Beadle's Dime Library No. 309 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

en em ae + tee © 4 , eo; oo) a *. . » * .* =. i "eo re * »- * commenced ag’in. I thought we’d run ’em ter thar hole, but I didn t s’\pose we’d do hit quite so speedy. ‘They can’t git by this ole raw-hide ripper, without gittin’ daylight let through ’em; an’ thongh I’m alone, | reckon some on ther boyees "|! j'ine me afore soon.” ‘pus soliloquized Old Rocky, who had fired the last shot; and who, from the shelter of a bowlder, commanded the shelf, cutting off all retreat from the cave, except by leaping into the San Saba. No sooner had Turtle shot the Comanche who was about to send an arrow into the sleeping Paul, the Tonkaway being some distance above, than the war-spirit of his people came to the front, and he rushed at full speed toward the ford. Not for a moment did he dream that Paul for whom he had been looking, was the intend- ed target of the Comanche; and the youth slept on, regardless of the shots and yells. As will be seen, our friends had scattered; all seeking the hiding-place of the Comanches, and all to meet at the point of tbe first alarm, Rattler, in less than five minutes after Old Rocky’s revolver ‘* spoke,” rushed to the side of the old scout; and, when the latter explained what had occurred, the young ranger was at once struck with the fact as detailed, of the Comanche’s being about to shoot downward from the cliff, at the time Turtle’s bullet pierced his breast. It was also recalled to Rattler, that Pearl had once escaped from the same cave in which she now was, and had sprung into the river, Had tbe poor girl again taken to the dark pas- sage, found her way to the opening over the waters, and was it she at whom the savages had been aiming? It would seem, if this had been the case, that the Tonkaway had discoy- ered the maiden, Nothing must be neglected, however, in con- nection with the attempt to rescue Pearl; and the ranger resolved that he would make his way tothe verge of the cliff from which the two Indians had just fallen, and from which he himself had jumped to the rescue of Pearl, on the previous evening. Explaining hastily to Old Rocky, whose ex- ostulations against such an attempt were not istened to, Rattler crawled along, upon hands and knees; keeping close to the side of the cliff, and at length succeeding in passing the cave entrance without being observed. Soon he was on the verge of the steep, and gazing downward; while the old scout, with re- volvers presented, stood ready to rush to his defense if necessary, although ho by no means wished to give up his vantage ground, The amazement of Rattler may be imagined when he bebeld, in the self-same spot on the opposite bank, Paul outstretcbed in the same position as when a captive to the Comanche. The young ranger was dumfounded; but a moment’s reflection convinced him that the ponte had strayed thither in his fatigue, and ad fallen asleep. But hardly had he arrived at this conclusion when the very blood in his veins was chilled by a heart-rending shriek, ex- actly as intonated on the previous evening, under such similar circumstances, Bounding at once to his feet, thinking not of the Comanches, again Rattler saw his darling Pearl piunge down into the waters of the San Saba! Again the young man braced himself, and made that awful jump, far down the dizzy higbt, without a moment’s hesitation, just as a volley of arrows cut the air where he had last stood! With a far-sounding plunge the ranger sunk beneath the surface; then arose, and swam madly after the floating body of his darling. Paul, awakened by the shriek and the repeti- tion of Rattler’s terrific leap, stood appalled upon the bank, and as if frozen to the spot, Soon the young ranger clutched the loved form of the suffering maiden in his grasp, swam to the shore, and was joined by Paul and Col- onel Pemberton, the latter having been drawn thither by the shriek of his daughter. Giving Pearl upat once to ber father and brother, Rattler, now that she was safe, becare himself again. He was furious for revenge. He recalled the fact that Old Rocky was alone on the shelf, but he felt sure that Turtle would now join the old scout, An instant’s reflection decided him upon a new course of action. Pearl, he knew, had es- caped from the cave-chamber, as before. The Comanches could not be aware of the narrow outlet whieb led from the cavern, He would now enter by that direction, and thus gain an advantage by surprising them. ‘ He quickly fired off his pistols, the dull report proving that the powder had been somewhat saturated, and reloaded as he ran, 4 lariat was around his waist, and he picked up another as he Bree through the sg n he reached a point directly over mouth of the shaft, from which Pearl had Ene Jeaped. Fastening the end of a lariat to a dwarf cedar-stump, and attaching the two to- gehen the ranger cast the long rope over the cliff-side. Without a moment’s hesitancy, he Jet himself ; Tw TE TL Bg i IE ca ec ae ds age Se Raybold, the Rattling Ranger. 20 over the verge of the cliff, and down the rope he went, gauging his descent by placing his feet against the cliff side. n two minutes be was standing at the open- ing from which Pearl had leaped. Jerking a revolver, and feeling along the damp, rough walls, Rattler groped his way into the bowels of the bluff, CHAPTER XXXII TRIUMPH OF THE TONKAWAY. Op Rocky had been dumfounded, at seeing Rattler spring from the high cliff into the river; but be had heard the shriek of Pearl, and was satisfied that the maiden’s safety depended upon the ranger—that it was an affair of life and death, “Dog my cats, ef things doesn’t continner ter be permiscu’s-like! Yer can’t count, head er tail, how anythin’ air goin’ ter pan out, from one minute ter ther nex’. But, howsomever, I opine I hes deadwood onter Big Foot’s lay-out; an’ I’m goin’ ter keep ther bilge, ef hit makes a sottin’-hen outen me, ‘‘Hit’s lonesome, fer ter squat hyer, when thar’s hellishness croppin’ out other side ther rocks, I w’u’dn’t be sot back mucno, ef L know’d Rattler hed gut leetle Pearl O, K.; an’ I opine he w’u’dn't ba’ lunged offen ther jump-off place, riskin’ his life, without he see’d ther Jeetle gal in a bad box. ‘* Wonder ef ther curnil hey gun luvified ag’in? Dang ef hit bain’t bin bilyus enough ter sot a squar’ head topsy-turvy! l’ve hed bugs on ther biz buzz in my years, ever since we struck ther San Saba, ish’t ther Tonk ’u’d turn up!” ‘Turtle is here,” said the wished for man; and the Tonkaway giided, noiselessly, to the side of the old scout. ‘Hear my white brother shoot, but no sound war-cry. here Comanches? Ugh! Want ~— War-whoop on lips,” 7 plug’d ared hellyun jist arter yeou did, Tonk. Thar he lays onter ther shelf; ef ye’r’ hankerin’ fer ha’r, go an’ skin bis head! *“*Dang’d ef yer didn’t gi’n me as‘art, though! I war expectin’ yer, but neverstandin’ I kim nigh swallerin’ a hefty chaw o’ nigger-bead, ‘*Whar’s ther rest o’ our ou'fit? But, dang my dorgs, I fergut! Rattler le'p’t from ther cliff over thar, down inter ther drink, Did yer hear ther leetle gal screech?” ‘‘Turtle bear. Think sound like White Face die, Turtle heart sad.” **She’s grit ter ther backbone, er she’d wilted long ergo, Tonk, I reckon we'll shove through O. K., ’sides salerwatin’ ther bull hellish outfit. Ther bull cantankerous crowd ain’t wo'th one leetle groan from purty Pearl. But, look out fer yerself, Tonk; I'll keep ther hole kivered with my shooters,” This last was said, as Turtle crawled over the same course, along by the wall of the gore, upon the rocky shelf, toward the dead Co- manche, Svon he reached the corpse, and dexterously removed the scalp. He then straightened erect, and sent out the war-cry of his tribe, in taunt- ing exultation. As the sound left his lips, Turtle sunk quickly to the earth; at tne same time firing his revolver, He had caught the glint of the black eyes of the Comanche braves, at the mouth of the cave, A volley of arrows cut the air, where, an instant previous, bis proud form had stood; one feathered shaft grazing his eagle-plumes, as it death-yell. was, A yell of agony, mingled with the war-cry of the Comanches; and three shots, fired in quick succession by Old Rocky, drove the Indians back into the cave. An instant after, both the Tonkaway and the old scout were amazed by a rattling fusilade of revolver-shots, which sounded from the cavern; also death-yells, and whoops of war. For a moment only did they stand, rooted to the spot; then, knowing well that the Rattler must have gained an entrance to the cave by some way unknown to the Comanches, and that he was battling for life alone, both rushed madly up the rocky way into the cave. Then, guided by the light of the torch, they sprung into the cave-chamber, where a fearful ou met their view. n one corner of the cavern stood Rattler, the Ranger, four braves lying dead before him; and he, knife in band, his revolver having been thrown aside, empty, now battling with two braves. Big Foot, knife in band, but unable to reach the ranger, stood glaring, balf-bent, ready to spring upon bim should his warriors fail to slay the hated Texan. Loud rung the war-whoop of Turtle, and this served as a signal to change the whole svene, Tbe Comanche chief sprung, panther-like, across the cave-chamber; and then darted out the entrance, afraid to meet the dauntless Tonk- away, wbo stood, knife in hand, ready for com- bat, and whose whoop of war had heen a cbal- lenge to the chief, as the latter well knew, At the instant the war-whoop was given, the knife of the Texas Rattler was buried to the buckhorn in the breast of one of his red adver- saries, while Old Rocky bounded with a yell upon the other, who was so startled and ap- palled at the wholesale death and the unexpect- ed appearance of fresh foes—to ray nothing of the flight of bis chief—that he offered but little resistance. Soon he lay with his gore-stained fellow- braves, his last war-cry having sounded, the death-yell dying upon bis lips. “Shake, Rattler! Cuss my cats an’ dorgs, an’ hull systematics, ef we-’uns hev’n’t swep’ ther board clean! All ’ceptin’ Big Huff, thet is; an’ I reckon ther Tonk’ll take keer o’ him. ‘* How in thunderation did yer git inter thie hole?” The young ranger, panting with exertion, pointed to the cavity, saying: ‘*The same way by which poor Pear! twice made her escape.” ‘* An’ she’s bunk, then? I heerd her squeal, an’ see’d yer le’p over inter ther drink,” ‘Yes, thank Heaven!” returned the youn man, ‘‘she’s safe with her father and brother, Upon the face of the ranger there was an expression of the deepest joy and gratitude, as he raised his clasped bands, all blood-stained, while he spoke, Old Rocky threw his sombrero to ove side, squirting tobacco-juice copiously and spitefully upon the pile of dead Comanches as a prelim-~ inary. He then said, but it sounded rather grudgingly and growlingly: ‘* Amen!” After this, he muttered to himself: “T reckon ther Father of us all sorter helped things ‘long, but we’uns hed ter do ther heft o” ther shoot an’ cut—dod-gast my knee-pans ef we didn’t! ‘* Howsomever, He’s pulled us through—come ter think—by making ther hellishness strike back ter ther stumjacks o’ ther cantankerous. cusses; an’ they'd puked up thar toe-nails, IL reckon, ef we’d gi’n ’em time ter gag a few.” Tben thinking of the Tonkaway they both rusbed from the cave, to witness a most om pene ing sight as they reached the bowlder—a sight that was visible not only to Old Rocky and Rattler, but also to Colonel Pemberton, Paul and Pearl, who were on the opposite side of the river, It was the two chiefs, the Tonkaway and the Comanche—Turtle and Big Foot—both standing some five paces apart upon the very highest portion of the cliff, each with knife in band, eich balf-bent, ready to spring upon the other! ‘Jumpin’? Jerusalem!” exclaimed the old scout; ‘‘thet’s jist awful! Ef ther cuss kiils Turtle I'll skin him alive, ef I kin ketch bim!” ‘*It is, indeed, terrible! Big Foot is much ‘stronger, much more powerful, than the Tonk- away,” This was the reply of the Rattler, The observers stood motionless. The suspense was not of long duration, Each bronzed form sprung forward at the same instant, Knives flashed and clicked, sparks of fire fly- ing from the steel, upon which the moonlight "se he movements of their sinewy arms were lightning-like, : The conflict was long, with no seeming ad- vantage on either side, Then both became locked in an embrace, that, it was evident, must end in death to one or both. Writhing, serpent-like, they rolled over and over, on the small level space, on the summit of the cliff. The sight was now more terrible than before. At any moment both might roll off the dizzy hight, into the dark-flowing San Saba. The spectators stared in enthralled terror, Then they saw one arm shoot upward, a flash of steel, and then downward, With a borrible cry, out rung the death-yell. It was the last cry of the Comanche! Turtle was conqueror, but both were pros- trate. This, however, did not long remain so. The well-known form of the Tonkaway, his: eagle-feathers flaunting unbroken, notwith- standing the struggle, arose to an erect pos- ture. Then his knife was seen to circle about. the head of his victim, Next, by a herculean effort, Turtle clutched the belt and leggins of his foe, and raised the corpse bodily over his head, at arm’s length! For a moment this imposing tableau was clearly outlined in the moonlight. Then the red hero cast his victim afar out, over the cliff; the corpse of Big Foot, the merciless Comanche: chief, the terror of the border, shooting through: space, and plunging into the waters of the sul~ len river below. A Then with knife in one band and the gory scalp of his hated foe in the other, the Tonka- way chief stood proudly, his eagle-featherr flaunting, while from his lips shot the war-cry: of his tribe, in victorious exultation, Yells of joy, relief and gratulation rung: from the throats of bis white pards. Even poor: Pearl uttered a glad cry of thankfulness that: the terrible chief was dead, and the brave and noble Tonkaway was safe! Yet while all thus gazed at their red friend, the scalp and knife-filled hands fell to the side of the victorious Turtle, bis eagle-plumed bead sunk upon his breast, he staggered and dropped. —— * ~ on ——— ee, ' a Sa ep oy eg eg ly wigan & Gomichbooks