Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 256 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24. below the heavy boot heels of the suspended iant; and, awaiting a favorable opportunity, ig Foot launched himself downward, pointing his heels directly at the ‘‘cabase” of the Greaser, who bad removed his sombrero, thus insuring bis own speedy death. The gigantic form of the scout shot down- ward, his heels crashing in the skull of the ban- dit, witha sickening sound, The form of the bandit quivered spasmodically for a moment, and then lay silent and still forever; while the scout, paying no further attention to him, perred toward the camp. All was still, and with relief and satisfaction upon bis face, Big Foot rolled the corpse under some? b shes near at hand, removed pistol and knife from the body, and, thrusting them into his own belt, crawled pantber-like, beneath the undergrowth, toward the sentinel who over- lo: ed the plain, Upon reaching a point near the tree in which this Greaser was posted, which, being at some distance from the river, was freer from moss end je-s luxuriant in foliage, the scout soon had thes tisfaction of locating the exact position of his nc xt intended victim. To sloy this bandit, without causing any alarm, w3s a much more difficult task than the first. However, Big Foot did not hesitate a mo nent, Lut stole up to the tree next to that oeeupied by the sentinel. Drawing his bowie- kni’e, and clutching the blade between his te th, Big Foot, after reaching a point on a level with his intended victim, crawled slowly and silently along the branches into the tree that was destined to be the scene of the traredy. Allbough of gigantic build, the scout made no noise, his movements being cat-like: and an arrow .«f moonlight here and there, being suffi- cient to guide him to the perch of the bandit. He well knew that, even should the Greaser be attrac‘ed by his movements, it would be impos- ci sle,after bending his eyes over the bright moon- lit plain for such a length of time, to distinguish any'bing clearly in the dark shades, He felt gure, th refore, of success. Gaining a position where, if the sentinel should be alarmed, he could spring upon him before he comprehended the nature of the threatened danger, the scout, nevertheless, de- ci.ed that he would take norisks. He, there- fore, maintained the same slow and silent ap- roach, Soon he came within striking distance of the outlaw, who, at this moment uttered a deep curse as his cigarette burned bis lips, cast- ing the stump of the same to the ground with an angry growl, | That curse was the last of his that ever pol- luted the air; for the bowie of Big Foot shot forward, glittering through a patch of moon- light, which seemed to shine upon that particu- lar spot to favor the scout’s de-ign, and, with a sickening, grating sound, penetrated the neck of the bandit, severing the spinal cord, and pro- ducing instant death. It required the finest calculation and skill to accomplish this, but Big Foot was equal to the occasion; and, at the same instant, he clutched bis victim by the collar of the jaqueta, thus preventing the corpse from crashing through tne branches to the earth. Quickly descending, he secured the arms of his victim and then stole around through the undergrowth to the east side of the camp, where, 2 peeping through the bushes, he could see plainly every captive, as well as the only re- maining sentinel, who was seated with his back to the east. ‘ The scout bad thus far performed his difficult, self-imposed task, upon which so much depend- ed; buf he now realized that life and death hung upon his slightest movement, and the most difficult attempt yet remained. Had it been possible, he would have stolen up from the op- posite side of the camp in the rear of the cap- tives and cut their bonds; but there being no bushes for some yards to cover bis approach, and from the fact that the sentinel was watch- ing intently toward that point—these rendered such an undertaking impossible of accomplish- nt. All the Texans were in a heavy, lethargic sleep, except Roy Randolph; and the scout wished that such was the case with him also, as the latter, if suddenly surprised, might betray his presence. There was only one way to prevent this, and Big Foot at once adopted it, Stepping free from the bushes in the moonlight, be held up his hand in a gesture of caution, and then in- stantly darted back to the covert, crouching low from view. This movement caused exactly the result that the scout anticipated. Roy tossed his head | quickly, and gazed with the utmost surprise across the camp at the scout. ‘his attracted | the attention of the sentinel, who sprung to his 4 feet, and whirled about to discover what it was that bad alarmed the captive. Big Foot was, however, concealed from view, and, providentially, at this moment, an opossum dropped from one limb to another, on the east side of the camp, and directly over the position of the scout, disturbing the branches, and hang- ing by its tailin plain view. EO ___i___i_.______ Double Dan, the Dastard. Satisfied that it was this which had been the cause of the surprise manifested by the captive, the Greaser paid no further attention to the matter, quietly rolling and igniting a cigarette! Our hero had, in a moment, perceived how foolish he had been, that help was at hand, and _ that he had very near betrayed the fact and _ hazirded the safety of some stranger who was evidently bent upon releasing him and his | party. So intense now was Roy’s concern for the safety of the mysterious rescuer, that, as he re- alized the fact that the man was crawling across the camp to slay the sentinel, he could not look in that direction for a time, but bent his gaze to the ground at his feet. Then, when he felt that he could command | himself, he glanced casually around the camp, | at no time looking directly toward the creeping | form of Big Foot Wallace, who, with knife be- | twe -n his teeth, crawled toward the bandit, his every muscle strained for an instant bound at the slightest indication of the sentinel’s discoy- ering him, This was most excruciating torture to Roy i a Randolph, who felt that, should the sentinel give an alarm, he and his friends would be bru- tally murdered by the infuriated outlaws who remained alive, for our hero believed, as was the fact, that the other two sentinels had been slain by this stranger, who was thus risking his life for his countrymen. Slowly placing hand and knee softly down upon the sward, on came Big Foot Wallace, not betraying that he was aware of the presence of any Obert human beings than the bandit sen- tinel, At length the scout reached the desired posi- tion, and half arose from the earth, maintain- ing a crouching position, his soft sombrero in his left hand, and a glittering bowie in his right. Thus, for an instant only, during which the face of Roy was pallid as that of a corpse, his features drawn with anxiety and apprebension. Then, like a famished panther springing upon its prey, the scout bounded across the interven- ing space, thrusting bis sombrero tightly into the mouth of the outlaw, at the same time jerk- ing the head of the doomed man over back- ward. Then, down through flesh and bone with sickening sound, the bright bowie crashed in the Greaser’s breast, the knife being quickly withdrawn, allowing the hot blood to spurt out into an arch of crimson spray upon the sward, The next moment Roy Randolph was cut free and stood by the side of Big Foot Wallace, who at once placed a revolver in each of his hands, the eyes of each gazing into those of the other —each, from that instant, knowing that they were to be friends, true and devoted; each con- scious that he stood before the noblest work of God, an honest, brave, and true man. CHAPTER XXVIII. DROPPING INTO THEIR HANDS. ONLY for an instant stood Big Foot Wallace and Roy Randolph as we have described. Then the former said, in a low voice: ** Keep ther yaller varmints yunder kivered, ard, an’ bore em ef they makes a jump fer biz. ‘ll sorter ’sturb ther see-estars o’ yer frien’s hyer, without hevin’’em spit music, ef hit kin be did.” Without uttering a word in reply, his eyes, however, speaking volumes, Roy whirled about and with a cocked revolver in either hand, stood facing the blanketed forms of the bandits on the north side of the camp, the borses on the oppo- site side tossing their heads, pricking their ears forward, and gazing with surprise and suspicion upon the proceedings. But the bandits remain- ed undisturbed, he who would probably have been the most liable to awaken—-Antonio—be- ing in a deathlike slumber, induced by the pri- vation and fatigue he had undergone since join- ing the train of Le Grand, when he was on a spying expedition, Big Foot quickly grasped a gourd of water, and holding the mouth of it directly over the bent neck of one of the young planters, allowed a couple of drops of the cool fluid to descend upon the bare neck, running down the spine. From one to another the scout went thus, each awakening and staring in the utmost astonishment at Roy, the sleeping bandits, the horses and the huge scout, not at first realizing where they were, but soon recalling the near past, they looked the relief and thankfulness that they felt. Not oneof them made the least outcry, their awakening from deep slumber in so gradual a manner, and the strangeness of the view as they opened their eves, dazing them. No sooner were they awake than Big Foot severed their bonds and forced each around the trunk of the tree to which he bad been bound, ordering them to sit and rub their cramped limbs, completely hidden from the view of the bandits, should the Jatter awake, The scout had secured three revolvers and three knives from the slain sentinels. Two of the former he had given to Roy, the remaining one he gave to Captain Ray, anda knife to each of the three young planters, bidding them re- main secreted and silent until called upon to act in case he and Roy were surprised by the SSS sees SS bandits awakening before they were prepared to attend to them. Leaving Rov as stated and the other Texans: as described, Big Foot hastened into the timber, soon returning with the corpse of the first sen- tinel he bad slain, and laid the bedy beneath the trees to which the captives had been secured. Having placed in this way the three dead out- laws side by side, he procured three lariats from the saddles of the bandits, and securing a noose about the neck of each corpse, drew them up free of the ground, to as many limbs of the trees, This done, Roy not having once taken his eyes from the Heeping Greasers, the giant scout drew his revolvers, cocked the weapons and made a gesture for our hero to follow him, Springing within the bushes near the concealed Texans, Roy and Big Foot crouched low, select- ing positions from which they could quickly bound, if necessary, All being ready, the scout gave a terrific yell, which caused the seven bandits to bound to their feet, hurling their blankets aside and ier 4 their weapons; but, as they instinctive- y ga toward the place where their captives had been bound, and saw their three comrades: hanging by their necks to the limbs—as they saw this unexpected and horrible sight, realiz- ing at once that their captives bad escaped, after heving murdered tke sentinels, they all be- came ghastly. Instantly the attention of the bandit chief was attracted to the frantic commotion amon the horses, the animals peed ay plunging, an snorting in their fright; and this proved con- clusively to Antonio that the banging up of the sentinels had but just been consummated. Like a flash, the outlaw captain jerked his weapons, and bounded toward cover, yelling for his men. to follow. At this moment, Roy and Big Foot sprung into the camp from their covers, having the Mexicans at a disadvantage; as the latter were speeding toward the east side of the camp, their backs to the Texans. Then followed a perfect fusilade of revolver shots, the bandits, with yells of terror endeavor- ing to turn and face their foes; but the leaden bail tore through their bodies, and every Greaser- fell, riddled witb bullets, except the chief, who sprung, with a wild yell, into the undergrowth, crash 0B toward the river, But the avenger was on his track, for Roy re- cognized him as the driver of the wagon, and knew that the swarthy cut-throat had been one who bad aided the miscreant Le Grand to foil the would-be rescuers of poor Rosa; perhaps indeed, had added to her sufferings and drea by his fiendish 8 ye ae might bave even sworn to kill Le Grand, and secure the helpless maiden for his own victim. hese thoughts flashed like lightning through Roy’s brain, and changed him to a merciless madman: an avenger, so strengthened and nerved by these thoughts that no man could stand before bis furious charge. Throwing his revolver from him, and grasp~ ing a knife from the corpse of a Greaser, Roy Randolph, with a vengeful yell, rushed after the bandit chief; tearing through the under- growth with a bound like that of a maddened mustang. , Thus on, until the form of Capitan Antonio was within view, when, with a taunting whoop, his knife in air, he darted forward, Antonio turned bis head, glancing in horror over bis shoulder, and his face contorted with abject terror and deathly fright, as he saw the determined face of his pursuer who rushed with vengeful and irresistible fury toward him. _ Knowing that the Texan would be upon him in a moment, that escape was impossible, ex- cept by a plunge into the river, Antonio turned to make the leap; but the strong left hand of” our hero clutched his shoulder, whirled him about, and caused him to spin like atop. Then be allowed the wretch to stand facing bim, while he gazed into his eyes, as he flashed the ir in cireles around the doomed bandit’s. ead. So rapid had been the movements of Roy, that, the Greaser had had no chance to use his knife; but now, by a herculean effort, he con- trolled himself, gathering his desperate reckless- ness, and flourishing his knife, while his lips curled away from his white teeth, like those of a wild beast, and his eyes filled with mad rage, and a thirst for blood. ‘Fiend! Miscreant! Cut-throat! Assassin! That’s right! Show the little spark of dare- devil you possess, for I’m no dastardly murderer like yourself. Strike, coward, strike! That I may not be forced to cut out the heart of an un- resisting victim!” Thus cried out Roy Randolph, in mad fury, Antonio struggling to free himself from the torturing clutch of his adversary, and swing- ing his arm back, to plunge bis long knife, ‘And the knife cut the air like a lightnin stroke; but the blade of Roy was ready, an plunged through the knife hand of the Mexican yo ee him to utter a howl of agony, as his cuchillo dropped to the ground, “Ha! bal” burst from Roy’s lips, with a blood-curdling meaning to the cowering wretch. (EIN MLS <S JOO (E(o) mernnemmene TS CL hE TTT me, ss ae ae ee eee ed