Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 322 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

2 mm SS ee — a Oo silent and motionless as death, upon the | floor of their once peaceful and happy home, now in darkness in every sense of the word: while, upon the bed, lay the murdered babe, presenting a sight that, when all the circum- The Crimson Coyotes. a blanket in his left hand, and a glittering knife in his right. Directly over the hearts of the sleepers were poised the blades. Directly over the mouths of the sleepers stances were considered, might well be vailed | were held the blankets. by darkness! CHAPTER XXIV. THREE. THREE TO | | Pedro gave a quick glance at Reed, and his other confederate. ‘That glance was the signal of caution and attention. Then followed a warning hiss. When that hiss grew in volume, and then Tue trio of Mexicans, who had come to | suddenly ceased, the knives were to do their San Antonio to purchase beeves, had rented | deadly work. The hiss broke in upon the heavy breath- | a large apartment fora week. This room had thick wall-partitions on either side, and was provided with both a front and rear door. This fact, Pedro Pernales had ascertained. The men had been much fatigued by their long ride from the Rio Grande, and had re- tired early. Among those congregated in the vicinity, few had any idea that another tragedy had en committed since sunset, and fewer still dreamed that yet another was to be perpe- trated within a few yards of them. Yet all this was true. Red Reed, with Pedro, and the Greaser they had ordered to follow them, had made their way to the rear of the building in which the strangers were lodged, and were there secreted. heir present object must be successfully carried through, or there wes little hope of keeping the ‘‘ Crimson Coyotes ” long to- gether, or loyal to their new leader. The gold of the cattle speculators must be gotten hold of at all hazards. . Even at that early hour, murder must be committed; and that, even within hearing of the voices of a conversing crowd! Should there be the least alarm created, the three assassins felt sure that their retreat would be cut off, and they would be cap- tured. They therefore procecdcd in a stealthy manner. They apprehended no little trouble in ob- taining entrance to the building in which the rancheroes slept. A great deal depended upon whether they should find the doors and window-shutters closed and barred. Soon they reached the back entrance, their approach being concealed by the garden shrubbery. The doors and windows were fastened! Red Reed would have cursed aloud, if he had dared. What was to be done? Must they abandon the attempt? If so, the could not hope to keep togethor their organ}- zation more than a few days at the most. Pedro, however, was always ready for any emergency. Uncoiling a Jariat from his waist, he tied a running noose; and, throwing the rope, caught the noose upon a projecting water- spout above his head. The next moment he was upon the roof. He knew that the Mexicans would leave the trap-door open, for the purpose of getting the cool air. He was right. The trap was open. Reaching down he found a movable lad- der; and down it he went with the utmost caution and silence. A tallow dip was burning, but very dimly, not having been snuffed for some time; and Pedro saw the three strangers, sleeping soundly upon the floor. It was necessary that he should work quickly, for he was in a very perilors pcsi- tion, Should one of the men awake, he would be shot before he could reach the roof again. Treading noiselessly, the ruffian went to the rear door and removed the oaken bars. As the door swung open, the two who were without stole inside, cach with a gleaming knife in his hand. Pedro crept forward, performing in panto- mime the work each must do; he snuffing the tallow dip, which then threw a brighter light around, The sleepers were lying upon blankets, not having removed their clothing, Beneath the head of each was a pair of strong saddle- bags; and the cowardly assassins were posi- tive as to their contents. Delay was not to be thought of. Each had been pointed out, by Pedro, the man he was to slay. All three were men past middle age. Their equipments lay near the front door, and Pedro passed a saddle-blanket to each of his pards, Then all sunk upon their knees, each with — eS TS ===—$—$======== =. TT LLL | ! | / | | | ing of the sleepers—the sleepers, who were doomed to awake, only to gasp out their last breath! The signal came, the bright blades were plunged, and the blankets thrown over the mouths of the unfortunate men. knives were quickly jerked out from the EEO EO ae (19 It was as if he had knocked at the door of , death, and it had opened immediately at his bidding; for Pedro Pernales sprung at once upon the top of the outer wall, which pre- Then the | jected two and a half feet above the flat roof. _and then shot downward. His heavy-booted feet struck upon the head of the stranger, and felled him sense- less to the earth. The next instant the knife of the outlaw Greaser was buried in the man’s breast! Drunk or sober, the stranger’s curiosity had cost him his life. The two villains upon the roof paused po longer. Red Reed and hiscompanion jump- ed, at the risk of sprain or broken bones. Both landed unharmed, as Pedro, after despoiling his last victim of the few valu- ables he had on his person, joined them. He then relieved his captain of the saddle- bags he had passed him while on the roof: breasts, to allow the life blood to flow, and | _caution and speed, darted off through the shrubbery. hasten death; the weapons being instantly dropped, and the right hands of the assas- sins brought to the assistance of the left, to prevent any outcry. It was a horrible scene! Three murderers, each upon his victim, their limbs interlocked; the dying men gasp- ing and gurgling, while the blood spurted from their gaping wounds, upon the assas- sins, and upon the floor. But this awful scene was of short cura- tion, The struggles of the three men became feebler, and the pools of blood beside them larger; then all motion ceased, after the death-rattles sounded, almost simultaneously, from their throats, ‘* Bueno!” burst from the lips of Pedro, as he cast aside the blanket, clutched his knife, wiped the blood from the blade, and returned the weapon to its sheath. He looked cautiously around him. The door, by which they had entered, had been left open, to facilitate their escape. In a low, but deep voice, the villain gave the word. ** Vamonos |” Instantly he jerked the saddle-bags from beneath the head of his victim, having first examined the corpse for money. The belt, and also the pockets, had been searched for valuables. The belt of arms lay beside the saddle- bags. It consisted, in each case, of revolver and knife, These the assassins buckled about their own waists. The saddle-bags were soon examined. There was no look of disappointment on any of their faces. ‘ Bueno!” said Pedro, with a hideous grin. ‘You're right, pard,” returned Red Reed; plenty of oro, ld boy; ‘about all I care to pack. We did it nobly! ‘But, we must get up and dust. No use lingering here, and considerable danger. This was a lucky break, and we've swept the board. “TIT reckon we'll take better care of this boodle than the other. Come on! Levant’'s the word. Curse me if those fellows didn't die hard!” ‘‘Hu-s-sh!” came from Pedro, as he ex- tinguished the candle. They could all hear the approach of some one through the shrubbery. It was evidently a man who roomed some- where in the row of buildings, and who seemed to be under the influence of liquor. However, he was making direct for the open door. : All stood aghast for a moment. Then Pedro sprung forward, and closing the door, replaced the bars, He then whispered: “Come! We must go up the ladder, and get down to the street by the lariat. But, I believe, we will have to kill that man!” In another minute all three were upon the roof, and were peering over. Pedro passed the saddle-bags to Reed and cave a low hiss of caution, at the same time drawing his knife. and all conscious of the necessity for silence, Soon they reached an unfrequented side street down which they passed, within a _stone’s throw of a crowd, who were still dis- | cussing the tragic affair of the previcus night, 2 and little dreaming that another had just been enacted, and so near them. But the villainous perpetrators of it passed them un- observed, being screened by the darkness. Ere long they again struck south and into the Military Plaza, crossing the same diagon- ally, and passing out from the square at the southwest corner. This, in a very short time, brought them to the San Pedro, down which they sped until they reached their horses, when they mounted and hastened to join the band of lawless Mexicans, awaiting _ them in the mesquite chaparral. Red Reed began to believe that the tide had turned, and he was jubilant accordingly ; but Pedro, in spite of this Jatest success, in his own mind was anything but exultant. He had before him the monstrous crime be had seen perpetrated earlier in the evening, by the captain of the ‘*‘ Crimson Coyotes.” CHAPTER XXY. WATCHING WITH THE DEAD. AFTER the departure of Nita Nichols, Nora Norrington felt that she must die if she did not bring her mind to bear upon some other subject than her own troubles, even in a slight degree. She therefore sent a servant to her dressmaker, requesting the latter to come, and bring with her everything that wae necessary for a mourning outfit. Mr. Lyons had sent her word that he would take charge of all outside affairs for the present. Indeed, there was no lack of aid and sym- pathy. Dr. Dare had been an intimate friend of Norman Norrington, and his atten- tion to the daughter of the murdered man was paternal in its character. The consequence was that Nora found lit- tle to occupy lerself with, except prepara- tions for her father’s funeral. Female friends had offered to keep the orphan company, but she preferred being alone with her dead. The detective had given the poor girl grounds for hoping that Clarence Coleman would be found by the scout whom he had sent out to seek him, and that he would: be present at the funeral. But, after having been infurmed by Lyons, that the whole city had been searched, and that no trace of Rodney Reed had been dis- covered, Nora feared that the assassin might have gone in pursuit of his rival with hired cut-throats, and that Clarence would be killed. So throughout the day the maiden’s anxi- ety increased, and night drew near, bringing with it no tidings of her unfortuuate lover. She pictured him to herself in every con- ceivable kind of danger, or as lying dead upon the -prairie, with wolves howling around him, Again, she imagined she be- held him, riding amid the cool shades, seek- ing some favorable place of security, where he could rest, and sleep off his fatigue; and next, a horde of villains darting upon him, Whoever the man was, he staggered up to | and bearing him to earth, binding him fast. the rear door of the apartment they had just left, raised his fist, and gave it a blow. “Open, o—”’ The second word never left the stranger's lips. | | | | The climax to all this would be, seeing, in her fancy, Roduey Reed exulting over the man whom he had in his power. So vivid were these mind-pictures, that they tortured the brain of Nora Norrington eom S _o- < — eh eo Lal