Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 1111) (1901 03)
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) H Wo. Coprricut. 1878, ny Brave & Apams. Published Every Month. NEW YORK We. BB. EVR RS & CYO., Publishers, (JAMES SULLIVAN, PROPRIETOR), 379 Pearl! Street, New York. UNTERED AS SECOND Crass MATTER aT THE New Yors, N. Y., Post OFFicE. March, 1901. PRICE 5 CENTS. 50c. a Year. Lasso Jack, THE YOUNG MUSTANGER. BY OL: COOMES, AUTHOR OF “ VAGABOND JOE,” ‘“‘ ANTELOPE ABE,” ** KEEN-KNIFE,” ETC, CHAPTER L. THE. FUGITIVES. Low along the western horizon—that distant boundary of the vision—u rairie, a dark cloud wasrising from behind the evel of the plain and ‘drifting rapidly, and ina | direct line, along thé bosom of the green ex- panse, at the'same time standing plainly outlined against the azure blue of the midsummer’s sky, Was it astorm-cloud float- ing “over that great green ocean? What else could it have been? Still it seemed singular that a. cloud would thus rise and float away in a volume. over the plain, as though borne’ upon a strong head-wind. A, casual observer standing upon the eastern extremity ol the prairie would have dis~ covered at once that the cloud was approaching him. And soon he would detect a dull rumbling, like that of distant thunder, and also, the sound of human voices issu- ing from out that clond—hu- Man voices that were high and fierce with wild emo- tions. Then the observer could readily tell that that dark mass was nostorm-cloud, but a cloud of dust thrown up by the Bying feet of horses, the pounding of whose hoofs on the hard, dry plain he could distinctly hear growing plainer and plainer each mo- ment. And as the cloud, driven rapidly down before a strong head-wind, drifts further ¢astward, a band of horsemen can be distinguish- ed within it. There were over three score of them, and they are all covered with dirt and their faces are begrimed with sweat and dust and contort- ed with wild excitement. | ; but a few exceptions, ride bare-back, for they are a band of Comanche Indians. The cause of their wild, swift riding was readi- ly perceived; a few hundred yards in advance of them two fugitives were riding for their lives! They were both white men. bronzed by exposure to the sun and wind, and begrimed with dustand dirt. They were young men—almost boys. They were dressed in garbs of buck-skin, and armed with the weapons of | bordermen and carried the accouterments of ma wild Texan | mustangers. The younger of the two was not over twenty years of age—a perfect model of manhood and grace. His eyes were of a dark brown, and from their depths shone a pleasant light that was indicative of a wild, dashing spirit. He was mounted upon a neat-limbed and spirited clay-bank mustang that was caparison- Their faces were | hide, with which its owner had won an enviable fame as a mustanger. This gallant young knight of the prairies was the renowned Lasso Jack. The other fugitive from the yelling savages was a few years older than his companion, but he was a fair specimen of noble and vigorous manhood, quite rivaling Lasso Jack in many points of physical development. He bestrode a spirited animal and was armed and equipped as was his friend. This youth was the daily companion of Lasso | Jack, and answered to the name of Henry St. Elmo. For upward of two years had these two young men been engaged in capturing wild horses on the prairies. of Texas, and had made the busi- ness a Incrative one by running their stock te the nearest brow 2 dart where they could al- ed with a light bridle and fine Mexican saddle, | ways find ready market. On the morning of the day that we introduce them, tho young mustangers had, in pursuit of their vocation, ventured too far into the Co- manche hunting-grounds,and running across a large war- party, journeying south- ward, they were compelled to turn and flee, Then began a long and fear- ful race across the great pra rie beneath the broiling sum- mer sun, and it- was hours afterward that they first burst upon our view, far out upon the plain. For hours. the fugitives had ape on in silence, now and then glancing back to em their proximity to the oe. “This is getting to be a retty warm chase,” He St. Elmo finally said. fear our ponies'are i to give way, and, in case they do, our hair. is bound to be raised by a Comanche scalp- ing-knife,” “That may all be, friend Harry,” replied Lasso Jack, ‘“but you must remember that the savages’ ponies are failing, too, and Phat they are as far behind us now as when the race first began. I believe yet, that nothing but accident to us will deter- mine the chase in the Co- manches’ favor, and you can rest assured, Henry, that fair object of your dreams will “ee Most of them are half-naked, not stand in need of your and their breasts and arms strong arm jong.” are streaked and ringed with St. Elmo smiled hopeless. pigeons of piebald colors. ly at his friend’s allusion. right -heads bristle Tt was a critical moment for be sage oo kam lumed Henry to indulge in any plea- eads, and rifle- glim- sant anticipati with that ee, Ze SE ripe oa ‘ are moun u : ’ pt aa ~< mndering at i or peti 4 ‘limbed sonia SNE ten their scalps.” monn Fi tic sy ell, with A HUMAN HAND AND ARM WERE THRUST UPWARD THROUGH THE EARTH! Sen Babe totee apo Ww.
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_ Henry St. ' a ite See Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. ONS SBN LS I LTA ST ES until we reach its cover we can not elude these howling devils.” * That’s all very true, St. Elmo; but, look ahead yonder: does it lovx to you as though there was a dark line running at right-angles with our course across the plain?” St. Elmo looked in the direction indicated, and replied: ‘Yes, Jack; it’s a fringe of bushes on the tanks of a small stream coursing its way across the plain.” ‘< By heavens, that is bad!” exclaimed Jack; “if its banks are too steep to admit of our cross- ing it, these red hounds will get us, sure.” The fugitives rode on, and, as they approach- ed the object in question, they found their worst fears confirmed. A sroall strean: was before them. Its banks were fringed here and there with clumps of willows and tangled sage-brush, overgrown with dark-green parasites. Yel) after yell now began to peal from the Comanches’ lips. They knew that the stream was before the fugitives, and felt certain of their capture, for they were satisfied they could not eross:the creek. And, to prevent the mustan- gers’ escape either up or down the stream, they began to scatter out, some going to the right and some to the left. The mustangers saw their appalling situation in a moment. “ We're goners, Jack, sure as ‘guldy!’” ex- claimed St. Elmo; ‘‘ we can, never cross that ereek with our animals, and we can not turn ei- ther up or down the ‘creek, for the red varlets are spreading out to cut us off.” up am sure the stream is not so very wide, nor the banks so high but what our animals might leap it. We had better try at, for it is our only chance of escape. If we succeed—” ‘By Heaven, look there!” suddenly exclaim- ed St. Elmo, pointing ahead of them toward a clump of bushes on the opposite side of the creek. ‘““What is it, St. Elmo, what is it?’ asked Lasso Jack. “There are Indians in that clump of bushes before us on the opposite side of the stream!” ‘“You are surely mistaken! I see nothing!” replied Jack. ‘*Nor do I now; but I did see the flash of a eee and a plumed head drop in the ushes when I first spoke.” “Well, we will have to take our chances for tife, Henry,” said Jack. ‘If there are Indians over there, our cake is dough and there will be a probability of our scalps ornamenting Co- nianche lodges—ah!—there, by Jupiter! I saw the Indian’s head and face, and if I mistake not it was an Apache. If so, you know the Coman- eres and’ Apaches are at war now, and both tribes are our enemies. How our chase will end, there is no telling, inasmuch as there are three parties concerned. But, here we are, St. Elmo, ‘on the bank of the creek. We can leap it— forward—over, my noble steed—hurrah!” They reached the bank of the creek, Lasso Jack afew feet inadvance, With aslight ue to gather momentum, the animals, in obedience io their riders’command, made a fearful leap und landed safely on the opposite shore. Lasso Jack was still in advance of his friend, ‘ and with a shout of triumph and defiance, he put spur and dashed on, shouting to St. Elmo to | follow. Jack never gazed back. He had now entered into the excitement of the race with all the fervor of his daring, dashing young spirit. Close behind he gold hear the tramp of the hoofs of St. Elmo’s horse, and still further back, he could hear the heavy thud, thud of the hoofs of the Comanche horses leaping the creek. He could ‘hear their enemies’ triumphant shouts, and now and then a rifle would crack, and a “(eee whistle in unpleasant proximity apast his ead, ® But still the daring youn; éver and.anon shouting to was still behind. It was & wild, fearful chase, yet Lasso Jack perienced no fear for his own safety, for in jg ot speed! he had never found an equal for : animal on the Texas \prairies. His greatest fears; how¢ver, were for his beloved companion, mo. Still, the horse of the latter ‘was holding out well, for close behind he could still hear the steady thump of his hoofs. ; ~“ Come on, Henry,” he shouted back; “‘a few miles more and we will strike the San Saba timber, This isa little the most exciting chase mustanger led on, is companion who Lever indulged in, for we’re scattering miles be-' pind us, at lightning sa But is your horse ‘tailttg » any, old friend?” . : There was no response to the young mustan- oer dinghies ae TAR t = mt Rut. ¢ “Ts your animal failing, St. Elmo?’ he re- peated. Still there was no response. ‘‘ What ails you, Henry?’ asked the young man, turning his head and gazing back the first time since he had crossed the creek; ‘‘ can’t you hear, or— My God! where is he?” Close behind his own animal followed that of St. Elmo, but it was riderless! Henry St. Elmo was gone—missing from his animal’s back! f CHAPTER II, IN CAMP, At the close of the same day on which our story opens, a little band of emigrants, if such they might be called, went into camp in a little grove on the banks of a small stream that emp- tied its waters into the San Saba River. The party numbered some two-and-twenty persons, and all were men but two. These were young girls just budding into womanhood, The eldest of the men, and the leader of the party, was a man upon whose head were stamp- ed the frosts of fifty winters. Still he was strong and robust as any man in his party. He was kind and generous hearted, yet possessed of the imperativeness of speech of one used to giving command, and of that erect, dignified carriage of form that comes of long military life and training. In fact, Captain Louis Gray had spent most of his life in the service of his country, and al- | though he leved and adored the gentler sex, his heart had remained untouched by Cupid’s dart. At the time when we introduce him to the reader, he was serving his country in a garri- | son on the Texan frontier, with the sank of captain. A short time previous to the opening of our story he had been granted leave of ab- sence, with the commission of a recruiting offi- cer; so, while visiting with friends in his native place, he had obtained as recruits for his own company, nine of the young men now accom- panying him. Nine of the others were traders, bound for Santa Fe. They consolidated their forces with that of the captain for mutual protection against the Indians and prairie pirates that infested the country, south and south-west of Red river. There was another person in the party that demands our attention. He was an Englishman, and gave his name as Sir George Richardson. He claimed to be a scion of one of the first fami- lies of England, but having become bankrupted by wild speculation, he left his native land for America, where he hoped to retrieve his lost fortune. He came direct to St. Louis, and there | hearing of a party of traders fitting out for San- ta Fe, he was fired by a spirit of adventure, and applied to them for passage in their train across the, plains. The traders saw that he was a man possessed of rare abilities. There was a free, dashing air about his movements that told of an adventure- some spirit; and in his dark-gray eyes was a pe- culiar twinkle indicative of am inexhaustible mine of humor and pleasantries—just such as always make a desirable companion; and so the traders at once granted him passage in their train, and before they had been out a week, they found that he fulfilled all their desires of an entertaining traveling companion. Although he had now become an American, he still retained some of his English cus- toms. He wore side-whiskers, English clothes, and carried a gold-headed cane, that was never out of his hand only when he slept, and then it ~was always by his side. The two young females in the; party were nieces of Captain Louis Gray. They were sis- ters, and having lately become orphans by the death of their father, their uncle, Louis Gray had volunteered himself and men as an' escort to take them to their brother, who was then a leading merchant trader in Santa Fe, and who 4 earnestly solicited his young sisters to come d make their home with him. ’ Mabel Garfield was about eighteen summers of age. She was tall and queenly in stature, with light golden hair, blue eyes and a clear complexion that rendered her sylph-like beauty and delicately defined features exquisite in their mers and loveliness. She was mild, kind- h and susceptible of all the gentler. emo- tions of the human breast, yet she was of a nor- vous temperament, and painfully sensitive of all the dangers that beset their path, and it was only the double assurance of her uncle that had ever induced her to begin the journey at all. Mabel’s rang ope pet hy k nearly two oe younger t 1e, and was the opposite, of her sister in every respect. She was a little bru- nette, with dark eyes and -hair, and a dimpled * | | chin. She was full of life and merriment, and ) could use a rifle with all the skill of an old gun- | ner, and there were no dangers that she feared, nor any adventure that she did not crave. There were ten wagons in all, most of them belonging to Santa Fe traders. They were all drawn up, ‘tongue and tail,” in a circle around the camp, while the horses were corraled on the edge of the prairie, hard by. Three or four camp-fires had been lighted, by which to prepare supper. So far, all had enjoyed the trip exceedingly well, having met with no trouble or danger in any form. Old’ Dan Dorne, the guide, furnished the party with an unusual amount of border stories, while Sir George Richardson spiced the whole with his mirth-provoking pleasantries. But it was readily cen: by the observing, that much of Sir George’s fine language was intend- ed for the ears of Rosalind Garfield, for since their sojourn together, his attentions to her had been quite frequent, The golden sun hung just above the horizon, when the little band seated themselves to par- take of their evening meal. While thus engaged, one of their number happened to glance upward. among the tree-tops, and saw that which caused him to ery out with sudden surprise and alarm. ** What is it, Hale?” asked Captain Gray. Hale raised his hand and pointed upward. Every eye was at once Sartion in the direction indicated and saw, half-way up a tall, hollow tree, a human skull with a smail round hole in the forehead. It was fast in a hole in the side of the tree, and seemed to be looking down up- | on our friends and grinning in a ghastly man- ner. “By golly!” exclaimed old Dan Dorne, the hunter-guide, looking about him as if to recall | something of the past; and then, as a light of recognition lit up his eyes, he continued: ‘I sw’ar, friends, I remember this spot, fur all it’s been ten years since [ war here, And that thing up thar—I know all ’bout it, for it war I that fixed it thar,” ** Ah!” exclaimed the captain; “ tell us about it, Dan, “Well, Cap, it’s not much o’ astory; but bout ten years ago, a party o’ us had camped "bout two miles from here, and I went out in search o* pe fur supper. I got nigh this very pot when hearn the plain gobble o’ a turkey. know’d at onc’t the gobble warn’t ginewine. I war su- tisfied it war an Injin’s decoy, and so I con- cluded to take the varlet in outen the wet. So I slipped along through the woods, and as I ad- vanced I found the gobblin’ seemed to come from up in the air, and so I stopped and went | to peekim’ about, and’ what should I see but an | Injin’s head and face, thrust partly through the | hole where ye now see that skull. Quick as | wink, I up with ole Knock~em-stiff and sent |a bullet sqaar’ through his for’ead. And_ if yell look sharp, ye kin see the hole in the skull now.’ “ How do you know that is the ;ame skull?’ asked one of the recruits. ‘““ T know it is, fur when I shot the red, he didn’t drap. His head got wedge ' into the hole someway or other, and there it nas remained. ever sence,” “Ah, hindeed!” exclaimed Sir George; ‘‘ that “ hincident is quite worthy hof my note-book. You may see that hin print some day, Mr. Dorne, for AI propose to write a book when AI get-over to Santa Fe—a book hof hour journey across the prairies of Texas,” ; Supper was finally over with, and while the men were making arrangements for the night. Mabel and Rosalind strolled leisurely out int’, the woods. All day, Mabel had been unusually silent and nervous. Rosalind did not fail to notice it, and when they were alone she asked: “Mabel, why are you so sad and uneasy to- day? Ihope you are not home-sick, now that we are so near brother Arthur.” No, no, sister; it is not that,’ returned Mabel, ‘ But you remember the letter { re- ceived afew days before we started on this journey, do you not?” Yes—oh, yes; [had nearly forgotten about that. It was from Henry St. Elmo, written in reply to yours, in which you told him of our proposed journey to Santa Fe.” “Yes, exactly.” “‘T remember it well; and he wrote he would meet us, with a friend of his, at—at—where was it, Mabel? I have forgotten.” “‘ He wrote he would meet us on Clear Creek, a tributary ra the San tye ena oti Then why are you ting? Henry wii surely keep is word,” 4 ig ne r e eet
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anc a a on Lasso Jack. “Tt may be he will, sister; but the time is up now for bis meeting us. T heard our guide say that the creek upon whose bank our camp is located is called Clear Creek.” ‘‘Indeed!” exclaimed Rosalind; ‘‘then we may expect Henry at our camp to-night.” ““We may, sister; but I fear he has—” “Forgotten his promise, or become false to ou?” 4c: Ne, no, Rosalind; Henry St. Elmo could never become false to me, nor forget a promise. He is too manly and noble-hearted for that; but I fear something has befallen him, or we should have found him here.” **-You should not put too much confidence in him, Mabel,” said Rosalind, with a smile; ‘‘men are all fickle-hearted, and some dark-eyed Mex- ican senorita may have won Henry’s love away from you.” ‘‘Oh, Rosalind! ¥ could never think so of Henry.” ** And yet it may be so,” persisted Rosalind. “Tt there are impossihilities in this world, I think that one of them,” said Mabel. “J hope so, for your own sake, dear sister; still I wowld not worry and fret about his not coming. He may have been delayed, and will join us yet.. But hark! What is that?’ “‘ Horses’ “hoofs out upon the plain,” said Mabel, and her eyes lit up with a joyous light. “Tt may be Henry, now.” Rosalind stepped upon a fallen log and tried to obtain a view of the horseman or horsemen, whichever it was, but the intervening under- growth concealed all from her view. They listened. They heard the hoof-strokes secures plainer and plainer. Then there sud- enly arose a fierce yell, raingled with the clash of fire-arms, Filled with sudden alarm, Rosalind and Mabel turned and fled back to camp. When they reached it, they found the men with rifles in hand, waiting the approach of the unknown horseman, CHAPTER IL. THE YOUNG MUSTANGER’S LIVE-STRUGGLE. WHenre was Henry St. Elmof There ran his horse, but riderless! Lasso Jack was riding alone ever the trackless prairie, and St. Elmo was— e shall see. When his animal made the fearful leap that carried it across the stream, the girth of his sad- dle snapped, and the horse shot like an arrow from under both saddie and rider, and galloped after its mate.) The unfortunate young mustanger fell full length inte the creek, and was lest from view of those behind him: but, knowing the savages were close at hand, and that there was no possi- ble chance of recovering his horse, he kept him- self upon his back in the water, which, at this point, was about three feet deep. The next minute he saw a number of dark forms leaping the water-course, and heard the pounding of hoofs on each bank. A perfect cloud of dust and dirt was thrown back by the horses’ feet, completely concealing him from view; and finalt , when the last savage was across, and he heard their retreating yells, he saw that his mis- hap had been unnoticed. A gentle swell in the rairie, just before the creek was reached, must ave concealed him from the savages’ eyes, at the same instant that he rolled into the creek, and as his horse followed on after Lasso Jack half hidden in a cloud of dust, the savages failed to notice his absence from his animal’s back. He heard the retreating savages away on the plain, and felt that for the moment he was safe. Had he forgotten the Indian seen in the clump of bushes? A single thought sufficed to alarm him, but before he could act, two rifles—one on each side of the creek—rung sharply out, and with a cry, as of mortal agony, Henry St. Elmo staggered forward, clutching at his breast, and sunk moat to the earth, on the further bank of thé creek. Then forth from each of the thickets over which a puff of smoke now hung, issued an In- dian warrior, with a scalping-knife in one hand, and the smoking muzzle of.a rifle in the other. One was an Apache, the other a Comanche warrior—deadly enemies. Each one had been concealed in the thicket, and was unaware of the other’s presence. The rifles of both had cracked simultaneous, and the reports were blended as one. Each one had no other thought than that he had slain the white man, and now stepped forward to claim his scalp, and complete his victory. But théy came to anand halt, and glared at each other like wild beasts to leap. two maddened \ Both were powerful fellows, about equal in size and strength. They recognized in each other an enemy, and all the deadly hatred of their savage uature was manifested in their fierce, vindictive expression. The lifeless form of the pale-face before them was forgotten, and as the war-cry pealed from their lips, they rushed to- gether and grappled in a terrible hand-to-hand conflict. Like serpents they became locked in pliant folds, and fought with knives, feet and teeth, in the meantime whirling over and over in such rapid evolutions that their bodies seemed in- corporated into one. They fought in silence only as twe such fearful foes can fight. Com- mon men would have been exhausted in half the time. They seemed possessed of supernatural endurance, and for fully an hour no one could have told on which side the advantage hung. But, finally, the Apache began to show signs of failing strength. ¢ ate, and his breath came quick and in labored gasps from between his teeth. Blood and foam were gathering upon his lips, and his starting eyeballs shone with a deadly glare. A hollow groan soon told that life with the | Apache was at an end. Then the Comanche sprung to his feet and uttered a fearful war- cry. A scalp was in his hand and before him lay the lifeless form of the Apache, But, he had paid dearly for his victory. He was cut, bitten and bruised in a fearful manner, and was bleed- ing from more than a dozen painful wounds. | The stimulus of victory and excitement was all that kept him up, and as these ! n to wear off, he realized the danger he was in—the dan- ger of bleeding to death. So, divesting the dead Apache of some of his garments, he tore them into shreds and rudely bandaged his wounds. Walking out from the creek a few paces, he glanced in the direction that his friends were pursuing Lasso Jack.. They were now miles away. ‘For a moment he stood a: parently un- decided; then advanced a short distance assis the stream, and stopping, uttered a low, plain- tive call. Forth from a thicket still further down the creek, a fine, spirited mustang galloped toward | its red master. The Comanche took it by the bits when it came up and led it along to the fallen Apache. Procurmg the dead warrior’s weapons, he at- tached them to his saddle and moved on toward the body of the fallen ‘pale-face to procure his | weapons and scalp. What was his surprise on reaching the spot where the white man had fallen, to find it was gone! He glanced at the ground. A pool of dark blood marked the spot where the comeng a had | sur- | lain. He raised his eyes and swept rounding thickets. He started with involuntary fear and horror. He saw a rifle thrust throug a clump of weeds, The muzzle was pointing to- ward his breast, and along the dark barrel he caught the gleam of Henry St. Elmo’s eye! CHAPTER IV. ON OVER THE PRAIRIE. On over the prairie riderless horse of St. mo following close be- hind, while in hot pursuit of him came the wild, | fierce Comanche warriors. It was plainly perceptible that the animals of both pursuers and pursued were failing: yet, if any advantage had been gained, it was With tho, mustanger. ; Turning in his saddle, Jack saw one of ‘the savage pursuers shoot on ahead of his compan- ions at a speed that threatened danger. “ That won't do, my lovely red-skin,” mused Jack; ‘I admire the fine speed of your horse, but it will be the death of you.” Unslinging his rifle from his shoulder, he raised the weapon, and, glancing along the bar- rel as he steadied himself in his stirrups, fired. True to his aim, the bullet pierced the red- skin’s breast, and throwing up his arms, he clutched at space; then reeling to and fro; lost his balance and rolled to the earth, while his horse galloped wildly away. ‘That will be a caution to the rest of the ras- cals to keep back,” exclaimed Jack. The pursuit still continued, but, at — a joyous sight suddenly burst upon the fugitive’s eyes. It was a small belt of timber bordering a little stream that wound its way across the plain | with the sinuosity of a serpent, to be swallowed up in the waters of the San Saba river. There, in that river, the fugitive had hopes of eluding his pursuers, or of meeting with friends; for along this stream lay a route—a slight devi- ation from the overland—often taken mu pertee of emigrant’ and prairie merchants. “E } ; peal TNS ” i) i - os ‘ 4 7 ~ lis efforts were less desper- | ed Lasso Jack with the | in ‘Comanches in full retreat over 3 | the timber they often halted, for days at a time. | to avail themselves of the advantages it offered | to rest themselves and animals before plunging | into the great treeless, shrubless prairie stretch- | ing away to El Llano Estacado. — ) As Jack pressed on, a cry of joy esca | lips; a thin column of white smoke was | up from among the trees! i | Some one was in the timber, but, was it friend or foe? There was no time for conjecture or de- | liberation; so he headed directly for the timber. CHAPTER V. A MESSENGER WITH BAD TIDINGS. Tum little party of traders and recruits, un- | der Captain Louis Gray, had not long to wait } in ignorance of who the approaching horsemen. were, for Lasso Jack, the young mustanger, closely followed by St. Elmo’s horse, dasa through the woods into their camp. “By crackies!” exclaimed old Dan Dorne, the guide, ‘it’s that young dare-devil, Lasso Jackt Ho, ho, Jack, how ’re ye, ole friend? What the furies brings you here in sich a whirlwind splut- ter?” ‘4A pack of Comanche devils, my dear ald Dorne,” replied Jack, as he drew rein before the astonished party; “for twenty miles have I d his coating been pursued by the red varlets, and even now, they are close behind me,” they are coming!” shouted Captain Gray; ‘‘make ready to receive them, men.” But, the cunning red-skins, apprised by the smoke of the presence of some one in the grove, were too cautious to venture into unknown dan- | gers, and so drew rein on the edge of the prairie | about five hundred yards away. | Seeing that they were threatened by no im~ mediate attack, Captain Gray turned to Lasso Jack and asked: : “Stranger, are those the only savages in this Vicinity?’ “To the best of my knowledge they are, and they have come over twenty dating in pursuit of me since noon.” ‘* How does it come you’ve got an extra with ye, Jack? Been snakin’ in a Comanche and cab- agin’ his nag?’ demanded the old guide. “No, Dan; it is the horse of a young friend of mine who I am afraid has tation a victim | to the Comanches.” ‘Then you do not know whether the savages | got your friend or not?’ asked the captain. ‘‘T did not see them get him, yet I feel almost | positive they did. We had been riding for sey- eral miles together; I was slightly in advance. and at last, when I happened to gaze back I _ discovered for the first time that St. Elmo was gone. “St. Elmo!” cried Captain Gray; “did you say your friend’s name was St. Elmo?’ “Yes; Henry St. Elmo. And I presume you are the very we were coming to meet here on Clear Creek?’ replied Lasso Jack. _ “This is Captain Louis Gray’s party,” said ne. the traders. i | “Then you are the party, but Iam sorry ¢> have to bring you the tidings of Henry's aay * | terious disappearance.” Mabel heard all; then, as a low shriek bur~: } from her lips, she sunk unconscious to the eart}: ‘*My God, it has killed her!’ cried Lows Gray, springing. forward and lifting the inani- mate form of his niece in‘his strong arms. Hi | carried her at once to her tent, where he and Rosalind applied such restoratives as they could command, “T did not. think of that,” said Lasso Jaek, _ “or I would not have broken the news so sud- | denly. But, then, it tells me that she is Hi ‘a | sweetheart of whom I have heard the bins low speak so endearingly. But, friends, would it not be advisable to watch those Comanches a little? They might cause us some trouble when they find out our strength, for they are three. score strong.” ‘* Yes, they’d better be watched,” spid Old Dan, “fur I'll warrant they’re thirstin’ fur skulps. If it wer’n’t fur ’em two little crit- and the rude old fellow pointed to- | ters—" ward the maidens’ tent—“ us fellers could ro it thtongh and if we got into clus queries | but, I hope thar’s not a man in this party but | *d die for them gals.” : “ Not one,” repled Sir. George Ri Dan i a t N rt and his words were repeated by every mouth, i present, |. Dan Dorne was now sent out to watch the | movements of the savages. In the aaor aa | Sea ‘
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4 Beatile’s Half-Dime Library. = —-_-- —_ pe SF be was too well read in Indian cunning not to know that this movement was only intended to deceive them. “They’ll be back again, friends,” he said, “and it will stand us in hand to keep our eyes peeled! They'll be along after dark, I reckon.” Old Dan and Jack proceeded to make ar- rangements for the protection of the camp dur- ing the night, and when darkness fell the old guide and the young mustanger took their posi- hous as guards, assisted by one or two of the traders and the invincible Sir George, who, with his cane in hand, paced warily to and fro upon his beat. The night, was unusually dark, there being no moon until late, while the shadows of the tow- ering cottonwoods made it doubly dark around the silent camp. The hours wore away in quietude. It was mearing the hour of midnight when the crack of fa rifle close by suddenly aroused the sleepers. The traders and recruits hurried from their Wagons and tents. They could not see their hand before them, but heard a slight noise out- side of the circle of wagons—a noise in which there could be distinguished a heavy respira- tion, dull, sodden blows, and a thumping upon the earth like two foes engaged in a silent hand- to-hand death-struggle. CHAPTER VI. A SILENT CONFLICT. “ Tran. you, boys,” exclaimed Captain Gray, “it is one of our guards in a. conflict with a ékulking Indian.” The captain ran to his wagon, and procuring a lantern hurried to where the combatants were engaged, to discover Old Dan and a half-nude savage in a terrible struggle. But, no sooner did the rays of the captain’s lantern stream across them, than the savage attempted te free himself and escape. The old guide’s grasp could not be broken, and he soon ended the conflict by driving his knife into the Comanche’s breast. Then as the red foe sunk backward to the earth lifeless, Old Dan sprung to his feet. ** By crackey!” he. exclaimed, ‘‘that war a all-fired tuff tussel, boys. The greasy varlet war wiry as a snake, and strong as a b’ar,” “Why didn’t you call for ’elp, Dan?” asked Sir George, who by this time had joined the rty. Par Call fur ’elp?” repeated Old Dan, disdain- fully; ‘‘why, my lord, do you suppose that ole Dan Dorne-would call for ’elp when he’s got but one foe to deal with? No sir-ee, ole England! But then I thought once I would have to call fur help, fur I see’d two o’ the red niggers skullkin’ "bout the wagons.” “Then we are in no little danger,” said Cap- tain Gray. “Yes, no doubt of it, cap’n,” replied Dorne; “these imps are scouts sent out to find out our situation, and if that t?other darned scamp got away with all the information he wanted, like as any way we'll bave a little dig with the lepin’ ounds, yet.” ‘Then let not a man’s eye be closed in sleep again to-night,” commanded Captain Gray. ‘‘That’s the music, cap’n,”, exclaimed Old Dan; ‘‘and now I'll go out and git Lasso Jack and go to scoutin’ about to find whar the red sinners are.” The old guide at once took his departure for the woods, while those at camp posted them- selves in position, ready for instant battle. But the night wore away without any further demonstration on the part of the Comanches. By daylight, all was life and bustle in the Breakfast was prepared and eaten, and arrangements made for immediate departure for the two scouts, the young mustanger an the old guide, had reported the country entirely dese by the enemy. Lasso Jack was to accompany the party, at which all were highly pl ; and shortl atter sunrise the train was in motion, Lasso Jack on the lead, while Old Dan and Sir George brought up the rear. The light vehicle with the two girls was near . form of vance of the érain. . Noon found them several miles from Clear _ They halted a few minutes for dinner, ‘and to rest and feed their animals, then re- sumed their journey. . There is something grand, majestic and awe- Inspiring in a Pg cha ely paces It is y gaggestive of the beundless ocean when © ruffles its surface; and as Lasso Jack ) i n young cavalier in “3° \ 3 | A ae 7 F ; fair face of Rosatind Garfield foremost of all | others in his mind, he thought he had never | seen a prairie that looked so lovely, so roman- tic, so grand as the one spread out before him and stretching away into the hazy distarice, | like the vision of a dream. He could not help | feasting his eyes upon its solemn grandeur, and | watching the birds skimming along its surface of green, or the frightened deer floating away into the mist of the distant horizon. While thus engaged in passing the moments as he rode on, the romance of the prairie was | suddenly overshadowed by seeing a large body | of horsemen gallopmg to the westward of them. | They were plainty outlined against the crim- | son sky—for the sun was near its setting—and | he could see the flashing of gun-barrels or spear- | heads, and the nodding of plumes about the riders’ heads. Turning about he made known his discovery | to his friends, and advised an immediate halt. There was not a doubt in his mind but that the inhuman vultures were swooping down upon the train! The wagons were driven to one side of the | road about two hundred yards to the summit of a little knoll; the horses were unhitched and | the wagons drawn inacircle by hand. Inside of this small inclosure the animals were hitched, and the men took their position within this | feeble defense. They soon discovered that the savages were | coming directly toward them, at a furious speed, They were not over half a mile away, and it was feared that they intended to at- tempt the capture of the train by a sudden at- tack with all their force. The savages were a hundred strong, and as they approached the train, the hideousness of their yells, mingled with the tramp of their /an- imals’ hoofs; drove a chill of. terror to the hearts of the little band, for in those demoniac yells they read a fearful doom! CHAPTER VIL A SCENE OF CARNAGE. As the morning sun arose over that Texan prairie, it shone upon a scene of death and car- nage. After the night had passed, with its repeated assaults by the Comanches, it left but few of Captain Gray’s party alive to see the morning sun rise. Captain Gray himself, every one of his recruits, and all but three of the traders la dead. They had fallen during the night, defend- ing their camp. The foe had been repulsed more than a dozen times and had paid dearly for their rash attacks, as more than a score of bloody corpses outside of the circle of wagons testified. Still the survivors of that night’s massacre were masters of the situation. These were Lasso Jack, Dan Dorne, Sir George Richardson, three of the traders, and the two maidens, Rosalind and Mabel Garfield. But the men presented the picture of despair. Their faces were blackened and begrimed with powder and dust. The were almost exhausted with the night’s conflict, and when day dawned, it brought but little re- lief to their excited minds. The sight of their dead comrades lying around them, with their ghastly faces staring heavenward—the agoniz- ing cries of the dying, to whom they could ren- der no assistance—the piteous screams of the wounded and terrified horses that stood pawing and moaning, here and there—all these contrib- uted few terrors to their situation, that darkness had kept concealed, Lasso Jack was really the only man that seemed of aspark of hope. He could not, for a moment, entertain the thought of giv- ing up the battle while those two fair, helpless sy were still alive, for they now looked to him or protection. In his last, dying moments their uncle had intrusted them to the care o the young mustanger, who accepted the trust, ig) vgn foe maintain it till the last. - At the inning of the contest, the maidens had been placed in one of the heavy wagons which was rendered bullet-proof by piling some of the contents of the traders’ wagons around it. Jn this cover had they remained all of that ter- rible night. Jack had broken to them the sad news 3 their Says death. ea mel a paket shock, but they prepared themselves for the wae and accepted the.cruel blows of fate with uiet but anguishing hearts. Upon Lasso Jack ey now looked as their all, and whenever he came to their wagon, with words of cheer and hope, he was with gentle words, and countenances beaming with hope and loye. / Old Dan Dorne and Sir George were blackened and begrimed with powder and dust, yet, with rf ie % 2 PL ne | in the unrestrained ” rifle in hand, they were ever at their posts, evincing a spirit of determination and courage that only death itself could overcome. Only the three surviving traders showed a spirit of hopelessness and despair. Daylight had revealed to them their terrible situation— their dead comrades, the destruction of | the promised hopes that awaited their arrival at Santa Fe—in fact, a certain death to all. But half a dogen horses of all remained within the inclosure ef wagons an hour after sunrise. Those wounded were unhitched and turned loose upon the prairie, to seek relief from their pain : freedom of the plain. Among those rétained and uninjured were yore Jack’s mustang and Captain Gray’s favorite charger. Both were of more than common etn and a knowledge of the fact suggested to sso Jack, more than once during the night, the possibility of riding through the lines of the enemy that surrounded them on allsides. By so doing, assistance might be procured and the besieged relieved. Yet it. would require hours of hard riding to rexeh a point where aid could be had, and the absence of one man from the: little party might turn the tide of victory—so: nearly won already,in favor of the savages.. And then, if any one left at all, it would have: to be Lasso Jack, for none of the others pos- sessed that knowledge of the country which haste required. But Jack could not leave those two fair girls intrusted to his care. The loving eyes and gen tle words of Rosalind had aroused in his breast a spirit that seemed to endow him with the | strength of a host. Love had, even at that hour of gery fired the heart of the Den roustanger, and nothing but the hand of death could tear him from the object of that love. But what was to be done—what could they do? It would be impossible to withstand the attacks of the enemy much longer. The supply of water procured before starting across the rairie, was nearly exhausted, and upon that ot, dry plain, without a shrub to intercept the broiling rays of the sun, they could not exist without the life-giving fluid. The savages, now numbering about four-seore, were scattered around the camp in a circle abouta querter of a mile away. They seemed entirely ignorant, of the damage they had in- flicted upon the whites, which would have ren dered it comparatively easy to capture the whole train, had they made a determined as- sault. They appeared to be waiting for some demonstration on the part of the whites, but as the hours wore on and no movement was made, the red foes were seen to mount \their animals. “Theyre mountin’ for another charge, boys,” said Old Dan. < “Yes,” said Lasso Jack, “but let us be ready for them. Let us see that every rifle in the camp is loaded and primed, and then, when we fire, be calm and deliberate and make every shot count. Ah! the demons are eae Fr True enough. With whoop and yell the Co- manches were coming down toward the belea- guered camp; but with Spartan bravery, the ittle band prepared to meet them. | Kneeling down, each man took aim under the barricade of wagons. As soon as the foe had come within range, all fired, then threw aside their weapons and seized others. In this man- ner they kept up an incessant and deadly fire upon the fe, who, believing the force of the whites was four times that which it really was, turned about and retreated hastily beyond rifle- range. But, before they turned, they discharg- ed a volley of random shots, and one of the re- maining three traders was killed. The little band were now reduced to five, and it seemed as though are would never be able to repel another charge. Still they all determined to die fighting, rather than surrender, for the were satisfied they would be tortured to death taken alive. “This, friends,” said Sir George, ‘is getting to be a serious matter. AItis a bit the most ter- rible hadventure hI hever ’ad, hand were hit not for those fair girls there, hI could die hand be scalped with something hof an heasy con- did AI think AI would ’ave a scalp on a warm ead when another sun rises.” There was no ostentation.in the Englishman’s talk. He was serious about his remarks. He was brave and fearless, and his words did not eee his spirit of courage. He admired the cool rave’ he and superior ju ent of Lasso Jack; and, aifbaaet hes savis Mie thesmiles Rosalind bestowed upon him, he accepted the situation . Lasso J
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all, ge aah Weve got to capture it before we plunder _ der, senor, I see smoke rising from Lasso Jack. would make another attack soon, and he could see no avenue of escape from a relentless mas- sacre, unless it was effected through stratagem. But, even this seemed impossible. How could they mislead the foe there in plain sight wpon the open prairie, with four score of basilisk eyes watching them? All relapsed into a hopeless silence. Lasso Jack became thoughtful and silent. He stood gazing reflectively upon the ground, and toying with a nervous impatience with the haft of his knife. At last a grim smile lit up his bronzed, boyish face as he glanced toward the wagon under which the body of Captain Gray lay wrapped in a blanket; then turning to his com- nions, he said: ‘* Boys, I believe I have it—the plan by which we canescape. It may fail, but ifso, there will be no great loss nor risk. But I must have the consent of the maidens before I undertake to carry it out. So I will see them at once.” He turned and walked to the wagons wherein the maidens sat. In a few minutes he returned, and said: “Tt is all right, friends; one of yen saddle and bridle Captain Gray’s horse, and I will pro- ceed to put my scheme into execution.” One of the traders turned away to comply with his request, wondering, as did all the rest, what the young mustanger’s intentions were, a CHAPTER VIII. “TEXAN TERROR’ AND HIS MINIONS. Out upon the summit of a little swell in the prairie, about five*hundred yards from the be- eagued party of Captain Gray—now, alas, no more |—a party of savages were gathered, watching with fiendish triumph the little circle of covered wagons. I said they were all sava- This is true so far as humanity is con- cerned, but there were white renegades, half- breeds and Mexicans in the party. One tall, dark-browed fellow, whose plumed hat and gold-embroidered serape told that he was leader of the band, stood gazing with grim, moody and sullen brow toward the feeble barricade of the whites. “What think you, Don Diaz—can the whites hold out much longer?” a white renegade finally asked of Texan Terror, for as such was the prairie pirate, Don Juarez Diaz, known. “17 can’t see how they have held out ‘as long as they have,” the villain replied; ‘ but I would like to knew what has become of the two spies sent into their camp the night they were en- camped on Clear Creek.” ‘** Probably they got their hair lifted,” replied arenegade, ‘Tt may be possible,” returned Texan Terror, “but I hardly think they would permit them- selves to be caught. If 1 was sure they had en sconced themselves in the traders’ wagons, among their bales and boxes, as they were in- tending to do, I could rest easy, and await the signal they were to give, but 1 declare I can't wait much longer for their movements.” _ “Tf Lasso Jack is still in their party, it will be a hard matter for us to get into their camp.” “Tt has been proven already,” said Texan Terror, “that they are fighters over there, but we must capture that train, no matter what it coste. It is worth considerable money, yet the literal value of the train would be nothing to me, to what the life of Captain Louis Gray would be.” ** Are you sure he is in the party, senor?” ‘Without a doubt, and if I can once get my hands on him I will make his life pay for those of my men that were hung by the sailors under his command, a year ago ‘on the M ope. But I am satisfied our attacks of last night thin- ned out the enemy’s ranks some, and unless they have a supply of water with them, uy will soon have +s succumb, or famish. Then know from the wounded horses they have turned loose, that they suffered some loss,” “Tf Sly Wolf and Brave Heart are in their eamp, hidden in their wagons, and succeed in their wagons at the proper time, we may get.them with but little more trouble.” * Yes,” returned Diaz; “if I did not think they would do something soon, I would press the whites from all sides. I am satisfied we could carry their defenses easy enough by storm, but it would entail the loss of many of m command upon me; and perhaps, in the conflict, those pretty nieces of Captain killed, and that would be the hea for ag are to be my portion of the plun- train. it, captain,” said a half-breed; “ but, look yon- wagons } f now. Brave Heart and Sly Wolf must be at work. Caramba! See! see!” The party gazed away toward the circle of wagons. They saw a dense column of smoke rising from the camp of the whites. Something had been set on fire, and the Mexicans and sav- ages believed it was the beginning of the long- expected movement of their spies, who, they had not a doubt, were ensconced within the wagons. Texan Terror raised his field-glass to his eyes and surveyed the oa camp, but the inter- vening wagons phthbiigen him from seeing what was on fire, and what was going on. “‘T can’t tell what is on fire in their camp, but let my braves and lancers be ready for any emergencies,” he said, “for I believe the crisis is coming.” The prairie freebooters stood prepared to mount. Texan Terror gave the signal to keep on the alert to his Comanche allies, grouped in a circle over the plain. Several minutes had passed, when suddenly a horseman shot from the circle of wagons, and swept like an arrow over the plain. The pirate chieftain again lifted his glass to his eyes, and brought it to bear on the flying horseman, ‘“‘Caramba !” he: exclaimed, excitedly, ‘‘ it is Captain Gray. I can recognize his long, flow- ing white beard and hair. He is trying to es- cape through our lines, no doubt to procure as- sistance and relieve his train. Mount, men, and away in pursuit. Ride as though the devil was after you—run him down—catch the white- haired villain and a fine reward will be yours!” The next minute the whole party had leaped eye their animals and were sweeping away like the wind over the prairie in pursuit of the flying horseman, Texan Terror taking the lead and shouting at the top of his iron lungs. The Comanches stationed in small parties at various points around the wagons, saw what was going on, and they, too, mounted and shot away in pursuit. The fugitive was headed directly northward, and his white charger seemed like a snow-white bird skimming along the surface of the dark- green prairie. But at times the rider seemed to have no control over the beast, or was in doubt as to his course, and would swerve to the right or the left, thereby giving the pursuers much ad- vantage, and at times bringing them within gunshot of bim. Still he swept on—on! And still the inhuman Texan Terror led on the chase, He was satisfied the fugitive was Captain Louis Gray, and he knew if he eluded them he would soon return with aid and raise ee siege, for he was headed directly toward ‘ort ——. For more than an hour the race continued, but it was noticed by the lynx-eyed pursuers that the fugitive’s horse was unused to such lon heats—that he was fast failing. He could hol out but little longer. Victory would soon re- ward the pursuers’ efforts, The race continues. The fugitive seems to have hope. He sits erect in hissaddle. No fear possesses him; he never turns his head. Texan Terror is now ahead of his companions several rods. He is almost up with Captain Gray. He will soon overtake him. True enough, a few. minutes more and the Mexican freebooter dashes alongside of the fu- gitive! He puts out his hand and seizes the reins of the captain’s foaming steed, and then, as he brings both horses to a stop, he levels a pistol at the captain’s breast, and demands his surrender. But the captain never flinches—never speaks. He stares on in advance of him with stony eyes, and ghastly, haggard features. Texan Terror feels a strange terror creeping over him, for he sees that he has been pursuing a dead man ! He sees that Captain Louis Gray is dead— stone dead, and that he has been tied and prop- ped up on his animal’s back. The followers of Diaz soon came up, and learned their great mistake with a cry of disap- pointment. i We have been deceived, my friends,” Diaz said. ‘Yes, yes,” replied one of his men; ‘ Lasso Jack has again outwitted Juarez Diaz, the great Texan Terror.” The brow of the pirate chieftain knitted with suppressed e and resentment, and his black eyes flashed with vengeful light; but he did not speak, for he knew his man had told what to | the villain had him was a bitter truth. j ' “Yes,” responded a Comanche chief, ‘ huss § have beaten us. They have turned a sw 5 EERE FARNESE SEES SS EE SPE ETT ESE SEWER ee a oe eS horse loose upon the prairie with a dead man upon it. They have carried their point. The have drawn us away. When we return we wi find the rest of the train has escaped us.” “Then let us retrace our steps at once,” said Diaz. ‘‘ We may be in time to catch them yet We should not all of us have left.” ** One party of Comanches returned to watch the whites,” said a_half-breed, “after they had ridden a few miles,” “Then we may get them yet,” eried Diaz. ‘*Come, spur up, men; ride, ride!” hey began retracing their steps, but their animals were nearly exhausted, and it required long hours to regain the point where the race — ut, a shout of triumph and joy pealed from their lips when they saw the wagon-train steand- ing just as they had left it. But they soon dis- eovered that there was not a sign of life about. it. They thought, however, this absence of life was another trick of the pale-faces, and so they kept their distance frcm the wagons, until they had become fully satisfied that the pale-face camp was deserted ! With defeated hopes they approached the train. They reached the wagons, and dis- mounting, entered the inclosure of vehicles. There a fearful sight met their gaze. Fora moment they stood and looked about them, with an expression of silent horror. Dead men, black and bloated lay around them, and here and there the contents of the traders’ wagons were strewn in one promiscuous mass. At one side of the inclosure was a deep hole, that had been recently dug, probably a grave for the dead; but no difference whatit had been intended for, it had been abandoned. Here and there were heaps of ashes where boxes of goods taken from the traders’ wagons had been burned, no doubt to prevent their fall- into the enemies’ hands. However, there were three or four wagons that yet contained part of their loads, This was mostly small kegs of rum and brandy. Texan Terror knew at once why these were left undisturbed, to fall into the Co- manches’ hands. It was to make drunk the enemy, and give the whites time to make good their escape, ere they could sober off. No sooner was _ the liquor discovered than the Comanches, the Mexicans, and renegade free- booters made a dash for it. The kegs were roll- ed out into, the inclosure, the heads stove in with tomahawks, and the fiery contents poured down their throats like water. Diaz tried to in- duce them to drink moderately, but he migh# as well have tried to stay a hurricane. Some of them were so drunk they could not walk, and in less than half an hour, Texan Ter- ror was the only sober man inthe party, and even he was intoxicated with rage and anger, and proceeded to empty every drop—except a private flask full, which he put in his own pock- et—ocf the liquor out on the ground. For hours the pirate chief walked to and fro among the prostrate forms of the drunken men, cursing and raving like a madman, occasionally emphasizing an oath by giving a savage a furious kick, with his heavy-booted foot. And it was no mystery to him that two or three of the band, against whom he held an old grudge, never recovered from their debauch. It was hours before the drunken pack had slept off the effects of the liquor, and were en- abled to walk straight again. When they did, Diaz put them to work, but by this time it was nearly sunset. The pirate chief had his minions harness their ponies to the wagons of the emigrants, while the omanches gathered bes. Sater f all the boxes, kegs and things strewn about and placed them in the wagons. The bodies of the dead: those that Diaz had assassinated while they lay drunk, and those of the white traders and recruits,! were also placed in a vehicle for removal to some other point. The pirate had an object in thus clearing the ge of every trace of the late bloody conflict. e had learned that another train of creat value was coming in a few days, and by reimov- ing all traces of Captain Gray’s disaster, they might suspect no danger, and thereby fall an anny prey to the freebooters and Comanches. exan Terror felt satisfied that those of his band who had dropped from the chase of the lifeless Captain Gray, had returned and were in pursuit of the fugitives, who, judging /rom the number of their dead, could be but few. Of course, he knew the fugitives had taken Captain ¢ Gray’s nieces with them, and thus incum of the capture of the entire escort and their In placing the slain whites in the wagon for panera they were not a little startled to find F eee ye
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6 among them the body of a dead Indian, whom they at once recognized as one of their spies, Bly Wolf. How he had been slain they knew not. When all was in readiness, the Mexicans drove the wagons forward, keeping away from the road, and striking across the plain. They pushed on for several miles due west, then turn- ed northward until they came to a little grove of cottonwoods, in which they came to a halt. To still favor their inhuman work, a heavy shower, that lasted several minutes, fell shortly | after dark, thereby assisting much in oblitera- ting their trail. CHAPTER IX. WHERE WAS ST. ELMO? LET us now mustanger, Henry St. Elmo, whom we lett lying apparently lifeless on the bank of the | cree The bullet of both the Comanche and Apache warriors had grazed his breast, inflicting a couple of painful flesh wounds. The two balls struck him at the same instant, with such stun- ning force, that he was stricken breathless and unconscious to the earth. Here in this state he lay during the conflict between the Comanche | and Apache antagonists, and when the former had gained the victory, and possessed himself | of his foe’s scalp, and started for his horse, our | oung friend heard his retreating footsteps, and ought his moment to act had come, so spring- ing to his feet, he took ms his rifle and glided | into a dense clump of bushes and vines. From this covert he watched the savage’s movements, for he had resolved that that horse should bear him to safety. Soon the Comanche returned, and having picked up the Apache’s arms, the red-skin came up to secure the scalp of the white. It was his last scalp-hunt, however, for the Comanche caught the gleam of the supposed dead man’s eye along his rifle-barrel, and before he could move a single muscle, the rifle cracked, | and a bullet pierced his breast. With scarcely a cry, the warrior fell dead, while the young mustanger sprung from his eovert and secured the animal. The youth felt now, that he was, for the time being, safe. This mental ease and security toned | down the excitement that had heretofore dead- ened the pain of his wound, and he experienced a sharp, stinging sensation through his breast. So he hitc a the mustang, and going down to the creels, he removed his bunting-shirt, and washed the blood and dust from his wounds. This done, he dressed the wounds as well as his means would permit, and experienced great relief from the pain and burning fever. When his wounds were attended to, he pos- sessed himself of such of the Indian’s weapons as would likely prove of use to him, then mounted the mustang and \rode away in a south-westerly direction. And now, when he had fully realized that he was safe once more from savage foes, his mind became occupied with thoughts that were ‘almost agonizing. However, he felt easy so far as his friend, Lasso Jack, was concerned. He knew that the savages were not likely to get him unless accident befell him; but what gave him most anxiety was the disappointment in meeting the, idol of his heart; Mabel Garfield, whom he had promised to welcome at a speci- fied point and accompany to Sante Fe. The more he reflected on the matter, the more har- rowing his feelings became; but at last he found consolation in the hope that Lasso Jack might have escaped and hastened to join Captain Gray’s party, and put them on their guard against the new dangers that had sprung up so suddenly along the Se glee trail. But what news would Jack give Mabel of his fate? As Jack knew nothing of his fate, and doubtless would sup to Mabel, he knew the train would not wait for him, but would continue on its way. By pur- suing his present course, he hoped to strike the trail in advance of the train, and then wait till it came u The (sats pony was a mettlesome one, and | so he was enabled to journey on rapidly, in the course which he thought would enable him to strike the wagon-trail at about the right point to bring him in advance of the train, consider- ing it was at Clear Creek that day, as he had received information that it would be. ’ He rode on, however, and the day advanced, and at Jast the sun went down in a sea of fire. From the setting sun Henry took his bearin _ for the night, and still rode sharply on. Dark- ness soon fell, but the of his wounds and the tumult of thoughts that were crowding his 4 o back and look after the young | him dead, andgo report | Beadle’s HalfDime Library. “ Sm pant : excited, feverish brain, threw him into a kind | marble—a woman’s hand and arm, without a of oblivious reflection, from which he ‘finally | awoke to find he had lost his course, and was | wandering at random over the great trackless | prairie. He sincerely regretted this blunder, and cen- | sured himself for committing it. His only course now was to wait till the moon came up, | | tanger, Lasso Jack, were that he had conceived and take his direction anew from it There was a lariat and picket-pin attached to the trappings of the pony; so, dismounting, he staked the animal to grass, and then wrapping a blanket around himself, lay down upon the ground to wait and rest. He endeavored to keep awake, but, weak from loss of blood, exer- | slumber and slept for hours, The moon did not rise until nearly midnight, | but when he awoke he found it was high in the heavens; and he had become so confused and be- wildered, so turned round, that he could not tell whether the moon was on the east or west side of the midnight meridian. got the points of the compass, he resumed bis journey. Riding on till daylight, he found that he was growing weak with hunger, but he had no trou- ble in finding a curlew, which he succeeded in killing. Then he struck a fire by means of a match and some dry sticks that he found by a little stream. Dressing the bird, he soon roast- | ed it, and made a sumptuous meal thereon, hay- ing some left for future need. Feeling greatly refreshed, he resumed his journey. He rode on and on all day, without reaching the wagon-route along which Captain Gray and his party were expected to pass, This convinced Tin he was lost again upon that trackless waste of prairie, and when darkness again set in, he tied his pony out to grass, and threw himself upon the ground with a feeling akin to despair... He had found that a year upon the prairies of Texas had done little toward familiarizing him with the topog- raphy of that trackless country. ‘he night was passed in restlessness and he again resumed his journey in a new course. All day he traveled over the boundless ocean of verdure without seeing a sign of life, unless it was a skulking coyote or solitary raven, and these always had a tendency to impress a lone hunter or traveler with an air of desolation. Night again set in, but Henry resolved to keep moving. He saw that his success in strik- ing the trail now depended entirely upon fate. ‘The night wore slowly on. The moon finally came up and threw a bright, mellow light over the plain, that was dream-like in) its inspira- tion. Still Henry St. Elmo rode on. But hark! A sound suddenly breaks upon his ears—a sound that seems to come from spirit- land, His animal stopped, pricked up its ears and sniffed the air with affright. Henry bent his head and listened. He started. He heard. a cry—a human cry—as if imploring help, and yet coming from out the re of Nowhere. He gazed around him and above him; but he could see nothing but the starry sky and the murky plain. ight he not be mistaken? He listened again. Again he heard that cry. Whence did it come? It was.a strange cry, and at times it was low and sepulchral, and seemed to issue from the bowels of the earth. He rode on a few paces, then turned and rode tion, and mental exhaustion, he fell intoasound | | that the savages would pursue him, ance 1 So ke was com- | pelled to wait still longer, and when at last he | doubt—thrust upward from the earth, there, in the midnight solitude of that wild Texan prairie! CHAPTER X. A QUEER BURIAL. Tuer reader has doubtless inferred, to a cer- tain extent, what the plans of the young mus- for outwitting and escaping from the horde of savages and prairie freebooters that hun around them upon the plain like groups o hungry vultures. The first to be done was to bind the body of Captain Gray upon his wild, spirited horse and turn it loose upon the prairie, feeling confident create a diversion in their favor. It was aiun- christian use to make of the dead, but it was a dire necessity to the living; it was the only avenue to escape from an indiscriminate mas- sacre—to save the lives of the two fair, helpless girls from a torturing captivity. But, even Lasso Jack would have refrained from using the remains of the captain for such a purpose, had he not received the consent of the agonized sisters in the matter, as also, their acquiescence in all his plans for their rescue. fter his interview with the maidens, Jack returned to his friends and made known to them his plans. Every man then went to work. In the first place a number of boxes belonging to the trad- ers’ wagons were emptied of their contents and | burned in two or three different places within by this time, | troubled dreams, and on the following morning | the inclosure. Then a spade—used by the trad- ers for trenching their tents—was produced and one of the men set to work removing the sod from over a space about four feet square, This would require great pains and mechanical precision, for the sod was to be replaced so as to conceal every trace ofits having been dis- turbed. When the sod was lifted the trader be- gan digging downward, throwing the dirt away about fifteen feet from the hole, Lasso Jack, Dan Dorne, and the other trader were busily engaged, in the meantime, prepar- ing tosend the captain’s body away over the | plain upon his spirited horse as soon as other arrangements were completed. It was a sad, sad duty to perform, but the only resource to | save the lives of Mabel and Rosalind. round and round in a circle; still he could find | nothing. He was satisfied the voice did not emanate from beyond the circle he had des- cribed. But there was something a little m#s- terious about it, for the ground was smooth as bird or squirrel could not have hid within it. Again that ery or call! It was nearer him than before, and still seemed to come from far down in the earth. The young mustanger felt a curious sensation creep over him, and as he sat upon his pony ing around him like one bewildered, a sud- comand involuntary cry burst from his lips, as he caught sight of an object, plainly revealed by the broad glare of the moon. A few paces to the right of him, in the short grass, was a small, circular t, covered with what seemed to be the ashes of a camp-fire, and from the center of that spot ahuman hand and arm were thrust upward through the earth! It was a small hand, white as snow, and upon one of the fingers something flashed like a tiny speck of fire. What did it mean? A human hand, white as a lawn, and the grass yee it so short that a | Sir George Richardson having been sent into | one of the traders’ wagons to empty a large box, entered at the front end of the wagon, and in order to reach the box in question he would be compelled to remove several smaller ones that intervened. This he at once proceeded to do, lifting the boxes and throwing them out. Some of them, containing costly fabrics, were covered with a heavy blanket to insure the en- trance of no dust or water into the boxes. This blanket Sir George seized hold of to re- move, but the very instant that his hand came in contact with it, an involuntary ery burst from his lips, and he withdrew his hand as quick as though the blanket had been a red-hot sheet of fire, for beneath it he felt some living thing move! For a moment the Englishman hesitated. He believed that a huge serpant had got into the wagon some way or other, and had ensconced it- self under the blanket.. ar y But, 110 time was to be lost in idle speculation. Every moment was precious now, for an im- ending fate was hanging over the heads cf the Tittle party. So he turned around and taking up his gold-headed. cane, that he had placed in the front end of the wagon on entering, he grasped it in the middle with the left hand. Then he gave it a quick wrench, and the gold knob pai from the wood and was followed by a long, glittering dagger that appeared from the hollow staff. Raising the polished weapon in an attitude of defense, he took hold of the blanket .again, and quickly drew it aside. He started with blank surprise, and for a mo- ment his face seemed to wear an expression of terror, for, there before him, he beheld a Co- manche Indian lying curled up among the boxes like a young cub bear! 5 No sooner, however, did the cunning savage see that he had been discovered than he sprung to his feet and attempted to escape from the wagon, knowing that resistance would be use- less. As he sprung apast Sir George, he endea- vored to bury a hatchet in his brain, but the Englishman aes the blow and at the same - time drove the blade of his dagger to the guards in the savage’s breast. With a wild, unearthly scream the doomed wretch leaped from the wagon, ran a few paces and fell dead. | |
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Lasso Jack. His screams created a momentary excitement among Sir George’s friends, but he soon explain- ed the whole matter, adding—as he returned his dagger to the hollow staff of his cane: “That counts the first red-skin forme. Alt his decidedly wondrous what hamount of serpent like cunning these red-men hot hAmerica pos- sess, decidedly wondrous.” So saying, he resumed his work of removing | the boxes, while his friends returned to theirs, Ee soon reached the large box, which he at once broke open and emptied of its contents. When this was accomplished, he rolled the box making the excavation in the ground. The box was then measured and the hole dug | of sufficient length, depth and breadth to receive it. It requireu but a few minutes to fit the box in the ground, the top about six inches below the surface of the ground. man covered the bottom and lined the sides of the box with some of the traders’ cloths. The horse with the lifeless body of Captain Gray upon it, was now led around a wagon where it could not be seen by the maidens, who were now taken from their wagon and conduct- ed to the buried box. “ There, girls,” said Lasso Jack, pointing to the neatly furnished box, ‘‘is your only resort for escape. In that box we hope to cover you This done, the English- | so that you will escape the savages until I can | bring assistance to your release.” Poet “T hope,” said Mabel, sorrowfully, ‘‘it will not prove a living tomb.” “‘T am sure it would be preferable to Indian | ; | to one of the horns, said: captivity,” said Rosalind. “No, no, Miss Garfield,” said Jack; ‘‘ you need have no fears. We will arrange itso you will experience no inconvenience for want of fresh air. to last you until We will supply you with water and food | come back, which may be to- | night; if not, by to-morrow noon at furthest.” | “ But, suppose you should never return—not one of you?” said Rosalind, sadly. “When sufficient time for our return has elapsed and none of us appear, then you can make your own escape from the box. cover it so thet you can release yourselves. We will place a thin layer of sod and turf over you, and if you should be compelled to release your- Ve will | selyes, take the road and follow it westward. | About twenty miles from here you will come upon an old Mexican ranchero, who will un- doubtedly assist you. There is scarcely a doubt but that I will be back within the time stipu- Jated. If you could only stand the ride, I would take you along now, but then you could not. | This box retreat, girls, is your only salvation.” ‘Oh, Jack!” exclaimed Rosalind, “‘ you have | been more than a friend to us, and if ever we escape, we will forever owe you a debt of grati- | tude,” “No, no, Rosaliz.d, you need never feel under | obligations to me. It is a duty that I owe to my fellow-beings to aid them in time of need. But time, my dear young ladies, is precious, and we must improve it.” He took Rosalind by the hand, and assisted her down into the box. Then, as he was about ; Across his shoulder he carried a rifle. | ing-kn to withdraw his hand, she raised her head and | their eyes met in one last, lingering gaze, that told of the silent commupvion of their ia hearts Jack pressed+her little, soft hand, fingers, saying: ; re * Will you accept it, and wear it? ground below the surface just the thickness of | the sod, so that when it was replaced there | would be no irregularities on the outer surface. When the job was completed, Jack placed his lips to the mouth of one of the horns that pro- truded half an inch above the surface of the | | ground, and asked: ** Have you plenty of air, down there girls?” ‘Yes, sir,” Rosalind’s voice responded, ‘it is dark, but very comfortable. We can see specks of daylight through the horns.” ‘“How are you going to conceal this dirt, | Jack?’ asked one of the traders: “the savages from the wagon, and with the assistance of one | ¢? his friends, carried it to where the trader was will know it was brought here, and will nose around till they find the hole it came out of.” ‘We can easily remedy that,” said Jack; ‘‘ dig another hole and throw the dirt upon this pile. The savages will never dream but that it came out of the same hole.” ‘* By St. George, Jack!” exclaimed Sir George, ‘vou ’ave an ’ead, hon you that is remarkable for hits horiginality, you ’ave.” The hole was at once dug as Jack requested, then the young mustanger turned to Old Dan and said: ‘** Now let the horse out, Dan, and give him a keen cut with the whip, to start him away. The yells of the savages will soon rise and keep him going.” The next moment the fine, spirited steed of Captain Gray, with its grim, lifeless rider, was | outside of the circle of wagons, and flying over the plain at a wild, break-neck speed. ‘Now, boys, mount your horses and prepare to leave,” said Lasso Jack; then he turned, and going back to where the maidens were, he dropped upon his knees, and applying his mouth “The plan works well, girls. The savages are pursuing the lifeless horseman, and now we | shall attempt our escape. Rest easy, you shall be released soon, Good-by.” He lingered long enough to hear Rosalind’s ‘*God speed you, Jack;” then he arose, and going to where his horse was in waiting, mount- ed it, rode from the wagon-corral, and galloped away toward the west, closely followed by Old Dan, Sir George, and the two traders, They saw before they started the savages were all in hot pursuit of the lifeless fugitive, | and felt in hopes that they would escape unob- served, but in this they were disappointed. They had not ridden over five miles, when they discovered they were being followed by a score of yelling Comanches. “Boys,” said Lasso Jack, ‘‘our only hope now lays in the speed of our horses, and let every one of you ride, ride for your lives!” CHAPTER XI. BIG BEAR LOSES HIS GAME. Ir was the day following that of our friends’ escape from the bg, corral on the plain. Across the great Texan prairie, to the North- ward of the scene of Captain Gray’s disaster, a solitary individual was making his way on foot. of pistols were in his girdle, alongside of his hunt- ife. is collar was thrown open, dis mys a full, massive chest, that was wildly thro bing with the pent-up emotions of fear and anxiety. His cap was pushed back from a fine, intellectual brow, that was streaming with perspiration, for 4 | it was a hot, midsummer day. gently, and thén, as he withdrew it, he deftly slipped a gold ring upon one of her tapering | “For your sake, Jack,” and tears that told of | a new-born hooe, gathered in the maiden’s eyes. Mabel was aasisted to Rosalind’s side. retreat was quite roonry, and they found they would not be cramped agreat deal, They could sit or lie comfortably, but the hight of the box would not admit of their standing. - Water was given them in a stone jug, with an ample supply of provision to last several days. Now came the work of closing the top. The covering was of heavy board, and in these, sev- eral round holes were cut, and powder-horns with both ends open inserted therein, with the | small ends pointing upward. These were to be ventilators to the maidens’ retreat. With sad and heavy hearts, Lasso Jack and Sir George carefully placed the covering over the box; then, with the greatest precision the sod and turf were placed upon this; great care | being taken that the mouth of the powder-horns were not closed up, yet concealed from the - elosest observation by tangling grass over them, in digging the pit, the digger had made such ation leriaiee that the box would be let in the Their | He was a Naas man, apparently possessed of @ inexhaustib hero, Lasso Jack, the young mustanger. As before stated, if was the day following that of his escape from the wagon-corral, that we find him journeying on foot over the plain, and yet he had not been to the fort where he | expected to find aid for the rescue of Rosalind and Mabel. His horse had fallen dead under him from hard riding, but, never faltering,she pressed on, / on foot. |. But the brave youth was soon doonied to meet with another disappointment. ered by a party of savages, and made a narrow | escape from capture, by taking to a little grove, where he was compelled to remain concealed ‘for hours, each of which seemed an age, so great | was his anxiety for the rescue of the maidens that he had left buried on the plain. At length he managed to escape, under cover of darkness, and pursue his onward course; but his detention by the savages, and loss of his horse, had thrown him several hours behind, | which it would require superhuman exertions to regain. It was past noon, and he was some ten miles ' from his destination, when he suddénly detected A brace | endurance, and the elasticity of | | an antelope. The youthful pedestrian was our | He was discov- | 7 | a slight noise like the far-off roll of thunder. But he knew it was not thunder, for the sky was | cloudless. | He turned and swept the horizon. He start- ed, and an exclamation of surprise burst from his lips. Far away upon the plain, to the southward | of him, he saw a band of horsemen, galloping down toward him, a dark cloud of dust hang- ing over them. They were over two miles away, yet it was | easy for one accustomed to the prairies as was Lasso Jack, to see that it was a band of savages. And now arose the questions: had they discov- ered him? or were they pursuing some of his friends that he had left behind? He could arrive at no definite. conclusion on either question, and was at a loss to know what course to pursue. Heknew flight would be use- less, so he threw himself down in the tall prai- rie-grass, and tangled it carefully over him. In this position, with his ear pressed closely to the ground, the young mustanger could plain- ly hear the clatter and feel the vibratory shock of the horses’ hoofs; and now a new fear took | possession of him—a fear that he would be | trampled to death beneath the pounding hoofs. But we must now leave our hero, and change the scene of our story for a short time. Far away to the southward a band of some thirty Comanche Indians were halted in a little Nexen § of cottonwood trees, gazing out upon the broad prairie that stretched its unbroken length away leagues to the northward, They were all well mounted upon fine, clean- limbed and spirited mustang ponies. They were armed with rifles, teomahawks aud knives, yet it | was evident they were not a war-party. eir lariats, lassoes and other trappings told that they were a party of hunters in pursuit of wild | horses. As they stood in the edge of the grove and | gazed away to the northward of them, it was | not the prairie and its romantic beauty that at- | tracted their attention, for they had seen it a | hundred times before, but it was a herd of wild | horses that were grazing upon it about a quar- | ter of a mile away,. **Look! Do my braves see the hérd of wild horses whose ade is White Lightning?’ asked | the leader of the party who was known as Big Bear, a name very suggestive from his short, ) burly appearance, in which the animal propensi- ties were fully developed. | His companions responded in the affirmatiy | as, with wntiong’ 8 eyes, they gazed upon the her | grazing upon the plain before them. | There were over a hundred in the herd, of all ages and colors, Standing a little to one side was a white stud, that seemed to be performing the duties of sentinel; for his head was erec | his massive neck arched, and his'ears pricke | up as though in the attitude of extreme vigi- | lance. He was a noble-looking animal—a | fect picture, with mane mad init sweeping to the oe He was known by the savages as White Lightning, a name suggested by his won- derful swiftness and instinct in detecting ap- ero danger. A hundred times, perhaps, ad the Comanches endeavored to capture him, but they found no horse in their corrals suffi- cently eet to accomplish it. But, finally, Bi Bear had the luck to steal, from a | of Apaches, a horse that had long been noted for its speed, and upon this animal he set out, accompanied by a party of his braves, deter- mined to roa ors White Lightning. | For days had they been in search of the herd | with which he ran, and not until the present hour had they been able to get sight of him, They were to the leeward of the herd, yet despite this advantage, the noble beast seemed | to be suspicious of danger. “Let my warriors mount and the chase,’ said Big Bear. ‘Tf White Lightning with the lasso, while you can keep to the right and left tc head the herd off | if it should turn either way. The way to the | northward is long, and unbroken by hills and | creeks, If the herd keeps in that direction, the | race will be long, and ere darkness falls, Big | Bear will ride into the Comanche village on | White be ayceny There is none on the plains | better with the lasso, although the fame of the white mustanger, Lasso Jack, is great. But he | has tried to catch White Lightning and failed, and yet he bets his scalp against mine that he | will ride the wild steed first. Tf he is honest, as prepare for ill pursue of capturing the white steed as I am that my eyes see him now. Big Bear has spoken. Let my braves follow.” ‘ Xs | Big Bear is, to-morrow he will come into my ~ l and give me his scalp; for 1 am as certain | /
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_knew no bounds. 8 He took the lasso attached to the bow of his saddle in his right hand, and dashed from the | Being to | woods down toward the wild horses. the leeward of them, they had ridden several rods before the herd discovered them. When it did, they pricked up their ears, gave a snort of affright, and dashed away to the northward, their hoof-strokes sounding like the dull, inces- | | through sant roar of thunder. White Lightning took the lead of the herd, and as he swept onward, he presented a noble picture with his small head turned slightly to one side, his red nostrils dilated with terror and his were and tail streaming out on the wind like a speuicss banner of white. is Bear gained rapidly on his companions and the stragglers of the herd. Mile after mile was left behind in an incredibly short time. A long, serpent-like cloud of dust hanging on the air behind, marked the trail of the hunters. For an hour they swept on. Many of. the fee- bler ones of the herd were passed, but the Co- manches paid no attention to these. White! Lightning was the sole object of that chase. ith eager eye Big Bear watched the flying steed, and his heart beat wildly with a feeling of joy and triumph when he saw he was gaining on he snowy steed. He pressed his animal to its utmost, and with its great, heavy burden the beast fairly flew over the plain, now gaining on the fugitive steed at every bound. Nearer and nearer the Comanche chief ap- proached to the oné object of the race. Closer and closer his clashing hoofs sounded—now so close that the dust and dirt were flung back in his face—so close that he could almost reach him with his lasso. The emotious of the savage chieftain became wild as he gained steadily upon the fugitive. And at length the moment for action came. The raw-hide lasso shot from the Indian’s hands with a quick ‘“‘whir’’ toward the steed, to its aim, the fatal noose fell over the head of the wild horse and was gradually drawn taut around his throat. The Comanche now reined in his animal by slow degrees until he finally brought it to a stand. ' The wild beast reared and plunged madly, striking the air with his feet and snort- ing fiercely, but his efforts only served to tighten the rope about his neck, and at last he made a desperate lunge, gasped and fell to the earth, choked down! As none of his friends had yet come up, Big Bear sprung from his animal, and taking a heavy Viahres from his saddle, he advanced toward the.fallen beast, to throw it over his head, but before he could reach the animal, a figure sprung from the grass ati his feet and dealt him a blow upon the head that sent him half blinded to the earth. A yell burst from his lips, followed by the , * Lasso Jack! Lasso Jack!” st was, indeed, Lasso Jack, who had sprung so suddenly from the grass near where the cap- tured White Lightning lay. Dealing Big Bear a second blow as he attempted to regain his feet, and giving his horse a severe dig with his drawn knife, the Comanche’s horse went careering wildly over the plain. Then Jack, with marvelous skill, threw a por- tion of the lariat into the shape of a bridle, and, severing the thong at the animal's neck, White Lightning was free, and, as it gained its breath it st ‘Ted to its feet.’ But a rider was upon its bac i The young mustanger had mounted the wild, unconque steed as he rose to his feet, The beast made two or three efforts to throw the rider off, but in vain. Jack sat as firm as though he had been a part of the horse himself and his extemporized bridle gave him a means of steering his infuriated steed into any desired course, “ Good-day, my dear Big Bear,” Jack shouted back to Bie Tomas as the steed dashed away; TY hav’n’t got time to take your scalp to-day, but ['ll see you another—” The rest of the sentence was lost to the ears of the defeated, dumbfounded savage, by the distance that had so suddenly separated the enemies. Big Bear had been robbed of his game. In the very moment of his triumph, he had met with shame, defeat. And, as he stood and watched the young mustanger flying away into the dis- tance upon White Lightning, his rage and anger CHAPTER XII. IN DESPAIR, Tae f ef the two sisters, Rosalind . Riabel Garfield. can better be be imagined True | Beadle’s: Half-Dime Library. | —! than I can describe them, when they found admit Lasso Jack is worthy any waman’s love. themselves alone, shut up in what yot might | They knew the dangers to | prove a living tomb. which Lasso Jack and his companions would be exposed, and that there was nothing certain that they would reach the fort alive. After Jack had bid them good-by, they sat | and listened to the faint sounds transmitted | the ventilator. the powder-horn They retreating heard grave. The sisters sat waiting in breathless suspense, expecting each moment to hear the savages come to take possession of the deserted camp. Hours wore away thus waiting. At jast they hear the thumping jar of hoofs upon the plain, mingled. with the sound of excited voices that gradually deepen into savage yells of triumph. The maidens tremble with fear and suspense. hear the dull thud of a hoof on the turf direct- ly over them; they feel the fine dirt sift through | on their hands and face, and hear the boards over them creak. Fear takes possession of them —a fear that a savage will ride upon the turf above them and break through into their re- treat and crush them, But they soon find relief from these fears. The savages pass on to the opposite side of the inclosure, yet they are not so far away but what | they can hear them talking in fierce, vindictive tones that are finally mingled with yells of tri- | umph, the crashing of boxes, and the bursting | open of rum and brandy kegs. The sisters know what is to follow. They know there was liquor in the traders’ wagons, and that a drunken row was sure.to be the re- | sult of its discovery. They greens breathe through fear of being heard, for they know they are in imminent pen, and they shudder to | think what would be their fate were they to be | captured now. fours go by. They can hear the savages they grow quieter and quieter till the camp seemed ‘deserted by all but one person, whom they can still hear, walking about, cursing and rades. It was Juarez Diaz, the Texan Terror, but the maidens knew it not. At length they begin to hear voices again, and know that the savages are awakening from a drunken sleep. They hear words of command given by an authoritative voice. It is to harness animals to the wagons, gather up the strewn articles and put them in the wagons. hoof-strokes of their | friends’ horses, then all became silent as the | Yes, dear sister, and I know my heart would break if the news should come to me that he was dead, as it did to you of Henry, not saying that I love Jack more than you did Henry. x never knew what love was till I met Jack, and now I can imagine how you suffer at heart, Ma- bel; yet I feel certain Henry is not dead. Some- thing tells me so.” “Ob, if I knew he lived I could wait here a month, Rosalind, for his coming, but | am—” ** Hark, Mabel! what noise is that?” The sisters listened. They heard a slight noise like that of falling rain, and after they had lis- tened several niinutes, then all relapsed into si- | lence again, The sisters waited anxiously for the coming of | Lasso Jack to their rescue, for they were fully satisfied that night had long since set in. They | ate some of their food, not, however, because They can hear their horses’ footsteps as they | walk about from place to place, and once a low, | suppressed cry escaped Mabel’s lips, for they | they were hungry, but to give themselves the strength they knew they would need wha their friends came to take them away. But, the hours wore on and no one came. till they waited and waited, but allin vain. They knew that the night was almost spent, and their hitherto bright. hopes began to grow clonded. Then they thought that perhaps Lasso Jack had been detained, but would yet come. And still the hours sped. At last Rosalind ap- plied her eyes to their small look-out, and a ery | of delight burst from her lips. ‘** What is it sister?’ questioned Mabel. “‘ The night has passed and a new day dawned. Oh, Mabel! I fear something dreadful has hap- pened Jack and his friends!” ‘* Let us hope for the best, sister,” repiicd Ma- bel; ‘‘they may have only been detained in get- ting to the fort. We should not despair yet.” They ate their breakfast and whiled away the time in recounting the trials of their journey and the bitter experiences of their young lives. But, #s the hours wore away, each one grew longer and longer to the impatient sisters, At noon a faint glimmer of sunshine—a mere | thread of light, like a ray of ge struggled charging about in drunken revel, but at length | or down through one of the open ns, whose mouth was inclined a little southward, into their dark retreat. But when that faint thread of a | sunshine melted away, they knew the sun had raving like a madman.at his drunken com- crossed the meridian and was declining west- | ward, and from that minute their spirits began. The maidens soon distinguished the rattling | of harness chains; then followed a rumbling and crunching of wagon-wheels. Their hearts gave a great, joyful bound, for they knew the Savages were leaving. Soon all was silence, and the sisters breathed | easier, for they realized that they had made a narrow escape from discovery. “Thank God!” exclaimed Mabel, ‘‘they are | gone at last—after an age of fear and sus- se.” ‘Yes, and now we can hope for release soon, dear sister,” replied Rosalind, “‘for it must be | nearly if not altogether night.” ‘* Look up through one of those holes over'your head, Hosalind, and perhaps you can tell whether it is dark or not.” Rosalind felt about for the mouth of one of | the horns, and when she had found it she ap- plied her eyes to the orifice, but all was dark- ness where but a short time ago she could see | a faint ray of daylight.” “Tt is night, it is night, Mabel,” cried Rosa- lind, joyfully. be here with assistance to relieve us.” Mabel’s heart fluttered joyfully at her sister’s words of encouragement—the hope of soon be- ing free, but when her mind reverted to Henry St. Elmo, she almost wished she was in her rave, for what would life be to her without 1im? But, finally she said, seeing Lasso Jack = awakened a deep interest in Rosalind’s young eart: “Lasso Jack is a noble, brave fellow, Rosa- lind, and I cannot see how one so free-hearted and enthusiastic as you are can help admiring him. J know he is your style of—” ‘““Why—why, Mabel, what do you mean?” stammered Rosalind, hele 'on Oe ‘*T mean what I say, you little hypocrite. Do you think that you can conceal from me your admiration for vans Jack?” ‘“You surprise me, Mabel, but I will frankly ** Lasso Jack and Dan will soon | to decline also. They waited for several more weary hours, un- til they knew it must be nearly night; then Ros- alind’s Courage gave ‘way, and she burst forth, almost in despair: > “Mabel, they are not coming, They have been slain or captured! | We have got to escape from here and take our chances of reaching the haciendo cf the old ranchero spoken of by Jack.” ‘*We could never reach there alive, little sis- ter!” moaned Mabel. ‘‘Oh, may Heaven aid us in this trying hour?’ “Shall we not to remove this covering over us, Mabel?” asked Rosalind. “Yes,” cried Mabel; ‘let us get out of this place into the open air, or I shall suffocate!” Rosalind placed her hands against the boards that supported the covering of turf and sod, | and endeavored to push them upward, Lut hor feeble strength was inadequate to 1. tari: She could not move them. ‘*Mabel, you will have to assist me,” <‘;e said. Mabel came to her assistance, and togeiher they pushed upward on the boards with al] their united strength, but they might just as well have endeavored to lift up the dome of a rocky cavern, for they could not moveit. Again and again they tried it, but without suecess, and at last they gave it up and sunk down with a cry of despair. ; ‘Oh, my God, Rosalind, we are inclosed in a living tomb—buried alive!” moaned Mabel. “Do not—oh, do not talk so, Mabel!’ replisd Rosalind; ‘‘let us hope for a more pleasant fate —a more comfortable death-bed!” ‘We cannot deny the plain yet terrible truth, Rosalind. How are we to escape from here? — Surely by no effort of our own, and without a doubt those who know we are buried here are powerless—if not dead—to help us.” | «Let us rally our cournge, and try to look at the bright side of the picture, even if we are in a dungeon. You see I have the hunting-knife that » Jack gave to slice our venison with, With it I can probably e one of the holes overhead, then we can reach out and. remove the sod, block by block, as it was placed ore Us. In this way, we may yet escape from ere. ‘True, true, Rosalind. It is well you are not as thoughtless as I am; but then you knew it is my nature, sister, to fret and give right wx Ration.
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| Lasso Jack. even when [ should be the most determined and resolute.” Drawing one of the horns from its place, Rosa- lind began to enlarge the hole in the box-lid. But this she soon found a hopeless task. The wood was hard aimost as iron, and her feeble strength, and that of Mabel, were unable to complete the job before them. Atleast, it would reguire hours of incessant labor. But, without a despairing murmur, she worked away, being relieved occasionally by Mabel. Thus,.for hours, the sisters worked on, but they found their diligence had been poorly re- warded, for the hole had been enlarged just | sufficiently to enable Rosalind to put her hand and arm out. This the maiden, did, and with the knife she shaved the dirt and sod away, until the hole was of uniform size to the surface of the ground or sod above them. They were enabled to see out now quite easily. They beheld a number of stars twinkling in the blue dome of heaven. They put their hands out and felt the cool evening wind upon them. It made them long for its freedom, and renewed their hopes. And so Rosalind began clipping away at their prison door, but in the midst of her labor, she gave the knife a sudden wrench, and snapped the steel blade in two. With this accident faded all their hopes of escape, and both again sunk down in despair. They threw their arms about each other’s neck, and burst into an agony of tears. But in the midst of their bitter emotions, a sound sud- denly rushed athwart the darkness. It was a sound that caused them to start and choke down their sobs and listen. They recognized the sound as the tread of a horse’s hoofs, and the clink of a bit-ring. The fear of perishing in their retreat over- balanced all other fear and A era and at the top of her lungs Rosalind called for help. Then they listened for the result. They could still hear the thump of hoofs above them, mov- ing about apparently in a circle around them. “It must be a friend, Mabel,” said Rosalind, in a whisper. “Tt may be, but it is none of those that left us here, or else they would not be groping about, apparently, searching for the spot.” “What had we better do?” “ Why not call again, then put out your hand to show him where we are,” replied Mabel. Rosalind called to the unknown horseman again, then she bravely thrust her hand and arm out at the opening, in hopes of attracting attention. The next moment after she had withdrawn her hand, they heard a soft footstep approach- ing them. Then a dark shadow fell across their look-out overhead, Gazing out, Rosalind saw the figure of a man standing over their retreat, plainly outlined against the starry sky, and it was now that it occurred to her that it might be an Indian war- rior or prairie freebooter, and the thought sent the blood, in icy currents, back to her stout young heart. CHAPTER XIIL. THEY ARE GONE, A BAND of some fifty horsemen broke camp on the San Saba, at daybreak, and pushed their course southward, at a goodly speed. They were all well mounted, armed alike, and wore the uniform of the United States soldiers. In fact, it was a detachment of soldiers, a part of Captain Louis Gray’s command, that had been sent out from Fort —— to punish a band of Comanches and freebooters, under the notori- ous Texan Terror, that had managed to get south of them, and were raiding and murdering the settlers and emigrants along the overlan trail. They had only been out one day’s ride from the fort, but now as they galloped onward over the plain, they expected any minute to bring them in sight of a party of the marauding foe. They felt perfectly secure, even against odds, for the superiority of their horses and weapons would give them a decided advantage in an open prairie conflict. The party rode on, stopping only a few min- utes to noon, andas the sun Was near its setting, Lieutenant Jourdan descried a horseman some distance to the southward, riding directly to- ward them, at a fearful speed. The lieutenant at once ordered a halt, and his men into line, for he knew not but that it was & fugitive flying from a band of savages. But in this they were happily disappointed, for they discovered the horseman was entirely alone. They saw that he was mounted upon a spirited, snow-white horse, without saddle or bridle, and seemed to have but little control over the animal’s movements. On he came, now so close, that the-rangers could distinguish his form and features. “It was the renowned youth, Lasso Jack, the young mustanger. A shout pealed from their lips, for, of all others, the presence of Lasso Jack was most de- sirable, = antes SONCTSEED C —_ ‘“After our escape from the wagon-corral 2 rode on until my horse fell dead under me. Then I took it on foot. While thus journeying | Lsaw a band of Comanches riding rapidly to- | ward me; and to escape being seen, if hac not been already, I threw myself in the tall grass. The savages proved to be a party in pursuit of } wild horses, and one of them, the notorious Big Bear, succeeded in lassoing this horse, just as he.came up to where I lay. The horse was thrown within three feet of me. I knew I As-he came still nearer, they saw that his | would ‘fie discovered if I remained there. so L horse, a beautiful white mustang, with flowing | sprung tO.my feet. white mane and tail, was foaming with sweat, and unmanageable with fear and affright, they litth: dreaming it was the renowned wild steed, White Lightning, with its first rider upon its back. When he discovered the rangers, Lasso Jack exerted his utmost to check the flying steed; but he found it was a task likely to require some trouble and exertion. He determined he would not lose the animal, for he found, by experience, that it was the fastest he had ever backed. Reaching forward, he passed his hands along the animal’s neck, permitting them to extend gradually to his head, then down to his muzzle, when he quickly grasped the beast by the nose and closed his nostrils. In this manner the noble beast was soon smoth- ered down, and came toa full stop, before he had quite reached the rangers. Then, with the lasso that was still looped around his nose, the young mustanger made a slip-noose, passed it inside the mouth, and over the lower jaw, and in a moment more, White Lightning was in the power of Lasso Jack, The youth now proceeded, in the true manner of the wild-horse tamer, to conquer and bring its wild spirit into gentle submission. This he had, ina great measure accomplished, ere the rangers came up, for in the management of the wild horse, there were none in the South-west that could excel Lasso Jack, ‘*Hello, Jack Clarkson, what does all this mean?” questioned Lieutenant Jourdan, as they galloped up. “ve got White Lightning, at last, lieuten- ant,” replied Lasso Jack, ‘‘and I tell you he came in good play at a good time, too.” “Why, what is the matter, Jack? Anything wrong?” “Wrong!” exclaimed Jack; “yes, the whole Comanche nation is an accursed wrong! It isa God-send/that I have met you here. The red devils have been doing their worst.” “What have they been doing, Jack?” ‘Have slain all but seven of a party of three- and-twenty persons, and Captain Louis Gray was one of the killed,” ‘Great God! is this possible, Jack?’ cried Lieutenant Jourdan, while exclamations of sur- prise and sorrow passed from lip to lip of the men, Jack briefly narrated the adventures of the sata upon the plain, the terrible siege of the nd, and death of most of its noble defenders, and how their escape was finally effected, after they had concealed the captain’s nieces in a box under ground, © rangers received the terrible news with sad hearts, for they dearly loved Captain Gray. After he had concluded his story, Lieutenant Jourdan asked: “Have you any hopes of the girls’ escaping discovery?” “T have, lieutenant. ~But, they may only es- cape discovery by the savages to perish in a liv- ing tomb. Iwas to have been back this morn- ing at furthest, to relieve them, I hope, for heaven’s sake, Jourdan, you will take your men and go with me to their rescue.” “ Of course I will, Jack; mount your horse and lead the way,” “Thank God!” exclaimed Jack; then with but little difficulty he mounted his trembling, con- quered steed, and heading him southward, gal- loped sharply away, with Lieutenant Jourdan - = side, and his rangers following @lose be- ind. sae they were fairly onder way, Jourdan ed: PS ME a are the rest of your friends that es- ‘**T cannot say. I left them all far behind after we escaped from our breastwork . of wagons. Old Dan Dorne was among them.” “Old Dan Dorne! As brave a man as ever pulled trigger. I hope we will meet them all,” ~“T am afraid the chances are against them,” said Jack, ‘‘for a score of Comanche devils were after them.” ‘‘ And how came you aboard of White Light- ning?” — yi ; ; I knocked Big Bear down, cut the lasso-that held White Lightning, and as he rose to his feet,I sprung upon his back, and away we shot like“a meteor over the plain, in exactly the directionL wanted to go.” ‘*By heavens! you ra a wonderful risk of your life, Jack!” “Yes, lieutenant, and all-for those two fair girls buried on the plain, mileSfrom here.” ** Ah, Lasso Jack, I see you are” ** Look yonder, ahead! “A horseman!” broke in one of the rangers, in a stentorian voice. True enough, a horseman was observed ridin £ toward them, swinging his hat in a mahwer to attract attention from the rangers. The party rode on until they met him. To their joy and surprise it was old Dan Dorne. He was flushed with excitement, and his horse about exhausted with hard riding. “Hullo, Jack, lieutenant and friends! Glad to meet you, by heavens I am!” the old hunter- guide exclaimed, nearly out of of breath, before either of the others could speak, “Why, Dan? Whatis it? What's up?” “The devil’s to pay, Jack, Sir George Rich- ardson is a willin’ prisoner—has turned traitor to us, and at this holy minute he and Texan Terror are goin’ back to git the gais we left con- cealed in the box on the plain !” “Great God!” exclaimed Jack, in accentsof despair, “‘ then the girls are lost, lost! But, Dan, ‘cee hardly believe Sir George is such a vil- ain.” **T could hardly b’lieve it either, fur awhile, but it’s so, Jack.” ‘ r What evidence have you to substantiate the act? *‘ The evidence of my own eyes and ears,” ree turned Dan. There could be no doubt of his story now, for Dan Dorne was known to be a man of truth, and to never circulate reports that he could not prove. ‘Then let us ride on, boys, for heaven's sake,” said Jack; ‘‘I wish I could discredit Dan’s story, but who ever knew him to be at fault in such matters?” ‘Forward, men, forward!” exclaimed Tieu- tenant Jourdan, and the next instant the whole per went sweeping away ata gallop over the lain. ; Old Dan Dorne accompanied them. The emotions of Lasso Jack now were wiy- thing but pleasant. The thought of Sir George turning traitor and going back with the inhu- man Texan Terror to recover the maidens, filled his heart with bitter anguish and agonizing im- atience. He knew there were grounds for Sir eorge’s conduct—that he had been very atten- tive to Rosalind, and that attention amounted to more than mere gallantry. Yet, he never dreamed that bis frank, open manhood and mor- al courage could descend so low in the scale of manliness as to turn traitor and take sides with such an inhuman foe as Texan Terror, in order to obtain by force, that which he could not ob- tain by a free, open course of honesty and right. e party rode sharply on and at dark struck the wagon-trail about ten miles from where the maidens had been concealed. Takiag the trail they galloped on by twos, Jack and Lieutenant J Candas & n keeping the lead. The moon was just coming up when the party came in sight of the clay bank thrown from the it near where the girls had been. concealed. hey did not expect to find the wagons there, for Dan had seen them miles from there ina aoe grove, where the freebooters had concéaled. them. With \a heart beating with all the agony of fear and nse, Lasso Jack turned {rom the trail and rode toward the mound of yellow dirt. Dismounting, he gave his horse in care of one of. the ran and hurried forward toward the place where he had left the maidens. ; But, as he neared the spot, a ery of agony burst from his lips and he staggered’ back as if | from a ghost. been made for the phe It was open ans ‘. Before him he saw the excavation that Ma ig e@ i
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10 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. e It was Lieutenant Jourdan who asked the question. “ Yes, they are gone, lieutenant, gone!” ‘ Ah! what is that?—a lifeless body, as I live.” They advanced and bent over the prostrate, lifeless form that lay a few paces away. The haggard face was upturned in the moon- light, and the glassy eyes were wide open and ae up at the starry sky. ae Vv ** don’t you recognize that face?” **T do not.” me is the face of Juarez Diaz, the Texan Terror! And he was dead—stark and stiff. But who had slain him? CHAPTER: XIV, ENGLISHMAN VERSUS FREEBOOTER, Ir now becomes necessary that we should go tack and follow up tue adventuresome footsteps of Sir George Richardson. After their escape from the wagon-corral on the prairie, the party, including Sir George, Old Dan and the two traders, tried to keep up with Lasso Jack, but failed. The young mus- tanger soon left them all far behind, and being mounted wpon one of the heavy draught-horses, Sir George soon found himself far behind all the rest. He could not make his animal go out of a slow, tiresome gallop, and escape from the ursuing savages he saw at once was an impossi- | ility. He was armed with nothing but the indispen- sable gold-headed cane, and he seemed to regard his capture, now that it was so promising, with a coolindifference. In fact, when he saw that it was useless to belabor his horse for a speed that was not in him, that capture was certain, he calmly drew rein, tied a handkerchief to the end of his cane and waved it above bis head. There werp those among the pursuers who knew the import of the flag and conveyed its meaning to their friends. I | Sir George was allowed the privileges of the camp, and with his cane in hand was moving | about with all the freedom of Texan Terror him- | self. This seemed a little strange to the old guide— he could not understand its meaning. He knew that Si George was quite ingratiating in his conversational faculties when a was a mind to | be, but he did not think he could work himself eaven, lieutenant!” exclaimed Jack; | into the confidence of an Indian, despite the | magic of his tongue, so deeply as to be permit- | ted the entire freedom of the camp. The next minute the Englishman was sur- | ; | leave them?—surely not in any of the wagons.” rounded by the savage horde, among whom were several white renegades, ‘Hullo, here!” exclaimed one of the latter; | *< what have we got here so cheaply? A white- livered coward?’ and he eyed Sir George svith a comical grin upon his brutal dissipated face. “hOwing to the superiority hof your ’orse- flesh, Al sup you ’ave a prisoner hof war,” replied Sir George ‘Ze. ‘* Humph!” ejaculated the renegade mouth- | piece, ‘‘ we never take prisoners of war.” *f Very well, Al am willing to go free hon parole.’ ; ‘““When vou leave us it will be without your Scalp.” *“hOh, hindeed!—the devil you say, you sav- age barbarian. Well, sir, hI am a child hot fate, but hif you git my scalp you will ’ave to fight for hit.” “Well, well, Britisher, you’ve got a leetle grit, ain’t you? But, seein’ as what you’ve got no weapons but a harmless cane, I guess you can jist ride on with us, and when we git more time we'll see what in made of.” “hExactly, friend barbarian; lead on and AI will follow you with hall the’onor/hof a prisoner of war.” Two of the party took Sir George in charge, while the rest of them galloped on in pursuit of the other flying fugitives. As they rode on, Sir George kept a close watch upon the movements of his conductors, in hopes of catching them off their guard. In case he s intention to deal them a blow up- They rode on, and as no opportunity for es- an cnoia himself at The party that had captured him had been joined during the evening by Texan Terror and is band, and to this chieftain’s mercy the cap- tive was now turned over, The band numbered about four-score, and ex- perienced no fears of being pursued, but lay and sat about their camp-fires in of mind. No guards were posted, for they knew there was no enemy within miles of them that was of sufficient strength to give them the least ‘trouble. Yet at the very moment they consi- cered themselves free from all prying eyes and miles from an enemy, Old Dan Dorne was skulk- within ear-shot of their camp. to the old hunter’s surprise he saw that a ( a I ‘ 1 kaon sai rfect ce | | to prove hall Al t And from what he had seen of Sir George, he could not think there was:a traitorous element about him. _ But, he was soon destined to change his opin- ion. In the course of the evening he saw Texan Terror button-hole the Englishman and lead him to one side out of ear-shot of the savages, and enter into a private conversation with him. Now was old Dan’s chance to learn the mean- ing of Sir George’s freedom and intimacy with the Mexican freebooter, and creeping along un- der shadow of the trees, he succeeded in gain- ing a point within easy ear-shot of the twain, and the first sentence he heard caused him to start with surprise. It was put in the form of a question, thus: ‘Then the girls are alive, eh?’ Tt was Texan Terror who asked the question. Tikes they hare halive,” he heard Sir George reply. Eid Lasso Jack and Old Dan Dorne carry them off?’ the guide again heard Dia ask. ‘““No; we left them within the inclosure of wagons before we came away.” “Sacre!” exclaimed the freebooter in surprise. ‘‘T believe you are lying, man!” “That his cool, hold feller, but hI ham hable say, Mr. Diaz.” Able to prove that you left the nieces of Captain Gray on the prairie within the inclos- ure of wagons?” “ce Yes.” “T believe yet youare lying. Where did you ‘No, not at hall, Texan Terror. But then Al ham not willing to tell you where they hare un- less you will hagree to one thing.” ‘* And suppose I won’t agree to it?’ retorted Texan Terror. ; “Then AI will not tell where the girls hare.” “Then you will losé your scalp.’ “hI ham ready to die, hand die game too.” Texan Terror’s brow knitted with anger, then he became thoughtful. He was studying some way to circumvent the Englishman. At last he said: ‘‘“You should remember, sir, that you, as a common subject, are not to dictate to me, Tex- an Terror.” “hOh, hindeed! AI beg your pardon, my Lord Terror, but hI thought we ’ad better henter into han halliance of friendship, now that we hare friends together.” “So we are, but then you are to be recognized only as a common warrior.” “hExactly; butin the girl case hI propose to ’ave my own wayor bust. If you want to know where they hare, you must come to my terms. If not, you may lift my scalp and be darmed.” Pe gee Terror frowned ferociously, then re- ied: Pn Name your desires, then.” ‘Thank you. Well, there is a girl hapiece for us. hl am to ’ave my choice hand you take the other. Both hare very pretty, hextremely ’endsome. Now if you will go with me halone, | AI will take you to where the maidens hare. | We will ’ave to be ina’urry too, unless Lasso sa will be back and get them before we reach there.’ ‘Why not take a few warriors along as an es- cort?’ asked Diaz, a little suspiciously. ‘“Not ha warrior, Mister Terror, pe hI don’t go. hl will die first. We two must go halone —take hextra orses for the maidens to ride. AI tell.you, Terror, dip pretty, lovely and hangelicg You will be a’appy man to get one hof them.” The Englishman had succeeded in rendering the will of the brutal, sensual freebooter per- fectly pliable, and had no trouble now in bend- ing it to suit his own purposes, whatever they were. The desire to possess one of the lovely maid- ens of whom he had heard so much from the bs of his spies, completely overbalanced all other desires and dulled the precautionary in- stinct of the Mexican chief, and he wag ready to do suyeping Sir George p But at the same time he held the Englishman in igno- minious contempt, as a Ceara, weak-minded creature, whose life he was onl ring for the secrets that he hoped to compel him to divulge. And there was an undercurrent in Sir George’s conversation that Dan Dorne failed to fathom, for he was too enraged to think of aught else but of slaying the cowardly traitor, and more than once he grasped his rifle to do the deed but his better judgment at once prevailed, and he desisted from an act that was sure to bring danger down upon his own head. Returning to camp, Texan Terror at once ordered four of the best horses in the corral bridled and saddled, and when they were brought out, the prairie chief and Sir George mounted, and with a led horse each, took their departure from camp. ‘By cracky!” exclaimed old Dan, ‘“‘ ll stop their game, and their circulation too. ll carry the scalp o’ Sir George alongside o’ that o’ Texan Terror to the fort.” And thus musing to himself, the old guide did his utmost to get in ahead, but; they took a dif- ferent course from what he expected, and es- caped the death he had prepared for them. n over the prairie the grim Texan Terror galloped, side by side with his new friend, Sir George. The emotions of the two, as they rode onward side by side, will never be known, but judging from the nervousness with which they would regard each other occasionally, it was evi- dent that something antagonistic lurked within their breasts. Sir George still carried his cane, which came in good play now as a riding-whip. But the secret connected with that cane was unknown to all save its owner; but Diaz might have sus- pected something bad he noticed the glances Sir George gave him occasionally, accompanied by a quick, nervous movement with the cane, Hour after hour they galloped on, the clatter of their horses’ hoofs being the only sound that broke the solemn silence of the midnight hour. As the point of their destination drew near, the emotions of the two became stirred up to a high pitch of excitement, but while Texan Terror’s emotions were those of anxiety and im- patience to possess one of the girls, Sir George’s were far different. At length they drew near the mound of fresh dirt throw out to conceal that taken from the excavation in which the maidens had been concealed. As they drew near the mound, Sir George gazed around him as though laboring under a guilty conscience, then drew rein and dismount- ed, Texan Terror did likewise. Then side by side they advanced toward the place where he —Sir George—had helped to conceal the girls. ‘ eee, the Englishman came to a dead alt. ; ‘By St. George!” he exclaimed, pointing to a second hole in the ground before him, “ the girls hare gone, Terror; there is where they were concealed,’ ( Had his hat-rim not shaded his eyes as he spoke, Texan Terror might have seen the light of joy that beamed in hiseyes. As it was, how- ever, the freebooter turned like a maddened beast and glared upon him. There was latent meaning enough in the Englishman’s words to arouse a demon within his wicked heart, “Villain!” he finally burst forth, ‘you have bean deceiving me all the time!’ “*hIndeed, = 4 lord, I ’ave not. AI ’elped to ut the girls there Ain that very hexcavation. ut, they hare gone, hand we hare disappointed —both Hof us, my lord,” replied Sir George, as a strange smile swept over his face; ‘some one ’as found the maidens, hand taken them haway.” ‘“‘ Rascal, you are lying!” roared the pirate chief; ‘‘ you have deceived me—got me here through hopes of getting away, yourself!” “Ob no, my lord, hI could not deceive you.” “ Wretch, do not_add fuel to my wrath! I see through your whole cunning scheme!, I see why you were so anxious for us to come alone. You é ted to meet some white friends here and help you cut. But in this you have been deceived, and now your micerable life—which is a perfect lie itself, shall pay for your cunning; you shalJl die!” He d the haft of bis tomahawk and sta toward his victim, his eyes glowing with a deadly malignant fire. But, Sir George was on the alert, and before the villain could disen- gage his tomahawk from his girdle, a long, ae blade leaped from the staff of Sir rge’s cane and was driven to the heart of the freebooter. With a shriek, a convulsive , a wild clutching at the open air, Texan Terror stag- f and fell dead. ‘“Ha! ah! ah!” laughed Sir George, in a low,
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——— —— silent manner; ‘‘ this hends our halliance, Mr. Terror. Yov’re ha bigger fool thanhI took you to be. AI worked my ropes well, AI must had- mit. hI was satisfied the girls would be gone be- fore we got ’ere, else hI would never ’ave brought the villain ’are. Al ’ope the girls hare in good "ands. But what’s to become Aof this poor hEn- lish vagat snd? “Well, well, AI guess AI will ke these four ’orses hand lean hout for tall timber, has my friend, Daniel Dorne, says.” He mounted his horse, and with the other three, set off toward the north. He had not ridden over two hundred yards when the clat- ter of hoofs, and the jingle of what seemed to be sabers, fell upon his ears. The sound came from the west. He halted and gazed back. He saw a number of horsemen galloping along the plain, and from the flashing of their arms, their uniforms, and the trappings upon their horses, he was convinced that it was a party of sol- diers; and he had not a doubt but that Lasso Jack was at the head of them, coming to the rescue of the maidens, So turning about, Sir George rode back to- ward the party. CHAPTER XV. A JOYFUL MEETING. Henry St. ELMO sat like an image of stone and gazed upon that white hand and arm, pro- truding upward through the ground. It wasa mystery he could not solve—something that filled him witha strange awe. And that voice, coming, as it seemed, from everywhere, sound- ed like a voice that he had heard in a wild, yet pleasant dream. He sat motionless for several moments, and watched that hand. He saw what was pos- sessed of life. He saw it move, and finally dis- appear, down in the earth. hen to his ears came another cry. Henry possessed not a tithe of superstition. After seeing and hearing—all the evidence he eould desire—what he did, he knew all could be readily fathomed. So, dismounting, he ad- vanced to where he had seen the hand. He found a small, circular hole—like the hole of a ground-squirrel—but there was no other sign of the earth having been disturbed. This was very strange indeed. “Ts there any one about here in darkness?’ he asked. A ery of joy greeted his ears. It issued from the earth at his feet, and it was a woman’s ery. Henry, felt strangely impressed. How had any one been buried alive A without there being some evidence of the ground having been broken? “Who are you, and where are you whom I can hear?” “Ob, Rosalind!” came in plain, excited words to his ears, “‘it is surely his voice—the voice of Henry St. Elmo!” Henry started. It was surely the voice of his darling, Mabel Garfieid. Still it seemed impos- sible, and he cried: ‘ “Yes, I am Henry St. Elmo; but who are you, and where are you?” “Oh, Henry! Itis Mabel! We are fastened up here in the earth and cannot get out!” The truth began to force itself upon the mind of the young mustanger. The train had been attacked, and to elude being captured, the mai- dens had been concealed under the ground. uick as thought he sunk down upon his knees, » saa ~ FE REE AT LEE _ and began tearing at the earth about the hole. The turf came up easily in blocks, revealing a wooden support beneath. One by one he removed the blocks of sod, un- til the whole top of the maidens’ box retreat was laid bare. hen, like one in a mad ftenzy, he tore off the boards, and moonbeams stream- ine down into the box, revealed to him the white, sad faces of Mabel and Rosalind Gar- field, upturned to his. With a ery of surprise, he reached down and lifted them from their retreat. — ‘Mabel, my darling!” he cried, ‘‘ what does this mean?” “Oh, Harry!” moaned Mabel, as. he folded her to his throbbing breast, and imprinted kisses of the wildest joy upon her pale brow. : ‘Dear Mabel,” the young mustanger replied, scarcely knowing what he said, ‘‘ this surely is not reality—that we meet thus.” “ Yeg, yes, it is reality, Henry, and but for your coming we would have perished in a liv- ing tomb.” Tell me, darling, why it is that you_are here? Has trouble befallen your train? Have, Jack?’ you seen my friend, Mabel stayed her emdtions of joy, and nar- rated the terrible trials and troubles through which they had passed since Lasso Jack first ‘| possible for the journey. Lasso Jack. 11 made his i cao in the camp on Clear Creek, up to that hour. i Henry received the news with a feeling of sorrow and anguish. He thennarrated his own adventures, from the time he had separated from Lasso Jack, up to the moment be heard their imploring cries for help. t was a joyous meeting, and they talked on for some time. Finally Rosalind asked: ‘¢ Where will we go now, Henry, for safety?” ‘‘T will take you,” replied Henry, }‘ to a set- tlement, north of here, from which we can go | | on after the flying.mustang. to Fort and from thence to Santa Fe.” ‘Tis fortunate for us that we have met you, Henry,” said Rosalind, ‘‘for I fear Lasso Jack and his friends will never come back.” “Why not, Rosalind?’ “T am afraid they have all been killed.” ‘Tt may be possible, but it will take a good mauy Pecaheicises ever to catch Lasso Jack.” A light of joy beamed in Rosalind’s dark, ods eyes, to hear Henry speak thus of her ero. “But, should Jack ever come back and find us gone, what will he think?” “He will no doubt be uneasy, but it will not do for us to leave a note here telling him where we have gone, for an enemy is just as apt to get itas heis. I will take you to the settlement, then look after Jack and his friends.” Rosalind could scarcely suppress her emotions of joy, while Mabel cried and laughed by turns when she realized that her lover, whom she had mourned as dead, was alive and by her side. At length Henry said: ‘We must not tarry here longer, girls. There is no telling what dangers are lurking around us. You two must mount my horse and ride. I will walk, and guide you across the plain.” The maidens prepared themselves as well as The remainder of their food was packed for future use. Henry then assisted them to the back of his pony, and taking the rein, turned northward and began their journey. Nor were they,a minute too soon, for they had gone searcely twenty rods when he heard horses coming up the toad from the west. He glanced back and saw two horsemen ris- ing upon a little swell in the prairie against the moonlit sky. He knew at once that they were not friends, for one of them he saw wore a broad-brimmed sombrero, with a large plume attached to it. He recognized by these, the wearer of the hat and plume. It was the Mexi- can freebooter, Texan Terror! The young mustanger quickened his pace un- til the animal that carried the girls was hurried into a slow trot, and in this manner they soon put quite a distance between them and the prai- rie pirates. They traveled steadily onward in silence, and at a goodly speed. The night wore away, and, just as the sun streamed across the great plain, the trio de- scended into the deep, wooded valley through which wound the San Saba river. ‘“When we reach that timber,” said Henry, ‘“we will rest a few minutes, girls, for I know you must be greatly fatigued.” They descended into the valley and entered the timber. Under a green, shady oak they came to a halt. The maidens were assisted to dismount, and the mustang lariated, to browse among the tender foliage. Their meager supply of food was produced, and.eaten with good relish. Feeling greatly refreshed hy their rest and morning meal, the little party was about to re- sume its journey, when the watchful eye of Henry St. Elmo discovered a number of mount- ed Indians riding along the summit of the bluffs eastward of them, abeut half a mile, They were out upon the prairie, and although our friends were concealed from their view in the timber, Henry’s fears became great, for he saw that the savages were traveling eastward, and would cross their trailat right angles. He knew that the:trail would not escape the keen eyes of the warriors, for it was plainly defined through the dew-wet grass. - In breathless anxiety the young mustanger watched them, and when he saw them reach the trail, stop, and gaze away to the nerth, and then the south, his worst fears were realized—the savages had discovered his trail! He watched them a moment. He saw one of them dismount and examine the trail, then the whole band, a score or more, turned on the trail and rode directly toward the timber. Informing the girls of the crisis, the next mins ute nn had resumed their journey at a rapid Oba minutes’ journeying brought them to the ‘ river, and the sight of a canoe lying empty on the bank suggested the idea of abandoning the horse and taking to the water. He knew it would be an easy matter for the lynx-eyed sav- | ages to follow the hoof-prints of the muBStang, while the canoe would leave no trail. Assisting the girls to dismount he turned the pony loose, having first placed the burr of a cactus under the saddle, This pricked the ani- mal and sent him flying down the river, as Hen- | ry desired, for he felt in hopes the savages would overlook the division of the party, and follow The young man now launched the canoe and assisted the maidens into it. He then took the paddle, and driving the craft out into the river, turned and moved up its course. They found this manner of journeying less fatiguing than on horseback, and the spirits of the maidens began to revive. The air was cool and bracing, and came laden with the sweet perfumes of the wildwood, and this, together with the easy, gliding motion of the canoe, the regular plash, plash of the oars, lulled the six- ters into a dreamy, delicious forgetfulness, such as renee sleep of a worn, fatigued mind. Suddenly the languid eyes of Mabel were lifted to those of her lover, and a low cry es- caped her lips. She saw that his head was bent in the atti- tude of listening, and that his’ face denoted sud- den fear. : ‘What is it, Henry? Are we in danger?” she asked. ““T fear we are discovered, darling,” he re- sponded, as he turned his canoe abruptly in to- ward the southern shore of the river, under a low rock that projected several feet over the water, and from whose face a-curtain of moss and wild vines had grown down, trailing almost to the water’s surface. It was an admirable hiding-place, but just such a place as an Indian in search of them would be sure to look, How- ever, Henry had hopes that if it were Indians coming down the river, they were not in search of them, and so would pass on by. Still they were being detained, ania every moment lost by them was the savages’ gain. The shadows of the rock and curtain of vines | made it dark almost as twilight gloom where they were concealed, but within ten feet of them the broad glare of light lay upon the placid bosom of the river, in which were reflected the trees that lined the shore and the ragged edges of the rocks above them. An hour of anxious waiting wore by, and the young mustanger had decided to resume his journey, and was in the act of pushing out into the stream, when Rosalind’s hand was laid upon his arm in a quick, excited manner. ‘Look there,” she said, in a »~vhisper, point- ing through the curtain of vines down at the water where the rock above them was mirrored in the glassy waves. Henry looked as directed and saw the figure of aman reflected in the waters. He was evi- dently standing on the 6 of the rock above them, and so plainly was he defined, that our friends had no trouble in recognizing him to be an Indian warrior. The - fugitives scarcely breathed, so afraid were they of being discovered, for they knew the panther-footed savage was not over ten feet from them, and the least sigh or plash would catch his practiced ear. They watched the figure in the waters with bated breath. They saw it advance to the edge of the rock and, apparently, peer down. This sent the Bicod in icy eurrents through Henry’s veins, for he believed the savage sus- ee some one being concealed under the rock, A moment later they saw the mirrored figure stretch out an arm, then a pebbledropped in the water within four or five feet of them. What did this mean? Henry was at a Joss to understand, and while he sat pondering, he saw the figure disappear. This gave him a relief that was only momentary, for he at once saw a dozen or more Comanche warriors appear from the woods on ace 5 Smad side of the river and move down tow the bank. They were a hunting-party. This Henry saw from the loads of fresh meat they carried. They proceeded down almost to the water's edo then stopped and deposited their game on the green, grassy bank with an exclamation of re- ef. This convinced Henry that they had halted there to rest, and his conjectures were soon veri- fied by seeing a number of the party throw them- selves upon the earth, and assume an attitude of ease listlessness. Henry felt sorely vexed. He was bound to
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12 remain under the rock as long as the savages re- mained on the opposite shore, for, if he attempt- | ed to escape, he would be compelled to push out in plain view of the savages. startled by seeing another party of fully forty mounted warriors coming up the river. They came on to where the hunters were, halted and dismounted. | turning traitor in ’eart. Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. ble as the hIndians themselves. Al hadmit hall | you say is true, but, not once did AI thitk hof hit was honly to ac- | | complish my release, and stop the vital circula- | for more than an hour they waited, but, in- | stead of their situation growing less perilous by -| the departure of the foe, they were suddenly | tion of that villain, Texan Terror, that AI con- descended to do what Al did.” Serenade. Pore: SGT TUE! SRE Te A eH “Ts our united strength able to cope with them?” asked Jack. ‘'Yes,” replied Jourdan. ‘Then let us away!” cried Jack, and turning, | the party galloped up the river. ‘“Then why did you bring him here to endan- | ger the lives of the girls?” hsked Old Dan. ‘*hl knew that probably the girls would be | released long before we got ’ere, hand by com- This convinced our | friends that the point had been selected asa | rendezvous. The warriors unharnessed their ponies and turned them loose to browse, then stacked their spears and rifles in the center of the grassy knoll and assumed such positions of rest as their desires dictated. But, where was the Indian who had been up- | on the rock—that our friends saw mirrored in the dazzling waters? Scarcely had the young mustanger asked him- self the question, than all three of them became conscious of a dull, vibratory shock of their canoe. They turned and gazed around them, and each | tongue was paralyzed with sudden terror, when | each eye saw the tufted head and painted face of an Indian warrior appear above the rim of | their canoe, The maidens’ faces were blanched with terror, and the hand of St. Elmo involuntarily sought his knife. But the fears of the trio were set at ease. by seeing the warrior raise his hand before his face with the palm turned outward, signifi- | cant of friendship and silence; and it was then that the party discovered, despite his paint and feathers, that the supposed Indian warrior was Lasso Jack, the young mustanger! CHAPTER. XVI. ON THE FUGITIVES’ TRACKS, Lasso JAcK and Lieutenant Jourdan were not a little surprised at finding the body of Texan Terror by the hole where the maidens had been concealed. And Jack’s fears and un- certainties regarding the maidens’ absence were | painful. Circumstances argued to him that the free- booters and Indians had come and -taken the maidens, and that an altercation regarding pos- session of them had probably taken place’ be- tween some of. the parties, and Juarez Diaz had been slain. But, while the young mustanger and the lieu- tenant stood discussing the matter, the ‘‘ swish ” | of feet in ths grass stddenly arrested their at- tention. Turning, they saw a man with four horses in his possession riding toward them. A-single glance enabled Lasso Jack to recog- nize the man as Sir George Richardson, and in an instant it flashed across is mind that the Englishman had slain Texan Terror. As he approached, Jack accosted him with the question: ‘ “Who comes here?” “Sir George Richardson, my dear friend Jack,” was the response. “Gir George, the traitor!” yelled out Old Dan Dorne; ‘seize him, men, and let’s hang him to onc’t.” * ou must be orge, draw- , my dear friend Dan, slightly hinebriated,” retarned Sir ing rein and dismounting. ‘We have been informed of your treachery,” said Lasso Jack, approaching the Englishman and Jaying his hand upon his shoulder, ‘ and I arrest you as an ally of the prairie freeboot-~ ‘‘hIndeed!” exclaimed the Englishman, with ap Did astonishment: ‘“ who had the haudaci- ‘*Tm’the lad that said so,” exclaimed Old Dan Dorne, rushing forward and confronting the Englishm “‘and I’m willin’ to swear that I heard ye plottin’ with Texan Terror to come here and get the girls.” “Your ’earing, friend Dan, his keener than your perception,” replied Sir George. “Then ye mean to say that I didn’t hear you and Texan Terror talkin ’ together to-night; that you weren’t steppin’ ’bout: the Indians’ _ ¢amp with yer cane in hand as though you war ‘king o’ the kit; that you and Terror didn’t mount yer hosses and take one apiece fur the gals and strike a bee-line fur this place? Jist Fe Bag I wern’t eA right clus by and heard ” er. and and [’ll—well, I won't eT wall ob. ” N at ham sorry to say, Dan, you hare as gulli- | view.” ing ’ere alone, hl knew hI would be equal to ’im in force hat the worst. Things turned hout just Has hI wanted them to, and there lays the remains Aof Texan Terror, and ’ere hare 7is ’orses to prove that my hintentions were good. | ing down the river through the timber. They had traveled about a mile when they were met by a riderless pony that came charg- The | pony was caught, but the party could make lit- | hif h1’ad thought the girls were ’ere, hI would | ’ave died before AI would been so darned mean has to bring him ’ere, AI knew by telling ’im they were concealed ’ere has they were, hit | would make my case stronger.” | ‘‘T am inclined to think, Dan, that Sir George is telling us the truth—that he has outwitted | you as well as Texan Terror.” ay By J tie of it, They continued on and were sudden- ly startled by two white men that crept out from under some bushes, nearer dead than alive. They were the two traders who had eseaped from that scene of death upon the plain. ** What! is if you, Granger and Hall?” ex- claimed Jack, drawing rein before them. “Yes,” replied Granger, ‘“‘and a bitter tima we've had, Jack, since we parted, Hunger, fear and fatigue have about finished us out.’ ‘You shall suffer no longer, boys,” said Jack: “we have both food and horses fer you.” “Thank God!” said Hall; ‘t but, Jack, I saw | the girls with a young white man going through cracky!” exclaimed Old Dan, scratching | his frowsy head in perplexity, ‘‘I sce through | the hull thing. TIremember when I warlistening to Terror and Sir George, that the latter acted a leetle curious and independent. But, I see through it all now, and beg yer pardon, Eng- lisher. I admit you’ve a purty good tongue to deceive, a face to cloth it in, and the royal grit | to back it. Beg your pardon fur ’cusing you of traitorism, and will treat to the best in Santa Fe when we git there. Shake.” * The old guide extended his horny palm, and grasping that of the brave, daring Englishman, ehook it warmly. Sir George held no ill feel- ing toward him, for he knew it was human to err. **Can you tell us any thing about the girls?” asked Lasso Jack. **Nothing, my young friend. The ’ole was hopen when we got ’ere.” \ ‘“* How long since you came here?” “But afew minutes ago. Al ’ad just cooled the freebooter hoff when Al ’eard the clatter hof your ’orses’ feet coming wp. the road, hand thinking it might be a pack hof hindians, hI be- gan making myself scarce, BnthI’soon discov- ered who it was, hand came back.” ‘*My God!” exclaimed Lasso Jack, ‘*% fear those red Comanche hounds have trailed “the maidens to their biding-place, and carried them away.” ‘Wal, we can look out for their trail,” said old Dan. ‘‘It may be they have escaped them- selves and are wandering about over the plain.” “Then let us to work,” said Jack; ‘‘ the moon is shining bright almost as daylight, and if there is a broad or deep trail, we can éasily find it.” Together the young mustanger and old guide moved away a short distance, then began an examination of the ground in a circle about the place. : Their efforts were not in vain. Old Dan soon found where a single horse had traveled north, and from the dark, sinuous trail windin through the dewy grass, he knew the horse h lately traversed the plain, There was nothing by which*they could tell whether the horseman had been an Indian or not, but wh ever and whichever it was, Indian or ‘white man, they had some reason to believe he had carried the maidens eng with him, so the rangers were divided into three parties to travel northward at a distance of a mile apart, and all to meet at a designated point on the river several miles north of them. Without a minute’s hesitation the off over the plain, led by Jourdan, and Dan Dorne, They traveled on, and shortly after daylight the three parties met at the designated point on the river, Lieutenant Jourdan had this information to impart: “ About daybreak I deseried a party of three rsons, two riding on one horse, and one walk- ing, traveling westward toward the timber, I brought my glass to bear upon them and dis- 2 ih a the two on horseback were women, and— “Tt must be they—Rosalind and Mabel!” ex- claimed Jack; “but were they in the power of an Indian?’ “T was just going to say they were guided by a white man who, I thought, resembled Henry St. Elmo in form, but they were too far away to distinguish his features. We tried to attract their attention, but failed. Then we would have endeavored to overtake them, but for a 1 band of savages that suddenly appeared S rties set sso Jack the woods, a few minutes ago.” “What? saw Rosalind and Mabel Garfield?” “Yes. They seemed to be ina great hurry and we were too weak to overhaul them.” Granger and Hall were at once mounted on a couple of Sir George’s extra ponies, then the whole party continued on. They soon came to where the maidens and Henry St. Elmo had taken to the river. Old Dan readily pointed out the maidens’ tracks, and the place where the canoe’s prow had been im- bedded in the sand. But there were numerous moccasin tracks about, which convinced them that the Indians were between ther and the captives, Old Dan was sent up the river to meke a re connoissance. He soon came back with the fol- lowing report: ‘“Thar’s slathers of red devils up the river, and they’ve gone into camp up thar, too. Now, I’ve made this calculation regardin’ the three fugitives: if they did take to the river, they’re concealed along the shore, not above whar the reds are camped, for I see’d a boat with two of the varlets comin’ down the river, and they’d ’a’ met the fugitives in course if they’d contin- ued on above Whar t’others are incamp, And now, thar’s no place whar the fugitives could hide along either shore below where they would have met the two warriors, had they continued on, unless it is under a projectin’ rock and over- hangin’ bushes and vines on the south bank, di- rectly.opposite of the savages; and if they are there, toe tellin’ how they’re to be got out, un- | less we go up and drive the savages away, and that might cost us a. few lives.” ‘You are not sure, then, the girls and their rescuer, or companion, are under the rock you speak of?” ‘“No; thar’s too many vines hangin’ down over the edge of the rock to see under it.” “Then I shall know within the next hour whether they are under that rock or not!” said Lasso Jack. “Keep cool now, lad,” said Old Dar, ‘* on’ let your rashness cost you your skulp.”’ Jack paid no attention to the injunction of his old friend, but, pressing histhorse mto the river, swam it across to the opr sie shore, where he dismounted, hitched his horse, and by a skillful rearrangement of his buck-skin clothing and the application of some pigments which he al- ways carried about him, m case of emergencies, he converted himself into a tolerable looking In- dian. To Old Dan, who had followed him across the river, he now made known his intention and took his departure up the river. He had been gone over two hours, when the eagle eye of old Dan, who had been closely watching the current of the river, caught sight of a green leaf drifting down the stream. ‘‘Tt’s all right, boys,” said the old guide. ‘ Las- so Jack has found the fugitives, and we’re want- ed on this side of the river. Come over, men, and let’s be off. . That large green leaf there is Jack’s signal.” The rangers hastily crossed the river; ate riding out into the forest, dismounted, hite their animals, and proceeded with great silence up the stream. CHAPTER XVIL OUT OF THE TOILS. Henry Sr. EvMo and the two maidens could scarcely restrain their emotions of joy and em Ind hess on seeing Lasso Jack before ‘ Bat they knew that their lives were in imm'
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| fo kA peril, and depended entirely upon their silence, and so each one expressed his and her feelings of joy in a silent language as forcibly almost as words could have done. Lasso Jack seemed al- most dumfounded at sight of St. Elmo’s face, for he had never expected to see him alive again, Carefully, with the assistance of Henry, the young mustanger raised himself into the canoe, and taking a seat before his friends, said in a low whisper: ‘*We are in imminent peril, friends, as you doubtless see, but we have friends below here that will come to our assistance just as soon as I can communicate with them.” * But how will it be done without leaving here, Jack?” asked Henry. This way,” said Jack, taking a large green leaf and dropping it into the river. Henry saw at once what his intentions were, for the eddying current whirled the leaf out- ward from the dense shadows of the rock into the middle of the river—and it was carried away on the bosom of the stream. Jack kept a close watch upon the savages on the opposite shore, for he felt no little fears of the keen eyes of the foe detecting his mute mes- senger. 7” But, he breathed freur when he saw it float down the river unobserved; and then he turned to Rosalind and convefsed with her in low whispers. He soon learned how they had es- caped from their hiding-place on the prairie, af- ter suffering hours of agony in what they had come to regard As a living tomb. Jack then narrated the perilous adventures that had detained him, and prevented bim from fulfilling his promise in coming to their re- lease. Henry, also, told Jack now he had made his mysterious disappearance from his animal’s back on that memorable day that opens our story. And thus they passed the time until they were suddenly startled by the tread of feet, mingled with a wild shout above them, They saw the savages leap to their feet startled with sudden terror. They saw them grasp their ‘Weapons and prepare to defend themselves. But, the next instant the crash of three-score rifles and carbines rung out on the rock above them, and three-score bullets whistled across the river into the savages’ midst. A yell of death and terror pealed from the red foes’ lips as they beat a hasty retreat under cover of the woods, ** Now is our time, Henry!” exclaimed Jack. Henry plied the oar and sent the craft out from under the rock; then, skirting along the shore a few rods, finally reached a point where an easy landing was effected. The next minute the little band was in the midst of the rangers. They were safe once more! Two weeks later found Rosalind and Mabel Garfield safe in Santa Fe with their brother. Lasso Jack and Henry St. Elmo, accompanied by Old Dan, Sir George, and an escort under Lieutenant Jourdan, had carried them safely through to their journey’s end. : St. Elmo never went back to the prairies of Texas as a mustanger, but married Mabel and became a partner with his brother-in-law in the oe business. ut, Lasso Jack lingered only a few days at Santa Fe. He went back to his wild life as a mustanger on the prairies. Heheard, however every few weeks of the year that follow from his betrothed, Rosalind Garfield.. At length, however, the prairies and the excitement attending the hunting of wild horses lost all their charm for him, and he was found drifting , Santa Fe-ward. A year later Rosalind became his bride, and with the means accumulated as a mustanger, he was enabled to £0 into business, the happiest of happy men, with a cheerful little helpmate to share with him life’s ills and joys alike, Sir George Richardson never proposed to Rosalind, for he had sense enough to spare him- self from the pangs of rejection. He traveled extensively in America and wedded an English lady, inevery respect worthy of his love. He is now a prosperous man in one of the Western States, and should you ever wish to see him and hear his great and wonderfal stories of his ad- ventures on the prairies of Texas, just drop in at his elegant residence and have your desire gratified, for Sir George is no mythical being, dear reader, joi. THE END. 2 10¢ 10¢ 10e te 1 A Harp Crown. By Philip S. Warne........... 2 Tar DarE-Deviz., By Col. P.Ingraham....... Krr Carson, Jk. By Buckskin Sam THe Kipnarrer, By Philip 5, Warne... Tue Frre Frenps, By A. P. 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Warne 55 Tue ScaALP Hunters. By Capt. Mayne Reid! ,. 56 Tue InpIAN Mazeppa, By Albert W. Aiken. ... 57 Tue Sinent Hunter. By Percy B. St. John... 58 Sinver Knire. By Dr. J. H. Robinson...... At 59 THe MAN ¥ROM Texas. By Albert W. Aiken, 60 Wipe Awake. By Frank Dumont 1 61 CAPTAIN SEAWAIF. By Ned Buntline ts 62 LoyaAL Heart. By Gustave Aimard,........ 63 THe WinceD WHALE. By Albert W. Aiken.... EE 29 Whittaker. By Philip 8. Warne y Albert W, Aiken. .... Thomas H. Monstery. . Buffalo Bill ngerfield Burr .. Ibert W. Aiken.. By Oll Coomes 100 Tur FRencu Spy. By A. P. Morris : 1 101 Tue Man From New York. By A. W. Aiken, 102 Taz Maskep Banp. By George L. Aiken .. 1038 Mertr, tHe Mutineer. Col. P. Ingraham.. 104 Monrezuma, THE Mercriess. By Ingraham. 105 DAN Brown oF Denver. By Jos. E Badger, 106 Samus O’Brien. By Col. DelleSara .... 107 Richarp TALBor or Crynapar. By Aiken, . 108 Duke or Diamonns, By Fred. Whittaker. 109 Captain Kyp. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham . 110 Tae Smuent RirviemMan. By H. W. Herbert . 111 Tae Swoeeier Captain, 112 Jos PHEnrx, Priv. 10¢ | 10c | mh Dek fh fe pa ek ek ped fk Phe ed fe ek fel eed ek ek, ie | | 209 Buck PARLEY. | 210 Buccanrer Bess. By Prentiss Ineraham... 13 ~ 116 Buack Piume, Toe Dev. or THESEA. By Col. P.Ingraham .. .. ee aA ons 117 DasuinG Danpy. By Major Dangerfield Burr. 118 THe BurGLarR CapTarnx. By J. H. Ingraham. ALABAMA JoE. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.... THe Texan Spy. By Newton M. Curtis. THE Sea Cadet. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 2 Sau, SaBpperpDay. By Ned Buntline . 5 ALAPAHA, THE Squaw. By Francis Johnson. ASSOWAUM, THE AVENGER. Francis Johnson. THE BLACKSMITH OvurLAw. By H. Ainsworth. ) Tae Demon Duetist. By Col. T. H. Monstery. ’ Sot Scorr, THE MAskrep. Miner. By Badger. 3 THE CHEVALIER Corsair. By the author of ‘““Merle, the Mutineer,”’ : Mississippl Mosse. By Edward Willett CapTaIn VOLCANO. By Albert W. Aiken Buckskin Sam. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham.. 2 Nemo, KING OF THE Tramrs. By Capt. Fred. oe 3v Francis Johnson. ,., Tre OvtLaw-Hounter. By Francis Johnson. LoNG BEARD, THE Giant Spy. By Oll Coomes. THE BorpeER Banpits., By Francis Johnson, FirRe-Eyr, THE SHA Hyena. By Ingraham THE THREE SPANIARDS. By George Walker.. Equinox Tom. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr... CAPTAIN Crimson. By Major Dangerfield Burr THE CzaR’s Spy. By Thos. H. Monstery... HUNCHBACK OF NoTRE-Dame. Victor Hugo.. Pistrot Parps. By Wm. R, Eyster... ..... Tue Docror Detective. By George Lemuel Gop Spur. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. ... OnE-ARMED ALF. By Oll Coomes . 5 Tue Borper Riries. By Gustave Aimard.. Ev Rupsio Bravo, tHE Kine or THE SworD- MEN. By Col. Thomas Hoyer Monstery.... . 51 Tue Frerpoorrers. By Gustave Aimard.. . 52 CApraIn IRONNERVE. By Marmaduke Dey.. 3. THe Wuith Scatper. By Gustave Aimard. 54 Joaquin, THE SappLe Kine. By J. E. Badger, 5 Tre CorsarR QUEEN. By Col. P. Ingraham. 3 VeLveT Face. By Major Dangerfield Burr. Movurab, THE MAMELUKE. By Col. Thomas Hoyer Monstery .... THE DoomED Dozen. Rep RvupiGer. SDaNIS fom be iE ES WE af iB te BR CD Go 09 CO GS CO SO DDI im Ct st y William R. Eyster.. THe Wotves or New Yoru. By A.W, Aiken. 2 Tae Map Marmer, By Col. P. Ingraham.. Ben. Brion, THE TRAPPER CAPTAIN; or, Rep- By Col. Prentiss Inerahaiins | Lapy Jaguar. By Capt.Mark Wilton... .. 7 Don Drasio. By Col. Prentiss ingraham... Dark DasHwoop, By Major S.8. Hall, .. . 179 Conrap, THE Convict. Prof. 8. Gilderslceve. 180 Oxp °*49. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr... . 181 Tur Scartet ScHooNER. By Col, Ingraham. 182 Hanps Up. By Win. BR. Fyster... 188 GILBERT, THE Guipk. By C. Dunning Clark. 184 TRE OcEAN VAMPIRE. By Col. P. Ingraham. 185 Man Sprper. By A. P, Morris .... ..... ..! 186 Toe Biack Bravo. By Buckskin Sam 187 THe DeaTH’s-Hrap Currassters. Whittaker. 188 PHantom Mazeppa, Major Dangerfield Burr. 189. Witp Bri1's Gotp Tram. By P. Ingraham. 199 Tue Turpe GUARDSMEN. By Alex. Dumas.. 191 Tae TERRIBLE ToNKAWAY. By Buckskin Sam, 192 THe Licutninc Sport. By Wm. R, Eyster, 193 THe Manin Rep_ By Capt. F. Whittaker, 194 Don Somprero By Captain Mark Wilton . 195 Tae Lone Star Gameier. By Buckskin Sam, 96 LA Marmoser. By Albert W, Aiken... .... REVOLVER Ros. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr,.. THE Ske.eron Scuooner. By P. Ingraham. 1 Diamond Dick. By Buckskin Sam. ee THE RirLe Rancers. By Capt. Mayne Reid. Tuer Prrate oF THE PLacers, By Badger. Cactus JAcK.. By Captain Mark Wilton... . Tae DovsBLe Drrrctrive. By A. W. Aiken.. Bia Foor WaLiace. By Buckskin Sam... Tur Gampner Prrate. By Col. P. Ingraham. One Eye. THE CANNONFER. By Whittaker.. 207 O_p Harp Heap. By Philip 8. Warne....... 208 Tux Waite Curler. By Capt. Mayne Reid.. By Edward Willett..... .... 211 Tae Unknown Sport By Capt. Whittaker. 22 Tue Brazos Tigers, By Buckskin Sam.. . 213 Tar “ar Tralu. By Captain Mayne Reid.. 214 Tue Two Coot Sports. Wm. R, Eyster 215 Parson Jim, _ By Captain d, Whittaker, 216 Tue CorsarrR Puanrer. By Col. In am. 10¢ 217 Tur Serpent ork Paso By Buckskin ‘ 218 Ture Wixtp Huntress. By Capt. Mayne Reid. 10e¢ 219 Tue Scorpion BrRoTHERS. oa Wilton. 10c 220 Taz Specter Yacut. By oh. P. Ingraham. 10¢ A new issue every Wednesday. Beadile’s Dime Library is for sale vy all Newsdealers, ten cents copy or sent mail on receipt of twelve chat ach, , ; ra$ J
Page 14
THE DIME Numbers 1 to 24, inelusive. Young America, Birthday of Washington, Plea for the Maine Law, Not on the Battlefield, The Italian Struggle, independence, Our Country, The Equality of Man, Character of the Revo’n, The Fruits of the War, The Sewing-Machine, Crue Manhood, ‘The Mystery of Life, The Ups and Downs, The Truly Great, ey Retiring and Ris’g, A. Ward’s Oration, True Nationality, Our Natal Day, Solferino, Intelligence the Basis of The War, [Liberty, Charge of Light Brigade, After the Battle, The Glass Railroad, Case of Mr. Macbeth, Prof, on Phrenology, Annabel Lee, Washington’s Name, ¢ The Sailor Boy’s Syren, { Dime Americar Speaker, No. 1. J. Jeboom’s Oration, A Dutch Cure, The Weather, The Heated Term, Philosophy Applied, An Old Ballad, Penny Wise, Pound Fool- True aie fish, Sat'd’y Night’s Enjoy’ts, **TIn a Just Cause,’ No Peace with Oppres- sion, A Tale of a Mouse, A Thanksgiving Sermon, The Cost of Riches, Great Lives Imperishable The Prophecy forthe Y’r Unfinished Problefns, Honor to the Dead, Immortality of Patriots, Webster’s Polit’l] System, A Vision in the Forum, The Press, Woman’s Rights, Right of the Governed, My Ladder, Woman, Alone, The Rebellion of 1861, Disunion. Dime National Speaker, No, 2. Union and its Results, Our Country’s Future, The Statesman’s Labors, True Immortality, Let the Childless Wtep, Our Country’s Glory, Union a Household, Independence Bell, The Scholar’s Dignity, The Cycles of Progress, A Christmas Chant, Stability of Christianity, The True Higher Law, The One Great Need, The Ship and the Bird, Tecumseh’s Speech, Territorial Expansion, Martha Hopkins, The Bashful Man’s Story, The Matter-of-Fact,Man, Rich and Poor, Seeing the Eclipse, Beauttes of the Law, Ge-lang! Git Up, The Rats of Life, hree Fools, ashington, Our Great Inheritance, Eulogy on Henry Clay, | Karl Ohio, Oliver Hazard Perry, Our Domain, Systems of Belief, The Indian Chief, | SP ee eee Dime Elocutionist, No. 5. SEC. I. in Enunciation; How to Avoid Them. Special Rules | and Observations. SEC. II. the Passions: THe ART OF ORATORY. Tranquillity, Cheerfulness, Mirth, Sheridan’s List of PrrincieLes oF True Enuncration.—Fauits | | Raillery, Buffoonery, Joy, Delight, Gravity, In- | quiry, Attention, Modesty, Perplexity, Pity, Grief, Melancholy, Despair, Commanding, Fear, Shame, Remorse, Affirming, Difference, Agreeing, Exhorting, Judging, Approv- ing, Acquitting, Condemning, Teaching, Pardon- ing, Arguing, \Dismissing, Refusing, Granting, De- pendence, Veneration, Hope, Desire, Love, Re spect, Giving, Wonder, A dmiration, Gratitude, Cu riosity, Persuasion, Tempting, Promising, (ffecta- tion, Sloth, Intoxication, SEC. I. Anger, etc, Tue CoMPONENT ELEMENTS OF AN ORA Tron.—Rules of Composition as applied to Words and Phrases, viz.: urity, Propriety, Precision. As applied to Sentences, viz.: Length of Sentence, Clearness, Unity, Strength. Figures of Speech; the Exordium the Narration, the Proposition, the Confirmation, the Refutation, the Peroration, SEC. IV. REPRESENTATIVE EXERCISES IN PROSE AND VersE.—Transition; A Plea for the Ox; Falstaff’s Soliloqny on Honor; the Burial of Lincoln; the Call and Response; the Bayonet Charge; History of a Life; the Bugle; the Bells; Byron; Macbet and the Dagger; Hamlet’s Soliloquy; Old Things; Look Upward; King William Rufus; the Eye; an Essa Onto Musik; Discov eries of Galileo. | SEC. V. OxssrRvaTions oF Goop AUTHORITIES. | , The Independent Farmer | Mrs. Grammar’s’ Ball, How the Money Comes, Future of the Fashions, Loyalty to Liberty, Our Country First, Last, and Always, British Influence, Defense of Jefferson, National Hatreds, Murder Will Out, Strive for the Best, Rising, Deeds of Kindness, Gates of Sleep, The Bugle, A Hoodish Gem, Purity of the Struggle, Old Age, | Beautiful and True Creowning Glory of U.8., | The Worm of the Still, 1 Man and the Infinite, Language of the Eagle, Washington, The Deluge. Dime Patriotic Speaker, No. 3. America to the World, Love of Country, History of Our Flag aR Meagher's Antes, ht of Self-Preserva- | We Owe to the Union, Our Cause, [tion, A Kentuckian’s appeal, Kentucky Steadfast, Timidity is Treason, The Alarum, April 15, 1861, The Spirit of '61, The Precious Heritage, The Irish Element, Train’s Speech, Christy’s Speech, Let Me Alone, Brigand-ier-General, Union Square: Speech nion Square Speeches, The Union, Our Country’s Call, The Story of an Oak Tree, L-e-g,On My Leg, Lincoln’s Message, Last Speech of Stephen A. Douglas, Great Bell Roland, The New King Cotton, [Union, Rattle Anthem, The Ends of Peacé, Freedom the Watehword Crisis of Our Nation, Duty of Christian Pa- triots, : Turkey Dan’s Oration, A Fearless Pleu, The Onus of Slavery, A Foreigner’s Tribute, The Little Zouave, Jatholic Cathedra The * Speculators,” Dime Comic Speaker, No. 4. Klebeyergoss on the War, ' A Song of Woe, Age Early Rising, The Wasp and the Bee, Comic Grammar, No. 1, i'm Not a Single ‘Man, A. Ward’s Advice, Buzfuz on Pickwick, Rowreo and Juliet, Happiness, Dogs, How to be a Fireman, The United States, } Puff’s Acc’tof Himself, Practical Phrenology, Sy Bea bo 5 I Py : , i ¥ +e eine ACs oe ree FO ’ polky inhi sy Bluntly Considered, pas Trip to Richm’d, ‘arody, The Mountebank, Compound Interest, A Sermon on the Feet, Old Dog Jock, The Fishes’ Toilet, Brian O’Linn, Crockett to Office-seekers Who Is My Opponent? Political Stump Speech, Comic Grammar, No. 2, Farewell to the Bottle, The Cork Leg, The Smack in School lick’s Definition of Wife, ‘ale of a Hat, The Debating Club, A Dutch Sermon, Lecture on Locomotion, Mrs. Caudle on Umbr’lla. Year and the | Aye Beet Vea PT Sah Lat Se ee | Nature and Nawire’s God Dime Humorous | A Sad Story, A String of Onions, A Tragic Story, Cats, Courtship, Debt Devils, Dow, Jr.’s Lectures, Ego and Echo, Fashionable Women, Fern Thistles, Good-Nature, Gottlieb Klebcyergoss. Schlackenlichter’s snake, Hosea Biglow’s Opinions, | How the Stoney 0eS, Hun-ki-do-ri’s Fourth of July Oration, If you Mean No, Say No, Jo Bows on Leap Year, Lay of the Henpecked, Tot Skinner’s Elegy, Matrimony, Nothing to Do Old Caudle’s Umbrella, Old Grimes’s Son, Paddle Your Own Canoe, Parody on ‘ Araby’s Daughter,” Dime Standard The World We Live In,_ | Woman's Claims, Authors of our Liberty, The Real Conqueror, The Citizen's Heritage, Italy, The Mechanic, The Modern Good, [Sun, Ossian’s Address to the Independence Bell—1777, The Neck, Foggy Thoughts, The Ladies’ Man, Life, The Idler, The Unbeliever, The Two Lives, The True Scholar, Judges not Infallible, Fanaticism, : Instability of Successful Agriculture, (Crime, Ireland, The People Always Con- Music of Labor, — [quer, Prussia and, Austria, Wishing, | Speaker, No. 8. Poetry Run Mad, Right Names, Scientific Lectures, The Ager, The Cockney, The Codfish, Fate of Sergeant Thin, The Features’ Quarrel, Hamerican Voodchuck, The Harp of a Thousand Strings, The Last of the Sarpints, The March to Moscow, The Mysterious Guest, The Pump, The Sea-Serpent, The Secret, The Shoemaker, The Useful Doctor, | The Waterfall, To the Bachelors’ Union League, United States Presidents, Vagaries of Popping the Question, What I Wouldn't Be, Yankee Doodle Aladdin, Ze Moskeetare, 1933. Speaker, No. 7. John Burns, Gettysburg, No Sect in Heaven, Miss Prude’s Tea-Party, The Power of an Idea, The Beneficence of the Suffrage, [Sea, Dream of the Revelers, HowCyrus Laid the Cable The Prettiest Hand, Paradoxical, Little Jerry, the Miller, The Blarney Stone, The Student of Bonn, The Broken Household, The Bible, The Purse and the Sword My pp ae, True Moral Courage, What is War? The Modern Puritan Immortality of the Soul, Occupation, Heroism and Daring, A Shot at the Decanter. Dime Stump Speaker, No. 8. Hon. J. M. Stubbs’ Views on the Situation, Hans Schwackheimer on | Woman’s Suffrage, All for a Nomination, Old Ocean, Sea, The Sea,the Sea, the open Star Bangled Spanner, Stay Where You Betone: Life’s What You Make It, Where’s My Money, 5 age from Conscience, ’s Relation to Society , t : Dera ent t te a ué aed 47! c a The Limits to Happiness, Good-nature a Blessing, Sermon from Hard-shell Tail-enders, {Baptist, The Value of Money, Meteoric Disquisition, Be Sure You are Right, Be of Good Cheer, Crabbed Folks, _ [Shrew, Taming a Masculine Farmers, [Our Country. The True ,Greatness of The Cold-water Man, Denying, | | Permanency of States, Liberty of Speech, New England and Union, The Unseen Battlefield, Plea for the Republic, America, [Fallacy, “Right of Secession’ a Life’s Sunset, | Human Nature, | Lawyers, Courage, Boasting, Pride, Obstinacy, Authority, | Forbidding, Wrongs of the Indians, Appeal in behalf of Am. Miseries of War,[Liberty, A Lay Sermon, A Dream, Dime Juvenile A Boy’s Philosophy, Hoe Out Your Row, Six-Year-Old’s Protest, The Suicidal Cat, A Valediction, Popping Corn, The Editor, The Same, in rhyme, The Fairy Shoemaker, What Was Learned, Press On, | The Horse, i The Snake in the Grass, Tale of the Tropics, Bromley’s Speech, The Same, second extract The Fisher’s Child, Shakspearian Scholar, A Maiden’s Psalm of Life, A Mixture, Plea for Skates, Playing Ball, Ah, Why, Live for Something,” Lay of the Hen-Pecked, The Outside Dog, Wolf and Lamb, Lion in Love, Frogs Asking for a King, Sick Lion, Country and Town |. Le, Man and Woman, Home, The Lotus-Planter, - Little Things. A Baby’s Soliloquy, Repentance A Plea for Eggs, Humbug Patriotism, Night After Christmas, Short Legs, Shrimps on Amusements, HAKERS. Astronomical, The Moon, {ze Duties of American Citi- The Man, Temptations of Cities, Broken Resolutions, There is no Death. ces, A Fruitful Discourse, A Frenchman’s Dinner, Unjust National Acqui’n, The Amateur Coachman, John Thompson’s Dau’r, House Cleaning, It Is Not Your Business. Speaker, No. 9. How the Raven Became | Black, | A Mother’s Work, The same, | Who Rules, | A Sheep Story, A Little Correspondent, One Goed Turn Deserves My Dream, | Another, | Rain, I'll Never Use Tobacco, A Mosaic, The Old Bachelor, Prayer to Light, Little Jim, ’ Angelina’s Lament, Johnny Shrimps on Boote Merey, Choice of Hours, Poor Richard's Sayings, | Who Killed Tom Roper, Nothing to Do, | Honesty Best. Policy, | Heaven, Ho for the Fields, | Fashion on the Brain. On Shanghais, A Smile, Casabianea, | Homoeopathic Soup, Nose and Eyes, Malt, [Come. A Hundred Years te The Madman and he, Little Sermons, [{Razor, Snuftles on Electricity, The Two Cradles, The Ocean Storm, Do Thy Little—Do it Well | Little Puss, | Base-Ball, Prescription for [Fever, Spring Dime Spread-Eagle Speaker, No. 10, Ben Buster’s Oration, Hans Von Spiegel’s 4th, Josh Billings’s Advice, A Hard-shell Sermon, The Boots, The Squeezer, Noah and the Devil, A Lover’s Luck Hifalutin Adolphus, Digestion and Paradise, Distinetion’s Disadvant- Smith, [ages, Gushalina Bendibus, A Stock of Notions, Speaking for the Sheriff, Daking a Shweat, Then and Now Josh Billings’s Lectur* ng, Doctor De Blister’s Ann’t, Consignments, Hard Lives, Dan Bryant’s Speech, A Colored View, Original Maud Muller, Nobody Train of Circumstances, Good Advice The Itching Palm, Drum-head Sermons, Schnitzerl’s Philosopedis ‘Woman's Rights,’ | Luke Lather, The Hog, | Jack Spratt, | New England Tragedy, | The Ancient Bachelo Jacob Whittle’s Speech, Jerks Prognosticates, A Word with Snooks, | Sut Lovengood, A Mele Ride, Josh Billings on Buzzerd, Il Trovatore, Kissing in the Street. Scandalous, Slightly Mixed, The Office-seeker Old Bachelors, Woman, The Niam Niams, People Will Talk, Swackhamer’s Ball Who Wouldn’t be Fire’ - Den’t Depend on Daddan, Music of Labor. The American Ensign. Debater and Chairman’s Guide No. 11. 1.—DEBATING SOCIETY. Its Office and Usefulness, Formation of, Constitution of, By-Laws of, Rules of Government, Local Rules of Order, Local Rules of Debate, Subjects of Discussion. 11.—How To DEBATE. Why there are few good Debaters, ¢ uisites to Oratori- cal on a The Logic of Debate, The Rhetoric of Debate, Maxims to Observe, The Preliminary Order of Argument, Summary. ‘ 111.—CHAIRMAN'S GUIDE, Ordinary Meetings and Assemblies, The Organization, Order of Business and Proceedings, The ‘‘ Question.’ How it can be Treated, The “‘ Question.” How te be Considered, Rights to the Floor, Rights of a Speaker aa t the Chair, Yeas and Nays, Interrupting a Vote,, Openhae of Deliberae tive Bodies, Conven- tions, Annual or Gen eral Assemblies, Preliminary Organization - — ( eal ( Ie, x tof * by
Page 15
Deadwood Dick Novels, 1 Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road. 0 Deadwood Dick’s Detiances or, Double Daggers. Deadwood Dick in Disguise; or, Buffal. Ben. 85 Deadwood Dick in His Caatle. 42 Deadwood Dick's Bonanza; or, The Phantom Miner. AY Deadwood Dick in Daager; or, Omena Oil. 57 Deadwood Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar. 78 Deadwood Dick on Deck: or, Calamity 2 ne, the Heroine ee peed seod a pera lass Acts or, Corduroy Charlie, 0 ieadwoo ck in Leadville. 1o4 acer pba Ha mayise i or, The Double Cross Sign. + Deadwoo ck as Detective. 129 Deadwood Dick's Double: or, The Gorgon’s Gulch Ghost. 188 Deadwood Dick’s Home Base; or, Blonds Bill. 149 Deadwood Dick’s Lig Strike; or, A Game of Gold. 156 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood: or, The Picked Party, 195 Deadwood Dick’a Dreamy or, The Rivals of the Road. 201 Deadwood Dick’s Ward; or, The Black Hill’s Jezebel. eng Beakwood Dick's ote os: et omgatebiie as! Adventure, 5 endwood Dick’s Dead Decal. 221 Deadwood Dick’s Death-Plant. 282 Goid-Dust Plek. A Romance of Roughs and Tougha, eas mead meee +10 pe piviies ote ihe Spirit of Swamp Lake. cadwoo ek’s Denth Trall, 809 Deadwood Dick’« Deals or, The Gold Brick of Oregon. 21 Deadwood Dick’s Dozeny or, The Fakir of Phantom Flats B47 Deadwood Dick's Pucata; or, Days in the Diggings. oo + eps baht | kis canes or, The Terrible Vendetta, > Pead wood ek’a Claim, 405 Deadwood Dick in Dead City. 410 Deadwood Dick’s Diamonds. 421 Deadwood Dick In New York; or, A “Cute Case,” 480 Deadwood Dick's Duat; or, The Chained Hand, ried Bend weed ent $° 3 cy, Re Crimson Crescent Sign. endwood ek r.’a, Definnece, 458 Deadwood Dick, JrJs Full Hand. 459 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’«, Big Round-Up. 465 Deadwood Dick Jr.’s Racket at Claim 10, Deadwood Dendwood Deadwood Deadwood Deadwood Deadwooa Deadwood % Deadwood Deadwood Yendwood Deadwood 539 Deadwooa Dick, Jr.’a Corral: or, Bozeman Bi, Dick, Jr.’s, Dog Detective, Dick. Jr., In Deadwood, Diek, Jr.’a, Compact. pe oe Taberisance. ek, Jr.’s nga. Dick, Jr," Dell verance, Dik. Seco, Terese Dick, Jr.’a, Danger Ducka, mee? grit a ter Hunt, ck, drs, in Texan, 544 Deadwood Dick, dr., the Wild West Vidoog 549 Deadwood Dick, dri, on Mla Mettle. 554 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Gotham, 561 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Boston, 567 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Philadelphia, 572 Deadwood Dick, Jr., tn Chicago, 578 Deadwood Dick. Jr.. Afloat. 584 Deadwood Dick. vr.. tn Denver. 590 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’a, Decree, 595 Deadwood Dick dr. in Beelzebub’s Basin, 600 Deadwood Dick Jr., at Coney Island. Dendwood Dick, Jv.’*, Leadville Lay. Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Detroit, Deadwood Dick. Jr. in Cincinnatl, Deadwood Dick, dr., in Nevada, Deadwood Dick, Jr., in No Man’s Land, Deadwood Dick, Jr., After the Queer. Deadwood Dick. Jr.. In Buffalo. 648 Deadwood Dick, dr.’a, Chase Across the Continent da fecayced Mat $rx Anececeneeasee™ . "eo Case. Deadwood Dick, Mey Teack in the Mines, Deadwood Dick, dr., tn Durango; or, “ Gathered In.” onarecs pies pa eueereras or, Found a Fortune, endwoo ek, Jrva. Dazzle. Deadwood Dick, Jr.’a. Dollars. % Deadwood Dick Jr., at Danger Divide. Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Drop. Deadwood Dick, Jr., at Jack-Pot, Deadwood Dick dr., in San Francisco, Peadwood Diek, Jr.’a Still Hunt Deadwood Didk, Jr.’« Dominoes, 8 Deadwood Dick, dra Disguise, Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Double Deal, Deadwood Bick Jr.’s. Deathwatch, ZT Deadwood Vick dr.’s, Voublet. Deadwood Tick Jr.’s, Deathblow, Dendwood Dick, Jr.’s Beapernte Strait, Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Lone Hand, Peadwood Dick, Jr.’s Defent. Peadwood Dick, Jr.’a, Reanrrection, Deadwooa Dick. Iria Dark Days. Deadwood Dick Jr., Defied. Pendwood Dick, Jr.'s, Double Device, Dendwood Dick, Jr’ .#, DPeapernate Venture, ae pada aio Saya peamone ae endwood ek ra oyna ush, Deadwood Dick, Ir2s Head-off. Deadwood IMek, Jr.’s, Rival. Deadwood Dick, Jr.’*s, Boom, 8 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Scoop, Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Proxy, Dendwood IMek, Jr.'s, Clutch, Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Mich Horse. Deadwood Pick Jr., nt Devils Guich. Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Penth-Hole Hustle DPendwood Dick, Jr.’« Bombshell. Deadwood Dick, Jr.. fn Mexteo. Deadwood Dick, Jr’a Decoy Duck. Peadwood Dick, Jr. In Silver Pocket, Deadwuod Dick. drs, Dead- Sure Game, Dendwood Dick, Jr’a, Pouble Drive. 04 Deadwood Dick, Jr’«, Trade-Mark, 910 Deadwood Dick, Jr., at Tip-Top. 916 Deadwood Dick, dr.’s Double-Deeker, 928 Deadwood Bick, Jr. at Dollarvilie. 984 Deadwood Dick, Jr.. at Flush Flata 940 Deadwood Mek, Jr.'s, Shake-up. 946 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’«, Double Drop, 951 Deadwood Pick, Jr,’s, Right Bower. 957 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’«, Ten-Strike, 965 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Gold-Dust. 971 Deadwood Wick Jr.'s, Oath, 97% Deadwood Dick, Jr.’ Death-Doom, 986 Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Best Card, 992 Deadwood Dick, Jr., at_ Gold Dust. 998 Deadwood Dick, Jr."*, Bie Play. 1005 Deadwood Dick, Jr., Branded. 1011 Dendewo 4D ck, Jr.’s. Detch Pard, 1018 Deadwood Dic.., J .’*, Big Four. BY ROBERT R. INMAN, 1086 Pandy Pick’« Double. 1024 Dandy Dick, Detective. BY MARCUS H. WARING, Hey 74 The Three Spotter. 10 mee Street Spotters’ Weird Hunt, 1058 The Three Spotters’ Dead Mystery. | BEADLE’S«H ALF- DIME*]T IBRARY. Other Novels by E. L. Wheeler, 80 Rosebud Rob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight. 84 Rosebud Rob on Hand; or, Idy), the Girl Miner, 88 Rosebud Rob's Reappenrance; or, Photograph Phil. 1x1 Rosebud Rob’s Challenge; or, Cinnamon Chip. 277 Denver Doll, the Detective Queen; or, The Yankee’s Surround 281 Denver Doll's Victory; or, Skull and Crossbones. 285 Denver Doll’s Decoy ; or. Little Bill’s Bonanza. 296 Denver Doll’s Drift; or. The Road Queen. 868 Yreka Jim, the Gold-Gatherer; or, The Lie Lottery, 872 Yreka dim’s Prize; or, The Wolves of Wake-Up, - 885 Yreka Jim’s Joker}; or, The Rivals of Red Nose, 394 Yreka Jim of Yuba Dam, 209 Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective; or, Dot Leetle Game, 218 Fritz to the Front; or, The Ventriloquist Hunter 244 Sterra Sam, the Frontier Ferret; or, A Sister’s Devotion. 248 Sierra Sema Secret; or, The Bloody Footprints, 258 Sierra Sam’s Pardy; or, The Angel ot Big Vista, 258 Sicrra Sam’s Sevens or, The Stolen Bride. 884 Kangaroo Kit; or, The Mysterious Miner. cangaroo Kit’a Racket; or, The Pride of Played-Out, 89 Death-Face, Detective; or, Life in New York. 5 96 Watch-Eye, the Detective; or, Arabs and Angels, L17 Gilt-Edged Dick, the Sport Detective 145 Captain Ferret, the New York Detective, 161 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. 226 The Arab Detective ; or, Snoozer, the Boy Sharp. 291 Turk the Boy Ferret. ’ 825 Kelley, Hickey & Wo,, the Detectives of Philadelphia, 848 Manhattan Mike, the Bowery Detective, 400 Wrinkles, the Night-Watch Detective, 416 High Hat Warry, the Base Ball Detective, Sam Slabaides, the Beggar-Boy Detective. 484 Jim Beak and Pal, Private Detectives. 26 Cloven Meof, the Buffalo Demon: or, The Border Vultures. 82 Bob Woolf’; or, The Girl Dead-Shot 45 Old Avalanche: or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand, 58 Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix. 61 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Rifle Team 92 Canada Chet 3 or, Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camp. 118 Jaek Hoyle the Young Speculator. 125 Bonanza Bill, Miner; cr, Madam Mystery, the Forger. 188 Bose Bob the King of Bootblacks, 141 Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent; or, The Branded Brows. 177 Nobby Nick of Nevaday or, The Sierras Scamps. 181 Wild Frank the Buckskin Bravo; or, Lady Lily’s Love. 286 Apollo Bill, the Trail Tornado: or, Rowdy Kate. 240 Cyclone Kit, the Young Gladiator; or, The Locked Valley. 278 Jumbo Joe, the Boy Patrol; or, The Rival Heirs. B80 Little Quick-Shoty; or, The Dead Face of Daggersville. 858 Firat-Clasa Fred, the Gent irom Gopher, 878 Nabob Ned} or, The Secret of Slab City. 882 Cool Kit, the King of Kids; or, A Villain’s Vengeance, 458 Santa Fe Sal, the Slasher; or, A Son’s Vengeance. 486 Sealakin Sam. the Sparkler; or The Tribunal of Ten, 918 Kit Keith, t ¢ Revenue Spotter. 922 Sol Sharpe, the New York Night-Hawk. 948 Old Hayseed Among Bunco Men, 1001 Banty, the Denver Bootblack. BY J. C. COWDRICK, 490 Rronadway Billy. the Bootblack Bravo. 514 Broadway Billy’« Beodle; or, Clearing aStrange Case 86 Broadway Billy’s ‘Dittikilty.” Broadway ant fe Peath Racket. Broadway Billy’s Surprise Party. Broadway Billy; or, The ®-~ Detective’s Big Inning. Broadway Billy’s Dea _eti or, The League of Seven, Broadway Billy Abroad; or, The Bootblack in Frisco. Broadway Billy’s Beat; or, Beating San Francisco's Finest. 7 Broadway Billy tn Clover. Broadway Billy in Texas; or, The River Rustlers, Broadway Billy’s Brand. Broadway Billy at Santa Fe; or, The Clever Deal. 20 Broadway RBilly’s F'ull Wand: or, The Gamin Detective, Broadway Billy’s Business. Broadway Billy’s Curious Case. Broadway Billy tn Denver. Broadway Billy’« Bargain; or, The Three Detective. Broadway Bilily, the Retriever Detective. Broadway Billy's Shadow Chase. Broadway Billy’«s Beagles; or, The Trio’s Quest, Broadway Billy’s Tenmy; or, The Combine’s Big Pull. Broadway Billy’« Brigade; or, The Dead Alive. Broadway Billy’s Queer Bequest. Kreadway Billy Baffled. Broadway Billy’« Signal Scoop. Broadway Billy’s Wipe Out. Broadway Billy’« Bank Racket. Broadway Billy’s Bluff. + Brondway Kbitly Among Jersey Thugs. Broadway BMnily’s Ratt Broadway Billy’« Big Boom, Rroadway Billy’s Big Bulge. Broadway Blilly’« #100,000 Snap. Brondway Billy’s Blind; or, The Bootblack Stowaway. Broadway Billy in London. Broadway Billy Shadows London Slums. Broadway Billy’« French Game. roadway Bully and the Bomb-Throwera, Silver-Maak, the Man of Mystery; or, The Golden Keys, Shasta, the Gold King? or, For Seven Years Dead,” The Detective’s Apprentice; or, A Boy Without a Name, OCfbuta Johny? or, Red-Hot Times at Ante Bar. 9 Sandy Sam, the Street Scout. Disco Dan, the Dalsy Dude Redlight Ralph the Prince of the Road, The Engineer Detective; or, Redlight Ralph’s Resolve Mart, the Nicht Express Detective. Air-Line Luke the Young Engineer; or, The Double Case Phe Boy Pinkerton; or, Running the Rascals Out, Fighting Marry the Chief of Chained Cyclone, Bareback Reth, the Centaur of the Circle. Tyrewrlter Tilly the Merchant’s Ward. Moonlight Morgan the ** Pizenest ”’ Man of Ante Bar. Battery Bob. the Dock Detective. Arizona Dick’s W tIpe-Out. Jumping Jack's Jubilee. 906 Satety Sam, the Cvrele Sport, 912 Train Roy Trist’s Mot Huatle, 918 The Trump Dock-Boy. Big Roots Bob, the Fire-Laddle. Kuatler Ralph, the Boy Spotter. The Ex-Newsboy Detective’s Chum. The Bowling Green Ietective’s Drop. owboy Charlie’s Double. The Bowery W restler; or, The Butcher-Boy’s Backer, Paddy’s Trump (Card; or, Silver Sallie, the Girl Sport. The Broadway Sport: or, Fiver Fred’s Clear Unse, #1000 Reward; or, The Rival Reporters’ Sleek Scoop. Bantam Billy, the Corker-Ferret. 978 Plucky Pat, the Street-Boy Detective. 989 Bieycle Bob’« Hot Scorch, 997 Scorener Sam, the Detective on Wheels 1004 Scorcher Sam's Sweep-Stakes 1009 ‘tae Girl ©) elis.’s Winning Nand. BY ARIZONA CY. 1048 Vou Ret Rob from Cross Crick, 1088 You Bet Beb’s Cireus, ————— BUFFALO BILL NOVELS, BY COL. PRENTISS INGRALAM 1052 Ruffalo Billin Disguise. 1046 Goid Plume, the Boy Bandit, or, Buffalo Bill, the Pony Express Rider. ‘042 Little Grit, the Pony Express Rider, .040 Kuffalo Gill’s Pony Patrol. 1018 Buffalo Bill Left-Wand Athlete. By Bracebridge Hemyng. 1068 Wild Bill’« Weird Foe. By Wm.G Patten. A New Issue Every Tuesday. Half-Pime Library is for sale by all newadealers, five PEE ipod pom in sent by mati on receipt o1 six centsesch. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 92 William Street, New York. ‘ed , the Kansas Kid.
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READLE'S« H ALF- [)IME*[ IBRARY. Published Every BY OLL COOMES, Bandy, Detective; or, Silver Star, the Boy Knight. Bandy in ‘Texas; or, The Young Mustanger. Bandy’s Catch; or, The Boy Hercvles. Buandy’s Right Bower; or, Buby Sam,the Boy Giant Bandy’s Swoop} or, Little Buckskin, tne Centaur. Bandy’s Slick Scheme; or, Old Tom Rattler, Bandy’s Deliverance; or, Banner Ben. Bandy’s Pardys or, Dauntless Dan, the Freelance. Bandy Rattleds or, The Iniant Giant. Bandy in Red Ruin; or, She Young Whirlwind, Bandy’s Big Ruastile; or, Saddle King Sam. Bandy’s Brigade; or, Dan, the Mountain Guide, Pandy’s Brigade in Arizona, Banudy’s Star Engagement. &46 Kit 468 Kit BOs Kit 22 Kit £44 Kit 2.8 Wit Goi Kit GAY Kit TOL Khe TOS Kit TO iit SO4 Kit URe Kid MSY bit a 58 Jack Drew, the Nemesis. or, Eagle Kit the Boy Demon, As82 Jack Drew's Drop; or, Littse Hurricane, tho Boy Captain, 202 Jack Drew in Deadwood; or, Prospect Pete. 27 Keen Knife on Guard; or, Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide $1 Keen: Knife, the Prince of the Prairies, & Vagabond Jove, the Young Wandering Juw. 18 The Dumb Spy. 41 Lasso Jack, the Young Mustanger. $8 The Border King; or, The Secret Dus, | #4 Delaware Dick, the Young Ranger Spy. 74 Hawk-eye Harry the Young Trapper Ranger 88 Rollo, the Roy Ranger; or, The Heiress, 984 Sure Shot Seth, the Hoy Rifleman, 148 Sear-F ace Saul, tie Silent Hunter, 178 Old Solitary, the Hermit Trapper. 218 figer Tom, the Texas Terror. 224 Dashing Dick; or, Trapper Tom’s Castia, RS Little Wildiire, the Young Prairie Nomad. 288 The Parson Detective; or, The Little Ranger, 248 The Disguised Guide; or, Wild Raven, the Ranger, 260 Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger, 272 Minksakin Mike, the Boy» Sharpshooter. 290 Little Yoxtfire, the Boy Spv; or, Old Caleb Arbuckle, 800 The Sky Demon; or, Rainbolt, the Ranger. 84 Whip-King Joe, the Boy Ranchero, A09 thereules; »r, Dick, the Boy Rang 417 Webfoot Mose, the Tramp Detective. 457 Wingedfoot Fredy or, Old Polar Saul. 468 Tamarae Tom, the tig Trapper Boy. 452 Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan. S62 Blundering Basil, the Hermit Boy Trappa, 652% Don Barr, the Plains Freelance, 670 Norway Nels, the Big Bov Mountaineer. 77S Highland Marry, the Wizard Rifleman, $28 Poker Jack, the Detective Sport, BY T. 3, FLANAGAN, 909 Midshipman Dare, the Pirate Catcher, 925 The Young Cowboy Captain. 983 The Two Midshipmen; or, The Corsalr-Chaser’s First Cruise, BY DAN DUNNING, “AG Qulet Jack, the Scorct Service Spy. Vez Mac and Jack, the Invincibles, or, The Diabotical Three. STH Detective Dave’s Close Call, SS4 Farrel Fox and Wis Girl terret. Sve Carrel Fox’s Sweep-Stakes. BY GEORGE 0, JENKS&, 2865 Git Thor Owney the Unknown, 492 Git Thar Owney’s Pledge. 518 The Demon Doctor; or, Dendholi, the Kid Detective, St Double-Ourve Dan, the Pitcher Detective, GS Flute, rae Sincer Detective; or, Owney in a New Role, #408 The Pitcher Detective’s Folls or, Dan's Double Play. $16 The Ocenn Detective; or. The Last Cruise of the Black Bear, 681 The Pitcher Detective’s Tongheat Tussle. 786 Larry the Thoroughbreds or, Beaten on Every Side, T7? Llron Mand, the Charmed Detective 885i Uncle Sam's Detective in Chicago. ; BY WM. G, PATTEN. 629 Violet Vane, the Velvet Sport; or, The Jubilee ot Jacktown 665 Vlolet Vane'’a Victory; or, The Jasper City Clean Out. #98 Violet and Dalay, the Poay Parde. Tus Violet Vane’s Vow; or. The Cratty Detective’s Crait. T24 Violet Vane’s Vengeance; or, The Wipe-Ont. ZERO Violet Vane’s Verdilet; or, The Game at Coffin City. VAL Violet Vane, the Ventriloqutst Vidocg: or, Sport va. Sport. “T50 Violet Vane, the Vanquished. or, The Lite Stragg'e, ‘768 Violet Vane'’s Vision; or, The Fiery Hand of Fate, 489 The Dinamond Sport; or, The Double ace of Bed Rock, $19 Captain vwWyster y; or, Five in One. 681 Dales) mare the Sport from Denver. 487 Of1d Hombsahell, the Ranger Detective. G04 bron Fern, the Men of Fire: or, Among the Vultures, 19 The Roy Trawp Detective: or. The Donubie GripWitness 641 Dismal Pave’s Pandy Pard; or, The Clue to Capt, Claw Bound Roy F rank, the Young Amateur Detective Wild Vuleanys the Lone-Range Rider, 4 Old Misery the Man from Missourl. T74 Olear-Grit Cal, the Never Sav-Die Detective, TSY Sam Sheridan, the Secret Service Spectr 806 Cowboy Steve the Ranch Mascot. S20 Nobby Nat, the Tenderfoot Detective S86 Sharper Stoke’s Double Deal. S57 Spotter Robin New York, 366 Spotter Bob’s Bowery Racket. BY COLONEL DELLE SARA, 4038 The Lion of the Seas or, The Vailed Lady. **° Oool Deamond: or, The Gambler's Big Game, ‘ BY CAPTAIN FRED. WHITTAKER, 465 The Sen-Ont; or, The Witch of Darien. 29 The Pumb Page; or, The Doge’s Deugnter. 48 Dick Darling, the Pony Express Rider. hoe “ance und Lasso; or, The Children of the Chaco. 54 The Sword Munters; or, The Land ofthe Elephant Riders 59 The Lo«t Captain; or, Skipper Jabez Coffin’s Cruine. o0 The Roy Redoutnes; or, The Brothers of the Plumed Lance A Wolfgang, the Robber of the Rhine. 219 Mile Romer the Animal King; er, Round the World, 85 The Tieer Tamer; or, The League of the Jungle. R1 Eiock k, the Demon Rider, BYS Caiifornia Joe’ War Trall. BY CAPT. J. F. C. ADAMB, 84 Uregon Sol; or, Nick Whiffles’s Boy Spy. o: Glase- Pye. the Great Shot of the West. 4 Ned Wazel, the Boy Trapper. 56 Nick Whittles’s Pets or, Ir The Valley of Death, $0 The White Indian; or, The Scout of the Yeilowsteng ZO Old Zip'a Cabin; or, The Greenhorn In the Wooda. 1 Mehtn 0, the Terror of the Prairie, uvek Buckram ¢ or, Bess, the Female Trapper, 4@ Grizzly and His Peta; or, The Wild Huntress Onceola, the Firebrand. BY T. 0. HARBAUGH, 28 Nick o- the Night ; or, The Boy Spy of ’76 B87 The Hidden Lodge}; or The Litth Hunter. 47 Nightingale Nat; or, ‘Ine Forest Captains. 64. Dandy Jack: or, The Outlaws of the Oregon Traft, 82 KIL Maretfoot, the Wood-Hawk; or, Old Powder-faca 94 Midnight Jack ; or, The Boy Trapper. } 106 Old Frosty, ! iuide The White Queen, | 128 Kiowa Charley te Mustanger. 189 Judge Lynch Jr.e or, The Boy Vigiante. 155 Goll Trigger, the Sport; or, The Girl Avenger. 169 Tornado Tomy; or, Injun Jack From Red Core, Ned Temple, the Border Roy; or, The Mad Hunter. Arkan“aws: or. The Quen ot Fate’s Revenge Navajo Nick, the Boy Gold Hunter. Captain Bullet; vr, Little Topknot’s Crusade, Plueky Phil} or Jezebel, Bill Bravos or, Toe hk & Captain Apoli. » tne King-Pin’ . The buckskin Detective; or, The King of Road-agents, ld Winch: or, Tie Buckskin Desperadoes. Dynamite Dan; or, The Bowie Blade of Gochetopa. The Mountain Detective: or, The Trigger Bar Bully, Old Eclipse, Trump Cardof Arizona, The Ten Pardayz or, The Terror of Take-Notice Bie Renson: or, The Queen of the Lasso. Pitilesa Matt: or, Ked Thunderbolt’s Secret. Oool Sam ond Pards or The Terrible Six. Velvet Foot, the Indian Detective, Captain Cutlass; or, | be Becoaneer’e Girl Foe. 396 Rough Rob; or, The | win Champions of Blue Blazes. 411 The Silken Lasso? or, The Rosec Ranch Robin. 418 Felix Fox, the Boy Spotter; or, The Gold Gang of New York, 425 Texas Trump. the Border Rattler. 486 Phil flash, the New York Fox; or, The Mystery of Room 21, 445 The City Vampiress or, Ked Rolfe’s Pigeon. 461 One Against Fifty; or, The Last Man of Keno Bar, 470 The Boy Shadow: or, Felix Fox's Hunt. 477 The Exceisior Sport: or, The Washington Spotter, 499 Single Sight, the One-Eyed Sport, 502 Branded Ben, the Night Ferret. 512 Dodger Dick, the Whart-Spy Detective. $21 Dodger Dlek’« Beat Dodge; or, The Gotham Gold Gang, 628 Fox and Faicon, the Koewery Shadows, 588 Dodger Dick, the Dock Ferret, 5A8B Dodger Dick’s Double; or, The Rival Boy Detectives, 558 Dodeer Dick’s Deaperate Case. 568 Dodger Dick, the Boy Vidoeq; or, The Garg of Three, 678 The Two Shadows; or, Dodger Dick’s Stop Game, 5S2 Dodger Dick’« Drop; or, The Man from Jersey, 594 Little Lon, the Street-Singer Detective, 610 Old Skinner, the Gold Shark; or, Tony Sharp on Guard. 626 The Champion Parda; or, The Luciler of Silver Bar, 687 Dick Dean, the Dock Bov Detective. 645 Kit, the Pavement Sharp. 658 Billy Bantam, the Boy Beagle. 671 Jersey Jed, the Boy Hustler; or, Shadowing the Shadower. 685 Happy Hugh, the Boy Musician Detective, T0O1 Photograph Fred, the Camera Sharp. %& Wide Awake Len, the Quaker City Ferret. 2 Datsy Dell, the Pavement Detective; or, Trapping Big Gare, 2 Billy Winka, the Bell Boy Detective, + Billy Winka, the Bose Bov Shadow. §% Eagie Ned, the Boy on Guard: or, Tne Camp Spiders, 0 Tonkaway Tom, the Red Wihard % The Bantam Sport. " 848 Clip, the Battery Ferrets o1, snc eoners Foul Play S97 Davy Doon’s Big Bounce. 905 Dandy Nugget, the Bor Shadow. 921 The Boy from Denver. BY. CHARLES MORRIS, 8 Will Somers, the Boy Detective. 2 Phil Nardy, the Boss Boy. 6 Picayune Pete: or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective Betective Dick ¢ or, The Hero in Rags, 2 Handsome Harry, the Bonthlack Detective, 7 Will Wildtire, the Thoroughbred, 2 Black Reasa, Wi!) Wildfire’s Kacer. ? 5 4 PeIrkededodes : & a 5 6 & 2 1 2 8 4 5 5 6 6 z t (4 od > Mike Merry the Harbor Police Boy, 2 fli Wildiire in the Woods, UJ == tilly Baggage, the Railroad Boy. Trump Card ¢ or, Will Wildtve Wins and Losses sob Rockett; or, Mysteries of New York. Rob Rockett. the Bank Ronner, ‘8 The HWidden Hand: or, Wil! Wildfire’s Revenge. 87 Fred Halyard, tiie Life Boat Boy; or, The Smaggiera, 189 Bob Rockett; or. Driven to the Wall. 196 Shadowed; or, Bob Kockett’s Fight for Life. 206 Dark Paul, the Tiger King. 212 Dashing Dave, the Dandy Detective. 220 Tom Tanner: or, The Black Sheep of the Flock. 225 Sam Charcoal the Premtum Darky, 285 Shadow Sam, the Messenger Roy, 242 The Two ** Bloods”; or, Shenandoah Rili cod His Gang, 252 Dick Dashaway : or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago, 262 The Young Sharpe: o:. Rollicking Mike’s Hot Trail, 274 Jolly Jim, the Detective Apprentice. 289 Jolly Jim’s Job; or. The Young Detective. 298 The Water-Mound: or, The Young Thoroughored, 805 Dashaway, of Dakota: cr, A Western Lad in Quaker City, 824 Ralph Keady, the Hote) Boy Detective. R41 Tony Thorne, the Vagabond Detective, 858 The Reporter-Detectives or, Fred Flyers Slizzard, BGT Wide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy of the Times. 87Y Larry. the Leveler; or. The Bloods of the Boulevard, 408 Firefly Jack, the River-Rat Detective, 422 The Lost Finger; or, The Entrapped Cashier, 428 Fred Flyer, the Reporter Detective. 482 Invincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. 456 Billy Brick, the Jolly Vaganond, 466 Wide-Awake Jerry, Detective; or Entombed Alive, 479 Detective Dodge: or, The Mvsterv of Frank Hearty, 48% Wid Dick Racket: or, How He Fought for Honor, 501 Roota, the Boy Fireman: or, Too Sharp for the Sharper, ba The Secret > ervice Roy Detective. 596 Jimmy the Kid; or, A Lamb Amongy Wolves, €27 Tom Rruce of Arkansas; or. The Wolfin the Fold. 655 Plucky Paul, the Rey Speculator. 667 Rob and Sam, the Daisy Detectives. 7209 The Curbatone Detective: or, Harry Hale's Big Beat. THT Detective Frank’s Aweep-stakea, 869 Ned Norman, the Gamin Broker, S81 Turkey Billy, the Shine-’em-up Detective, 917 Flash Lightning, the Mountain Mascot. BY ALBEKT W, AIKEN, 11 The Two Detectives: or, The Fortunes ofa Bowery Girl, 76 Abe Colt, the Crow-Killer. 79 Sol Ginger, the Giant Trapper. oe Joe Ruck of Angela and Hla Boy Pard. 8 - 2 4 8 ch ph prec ek et eh eh ph fe Ph dh el, fh ph 2 447 New Vork Nat. A Tale of Tricks and Traps in Gotham, 458 New England Nick: or. The Fortunes of a Fourdling. 464 Nimble Nick, the Circus Prince. 498 Taos Ted, toe Arizone Snort. BLO Con) Colorada, the Half-RBreed Detective B18 Cool Colorado tn New York: or, Tlie Cowboy's Might BY CAPT. ALFRED B. TAYLOR ©. 8 A, 33} Ruffalo Ritly, the Roy Rullwhacker. 94 Buffalo Rill’« Bets or, The Gambler Guide, Tuesday. Hoch Issue Complete and Sold at the Unijornt Price of Five Cents, by all Newsdeasers. BY J. W. OSBON, 469 The Kival Glants of Nowhar’. Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Lock. 7 Ola Rucker ec the Sierra Shadow. Powder Phil, the Boy Miner. or, The Man Without 6 Pass, Rolly Dorrit, the \ eteran Detective, Little Lightning’s Lengue: or, The Mystery o the Ialans Plueky Paul, the Boy Prospector, Gold-Dust Dan, the Trail Patrol. & Gold Dust Dan’sa Gath: or, Reckless Roy, the Reguinte Gold-Dust Dan’a Snap-Shot, BY JOSEPH EE, BADGER, JR, Yellowstone Juek; or, The Trappers Black John, the Road-Agent; or, The Outlaw’s Retreat, Hurricane Bill; or, Mustang Sani and Hie Pard, Mustang Sam 3 or, The King of the Plains. Night-Cinwk Kit; or, The Daughterof the Ranch. Dainty Lance the Boy Sport. Panther Paul; or, Dainty Lance to the Rescue, The Black Giant; or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy, Deadly Dash}; or, Fighting Fire with Fire. The Boy Trailers; or, Dainty Lance on the War-Patt, The Boy Parday or, Dainty Lance Upmaska, 211 Crooked Cale, the Caliban of Celestial City. The HBarranca W olf; or, The Beautiful Decoy. The Black Riders or, The Horse-Thieves’ Leagua. Old Double Fist r, The Strange Guide The King of the Wr ciectny or. Danie! Boone’s Last Trai Kit Fox, the Border Boy Detective 5S Chincapin Dan, the Boy Trailer. Chinenapin Dan’s Second Trail, Chincapin Dan’s Mome Stretch. Old Crazy, the Man Without a Head, Light-Menurt Lute’sa Legacy. Lighi-lHeart Lute’s Last Tralfl, Silverblade, the Shoshone. Silverblade, the Half-Blood; or, The Border Beagle ot Sa» Silverblade, the Hostile; or, The Border Beagle’s Tratl. Silverblade the Friendly; or, The Border Beagle’s Boy Parr BY ©. DUNNING CLARK. Captain Pauls or, The Boy Spy of the Mountains. Tho Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereas, BY LIFUT. i. D. PERRY, U. 8. N. The Boy Runaway; or, The Buecaneor of the Bar, The Sea Traller: or, A Vow Well Kept. Captain Kit; or, The Mystery of Montack Point, BY JACK FARRAGUT. 815 Ned, the Cabin Boy; or, The Witch ot the Fort. 820 The Sea Sorceress; or, The Boy Skipper. 7 BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID, 7& Bilne Dicks or, The Yellow Chief's Vengeance. }87 The Land Pirates; or, The League of Devil's Island, 187 The lHelpleve Hand + or, Backwouds Retribution. 289 The Gold-seeker Guide? or, The Lost Mountela, BY BRACEBRIDGE HEMYNG R89 Taland Jims: or. The Pet of the Family. P91 The Captain of the Oinbs or. The Rival Athietes, 101 Jack HMarkaway in New York. MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS, 4 The Wild-Horac Hunters. By Capt. Mayne Reta Frederick Whittaker. ® Adventures of Baron Munchausen. 12 Gulliver’s Travels. By Dean Swift, 14 Aladding or, The Wonderful Lamp. 16 Robinson Crusoe. (27 Iilustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Sailor. His Seven Voyages. 22 The Sen Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crusoe. By Jues wis. BB The Ocean Bloodhound; or, The Red Pirates oj the Carridbers. By S, W. Pierce. 26 The Boy Clown? or, The Arena Queen. By FS. Finn. BS Ned Wylde. the Boy Scout. By Texas Jack. $1 The Boy Fiffes:s or! The Underground Camp. By A.C.Irons 95 The Rival Rovers; or, The Freebooters of the Mississipp Br Lient.-Col. Hazeltine. 98 Robin Hood, the Vut)awed Earl; or/The Merry Men of Green wood. By Prof, Gildersleeve, 105 O14 Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Cantive. By Captain Hamilton Holmes. 112 The Mad Hunter; or, The Cave of Death. By Burton Saze- 124 Tippy, the Texans or, The Young Champion.’ By George Glésson. 128 The Voung Privateer; or, The Pirate's Stronghold. By Harry Cavendish. 148 Sharp Samy or, The Adventures ot a Friendless Boy, by J Alexander Patten. 227 Dusky Darrell, Trapper: or, The Green Ranger of the Yeh By G, L. adken lowstone. By Saber er, ack he 261 Fercus Fearuaught the New Yr v. 2466 Killb’ar. the Guide: »%r, Davy Crockett’s Crooked Trail By Ensign C. D. Warren. 298 Red Claw. the One-Eyed. Trapper; or, The Mald ot the Cliff By Captain Comstock. B1T Peacock Pete. the Lively Lad from Leadville. By Lion- tenant Alfred Thorne. B28 The Sky Detectives or, A Boy's Fight for Life and Honor, By Maior Mickey Free, 850 Red Ralph, the River Rovers or, The Brother's. Re venge, By Ned Buntline. 265 Baltimore Ren the Bootblack Detective, A. b. Morrin. RTA Gold-Duat Tom: or, Ben’s Douhle Match. «By @ fr). Morse: 876 Californian Joe’s First Trail By Colonel Thomas Hover Monetery. 418 Rilly Rombahet, the Clif Climber. By F. 8. Winthrop. 475 The. Black Ship. Py Jobo 8 Warner. 484 Comanche Pick and His Three Inyincipies. By Henry J. Thomas. BS2 The Cowboy Duke. Py Edwin Brooke Forrest. B52 Ariel the Athlete. Ry David Druid, 585 WI Waters, the Bov Ferret. By HM. Enton. 682 The Nend Petective’a Double. By Gerald Carlton, 721 Maverick Moke, the Arizona’ Detective: or, Taé Wizard os Urkos Pats. By Will Lisenbee. 809 ane Danton, the Gont from Denver. By King Keene, of @ Ry C. E. Tri a14 .* meat Service Corns. Ace Migh, the Frisco Detective. A 880 The Grim Lodgers In Rag Alley} of» Citheo Ram of Nomber Smen. By Ren PD, Halliduy. 881 The Chicago Drummer’s« Deal. By J. G. Bettrite 841 Prince Charlie, the Cat’. Paw Sport, by barn nke Der. R61 Rilly Rrtne, the Swamp Fox. Py Chas. F. Welles 879 Bine-leht BIL, the Sapphire Sport; or, The Denver Deas tive’s Lone Hand, By Kiog Keene. A New Jaeue Every Tuesdey, Tho Half-Dime Wibrary {s tor sale vy all Newsdeal” Ye eenta por copy, or sent by mal! on recetot of ain ents eam,