Beadle's Dime Library No. 309 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

‘ ——_ —— ————— Raybold, the Rattling Ranger. ly recovered to a certain extent his mental balance, He urged his steed to the side of Paul’s ani- mal, and both alighted, the ranchero exclaim- ing: e Phank Heaven! I see you once more, my ‘son! I have been mad, I believe—stark, staring mad! Where, where is my darling Pear]?”’ ‘** Dang glad ter see yer skute ’roun’ ter reg’- lar biz, curnil,” cried out the old scout, with relief and pleasure. ‘‘ What’s bin goin’ on byer? Yer ’roved hyer fu’st, Did yer git a peep et ther red beathun er ther leetle gal?” ‘‘No, Old Rocky! There was not one of the red demons to be seen when I reached this ‘open; but these horses were all struggling in death, Their owners could not have been long one,” . “Dod gast all sich doin’s! Dang me, ef I doesn’¢ b’lieve this Ape big ball o’ dirt air goin’ ter smash, an’ we'll bear Gabri’l’s horn toot afore sun-up! Purty Pearl air a goner, I reck- on, Big Foot hev gut her fer keeps, er I’m a dod-rotted Digger from Diggertown,” a stood, staring at the undreamed-of spec- itacle, Where were the Comanches? Why had they slain their mustangs? Where were Big Foot and his fair captive? These were difficult questions to answer. One thing was certain, Pearl was gone, She had vanished, as had ther captors. Would she ever again meet the view of her friends? This was now the mental question of all. CHAPTER XXIX. THE TONKAWAY READS THE RIDDLE, No wonder was it that our friends were amaz- ed and puzzled. Why had the Comanches slain their animals, leaving jawstraps, saddles and even their lances? The latter, however, being used on horseback, would be useless after the mustangs had been killed. Why had the Comanches cut themselves off entirely from returning to their far-away vil- lages, placing themselves on foot in a hostile section of the State. They were ‘“ horse Indians,” yet when on the ‘war-path had deliberately slain the animals which might have borne them in safety to their village, could they but escape the terrible aven- gers; and there was a favorable opportunity fer them to do so, by keeping in the sbades and following the river toward its head, The young scout grasped the hand of the ceol- onel, who was still a most pitiable object to look upon, Under any other circumstances, his appearance would have excited uncontrolla- ble laughter. But words were tame, idie, and useless to express the emotions of each, Even Old Rocky and Turtle merely shook the hand of the but recently frantic madman, who was far from being equally balanced in mind even yet. The horse of the old scout walked up at once to its old master, and with a neigh of pleasure and recognition, rubbed its muzzle against the arm of Old Rocky. Turtle urged bis own noble black steed to one side and then halted, gazing proudly and with some disdain upon his white friends, who had «xpressed their amazement at the scene before tbem, Ifit was a puzzle to them,it did not appear to be to the Tonkaway, There was not the slightest surprise expressed upon the stoical features of the friendly Indian. His face expressed nothing of the thoughts that ruled bim. The greetings of the men had passed in a few moments. The situation admitted not of delay, Pearl Pemberton was in deadly danger, suffer- ing tortures of mind since her recovery that would, if protracted, drive her insane, This they all knew. But the Texas Rattler was lost, mentally con- sidered. The last ray of hope seemed to have been banished from the young ranger’s breast. His very vision was dim, from the anguish that racked bis brain. The old scout, too, was as much astounded as he could possibly be, The sight of the slaugh- tered mustangs was, even to bim, @ most puz- zling and unaccountable mystery. Had not his mind been so tortured, from the great strain upon it, occasioned by the cries and appealing gestures of Pearl; as, inthe arms of Big Foot, she was borne, at terrific speed, over the plain, then to disappear in the shades, he might have been able to interpret the situation, As it was, he was as deep in the fog, as was the young ranger, ““Cuss my condemned catermounts, an’ con- ‘dense ther consternation, ter fit this hyer case! I’m plum ag’in’ a stump, Tonk an’ Rattler: an’ I ain't ’shamed ter own up, fa’r an’ squar’, This hev bin ther wustest, mixed-up, conglomerated, twisted, turned, an’ screwed mess o Cussedness, lever war chucked inter without warnin’! “T hopes_ter be nibbled ter death by dipper- ducks, ef I kin make head er tail o’ things; 2ceptin’ thet purty Pearl air ’bout es nigh bein’ @ gouer es any piece o’ human natur’ ever war, ’ “What dves this byer mean, Tonk? What did ther hellyuns jab thar lances inter thar crit- ters fer? I'd like ormighty weil ter know, an’ I opine yer kin sorter 'splaiun matters, ef yer want. Spit her out, lively! Fer ther leetle gal air suf- ferin’ all ther tortur’s ther cantankerous smoky sons 0’ Satan kin pile on.” ‘The eyes of my white brothers are blind with grief. Look! Iltis plain to the eyes of Turtle,”—pointing to the dead mustangs. ‘** When Big Foot left bis camp with White Face, he yeil for his braves. Think go on war- poe for scalps. Have revenge for dead braves, hen ride out on plain, see warriors few. Many sound death-yell in wheel-lodge camp. * See can’t go down Llano. See ali same can’t go back to village. Squaws hoot, pelt with mud, throw stones at Big Foot and braves. Say, where war-party? Where borses? Where scalps of white men? Say, Big Foot he squaw. ‘Big Foot know this. Say to braves, kill mustangs. Leave lance, Then come in woods, Say, fight till die. Better die with bow in band, on war-path. No go back to village. Death is better, “So, killmustangs. Goinwood, Make blind trail, Wait in bush. Wait in rocks. Hide. Then shoot Old Rocky, shoct Turtle, shoot White Chief, shoot young brave. “Big Foot say this good. Warrior say this good, Seelance. See dead mustang. See talk plain to Turtle. Turtle has spoken. Lies build not nests on his tongue.” ** Dang an’ double dang my ole palpertator, ef ther Tonk ain’t kerrect, Rattler! Fec’ air, he allers bees kerrect. We-’uns bev gut some fine scoutin’ ahead, er I’m a bug-eatin’ Piute! ‘‘Let’s hide our nags, spread, an’ gaza keen fer ‘sign.’ Thet’s ther p’ogramme, boyees. Never say, gi’n up! We'll hev Miss Pearl outen ther red rapskiilions’ clutches yet, er I’m a Greaser!” “Turtle,” said the young ranger, as he spur- red to the side of the chief, ‘* you bave again given me hope. Nothing could be more cheer- ing than the interpretation you bave given. [ am convinced that you are right. Let us begin our search at once. Your keen eyes may, even by moonlight, detect sufficient ‘sign’ to betray the course of the Comanches,” Both the colonel and his son grasped a hard ce the Tonkaway, but he appeared not to notice them, Turtle was working out a problem—placing himself in the same position that Big Foot occupied, and taking into consideration the superstitions, mauners, customs and beliefs cf the foe. Suddenly he whirled his horse, and waying his hand, said laconically: ‘*Come! War-trail open.” All followed the chief, who urged his horse into the undergrowth on the east side of the sé ce roceeding a few yards, the Tonkaway turn- ed abruptly toward the plain until he reached the dense shades upon the very verge of the bottom-timber. Here he sprung to the ground, slipped the bridle, loosened the girth, and se- cured his horse to a limb by the neck rope. The others followed his example, Colonel Pemberton had delivered to Old Rocky the latter’s horse, no apolopy being need- ed for his appropriation of ths animal. ‘“*Come!” said Turtle. ‘‘ Hide guns; mebbe so crawl like snakes; no want guns, Come!” The rifles were secreted, and then, in single file, led by Turtle, our friends stole with great caution through the shades down the river. A serpentine way it was, winding here and there to avoid the denser thickets, and the more open portions of the timber, where bars of moonlight shot downward through the foli- age. On and on they proceeded, Paul dragging his weary feet after him, hardly able to keep his father in view, who, just ahead, seemed to be again plunged into a despondency so deep that be was not conscious of the presence of bis son. At length the youth lost sight of those ahead, and wandered on aimlessly, at length reaching the same little ‘‘open” where he had been stretched and Ropint by his Indian captor. Prostrated witn pees Sup fatigue ard loss of sleep, Paul threw bimself upon the eartb. Be- fore him, beyond the river, was the black open- ing in the cliff, from which his sister had plunged into the water. Paul knew that she bad made that plunge in her anguish at discovering him in the torturing position in which he had been—the Indian Canela Srpaae bim. All the thousand and one kindnesses and proofs of sisterly affection shown him by Pearl wines his childhood, passed through the youth’s mind, He fell backward upon tha sward, and sobbed himself to sleep—a sleep that was most pro- found—with an arm thrown out upon either side, unconsciously faring. the same position, and in the same spot, that be bad occupied when bound by the Indian Not until the others had reached the foot of the buge tree, within the branches of which the Rattler and Paul had suffered such agony at the form bein torture-scene below them—not until then did they miss the youth. The colonel, suddenly aroused, became again frantic at his son's ab- sence, ** Dog-gone hit, eurnil! Yer orter kep’ a holt o’ ther boyee,” said the old scout. “Ho war ‘bout fagged out when I noticed bim last. But be’s all hunk—bet yer life—an’ hit’s better es hit is. He’s drapped into some bunch o’ bush an’ be air asleep. He needs bit, an’ we kin fin him easy ’nough arter awbile. ‘*Thar’s no danger o’ ther reds findin’ o’ him, They hes gut somethin’ else in the’r cabases.” As Old Rocky ceased speaking in his low, grumbling voice, Turtle strode to the side of the’ trio; be having been to the border of the under- growth, to peer out into the timber: cove, The Tonkaway gave a “ waugh” of mingled anger and dissatisfaction, and then said; ** Come!” All followed him to the border of the bushes, knowing that scme other strange event bad cc- curred, ** See!” directed Turtle, pointing through the fringe of bushes. There, before them, were the demolished wagons, and the scattered goods, There also were the wheels and axle-tree, and the sof) 4 There, likewise, were the corpses of Bud and m. But, how changed was the scene! The scalps no longer fluttered from the cross- bar on the pole. The teamsters bad been scalped, and were backed and mutilated beyond recognition. And, around that torture-circle, which, but a short time previous, was strewn with dead, all was now clear and vacant. Not a corpse, except those of the butchered teamsters was to be seen, ‘*What say? Turtle tongue straight. No see ‘sign’ in wood. Follow trail in air. It is R000. Big Foot he come back for scalps, Take ead braves over river, No want scalps bang in Tonkaway belt.” ° ‘““Wa-al, dang an’ double dang my bull sys- tematics, ef bit ain’t kerrect! Ther or'nary scom skuted ’cross drink from ther camp up *bove, then down, an’ over ther ford right hyer, fer ter git ther corpuses, an’ perwent we-uns from gatherin’ a crap o’ ha’r, ’sides corralin’ ther sculps of ther teamsters. ‘But, dang me, ef they c’u’d do hit, without leavin’ plain ‘sign’ et ther ford! Come on, boyees! I’m bettin’ ther bull lay-out air hidin’ in ther rocks like kiotes, “Rattler, cheer up! An’ yeou tu, curnil! I’m opinionated ter sorter think we’re nigh on- ter ther eend o’ this byer trail; an’ thet we'll git ther leetle gal ’way from ’em all hunk, ’cept- in’ some consider’ble shakin’ up, an’ a stompede rhe biz. Come! Skute’s ther word, but keep shady. The Texas Rattler groaned aloud, as did also the colonel. It was evident that neither of them had the hope tbat cheered Old Rocky, As for Turtle, none could tell what wes ing in his mind; but he was evidently following another “‘ air-trail.” CHAPTER XXX, REVENGE OR DEATH. THE state of mind, in which poor Pearl had seemed to be, when secured to the scalp-pole, was exactly what ber appearance indicated, Her recovery had been but partial, her senses being benumbed; and all the horrors that sur- rounded her, had, after her raising her head, been invisible, for she remained iv a semi-coma- tose state. But, when cut free, and clasped in the arms of the Comanche chief, speeding through the cool-shades, ber fevered head was relieved, and the somewhat violent motion of the horse served to restore circulation, hitherto impeded by her bonds, Not, however, until out upon the plain, did the poor maiden arrive at a correct realization of her position, When she beheld, so near her own, the bideous face of Big Foot, she shrieked with hor- ror. The chief gave ber buta Glance, for bis eyes were sweeping the plain; an as Pear! decided, a ugitive, and being pursued, This Reve the poor girl hope, which was but slight, however, after the dreaded experiences through which she bad just passed. Sheplanced over her captor’s shoulder, and the fiendish sight she bebeld, was calculated to drive her into the depths of anguish and despair. It was, after all, but ber father, whose yells soon be- trayed his identity; bis gray hair and familiar presently recognized by his ago- nized daughter. Speeding on,in the rear of the stempedin mustangs, upon the backs of which were boun the dead Comanches—bimself ** made up” as an Indian brave, and his horse decorated with scalps that swept the ground as he galloped— thus the poor girl bebeld ber n addered parent, while she was held in the arms of a n:ost merci- less and repulsive savage. It was littie wonder that Pearl sbrieked aloud, and, doubtless, she would have relapsed 25 he was evidently, * — lest aie a = GOMIIGEDOOKS co pS) ee