Beadle's Dime Library No. 417: Tucson Tom — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24 nn a EEE TT SL they were equal in valor and cunning to any but these two were not listening to the weird band of Indians that ever roamed the plains. The whole band had continued on, the fugitives being doubtiess transferred to fresher mustangs. Now and then Arizona Abe twisted his neck to look up at the heavens, which during the last hour had become strangely overe cast. A storm was brewing. The rain might do them incalculable in- | jury by washing away the trail. | the rude prairie ranger. noises for the first time. They knew their origin. The wind was sweeping through the gap, making strange music as it was caught by numberless projections, until there came that distorted melody that, rising and falling, now fierce and strong, anon mellow and exceed- ingly plaintive, impressed the soul even of There was an old legend among the In- dians in connection with this strange place, Arizona quickened his speed, and the little | to the effect that a maiden whose lover had party dashed along the depression with the | proven false bad sped an arrow through his eagerness of hounds on the scent. heart as he came riding through the pass, It was no longer light. leaping after his lifeless body into the gulf Pi: Although night had not yet come, it was | that yawned in one portion, and that at times ¥ being prececed by a semi-gloom that ren- | her spirit could be heard crying, laughing dered objects invisible a few hundred yards | and moaning according to the state of the away. | weather. | Still they had no trouble in seeing the; Nothing came to their ears that would in oy trail, for it was certainly broad enough. | dicate the presence of danger, yet they knew c At length it left the depression and made | full well fierce foes were not far away, who, ae a break for the elevation. to hear the words that fell from his lips. ‘Taken ter ther Bufiler Gap?” Then he knew where they were. A pass that divided the mountains was known by the name of Buffalo Gap, and the | dusky fugitives had been aiming for this all along, though in a roundabout way, so as_ not to excite suspicion, lest the whites should | head them off, and thus complete their dis- - -- comfiture. ‘They were now near this place. Tucson Tom had gone through it more than once. He well remembered its weird aspect. Ragged walls on either side overhung the narrow path, that, for a portion of the way, ran along the edge of an abyss the depth of which no man could know. , Through this split in the mountains the | _ Apaches had gone, and our friends were now face to face with a serious question. ee) CHAPTER XXXIV. aS THROUGH BUFFALO GAP, Was the pass guarded? - The Indians would no doubt camp on the | other side, where there was a favorable spot, but the chances seemed to be that they e ss _ would not leave Buffalo Gap free for pass- age. Ra PAvlaoik Abe and Tom consulted. ‘They were now within a short distance of | Boe x the pass, and a false step might be their Py The consultation resulted in a determina- tion to make a scouting-tour so as to get the Jay of the Jand. —~-—-«In company with the old trailer, Tom set out. ‘They left their horses behind. _ . While the two were thus venturing into the dark pass on suclva perilous errand, the one remainder of the party had also work to do, though of a far different kind. _ This consisted of muzzling the horses with | old coats or anything else that came handy, go that they could not betray their masters when in a. place of peril, by an untimely The hoofs were also muffled. _ Leaving the party thus providing against _, exigencies we will follow the two scouts, | _.,. Arizona Abe had his trusty rifle with him, for it was seldom he permitted himself! to be | separated from that weapon; but Tom felt well enough armed to possess the weapons he | _ generally carried. | _ The darkness grew apace as they ap- | -_ proached the pass. | Now and then a flash of lightning would cut across the sky, but as yet the storm was far away. | The mountains loomed up grimly before SS — —E wx ry, » Or. asi f ’ them, as though stretching a barrier in the -- way of their progress. ’ -_- Fortunately Arizona was perfectly at home in this quarter. iis companion was perfectly content to ‘ee have him lead the way. Tt was no small task to even follow, con- sidering the many difficulties that lay in the way. mos ‘When they reached the entrance of Buffalo Bas. ee. they paused to listen, ~ $trange sounds came from its interior— - gounds that might have dismayed a timid Maan or one to whom the place was unknown, - Tueson Tom was close enough to the guide | if not aware of their presence in the vicinity would at least be on their guard. Anowl hooted near by, and his melancholy note seemed to be in unison with the weird surroundings. Arizona Abe had no further reason for hesitation. He advanced, and Tom boldly followed. Like a pair of shadows they plunged into the black depths that immediately swallowed them up. At the moment of their entrance something struck Tom a smart blow on his sombrero. He looked up just in time to feel a second large drop of water splash upon his face. The rain! It had come at last, and there could be no telling when the full force of the storm burst upon them. Let it come—they might even find a chance to make its presence advantageous. To pass through Buzzard’s Gap in the pitch black gloom of night was a feat few men would like to attempt, yet here were two daring souls not only ready to try it, but even determined if necessary to bring the balance of the party, horses and all, through the pass. True, the electric fluid aided them. Arizona Abe would wait until the light- ning flashed, and then take in the lay of the land ahead, while at the same time he kept his eyes on the lookout for signs of the foe. Their progress was necessarily slow, but there was little temptation to increase it, knowing as they did what lay near, and how ea it would be to fall into the chasm, he roaring sound grew louder and louder and soon the two men were obliged to cling to the rocks for support, so violent was the wind that rushed through the gorge. Abe drew his companion in under a pro- jecting rock. It was high time. Stones were falling about them that had been dislodged from the walls above, and it might be death to be struck by one of these. The rain also came down in torrents. Tucson Tom would never forget that hour. The blaze of the forked lightning blinded them, and the crashing thunder made the very mountains quake. There was hope that the storm would soon be over, because of its violence, and mean- while the scouts crouched beneath their shelter. When the wind had gone down they crept forth, and heedless of the falling rain which still poured pitilessly, they made their way along the pass. At the narrow portion, Abe was more than once compelled to push a stone over into the chasm that had fallen from above and barred their progress. Even with daylight it was not much of a pleasure to pass through Buffalo Gap, and under such circumstances as those which beset our friends, the case was pretty rough. Tom was more than once reminded of his recent adventure in an arroyo, when the water-cloud burst and drowned out the Apaches with the aqueous avalanche. Every minute they expected to come upon an Apache sentry. Their eyes scanned the rocky wall ahead each time, the lightning flashed, but as yet they had made no discovery. ' * It was grand to look up when the sky was cleft by the electric fluid, and see the gaunt walls of rock far above, cut in black silhou- ette against the yellow sky, but these two men had no eye just then for the picturesque or sublime, their attention being wholly taken up with the danger that threatened them on every side. ‘Tom felt the hand of his companion fall on his arm. He knew what this meant. Arizona Abe had made a discovery of some sort. The two men crouched there for the space of half a minute or so; then another flash illuminated the gorge. As the rain had by this time almost entire- *, ceased, it was not difficult to see some istance down the gap. Ha! Arizona had not been mistaken. The figure of an Indian was in sight. He leaned against the wall, with a shelf of rock above him, and seemed to be making the best of a bad bargain. The Texan turned to his companion. Abe had stretched his scrawny neck and taken in the situation’ as well as he was. able. In this he had a purpose, for that sentry must be removed from their path ere they could push forward on the work that brought. them there. With a few whispered words the old. skeleton scout left his companion and glided forward. After he had gone, the seconds seemed like hours to the crouching man, and he waited with great impatience the coming of the next flash. Good Heavens! would that dark mantle that hung so closely upon the gulch never be- rent by the vivid lightning? At last it came. The ragged outlines of the rocky walls, even the narrow path before him was sharply defined, so that the minutest detail could be: seen by a quick and keen eye. Tom glanced along the shelf of flinty rock until his eye caught the figure of the Indian sentry. He was standing in exactly the same posi- tion as they had seen him before, his blanket: about his head and shoulders—motionless as. the rock itself. Something else caught Tom’s attention. About ten feet nearer than the Apache was a peculiar-looking rock that lay flat upon the shelf. , Closer investigation would have revealed a. startling fact in connection with this—it was a human figure, that lay flattened out there as motionless as though one of the. falling bowlders had crushed in his skull. Arizona was close to his prey. The darkness closed in upon the scene al- most instantly, and it was lost to view. Again the Texan held his breath while he awaited another flash. What would this disclose? He could not even allow himself to guess, but craned his neck in anticipation. ; CHAPTER XXXY\V. A QUEER SURROUND Att things must have an end. Tucson Tom thought about an hour had passed by, when in reality it was not much more than a minute when once more came. the light. | His eyes fell upon the tall form under the rock, blanket and all. Where was Arizona Abe? Even as this mental question seemed to take form in his brain he saw the arm of the sentinel raised and make a beckoning motion as though bidding him come on. The truth flashed upon him. Arizona Abe had done his work, and had afterward assumed the blanket of the Apache to deceive any hostile eyes that might wan- der in that direction. , The Texan cautiously advanced. ‘When he reached the spot he was greeted by the low chuckle of the old trailer. ‘*Got him Tom, my boy,” he muttered. ‘‘ Where is he?” asked the other. ‘Rolled over inter ther gap thar. He fell like ripe grain. My weapon touched his heart e’en’most as soon as my hand did his throat. Ugh! I wish I had every mother’s son o’ ’em in ther same persition.”’ There could be no doubt but what he | would have treated them in the same way.. ‘comic S-COl _ “ ~< e~.... « ws >: — : ey a 1a = > ~~ ie * Oo 2b eee oe — rr JOO A 3 ee » ‘ « ' int ‘ <n oe