Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 239 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

ee _ ter think thet Lionel air a-skutin’ fer life from ther Salado, an’ leavin’ his dad’s corpus on *7count o’ bein’ ’cused o’ murder, when all hands knows now, an’ mought ha’ know’d in the fust place, thet he air es innercent es a suckin’ pappoose, “Pm bilin’ over with indig’, fer I knows he won't stop ’round civerlize long ’nough ter find out thet everybody knows he ain’t ther man what shot ther capv’in. ““Ef yeou boyees keer ter take ther biggest kind o’ a cuss offen yer heads, fer a-huntin’ » ther poor fellar, jist fix things up hyer-a-ways, an’ plant ther major under this tree, an’ ther poor niggers out yunder by ther kerral. Ther ole man an’ Skip’ air purty nigh broke up, but f reckon we'll levant on ther trail, an’ see what we kin do toward gittin’ within shootin’ dis- tance o’ Lionel, ef we hes ter kick grass’ an’ stomp sand, cl’ar ter ther Staked Plains. “Yer kin tell leetle Winnie, an’ Baldy Brown, an’ t’others, thet yer see’d Single-Eye, an’ thet he’s slid toward sunset arter Lionel; with a loose scalp, but wi’ plenty o’ vim under hit. “T’ll raise ha’r, an’ hide too, afore I turn tail—dang my perrarer peregrinatin’ pictur’ ef I doesn’t! ‘I’m a-hankerin’ fer bleed, chuck-full 0’ hyderfobic prussic acid indig’, an’ listenin’ hard ontil I hears ther ’Pache yells. So-long; Skip’ an’ I air off!” As he spoke these last words; the old scout mounted his horse, and giving a parting look at the corpse of poor Major Lacrosse, and not deigning to notice the rancheros further, he rode away to the westward; disappearing in the darkness, beyond the lurid light cast by the fires, the cheers of the men whom he left standing there reaching his ears, as he drove spurs, and dashed up the Salado. CHAPTER X. AMONG THE APACHES. Some twenty miles northwest from San An- tonio, a small stream, a branch of Salado Creek, runs along the bed of what might be appro- priately called a canyon. Standing on the bank of this little stream, which here and there forms into pools some three feet in depth, one, if facing north, would have in front of him a precipitous bank, a hundred feet in hight. This bank of earth, its base being but a few yards from the stream, has, on the *opposite side, a rocky cliff, some fifty feet bigher, for its vis-a-vis, Approaching this canyon from the north- east, one is on a rolling prairie, and sees nothing ahead of him except the rock cliff on the opposite side of the chasm. He little thinks, until near the verge of the same, that his course in that direction is at an end; the deep canyon, the bed of which in some places is covered with a mat of rich grass, prevents further progress. e However, if one rides down this somewhat peculiar bank, which seems to have been formed by the sinking of a vast mass of earth in a snake-like line, until a point is reached where the cliff beyond ends, and a plain is seen like that which he has been traversing, he will discover a wide trail down the sice of the bank, which seems to have been cut out from it, and down which, although it is so steep, a wagon cvuld be taken without much difficulty. This trail, or road, was cut out by ran- cheros, a few of whom established themselves near the canyon, and who were forced to go to the same for water, taking their casks for that purpose on wagons. These rancheros, however, at the time of which we are now speaking, had been driven from their cabins by the Indians; leaving the rude edifices to decay, or to serve as stopping- places for scouts, rangers, or cattle-hunters. It was the night succeeding the day of the terrible occurrences on the Salado, that Lionel Lacrosse, upon his fagged steed, rode ‘slowly down this trail into the canyon, and along its bed, turning many a bend. After allowing his horse to drink of the cool water of the stream, he dismounted, and throw- ing himself upon the sward thrust his fevered face into the creek, and swallowed the refresh- ing wine of nature. Having put some distance between himself and the trail that led down into the canyon, the young man turned his horse, crossing the creek, and entering a small motte of trees, — grew at the base of the steep, rough, rocky uff, Lz Here, he again dismounted, loosened the | Lionel had often been in this canyon, and he girth to his saddle, removed the bridle, and | knew that many war-parties that had raided secured the lariat to a small but tough bush in | down-country, passing west of San Antonio, a — Se The Terrible Trio. RD the middle of an opening, which was within the | halted here, following it up by day, secure: circular motte, and entirely screened from from observation. view. The presence of the Indians on the Salado, His blooded well-tried steed, began at once | and their dash toward the Guadalupe, almost to tear, with avidity, the long rich grass from | convinced the young man that they would be the sod; and Lionel then threw himself upon | in the canyon before midnight, or certainly his outspread blanket, removing his sombrero, | before daylight. and running his fingers, in a nervous manner, He felt sure that they would encamp near through his long wavy hair. where he himself had halted, for it was a po- The much-wronged, terribly bereaved and | sition easy to defend, it being impossible to ate soul stricken young man was pale as death | tack the savages except from up or down the itself; his eyes blazed unnaturally, and in their | chasm, the sides of the same being too abrupt depths lay an unspeakable anguish and hope- | to descend, less despair, that was harrowing to look upon. Lionel had no inclination for sleep; in fact, Up into the star-studded dome of blue his | his nervous system had been so terribly shat- gaze was drawn, as if speculating upon the | tered that it was impossible to quiet himself to mystery of*the unlimited space, and wondering | the degree that was necessary to induce slum- if’ the Almighty Creator of these countless | ber. So he lay planning for and pondering on worlds could allow those made in his image to | the future, realizing at last too plainly that his murder and torture their fellow-beings, rejoic- | life and hopes were ruined, that the past must ing and exulting in the act. be considered as a dream and the future a During his terrible ride he had suffered to an extent such as few men are called upon to en- dure, and this suffering was plainly shown in his face, mind as free from all thoughts as the rock upon which his head rested. How lovg he A short time he lay as we have described; | continued thus he knew not. Suddenly he then his meditations were brought to an end, | sprung to a sitting posture, and with eyes as far as star-gazing was concerned, for he | blazing he listened intently, to make sure that sprung to a sitting posture, proving by his | his ears had not been playing him false. movements and actions and the change in his expression, the new trail bis mind was bent upon. He jerked his revolvers from their scabbards, examined the caps, and then, half cocking the weapons, ran the cylinders over the palm of his hand to ascertain if each«hba nber was loaded and in order. His seven-shot Colt’s revolving rifle he also inspected, laying it by his side, covering the lock and cylinder from the dew with the corner of his blanket, It was evident by these actions, as well as by the desperate and determined look upon Lionel’s face, that he had, by a hercvdean effort of will, made bis thirst for revenge to crowd somewhat into the background his terrible an- guish and despair. His more recent reasonings led him to believe that, whoever the cowardly assassin of Captain Warrington was, he must eventually be found out. He would leave some trace that would betray | him, and thus exculpate himself from any and all connection with the murder. Possibly the slain man might have had a desperate enemy among his own troopers, who had followed him to the Salado for the purpose of as:assinating him. sition, and bringing reason to bear on the sit- uation, he lay flat upon the ground, placing bis ear to it. . Soon he became conscious of a slight rumble, an almost imperceptible trembling of the earth, and he decided that a large number of animals of some kind were descending the distant slope into the canyon. From the cessation of the sound he again concluded that the animals were drinking at the creek, and he immediately tightened the his rifle on the saddle-horn, he listened, his features showing plainly that his recent preparations had been well-timed. He could now hear plainly the continuous rumble of a large number of approaching horses, knowing well, too, that they were rid- den and controlled by men from the way in which their feet were lifted and put down. Sa uniform a sound could not come from a stam-~ pede. Lionel felt that he bad not long to wait be- fore he could decide the character of the ap- proaching party. He was confident it was not the rancheros in pursuit of himself, for there were evidently here five times their number. Generous himself, our hero could not think | Stepping quickly to his horse, he spoke a few |. w’ for a moment that any one hated him to the | words to the noble animal and then advanced extent of committing a murder for the express | softly to the edge of the thicket and peered purpose of fastening such a crime upon him, out upon the now moonlit bed of the can- It could not be possible. yon, The young ranchero dared not think of poor A moment after, an Apache chief, with Winnie, but strove to beat back every thought | three eagle-feathers flaunting from his fillet, of her to the utmost power of his will; for be | urged his horse round the bend and up the can- feared, if his mind dwelt too much upon the/| yon on the opposite side of the creek from past, it might give way. Lionel’s position, but not twenty yards from The one consoling thought concerning the | the motte that screened him. sadly bereaved young maiden, was that she had Close following rode a dozen warriors, and seemed to believe him innocent of her father’s | then two-score of horses necked together, and death; and he knew that Baldwin Brown, | all secured by lariats to the saddles of two In- faithful in everything, would seek to confirm | dians that coutrojled them. + 0% her in this. — Upon some of these steeds were large packs, There seemed nothing now open for him ex- | and upon others dead and wounded bravo. cept to fly from the haunts of civilized men, away from all that be held dear on earth, being denied even the sad privilege of burying his own murdered father. | Thus outlawed, he must wander the wilds, for how long he knew not; indeed, it now ap- peared to bim that he should never again look upon the scenes of his childbood, never again ride along the banks of the Salado. That the mob of rancberos would hang him if they caught him, he had not the slightest doubt; and, innocent though he was, he did not" wish to take the lives of those who believed Lionel recognized the horses and knew that him guilty, even in his own defense. the fiends who had tortured his beloved father The terrible torture of his aged parent, how- | were before him. He clutched the branches ever, he had sworn to avenge, and his examin- | for support, reeling like a drunken man with ation of his arms was prompted by recalling | the overpowering intensity of his passion and the oath he had taken over that father’s muti- | hatred. lated corpse. He had gone into the canyon | The paint-daubed horde passed from view, with two objects. One was to rest himself and | around a bend, but the furious rage and bis horse, and allow the nobic beast the feed it | thirst for revenge that convulsed and half- so much needed. The cther was to lie in! crazéd’ Lionel increased each moment. He wait for the Apache fiends, tha’ he might be-| paced back and forth in the little opening, his gin his work of vengeance, teeth grating together, his hends tightly of a war-party, all of whom would meet up. * country, at Palo Pinto, or Santa Ana’s Peak , Lionel Lacrosse trembled with intense pas sion, and an insane thirst for vengeance. ~ Passing before him, were his own horses, his brand being plainly discernible, even did he not know the animals without this proof. A shepberd knows each one of bis flock, though a stranger can see no difference between them. So with a ranchero. | me ’ puzzling mystery torturing to think of, Thus he lay, at times in a dazed state, hia He heard nothing. Resuming his former po- girth of his saddle, bridled his horse and hung | This done he again sunk to the earth; again © while, riding in the rear, were nearly @ score + more, constituting beyond a doubt one branch *. oo eomicbooks (Ee)