Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 217 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

i “” i, a 7 —s while his eyes spoke volumes of sympathy born of his love. And so grateful was the lone and grief- stricken maiden for that sympathy, that her small, fair hand drew his to her, her white steed stepped closer toward him, and her eyes gazed into his so wistfully, so filled with half-love, half-adoration, that Frontier Frank impulsive- ly staked everything upon a single throw, and clasping her waist with his strong arms, while hers were thrown around his neck, like vine about an oak, and her wealth of bair fell for- ward, mingling with his own, half vailing the faces of both as their lips met in the rapture of a newly-acknowledged love, And thus, on Mexique prairie, amid the grass and flowers that stretched as far as eye could reach, with naught but the blazing sun to wit- ness their silent betrothal—thus did Frontier Frank and Marietta Martinez confess, each to the other, a love as strong, perchance as un- quenchable, as the fiery orb above them. Thus, eighteen years after he had pleaded in vain for the love of the mother, the love of the daughter came to him, as a reward for all his patienee and faith, His waiting, watching, suffering, and anx- iety seemed now far in the distant past, and his weary and torturing ride toward Rancho del Laguaa was to live in his memory like a journey through Paradise. CHAPTER XXVII. HOME AGAIN. It is midnight of the night that followed the meeting of Frank and Marietta upon the prai- rie, All bas been done that can be done, under the directions of the scout, to put Rancho del Laguna in a condition of defense. he stock has all been driven to the south side of the Rio Carmen, and is in charge of some of the brave vaqueros. The corrals and jacals are deserted, for Frank has caused all the peons, women and children included, to come within the walls of the hacienda, not many words hay- ing been needed to induce them to doso; in fact, the poor creatures were frantic at the mere men- tion of the Apaches. Andthe men were hard- ly less so; for old Cochisa had often swept the surrounding country, leaving a trail of blood and devastation behind him. Frontier Frank is well aware of the cowardice of these peons. He knows that he cannot de- nd upon them, when the fierce war-cries of he Apac4es ring in their ears; so hs has brought the women and children inside, in place of hav- ing them flee to Carizal, in order to prevent their husbands and fathers and brothers from running in a mob from the rear gate, at the first appearance of the Indians. | It is a most desperate situation, and, nothing would excuse this placing the women and chil- dren in a position of possible danger, but the’ fact that the scout was confident of help from Lieutenant Morse and his cavalry. He knew that if he could not hold the walls, they could all then retire within the casa, and defend it, the pierced doorways and windows being securely barred with iron. The doors were of strong make, and the walls of the casa were three feet in thickness, and project breast high above the roof, in order that when attacked, parties could, with perfect safety, shoot down into the patio and gardens upo the foe. Marie ta has now partially thrown off her anguish, and is doing all in her power to main- tain order among the affrighted women and chil- dren, and to encourage poor Celesta, whoss wound, from the constant excitement in which she has been, causes her great pain. Both Marietta and Celesta have confided their love secrets to each other, and have exchanged felicitations. Francisco, though still weak, is quite on the alert, being second in command of the garrison, he having charge of the defenses next to Laguna de los Patos; but Frank has in- formed him that he must take full charge of the defense, upon the commencement of ‘he attack, as the scout’s intention is to go outside the walls, and make an attempt to rescue poor Dolores, as soon as the Apaches show themselves. The cap- ture of this maiden, and the peril in which she is now placed, had been detailed to all; and in this way Frank prevent Marietta hav- ing any possible feeling of jealousy, although she did plead with him not expose his life in such a manner. ; Frank first proceeded to a high tree beyond the walls, to the east of the casa, where a view of the plain eastward is to be had; and, after scanning the broad expanse through bis glass, he soon fixed his eye upon the galloping horde of Apaches. Quickly he descended, rushed to the landing, sprung intoa boat and rowed toward the west, the water curling and flying in white foam from the prows. Reaching a favorable point, he ascended an- other tree, and his strong form trembled, for he well knew that the fate of all within the walls of the casa depended upon what might meet his eye on the west plain. If naught should break the level view of the SO — -- The - = — prairie, then all is Jost; a horrible death, or a fate that is far worse awaits them all, He lifts the mene hesitatingly, almost dreading to gaze through it. Sut a moment thus, and then a cry of relief, of | | met his death in fair fight. thanks immeasurable, burst from his throat—a yell that, if the gallant boys of the Second Cav- alry could but bave heard it, would have caused them to respond in ringing cheers and dash spurs hard to meet the man from whom it pro- ceeded. This time Frontier Frank descended the tree in such haste as to endanger life and limb; then springing into the boat, his muscles strained, his bright eyes glittering, it darted through the water like a thing of life. Quickly he ordered a peon to take all the boats to the further side of the Rio Carmen and remain there with them; then, drawing his bowie, he bounded along the outside walls in full view of the amezed inmates, who gazed over the cacti, thinking their brave leader had gone insane. One ringing shout, however, explained all to the garrison. Frank came to a halt in the open moonlight, some fifty paces from the west walls, waved bis bowie a moment in the air to draw attention, and then pointed the glittering steel toward the west, as he shouted the welcome, thrice wel- come words: ‘* Los soldados Americanos !” Wild, ringing cries break from vaqueros, buckaros and the peons generally. ‘* Viva los scoldados Americanos ! Coronel Frank !”’ Upon the casa roof stands Marietta, and, as she sees the scout flourish his knife, she springs upon the breastwork, tears off her rebozo, and Viva el waves it in gladness and admiration, while | Francisco, by ber side, cuts circles in the air with his sword, Then, as the scout raised his hands, pointing | to the east, and circling. his bowie about bis | head, in imitation of scalping, all faces became pallid as death itself, for the rumble of hoofs now struck their ears. The Apaches were coming in full force! Would the brave cavalry boys arrive in time? The scene instantly changed. Not a face is to be seen above the cacti-guarded walls of Rancho del Laguna, and Frank too has disappeared. Beyond the ribbon of trees that shuts out the west plain from view is a most fearful sight. Like a tornado come the wild-eyed mustangs, whisking through the prairie grass, with their painted Apache riders too hideous almost to be of earth, Afar behind flies their long hair, and the hair | torn from tortured heads that decorates their Shields and lance points. Bending forward in their saddles, their snake-like eyes striving to pierce the screen of trees, and gaze upon the walls that hold their expected victims, their | quirts hissing through the air and cutting their | steeds unmercifully, that with snort and plunge | fly over the plain—on they come, murder their | trade, torture their joy, the shrieks of murdered women and babes the sweetest music in their | ears. A hundred fiends, thirsting for innocent blood, carrying death, desolation, and despair | wherever they ride, And in their midst rides poor Dolores, her face death-like, and an expression of mingled horror and hopeless despair frozen upon it. She is not bound, however. A lariat attached to the neck of her mustang, and held by an Indian who rides alongside, is all that shows she is a captive, At the head of this most savage borde rides the chief, old Cochise, and by his side Muchacho del Noche, the latter eagerly scanning the | woods ahead, the wild war spirit shown strong | in his painted face, Proudly is poised his head, upon which rests the silver fillet which flaunts the three eagle-feathers of a chief. As they arrive within a rifle-shot of the timber, they draw rein, and proceed slowly and | ing sent ahead to scout | the wood, and paren an ambush. A guttural | cautiously, two braves order from old Cochise, and two other braves ride into the wood to the left toward the Rio Carmen, with Dolores in charge, the main body penering toward the gates. Muchacho del oche dashes on in advance to reconnoiter; but | he goes not far, for as he enters the shrubbery, he sees to his surprise and gratification the very man he had swam after in the Jaguna,and who, but for the white scout, would have been the means Of losing his life by the alligator—none other than Pedro Mercedo, fast tied to a tree, as Francisco and the old portero had bound him | some honrs before, Forgetting aught else but his recent defeat by this man, maddened at the thought that one | whose scalp be had already, in imagination, thrust into his belt on the laguna bank, at his first visit to Laguna de los Patos—furious when he recalled that defeat, Muchacho del Noche sprung to the earth before the appalled Castil- | ian, who gave a wild, piercing yell of fear and horror. _ Realizing that the ice was broken, at the same instant that be perceived he had madea mistake in creating an alarm before old Cochise was on hand with his warriors, Muchacho shot out his piercing war cry, plunged his knife into Pedro’s | beart then tore off the reek ng scalp ef the ee et ee -—~ — — —_——_—— - = erpent of El Paso. ee —_ Eee ————— — ee 21 a ee ee oe ee me _—~—— ---2 caballero, at the same time severing the boi ds that had bound him to the tree, easting the thongs into the thicket, and hurling the quiver- ing and dying man into the middle of the open- ing, there lying outstretched as though he had All this before his fellow brave came up. And this very circumstance, so ill timed to the mol as they thought it, warnirg, as it must have done, the enemy of their cp; roich, was well-timed, for the brave scout, Frentier Frank, who lay in wait amid the trees, at the very point where Pedro bad attempted to as- sassinate Francisco, was witness to it all. The two braves, who had Dolores in charge, most fortunately for the latter, preceeded di- rectly to the place where the scout stood ready to receive them. Springing from behind a tree as the Indians dismounted, and at the very instant, that Pedro Mercedo gave bis shriek of despair, thus draw- ing the attention of the two Apaches, Frank clove one of them from throat to thigh with a terrible downward cut, leying open bis vitals, and hurling him to the earth. Then tis | lcod- dripping steel was buried in the heart of the other brave, his hand being clapped cver the mouth of the Indian, thus preventing a ceath- | yell. ' With a glad cry of joy and relief, Dolcres | sprung into the arms of Frontier Frank, who bounded fast through the bottom to the boat- landing, thence up the walled way to the back gate, which opened at his signal, and closed with a clang, as he and Dolores rushed in. Darting through the gardens, and ecioss the patio, the scout placed Dolores on her feet in the apartment of Celesta, where was also Mari- etta, the latter being clasped for a moment in the arms of Frank, while the rescued maid cried out in haste, as, panting with exertion, the scout ran back! ’ ‘“My sister Marietta! Celesta, my sister! I am poor Dolores of Franklin!” As Frank again rushed out from the pa/io, _he grasped bis belt of revolvers from the old ortero, who stood ready with the same, while oud vivas filled the air at the sight of the dar- ing scout, who ran back to the front gate, just as the Apache horde charged toward the same, letting fly a volley of arrows at the beads of the peons, who according to directions, were ering over the cacti, to draw the fire of the ndians. The Apaches were answered by a buttling rain of ‘‘blue whistlers” from the _ escopetas of the Mexicans; which arm, at such short range did some execution, causing a few death-yells and how]s of fury from the braves who had confidently looked for an ersy victory. Never was human b ing more surprised than was Muchacho del Noche! It was evident that the people of tte hacienda had known of their approach, and had been ready to receive them: and this before they could have been observed from the plain, for ne, Degas from the jacals were manning tbe walls. As affairs now looked, tbe first plan, for sca] and plunder, that he bad marked out, was likely to prove a failure: and his esgle feathers must droop with the weight of defeat, if some- thing were not now done to gain the advantage over the enemy. Muchacho was madden d. He wes furious, as was old Cochise; but the feelings of the for- mer cannot be described, when be saw the tall _ form of the Texan scout daringly exposed upon the upper tower of the gateway, rifle in hand, which weapon he was using to great advantage, firing balf a dczen shets in rapid succession and springing back into a place of safety asa shower of arrows cut the air where an instant before he had stood. The superstitious wonder of Muchacho del Neche was at the first great, but it-seon van- ished. The scout bad been in Texas the previ- ous night, and must have guessed the destination of the war- party. Suddenly the massed Apaches were amazed and thunder-stricken. Theenemy were playing strange, The gates of Rancho del Laguna slowly swung open, but not a,human being: was in view. a CHAPTER XXVIII. THE END OF THE ROPD. It was no easy matter for old Cochise to keep his braves from urging their mustangs into the gates, for he was too cunning to be led into what he knew to be a trap and from which there would be no escape. e knew well that, had there been none but Mexicans within the walls, the gate would not bave been opened: hence his worst suspicions were aroused. These suspicions not only withheld bim, but they c used him to order bis braves into a more safe _ position He then conferred with Muchacho del Noche in regard to the situation. The latter . was satisfied that there could be no force with- in the walls that could cope successfully with their braves, and v lunteered to lead the attack if old Cochise would alow him one-half of the warriors, JOO S) eom (E -* * —s a pe,