Beadle's Dime Library No. 417: Tucson Tom — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

ea vy i Thus it was that the Apaches from at- tempting to take the life of the grizzly were now watching her ascent of the cliff with no little solicitude. One thing displeased them Far up the ledge, almost at its junction with the hole in the wall, one of the Apaches had been crouching, evidently enjoying the commotion among his fellows below while he was in such a secure hight. This humor changed when he realized the truth by seeing those of his comrades who were further down, leap into the gulch. There was no opportunity for him, He found himself between three fires. If he jumped he would probably break his neck, if he remained, an encounter with a grizzly on that narrow shelf could have but one outcome, while to attempt to enter the cave was to court his death. Those below called out to him to jump. Others above tried to attract his attention with the still dangling lasso which had served the ill-fated warrior, whose remains now lay in the barranca, It was of no avail; the grizzly was upon him. Manfully the brave braced himself for the conflict, and when the animal came within reach of his arm struck bravely out. There were a few seconds of confused noises. Then rung out a despairing cry as the op- posing Apache was hurled out into space. The next moment the grizzly appeared be- fore the vision of the crouching ranger. As he had expected, the monster moved at once toward the body of the Indian that Tom had placed in position—just what he desired, for, as the huge brute bent its small head over the blood-stained body, to learn if it still possessed life, there was a bright flash and a peculiar puffing sound as the fire ran along the rock with a spurt. No sooner had Tucson Tom applied the match to his train than he threw himself down behind the body in the passage, and clutching his revolver awaited events. The time was brief enough, for the grizzly, with a snort of alarm as the fiery serpent glided toward her, would back. but a few inches broaght her to the verge of the rocky shelf. Then came a stunning report as the powder-horn exploded. Tom raised himself to discover the beast ‘gone—blown “over cliff and probably killed by the explosion. Tucson Tom breathed easier. Brave man though he was, reckless as he had often proved himself, he was not at all eager to meet an enraged she-grizzly face to face in her den. But the Indian yet remained; so he was on the alert again. . Soon he heard the voices of the astonished Apaches below, who seemed to realize that they had opposed to them an agent of the Evil Spirit rather than a human being. Tucson Tom, anticipating the next move, made his way back to the angle, around which he found the girl. Here he could keep an eye on the mouth of the den, and at the same time be in a place of security from a rifle fusilade. Hardly had he settled himself in this new spot when a gun was discharged and the ball glancing from the rocky floor struck the wall, ‘*T thought so,”’ muttered the ranger grim- ly. His words were drowned by the crash of guns outside, and once more the barranca echoed with the roar as of battle. CHAPTER VII. APACHE TACTICS. Tue bullets flew about in a lively manner, but the volley ceased about as suddenly as it had begun, and silence ensued—somewhat prolonged silence. i _ This silence did not arouse any false hopes in his mind; that they were plotting mischief of some sort, he knew. It was not long befcre he became aware of the nature of the next trial. Several warriors had strung themselves out in a line on the slanting ledge, and began peasing up wood, after the manner of water- uckets sent from hand to hand at a fire in the olden days. The wood was thrown close to the mouth of the orifice of the den, 7 Tucson Tom, the Bowie Bravo. tention was now attracted by his companion to a new noise doubly terrible. $< —____ —— Slowly it accumulated, but the ranger knew better than to make any attempt to dislodge it. upon the opening, so he could but omit their proceedings and attempt to smoke him out. When the Apaches concluded that enough wood, green and dry, had been thrown into | the place to answer their purpose, they ceased operations, and, a moment. later, Tucson Tom saw a light without—the sud- den glare of a torch, in the hand of a red- skin. This hand was quickly advanced toward the pile of brushwood on the rock. | To apply the torch the Indian had to ex- | pose the upper portion of his body. Then a flash from within and sharply the revolver of the ranger rung out upon the night air. The Apache sprung into view, seened about to fall, recovered himself, and bending, applied the torch. Tucson Tom did not fire again, Even in an enemy he could admire such bravery, and he saw the torch applied with something of awe. As the Apache dropped the blazing toreh | among the dry fagots he raised himself erect, gave a loud cry of defiance, and falling back, vanished from view over the ledge. The flames caught readily upon the dry wood and presently the smoke came in through the opening. It grew heavier as the minutes passed on, whiie shots sounded from without. | The Indians were fearful lest some attempt | should be made to extinguish the fire, and to | render such an effort a risky one they had opened up a brisk fire. Tucson Tom was all anxiety, of course, but, not to his surprise soon observed that the smoke was drawn toward the unexplored interior of the cavern, much as if there was | ee a draught that made the place a funnel or | chimney. This removed all danger from this source. | So long as the smoke found an outlet at | ‘ some point beyond, they need not fear suffocation. This draught could have but one meaning. There was another opening beyond—which important fact being communicated to the men on the top of the wall, they would probably begin a search for this second pas- sage; the oozing smoke would lead them d1- rect to the spot. Should this be found what would be their next move? That would depend entirely upon the size of this second entrance, If it was large enough to admit of the pas- sage of a man, then why not use it to leave their prison? The idea seemed to Tom feasible, and he had just made up his mind to venture, when his attention was forcibly drawn to another matter, CHAPTER VIII. THE ROAR OF THE WATER AVALANCHE. ONCE or twice before, Tucson Tom had believed he heard the rumble of distant thunder. He had paid little attention to it, for the desperate nature of his own situation would not allow him to think of much else. Just at the moment, however, of his deciding to investigate the rear of the cavern and learn what manner of opening was there, a peculiar rumbling sound reached his ears. He could but stand still and listen. Louder and louder it grew. The torrid heat of the preceding day and the change in the atmosphere at nightfall had not been surprising in that strange climate, and there had been signs of a sudden storm which Tom had not failed to note; so he in- ferred that a real Arizona cloud-burst was impending. The deep-toned thunder told its own story, and even while he listened the storm was rushing on with the fury of a cyclone. Indeed, though he knewit not, the wind tore up the very earth and threatened destruction to every living thing in its path. Tucson Tom and Dancing Feather stood listening to the fury of the elements without. The ranger heard the rain descending in a solid sheet, such as we in temperate countries never experience, but which is the way the water falls in hotter countries Loud though the angry voice of the storm had been up to this time, Tucson Tom’s at- Ten SSS sss : e : ; ‘ eo Po ay e¢ “eer, & ' « > S = 96.) \ <". 4 alas oP, ea ee ee .” 78 23] More than one gun was bearing | _reverberating crash of thunder were insigni- his companion cro} ant re The howling of the wind, and even the ficant beside the awful roar that soon seemed to shake the big mountain-side, What could it mean? To the young girl, who had spent most of her life among the Apaches, the answer was apparent. ‘‘A water-cloud has burst on the moun- _tain, Senor Tom!” she cried. **That is what we hear, and it has struck the arroyo above. In two minutes it will be here, and then woe to the Apaches below!” All fear of a shot from their enemies was now over, and when Tucson Tom found that his companion was accompanying him to the mouth of the crevice, he made no effort to dissuade her. A few kicks sent the burning and smoking brands over the ledge into the barranca. No shot followed the act. The Apaches had other things to engage their attention just then. That rumbling sound which, with the speed of the wind had become a frightful roar, warned them as to what they must ex- pect. Consternation had seized upon them. Their cries of alarm rung out even above the fearful roar of the approaching water avalanche. The lightning played almost constantly, so that the scene was lit up with the faithful- ness of daylight. Tucson Tom and his companion, looking out, saw it all as though it were a scene at a theater npon which they gazed. Already quite a little stream flowed through the guich, and the Indians had to dash knee deep in the water as they sought to escape. It was a miniature pandemonium. The flash of the electric fluid, the crash of the thunder, the yells of the thoroughly ter- rified Indians, and the soul-harrowing, earth- quaking approach of the mighty water-wave that rushed down the mountain-side with demoniac fury—all these things combined, formed a situation that could but strike ter- ror to the boldest heart, if exposed to their violence. Some of the Apaches, rendered frantic by the awful calamity hovering above them, ran down the gulch as fast as their terror and the nature of the rocky bed and impe- ding water would allow. Their doom was sealed. Before they could get half-way to a place where the walls of the gulch might be scaled, it would be upon them and end all. Others made a break for the walls, climb- ing wherever by means of hands and toes. they could get a hold upon the rocks, Several reached the inclined plane, and mounting it, held on grimly, awaiting the — shock. Here and there they clung to the rock face of the wall, each man with teeth clinch- ed and muscles set for the coming struggle. At such a time their most hated foe might ' have come among them uuscathed. In time of flood a man and a panther have been known to float down a stream on the same log, and for the time being the natural fierceness of the animal would be subdued by his alarm. ‘‘Look upward!” said Tom, quickly. There shot into view between their point of vision and the electric-lighted heavens a fearful volume of water. It leaped out from the plateau in front of the cave like an arrow from a bow; then came a shock that made the earth tremble under it as the vast volume struck the dar- ranca bottom below. After that one convulsive leap, the mad torrent rushed onward in one solid form or tide fully twenty feet high! The Indians—where were they? . Tucson Tom cast his eye around. Then a shudder ran through his frame as he comprehended what a terrible fate had come upon those who had pursued him with such relentless ferocity, and who were his natural foes, Of those who had been clinging to the op- posite wall, at various points, according to the agility they had been able to désplay in — ascending it, but one remained in sight. He had been further down the : | » «* At: