Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 23 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

) the sky of beauty. Let Lagona take Agar, my eld, and be a sun to me in the place of Pekito. I am a withered tree; I shall soon fall down, and be seen no more; and he skal! be chief over all—for we are brothers. We should know no enemies but the pale-faces, who have robbed us of our lands. and have trodden the bones of our fathers into dust!” The old chief paused, and oast down hia shield and war-club—a sign that he wouid fight no more. And an Indian would scorn to strike an unarmed foe; such treachery fe left for the pale-faces ! Lagona threw down his weapons, and said: “ We are brothers, and will fight no more, We have been fools, and Lagona has been the biggest fool of all. His eyes are open, and he looks through tears; for he sees his dead father and many braves who will fight no more — both the Comanche and the Lipan, Blood has run like water; but it has been our own. The pale-faces were the first cause. 3lood ealls for blood! It must flow from their veins. Lagona eannot yet look Agar the beautiful in the face, for his hand is red with the blood of Pekito. But Lagona will lead the warriors into the land of the pale- faces, and they wiil take many scalps, and much plunder, and many eaptives. Lagona will never raise his hand against a brother more, but he will fight the pale-faces. Whx will follow where he dares to lead ?” A universal shout of applause followed this speech of the young elgef; and all of the braves declared their readiness to go wherever he led. Then the old chief Lazaro and Lagona gas ed hands; and they, who had lately hihi with such fieree desperation, moved to a bloodless eamping-place, and ate and smoked together with as much friendship and good. feeling as if they never had fought each other. And that night— delaying to bury their dead until another day, and altogether omit- ting the sealp-dance which usually follows a battle—they laid their plans for an offensive foray into the frontier settlements of Texas Lagona was to lead the expedition, and te take a chosen band of picked warriors, of both tribes, nuraberiny five hundred or more. CHAPTER IX, Since the bold and daring venture of the Indians, which had so nearly deprived him of his daughter, Mr. Varian Delorme had kept a very strict guard about his house, employed sconts to constantly scour the plains, in the direction of the Comanche and Lipan country, and also kept up a constant communication with MeCullough, who, with his Rangers, was posted near at hand, At night, hia eattle were all corralled, his sentinels posted, his watch-dogs loosed, and arms placed by the side of every man—even the sleepers—so as to be ready at all times to meet an attack ; for he well knew that the red rovers of the plains would seek revenge for the loss of their warriors, and having been once on his plantation, would come again; for the memory of an Indian never fails while life lasts, be it for good or evil. it was some eight or ten days after his re- turn, that Mr. Delorme was informed by a half-breed scout, whom he had sent out, that an immense body of Indians was approach- ing. Ha instantly sent an express to the com- mander of the Rangers for help, had his cattle driven into the corral, and prepared to meet the impending attack—thankful that this time he had received suflicient warning to enable him to prepare for defence. Yet he had but a small foree to proteet s¢ large a house and so much ground. He had, it is true, near a hundred slavee; but their weapon, or at least their most efficient one, was the hoe. Irish fashion, a negro generally shuts both eyes when he shoots, and points his gun everywhere in general, and nowhere in particular. He had some fifteen or twenty Mexican herdsmen, who were great on the brag, but, like most barking dogs, uncertain in the bite. Paul, who had some courage, was with him _—also one Mahoney, an Irish overseer, who had seen some service in Spain under the Car- list leaders, and who claimed to be as “ illigant a soldier” as ever handled a sabre. Four of MeCullough’s men had been also quartered with him at his especial! desire. Al of these were speedily mustered, armed, The Red Warrior. and provided with extra ammunition; and when the sun went down, the establishment of Mr. Delorme was as well prepared as he could make it for the anticipated attack; and not a noment too soon; for even in the gray of the coming darkness the dusky forms of the en- circling foe could be seen, and their terrible yells be heard, as they rode with mad speed to and fro over the plantation, and around the walls which encircled the buildings. Stationing the four Rangers and some of his hands in the tower which overlooked the gate, which was the only entrance to the inclosure —for the wall waa very high—Mr. Delorme arranged the rest within the mansion, which was strong, determined there to make his stand if the Indians should ever get inside of the walls. Mr. Mahoney, with a large body of the slaves, was engaged in “ drilling” them for serv ice in the main hall, much to the amusement of Stella, who, in spite of her recent adventure, seemed now free from alarm. She, too, was armed ; and, being by the side of her father and apparently so fearless, did much to en. courage the servants to resistance. Mrs. De- lorme had been ill ever since the appearance of her brother, and was confined to her room. Paul had volunteered to command in the defence of the gate, and observe the move- ments of the Indians. Night came on; and soon various bright fires, in different directions, showed that the Indians were using everything which they could find combustible to make light to work by. Soon a rattling fire from the direction of the gate told that some of them had come within range of Paul’s position; and Mr. De- lorme went out to look at the state of matters in that quarter. Stella, though he begged her to stay, would not leave his side; and, with him, aseended into the small tower, where Paul, the four Texans, and a dozen or more blacks, were en- gaged in sending leaden presents among a large band of the red fiends who had made a determined effort to reach the gate. “ Some one must lead them who knows that this is our weakest point, sir,” said Paul to Mr. Delorme. “They make no effort any- where else.” “Yes, my lad, yes! They have probably some of the half-breeds with them that I sent away. But it is all the better for us if they contine their attack to one point; we have not got to divide our forces. Major MeCul- lough will be on hand before daylight, and his Rangers will mow them down faster than my hands can eut cane. Hallo! what's that ?— an alarm from the house, as sure as I live !— firing there, by all that’s merciful! The dev- ils have got over the wall somewhere. JT must get back.” “For Heaven’s sake, stay where you are, sir!’ said Paul, grasping the arm of the ex- cited planter. “ They will intercept and mur- der you on the way. You and Miss Stella are safer here; and I will defend you while there is a drop of blood in my bboy: See | there goes fire into the sugan-house ; and the negro-quarters are alight already !” * They will ruin me!” groaned the planter. “Mahoney is giving them fits,” said Paul, “ Hear his muskets give tongue. He will de- fend the mansion.” “Perhaps so—if they don’t set it on fire, too!” said Mr. Delorme, dejeetedly. “They'll have more trou ble now than they bargsined for: they’ve let the cattle loose!’ said Paul. “They are wild, and will raise mischief amongst them.” The seene now, though terrible, was inde- acribably grand. The out-buildings, sugar- houses, and store-house were all in flames, and threw a light as clear as day upon all within the great inclosure. Half-naked savages run- ning here and there ; horses and cattle, mad- dened with fear, rushing and plunging about, bellowing and neighing; the Indians yelling and screaming, and the rattling tire from Ma- honey’s irregulars in the house—all combined to effect a terrific picture. And those who were in the little tower gazed upon it until they were aroused from their negligence of matters outside, and per- taining to their own position, by a shower of arrows, which laid one or two of Mr. Delorme’s negroes cold, and narrowly escaped domg the same uncalled-for favor to himself and Paul, «There goes sixteen hundred dollars. The cursed rascals won't leave me a nigger on the place !” muttered Mr. Delorme, as le looked | at the two who were down, { | 5 « Look out, Miss Stella! Crouch low, or an arrow may spoil your beauty,” said Paul, eoolly, a8 he pushed her back ; and then, tak- iny deliberate aim, kuocked over the nearest Indian to him. “Paul, you are very thoughtful, and a hero to boot. There's more in you than I thought there was,” said Mr. Delorme, And now, aroused to action, he sent a couple of doses of suck-shot from his gun in amongst the erowd of Indians, who were rushing up to eut down the gate. © everal reeled and fell, for they were within close range; and as Paul and his men sent in an additronal volley, the Indians recoiled and fled beyond the Pak of the guns. ‘ Indian for nigger, red for black, you dev- ils!’ shouted Mr. Delorme, whose Wiad was now fairly up, for the flames were licking up thousands of do lars’ worth of his property. The Indians inside, who saw too late that they had only injured themse:ves by loosin the cattle from the pens, for the infuriate beasts ran madly to and fro about the plaee, and kept the foe from approaching the er in a body, now began to shoot them down, and Mr. Delorme had to groan for his herds as well as his negroes. But suddenly the shrill note of a bugle was heard ; and then coming in close order, and at full speed, a band of mounted men approached. Taking the Indians who had been repulsed from the gate in flank, they charged with loud yells, delivering a rapid fire with their “ six- shooters,” w ich sent the red fiends flying over the plain. Thon, wheeling, they headed for the gate, which Mr. Delorme now caused to be thrown open. The Indians within, hearing the firing with- out, and the well-known war-ery of the Rang- ers, did not wait for their murderous charge, but baetily retreated over the wall in the "i. rection by which they came, assisted by the drooping limbs of trees which had been left standing there, and which they had used ae ladders. When the gate was opened, the cattle and horses, now in full stampede, rushed out, and had not the column of advancing Rangers swerved to one side, they must have been tram- pled down by the maddened beasts. As these swept on, scattering far away over the plain, and rushing off where the Indians any, easily gather them up and drive them away, the Rangers rode into the inclo;ure now, full of dust and smoke, ie ee ee . o ° — —_ “The red devils have been giving you a. regular warming! I never knew them so bold, Mr, Delorme,* said the leader of the Rangers, a he saw Mr. Delorme leaning on bis gun at the foot of the tower by the gate. “You may well say so, Major Ben." 1 »plied the planter. “I doubt whether there would have been anythiug left me, even b,e. if you had not come as you did, But! di} not ex- peet you so soon—how came you to Lb» here go early ?”" “T was out on a seout, and met your mes- senger—but excuse ne; hadn't we better go up to the mansion, and see what damage has been done there? All is still in that direction at present.” * Yes, [saw the red devils getting away over the wall before yon reached the gate.” The Rangers, accompanied by Mr. Delorme and Stella, now moved toward the mansion, but Paul remained to guard against a return of the Indians, if they should venture to rally and renew the attack, “Who comes there? Stand where ye are, all of ye, till one of ye advances wid the countersign,”’ shouted General Mahoney. “You open the door, Can't you see we're friends,” shouted Mr. Delorme, in reply. “When a soldier is in a state o’ siege, he must never thrust to his eyes—we never did in the Carlist war,” replied the redoubtable Ma- honey. “Stand, I tell ye, or me army shal’ open fire!” “ Let them try it, and I'll hang you on the tallest tree in sight,” eried MeCullough. “ Och, Major dear! is it you? Sure to yer- self I’ll surrender the kays of the citadel,” said Mahoney, well knowing that it would not be safe for him to trifle with the ehief of the Rangers. The doors of the mansion were now thrown open ; and the major, after giving some diree- tions to his men, preparatory (oa chase of the invaders when it was light enough, entered with the planter and his daughter. “Well, what damage haye you suffered here’”’ asked Mr. Delorme of his overseer, “Oue nager hit ou the head witb an arrew, <S , comicboo (Ko)