Beadle's Dime Library No. 309 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

Ad = | 7 . —_ oe — ~ — Raybold, the Rattling Ranger. 3 every limb, its eyes starting and glaring. Then slowly be sunk back on bis haunches, and with a snort bounded high in air, darting forward like a projectile from a catapult. The girl maintained her seat in the saddle, laughing and giving outcries of taunt and derision to the cap- tive beast, Directly west galloped the wild half-breed, guided by its fair captor, the timber of the river being but a quarter of a mile to the south of them, Never had Pearl Pemberton felt more joyous, free, and bappy. Never had she found herself upon a horse more: graceful, and lightning-like in movement, On, like a ground-skimming swallow, went the glossy black; the maiden laugbing, in glee, at all the endeavors of the animal to free itself from the strange burden which it carried. In no other position could Pearl have appeared more beautiful; indeed she was enchanting in the extreme, as she thus dashed over the plain. So gratified and delighted was she, that she gave no thought to the distance she was placing between herself and her home. Owing to the sameness of the view on all sides, the only means she had of calculating the distance traveled was rs the speed she had maintained, and the time thus passed; and so occupied had she been in guiding and restraining ber prize, that she had no idea of the lapse of time, Consequently she was far beyond the most remote point to which she had ever previously ridden. However, there seemed no cause for alarm, as all she had to do was toturn her horse about, and gallop on the back trail. In this way the young girl had proceeded at headlong speed, until ber borse began to breathe in a # pom manner, and its sides became flecked with foam, she no longer keeping a a tight rein. Singing as she thus rode, Pearl heard not the loud outcries of warning that sounded from the direction of the line of timber to the south, and but a ee distance from her position. Had she gazed over her left shoulder, she would have beheld a horseman galloping at terrific eg ina quartering direction from the green shades, toward her; he wildly gesticulating, and waving his sombrero to attract her atten- sa But this was unseen and unheard by er. The horseman, who had thus suddenly come ‘ upon the scene, darting from the cool shades of the bottom-timber, was a young man of great personal beauty and physical strength, judging from his appearance in the saddle. A single glance was sufficient to show that he was a brave and honest fellow, born to command the regard avd respect of all who came as friends within the influence of his presence. He had long wavy brown hair, his form was strongly built; and, as his movements, and glance indicated, full of vim and fire. He was clad io the frontier rig of that day—namely, an embroidered buckskin suit, with a broad black sombrero of soft felt. A red silk sash was twisted about his waist, and he wore also a stamped belt upon which were carried a pair of Colt’s army size revolvers and a bowie-knife, Around his sombrero, acting as a band, was the stuffed skin of a rattlesnake; the natural appearance of the reptile’s head being preserved by jeweled eyes, and an artificial red tongue protruding. Thus armed and appareled, appeared the young man, who now sped over the prairie to- ward Pearl; he being mounted upon a magnifi- cent dark bay horse, that was a very picture of uine grace and beauty. be broad silver clasp on the belt of this man, whose age could not have exceeded two- arate k was richly bordered with engray- ing; and deep cut, in crescent shape, on the face of the same was his prairie sobriquet, for which his hat band acted as a symbol: “RATTLER.” And, in smaller letters, beneath this was the well known motto of Pau! Jones: “DON'T TREAD ON ME!” As now, in long-reaching bounds, the horse of the ranger gained upon the fair rider, he ceased his outcries, detecting in the silvery song of the nen reason why she had failed to hear him. lizing that his efforts to warn her were use- less, and that if he continued to yell, it would but frighten ber horse and increase her peril, be drove spurs, clinched his teeth, and quickly coiling his lasso in his left arm, adjusted the noose properly in his right, his horse shooting madly forward. At this instant, as the young ranger gained a nearer position, the animal ridden by Pearl sprung to one side, frightened by a coyote that was sneaking in the grass; and, at the same time, the horse caught sight of the pursuing ranger fast quartering toward it. This caused . the recently-captured mustang to bound sud- denly forward, almost unseating its fair rider. Just then Pearl discovered, in her near front —so near that it seemed impossible to avoid destruction and death—a narrow berranca—the Ul grass on each side so bieidine that the sessment chasm could not be detected until one was clese upon it, This explained the manner and actions cf the Texas Rattler; but poor Pearl bad neither heard nor seen bim, Instantly she brought all her strength to bear upon the bridle-reins, ber face as pale as death, and her eyes staring in horror upon tbe dark break in the plain, Tue gfranger was prompt in bis conclusions, and in acting upon them. Slipping the lasso-noose quickly to his left hand, with the slack coil, he jerked his revolver, at the same time yelling: ‘*Free your foot from the stirrup, and be firm for your life! Fear not—I’l] save you!” Barely had the last words left the lips of Rattler, when the horse of Pearl reached within one mad bound of the barranca edge, gathering its quivering muscles for the desperate leap that must end in death. Then the sharp report of the ranger’s revolver rung out, and the horse, with a shriek that was almost human, fell pros- trate, its bind-legs broken by the bullet, and its fore-lexs hanging over the margin of the bar- ranca, into which it began to slip, in its violent struggles. Pearl Pemberton had been dezed with horror, She knew but too well that her horse could not be held up in time. So terrified was she, that her strength left ber, but she bad sufficient control over herself to obey the instructions of Rattler. Then followed the report of the revolver, and the full of ber borse half over the deep chasm, down which the poor gir) gave a glance that seemed like gazing into the shadows of death—a glance that caused the yell of the ranger and the report of the revolver to be banished from her mind, as she closed her eyes, as she believed, forever upon earth. Only for an instant did Pearl thus hover, be- tween life and death, over that awful chasm; then she sunk into insensibility, at the same time that the ranger’s lasso encircled ber form and the noose tightened about ber slender waist, binding her limp arms to her side. Just then, down into the barranca, with an unearthly shriek, shot the wounded mustang. Then, as bis lasso shot true to his aim, Rattler jerked his steed to a balt. The raw-hide tighten- ed straight as a bar of iron, to the edge of the aang the end being fastened to the saddle- orn, Springing to the earth, the young ranger, pale as a corpse, bounded toward the barranca. Both maid and mustang had disappeared, and although he well knew that the former was safely held by his lariat, yet the strain upon his nerves and feelings had been terrible. The noble horse of the ranger stood, braced and panting, within ten feet of the barranca brink, In a moment, Rattler bent over the edge of the gulf, and trembled as, below him, be saw slowly swaying the limp and sense ess form of the girl. Never before had the young prairie ranger been so overcome with emotion. He suffered a thousand times more, as he quick] drew the fair maiden upward to safety in bis arms, than she would have suffered had she been conscious, At once the rescuer loosened the noose of the lasso from the maiden, who was then seated upon the sward. He held ber as tenderly as a mother would ber babe, and removing his som- brero, the Rattler gazed heavenward, as he called out, in soul-felt accents, ** Father, I thank thee for permitting me to preserve this maiden from a fearful death!” It was a most impressive scene, there on the verge of that barranca—tbe handsome youth gazing with amazement and admiration into the face of the lovely girl in bis arms, while the foam-flecked and ting steed stood, with its great eyes fixed in wonder and curiosity upon its master, and the seemingly lifeless maiden. | Through it all, the Southern sun blazed down upon them, in all its flery power. This was the scene that met the view of Pearl’s father, who, having discovered his daugbter’s horse lariated to grass on the ae and being worried in regard to her, had gal- loped westward, following her trail. He had observed, from a distance, the race of the ran- ger in pursuit of ber, and he understood the ob- qos of the stranger but too well; for Colonel emberton knew of the dangerous barranca, It would be impossible to describe the agony of mind experienced by the ranchero, as he witnessed, from a distance, the events that have been recorded, Rattler detected the approach of the colonel, and decided that he was some relative of the maiden; but he kept his position, still chafing the arms of fot where the tightly drawn lasso noose had bound them to her side. ' CHAPTER III. A FATHER'S GRATITUDE. Wuewn Colonel Pemberton dashed at head- long speed up to the barranca bank, and saw his apparently dead child in the arms of her rescuer, he threw himself from his panting teed, his face as devoid of color as that of poor ear When it is considered that the colonel knew his daughter to be brave, reckless, self-reliant, LK ———————— settee SS ee ee ™ —_— and strong of nerve, it is not strange that, as 1e now lucked upon her, be believed her to be dead. He trembled as if stricken with an ague- fit, while be staggered like a drunken man, es be strove to cross the inte: vening space between bis borse and where she was. Surmising, by the evident mental suffering of the stranger, that he was the father of the maiden, the young ranger quickly spoke: **Do not be alarmed, sir; the young lady kas only fainted. Be so gocd as to pass that can- teen from my saddle, and I think we shall soon have the pleasure of seeing her herself again, although she bas had a very narrow escape,” ‘‘God bless you for those words!” said the colonel; “I trust you may be right, and that my darling is not dead, es she appears to be, Such a shock as [ have bed! She is all I bave— my pet, my only daughter!” Procuring the canteen, the rancbero hastened to Rattler’s side; but be dropped the vessel, sunk upon his knees, and, with tears rolling down his cheeks, clasped Pearl in bis arms, while he muttered words of endearment, The youug ranger promptly relinquished Pearl to er father, as be said: **Control yourself, my dear sir! We must try and recover your daughter at once, I was obliged to Jasso her to prevent her going down with ber horse, and she may bave received some injuries,” The young man spoke burriedly, meanwhile dasbing water from his canteen over the head of the maiden, and sprinkling the same in her face, bis looks and movements betraying great concern. The colonel seemed not to hear a word the ranger uttered. His whole attention was cen- tered upon bis child, who indeed, for a time ap- peared devoid of life. Tbe application of the water, however, socn had its effect; for Pearl uttered a low moan, sighed heavily, and then opened ber eyes, But before this, Rattler, who perceived that ske was fast reviving, urose to his feet, and strode to the side of bis borse, patting the head of the noble animal affectionately. During the short time that he had seen the oung lady, in his pursuit of her, the ranger ad realized that she was a daring and skilled horsewoman, and possessed of wonderful nerve, for he knew, by the actions of the mus- tang that now lay crushed in a shapeless mass on the barranca bed, that the animal bad been newly ‘‘roped.” Hence he had been the more concerned, as bad been ber father, by her death-like condition. And, al- though her life had depended upon his acting as he had, the young man felt greatly shocked at the thought of his baving lassoed her in such a rude manner, as had been unavoidable: that her fair form now undoubtedly bore the livid marks of the -hide lariat, and also that he had yelled at her in so commanding a tone, | Leaning against his borse, the ranger turned bis gaze once more to the ranchero, seated apon the sward, still holding his daughter in his arms, The ranchero was now uttering words of en- dearment; and greatly to the relief and joy of Rattler, he saw that the maiden was now en- tirely conscious. He felt papupten to steal away from the spot, for be had a presentiment that, if he gazed into the eyes of that young girl, and held converse with ber, his future peace of mind would be jeopardized. He bad been most strangely and and unac- countably impressed by her, and he reasoned that that influence would be ten thousand times stronger when he met ber face to face, after her recovery. But Rattler had but little time for meditation. When the first paroxysm of joy and thankfulness was over, Pearl, recalling the warning voice she bad heard previous to the re- port of the revolver, and knowing that the voice had not been that of her father, struggled from her parent’s embrace—the thought that she owed her life to a stranger flashing through her mind. Not a word had poor Pearl, thus far, been able to articulate, except to murmur, in a child- . like manner, ‘‘ Papa! oh, papa!” but now she sprung erect and her brain became clear at once. The colonel also arose to his feet, realizin that both be and his daughter bad been derelic in their duty, in not at once paying thanks to — the one who had, in so daring and skillful a manner, saved Pearl from death, Colonel Pemberton, his face beaming with joy and gratitude, strove to clasp his daughter's hand, with the evident intention of leading her forward, and introducing her to her rescuer; the eyes of the ranchero being, for the first time, fixed upon the face of the handsome stranger in mingled curiosity and admiration, but his cbild was ber own bright, impulsive self again, and she stepped toward Rattler, her beautiful face radiant, and thankfulness beyond expression in words mirrored in the depths of her glorious eyes, The rich red blood showed plainly through the sun-tan on the young ranger’s face, and his heart throbbed as it had never before, Ever frank and open had the brave Texan been, but m a's now he was utterly hae ad iced a G| 0 Gomilecbooks-eo ~) A. ~~ 9