Beadle's Dime Library No. 490: 'The Lone Hand in Texas' — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

7.” 7 ae The Lone Hand in Texas. Dive? ear e man did not attempt to show fight, but fled as fast as his horse’s legs could carry him. ‘*This dusky gentleman is the man who was disabled by being thrown from his steed, and the wounded fellow we were compelled to leave on the field of battle, in charge of Moreno, as he was too badly burt to be moved on horse- back,’ adventure!” the mayor exclaimed. ‘“’Yes, and I am lucky to have escaped so well,” the old gentleman replied. ‘‘And now, Mr. Mayor, I would suggest that you send a wagon to bring this wounded ruffian and Moreno to town as soon as possible, for Mr. Hand here has | an idea that these men belong to an outlaw band who call themselves the Red Glove Raiders of the Rio Grande—you notice the red glove that this prisoner has on his left hand?” Every neck and eye in the crowd was strained to see this peculiar badge. *“T have heard of such a band operating on the Unper Rio Grande,” the mayor remarked, ‘but I never knew them to put in an appear- ance in this neighborhood, and then, too, I was never really satisfied that there was any such band, for there’s a good many smart chaps who think it is funny to get up yarns of this red- glove outlaw band style, and start them on their travels just to fool people.” **T reckon there isn’t any doubt about the ex- istence of this band, although both of these men whom we have captured deny it stoutly enough,” the Lone Hand remarked. ‘““The red glove on the hand of this copper- colored galoot would seem to prove it,” the mar- shal observed, ‘*There is great need of haste in regard to the wagon, I think,” the Lone Hand remarked. *“*For if we do not secure our man quickly, we may be too late, for his companions will be cer- tain to come to bis assistance the moment they learn of his peril.” ‘*Moreno volunteered to stay and beat the gang off if they came,” Aldama explained. ‘* But if the outlaws come in force, they will be apt to lay our young friend out.” “Yes, yes, we'll have the wagon start right away!” the mayor exclaimed. Then, calling to one of his men who was in the group, Jack Hamilton bade him harness a team of horses to a wagon as soon as possible, The man started at a run, followed by a couple more of the bystanders, eager to be of assistance, As the mayor’s house was only a hundred yards down the street, with the corral in the rear, it did not take the men long to get the ** outfit” ready. Meanwhile the half-breed had been committed to the care of the marshal, and was by him lugged off to the calaboose. edroville was enterprising enough to possess a ‘‘ cooler,’ wherein big chiefs who came to the metropolis, in little, with the idea of running the town, could be imprisoned until they were cured of their warlike ideas, Of course, as was only natural under the cir- cumstances, all the citizens wanted to go in the wagon, but the mayor put his foot down and said it could not be. ‘*Get your own wagons if to go!” be exclaimed. not fun.” So only the mayor, marshal, Aldama and the Bostonian went in the wagon, the Lone Hand using the steed of Moreno; und no sooner did the crowd discover that there was no chance for them to be conveyed in the official wagon, than they scattered, each man intent upon getting some means to reach the scene of action. This talk had taken time, and as the Lone Hand galloped along in the rear of the wagon, he had grave doubts in regard to their finding the wounded man. “* Instead of a half an hour; it will be nearer an hour hefore we reach the spot,” be solilo- quized. ‘* And if the band are in the neighbor- hood, they will have ample time to come to the assistance of their comrade. ‘“* They will be certain to get there before we will, for we wasted fully a quarter of an hour in talking with the fellows before we started for the town, and as the Mexican was off like a shot, mounted on an excellent horse, too, to judge from the speed he displayed, the chances are a hundred to one that we will be too late. ‘“‘This young man, whom the other celled Moreno, is a dashing fellow enough, and looksas if he was made of good stuff,” the Lone Hand continued, ‘ but I doubt if he is good enough to whip a half a dozen such men as the red glove outlaws are in single fight.” The odds are too great, and he would be al- most certain to get the worst of it.” As the reader will perceive from these reflec- tions, the Lone Hand had little hope of finding the prisoner where he had been left. So be was not disappointed when the party arrived at the brook and discovered that the outlaw was gone. Moreno was there, though, tied to a tree, blindfolded, and presenting a most woebegone a ouare so anxious ‘This is business, and ce. ‘IT reckon we are a leetle late,” the mayor re- marked, as the wagon came near enough to a afford its inmates a view of the scene, and they caught sight of the young man tied so helplessly to the tree. The Lone Hand galloped on ahead of the wagons upon bebolding the plight of Moreno, reined in bis horse by the tree, dismounted, and, with a few slashes of his bowie knife, released _ the young man, and at the same time removed ‘* Well, by Jove! Aldama, you have had an | the bandage from his eyes. Moreno, upon being released, was so weak that be could not stand, and was forced to sit down upon a bowlder which cropped out of the earth near the tree. The party in the wagon looked at Moreno in amazement, and tben they glanced around as much as to ask what had become of the prisoner. ‘* It is as I feared it would be,” the Lone Hand remarked. ‘*‘We are too late. The outlaws were warned by the Mexican tkat one of the band was in danger and they hurried immedi- ately to his rescue.” ‘Yes, I begin to believe that you are right in regard to these outlaws,” Aldama remarked. ‘* And from this time forth it will behove us all to keep a good lookout.” ‘* How do pie feel, Moreno?” the muyor asked. ‘* Very badly, the scoundrels nearly strangled me,” the young man answered. ‘* How did it happen?” the Lone Hand asked, noticing that the other had been stripped of his weapons, ‘*{. was taken by surprise,” Moreno replied. “* After you departed the prisoner seemed to grow weak and faint. Iasked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no; he reckoned he was not long for this world. ‘*T tried to cheer the man up as well as I was able, but really 1 thought he was almost right. ‘‘ After a while he sunk into a stupor and I took a seat on this rock to wait your return, ‘*T had my revolver out and was keeping a careful watch so as to be able to take to cover if the outlaws came.” ‘“Time passed on and I did not hear a sound that there were any bumans besides myself and the wounded man in the neighborhood. ‘“‘Then, all of a sudden, without the least warning, the noose of a lasso fell around my neck and I was violent jerked backward. “*In falling I struck my head and the blow stunned me, When I recovered my senses I was tied to a tree blindfolded, just as you found me, and the prisoner, I see, is gone,” the young man added, as he looked upon the spot where the wounded man had lain, CHAPTER IX, PREPARING A TRAP. Tue listeners gazed at each other when the tale was finished and the mayor and marshal shook their heads in the gkavest manner. ‘\T reckon this hyer is about the toughest crowd that ever struck this district, the mayor gree eng ‘. Yes, itis a ’way-up gang and no mistake!” the marshal declared. ‘*T had my doubts in regard to leaving the fellow with only one man to look out for him,” the Lone Hand said. “I had a suspicion that the gang would return to rescue him as soon as they learned how he was situated. Then, too, I think the rascal was playing *possum. I do not believe he was hurt half as badly as he made ‘Well, gentlemen, I can tell you it was a rough deal on me,” Moreno remarked, ‘*T hadn't the least idea that there was a soul in the neighborhood until I felt the noose of the lasso tightening around my neck, and then it was too late for me to do anything, for I was choked into insensibility almost immediately,” ‘‘ A desperate gang now, I, tell you!” the mayor exclaimed. ‘Yes, and a mighty cunning one too,” the marshal added, ‘ For that lasso business was as cute a trick as I ever heered of.” ** You have no idea then how many there were in se party that attacked you?’ the Lone Kand asked. ** Not the slightest!” Moreno answered, “ It maybe there was only one man, but I think there were more, for a single man would hardly have been able to tie me to the tree.” * “That is so!” the mayor exclaimed. “It would not be an easy job fur one man.” ‘** Almost impossible!” tl.e marshal added. ‘No donbt there was a party of them,” said the Lone Hand. ‘But I don’t believe there were many of them,” Moreno remarked, ‘‘ foi if there were they would have made an open dash at me in- stead of lassoing me from the rear.” _ “Oh, no, I don’t think that folluws,” the ad- venturer replied. ** It was the game of these fellows not to allow you to make a fight. Then too by the way they worked the trick they kept you in ignorance of their personal appearance, so you would not be able to give any account of them. That was an important point, of course,” The rest all nodded assent, for the matter seemed perfectly clear to them. By this time Moreno had recovered his strength and rose to his feet. ‘* Well, I feel something like myself again,” eee ee he said. ‘‘ But I tell you, gentlemen, I reckon I have had a narrow squeeze for my life, for if you had not come for balf an hour later, I think would have been done for.” ‘‘ Darn me if this don’t beat anything I ever heard of!” the mayor declared, emphatically. ‘* Ard I tell you what it is, gentlemen, we must take measures to go for these scoundrels before they have a chance to ccmmit any more out- rages,” **Yes, we must make the neighborhcod of Pedroville too hot to Lold them!” the marshal exclaimed. ‘* We have got one big point to work on, gen- tlemen,” he continued. ‘' We bave got one of the gang safe enough—that copper-colored cuss, locked up in the calaboose, and I reckon if we put the screws on him right sharp we will be able to make him tell all he knows about the band.” “That is a mighty good idea, Jackman,” the mayor declared, approvingly. ‘‘I reckon your head is screwed on right.” ‘‘Wa-al, I allers had that reputation,” the marshal replied, grinning. ‘* Ah, yes, no doubt you ought to be able to force the man to reveal all he knows,” the old gentleman remarked, ‘‘but he was extremely obstinate when we tried to make him confess after we had captured him—both be and his wounded companion; neither one vould admit that they belonged to an outlaw band.” , **Oh, of course, such galoots are allers on the deny!” the marshal exclaimed. ‘‘But you see you didn’t work the trick the way I reckon to do it. You can’t do anything with such chaps without you ure able to put the screws onto them. ‘Of course [knowthe game I am going to play and just according to law, but down in this yere country, and in such a case as this, we can’t stick right close to the rules, you know. We have got to have a leetle leeway.” ‘**That’s so,” the mayor remarked. ‘Well, I hope you will be able to do the trick,” the Lone Hand observed. “But from what I have seen of the fellow I reckon you will havo a tough job.” ‘“*Oh, I reckon that is so; these half-breeds are allers cussed obstinate, but you kin bet yer bottom dollar that I will fotch him to his milk afore I am through with him!’ the marshal exclaimed in tho most confident manner. The Arkansian saw that it would only be a waste of time to talk with Jackman, for he was one of those pig-heaced men of extremely moderate abilities who had such a great idea of his own smartness that he was not usually in- i to pay attention to suggestions from uny~ y. ** Well, I suppose we may as well get back to town,” the mayor suggested, ‘‘ for there isn’t any use of wasting time byer.” “Yes, let us get back as socn as we kin, for I am anxious to put that red pigger through a course of sprouts,” the marsaal declared. The Lone Hand.offered the horse to Moreno, but that gentleman declined, saying that he was still too weak to trust himself on horseback and that he would prefer to go in the wagon, So it was arranged in this way, On the road to the town the Lone Hand medi- tated over the situation. He took no stock—as the saying is—in the scheme cf the marshal, “That half-breed has all the dogged stubborn- ness of the Indian race from whence he draws half his blood, and, unless I am greatly mis- taken in him, would rather die than betray bis © comrades; not that he is more faithful than the majority of men, but more obstinate. He will not betray the secrets confided to bis care be- cause he will not gratify his captors by so ae “It is a thousand to one that he will not speak, no matter what isdone tolim. He will argue that it 1s not probable that he will be killed and so he will pretend that he knows Oe nothing. “Now then, since the outlaws came so romptly to the rescue of their wounded pard, is it not probable that they will be apttodo — their best to get the balf-breed out of the hole into which he has fallen?” The adventurer reflected over this question ee for a moment and then murmured. oH “Yes, yes, there isn’t any doubt of it. That will be their game and I must scheme to meet _ it. Let me think over the matter.” “. And the Lone Hand wasdeepinthoughtall _ the rest of the way to town. During the ride the mayor and marshal had settled upon the programme. Immediately upon their arrival in the town © they were to go to the calaboose and endeavor to force the half-breed into a confession. ‘You jest let me alone to skeer the durned copper-colored cuss into spitting cut ail he knows!” the marshal declared in the most confie ae dent manner. ‘*] will jest wade in to make bim helieveheig booked for kingdom come if be don’t makea ~~ clean breast of it!” z **T reckon, Ben, vou kin do the trick if any man kin!” the mayor remarked; like man) another — simple, honest man he was impressed by the - Le =. c : » i ae in a 4 ee ee ee a ; . of My ES fy & De By 3 * iGbDoOoKS , a . ; bys re, "a com = “ ’ 1 : a” ae os ‘ ay ‘ +, 4 ~ r ¥ “S$ Ns ra. ° wag ae =F. “4 —_ as ibe pe Ps ee i ; me Aw ee ATER, ¢ ¢ _Fs ie" X : 7 tayo