Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 328 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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18 dashing can be accomplished by it?’ ‘* Why, don’t yer see we kin break ’em up, so ther red hellyuns can’t skute down country, an’ kill an’ scalp men, weemin, an’ babies? They’re chuck-full o’ biliousness, on ‘count o’ yer gittin’ *way from ’em, an’ thar hevin’ bout a dozen o’ ther braves sent ter ther Injun purgatory, wi’ the’r heads skinned; not countin’ a half-dozen more hyer, what we-’uns hes jest tuck in outen ther heavy night-dew. ‘“ Feelin’ thet-a-ways, theyll jist everlastin’ly whoop, an’ burn, an’ kill, down river, ’mong therranches. Thet’s what we-’uns kin break up, an’ hit’s gut ter be did!” ‘*Say no more,” said Daring Dick, with a de- | cided voice and air. ‘* That’s sufficient reason to influence me as to any movement against them, however reckless and hazardous it may seem, ‘* We'll prove to them, that a trio of Texans, and one invincible Tonkaway can brave them in | their very camp; and if I can get a pop at old | Rolling Thunder, [ll make him roll on the grass, in the agonies of death.” ‘* No use ter waste ammernish wi’ him,” said Single Eye, decidedly. ‘‘ He’s bullet proof, es I kin asserwate; fer I’ve peeped cross sights, an’ into the Comanche camp? What good | King Kent. ino of silvery light upon the wild and savage vista, On like a gale swept the mad stampede, the horses | tossing their heads, as in Jong bounds they shot forward in a mad mass toward the mustangs of the Comanches, which were now prancing and snor.ing in terror. The danger whoops of the guard at once awoke the sleeping braves, who sprung to arms, There was no time for them to secure and mount their steeds and defend the camp; and on foot as far as fighting went, these ‘ horse Indians’’ were | ata great disadvantage. ig were now complete- | ly bewildered and demoralized. The six braves riding in front was what most as- tonished the war-par'y. But as th se came nearer, the warriors in the camp detected that they were sca]pless, and then the truth burst upon them. Yells of the mest vengeful fury were now heard among the Co- manches. No more terrible scene was ever witnessed. — EE ES. SONS thundered near, the mustangs whirled,.and dashed at break-neck speed toward their masters. The taunting and exultant whoops of the Tonk- away chief served to infuriate the Comanches to frenzy, There was but one way of escape open, Th» stampede would trample them to shapeless The bright moon shone placidly down, pouring a | As the fearful stampede, an avalanche: f brutes | . — a ee Under the circumstances, his coming was | strange. How he had effected his escape was a mystery. He was still bound fast, having no control over himself; but the horse, to which he was secured, dashed directly toward them. Soon Antonio reached their side, when he yelled, in a hoarse voice: ‘All the saints have rescued me from the red devils! ‘ihe Comanches could not hold my mus.- tang, and he galloped away. Mi/re a: Dios pre- served me; and I feel that Senor Dick will let me go free, for I have something to tel] him.” “Out with it, Antonio, and I'll think of it!” * Senor Dick knows not why King Kent paid An- tonio to drive the horses from the Rio Leon,” ‘‘Tam at a loss to know why, but I am confident | that he had some diabolical object in view.” ‘*Senor Dick is right. The horses were driven | away,so you should ride afterthem. Then, when you were gone, King Kent was to steal Senorita Lola. He has done so before now, and should be camped on the Rio San Saba.” “Good heavens! It cannot be—but yes; I be- lieve the Mexican! Come, pards; for Heaven's sake, stick to me now. If that demon harms my aac my affianced wife, I’ll tear him limb from mb!’ ‘Turtle say King Kent snake. Snake jump from grass, then bite, Turile talk straight Ought shoot King Kent on Brazos. King Kent hurt Lily of Leon, ' masses, Turtle torture, sca)p!”’ Pore trigger et ther cuss more’n onc’t when ‘d ha’ swored I hed him dead: but thar he war | Rolling Thunder raged like a wounded lion, but at ’ length was forced to order his braves to save them- } } rt, an’ sassy, an’ hellish, as usual, and a howl- ‘like a wounded painter.” In this strain, the three men conversed for some time; applying liquor to their wounds, to prevent inflammation. Then they bore the corpses of the Comanches, from the thicket to the timber-cove, and fastened them to the sad- dies upon the pany weg oF from which, when in life, they had sounded their war-cries, that were now hushed forever. Strong saplings were cut down and trimmed, and sections of these were bound to the backs of the dead; the end to the rearmost upward Bre jections of the Indian saddles, whick differed e from the horn of the same. Lariats secured the ankles beneath the bellies of the animals, and were wound from the top of the sticks, by the necks of the dead, over the shoulders, and then fastened securely to the horns of the saddles. Not long had the trio to wait before Turtle made his appearance, with that half of the herd of mares, which had been in the charge of I’ran- oe and on the north side of the neck of the nd. The herd was thus reunited, and driven out from the timber-cove, into, and down the swell of the bend, for a short distance, without in any a § frightening the animals, en the four avengers, with the two Mexi- cans bound upon their horses, both terrified nearly to death, and the mustangs upon which were secured the co of the Comanches, all in lead, rode out, and proceeded on their way, toward the Comanche camp—driving the im- mense herd before them, at a moderate pace. A surprise, it was evident, was on the bill, ‘for the war-party of Rolling Thunder. CHAPTER XXIII. A CLEAN SWEEP. TurRTLE and the old scouts, with Daring Dick and the two Greasers, having the corpses of the Co- manches bound to horses in the lead, proceeded on ‘toward the eastern portion of the bend, driving the mares before them, and keeping as much in the p ee of the southern line of timber as was pos- e. As the mustangs of the Comanches were between them and the camp of the Indians, they hoped to approach quite near without being discovered, judi ing that the nizht-guard would be stationed on each side of the mustangs, near the timber, to pre- vent te animals from straying. Thus our friends went 0°, until within a quarter of a mile from the mustangs of the war-party, without any alarm having been given. | The Indians who had been sent up the river to capture the herd had carried their long lances with them, and exch of our friends bad brought one of _these weapons along, with a view o/ making good use of it in stampeding the mares and urging them on. Lut a short distance further did Turtle and the scouts think it prudent to advance. Then the Tonkaway fell back with Single Eye,and the herd was ed out from the shade into the clear moon- light, the four men stationing themselves in a line in the rear of the animals, and some little distance a . ot a moment was lost, after this movement was accomplished. Stampede was the word, The mares in the rear started at once, and their alarm spread to the leaders of the herd. In two minutes all were galloping madly toward the Co- -manche camp. Then i' was that the neck-ropes of the horses, to which the dead were bound, were dropped by our friends. who prodded these animals with the lances. These musta: gs had been troublesome from the first, and when released, and tortured with the lance-thrusts, they snorted with increased fright and pain, and plunged forward among the herd. The horses, with Antonio and Juan secured to . their saddles, were then treated in the same manner and the Greasers, when they cazed ahead and re- called the words of their captors—knowing that they were about to be carried against their will into the camp of the Comanches—shrieked with terror. served to make the stampede a success, but at the same time it alarmed the guards at the Indian encampment, — Dick and Turtle then gave out terrific whoops and tS ll ee "vt geen selves, by springing into the branches of the ad- jacent trees This was soon done. Then was accomplished a most skillful maneuver, by the scouts, Dick and Turtle. | At a signal from the latter, all sped headlong to | the south of the stampe e, and graiually turned | the animals, by whoop and yeil and prod of lance, = a& curve to the n rthward, just clearing the tim- er, would have dashed out their brains against the tree- trunks. As the change in the course of the terrified ani- mals was effected, ‘he scouts hurled the long lances from them, as did the Tonkawayand Daring Dick; and all jerked revoivers, blazing into the thick foliage. A Comanche dropped here and there, and dread death-liowls sounded amid the Texan yel's and the | war-cry of Turtle. The infuriated savages sent out vengefui whoops, and clouds of arrows; but the lat- ter were turned from their course by the branches and ag Then the revolvers were quickly returned to their ecabbards, and Old Rocky and Turtle Eraaped their lassoes, adjusted the nooses, and caus bg their steeds to make a ‘‘8purt,’’ sent the raw-hide ropes hissing through the air; the nooses dropping over the hors s of the two Mexicans. These now shrieked, in the most abject manner, for well they knew the object of their captors, hey had not forgotten the words of the scouts, at the neck of the bend. The horses of the wretched Greasers were quickly led toward the camp, and there turned loose; the yells of the Tonkaway and Olid Rocky causing them to trot to the very trees, from which the Comanches | were then leaping. Then on after the stampede, palloped our four friends, the whoops of the Indians. and the shrieks of Juan and Antonio sounding in their rear, The stampede had been a brilliant success, Rolling Thunder and his warriors had not a single mustang left! A clean sweep had been made, and a war perty of ‘““ horse indians,” were horseless—thus rendered almost helpless, far from their village. | The quartette now rode moderately over the wide Had not this been ac’ ieved, many of them | ‘Do you really think, Antonio, that King Kent has carried away Miss Landers from the ranch, and | has broucht her to the San Saha?” ** Antonio knows that was what he intended to do two nights ago, and you were to be drawp away from the ranch, so he would succeed, and you could not follow his trail. He has nearly twenty men— the Basin Bandits—who live at the meeting of the waters of the Leon and Brazos. King Kent is cap- tain of the bancits,”’ ‘*May the good Lord give me strength to bear this!” exclaimed. the young man, in his great misery. ** Antonio, you shall go free; but never let me see yourf ce again!” y or ape cd the young Texan cut the Greaser’s onds, Neither Turtle, Single Eye, nor Old Rocky offered a word of remonstrance. The minds of all were filled with new thoughts. jo stampede and the Comanches were for- gotten. It was terrible, to think that the angelic Lola Lan- sar Nase in the power of such a miscreant as King ent, At once, the Tonkaway, who seemed almost as excited and concerned as Daring Dick, ti rm d his horse, and shot into the timber; all followin , and forcing their steeds beneath the shades, and then through the rver. Thus on they went, to search the bottom-timber, clear to the Colorado if neces- sary. | Daring Dick was dumfounded at the dread intelii- gence, His eyes flashed wi h vengeful fury, and his hand- some face became pallid at the fearful possibilities in connection with his darling; if, indeed, she wasin the power of King Kent. On our friends stole through the dark shader, the fair face of Lola Landers revealed plainly in the mirror of imagination, in the minds. of each; for they all knew, and loved, and respected the Lily of | Leon, CHAPTER XXIV. A NEW D&PARTURE, Ovr friends had maintained perfect silence since | entering the timber, each being busy with his own | thoughts in connection with the startling communi- **open,”’ side by side: while far ahead sped the mcb | cation of Antonio, of animals, toward the entrance of the the far-stre ching plain. ‘Dang my d.rgs!”’ yelled Old Rocky; “ ef thet warn’t jist ther bestest an’ liveliest l-etle circus l’ve see’d since | war hatched! stompeder—Vll afferdavy on thet.” ‘*Make Comanche feel like heap big fools. Wan crawlin coyote holes and lars. Whatdo? Want fight. Heap mad, “Take own scalps. No, have Greasers. Now) have torture-dance, Torture Mexicans, It is good. | Wauzh!” ““Cuss my cats. kittens, an’all ther c-tamourts — counted in, ef I'd be in them Greasers’ bovts fer au o’ Texas. an’ New Mex’ counted in! * They ll get scarified, an’ baked, an’ hashed, 'sides being sculped, "fore ther red hellyuns shets off thar breathe fer good. But they desarve hit all— condemn ’em! ‘Ef we hedn’t turned ther critters jist as we did things wouldn't ha’ run so smooth, Dick, how dyer like rampagin ’mong reds?” ‘It was the most terrible sight I ever witnessed,”’ answered the young man, ‘ I had no idea we would all skin’ through alive. What will the Comanches do now, without mustangs?” ‘* They'll hev ter squat right thar,”’ said Old Rocky, wlth a chuckle, ‘an’ send some o’ tha’r young braves back ter ther village ar'er fresh nags. ‘**Mehbe so they'll make a break ter git tha’r own critters back ag’in. We-‘uns'll hev some consider- able hefty trouble ter git tober herd simmered down inter a sorter civerlized way o’ actin’ afore we kin skute Leon-ways with ‘em. *Reekon thev'll think we’re in ther hulisale hoss biz eg they sees us comin’ wi’ this hull cara- ard,”’ At this moment the Tonkaway, who had frequent- ly cast a sharp glance backward toward the Co- manche camp. jerked bis horse to his haunches, ex- prone or surprise in his usual ejaculation: * Waugh!" The scouts and Dick at once halted, and also look- ed back, over their trail. Plainly to be seen, was a horseman, approaching at full speed toward them. Soon he was sufficiently near, to reveal his iden- tity to those who knew him, _—sj It was Antonio! In some manner, the Greaser had escaped from the Comanches. bend, and | Turtle, ye’re a boss Kent, whom he believed to be at the co | the Colorado and San Saba. t hide. Can’t walk to vil- | | them of the presence c <i stsseteteeceeeeiteeeeeee am The latter, when told by Daring Dick that he could depart, headed his horse southward. and diss ppear- ed in the buottom-timber, His only hope of safety was to make for the settlenents, or to join Kin; uence 0 The treacherous Greaser entertained this idea; knowing that, could he join the bandits, and warn the Comanches, and the formidable quartette. he would not only receive a heavy reward, but be safe in every way. Bu; to return to our friends, All halted, as if by mutual understanding to that effect, although net a word was spoken. Turt.e then threw himsclf from his horse, say- ge ** Have council talk. Itis good Waugh!” ‘“Dang and double dong my ole palpertator, ef this hyer ain’t a sitiwashe what calls fer consider’- ble cilkerlation! Y:'re right. Tonk; a council-talk com¢s in ’properate bout now." As he spoke Old Rocky dismounted also. ‘**Wa-al”’ exclaimed Single Eye, following suit. **Dog’d ef I ain't feelin’ purty billious ‘gards ther lee'le gal. Cuss them Basin Bandits, as Antcne called em! They must ha’ had a sly hole ter crawl inter, er ther Brazos boyees would ha’ found ‘em. ‘* Ef thet ornary Kine Kent hes stoled ther eurnil’s purty leetle gal, an’ lunged out on ther cut, shvot an’ rob biz. with his gang—why she air in a ormigh- bad box, an’ hev gut to be reskied speedy, er i she's a roner.”’ The Tonkaway pees? his pipe, filled the same, and lighted the tobacco with flint and steel. After puffing for some moments, he passed the calumet to Old Rocky who sat next to him. When the pipe had gone around the little circle, Turtle spoke, but laconically: ““Whatdo? \ here goy” . ‘*Topine.” said Old Rocky, “thet we'd better glide down, on both sides ther drink; two on each side, ’zaminin’ ther timber cluss. ‘peg hev ter make speedy runs ter git ‘cross the Colorado till yit. ‘Bout how fur did yer glide on ther hoss-trail, pard Dick?” “We didn’t crowd our animals, as you see b their condition,” was the reply. “ But this delay is torture to me, What matters it, if we don't meet the fiends till we cross the Colorado?” ‘Easy, pard! Easy,” put in Single Eye; “ we’uns c’u'dn’t ‘spect ter chaw up, an’ spit out nigh on ter in ~ —_——_—— ” —— ES ea eS EO ee ae SSS =e Eo —-— —* . oe a - il a — _ = —- yells. The scene was strikingly grand and terrible. s ey ee ICO Ce el —_ =~ = ve — Eomic SCO a * { ‘| Le