Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 239 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

———— ee * a _ me a eee ee ce te 2 taken the only direction that promised safety and still be traveling toward the Concho.. His plan for crossing the river had occurred to bim on the instant, and, with its accomplish- ment, other and more favorable movements oc- curred to him, and which he at once set out to put into execution. The first was to proceed toward Horse-Head Crossing in the cover of the timber, keeping a lookout for the return of Lone Wolf and bis disappointed braves, who, upon reaching the crossing, would quickly ascertain that those of whom he was in pursuit had not been at the ford. Then, of course, Lone Wolf would return to his camp, put his best trailers at work, and un- doubtedly discover the true trail, following the same to, and up the Pecos, when, convinced that he had been outwitted, he would dash out from the timber and again gallop to Horse- Head Crossing. Meanwhile he himself would have reached the latter point, crossed to the north side of the Pecos, and turned down the river to the place where he had left Winnie and Lieu- tenant Warrington. By that time, the latter would be probably able to ride without much discomfort. ; It would take him until the following after- noon to reach them. Then, they would all speed toward the head-waters of the Rio Concho, without doubt meeting Single-Eye and Lionel Lacrosse— perhaps, too, a detach- ment of troops from Camp Johnston, on thé trail of the Apache chief, All this seemed to the Tonkaway easy of ac- complishment, compared with his experience previous to crossing to the south side of the Rio Pecos. Knowing that they would, in all probability, have a race for life, when proceeding over the plain toward the Concho, as Lone Wolf would by that time have again reached Horse- Head Crossing, Turtle now permitted the animals to travel at a leisurely gait. Half of the distance had been passed, when the Tonkaway was conscious of a rumbling sound, proceeding from the direction of the plain toward the south; and, urging his horses toward the edge of the timber, he peeped through the undergrowth, and his black eyes glared and snapped at the sight that met his view. Not two thousand yards from his covert lashing their quirts about the bams of their snorting steeds, on, over the plain toward the Sierra Charrate Mountains, sped the war-party of Lone Wolf; their feathers flaunting, and their long hair flying wild. Bent forward, in eager, maddened haste, all insane with fury at being outwitted by a detested Tonkaway, who, all had sworn, should now be a witness of the protracted torture of the White Chief, and then bimself die by slow degrees, while their exultant yells filled his ears. But none in that savage horde were s0 mad- ly furious, as was the hideous chief, Lone Wolf. The success of the Tonkaway, and the death of four of his braves, as well as the loss of the captive officer, were as naught to him, com- pared with the intense anger and disappoint- ment occasioned by baving ‘‘Sun-Hair” wrested from his possession. He had planned much to enhance his popu- larity in his own tribe, and create a great jealousy in the neighboring ones, through her, Her angelic beauty had superstitiously im- pressed him, and he had vowed that she should act her part in maintaining his supremacy above all other chiefs among his people, That she possessed powers beyond those of com- mon mortals, Lone Wolf sincerely believel from the first; and that idea was general with bis braves. He was now convinced that ‘“ Sun- Hair” had, in some mysterious manner, caused the Tonkaway to be transported from afar to her rescue, giving bitn a power and cunning beyond that of bimself, or any of his tribe Upon not detecting the “sign” at Horse- Head Crossing, which would betray the pas- sage of the released captives, the chicf had been most strangely affected; and for a time harbored the thought that “ Sun-Haie” had, with the officer and Turtle, flown throngh the air, and thus crossed over the Pecos to safety, But, upon deliberation, be began to perceive thatthe same strategic power that had enabled the Tonkaway to enter the camp in the gorge, after killing all the sentinels, would be used in - the escape later on; and that Turtle would ~ SE se LLL LLL RRRDBDADRAR RA RRR - The Terrible Trio. — know it could not be accomplished, by going over the plain toward the crossing, in a north- west direction, as the fugitives would without doubt be overtaken. This reasoning Jed Lone Wolf to surmise the course that had actually been taken, He sped, therefore, on the return, to take up the trail, having no doubt that it would lead direct from the gorge to the Rio Pecos, but not having the remotest idea that the rescued whites would cross the river. Turtle watched the fast-flying Apaches but a moment. His face lighted up with pride at having outwitted Lone Wolf, and be sped on, proceeding, as soon as he could do so with safety, into the open plain. He then put his horses to a headlong gallop, reaching and passing Horse-Head Crossing when the sun was about three hours past tbe eastern horizon. Once more on the north side of the Rio Pecos, Turtle swept ths plain toward the head of the Concho, but there was no break in the broad expanse—no indications of either Single- Eye and Lionel, ora detachment of soldiers. Again he urged bis horses down tbe river, this time on the north side, toward the point where he had left Lieutenant Warrington and Win- nie. He knew full well that Lone Wolf and his braves were on the opposite side of the river, and following his trail like blood-hounds. As the sun nearly reached the meridian, the Tonkaway began to favor his horses on account of the intense heat. He guided the animals into the timber, soon reaching the covert, where those whom he had risked so much to save had been left. Turtle now advanced toward the thicket, and was greatly relieved at the approach of Winnie, who, with a thankful and joyous smile, greeted him, “Ob, Turtle, I am so rejoiced to see you again! I feared you had been slain or cap- tured; and I have been greatly terrified be- sides, for I heard those dreadful Apaches over the river. ‘They must heave discovered the trail of our horses. ButI am so glad to inform you that uncle is getting along nicely. When shall we start from this place?” ‘‘ Jump on mustang soon. Turtle make long trail for Lone Wolf. Apache chief he heap mad. Want Turtle scalp. Want Soldier Chief scalp, Want Winnie. Come. Turtle want see Soldier Chiet.” *‘ He will be glad to see you again,” said the maiden. The two walked side by side into the thicket, and as they penetrated the same, Lieutenant Warrington, with much effort arose to his feet, and extended his hand to the Tonkaway, say- ing: “Thank Heaven, my noble red friend, that I see you again, and unharmed! I feel like another man, and am growing better rapidly. “Where bave you been so long? It seems an age since you left us,” Turtle pointed across the river, and said; **Leave white friends here. Go over there to mustangs. Get in saddle. Then ride up river in woods, See Lone Wolf. See his warriors. They no find trail. Ride back fast. Turtle, he ride fast te Horse-Head Crossing. ** Ride through river. Then ride down here to white friends. Lone Wolf heap mad. Fvl- low Turtle trail. Must ride fast to Concho. Mebbe so see Single-Eye, see Lionel, Soldier Chief heap better. Can ride mustang?’ “{ think, if you assist me to the saddle, I can inanage to keep my seat, although I am very weak, and have not good control of my limbs. “T had a terrible siege of torture, Turtle; and, but for you, I must now bave been dead, It is life or death with us now. I must ride, if I bave to be tied to,the saddle. Iam ready to start at any time, and the sooner the better. ‘‘Poor Winnie! My heart bleeds for you, darling; but, with Turtle’s help, I hope we shall soon be through with our horrible experi- ences,” ““ Soldier Chief talk heap good. Come!” “Don’t worry about me, unele,” siid Win- nie; “I am so rejoiced at our prospects of es- cape, and thankful that our lives have been spared thus far, that I can think of nothing else. Surely we have reason now to hope for the best.” Turtle lifted the lieutenant upor one of the / SSeS sss sess - 27 horses, the latter shutting his teeth tightly and repressing the groans of agony that the movement caused him; but he soon rallied, when, with bis feet in the stirrups, one band clutching the saddle-horn, and the other the jaw-strap, he announced himself all right. Winnie was next assisted to mount; and then the Tonkaway sprung astride the remain- ing horse, and led the way to the edge of the undergrowth, where he paused for a moment, and gazed up the river. No Apaches, nor indeed any moving objects were within view; and, pointing the direction they were to take, Turtle kept his horse a little in the rear, in order to Jash the animale ridden by the lieutenant and Winnie to greater speed, with his quirt. And on, at first in a slow gallop, went our friends, into the broad open plain, toward the bead-waters of the Rio Concho; Turtle gradu- ally increasing their speed, until, at a iong reaching gallop they went, leaving the Rio Pecos far in their rear. The eagle-eyes of the Tonkaway, at times shot glances toward the line of timber to the west; where be expected, each moment, to discover the Apache war-party, quartering to- ward him and his white friends. The direction which the little party now traveled, to strike the head-waters of the Rio Concho, from the point at which they had made the start, directly across the Rio Pecos from the central portion of the Sierra Charrate Mountains was due north. Horse-Head Cross- ing was west from them, and the Pecos flowed southeast from the ford mentioned; conse- quently, should Lone Wolf be dashing down the river, and discover his intended victims on the plain, he would be forced to quarter on them in the chase, either directly east, or in a somewhat easterly direction, according to the distance he was from Horse-Head Crossing, Our friends had not galloped more than five miles, when Turtle’s keen eyes detected the Apaches galloping down the Pecos, parallel with the same. However, Lone Wolf and bis war-party must have detected the Tonkaway and his white companions at nearly the same moment; for the scattered mob of braves, soon after their hated enemy discovered them, all sud- denly jerked their horses’ heads, pointing away from the Pecos, and out on the open plains, toward Turtle and the rescued captives, The Tonkaway plied his quirt, and urged the animals to greater speed; without, however, alarming Winnie, or her uncle, by revealing what he bad just perceived, for be deemed it unnecessary until more immediate danger threatened them. Turtle well knew that the Apaches had galloped their horses, from the camp in the gorge to Horse-head Crossing, the previous night, and then back again, . This was a long run, and although they ha probably not been pressed on the trail until nearly to the crossing again, on their return it, the horses must be greatly fagged, and far from being able to keep up the speed neces- sary for the pursuit. There were now five long miles between the Apaches and his party; and this fact caused the Tonkaway to entertain no alarm as to b ing overtaken by them. CHAPTER XXIX. CONVERGING PATHS, FuLity twenty miles had Winnie, her uncle, and Turtle, to gallop, from the point where the latter discovered the Apeches turning their horses in pursuit, to the timber of the Concho, just a short distance east of the head-waters of the same. Tbe only apprebension of the Tonkaway was. occasioned by the thought that, possibly bis white friends might not be able to stand the run. He decided that he would not inform them ef the fact that their late captors were riding fast in pursuit of them, until he thought such knowledge was needed to cause them to forget their pbysical sufferings, and througb their fears throw off their fatigue—tbe dread of being again at the mercy of Lone Wolf being the greatest of all incentives to exertion. Turtle was sure, that neither Wiunie, nor the Soldier Chief would discover the Apaches of their own accord: as they were obliged to bold fast, and pay strict attention to their animals, if they would keep their pesitions in their saddles. com Gbooks —_ : ss . , ~~ >i S [SS