Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 241 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

ex oe plunged straight at its tormentors, looking so savage that the frightened borse darted away ona vom. et so swiftly, that when the lasso was tightened, almost unseating its rider. With acry of alarm, Lucille urged ber horse across the front of the bull, plying her whip with swift, savage strokes, aiming at the blaz- ing eyes, hoping to blind the animal ere it could work further mischief. Stung to fury, with the blood streaming down | his shaggy frontlet from the gashes cut through hair and hide by the steel-like cracker of raw- hide, the Maverick turned upon this new antag- | onist, making short, swift charges, foiled only by the wonderful activity of the trained horse aided by its skillful rider. The cows, bellowing angrily, rushed forward circling around, filling the air with sand an dust, but never coming to close quarters, dash- ing away whenever the horse ridden by Lucille charged near them. But with the passage of each moment, they were growing bolder and bolder, and the cool-nerved maiden saw that she and her friend were in no ordinary peril. “Cut the lasso!” she cried, still plying the terrible lash. ‘‘ Cut loose, and run for it!’ Almost burled from her saddle, Ora for the moment lost her presence of mind. Her horse, too, received a heavy shock, and blind with terror at that wild routing, scrambled to its feet and dashed madly away. Unfortunately, in charging on Lucille, the Maverick had changed their relative positions, and the frightened horse was unconsciously crossing its front just as the bull lost sight of Lucille. Fairly beside itself with rage and fury, it rushed after the horse, and before she realized the fact, Lucille was caught inside the loop formed by the lasso, just as her steed was turning around, With an ugly twang, the rawhide rope tight- ened against the black’s legs on the right side, jerking them from beneath it, and hurling both orse and rider to the ground. More by good fortune than management, Lucille alighted on her feet, and though she staggered on and fell, she received no material injury, rapidly recovering her feet, fae as ae of the nearest cows rushed savagely upon er. An involuntary cry escaped ber lips, for death seemed assured, but with the courage of desperation, she drew a revolver and swiftly discharged it full into the face of the foremost cow. The lead s at her feet, its long horns tearing up the sand and casting it over her dress as she darted swiftly aside, justin time to avoid the second animal, which stumbled and fell over its fallen companion. Ora heard the cry and shot, and glancing back, though almost shaken from her seat by the shock which had overthrown the horse of her friend, her courage and presence of mind instant- ly returned as she realized the peril which threatened her more than sister. _ A single slash of her knife severed the lasso and with a cry of encouragement, she turned true, and the animal fell dead back to the scene, The ‘maddened bull savagely charged her, but she adroitly eluded its rush, plying her whi with a force and skill that left a bloody mar wherever the lash struck, and jerking up her animal as she reached the side of Lucille, she bent over and caught her by the shoulder. * Quick! a up behind me—” Too late! The cows, still further enraged by the scent of freshly flowing blood, were charg- ing with lowered crests from one side, while the bull, wheeling, was thundering down from an- other quarter. **To the timber!” cried Lucille, a the saddle-bow with her right hand, while with the pistol transferred to the left, she opened fire upon the cows. ‘ Once there, we can—” She could not finish the sentence. The terri- fied horse dashed away, almost throwing her from her feet and breaking her hold upon the saddle-bow. She must have fallen at full length, only for the grasp of Ora, whose strength was trebled by the dread emergency. ’ The bull and the cows came together at the int where their slain companion lay, and at- acted by the scent of blood they paused over the carcass, bellowing and routing like insane creatures. Only for this brief respite, one or both of the fair Amazons must have fallen victims to their fury. Before half the distance to the motte was covered, half a score of dun-colored cattle burst from the cover, and halting, with pawing hoofs and tossing horns, barred the way. A cry of dismay escaped the lips of poor Lucille, as her foot caught on a hummock, and she fell to the ground, ‘* Leave me—save yourself, Ora!” she gasped, painfully. ‘** Both or neither! We will live or die togeth- er!” was the bold response, as Ora leaped from’ the saddle to her aid. _ Snorting loudly, her horse broke away, leav- “ing them afoot, we ee ee eae e-em her horse and, despite its reluctance, urged it CHAPTER III. GENTEEL GUY TO THE RESCUE, A DESPAIRING cry burst from the blanched the sudden pluck cast it to its knees, | Boe of Lucille Debonay as she staggered to her eet. ‘You might bave saved yourself she murmured, as she grasped Ora by the hand, ** But now—Heaven pity us!” ‘* By deserting you? How could I?” There was time for no more speech, but vol- umes could have added nothing to that brief ex- position of true love. Afoot, hemmed in by a full score of cattle, scarcely less to be dreaded than so many grizzly bears or mountain lions. Evenif safely in the saddle the situation would not be without peril. It was a hundred-fold increased by the flight of one horse and death of the other, for while wild cattle seem to have an instinctive fear, in greater or less degree of man when mounted, they possess a still more marked antipatby for a human being when afoot. Even those most used to the sight and company of mankind, who will pay little attention to any one while in the saddle, will flock curiously around the same person should they chance to meet him afoot, and right lucky may he be accounted if he escapes their atten- | with nothing worse than a thorough right. No mean peril this, but increased a hundred- fold when the long-horns are utterly wild; ‘* Maveracks” that have never known the de- grading touch of lasso or branding-iron; more yet, when a single harem is met in the hight of the breeding season; and, worst of aJl, witb the hot scent of freshly-flowing blood rising in their nostrils, Pale as death re with her every nerve tight- ly strung, Lucille glanced swiftly at the two bands of cattle, summing up their chances in a single breath. “Tf we can scatter them long enough to reach the timber, we’re safe. e must !” A faint little laugh broke from Ora’s lips. “If it was something grand—something with even the faintest tinge of romance—it would not be sohard. But a lot of cows—bah /” A curious little speech, but strongly charac- teristic of the romance-loving girl, who was jast then proving herself very practical indeed. With swift dexterity Ora tucked the front of her skirt up under the leather belt, thus giving herself the free and untrammeled use of her limbs, where to stumble and fall might easily prove fatal. Then, drawing a revolver, she ut- tered a sbrill ery and rusued toward the cattle, whose sudden and unexpected appearance bad cut them off from the timber, sending fortha volley of rifle-like reports from ber stock-whip as the lash swiftly circled above her head. . Lucille Debonay immediately imitated her actions, both reserving their pistols for hotter and closer work, should that audacious charge fail in producing the desired effect. A wilder, more peculiarly thrilling scene could scarcely bave been imagined, Ranged in a line as true as though drawn up on parade, pawing up the dust and casting it high above their backs, sbaking their lowered heads until their long horns clashed against each other, then uplifting their long, thin necks and staring at the girls as they came on, greet- ing them with loud sniffs of angry curiosity. till closer, and the line remained unbroken but the two girls knew that to falter now would be surely fatal, and without a pause the dashed on until their long lashes could reach the cattle. Straight into their faces sped the steel-like crackers, cutting away the curling hair and drawing blood wherever they touched. Sharply rung out the voices of the two brave women, and just as they were beginning to de- fe of success, the cattle broke and separated, those immediately in front falling back, while the others left the line to form an irregular circle, the center of which was the maidens. Lower sunk their hearts, for they saw that another such victory would be fully equivalent to defeat. Their only bope lay in reaching the timber. To do this, they must break or drive back the cattle immediately in front; but they also knew that those threatening horns bebind would come closer and closer as they seemed to retreat, until a sudden rush should end all. Once knocked down beneath those clattering hoofs, the struggle would be brief. ““We must break them!” cried Lucille, her eyes aglow, twin red spots coming into her cheeks. ‘Shoot, Ora, and make your lead count! It’s for life or death now!” So close that the flame-tinged smoke almost scorched the curling frontlets, flashed the re- volvers in swift succession. One of the cows dropped to its knees without a sound, rolling over on its side, its brain-bullet pierced. Another uttered a wild bellow of agony, shaking its head frantically as it plunged forward, blood streaming from an eye-socket, seeing nothing of the women in front, but barely missing Ora with its swinging horns as she leaped — aside. er foot alighted upon a pebble, her ankle turned beneath her weight, and with a cry of mingled pain and despair, she fell at full length to the ground, It wasa doubly unfortunate mishap, occurring } A r Spitfire Saul, King of the Rustlers LE poor child!” | just then, for the line of cattle was broken by the pistol-shots, and a swift dash might easily have. carried them to the friendly cover, Lu- c.lle had started to take advantage of the open- ing, when that cry checked her. Without the slightest hesitation sbe turned and stood above | her helpless friend, showing a degree of courage _ > eS eee eeEeeeEE———EeE——EEEEEe ny that would have done honor to the boldest man, for none knew better than she what peril she was thus incurring. ‘*Go, Lu! save yourself!” gasped Ora, sinking back again as she peor! endeavored to regain h . pene. ** My ankle is broken! Save your- 5e Her failing voice was drowned by the swift reports of Lucille’s revolver as one of the cattle made a dash forward, with long horns lowered for tossing the prostrate figure. An argry bel- low of pain, and the cow fell back, scattering blood-drops from its ugly frontlet, its com- panions joining in the fierce routing, yet kept of pay y the shots and the swiftly circling ash. Then, a joyous cry escaped the lips of the brave woman, as she saw a horseman riding to- ward them at breakneck speed, yelling at the top of his voice, discharging shot after shot in swift succession from his heavy revolvers, even at that distance making each bullet count, None too soon was his coming, Luci)le’s over- tasked nerves were giving way, and she sunk to her knees as the mad rider burst into tLe little circle, using his long-Jasted whip with ter- rible effect, A savage wrench on the curb checked his horse, and as though hurled from the saddle by the sudden stoppage, the man reached the ground, his left arm clasping Lucille to hisside, and then, despite her broken protest that he should first save Ora, lifting ber into the va- cated saddle as though she bad been no more weight than an infant. An equally swift mo- tion placed Ora behind her, and then the young man cried: “ Take to the timber—quick!” “With you—not without!” Impulsively the words broke from _ the lips of the proud brune, and the bronzed cheek of the young man flushed hotly, gc light flashed into his blue eyes as he met her gaze, Her eyes sunk, her cheeks flushed, but she tightened the reins and held tbe snorting horse in check. She knew the interpretation which he placed upon her words, but she cared not then, The excitement was still too intense. His coming had saved them from almost cer- ein death, Why should she conceal her grati- tude? Fortunately the young man did not wholly lose bis head, and pausing only to rain a shower of blows upon the cattle still within reach of his long lash, he gra:ped the flowing mane of the horse and dashed toward the timber, glancing over bis shoulder as he ran, The cattle seemed demoralized for the time being, though the bull and his mates were run- ning toward the spot, and the doubly weighted horse reached the motte without being pursued. ‘‘ Thank Heaven! you are safe, ludies!” panted the young man, checking the horse beneath a wide-spreading tree whose branches bung low. ‘* And under Heaven, you, Mr. Abbey!” mur- mured Lucille, now that the worst was past, turning pale as death, and trembling in the saddle as though about to fall. What answer be might have made, can only be conjectured, for a furious lowing and bellow- ing outside told bim that all peril was not yet past, and through the fringe of bushes, be could see the cattle gathered around the last slain cow, pawing up the dust, horns clashing, tails elevated and switching angrily, as they scented the blood. Grasping a limb, he swung himself up into the tree, then bent low, and winding an arm serous ‘Lucille’s waist, lifted her up beside im, “Cling fast! Tie your belt around that limb. Those brutes may take a notion to follow— they’re coming now!” Swift as thought he raised Ora from the sad- dle into which she had slipped, then dropped upon his horse, and with a parting warning to them, turned his horse and dashed out of the motte, filling the empty chambers of his pistol with fresh cartridges as he did so. With the Spee bull at their head, the cattle flocked together in a close clump, their onset checked as they caught sight of the horseman. Straight at them he rode, a stream of fire pour- ing from the extended weapon, the heavy balls dropping cow after cow in their tracks. And then, when the watching maidens trembled with fear as it seemed to them that he intended plunging directly into their midst, a touch of the rein caused the well-trained horse to leap aside, and the long whiplash hissed through the air, cracking loudly, spitefully, ashing through skin and flesh, laying the bone pare wherever the cracker struck, Ten seconds of this hot work, and then the cows broke and fled with lowings of terrified dismay, leaving the well-nigh blinded bull alone to face the enemy. Its frontlet and neck gashed with the whip, bleeding also from more than one bullet- wound, 0 tei (E(0) (E 2001