Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 244 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

—~ “I'm ormighty full o’ glad thet things hes panned out as they hes; but this hyer air a big ball o’ dirt, what's allers floppin’ over, an’ ringin’ changes, thet we may hev ter buck ag’in’ fer life.° ‘‘ Yer hes both hed some consider'ble hashed-up hellishness crowded onter yer, in a few fleetin periuds, an’ hit orter l’arn yer somethin’, ‘‘Come; we'll pint toward Old Rock, arter 'tend- in’ ter ther white scum o’ civerlize what follered yer from Fort Belknap.” Both Will and Flora, now greatly strengthened by the revived hopes of the last few minutes, followed the old scout toward the Tonkaway. Upon_arriy- ing at the scene of the fight, Will called to Turtle, saying to Flora, as the Indian approached: ‘Flora, this is Turtle, a friendly Tonkaway, who has battled nobly to save you—he and Old Rocky, another scout, whom we shall soon see.” Turtle stood, with folded arms, his eyes fastened upon Flora in adoration, as he said: * Turtle heap glad see White Rose. Scalp must not hang on Comanche lodgepole, Turtle friend, Single-Eye friend, Old Roeny enc. All fight till aing death-song for Will and ite Rose.”’ **May the Great Spirit bless you, Turtle,” said the young girl; ‘I hope we shall meet in the days to come, and not require you to risk life for us.”’ ‘Tie these white scum, hand and foot, and drag ‘em inter ther bush, speedy!’’ cried out Single- Eye, quickly. “Ther red hellyuns’ nags hes_bin headed off, an’ brung’d back by some o’ ther buffler- hunters o’ thar cussed tribe, an’ they’re hot mad ter git up an’ git arter we-’uns.” The eyes of the Tonkaway blazed with the war spirit of his people, as the yells of the Comanches were now audible. He assisted, however, in bind- ing Mart and Rand, and then the two ruffians, still senseless from loss of blood, and the severe treat- ment they had undergone, were dragged into a dense thicket. “ Bf so a chance comes, we'll glide this-a-way, an’ gin ther cusses a lariat send-off," said Single-Eye; ‘es it stan’s now, skute air ther word. Come on! We'll strike Ole Rock, an’ ther nags speedy, an’ then hev a council, es ‘gards further perceedings.”’ Our friends had gone but a little distance, when Old Rocky broke into view, exclaiming: “Come on, pards, lively! Thar’s a show fer a bigger rumpus than L opines yer hes hed down yun- der. I’m o:mighty glad yer hes gut Miss Flory, but thar hain’t no time fer gab!" The old scout whirled his horse, on the instant, starting back the way in which he came; his listen- ers concluding that the yells of the Indians over the river had alarmed him in regard to their safe- ty. Sdleaat they reached the eastern edge of the timber, and gained their horses; eager, on account of Flora, to avoid again meeting the Indians. Their astonish- ment, however, was great, when they caught a view of the east plain toward Elm Fork, Single-Eye ing out: : : What in ther name o’ Davy Crockett, d’yer make o' thet, Ole Rock?” “ Dang’d ef I knows, pard, ‘ceptin’ hit’sa Gov’ment amberlance,”’ replied Old Rocky. “Reckon she come from Phantom Hill, but hit’s ormighty strange she ar’ p‘inted this-a-way. “Thar’s a half-dozen er so_soger boyees,” said Single-Eye; ‘‘an’ ther Comanches ‘ll scoop in ther hull outfit, slick es a whistle!” “That's bout how hit ‘ll eend off,” said Old Rocky; “ef we-’uns doesn’t take a han’ in ther game, mor mebbe so we'll git a send-off ter glory, ef we ‘Reckon we'll run chances. What d'yer say, Will? We-’uns kin put Miss Flory inter ther amber- lance, warn ther sogers, then turn an’ all hump bit back to ther fort. Hit’s ormighty queer though, the way they air travelin’,”’ continued Sing e-bye; “reckon they're lost, onk, what d’yer think o ther new persish o’ things?” “* Ride fast to wheel-lodge, or long-knives (cavalry) Nose scalps,” answered the Tonkaway. — » “Spur on then, friends,’’ exclaimed Will Wash- une, Somewhat to their surprise, the escort and ambu- lanee turned from its course, in the direction of our friends, as soon as such a distance had been reached as admitted of their color and probable character being determined. Their presence at such an hour, and in such a dangerous locality, was a mystery to all; especially when it was reasoned that they must have passed the scene of the massacre, discovered the coach, and consequently must have known that a large war-party was in the near.vicinity. Soon, however, a sergeant of cavalry spurred for- ward from his men, and galloped toward our friends, eryin out, when some twenty feet from the scouts: ‘Glad to meet you; Single-Eye and Old Rocky f Is the war-party camped yonder in the timber, an did they not take captive a lady passenger from the stage? Meeting you scouts here, and knowing you at Phantom Hill, also of your knowledge of the movements of the red devils, leads me to ask these questions.” ““Ya-as, Sergeant Hill,” said Single-Eye, “ther condemned kiotes air camped yunder, an’ yer war p'inted plum an’ squar’ fer losin’ ha’r, er we-’uns wouldn’t ’a’ broke bush. They tuck a young font an’ a lady from ther hearse, but Ole Rocky an’ Tonk ae slid in on ‘em,an’ hev gut ther captives - “ But turn ae outfit ormighty speedy, an’ we-"uns - try an’ he Ip yer outen ther scrape.. Howsomever, ust off, we'll put ther leetle gal, what hes see’d *nough o’ bleed an’ cussed doin’s, inter ther waggin. That ‘llgi’n us another fightin’ man, ’sides gittin’ her in a safe place.”’ The sergeant was evidently surprised, rejoiced and relieved at this information.. He looked with much interest at Flora, whom he perceived as the old scout alluded to her. “ Never mind the reds,” said the sergeant. ‘‘ We nave. put up ajob on them. Captain Florence is mak- ing way with sixty of our boys down the fork, and he must now be near theircamp. ButIlhaveagreat surprise for you, if I mistake not. It concerns the fair captive that you have released. I will now give the good news to a much interestedjparty.” ; The eant spurred up to the ambulance, beck- oning Will Washburne forward, and touched his hat Merciless Mart. **Mrs, Florence, I am happy to inform you that the young lady captured by the Comanches has been rescued. She is here, and this gentleman wishes to place her with you for safety.” As the sergeant spoke Will slid from his horse and took Flora gently from the saddle, clasping her, as | if dreading the separation. _ Scarcely, however, had Sergeant Hill ceased speak- | ing, when a cry from the lady in the ambulance | startled them, and she sprung to the earth, clasping | the wondering girl in her arms, and raining kisses upon her brow and cheeks and lips, exclaiming, at intervals: ‘Oh, my God, Ithank Thee! Flora, my long-lost habe, my darling! Lost to me since’ babyhood. Oh, my child! Myc Id\” ‘Turn yer condemned ole waggin an" spin toward Elm Fork!” yelled Single-Eye. “Take keer o’ ther weemin. I'm dang’d ef thar’s ary sign_o’ Cap Flor- ear : Whoop-er up! Fun ahint, an’ a hefty crop o’ a'r?’ CHAPTER XXVITI. A COMANCHE ROUT. No second command was needed for the driver of the ambulance to turn his team on the back trail; indeed, at the first sounding of the terrible war-cry from half a hundred savage throats, he had jerked the heads of his leaders around, and applied his ‘**black snake ’* without mercy. But the fierce and blood-curdling war-whoops of the Comanches failed to draw the attention of the reunited mother and daughter from each other. It is seldom, happily, that such a long separation be- tween parent and child occurs; seldomer, unhappi- ly, that there is any reunion, this side the grave, when it does. It would be useless, therefore, to seek to convey to the reader a description of the feelings that now controlled both. The ambulance, as has been said, was now turned and the mules lashed into a furious gallop towarv Elm Fork; the scouts, with Will Washburne and the escort, galloping behind. All realized that cer- tain death was in their rear, rushing like a tidal- wave to ingulf them. To their appalled view, at first, there seemed, in- | deed, not the slightest hope of escape. True, they | might slay a number of the yer 51 foe, but before the middle of the vast plain coul would certainly be butchered. lt was but too npre rent that they had been caught in the trap which, as Sergeant Hill had said, they had laid for the Indians. It was plain that Captain Florence had been delayed, and the delay was likely to be a fatal one. On the whole surface of the plain there was not one spot where a small party could defend them- selves against odds, and that the Comanches could not, for any length of time, bé resisted, was but too evident. But there was on the face of every man a look of stern determination, which said yey that they would sell their lives dearly if die they must. The sight was a terrible one which now met the view of our friends and the cavalry escort, as ney turned toward the west. The Indians had, evident- ly, lost no time in «quipping their animals, upon recovering the same, and preparing for a dash on the plain, all thirsting for revenge. They had, as the scouts well knew, ranged themselves along the edge of the undergrowth, and were now lashing their horses at terrific speed from the timber, the beasts not yet entirely recovered from the stam- e. It was a perfect personation of horrible savage war. On they dashed in the silvery moonlight, with all their grotesque trappings and glitter, the hundreds of hoofs flying through the grass and flowers, and sounding like the rush of a prairie fire; this, too, being accompanied by their blood-chilling war- whoops, and a dull rumble as of distant thunder. It would have been impossible for any civilized being to view such a sight without a shudder of hor- ror. Even a frontiersman, inured to border horrors, would mutter a prayer for instant death, that he might thus escape the fiendish torture to which, he knew, if captured, he would be condemned. As matters stood , Single-Eye, Old Rocky and Turtle well knew that they were doomed. There was no escape. There was no way of meeting the enemy, with the least chance of saving the helpless women. Their time seemed, Indeed, to have come; and even the Tonkaway brought to mind his death- song. Such was now the position of our friends. The ambulance, gigas Mrs. Florence and her daughter, was flying over the plain, as fast as the lash-maddened mules could gallop; while the scouts, and the escort of cavalry, with teeth set, and wea- ns tightly gripped, sped onin the rear of the ve- 1icle in a line—the Comanche war. party thundering in pursuit, less than a mile behind them, and a quarter of a mile from the bottom timber. Such was the scene in our tragic drama, when new actors appeared in the background; changing, at once, despair to hope, in the minds of those in whom we are most interested. The new actors were a long double line of U. S, cavalry, who now dashed from the timber at the same point as had the Comanches, and shot in wild ursuit of the war-party, across the plain; their ugle blowing blasts that seemed heavenly music to our friends. On came the boys in blue! On, with clatterin sabers at their beits, and Colt’s carbines in hand; their magnificent horses dashing forward, in far- reaching gallop, scattering flécks of foam on every side. It was not long until the painted warriors began to realize that the “long-knives” would soon be within range, and that the terrible conical ** blue whistlers ” would hurtle through their ranks like hail. There could be no such thing as escaping from the superior horses of the cavalry; and it was evident to the scouts that the Comanches were now in as hope- less a condition, as they themselves had at first been. Indeed, having foes both in their front and rear, it was more dangerous still. It seemed strange that the cunning Comanches had thus allowed themselves to be entrapped; but all this was soon explained, for, as the scouts now be reached, they | of ga dash from the timber at the same point. Full three-secore of these paint-daubed braves with whoops and yells of exultation, dashed up in the rear of the cavairy, while the main party of savages in front filled the air with their fierce and taunting ells. The moonlit plain, so lately bare and silent, was now changed indeed. The boys in blue were encom- passed by foes; while the scouts, ambulance, and escort were as good as counted out in the game. It was evident to the scouts that the Comancbes no longer had their capture in view; for their whole attention was now directed to the fast advancing cavalry, who, in turn, were gazing at the larger war- party, whose presence was undoubtedly a mystery. Soon, however, it occurred to the scouts that the stampeded mustangs of the Indians must have been stopped in their mad flight by this later party, who had undoubtedly been expected by Rolling Thunder, or he would not have been so bold and reckless at such a short distance from Fort Phantom Hill. It was soon made mapifest, that the situation was fully realized by Captain Florence! for the rear line of cavalry halted, wheeling their steeds, and facing the foe, toward the timber, At the same time, the front line opened fire, with their long-range car bines, upon the warriors of Rolling Thunder. Many braves fell, pierced with the ounce-balls of the carbines, which were discharged rapidly, until emptied of the five charges. They were then slung at the saddle-horn, and close range called for army revolvers. Frenzied yells and fierce war-whoops followed the rattling discharge of the carbines, while riderless mustangs galloped hither and thither, crushing their dead and dying masters beneath their fast-flying hoofs, This caused Rolling Thunder and his braves to whirl their frantic steeds, and dash, in a mad and reckless charge, upon the troops. At the same time, the war-party, last from the timber, Jashed their mustangs forward, regardless of the hurtling rain of lead that thinned their ranks, upon the halted line of cavalry. This sudden charge, from east and west, brought a continuous rattle of revolvers, with clouds of arrows that cut the air; pra go plain being overhung with a cloud of e. The scouts now saw the meaning of the desperate charge of the Indians, at the sacrifice of so many of their humber. It was evident that the Comanches had ascertained thet a detachment of cavalry was approaching theircamp, but were ignorant of the number of the troops, They had, therefore, formed a plan to anihilate their animals; but had meade a mistake in not all keeping together, and forming an ambush, so madly bent were they on their revenge. Now seeing that the long range of guns would prove their destruction, they had taken the only course to prevent themselves from annihilation, by rushing to close quarters. This showed good judg- ment on their part. In fact, by thus acting, they had ina very short time settled matters; and the survivors of boch war-parties were brought together ae yells, ata point out of range from the cav- alry a he latter were now too demoralized, fatigued, and seattered, to pursue the enemy. But quite one half of the Indians lay dead or dying, on both battle-flelcs; and, here and there, were many of the soldiers, some dead, and some with the agony sweat upon their foreheads, born of the torturing shafts that pierced them. The survivors of the two war-parties now, with vengeful yells, and howls from the slain, urged their mustangs northwest Cinenpearins in the timber; while the cavalry collected between the two death- strewn battle-fields. At this moment, the party un- der El Thunder charged into the ranks of the cavalry. Then Single-Eye, Old Rocky, Will and Turtle, with all the escort except two, who were ordered to halt the ambulance, and force the driver to return, gal- loped into the fight. This did much toward lessen- ing the number of Rolling Thunder’s braves, and the hte of the Tonkaway sounded out, taunting- ly, throughout the fearful hand-to-hand conflict. Not one, it was found, when Captain Florence had ‘ven his orders in regard to the wounded and slain, ad come out of the fight unscathed, although none were dangerously wounded. As the ambulance now came up toward the group, the captain called out: ‘**Gentlemen, will you relieve my mind by inform- ing me if the young lady, who was captured b these inhuman monsters, has been rescued? I wis to know, also, if my sister, Mrs. Florence, is with you, “Both ther weemin air O. K., Cap,” said Single- Eye. “ We-uns hes hed some consider’ble crawlin’ an’ ridin’ on ther trail ‘fore yer ’roved, arter ther leetle gal; an’ she air now, es I undercomstan’s hit, wi’ her mother, what hes comed from ther States, an’ what hain’t see’d her since she war a babby.”’ “Thank Heaven!” exclaimed Captain Florence. “I recognize you all now, my friends. Had I known you were on the trail, and that my niece was free, I would have taken more time, and had greater success. In fact, I don’t think many braves would have gone west of Clear Fork again. As the captain now rode up to the ambulance, Single-Bye cried: ~ “say, Cap, hold on! Thar’s two hellyuns from civerlize, what I reckon hed orter be strung up er limb. We-’uns hes ‘em tied in ther bush. Thar’s Mister Washburne. ahead o’ yer—he'll splain "bout em. Waving his hand to the scouts, Captain Florence went forward to meet the approaching ambulance and greet, for the first time, his niece Blora. CHAPTER XXTX. f AFTER THE STORM, A CALM. Witt Wasnpurne, who had left the seouts upon the approach of Captain Florence, reached the ambulance before that officer, he wishing to see Flora and her mother previous to making the ac- quaintance of the captain, and assisted his eager sweetheart to the ground. creed “Oh, Will!” exclaimed the fair girl; “I am so thankful you have returned. I feared you would be lled! . ‘ft have had so much of horror and despair that I er OL ee . cannot but expect a return of the same in some alegre con to a middle-aged woman within, saying: gazed to the rear, they perceived another long line ‘= . . | | 5 | (E(o)