Beadle's Dime Library No. 417: Tucson Tom — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

7 i ee s&= . Tucson Tom, the Bowie Bravo. _ — ee — ¥ pe f 15 The old grizzly did not look at it in that light, though. Possibly he believed that ‘‘ to tbe? victor belong the spoils.”’ Again, the very parts Tom would have carried away might have been his particular favorites. At any rate he manifested his intention not. only of possessing all the antelope, but also adding the ranger’s body to his larder as a tid-bit. Tom saw that there was no escaping a battle. As he knew the advantage of keeping the fierce monster at a distance, he whipped out his ever ready revolver and proceeded to plant several balls in that portion of the brute’s ws titer | where they would do the greatest amount of good. Lead and powder wield a mighty power when directed by a master mind, and surely the Texan ranger was at home in their use. The huge animal made a rush forward, but as one of the bullets had blinded him, the ranger had little difficulty in avoiding his intended embrace. ’ Another shot! This touched his heart, and he fell wallow- ing upon the ground, soon stiffening out in death, It needs a cool head, a steady hand and a quick eye to come out first best in a struggle with a grizzly bear. Many a hunter of long experience bas met his fate in the awful claws of one of these monster devils, known in California as ‘*Mountain Charlies.” _ Tom put his foot on the great brute, and looked down upon him with no little satis- faction as he reloaded his revolver. Just then he made a startling discovery. One cartridge alone remained in his pouch, and when this was placed in the cylinder, he had but three shots in all. He felt a shadow come over his mind, but throwing it off, he was about to return to his fair companion when struck by an idea, he cut off the claws from one foot of the bear he had just slain. The Indians wear such as trophies, of which they may well feel proud. As Mabel had been brought up among the Apaches, she would perhaps appreciate the sight of those horrible claws. hen, with his venison, he retraced his _ way up the hill. wo-thirds of the way up he haited at a particular point, and hung the fresh meat upon the branch of a tree. This was to be their camp. A spring of fresh water was near by, and there was a fine opportunity for a fire, as plenty of dry wood lay around. In a few minutes he was once more at the side of Dancing Feather. CHAPTER XXII. THE FIRE-TRAILERS. Sue was exceedingly glad to see him back again safe and sound. The fact of his firing four shots had aroused her fears, but he had told her not to move from the spot, and so she did not. They led the horses to the other slope of the peculiar ridge. Here, at the place Tom had picked out, they halted, and the animals were staked as best as could be done under the circum- stances. Then the ranger proceeded to start a fire. To avoid makivg a smoke that could be seen in the daytime, he selected wood that | was exceedingly dry. When this was well under way, he left to the young girl the task of cooking the veni- -gson—a thing she insisted on—and made his | way up to the top of the ridge to take an ob- - servation. It was now not far from dusk. | The ranger’s eyes went at once to the far horizon, where he had seen that moving @b- — ject. It was no longer there. Then it must have been some stray wild animals that had gone off in another direc- tion, or else were at this time lying down. Stay! what was that? Much closer, but a few miles away in fact, and overlooked in his first survey, was a small party of horsemen. Tucson Tom uttered a low exclamation at sight of them. ‘‘Cortina and what is left of his band. They have not had enough yet,” he muttered between his teeth. It could be no other. One seemed to be riding in the advance as though following the trail of the fugi- tives. At that distance it was hard to count. them, but the Texan did not believe there were more than five, all told, in the party. Five desperadoes and three shots in his revolver. That was not very promising. He watched them for some little time and at last saw them stop as though they believed the fugitives had halted somewhere about the ridge and they did not want to draw too near so as to discover their presence to those or, hunted. his was enough. As he turned away he heard the soft, silvery voice of the young girl calling: ‘Tom! supper!” The words somehow electrified him. ‘‘Some day, please Heaven, she shall call me thus to my meals, if | can ever be worthy of her pure love,” he muttered. The prospect was full of a subtle charm and it was with this strange ecstasy in his breast that he walked down to where the little camp had been pitched. It would hardly do to say that venison was cooked beyond all precedent, for the appli- ances were of the rudest order, but Tucson Tom was ready to swear it was the sweetest morsel he had ever put in his mouth. Under the circumstances he was possibly excusable, and so long as he was happy to believe thus, whose business was it to object? hen darkness had come the fire had died out completely. This was according to Tom’s desire, for it would be very apt to betray them. He saw that Dancing Feather was com- fortably fixed for a good sleep, and the horses in such position that all that was necessary | for rapid flight was for them to spring upon the backs of the animals. Before leaving the girl he told her that in all probability their flight would be resumed during the night, and she must be ready when he awoke her. As for himself he could have resumed the wild ride at once, but consideration for his gentle companion, unused to such exposure, and a desire to give the animals a rest, com- bined to form his present plan. ) He would remain here some hours, as long as was possible, and then start on, giving Mabel as much of a rest as he could. The brave girl would have insisted on go- ing forward had she known that the halt was called principally on her account. This was why Tucson Tom said nothing about the matter. He took up his post on the summit of the ridge and settled himself comfortably for a short nap. An hour’s sleep would refresh him ina wonderful degree, and he felt sure his foes could not get very close in that time, As he possessed the happy faculty of wak- ing up at any set time there was no danger of his sleeping too long. Sure enough, about an hour later he raised his head. In all that time there had been no more signs of life about him beyond his regular breathing than one would find in a log. Taking an observation he found that all was well, the position of the heavenly bodies telling him that he had not allowed himself too much time for sleep. He looked out upon the plain. All was wrapped in darkness. His attention was immediately called how- ever, to a certain spot where a light seemed to be moving over the plain, It was approaching the ridge. If Tucson Tom was puzzled at first to know what it was, this feeling soon gave way to one of comprehension. here was nothing mysterious about that moving light, for it was held in the hand of a desperado, At times the Texan could even catch a glimpse of the face back of it. The man was on foot. He bent low down and flashed the torch so that it lighted up the ground. Once or twice it kindled an embryo confla- rr ee LL teste ——E——Ee 2 gration in the dried grass, but each time this was promptly squelched by the ready foot of the man who carried the torch. The man was a trailer. He was tracking the fugitives by torchlight and in a fair way to lead his comrades to the little camp. If those they sought could be taken un- awares then the chances of accomplishing that which had brought them out were so much the better. Tucson Tom sat there and watched them drawing closer and closer. He gloried in the consciousness that the young girl was recovering her strength ina refreshing sleep, while the horses when wanted, would be in prime condition. Let the hounds come. They sought his life—and hers. -The man who would harm that sweet girl must be a fiend incarnate, but money had bought these fellows’ souls. ell, he had defied and defeated them once before, and if necessary stood ready to deliver them a second lesson. ‘* Yes, let them come! They moved steadily along, and the Texan sat there watching their progress. He had calculated that it would take them an hour at least to reach the base of the ridge, and in this shrewd guess he was right as usual. ; When they grew nearer he could begin to catch glimpses of the others who came be- hind the torch-bearer, mounted on muStangs. It was too far for him to make certain but he believed the man just in the rear of the trailer to be General Cortina It was now time for him to be moving. The Mexicans were at the base of the ridge and each man seemed to be procuring a torch, fearful lest they should stumble into some pitfall or a trap set by their wily foe. This was a very foolish piece of business did they but know it. The torches did them little or no good and a great deal of harm, as it betrayed their presence to those who might be watching. As he halted to throw away the three precious shots that remained in his revolver Tucson Tom had bethought himself of an- other plan by means of which the same re- sult might be accomplished, and his ammu- nition saved in part. If the trailers followed the course our friends had taken they must make use of a little gorge that had an upward incline. To this point Tom now slipped, with that readiness which proclaimed that his mind had been already made up. He was not long in finding that for which he sought, and by this time the cesperadoes were coming in line up the gulch. It was a singular procession that met the eyes of the Texan as he looked’ down over the edge of the rock on which he lay. Five men on foot were there, spread out in single file, each one carrying a lighted torch held above his head. Though the spectacle appeared serious enough in all conscience, Tucson Tom actu- ally chuckled at it as though he knew what he held in his hand, and that the game was his. : They had left their horses behind them and intended closing in upon the camp of the fugitives on foot, hoping thus to catch them napping. That was a second time they counted with- out their host—Tucson Tom! CHAPTER XXIII. A RED HORSE-THIEF. ONWARD came the five torch-bearers. Looking down upon them from his posi- tion on the rocks, Tom saw a weird spec- tacle, and one that would remain in his memory for many a day. : The ascent was quite steep, and the little gully exceedingly narrow. Sure-footed horses could climb it—those of the fugitives had already done so, but these men of blood preferrea to go about their work on foot, for reasons that were plainly manifest, and which have already been stated. Tucson Tom smiled grimly as he looked upon his enemies. - He felt that he had them at his mercy. At his side was a little pile of stones, large and small, and these he meant to turn loose upon them when the proper time came. chooks » Cc . | * AJ a < *