Beadle's Dime Library No. 417: Tucson Tom — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

steed, and mounting Buckskin himself with | the young gi 10 the heart to leave its feast; the other stand- ing with head raised, snuffing the air in alarm. That was Buckskin. The ranger listened, half-expecting to catch the distant rumble of horses’ hoofs on the hard soil of the plain. No such sound came to his ears. Where did the danger lie? He was about to arise and step to his horse, as though the noble animal could tell him its suspicions, when his eye was caught by 9 moving object just within the grove. Instantly he glued his orbs upon it. ooo, lips a piercing yell. It was answered. To the surprise and consternation of the ranger there rose up here and there other men-wolves—half a dozen at least. They had surrounded the camp. Well it was that Tucson Tom was a man of iron nerve, and ready to meet any emer- gency, however sudden. He had need of all his powers then. To hesitate would have been to lose the game for the Indians were not wasting time, but as they leaped erect bounded for- f At first he could not make out what it was, | ward. so close to the ground did it crouch. Then the brave Texan’s revolver began to It was slowly drawing nearer, however, | speak. Its thunder tones were not to be disregard- of _ no matter how valiant they who opposed im. In the midst of his fusilade he saw Danc- ing Feather near him. ‘‘The horses! Mount!” he cried. She caught at his idea. Tucson Tom, still playing his weapons in quick succession saw herrun to the steed that had borne her thither, and leap upon its back with the grace of a fawn. He was also working his way thither, step by step, and even while he swept the field in order to keep his revolvers playing, he had rested one eye upon Buckskin. , The intelligent horse as though under- standing the necessities of the case, now came up to where the ranger stood. Tom saw his opportunity. The whirlwind of fire which he had let loose upon the Apaches, had demoralized them to a dreadful extent. They had vanished from view. It’s head was. always erect, and yet every Some were undoubtedly struck by the now and then the brute raised itself up as if | balls forthe aim of the Bowie Bravo was ter- to gain a better observation. ‘ rible even under such disadvantages. his was what riveted the attention of the The others had throwu themselves upon Texan ranger. the ground again and were taking advantage The truth leaped suddenly into his brain. | of every tree and bush to screen them from He was not long deceived. that fearful fire. The strange animal upon which his eyes Tucson Tom now had his chance. rested was a man-wolf | le whipped out a knife. Beneath that wolf-skin crouched the dusky | Two slashes were made and the lariats body of an Indian. that held the horses were severed as though The consciousness that this was in all | by the power of magic. probability the case gave Tucson Tom aj|_ It was all over like a flash, thrill, not of alarm, but excitement. “‘This way, Mabel!” and his curiosity must soon be satisfied. If an Indian he had a clumsy wa crewling, and Tom was speedily brought to acknowledge the fact that there was some- thing very strange and mysterious with re- gard to the object. At last it had drawn near enough for him to see more perfectly, and every muscle in his frame grew rigid as he watched it. —_———____—" CHAPTER XY. A NIGHT ATTACK. Here vas reason for the ranger to survey the strange creature with astonishment. It had now come close enough to the camp for him to make out its peculiarities, and surely these were marked enough. To ali appearances it was a wolf, yet never wolf acted as did this one, The creature was lying flat upon the round, and seemed to advance by drawing itseh along. He comprehended now the meaning of the As he uttered these words the ranger put out his hand and caught the rude rope bridle more like a halter than anything else, which was upon the piebald Indian mustang. They tore off through the trees, A chorus of howls from behind told of the keen disappointment their flitting brought to those determined spirits who had so longed to possess the scalp of the white ranger. strange light he had seen earlier in the night. t had been a signal after all. No sooner had Tom arrived at this conclu- sion than he set about looking at the matter from every side so there should be no mis- take made on his part. If this was an Indian come to visit the camp and take observations se that his com- In one thing Tom was favored. panions might follow and capture the whites The Indians would not fire upon him as they slept, he must be put out of the way | when there was danger of hitting the one at once. they worshiped as a god. Tucson Tom arranged in detai! what he | hus no shots were fired after them, and should do then. | yet they knew the Indians had started in As soon as he fired the shot that laid the pursuit, for their cries told this much. man-wolf low, he must spring to the side of As soon as they were free from the trees Dancing Feather, hastily place her on her | Tucson Tom gre the rope into the hands of rl, knowing that she was equal the same swiftness, cut the lariats that held | to the task of managing her own steed. the animals, and speed away. | He had chanced to reach the plain on that One thing troubled him. side where he had seen the mystic light This was his ignorance regarding the com- | earlier in the night. panions of the man-wolf. This did not suit him at all. Where were they? If there were more of the Indians near by What was their number? it was likely that they would be found in Could he only have had these questions this direction. satisfactorily answered he would have been| Tucson Tom therefore turned to the left easier in his mind. and headed north. As it was he had to go at the matter in a His revolvers were not yet empty and he blind way far from being satisfactory. held them in his hands again, ready to meet ’ The red spy was now so close that Tucson | a new emergency. Tom could hold his fire no longer. It was destined to come, He could even see the legs of the man be-| They had gone perhaps a hundred yards yond the skin of the gray wolf. from the little timber motte where their It was impossible to say whether the | camp had been laid, and were rapidly leav- Indian saw him or not, but he was inclined | ing the yelling men-wolves behind, though to believe that this was not so, or the fellow | they stuck to the pursuit with a pertinacity would hardly have advanced as he did. that at once aroused a suspicion in the mind When he found he had his revolver on a of the ranger, when infront of them there line with the seeming animal’s breast, he | suddenly appeared a body of mounted foes. pulied the trigger It was almost impossible to tell where they The report rung out with sudden distinct- | had come from. ness on the calm night air. ; : Perhaps they had been hidden in one of Tom sprung to his feet. the many clumps of timber that seemed to He was just in time to see the man-wolf , abound in this especial section. — spring up and in his dying throes cast the | No one cared to inquire particularly with gray skin from him. regard to this matter. ot | # ae Tucson Tom, the Bowie Bravo. At the same moment there pealed from his It was enough for the Texan to know that ag were there before him. e saw his danger. To turn was to destroy all chance of es- cape, for the enemy would shoot him down as he passed by, or else cut him off. Nothing was left to be done but to go for- ward like a bolt of lightning, clearing a way through the red ranks by the swiftness of his passage, and the irresistible nature of his onset. He gave vent to the Texan yell that has many a time sounded upon the dreary plains of the Lone Star State. Buckskin responded nobly to his cry. Forward went the yellow horse and his in- domitable rider. Dancing Feather saw and understood what were the tactics of her valiant lover. She urged her mustang forward also, in- tending keeping close veside him, so that she might share in the results of the dash. As he struck the Apache band Tucson Tom opened fire right and ieft. Had his revolvers been freshly charged he would beyond a doubt have scattered the whole of his foes to the four winds. As it was, after his second shot each way his revolvers gave out, This was unfortunate, but there was no help for it. He replaced his revolvers in his belt as best he could, and snatching out a long bowie-knife in each hand, began to use them in a manner terrible to behold. Tucson Tom was in his element, and for the time being counted not the odds. CHAPTER XVI. THE APACHE CAMP, Tue Bowie Bravo possessed such a spirit of warfare, that, when fully aroused by the heat of battle he became a perfect demon. In the ancient days it was the custom to attach short sabers to the wheels of a chariot, and as the driver dashed through the crowd- ed ranks of the foe, he would leave behind a clean-cut, bloody trail. So it seemed with Tom. His two bowies flashed through the air as though driven by machinery, and behind him he left a swath as wide as the steel weapons could reach. The Apaches were appalled by the won- derful fierceness of his assault, and could do nothing to kill him in the brief space of time allowed them. Tom had burst through his foes, He could hear the steady tramp of a horse just behind him, and this told him the young girl was safe. He continued on for a quarter of a mile. Then distant shouts reached his ear— shouts that were tinged with joy and satis- faction. , A dreadful suspicion entering his mind, Tom turned in his seat. The mustang was indeed following some ten feet behind him, as Mabel had deftly knotted the remnants of the two lariats. To the amazement and consternation of the Texan, he saw that the animal was rider- less. Great Heaven! where was Dancing Fea- ther? Those yells told him all. While she was following him through the ranks of the enemy, some Wily fellow had lifted her bodily from her seat. If she had screamed, the sound was lost in the rattling cries that accompanied the rapid transit of Tom thrcugh the Indian band. Dancing Feather was now in the hands of the Apaches. It must be he who would become the pur- suer. Tucson Tom shut his teeth hard. He vowed by everything sacred that she should be saved from their hands, if he was obliged to kill every member of the band, First of all he proceeded to reload his weapons, knowing what need he would have of them. This gave him twelve shots, and unless his hand had forgotten its cunning he believed he would be able to accomplish all he desired ere this supply was exhausted. One thing gave him hope. The Apaches seemed to look on him as a robber, and persisted in the belief that Dan- cing Feather had been carried away from her . | GOMmIGEVOCKS: » a ek —— a a 7 a —_——,