Beadle's Dime Library No. 417: Tucson Tom — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

——~ webs — = Ee er - 7 _ a -_ — - a j / . ne ——— + ee — Ti 5 = Se Urr aa - - ~ - oie! =. ae © . ‘ r pe v p< *.* — 7 . :* (eee - : - ? 3 f _ of his steed, and shielde horse he led behind, chased by a white man | << ee ey eee eC 12 Tucson Tom, the Bowie Bravo. This worthy had a precious regard for his own carcass, and when his companion threw him the rope by which Mabel’s horse was led and made a lunge toward the white | ranger, he urged his own steed toward the edge of the grove, intending to escape with | his charge while he yet had time. With rare cunning he threw himself upon one side of his mustang when he saw the fate of his comrade. Thus the Texan could not get a shot at him, and all the while the fellow was mak- ing off at an increasing speed, drawing the steed on which Dancing Feather was mounted after him. The situation was a novel one. Once he reached the plain, and a mad vace | would have to be entered upon, the finale of | which no one could possibly foresee. Tucson Tom, as the only resource, sprung to the mustang so hastily vacated by the red rider who had held the lance. At the same time he gave vent to the shrill whistle by means of which he was accus- tomed to calling his faithful Buckskin. By this time the Indian had burst from the timber, and the ranger was already in full! pursuit. In the gray of the morning, the victorious Mexicans saw this singular spectacle—an Indian warrior crouching low upon the back by the rider of the also on a mustang, who every now and then - turned to give vent to a shrill whistle, and watch the progress of the buckskin steed that was thundering along in their rear, and constantly gaining. Buckskin was responding nobly. Dancing Feather kept her seat well, and this was about all she could do when rush- ing mone at that mad pace, though had she possessed a knife of any sort she might have severed the rope which was held by the In- dian guard, and thus have set herself free. The Indian without knowing it, had been constantly pulling his horse around by the action of his knees. He was thus making a great circuit, and was now heading directly for the grove again. It was fortunate for somebody that in this wild dash they did not come across any of the brave’s comrades. ‘The Texan had his revolver ready and would have used it to advantage. At last there was a whinny beside him. Buckskin forged up alongside the mustang as if he knew what was desired of him. Without diminishing his speed to any per- ceptible degree, Tucson Tom managed to make the transfer, leaping upon the back of his brave horse with the grace of an acrobat. Ah! the game is in his hands now. |. How quickly he draws upon the frgitive. The Apache, looking back sees it and his _ eunning black eyes gleam like the little orbs _ of a rat at bay. a Buckskin annihilates the distance separa- Nothing can save him now. ting him from the object of his pursuit. ore than a dozen eyes are watching the be 3 strange contest. . . a or ; o i. A F | aa net “i o A, ae t . a? — ‘ hold their breath with intense interest. < The Mexicans have drawn near, and they Just as the trees are again reached the : Bewie Bravo is seen to rise in his stirrups, They see his arm extended. There is a puff of white smoke—a sharp $ report rings out on the morning air, and the _ poor devil of an Apache rolls in a ball on the ground. . The queer race has ended where it begun! ’ 1.5 eee é CHAPTER XVIII. CORTINA, THE BORDER TIGER. Tm work had been well done. Dancing Feather was unhurt, and in an- other moment Tucson Tom had side, so that together they entered the tim- % sy 7 * ained her r. The Mexicans, all that were left of the lit- _ tle party that had come in contact with the Apaches, now came forward. ucson Tom felt that there was more trou- BA, ble brewing, but he made up his mind that he would not run from it. He kept his weapons where re could be _ easily reached, and calmly awaited the com- | og, te the Mexicans. ‘They presently rode into the timber. There were some half a dozen of them, | ™, i) \everal others being engaged in catching the > , | ah *. Fay t * is ~ * o« _ eh & t j : rm Se P _mustangs that were scattered here and there| ‘‘I am Tucson Tom, the Bowie Bravo. /upon the plain, and which fell easy victims | Yonder lie my guaranty.” to their prowess. The ranger nuodded to the left, and as the At the head was a man whose bold face ! notorious outlaw turned his gaze in that di- Tucson Tom remembered to have seen before. | rection, he saw such a ghastly array of dead | eRe Py greges pop seer ges sate Fim | rer Sista Pe Neg serene " a row mind with its presence did not seem to dis- . that he was forced to utter a cry of amaze- turb him; on the contrary he shut his teeth | ment. ’ more firmly together, as though resolved to| His face lighted up for a moment. face the music no matter what threatened. | If there was one thing Cortina hated ir j When the Mexicans came up within a this world, it was an Apache, though mon dozen feet or more of where Tucson Tom | than once he had struck a compact with the sat upon his horse, that worthy suddenly dusky, long-haired giants of the mountains, ‘drew out a revolver and pulled back the err taken them with him on his cattle- hammer. raids. ‘* Halt! where you are, gentlemen!” At present it was war to the knife between pe ee idso. Hoe gout ery as ee proven by the fierceness of their ‘hile his four companions looked about | collision a short time previous. | with signs of wonder, the leader fastened his | __*‘ Is that all your dinck young senor?” he _ black eyes on the Texan and scowled, after | demanded, quickly. | which he laughed in a hoarse manner. | ‘“That is only a part of it. Up at the base | “Bravo! my. bantling. Carramba/ I am | of the foot-hills you will find a lot more of forced to admire the success of your chase. | these fellows, with a grizzly they set on me. | You have rescued the young senorita and | I trust you are satisfied, General Cortina, eee ae i gay of doing so.” AGee bee ton not attempt to carry oat your ‘* You knew she was a prisoner, then?” reat.” ‘‘Si, senor. One of i 4 men came here as | ‘‘ You are a brave man, Tucson Tom, and /aspy, saw the senorita and made his report. | por dios, if it were not for this senorita | tbat 99 the reason of Sed charge. aris- | who ene eee I Dy like to shake soma / we were even then on our way to , your hand, say you are a brave man, but effect the rescue of this girl, so that wa hie : ip not let me think you a fool. No man in | ax much trouble.” ne roe yee dare - ge the va ra oe ‘* You recognize her?”’ the Border, as | am called. You must let ‘As {aaa ae Feather, the Priestess of the | the senorita go with us.”’ ‘Sun. We ete mer = take her away from am ot meee I gs gett oe! company to the the power of the Apaches.” settlements,” said Tom, firmly. | “How came yon $ take such an oath?” ‘*That is impossible.” ‘ The other laughed coarsely. ‘Then we will leave it to the girt. Mabel, ‘‘ Cospita! my young brave, that is no | would you rather go with these men, or re- concern of yours.” main in my company?” Dancing Feather’s eyes flashed. | ‘* Because I know it already.” *‘T won't tell you you lie, for it is a mat- She turned a look of ineffable scorn upon the leader of the Mexicans. ter of total indifference to me, but I fee!, ' young senor, that 1 am placed under obliga- “With you, always with replied in a steady tone. | tions to you for your rescue of the senorita.” ‘* That settles it,” said Tom grimly. ‘* Not at all.” | Tom was as nonchalant as though he were | Cortina, the border scourge, as dashing a raider as was ever known, seemed taken | engaged in friendly conversation with men he knew and respected, yet he was now dead , aback by this astonishing action of the certain that in a very short space of time he | other. must be pitted against these five ruffians, He had known some desperate'scenes in even as he had been pitted against the | his life, but this cool defiance beat all ‘* What will you do?” he asked. Apaches. ‘* Kill every mother’s son of you if you you, Tom,” she j The very nature of the case made this a dare to cross my path. Mabel, ride over positive fact. He had jumped to conclusions, and as was | yonder and out on the plain to where the crossed trees stand. I'll join you when this nearly always the case he was right. little affair is settled.” Hence, when he uttered those few words his hand, as if unconcernedly, fell upon his Cortina’s followers tooked at each other and then glanced significantly trom the second revolver. The next instant it was in his grasp. Bowie Bravo to the ghastly line that bore witness co his prowess in battle. Then he felt secure. ‘* Will you stay and take breakfast with The ‘‘little affair” he spoke of so tightiy might wind up with their constituting u us, young senor?” asked the leader, as his second row. men threw themselves to the ground. ‘*We have far to go. If you will pardon Such a possibility was far from pleasing us, senor, we will start now.” and it made them wince. ‘You speak for yourself.” Still they were one and all desperadoes “ And this young lady.” whose bands had *been dyed with innocent ‘‘ Vaya / she remains with us!” blood more than ounce, and when their leader said ‘‘ go in” they generally obeyed. ‘She goes with me!” 1 £ There was something in the voice of the | As for Cortina himself he seemed puzzled just how to act. American that caused 2 dark frown to settle upon the face of the Mexican leader. He was not used to being thwarted in his He seemed to realize that for once he had | plans, especially when his foes outnumbered the enemy five to one, There was that in the looks and manner of the Texan, besides his awful record as a fighter as witnessed in the dead apaches, that warned che freebooter what he might expect should he insist upon the course he had marked out for himself, Dancing Feather rode slowly away, turn ing to look back anxiously voward the bravo who had defended her so noply, and was even then risking his life for her sake. | Tucson Tom could see her plainly without twisting his neck out of place. He had pulled back the hammers 2f both his revolvers, and seated on his buckskin steed he waited quietly until the girl rider had left the euba and was well on her way out to the spot where two trees, growing in a moist place had their trunks crossed by some freak of nature forming an X. When she reached this spot, Tucson Tom changed his careless attitude for one of reso- iution, and bringing his powerful ey- to bear ee —i— le a =e —C——st—Se—i(‘i—i—S met with a man whodared face him and defy him. Bending his black orbs upon Tom he strove to cow him by a savage look, but the Bowie Bravo had seen too much of this thing, and he gave him back look for look in the most unconcerned manner in the world. ‘* Qarajo! young Hotspur, once for all I say to you the senorita goes with us!” ‘‘Once for ail I tell you, senor, she re- mains with me!” ‘We have sought her by the command of one who is her nearest relative.” ‘‘But who is also her deadliest foe. What ou have meant to do is no affair of mine. i have alone and unaided carried her from the Apache town, baffled all those sent out in pursuit of her, and feel myself fully com- petent to assume all charge of her without anv aid from your party, thank you.” ** Demonio! you young devil, perhaps you do not know to whom you speak.” —————— —— — ‘‘T think I have seen you before.” on Cortina, the border scourge, ne said in ‘‘T am General Cortina, the boldest raider | ringing tones: | of the border. My name is my guaranty for “Now, gentlemen, I am at your | bravery,” service!” ICO ANIICe (Go) - > 8 j * , . ; =e Lye ) } * oF : éy rae ad — rt as ‘ a et — » oa