Beadle's Dime Library No. 309 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

. ‘ f : ; Ee EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeO — = re Raybold, the Rattling Ranger. 5 the water toward thé young girl, while lassoes circled and hissed through the air, several nooses encircling the form of Pearl, and the neck of her horse! Never perbaps was a human being so sudden- ly and unexpectedly plunged into the dark depths of despair, and sickening terror—from the most intense, overpowering joy and relief, to dread unutterable—as was poor Pearl, when \ the hideous demons appeared before her, and | the hissing lassoes inclosed, and tightened cruelly around her! Deathlike was her face, her eyes starting, and the blood chilled in her veins; for, not only was she a captive, but, as she felt sure, was doomed to witness the murder of the man she loved—the one so noble, true, and brave, and at the very moment when she had expected to be clasped to his breast! The hapless maiden could not utter a single ery; she was paralyzed with the horrible trans- formation and the deadly danger that surround- ed herself and her lover, More like a corpse than a living being was Pe Pearl as she was dragged from her horse y bronzed arms, while snake-like eyes glared exultantly and gloatingly into hers; but, as she felt the repulsive touch of the red demons, shriek after shriek shot from ber yee Quickly the painted braves ragged her through the waters to the bank, one leading her horse, and others bounding to mcet the on-rush- ing ranger; the click of hoofs having warned ‘them of his approach, Pearl gave one look up the gulch, as the Comanches reached the bank with her, and that glance revealed Raybold dashing, like a demi-god, down upon the red foe, his face pale, ‘his revolvers tight clutched, and pointed! This was but for an instant. Then she was forced into the thick bushes, and amid the rough rocks, while her ears were filled with the reports of revolvers, and horrible yells. [n an- otber moment, she lay, limp and senseless in the arms of her hideous and repulsive captors, CHAPTER V. SINGLE HANDED AND ALONE, No man ever felt stronger relief and joy than did the Rampant Ranger, as he realized that the picture before him was not an illusion cona- jjured up in his imagination, but that he realiy eheld pearl Pemberton hastening over the ford to meet him, It was not strange that, at first, he questioned his sense of sight; for he had not believed that Colonel Pemberton would advance westward as far as the San Saba, and besides he had not supposed that the ranchero would bave gained the river mentioned at such an early day. Language could not express the joy and relief he experienced for one brief moment, or the -dumfounded amazement and anguish that so instantly banished his joy, upon beholding the savages, His breath tairly left him, and bis heart ceased pulsatiny. Coming from the most dangerous portion of ‘the border, believing that no Indians were east- ward of him, as he had discovered no fresh ‘‘sign,” the sudden appearance of the Co- ‘manches had been as startling to him as the discovery of the maiden whom he loved. It was but fora moment, however, that Rattler was rendered incapable of reason or action, As the scene changed, from what to him seemed Paradise, toa veritable Gebenna—that angelic girl in the clutch of the red demons—he himself was as suddenly transformed in object, act, -and mind, as the scene had been, Instantly the young ranger became filled with fury, a thirst for revenge, and he resolved to rescue Pearl Pemberton, or die in bis tracks in the effort. Tbundering down upon the red braves, a revolver in either hand flashing fire and lead, the death-yells of the Comanches, who had been confounded by his unexpected advent, filled the air, as they fell before his deadly aim, Seeming to beara charmed life, the arrows of the foe whizzing about bim, back and forth ‘upon his well-trained steed the now Rampant Ranger charged, until eight Indians lay dead ‘upon the bank of the river. All this time, like -an avenging god, Raybold sit his steed, the mustang panting with excitement and exer- tion. Well he knew that but four of the party of savages who had been at the ford were with Pearl, but he also knew that there must bea larger force near at hand, or the Comanches would not have been without their horses, ‘There was a camp of bostile braves near, and if these four survivors reached it, poor Pearl would be lost. Neitber the maiden nor her captors were now within view, and the young ranger was in a ‘state of almost hopeless despair, as his keen eyes swept cliff, crag, and gorge. But the next mo- ment, the tell tale flaunt of a feather, amid the _ bowlders up the cliff, betrayed the position of those whom he sought. Springing to the ground, Raybold bounded up the cliff, tearing over the rough rocks, and ‘through patches of dwarf trees, like a madman, thrusting cartridges into his revolvers as he wan, Many times he tottered on the brink of a —- deep cleft, and it was only by a superhuman effort, in his frenzied race, that he avoided being dashed to death on the rocks below, None but a man well used to such climbin could have surmounted the obstacles that barre the young ranger’s way. He knew that he was not proceeding by the same route taken by the Indians, as it would have been impossible for them to have carried their captive over such a rugged ascent; conse- quently he was confident that upon reaching tbe point where he had detected their presence, he would be able to trace them more easily, al- though they left no trail that could be followed except by the closest inspection, and the loss of much time. A few moments’ climbing took Raybold out of view from the ford, for the only course possible for him to pursue led around toward tbe river again, and through a dark and narrow cleft in the cliff, by a shelf in the rock, to fall from which was sure death, Yet on he dashed, recklessly and madly; the shelf beccming broader and broader, and soon coming to an end at an abrupt precipice, where, full fifty feet below, rolled the dark waters of the Rio San Saba. A groan burst from the young man, as he now realized that he had passed Pearl and ber red captors, and he reasoned that they must hy darted into some cavity in the side of the cliff, As this thought flashed through his mind, an arrow whizzed through the air, the feather end whisking across his cheek, and the shaft disap- lertes § in the branches beyond the river, ata point below his position. Whirling on the in- stant, the young avenger gazed up the cliff-side, above the shelf, and ata point some ten yards from his position. There, to his relief, he dis- covered that the rugged rocks not only afforded an easy ascent, but that there was a dark cav- ane opening, some twenty feet up from the shelf. Darting close to the base of the rock wall, the young ranger stole along the more broken por- tion of the cliff, keeping his bowie in readiness, for he felt positive there would be little if any opportunity to uss fire-arms in the dark cay- ern. The Rattler scarcely dared think of the posi- tion, and probable state of torture that Pearl was suffering, or the fact that, should. be dash upon her fiendish captors, one of them would plunge bis knife in her heart, She must be rescued at all hazards, for death was preferable to being taken west, to the vil- lages of the Comanches, aybold had most certainly sufficient to oc- cupy his mind, outside of bis anguish and fear in connection with Pearl, for he was confident that the Indians were not only aware of his ex- act position, but that they had recognized him as one of their most dreaded foes, and whose scalp would wic an eagle-feather for him who bore it to the chief of the war-party. For this reason he crawled like a snake up the rough rocks, keeping at all times his form shielded from the view of any of the Indians who were stationed at the point where he believed their covert to he. His close pursuit, he felt positive, had forced the Comanches to secrete themselves and their captive, and prevented them from proceeding to their destination. This fact encouraged him greatly, as did his most remarkable and indced wonderful escape from the arrows of the braves at the ford, and bis success in slaying them, Still, no mortal man could bave been more cautious and stealthy in his approach, although his brain was so tortured by thoughts of the approach of night, when it would be next to impossible to rescue Pearl. Not the slightest hope of help from those of the wagon-train, which he felt sure was near at band, had Ruay- bold, for even the most skillful scont would not be able to trace them amid the cliffs, it havin been a providential chance that had reveal to him the whereabouts of the four braves and Pearl, on both occasions—namely, by the dis- covery of the feather, and the course of the ar- row. Soon the young man reached what he believed to be the vicinity of the covert of those he sought; yet not the slightest sound betrayed their presence, The Rattler felt sure that at least one of his foes was on the watch; and, could he slay this one, without alarming the others, bis chance for rescuing his darling would be good, It was just as he had decided to pass around a projection of rock, and take a peep, which he felt would reveal to him both the entrance to the cavern, and the guard, that a series of yells came from the ford, He could bardly suppress a groan, for he knew the sounds proceeded from Colonel Pemberton, who bad come upon the corpses of the Indians, and now knew that his darling child bad been captured by the merciless red marauders. No less anguished would the old ranchero be, from knowing that he himself was the means of his daughter’s being on the San Saba; for he had acted, in coming, against the advice of those who well knew the dangers consequent upon such a course. \ The frantic shrieks of the colonel ceased abruptly, he Sieh ha probably been warned by others that be would only betray their presence to the foe; and silence had lasted but a moment when the Rattler distinctly heard the guttural expressions of the Indians, within a few feet of him, It was evident that the captors of Pearl were alarmed by the sounds which they, as & matter of course, knew to proceed from their enemies; and the ranger, taking advantage of the moment of their probable negligence in watching for him, peeped around the spur of rock that shielded him from view. To his most intense relief, he perceived all four of the Co- manches, muttering and gesticulating, in evi- dent alarm and argument, All were within an arched passage, the en- trance to a cavern, and stood upon a roomy level flooring, or ledge of rock, The sight decided Rattler upon immediate action. Pear! must be within the cavern, and sense- less, Consequently, could he succeed in dashing through the braves, slashing as he went, there was a possibility of his being able to place him- self between them and his darling; thus pre- venting them from slaying her, unless they first killed him. Not a moment was to be lost, To decide, with this heroic heart, was to act, Tightning his clutch on his bowie, Raybold gathered all his strengta for bis daring and most desperate attempt. His state of mind, ti the object in view, made him almost invin- cible. With one mad bound, he stood clear of the rocky spur, and with another be darted amid his red foes, who were dumfounded and amazed —thus being for the moment powerless, Dur- ing that moment, a fearful death-yel!l shot from the lips of one, and the bowie-knife of the avenger slashed through the vitals of the brave, The next instant, it was buried in the heart of another, Then followed the clash of steel, as the two remaining warriors recovered from their be- wilderment and fought desperately for life. One of these stood in the way of the Rattler’s dash to the interior of the cave, and he, too, felt the blade that bad pierced his comrades, With a fierce whoop the surviving savage, whose knife-wrist had been slashed, forcing bim to drop the weapon, raised bis hatchet in the air, watching bis white foe for an opportunity to brain bim, By this time the two had struggled back and forth in the interior of the cavern to a point where the light from a torch shone from a side passage, and witbin ‘his illumined space the Rattler and bis last red foe battled for the mas- ihe The young ranger, as be succeeded in stabbing his adversary in the breast, beard a piercing shriek from tbe spot from whicb the light was shining. For one brief moment he caught a view of her whom he loved more than life, and then he knew wo more; for the toma- hawk of the Comancbte descended upon bis head and he fell upon the rock floor of the cavern, where he lay outstretched, the light from the oe playing upon his upturned, corpse-like ace, At the same time, the tomabawk fell from the grasp of the red-skin with a clang upon the rocks, but the dying brave staggered toward nar who stood rigid as a statue against the cliff. Clutching at the empty air, the warrior ad- vanced, swaying and trembling, each step forcing a spurt of blood from bis breast, while his eyes were filming, bent vie slaying the captive, with his last strengtb, by strangula- tion, for his weapons had been left near the main entrance to the cavern, One moment her eyes were fastened upon the face of the brave, whose glazing orbs, from out their framework of paint daubs, were bent in murderous exultation upon hers, bis bronzed arms beating the air spasmodicelly and bis fin- gers clutching at ber tbroat iv an awkward manner; then, as the repulsive bands touched her white neck in an effort to strangle ber, the poor girl with a loud cry sunk senseless, while at the same moment a cab and gurgling sound issued from the throat of the savage, as he fell by the side of bis intended victim, with- out even the power to utter a death-yell, The fiery light of the torch played upon the snow-white face of poor Pearl and upon the hideous visage of the Comanche, both lying side by side. Aad beyonc! them, at the entrance, lay the Rampant Ranger; rampant no longer, but still and corpse-like; while, near his outstretched form were the blood-reeking braves be had vanquished in that most desperate figbt, their last war-whoops, with one exception, sounded, Death and silence ruled in the torch-illumined cavern of the cliff. CHAPTER VI. OLD ROCKY ON TRAIL, COLONEL PEMBERTON and tho old scout spurred madly through the undergrowth, to- ward the river—the yells of the sevages be- traying to them, beyond all doubt, that Pearl was at least in great danger. , Eomicbooks,co