Beadle's Dime Library No. 417: Tucson Tom — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

eS ee a on Fm “~ = se - a hak aa —- vit ja PS" —a ~~, = A < ~ , > “4 - -* ‘ . ¥ “ *" = eee “ Tucson Tom, the Bowie Bravo. Even the departure of Tom might have ' of the other, and such a mutual desire neces- been a bogus one. ascended one by one. It was not so very pleasant to think of be- | sitated an astonishing amount of clawing Screened by the gloom of night, he could | easily have returned to the tavern to lie in | wait for the emissaries of Cortina as they and squirming. In the mean time assistance had come for Cortina, in the shape of his men. It was time. 21 - At first Querdo took it to be a woman, the long black hair falling below the shoulders deceiving him, but as the man turned his duce sideways de realized his mistake For this he had waited. The revolver he held was raised, tat it. Possibly had this been delayed another | was utterly out of the question to aim, so ing clutched by his iron fingers as cne poked : minute a!l would have been up with the his head within that room, Cortina felt sure he would not enjoy it, | and he had no intention of making the at- | tempt. | His suspicions having become aroused by | the long absence of Pedro, as has been said | before, he was on the point of giving the | alarm and calling his men to the spot, when | they could put into operation some bolder | plan, when he felt the ladder quiver under | his touch. | Ah! that meant business. | Looking up again, he saw the dim out- | lines of a human figure back out of the win- | dow upon the ladder, and slowly commence |! the descent. | Pedro was coming down. | Had he discovered anything? | Cortina stood there waiting sp co ee tk for his man to gain his side. | He dared not call out, for the stealthy | manner in which the man was making the | descent seemed to hint at some possible mys- te ry. Pontape the girl was there and asleep! Such a prospect would be glorious. It was the intention of Cortina to steal the | girl, and,'carrying her off, murder her in | the mountains, while at the same time they | would leave such traces behind as would lead the people of Tucson to believe she had eventually fallen into the hands of the In- dians again. The man on the Jadder had now reached the lower rung, and Cortina, stretching out his hand, let it fall upon his arm with the words: ‘ What luck, Pedro?” Even as he uttered them Cortina shivered, for his hand had fallen upon the bare arm of an Apache brave! CHAPTER XXX. RIVAL NIGHT-HAWES. general, The Apache had succeeded in gaining the upper position, and his hand was even in the act of closing upgn the throat of the Mexican when a hand was in turn laid upon him. Rough fingers clutched the Indian’s throat and a keen cuchillo was plunged into his | heart. The cry he would have given utterance to died in its incipiency, for he had received | his death-blow. Cortina struggled to his feet. ‘‘Are you hurt, general?” asked the man whose knife had ended the affair. ‘* Oospita ! no, but the red rascal?” ‘*My good blade ended his career, senor.” ‘Good Querdo. Do you know where he came from?” ‘* Above?” “Yes, and there must be others there. Pedro went up but came not down.” ‘* Then we must investigate.” Querdo was a heavy set man who nad never known the meaning of the word fear. He knew the lay of the land full well, and when he had determined upon his course he whispered a few words in the ear of his lead- er after which he glided along the base of the wall. At the end he stopped. For one so heavy he exhibited a wonderful degree of agility. Like a cat he climbed up the face of the wall, different protuberances assisting his progress. A ledge running around the second story served him in this respect for a foothold. He did not stop here. The roof was his objective point. Inside of another minute he had gained this and breathing heavily from his exertion he crawled over to where there was an open- ing. | Like most of the houses in the Southwest Ir was a situation well calculated to | the roof was flat, and in the center was a freeze the blood in the veins of the bravest | means of exit from the floor beneath. Down these stairs Querdo crept like a cat, man. The truth had flashed upon the Mexican at | not making the slightest sound for fear of the very second his hand fell upon the arm | betraying his presence to the keen ears he of the man on the ladder. Pedro must have met with foul play above, else this Indian would not have been there. Cortina was no coward. He had the courage of a balidog, and just | about as much conscience. In times gone by he had proved this on many a hotly-contested occasion. When, therefore, he realized what was before him, instead of shrinking back, after that one spasm of astonished alarm, he threw himself forward. More reasons than one governed him in | _ this. He was naturally aggressive, in the first | place, and recognized in this Apache brave one who was not only a mortal foe, but who was even then endeavoring to cheat him out | of the fruits of his strategy. | Again, by this quick movement he hoped | | lying knew were on the alert near by. At last he came to a door. This was his objective point, and here he halted. Would it yield to his endeavor? He made trial and was pleased to learn that it was not fastened in any way. Beyond lay the same inky darkness that enveloped his form where he crouched, and somewhere in that darkness were foes who had followed their fair god from the moun- tains and were now risking all to steal her away from the house of the pale-faces. Perhaps they knew of his coming and were in wait for him? Querdo held his cuchillo in one hand and a cocked revolver in the other. It would have been a risky thing for an Indian to have laid his hand upon him just at that moment. He touched the door again, and it swung and expected to prevent the savage from | out, opening wider. drawing a weapon, providing he did not al- ready have one in his hand. Ah! he could now see the outline of the window, for the sky beyond was brighter The forward action of the Mexican re- | than the surrounding walls. * As a result, the two went down together. sulted in overthrowing the equilibrium of | the Indian. This would serve his purpose well. He crouched there, hardly daring to breathe for fear lest the sound should reach hostile The Apache, as quick as thought, had | ears. clasped his naked arms around his unknown Even when his eyes had become accus- assailant, and was ready for his share of | tomed to the gloom, he could see nothing. work. In Cortina he found no mean antagonist. The general had another string to his bow besides that of personal prowess. In vain he endeavored to pierce the black- ness around him. . The thing was impossible. Whatever lay there it was vailed from his As he sprung upon his dusky foe with all | sight entirely. the fury of the animal after which he was | named, he gave utterance to a quick signal, Querdo realized this, and once more turn- ed his attention toward the window, deter- which was well known to his men and would | mined to bide his time, as he knew his chance bring them to thespot in hot haste. = The two men were writhing and twisting _about upon the ground at the foot of the | would soon come, As he looked he started. A dim figure could be seen, or part of one, ladder, like a couple of tiger-cats in deadly , to be more exact. combat. It was the head and shoulders of an Each strove to get a grip upon the throat ' Apache, | | that he had to fire by intuifion. Suddenly the death-like silence that reign- ed within and without, was broken by the heavy crash of a revolver. There was a lunging forward on the part of the Indian at the window—a heavy fall, and then all became still again. One of the men outside could be heard running up the ladder. Hardly bad Querdo time to realize that he had brought down his man than he himself was borne down by a human figure that launched itself forward. So exact was the leap of the Indian that it became apparent he had seen the figure of the crouching Mexican by the flash of the fellow’s revolver. Querdo was thus reduced to the necessity of battling for his own life. As he was as plucky as daring, and held an ugly knife in his hand, the chances seem- ed about as much in his favor as that of his unseen antagonist. By reason of some things it looked as. though the Mexican ought to come out of the scrimmage first best, while the Apache at the same time offset these advantages, wine presented reasons for victory on his own side. Querdo was amazed at the fearful strength of the man with whom he was engaged. The fellow seemed capable of doing with him almost what he pleased. In vain he endeavored to use his knife— something occurred to prevent it every time. The only consolation the man had, and in fact the only thing he could think of in his dire extremity, was the fact that his com- rades were even then coming up the ladder, and must soon be on the spot to relieve him. Even this might fail bim. They could come too late! Ah! he caught sight of the leading one in the square of the window. The fellow did not like the looks of the darkness within. He tried to see what was going on, caught the gurgling and sputtering sounds that pro- ceeded from the combatants, and turning to his companions, demanded: ‘‘A light! hand up a light. There’s devil- try going on inside here. A light, to see how the Jand lies!” The light was speedily handed up. It consisted of a long pine splinter, set on: fire with the aid of a match. | At this moment Querdo’s opponent seemed to be seized with a terrible desire to leave the place, in the quickest possible space of time. The Mexican felt himself hurled to the other side of the room with terrible force, Then the Apache shot out through the window, upsetting the man at the top, and he in his turn sweeping all the others from the ladder below. Cortina saw a golden opportunity. ‘‘ Quick!” he said, hoarsely, ‘‘do your work with the girl, and we will swear the Apaches are toblame. Quick! up there, use: your knife.” “ Bring up a light,” groaned Querdo from the window. ‘‘I’m afraid there is something — wrong.” He was right. When the light was carried above it was found that Dancing Feather had disappeared. CHAPTER XXXII. ON THE TRAIL. THIs was the mystery that confronted Cortina and his followers. The girl was gone? Had they as well as the Indians hit upon the wrong room? If so, then some one must have played a capital joke upon them. Besides this, there remained but one alter- native, and this was of such a dreadful na- trre that even Cortina could not believe it true. He stood by the window deep in thought. The night wind brought to his ears the sound of horses’ hoofs beating upon the com Eboo