Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 26) (1878 01 21)
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ee, Cree o Vy b a=) hp 4 ho eo pyr —— | VZ SL) NS it i a ‘A A “rc ol lt a al at ll a aS: Zt i NS Copyrighted in 1878, by BEADLE AND ADAMS. CL’ Single Number. BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS, Price, 5 Cents. Cloven-Hoof, THE BUFFALO DEMON: R, THE BORDER VULTURES. A TALE OF THE SOUTHWEST. BY EDWARD L. WHEELER, AUTHOR OF ‘‘DEADWOOD DICK,” “THE DOUBLE DAG- GERS,” ETC., ETC. CHAPTER L FOUND IN THE MARSH—THE LOCKET. “Jack BuLarD! Jack Bulard; d‘ye hear me? Come here, I tell ye!” " t’s wantin’, Peggy?” came in slow accents from within. Mrs. Bulard, a buxom little woman of five-and- twenty years, looked up from her wash-tub beside the cabin door, with a savage frown. “Ye'd better git a-comin’, Jack, now, I ‘ell ye, or I'll come in there, and club the mop-stick over your thick skull, see’f I don't. I want ye!” “Yas, ye’re allus wantin’ me, Peggy, w'en I git sot down for a comfortable smoke,’’ growl- ed a great strapping fellow, of some ten years the woman's senior, as he lumbered alon toward the door, pipe in h “* W’at’s the rumpus, gal?” Poesy stopped in her work, and faced her spouse, excited- Vive remember that clatter of hoofs we heerd at midnight, last night, don’ ye Jack, after we were in bed?” “*Consarn me, ef I don’t! I tho’t that the Demon Buffalo, w’at ther fellers ar’ tellin’ such “No sich a thing,” wled Jack.. “ But w’at of the clat- ter of hoofs?” uA deal, a2 ” n A ly. “Thar’s som thin’ wrong, Jack —Listen! d’ye hear Pe ears forward, and was silent. Presently a peculiar sound greeted his hearing—a sound singular, indeed, out there on the prairies, It was a piteous moan or cry, such as could be emitted by only a beef in distress. “Humph!” muttered the edge’ “a painter’s screech, e,”’ ‘No, it "tain’t nuther, I tell P a ree grunt- a ‘ood long puff Ye run to babbies, preeched on ‘em from mornin’ till nite!” “ And that’s all the good it’s done!" spat forth the better. half. ‘‘Ye orter be ashamed on yerself, Jack Bul- | mine ken stan’ more ee a drummin’ than ye’ve ard. Here we’ve bin j’ined these two year, an’ not 0, ot wind ter inflickt. gal; ye’ll hev ter cut a a chick—”’ a4 vyer gad’n that!” At this instant the long, peculiar cry greeted their | Pe; uttered a screech that would have rivaled the hearing again. pent er, and made a precipitous dive for the cudgel, ‘““Whar's it cum from?” muttered Jack, listening | but her amiable spouse was out of reach ere she intently. ‘ Frum the over yander, eh, gal?’’ | “On course,’’ coincided Peggy. ‘Jes’ ye go over an’ see, Jack. Ef it’s a baby, mind you, b the little tootsy-bootsy to my arms; the poor humless little cherub!” “Ya-s! I'll tootsy-bootsy it,” drawled he, as he turned into the cabin for his rifle. ‘‘Like’s not I'll heave it over inter ’Soury, ef it’s a babby.” “Now, jes’ le’me see ye try it, Jack Bulard! Ef | ye want me ter wear this hickory mop-stick out over our he’d, go and chuck et inter the Missessuri. There'll be one less Injin-fighter, I tell zor" ? “Humph!” muttered Jack, eying the aforesaid | weapon of offense, contemptuously. ‘ Thet cudgel | hain’t got ther terrors ter me thet it uster have, Pon | 4 head knows thet ar stick by heart, an’ I bet a chaw of terbacker thet this ere same skull 0’ could possess herself of it. Across the prairie from Bulard’s cabin, at the dis- tance of a couple of hundred yards, was an im- mense flag-bog or marsh, which ran back to the edge of the Missouri river. At this, the spring season of the year, it was generally about half-filled with water and driftwood, and there were treacherous sinks and sloughs, here and there, that made it very dangerous to cross, if not quite inaccessible. Jack Bulard had been reamed from engee i'd on the border, and was as good a scout, trailer, and Indian- hter, as the district boasted of. erefore, when he left the cabin behind him, he did not strike out boldly in the direction whence came the frequent cries, but turned abruptly to the north and hurvied off. He was ever alert to the tricks and snares instigated by the wily sevens and even in his own cabin, he kept a watch- ful = out upon any surround- ing object that was in the least suspicious. At the present time he was by no means thrown off his guard. He knew that there were none of the panther species of animals in the bog; but he did not know how many of the red- skin species might be lurking in it, trying to lure him within gun-shot, by the art of simula- tion which seems so natural among the bloodthirsty deni- My ov AYA \\ ; (\ zens of the West. 1 Mae ONG NWT \ WS by Ah So he approached by a cir- pH), +1) \\y \ RN SS NY LQ cuitous route, and with the pay Pat Misinipys' h\ \} A MAY AA SWAT greatest caution. SNe KN YMA NSW \ Yas Fully fifteen minutes had ») Phi NY EAN a iN} \ elapsed, so carefully did he I F/, i i sneak along, ere he disap- / (/\\ fags. in the wilderness of “The big idiot,” observed Peggy, who had been watching him, contemptuously. “ He’s afeared et's a red-skin. Bah! no Injin ever made sich cries asthem. It’s a baby, an’ that’s the long an’ short of it. Hum, well; Is’ there’s no use frettin’ bout him. He will hev his own way. Ido believe he'd use jest so much caution ef he were goin’ ter a funeral!” Once in among the rustli brakes and flags, Jack Bular exercised even more stealth than before. On his hands and knees he moved toward the ob- of his search, parting the cket as he went. Fora hundred yards he crept forward; then ‘stopped and listened Not a sound was to be heard save the sullen roar of the great river off to the west, and the rustle of the flags above and around him. “Gol-darn the wget em A how,” he forcibly ejaculated, as one of his hands and arms sunk to the shoulder in a leaf- concealed pool of mud. Hardly had he ~ age when ning a cry broke out, in a cket just in front of him. To creep forward and THE BUFFALO DEMON. part the brakes was but the work
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Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. of an instant, and as he did so, the great_borderer started aghast with an exclamation of horror. There, directly before himywas a pool of »clear, crystal water, completely hedged in by the surround- sre of flags. ing just on the edge of. this pool, with its feet and little limbs submerged in the water, was a child—a mere infant in years, dressed in a baby’s dress, which had once been white, but was now muddy, soiled and torn. _ Jack Bulard’s face was white with an awful feel- ing of terror, as he pulled the little sufferer from the cold water. arta It was not dead yet, but he could see by the short, quick gasps.for. breath, that it could not have held out much longer. The little white face, the blue eyes, and the deathly hue about the little mouth told him that inan hour more the poor thing would have been dead, m It was evidently a girl, for its hair was long and sunny. : ~ | ; “Horrible!” muttered the--big-hearted borderer, teafs standing in his eyes as he took the moaning ob- 7 of pity upon his knee. . “ Ther man er ’ooman, het c’uld hev ther staummake to sling such a purty critter inter this hole ain’t no better nor than ar’ a lizard. Fh, leetle*un, w’at is it?” The waif continued to cry in a manner piteous to see, and its delicate white hand ms pointing to- ward the pool,.as if to attract the hunter's atten- tion to something buried beneath its placid depths. ’ At first, Bulard did not comprehend, clearly; then something akin to combined horror and dread at- tacked him, and laying the child upon the ground, he stepped forward, waded a few steps into the, pool and peered down into the crystal water. His great form shook with emotion, and his eyes bulged from their sockets, as he made a second dis- covery. There, lying upon its back on. the white, pebbly bottom, was another infant / It was dressed like the first, and of the same size. Very likely the two were twins. Awed! aye, horrified beyond ression, the bor- derer reached forward his foot, and stirred the body. Then he perceived that it was held down by weights, attached to its waist by strings. After a moment, he staggered back to the shore, and seating himself by the side of the little girl, he bowed his face forward between his hands, and the tears fell from his eyes thick and fast. Never before in life, thus far, had his feelings been so touched. Never had he stumbled upon a scene that so shock- ed his nerves, and opened the valves to the pity in his great heart. It was some time ere he could co d his con- trol over the tempest of emotion enough to raise the ptr child in his arms, and, bear her toward his cabin, Here he gave her up to Peggy, as, in his rude but mapéss Sy rire ie Ferra Fine | 5) pes — egg, ar C) she a long tongue, was the Sidsor of a lange and kindly heart, and she received the little waif with true motherly affection, and left the wash-tub to nurse her back to life—which was an uncommon thing for Peggy. Sad and sorrowful, Jack went back to the pool and fished out the body of the dead child, which he also bore to his cabin home. egey laid it out in a white sheet, while‘Out of doors Jack set to work, and out of a pine slalmaliw factured a rude coffin, On the neck of the dead waif was found as scar—a birth-mark, doubtless, in the shape of a ti hand. All the fingers and the imprint of the palm of the hand being quite distinct. Also, around the neck of the little girl was a chain, to which was attached by a coral link a little locket set with precious stones. : ** Pe ” said the borderer, that evening, as he sat tipped back in a favorite corner of the cabin, waiting for her to prepare the evening meal, “d’ye know w'at I f€el in my mes?”’ “How shed I kno?” eneeare she. “‘ You're allus feelin’ som’thin’ in ’em: but if never cums true!” “Don’t, eh? W’en I felt it in my bones thet ther Injins war goin’ ter burn out Shaeffer’s, they didn’t do it, did they? Oh, my gal, my bones are true as allmanax in their prophecys, sure pop! I feel it in ‘em, jest at this. purtic’lar minnit, that some day or other, I shall, run ays against ther human that deserted these poor children.” “T hope to gracious ye will, Jack Bulard,” replied Peggy, giving the hasty-pu a vigorous. stir “an’ ef ye don’t bu’st his pate for him, I hope he'll bu’st yourn.”’ “Oh, I'll bu’st him, never ye fear! But, what’re = goin’ to do wi’ ther leetle girl, ef she don’t go over her dam?” “Bet rahe, sal right 48a cokynut. An’ w'ile ¢ ’s right, gal— asa co ut. ye’er raisin’ her, I'll. keep er eye peeled erbout, — the cuss who hain’t got no more ov a heart than a ator.” The next mo the body.of the little dead one was interred by rude but tender hands. CHAPTER: II. ‘ JONATHAN JERROLD, ARTIST. SEVENTEEN years later. _, A company of about a dozéh horsemen was riding leisurely across the great plains, at the close of what had been a sultry August day.. All were mounted on/ spirited horses, and their dress plainly denoted their, coiling that of the free ranger of the border. The main party was headed by two men, who, evi- dently, were chief in command. The one was a tall, muscular knight of the frontier, dressed in buck-skin, with a face tanned toa nut- brown hue from constant exposure to wind and sun; piercing y eyes, dark curling hair, and a heavy andish mustache of a like color. His form was of perfect mold, and he sat his horse like a cavalier of old. His companion, who rode by his side, was a sturdy, age — borderer, with a lithe yet muscu- form, black eyes, and long dark hair, that fell around his shoulders in profusion, while his face was shorn of all signs of beard. Both of the leaders, as well, in fact, as the whole of the cavalcade, were well armed, “You're sure you can sight the cabin, ere dark- ness falls ?” asked he of the es age an uneasy glance toward the dry, red sun, which was dropping behind the horizon. ‘‘ You are aware that we are now in the country of the A e, and Iam not too favorably impressed with the character of either the red or white inhabitants of the district we are about to enter; or, that is, I would not care to camp down on the plains here with this handful of men! ‘“* You talk like a hornet, captain!” said Lije, dryly; “but never fear, ‘Less suthin’ stranger’n I kno’ 0 hes happened, I'll show ye Jack Bulard’s cabin afore thé moon’s up. How’s yer compass pint now? *Bout sow’-’est, ain’t et?’ *“Yes,”’ replied the captain, consulting the hands of the compass—‘‘ about that, A little to the south, if anything.” “Thort so. Ken’t ginnerally fool the Leopard on his reckoning. Wal, sich bein’ the case, I opine ye’ll see that gal o’ yer’s in short order. Luv her purty strong, dou’ ye, koss?”’ Captain Chris Adams flushed, but it was a flush of pride and pleasure that shot athwart his visage. “*Yes,’’ he replied, thoughtfully—‘‘I love her pas- sionately—madly. She is a pure and beautiful maiden, Lije!” “Right, capten, sure’s I’m a buffler-steak anihi- later. I’ve kno’n Guess Bulard these ten year, and ll go my last plug o° terbacker she ‘ll make -a- thumpin good wife. How’d ye ever happen to meet : “Tl tell you,’’ responded the captain, as he gave another anxious glance toward the setting sun. “You remember the big freshet there was on the Missouri, before Bulard moved down here to Texas, don’t you? Well, I was scoutin' among the reds on the other side of the river, when that mighty thaw came, about ten miles below Bulard’s cabin. ‘‘One drizzling, pasty morning, when the prairies were nothing more nor less than an ocean of water, a band of Sioux got after me, and I was compelled to ‘light out ' for the stream, I knew of a canoe hid- den near the shore, and rather than risk my hair in the keeping of old Nemostoka, I resolved to risk a trip across the.river to the other shore. “TI got in sight of the river about ten minutes ahead of the reds, and uncovering my canoe, I sprung in, and pushed out. _ Lije, if you’ve ever seen the Missouri on one of her tantrums, you can im- agine something about how itwas then. It wasa boiling, pot bee expanse of turbulent water, the rag- waves eac rang with the other to get ahead, but, in one sense of the word, none succeed- My frail bark tossed and lurched, and plunged, in the battle, like a stick, and I was not able to do much service with the paddle. , ** At last I was about in the middle of the original riyer course, and then made a diseovery. “Coming down the stream, and bearing direct. to- ward me, was a cabin—yes, a log cabin, sir, which danced along like a tp upon the ocean, its heavy t being a means of keeping it intact and from ti ng over. Upon the roof, with their arms out- ed toward me in a supplicating manner, were three persons. Crom the instant of this rag te resolved to _ save them a ee: for I knew that Locust d was not ah a dozen miles below, we ere the cabin would be dashed tree-tops, and those on the roof would in the flood. “TI so managed my canoe that in a short time my craft and the cabin were dashing along, side by side, * By the assistance of my lariat, I soon had the three mers in my frail craft, and after an of loubt and uncertainty, we reached “The rescued ones were Jack B: his wife and his lovely Epes Se, a The freshet had swept away their cabin while they were yet in bed, and by the opportune disman’ of the oitnaner, they had succeeded in escaping to the roof. “That was a memorable occasion, ie. I took them along with me, down to Dallas, and fell in love with Guessie Bulard, in the bargain. Just a year -when we separated, on the occasion of my call ap into Montana, she promised to wait for me, and on my return, become my wife.” You _orter be a joyous skunk, boss,” said the rie rg solemnly. ‘But, by my steak-ea’ pro- clivities, look thar/ W'at in the name of the forty- ‘leven constellations o’ stars, duz thet mean?’ Captain Chris gave the signal and every man drew rein, at once. Directly in front of them, though distant several hundred yards from where they had halted, stood a horse and wagon—the former, an old, scrawny, ribby sorrel, who looked as if it had never known the taste of hay or grain, while the latter was a small, rackety specimen of the canvas-covered “ schooner,’ used by wagon trains in crossing the prairies. Between this strange conveyance and the caval- @, was a man, whose frantic hopping about, and tesque motions first to his wagon, and then to- ward our friends, was intended, evidently, to warn them not to approach. K anuT “Hold on a bit!’’ ordered Captain Chris, “‘ and let’s see what that lunatic means!”’ The whole cavalcade pulled up abreast, and stared at the stranger. As soon as he perceived that-he had succeeded in bringing them to a halt, he skurried ly back to the hind end of his vehicle, and took therefrom a box not unlike a camera or ag the a apparatus which was attached to.a ag Sy stool. - This he stood. upon ground, ko nose pointed toward his audience, and then again back to the wagon, he skedaddled. “Celestyal Singers!” exclaimed co ae Lije, in wide-m ed | zement, “ w’at’s thet?” “Looks like er cannon,” joined in Beeswax, the Butter. ‘Who kno’s but et a7’?” “Thunder! meébbe et a7’ ;—an' we consarned fools settin’ hyar, a-straddle o’ our anymiles, as a mark,” a Th Territory Tim, he making a tumble for erra furma, fs ‘ ‘ “Durn my m ins ef I know wa’t-ter think,” ted the veteran of a hundred hair-lifts, G D. “I'll tell ye w'atI jedge! ventured Fifth Avenue Sam. “Et ar’ w'at_them ar’ consarned Britishers call a Gatlin’-gun. Isee’d one, in er Show- on Fifth Avvynoo, New York, an’ et looked suthin’ like thet yander. All a feller hes terdew, arter he puts er han’ful o’ ca’t-ridges in a sorter o’ pan, is ter turn er krank, wi’ er ’andel to et, an’ holey hevyens! why, boyees, ther bullets just fly! aslong’s yer arum, tilevery one's gone!’ t . “‘Celestyel Singers!’’ gasped the Leopard, as the stranger was now seen to approach the mysterious machine, ‘an’ thar,he cums wi’ ther ca’t-ridges, now! Ter ther ground, b'yees, everymother’sson on ye, and guv ‘im a.taste.o’ mineral substant from the Injin-territory lead-mines, ere he ken git hes infernal Gattler loaded!” P w In an instant every man but Captain Chris, was on the ground, and their horses were wheeled sidewise, as me nreast work, while eleven rifles bore down to- ward the lone stranger. (PIC ABOS [7 “Hold on, you confounded idiots!” here yelled Contets Chris, who: had waited; -with an amused smile, to see if his ignorant companions were really so deluded; Lonehat in Heaven's name would you do? Put up your guns * Ce éstyal Singers!” growled Lije, in angry ac- cents, ‘‘ d'ye take ’s fur a lot ér coyotes? We 'bain’t er goin’ ter let thet long-whiskered antelope riddle us wi’ ca’t-ridges;. no, notmuch! Quick, thar, b’yees; see? he’s_ puttin’ bes he'd under thet cloth, ter sight on ye! Guv him a blizzard!” ere was an ominous click! click! as the rifle- locks were drawn back. cee” “Hold!” again shouted young Adams, his face paling, as he drew a revolver, for he saw the grim rangers were earnest in their belief—‘‘don't you dare to pull a trigger—not one of you, or the man dies that does it!” Not a weapon exploded, consequently. It was a scene worthy of the penci] of an artist. Eleven brawny knights of the border brought to bay by a single man, under the cover of his gleaming weapon; in the rear, to the north and to the south, a vast ex- panse of level plain ' in isolation and silence; while in the foreground was. presented to view the lone tourist and his awe-inspi Raegys ie his pitia- ae apology for a horse, and the ghastly-looking vehicle. . seit =) “Put u our gu and mount!’ commanded Captain Chris, as he at last saw the stra emerge from in under the cloth which ‘enveloped the cam- era, and motion for them to approach. “The rangers sullenly obeyed. **You see you were at, nothing,” resumed Adi with a chuckle, “Do you not yet compre- hend what yonder object is?” “No!” growled Te ry Tim. “Well, then I'll beary the It is an apparatus for ae ig — ye hotographs!” “Wal, by thunder!’’were the astonished exclama- tidns.on all sides. ‘‘ Ye don’t say!” In a few moments the entire cavalcade drew rein infront of the camera, and the stranger, a large, Poee. bereouage with immense whiskers and eye- saluted them: — ‘cil “ Haow d'ye do, gentlemen! What in creation was the matter wi’ ye, when I was a-try-in’ to take yer goewery d a bit ago? Acted as how as ye were fa seme nee were frightened, the fos, laughed. Chris. your machine. for a Gatling- Bee. But, who in Cain are you, governor ede ** Me—who am I?” exc ‘d the. stranger, in sur- rise. ‘Is it possible yen heerd tell on me? bi i ena pe ra I a, Pat she Je- errold, pho rofessor, sterescopshun- ist, and artist in hens sublime beauties!’’ ied CHAPTER : ba agg vedthe Le ™ “mn, “* CELESTY. AL Singers!’ gas the Leopard. en meant inly gon, aren ait Rey “Tt is an ap- paratus fur takin’ a poy er and kurrect reper- sen un uv yer facial : eam, an‘ then 2 pe try highly satisfac pMidhner hy tes em. 0’ pho ro to er peece of paper. When this Sabla ackqutremen’ ar’ su ly ackkomplished; we go ter work, an’ paste Eee sep o’ paper 0 as natur: : matical war Frene = mirror!’’” “Ye don’ tell us! Soye. ’ ter gpod looks, war ye?” erowid Griadey Bas six-shooter, nt 6 “Ww Mf
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a. Cloven-Hoof. 3 “No! no! no/” cried Jonathan Jeriah, in abject ““What’s wanted?’ demanded Captain Chris, rid- terror; ‘“‘don’t shoot, Mr. Red-skin—n, drat it; Mr. Mr.—Mr.—Ranger, I mean—please doan’t. I'll ax yer parding, ef ye won’t shoot me!” “Haw! haw! haw!’ roared the borderers. “ Be quiet, boys,”’ ordered Captain Chris, enjoying the scene quite as much as his companions. ‘‘ Let our artist be. Isay, governor, what are you Gotpg out here in this Injin country? Can't be you've go much knowledge of the Apache, eh?” “Kind sir ’ replied the photographer, “ you speak truly. I’m not particularly acquainted with the inhabitants of this section of our Creator’s sublime footstool; but, nevertheless, I am possessive of a lion-heart, and consequently it behooves me not to fear aught in these solitary haunts, but put my faith in the Almighty, and trust for the best.” “Yas!’’ said Circus Pete, grimly, ‘‘ et’s well ernuff ter trust ter ther Old-Un, w’en ye’re in sight o’ ther fort, or at ther settlermentz, but, w’en ye're wi’in gun-shot o’ ther ‘Pash huntin’-grounds, I'll take re- wolvers, for my choice. Jestlet er good big ’Pash git a squint at them whiskers, an’ thet ha’r o’ yourn, an’ JU bet er baffler, itll be pk fotygraffer!” This caused a general laugh at Jerrold’s expense, and Captain Chris added: **Pete, here, knows what he is talking about, sir, and I agree with him that you are in a very danger- ous position. Even with my dozen experienced In- dian-fighters, I doubt if we get across the plains without hearing from the red-skins. You’ve come to a very unpropitious country to pursue your call- ing. Indians have no taste for the fine arts, and if Ns point your Tae at them as you did at my oys, here, very likely your scalp wi — the for- feit. I'd advise you to put for the “ i as fast as you can!” “Indeed! sir ranger, you seem to have a very poor opinion of me; but I care not a whit for your dis- couragement of my noble enterprise. To guide my footsteps back toward the Orient would be an utter impossibilit Y. Iam in the employ of the Cosmopol- itan and International Bureau of Art, and am bound for the great lava beds via different routes, to photo- graph the spot where noble Canby fell.” . “*So ye’re goin’ to try Modoe, eh? Well, before you g° that far, just make ‘your will/ Your family will oubtless need the benefit derived therefrom !’’ “T say, captain,’ suggested the Leopard, “let’s take him erlong wi’ us. P’raps his consarned ma- chine may skeer off ther Pash, when we git to ther gorge, and thereby save us a heep o’ trubbel, An’ tew, he ken fotergraff ther Demon Buffler!” “Yas! yas!” put in the assemblage of fun-loving rangers, who foresaw a deal of sport in the com- panionship of this remarkable character, who had so strangely fallen across their —*‘ take ’im erlong. Will ye go ‘lang wi’ us, Pi -blossom?” “Kind sirs, you greatly honor me, and if you thinketh that = company would be ble, I am not averse to linking my fortune with thine.” ‘*Karect! thunetar’ settled; yeshall sre 5 Ye shell see Cloven-Hoof, the Demon B ro’ Texas! Ye shall see heaps o’ Injuns; an’ ’sides, we'll all hev our pictures taken. W’at d’ye say ter et, Capten Chris? hain’t no *jeckshuns ef we tote thes corn- krib erlong, hev ye? Reckon’s we kin purteck ’im!" “No,” said Adams, who had been closely study- ing the artist, and had arrived at the conclusion that he was something more than his outward appear- ance indicated. In particular was_noti e the — in his manner of speech. Firstly, he had used the language of a Yankee, but now it was plain that his words were studied. “No objection,” he continued, “if you fellows choose to incumber yourselves with such a charge. Remember, though, we have yet two days’ hard travel before us; and how do you expect to make | any progress, with yon omnibus in tow?” he rangers looked blank for a moment, They had not thought of the “* schooner” and its ribby attachee. “ Never fear, sirs,’’ broke in the artist. ‘Though yon beast of mine shows unmistakable of cay in places where flesh should predominate, yet, rest assured, kind sirs, that her youthful spirit has not been smothered!” **You mean that the bone-yard is not beyond the powers of fast travel? That you can keep up with us ” “Exactly. Za Belle can hold her own with any courser of the century. Wait till Iload my wagon, and then, lead on; I will follow!” So saying, Jonathan Jeriah proceeded to pack the camera into the rear end of wagon, and when pee Te ene pulled down a long —_ ——, 80 none of the rangers’ prying eyes should peer into the interior of his aopendl vehicle—inside the wagon. en, springing to a seat in front, he gave the word; the old sorrel stretched her bony neck, and struck out like a race-horse, for the West, followed by the amazed, as well as amused cavalcade, whose animals were left in the rear By and by the artist drew and allowed the rangers to approach, and take the lead, while the sad- sorrel shacked shone at their heels, lazily, making no show of an effort to keep up, although —— in advance were galloping along at a of ton till the horsemen did not moon soared above the edge of the dis- | © tant horizon, but nosign of a halt. Jonathan Jeriah seemed to grow uneasy, and, too, La Belle manifested less of a desire for nocturnal traveling than at first. ello, there uted the * Hold | | | | | | ing back to the vehicle. ‘I would respectfully ask if it is the purpose of your worthy organization to encamp this evening, so that I can obtain a t collection of fodder with which to satisfy the cra of our ravenous a) tites?” replied the student of nature, “an q so that we can stretch our limbs upon these nD | sands, and seek rest and repose?” “*T reckon,” laughed Adains. ‘“‘ We are in search of a trapper’s cabin, hereabouts, but unless we find it | before long, we shall go into camp soon.” Once more the caravan moved on, but an hour passed and still no sight of a cabin. At last the Leo drew rein. “Ther’s no use trampsin’ ‘round enny longer, cap’n,” he declared,‘‘fur I opine I'l _hev ter gi’n up beat. I don’ see no kinder signs o’ er habbertashun, hyar’bouts, an’ jedge we'll hev ter gi’n up the ship, fur ter-night, anyhow.” So a halt was made, and the horses turned loose to graze, Asall were trained animals, no fears were entertained of their going astray. La Belle, however, no sooner arrived at the | conclusion that her day’s work was at an end, than she very deliberately lay down‘*in the shafts, and closed her eyes. ““Celestyal Singers,” ejaculated Lije, ‘see thar, Peech Blossom—yer hoss ’as laid down wi’ her gear- in’ on. Shell we gi’n ye er lift, to raise her?” “No,” said Jonathan Jeriah, coolly; “it is the way she usually sleeps!”’ And while the rangers were making a fire, the art- ist gathered a handful of grass for his pet. = hyar,” inte Fifth Avenue Sam. “Is thet all ye allow yer anymile, old snoozer?” ** Wait till you see,”’ replied Jerrold. When a fire had been kindled, and each of the ran- ger brigade were engaged in roasting their slice of ent A venison, the artist disappeared within the sacred precincts of his wagon, and presently eme a two formidable chunks of “b’ar-meat,’ which he fastened to the ends of a couple sticks, and proceeded to b: at the fire. **Wagh!"’ grunted Grizzly Len, e the contem- plated meal, in unfeigned astoni ent, “ye ain’t er-goin’ ter git outside o’ all o’ thet, ar’ ye, ole hoss? 8 me fur a buffler, but thar’s enough to kill two ordinnery buzzards!"’ Jonathan did not answer, but went on with his work, and soon had the chunks of meat done to a fine brown. He then laid aside one for himself, and took the other over to La Belle, who, to the t wonder of all present, devourec it without a whim- per, and immediately whined for more. “That’s a remarkable animal of yours, Cap,” ob- served Adams, as he finished his slice of venison. “Thinketh so, kind sir? Well, in all probability your words are full of wisdom. At least, I will not contradict you, and doubtless, in the future, you will become more strangely impressed with the sin- gularities connected with yon equine.” After the meal was disposed of, the fire was per- mitted to expire; the horses were brought in and hoppled, and Grizzly Sam and Len went on guard. onathan Jeriah sought the inside of his “ schoon- er” to re and the lone camp in the heart of the great plains soon was wrapped in silence. Before long the two guards fell asleep; they had ridden far that day, and were too exhausted to do further duty; so they imprudently slept at their Hi ly had they become wholly oblivious to ime and sense when a man crept near and peered ahead into the camp. After a moment’s survey of the sleepers, he glided still nearer, and soon stood at the rear end of ar- tist’s vehicle. He was a brawny specimen of humanity, with im- mense length of arms and legs, and b chest and | shoulders. His face was covered with a stubble- his eyes were of a piercing beard, , while his hair was long, tangled and silvery-white. A long rifle shing at his back was his only weapon ms pen Th ee t was minus the customary knife an ther assuring himself that he was still unnoticed, he proceeded to survey the conveyance before him. ‘*Humph,”’ he muttered, under his breath. ‘‘ Thes ar’ quare. Nevyar see’d sich er contrivance in two year. Must be sum bu'sted-up kerryvan, or else et ain't; I dunno wich. Par'’ps et ar’ a Gi keert— but, kim ter thunk, thar hain’t no Gips on = else it be ‘Pash. Plenty on em’, tho’, an’ not off. at thet. Wonder w’at’s inside hyar, ennyhow? i jedge I'll inv te a bit!’’ ne one hand, he unbuttoned the cur- tain, and it on one side, peered in. In an instant the loud report of a gun broke the still- ness of the night, and the borderer back with an unearthly yell, for a portion of his cheek had been blown aso and his face was peppered in a pitiful manner, with fine salt and powder. is wild yells brought_every one of the rangers to their feet, and they huddled around him in surprise, awe, and sree gt ane b , j wae The gigantic stranger was ho um , i about at a pee rater ad goviner vent to an unceasing stream of hideous yowls of pain and rage, that were frightful to hear. It was eee to see, however, that he was more scared than hurt, as the wound in his cheek had not quite laid the bone bare. ‘““Here! here!” ordered Captain Chris, shaking him by the shoulder; ‘ shut up your howling, or you will have the whole Apache nation down on us. Dry , I say! What’s the matter with you? Great eaven! is it you, Jack Bulard?”’ “Me? On course et’s me—w'at leetle thar's left on | miring glances toward the “schooner.” “I didn’t kim hyer ter be blown inter koyote-fodder, not by ba means!’ At Adams’s expressed wish he then related what is already known to the reader. “How is this, professor?” queried the captain, turning to Jonathan Jeriah, who had emerged from his mystery-enshrouded vehicle, and was looking at the borderer with a strange twinkle in his bead-like eyes. ‘ Did you shoot Bulard?”’ : “Nay, kind sir. I was wrapt in the dormant incli- nations unto Morpheus, like yourself, when yon prowling individu sought to penetrate the sancti- tity of my canvas-covered habitation, and incurred Han himself a just reproof for his audacious in- rusion |” “But what did the mischief? There was a report like a cannon, if I recollect!” “Very likely, kind sir, The secrets of yonder stu- dio are not for other eyes than mine, hence it be- hooves me to the rear entrance with a small, salt-loaded howitzer, in the event of my nocturnal repose, while the foremost end I blockade with my body. The gunI keep constantly loaded, and after I button the curtain down as I intend it shall remain it behooves no man to pry into the conveyance. i give you this explanation that each man present may profit thereby, and prevent disfiguration of their physi omistical countenances!”’ ack Bulard eyed the artist savagely. “‘Nevyar mind, ole hoss,” he groaned. “I'll git pi en yey yet, ef et takes till next year; I ain’t no e’d owl, yit!”’ . “Never mind, Jack,” said Captain Chris, consol- pr “You'll get well in a jiffy. But tell me where ’s your cabin and. ranch? € could not find it, so we had to camp down here!” “You're on my ranch now,” growled Bulard. “*Pash burnt the cabin yesterday !” “ And the women? at of them?” “ Oarr’d off, I reckon,”’ was the reply, accompanied with horrible groans. CHAPTER IV. RETROSPECTION—OLD JACK’S STORY. Captain Curis ApAms is so well known thro’ the Far West and Nor’-west, that no words 0; out ours are to proclaim his fame. No braver man has ever t the wilds of the frontier. With his in- vincible rangers he has done many a service for the Governmen in the way of —. raids from va- rious bands of desperadoes and hostile savages, that the fathers at Wash n will not soon forget. Montana, the ge ix scene of his operations, is justly proud of this friend and protector, and he and his gallant fellows to this day are ever wel-! come invaders of the wilderness territory. Several weeks ty pe) to the day when we first saw the “ Invincibles ’” on the Texan plains, Captain Adams had received a call from mp Supply, signed by several page citizens, requesting his nee there with his band of rangers. So, select- twelve of his best men, he had left Fort Buford on the long and d srous trip to the South. The rangers, all old and toughened sprigs of the frontier tree, could stand almost any amount of hard riding. pes d them were men notorious for their Eo skill and bravery—such as Lije the Leopard; Fif Avenue Sam; Beeswax, (colored); ly Len; Sam, Territory Tim, Alaska Ben, arid others. Finally arrived at ey | Supply, young Adams was not a little surprised to meet Governor Coke, who at once took the ranger into consultation. The object of the call of the rangers from their northern home was soon made plain. In the northern portion of Texas a great excite- ment prevailed which had become akin to a panic among the inhabitants in that section—a panic that seriously threatened to unsettle a vast tract of eulti- vated land. By the earnest endeavors and constant induce- ments of Land Commissioner Groos, several little set- tlements had sprung up, Be A farms were un- der , and the population was rapidly inereas- until the a; of the “scourge,” as the se’ term the art. oes wealthy citizens purchased homes and settled in the section, and it was the desire of the State authorities to offer such inducements as would the prevailing myétery and excitement e ng m ry e ment were pro- duced ss the ed pce of an unknown and wnseen band of radoes, styling themselves the Vultures, uently dis placards, and who were headed by a nondescript being—a mysterious, cloven- footed creature, whom the more superstitious set- tlers firmly believed possessed of the devil. This Cloven-Hoof, as it was called, was in bodily developments shaped not unlike a man, but the feét were Roe like those of his Satanic majesty are supposed to be, while, instead of a human h the gigantic head of a buffalo surmounted a large bull neck, over which flowed a jetty mane. and, another wonder, the frightful ob; was of no arms orhands. The lower part of the body was cov- ered with glistening scales, like those of a fish, and, too, it was that, together with all his other infernal Cloven-Hoof was an amphibi- ous mo : This mysterious thing was wont to lead his men upon the settlements, and not nes rere 3 down inst the wagon trains, in the dead of — and while he was attracting the attention of w sentinels might be , his minions would pounce upon and plunder the ms, and with such stealth and mysterious success that they were rarely if ever me. How! yow! yow! W’atd’ye keep in thar, enny- | seen how?’ he belched forth! anything but ad- Such was the idea the governor gave Captain
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4 Adams of the mystery, adding, that the settlers and inhabitants of the Government lands were becoming thoroughly alarmed, and that unless something be done immediately to quell the superstition and to ‘lay’ the Cloven-Hoof, there would be, undoubt- edly, a precipitate desertion of the section, which it Rad bake years of unceasing perseverance and la- bor to populate. Should the present settlers be frightened away, years might pass ere they could be replaced. **Government”’ never farms out its wild lands, and has no agents for making settlements and collecting revenues from leases, etc. So it was vitally necessary that the matter should be thoroughly investigated; hence the ranger was summoned from his far northern haunts, and offered & munificent reward should he succeed in overhaul- ing the band of outlaws, which he consented to do, and after a brief rest set out for Zossei, a little set- tlement nearest the principal scene of the depreda- tions, armed with a letter from the lieutenant-gover- nor to one Alonzo Nesmit, a leading spirit and citi- zen of the infested community. Desiring, for a P ise known to himself, to increase his band to twelve men, aside from their leader, Captain Chris had laid his course across the pes toward the cabin of his prospective father-in- w, old Jack Bulard, whom he hoped to enlist in his service. Under what ina cious circumstances the two met, we have al y related. Let us, then, once more, look back upon the camp. “Great Heaven!” gasped Adams, reeling back at Bulard’s declaration; ‘‘carried off by the Apaches? Horrible! Go on, old man, and do not keep me in re. Tell me all!” 1¢ oll scout coolly seated himself upon one of the hubs of the wagon-wheels, and after filling and cere his pipe, puffed away a few moments, con- n y: “Ken’t tell ye how et war dun, boyee,”’ he replied, rubbing his hand dubiously over his lacerated check. ** Ye see I war out on er long trip up ter ther Platte, an’ w’en Ileft hum ther femayles war gittin’ erlong skrumpshis-like; sol didn’t worry much erbout ’em. But, prcpeece: , w’en I erriv’d back ’bout dusk, an’ found thet ther ’Pash hed bin thar, ’arly in ther mornin’, an’ cremated my ranch, I.tell ye I war mad as cr goose in settin’-time. 1 kuldn’t find nerry o’ the femernines, so I jedged they war ampu- tated—no, thet ain’t ther word; le’s see! Abdicateded, am ect, capten?”’ “Abducted, you mean?” “Yas—thet ar’ et. Abdicateded! from ignitable weeds!” “ Yas—récken 'twere sum ignerent jackass like ye ef I’m er jedge o’ sich riptiles. Anneyhow, I burri up in ther sand, like er prairie-dorg, an’ wa’ted tel ye eamed down yere, w’en I concluded ter inspec’ matters. Cus thet shuten bhunderbuss; I’m, er sp’ilt “Wal, Dll tell ye. I pried eround the premises, an’ diskivered thet ther main heft on ther gang, halted erbout two hundred yeerds off frum whar my ranch stood, an’ near’s I kuld jedge, they remained thar. I saw the trackso’ one animel, as were rid ter the cabin, when thar soon bercame éwo horses’ foot- prints inst’ed o’ one, But, ther dickens o’ et war, one hoss must hev hed four feet an’ t’other /wo, ca’se I could extinguish w’ar ther four-futted beast stood, by ther larger tracks; an’ see whar suthin’ made er kupple o’ tra’ks, alone! An’, quarest o’ all, cap’n, not er humen eh gare could I deskiver—not er sin- gle sign 0’ un, tho’ I s’arched high an’ low!”’ “ Hal’ ejaculated Captain exci es | believe, ives I sare the solution of what seems a you ” : ereupon he related the strange story about Cloven-Hoof, and all about their present expedition to Zossci, where ppc sotansee to begin operations. Bulard listened with the greatest interest. ‘““An’ ye thenk my femernines war kerried off by thes Cloven-Hoof?” ‘*T haven’t the least doubt of it. The two-foot or peel phy ya which you saw, that were not to be ac- counted for, as only one horse ap ‘hed the cabin, are doubtless the tracks of the horse’s rider, who was the mysterious Cloven-Hoof!”’ “Wal, boyee, Io e’re right; but et ar’ b’yant my er- n erkompli ts, An’ ye tell me ig oin’ right down ter hunt this critter?” e shall take vhuthe frail of these horse- men in the morning, and by following it, I believe ‘we will sooner or later learn something te as to - b Pomaertens. ten. Ennyhow, h t i er , capten. ‘s w'al "ll stick to ee clusser’n er coat-o’ tar’n’-fe'thers, Ef e diskiver ther feminines, all rite. Ef we don’t, the ‘Pash ‘ll ketch blazes, w’en I do git at ‘em. Oh! 1 won’t I make ther ha’r bristle, tho!” » And the borderer chuckled, grimly, in anticipation Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. his contemplated swoop down upon the detested paches. ‘ ‘Good,” said Adams. “Now, all hands, turn in, = Morning will soon be upon us!” he rangers once more rolled themselves in their | post a | blankets, and not deeming it necessary to mere for the remainder of the night, none was set. e artist retired to his vehicle, and soon the camp was wrapped in silence. But, ere the sound aroused them. It was the snort of Jerrold’s animal La, Belle—a snort that betokened affright. Every man was on his feet in a moment. Each felt that the mare’s fright was not feigned for the sagacious beast had arisen to her feet and was extremely uneasy. Grasping their guns the rangers peered through the surrounding gloom, which, the moon having one down, was deeper and more impenetrable than | efore. Nothing was to be seen, and on Hatening intenity, the horses naught save the low faint breathing of could be heard. Jonathan Jeriah Jerrold soon appeared from his endar, and was told of the uneasy conduct of La elle, He shook his head, dubiously. “fhe certainly perceived or heard something of a Me nature, else why this agitation?” he re- “Ten minutes passed in restless watching by the rangers. ‘* Celestyal Singers!’’ suddenly yelled the Leopard; “look thar!”’ He pointed to the east, where a blood-red rocket had left the pall-shrouded earth, and was soaring far up and across the starlit sky, like a fiery serpent. ““Injuns!”’ cried Fifth Avenue Sam. “Yas! an’ "Pash, too,” assented Bulard. ‘Keep er peepers skinned fur more on them signals, ~ eens. They're w’at skeert ther hoss, I specku- An anxious watch was now kept on either side, and soon a blue rocket shot upfrom the south. This was immediately answered by a white one from the north. ‘“‘Thet settles et!’’ announced old Jack, examining his gun, in a business-like way. ‘Ther fust one, w'ich skeert ther ’oss, war fired in ther north. Cock er pill-boxes, popoes, fur we’re surrounded by not ess’n a hundred "Pash!”’ And even as he spoke, a confused chorus of distant war-cries, coming from either direction, broke the stillness of the clear night! CHAPTER V. THE SWOOP OF THE VULTURES. Nor many leagues to the west of the settlement of Zossei, which was to be the destination of Captain Adams and his ‘‘ Invincibles,”’ stands the little Span- ish-Mexican town of Los Des Pumas. Formerly it had been a fortress, in the old times, but now the walls were crumbling with age, and the Mexicans and half-breed natives had built themselves outside the grim old fortifications, numerous adobe haciendas, and thus a considerable area of territory was occupied by the site of the “ silent city.” The inhabitants of Los Des Pumas were of a shift- less, lazy turn, and were never known to do a day’s work, though the soil and general character of their isolated surroundings were adapted to farming, fruit- raising, and the like, It was rarely that any stir about the town could be observed, and many were the ulations made by the industrious citizens of Zossei, over the listlessness and idleness of their unobtrusive, dark-skinned neighbors of the ‘‘ silent city.” On the night of the strange advent of the old border. er, Jack Bulard, into the r: rs’ camp, &@ scene was occurring at Los Dés Pumas t we must record, as it will have a bearing upon our narrative. About sunset a man rode into the little town from the direction of the range of mountains to the east, and demanded to see the officer in command, as he had important news to communicate, On being shown inside the grim old ruins of the fortress, and into the presence of the alcalde, a small, evil-faced Spaniard, the stranger gave a sigh of re- lief, and accepted a proffered seat. ‘* Well—” began the Spaniard, but the stranger in- terrupted him. band of American soldiers, with the view to plunder- ing the —_ and subsequently tarning it into a mil- post!” itary | Conales Murrillo grew ashen white, and sprung wildly from his chair. ‘Dost speak the truth, nian?” he cried, savagely. “T tell you nothing that the hour will not prove, How many fighting hands can you mount and arm?” “ Tivery _ aay in int oe ory if ne- cessary. persons under my con exceed the age of ten years, are skilled in the use of both lance and carbine.”’ “Good. I had little idea this village was so strong in points of defense; but so much the better. Listen, Senor Murrillo, and iwill tell you my plans, as I have a vital interest in this town and its safety. Now, these Yankee fillibusters have pitched their camp in the valley, two miles from this spot, and are actively engaged in cleaning up their weapons, preparatory to a night charge upon Des Pumas. They must not do it, senor—do you hear?—they must not attack the village. gt mee and every human under your command can lift a rifle, and I will lead were asleep, fortunately a st e | | make out their expression, | She was very beautiful, b | remarkable contrast to the olive-skinned beings who | you against the accursed Yanks. From the bluff above the valley, we can ch down upon them and sweep away their heft; and then no attack w be made!” ; **But, senor, what shall be done with the children, and my lovely daughters—Nola and Inez?” “Secrete them in the mines underneath us!’’ re- plied the stranger, watching the Mexican narrowly. Murriilo leaped back aghast. “Who are you?” he gasped, “that you know so much?” The stranger smiled. He was a young man in years, to all appearances, but his features were so covered with beard that it was next to impossible to His eyes and hair were jetty black in color, and his form, which was clad in habiliments of the mountaineer, was a marvel of symmetry ard muscular Cevelopment, A sombrero drawn closely down to the eyes, effectively concealed the upper portion of his countenance. “Who am I?” he repeated, after sroking his beard for a moment, as P in deep thovgbt. ‘“ Well my name is Pietro Gonzellos, and I an an individual who knows every crook and corner of Los Des Pu- mas, and also the secrets thereof. Is it not enough that I offer to save yours and yourself from capture —ay, perhaps death?” oe Yes; but let us not talk longer. You remain here, and I will order everything ready.” So saying, Murrillo Lurried from the council-cham- ber, Jeaving Gonzellos alone. No sooner had the alcalde disappeared, than the stranger arose excitedly, and paced to and fro. “Tt will work! It cannot fail to work!’ he mut- tered, a strange smile lurking in his eyes. ‘‘ Then!—”’ He did not. finish the sentence, for a light footstep | upon the tiled floor close at hand, caused him to wheel around. A maiden of some sixteen summers stood before him—a fair-haired, Lright-faced creature, in whose soulful eyes gleamed the tight of parry, and truth. oth in face and form, and a the citizens of Los Des Pumas. os sprung forward with a low, glad TC Inent Inez!” he exclaimed, as he clasped the maiden to his breast. ‘‘ Thank God we meet once more!’ “Yes, Philip; but why are you here in this dis- guise? Does my father know you ?”’ “Yes; as Pietro Gonzellos. You recollect, dear- est, that the life of Phil Warren would not be worth nee 7 he to appear in Los _— as un- sguised. ese accursed greasers have no liking for the King of the Hills!” And here the man gave vent to a merry laugh. “True; and I wonder how you dare come here, now. But Philip,’’ and the beautiful maiden’s tones were full of anxiety, “‘tell me why you have come here to-night? I know your presence in Los Des Pu- mas bodes no good to my father, and the villagers. Oh, my friend, the scene of two years ago is not going to be repeated, I hope!” ‘No, fair Inez, no, Though I cannot tell you what changes may pe orovags Seer ire, rest assured no dan- ger will befall you. Hear! there isthe blare of the rumpet that calls me away. Adieu, sweetest! May my meetings with you henceforth be longer and more frequent !"’ Imprinting a kiss upon the full, ne lips of the maiden, Pietro Gonzellos turned and hurried from the room. Ina dark passage he suddenly stumbled against Murrillo, the abaiaa “Come!” ejaculated he, turning back and pre- = the stranger, ‘I have every gall in read. ess!” He led the way out into the court-yard that was fenced in by the grim old walls of the fortification. Here a strange scene was presented. &cme hundred and twenty horses were drawn up abreast, their noses facing the ponderous gates opening out into the village, and on their Lacks were mounted a mot- ley — of — ane - nd a aimed — ces and carbines slu e pommels their Mexican saddles. sy? . Some were evil-faced greasers, a few half-blooded Navajoes and a goodly porticn of the band were young and old Mexican women and children. “There !”’ said Murrillo, with a proud gesture, “see them, will you. There is rot cnother tcwn in Mexico which can turn all of the inbabitants, old and young, into fighting trim. But come, Senor Gonzelles, let's mount and away. As youhave raid, Los Des Pumas must not be attacked. The discovery of the wealth beneath yon fortress would soon bring an avalanche of the accursed Yankee fortune-hunters down into this region!” The two men mounted their own horses; then, as the fortress gates swung open they led the way at a ss the direction cf the little valley, followed y the motley band of “defenders.” Pietro Gonzellos took the command, and in half an hour drew rein at the foot of the hill beyond which wound the valley. z remain here!” he ordered, as he went to make u Pietro Gonze “You must all dismounted, “ until you hear a chrill whistle. ’ I will Te the crest of the bluff, end Py down upon the Americans in the valley. When I see a suitable chance for a charge against them I will give said whistle, when you must dash up the bluff and make a precipitate rush down upon them. They will, of course, be surprised, and an e victory will be yours. But, remember one thing, don’t come until I give the signal. The nextinstant he had thrown himself upon all- fours'and wriggled off through th hich now enveloped the earth. = emcees: When the moon eme from the bank of clouds threw its mellow rays down that had shrouded it
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— Cloven-Hoof. upon the bluff, Pietro Gonzellos was nowhere to be seen. He had doubtless gone beyond the ridge on his spy-mission. Vith great impatience the hot-tem waited for the signal, but an hour dragged by, and still there came not the promised whistle from the scout. Murrillo finally uttered a savage protest, and urged his horse up the slope. . “Come on,” he ordered, “and let’s see what this means. Perhaps Gonzellos has been captured!” The whole party spurred swiftly to the top of the bluff and came to a momentary halt, while their eyes swept the little treeless valley below, which was flooded with soft white moonlight. Not a person was to be s en! Not a sign of a camp, nor where one had been pitched could be found on oe the valley. They had been “sold,” and for what? Let us return to the “ silent city ” and see, in com- pany with the angry cavalcade. The deepest silence hovered about the old fortress red Mexicans | and the low haciendas, outside the crumbling walls. | The nderous gates were wide ajar, and the trampled grass near by showed but too plainly the imprint of many horses’ feet. “Curses on us fora pack of fools,”’ hissed Murrillo, dashing fiercely into the court-yard and flinging him- self from his horse. ‘In our absence the town has been sacked / Ho, there, you grovelings! Dismount at ence, and let a thorough search be made!” And a search was made accordingly. Every resi- = in Los Des Pumas had been ruthlessly plun- ered. The fortress had not escaped, for in an apartment where the alcalde kept his gold and jewels was found en rifled desk. Everything was taken that was uf value. But, worst of all came, when Murrillo read_ the fol- lowing on a placard that had been conspicuously posted in the council chamber: “* ALCALDE MurRILLO, Dear Sir: We, the Vultures of the Border, are very much in- debted to you for the large quantity of gold which we found in the mines beneath this room, _ Likewise we are indebted to you for your two beautiful wee ters. Nola and Inez, whom we adopt. The other small-fry—children—who were left to us, we took pity upon, and have shut them in a dungeon be- neath the ruins. Having relieved you of all that can be of any future use to us, we shall not again trouble you until you unearth some more of that precious ore which lies beneath the fortress, 8 ULTURES. “ Cloven-Hoof, the Infernal, Commanding!” Directly beneath this were numerous dirty tracks upon the clean floor—tracks made by noue other the terrible and much-feared Cloven- Xi Inan hour when they were least expected the mys- terious ‘‘ Vultures’’ had swooped down on hitherto unmolested Los Des Pumas, and secured as spoils a pes of pretty maidens and a enee A omens of old* in the rough and nuggets, with which they had ong since escaped to their unknown retreat. CHAPTER VL THE ‘“INVINCIBLES’’’ VICTORY—THE FACE IN THE PICTURE. yells the ra: rs, es and wai Ar the first sound of the tae for as of one accord, cocked their the onset, = Nearer and nearer came the screeching savages, and then, all at once, a dozen dusky forms burst into view on either side, making the night hideous with their whoops of triumph. * Fire!’ shouted Captain Chris, ‘and then use yonstenth sa lightning glare of ligh y there was a oO t which lit up the scene for a mectaeait: then thee re- port of fourteen rifles, drowning out even the A es’ cries. = hen the rang: Avenue Sam fell dead, with a lance through his body, and another of the hardy band of rangers ee ee with an arrow in his reas But, be this as it might, — upon the band, closer and closer, range ‘could not hold out against such odds for a great ‘while longer. they were bleeding from nu- merous wounds, and to waver. ‘h above the din of battle could occasionally be heard the stentorian voice of the Leopard, as he leaped fearlessly into the thickest of the fight. “Outen ther be thar, ye ornery de’cendant o’ ther divel!—git, will'ye! Take thet. Whoop! yoop! herraw! Slap et ter ’em, b’yees. Take that, ye American Arab! Ker-whoop! see ther fallen fall, an’ still er fallin’! Selestyal Singers! how we do rip ’em open, though! Yas, an’ thar ernuther son 0° cores ter ther roastin’ Hail kerlim’ . PPY Crack! whiz! came from every side, and closer came the infuriated Apaches. Their loss had been immense, and they were determined to capture the dauntless little band if such a thing could be ac- complished. Among the fiercest of the stood Jonathan Jeriah, aid the detriment he aid to the foe was * Gold was really found beneath the ruined fortress at Los Des but the mine finally as out, and all attempts since that to discover gold in this re- gion have been in vain, | cept their dead—was in | companions agai | ranks of t equal to that of any man around him, if rot more. But, at last, he became weak and faint from a terri- ble loss of blood, and soon he dropped his clubbed n, and retreated to his ‘‘schooner.”” Not long was e gone, however, for he presently stood among his and on his shoulder he carried a light dismounted howitzer. The truck which stood | at the rear end of the wagon was wheeled forward by Grizzly Len, and in a moment more the little bronze piece was trained down toward where the heavier part of the attack was being made. To charge it almost to the muzzle with bullets and slugs was a short job, and then, as at a word, the rangers swerved to each side, leaving an open path, | the artist exploded his gun. A roar that fairly shook the earth was the answer, and this was succeeded by a terrible chorus of shrieks and howls from the wounded red-skins, not less deafening. The ae had mowed down a wide path in the e foe, and caused them to retire in a panic of combined fear and horror. Swe | peas. of this lull, the rangers hastily reloaded rifies and revolvers, but not another shot or arrow was fired. Morning finally dawned and the rangers, to their astonishment, ascertained that not an Apache—ex- sight. They had temporari- ly withdrawn, doubtless to strengthen their forces, | both in arms and numbers. | of water was to be seen upon the | far below. Either the stream had | sumed its journey toward Zossei, Jerrold b: | like a diminutive se *°*Tain’t ther last we’ll’see on ‘em,’ said old Bu- lard, scanning the vast, glowing expanse with the captain’s glass. ‘“‘Thar ‘hain’t er sneakier set 0’ buzzards on ’arth’n them same ’Pash. We'll hev ter heeve more le’d at ’em ‘g’in, ‘fore many centur- ries, 1 speculate.” Around the cam was a fearful sight. The out- stretched forms 0 nearly two score of savages, marked the results of the defender’s heroic resist- , ance. The yellow sands were dyed with human gore, and here and there lay the brains of some unfortu- nate Apache, whose head had come in contact with a clubbed rifle. Prominent among the dead, lay the quiet forms of poor Fifth Avenue, and “‘ Buffeler,” who had “ gone under ”’ in the affray. After Jonathan Jeriah had loaded his howitzer once more into the “schooner,” he emerged from the canvas-cover with a spade, with which a large grave was hollowed out in the ei lain. Here were in- terred the remains of Samue Wrecstoa, and Al Ken- nor, and then, with tearful eyes, the cavalcade. re- D, up the rear with Za Belle and his peripatetic ha ite. on. All day the strange caravan struggled on, lookin nt ‘on the boundless sea of ae el sand. At night a halt was again 1. ade, and after the evpnins meal was dispatched, a triple guard was posted. The remainder of the party rolled themselves in their blankets for a nap except Jerrold, who, as be- fore, disappeared within the precincts of his * schoo- ner, Captain Adams lay a long time thought- ead, and fully up at the starlit vault of blue, over' pondering over the past and future. All the long day they had followed the plain trail of the supp abductors of Mrs. Bulard and Guess, but, as yet, they were not off from the plains, and could not expect to sight them. And, too, not a sign of an Apache had been discovered—a fact which inspired the hope that the reds would not make an- other attack. _ The night passed without incident worthy of men- tion, As soon as it was barely light a start was made and no halt ordered until noon, when Captain Chris gave the signal for a stop. ng from his well-worn wallet a map, which had been previously prepared and forwarded to the Governor, by Alouzo Nesmit, he spread it out before him and studied it intently, glan ever and anon = oy face of the little compass which he held in his nd. They had now left the plains, and were in a broken, rocky and wooded portion of country, about twenty miles south of Zossei. Directly before them yawned a deep, narrow seam, sunken fifty feet into the bow- els of the earth, and running northerly through a dense pine forest, toward the village, while its south- erly course pointed toward the mountains, and was guarded by a spectral boundary of dead pines, whose naked branches pointed like skeleton fingers up against the smiling sky. ‘his Sa. ae life to death rae ee near where the rangers halted, and presented a most striking spectacle, The seam, or gorse, was walled in by perpendicular sides, and had evidently in former days been a water-course—the bed of a deep and silent river. Now, not a particle a, ttom, ied up, or else it had found its i toward the Rio Grande through some other channe: After studying the map intently for a while, Cap- — Chris turned to the grizaly-taced fellows around m, “Boys,” he said, ‘‘we have come along way out of our path. i, 2s near as I can ascertain, lies twenty miles to the north.” A growl of displeasure went up from the men. “ And ’ve we got ter wait hyar, or go up ter Zossei?” questioned the pard. “Remain here, of course. You could do little or no good there. I find, by my ma , that Zossei is on the banks of this waternGires, a by following it,I shall experience no difficulty in finding the town. I shall start for there, at once, and you may expect me back by to-morrow night. Pi your camp in the gulch here, and be sure and get it on an exact line between the dead and live timber. I can then easily find you on myreturn, Let me warn you all, 5 however, not to venture too far in yon ghostly for- est. It is spoken of in the Galveston papers as the Phantom Forest, and they say spookerish. objects that can in no way be accounted for, roam therein. It may be a hornet’s nest; so look out!” | “Or, it mought be w’ar this ‘ere kritter, Cloven- Hoof, holds out!” vig, eer the Leopard. “True, I had not thought of that. You aay be correct; anyhow, keep your eyes peeled, and look out for Apache. Now, good-by to you.” And, touching the spur to his horse, Captain Chris dashed off toward the north. He found that the wooded seam was not crooked in its course, but, indeed, nearly straight, and this was greatly in his favor. The country through which he passed was wild, broken and iieetiied, and as a generet thing over- eg with cactus and sage-bush. But, about an our before sunset, he entered a populated section, where numerous little white haciendas and farm- houses were dotted here and there and signs of pros- perity on every side;—here a field of waving corn, there an expanse of billowy grain, and over yonder a plowed field—all of which betokened the presence of the industrious emigrant from the ‘ States.” This was the State land, which the commissioners were endeavoring to pe and which the a ce of the m rious Cloven-Hoof and his nd of Vultures, t tened to dispeople and lay once more to waste. On a bluff to the right of this scene, was a small village of not more than a score of habitations, while beyond, to the north and east, were more ranches and v farms. Just as the dry red sun was yt the horizon, Captain Chris struck into the one trail or “ street’ of Zossei, and galloped up to the saloon over which hung a sign, suspended by cords and staples‘to two lofty flag-poles, and which bore these words: ‘“‘Durcu Frep’s Zosser1 RANCH.” On the steps of this edifice, two burly half-breeds were loafing. “Can youinform me where one Alonzo Nesmit re- sides?’ asked Adams, as he reined in his horse. Bcth men stared at.him, curiously, but neither offered to answer the question. After waiting a few moments, Captain Chris repeated the interrogation, surprised at not receiving a reply; but as before the fellows remained perfectly **mum.” “Confound it! can you not answer a civil ques- tion?” exclaimed the ranger, flushing angrily. “Then, I'll seek some other more civil informant!’ The loungers apparently had no objections, and so Chris rode on. “Here’s a go,” he muttered, reflectively. “I wonder what those fellows mean?” He soon came to a grocery store, in front of which sat a grim old fellow, astride a saw-horse. “Can you direct me to the residence of Alonzo Nesmit?”’ was the ranger’s question. The store-keeper looked up with a quizzical stare, but did not reply. me speak, you old villain?” “ Ourse it! d’ye hear now shouted the ranger, quite beside himself. Still no reply. Chris drew a revolver from his belt, and cocked it, determinedly. * Now ov me the directions,’’ he cried, taking “ or y | ** Down thar’s whar ther cunnel hold’s out!” o- ed the store-keeper, poin one long bony finger toward a low ancient ha of Spanish architec- ture, which nestled in the flats below the village. Captain Chris te up his weapon, and gallo off down the slope, followed by a loud guffaw from the old man at the grocery. “Curse it!’ he mused, saxagery, “T wonder what ean? Ha! here comes these clone tonenee idiots m ei pet him, just for the sport of it, to see % ” / An -looking specimen of the ranchere was com- ing up the hill, and as Captain Chris drew rein, he et ey also, en the horseman asked the same question. “ Can you direct me to the residence of Alonzo Nesmit?’ The farmer stared at his interrogator a few mo- ments, vacantly, then once more shouldered his va treat o4 and trudged composedly along without answ: : Tastes wen both amused and mystified. He could not fathom the meaning of this sin; conduct of these people. Were they simple and balf-witted, as they a peared, or was there some motive, bebind all this silence anc reserve. He pondered deeply on the subject as he gallo: on, At last he drew oe front of the hacien which was built of adobe, with many quaint curious angles, wings and projections. A roofed veranda ran around the edifice, and on this a swarthy Mexican was lounging. As Cap- tain Chris dashed up, he left his bench, and came forw bowing with many smirks and smiles, “Tdi to see Colonel Nesmit,” said the ranger, in the Mexican tongue. “The senor will have to * replied the peon. “The master is at Zossei, and return soon. Will the senor come inside?” its & Dismounting and _ securing his horse, Captain Chris was Gabtred into a magnificently-furnished parlor. “Tl send the master when he arrives,” said the peon, and in a moment he was gone. tain Chris sunk into a luxurious arm-chair, and stared about him. He was nut accustomed to enter- ing such costly places as th‘s parlor, but he knew enough of the country now to be surprised at noth- , however strange it might seem. a old pictures graced the frescoed walls, and
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6 beautiful statuettes faced from little alcoves into the room. One picture in particular, attracted the ranger’s attention. Ts was a large life-sized 8 rh of a young Mexican cavalier, Teac from the floor to the ceiling. The face was strangely life-like for a painting, and the form a model of perfection, But, most strange of all were the eyes. They were jetty black in color, and darted out an evil, snakish expression at the ranger that made him uneasy. . “Humph!"’ muttered Captain Chris, thoughtfully, “what can art not produce? That is the best portrait of an evil Spanish-Mexican I ever beheld. How nat- ural those snaky eyes are—staring direct down at me as if they were trying to read me through and through. gad! if I did not know better I'd swear those optics were of flesh and blood.” There was somethin: rein abi. in the power of the eyes in the picture, for they glared directly _ ee. at the ranger, as if trying to mesmer- ze him. . Uncomfortable under the singular power that held his attention to the painted face, Captain Chris rose and strolled to the other end of the apartment. Hap- pening soon after to glance back at the portrait, a chill of somethi n to horror crept along his spine, as he perceived that those same snaky eyes were still riveted upon him. With an impatient exclamation he turned his back upon the annoying sight. He was growing nervous, ot many moments passed, however, ere he ven- tured to oY glance at the face. An oath burst from his lips as he did so, for he distinctly saw those terrible orbs roll in their sockets! CHAPTER VIL THE MOUNTAIN GROTTO—THE MAIDENS. "Way up among the ks of a er and rugged chain of mounta whose snow-cap crests seem- ingly touched the clouds, was a huge whose existence would not have been dreamed of by the in- habitants of the earth, far below. It was a large natural honeycomb in the cold, gray rock, Beside one principal chamber, there were a dozen other smaller cells, which ran back and were lost in a labyrinth of intricate and roughened pas- fn the principal chamber was blazing a ruddy fire of pitchy cones, and before this fire, seated on blocks of solid rock, were three girls and an Indian, The two girls who most resembled each other — apparently sisters, and were strikingly beau- tiful. One of them was a blonde and the other a bru- ' nette—two as well-formed and modest-appearing niaidens as one would wish to see, They were the stolen daughters of Conales Murrillo, the alealde of Los Des Pumas, and the blonde was the same who met Pietro Gonzellos in the council-cham- her, previous to the mysterious sacking of the town bz the notorious ‘“ Vultures!” Though Tez and Nola Murrillo were very pretty after their fashion, the third maiden was more beau- tiful than either. She was young—not more than eighteen—and pos- sessed of a slender sylph-like form, a pure, Grecian cast of countenance and a soft, creamy complexion, while her eyes were of a soulful blue e, and her hair, brown and curling. Her face, expressive of a a genial nature, was now clouded with sorrow. he Indian who made up the quartette was a brawny brave, with a handsome face, even bgt be it was daubed with t. He was armed with pistols, knife and rifle, and fastened upon his back was a bow and quiver of arrows. nez Murrillo was egreng H “And, are you sure that the intentions of this Clo- ven-Hoof are what you have told us, Philip?” ‘Certainly, my dear. I would not lead you to fear what is false. I am seriously afraid that our terri- ble chief will do as he said—sell you to the Arapa- hoes for horses, which can be disposed of for large profits, East. Not so with pretty women!” r “* eee kind of a monster is this robber chief—a amon?” “A veritable evil spirit from hell, I firmly believe. Around him he has gathered as lawless a set of humans in the sha men as years of secret search could discover. ey love the wild life of the free- booter, and as he feeds them well with gold and whisky, they are glad to stick by him.” ‘ni A you, Philip, who have won my love, serve in is bal # ! my darling, I do, but it is not because I 1ove the life. I am bound by an oath, for ten years, ~ to a ee = Sonbiete ne jeder woes league. My ten years of bon e wo months hence, and then if I cannot be again forced to take the ow on Roy, T will be killed!” , “Oh, Philip!’ ‘Yes, darling; I know it seems cruel, but trust in me; Phil Warren will never die without a le. A band of plucky rs are known to be enter- ing this country to protect the settlers and to hunt us down. If luck should be in our favor, and you not carried off into the Arapahoe country, perhaps I can somehow effect your escape.” “But, _— I will never ge back to Los Des the very thought of my guardian is Pumas. Bah repugnant.” ‘Nor shall you go there, dearest. In the leader of the expected ranger band I have an oldtime mate —brave, true and fearless Chris Adams, who will protect you for me.” The third maiden of the party uttered a low, glad wt Asean Mie. Adams, did you say?” she asked, eagerly, quickly. eo Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. “Yes; do you know him, miss?” “Yes, sir; he is one of my best friends. In fact—’’ and the beautiful girl blushed scarlet—“ he is to be my husband—that is if I ever get free from this gloomy prison!” BS us Indian sprung to his feet with an ejacu- on, “Ts that so? Well, then, I’m right glad to see you. IT count Chris Adams as one of my best friends, too, though I’d be ashamed to have him know me in this naan of an outlaw. And what is your name, “*Guess Bulard, sir.’’ The disguised lover of Inez Murrillo reeled back as though he had.been shot. ‘‘ Youare not the daugh- ter of old Jack Bulard, whose remarkable spouse ba as the boys in the Phantom Forest, are you?’’ ‘ am. ” The bogus Indian took his seat again, and went off into a reverie, Finally he looked up, and said: “This is news to me, miss. I have heard of you before, but did not dream you were the woman wn from a little child whom old Jack once res- ever tell you about it, and of your brother?’’ “Yes, sir;’’ and the tears welled to Guessie Bul- ard’s eyes. “1 have wept many times on hearing my kind, adopted father rehearse the pitiful scene of seventeen long years Ago. Poor papa. what has he thought, on return, to see our little home de- 2 hee and Peggy andI gone? J’l/ bet the Apaches will ketch it!" “Probably! As to old Jack’s eccentric wife, there’s something mysterious about her disappearance, The bors have searched high and low, but cannot find hide nor hair of her.” “Tf I did not know her well,” replied Guessie, “I should entertain much anxiety for her safety, in such a case. But as the old hunters say, ‘she’s some on her muscle,’ and I doubt not will fight her way out of the wilds!’ “T truly hope so. And now, ladies, I must go. I have already stayed long!” Inez Murrillo burst into tears. “Oh, Philip! perhaps we shall never meet again. Xe the ‘Arapahoes carry us to thelr villages all wii be lost. Oh! take us over ae us to escape in time to avert this terrible fate!’ “T would, God knows, Inez, if I could; but ‘tis ut- terly im le. Iam bound by an oath—a horrible oath—which 1 must regard; and even were Ito break it, *twould be to no avail. The Demon’s Staircase, which leads from this retreat, is swarming with armed and watchful savages. It was only by giving an overheard countersign that I was permitted to come up here at all.” “Then!” cried Nola Murrillo, “ us in one way, aid usin another, nd word of our whereabouts to betrothed, Lieutenant Weslyn, at hh ad and he'll not be afraid to come to our rescue?” “Indeed, Miss Nola, I eannot do even that. It would be an act of treachery to the league. In fact, I — powerless to do for you just at pres- en ” “Does this horrible Cloven-Hoof intend to sell me to the savages?” asked Guessie, thoughtfully. “No, Ibe eve not, though I have not heard him speak Rtas “Mr, Warren!”’ asked Nola, clutching him by the arm, anxiously, “tell me, 'y; do you believe this v-enshrouded Cloven-Hoof to human, in an “TI do, and so does every member of our band—we are sworn to believe him a living envoy of the Old Nick. But, to tell pedtaas solemn op on, ladies, I am positive he is a possessed of human intelli- gence and powers of h, e’en though his power may not be infernal. He is a hideous spectacle—a ant eee of aga haa y-ei fish and sine tite? God grant you may be spared from ever see m.”’ “Do you see him often?” ‘ou cannot serve more than a “No. Very seldom, indeed; unless it is in the darkest of nigh when he leaves the ranch on a raid. In the e he remains in his majesty’s royal chamber, or glides forth unwatched, and roams in the Phan rest.’’ from her tom F ; At this juncture Guessie Bulard sp: and sped toward the little crevice loo! north- ward, that answered the double Fay pe a door and window to the grotto. From this aerial retreat a cent view of the surrounding country could be —a strange, wild and weird prospect it was. Starting from the very bowels of the mountains, it seemed, and extending scores of miles to the north, was the gaol and unswerving belt of timber that arose on each side of the old dry water-course. Plainly could be perceived from the grotto the spot ee bos ae fn —— ng nt between 6 live and the ores é green besa far off toward the distant river, and the serpent o gray rolling back into the depth of the Far off to the west from the grotto lay in plain view the “silent city’ of Los Des eg and the home of Nola and Inez Murrillo. ar away along the wooded water-course, were faintly discern- ible the dots of cottages and farm-houses of Zossei, in the north. : What i deman ded Inez’s lovér, as the girl 00. nten m eo ‘“ + ting’ toward where the “See!” she replied, po “age Sha {be crv and gaged out came ce an ou A company of horsemen Bat dexoomteit and were pi their animals, while a single rider could be seen oping rapidly off toward “ He was no other than Captain Chris, on his way to the village, to interview Colonel Alonzo Nesmit. Dad CHAPTER VIII. THE CAMP IN THE WATER-COURSE—A FRIGHTFUL SPEO- TACLE. SHort iy after they were left by Captain Chris, the rangers held a short consultation, as to whether they should pitch camp down in the seam, that lay in front of them, or remain on the bank, above. ““T don’t purtickler like ter be so low down in ther ‘arth,’’ observed old Jack, picking his fangs with a bowie-knife. ‘‘S’posin’ Pash shed happun ter ante- lope erlong thes way. They'd hev us in er trap, down ““Yas,’’ said the Leopard, reflectively; ‘‘ but d’ye see them thar m-t-s., off thar, tew der sou’?” ‘*T jedge I hain’t blind; see’d ’m heff an hour ergo. W’at ‘bout ’em?”’ “Wal, ['ll enlightnin’ ye. Them thar discombob- berated heeps o’ stun an’ dart uster be ther ha’nts o' thet o’nery old skeeslyx, Joaquim. He x tag erbout thes kentry, afore he went up ter iforny, an’ got smotched! Now I’ve conseeved ther moore’ our game, Mr. Kloven Huff, holds out thar, , an’ ef sich ar’ ther kaise, he ken squint rite down onter us, from them peaks. Tharfore, I arey we'd better git outen sight, inter ther gulch, an’ risk ther ‘Pash. e ken keep er guard posted on buth sides, an’ ef they diskiver e bad signs, we kin sun ervackwate tee gulch an’ klime ter one side’r t’other!” + mE: I don’t keer a hoss either way; so go ‘lang, an’ do as ye think prackticable. —I'm lewtenernt!”’ So it was decided to camp in the water-course. But now a new difficulty presented itselfs The sides of the seam wereso nearly perpendicular that the way to got down their horses was a puzzle; but when Jonathan Jeriah produced a couple o spades and as many picks, it was but the work of an hour to hew a narrow path slantwise down the hill- side to the bottom of the valley. ’ Taking turns, of ten, the men worked with a will, and soon had a good road into the dry water-course; for the soil was loose, and easily heaved aside. The horses and Artist Jerrold’s vehicle were then piloted down the acclivity, and while old Jack set about constructing a rude lodge, for a lodging-house, the remainder of the band hewed another road a the opposite side of the gully. Then two gua ws srationes, and long before sunset the camp was order. . The next thing to consider was something to eat, and with a view to Psi se., something fresh in the hay of meat, Lije shouldered his rifle and set off in- to the Phantom Forest. He had a great curiosity to know what there was of the place, and scarcely knowing the meaning of the word fear, he did not hesitate to take a stroll into the forbidding precincts. It lacked nearly an hour of sunset when he left the eamp, and he hurried along, keeping both ear and eye on the alert, and examining any hollow stubs of trees and fallen trunks that he imagined might be the residence of such game as the partridge, bear or woodchuck. But, all to no avail. The dead timber creaked and ed above and around him, and not a sign of e, either animal or vegetable, was to be found. Evidently a blight had fallen upon this portion of the remarkable belt—a blight that had destroyed the life of not only the great pines, but the grass and the animals who are ever to be found in the forests of the West. The shadows of night had fallen over tne land ere the sharp-eyed hunter was aware of it, and presently the great round moon soared up, and sent a weird fi of light in among the spectral pines. ° With an impatient gon he checked his footsteps, and had decided to abandon the search and retrace the trail to camp, when his piercing gaze suddenly became riveted upon an object a dozen yards distant up the water-course. It was something that would not have attracted the attention of one man out of fifty—a single projection above a fallen log, like a crotched limb, full of little prongs. But the longer the Leo looked at it the more satisfied he became that it was not the log’s branch —not a lim» at all, but the antler of a deer. “ Celestyal Singers!” he muttered, carefully cock- ing his rifle. “Mebbe I’m bigly schoozled on thet ‘ar objek, an’ ergin mebbe I hain’t. Howsumdever. I kin soon assertane. Ef et ar’ er buck, I opine he'll gy de ty Std aor pial thes!” ner sa; , c up a good bble, and hurled it toward the log. Lo! and behold, it struck fairly and squarely nst the projection. xe eee was I, ios got 3 bleat that pg uman, and a e buck sprung to his feet. and glared around Mite . The next instant the sharp § of a rifle broke the stillness; the noble animal e an attempt to epring away, but stumbled and fell in his tracks— The bullet had entered his right eye, and instant death ensued. “Discombofferate my mental equilibrium tho’!” chuckled Lije, triumphantly, “but didn’t I trans- moggerfy his terresivul gravytation, tho’? Whoop! yoop! won't I sattisfackto sppeese the yeernings 0’ my anterlope-eatin’ proclivities, tho’, ter-night? You bet! and prokrasstinashun shan’t perverbial, hyarafter, nuther.”’ Licking his chops at the thoughts of the future feast, he was about to advance toward the out- stretched deer, when his md became fastened upon something so horrible further up the gulch—some. thing so egy ge and frightt that he re- mained rooted to the spot, and knees began to knock ther and his teeth to chatter, Lije Mackkay, or the Leopard, as he is better known, was a brave man, with not a grain of cow- ardice or superstition in his nature; and to-day I You’re boss
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doubt if you can find a rover of the wilderness, from Washington Territory to the. Gulf of Mexico, who | can so easily dispose of his weight in red-skins. But | the sight he now saw was one well calculated to make the bravest of men quail with awe and dread, if not with, terror, from the spot where the deer had fallen, the southerly course. of. the, gulch was very slightly up- grade, wing that the dried-up stream had prob- a run in the direction of the north. ming down this grade, and in plain view from where the Leopard stood, was the dread spectacle. A buffalo of medium size, looking shadowy in the streaming on aags gst was ambling along, coming in the direction of the ranger’s camp, and on his back, with the bridle-reins held loosely in his hands, was the fiery hu .an form of a man, with a hedd the | exact counterpart of the beast it bestrode, and feet | like those of a young horse, but cloven / A lohg, tawny mane swept over a bull-neck from the horned head, and a sickly, ghost-like yellow fire seemed to flame from every pore of the body. The form from the waist to the hoofs was covered with fish-like scales, and these seemed to shed a sil- ver luster of wonderful brilliance. But this was not all the Leopard saw, by any means. Behind the first frightful spectacle came a score of urely white stallions in a train, mounted with tall adless figures of ghostly clad attendants, armed with gleaming lances. All this, taken into consideration, and_ the at moon shedding her most spectral rays of light down through the grim towering pines, it was a scene to shake the nerves of the most lion-hearted man. On came the phantom cavaleade,, headed by the Demon Buffalo—on sy came, and still the rept stood rooted in his tracks, staring directly ahead, his face whiter than the shrouds that enveloped the headless trunks of the approaching horsemen. He could not move, could not. speak, could do + but just stand there, and stare and trem- e. } teas drew the ghostly cortege and their demon leader. Then came a spasmodic jerk, a gasp, and the plore 3 a the power to use his fim It was enov With a wild, awful yell of righteous horror, that would have put to shame the lustiest screeching Comanche, he turned about and sped down the old water-course, giving frightful howls and shrieks at every leap, and never loo’ right or left until he daslied into camp, where mates were sitting pan a bright camp-fire, smoking their evening pipes. As may be sup 1, the precipitate advent into their circle of Pho thoro y Scared Leopard, caused considerable consternation among the rang- ers, and they as of ono accord sprung for their rifles. en Lije could check his fearful momentum enouch to come to a halt he was a sad-loo ight. His face was like that.of a corpse, his eyes ged from en and he quaked and trembled in every joint. ” t’n ther devil's ther rip?’ demanded old we hat?” burst forth the Leopard, dashing th : ™ ‘burst fort e Leopa e sweat from ‘his brow—“ what ? Why, God above us, b’yees, ther ginnywine Devil himself, rite erwa down frum hell an’ purdishion, ar’ er kummin’! Yas—an’ ther hull cri 0’ his satanic imps ’n’ pimps, ar’ with him. ek! all han’s, hyar! Git er 'osses up outen this gulch. Ther kussed ker- saa, ‘ll be on us, quicker’n a painter kin wiggle his Seeing that somet indeed was the row, the rs set to pa ay Ae hustled the _ animals up onto | the bank above, followed by Jerrold and his “schooner.” Then they lay low, at the edge, and waited. Presently Lije whispered: Look! b'yees—mitey snuff-boxes, look! Thar they kum a-yoopin’! Oh’! Celestyal Singers!” GHAPTER IX. COLONEL NESMIT—ATTACKED. ‘Wr left Captain Chris in the parlor of the Nesmit hacienda, giaring at the moving eyes in the portrait before him. Yes! the moved—moved from somet! ey had previo been gazing at, and glo down upon the ranger once more. t miracles,” muttered Adams, scarcely what to or do; “this beats my reckon- . Inever knew that pictures had mov: optics ‘ore. Dash me, but I'll know the meaning of this, I die for it!” peetiver a reyolver from his belt and examined he was thus engaged, the eyes in the por- trait disappeared for Page = 25 second, but whell be lanced up, a pair of blue eyes were down at et The ranger, however, did not notice the Grasping his revolver in c the left hand, and his jong ate pointed knife in the right, h close to the pict uaictling tha amen rectly stati fig: Be 9 veges y stationary, and not move his right hand, Captain Chris made tion as tr he tutended te bury the knife ia the But es did not stir. They were perfectly fixed and taaiay th teke sta. Thoro exasperated, the ranger touched the il with his knife-point. in contact with a hard substance of a ie eyes were glass! co S te} > 2 g: ae -> F Ss 5 @ & i. 3 oS 4 E ~ ang Ve) ° a re) al 4 ~ 5 4 $ B ® o eS 4 © é } 5 = ® aa 2 ‘s hand?” ‘No. 1 left them at the line on the old water- course, between the dead and the live belt of timber, | twenty miles to the south.” : “The deuce, you did! Well, that is lucky. I should have sent you down in that direction, any- how, had you all first come to Zossei!”’ “Indeed! then do you think our work will be in that neighborhood?” “Tdo. Iam of the opinion that these ‘‘ Vultures” | have their rendezvous in the mountains, not far | trom the source of the water-course.” i “How about this dried-up channel? Did ever a river flow therein?” ‘So it is said. An Indian chief once told me that | a stream called by them the Spirit River ran aeross the country, here. Then came the t shock the legendary earthquake which killed Moseeiz,* an the river disappeared, escaping through some sub- | terranean passage!” “That is strange. Now, about these robbers? | Have they madeany recent raids, in this vicinity?” * Tndeed, me A courier arrived to-day, with the news that the wily inhabitants of our neig bor town, | Los Des Pumas, have been lured from the xillage by a traitor, with a view to repelling a reported invad- ing band of Yanks, and while absent, the Vultures swooped down on the place, and sacked it, alsomak- ing captives of the alealde’s two daughters!” *Humph! that’s bold. .But, do you know this ai- calde, personally?” “No! He is a Mexican, I believe, and having never | met, him, I do not know him—more, I do not want | pr “Best not to be to intimate with a Greaser, that’s | so. LIhate ’emlikeIdo the red-skins—which, Ij are the nobler of the two. Have these | ‘*Vultures’’ ever made any attempts upon Zossei?” ‘No! but we are momentarily expen’ them. There are twenty prosperous ranches in this locality, and just at present every farmer. has considerable | money about him. Could the robbers obtain it all, | theirs would be a rich harvest.” “Do you imagine they will be bold enough to make an open attack?” “No, I thi or we should then be better able to protect ourselves, They swoop down on their victims when least. ex- = and so adroitly do they manage these raids, at they are rarely, if ever, seen.” “Humph! Now, would like you to explain to me?” Whereupon. the ey? related his experience among the vi and all about their singular re- serve. As he concluded a dark scowl overspread the listener’s face. ‘ “T do not know how to account for it, Adams,” he replied, huskily. ‘I, sometimes, am torced to be- lieve that a 1 r share of those villagers are par- tial to the nines If. such is the case, and if by any way they know of your coming, and the pur- pose in view, they probably do not.care to gid you any! oTrue, Then, I judge, it will be useless for me to try to raise ay me here, If all the villagers arein league with ro matters are indeed assum- ing a serious aspect, ve other rangers than my band, ever tried to discover the outlaws?” i No;—only one attempt has ever been made against them. That- was when ag Foe Alf, alone and unarmed, attempted to track water-course to the mountains.” “Your son?” “Yes—or, that is, the child I have always called my son. He was thirty-five years old, the day he left on that fatalmission. Poor fellow! I would that I knew whether he is living now, or dead. He never returned. If he is living, Adams, the robbers have undoubtedly imprisoned him in their secret. den. Yon picture is a correct likeness of him—so if you should ever see him, do not strike him down!” He pointed to the portrait. Involuntarily the ranger gave a quick, searching glance at the eyes, but they were fixed not. They do not come out boldly, | colonel, there is one thing I | em far up the | stationary. | Then he compared the between the two. The colonel was purely an Ameri- to that of Colonel Nesmit. There was no resemblance ! can, with an open, intellectual cast of countenance, calm brown eyes, and chestnut hair and beard. His | the water-conrse; 7 sqve a few wrinkles on bis forehead, he did not show his age in the least. Surely the two were not father and son. After conversing for about an hour longer, and ob- taining all the information he deemed requisite, in the work before him, Captain Chris arose to leave. ‘* What! you. do not intend. to start for camp at this unseemly hour?’ exclaimed the colonel. “Yes, I feel that my presence may Le needed with the band. Something tells. me that there will be trouble soon, and if there is any fighting to do, I want to have a hand in it!” “Well, if you must go, I will not try to hinder you but I should be pleased to have you stop. over until to-morrow. Do you propose to change the location of your pogo “No; or, that is, not that I know as yet. I shall probably remain there until something further | turns up.” “Very well. If I learn aught that I think will | prove advantageous to you, I may take a notion to | ride over to your,camp during the week.” “Do so, I shall be glad to see you. peon, bring me my horse.” The. horse was.soon forthcoming, and Captain Chris sprung into the saddle and galloped away. He took a route through the flats that would pres- ently bring him alongside the water-course, for he did not care to pass through the village, Night had already fallen, and the. moon rose in all her splendor, so that the open country was almost as light as in oe en he had left his rangers, Captain Chris had calculated on spending this night at the hacienda. But, since seins howe menacing human. eyes in the rtrait, something told him that it would not be est—that he had better escape from the place as soon.as possible, What was the mystery of the hacienda? Who was the owner of the snaky eyes. which he was positive he had seen move? Did Colonel Nesmit know nothing about it, or was he connected with the affair? No; the keen-minded ranger could not believe him otherwise’ than a true and open-hearted man. Those were not his eyes, and he was, without doubt, ignorant that the eyes were not painted ones, in- stead of Rew Pondering deeply on the subject as he dashed dlong, the chief soon reached the wooded banks of the Pankee, and turned his course to the south. Like a pair of shadows, two men emerged from the cover and sneaked after him. When they had gained considerably on the unsuspicious horseman and were withm easy rifle-range, they both stopped in their tracks, raised their rifles, and fired, Then, .as.the ranger’s. horse uttered a pifeous scream. and sunk upon the ee, the ruflians drew their revolvers and leaped orward. CHAPTER X. TROUBLE IN CAMP—THE NAVAJOES—A SCENE. Ir was as the Leopard said. Cloven-Hoof and his Phantom Cortege were com- ing into view, riding leisurely down the channel. There were more than one pair of bulging eyes: among the watchers en the banks above, as. they saw the terrible spectacle paginas toward them; the frightful Demon Vuffalo wrapt in his sheet of fie ame, and his ghostly train of spectral at- te ts bringing.up the rear on their milky-white “Saints from Serrekker!” gasped Bulard. ‘‘ By my uncle’s bones, I feel loike abscorchulatin’!” “So dod,” replied Lije chatteringly. “No! you.must not allow fear to take root into your hearts!’ commanded Jonathan. Jeriah, who was now the-coolest man in the crowd. *‘ Cock a guns, all hands, and when yon combination of art and wickedness get directly opposite, let ‘em slide!” With. trembling fingers the gristly rangers drew back the hammers, and then waited for the right moment to.come. On came the cavalcade. As they approached the foot of the road which led up from the bottom to the banks, the horrible thing on the buffalo’s back drew rein, and glared directly up toward the white-faced rangers. A screech of horror burst from their lips. Then there came a ferocious snort from the Demon, and he urged. his. savage-looking steed ahead, followed by the Phantom Cortege. They were coming up the 10ad / “Quick! for God’s sake!” exclaimed the artist. “Pour in a volley!” Every rifle was leveled and sighted, except the Leopard’s,. He had left that far up the water- course Here, you Snap! The fash of the caps were the only answers to_the trigger lovch! The | had been withdrawn! A howl of. baffied rage escaped the rangers, and they drew. back out of sicht for a moment, followed by an infernal chorus of blood-curdling shrieks from the specters. . “Quick! your revolvers—are they too unloaded?’ cried Jerrold. An examination proved that they were intact. “Now, then, take steady aim, and fire!” was the perfectly | next command. Once more they crept forward, and peered over , evil, Mexican face | into the channel. To their unbounded su they perceived that the Demon Buffalo and his ghostly cavalcade had wheeled their steeds, and were galloping far off up and.in a moment. more they dis- rang’ d fifty-five, b eared entirely from view! age probably ed between fifty and fifty-five, but, ) ma Tom Boy OO Sand the Leopedt” “édiag ive gone, an’ I’m kussed glad on’t!”’ * A sachem,
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8 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. “So’m I!” sighed Territory Tim, ‘I nevyar got skeered afore; but them orful critters n’ariy frizsed me into ice!” “ Now,” said old Jack, savagely, ‘Ip thet we a one leetle matter, w’at stickels in my crop. o wuthdroo ther loads frum our rifles, I shed like ter inquire?” “ Yas—thet’s ther acne 9 assented Alaska. ‘*Sum skunkyfied krockydile did et, an’ I opine thet same ain’t fur off, nuther!’’ “Tf you mean to insinuate on me!” said the artist, standing proudly erect, for he perceived that all eyes . were turned upon him, “T embrace the opportunity to deny the assertion.’ “IT speckulate ’t ye ain’t none ter gude ter do sich er thing,’’ growled Jack. “Nor are you, my friend,” was the cool Se: ‘Like mine, your presence in this band is uninitia- tory, and you’re as much to be s' ted as am I. It will be recollected that you were also alone with the stack of rifles, cognged in construc yonder lodge while the remainder of this Fg on were delving in the soil at the opposite side of the gulch for the purpose of making a second road up to the banks above.” “Kuss ye—d’ye meen ter say J did ther job?” roe old Jack, leaping to his feet and drawing a nife. “Hyar! put thet up!” ordered stepping be- tween the two, ‘Jes’ leeve og A 7 : tull | ther kaptain gits back. I’m transmoggerfied ef I | kno’ w’ich on ye ter suspeck. Let ther ess rest, | an’ we'll keep our optecks peeled onter both on ye.” So the subject was drop for the time being. _ It was decided that it would not be best to cam | in the water-course — so the rangers stretched | themselves upon the and dropped asleep, leav- ee Syme! Len on guard. : n the following morning Lije the Ny rm the colored member of the band, whom we have previously mentioned as Beeswax the Butter, start- ed off up the water-course, to search for the buck whom the former had shot. At the camp the remainder of the rangers amused themsslves in various ways, some pla: eucher, some lounging lazily on the Som, and others clean- ing their guns. J.J. Jerrold busied himself with his photographic es et and succeeded in tak- ing several very creditable and praiseworthy views of the distant mountains and surrounding mag og 4 Old Jack Bulard was sullen and uneasy. He did not bear the greatest degree of friendship for the artist, and now that he saw that he was himself watched more eo on was the former, he grew exceeding “blue,” about it. Jerrold, however, man- ifested no sign that he had thought the second time of the affair. About noon considerable excitement was created by the discovery that a band of mounted Indians had sighted and were approaching the camp. .But the surprise was not less when old Jack announced that it Was a small reservation of Navajoes, and headed by his old friend, Stinging Wasp. As among the band there were seen to be about a dozen ave and children, it was rightly conjec- tured that they were not a hostile party, and conse- quently were allowed to come up unmolested. As the chief drew rein, he sprung from his saddle and greeted old Jack with a h hand-shake. -- ar ye bound fur, Wassup?” queried the lat- ter, as he scanned the grim faces of the braves and sa Gehl” paid th hief, dly. “The Navajoes “Ugh!” e chief, proudly. e Na the wilderness. No seek another home, deep in the like to be coo be 3 in peed ort reservation. So leab um, and travel tow: Mexico.” ‘Goin’ ter Greaser rashuns, eh? Wal, I hope ye'll like ther c But w’at d'ye say ter kamp- in’ down hyar er while, long wi’ us?” ‘‘Wagh! what ranger band here for?” “ Wal, I'll enlightnin’ ye, ef ye’ll onhoss yer kop- peries,”’ was the reply. And afte: the cavalcade, numbe some hun- dred braves and squaws, had dismoun old Jack explained to the Navajoe the meaning of their pres- ence so far from the scenes of their former ra- tions, and all about the Demon Buffalo and his Phantom Cortege. After being offered for his ser- vices all the outlaw scalps he could take, Stinging Wasp finally consented p< He the vicinity, and assist in the capture of the robbers. During the afternoon their horses were un ed, and soon a couple of skin lodges were on the banks of the water-course. The Navajoes had a great curiosity to see Jerrold’s camera, and to their infinite delight the artist took a phote ph of the whole crowd and presented it to he chief's really lovely daughter. This token of friendship on the of Jonathan was duly aporeceated by the whole tribe, and he was presented with many beads and badges. { , — “a ay ere were — not ook a ng Indian girls, and the gristly old rangers began spark them up with surp: earnestness. Old Jack took in tow a buxom young w, and soon was entertaining her with stories of various adventures and exploits in the mountains and on the wide plains. The maiden listened with rapt attention, and seemed to admire her white companion more than she did the copper-colored knights of the moccasin, In fact, the two got along so fast together, that, — as the sun was setting romantically over the western ma Old Jack permease So rar A kiss from his uw companion’s lips. Few 0: e@ rangers saw this Ne but what immediately followed, they all saw There was a wild shriek, and a female in tattered arments and with long, st ling hair, sailed out Froeti the shadows and began beat the scout over the head with a formidable oaken cudgel without mercy. “Kiss Injin gals, will ye, Jack Bulard? Make luv ter red squaws, will ye, w’en yer poor wife, P j dare an A friends # ou es oe = Za ou re e, you snake, you desa coyo take that/ an thal? an’ that!* fee CHAPTER XI. THE LEOPARD’S TERRIBLE RIDE. AFTER leaving the camp in the morning, Lije and Beeswax made their way cautiously down the water- course, and in the course of an hour came to the spot — the Leopard had shot the deer on the previous night. t they were doomed to disappointment. The deer was gone. Doubtless Cloven-Hoof and his crew had seen fit to wi 5 tee so valuable a prize to their own use. “ Celestyal Singers!’ ejaculated Lije, much cha- ned at the loss; “I'll be teetotally transmogger- ed ef ther kusses hain’t abduckted my pill-box, too. I left et lyin’ hyar, w’en I lit out fur kamp, an’ now she’m gone. Blast me fur er buzzard, but I orter kno’d better nor thet/ Now, I’m minus my gun, an’ ther’s not ernuther ’n kamp ter spar’. It’s er stiff | fix, I call et!” Beeswax laughed heartily. “*M’aps dat ie: find de gun up in de robber camp,”’ he suggested, brilliantly. ““Yas—I speckillate ye’re plum thar, but whar in ther name o’ ther twenty-seven consterlashuns 0’ stars, d’ye hev an ijee thet ar’?” “Bress me; I dunno no more’n de blackest picca- ninny in de world! S’pec’s dey am in de mountings, dar, dough. S’posin’ we gwine up dat way, Elijer?”’ “Dat war jes’ w’at I was roominatin’ on,” said the Leopard, reflectively. ‘‘Reck’n we will go! Jes’ ee et thr’u’ yer kernoodleum, Beeswax: s"pos- n’ we war ter find ther outlaws, an’ smotch ther de- mon buffler? Why! Celestyal Singers, niggur, we'd be ther dumku: est fellers, from ther erquater ter ther gulf o’ Slickery! Fur one, I’m ‘gr ter try an’ bustificate them imps 0’ brimstun, an’ now’s ther peerioddikal minnit ter n operrashuns!” “All right! Dat sutes dis chip 0’ stobe-polish, Lije, so ahead, dar, an’ dis chile’ll stick clusser to you dan Borgum *Lasses to a nigger’s heel!” “K’rect! Kim along then, an’ we'll purceed ter explurate thes chann’!!”’ ing over the fallen log, the Leopard followed the n trail of horses’ feet, which had been made by the animals of the Phantom Cortege, and the per followed him. “Wus you ebber in disregion afore, Elijer?”’ ques- tioned the latter, as they tramped along. “Reckon not,’’ was the reply, as the addressed took a bite from a plug of “compressed weed;” “ but thet don’t signerfy thet I hain’t bin most everywhar else on thes terrestshwul deposit o’ grannit, an’ alkali. Celestyal Vocallists, yes; reckon as howIhev. Kno’ every krook an’ corner in Iderhoe, Collaraddo, Montany, *Laska, Kallerforny an’ Oregon; besides, I hev er cal ijee o’ Washington Terrortory, *Braskey, an’ ther ee place. But w’en ye kum ter ther States! moggerfy me inter a hand-made brick, ef Iain’t ‘har/ D’ye ever hear me diskuss on ther time w’en I an’ Circus Pete tuk a trip thr’u’ ther States, eh? Wal, we hed volcaners 0’ fun. "Twar the fall arter Gineral Canby got mapese | an’ ther gang hed tuk in konsider’ble scrip, so the we all fuit like kaster-ile posy-blossums; an’ Ian’ Cir- cus made up our minds to take er gallyvant out East. Circus he hed some relashun out thar somewhar, but Arter weeks 0’ trav- el, we fetched up in Washington. “Oh! niggur, I jes’ wish ye m Ss bin thar, an’ seen ther recepshun thet war tindered us! Fust- ly, up comes dent Grant, an’ inwites us ter his cabernet shop—I b’l’eve he called et, an’ the way he did set ’em up, war a predlickshun! Wine an’ se- by ther hoss-load, an’ he told us ter not be dain- y, but help ourselves. He sed he’d heerd tell on us more’n onct, an’ he honerd us fur our grit. He sed, tell Capten Chris ter acksept on his best respeckts, an Wal oi ns Sr naTty ganas 4? ifs kertobby . we u urty ‘ns 0° , “ hes conscious, an’ then we rf bel got a peeper on ’em. e thet ever ‘ were jes m’ over on ther sides. bee ab Singers! but *t we weeve wuss nor er orkas-berry in fly-time, tho’? “Ther next , Nelly—thet war ther President’s darter; yes, an’ ther same ‘un w’at married Salera- tus, ther Britisher;—she kim down wi’ her faton, an’ tuk me’n’ Circus out er ridin’. Oh! hevvings! but warn’t we two fellers as green es peel’d unyuns, sit- tin’ down thar on buth sides on sech er purty peece o’ femernine — lh sof Ye c’uld’ve smotch- ed us wi’ er koyote’s paw!” At this junctare they had reached the crest of the little slope in the channel, and could see that it now ran on as level, as in the vicinity of therangers, camp. Scarcely an: ht penetrated the deep place, ex- cept from Socuaitaas Pitts in the tree-tops overhead, but this was not sufficient to permit the two men seeing very far in advance. ‘ Silence seemed to relgn over all nature. Not a sound save the foot-falls of the rs, The spectral pines stretched their naked branches up against the calm blue sky. e Leopard kept doggedly on, peering about on every side, and Beeswax brought up the rear. For hours the two men kept on, and still the old water-course stretched off like a serpent before them. It was gradually rising in grade, however, and Lije entertained some hopes of reaching the end, before long. - fe ape sunset Beeswax suddenly came to a dead t. *“°Sh—!" he motioned, to the Leopard; and then pointing ahead through the gloom he continued: ‘Look, Elijer, look! Golly; d’ye know w’at dat am?’ The ranger uttered a low exclamation. “'Transmo rfy me inter er Senater,’’ he whis- red, excitedly. ‘ef thet ain’t er buffler—the same tter w’at ther Deemen rid!” It was indeed so. Lying contentedly down on the sand, about thirty yards above them, and munching away at a pile of freshly ne grass, was the he am steed of the mysterious Cloven- As the watchers’ eyes became accustomed to the light centered around the beast, they perceived that he was bridled, as on the previous night, and that there were no persons in the immediate vicinity. “What am de best “ to do?” inquired Beeswax. poem sharply around, lest he should be surprised y the terrible owner of the buffialo. Lije reflected several moments, seriously; then a wild dare-devil light crept into his eyes, as he replied. “Ye stay hyar, an’ continny the s’arch, niggur, an’—”’ here he began to tighten his belt. “ W'at’n de debbil you gwine to do?” “Wal, jes’ ye stay hyar, as I tole Pha) an’ I'll show ye, prisently. I'm goin’ ter ride thet buffer down ter camp!” Beeswax put up his hands in surprise and horror, but the daring ran er was creeping away, ere he “No dahestey wan #3 rienced by the Leopard i ° was € en e in approaching “the beast. He had evidently been thoroughly tamed, and did not even arise until Lije seized by the bits, and gave his mouth a fierce erk. Then he peg Dog ise f upon his back, just as he steed lea to his feet with a snort of anger. From that instant be; a wild and Indicrous race. Off leaped the novel steed at a fearful speed, directly after poor Beeswax, who, not relishing the situation, had turned his toes toward camp, and was “‘ leggin’ it’ for dear life. On plunged the buffalo with terrific snorts, and on lea Beeswax like a frightened rabbit. e Leopard tried in vain to moderate the of his war-horse; but Mr. Buffalo seemed determin- ed on overtaking and trampling down the African! On—on—on, and the gravel and sparks flew from in under their feet, and the snorts of the bull and the terrified yowls of Beeswax, made the welkin ring, Skillful. equestrian though he was, Lije was not at home on the buffalo’s back, and it was only by the ~~ pirenene eet that he Panga his ag cere to the long hair o e a 's nec 1 fall from the buffalo's back, at the speed they were now going, would only be to meet instant death. On—on—on, and still the pursuer and pursued kept about the same distance apart—Beeswax des- perately determined not to give up while there was a host of a chance, and the buffalo bent on tramp- ling him to pieces. there was one among the trio who suffered more than another, that same was the Leo . He had red himself that he would have a glorious gal- lop back to camp, but it failed, just now, to meet e tions, ery tremendous leap of the infuriated bull, bounced poor e air like a rubber ball. e into Every bounce elittted an unearthly groan, which, to- gether with the snorts of the alo, and the yelps and shrieks of Beeswax, made the din to rival Pan- demonium. On—on—on, and mile after mile flew by. It is un- n to say that Lije, as well, probably, as the bull, was amazed at the singular endurance of the African. His strength and wind must have been rhuman, —on, and the Leapord saw that they were near- ing camp. In an instant he set upa series of frantic screeches, which, combined with those of Beeswax, soon brought the whole camp to the edge of the banks, above. “Stop us!’ shrieked Lije, white with terror and exhaustion; ‘“ us! stop us! Cuss our foolish Picters, hyar we kin er-bormin’!”’ THE MEXICAN ALCALDE—PURSUED. ae ee ig < oye en, os tes ores Pete, as an companions, on the eleva saw the buffalo come to8 down the Channel wih the ee along in advance. “Thar kums m ! Bil owls an’ frickaseed mud-turtles, but thet ar’ a pow- erful bad fix!” The rest of the rangers had gathered at the verge, as had also all of Stinging Wasp’s party—an expres- sion of amusement on each and every face. The situation was seen at a glance to be hazardous, but so ludicrous was the whole affair, that the smile soon became @ ‘roar of laughter, which echoed far and e. There were two, however, who Ba Ma that the race would not terminate without serious results, if rs was not speedily done. These were Circus Pete and Jerrold, the artis “Quick!” ex ed the latter, excitedly, as he cocked his “Some one of you fellows hurl a lasso over the head of the Leopard. The moment he is dismounted, I will agree to dispatch I can fetch him to the ground, I opine.” Circus Pete heeded the words, and in a moment disengaged the coiled lariat from his belt. . On ——, = eae bull, and ge cana near. 'y opposite where the rangers stood, Pete hurled his lasso downvard; and, as at this moment, the Leop-
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ard straightened bolt upright, the noose settled gracefully around him, and drew taut. The next moment he was jerked td the ground, stunned and bleeding, while the report of the artist’s rifle broke the silence, which had for the instant en- sued. The buffalo gave a few more maddened snorts and plunges after Beeswax, who had suc- ceeded in reaching the road leading up the bank; then the beast staggered gine & about, fell upon his knees, toppled-over, and his life-blood dyed the sandy bottom of the channel. A yell of admiration from the Navajoe praves now rent the air, and a rush was made to the river-bed. The buffalo was found to be quite dead. Jerrold’s bullet had reached him, just back of the shoulder, and ended his mad race, quickly. Though considerably bruised by his fall, Lije was not seriously injured, and soon recovered enough to relate his and Beeswax’s experience. ; The latter was so exhausted from the effects of his remarkable foot-race, that he was unable to speak for several hours; but, in the meantime, Lije dis- coursed sufficiently for both, so that no was lost. The Reapers was considerably surprised to meet Stinging Wasp, for he had not seen him since their trapping expedition up along the Niobrara, two years before. But he was more surprised, and not a little amused, at what he saw in a retired nook' of the pen See Jack Bulard, sitting upon a fallen tree sta with the most si r melancholy an tmheekness, a the ground. His head was ban- daged up with strips o: Leas cloth, and portions of vanish = her deeply-marked countenance, sat a female, whose costume, not the most dainty fabric, was ponderous cudgel; the condition of Jack’s’ cran um, told the Leo devil—do, by thunder! Who be thet femernine-gan- der w’at’s squattin’ ‘long wi’ ye? Hain’t bin gittin’ hitched ter ’n Injin gal, hev ye?” ‘No, he ain't, thank ye!” vociferated the woman, spri to her feet and snatching up the ee “80 ~ needn't insinywate, you beast—you sneak Thar hain’t one dipperfull o’ Injin blood "bout me, an’ I kin lick ther dirty heethun thet sez that it ain’t so. I'm Pogey Aramyntha Bulard, this ‘ere desateful hi = musses lawfoolly wedded wife, an’ he’s b! n’ red-skin-pot-wras'lers! Oh! you wretch! you hyperbolikal riinoser’oss! you skunk! you lizzard! you conglomerated chunk o’ carryon! jes’ let me git e hum; then, won’t I dress ye out, tho’? Won't L. LS Oh! I'll arn ye ter leeve yer hum, an’ wife, an ¥ wi’ these Injin barbaritities! I'll And after administering three more raps upon Jack’s head, that elicited as many howls, she took her tion beside him once more, and peace en- su The evening was spent in planning, and conversing ut the suppo Phantom Cortege and Cloven- Chris was momentarily e ted, as he had said he would be he. away, and the beauti- the ligt t of the moon—a dawned, and still the captain did not comes neither had a — been seen or a sound don’ loike ther squint o’ ther matter, mysel’,” was the reply, as the rye searched the cone in the direction of Zossei, with his field-glass. ‘‘ How- sumdevyer, we'll remain hyar yet ter-day, an’ ef sumthin’ don’t turn up, as MacClubber sez, we'll antelope over ter that p’int o’ their kumpuss, an’ cirkumnavigate ther inwestigaitin’ committer. I _— we'll behold ther boss bowlin’ over thes way ‘ore long, tho’!” in conclusion the Leo was wrong. The forenoon passed, and young Adams did not return. The broiling sun had now reached the cn mae com the rangers to seek the cool shadows the deep channel for comfort. Jona’ Jeriah, however, bade defiance to the ie sev! s,and drove Za Belle and his schooner . 7 . off od the south, to find subjects 0 ographing. go the afternoon a company of a dozen horse- men were seen approac , and the rangers made to receive them, were they friend or foe. As they dashed up a were found to be a band of well-mounted and well-armed Spanish-Mexicans, under the alcalde of Los Des Pumas, M 5 “" Govemornng,” said the latter to Lije, as he doffed his sombrero. “Gu replied the Leopard, coolly. “How en thunder ar’ ye indetted ter us fur thes in- terview?”’ aan ——, smiled, but continued, all the same: ce fe ; - - . was the — ' en e oy aeeaeani “ Well, then, I’m glad it has been my good fortune ‘tomeet you. Your mission here is for the purpose of Cloven-Hoof. unraveling, the mystery of the terrible Cloven-Hoof, e hd “Ty ledge.” » Tonoscht as much,” aie in a few words, Ben ergrves pegen Mey we. cumstances connected € swoop 0 e - tures down upon Los Des Pumas, and the abduction of his two daughters. “Wal,” said the Leopard, when he had concluded, *w’at’s thet got ter do wi’ S Ished loike to ’quire?’ “This!” was the reply. “I have found a way by which I can penetrate the den of these Vultures, but my forces are not strong enough to permit of such a move. By consolidating your formidable band with mine, the number on our side would exceed that of the robbers, and we can c them out; you can earn your reward, and I can recover my stolen aa me Tp “= red the Leo griml as—I perceeve,”’ answe e y- **Ole hoss, d’ye see thes road hyar w'a leads down inter ther channel, an’ thet t’other ’un w’at leads up ore Teas 1 gee the, naWiy-anadle What “Yes; I see the newly- e passes, sir. about them?” “Wal, thet’s "bout ther way ye ken git bs an’ av’ide gittin’ ri wi’ ca’t-ri Y’ was e “ coo! reply. What do you mean?” demanded the alcalde, sus- piciously. “T mean thet I, ther redowbterble ag ther Leo- oh Regs guv re an’ yer Greaser band, ‘bout ther ngth on er koon’s tale, ter abscorchulate—cl’ar ot ere sinews—me'sure terrestyel gravyta- tion, ete!” “What! you do not intend to show hostility to “Sha'n’t say ernuther syllybull, Greaser, ‘cept thet ef ye don’t make yersel’ rare, hyar’bouts, in side o° ther le o’ er mother-in-law’s lip, my b’ ll not be holdable fur enny accidenx, w’at ‘ll sure ter foller. We don’t over well loike Gveasers, an’ seein’ we've bin wi'out a big met fur h on for er week, our canniballistic proklivities hev bin whet- ted up, on er left-handed whetstone, so I'd specu- _ _ find er hellth’er locality-ty, whar ye cum rom ” At a word the alcalde ordered his followers to cross to the other side of the water-course, for he so ceived ery the - nn ready to do ak ~ pard’s bidding, an: 0' e refuse, a general would ensue, which must eventually be ded with a loss of life. So one by = a are down the crum- path, into the channel, for it was rous for to attempt to go abreast; and soon half of the number were evenly distributed along down, leav- Murrillo and the other half above. t was at this instant that a prolo yell drew the attention of . man, to the south—along the course of the channe! A man mounted upon a bony sorrel horse was pitas mods ore upon the camp, yelling and It was Jerrold, the artist, on the back of his La Belle ;—coming on, furiously on. Far away behind m, be seen the deserted “ schooner,” from ae disengaged his scrawny horse, to fa- On—on, he came, and struck dumb with astonish: meni e sigh e rangers stood motionless, watched him approach. Not so with Conales Murrillo. He started and grew perry Bonen as he beheld the wild rider, and clutched at nervously. “but go on ’ and flee for Los Des will—ey, must go the other way!” Unno n, he turned his horse stealthily to- ward the and was well out of rifle range ere the became aware of his ve Then, he spurs deep into his ‘s quivering drove flesh, and away. On—on, came Jerrold, his pag Rene mt fairly fly- ing oe the ground, and making sparks at eve’ und. ry On—on, he dashing furiously past the camp, and on the fuycitive, never aiveing his eyes % leave the object of the mad pursuit. On, on, and soon both pursuer and ed were hidden trom view at the camp, by a depression in the lay of the broken country. goals 1 Say abreast sa woe but the antiet urge == sa orse, e gained uw him, constantly It was ee eae te crossing over the channel could be effected. Three miles w 7 the “ford,” the Mexican his pursuer, and gain an oppor- was dripping with froth and foam, while he stum- bled whim? ene and then the artist gives vent to a triumphant yell as the distance lessens between him and his enemy. Far away looms A 4 a lone cottonwood tree, which marks the ford. But, ha! look! From this the to head him off. Directly in the rear are heard the thundering hoof-strokes of La Belle, and the cries of the Capture is in- evitable between the two soem ae Sane ipenveives, and shifting his position so that he faces Jerrold, he his rifle, and brings it to bear. But, at — en his ee, se om gy arse falls upon ees, regains again, by a fierce edfort, stumbles 0000 nore, and then goes crunching | had him ove 9 recipitating the doomed rider down to the earth, 8% in front, stunned and bleed- heavily upon the roc ing! CHAPTER XII BEFORE THE VULTURE COURT—SOLD. Ere Captain Chris could disengage himself from the saddle, as his dead horse sunk upon the ground, the two ruffians were upon him, and in a moment owered and disarmed. After that it took but a short time to bind him, hand and foot, with stout buffalo cords. “Devils!” cried the surprised ranger, “what means this outrage?” “Tt means that you are my prisoner,” said one of the men, looking down into the captive’s face with a hideous leer. © you know me?”’ Captaif Chris eyed him a moment; then the vision of the portrait in Nesmit’s hacienda rose before him. It was the same as the face bent toward him now— this was the son of the colonel! “You are the son of Alonzo Nesmit, are you not?”’ he asked. “The same. I am the noble fellow he told you = ere to be a captive among the Vultures. Ha! ! ! = But why do you laugh? How know you he told me so?” ** Because I overheard him!” “Then it was you who owned the human eyes in the picture?” “Exactly; I own the same péepers you would have jabbed your knife into. But fortunately I had a pair of glass substitutes ready !”’ ‘How did you get behind that portrait?’ “There is an alcove just behind it, opening into a disused e. I take liberty to use this when I see fit to s ees the old gent!” “Indeed! ell, what do you propose to do with me, now that like two brigands you fellows have secured me?” “ Any more questions you'd like to ask, boss?” was the sarcastic answer. “ Yes—when you reply to my last.” “Wal, I guess we haven't any more time to con- verse at present, so inhale a little of this perfumery, and then we'll jog along toward the ‘ Vulture Castle, where his infernal majesty, Cloven-Hoof, is waiting a me ne th tlaw took j hich hi sa. e outlaw took a sponge whic S couipalilén had in the meantime saturated with chloroform, and held it close to the ranger’s nose. Though he did not yield without a struggle, he soon ave in to the seductive influence of the powerful ies and for many long hours thereafter he was unconscieus. When he awoke it was with a violent start, and he found himself in a mighty cavern, and the witness of a strange scene—a scene that soon caused him to orig under the restraint in which his bonds placed m. He was lying on a bench,or sort of rudely-con- structed table, and from the position in which he lay could command a view of the whole interior of the cavern. It was a monster chamber, some a long by thirty wide, and as many feet in t, and was, from all appearances, hewn out of the soft lime- = rock by pee age . ere was no visible mode of egress or and it would seem a mystery how man on eat could be here in the bowels of the earth. Directly opposite, but some twenty feet from where the ranger lay, rose a large dais, on which was mounted a box-like affair, resembling a pit. Before this pulpit were a dozen camp-stools, and upon these sat as many white-robed heures, head: less, to all a rances. At a further end of the council-room sat a dozen joe pe Rose hair and crowns proclaimed them to of him. Presently there was heard the tinkle of a bell, and to his surprise and horror he saw the head and neck of a buffalo rise above the top of the pulpit, and the 4 eyes gaze around the a ent. At same instant while A 8S was staring at the frightful object in front of him, a of four 2 ns ere the council-chamber and w nigh e p . One Poe the man who had been with Nesmit at the time of the ——- capture. The other three were females—the Murrillo sisters, and Guessie Bu- Captain Chris gave a low cry as he caught a glimpse of the maiden’s face. “ Guessie! Guéssie!”’ he exclaimed. ogg nie ger Be be Ait ann b= bres pe saw him, came bounding to a t in her beautiful eyes. = F : fey ry es sa e cried, stooping over and “Yes, darling—it would seem so. But what means it all? 0 is yonder beast behind the pulpit, and what is he going to do with you?” “Tt is the terrible Cloven-Hoof,” replied the ft, casting a shudd glance toward the Demon Buf- falo, “and he is about to sell us to those Indians yonder, for horses and skins!"’ Ca Chris groaned aloud. “Ts there no way you can free me?” he “Once let me get on my feet, Guessie, and I could lick the whole crowd, yon Satanic curse included!’
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10 Guess was about to reply when she was seized roughly by the arm and hurried back to where Inez and Nola were standing. tue feverish interest the ranger watched and lis- pit, and then their outlaw guard wi a short For the space of several moments not a sound was | heard in the great cavern, The s in white be- fore the pulpit were motionless; the Indians at the further end of the cavern ceased their jabbering, and silence reigned supreme. Presently the one behind the pulpit gave an in- itiatory snort, and then the following words, in a deep, rumbling voice, rolled forth: “The time is at hand when the fifth monthly ses- sion of the infernal order of ‘ Vultures’ shall take place, providing the Spirit Brotherhood pared ‘or the points to be discussed and , for the mutual advantage of the most high order. Are the Spirit Jurors all in readiness?” There was a heavy rumbling sound like the mut- tered growls of thunder, accompanied by hisses as of lightning all seeming to emanate from the pi i the bye 8 of he Sroet a eee . e many torches in the cavern @ to flare up brighter, and » pungent odor of Tarning brimstone pervaded the close atmosphere. - The figure behind the pulpit soon gave a commen- datory snort, and resumed: “The Spirit Jurors are wise. They are ever ready for the Grand Council, and ther wets f please the great Satanus. Before the Brotherh 4 stand three creatures of the feminine sex, who were captured yi beg majestic order recently, and pre- sented to their Ruler. But, though he is tly gg at the gift of his esteemed servants, Satanus no use for women, and has therefore offered them for sale or in exchange for ponies to the chiefs of the Arapahoes. “Several of the same are now present in the Royal Court. Let them come forward, and state the sums they would extend for the possession of the pale- face maidens.” At this juncture the Indians in the further end of the cavern drew near, and gazed at the shrinking At one burly chief fixed his gaze upon Gues- sie, a a gleam of admiration flared up into his eyes. “Ugh!” he ted, seizing her by the arm. “Storm-cloud, he vig chief. y lodges in him village by Fox c He gib ten husses fur dis squaw.” A roar of dissent seemed to come up from the bowels of the earth. - Astounded at this answer to his proposition, Storm- Cloud sneaked back, and another red-skin took his place. ‘‘Metomula great chief,” he said, proudly, ‘an’ oe hoss. He gib hundred hoss for t’ree squaw, ‘Me gib hundred and one hoss for t’ree squaw,”’ bid the next. “Me gib hundred and ten hoss!’’ cried the next, bound to outbid his brothers. So the bid went on, after a lively fashion, until a hundred and fifty horses were offered for the three et young girls, when the eleventh chief took the stand, a inful smile upon his stoical face. “Ugh!” he said, with a gesture of disgust toward the other oe no : Big Rogue much big chief. He been to Great City, an’ see Big Father. He got many horses. De squaws must be his, He gib two hun horses!” A cry of rage went up from the ten listeners. “Wagh!” sneered Storm-Cloud, “ Big Rogue big sham/ He only got hundred hoss. Where he git de odder hundred? Ugh!” “ Steal um!’ was the rep , delivered in such a seriously comical way, that even the Spirit Jurors could not restrain a ough. “Good!”’ nodded the loven-Hoof, from behind his pulpit, with an approving snort, “Is there any of the worthy chiefs, now, who wish to increase the “There is,” said the twelfth savage, stepp'ng for- ward. “Sky-Rocket is not an Ara; Chin, wit a chief of the hty Apache nation, who are on friendly terms with the Vultures. He will offer three hundred ponies for the white squaws!”’ “'Sky-Rocket is a brick,” said the Demon Buffalo, with a snort intended to declare his satisfaction. “Now will the other chiefs raise him on that?” The Arapahoes shook their tufted heads sullenly, and retreated to the further end of the cavern. jay 4 well,” decided Cloven-Hoof, ‘The pale- face gir et’s. Whenever he wishes to depart I will furnish him with animals to carry them his vil will I send two men to bring ve pale-face dog Cloven-Hoof retired behind his pulpit for a mo- ment, doubtless to reflect. But he soon reappeared, and gave his custo initiatory snort, r. ts of the ernal Order,” he said, “you have the words of the Apache chief. Are you C8 SER FORAGE AP ROR to the acceptance of his of- er?” There was again heard the rumbling as of distant thunder, which was succeeded by spiteful hisses; then all was silence. “They have no objections to the offer,” said Clo- ven-Hoof, addressing the chief. Then turning to the ned. The three girls were drawn up in front of the ‘pul- | ithdrew Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. = who had ushered in the maidens, he contin- ued: “You, Aspero, go at once to the band, and tell them of the offer we have had for the pale-face ran- ger, whose camp lies at the further of the Phan- m W: them to rejoice and drink freely over the fortunately high disposal of the girls, which will net each member a good round sum !"” Aspero bowed low, and in a moment more was gone, having left the great chamber through a fis- | sure in the wall. It was several minutes ere he returned, and during this time a strange silence pervaded the cavern. Captain Chris was waiting anxiously for the answer which was to decide his fate. He knew that if he was taken along with the maidens to the Apache village, he might hope to make hisescape. But if, on the contrary, was not, either a horrible death or an endless imprisonment awaited him, Suddenly Aspero came bounding back into the chamber, white and breathless. “ The boys say dispose of the ranger as you choose!’” he cried—‘‘ but, captain, you are wanted at the Ranch. The member known as King of the Hills, is gone /”’ ad upon him!’’ roared Cloven-Hoof, savage- Curses f | ly. “Here, you Sky-Rocket; you remain till I re- turn! The scout shall be yours,” In an instant the Demon Buffalo had vanished be- hind his pulpit, and Aspero also had. disap ssure | through t $ Then, quickly approaching Captain Chris, Sky- Rocket whispered: } “'Sh—/” Keep quiet. Iama friend!” CHAPTER XIV. THE RANCH—LITTLE FERRET'S DEPARTURE, Let us follow in the tracks of the.mysterious Clo- “Directly behind his pulpit trap-door openin i y pulpit. wasatrap-door o reg down through the floor of the dais, After disap = ing from the view of the prisoners, the strance Cece pues up the door, and a dark, narrow staircase, hewn out of the solid rock, was revealed. Following this in its downward course, he preesenay came to a large apartment, similar to the council- chamber above, and which was dimly lit by a smok- torch, thrust in a crevice. this cavern were a number of casks and barrels strewn about; also several fire-places, over which h monster caldrons, were set.in the rocky sides of the wall. The further, or northern end, was piled to the roof with well-filled bags, while in the center of the room.stood a tall cask, set on end, which somewhat resembled a generator. There were no persons to be seen about the premi- ses; and so, after casting a searching glance about him, Cloven-Hoof directed his footsteps toward the eastern end; of the cavern, where a natural door opened out, upon a large, level plateau. From here a marvelous and strikingly beautiful view could be had, of astrange and weird scene. Below the plateau, some thirty feet, was a large, circular basin or mountain-locked valley, where some forty acres of land lay as smooth and level as on the great plains. All around towered giant w of cold y rock, rising up in perpendiquies bodies until o. seemed to touch the blue vault of heaven, ot a visible mode of egress from. this strange val- ley was to be seen, nor-were there signs of the pre- vious communication of its inhabitants ever with the outside world.. Nothing but a wilderness of moun- tain, rose like the walls of a living tomb on either side. Directly opposite the plateau, on the further side of the basin, towered a frowning peak, higher by many feet than itsneighbors. Commencing atits base, in the valley, and ascending gradually upward, was to be seen a epee staircase, Lom gig. ean had been so formed by the great chisel in the won- drous hand of Nature. is staircase led to the mountain grotto, where once before we have jour- neyed with the reader. own in the valley was a scene as strange as the one presented by the towering mountains—a scene Te eT. feng. heer ke came. bulls pardy ot i ze, long, barn-like cabin, cs) and part of adobe nestled down in the center of the around this grazed some fifty snow-white ponies. Here and there were flitting the forms of men attired in the garb of the mountaineer, while at the door of the ranch, as the cabin was . were huddled together a motley assemblage of as coarse- featured, evil-faced desperadoes as ever cursed the frontier with their pe Aer Hoof peared the plateau, abo ‘loven-Hoof a upon the uu, above the basin, a man lef the te by the cabin-door, and advanced within spea stance. “What is this I hear about the desertion of the King of the Hills?’ demanded the Demon Buffalo, | giving vent to a horrible bellow and an angry stamp | deed true, | | of his cloven foot. ‘Your esty,’’ replied the spokesman, “‘it is in- e member of our gang, you allude to can not be found. One of our canoes is gone, an doubtless the traitor has long since a ‘“When was he seen last?’ “ Yesterday, your majesty—an hour before the chiefs arrived,” company of 5 o Who towed the red-skins’ canoe up through the gorge?” “ Myself, your majesty!” ‘“How many were there of them?’ «Well, this is strange. that “We . You are sure Warren apg he hae fal we ait ‘ ‘Yes, your majesty. e missed him, but thought no of his absence, because we thought ‘yom might have him in the Vulture court. But when As- per said, just now, that he was not there, we began suspect that he had deserted,” “And, what do you imagine is his object? Where has he gone?”’ ; mae ' know not, your majesty, unless it be to the camp at the end of the Ghost Forest.” > ‘“Ha! yes. There he has probably gone. I didnot think of it, before. He doubtless intends to lead the Government dogs up here, to capture us!” “Sol peuere, Fone majesty.” “Well, then, by all the devils, I'll thwart his little il. If he could so successfully remove the loads from the rangers’ git under their noses, without being detect ed, I wager he can ee bullet through this accurs- ed traitor’s heart. ere is he, Miguel—where is the Little Ferret?” ‘In the ranch, here, your majesty, drinking copi- ously.”’ «Then send him up here, immediately. But ho! there, el; tarry a moment. Why are not the works in operation? What are the gang idling for?” “Your majesty, there is no need to work now, un- ane have more tanks. The casks and barrels are “Indeed! This is good néws. The treasury of the order will be growing fat, at this rate. When can you be ready to dispose of a cargo, Miguel?” “At any hour, your majesty. Everything is in readiness for a start.” “Well, then, say day after to-morrow, for instance, Start a courier immediately for stations D and E, so that the grain will be waiting your arrival. Hollo had best go, this time. I hope, before long, to make such ments with the farmers around Zossei, as will facilitate the earlier transportation of their grain. But now, away, and send Ferret!"’ Miguel turned toward the ranch, and when he had disappeared Cloven-Hoof sat upon a rock near the edge of the plateau, and gave himself up to reflection. Not long however was he left alone, for soon there was a footstep, and Aspero came forth to the De- mon's side. “Ha! my worthy prime minister,” said the crea- ture, giving an approving snort, ‘‘ we bid fair to over- haul this traitorous King of the Hills, yet. lam about to send the Ferret after him!” “What! the little Dutchman?” “Yes, I believe him the shrewdest man in the val- ley to undertake the job. His success in unloadi the rangers’ rifles, has fixed him strong in my pm dence. He's an odd one, though!” “True; and I should not care to let him go too far away. Je might desert.” ‘*‘T have no fear. But, here he comes.” A man had clambered up the ledges to the plateau, and s close by, as if waiting for orders. He was a stout, A little German of some forty ears, with a little bulfet-shaped head, a round ¢ ace, and a form both corpulent and dwarfish. H eyes were black and brilliant, and they, together with the general expression of his florid countenance, gave him a sharp, cunning but intelligent look. In the Vulture stronghold he was known as Little Ferret, but his real name was Hans Vonderberg. ‘Ha!’ said the Demon Buffalo, with his custom- ary initiatory snort. ‘Is the Ferret ready to leave foe Vener Vultures, in pursuit of the King of the “Vat vor you vants me to do?”’ queried the Teu- ton, eying the horrible object before him pent ¢ “T vants do kno’ dot, before I answers your qweery?" “T want you to go immediately to the Tanger, camp, where you were day before yesterday, and see if the missing man, W: is there, and if he is, you Lig shoot him foe hh nage neseaiael “Da , nodd e Ferret, appro “T shudes omit uicker as vat nevar a4 Shalt sdarts right avay off, all the vile?” veer, at once, and hurry back as soon as you di your man!” @ man bowed, and then turned and clambered down into the valley. Ten moments later he peared. on the river shore, and shoved one of the canoes off into the stream, Then he sprung in, and the two watchers on cliff-plateau saw drift-rapidly to the north soon disappear, like the seething waters, through the black aperture in the bottom of the wall of rock. CHAPTER XV. OFF FOR THE APACHE VILLAGE. AS soon — — out of sight, Cloven-Hoof turned to As y 4 “You may go, minister, and see that those ruffians do not get too drunk, down there. We need every man, soon, for if these rangers should. learn our -place, it would be easy work to surround us, with such directions as young Warren can give them, How many hands have we now, Aspero, all told?” our esty, not counting the In- dians and half , S, W. ‘are continually soaked with whisky, and unfit for duty. There are twenty of them, I believe. But, cap I fail to see what good these v nts are to the Order, Also, there are thirty of the whites who are drunk the greater the time. We derive no benefit from ‘I know, Aspero, it seems so at present. Bu hark ye! it would take another oa life- “0 “bi in” a set of men, who would fear and obey game. Ill send the Ferret on his trail | |
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Cloven-Hoo ll me, as these wretches do. Though of but little use now, we know not how soon we shall be in need of their services, to defend our retreat. Indeed, I fear the day is not distant, when we shall have to dis- band, and flee to better ‘spheres, sublime.’ There- fore, it menows us to — while there is a — “ Miguel informs me that a cargo is now ready for the ‘shove.’ Iam inclined to think we had not bet- ter operate any more, then, until we see how matters shape. Le Count, my agent at Station J, along the Rio Grande, says, in his last dispatch, that his ex- clerk has discovered a capital for a retreat, along the Union Pacifie Railr It is within reach of several thriving villages, where we could. both Lm one an occasional swoop, and dispose of our ce.’’ “Indeed! Well, captain, it is for you to say—not me, But it seems like folly to give up this place, when we have just got nicely settled here!” “Yes, that is true. But, let us talk no longer. See to'the men down there, and then pre yourself for along ride. I desire that you shall accompany Sky-Rocket to his village, and bring back the horses to Station E. The agent there take charge of them, and dispose of them at the best advantage to the overiand trains.”’ ** And who shall I take with me, captain, to ee “T care not; any of the band, except Miguel. e ht at the ranch.” must remain to keep things str e plateau for the Aspero bowed, and then left valley, below. As soon as he was gone, Cloven-Hoof re-entered the cavern, and ascended to the council chamber. The momeut his terrible head appeared above the pache, came for- top of the pulpit, Sky-Rocket, the ward. “The Demon-Buffalo is great, and Sky-Rocket would like to tarry longer within his stone tents,” said the chief, graciously. ‘‘ But the wiser finger of his nature points toward his far-distant village, and bids him ot es He must go. Does the great Clo- “Let. Sky- ven-Hoof object?” “Not at all,’ replied Cloven-Hoof. Rocket wait here, and the Demon-Buffalo will send two servants to guide him from the Vulture Valley, and accompany him on his journey.” Then the strange being was gone, in a flash, as before, and a half-hour rolled by. At the ex- piration of this time, the prime-minister, Aspero, sppeasne in the chamber, coming from the fissure. e was followed by a burly ruffian, whose features at once declared him to be a Swede, “Are you ready?’ demanded Aspero. Sky-Rocket released Adams’s feet, and then signi- fied his readiness to depart. Aspero re-entered the fissure, followed cl by the Swede. ' Sky-Rocket bade the girls to follow him, and VUapiain Chris to follow them, while he brought up the rear. Thus the party proceeded. The fissure had been hewn out by the hand of man, evidently, and led to the cavern below. In the course of ten minutes the whole party were in the basin, below the plateau. y Here Aspero and the Swede launched the flatboat, and the four prisoners, Sky-Rocket and themselves were loaded in. An extra man also taken along, to tow the boat back into the valley, as soon as its cargo was disembarked in the outer world. At a given word the moorings were cut, and the bark with its human freight shot off with the rapid current, toward the north. | Soon the a rein the base of the mountain was reached, and the boat into a little tunnel, where the light of day never penetrated. was so intensely black, and the boat lea on with such velocity, that the prisoners held their breath in awe and anxiety. The channel was wide enough to admit the ssage of so large a craft, and the two outlaws had watch narrowly to keep it from grating on the rough rocky sides, Suddenly a flood of light burst upon the scene; the momentum of the race lessened, while the boat shot along upon the level of a less rapid run of water. They were still undergro’ but now and then a bar of light streamed down from an opening in the rocky ceiling overhead, showing that they were out of the mountains For perhaps a mile further, the subterranean vo continued, and then the boat suddenly shot out into a large basin filled with water—a one al que little lake, in a low valley, fringed with trees. Toward the northern shore Aspero and the Swede propelled the boat, and were soon alongside a small plateau of rock, or natural wharf. The whole purer. save the man who was to work the boat back into the Vulture Valley, now disem- -Rocket went off in the motte of cot- tonwood, for horses, which he had left there a day before. e soon returned with six m The was now al- rear. When all were mounted, and eve was in readiness, the Apache gave the word, and the caval- eade dashed off toward the north. They soon left the timber and out across a level stretch of prairie, and saw that side of the water-course, e rangers’ er On looking back toward the mountain, he v- ed that not a glimpse was to be obtained of the loca- tion of the robbers" retreat. Naught but a majestic wall of mountain towered up there in the distance its peaks stretching far up toward the blue vault of heaven. ‘As it was well into the afternoon when they left the lake, but a com tively short distance was traversed ere night fell with its hovering shadows, over hill and dale. During the rapid ride, Captain Chris managed to keep up a conversation with the young ladies; but when the camp was pitched for night he was separa- Ont oF ‘his saddle é Sky-Rocket brought forth ts) e- -Rocke (o) a plentiful supply of ried venison, and a hearty meal was made therefrom, by all. As Aspero insisted on standi € guard the fore of the night, and the Swede the latter part, the chief was compelled to yield, though it was with bad grace. The maidens were given what blankets there were, and as the night was warm no other covering was needed, the so serving the pe of a bed. At the command of Sky-Rocket they lay with their faces turned down to the ground. His explanation was, that as they were unaccus- tomed to sleeping in open air, they were liable to catch a severe cold should they lie on either their sides or back. a here let me say; that this bit of information applies to all who visit our great West, and sleep ex- age to the night air. In summer nights the hun- r may lie in ost any position without catching cold, if he is accustomed to roughing it, but in the damper months of spring and late autumn, the pos- ture of the general plainsman is invariably flat upon pal th with the face turned directly down- ward. Experience will soon teach one the choice of posi- tion. And, too, when you lie with your face down- ward, and yor forehead pillowed upon your arm, your sleep is less sound, more refreshing and benefi- cial, while your pean doubly acute. Captain Chris was bound, hand and_ foot, and hauled near where the chief was to lay. Then, after Aspero was posted on duty, Sky-Rocket and the Swede flung themselves upon the green turf, and silence ed in (he camp. The night passed without incident, and early in the follo journey northward. All day long they galloped on, and at nightfall again went into camp. ro stood until midnight, when he was ioted by Sky-Rocket. Soon after, the loud breathing of the outlaw pro- claimed that he was sound asleep. Going to his saddle, the Apache chief took out two long lariats from the bags. These he dexterously fastened around the feet of both sapere and the Swede, with- out attrac their attention. Then leading forth the most spirited horse of the six, he secured the other ends of the lariats to the animal's nigh hind leg near the haunch, and thrusting a cactus-stalk under his tail, calmly awaited the resuit. CHAPTER XVI. A PRISONER. At the rangers’ camp, the rangers and the Navajoe Indians were anxiously waiting for the Donen of both Captain Chris and Jerrold the artist. Although thé latter was nothing to them, they took an interest in his welfare, and Were anxious to know whether or not he had won the wild race. As to Captain Chris, there was not a heart that beat beneath the buck-skin hun -shirts of the sturdy whites, that did not beat for the gat lant ranger chief. They all loved him as a brother and leader, and would have willingly fought till the last to shield him from death. For years the band had served under his com- mand, and every member had found him all they could wish for, both as a captain and companion. The Leo , in fact, regarded him as a brother, and now, as another night began to cast its somber shadows athwart the earth, he became fidgety and uneasy. “T tell ye what,” he said, solemnly, “I jedge su'thin’s Wer row. Capten Chris ‘a sp as i Jack-as?”’ Old Jack ruminated a few moments before he-re- plied, in the meantime keeping a “‘ weather-eye out” upon his wate use, Cepy, who, to use his own words, “stuck ter than ther h’ar pipe, meditative *, Ther va ity. I'd luv nuthin’ better nor a fine fat ‘Pash oreckfass, wi’ smoked Komanch fur side dish, ye kno’; a gude fat ‘Pash fur supper, an’ a leetle squaw jes’ afore bedtime. Fur dinner, I'd prefer a whop- ” fat bey se Soe Senater. Thar’s nuthin’. on es terrestail foo 1 like er gude slick Senerator. Their novomnpiccer':) A fur an offsett ‘gin ther rich, greesy q ations of ther ‘Pash. *, too, thar’s ernuther p’int. W’en ye take senaters fur dinner, et don’t cost ye nuthin’ fur wine an’ Con- scious cigars. They’re chock full on’em. Senaters fer deserts, either.” “Talk "bout coyote fude!” said Old Jack; “ye jes orter sock yer fangs onter Peg, hyar. Ther hain’t er tuffer peece o’ humen P Bg side Noahr’s arck, an’ I'll Lik ed er lug o’ dog-tail thet ther tooth nevyar war invented w’at kin peerce her Ther kannybull w’at gets Peggy fer er meel *d better ~ morning the cavalcade resumed the | cet her er day er tew afore he goes ter sleep so 's he ken hev ample time ter suggest her. I’ hev guy her ter ther coyotes an’ buzzards long ergo ef et hedn’t be’n ’s IT know’d et would extarminate ther hull caboodle er chawin’ her. Why, boyee, even w’en I uste ter go an’ spark her, afore we got con- sollerdated,:w’en I'd go ter try an’ kiss her, her hide war so tuff an’ strong thet I culdn’t make ther leest impreshun!” “Thet’s nuthin’,” replied Lije, disdainfully. “I once sparked er Crow squaw, w’at war so strong, thet w’en I me Way lips ‘gin’ her cheek they stuck thar tighter n a ten-scrude vise, an’ ther olc cheef hed to hitch on twenty mustangs ter each on us tew pull usa iy “T guv up,”’ sighed Old Jack, Dopeleey- “Tthort I war purty goode on ther erlongate; but skulp me, ef ye ain't ther infernalist liar I ever did run across!’ “Thet’s nothin’!’ laughed Lije; ‘‘them’s merely | facks! Wait till ye heer me tell er good squar’ yarn. hen ye ken talk /” ** Jes’ don’ tell et now,” observed Circus Pete; “but look yander, Thar kums ther foty, er; he’s got ther Greaser ’cross his saddle-bows, . hag parr! Yes, an’ thar’s ernuther feller ‘long wi’ " J Two men were approaching the camp, mounted on horses. One was readily ed as Jonathan Jeriah, the artist. Before him, across the neck of his scrawny horse, he bore the body of a man—the Mex- ican alcalde. The second horseman was mounted upon a superb *iihe Cirald calloped ieuinely. mong tte a e twa ©) e ) ‘oO camp, an Jerrold was greeted with round after round of ap- plause. “Bully boy!” went up from the red-skins as well as the rangers. “I kno’d thet beest o’ yourn war no slouch!” salu- ted the Lae! gees “She is.a ¢ eourser, is La Belle,”’ said the ar- tist, “Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Colonel Alonzo Nesmit, of Zossei!”’ ‘‘What! ther feller as the capten hed the letter to?”’ asked Lije, excitedly. “The same. He assi me,in one sense of the word, in capturing this senseless villain here!” “ But the eee whar’s he?” demanded the ran- gers, eagerly. “Gaptain Adains left my hacienda night before Eng hAck Pe chain,” Hib dxpiained bin Tate bs Scie ocamp, He YY 8a; that he felt he Fhould soon be needed here, This morning I concluded to ride over this way and see how oe were » potting along. On the trail, not far from I discovered his dead horse. There were numerous footprints close at hand, which led me to ener that your leader has been surprised and cap- An’ by whom?” ueried — t “The yee doubtless. e tracks bore the im- press of A cry of anaes esca the ranger’s lips. Se the luck; Se eputhin’ more'n I expected!” growled Lije, “ an’ now, the devil "ll be to pay.” While he was consul with the men, who had thered around him, Colonel Nesmit and Jerrold ismounted. The sense alcalde was securely bound, and left in the care of the former, while Jon- athan’once more mounted La Belle and struck off to the south, for the purpose of bringing his schoon- erinto camp. He returned in the course of half an hour, and somewhat startled the camp with the de- nsthat he had seen a form skulking in the shadows of the dead pines, and also, that his schoon- er had been. plundered of its contents, even to the howitzer and photograph apparatus. Grizzly Len and Alaska at once volunteered to scour the neighborhood for the enemy, and they soon hurried off. Darkness had now settled thickly over the earth, and as there were no prospects of having a moon un- a nine o'clock, Colonel Nesmit suggested that a fire loom, and the rangers in waited ently, S'stinging W ail his Loy them baiy 35 fey need “ Frail e camp was wra 4 lence. nd liste Pret Not a sound was to-be heard save the low whistle of the rising wind, through the Phantom Forest. Lije glanced toward the east ever and anon, un- .. It was time the moon should arise; but through the thick shroud of black not the first herald- ing flush of its sy ee was visible What time is it, do ye Par 34 Jerrold, who had crept io side. = time, eh?” “Past moon- it to be exactly nine Half an hour followed, but no moon shed her rays ete it,’’ whispered Lij Et ar’ cloud e Ww ie. ‘Et ar’ cloud- ed up, an’ a starm be on us, Soot—a rippin’ torna- er!” “T believe it. And during its rr A we may ex- | relly a al replied Jerrold, “if there ae In- about!” wie: acknowledged the ranger; ‘* but listen! he inquired of ;
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12 Beadle’s. Half-Dime Library. Both became silent as death. ENAED ee 8 RENEE Ds OSE TRS, directly ahead of them. What caused it? Some one was creeping down upon them, CHAPTER XVII. LIPTLE FERRET—THE TORNADO—APACHE. ““"Sa—!" again cautioned the Leopard, as he laid his rifle to one side, and clutched the haft of His knife. Nearer and nearer came the sound of rustling grass. Then for a few moments all was quiet. “Ye swerve ter ther rite,” wee at Lije, placing his knife between his teeth, ** an’ I’ll ante-lope off to ther left. Don’ ye make even er squeek 0’ noise, an’ we'll surround the varmint!” Jerrold obeyed, and crept away with the stealth ofacat. For perhaps _ten minutes he wiggled slow- ly on; then believing he had gone far enough, he stopped and listened, intently. At this instant there rose high and loud on the night, the distinct sounds of voices, in excited con- versation, . “Ouch! ouch! Oh! Got in heimel; vat vor you so mooch bull mine hair. I vas no Injing; sodon’ you vas pe so vast. Ouch! ouch! leds me go, I dole you, or I vill yell like dunder!’’ “Whoop!” roared the stentorian voice of the Leo- ard; “so I’ve cotched ye, hev I; ye little kicker! ‘Il arn ye ter kim prowlin’ eround our camp, I will! Skin my teeth, tho’, ye skunk, but ye'’ve an odd sliver frum ther block, Kim erlong hyar, and let’s inspeck ye. Boyees, ahe’d thar, strike er lite; I’ve got er Dutch -skin!’’ Then followed a kicking and thrashing noise, in- termingled with furious curses, as the Leopard drag- ged his victim back toward the camp. ig artist also turned his steps thitherward, ea- gerly. A bit of vesguas or dry punk-wood was ignited, shaded by the rangers’ caps, and held close to the prisoner’s face. The light thus afforded, enabled all to see that he was a white man—a burly, muscular little fellow, whose face at once proclaimed him a German, “Ouch!” he gasped, as one of the rangers acci- dentally allowed the flaming end of the torch to touch his nose; ‘‘tot vas ash bigger shame ash I don’ see pefore vor some dime. You gapdtures a poor veller; poods him mit der rips, an’ = him Y, der hair, ant den purns der eent off of his nose. Vat vor you do dat? I vas no hog! Iknose ven I vas got ernuff!”’ “Wat in ther name o’ ther thirty-‘leven conster- lashuns o’ stars, oe snoopin’ eround our kam fery then?” demanded Lije, dra the back of his knife-blade repeatedly across the Dutchman's fore- head. ‘ D’ye perseeve thet I’ve an orful antippithy e thet h’ar o’ yourn? Better speek out then. o you war?” “*Leedle Verret,’’ was the sullen reply. “Whar d’ye kim from?” “Robper gamps.”’ “He vas von mon ash deserted!” “Ha! boyees, we've struck er big mine hyar; Ce- lestyal Vocalists, yas. I say, ye Dutch skunk, hes yer robber band got any prisoners?” Little Ferret shook head. * Don’ vas kno’,” he replied. “Don’t, eh? Wal, all right. Now, w’ich way d’ye wanter take et?” “Dake vat ?” asked the Teuton, in surprise. “ Death!’ was the stern reply. “Ouch! ouch! you no vas goin’ der killme? Dund- ter! you vas vorser as der Injings. Oh! don’t gill mmehe | vill At wait you, L vill pla you? 1 vill do any: mit you, you; I vill do any- radder dan f vash to die.” bag you show us where we can find these out- laws?’’ demanded Colonel Nesmit. “Yaw! yaw! E shows you vare ay, beeeh, if you vas no me. I dakes you do der dtchure Fal- ley, an’ helbs you vite midt der robpers. Ivash no e’em, I zill ’em so quicker ash dunder!” “All k’rect; we'll see "bout thet, byme-by. In ther, meentime,”’ said Lije, ‘‘we shel hev ter tie ye ve, who, as yet, had not awakened. About this time Jack his appearance from beyond the channel, ** How’s ther lay?” asked Lije. “Bad,” was the answer—*buzzin’ bad! ‘Pash t’other side, thicker’n frogs in er swamp. Creepin’ up. eesy-loike. ’Pash up nor’, in ther water-course; *Pash up nor’, on thes er’ side on it!” ‘‘Thunderashun! Is it possybul we’re surround- ? “Peers ter me thet way, a much. Heerd from rizzly Len and Alaska yi . “No. Not er squeek.’ “Til tell ye my ijee,” roped Jack, as he listened for a moment to the rp dly-increasing volume of wind, which came whistling down from the north- west, and gave an uneasy glance around him. “I opine we'd r scoot, jes’ as fast as we can.” “Scoot?” echoed the others. “Perzactly! Ther further we can git outen ther track o’ thes er’ tornader, ther safer we'll be, fur et ar’ gpin’ ter be a ripper, an’ ther trees an’ stuns wull fly hilter-skilter. Ha! hyar kims ther b’yees, now. Let’s see w’at they say.’ As he spoke, Grizzly Len ‘and Alaska came hurry- ing intocamp. They were quite out of breath, and not a little excited. “*Pash!” gasped Alaska. “All around us, thicker’n hornets,” coincided Grizzly, taking out his knife-blade, which was drip- ping with blood. “ We'd better kerflammix outen thes, ef we’ve got enny desire ter retain our capillary persessions.”” “But, how can we get out?’’ asked Colonel Nes- mit, “if we are surrounded?” «Hey ter make er rush fer et!” was the grim reply. “We've got ter chews atween thet an’ fightin’ hundred red niggurs. I po. git!” “So do I!’ joined in the body of the rangers. “* Git’s ther word!” “Which way shell et be?’’ asked Len. ri East, on ieee decided La. ” +" ‘Ranger heap wrong!’ now put in Stinging Wasp, who hed been a silent listener. ‘Best go west— north. Ugh!” “Like thunder we will!” ejaculated the Leopard, sharply, “D’ye s’pose we're goin’ ter face er rip- roarin’ tornader? Not muchly, ef I kno’ mysel’!” ‘““Wagh! Ingin kno’ heap more dan pale-face *bout big wind. Go south or east an’ ’Pache light grass, an’ fire chase you like debbil—run fast like white lightning—no git out ob its path. Go north; ride slow through tornado; be all right; wind blow dirt ober trail, an’ *Pache no follow; go west, de “ By ther Celestyel Singers, Pa, ye’re er masheen- mannyfackterd brick, 0’ dubble-compresst axun!”’ je, seeing the wisdom in the chief’s words. “We'll foller yer directions. To hoss, all hands, an’ we'll cross ter ther t’other side o’ ther guily!”’ As La Belle was yet harnessed to the “schooner,” it was proposed that the two prisoners and Jack and Peggy should accompany the artist therein, while the remainder of the Mobo being well mounted, should lead the way. Everything was soon in readi- ness, and the strange caravan n to toil cautious- ly down into the channel and up to the banks on the opposite side. lly an hour was consumed in this operation, when a consultation was once more held. By this time the booming roar announced that the tornado was close at hand. “‘Et’s goin’ ter be er snizzer, tho’!”” observed Alas- ka, med aged: f “Yes!” replied Stinging Wasp: “there will be heen, much blow. Navajoe no afraid of tornado!” ** Now, I'll tell ye w’at I speculate,” said the Leop- ard. “I’m a natteral-born wiggler, an’ I propose thet I stretch my propensities out erkross thes pew hyar, an’ see how cluss ther reds are, before leed ye inter a bumble-bee’s nest!”’ ““Wagh! yes,” assented the chief; ‘‘that is good. Den Leopard come back, an’ Stinging Wasp ride fast, down to the Apache, an’ tell um dey wanted up north—dat -pale-face escapin’ dat way. Navajoe lead um good way off; den slip away an’ skedaddle back to pale-faces. He! he! Fool um, re ~ Buh are you not afraid of being scovered ?”’ asked Colonel Nesmit, anxiously. ‘ Will not they find that you are not an Apache?” “Wagh! no! Navajoe dress much like ‘Pache. Stin Naber’) kno’ "Pache tongue. He fool um like grizzly b’ar fool raccoon!” see the point—the point of the tail. ollowed, however, though it was * Now,” said e, “let’s ter bizness. Hyar, Cir- cus; jes’ hold my hoss, will ye?” Pete took the rein of his mate’s horse, and slip- ping flat upon the ground, the agile ranger crept away through the pall of blackness. ith anxious hearts the band awaited his return, The fierceness and roar of the tornado now be- came greater every instant. The trees behind them creaked and groaned, the gale howled and shrieked furiously «mong the crashing, weaving and snap- png Wrenches, while a perfect avalanche of dirt, up- rooted grass, sticks and gravel came hurtling down from the north-west. In among all this waited our friends- -eagerly, ex- pectantly. In fifteen minutes the Leopard came ing up. “*Pash off thar—ha-lf m-m-ile!”’ he g ; wiping the dirt from his 4 - Like a meteor, Stinging Wasp shot away to per- form his part. An hour passed: the tornado raged with fierce ; still the chief came not. ark! a wild pandemonium of yells from afar— Apache yells! Has Stinging Wasp foes discovered? CHAPTER XVIII. THROUGH THE SNARE—FERRET’S STORY. No! not discovered; for at this juncture a horse- me dashed wildly up; he was the daring Navajoe ef, “Ugh! come!” he cried, exultantly; ‘‘me fool um heap big. Dey mile off dar, We get through snare *fore dey come back. Wagh! ride much fast!” He then wheeled his foaming horse toward the west, and aad, She aay. abees ‘4 bas by sae, his ers and the erro u e rear with his loaded schooner. “4 Like the tornado that rushed fiercely down upon them, the caravan dashed on, the yells of the trayed savages sounding nearer and nearer, Sti W: held his way, silent and grim, and it was no till full three miles had been compassed that he drew rein. *“Wagh!” listening to the awful roaring and boom- uch blow! ing of the gale; ‘much hard ‘nado. d gettin’ bigger! Ugh!” ““*Zactly!” responded the Leopard. ‘Et ar’ ther dum-kussedest gale I ever see’d—er regylar nor’east voleaner 0’ blowitiveness!” “Not stop soon,” declared the chief, anxiously. “* Blow all night. Pache close behind. Ugh! wait! Navajoe fix *em!” What was the ranger’s surprise to see the red-skin then quickly dismount. me aE ee a oon Bangin Wi with ‘Wagh!” respon nging 5 a chuckle. ‘“Ingin and Devil Snake after ’Pache. Dey no like him. Dey run, but he run faster. He cotch um. He tickle um legs, and make um dance de death-dance. Ugh!” uickly dra’ one of his pistols, the chief hur- ried to the rear of the caravan, and discharged the weapon down into the grass. In a second a bright spiral column of flame flared up, which on fanned by the furious breath of the tornado, in- stantly developed itself into a sea of crackling, hiss- ing, roaring fire, and was soon borne on south-east- ward, a gigantic sheet of awful flame. “Whoop!” yelled Stinging Wasp, full of glee. “Rangers wait here. Navajoe be back soon. Ugh!’’ And with another cry of triumph, the savage dash- ed off in a direct northerly line. Every few moments they could hear the report of his revolver; then would come leaping south-east- ward a giant ocean of ro flame. In an hour fully two miles in width of furious fire was sweeping down across the prairies, toward the old water- course. Shrieks from the tortured Apaches rose high above the boom of the tornado of fire. The savages were truly caught in a trap. There was no use of trying to escape. The flames had burst like an infernal sea upon them; they could not cacane the merciless tongues of fire in flight; the could only fight fire with fire, until a horrible death came to their relief. On rushed the hurricane of destruction, like the red garments of a demon. From their position the rangers watched the ee A awful sight with feel of awe and of pity for he doomed wretches within that path of death. Already the fire had reached the channel, and swept across to the further side, in mad pursuit of the red-skins beyond. The tall, bare, dry trees in Phantom Forest loomed up like specters of wrath, as they, too, became wrapt in a fiery winding-sheet. Far away, growing more distant and indistin surged the pursuing scourge, while the shrieks an howls of the Apaches became scarcely audible. In the track left behind by the fire was a black, charred waste of smoking debris and ashes. When he had set the fire as faras he cared to, Stinging Wasp returned to where he had left the caravan. “Wagh!” he said, with a chuckle of triumph; s Bb 2 dogs no like Devil Snake. Dey get bit! el e e ” “Ye guv ’em er blizzard they won’t be likely ter disreckoleck fer er wi'ile,”’ replied the Leopard, “But, w’at now? W’at ’d ye advise war best ter do at present?” “Go on furder,” said the chief. ‘‘Git out of smell a pa *Morrer, go wid Dutchman, an’ scalp rob- rs ” “Good. Itshelbe as yesay. But, hold up er bit, Le’ 's see ef all hands are hyar, alive an’ kickin’! A roll-call was the next thing in order, and it was discovered that all the rangers, as well as the Na- vajoes, were present. en Stinging W: led the way on in a westerly course, while the cavalcade monet up the rear. eee ta iettners = ailenead — ae rs!’ remar'’ e, as he gallo) alon 6 of e chief. ‘‘Reckon ’s they thort fypr time hed er- rived. Ther varmints got in ther same fix we'd ’ve bin in ef we'd gone east. Ole hoss, we all owe our wh a e;d Bh gg et?” “Ugh!” grunte e@ Navajoe, grimly. ‘Stinging Wasp no fool. He see long eet then pe “Yas, ye must hev eyes like tellerscope. Thun- derashun!”’ This exclamation was caused by the violent rear- of both the Leopard’s and the chief's horses. examination disclosed that the party had arrived on the banks of a small lake, inte which our two friends had almost urged their animals. “Wagh!” said Stinging asp, dismounting. “Camp here, Plenty grass and water. Timber yon- der to right. No . Good place to camp. er it was decided to stop there for the nigh remained of it. P ae eet All hands dismounted eagerly. The animals were watered and tethered out to — — rousing camp-fire was kindled on the The warriors set to work with their hatchets, and out of the branches and poles in the rome nel constructed several rude arn for the occu of the squaws of the tribe. ile this was going on the Leopard and several of the rangers started off in different directions in search of game, and Sting- ing Wasp made a cireuit of the beautiful little sheet water. He was hig’ leased with the surroundings, an at once decilod build his village in this sochatod spt; d th h e an e rangers each returned in the course of half an hour, bearing portions of recently killed
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———— Cloven-Hoof. 13 furious tornado, and held close prisoners. deer, which had been driven into a quagmire by the “*Sh—!” here interrupted the Celetyal Ginn ers Soon after the camp was wrapt in slumber, for the — was nearly spent, and it was desirable to ob- n all the rest possible, In the morning Stinging Wasp declared it his in- tention to build his village on the site of the present camp, and he set his braves to work at manufactur- ing canoes for the lake and lodges for the prospec- tive town. After the morning meal Little Ferret was hauled out from the schooner into the presence of the ran- gers. “Now,” said the Leopard, “we're reddy fer yer assistance. Ye ken show veyhar ther robbers’ camp | ar’ y* “Dundter!” ejaculated he, as he saw the lake before him, “‘you vas gum der te righd sbot. Dis | lage vas vere ve gum vrom der rob “Frum ther robbers’ camp? ’Sp d’ye mean?” “You berseve dot exgavashu queried Ferret, pointing to the hole in the dis- tant bank. “Vell. dot vas der blaze vere vrom all dis vasser vas gum. Dere ish von undergroundt shannel vat runs vay pack ub hill indo der segrit falley. Ven der robpers vas vants der gum oudsider dey gots demselves inder er t vat ish vlat, and ridtes vite avay town indo dish lage!” “Indeed!” said Colonel Nesmit. “Then is there no other way to penetrate the outlaws’ quarters?” “Yaw, dere vash von odder vay, but you vas no ge = dere, It pe inter der ghambers op der Gloven- 00 “Then, ye jedge ye kin ram us up throught thet ar’ passage, hey?’’ asked Lije, meditativel ee “Nix!” was the reply. “Shust you lisdens, unt I dells you somedings, Vash you dink ash vat all dem roppers unt oudlaws do, peesh roppin’? Dundter! den you vash all misdagens. Vash you dink dot dem Gloven-Hoof pe a tuyfel? Dundter! den you peesh misdagens; again. Vash you dinks you goride oop mit ter falley, andt lick all off dem robpers so easy ash vat you drink viskey? Dundter! den you vas rs’ gamp ” yerself. W’at ofer dar’, eh?” more eo Ky unt poth swi dimes prefore. Yaw! I | ru don’ know; so help me! der 5 way Pes organized. Von veller goomes do me mit St. Louis, von day, und says he, vell, my goodt vriendt, how you vas?’ ‘Burdy sny, sbeags I, ‘how vas yourself?’ ‘He tole me ash how he vas goot- er as goodt, undt dells me ash how vasI vant do mage somedinks?’ ‘I say yaw,’ ant he toles me vat if I aggompany him, he giffs me finfen-swanzy tollar a veek, do make dundter! I agrees, unt he p mé up yonter mit de moundi ant I vind myse in von pis falley, locked in mit der beeks, vere dere peesh lots off men, in gaverns magin viskey /” whine exclaimed Colonel Nesmit, excitedly, vy “Yaw. But lisdens vat I say. In von pig cham- per apove der vone vere dey mages der viskey, vash vat dey gall a gourt-room. Here vash der gwarders off der Deemons Puffer, or der Gloven-Hoofs, ash ~. gall him. He has got von lod off vellers, t glothes ofer mit deir eral undt he Ss der men vat manyfacgtures der viskey p'lieve ash he ish von Tuyfel, and dot dem vellers mid der glothes ofer mit der headts pe sbirridts vrom Burgadory. But dot vas noddinks more ash hoompug. [ knows better ash dot. I von day dook von peek indo er gourt-room, unt I see’d dem vellers unt der uffler dakes der dings mit deir headts off, undt I see’dt dot dey vash noddinks more ash men, like ef tg “ Vell, efery vonce in von long vile der vellers vat mages der viskey dey go oop mit der gourt-room, unt Aspero—dot’s der Brime Minishder—he buys ’em dan ut eee gro Ge eto os te , er oO ons off imbortanze, Aspero logcks me up mit von cells under der blace vere der rits sit, in der shamber pelow. Den, ven der Puf- er bulls von leedle sdring, vat gommunigates mit “Of you lisdens, I dells you somedings vat you ry I via peen von robper sitine von leedie pell, in mine cell, I m dundter on von ig pase-drum, shust so hard I gan, unt hisses vou g903e. Dem shakasses off distillers, de it is dunder unt blitzen lose afdher dem, undt skedattles o1d mit der ranch, avraid ash ter tuyfel off dem Pufler an’ sbeerits!”” Hore the Dutchman broke into a hearty laugh, in which the Phone joined him. ‘How about the Phantom and the De- mon Buffulo who gave usa visit the other night?” as moment arrived. Jerrold, Colonel Nesmit and a couple Navajoes had decided to remain at the camp, an bereghintd vm in the coming butchery. The former were ous to be with their prisoner; the latter were left to pro- rs cn: the fo dragged by, but tl owly the forenoon drag; y, but no outlaws came, Did they know of the trap that was recs, to sp upon them? Had Little Ferret warne them? e was asking himself these questions, when ‘a touched him on the arm. * Listen!”’ he opie, dene The ranger instantly obeyed. The notes of a loud boisterous song came floating out from the black depths within the mouth of tho channel, growing more and more distinct each mo- ment. The raft was coming! Quickly the hecoes glanced toward the Navajoes. Ah! they, too, had heard the song, and were eager! waiting. They had slung their carbines to. their backs, and were fitting arrows to their bows. Their reason for doing this now became obvious. The arrows would make no loud report, to arouse the outlaws in the valley. Near and more distinct came the strains of profane song, emanating from the coarse ruffans, who were Via an unsuspected and sudden end of their ouruey. Nearer—nearer, and then there was a shout, and the raft leaped trom its subterranean course, and glided out upon the placid waters of the sunlit lake, with its freight of life, and distilled spirit of Hell / There were two score of them—all great brawny fellows, with bloated, evil faces, wild haggard eyes; and each man was in a standing position as the raft debouched into the little sheet of water. The Navajoes needed no more. Instantaneously the twang of seventy-five bows re- sounded upon the air, and a perfect cloud of arrows swept down upon the outlaws. Strange to say not an arrow failed to bury itself in the fi of its victim. Thirty of the ruffians fell dead in their tracks, pierced to the heart’s core, while the remai ten, all more or less wounded and disabled, attempted to plunge overboard and escape. ra it was a baat Satine 4 the Navaj e an army of avenging demons, the Navajoes sprung into their newly-made canoes, and fave chase. ithout mercy the other ten were killed, and two score of reeking scalps hung at the victors’ belts a ‘eMlushed at his great Stinging Wasp th great suc ng Wasp then was about to make a rush up the channe!, when the aay Nall Safin" he gai wisely, “d ‘Wait, Injin’ he , ‘don’ ye git too ram- pageous, now. + Ses! = an aoa er Bo, au’ gi’ ther utchman er chance ter git ther rest o’ ther gang chock full 0’ essence, then we'll all go!” The Navajoes acquiesced with ill , and the whole band waited an hour before ring the sub- terranean pass. In the meantime the bodies of the dead outlaws were sent to the bottom of the lake, and the raft towed ashore in the vicinity of the Indian camp. Some time was consumed in unloading the barrels; then Stinging Wasp led his warriors into the channel followed by Lije and the rangers. At first a deal of trouble was experienced in bray- ing the mass of wildly Deak | waters, which tore furiously down the great tunne , In depth the water reached to the invaders’ arm- pits, and it was only inch by inch that any advance could be made. The roar and splash was deafening and the darkness intense. : Finally, however, Stinging Wasp made the diseov- ery that an immense rope was drawn along the left wall, to which they could cling and thus greatly fa- cilitate their movements. Advantage was taken of this and the whole party moved on with considerable s ; For perhaps two hours the watery journey was continued, when mage! from far ahead, came a faint gleam of bright light; they were nearing the entrance to the valley. On pressed the Navajoes wildly, eagerly. The opening into the valley was not twenty rods beyond, when a low “halloo” echoed through the water-course. It was instantly as the salutation of Little Ferret, and he was \ to advance. “Dundter!”’ he gasped, as he came up, “I vas dink ash vat you nefer vas coomin’, you peesh so lo I got dum robpers all so trunk ash puzzards, so helb me!’ ““Good!"'said Lije. ‘* Now, wull et be necessessary fur ter g’ard this pass?” “Yaw! Robpers ie fd dry der esgape mit dis shannel. Rangers sday here, unt let nopodys get py. lan go up mit der falley unt gill ‘um robpers. Ferret show ‘em! tahdapt tbe Rutan pay Moye ahd ts) e Teuton’s ts) an were a eag’ras the Ravajoas 40 tite part in the com 5 Stinging however, promised that Cloven- Hoof and his spirit jurors should be taken prisoners, and handed over to the sores, at the termination of the battle; which somewhat appeased their de~ sire to be in at the death. When all this was satisfactorily arranged, Ferret went in among the savages, and they moved away.. With anxiety, and fear of the consequénces, the rangers wai and listened intently, each nioment, Ere long the Nayajoe warwhoops were heard and the reports of rapidly weapons W, borne in through the lo } ng passage to th
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14 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. ears. Then came scarce audible yells, and death- shrieks; the battle had commenc Soon, numerous bodies came dashing down against the ee ge but as they were invariably those of dead an less outlaws, they were permitted to rush on, with the wildly roaring waters. An hour , and no sounds of further conflict were to be heard. The rangers w chilled and im- patient in their half-submerged position, and after waiting several minutes longer, they involuntarily moved forward, toward the valley. 1 Near the aperture-exit, they ran suddenly against Stin Wasp, who was coming to meet them. “Wagh!" said the chief, a “ Navajoe was comin’ for rangers. Good! Foller St g Wasp! Ugh! his braves scalp all robbers. Capture Buffalo Devil and him white-robed dogs. agh! come!” awe he turned, and led the way into the Vulture ey. CHAPTER XX. RELEASED—JOYFUL RECOGNITION—WESLYN. WE must now return to Sky-Rocket’s camp. When the chief thrust the prickly cactus stalk under the animal’s tail, as a natural consequence, that tormen- ted creature gave a snort of pain and terror, and rung away. Then it became aware of the load attached to its leg, and growing still more f.ightened, bounded off m over the prairie, uttering savage screams and shrieks, of a character terrible to hear. On, and away tore the frenzied beast, dragging its freight of human lives, over rocks, into Eiedhny.. a , over ragged crags and through streams o muddy water—away! away! seemingly gone per- :fectly mad. The howls of the helpless robbers rose loud and ‘high above the vicious screams of the horse, and awakened the four prisoners in the camp, exciting them to the greatest pitch of surprise and anxiety. Soon, however, the wild sounds grew more and more indistinct, and finally died out, altogether. ‘* What is it?” asked Captain Chris, as the cunning ‘chief advanced to where the prisoners stood. “* Those -were the most frightful howls and screeches I ever ee che h burst from the Apache’s li u u ‘om the Apache’s . - Waght” og said, drawing his Knife, ait ¢ cutting ‘the ranger’s bonds; “the outlaws are kissing the prairie, ike the morning dews. Danger gone. Pale- face and squaws /ree/”’ Aglad cry escaped the lips of both the maidens -and Captain Chris, “Who are you?” demanded the ranger, grasping ‘the chief’s hand, and shaking it heartily. ‘“ You itold me in the cavern that you were a friend but I }know not yet to whom I and these young ladies are ‘indebted, for our release!” “Wagh!” was the reply, in a cold tone; “Sky- ‘Rocket is a friend, Let ‘that suffice, till morning, when all will be explained. The pale-faces must mow sleep, for we shall ride many miles on the mor- row. Ugh!” Without more ado the savage threw himself upon the ground, and left the others to do the same, which they soon did, and ina few moments the camp was once more wrapt in silence, All fell asleep except Sky-Rocket. He was awake and watchful, and as soon as he was satisfied that the others slumbered, he cautious- ly arose and stole from the camp. On the prairie, half a mile distent, was a buffalo-wallow of water, and to this he made his way. When he left the wallow and returned to the camp, all that was left of the Apache chief was the garb; for his face was as white as that of Captain s, the a and stain having been removed by free applications of water. e@ proceeded to kindle a small fire of dry weeds, and cook a few slices of dried venison over the flames, and by the time siete | dawned, and Adams o ond the girls awoke, he had the breakfast al) 3 Inez Murrillo was the first to awaken, and as she Senge arou’d her, and her eyes fell upon the face of man by the fire, she gave a wild, glad cry, sprung to her feet, and rushed toward him. son Arion Saher Which ae Wang Rerwett Ongerty: > nm arms, into which she flung he . erly. toed ra Mh glad to see me?”’ he eahh. caress- er fondly. mE Oh ho », Yes—of course I am. Oh! I am so —80 ! ys Did you know me, dear, in my Indian oe “Indeed no! You looked so different in the Apache dress and hideous paint, from what you did when you visited ey ee e grotto. But n to sus- a little, though, yesterday!” “Humph! I flatter myself I fooled Cloven-Hoof and his gang pretty nicely !’’ laughed the King of the Hills, “ fhough I must admit I teaebled when in the council-chamber, lest I should be detected. It wasa wonder that J got away as easily as I did.” ' niPeee time Captain Chris and Nola and Guess awaken and were approaching—the two beautiful maidens leaning on the ranger chief's arm. As the eyes of the captain rested upon the hand- some face of Phil Warren, he uttered a cry of sur- prise, and drew back, sternly. “You here, man!” he exclaimed, his countenance growing white and red by turns, ‘What means Wpirrin catia Sarwiidl: tensSeity: had extitading > arren'came forward, fear! , and exten his hand, said: ‘Sir, you have but to touch my hand, and I will —all, to your satisfaction, I doubt not!” w back, and refused the proffered treaty, 4 “Back! villain!’ he cried, bitterly. ‘“‘I would as soon touch a serpent, You are a traitor—worse, a murderer!” “ Nay ” derer. Listen to me, Kit Adams, and you shall hear all—all, as true as the God in heaven bears me wit- ness. ‘* Thirteen years ago you organized a ra band up in Montana, out of the most reckless and daring midst of Indian warfare, and won for them and ourself a name that is never to be forgotten by the old settlers of that region, Among your band was a ashing young adventurer named Phil Warren, whom you loved as a brother, and who loved you in return, until the crisis came, when a coldness sprung up between you and me. That crisis was this: Boys, in fact, as we were, we both fell in love with an old trapper’s daughter—sweet Eva Leigh. Yours was an infatuation of youth—mine was a passionate truth of adoration. “Jacob Leigh, eee a rough old trapper, had spent years in the gold mines, and had buried be- neath his cabin an immense quantity of the precious metal; a fact which reached the ears of another member of int band, who had but recently joined it. This gold was the root of all evil. “Eva loved me—you she respected. Her father hated me, for some reason I could never divine; while, on the contrary, he fairly worshiped you, and determined that Eva should become your wife. “A coldness sprung up between us on Eva's ac- count; that you treated me riers you cannot bay that I returned fire for fire, I w W not deny. “Finally, you declared me no longer a member of your band, and bade me clear out. It stung me to madness. I was ready for anything; the devil was at hand to take advan’ of my condition. “His agent, Siaso Dre = the new member, came to me and told me he a band of outlaws close oy and they were going to attack Leigh’s cabin; 1 would join, Eva should be mine. I jumped a the chance. “The attack was made. I got Eva away in safety; the outlaws got the gold, and murdered | Jacob-Leigh. I fled with Eva down into Kansas, and there we were married. “But the fates were against me. My little wife died, and I was left alone—a fugitive from justice; for you had set the hounds of the law upon m track, telling them I was the murderer of Jaco Leigh. Soon after this, I met Siaso Dreka, in Zossei. Here I found that he was not Dreka at all, but Alf Nesmit, the son of a leading citizen. “He told me of an enormous project he had in replied the other, calmly, “not a mur- | spirits on the wild frontier. You led them into the | | | | | betrothed of Nola, jo over from eet $2 visit his darling, whom he was ° would have been, hinted Inez, had Lieutenant Wes- lyn, of Fort Griffin, been present. At last the we) | meal was dispatched, and then Warren declared it the best plan to go directly back over the course they had come, for at least a mile; then strike across to the water-course, and pursue it southward, until the rangers’ camp was reached, Captain Chris agreeing, the whole party mounted and were about to dash gayly off, when Nola descrie: a horseman spurring down toward them from the north-east. The little band waited, and soon an officer of the lieutenant’s rank patapes up. He proved to be the jolly Tom Weslyn, all the way calculating to seek out, aj Los Des Pumas. Thus the cavalcade was made complete, and right merrily they dashed off over the prairies; the ring- ing ar gaa now and then, as they galloped alo deno better than words could express that were elated in spirits. CHAPTER XXI. THE DEATH CONFESSION—STRAYGE DISCLOSURES, In the little mountain-locked valley, the rangers beheld a strange and startling sight. Bodies of slain and scalped outlaws were strewn about over the level, and the earth was literally soaked with human blood. Here and there lay a Navajoe warrior, where he had fallen, at the hands | of the enemy. Savage-faced and grim were full three-score of Stinging Wasp’s band, drawn up in military line on one side of the valley, their belts loaded with reek- ing scalps; their whole demeanor indicative of t pre and weg Under guard, in front of the Indians’ lances, cow- ered the frightful Demon-Buffalo and his spectral | Spirit Jurors. They had been surprised and captured, uninjured. “ Have ye smotched ‘em all?’ asked the Leopard, | “save them prisoners, yander?” “Ugh! yes. Navajoe got heap many scalp. Lose only fifteen braves.. Wagh! let the rangers come, | Stinging Wasp will show’m ’round,”’ Then f view, and under penalty of being delivered up to | justice as a murderer—for he had evidence all | against me—I was compelled to Prpnioe to join his future band—ay, to swear it, as 1 hoped to be saved from the flery pit of hell. “T was then permitted to go free, till the Pome was in working order, but I was conscious of being constantly watched by the spies of my evil genius. “T roamed around for years—here, there and everywhere. I was like a wild man half of the time. At last I entered the service of Alcalde Murrillo, as a confidential servant, and I learned many secrets of his black life—one of which relates to Miss here—and in the bargain fell desperately in love bt Inez, who is here beside me, my promised e. “When the Vulture band was thoroughly organ- ized, I was captured, taken to their retreat, and again forced to swear an oath—a horrible oath, of ten years’ servitude in the interests of the order. Fortunately, I did the terrible commander a valu- able service a short time ago, and he declared my sworn ten years of servitude should expire two months hence. When that time ved, had I stay- ed in the valley, I would doubtless have been com- pee to repeat the oath. But I did not stay; I longed for freedom. “After the attack was made on Los Des Pumas and Inez and Nola were brought to our retreat, I resolved to escape, and take them and Miss Bulard with me. “You know nearly all the rest. Cloven-Hoof had for ania the maviane,.wo4 iat or sale the ns, an uesi a visit. th ws FE ,. waylaid an onned his garb, bought you away hi and now I've set you free. “Tam done, sir. You have listened to the truth, and nothing but the truth. Here are my pistols, Kit, I am atraitor, as you say, but not a murderer. Shoot me, if you like; I'll offer no resistance.” Captain Chris sprung forward—sprung forward not to touch the extended weapons, but to clasp the other hand of his former mate, and shake it h 4 “T believe you, Phil; old boy; I believe you!” he said, huskily, the tears stan is eyes. ‘We were both wrong, then, Phil; I for treating PA as like a dog; you for betra your trust, and putting the stain of suspected crime upon your name. We were both wrong. Poor Eva! It is perhaps well you took her from me. I find, since meeting my darling Gues- sie, here, that I never before knew what it was to really love. Forgive me, old boy, as I freely do for- ov you, and let us once more be brothers, as of Oo id The next instant the two men were docked in each other’s embrace, and they wept tears of joy and gratitude. Many, then, were the scenes that were rehearsed of olden times, and the congratulations offered. In fact, the morning had well advanced, and the meat done to a crisp, ere a thought was entertained of eat so gre was the joy in the little eae. Pretiy nessie and Inez were supremely in the ty of their stalwart ranger lovers, ola ollowed a thorough inspection of the outlaws’ stronghold. It was found that there were numerous caverns and chambers in the soft limestone mountain sides, be- sides the council-room and the apartment beneain it all of which were in most constant use by the illicit distillers. Their capacity for producing illegal whisky was found to be something immense, Large quantities of the requisite maenindiy and 0 apparatus for manufacturing the liquor were found, and it was discovered that a perfectly-working dis- tillery had been running for months in_the bills, while the country was being excited to a high pitch of ae ge over the doings of Cloven-Hoof and his Vultures, who, when questioned, acknowledged that their faids throughout the settlements were merely blinds, to keep the settlers from divining the real intentions and operations of the brotherhood, All the up settlements, within a radius of fifty miles, were kept constantly gupaileds and the rev- enue taxes were saved by the Order, lo say nothing of the great profit realized from the whisky itself, Several thousand dollars were unearthed from the floor of the court-chamber, at the suggestion of Lit- tle Ferret, and when the rangers had ascertained all that remained to be known, it was proposed to re- turn to the camp, on the lake shore. a As the Dutchman understood managing the flat- boat, the prisoners were loaded in it, and started off down the channel, under a strong guard of Nava- joes, while Stinging ae and the rest of his band, together with Lije and the rangers, brought up the rear. Camp was reached in due time, and Colonel Nesmit and Jerrold were 9s of the raid into the Vul- ture stronghold, and of the discoveries made there. The former was considerably interested, as he was in the service of the Government, and noted down all facts deemed worthy of notice, in a report he in- tended to submit to the higher authorities. Asit was growing dark, it was resolved that noth- pa shook 4 Sate. with Mr hig ae poe La fol- ay, when they wo e tried and treat- ed to ull code of Bandar Statice. They were, consequently, pos under a strict guard of Herajos braves, and preparations for the S apnanitos ati Colonel Ni n consulting w: ‘olon esmit, the Leopard decided to turn over the illicit whisky to Stinging Wasp, for his share of the spoils, while the rangers kept the gold as their booty. ; e sige was received with many thanks by the old chief, and he proceeded at once to deal it out with a liberal hand to his warriors. Asa natural con- yey nara they got ingloriously drunk in celebration of their recent victory. The night away, and in the mo ar- rangements were made for the trial of the captives. But, before the hour arrived for said trial, consid- erable excitement was created by the awakening of the alcalde, Conales Murrillo, who clamorously de- manded that all the camp should assemble around his death-couch, as he had a confession to make to which he wanted all to bear witness. This uest was of course obeyed, and the ran- gers and jans alike, drew ars egeeinm f near; for pn Re osaiyoey 5 wie ae i oka in t " presence of the onster, , they, as of one accord, felt somewhat awed and im reall ig man was on a bunk of leaves and moss, near the lake shore, which the skillful hands of Peggy Bulard had fashioned out for him, and he was very white an in a i on his beow was roy a eee & diixhae of death, or! en et
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} A, edness I dealt y He appeared to be in full possession of his mind and senses, and when the crowd had assembled close by he turned to the artist, Jerrold, who was kneel- ing by his side. Arthur Trevor,” he spoke, in. husky tones, while the tears came to his eyes, ‘‘l am dying—dying, and with my soul burdened with crime. I Know not how I will be received in the next world; I dare not think of it. For hours I have been conscious, though it was unknown to you, during which time the good and bad of my nature have been each struggling for the mastery. Thank the Lord, the good has triumphed, and I shall make to you disclosures of my past life, cost what it may. “Listen to me, Arthur Trevor, and you, Colonel Nesmit; listen, and remember each word that inter- ests Pes for my moments on earth are numbered, andIshall direct to the point. “T willgo back, Arthur Trevor, to those long aeene days, when we were young eoecse chums at Harvard —true and inseparable friends, devoted students, and wild, harum-scarum fellows, the pet of the la- dies, and the pride of our class. Those were happy days, Trevor—perhaps the happiest days that either you or I have ever spent. “T will commence with the time when we both loved a beautiful belle of our set—an accomplished, pure-hearted and winning maiden, whom all loved— whom we worshiped. “She was a prize, was Aileen Le Clercq, and you won her—won her fairly, Lafterward found, but at the time I was mad over my defeat, and believed you to be guilty of allim able crimes; cursed you and her; cursed my own mds and my God, alike, in my insane fury. “Then and there I. began to wade deeply into crime and wickedness. Iwas utterly ess as to what stain Iput onto my hitherto good name; I pone and found solace in debauchery, and associ- with characters of the lowest stamp. “I was only in moderate circumstances, and, very naturally, I longed for riches, Had I been a million- aire-prospective, like yourself, Arthur Trevor, I, in- stead of you, would have won the hand of Aileen Le Clercq in marriage. > “As it was, I was a bogear; you won her, and I swore I'd have revenge. ou married her, and two “er little twin children were born you—a boy and a gir , and both the picture of their angel of a mother. Oh! how proud were you of these tiny darlings, and how devotedly you watched over them! But, you were destined to lose them—to lose all you held dear to you, and that, too, through my wickedness.” he artist groaned. “At the time I arrived at this determination, I was stopping at a small squatters’ settlement on the ssouri river. One black and stormy night, I quitted the place and rode southward in search of some spot where I could drop the twins and rid my- self forever of them, and at the same time put them beyond your reach. I found a_ suitable hiding-place after hours of riding—a lonely old swamp, on the river-bottom, near which stood a dese cabin, I tied rocks to the clothing of the male child, and drowned it in a 1 of still, clear water. The piercing shrieks of he little thing are yet ringing in my ears. I grew nervous, hurled the other child into the water, and fled, heartily glad that the job was done with. I came immediately to Texas, and wedded a Mexican woman of wealth. “She was the daughter of an old Spanish alcalde, and it proved a fortunate match for me. Two chil- dren were born us; one a dark-eyed little girl, the image of its mother; the other a genuine counter- a of the old Spanish don. I hated the young Pp, from the moment my eyes rested upon it, an resolved, rather than to rear it with such a feeling, to dispose of it. ““Yes,”’ resumed the culprit, “through my wick- obtained a sweet revenge, when you least expected me. “One day, I sent you a telegram from a distant town, purporting to come from a relative of yours,. and requesting your presence immediately, as your cousin was d ng ou flew off. on your mission. I was at hand, and of course called upon your wife. She al received me cordially, but when I = she should fly with me, to some distant d, she treated ‘me as a vile thing to be spurned from her path. ax | grow enraged, and in a moment of terrible ‘ ed her—ay, killed her, Arthur Trevor, and when you returned from your. wild-goose chase ou found your loving wife a corpse, ne! sss Probably it was the most cruel blow I could have Anyhow, it satisfied my truly insane ae vengeance. “T fled; you pursued. I point; your twin money, of. which 2 finally a Cloven-Hoof. “And my daughter?” echoed Col. Nesmit, anx- iously. vif sickly smile lit up the visage. of Conales Mur- 0) “Your daughter, Nesmit,” ‘he replied, “‘is living, and was borne off a prisoner by the Vultures at the time of the attack on Los Des as, together with my own daughter, Nola. If you find them, will you care for her as I have kindly cared for your child?” ‘*T will,” replied the colonel, tears filling his eyes. “If God allows me to find them, I will treat your child as my own!” i ‘‘ May Heaven bless you!” sighed Murrillo. “But, what of my children?” cried the artist, im- patiently; ‘‘ you have not told me of them!” “True! Ihave not, because I would you more peng was the reply. ‘They are both dead!” Arthur Trevor drew a long sheath-knife from in under his clothing, a determined fire gleaming in his eyes. “Then you shall die, as did my r, beautiful wife and children,” he exclaimed, ercely, and he leaped forward to do the terrible work. “Hold! hold,-thar!” shouted old Jack Burlard, ex- citedly; ‘‘don’ kill him yit! Jes’ hold on er bit, till Z Tene ieee j hen, with his wife on his arm, he drew near, and in his rough, homely manner of speech, related the occurrence of seventeen years before; all about the finding of the babes in the swamp; how the female had been reared by them to womanhood; how the had found a si ar birth-mark on the dead infant, and the magnificent locket on the little girl. Arthur Trevor put up his knife. j oane this female child is living?’ he demanded oyfully. wayt cried a voice, back of the crowd, where a little of horsemen and women had all the while 0 attentive listeners—‘‘and here she is— here are all of us!” Then, when Captain Chris and Gussie, Phil War- ren and Inez, and Lieutenant Weslyn and Nola rode out into the scene, the surprises were complete. The rangers Kote | to greet their captain; Mr. Trevor received his long-lost daughter with open arms, and Col. Nesmit caught pretty Inez to his breast, while Nola Murrillo tearfully knelt beside the dying alcalde, who she had neyer known really was her father, he haying given her and Inez to under- stand that he was simply their guardian, or foster- father. Long and rapturous were the greetings, and well they might be, for even in the presence of death, all the whites assembled on the shores of that lone little lake, felt in their hearts the true.gratitude and joy of a happy reunion. When quiet was restored, and the thoughts of the rangers once more reverted to their yemcene® the startling discovery was made that they had made their escape, the Navajoe guards having thoughtlessly left them alone, at the time the camp had been pig to the death-scene of the repentant dying alde. Near where they had stood, lying upon the was the explanation of the mystery of the Buffalo, or Cloven-Hoof. It was a buffalo’s head, dextrously hollowed out, so as to fit down over the head of an ordinary per- son, a long, thick and preety nae of hair serving to co the connection at the neck. By the side of .lay'a pair of spangled pants, and a pair of shoes, the latter being manufactured out of painted leather, and closely resembling the hoofs of a buffa- lo, being cloven, and fringed with bair. So much forthe ingenuity of a bad man for a bad purpose. Instantly the alarm was spread, and a mounted ran headed by jtaip Chris, the Re ard, and Colonel Nesmit, started in pursuit: _ 'T: trail was soon found, and ina féw moments, the cay- came upon a man lying face downward in the He was recognized by Colonel Nesmit as Alf, wrrillo, and by Adams; as the in the Nesmit hacienda. He was almost dead, ey Bares in his attempt d stolen through his und, mon sse of Alcalde Murrillo and his sinning son were both buried in one grave, on the banks of that picturesque Oa who f th distilling used by thi whole of the a e Vv was destroyed, and Suingit a moved into the tie mountain-locked valley, where hes an ves ribe, a peaceful and respected in the full possession of all that can F° to makea red-skin happy—freedom and plenty of whisky. A week after the strange reunion on the lake shore, a merry little party set out across the plains toward the East. They were a joll , and minent amo. them, we might’ mention. Labs and his ret gers, Captain Adams, and. Bulard, or Tre- vor, as she is now calléd, — and Miss Nesmit, Lieutenant Weslyn an Mr. and . Jack Bulard, and two very ha: er - ps named, respecti j Neamt end Seton for ly the eccentric Jonathan Jeriah Jerrold, art- : wee ee SS TY 15 Also, in their midst rode the sturdy little German, Little Ferret. The journey was made without incident worthy of mention, and at last the party brought up im Austin. Here, Warren and Weslyn linked their fates with those of Misses Nesmit and Murrillo, and an elegant wedding they had. Captain Chris and his affianced, however, post- poned their wedding a few months, on account of some legal affairs in which the handsome ranger be- comin — ; then ey too = aims oe e, the pard, now command o e “ Invincibles.”’ THE NEW YORE Fireside Library. Contains only the Cxoicest Fiction—chiefly copy- rights, from the most popular American authors. Each number a novel complete, excellent in print and paper—the “Library ” par excellence! 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Robinson...... 2c. 23 SOWING THE WinD. Mrs. Mary R. Crowell.... 10ce.. 24-25 Brrps or Prey. Miss M. E. Braddon ..... 20. . 26 Tuat Boy or Norcort’s. Charles Lever .... 10e.. 27-28 CuHarntortTe’s INHERITANCE. By Miss M. E. Braddon ons. 5 cress esp st SVE TED be -5$9 woe 2005. 29 A Giru'’s Heart. By Rett Winwood ........ 10c.. 20-81 Rep as A Rosreis Sue. By Rhoda Brough- WOE 3G. sacks ateee Uva betes.) eee es 20c.. 82 Toe Lity oF St. Erne. By Mrs. Crow ...... 10e.. 33 SrRANGELY Wep. By Mrs. J. D. Burrox..... 10¢. 34 Toe Gipsy Brive. By M. E. O. Malen........ 10¢e. 35 Annie TEMPLE. By Rev. J. H. Ingrahamy..» 10¢ex 86 Wrrnovt Mercy. By Bartley T. Campbell... 10c. 87 Buack Eyes anp Buivr. By Corinne Cush- TAR. dg sas 06s 82, sends Sern ete 10¢, 88 Brave BarBaRA. By Corinne Cushman...... 10e.. 89 A DancEerous Woman. By Margaret Blount., 10¢, 40 Ovma’s Love. .By Henrietta E. De Conde.... 10e. 41 Lost: A Wire. By Corinne Cushman.. ..... 10. 42 Wixnine Ways. By Margaret Blount. Ready A ee ee more et 10e. 438 A Woman's Heart. By Mrs. M. V. Victor. Ready. Pebruary Sth. 0 cc. ess cee g eps 10c, A new issue every week. For sale by all newsdealers, or sent, postage paid, on receipt of twelve cents for single numbers,. double numbers twenty-four cents. BEADLE & ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William street, N. Y. The Sunnyside Library. 1 Latta Rooxru. By Thomas Moore........... 10¢ 2 Don Juan. By Lord Byron... .............. 20c, 8 Parapise Lost. By John Milton......... ... 10c- 4 Tur Lapy or THE Lake. Sir Walter Scott... 10c, 5 Luctiz. By Owen Meredith... 10 6 UNDINE, OR THE WarTeER-Sprrir. From the German of Friederich De La Motte Fouque... 10c For sale by all newsdealers, or sent, postage paid, on receipt of twelve cents for single numbers, double numbers twenty-four cents. ADAMS, VICTOR & CO., Publishers, 98 William street, N. Y. >
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KY \ DEADWOOD DICK, Deadwood Dick, THe PRINCE OF THE Roap; or, Tae BLAcK RIDER OF THE BLACK Hiuts. By Edward L. Wheeler. Yellowstone Jack; or, Tat TRAPPER oF THE ENCHANTED Grounp. By Jos. E, Badger, Jr., author of “ Pacific Pete,” ete. Kansas King; or, THe Rep RicatT Hanp. By Buffalo Bill (Hon. Wm. F. Cody). The Wild-Horse Hunters. By Capt. Mayne Reid and Capt. Frederick Whittaker. 5 Vagabond Joe; THz Young WANDER- Inc Jew. By Oll Coomes, 6 Bill Biddon, Trapper; or, Lire In THE Nortuwest. By Edward §. Ellis. wr The Flying Yankee; or, THe OCEAN Outcast. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 3 Seth Jones; or, THE CAPTIVES OF THE Frontier. By Edward §. Ellis. gy The Adventures of Baron Mun- chausen. 1 Nat Todd; or, THe Fate or THE Sroux Captive. A Sequel to ‘* Bill Biddon, Trapper.”’ By Edward §. Ellis. 1 1 The Two Detectives; or, THE Fortunes or A Bowery Grru. By Albert W. Aiken, author of *‘ The Spotter Detective,” etc. 1 Gulliver’s Travels. A Voyage to Lilliput, and a Voyage to Brobdingnag. 13 The Dumb Spy. By Oll Coomes, author of ‘* Vagabond Joe,” etc. OCEAN BLOODHOUND,—No, 33, BEADLE’S HALF-DIME LIBRARY. Every one of them ‘‘ Live” Stories by *‘ Live®” Authors. a Complete Novel, at the extraordinary price of a HALF-DIME. 1 Aladdin; or, THe Wonprrrv. Lamp. 1 The Sea-Cat; or, THe WitcH or Darren. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker. 16 Robinson Crusoe. His Life and Surprising Adventures, (27 illustrations.) 1 # Ralph Roy, The Boy Bucca- neer; or, THE FUGITIVE YACHT. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 1 ts Sindbad the Sailor. His seven voy- ages. Wrom the Arabian Nights. 19 The Phantom Spy; or, Taz Prior oF THE Prairie. By Buffalo Bill. 20 The Double Daggers; or, Drap- woop Dick’s DEFIANCE. By Edward L. Wheeler, author of ‘‘ Deadwood Dick.’ 2 Frontier el. A Romance of Kentucky Rangers’ Life. By Edward 8S. Ellis, author of ‘*Seth Jones,” etc. 22 The Sea Serpent; or, THz Boy Rosrnson Crusoe. By Col, Juan Lewis. 23 Nick o’ the Night: or, THz Boy Spy or ‘76. By T. C. Harbaugh. 24 Diamond Dirk: or, Taz Mystery OF THE YELLOWSTONE. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, author of “‘ The Flying Yankee,”’ etc. 2 5 The Boy Captain: or, Tue Piratr’s Daveuter. By Roger Starbuck. ROBINSON cCRUSOE.—No. 16. Si: Decor nk ae Reeser 27 Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide. By Oll Coomes, QR Buffalo Ben, the Prince of the Pistol: or. Deapwoop Dick IN Disauise. By Edward L. Wheeler 29 The Dumb Page; or, THE DoGr’s DavuecuTer. B apt. Frederick Whit- taker, author of ‘‘The Wild-Horse Hunters,” etc. Roaring Ralph ood, THE 30 RECKLESS Baboon. By Harry St. George. 31 Keen-Knife, Tux Prince OF THE Praririzs. By Oll Coomes. 32 Bob Woolf, the Border Ruffian: or, THe Girt Deap-SHor. By Edward L, Wheeler, author of “ Deadwood Dick,”’ etc., ete. 33 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, THE Rep Prrates or THE CARIBBEES, By Samuel W. Pierce, author of ‘‘The Boy Detective,” etc., etc. 34 Oregon Sol; or, Nick WHUFFLES’ Boy Spy. By Capt. J. F.C. Adams, Ready March 19th. 35 Wild Ivan, Tux Bor Crave DovvaL; or, THE BrotuerHoon or Derats. Dead- wood Dick Romance No. 4.. By Edward L, Wheeler. 36 The Boy Clown; or, THE QUEEN OF THE ARENA. By Frank 8. Finn. 37 The Hidden Lodge; or, Tux LittLe Hunter or THE Aprronpacks. By T. C. Harbaugh. author of “ Nic. 0’ the Night,” etc. 38 Ned Wylde, ‘uz Boy Scour. By Texas Jack. Each number 39 Death-Face, the Detective; or, Lire AND Love in New York. By Ed- word L. Wheeler. 40 bape Ben. A story of a Young American who wanted to see the world. By John J. Marshall. Al Lasso Jack, THE YounG MustTane- ER. By Oll Coomes. Ready May 7th. The Phantom Miner: or, Drap- woop Dick’s Bonanza. By Ed. L. Wheeler, author of ‘‘ Deadwood Dick, etc. Ready 43 Dick Dar , the Pony Express Rider. A Story of the Overland Trail. By Capt. F. Whittaker. Ready May 2ist. 44 Rattling Rube: or, THE Nicut- HAWES OF Kentucky. By Harry St. George. Ready May 28th. 4 5 Old Avalanche, the Great An- tor: or, THE GIRL BANDIT. By Edward L. Wheeler. Ready June 4th. 46 Glass Eye, the Great Shot of the West. By Capt. J. F. C. Adams. Ready June 11th. A new issue every week, The Half-Dime Library is for sale by all Newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on naw rd of six cents each. KA DLE w~ ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New York. WILD Ivan,—No, 35,