to con- ceal his victim, where he would be found only by accident; and this time he had, and this ob- ject he accomplished, before the horse of the scout had plunged into the water to ford the river. The mind of Frontier Frank was now in a most torturing condition; for, he feared that, pressed as Muchacho had been in the race, and in consequence prevented from advancing be- yond the river toward the Apache Mountains, he would kill his captive—murder his own father. Terrible and revolting as this possibility was, the scout could not prevent the young brave from becoming a parricide, unless by some provi- dential means, be could come on him, When Frank reached the Texas bank of the river, he immediately secreted his horse in a thicket of mesquites, and with great caution proceeded along the many dark wash-outs, where the moon did not penetrate, listening in- tently. While thus occupied, let us leave him, to fol- low others of the characters whom we have met. oo | stand the resemblance. Muchacho del Noche soon reached the Texas | bank, when, dismounting, and removing his saddle and bridle, he allowed his mustang to go free over the plain. was before bim, so benumbed, physically and mentally, as to be incapable of speech or mo- tion; and his savage young captor dragged him through a tangled thicket, entirely shut in by a wall of mesquites. This done, Muchacho re- turned, with a stealthy, gliding step, toward the river, to watch for the advent of his pur- suer, the man who had saved his life, and who, in consequence, was safe from any harm at bis + oe but whom the young brave desired to avoid. Luny Lize did not know the horseman whom she had discovered, as she aimlessly wandered in the mountains; but an insane desire to know what it was that he bore with him, caused her to give chase, she having, at the time, nothing to call her in any particular direction, And a chase it was, the entire distance fo the river, daring the remaining half of the day, and far into the night; but she never once thought of a halt, or of relinquishing her object, namely, to es a knowledge of what the lone rider carried fore him. The frequent glances which she could see that he gave bebind him, to watch her progress, proved that he wished to avoid being overtaken; and this strengthened Luny Lize in her resolve to continue on. So close did sbe get, that Castro knew he could not bope to reach the ford and cross the river, before she would be upon him. He wished also to reconnoiter before proceeding further. He therefore entered a dense thicket, where he dropped Dolores upon the sward, se- cured his horse, and stole off amid the cacti and mesquites to investigate bow affairs stood at the ford; for he bad, naturally, no desire to fall in with company of any kind. Poor Dolores had been so terrified at her peri- lous position that, altbough she had simulated somnolence, she had not really slept for two days and nights; and no sooner did she realize that she was alone, thau she sunk into a death- like slumber. Thus, the poor girl lay, merci- fully unconscious, for the time, of her recent sufferings and her dread situation; while, near her, were those through whose veins ran the same blood, the nearest relatives she had on earth, and one of whom would as quickly plunge his knife into ber heart as he would into i Don Martinez was, from | fatigue and the thougbt of the terrible fate that | hand and foot. | jaqueta, and found a knife, which he opened; —— es) 15 that of a fawn: the other was bound, a prisoner like terself, but he would not have known that she was aught to him, had he seen ber. Scouting among the chaparral near at hand, was also her loved guardian, Frontier Frank, the clutches of a villain, would beve movec hes ven and earth, so to speak, to save her. And quites up the stream, was one whom she hed been taught to call mother—e. poor, demented being, and also ignorant of ber presence, ~ When Don Martinez, weak and listless, siip- “ne to earth, from the horse of his captor, be ad given up ail hope of life. He felt that he was doomed to death by his own son, and that this was in punishment of his many crimes. All his appea!s, throughout their long ride, had passed unnoticed, although Don Miguel knew that bis son, reared among the Apaches, could understand much of what he said. Words cannot express the borror and dread that be felt. He had no doubt of the relation- ship between himself and his savage ceptor, and the thought of the brutal manner in which the young brave, indifferent to his pleadings, had treated him, incensed him greatly; and, weak though he was, made him resolve upon planning an escape. e was more hopeful of this when he observed the departure of his captor from the opening. n one or two occasions during bis ride over the plain, he bad perceived a horseman evi- dently in hot pursuit; and now, as bis reason- ing faculties became clearer, Don Miguel wan- dered back in thougbt to Rancho de) Laguna. He could think of no one there, except the mys- terious Texan scout, who would dare attempt to follow, and rescue him. The thought that it might be this man who was on the trail greatly encouraged him, and he began to wrench desperately at his bonds, but bis hands were secured bebind his back, and there seemed for a time little chance of suc- cess. Suddenly, however, they snapped, and be was on the road to freedom. This much ac- complished, he endeavored to stand erect, but found it impossible. Fearing to remain Jonger, be crawled upon hands and knees as rapidly ss he could, among the mesquites and prickly pears which surrounded him. On went the old Castilian, stealtbily, for some distance, until he reached a small epening, where the moonlight revealed the prostratc =. figure of a beautiful girl, attired in a gaudy - costume, and apparently asleep or unconscious.. There was a something in the face of the maiden that reminded Don Miguel of some one whom he had seen; but, had his life depended. on it, he could not have told who it was. But, he was soon to know—soon to under- To bis further surprise, he next discovered that the girl was bound, He felt in the poeket of his und then, without in the leest disturbing the fair sleeper he severed the bonds at ker ancles and wrists; her hands, which had been clasped over her breast, parting, and slipping down to the ground at ber side. | As the arm nearest to the old Castilian fell amid the grass, a portion of the arm was bared, which revealed the exact representation of an alligator, in vermilion; in position, eolor, and size, the very counterpart of that which Dow Miguel had discovered on the arm of his captor, the Indian-reared youth! All the terrible feelings that produce a soul- drawn agony filled the brain of the old man. He strove to give vent to them, but the sourd that he uttered resembled only the gasping — made by a strong man in his death-strug- e. What mystery was this? Padre Jose hed told him that the figure of an alligator had been pricked upon the arm of his son in infancy, by the old nurse who was now dead. Could it be ible that she had also ok this mark upon his daughter, or the child of some other person? The marks were both in the same place, were of the same size, and the same color, What could it mean? Marietta, he knew, had a turtle upon her arm. Why kad the nurse put different figures upon the arms of his children? Had sbe donesof Was Marietta in- deed his child?) Madre de Dios! Was he going insane? Of course, Marietta was his daughter; but who was this maiden, and how and why had she been thus marked? These perplexing, maddening thoughts came rushing into Don Miguel’s mind, and then (:’ lowed one which speedily became a cerisir — It shot through bis brain as it came to him, lew. ing a scathing, seared trail bebind it. The resembiance to some one whom he had seen and known—ay, had been familiar with—~ that had struck him as he peered through the screen of leaves, was no longer @ pete 298 He felt, he acknowledged this, as he lowered hic gazed at the — t sky. head to the earth, and a of the maiden outlined against the moon! part of his dead wife! Don Miguel crawled, in a trembling, tettering: manner, into the thicket once more; and there, JOO eom (E cS screened from view, fell upon the ground, while | The east of countenance was the exact coumter- | ] . (E(0) ) sy ed . ” . ; ~ » eS” 4 — rr se em A p