Beadle's Dime Library No. 309 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

7 - / a b « 7S fs! rae | ‘ ; frantic frenzy by the sight of their enemies. Exultant with a certainty in their minds of scalps, victims for the torture, and much plun- der—the startled herd of mules, which became one grand whirlpool of brutes, to the north of | the wagon fort, first meeting their covetous view. It was a sight toappall the stoutest heart, and to banish hope from the little band of Texans; but after the first shock of bewilderment, they sprung to the best positions, and braced them- selves for fight to the death, Indeed there was no alternative, no retreat, as the affrighted herd of mules was between them and the river, and before any could pass the intervening space on either side the red de- mons would ride them down, ‘‘Give ’em lead, boyees, afore ther red can- tankerous cusses pulls strings! Keep poppin’— give bit tu them ontil yer drap! ‘Jump inter ther powder-wagon an’ blow up ther hull caboodle, we-’uns counted in, erthey’!l scoop us fer tortur’, ef they snatches us!” These, and other yells of like character came from the teamsters, who well knew they were doomed to death and torture, and preferred the former; but they were resolved to make the red raiders pay dearly for their victory. Instantly the reds ceased using their quirts, and balf-bent their bows; when out from be- tween and beneath the wagons hurtled the leaden messengers of death among the red raid- ers, causing horrible death-how]s and vengeful whoops, as the braves, with bows clutched in the death-spasm, threw up their arms and fell over the hams of their mustangs, to be trampled and crushed in their dying moments by the fast-flying hoofs in their rear, while riderless steeds, with snorts and p'unges of terror, added to the terrific confusion among the red horde. Then cameacloud of arrowsintoand between the wagons; fligat after flight of deadly shafts in quick succession, while louder and wilder rung the war-whoops and a continuous spurt of flame and lead issued from the wagon-fort, as the teamsters dropped rifles and took up their revolvers. Such a pandemonium as ruled in that timber cove it is impossible to approach in description; the mules and extra stock of Colonel Pember- ton, fully a hundred animals—many of them being wounded by flying arrows—rushed mad- ly in a wild stampede, crashing through the undergrowth toward the ford, where but a short time previously they had drank peace- fully of the clear, rippling waters, Such a mad charge as that of the Comanches was simply irresistible, notwithstanding a full score of death-yells had burst from red throats, And, amid the din of savage fight, loud rung the vells, and whoops, and signal-shouts, of Big Hopes who, although in the van, remained un- urt. Had it not been that the wagons formed an impassable barrier, the band of Texans would not have remained alive two minutes; but Big Foot knew beforehand the diffieulties be woul be forced to contend with, and as the hideous horde charged over their fallen dead and dying, reaching the wagons, a score of braves, with scalping knivesin their hands, sprung from their mustangs, and cast themselves headlong between and under the wagons, . This was at the moment that the gallant Tex- ans had fired every shot, and they had no time to reload, They could only jerk bowies, and there were but three of them able to do this, The others lay, stark and stiff, feathered shafts protruding from their corpses, So quickly was this maneuver executed by the savages, others urging on their mustangs to cut off all retreat, and still others lashing their animals aftey the stampede, mingled with them being many of the beasts from which the riders had been shot, thatit was grand in itself. Ter- ribly grand was it to see the three beroic sur- vivors of the train’s defenders, standing together, shoulder to shoulder; tbeir bowies clutched, their eyes glaring from their pale faces, and et panting with exertion. ven then, in that terrible moment, they were encouraging each other to die fighting; and not to be captured alive, to be tortured by the red demons, At that very moment, one of the brave Tex- ans thought of the words of his pard, then dead ; and he dashed madly to the camp-fire, grasping a brand, and rusbing to the ammunition wagon, he cast in the blezing stick, The same instant, he was knocked senseless, and was bound by a red foe, as had been both his comrades; a half- dczen lasso nooses that had encircled them, hav- ing preventing their fighting, as they posed, to the death. The Indians had determined to cap alive, and they had succeeded in doin The captives were hurled rou ground, and loud rung the yell of vic the dismounted braves, to be follow echo, by a tremendous explosion, as nition wagon blew up! Big Foot had won the victory, b ful cost; for many warriors, who h be near the wagon, were buried inst earth, while the three captives e having been thrown to the ground CHAPTER X, LOITERING BY THE WAY. ‘* DANG an’ double dang everything an’ every- buddy, ‘speshly ther copper-color’d kiotes, ther cantankerous, cavortin’, condemned cuss- es!’ Thus Old Rocky expressed himself, in low but emphatic soliloquy; ejecting spitefully copious squirts of tobacco juice, as he stole up the cliff- side, after leaving his borse, and observing that Colonel Pemberton had, with bis own and the horse of Pearl, crossed the ford in safety, He had feared that the ranchero, who appeared de- mented with anguish and self-condemnation at the capture of his daughter by the merciless savages. would cast himself from his horse into the river, in pure desperation at being forced to abandon the search for Pearl, and to look to the safety of Paul and the train, The old scout was in a most perplexed state of mind, and had torn off a fresh chew of ‘‘nig- er head” at the base of the cliff; for well be new that a large force of Indians must be somewhere in the vicinity. This, he had several reasons for knowing. First, the braves who had been slain had evi- dently been waiting at the ford to capture Pearl Pemberton, having observed ber riding toward the cove, on the open plain, from their covert in the timber, Secondly, their horses were not near at hand, as no “sign” showed this on either side of the stream; and besides, the Indians would not have taken to the cliffs, as they evidently had done, were their animals near at hand, Thirdly, he knew that the slain Indians were young braves, fresh on the war-path, and sent out from the main party for the purpose of dis- covering enemies; thus affording them an op- portunity of distinguishing themselves. Several reasonable conclusions Old Rocky ar: rived at, He knew that the young braves would not dare harm Pearl—tbat she would be safe until they joined the main war-party—for her cap- tors, vain of their achievement, would deliver her to their chief. Wonderful was it, the old scout considered, that Rattler, the Ranger, had reached the ford in the very nick of time,to take a hand in avenging the young girl’s capture; if, indeed, he had not witnessed it, and had only been pre- vented from tearing her from the red raiders, by a number of them engaging with him in fight, while others got away with the maiden, Ail “sign” at the scene of conflict pointed to this conclusion, almost to a certainty. From the fact that the reds were young and inexperienced braves, Old Rocky was convinced that they were not very strong in number, and that Rattler would effect the release of Pearl; for the old scout knew that the ranger would use every means in his power to carry out bis purpose, and would not leave the trail until he accomplished it. y Yet, the old borderman felf that the capture of the maiden was not the only thing that would occur; for, doubtless, the main war-party would be informed of the approach of the wag- on-train, if they did not already now it. On this account, Old Rocky was a greatly perplex- ed man; for Rattler might stand in great need of assistance in regaining Pearl, and the wag- on-train might be in immediate danger, Certainly Colonel Pemberton had been soon called upon to regret, from his inmost soul; that he had not fistened to the advice of his friends, and not advanced with his children and belongings into a section where they would be torn from him, and bis darling ones dragged to a fearful doom. It was too late now, however, to remedy the evil, and the old scout’s heart was filled with sorrow and sympathy for the Pemberton family, he having little ground for hope as to there being an opening to return down-country, even should Pearl be rescued. These thoughts and conclusions flashed rapidly into Old Rocky’s mind, as be scrambled up the crag-side, he holding his rifle ready, and bis keen eyes not only scanning the way on every side for “‘sign,” but all the surroundings for lurking enemies. **Cuss my cats, an’ catermounts, an’ tiger- cats, an’ all ther kittens counted inter ther pro- gramme! I’m gittin’ wuss en’ wuss worritated —fac’ air, I'm ormighty nigh lunified wi’ ther way things hev panned out all ter onc’t. Hell- ishness hev bin slung onter the outfit jest es soon es we ’uns struck ther San Saba, an’ thar’s a hefty ’mount more ready ter be heerd from, er ’'m a baldbeaded perrarer pervaricator. “Ther curnil air a cantankerous, headstrong ole coon, He’s wuss ’n a gover’ment mule what’s bed free range fer a bull moon, Chaw my years off, an’ kick off my knee-pans, ef I ain’t sick ’nough ter puke up my toe-rails wi’ ure mad, an’ ginerwine byderphobic indig’t hink o’ ‘lowin’ thet outfit ter perceed! Td orter lassoed ther ole man, slung him intera wagon, an’ p’inted back ag’in, fer I smelled cussedness, an’ so did my nag! ““T felt mighty bilious, an’ now I knows my ole hoss war puttin’ on ther big limp biz, makin’ b’lieve he c’u’dn’t navergate on ’count o’ not ———— ee ee OOOO OO EEE ee a eee Raybold, the Rattling Ranger. 9 wantin’ ter go any furder wi’ ther leetle gal in ther outfit, ‘Fur es mean’ ther critter’s consarned, we- uns er Rattler would lunge right on inter biled- down prussic acid bilious biz, an’ feel peart all ther time, though tbe perrarer war cbuck-full © ha’r-slashers, an’ yer c’u’dn’t hear a_ boss tase in ther timmer fer ther beatbun yelps, The soliloquy of Old Rocky was brought toa close for the time by the report of Paul’s rifle, when the latter shot the Indian who was astride of his father and about to plunge his sealping- knife in the ranchero’s heart. The report was not loud, but it echoed in the arches of the timber, and the practiced ears of the old scout knew it was from Paul’s small- bore rifle. At this time our old friend was high up on the cliff-side, in a rough and rocky seam, be- side a huge bowlder; in fact be was but a few ae from the rock-shelf along which Rattler nad hastened after Pearl and ber captors, and which led to the cavern that now reeked with slain and senseless beings, Had the scout known of this—had he known he was so near to the ranger and the maiden and how sadly they needed his aid, he would have sped along the dangerous shelf with not a thought of his steps or of the deep cavern which might be his grave did he make but one false footing. But, ignorant of all this, be sunk to a sitting posture beside the bowlder, and ejecting a squirt of tobacco-juice, with great disgust im- th upon his face, he again began his grum- i ng. ay Waal, dog-gone an’ double dod-gast this dangnation double-distilled disgustin’ deestric’} Everythin’s goin’ dead ag’in’ we-’uns, er I’m a- bopin’ ter be nibbled ter death by dipper-ducks, an’ then devoured by ’gator gars! ‘““Thar’s ther leetle boyee’s shooter, without a. flicker o’ doubt; an’ ef hit didn’t spit fire, a- tween the ford an’ ther “ open,” I'll chaw bugs fer grub the nex’ six moons “Ther ole man must ha’ gut ter thet leetle Iceate, an’es I doesn’t b’lieve thet Paul ’u’d shoot his dad, I’m mixeder an’ mixeder. Ther Ole Boy’s ter pay, an’ no pitch hot; but ef ther reds doesn’t hear thet pop-gun, an’ make bit hot fer ther hull outfit, P11 swaller a plug o’ nigger- head eendways without drinkin’. ‘What in thunderation an’ dangnation’s goin’ ter pop out nex’? Talk o” bein’ s’prised! I’m clean clerflustercated, an’ feels a crawlin’ et ther ruts o’my ha’r, Ef I didn’t know ther curnil’d go plum off ther bandle et seein’ me glide inter ther outfif without Pearl, 'd skute back ag’in, an’ kinder fix things fer ther red hellyuns, ‘Bugs is buzzin’ in my years, but thar ben’t no bugs thar, Thet’s a sign 0’ war-whoops, an’ sculps, an’ tortur’ on ther half-shell! 1 wish’t my nag war hyer. I’m lonesome on the trail without him, but he’d be ’bleeged ter waltz up on his years an’ thet ’u’d give hime ramps in the hind kickers. “T c’u’d chaw abiled owl without singein’ off ther pin-feathers, fer I’ve gut a ole be bunsry onter me! But I’d ruther take a hand et chaw- in’ up red hellyuns, an’ yankin’ ba’r an’ feathers off'm thar painted heads. I reckon ther greas dog-eaters know’d I war round, er they would- n’t ba’ tuck ter ther rocks, whar I'm like a lost pappoose on ther staked plains, fur_es ’gards nosin’ fer trails hyeraways, though I giner’ly snatches things bald-headed on ther perrarers, an’ ain’t counted slow in ther bush,” There was no need for Old Recky to express himself in this way, for any ore who knew him and saw him as he was tlius situated, and watched his features and actions would have known he was out of his element, in place and feelings: and especially as his horse was not within view. , Horse and man were almost inseparable com- panions, A perfect terror in a fight, quick asa pantier and cunning and skilled in wood and prairie craft, was the old scout; but, as he admitied to himself, he felt lost in these rough, creggy and deep-rent rocks, For a long time he sat thus, boping to hear some sound, near or far, that would point to- ward the loeating of Rattler, but none met his ear. Neither did he hear anv indications of In- dians being near the river, or sounds from the wagon-train; but bedid not expect that the wagon master would quicken his speed, after knowing, through the colone}, that both Rattler ard himself were on tho trail cf the abductors. He felt much shame and self-condemnation at the thought that le had not pressed forward in search of Pearl, though it seemed to bim an impossibility to trace the missing meiden, ut the strange occurrences thus far were destined to be put far back in the shade—all, that is, that had come under the knowledge of the old scout—indeed, bad be known what had transpired at the cavern, a short distance from where he then was, and that which had hap- oo to the colonel and Paul, he would have en dumfounded, instead of what he termed. ‘‘]unified and worritated.” -- m ebooks: .€o