Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 293 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

ee a < ad e 7 yf al * . ¢ hh = Stampede Steve. and stretching himself upon the sward, fell into a deathlike slumber, just as the gray shades of coming morn shot up in the east. All mpeg? that long forenoon, and into the middle of t while the southern sun blazed down mercilessly, blistering the flesh of the tortured scout, bound upon the wheel, on the open plain; and even the more favored miscreants, bound to the trees, e afternoon, slept the old planter, | Then, with a fierce look into the eyes of the two ruffians, which spoke as plain as words, ‘*T'l] see you later,” he spurred from their view, on the back of Steve Speed’s horse. Upon clearing the timber, Major Dale discov- | ered the bay horse galloping over the plain to- ward the south; and then he noticed a break upon its surface, and without delay again drove | spurs. were parched with thirst and half-famisied, | while the tightly-drawn ropes pained them ex- | | Sieve hiding the scout from view; but the old ceedingly. Yet their curses were low and muttered, for they feared awakening the man they had so wronged, and whose fury knew no bounds. And Lasso Lije glared with murderous hatred upon his old pard, hissing curses at Dusky Dick for having brought him to such a fix. Broquier trembled, for he knew that to gain favor with the major, bis infuriated partner in crime would betray any and all secrets. Both had suffered to the very extreme of human endurance, when the fearful whoops of the Apaches had rung on the plain, and the sounds of revolver-shots had caused them to believe that Bob and Steve had been slain. This would cause the Indians to follow their back trail, and they would be discovered. They had heard the rattle of the wagon and the yells of their Mexican allies, and had been confident that the Greasers were all captured, and the maiden as well. They had also detected the glare of the burning wagon, and felt certain that discovery, torture and death awaited them. They had wrenched at their ropes in fury and terror, bruising their flesh still more; but the strongly tied lariats had only been made tighter by their frantic exertions. Through ajl the savage commotion on the plain the two ruffians had been most terribly agonized, expecting each moment to bebold the war-painted warriors dart, with wild whoops, from the dark shades, upon them. And then, after all had become still, and the had decided that the Indians had departed, and that they were safe from the red demons— then, after a short respite from their terrors, there had burst in upon them, one whom they had believed to be cold and dead; one whom, in their present helpless condition, they dreaded most to see; one whom they had wronged in the most dastardly manner, and whose merciless vengeance woula be but just. Well could the cowardly pair of villains re- alize that if the mills of. the gods grind slowly, yet when those deities do set in for real busi- ness they make it lively, and grind exceed- ingly fine—tbat, in short, “the way of the trans- gressor is hard.” At last they heard a crashing of bushes, and knowing that none could appear except enemies, they shuddered with horror and dread; but they ere at once relieved, by beholding the equipped “wn'se of Stampede Steve dash into the little ‘‘ open.” This awakened the old planter. Major Dale sprung to a sitting posture, and glared around in a dazed and bewildered man- ner; at enaye he fastened his eyes upon his old foes, and his amazement merged into merciless hatred. The wretches cringed and trembled when they recalled the terrible assault of the old man upon them the previous night. But the intelligent horse of the young scout cantered on its way to Nero, and manifested great pleasure, drawing the attention of the old planter, who seemed strangely moved by the discovery and recognition of Steve's horse. This animal, as well as Nero, recalled to the major all that he had lost, The miscreants saw that the old man’s head was smeared with blood, the same haying also dripped over bis garments, giving him a horri- ble appearance; the pallor of his face contrast- ing so strongly with the blood, Satie sat the old planter, in a daze, At length, he crawled to the saddle-bags, and again ate and drank; thus causing the almost famished wretches, who watched him, to be tantalized almost to insanity. Steve § ’s horse, although still saddled and bridled, had apparently satisfied his hunger and thirst; the a having, as his presence roved, escaped being captured by the Apaches; y dashing through the war-party, when his master had fallen from the saddle—the Indian mustangs being unable to overtake him. Long sat Major Dale thus, neither of the mis- creants mow to break the impressive silence; when, suddenly a peculiar sound, half-whistle and half-shriek, came feebly through the tim- ber, as though proceeding from afar out on the prairie. { Instantly the magnificent bay horse of the scout uttered a long neigh, tossed his head, ricked his long ears orward, and then ambled hrough the undergrowth, toward the plain. This act of the horse appeared to impress the old major greatly, and he saddled and bridled Nero, throwing a pair of the saddle-bags he had found, and which belonged to Broquier, upon He bad taken care to put the food and brandy into the pockets of the pair be bad chosen, ‘A 7\ $ - mr T_T ————————— — —_ SS —— -_ . eee eee ees But a very short time had elapsed, when the major galloped up to the mule, the horse of planter sprung to the earth, with a slight curi- osity upon his face, which changed rapidly to a strange mingling of joy and grief, when he caugbt sight of, and recognized the young scout, in such a terrible position. ‘‘Father in Heaven! I thank Thee!” Thus cried out the tortured young man, as he saw relief at band. Each word was lower than the former; the last being but a gasping whisper, as all sense left him—the effect of such a sudden change — the despair of death to certain release and life. Without a word, Major Dale slashed free the raw-hide ropes, and prevented Steve from fall- ing; he then laid ‘him upon the sward, beyond Se a path which had been worn by the mule, The old planter next released that animal, the poor beast staggering over the plain toward the timber. Hastily pulling a brandy bottle from the sad- dle-bags, the major rushed to the side of the rostrate and now senseless scout; knowing well that Steve had thus suffered throtgh his efforts to rescue Dora, Tbe tears ran down the cheeks of the old man copiously, thus relieving. his be- numbed and overtaxed brain, and causing him tu recover his reasoning faculties in a more per- fect degree. ' Soon Steve opened bis eyes, at once recogniz- ing Major Dale; and all the dread past was re- called Nae and. in ap instant impressed upon bis mind, ‘*May Heaven bless you, major!” the young man exclaimed at once; ‘*may Heaven bless ou, as it has guided you here to my rescue! ut, your daughter—for mercy’s sake, tell me where is Dora! ‘That is the question I would have asked you, had you given me time, Mr. Speed. I ask it now. Where, oh, where is my darling? ‘*T have not seen my child, since that arch- fiend, Broquier, tore her from my arms, in the camp. Ishall go mad, ifshe is vot found. Yes, Steve, my friend, 1 shall become imsane; I think I bave been so already!” Instantly the young scout staggered pen fully, to his feet, took up the bottle which the old planter had brought bim, and poured brandy upon the benumbed portions of his body. He then drank off the iiquor copiously. For a few moments, he leaned against the wheel, upon which be had suffered the tortures of the lost, and soon his strength began to come back to bim. He then gazed around him, his face contorted with anguish and desperation. The ashes, and iron work, of the wagon, caught the young scout’s eye; and, with a groan of agony, and an awful dread, he staggered to- ward the same, assisted by the major. One look was sufficient to convince Steve, that his dread suspicions had been wrong. There were no signs of human remains, The ashes were not sufficient in quantity to conceal human bones. Dora Dale bad not been burned!» Her corpse was not to be seen. Steve Speed clasped the arm of the old plan- ter, and gazing into the face of the latter witha wild look, cried out: “They have carried her away! Your daugh- ter lives, Major Dale, and is a captive to the Apache fiends, But, Dll save her yet! ‘*T swear it, by my hopes of Heaven! ‘“‘Give me the weapons you have with you, major! You will find others secreted in the timber yonder, on the wagon-trail. ‘You will find something more than arms, for there Bob Barr and myself caught and bound that fiend, Broquier, and his pard, Lasso Lije to trees, Bill, the other villain, was killed, ‘‘ Let those two wretches suffer, as I have suf- fered. We will yet force them to acknowledge their vile plot, and your innocence!” “hen taking the proffered bowie and pistols from the major, the young scout continued: “I go to save your daughter, if man_can rt Aye I shall not return without her. Fare- well! Steve Speed spoke these last sentences in a ape and excited manner, and then with diffi- culty managed to get astride of his horse. “Tl follow you, Steve, when I get arms?” called out the old planter; ‘‘ God speed you!” But no sooner were the words out of the mouth of Major Dale, than away went the young scout at a mad gallop on the Apache trail toward the west, not so much as glancing back, The old major mounted, spurred to the timber and soon reappeared; having found the wea- pons that had been taken from Broquier, Bill and Lije, secreted in a thicket. And away,a mile in the rear of Steve sped the distracted father, and before the Jatter had galloped three miles, up the Rio Leona, at ter- rific speed, dashed Bob Barr at the head of the men from the wagon-train. Surely it seemed that Dora Dale was destined to be rescued from the merciless red demons. of the Rio Pecos! CHAPTER XXXIII. ‘‘) HAVE KEPT MY OATH.” Not more than fifteen miles galloped the Apache war-party when they dashed through a ribbon of timber which marked the course of a creek, a tributary of the Rio Leona. On the west side of this they encamped, Poor Dora still lay in a comatose state. After a hasty repast, the Apaches, leaving a small number of their force to guard the camp, bore their dead to a level space a quarter of a mile below, where the death-dance was per- formed. Then began the horrible torture of the wound- ed Texan, and the Mexican outiaws, the greater part of the day being consumed in the fiendish work, and it was sunset before the main por- tion of the war-party returned toward their camp—arriving within sight of the same to wit- ness a startling spectacle. A grand one it was, being er gas Steve, whom they had believed to be, by that time, on the borders of death. | Just as the young scout had before dashed into the war-party, charging madly upon them, so now, upon the self-same borse, with revolver in each band and knife between his teeth, his head bare and hair flying wild, they saw him bounding into theircamp. Again were the rat- tling reports followed by death-yells and cries of agony and horror. Before they could recover from their ‘sur- prise, he flew, upon his superb steed, from heir gaze, disappearing in the timber with their captive—the pale-faced maiden—in bis arms!” ot until then, did the rallying yell of Lone Wolf ring on the evening air. | Out, on the east plain dashed Steve, the arms. of Dora Dale clasped about bis neck! And on toward the pair, from the east, spur- red Major Dale; but he halted, as the scout yelled: “Back, major! the red demons will follow. Dora is saved! Look! there comes Bob with the men!” There, sure enough, rode the teamster, at the: head of more than a score of Texans and negroes, all armed to the teeth. e Apaches, who had lashed their mustangs | from the timber, now halted in astonishment. No ei was made, the savages evidently concluding that it would cost them too dear, to regain their captive, and to glut their revenge. way dashed our friends, with wild cheers— the happiest and most relieved party of Texans, within the boundaries of the Lone Star State, . Before the silvery moon had half reached the zenith from the eastern horizon, the brave band were standing in a circle, about the torture- wheel, to which Steve Speed had been bound; while, side by side, stood Count Broquier, or “Dusky Dick, and Lasso Lije, both secured fast to the wheel, and both nearly dead, with hunger, thirst, and terror—for death was star- ing them in the face at last! In a group, within the circle of trainmen and emigrants, stood Steve, the Scout, supporting Dora Dale, Major Dale, and Bob Barr. “Tll tell tber hull Story, boyees, ef ye’lb promise ter let me off from ther rope!” Thus pleaded Lasso Lije, while Broquier glared at bim like a fiend. *T don’t want ter be choked ag’in, fer I sw’ar I’ve hed enough o’ hit. Shoot me plum’ dead, an’ I'll ’splain how I come ter be tu byer cuss, Dusky Dick.” ‘* Proceed!” said the scout, in a stern, clear voice. ‘‘ 1 promise you that the major will agree to your request. Am I not right, Major Dale?” be old planter bowed his head. ‘*Wa-al, bit war jist this-a-way. I war a honest man ontil [run ag’in Dick, byer, but he p'isoned my mind; an’ arter some consider’ble crookedness, we ‘roved on ther Brazos, from Galveston, hevin’ ter lay low fer a while. We camped in ther timber, an’ Dick be gut in wi” ther major’s niggers, an’ foun’ out all ’bout bis affairs, “He gut a squint et ther leetle gal, an’ he swored he’d marry her an? git all ther property. I laughed, but be played ther game purty nigh through ter win. ‘Ther major used ter ride through ther tim- ber, on a pertic’lar path, aw’ what does Dick do but send a letter ter a planter ter meet him in ther bottom, et sich a p’int an’ time, an’ he’d tell him whar ter find one o’ his niggers what. _ hed runned away. ‘* Wa-al, ther planter, what war a friend of ther major’s, met Dick; an’ my pard jabbed a knife into bis heart, an’ then laid the ee plum’ iv a leetle ‘open,’ through which the major allers rid. Jist vben, “long he comes om “comic S JOO : in by this — (E(o) , * a t 7 =. ‘ * = > Ll : 4 < Tale § m “a * ‘ # haat i 5°