Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 328 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

rod ES fect paradise in the old days when there were no ranches on the river; it being a favorite camp- ing-place for all prairie roamers, red, yellow and white. Consequently many a fierce an bloody fight came off within the limits of the bend, an through the moss-draped arches of the timber. There was an extensive level prairie, bordered by towering timber, and this was covered with a rich apd be of grass, mingled with which were flowers of every hue and fragrance. No more beautiful scene can well be imagined, than was this great San Saba bend, a score of years ago. But, Eden as it was to view, it oft more re- sembled a Gehenna; for many a war- Comanches galloped, in all their horrid para- hernalia, toward the east, to leave a trail of lood, devastation, and death, behind them; and, perhaps, to encounter their fierce foes, the Apaches, bent upon the same sanguinary mission. Then, indeed, a hell of sights and sounds would follow; these war- ies of red-men, although neighbors, always fighting with desperation, to the death. With this brief description, we will proceed with our narrative; the time of which we write being a quarter of a century ago, when the San Saba was beyond the uttermost westward line of border ranches; although many Texans, who had at times encamped upon its banks, when on scouting si ae oma against the Indians, often afterward thought and dreamed of the stream in question, as a most desirable “locate” for ‘**ranching it.” It was in the earlier part of the night, upon a certain date, which it is needless here to be par- ticular about, that we wish to draw the reader’s attention to the point where the cliffs arose—a huge, rough rock wall, barring the waters of the San Saba from rolling further eastward. The silvery moon rode high in the heavens, - tp the earth with its weird, but agreeable e west bank of the river was low, and, for a few yards from the water, free from trees or undergrowth; the soil being rocky. But, be- ond this clear belt arose the tall, dense timber; he thickets beneath adding to the dismalness of the view. Indeed, all in the bottom-timber was depressing and forbidding to look upon; the moon’s rays failing to pierce the Egyptian dark- ness within the wide belt of trees and under- growth. The water at the base of the cliff, in fact the - whole river at this point, swept slowly around ' y the wide curve; here and there, a ripple giving to it the semblance of molten silver, but else- where being inky black, in deep contrast. No wilder, or more dismal scene could well be imagined, even were there nothing to be seen but the natural features of the view; but living, moving objects there were, which rendered the vista ten times more repelling—ay, which trans- formed it into a veritable Hades. The calm — air would suddenly echo with sounds that chilled man’s blood with horror; and flitting forms would be seen, making night hideous by giving vent to their vengeful exulta- tion in demoniac yells. What occasioned those yells? We shall see. Along the clear space on the west bank of the stream, between the timber and the waters, flit a horde of paint-daubed Comanches, in all their fong serides, Wik Gualibtiy gtahoas titan. thetr tor es, ces from their ser- pent-like eyes, that glittered in the moonlight— all gazing upward toward the of the cliff on the opposite side of the river, nan up over the silvery sheen of the waters. The gaze of allis expectant, while at times, ” out from the brutal lips vf one and another, shot the same exultant, horrible yell. Soon they reach the central portion of the ' swell of the bend, and there they stand, each straight as his lance-shaft, silent and motionless. Naked from the waist up: naught except buck- skin leggins, breech-cloth, and moccasins, in the way ofa l—naught to impede their muscu- lar bronzed tag hg the fierce fights in which are liable to gee fifty of these red pirates of the prairies are there; and the one at their head is a perfect Hercules, from whose fillet flaunts the eagle- plumes. Why does not the moon change her pale light to a fiery blaze, to complete the wild scene? Why do these red rovers of the llanos gaze be 4 y did they give vent to tlos> terrific yells? We shall see anon. For some minutes all rema‘ned silent and motionless as statues; then, cut from the throat of the chief, came a whoop of iar intona- tion. The signal is answered... The answer comes from the opposite side of the river, high up on the cliff, and causes scores ully equipped and wild-eyed mustangs to rance and snort in fright; giving the few red raves, who guard them, much trouble to pre- vent a stampede. These are the horses of the war-party. A moment after the answering whoop, a dozen warriors appear upon the edge of the cliff above; | | —— — remem eS SSS =a ——— King Kent. a while, in their midst, tightly clutched, and being dragged forward to the edge of the steep, is a captive—a white man. e is a man of superb physique, fully six feet in hight, although not more than two-and- many a shriek of agony echoed | twenty years of age, as is evident by his youth- ful features. His garments are torn and ragged, while his body and arms are scratched and bruised by thorns, and by his struggles with his captors. Little streams of blood flow down his forehead, from a wound on his head; and one is visible in his shoulder, evidently done with a knife. The moonlight ee ae his form, in all its manly beauty, and his handsome, honest face, as his blue eyes are turned heavenward with prayerful expression, as if commending his soul Do the inhuman fiends propose casting their captive over the cliff? ne would thus judge, did he not know the character of the red demons. Such a death would not satisfy their insane thirst for revenge. The sufferings of their cap- tive would be too soon over. However, he was not destined to remain long in ignorance of his fate. A yell from their chief caused the braves on the cliff to quicken their movements. The Indians were on the war-path. This was evident. Quickly a lariat was secured to each side of the poor man’s belt, then his wrists were bound high up to these ropes, in a torturing position. This done, over the cliff’s edge the mi rently doomed man was slid, four braves holding fast to the lariats, the ends of which were secured to the stumps of pines, upon the brink of the steep. Down the captive was lowered; and there, full thirty feet from the top of the cliff, and the same distance from the waters below eee ry. up that wall of rock, which was honeycombed, and filled with myriads of bees—hung the vic- tim; while in front of him stood a crescent of exultant demons, over the silvery waters of the Rio San Saba! As this fiendish work was completed, the braves above ran swiftly down the river, de- scended the cliff at a favorable point, and cross- ing the stream, joined their brother butchers— their comin being the signal for a mad whoop from every t t. The next moment, in long strides, the red braves disap ed in the shades; and, five minutes after, might have been seen upon their wild-eyed steeds, flying over the plain, and speeding toward the line of border settlements, bent on carnage and death. Thus on, through the night, to inaugurate scenes of rapine, to scatter despair and deso- lation, dashed the Comanche horde—three-score in number—leaving their victim, swinging by the two lariats, high over the waters of the San Saba; his arms stretched, and bound above his: head to the ropes that held him suspended above the silvery sheen of waters. His face is stamped with hopeless despair, which is transformed to horror, as he slowly turns his head, and realizes his position ree realizes the object of his fiendish captors, in thus leaving him suspended in the midst of the cliff. One glance is enough. It is more than enough. He knows the caves swarm with bees. He knows that at sunrise, tens of thousands of these insect’s will fly out from the caverns. They will discover the strange object—this in- _— of their homes—swaying mockingly before em. His body will be literally covered with bees, ee ee ee ne ee ae ! This is to be his doom to be stung to death— to die a prolonged death of most excruciating torture, by hunger and thirst, the most madden- ing! s he fully comprehends this, the strong man trembles like an aspen leaf, his handsome face contorts in torturing despair; while, from the depths of his very soul, in most deep and prayer- ful intonation, come the words, as his blue eyes seek to pierce the starry , ‘*Father in Heaven, have mercy! My cross is greater than I can bear!” This man, suspended thus, and seemingly doomed to a terrible death, is the hero of our frontier tale; and the circumstances conn >:ted with his capture, and torture, will be explained as we proceed, CHAPTER II. LANDERS RANCH. Tue Rio Leonisa tributary of the Rio Brazos; the former emptying its waters into the latter, at a point fifty miles below where the city of Waco is now located—the town of Cameron being on the Leon, some twenty miles from the confinence of the two rivers. Cameron was so named, in honor of the gal- lant and brave Captain Ewen Cameron, one of the unfortunate Mier prisoners, who were march- ed in chains from Mier, on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, to the town of Salado, where they were forced to draw beans from an uplift- a EE ES Cameron, although he drew a prize in this lottery of death—that is, a white bean—was, by order of the officer in command, a tool of Santa Anna, taken out, and shot like a dog. At the time of which wé write, there were several ranches between the little settlement of Cameron, on the Rio Leon, and the lordly Rio Brazos, | One of these, the most extensive stock ranch on the Rio Leon, was owned by Colonel Lan- ders, familiarly known as ‘‘ Lucky Landers,” from the fact that he had been very fortunate in his business affairs. The colonel was a large man, of apy mold and commanding in appear- ance, with a decided military air; in fact, he had served with distinction in the Mexican war. His hair was gray, and worn long, as was the custom in Texas in the old days; more from bc scarcity of tonsorial artists than aught else. He was florid in complexion, with honest blue eyes, and was kindness personified; he being a general favorite among all classes. here were times, however, when the old ran- chero was far from pleasant in disposition, this being after an occasional indulgence, to excess, in ardent spirits. Colonel ders had but one child, a daugh- ter, Lola by name; she being the acknowledged belle of the Rio Leon, and, for that matter, of the upper Brazos. Indeed, the proud father was wont to declare that she was the best, the — handsomest, and the most intelligent girl in the Lone Star State. And the old man was not far out of the way. Lola was of medium hight, with a well-de- veloped sylph-like form; she being but sweet sixteen, and lovely as a fairy. Her hair was abundant, long, wavy, and golden in color; her eyes, a heavenly blue; and her complexion, like the prairie rose when first burst ing into bloom. prightly and gay was Lola Landers, ever flit- ting here and there, singing merrily, and with a kind word for every one, from the highest to the lowest. The colonel did not trouble himself, to any ex- tent, with the * ” of the ranch; but left this to a superintendent, of whom we wi soon {a The old ranchero spent much of his time hunting, fishing, and visiting his’ neigh- bors: althoug those neighbors were, in many instances, thirty miles away—the nearest being five miles toward the Brazos, Some six thousand head of cattle, a thousand sheep, and a couple of hundred breed mares— the last, but recently purchased in Mexico— these constituted the stock of the ranch; but the colonel had considerable bottom-land fenced, which was planted with corn, wheat, and rye; he owning about a dozen field hands, which he had brought from East Texas, some - ha years previous to the opening of our narra- ive. * There were a half-dozen Mexicans in the em- ploy of Colonel Landers; these living in jacals Sec they had themselves built in the bottom- r Nor was the ranch without the od ta Irishman, in the person of Mickey McCafferty, who was a discharged soldier from Fort Bel- knap; he having wandered down the Brazos been befriended by the colonel and Lola, and become a fixture at the ranch. Mickey made himself generally useful; but was always getting himself into scrapes; and strange to say, considering he had been in the army, he knew next to nothing of fire-arms. This fact led the colonel to decide that Mickey had been but a raw recruit, who had cunningly played his game to gain his discharge, by pre- tending some physical disability. He pretended to have lost his papers, and no one doubted this who knew him; indeed the wonder was that he had not lost head, for he was absurdly careless in everything. . | No one had any icion that the Irishman had deserted; for, this been the cae he would not have dared remain at Landers Ranch. And now, for the superintendent, who is to be our hero, through these pages; and a hero he was, in every sense of the word. His name was Richard Robinson, but he had not escaped cs WE saddled” with a sobriquet, Texas style; he being universally known as “Daring Dick, from his brave and daring character, which indeed bordered upon reckless- ness, Dick was a splendid specimen of manhood, full six feet in hight, with sinews of steel; strong as a lion, and agile and quick in motion as a panther. His hair was worn low upon his shoulders, being dark-brown, and wavy. His eyes were dark hazel in color, and were keen as those of any Indian. His face was handsome—so hand- some, indeed, was he in form and in face, so mp leg eg rote and gentlemanly, that Lola oad fallen in love with him at once, upon his arrival with her father at the ranch, one year previous to his introduction to the reader. Richard Robinson came of an old, and aris- ed sombrero—every tenth bean being black, and | tocratic Virginia family, but his parents had condemning whoever drew it, to be shot. died when he was twenty years of age—or twe EO Ghooksseom, - =