Beadle's Dime Library No. 490: 'The Lone Hand in Texas' — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

= 4 ‘More travelers, and better fixed for travel- ing than we are,” the Lone Hand observed. **They are not on the trail but coming down from the hills to the westward,’ the young man remarked after listening for a moment, ‘* You are right,” the Lone Hand said, having come to the same conclusion. ‘‘ And that is rather odd. Maybe they are not honest travel- ers aud we had better take to cover. The pines will shelter us!” The suggestion was acted upon at once; con- cealed amid the pines they commanded a view of the trail. CHAPTER IV. THE RIDERS, “By the way, I don't know but that we are making jacks of ourselves,” Webster remarked, after gaining the shelter of the trees. ‘* Here we are hiding away just asif we bad committed some crime and were afraid of being appre- hended.” ‘Yes, but that is not the reason why we take to the timber,” the Lone hand replied. ‘‘ Down in this wild country it is a good deal the same as in the far West; every man you encounter is as likely to turn out to beafoe asa friend, and a man ought to be on his guard,” ‘‘ True, there are a great many rough fellows in this section, but, as a rule, they are not apt to trouble anybody except when they are in liquor,” Webster observed. ‘Tf you should happen to run across a band of raiders you would be certain to change your opinion,” the Lone Hand replied, dryly. ‘* Yes, yes, I had forgotten the ssibility of ee sir — is a band who 2 ae a making things lively in the upper part of this countr along the Rio Grande. _ ; ‘*The band headed by a fellow who calls him- self Captain Vermilion?” ‘* Yes, that is the one.” ‘And all the fellows wear a red glove on the left hand?” ‘* That is the band.” ‘“T have heard some pretty tough stories in re- gard to these outlaws,” the Lone Hand re- marked, reflectively. “They say they are a rough lot, but I have never heard of them operating in this section.” ‘* Such a gang is on the move all the time, and you never can tell where they will strike, After _ they have cleaned a district out, or the locality - scoundrels would becomes too hot to aid them, they emigrate to fresh fields and pastures new.” ‘* Well, such ‘tramps’ as*you and I haven’t much to fear,” the B peg man observed, with a laugh, ‘‘for these Raiders would not make their fortune out of us.” ‘“* With such scoundrels all is fish that comes to their net,” the Lone Hand replied. ‘* And though we are on foot, hoofing it, if we should happen to encounter them, the rascals would undoubtedly strip us of everything of value we , no matter how little we panned out. n fact, if the booty was particularly small, the apt to abuse us because it was not larger.” ** Yes, I have heard of just such cases,” While this conversation had been going on the sound of the horses’ hoofs, clattering alon the rocky trail, had been growing louder an louder, though the strangers had moderated their pace into a walk. And just as the last words of the sentence es- caped from the lips of the Lone Hand, the horse- men came in sight, emerging from the broken ground of the foot-hills into the open trail. “Tt is the Red ders, sure enough!” ex- claimed Webster, whispering in the ear of his companion. . ‘Was J not right in advising our seeking shelter here?” the Lone Hand asked, speaking in the same cautious tone. ‘*Small as may be the amount of valuables we possess, I reckon that neither you nor I can afford to lose them,” '‘* You are right there, for I should be com- pletely crippled; I have not a friend in this sec- tion upon whom I could call for aid.” _“ Well, Iam a stranger here too—don’t know a soul.” ' By this time the horsemen had approached so near that the pair suspended their conversation for fear of being overheard. As the concealed men bad said, it was the out- law gang whocalled themselves the Red Raiders; ae et whom we a ears to co reader’s notice in opening chapter, but this time there eaPouly three in the party, the lanky fellow, who answered to the name of White, and the two attired like Mexicans, ** Red” and “ Yellow.” As we stated, the three had pulled their steeds into a walk after striking the trail, and when they c:me in front of the clump of pines, where the two travelers were concealed, they halted, so the watchers had an opportunity to fully in- spect them. The three were dressed exactly the same as when we first introduced them to the reader’s notice. ° The masks upon their faces concecled their features so that evenif either of the watchers had seen them before they could not recognize them, The Lone Hand - LLL LLL LLL LLL ————EEEOOeeee————————————————————————— _— \ + > a rs t in Texas. ‘“‘ This air is the spot, boys, I calculate,” White ‘‘Weare playing the ransom act this time remarked as he pulled up his horse at the place and so we must not hurt the birds who are to where the brook crossed the trail, and looked lay gon eggs for us.” around him. | “It is a big scheme!” the half-breed ob- ‘‘ Yes, here is the brook,” Red remarked in a_ served. thick, guttural voice, and the moment he spoke “Yes, yes!” exclaimed the Mexican. ‘It the Lone Hand whispered in the ear of Webster: takes our captain to get up games of this _ “That fellow is a red-skin, or a half-breed.” kind.” ** Yes, look at the color of his hands.” ‘Ob, he has got a head on his shoulders; “Yes, yes, thisis the spot!” exclaimed the third | there is no mistake about that!” White re- horseman, Yellow, speaking with such a peculiar | marked. accent that both of the concealed men jumped |. ‘“‘ Now for ambush, boys, and be sure not to the same conclusion in regard to his nation- | to move until you get the signal from me.” ality. ‘**Oh, that is all right,” the balf breed replied, ‘* He’s a Mexican,” whispered Webster. confidently. ‘1 reckon that Yellow and a man ‘* Oh, yes, a Greaser undoubtedly.” about my size are old hounds at this business “« And a pesky nice place it is too for our pic- | and we kave both taken tricks long before you nic!’ exclaimed White, looking around with an | ever thought of putting up a job.” approving nod. | ‘ All right! mebbe you have; we won’t dis- ‘Tt could not be better,” said the half-breed. , pute about it, but we want to use uncommon ‘‘ Caramba! we will do the trick up in fine _ care this time for we are playing for a stake style.” worth fifteen or twenty thousand dollars.” ** Hello, hello, they are bere on business,” mur- Then the bandits: left the trail and concealed mured the Lone Hand to his companion, themselves behind the clump of oaks. ** So it seems.” — — White, who was evidently acting as the chief CHAPTER V. of the party, drew forth a magnificent gold watch THE CAPTURE. and consulted it. The spoil of some raid. THE outlaws were at such a distance now ‘‘Twenty minutes past twelve,” he said, ‘and | that the travelers felt free to converse without the party was t» be here about half-past, so we | fear, pitching their conversation in low tones: have ten minutes to find a hiding-place.” | though, so that their was no danger of alarm- Then all thres looked carefully around, and the | ing the bandits in ambush. watchers felt a little nervous as the keen eyes of ‘* Well, what do you think of these fellows the marauders were directed at the clump of pines | now?’ the Lone Hand asked. which gave them shelter. ‘‘T have often heard of these bandits who This feeling increased when the Mexican raised | haunt the line of the Rio Grande, but I always. his band and, ee directly at the pines, said: | thought the accounts were exaggerated.” ‘*How would that bunch of timber yonder ‘‘In my opinion it is hardly possible to ex-— do?” aggerate in giving an account of the evil deeds The gaze of all three of the Red Raiders was of these outlaws. now fixed intently upon the evergreens, and the ‘‘A more bloody, remorseless set of villains travelers felt decidedly uneasy. the sun never shone on than these bandits of the The Lone Hand produced a pair of revolvers, | Rio Grande, and, knowing the fellows as I do, which he wore belted to his waist, and, dispite | was the reason why I was willing to mete out the danger of the proceeding, whispered to his | to them the same treatment which they give to companion: ; their victims. If gold is to be got they will ‘* Are you armed?” shed blood as freely as though it was worth no ‘‘No bigger weapon than a penknife. more than water; therefore when it came to a pair of revolvers, but was forced to part with | springing a surprise on them, I had few scruples. them to raise money to pay the bills incurred | against 1t.” by ys illness,” Webster answered. ‘*T believe you are right,” Webster remarked ‘‘ Take one of these weapons, then; it is a self- | ina tone of conviction. ‘‘I presume there isn’t cocker, and as ¢g a tool as ever a man| any doubt that if they had discovered us it handled,” the Lone Hand explained. would have been either our blood or theirs.” ‘‘There are only three of the scoundrels, and ‘Yes, these fellows would have done their we ought to be able to drop two of them at the | best to wipe us out, so as to prevent us from first fire! You take the red-skin and I will at- | interfering in this little game that they have on tend to the other two,” was Lone Hand’s in- | foot.” junction. ‘‘T confess I do do not exactly understand “ All right; but do you think we are justified | what they are yp to, although I overheard in opening upon them without warning?’ | every word of the conversation,” the young the young man asked. man remarked. ‘* Perfectly justified!” the Lone Hand replied. ‘‘ Why, they are laying in ambush for a cer- “These fellows belong to the most bloody and | tain party—two in number, I should judge— remorseless band of outlaws who have ever | whom they intend to capture, ana by means of been known along the whole line of the Rio | some confederates at the place where these two Grande. bave come from, their weapons have been “Tf they should happen to get us in their | tampered with so that when the outlaws make power, and thought we were at all in their way, | their attack, their prey will not be able to offer they would murder us in cold blood without the | auy resistance to amount to anything.” slightest compunction. “Yes, I understand that; but what is their “If your conscience troubles you, though, | idea of capturing this about the matter, and you do not like to take | thing new, isn’t it? I thought the way these them unawares, we will rise and bid them be- baniits worked the trick was to stop their man, ware, if they make up their minds to come this | or men, secure all the valuables, and then de- way. ” “Well, I think I would feel easier in my mind,” Webster admitted. ‘‘I do not doubt that all you say is true, and that the men richly | I had ware i ‘These outlaws are playing a bigger game than that,” the Lone Hand explained. ‘* That is the ordinary road-agent business, but this gang have got a new idea; they are going to play the game which has been a favorite one with the Italian brigands ever since the dark ages. : EN They are going to capture a man and hold him for ransom.” ‘* Ah, yes, I see.” : ““Didn’t you hear the scoundrel, who is ap- parently the leader of the three, say that there wer fee or twenty thousand dollars in the job? . oe Yes, I understand now.” “They are laying in wait for some wealthy rancher; they will make a prisoner of that man and carry him off to their retreat in the moun- tains. en they will have him send a message to his friends that he is in the bands of the marauders and will be set at liberty upon the payment of so much money.” deserve to die, but hang me if I want to be their executioner.” ‘All right; but, don’t let us move unless we are forced to it.” During this conversation the leager of the three had been intently examining the sur- roundings. *‘ No, boys, I calculate that pine clump ain’t jest what we want,” he remarked, after com- pleting his survey; ‘it isa leetle far from the trail, and then them rocks in the rear will be in the way. This bunch of oaks seems to me to be a heap sight better.” And he pointed to a clump of scrub oaks, on the east side of the trail, ‘*Thar’s no rocks there to be in the way of our hosses, and when our game comes along we kin pop out and treat ’em to the biggest kind of a surprise-party.” ‘*] reckon you are right,” the half-breed said, and the Mexican also nodded his head in ap- | and will not pay the sum?” ‘Then they follow the example of the Italian brigands and proceed to put their victim to the torture,” ; ‘To the torture?’ exclaimed Webster, in hor- ror, ‘* Yes, take off a part of his ear or one of his fingers and send it to the captive’s friends with a threat that if the money is not forthcoming they will proceed to further extremities.” ‘* Horrible, horrible!” ‘Yes, you are right; I. could almost make ‘Yes, nary fire kin be got out of them,” the | your hair stand on end with tales of the fero- leader answered. _ cious deeds of these Rio Grande outlaws, and “Our trick is to capture the game without from the sample I have seen of these Red Glove harming the birds.” | Raiders, I suspect reports have not done them ‘** Yes, yes!” exclaimed the others. ' any injustice, when rumor gives out that they proval. ‘‘Ob, you bet I am!” the lanky man ex- claimed. ‘And now, boys, you have got this thing down all fine, bain’t you? You understand jest how the game is going to be worked? Flourish your weapons all you like, you know, but don’t use them, for neither one of the pair will be able to use their barkers.” ‘“The weapons are fixed, eh?’ inquired the half-breed. .. * “2 msgs nh Sey “se rty? That is some- . ‘Suppose either he or bis friends are stubborn | a OD lle eee a ~ [a ee < ? ° 4 e *