Beadle's Dime Library No. 417: Tucson Tom — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

tion from without, followed b 4 rior who had gone to his death was vacant only 2 moment, but this brave who gained the fatal spot knew what he had to expect and acted accordingly for he had no sooner gained a position where he could see the yawning mouth of the crevice than he made an agile leap, much after the style of a bull- frog, seeing that he was in a squatting pos- ture at the time. Fatal leap! The brave red-skin literally impaled himself upon the bowie extended in Tom’s left hand. An awful screech told the dusky braves without that the second attempt to secure their foe had been as dismal a failure as the first. The body of the second Apache lay across the opening of the cave. Leaning out over it Tucson Tom thrust forth his arm and fired several shots down the inclined plane. Some little commotion ensued, for there were other Indians on the slanting ledge, and when the fusilade came there was a hasty flight; then silence succeeded. What would the infuriated savages attempt next? Crouching there he awaited their action, and he did not have long to wait either. A pebble dropping upon the shelf gave him warning what to expect. The Indians had changed their tactics. This time the assault, instead of coming from below was to be from above. These who were upon the wall of the dar- ranca wished to have a part in the game, be- lieving that perhaps they could do better than their brethren below—at which Tucson Tom chuckled tu himself. Such a trick as this was not apt to take him by surprise, even had he not been warn- ed in time by the falling pebble. Soon a moving object caught his eye. It was the dangling foot of the man who was being let down by his comrades. Why did he remain in mid-air? | Perhaps he was waiting for some signal from below, which would indicate the readi- ness for work of those in that quarter. Thus Tom became convinced that an at- tack was intended from two sides at once, but bided his time. At length there was a guttural exclama- a clamor of wild yells from those upon the top of the walls and those in the depths of the gulch. The object of these weird cries could not be mistaken by one who had fought the wild Apaches as often as Tucson Tom. hey hoped by such an outcry not only to drown the slight noise made by their com- rades in forcing the assault, but at the same time to so confuse the daring pale-face that his arm, which had already dealt death to two of their number, might be partially paralyzed and forget its cunning. When that wil yell burst upon the night air, the dangling figure of the Indian above the crevice suddenly flashed into view. He had dropped upon the ledge; but, Tucson Tom paid no attention to this fellow, for another daring brave, who had crept up the slanting ledge, had sprung around the corner of the crevice, repeating the tactics of the fellow who had impaled himself upon the ranger’s bowie. The ready revolver cracked, and the de- —— - termined Apache sunk down ina heap; then a second shot sent the savage on the ledge howling down the steep acclivity. Tucson Tom had reason to feel satisfied with his work thus far. He had disabled four of his enemies. Would others follow? The Apaches were not fools. They would not persist in a course that must always place them under a disadvantage, but would soon turn to something new. He could only wait, on the alert, undaunt- ed : In any event, he thought, his fair com- panion would not be harmed. She at least would be spared injury or suffering for what had done. hat was a. comforting thought. The rm was thinkin ing satisfied that Dancing of this and feel eather was out of the range of the missiles, when he suddenly made a discovery that gave him quite a shock. A minute before there had been two dusky : | / bodies forming a breastwork in front of him. Now there was but one! CHAPTER V. A BATTLE IN THE DARK. Tue light sifted in through the opening of the crevice, and although the cave-fort was dark to any one without, he could plainly see the stark form of the dead Indian stretch- ed before him. Where was the other brave, who had been twice shot? A thought flashed through the mind of Tucson Tom just then. The warrior, knowing what was coming had dropped just as he fired. Inch by inch he had worked his way along until he was able to rise up. Where was he now? The question had hardly framed itself in his mind before it was answered. A pair of brawny arms suddenly clasped themselves siguin his body. Like a flash Tucson Tom whirled about and then began a terrible struggle. Had it been a white man thus pitted against him, the very first thing would have been to yell lustily. This the Indian apparently scorned to do. He would conquer alone or die. The deadly struggle went on in silence each man exerting all his powers. Slowly the ranger twisted himself around in the other’s grasp. It was asthough he had been embraced by steel rods, and yet by degrees he was overcoming this severe tension. At last by a movement something like the “bucking” of a broncho, he managed to throw the fellow sideways, and before the astonished Indian could fully comprehend how it had been done, Tucson Tom was at his throat. The savage stoicism now gave way, but when the warrior would have called for help the cry was stifled in his throat, for the fierce clutch of the ranger was upon his gullet, then the bowie did its deadly work. The voice of the young girl now reached his ears from the interior of the cave. She had heard the fierce struggle, and the dread silence that followed had filled her with grave apprehensions. ‘** Senor Tom, are you safe?” He did not expect any further assault, for a time at least, and believed it safe to move back and reassure her. ** Not a scratch to speak of, Mabel. You must keep back here beyond range. I be- lieve they will soon be mad enough to send a storm of bullets into the mouth of the crevice.” ** And you?” | “T’ll keep close. The bullet ain’t molded yet, I reckon, that’s going to take the life of ucson Tom.” ‘‘Holy Mother protect you, Senor Tom, I have discovered two things in here,”’ ‘Hello! then you haven’t been idle, little one. What are they?” ‘* Listen!” The ranger did so. ‘‘{ hear the trickling of water. must, be a spring in this place,” he said. ‘‘Yes, it comes from some place back yonder and es, down a crevice.” “That is good, Dancing Feather. I will try the water and see how it goes. Nowthar was something else you spoke of,” ‘‘ Listen again, and see if you can hear something beyond the murmur of the water,” Once more he bent his ear. The seconds flew by until finally above the trickling of the tiny stream came a sound that pierced Tom’s ear like the shrill notes of a piping fife. t was only a faint cry, a plaintive note much like that of a new-born babe, yet it was full of alarm for one who knew its nature. ‘‘Thunder! thar’s tiger-cubs here! Wait till 1 strike a light, Mabel, and if the old crit- ter’s on hand I must give her battle.” The situation was anything but pleasant. Around them darkness. Outside human foes, eager for the blood of this terrible bor- derer, and devising means whereby their ob- ject could be accomplished. Close by, and inside the peculiar crevice cave that had afforded them shelter from their Thar Tucson Tom, the Bowie Bravo. _ eee human foes, a batch of cubs, and perhaps their savage mother. Tucson Tom drew a match from his pocket and handed it to his companion, tell- nie 3 to ignite it when he gave the word. fe had refilled the empty chambers of his revolver, and holding this in one hand and a bowie in the other, he planted himself in front of the girl. ‘* Strike !” The match flamed up, and presented to their eyes a sight that was not strange in its. way, but which was rendered peculiarly un pleasant by their situation. Beyond the little spring, and in a corner of the cave were two small objects that looked with open eyes at the light, and snarled as the ranger advanced toward them. ‘* Bear cubs, by Jove!” ejaculated Tom. The consciousness that they were in the den of a grizzly bear did not tend to raise their spirits. True, the animal was away, yet she might return at any moment, and then woe to those whom the enraged monster should find in near proximity to her cubs. The thought was not pleasant. Still less so was the suspicion that there might be a back entrance to this strange cave in the cliff, through which the grizzly demon might come upon them unawares. This brought a new danger face to face, one that would perhaps prove more formid- able than that against which they had so bravely been holding out. Even as he stood there by the side of the fair girl, after quenching his thirst at the little stream, startling sounds were borne aloft from the darranca, Tucson Tom guessed the truth at once, Above the excited cries of the Indians and the sharp echoing reports of firearms, he could hear a terrible roaring such as only an infuriated monster could give vent to. ‘*The grizzly is coming!” he cried, hoarse- y: CHAPTER VI. A GRIZZLY CHARGE. No sooner had he uttered the words than he bounded toward the mouth of the cave. Reaching this point he paused to listen. The racket still continued below. There were the shouts, the shots, and that awful roaring sound such as might precede an ava- lanche. | As near as he could judge the sounds came from a point close to where the path along the face of the rocky cliff began. Should the grizzly escape the bullets and knives of the Apaches, she would soon be at the opening. Tom bent over the dead Indians. The two bodies formed quite a barricade before him, but if was not upon this he meant to depend. Both of them had powder-horns slung over their shoulders, though the guns had been left with their fellows when they set about the perilous undertaking that had cost their lives. One of these powder-horns was of unusual | size and full to the top. Removing the stopper, Tom placed this upon the ledge in such a way that the con- tents oozed out toa smal] degree. — Then with the other he hastily laid a train into the cave. He also hauled one of the Indians to a certain point, knowing that the huge brute would be at once attracted to him by her strong scent of human blood. This was not done any too quickly, The grizzly had undoubtedly run the ot of Apache guns and lances in the A deaig and was already on the way up the edge, If there chanced to be any Indians on the inclined plane, they would probably lose no time in getting off before the bear in her furious rush reached them, The cries of the Indians had now changed to those of wonder and even satisfaction, as they began to comprehend that the monster that had charged among them with such re- sistless impetuosity, instead of being an ene- my, really was an ally. Where they had failed she might suc: ceed! The fugitives were in her den, and it was. to be expected from her manner that Bruin would make short work of them Eomiuel S €po0o > ~ . ‘ —* je en ee _ . = ie I a