Beadle's Dime Library, No. 261 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

> _ a nx) ie —_—--- Neither could he hear anything save the faint whispering of wind through the cedars ahead. “Bho cowards have fled!” he muttered an- rily. ; But as he stepped from behind the huge bowl- der he stumbled across the dead body of the Mexican slain by Montezuma. They only waited the return of the Mexican with the men who had been sent to lay in am- bush for the two scouts. These soon made their appearance, their downcast looks and angry voices declaring the failure of their mission. Balboaz guessed that something untoward ‘“ Garambo!” he cried, as he recognized the | had happened, upturned face, ‘‘am I to lose through those accursed scouts?” There was little affection for the dead Mexi- can in his tone, but more of wrath and of chagrin that bis once powerful band was being so-seriously reduced, Above all he was beginning to nourish a deadly hatred against the determined men who were slowly trailing him to his last retreat. “The best trap remains unsprung,” he mut- tered savagely, half to bis men, half to himself. 4 When they go for their horses Gomez and his party will give them a reception they little ex- t. On, my men! I must see their dead odies before the sun rises. It will bo a faint salve for the gaps they have made in the band to-night.” The men followed, obedient to his order. They passed through the thicket of cedar and took the same path down the mountain-side previously traversed by the little band of fugi- tives, When they reached a point from which the path diverged that led down to the little ravine, the sound of two pistol-shots coming from tbat direction brought the party to a sudden halt, These were the shots fired by Richard Moore, | my men | ‘* Well, Gomez?” he said, interrogatively. The man approached the subject reluctantly. ‘*Cap’n, I did my best.” “That is taken for granted. But what did you do—anything?” ‘* Those two men are in league with Satan. They got clear away—borses and all.” ‘*Got their horses! And you with sixteen men, not a dozen yards off?” “Wait till you bear all.” Gomez then related the ruse that had been played upon them}; also, the discovery of the three dead brothers. ‘** Diablo !” cried Balboaz, ‘‘ those men are no ordinary foes. We are not safe so long as they are alive to trail us like sleuth-hounds.” ‘* But how are we to get rid of them?” “We must watch them as stealthily and per- severingly as they watch us. I appoint you to that duty. Take one of the Indians to assist you. You will linger here until after we are one, as we shall be ina few moments. Those ellows will certainly visit this camp. Keep your eye on their movements, trail them cau- tiously, and when the time comes—strike.” As the last emphatic word left bis lips, Bal- boaz turned and gave hasty orders for leaving that had suddenly ended the career of the two | the little valley. ap brothers. mmediately following the pistol-shots and as if an echo to it a faint scream was heard to the jeft of Balboaz’s party. ‘What was that?” whispered one of the men. ** A woman’s voice, evidently,” said the chief, eagerly; ‘‘and there can be but one woman in this part of the mountain.” They listened intently. No further sound came from tbe direction of the voice. Balboaz’s plan was soon laid. He ordered his men to fol!ow him. They advanced stealthily in the direction of the chestnut tree beneath which Birdie Lester and the Indian were sitting. The darkness and silence with which they ad- vanced rendered their approach undiscernible even to the quick senses of the Indian. Suddenly, out from the spreconting spring the dark forms of Balboaz and bi the former crying out: ‘* Ah, my pretty bird! last.” bushes S$ men, [ have caught you at CHAPTER XXV. RECAPTURED, As Balboaz uttered the words in an exultant tone, ‘I have caught you at last,” he cast his Spanish cloak over the unfortunate girl’s head, thus stifling the cry that rose to her lips. Then clasping her in his strong arms, he turned to find his men still engaged in a des- perate struggle with Montezuma, As for Birdie Lester, blissful unconsciousness rendered her oblivious to this new disaster in her fortunes. The Indian, at the first a--earance of the ‘invaders, had sprung up knife in hand, prepared ‘to die in defense of the fair girl committed to his charge. He made a desperate resistance, but the odds -were too great. He was finally overpowered, but not until two dead and several wounded were left as trophies of his valor. ’ In the short space of one minute Birdie Lester became once more a captive to the crafty ‘Balboaz, and Montezuma, her brave defender, lay bound and helpless. “ What shall we do with him?” Such was the question of one of the raiders as he administered a brutal kick on the pros- trate form of the Indian. The question was mutely echoed by those around, and their vengeful glances showed that no gentle fate awaited Montezuma were he left to their mercy. “Bring him along,” commanded Balboaz, still holding the senseless girl in hisarms, ‘“‘ We have no time to give him his deserts here, Be- sides, 1 have a special purpose for which he must be reserved. One of the men cut the thong that bound the Indian’s feet. He rose at once without waiting for orders. Four. men, such was their wholesome dread of his power, were detailed to guard Monte- zuma. Another aided Balboaz in carrying the help- less girl. | The whole pasey then turned ahd retraced their steps to the little valley where they had first encamped. _ There arrangements were made for an imme- diiate departure, The horses were caught; the little tent folded up and its furniture packed on mules; a litter was made for Birdie Lester, who had awakened to the full realization of her misery. Sy : “ae al oe wR he STEELERS nEEEEEEEEEERRReREeen cr ——————— Five minutes later one coming suddenly noe the remote vale, with its clear, sparkling stream, would have seen no sign of a human being’s presence. Nevertheless, high up among tbe crags on one side were concealed the Mexican Gomez, and a companion of the treacherous Apache tribe, They wait with the cruel impatience of tigers the appearance of Ricbard Moore and the colored scout, And as they wait, the first golden flush of the coming dawn creeps above the mountain-tops, casting a halo of glory over the rugged cliffs and the green, taeaGowsilke valley. Away up in the remotest and most rugged section of the great Sierra Madre range, the bandit chief Balboaz had pitched bis mountain stronghold. It was a strange, wild locality, adapted by nature for the refuge of outlaws and all whose desperate deeds had rendered them fugitives from justice. But the natural defenses of the place had been immeasurably increased by the hand of art. One single narrow road, bewn in the face of the cliff, led up to a broad ledge, over a hun- dred feet in hight. On the flat summit of this ledge his band had their dwelling-place in rows of low, adobe huts. Room was even found for stables in which their horses were kept in time of danger. Other than this narrow path there was no visible approach. Naught but pervendicular cliffs arose from the smooth vale at their foot, forming a majestic amphitheater, the two arm; of which reaching far around, projected from the face of the main ridge towering far above. The flat summit of what we mav call the two arms of the semicircle had been chosen by Bal- boaz as a mountain stronghold, which a very few men might bold against a thousand. The entrance to the single narrow road or rafher path was guarded where it opened on the summit by two small cannon which bad been conveyed with immense labor to their airy situa- tion, These, loaded with grape, slugs, nails, etc. would give a warm vbception to ehaaver should attempt to storm the bandits’ stronghold by the only feasible entrance. his road opened on that one of the project- ing cliffs given up to the main portion of the and, The other cliff, directly opposite, but entirely separated from its mate by the intervening chasm, could only be reached by a secret pas- sage at the rear, dug through the main body of the mountain. This was set apart for Balboaz himself, anda few of his most trusted dependents, But the abode of the bandit chief was not confined to these exterior ledges jutting forth from the mountain. Those euindeptel archi- tects, the Aztecs, had been here before him and hewn out a perfect labyrinth into the very heart of the mountain. Centuries before bad this industrious people contrived this effective refuge against their hated foe, the Spaniard, There were legends even yet of buried trea- sures and secret chambers unknown to Balboaz himself, The source of water supply was remarkably convenient for so elevated a situation. Near the center of the ledge to which Balboaz confined himself, was a cold, clear pool of water inclosed in a deep basin, which was never known to fall below a certain bight. | Several attempts had been made to sound * a this pool, but no line bad ever been known to touch bottom. , Neither was there any visible outlet to its wa- ers. The Indians looked upon it with superstitious awe, even though compelled to drink of its wa- ters. In this seemingly impregnable stronghold, two days after the departure of Balboaz from the little valley, a stirring scene was being transacted. In one of the inner chambers, hewn out of the solid rock and reached by a narrow passage opening from the outer ledge, stood a group of five men around the form of anotber man, stretched horizontally on a curious looking frame, to which be was fastened hand and foot, Tbe curious-looking frame was that terrible instrument of torture, the rack. The man fastened upon it and about to be doomed to the agony of having bis joints pulled asunder, was the Indian, Montezuma. Of the five men standing round we see our old friend Balboaz, three of his trusted Mexi- cans, ene an Indian clad in the garb of the acne, t is Balboaz who holds the prominent posi- tion at the head of the iron frame, and who does the EPaAt Dg The room, unlike most of the others, which were richly furnished with thick carpets, tapes- tried hangings, and unbolstery, the product of many a raid, is cold and bare, and destitute of every vestige of furniture, save the terrible- looking apparatus in the center, Naugbt but the bare stone walls, lighted very dimly by a single ray through the open door, greets the eyes of the bound Indian. Everything is cleverly calculated to subdue bis courage and render him passive in the hands of the remorseless Balboaz. ‘*T shall ask but ove question,” said Balboaz, ** that question to be repeated till it is answered, or—till you are dead. ‘' For,” he added, a tigerish gleam in his eyes, ‘“‘each time your re- fusa] to answer will be followed bya turn of the screw, Gavara, stand to your post,” The Mexican thus addressed, took hold of a projecting handle, ‘* Now, then, ready!” He glances a moment into the eyes of Monte- zuma, If he expected any sign of weakening in those calm, bronze features he was disappointed. The black eyes met his in a glance of calm contempt, before which that of the Spaniard wavered and sunk, : ** Carambo |” he exclaimed angrily; ‘‘ we will ive you a taste of something that will take own your fortitu trifle. Now for the question; ‘* Where is the hidden treasure?” , he words echoed metallically from the stone walis, No reply from Montezuma, “One turn, Gavara.” Obedient to the cruel command, the Mexican gave the screw a turn. Even in the dim light the limbs of Montezuma could be seen to stretch under the leverage. His agony must have been intense even in the first stage of the torture. But not a quiver stirred his smooth bronze features. Like bis great ancestor, he might have been sleeping on a bed of roses for all out- ward token. ‘* Again,” cried Balboaz, ‘where is the treasure?” Silence. * Another turn, Gavara.” The command was executed with the same mechanical indifference. CHAPTER XXXVI, A STRANGE RESCUE. For one instant. dead silence reigned in the stone chamber. The chief actor in the tragical drama, Bal- boaz, stood just at the head of the bound and prostrate Indian, an anxious frown on his brow, seeking, after each repetition of bis question, for some sign of weakening in his tortured vic- tim. At the other end of the hideous apparatus stood Gavara, whose office it was to apply the leverage to the cords that bound the Indian’s hands and feet. To the rear of both stood the two remaining Mexicans and the stoical looking Apache, watch- ing the proceedings with varying emotions, To all appearance Montezuma was the most unmoved of them all. Yet the second application of the lever caused him excruciating pain. It seemed as though his limbs, with diabolical slowness, were being torn from their sockets. The intense agony lengthened the moments to hours. But as bis cruel tormentor glanced into the dark eyes and composed features, their look of dauntless resolution made him almost despair of accomplishing bis purpose. He was about to repeat the fatal question a third time when a sudden interruption oc- curred, The Apache, who all this time had main- tained an unbroken silence, now stepped for- ‘ ‘comilebooksre (0) Sy mm.