Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 217 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

startled and astonished man on earth; for he had been positive that ne human — was in ths vicinity, except Muchacho del Noche. However, the scout did not waste time in pondering on tbe situation. He regained his feet, and grappled with bis unknown foe, striving, but in vain, to draw bis knife. only for a moment, for each soon recognized the ether, to their mutual relief, Don Miguel crying out: ‘-Senor Frank, salvador mio. You are the guardian angel of my life, and of my fam- ily !” “Yet you would have killed me, had you been armed,” “ft knew you not. I do not know myself. An avalanche of misery bas been hurled upon me. i saw you pursuing the savage who car- ried me from Rancho de] Laguna. Alas! I have no hope of ever returning thither!” ‘Cheer up! All will yet be well. He was about to murder you, when you lay senseless at Laguna de los Patos, but I shot the knife from his hand. I came in pursuit to-night.” ‘** Santissima Maria!” You are trebly the salvador of meand mine? Saw you the ter- rible tragic scene in this spot a moment ago?” ‘‘] wirnessed it all, and must now go to save the maiden. She is very dear to me.” ‘*You have seen her, then, before to-night, senor?” .. - ‘*T have known her since childhood,” was the reply. ‘But I must away. -Hasten and. se- erete yourself, Don Martin.z, by or near the ford!” Away dashed the scout, in desperate haste, disregarding the pleading expression that seemed frozen upon the face of the old Castilian when be revealed the fact that he hail knewn Dolores sinee childhood. Don Miguel had.wisbed to ask an explanation of the mysterious figure on the | moiden’s arm, but he now felt that he must re- frais from ques‘ioning any one on the subject, excepting Padre Jose, who, be began to fear, had not revealed to him the whole truth, It seemed impossible that two persons, one in civilized life and the other a savage, should have the same peculiar mark imprinted in the place and manner. The scout, Don Miguel was pesttlye must have observed, at Laguna de los Patos, the alligator mark on the arm of the young brave, and must also have been struck y the fact that, in several places, the white skin of the youth was revealed, proving that he was a white man who had been taken captive when a child, and reared as an Indian, Yes; Senor Frank must know a at deal, which he liad either no time to explain, or else of which be did not care to give any explanation. In a very few hours this brave aud noble ’ Y'exano had done more for him and his, without | reward or an of the world bas ever done. bope of reward, than ali the rest | Don Miguel pressed his bands upon his fore- | head, fully realizing that, if he were called upon | to pass through much more torture of mind, he would either be dead from an overstrained brain, or hopelessly insane. For a few moments he was totally uncon- scious of his surroundings; then a most un- earthly piercing shriek went up through the night air, and Don Miguel started to his feet, aud fled toward the ford, crawling into the ‘thick chaparral to avoid the fresh horrors which he felt sure were coming thick upon him, Frontier Frank tore rapidly along the wind- ing deer-paths for a long distance, scrutinizing «<losely on all sides for Muchacha del Nocbe and Dolores, and n:1rly frantic at the thought of what must be.,ite sufferings of the poor girl who was now savage; when suddenly a thought flashed upon his mind, born of his anxiety for Dolores, that sive must have been abducted from her home in Franklin by Lorenzo Castro, ° Such had been his intense concern and horror at the scene in the opening, that, in the excite- ment, he had not taken the time to reason and ponder in regard to the mysterious and most astoundins circumstance, that Dolores should be. nearly one hundred and fifty miles from ber home; and, for the same reasons, the fact that he had captured and secured Castro to the root of a tree in the * Wash-out,” bad been banished from his mind. Now all was plain, and he was positive that Yylores bad been forcibly carried away from Franklin by this cowardly Mexican: “indeed there was no other way in which he could ac- count for the presence of both, ’ | | } .- the power of a war-painted | ' ' It was | i | | | | a iaciinee tee aneemnnettig a-dillinenestinalietioall * The Serpent of El Paso. OT RTT TS eT ne mee ge at speed toward the scene of the recent most singular and eventful meetings and happenings, of and connected with some of our principal characters, Upon approaching the ford, Muchacho del Noche discovered the horse which Lorenzo Castro bad stolen in Franklin, and which was the property of Lieutenant Morse. Greatly gratified at the sight the young brave now thought that he could strike out over the plain with his captives, if he could bring the two tozether—he not being aware of the fact that Don Miguel had freed bimself and es- caped, and also ignorant that the horse before bim had been ridden until he was utterly ex- bausted. He very soon, however, discovered both these facts: and resolving that be would recapture Don Miguel, Muchacho del Noche equipped both horses, and led the animals into an adjacent gully, when, to his agreeable sur- prise, a low neighing betrayed the presence of another animal, this being the black steed belonging to b'rank. The young brave secured this also, and led the three beasts up the gully, which happened to be the same within which Lorenz Castro now lay bound. But a sbort distance did Muchacho proceed, when a most fearful cry of borror and dread, at bis left, surprised him; ¢ using him to spring back behind one of the horses, and draw his scalping-knife, A glance, however, explained all. There was a captive near at hand, in place of the one that | he had lost; and this would enable him. to de- | pews immediately, his havin stolen all the orses, preventing anything like pursuit. Quickly the young savage cut loose the mis- erable Mexican, who was struck dumb with ter- ror, fer there was nothing upon earth of which he had such dread as an Apache. Putting Castro in the saddle, upon the very horse which the latter had stoken, Muchacho del Noche secured the-ankles of his captive be- neath the horse’s body, in such a manner as to make escape impossible. This done, the young brave mounted the steed of Frontier Frank, and returned for Dolores. He did not, as we know, proceed far without molestation, for the scout bad heard Castro’s ery, and was now coming toward him. Seeing Muchacho mounted upon his own noble black, Frank became furious. Instantly be jerked his revolver, and as quick- ly fired three shots in succevsion, cutting in twain the raw-hide rope, and the horse of Lieu- tenant Morse dashed away in fright into the chaparral with Lorenzo Castro, bound fast upon the saddle, the scout feeling confident that the animal would not run far. Having accomplished this much, Frank gave a piercing whistle, which caused his black steed, regardless of the mad attempts of its savage rider, to plunge in the direction of its master Realizing that he would be captured, Mucha- cho sprung from the horse, and into the dense mesquites, most te ribly enraged at being baf- fled on all sides; and beginning to think that he was never to prove that the eagle-feathers of a chief were his by right of proved prowess, as well as through the agency of the Big Medicine Squaw, as ‘* Bad Medicine” had evidently been o —- trail, ever since he had crossed the Rio rande. CHAPTER XXII. LUNY LIZE’S TRIUMPH. FRONTIER FRANK wasa prairie and mountain wauderer by inclination, being noted as a skillful scout and successful Indian-fighter. In many most dangerous, exciting and bloody scenes he had been a leading actor; but never before bad he been called upon to take a prominent part in so many exciting scenes as in the short space of LL All that was clear enough: but here was this agitation in regard to Dolores. ere was Only one solution to the puzzle. Don Miguel must, in seme way, have arrived at a suspicion that the vengeance, threatened so many years ago, by Elizabeth ENsworth, had extended further than the stealing of his son. But little time had the scout found to der upon these affairs; for, as he held to the bridle- rein after Muchacho del Noche had disappeared in one direction and Lorenzo Castro in another, the thought that the young brave might even yet succeed in getti gaway with Dolores, if he imself did not in some way manage to awaken the old Castilian to united and prompt action fs assisting in the search, came forcibly upon im. But Frank bad yet to witness a startling . scene, that wouid cause him to give up all hope - assistance from Don Miguel, and indeed all 0 this. we must go back to Luny Lize, who had followed Lorenzo Castro from Sierra Blanca, more through curiosity in regard to the charac- ter of his burden than himself. Had she known that it was Castro, and that Dolores was his captive, he would never have reached the Rio Grande, As it was, the cun- ning demented woman decided that she would keep straight ahead, riding slowly down the river-bank, and keep her eye on the surface of the water at the distant ford. She had not been within view of the ford for five minutes when, to her astonishment, she saw another man, also with a burden in bis arms, crossing the river; but, differently from the former, it was from Mexico into Texas, The © distance was too great for her to perceive that this man was an indian, although, from the ab- sence of any head-covering, she supposed that he was. Had she known that it was Muchacho, and that be!had captured Don Miguel Martinez—his own father—the man who had blighted her life and caused her to live in constant misery, and that the boy she had stolen from Rancho del ; i | | i A ttt ttt ttt time since his prompt action had been called | for, in the duello between Pedro and Francisco, in the gardens of Rancho del Laguna, He knew, by the expression he had observed on the face of Don Miguel, as well as by his ac- tions, that he had discovered the alligator to- tem on both Muchacho and Dolores; but why he should notice them in connection with himself especially, as he seemed to have done, was whet the seout could not understand. Had Frank not known the whole secret, be would have at- tributed the emotion betrayed by the old Cas _tilian to his terror and ‘suffering: but be now came filled with the most desperate and venge- | ful fury. Clutching his bowie: knife, be pushed on toward the “ wash-out,” a shriek of most terrible alarm, sounding from that direction, hastening his speed. The scout, however, was doomed to be de- prived of his anticipated revenge, 4s will be seen when we detail the movements of Muchacho del Noche. When the latter, with Dolores in his arms, | dashed from the opening, he ran in @ zig-zag course. in and out.of the cullv. and amid the Windiny deer paths, until he fel6 sure that he bad bafiled all pursuit. Then he secreted his fair captive in a dense thicket, and returned | i : . | felt. convinced that in some manner, Don Migue!} Satisfied on this score, Frontier Frank be- | had become possessed of the secret of the old nurse, The scout knew that she had died some years previous, and. he felt assured: that she would not have dared to confess to the mark on | sudden! Laguna intended to deliver his captive father over to old Cochise for torture—had Luny Lize known this, she would have torn through che chaparral at the utmost speed of her mustang, and deprived the young brave, who believed the Big Medicine Squaw to be his mother, pin capture, and tortured Don M guel her- self. ! The time had indeed nearly arrived, when she had promised herself the grand ending of her long schemes and Fiene of revenge, Don Miguel might die, and thus cheat her of the insane joy she had so long anticipated and dreamed of. She herself might die, and then he would rejoice that at last be was free from her fearful persecutions, This thougbt had been maddevi.g to Luny Lize, and sbe had already mapped out in ber mind, the exact ceremonies to go through at her grand finale. occupied her poor crazed brain much this very day; the thought bei-g only banished by the sign’ of the overburdened man and horse at the ord. She saw that something strange was about to occur. The man whom she had been following from Sierra Blanca was now to meet this man from Mexico on the Texas bank. They could scarce avoid meeting. As she thus reasoned, Luny Lize was again surprised by another borseman, urging his ani- mal over the ford; evidently either a friend of the first, or an enemy in pursuit. she was, the poor creature was ever cunning and cautious, Her manner of life caused her naturally to be so; and she passed slowly eastward, toward the ford, giving time for all the parties she had discovered, to meet, whether in peace or in war. Much puzzled at the long silence was Luny Lize; but she proceeded slowly, on bearing at last the shriek of Castro, as the latter, from the place where he was bound, in the ‘* wash out,” discovered Muchacho del Noche. The demented woman at once decided that the parties she bad observed, and the man she had followed, were enemies, and were fighting. | Apprehending danger, and thinking that there sounds, by which sbe might locate the the arm of the female babe, as that would have | revealed the fact that she bad been stolen, and of the kind. No, the old woman could never have found the courage, even when dying, to tell such a thing. Frank knew that Don Miguel Martinez was not one who woul’ be likely to faint at the sight of dead men; therefore his being so overcome on the bank of the lake could only have been caused by recognizing in the young brave his lost son, re. : \ might be a large encampment ahead, Lize pro- ceeded more slowly, and with great caution, — until she reached ‘ne vicinity of the ford. There she paused for some time, listening for ; ( camp of the strangers, but without avail. At length, to her great delight, she discovered Don Miguel Martinez, her betrayer, derting: into a thicket near at hand. With difficulty suppressing a shriek of joy, lest some one bhear- ing her might come between her and her long another substituted; Marietta baving no mark | anticipated final act of vengeance, Luny Lize urged her mustang to the edge of the thicket, which was of small circumference, and some- what removed from other patches of mesquite, — and from thence gazed downward: ready to spring insantly from her steed, if the old Cass tilian made any atttempr to escape: The face of the madwoman was pale with excitement, at having come so unexpected)y upon the one human being on earth whom she ICO com (E a (eee ee _— of again seeing the latteralive. To explain- Indeed, this very thing bad Mad, though - : (qo)