Beadle's Dime Library No. 309 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

—— ——_—__— —— leaves and flying wildly in the breeze, bis eyes glaring and fixed in a painfully staring manner ahead, his features drawn with the awful suf- ferings of his tortured mind—-be being, as it seemed, ten years older than when he first struck the San Saba—spurred at every bound the horse of Old Rocky; the animal no longer showing lameness, as it darted up the river to- | ward the old Comanche camp, although the ranchero had not the remotest idea where the same was situated. He had heard the old scout assert that he was sure such a camp existed; and it was now his only hope to find it, for there he expected, in his insane fancyings, to find his children, whom he had so obstinately dragged to de- struction. The loss of his wagons and property gave him not the slightest thought. If but his chil- dren could be restored to him he would be satisfied. As has been said, his way was through the tangled undergrowth and in comparative dark- ness; but he rode a beast that had oft saved its master’s life, and by just such a headlong dasb, The animal now, as if by instinct, picked its way ahead, minding neither twitch nor pull of reins, as if it was fully aware that it hada greenhorn upon its back~—as without doubt it was, ' It was strange that the steed bad allowed the colonel to mount it, for, to all except its master, it bad ever been as furious as some untamed wild beast, panther-like in ferocity, and bitin ra to the imminent danger of life an imb. With tbat same fixed, insane stare, ever ga- zing ahead into the blackness—as black almost as the despair in his heart—on sped Colonel Pemberton; the horse, scenting its kind, mak- ing directly for the Comanche camp. or some time it seemed as though the col- onel expected to ride directly into the camp, without a thought that be would meet resist- ance; but, after a certain distance was passed, in fact as he neared the ‘“‘open” which Big Foot had chosen for a halting-place, he fran- tically jerked his revolvers and cocked the weapons, with a new fire in his eye—a thirst for blood and revenge. As the borse neared the camp of the Coman- ches, none but young braves having been left in charge, who kept no guard, and who each mo- ment were expecting a messenger to give an account of the capture of the wagon-train; then the eyes of the steed shot fiery glances, its ears pricked forward, and snorts issued from its dis- tended nostrils, as if the beast well knew what was ahead—well knew what was expected of it; recalling many just such daring dashes, when its skilled master was in the saddle, As it happened, the young braves, not more than a dozen in number, and these of the lesser lights even of those who were on their first war-path, were all congregated in the middle of the “open” which has been already de- scribed when the war-party before the arrival of Black Fox were there assembled; they were now around a huge fire and were gorgivg them- pe with the flesh of a bear they had recently illed. They had not the slightest doubt as to the success of their chief in capturing the train, and the large number of mules, and the plunder they expected to take back to their villages— which would be the signal for a week’s festivi- ties, in which they would take an active part, and in a measure share the honors with their elders—a 1 this greatly elated them, made them careless and neglectful of even their usual watchfulness when on the war-path. The extra horses and the animals which be- longed to these braves and those slain by Rattler at the ford and in the cavern, some forty in number, were staked, and grazing about the open” in ascattered manner, Thus were affairs in the Comanche camp when, like a projectile from a catapult, Colonel Pemberton, upon the battle-mad steed of Old Rocky, shot from the undergrowth into the camp, stampeding the mustangs to right and left; the animals bounding with terrified snorts as they tore loose from their fastenings. The young braves had heard the crashing of the horse through the undergrowth, knew there was but one animal, and of course had no sus- picions that a single enemy would charge into their camp; they supposing, and with good rea- sons, that the rider was a messenger who had come to give news of the capture of the wagon- ' train, and the number of scalps that had been taken. Consequently, as the mad colonel bounded free of the bushes, all eyes were bent upon him in eager anticipation; and never were there a more dumfounded party of red raiders than were there—each being, as it were, frozen in his tracks, actually half-paralyzed with supersti- tious terror, at sight of the fearful-looking vis- age and wild eyes of the ranchero, whose teeth were set, and whose whole appearance was startling in the extreme. So deep was his mad desire for revenge, that he did not gaz? around the camp to ascertain if his darlings were there; seemingly to bear in ie ahd a — Se 4 ee ere oe -— Rayboid, the mattling Ranger. | | demons, to whom he was indebted for the soul- | torturing anguish he endured, and the black de- | spair that bad settled down upon bim., ! The lurid light of the huge camp-fire had given him warning of tne presence and exact location of his hated foes, and the colonel felt that he was fully prepared for them. Without doubt, he would have dashed head- long into that *‘ open,” in the same manner that | he did on this occasion, had there been a thou- sand braves there assembled; would have rushed on to meet any kind of death, rather than suffer to the very depths of his soul, as he was now do. ing, Straight, therefore, upon the amazed young braves, he thundered; not a sound issuing from his lips, which, to the Indians, was far more im- pressive than if he had uttered the most fright- ful yells. With a deadly Colt’s revolver in each hand, he charged upon them, and, before a single war- rior could make a break for his weapons, or an attempt to escape, twin spurts of fire shot from the deadly tubes. And then, continuous was that fearful fusilade; some of the braves, with horrible death-yells, falling into the very blaze of the camp-fire. It was neither more nor less than a perfect massacre, but one out of the dozen braves being able to escape; be darting, at the first fire, from the opposite of the camp-fire to the adjacent thickets. Those who recovered from the superstitious terror that held them spell-bound, and ran for their lives, were followed by the horse of Old Rocky, with tremendous bounds and snorts, and wide-open mouth, and without guidance; as this strange beast bad often done before, when the old scout was upon it, and they were on the ‘*‘ rampage,” The colonel, when ho had emptied both revol- vers, furiously hacked the fleeing savages with his bowie-knife. All this occurred in less time than one would deem possible, for every nerve, and sense, and muscle, of the madman, were s rained to the ut- most; and, in superstitious terror, the one brave who escaped, crouched in the border of the ‘‘open,” in the dense thicket, and gazed, with bated breath, and terror-bulging eyes, upon the fearful sight; thinking, beyond a doubt, that he was looking upon some demon, bent upon aveng- ing the slaying of the whites, Most blood-ecurdling were the yells of death and terror, that ruled the “ open” during this terrible scene; the mustangs, the while, bound- ing, kangaroo-like, in a huddled mass, their ears pointed toward the fire, their wild eyes still wilder, and staring; while they trembled with fright, and would have stampeded, bad it not been for the strong bands of buffalo-bide that linked their fore fetlocks together. The high blazing fire, and the excitement pro- duced by bis mad and bloody conflict, together with the sight of the slain, rendered the old colonel fearfully demoralized: and then, as he returned his blood dripping bowie to bis belt, he gave vent to his pent up rage, in yells, and whoops, and shrieks, most terrible to hear, Cunning in bis madness, he secured the horse after he bad dismounted, and then followed a far different, but more horrible and revolting scene, Bounding from the place where he had left the horse, he again jerked his knife, and hacked and yanked scalp afier scalp from the heads of the slain. This was, it is probable, from his having beard Old Rocky assert, that an Indian considers it the greatest disgrace and dishonor possible, for one of their wumber to bave his **hair lifted” after death; he being determined to do everything that was possible towaid com- pleting bis vengeful work. The bodies were also fearfully backed by him, asif to make sure of death; and to make assurance doubly sure, be hurled one after an- other of the reeking corpsesinto the camp-fire, which soon caused a mammoth blaze, an intense heat, and a sickening odor of burning flesh, which pervaded the “‘ open.” This was more than the surviving Comanche could endure, and he stole away, borrified and trembling, through the dark shades, and down the river; only to meet his death by Old Rocky’s bowie, as we have seen, when he was on the very verge of Big Foot’s camp. The ranchero’s clothing bung in tatters, from his mad ride through the timber and thorny un- dergrowth; and he presented a truly horrible appearance after his work of butchery, being literally covered with blood. But, to make himself look even more so, the mad fancy came upon bim to stain his face from one of the paint-bags, which had fallen from the belt of one of his victims. Red, yellow, white, and black, he applied with bis fingers, in stripes, across brows, and down cheek, as well as around neck in rings; and it would be impossible to conceive of a more hideous looking appearance than he presented, An Indian ‘“ Medicine-man” would bave been a ball-room beauty in comparison. Having completed his toilet. he attached a lariat to the horn of the old scout’s saddle, and Ww animal; fastening the rope to the horn again, letting it hang slightly loose along the sides and hams of the borse—the animal watching the proceedingly curiously, and not in the least manifesting a disposition to either kick or bite, To this rope, from the saddle to the croup on each side of the horse, the ranchero secured the scalps he had torn from the heads of his victims all reeking; the long bleck hair hanging to the earth in a continuous fringe, Having yet four remaining, be attached these to the bridle-reins, two on either side, This done, the colonel inspected the camp, and discovered several heaps of malet'os, or buckskin saddle-bags, from which he alstracted various colored feathers and other gay decora- tions, as well as leggins and moccasins, This caused him to remove bis own clothing, and at- tire himself in Comanche costume throughout; afterward painting bis body and arms iu a fantastic manner, Every thought of his children seemed now to be banished from his mind. His one object, since he bad slain the young braves, appearing to be to make himself look as much like an ln- dian as was possible, Observing the mustangs, as they were bud- dled together, a new idea struck him, and one which be immediately carried into effect; the scent of the paint that was upon him enabling him to do so without difficulty, This wus to cut them entirely free, and at once start the ani- mals into the thickets, toward the south piain, In ten minutes more, Colonel Pemberton, who looked as little like himself as it was possi- ble to make him, mounted the strangely capari- soned steed, and also proceeded through the timber to the south plain. There be drove spurs, and dashed headlong after the herd of bhalf-wild Indian mustangs, which be drove at terrific speed over the plain, some distance from tbe timber, and down the river. But the the berd proved intractable, and swerved away toward the south; the mad ranchero following, bimself the most hideous object under the sun. Each bound of bis horse took bim further away from his agonized son, and the almost equally anguished Rattler, the Ranger—from Old Rocky, and the angelic Pear}, who was then banging senseless beneath the scalps of the slaughtered teamsters, and be- tween two tortured human beings, And she herself, when sense should return, by aoe be the most tortured soul and body on eart CHAPTER XX. PROLONGING THE AGONY, THE position of our three friends, in the tree overlooking Big Foot’s camp, was one of little less torture of mind than the oor captives at the wheel were sufferiug in body; yet both Old Rocky and Rattler knew well that any violent demonstration on their part wou'd most cer- tainly result in their own death or capture, Even the murder of Pearl might be looked for in any such event. Although this terrible tableau of torture wrung them to the very soul to look upon, yet they could not allow the slightest event to take place within the timber-cove without their knowledge, for by watching everything tbat occurred they migbt possibly detect something, which would leave an opening to their advan- tage and the advantage of the poor sufferers. he agony of Bud and Jim, the teamsters, must have been more terrible than can be con- ceived of, for besides their torture from the tightly drawn lariats of bison-skin, and the un- natural positions in which they were bound, they suffered the tortures of the lost, from thirst, their lips being cracked, parched, and bleeding. The watchers in the tree, even at that dis- tance, could af times see the swollen and black- ened tongues of these men dart out serpent like lap the blood, with insane avidity, from their ips, This caused many a low, deep groan from our friends, who registered in their mindsa fresh oath of vengeance upon the red fiends, who stood, lance in hand, below them. Stationed as the Comanches were, around their victims, with their long, steel-pointed lances, it would have been the hight of mad- ness—even had the impatient trio had a bun- dred men at their command—to have attempted arescue, Old Rocky knew this wben he pounc- ed upon Rattler, dragging him to the earth, when the young ranger bad declared, in a des- gp manner, bis intention to rescue Pearl, y a dash into the camp by bimself. Even had the young man done this, and suc- ceeded in freeing his darling and getting her upon bis horse without injury to himself, a dozen lassoes would have brought borse, man, and maiden to the ground; and Rattler would have been added, with the most extravagant joy and triumph, to the list of victims for the torture, In that event, his fate would have been most terrible, all the ingenuity of the vengeful Big Foot being exhausted, to inflict bodily agon $ I then ran tbe slack to, and about, the croup of | upon the ranger who had slain so many of h mind that before him, stood the paint-daubed | the horse, and around the opposite side of the ' braves. — ’ — .S (E (0) ee ——— — > 2 - =a FS a na te a re eee ee ——_ CORMIELOOO© i a _—--