Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 4) (1877 10 26)

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BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS, Wild-Horse Hunters. BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID AND FREDERICK WHITTAKER, CHAPTER I. THE MUSTANG-DRIVE, A DROVE of wild horses, numbering over a hundred head. Of all colors—jet-black and snow-white; bay, sorrel and roan; steel-gray and spotted. They are moving across a prairie —a Texan prairie—near the eastern edge of the “Lower Cross-Timbers,” along the side of a stream that, some ten miles below, becomes trib- utary to the Trinity river. The banks of the stream are steep and sheer, and the current be- tween runs strong and swift. On that side it ) ua AIA ONS) THERE IS NOW NO TURNING, FOR THE THREE HUNTERS, RAPIDLY CLOSING | ee oy at! at tt at! nl ut tn! ul Copyrighted in 1877, by BEADLE AND ADAMS. No, 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. ides the course of the cavallada; for the Gorses will not dare to cross it. On their other flank is the prairie, smooth and open. At in- tervals they turn their heads toward it, as if de- sirous of betaking themselves in that direction. Something restrains them; and they continue on down the bank of the stream. A traveler coming suddenly within sight of this herd, would be struck with a singularity in their appearance and movements. Instead of scouring the plain at a canter, or quick gallop —as is their wont—they are moving at a slow pace. Now and then it livens into a trot, or at times, a brisker walk, as though flies were urg- ing them on. But soon they subside into the old, lagging gait, going on with apparent reluc- tance, Under ordinary circumstances, wild horses, when encountered on the prairie, are seen either at rest or in full career—rearing and cavorting, with heads erect, curved necks, > = => — = ~~ oe hy ATTN C4 Price, 5 Cents. and tails sweeping horizontally behind them. | The behavior of the cavallada in question is altogether different. There ‘is not a curving neck or, raised tail among thém. On the con- trary, their heads are down and drooping; their eyes dull; their flanks hollow, and their limbs dragging after them, as if each and all had been just loosened out of harness after a prolonged = of plowing. They looked tired, jaded, dejected. They look asif they were being driven | And this is just what they are—their drivers appearing in the form of three horsemen, com- ing up behind, at wide distances apart. Not horsemen either, for the men thus mentioned are mounted on large, strong mules. To a novice on the Texan prairies, this tab- lean would ap strange. On first viewing it, he could not give credence to his senses. A herd of wild horses—the wildest and shyest animals in existence—driven tamely along by three men f\ wuetimdends ms, mae S| ~— Mt i ——— Vi — > — |) = P, UP, URGE THEM FROM BEHIND,

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2 mounted upon mules—slow mules, from which, at a single dash, they might escape; and over their own uninclosed, illimitable pastures, where they might retreat to any distance, even beyond the range of vision and the danger of pursuit. It would, indeed, seem incredible. But the ex- planation is easy. The men coming behind are mustangers— hunters of the wild horse by profession. They know all his haunts and habits, and can make him their captive without using either the rifle or lasso. They have long marked the herd they are now following, and made themselves ac- quainted with its habitat—its “‘range” of pas- turing, and its places for watering. On a given day they have started it in full chase, themselves following slowly after, each leading two spare mules, e wild horse, when first pursued, does not retreat in a direct line, but in wide, dee" ie circles, returning again near to his point of de ex whee ai colin aa aoe even go out of sig ut ©) as i moved by a spirit of defiance, ao ielding to curiosity. In this way he soon fatigues him- self, making fifty miles while the pursuer may have to travel only ten. The mustanger, husbanding the strength of his animals by his provident relays, soon over- hauls the herd, starting it off into a fresh run. Again he takes the shorter diagonal, and again comes up with it—repeating the movement un- til the wild steeds begin to lose spirit under the implacable pursuit. ey are by this time be- ginning to feel fatigued, after having made so many idle and out-of-the-way courses. They are getting hungry too, in their haste not hav- in Coed permi ted to pasture. They will be thirsty also, and perhaps make a break for some distant waterin —— well known to the mustanger, who follows them at his best speed, ae taking a shorter route than they. e sometimes arrives in time to hinder them from drinking, but seers to prevent their browsing—or, at least, to filling their bellies. Once more the pursuit is continued, though now in a more direct line, for the are tired, and have no relish for scampering. They are hungry, too, and try to graze as they move onward. But they are not permitted. While prasping at the herbage beneath their feet, they ear the relentless pursuers behind, who make themselves heard in time, and the grass remains uncropped, Night comes on. Still, this brings no relief to them—no cessation to that never-ending, never- tiring pursuit. All night Jong are they com- colied to move on, without a moment of rest, and scarce a morsel of food. And when day again breaks over the broad prairie, the hunters are there behind them! During the whole of another day, and often throughout another night, are they thus forced along. ee peer and mye they have now become jaded and dejected, and can be guided in a given direction almost as easily as a herd of tamed cattle. The mustangers know well where to take them, for they have already prepared a place for them. It is a corral, or inclosure cunningly contrived, and often costing weeks of labor to make it ready. The old Virginian snake-fence, strengthened with posts at every angle, is called into requisition to inclose a tract of many acres, with a pond of water inside, the fence supplemented a steep river-bank, or the escarpment of a cliff. A funnel-shaped en- trance points toward the peace ves or “islands” of timber—which wild horse will rarely enter—helping out the extension of the diverging lines. Once inside the corral, the mustangs are easily caught and conquered with the lasso. The pro- cess isa crue] one; so much so that the wild horse, ever after, at sight of a rawhide rope, bet Fee to hand, and stand trembling before er. It is a capture of this kind, that is taking lace on the of the stream leading to the ity. It is near its completion, as can be told by the dragging gait of the horses, and their thoroughly submissive demeanor; as also by the res of the men behind, every moment grow- more earnest and impressive. n front, there is a motte, or island of timber, standing about a hundred yards from the bank of the stream; leaving a space of open prairie between. Toward this opening they are direct- ing the drove;as if to drive them through it. gain the wild horses make halt. They seem to have icions about entering upon such a narrow defile; and show signs of m a break for the outer prairie. But, from that side, the see two of their pursuers a i roaching waving a little flag, with which be is provided, In despair, they turn toward the stream; and Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. striking into‘a slow trot, continue on between the wood and the water. Once beyond the timber, a fence of strong rails, laid zigzag, flanks them on the side of the prairie; and they are driven on, between it and the steep bank. There is now no turning, for the three hunters, rapidly closing up, urge them from behind, with shouts and the waving of their flags. The fence converges toward the bank, and the passage becomes so narrow, that the cavallada gets crowded. But there isan open country be- yond; and making through this, they once more reak into a feeble gallop, in hopes of at last es- caping from their relentless pursuers. Two or three hundred yards, and they only bring their breasts in contact with an obstruction—that same crooked arrangement of split timbers, that has already perplexed them. They press their counters against it; but it is strong, and will not yield. ey run around it, neighing wildly. They find no outlet on any side. war return to that by which they entered, they will find none there; for the mustangers have, in the meantime, dismounted from their mules, and from a pile of rails—placed there for the purpose—have completed the inclosure of the corral, . CHAPTER IL. CHOOSING A SITE. ‘“HaT!” The command came from a tall, military- looking man, of middle age, mounted upon’ a horse, that in size corresponded to him, It was not addressed to soldiers, but simply to the negro driver of a Conestoga wagon; which, drawn by four large mules, was slowly making its way along the smooth level of the prairie. Colonel William Magoffin was the name of the man who gave the order. Had he been only Mr. Magoffin, he would have said ‘‘ pull up;” but, being a veteran officer of the Jackson wars, his military habits still adhered to him—along with santo of the language to which soldiers are med. At a sonorous ‘‘wo—ha!” from their sable teamster, the mules instantly came to a stand— as did also a similar wagon in its rear, anda ** Dearborn,” drawn by a pair of light, wiry horses. Two other horsemen, who rode along- side the wagon, halted at the same time; an soon after, six black pedestrians, driving about eae head of cattle, came up in the rear of The le thus presented was one not un- common upon the prairies—being that of an a party on its way to a new settle- ment. However, it was very uncommon—in fact, had never been before seen—in the district where the wagons were now drawn up; for those of Colonel Magoffin were the first whose white tilts had ever gleamed amid the green leaves of these singular groves, known as the ‘het abs emigrants part f s em eame from some Southern State was vinced' by the black team- sters; and, also, the sable pedestrians tending the cattle in the rear. A glance under the can- vas of the leading wagon brought to view sev- eral female fi of various hue i m e saffron to ebony black; and, beside ‘them, f a score other faces of smaller size, betoken- the usual accom ent of ‘‘picanninies.” n the “Dearborn,” were two young fui: both fair and white—ladies, ata glance. Ofthe horsemen, one was a man of large frame, and tall as the colonel himself—though his coarser garb, and generally more rugged exterior, be- spoke him out a retainer. e other, a young man, who had seen his twentieth year, in his features showed some family resemblance— enough to be taken for his nephew; and such, in reality, he was. The two female coompan® of the traveling- i were the colonel’s daughter, Tennessee and niece, Louisiana, The names may soun strange thus bestowed. It is not an uncommon pesctice, for, among families in the Southern fin young ladies called * Carolina,” Virginia® yo esc ini and phates, Florida.” Colonel Magoffin was an old-stock Tennessean, whose father had come into the country with the Robertsons, Bradfords and Hardings: hence the name Lier tapas given to his bright, fair- haired daughter. nephew and niece were the children of a sister, who had found a hus- band and a home further south, in the lovely land of Louisiana. This will explain the darker com ion and more delicate features of the young Creole girl, who called Tennessee Ma- goffin her cousin; and whose own name in full was i Dupre. Despite the variety of individuals composing the emigrant party, there was suflicient homo- geneousness to show that it was one family, of which Colonel Magoffin was the head. The spot where they had halted was a level] plain, with a gentle declination toward the south; and a surface that looked more like a grand garden of flowers than a stretch of wild, uncultivated prairie. There were copses of tim- ber, standing at some distance apart; for they were still outside the selvage of the great grove, known as the Cross Timbers. The copses were the outlying islets that here and there. fringe these greater belts of forest-land, extending far across the prairie sea. ‘This spot looks like it would do,” said the colonel, as soon as the wagons had come to » stop; ‘‘I don’t see any use in our going further. What do you say, Mr. Strother?” ‘* Wal,” replied the individual thus addr who was the tall man, habited in copper-color homespun, with a rifle of six feet over his left shoulder, ‘‘ I don’t see as you can do any better. Thar’s a river, out o’ which we can draw any amount of water; and thar’s plenty o’ ground that needs no cl’arin’—not the stroke o’ an ax, Once we’ve nog up them weeds, I guess we’ll get good cotton out o’ it; and,” he continued, ooking with increased interest across the river, ‘*thar on t’other side ar’ plenty o’ timber whar there shed be b’ar and deer—to say nothing about squrrel and turkey. I guess’ squire, you Feo. do etter than lo-cate jest whar we’ve pull- up. ““What do you say, Eugene? The ground looks good, for either cotton or tobacco; and I think we’re far enough south for sugar. What’s your opinion?’ The speaker turned round to his nephew, who, being a Louisianian, was expected to know all about the soil that would suitable for the sugar-cane, But Eugene had also turned round, and ridden up to the Dearborn, inside which was something sweeter to his thoughts—his fair cousin, Tennessee. Baffled, the colonel also approached the wag- on, and put the question to all together: how they would like to settle on that spot? “Charming!” exclaimed the impulsive Ten- nessee ; ‘‘ we can have splendid bouquets and gar- lands of flowers—only for the gathering!” “Tt is a very beautiful country,” simply and uietly remarked her cousin, over whose young ace could be detected a shade of melancholy— almost sadness. “Do you think it will grow sugar, Eugene?” again asked Colone! Magoffin, addressing him- self to the elegant young Creole, in sky-blue cottonade, and Panama hat. “TI don’t think it would, uncle,” was the dis- couraging answer; ‘‘it’s a little too far north. But what matters, so long as you can grow cot- ton? Remember, a pound of cotton is worth more than one of sugar; and here, I think, the chief question will be about transporting the produce toa market.” “That’s so,” said the colonel. ‘Well, it'll give us cotton, sure; and corn for the niggers and the horses. Till we can raise our own hog- meat, we must live upon venison, with now and then a bear ham, and a breast of turkey; so that we may be as well off as in the old house in Tennessee.” Magoffin said this with something like a sigh; for he remembered that, in the ‘‘old house in Tennessee,” he had been surrounded with every comfort, until that time when a too-generous heart, ries og Bed a fon pr hospital , had brought the bailiff to his gates, and left him al- most landless and a, 9 oor eng attenuated sable following being all that was left of a plan- tation counting over two hundred hands, Still the new movement was not disagreeable to him, but rather the reverse. He was of that migra- tory stock who can not dwell conten except on the furthest frontier. Originally of the East Tennessee settlement, they had gone on to Nash- ville, in the center—and thence to Memphis in the west. Here again, the houses had become too thick, and the country too closely fenced around them. Therefore, the colonel—though with the loss of over three-fourths of his prop- erty—was glad to escape from the so-called in- creasing civilization, and seek a home in some land where the first fence-rail had not yet been sous He was to find it in the country of the ross Timbers; and the spot where his wagons had halted seemed the very place he would have chosen for a home, | He chose it. CHAPTER III. A COMRADE SUSPECTED. ““T pon’ like him, Ed; Idon’tlikehim. This

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chile can’t feel a freeze torst that fellur—nohow ye can ‘fix it.” ‘‘For that matter, Wash, I don’t like him myself. But we agreed to his coming out with us—” ‘Who agreed? Not me—durned ef I did. Jest tiotherways. I war all ag’in’ it. I niver know’d three fellurs go trappin’ ur huntin’ the- gither, thet thar wa’n’t quarrils an’ conspirin’ among ’em; an’ one o’ the three war boun’ to be in the meinority. On the puraira, jest as when you go coortin’ a gurl, three’s no kumpany. Re- member what I tolt ye, that we’d be better to ’a’ left him behint, an’ let him foller his own trail; but you w’u’d hev him along.” **T admit I spoke in favor of his coming. He wanted so bad to be with us.” ‘* Not so bad to be long wi’ us in purtick’ler. ’Twarn’t that. Ef this chile ain’t mistook, what he wanted wust war to git cl’ar out o’ the settle- ments—anyhow, an’ anywhar. Thar’s some- thin’ ag’in’ him thar wuss than a due-bill.” “You think so?” “Sure o’t—or next thing to sure. Don’t ye recollex, when we wur stayin’ in Nacadosh, how fidgety he wur on the arrival o’ fat party o’ emigrants, an’ whenever anybody rud up to the tavern? He ’peared to be keepin’ a sharp look- out for a bailiff—an’ that’s jest what he wur doin’, I reck’n.” “He may have committed a forgery, you think?” ‘“He’s committed wuss than that, I shed say.” “ But what makes you fancy so?” ““Pve got my reezuns. Men don’t ramble in thar sleep—as I’ve heern him do, more’n oncest —because they’ve wrote thar name whar they hadn’t oughter. My word for it, Ed Thornley, thar’s blood on that fellur’s hands.” “Tt’s a pity we brought him with us. Even if it isn’t as you suspect, the suspicion of it makes me feel unpleasant. Besides, he hasn’t turned out much of a cheerful companion. After all, it’s getting to be ticklish times between us and these Indians, bine don’t ap to like our horse-hunting about here; and if we should come to have trouble with them, three rifles would be better than two.” ‘“T don’t know ’bout that. They mout an’ they moutn’t. Hain’t ye noticed how this kum- rade o’ ours takes on to thet young savage, Tiger-Tail, an’ his Seminoles? Ef it warn’t for the diffrent color o’ thar hides, you mout think they wur a kupple o’ born brothers; while all the time the Injun’s been sulky an’ ugly wi’ both o’ us. Don’t like ita bit. This chile hev heer’d o white rennygades, an’ know’d o’ some as be- trayed thar kumrades to the Injuns. Sech hev been men as hev committed murder in the settle- ments, and dasen’t go back thar. This fellur mout be one o’ the kind; an’I feel sort o’ sure he ” “Still, why should he betray us?” “Why? al, one thing why, we’ve got a ae gatherin’ o’ hosses now. Our cavayard own among the plantashuns, shed fetch, least- ware a Ain o’ thousand dollars. We've got enuf to make a trip wi’ right away. An’ yit he ain’t a-goin’ to the settlements along wi’ us. I kin tell thet from his talk. He means stayin’ out hyur ’mong the Injuns; an’ to git well in wi’ them, he mout take a notion to make ’em a present o’ our mustangs. They ked trade ’em off as well as we kin.” ‘In that case, Wash, the sooner we get off the better. We had best take the horses to Na- cogdoches.” i ‘So this chile’s been thinkin’; an’I guess I kin tell why you want oT hag thet place. Thar’s a gurl ye want to see, ‘4 ‘No, as I assure you; nothing of the kind. Thank my stars, I’m as free of all such entangle- ments as you yourself, Wash.” , “Wal, that s free enuf. This chile hain’t hed a scrape wi’ weemen since he wur up trappin’ *mong the Crows, an’ campin’ at Fort Laramie. I hed a squaw thur; an’ [ swore she shed be the last ’'d iver let cling*onter me. What wi’ her fondness for fanfaron an’ rot-gut whisky, she ate an’ drunk up the purceeds o’ a hul winter’s trappin’ on the head-waters o’ the Platte. No more squaw wives for me—nor weemen o’ any kind.” “Ha! ha!” laughed his younger companion. ‘‘ Well, that’s no reason why we shouldn’t soon start for the settlements. There are other pleas- ures there that I know will attract you.” ‘‘Thar’s the pleasure o’ sellin’ our hosses, an’ gittin’ the shiners for’em. Soon as we’ve got this last lot tamed to drivin’, we'll start right away for the settlements—whether this fellur go wi’ us or not. He kin take his choice *bout thet, an’ keep his share o’ the hosses. He ain’t entitled to a third o’ them, by rights; for he ‘The Wild-Horse Hunters. hain’t been no great help to us—tuk up as he’s ben wi’ Tiger-Tail an’ his brown-skinned beau- ties: Wagh! how I do despise any white man thet puts hisself on an even wi’ a Injun!” CHAPTER IV. AN UNWELCOME SIGHT. THE conversation detailed in the precedin chapter occurred between two men, mount on mules, and riding across an open stretch of prairie. They were two of the mustangers de- scribed as having made a capture of the wild- horse herd, by driving them into a corral. It was just after they had completed the inclosure; and they were now on their way to the hut that served all three as a home, in order to provide ropes, and other gear, for breaking the wild steeds—as also to obtain a fresh supply of pro- visions. The third had been left by the corral, to see to the captured ‘stock. It was he who had been the sul t of their conversation, and was the object of their suspicions. Their names were, r ively, Edward Thornley and Washington ‘Carrol—or ‘‘ Wash,” as his comrade called him for short. Between them there was almost as much dissimilarity as could be between any two individuals of the same race, en in a common calling. tN sically, morally, inteilectually, were they 3) one another, | — Wash Carrol—the elder—was a small man, thin in face, asin person; dark of complexion; yoke: tan leather; and tight as strung wire. Although ‘perfectly honest in all dealings with men of his own color, he was not so just when it was a matter between him and red-skins—or even the ‘Chureh; for, in a religious point of view, Wash—or “Old Wash,” as his confreres called him—was something of a sinner. He was not so very old—fifty being about the num- ber of winters he could look back upon. He was by no means of comely aspect; and his countenance—though of a cast that bespoke cunning rather than sinister thought—was not improved by the scar of an old cut, that tray- ersed across his left cheek, from mouth to ear. By birth a Tennessean, he had been by profes- sion a trapper; but now that beaver “‘plew” had fallen to so low a price, he had forsaken the trapper’s calling, and taken to that of a mus- tanger. He spent the latter portion of his life upon the prairies of Texas, in pursuit of this singular occupation. His comrade was a person of totally different characteristics. A handsome young Virginian, he had strayed down to Texas, and, with Wash, had come out to the Cross Timbers—not so much to make money by following the profession of horse-hunter, as through an te love of fron- tier life, and a longing for the adventures that render it attractive, despite its perils and hard- ips. The present expedition was his first trip upon the prairies, In the romantic old town of acogdoches he had made the uaintance of Carrol; and a bargain yt ances ip had been struck between them. ile forth alone, a third individ himself, so earnestly eager to accompany them, that, ate the old hunter had at first made objections, his younger and more enthusiastic companion had overruled him, and the stranger- volunteer was accepted. He was a young man of about the same age as Thornley himself; who gave his name as Louis Lebar, and said he was from the State of Louisiana, He was the one about whose hon- esty the two now entertained the suspicions imparted to each other in their conversation. From the first introduction, Wash Carrol had conceived them, and all along felt aversion to the man. The appearance of Lebar was not in his favor. Crh short rah aodaae att Ie eag iz stooping. complexion was as thie OF a -reriaeeeis eal eavy beard, left to w at will, made him look still darker. In is eye there was a restlessness, and its glance was, at times, almost wolfish, Carrol’s dislike for him had other reasons. He had heard utter- awake, and listening, had heard this pi hm) expression, and drawn from it sinister conclu- sions. ; The two had ceased conversing about him and were now riding on toward the pet that for several weeks had served them for a home It was a rude structure of logs, which they had erected against a rocky bluff, overlooking a branch of the Trinity river—about a mile below the place where they had constructed their corral. They had got near to it, and were riding quickly along the bank of the stream, 3 when Wash—whose eyes were ever on the alert’ —suddenly jerked up his mule with the ex~- clamation: ** Look thar!” “Where?” inquired Thornley ‘Thar, down the bank o’ the stream. Don’t ye see somethin’?” ‘“ Yes—I see something white, like the canvas of a tent.” “Tent be durned! °Tain’t nothin’ o’ the kind. It’s the tilt o’ a waggin.” **A wagon! Out here?’ “Tt air—dog-gone to it!” “And if so, why should it displease you to see it?” ‘**Displeeze! Durn it, I’ve been runnin’ away from that sign all o’ my life, an’ now, I suppose, I’ve got to flit furrer. I fust made tracks from near Nashville, whar’ this chile war kittened, to West Tennessee. I war fol- lered by waggins, an’ arter them, hosses. Then on to North Mississippi, whar the wages an’ hosses kim clost arter Choctaw’ Purchase. I then tried Arkansaw, on t’other side. No use. Thar, too, soon a the cussed waggins, an’ claims, an’ cabins—an'’long wi’ ’em, frame: houses. I put off South, fer Loozyanny, on Red. River bottom. More waggins, an’ more build- in’s. n, by way o’ durnier raysort—as the tie bye 3 Creoles calls it—struck out hyar, for Texas. hat’s the use? Thar’s the waggin ag’in—cuss it!” “True; it is a wagon—or two of them, I think. But why should you be vexed at the “— of them? For my part, I feel rather Pp ‘**Pleezed! Why? Do you know what them wag mean?” “Some party, I presume, traveling over the prairies—perhaps on an exploring expedition.” “On a_ settlin’ expedition! Thet’s what they’re arter, I kin tell it, by the look o’ the hull thing. See yonder! What’s them movin’ roun’ the vehicles? Thar’s men on hossback— an’ thar’s others afoot. An’ thar’s cows an’ children. A party o’ emigrants, to a sartinty. I know’d they w’u’dn't be long, afore they’d find out these Cross Timmer lands—jest the sort fer cotton. Settlers, I’ll be boun’; and whar now will go the wild hosses? Ed Thornle , we may as well make up our minds to it. yi be our last trip o’ hoss-huntin’ to the Cross Tim- mers. Take this chile’s word for’t, in another year thar’ll be houses all about hyar—an’ to too. towns an’ houses! Afore eyther us goes under, they'll be all over the contynent riky. A cuss to it! Most as bad as o’ Ame Methodies. Wagh!” At the commencement of this tirdde, the old hunter had pulled up; and, after its conclusion, he sat in his saddle scrutinizing the distant ap- parition upon the prairie, with a look in which stern indignation seemed strangely commingled with sadness. In that spec i ness which, to other eyes, might have appeared the harbinger of civilization, he saw a cloud that—in his way of thinki threatened to throw a blighting shadow over the future—not only of his profession, but his life! ‘* Dog-gone queer,” he exclaimed, after a short while spent in scrutini the forms seen mov- ing around the wagon. ‘Dod-rotted queer, ef them’s all thar is o’ them. Only two w an’ eight or ten men about ’em—most 0’ ’em niggers, fur ez I kin make out. Some small planter, wi’ his belongin’s, I reckon. An’ ef thet’s all thet’s comin’ out to settle hyar, they’. stan’ a chance wi’ Tiger Tail an’ his ugly lot—the is, ef the Injun should take a set br ‘Perhaps there are other ing on behind,” oe Thornley? atone “Ef thar be, they must be a bit behint. We kin see the rg bh fer ten mile, on the track they’re on. ar’s the others? Ain't’ neery one—nor the sign 0’ a critter, on foot- or a-hossback. No; them’s we see thar, ’pears to be the hull gang. Guess we’d better git for- ay HI find out who an’ what they air, any- ow. Sa this, he brought his h with a heavy, double kick, against the ribs of his mule, and set the animal in motion toward the spot where the wagons were —his companion spurring up and riding aetends CHAPTER V. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE. COLONEL MaGorr1n and his party had all dis- mounted, and were were} their encamp- ment for the night, when they saw two horse- men approaching over the plai n. The sight of men—either afoot or on horseback—is: one always to be treated with suspicion upow

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a Beadle’s' Half-Dime Library. the prairies; andthe colonel, following his oe custom of cautiousness—taught him by his mili experiences in the early Indian wars—had directed those with him to have their weapons in readiness. ! Biit, as the horsemen appeared to be making approach without any show of either stealth or distrust—moreover, as on coming nearer, it could be seen that their skins were white—all suspicion was dispelled; and the emigrants awaited their arrival on the ground only with feelings of curiosity. They had been travelin for days without having encountered a soul, an they had no expectation of meeting white men in that locality. Colonel Magoffin, twelve months before, had made an exploratory visit to the Cross Timbers; the result being his deter- mination to settle there—which he was now car- ing out. But he had heard of no other set- tle having preceded him; and, therefore, the presence of white men in the place needed ex- planation. As they came near, however, he aarp from their dress and accouterments, who—or a least what—they were. Trappers or hunters their b proclaimed them, He was not per- mitted to put the first question. The older of the two took the initiative by hailing in a loud voice, as he rode forward upon the ground: ‘* What air ye, anyhow?” was the blunt inter- rogatory of Wash ol, as he slung his in- utive carcass out of the saddle, and stood con- fronting him who seemed. the leader of the party —Magoftin himself. “A straight question,” replied the colonel; “and to give a straight answer to it, I may tell you that we are settlers in search of a location.” *« An’ whar do ye purpiss lo-katin’?” ‘‘ We've half made up our minds to stop here —on this very spot.” : ‘* Ain't thar no more o’ y’ur party?” “No more than what you see.” ** An’ no more a-goin’ je yer” “ No—not that I a” ( “Stranger! this chile don’t want to ’pear im- partinent; but he w’u’d ask ef ye hev kalkerlat- ed the danger o’ makin’ a settlement hyur?” “Danger? Of what?” “Tnjuns, in coorse! I tll mister, thar’s a tty lot o’ red-skins jest roun’ about these a Cross Timmers.” ‘“ How is it you are not afraid of them—you and your comrade? You live here, do you not?” “Me an’ my kumrade—yes. That’s rayther diffrunt. Mean’ my kumrade don’t need build a big house, thet kin be see’d twenty mile acrosst the paraira. Besides, me an’ my kumrade hain’t much thet a Injun ’ud think worth while to away from us—only our eulpe, an’ them we've to look arter right sharp, I tell ye. Then, Injuns don’t so much mind the like o’ us thet air hunters. Wi’ settlers they feel diff’rent—know- in’ thet the settlements air death to the’r hunt- glanced significantly toward the two at. that moment, step Dearborn, and stood —like two grand, beautiful flowers of different species, that, by the touch of an enchanter’s wand, had just sprung into life, and fresh blooming upon the e. Even the old hunter, who had so latel sworn himself against all PONE ly d not g upon them with admiration; while ce of his younger comrade, after stray- ing ultimately from one to the other, at | {and for some became riveted upon the, Creole; time remained so—as if he bad the power to,withdraw it. There was no rudeness in the act, and none in- It was only an involun to the fascination of beauty ; all the easier for horse-hunter, who, for a long period, had ae upon no female face of brighter hue than that of an Indian Ww. As he at len "desisted from his gazo, and turned un ly amays Edward wg tely ust ‘luo for- the Cross Timbe: on the belief that it was not uncommon for par- ties of white men—as small, or even smaller than his—to traverse this district of country, without fear of danger. He had himself done this but the year before, and met with no molestation from the Indians. True, these parties were all men ; while that now with him, was very differ- ently composed. The horse-hunter’s speech had therefore caused him some apprehension; but, in order not to alarm those to whom the allusion referred, he affected not to comprehend it in its full sense, and simply said, in reply: “‘T think, sir, there’s not so much danger; and we'll be able to take care of what we've rought with us. We’re not many in numbers—that i the whites of our party; but my darkies are a trained to the handling of other weapons be- sides the hoe. There isn’t one of the lot that can’t make good use of a shooting-iron, I pick- ed them out for that; and it ’ll take a strong force of red-skins to give us any trouble.” Something like a meer passed over the face of the old prauiermen, while the expression upon that of his younger seemed to say: that incase of attack from Indians, or any other enemies, the new settler count at least one man, added to the number of his de- fenders. ‘The Indians out here are reported to be in peace now,” pursued, the colonel, in an inter- rogative strain. ‘So it was understood, upon the Red riven, when we left. I hope nothi has transpired to the contrary?’ ‘Oh, nothin’, as this chile domi on,” replied Carrol. ‘‘Only thet. ther peece air. like pie- crust—easy broke, It air bout as much to be depended on as a laryette o’ cobwebs for the holdin’ o’ a bull-buffler, They'll break it, jest like the snappin’ of a pipe-stem, whensomiver they see fit, and whensomiver thar’s anythin’ to wots ld hun significant look Ce) ter gave a i t loo toward. the young ladies; who, fortunately, otherwise occupied, did not, observe it. ‘‘ Are there any Indians immediately about here?” asked Colonel Magoffin, “Not jest immeedyit. ’*Bout twenty mile furrer down the Timmers, on the bank 0’ this hyar stream—which air one o’ the heads of the Trinity—thur’s a wheen,., It’s a small band o’ the ole Floridy Seminoles, thet’s strayed from the main tribe, arter comin’ out hyar in the Resurvation. They go rovin’ about unner a chief they call Tiger Tail—an’ allo’ a tiger air thet same young savage. They fut up "bout a hun- dred an’ fifty—men, weemen an’ childer. The weemen an’ childer ye mayn’t see much 0’; but the men air here an’ thar’ all the time, an’ may come across ye at any minnit.. So I guess ye’d better keep y’ur eyes skinned fer ’em, an’ hev yur shoo ‘irons along wi’ ye—whursomiver e go. ‘* We shall take care of that,” replied the plan- ter, ina tone of confidence, intended to reassure such of his following as had overheard the pre- vious conversation, “Whar mout ye hail from?’ asked the old horse-hunter, becoming a little mollified in ad- miration of the cool courage displayed by the “ Tennessee,” “ What mout be y’ur name?’ ie Magoffin. I am usually called Colonel Ma- goffin,’ ‘‘ Kurnel Magoffin!) Ye ain’t any kin to a Lootenant Magoffin, as served wi’ old. Hickory in the Creek wars, an’ ag’in the Britishers, at Noo Orleens?” “T fancy I must be the same. I don’t remem- ber that there was any other officer of the name PTR eaplanaed the somata ringing ex em er, Lowa and grasping the planter y te hand, ‘*kin you be thet Lotetame Magoffin? Yes, ou air! I now rememberye. Don’t ye recol- eck me? Ef ig it shedn’t be cut across my cheek as shed hinder ye. it while savin’ y’ur own th o’a big Cherokee Injun in the fight of the Horse- shoe Bend!” ‘My God! Wash Carrol, is it you?” cried the col In another instant the old horse-hunter was off his feet, raised aloft in the arms of the stal- wart Tennessean, who for some moments held him in fraternal embrace. All upon the ground—black as well as white —gathered around to witness this scene of unex- ted recognition; while the two young ladi imitating the affection of the colonel, Tavished kind words on the strange individual, whose not Tey, prepossessing looks had hitherto held them 00 As Edward Thornley stood looking on, he would have given all his share of the captured mustangs for one of those sweet glances cast up- on his comrade by the young Creole girl—whose name he now learned to be Louisiana Dupre. He felt—as did Colonel Magoffin—that if any danger was to be apprehended from the Indians, the new-come colonist would have another arm besides his own, and another rifle upon which they might rely. As soon as the excitement caused by this un- expected recognition had, to some extent, sub- sided, Wash Carrol—now deeply interested in the welfare of his old friend—commenced, more gravely, to counsel him. “He's a mighty bad sort o’ a Injun, is Tiger Tail,” said he; ‘‘an’ a bad lot thet’s wi’ him— wuss even than the Kimanch themselves, wi’ whom he’s in a kind o’ league. His band’s com- posed o’ a wheen o’ young fellurs thet war too wicked to keep the kumpany o’ thar own tribe, on the Reservation. Never mind; since you’re out hyur fur settlin’, you must make the best o’t; an’ I’d recommend ye to begin by fust buildin’ a block-house, Arter thet, ye kin set up y’ur shanty, an’ the other fixin’s. I reckun, colonel, you know how to put a block-house togither?”’ ‘*T should know,” answered the Tennessean. ‘“'There’s one still standing by the old home- stead I have left. I know the pattern well.” “All right!, Mean’ Ed Thornley ’ll come over, an’ gi’e ye a heist wi’ it. We're out hyur hoss- huntin’, an’ hev jest druv a fresh cavayard inter the trap. Soon’s we've see’d them secure, ye may expect us. Thar’s another fellur along wi’ us—though he ain’t much account. ‘Bout the site o’ a block-house, thar’s a bit o’ groun’ ye can’t eezy beat—just thar, clost by the bank o’ the crik, whar thet grove o’ timmer stands. Them trees ‘ll ge you logs enuf, ’ithout any toatin’; an’ a well sunk inside won’t need go any deeper than the water in the crik. Besides, as ye see, the bank’s steep jest thar. It’ll purtect € on one side; an’ ye kin set. upa stockade, rst the paraira.” ot s do just as you say, Carrol.” ‘*Wal, kurnel, e my advice furrer, an’ don’t delay bout it, Git yur axes inter them trees, fust thing ye think o’.” ““ By daybreak to-morrow morning.” “All right,” said Wash; and after a few more words, to explain the nature of his own move- ments, he and his comrade remounted their mules, and turned back in the direction of their own domicile. CHAPTER VI. AN ASSASSIN IN SOLILOQUY. ““CursE them fora couple of laggards! I wonder what can be keeping them? They’ve been gone long enough to have been to the settlements. I suppose peas, filled their own eo and don’t care how ['m hungering here. ¢c “They'll be off for Nacogdoches, as soon as their lot’s tamed. I don’t go with them—I daren’t. No. There are people from Louisiana —-settlers—coming in every day. I’d be sureof meeting some old face—some sharp eye to re- cognize me; and then—those accursed Regulat- ors! What am I to do? Stay here all my life —an outcast upon the prairies? To think I am forever separated from her—she for whom—” He stopped abruptly, and looked apprehensively round, as if he feared some one might hear him. After a short silence, however, he burst out with an expression of intense longing: ‘Oh! could I only have her in my arms for a single hour, I would all—even the rope. zs I not go back to Louisiana, and live there in dis ? Why not? My beard would do something tow: it. But no. It needs money to keep out of every one’s sight—and money I haven’t got. Never will have it by such a try trade as this—catching horses at ten dollars a head. “Stay; there’s a better scheme. Fanning has told me of it, Heintends ara the Comanches for a raid over the Rio Grande that gets plun- der, and might yield riches. It is said that some of these Mexican haciendadas have large sums of specie in their houses—gold and silver plate. I’ve more than half a mind to join Fanning and his freebooting band. It only needs to the color of my skin—not much, at that. “By heavens! I'll do it. Once in possession of money, I can go anywhere, and do anything. That is the true giver of disguises ises, and the means toact under them. This fellow—Thornley —has some cash. He'll buy my share of the captured mustangs; and then let them take them toa market. [ll stay with Fanning, and with him go over the Rio Grande.” These were the thoughts of Louis Lebar—or the man who so called himself—as he sat by the wild horse corral, awaiting the return of his fellow mustangers.

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Not ie after, though much later than he expected, they made their appearance. ‘You did well to come at last,” he said, gruff- ly. . What, in the name of thunder, detained ou?’ ‘‘Oh! if you’d been with us, you’d have seen something would have detained you, too,” re- plied Thornley, good-naturedly. wh pair of pretty girls is a sight one don’t see every day, out here by the Cross Timbers.” ‘‘ There are some pretty girls in the Seminole tribe. You haven’t come across them, have ou?” . Lebar said this with a sneer: as much as, that he himself was the favored party in that quar- ter. “I’m not speaking of squaws, Master Louis,” retorted the mustanger; “ but girls with a white skin, young ladies—angels, Carrol, here, would call them. Wouldn’t you, Wash ““Durned ef I w’u’dn’t; an’ durned ef I don’t. Ef they ain’t angels—both on ’em—this chile never sot eyes on an angel,” “Bd Thornley, you and Wash Carrol have made up your minds to havea joke onme. I’m not in much humor for it, till ve had some- thing to eat. After that, I may be better pleased to listen to your cheng ‘ “Bat, then!” said Wash, handing the Louisi- anian a wallet containing some corn-cake and cold roast turkey. ‘But thar ain’t no chaffin’ *bout it. It air a true story—jest as Ed says t. “On honor, it’s true, Lebar. We have seen what we say.’ “When, pray?” demanded the hungry hunter, commencing an attack upon the provisions; which seemed to put him in a better humor. *“T’'m ready to hear your explanation.” Thornley gave it, by pair the encounter on ae prairie with the party of newly-arrived settlers. ‘““Where are they from?’ asked the Louisi- anian, after listening to the first few particu- ‘“ Well,” said Thornley, “ pays they’re all one family, they are from two different States. Some of them are from Tennessee—and some from Louisiana. By the way, Lebar, as you are a Louisianian, you may know something about them?’ Lebar did not need this question to excite his curiosity. It was already excited, by hearing the word ‘ Louisiana.” For him that name had a terrible significance. ; ‘Louisiana’s a large State,” he a presery- ing an of indifference; ‘‘and there are thousands of Paes in it I know nothing about. If you can tell me the name of these people, who have seen fit to leave it, perhaps I could then say whether they have ever been among my ac- quaintances, You heard their name, I suppose?” “Well, that we didn’t—at least I didn’t—not the party from Louisiana. The gentleman at the head of the party gave us his name; but he is a Tennessean, and an old friend of Wash here, who can tell you all about him.” Lebar iy p ome wae toward Carrol. “Oh, yes,” drawled out Wash Carrol; ‘‘ this chile air not only acquaint’ wi’ his name, but a deal o’ his history; an’ can sartify thet air a honor to Tennessee. I fit alongside o’ him, an’ alongside o’ ole Hickory, in the Crik an’ Cherokee war; an’ in them thar eiimociraag Ne thar wa’n’t neery one thet stud better up to the scrutch than Lootenunt Bill ffin—now Col- a trembling in his voice, and the assumption of indifference ‘ asked, more agoffin, is it?” “ Yes, siree,” replied Wash; “‘ that is the per- son.” The conversation dropped, The three men, wearied with their long horse-chase, and the working it had entail by common consent wra themselves up heir blankets, and lay down under the shadow of the trees, to seek sl To all appearance, they were not long in find- ing it—despite the neighing of the captured steeds, and the barking of the prairie wolves, who prowled around the corral. CHAPTER VIL. A STEALTHY RECONNOISSANCE. Or the three mustangers, two of them were The Wild-Horse Hunters. asleep, almost on the instant of lying down. ae, were Carrol and Thornley. Sleep came suddenly, after the long ll of wakefulness, rendered necessary during the drive of the mus- tang herd. Just then there was no repose for Louis Lebar. He had taken a nap, during the absence of the others, which had, to some extent, refreshed him. It®was not this that kept him awake, but a wild tumult in his soul, caused by what his companions had communicated to him, He had not questioned them very minutely about the personnel of the emigrant party. He wasafraid of doing so lest he might arouse some suspicions. Although night had come on during the con- versation, and they could not note the changed expression of his face, his voice had trembled and he knew it. It had done so from the mo- ment of his hearing the name “ Magoffin.” He had laid himself down at some distance from the other two. He did not keep his re- cumbent attitude for long—only long enough to assure himself that both were buried in sleep, which he could tell had taken place by their sonorous snoring. he rose silently erect, permitted the blanket to slip down at his feet, and, stepping forth from its folds, strode off, crouchingly, through the trees. On getting to the outer edge of the grove he stopped for a second or two to reflect—or rather e. guide himself as to the direction he should e, It was the camp of the colonists he intended visi: He knew the locality in which it had been pitched. In a few words Carrol had de- seri the place. It was not over two miles off; and there was, therefore, no need for him to take his mule. He could walk with eas2 the distance afoot—moreover, the animal might be- tray him, for the visit was to be one of stealth. In a short while he had taken the bearings of the ground, and into the starlight he started across the prairie. “Magoffin!” he muttered to himself, as he strodeon, ‘They had an uncle of that name, somewhere in Tennessee. It must be they! An yngle fron Tennessee ' 2 young avg a niece, m. an e other girl, her cousin. I’ve hea aba Bat such a paki The coinci- dence would be too strange. It must be they. It can not be otherwise. **Ts it the hand of God—or the devil? If it be Louisiana Dupre, one or the other is on my side. If it be she, one or the other has delivered her to me at last. By heavens, it seems toostrange for belief!” He strode on till a light sparkled before his eyes. He knew it was the camp-fire of the emi- grants, ed among the trees. There was a ‘spinet” of timber along the bank of the stream, - , entering under this, he proceeded on in si- ence. He soon came in sight of the encampment. He saw the white canvas tilts of the wagons, showing gray under the starlight, with the ani- mals standing around them. e fire was a lit- tle apart, and blazing brightly. Its flame fell upon a circle of faces. Men and women—all whites. Another fire was near, encircled by black faces and burly forms. They were the negro led fh ths cooking of cielt mabpeet: te Plantar e COO! 0} su e r and his family having finished theirs, » Lebar dropped eg his hands and knees, and crawled nearer. e trunks of the trees and the shadow of their foliage overhead gave him security from being seen. It was only necessary for him to avoid asicampe Wace and_ this pre- caution he successfully observ: Gliding si- lently on, he at length drew near the fire, suffi- ciently near to enable him to distinguish the Among the rest, he saw one that sent the blood in wild current through his veins—that of the woman he had long loved, and to whom he had hopelessly sued! Lebar cowered behind the tree-trunk, looking upon that pale, beautiful face. It seemed almost a fate—one of those dark destinies that must be fulfilled—and as the spy stole away through the trees, and back to the sleeping-place of the mustangers, his whole thoughts were altogether occupied in pe aie | the means by which it could be shaped to own end, That night nothing could be done; and he lay down again on the spot from which he had risen—neither of his companions having sus- pected his absence, Even his wicked spirit could no longer resist weariness, and he soon fell asleep, despite the shrill, wild reighing of the mustangs—wilder at or 5 finding themselves restrained from the free range of their prairie pastures. CHAPTER VIII. A VILE BARGAIN. ‘““Wuat brings the Black Mustanger to the Seminole camp at this late hour of the night?” “He comes to do the Seminole chief a ser- vice,” ‘He is welcome at all times—more so when he brings with him a favor—what is it?” “Tiger Tail wants a squaw?” “He has many.” “ Not any that are white.” “No; they are all of his own race and col- “Tiger Tail has told me of his desire to possess a white wife.” ‘He will give a hundred horses for such a one—that is, if she be young and beautiful.” ‘*He may have one that is both, and without giving a single horse for her.” The Black Mustanger’s words are sings to the ear. When and where can this e be obtained?’ “ Almost at any time—and not far off.” ‘But there are conditions. There is danger to be encountered?” ‘There are conditions, but not much dan- 4! ‘* Will the mustanger explain himself?” “He will. The chief, who was already smoking, took the pipe from his mouth, handed it to his visitor, and then filling another for himself, assumed an attitude to listen. The Hepa Yr continued : “This day there has arrived out here a party of whites, bringing with them about an equal number of ne . They are emigrants from the States, who intend making a settlement not far from this place. I have not seen them myself, but my comrades have, and told me of the t where they’ve made their camp, and intend building a house. What’s more, from the description, I know who they are. Now, chief, you have promised me your friendship— you have sworn it.” ‘“‘Tiger Tail will keep his oath,” grunted the Indian, taking the calumet from his mouth, and making a cabalistic sign with its long feather- adorned stem. ‘*T know it,” continued the mustanger; “and will trust to you—for you, also, will have a re- ward in that which must be done. What I want is this: that you, bit band, attack this rere of emigrants ; every W man of em—about the blacks it don’t matter—and ig end the two white women as captives.” “There are two?” “Yes; both young girls—both beautiful; one of them to be the wife of the Seminole chief.” i. ry be Or a oer wife—or w you ma to call it. Ts for that I seek your aid” “The Black Mustanger has seen this pale- faced girl before?” ‘‘T have seen her, and loved her. She has been the curse of my life. For her sake I have Narain aly patina + ove her oo 8 will t other es possess her, You, , will assist me?” ‘ ‘She must be very beautiful.” “She is!” ‘“The more beautiful of the two?” ‘Not in your eyes, chief. I know that you have told me you wanted a white squaw—one with the red on her cheek, and the gelden sun- light in her hair. She has not that; but her cousin has—for the two are cousins. I shalt have no fear of being jealous, af i know which of the two will attract Tiger * The Black Mustanger speaks fair. If it be as he says, there need be no between us. It be as he wishes it. What action will he counsel?” “Go with band to the encampment of the whites. our ‘pate There see for yourself, and an our p as they appear best. First speak trem fairly; there is no need for haste, as they’ve come here to form a settlement. I must rades t anything of our know nothing of my past life, or that I ever If they knew that— met these Prone before. going back to them. We have just trapped a ve of wild horses, and to-morrow intend taming them. At that, I shall go on with them all the same, and, when it’s over, return to this place, and hear what the Seminole chief thinks of this scheme which I have LN og to him. Tiger Tail will then tell me what he thinks of

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6 her with the roses on her cheek, and the sunlight in her hair. When he has once seen her, I know he will want her, as much as I do the paler lily by her side. Chief! are you agreed?” Another grunting exclamation—with another eabalistic movement of the plumed pipe-stem— told how consonant was the infamous proposal to the feelings of the savage. His visitor did not spend much more time in the tent; only a few minutes, given to further explanations, Then, remounting his mule, he e back to the corral, where his companicns were still sleeping. CHAPTER IX. THE HORSE-TAMERS. Tux sun leaped up with a bound, as it seemed, from the prairie to the east of the Cross Tim- bers, as Thornley and Wash Carrol woke up. Lebar was still sleeping, as the old hunter sat up and threw off his blanket with a irl ae gh sound wakened the Creole, who up on his elbow, with a wild, suspicious glance around, as if he was in fear of some one. Wash Carrol remarked it, and bluntly observed: ‘What in thunder ails ye, Lebar? Ye look as skeered as ef ye’d seen a spook.” The Creole’s glance fell beneath the hunter’s eye, and he answered, with some confusion: “Oh! nothing, nothing. Had a bad dream, and your noise startled me; that’s all.” He rose from the ground as he spoke, and shook himself. Thornley was already up, and looking over the bars of the corral toward the captured herd of mustangs. The animals had recovered their strength and re during the day’s rest and food that had been accorded them. Wash Carrol had taken good care to pitch the corral where the richest grass abound- ed and where water was plentiful. It occupied the whole bottom of a little valley, surrounded with swells and mottes of timber, the swells crowned with the zigzag lines of the strong snake fence, “Well, Wash, remarked the young Ms Sia et “the horses look well’ this morning. é shall have a job to tame them.” “Never you fear, younker,” said the hunter, grinning; this chile never seen the hoss as wouldn't cum down to the choke of a et. Cum, fellers, let’s get our grub, and go to work. ’Tain’t too much time as we've got ef we've to help the kurnel put up his—” He stop suddenly, as he caught the coal- black eyes of Lebar fixed upon him. “What! are you going help him settle?” demanded the Creole, suspiciously. ‘‘ Seems to me that we'll have enough to do to get our horses in hand to drive to the settlements, with- out helping other folks build shanties. They've got niggers enough to do all thefr work—haven’t ey “Wal, yes,” returned Carrol, indifferently ; “but then, ye sec, out in Tennessee, we allers ‘helps our friends, and so me and here hev kinder made up our minds to give him a lift. Who knows? Mebbe we won’t want Ais help if the Kumanch gits ugly, or Tiger Tail war to kick BY a muss, While the old hunter was talking, he was also eating a huge ‘“‘hunk” of corn-bread and cold turkey. Ed Thornley had followed his ex- ample without any talking. The young man was too much. occupied in ing. The sweet face of Louisiana Dupre had been floating be- fore his eyes all the night long in dreams, and it wer the a thing in thoughts that morn- e off The old hunter turned round with a queer smile on his scarred face, and surveyed Thorn- ley quizzically. The young man felt himself ps Bi and tried to look indignant, “So yer thar, are ye?” said Wash, with a sniff; ““durned cf them wimmin ain’t the devil and all. Dod ros my skin! but I don’t blame lad. That ar light-haired one she air jest tor all the world like an angel as I see’d painted in the church at El] Paso wunst on a time. Yes, lad, that air spotty would make a thunderin hoss fur a to ride,” He ended with unqualified assurance, and put his foot on one of the rails to climb over Beadle’s: Half-Dime Library. into the corral as he spoke. Thornley laid his hand on his arm. He spoke quickly, in a low voice, as Lebar catne toward them. “Tsay, Wash, pick out another horse, like a = fellow, and let’s make each of the young adies a present of one, I noticed they had none. Tl make it all right with you.” Wash nodded assent, but said nothing, for at that moment Lebar came up. Then the three mustangers climbed over into the corral, and commenced their task of taming. Their equipments were of the simplest nature. Each man carried in his hand a long lasso of plaited rawhide, well greased, and exceedingly supple. All were equines with Spanish spurs of portentous size, and three Mexican dles lay on the ground, outside the gate of ‘the corral. We say ‘‘ gate,” but it was nothing more than a panel of the fence, of which the bars took in and out. Wash Carrol, as the most experienced hunter, took the lead. ‘‘ Here, Lebar,” he “you ain’t much with a larryett, you know, ‘You’d better tend oo guess, till we git a kupple on ’em out- side. Lebar threw down his lasso indifferently. ‘* All right,” he said, half-sulkily; ‘“ anything to get through. It’s less trouble, anyway.” When the two hunters advanced into the cor- ral the scene was very interesting. The cap- tured mustangs, which had been feeding about in the corral, every now and then smelling in- quisitively at the fence, now, seeing the hunters approach, galloped off to the other side in great consternation. hen they could get no further, they crowded up into a. cerner, backing up against the fence in gee terror, Only the strength of the angles, reinforced as they were . strong posts, driven deep into the earth, en- abled the barrier to withstand the pressure, Wash Carrol walked leisurely toward the horses, g the coils of the lariat in his hands. e noose, about six feet in diameter, trailed on fon groune from his right hand, which held about half of the coiled rope. - The rest was in his left hand, the end being fastened to his waist. “ Now then, Ed,” he said, his eye roving keen- ly over the various-colored herd; “you kin take spotty, ef you like. That ar buck-skin’s the hoss for my money.” They were within twenty feet of the crowded herd as he tired and, at the same instant, he threw back his right sboulder and then gave a forward swing of his whole body. The noose of the lariat flew through the air as it left his hand, the coils waving snake-like over the frightened, plunging mustangs. The next moment the circle of rawhide reached its destination, hov- ered a moment, and then descended with unerr- ing aim over the neck of a beautiful cream- colored mare, with black mane and muzzle, known in Texas as a ‘‘ buck-skin.” Almost simultaneously, Thornley cast his own lasso with equal success, inclosing in its noose the white mare covered with black spots that had excited his admiration in the first instance. Then commenced the task of bringing out the captives, at first sight apparently an impossi- bility, so closely were they wedged in with the rest. But the skill of the mustangers soon effected this, Their prizes, feeling the lasso and wild with. terror, plunged Ne nb away to escape. Hardly exerting any strength the mus- tangers hung back on the lassoes, thus convert- ing the flight of the n ares into a circular mo- tion. They wanted them to go to the gate, and they exerted what strain beg Bee an exactly opposite direction, Thus, thinki & they were escaping, both mares plunged out of the crowd, galloping round in wide circles, and growing weaker and weaker under the strangling noose. Once clear of the herd, by the same skillful management, they were got through the gate, outside the bars, their captors penerg bere ata t angle and allowing themselves to be slow- y dragged on by the eapa steeds. Once outside, they bro them to a halt, al- most suffocated, and slowly began to pull up to them, hand over hand, beh the now opened te. As they passed through, the spotted mare mbled violently, and fell to the earth com- pletely exhausted. CHAPTER X. TIGER TAIL’S WOOING, Tue sound of axes, quickly plied, waked the echoes by the banks of the stream that ran b the Cross Timbers, as Colonel Magoffin and h little went sturdily to work, to fell timber for their block-house. were fully employed, except Eugene Dupre, and means, was pleasantly occupied, as he thought, in cleaning his double-barreled shot-gun, and talking nonsense to his fair cousin, Tennessee. The young lady herself enpeared not displeas- ed at his presence, although she thought it necessary to protest, laughingly, against his waste of time. “You'll rub the inside out of that gun, Eugene,” she said. ‘‘ You’ve polished at it ever since breakfast, and if we are to have turkey for dinner, it’s high time you were off, sir. Louie can’t you persuade this troublesome brother o: oz to leave us in peace? I want to go flower- unting.” Eugene looked at his gun with great solici- tude, but he could not detect a speck upon it. He rose with an air of resignation, saying: “*T wouldn’t drive you off in that way, Tennie, if you bothered me everso much. But you girls are all hard-hearted. “You don’t care how a fel- low feels, not if he’s pining away.” Alight smile Crosse the pale face of Louisiana re! oe Don’t talk nonsense, Genie,” she said. “You have nothing to pine for. Go, like a dear, good re to please me.” he ended with a sort of half-sigh, and Eugene’s glance became soft and tender at once. He stroked his sister’s dark locks quietly, and answered: “ Tl go, sis. Good-by. Don’t fret; there’s a dear, good sister. Good-by, Tennie. If I don’t bring you a fat turkey for dinner, you may call me a bungler.” And he kissed his hand and turned away on his pare to the river, whistling merrily as he went. Louisiana looked after him sadly. ‘* Poor Genie!” she said. ‘* He is so good and kind to me, and he’s all I have in the world now since mamma died, and since poor Oscar—” Tennie threw her arms around her cousin’s neck with impulsive affection. “Don’t talk of it, Louie,” she murmured, fondly. ‘Poor fellow! he is happy in heaven now, ary {0 forget all those gloomy thoughts, which make you so miserable. He is far better off than we are, Louie. Remember that.” “T know it,” said the girl, with a faint smile. “T always try to think of it that way. If I did not know how good he was, I should feel much worse. But oh! Tennie, I can’t help sometimes soy also of that black, horrible pool, and— The girl shuddered violently as the thought crossed her mind. Tennessee hugged her close- ly, and whispered: ‘Try to forget it, Louie. aie to forget it, an Let’s go and gather flowers, talk of some thing else.” Louie kissed her cousin tefully, and wiped away a tear that had nearly fallen. ‘You're a ene, gz Tennie,” she said. ** And I am foolish. ow it’s wrong to pine so, but I’ll try to do better. Come, let us go.” And she rose as she spoke, and Paes her arm around Tennie’s waist, to stroll off. The two girls were in the midst of the camp at the time. The colored women were clearing away the remnants of the breakfast, and the children were licking the plates. They could see the open meadows before them, and the forms of the colonel and Strother, superintending the hauling of logs down by the motte by the river- side. ’ Suddenly Tennessee started back, as they neared the edge of the camp, and uttered a faint ery of alarm. She clung close to her oe and both girls halted and gazed, spell- n Within ten feet of them, and seeming as if he had risen from the earth, stood a gayly-clad Indian chief, holding in his hand a long calumet or pipe, the stem adorned with feathers. The Indian stood there, with his glowing eyes, burn- ing like live coals, fixed upon the blue orbs of Tennessee offin, with an expression of ad- miration and longing that alarmed the girl, she knew not why, How he had come there was a mystery easily solved. The wagons had been drawn up close to a large motte, and he must have come through under shelter of the trees. But, to the two girls, his sudden appearance was appalling, and his looks increased their apprehension. Not that he was ugly. On the contrary, he was remarkably handsome for an Indian—tall, lithe, graceful as Apollo, with magnificent eyes and lon hair. His dress was in the extreme of Indian dandyism, and instead of the usual buf- ll the men of the party | falo robe, he wore a mantle composed of the skins of jaguars, fringed with the tails of the even he, althoug not hard at work by any | same animals, from which he derived his name. a

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a The Wild-Horse Hunters. 7 Tiger Tail—for it was he—enjoyed the sensa- tion he had produced. The vanity ot the ne bond Indian was tickled by the terror of his be- holders. Tennessee was deadly pale, and her cousin, strange to say, showed far the most courage. She had seen more Indians in Louisi- ana than her cousin in Tennessee, where they were almost extinct. 5 “Don’t seem to be frightened,” she whisper- ed. ‘‘ He won’t dare touch us while the men are in full sight. I will speak to him.” ing She accordingly addressed Tiger Tail in as firm a voice as she could command. be: yb eee chief,” .she said. ‘* What will you have? We are always glad to see good Indians.” ‘ Tiger Tail slowly and lingeringly withdrew his eyes from the face of Tennessee, and looked at Louie. He waved his hand with great dig- nity and answered, in broken English: Want whisk y—ugh!” ‘““You can not have it,” answered the girl, de- cidedly. ‘‘We have none, in the first place; and it is wicked to give it to Indians. It makes them mad.” Tiger Tail waved the pipe in his hand. ‘““Want see white chief,” he said. ‘‘ He give whisky. Tiger Tail great chief. Ugh!” _ “The white chief is yonder, by the river,” said Louie, quietly. ‘‘He has many guns with him. He loves good Indians, but he kills the bad ones. He will not give you any Ny Tiger Tail looked at her with a glance that sent the red blood flooding all over her face and neck, and made her tremble. Then he treated Tennie to a similar stare of unequivocal admiration and desire, till she low- ered her eyes in very shame, and whispered: “Louie! Louie! Let’s scream andrun! He frightens me to death. Perhaps he wants to kill ? The chief heard the remark, and smiled reas- suringly, something as a wolf might. Hand- some as he was, and not much over twenty ears old, there was a hardened, leering, inso- ent expression in his face hard to exaggerate, No kill pretty squaw,” he said. “‘ Tiger Tail come on peace. See. Hab no knife. Only pipe. All right.” And he lifted up his tiger-skin robe and dis- played the belt of his hunting-shirt, innocent of weapons to all gor and only containing a mat pouch o x 'Riger Tail great chief,” he soedaeg proudly. ‘Come see white chief, say welcome.” “T’m sure we’re very much obliged to you, Mr. |. Tiger Tail,” said Tennie Magoffin, ing for the first time, and trying in vain to hide the tremor of her voice. ‘‘Won’t you go down to the river, and see my father? He knows how to talk to gentlemen of your kind better than we d oO. Tiger Tail toe another interesting leer at Ten- nie, and made a step nearer, immensely flattered ather evident terror.

eee that strangely suggested slinking, holding his pi before him, as a badge, to show his peacdtal’ fr tention. As soon as he was gone, Tennie Magoffin burst out into a profusion of thanks to the old hunter, and the two mustangers dismounted from their No mean CHAPTER XI. THE TWO COUSINS. “On, Mr. Carrol!” said impulsive Tennie; “how thankful I am that you came in time. Who knows what that wretch might have done before father could have got down to help us? Do you think he’ll come again? His looks froze my very blood.” ‘Oh, no,” said Wash, stoutly. “We'll take car’ o’ him now. Them Injuns is always durned brave when there’s nout but wimmin critturs around. Yer seen how he wilted when we cum up. Tar’ cur’ous to me why his band ain’t round hyar. Ef they had ’a’ b’en, ye mout’a’ had a wusser skeer. Thar goes the varmint now, a-talkin’ to the kurnel. agh! how I do despise his hull tribe!” “Hadn’t one of us better ride down there and warn the colonel how to treat him?’ asked Ed Thornley, at this moment. “Yer right, Ed. Tl go. Take keer o’ the young ladies while I’m gone,” said Wash, hur- riedly, ‘‘”T'won’t do to rile him too much.” And he threw the lariat of the beautiful ‘*“buck-skin ” mare to Thornley, and galloped off down toward the river-side, where Tiger Tail was calmly approaching the colonel’s party, all of whom bad stopped work, and were eying the Indian with considerable distrust. “Do you think there’s any danger, sir?” in- quired Tennie of Thornley, as soon as Wash had gone. ** Not at present, Miss Magoffin,” he answered, only too glad of the opportunity to talk to these charming girls, but wishing it had been the dark one who spoken. ‘‘ While the chief saw only you two ladies, whom he did not fear, I make no doubt he was insolent; but an Indian respects strength, and he would not dare to at- tack you openly, in broad daylight, while all your men are well armed.” Tennie heaved a sigh of relief. Thornley did not tell her what he apprehended—that Tiger Tail might return by night, and try to obtain that by surprise which he might fail in by force, He e conversation by asking: “And how do you like Texas, Miss Magoffin?’ have said splendid, sir; but since that horrid Indian came, the charm seems to have depart- ed. How Mr.—?” “Thornley,” said our hero, bowing; “ Ed- ward Thornley. Oh, well, your father is now building a block-house, and when that is finish- ed, and provided with a good stockade, you need not fear all the Indians on the plains.” “But how long will it be before that?’ asked Miss Dupre, speaking for the first time. “The block-house ought to be defensible in two days,” said Rengnore 8 glad to address the 5 ety of his wishes. ‘‘ Your father will prob- ably move camp there to-night. This is no place for one. There is too much cover all round to conceal anenemy. Out yonder no one can get near without being seen. Still, I anti- cipate no danger, for you seem to be strong- handed.” Tennie Magoffin’s cheerful disposition made this sober conversation irksome to her. She changed it by remarking: “Mr, Thornley, what lovely horses you have there. So much prettier than those ugly mules you had yesterday. That cream-colored mare is a perfect beauty. I wonder if she would let me pat her?” “Not quite yet, Miss Magoffin,” said the mus- tanger, with a smile. “She was only tamed this morning, and needs a little more discipline yet. But I am glad you like her, for I believe my comrade intends her for you. The other is intended as a present for your cousin.” “And from whom, pray, Mr. Thornley?’ de- manded the girl, with a saucy twinkle of her blue eyes, wich were quite sharp enough to see the state of the case. Thornley colored deeply. _ ‘From myself, if the young lady will accept it,” he muttered, a strange bashfulness oppress- ing his usually open face. ‘We noticed that you had no horses, and Wash and I thought that possibly you would not think it a liberty—to— offer you—won’t you take them?” _Tennie’s eyes sparkled with fun. A merry ah always ete the distress of a modest over, especially if he is some other girl’s lover. Louie Dupre raised her dark eyes to Thornley’s we 4 and gravely. ““T thank you very much, Mr. Thornley,” she said, quietly. “It was very kind of you to think of us. But I fear we shall be robbing you, to take such beautiful horses, They must have =~ considerable money, which you cannot af- ord,’ “No, I assure you,” said Thornley, — : ‘‘mustangs only fetch low prices A anf t let that deter you. But they make beautiful la- dies’ horses. The spotted one will carry you like a bird. I'll give her one more lesson, and she will be ready for you to mount. “Thank you,” said Louie, simply, and there the matter ended, for, at that mic: ent, Colonel Magoffin was seen approaching, at the ivead of his Binge Sam laborers, and accompanied by Tizer Tail. ash Carroll rode alongside, wie: when close by, dismounted and came up to Tennie Magoffin, with his best bow. Mi Tennie,” said the old hunter, ‘‘me and my kumrad, we kinder thunk as how you and er cousin hyar would like a kupple o’ critters ride. So we jest larryetted them ar mus- tangs for yer, an’ giv’ em a breakin’, so ’s ye mout hev ’em ef yer wanted. That ar buck- skin’s yourn, an’ Spotty b’longs to Miss—Miss— yer cousin, thar.” ‘““My name is Louisiana Dupre,” said the young Creole, in her soft, somewhat melan- choly voice; ‘and I thank you very much, Mr. Carrol.” “Oh! that ain’t nothin’!” said Wash, indiffer- ently; “we'll hev to give the critters another — — = fit or eg lady to ride.” ere onel Mago came up with Tiger Tail, and passed them on his wa ie the camp. The Indian looked hopeful tote’ expectant of something, with an‘expression of mild virtue on his face that would not have misbecome a her- mit. Wash winked his eye comically, and put his tongue in his cheek, perfectly regardless of manners, as the chief eee Tennie Magoffin smothered a laugh at the queer expression of his face, seamed as it was with the hideous scar, Tiger Tail heard the suppressed giggle, and turned but a single glance on Tennic. It was swift and instainthy withdrawn, but the girl’s Hoot turned white at the malevolence -of the ook, Wash waited till he had gone on, when he ob- served: ‘“‘ Sneakin’ cuss wanted whisk Curnel told him he wanted all hi l we ever be safe from him, and powder. powder fur

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Fe 8 bad Injuns, and never drank whisky. Goin’ ter give him a Plug of baccer and a blanket.” “* But won’t he want more?” suggested Thorn- ley. ‘This camp’s in a bad place, if he comes round at night trying to steal.” “‘Goin’ ter move arter dinner,” said Wash, a little fy. ‘‘D’yer think I don’t know no- thin’, Thornley? Me and the curnel moves this arternoon, while you breaks the young ladies’ horses. Hyar comes Tiger Tail.” ; As he spoke the chief reappeared from the side of the colonel’s wagon, his face wreathed in smiles, carrying a bri ht searlet blanket over his left arm, and holding in his right a huge black plug of navy tobacco. He passed by them, still smiling, and disappeared in the motte on the way to his horse. The colonel soon after came up and addressed Wash. **] don’t think that Indian is half as bad as he is painted, Wash. He seems to me to be a simple, good-natured soul. He looked tickled to death with his red blanket and his plug of tobacco.” “Pity yer didn’t ut a ounce of arse-nick in it, durn him,” growled Wash. ‘ You are too innocent for the ira, curnel. D’ye think that cuss cum arter that blanket and a bit o’ baccer? Not by ad ned sight! He cum ter oy, that’s what he did; and ef yer don’t look sharp, he’ll be a-comin’ hyar this very night ter see what he kin get in the way of pickin’s.” ‘‘Say you so?” said Magoffin. ‘‘ Then the sooner We move camp to an open place the bet- ter, it seems to me.” ‘‘ And that’s what’s the matter,” quoth Wash, dryly. CHAPTER XII. A TURKEY-HUNTER. WHEN Eugene Dupre leftthe fire with his gun, he had made up his mind to bring home a couple of turkeys or a deer at the very least. e young man was an excellent shot, and had ac- quired some reputation among the wg be of his native State as a successful hunter. But he had never yet encountered a wild turkey in Texas, and was not aware of the extraordinary shyness of the bird. In Louisiana, when turkeys are met with, it is generally by surprise and at short range. In Texas it is necessary to decoy the old — within gunshot by imitatin the call of the female. e had practice this assiduously with the 4, bone of a turkey ingeniously manufactured for him by Mr. Strother, the overseer, who had been a mighty hunter in Tennessee, and whose second trip to Texas this was. As the young Creole mounted his horse and rode down the wood-cutters to the river- rey old Strother cast a longing glance at “Going after game, Eugene?” called out the colonel, who was superintending the hauling of logs to the block-house. ‘ Yes, sir,” answered Eugene; “I saw a herd of deer over the river, the glass this morning, and the turkeys are quite thick.” ‘*T'm afraid you won't be able to get a tur- skey,” said his uncle, smiling; ‘‘ Strotber tells me they’re very shy round here.” ‘Indeed they are,” said the overseer, earnest- ly. ‘’Tain’t every feller as can pick upa turkey round here, colonel. I’d better with ; or dinner, I Eugene or ye won’t hey much reckon.” ‘Well, Strother,” said the colonel, good- humoredly, ‘*T guess we can spare you fora few hours. Don’t go far “our wl ‘* All right, colonel,” said the overseer, eager- ly; “Tl show Mr. how to do it, and we'll be safer together, in case any o’ them pesky — comes loafin’ ’round.” ugene was only too glad of Strother’s assist- ance, for the latter was celebrated for his luck. The overseer mounted his horse, and the two forded the river below, with the water almost up to the saddle-bow. On the other side the prairie was thickly studded with mottes of timber, but to all ap- ance entirely deserted. The deer and tur- eys that Eugene had seen in the morning bad all fled out of sight, as the two the stream. Strother rode up to the nearest motte and dismounted. The two led their horses in oa the shelter = — enormous liv; — eavy drapery 0 panish moss swept the a on po side, cay ee them rom view. Strother horse, and Eugene followed his example. ‘Now, Mr. Eugene,” said the Tennesseean, “ we'd better go irouarh this hyar motte afoot, and keep still. Thar’s turkeys about and not so fur off nuther, but ef they seen so much as the Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. end of a ha’r, we mout as well go hum, fur we won't see a feather o’ theirn.” He carefully looked to the cap of his long squirrel-rifle, and started off through the motte, bent nearly double, and stepping with extreme caution. Eugene followed with equal silence, and the two stole through the thick wood, part- ing the underbrush with their hands to avoid rustle. The wind was in their faces. Strother would never have crossed the river where he did, had it not been for that circumstance. He would have made a circuit of several miles first. At last they arrived so close to the other side that they could see an open stretch of prairie extending for over a mile before another motte was encountered. But this prairie was as empty of game as the other, and Eugene uttered an exclamation of disappointment. Strother, however, settled himself down with perfect resignation on a fallen log, and si od to his companion to do the same. A thick screen of bushes fri the edge of the motte in front of them, and they could command a full view of the prairie. eee obeyed, though not without hesi- tion. “What's the use of sitting here, Strother?” he asked; ‘‘ we can’t see anything.” “Sh!” said the Tennessean, lifting his finger. ‘* Hark to that!” The two listened for some minutes without hearing anything, and Eugene was growing im- vatient, when suddenly the faint, far-off “ Gob- le, gobble, gobble!” of a turkey broke on their ears. Eugene drew out his turkey-call in a minute, and would have answered, but Strother restrained him. “See hyar, Mr. Eugene,” said the overseer; “ef I stay with yer, I must boss this job. Ef er answer foo quick ye’ll never git a gobbler yar, in all creation. Let me do ity and I’ll bring one up within twenty rods.” Eugene reluctantly consented to forego a trial of his skill. Strother produced his own call, and uttered a single “cluck!” plaintive and shrill, in exact imitation of the cry of the female turkey. It was almost instantly answered from three different quarters, and at various distances, Eugene was delighted. He wanted to answer at once. ‘*Don’t ye do it,” said Strother, earnestly; ‘* half o? 5 young fellers loses turkeys through cluckin’ much. Them gobblers is e’ena’- most. the cutest critters as runs. They know the difference in a minute. It stands to reason. S’pose a has three fellers courtin’ her. She don’t holler to ’em, ‘Come hyar an’ kiss me,’ She kinder draws back and ae still. She knows well enough that the fellers’ll come. All she’s got to do is to keep still and let them git each ,, other mad, like them fellers is a-doin’ now. As he spoke, he elevated his hand with a low laugh of satisfaction. All three of the old gob- blers had begun again, and two of them were coming nearer, from the sound. ‘* Now some fellers,” prone Strother, tran- quilly, ‘‘ would go to cluckin’ now. What ‘ud the consequence? Them gobblers ’ud stop and say ‘That ain’t no o’ ourn,’ and arter that you mout cluck till eternity. You wouldn’t hyar another gobble, or see a feather.” ‘But if you don’t answer any more, won't they think the hen-turkey’s gone?” asked Eugene, who was growing interested. ‘‘Wait till they’re gittin’ tired o’ gobblin’,” said the overseer; ‘then we'll liven ’em up a bit. You jest listen.” They sat silently there for at least ten min- utes more, Every now and then one of the old he | open would gobble, and the nae would be answered by his com ons or rivals, but the sound only oe very slowly. At last Strother the call to his lips, and uttered a second ‘‘cluck,” during an interval of silence. It was much lower than the first, but the effect was magical. All three of the strange birds burst into a chorus of excited gobbles, and then there was dead silence. “Now thur a-leggin’ it,” said Strother, in a low tone, witha — e. ‘‘Shouldn’t won- der ef ye see one soon. Git yer shootin’-iron y, with heavy shot.” And he laid his own long rifle over his kn ready for an emergency. Eugene looked ou eagerly over the prairie, his gun ready cocked, expecting every moment to see the turkeys coming. The gobbles sounded from three differ- ent mottes to the right and left, and after an in- terval of full five minutes, a second chorus arose much nearer, ‘“‘Answer them, Strother! answer them!” wens Eugene, excitedly. “Not by a doggoned sight,” said the overseer, pevlencphionly, “oT would spile allnow. You eep still. Hi! Thur he are!” As he spoke, the figure of a majestic-looking wild turkey, standing quite four feet high, as he stood erect, came proudly tripping forth from the motte on the right, about a quarter of a mile off, running, with his win extended, out into the open prairie. Here he halted abruptly and craned his neck on high, looking all rounc , as if intensely suspicious. Presently he uttered a loud and sonorous ‘‘ GOBBLE-GOBBLE- GOBBLE-GOBBLE!” It was instantly answered from the opposite motte, and forth came running two more tur- keys, as different in vigor and grace from the tame turkey as can well be imagined. They moved ar torward, and each stopped on seeing his rival, and began to strut and gobble desperately. In their anger with each other, they had al- most forgotten the cause of their hurry; and they strutted toward the center of the open space, evidently bent onafight. Strother waited for at least ten minutes more, during which the strutting and kaming gallants had approached within a few yards of each other, but just out of gunshot from the concealed hunters. ‘‘ You fire arter me,” he whispered to Eugene. “* We'll bag the hull caboodle then. ” He raieel the call to his lips, and gave forth the very faintest ‘‘cluck” imaginable. But it was all-suflicient. Down went every head, and, with extended wings, the three gobblers came tearing down full speed, racing to see who should be first to court the good gnome of the concealed lady, pwother lifte ... 7 slowly. own came the turkeys within thirty paces, when they all halted. r Each inflated the scarlet wattles on throat and breast, and trailed his wings on the ground while he spread his tail fan-like, and strutted round and round, gobbling loudly. The Tennesseean’s rifle cracked, and the left- hand turkey rolled over on the sod, with a little round hole overhis heart. Bang! bang! almost at the same minute, went the double- l of Eugene Dupre; and the heavy swan-shot knock- ed the life out of the two others in an instant. The young Creole was delighted with his suc- cess. He thanked Strother warmly for the les- son he had given him, and weighed his prizes with great admiration. The least of them weighed nearly thirty pounds! By this time it was high noon, and both the hunters began to feel the proverbial appetite of their kind. _ ‘I promised Tennie a turkey,” said Eugene, joyfully, ‘‘and here I’ve been better than m word, We have enough to feed the whole camp. But I thank you all the same, Strother as I should never have got one, I do believe, if you hadn’t been along. Let’s go home,” “Ay, ay! I’m thinking they’ll want me this arternoon,” said Strother. ‘Ef they ’spects to git up that block-house by to-morrow night, we'll hey to be pretty spry, I guess. Wal, : Hugeos you go round the motte to the right, and Pil go to the left. We mout start up a deer atween us, or mebbe a b’ar. I'll carry your turkeys.” The young man was not sorry to be relieved of the heavy load, and was My to prove his skill if possible, so he and the Herculean over- seer took opposite paths around the motte to return to their horses. Strother trudged along under near a hundred pounds of meat with but little discomfort. His object in going that way was more to reconnoi- ter the country than in the hope of flushing game, and he was not disappointed in not see- g any. When he had got back close to the horses he was startled by hearing the quick double report of Eugene’s gun, and muttered: ‘* Durn the boy! har did he git such buck?” He quietly attached the turkeys to the rear of his saddle and awaited Eugene’s reap d Time passed, and still he came not. Strother grew uneasy as the minutes went on. He outed twice, but no answer came. Hastily loosening the revolver in his belt and men | his rifle, he ran round the motte to where he had heard the gun. No Eugene was there! On the prairie lay the discharged gun, and close to it the tracks ef horses’ feet, leading off to the nearest motte. The tracks were plai but nothing else was in sight save a little pool of blood close to the empty gun. Strother groaned aloud. CHAPTER XIII. OLD WASH SCENTS THE TRAiL, CoLoNEL MaGorrin was staniling under a

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The Wild-Horse Hunters. 9 tree, with Wash Carrol, eating a hasty lunch of bread and ham, and complacently surveying the progress of the block-house. Workin with a will as they had been, fourteen pairs of hands had done a great deal of work in a small time. Already the heavy timbers, smoothed at top and bottom, and deeply notched at the corners of the structure, had risen in a firm, bullet- eagd wall to a hight of seven or eight feet, and he top timbers, with rows of auger-holes to serve as loop-holes, were nearly ready to put on. The workmen were sitting round, eating their dinner, and cracking jokes, one with another, with all the careless gayety of their race. The wagons had been hitched up and moved down close to the block-house, as suggested in the morning, and the women were ‘busily engaged in transferring all the moveables into the in- closure, for protection. Since he had heard of Tiger Tail’s strange demeanor in the morning, the colonel had determined not to let another night pass without having his precious treasures under shelter. “We needn’ put a roof on the house just yet, Wash,” he said. ‘If we carry up the timbers a little higher, we can make a parapet to shelter behind, and put all our force to work on a stock- ade to protect the cattle.” ** Guess we'll hey time, cunnel,” said old Wash. .Injuns is plaguy cowardly critters, arter all, and it takes ’em a heap o’ time ter e up thar mind to fight. Afore Tiger Tail’s ready for us, mebbe we mout be re for him, more’n he thunk of. But we hain’t no time to lose. I don’t like the way the pesky young varmint looked at the young ladies. Gosh! cunnel, your darter does clip it on that buck-skin mar! She rides e’ena’most like a Comanche.” The exclamation was elicited by the sight of Tennessee Magoffin, already moun on the retty cream-colored mare Wash had tamed for ior and careering round and round the meadow, between them and thie old camp, like a hawk on the wing. Tennie rode, like many another girl in the sunny South, as if she was born to the saddle. Her cousin could be seen, close by, pre- aring to mount the white mare, spotted with Bisake which Edward Thornley was holding for her. The pretty creature hood trembling under the sharp twitch of the hakimo, a peculiar noose around the nose and under-jaw, used by the Mexicans and mustangers, under which the wildest horse generally becomes submissive. Southerners, like the Magoffins, had, of course, brought side-saddles with them, even though the Sat not had the mounts to put them on. With a light and active spring Louisiana Dupre leaped from Thornley’s assisting hand to her seat and gathered up her reins. — Thornley untwisted the hakimo which was outside of the bridle, and the half-tamed mus- tang made a great leap, and cg tig agg in amad race. Half-tamed, we say, but it is all the taming nine horses out of ten get in Texas. A good choke, half an hour’s fight with a pai of spurs a foot lon , and a remorseless centaur to use them, and the creature gives in, and is ronounced *‘ domado”—tamed. But Louisiana upre was as good a rider, almost, as her cousin Tennie, and soon brought her spotted mare to sub on. The exercise had brought the color to her cheek, the fire to her eye, and all her melancholy was gone for the nonce, as she gal- loped up to the colonel and inquired: ‘ How do you like my mare, uncle? Isn’t she splendid?’ “Very pretty, indeed, my dear,” said the colonel, patting the mare’s neck. ‘‘ You ride splendidly, Louie.” ; “Thank you, sir,” she said. ‘“‘ Now, I think I'll ride over and look after Eugene. The por boy may be hungry, for I don’t believe he'll shoot much here. “T heard his and Strother’s half an hour ago,” answe the colonel. ‘I guess they must have killed something, for Strother’s an old hand at decoying turkeys. They ought to be here now pretty soon.” At this minute, Tennessee Magoffin came rac- ing up at full speed, and checked her horse abruptl opposite. , “Father,” she said, eagerly, her face full of anxiety, ‘iMr, Strother’s coming across the river leading Eugene’s horse, and I don’t see Eugene. Something has happened to him, I’m certain. Perhaps he’s hurt himself. He always is so venturesome, Oh! father, if he should hurt!” “Nonsense, you silly child,” said the colonel, a little uneasy nevertheless. ‘‘ They shot too much game to carry, I suppose, and Eugene has stayed by it to keep it from the coyotes. Don’t be tightened about nothing.” “Oh! do you think so?” said Tennie, relieved. *T’ll go down right off and ask Mr, Strother.” “Don’t ye do it, Miss Tennie,” cried old Wash, earnestly; ‘‘ that ar’ bank ain’t fit fur a lady to ride down, leave alone on a fresh-caught hoss. I’m a-goin’, Don’t you do it for your life, I say.” The old hunter's eager manner impressed Tennie so much that she unwillingly remained where she was, while old Wash plunged down the bank on foot, a prey to anxiety he had hid- den successfully, “What are it, neighbor?’ he asked, eagerly, as Strother slowly rode up to the bank through the ford; ‘“‘are anything happe’d to the young *un?. Whar is he?’ “Gone!” said Strother, with a hollow groan; “gone! And snapped up by them hell-hounds of Injins, I b’lieve. "T'warn’t a half-hour ago, as we parted t’other side o’ that motte. He went one way, I t’other, round. I heered his gun and went thar. Hyar’s all I found.” And he exhibited the elegant _silver-mounted fowling-piece, which Eugene had taken so much pride in that xorg: if “Take me to the place,” said Wash, eagerly. “Durn the gobblers. Throw ’em down byar, and I'll take his hoss. You and me, neighbor, we'll ferret out who did this deviltry afore we’re a day older. Weepins in order, say?” “You bet,” replied Strother, laconically. The advent of a brother spirit as keen as Wash Carrol, had altered the look of affairs to his ap- prehension, He threw down the turkeys on the ground, and Wash Carrol jumped on the pretty thoroughbred that had been Eugene’s, and rode back into the ford, ‘ “What ‘ll the colonel say?’ nye asked Strother, pausing. ‘“Hadn’t. we oughter go back and tell him fust?” ‘* Whar’s the use?’ said Wash, gruffly. ‘‘ He’ll know it soon ’nuff. Bad news flies, neighbor. Besides, he knows me well enough ter trust me ter do the squar’ thing.” And so the two hunters, one so gigantic, the other so diminutive, pursued their way in com- pany over the stream and rode together to the place where Strother had found the abandoned we Wash Carrol rag to the ground, throwing the bridle of his horse to his com- panion. He went down on his hands and knees, and examined the tracks all round with the closest attention, even snuffing at them as a hound might. Strother carefully and silently kept the two horses back from interfering with his movements, and watched him with close atten- tion as a connoisseur in the art. Finally Wash rose to his feet as if satisfied, and followed the horse-tracks for about twenty feet, when he halted. “What d’ you make o’ this hyar, neighbor?” he demanded, turning to Strother, The overseer laconically answered: ‘‘ Injuns ‘** Ay; any fool c’u’d tell that,” replied Carrol: “but *tain’t every one as could tell this hyar blood warn’t his’n.” ‘How d’yer know?’ asked the overseer, in- credulously. ‘Cause why. Don’t re see these hyar fore- feet is plum above that ar’ pool, and the dro £0 on e track all on oneside? Now, ef it had ’a’ his’n *twould’a’ been hyar, whar they drag- his body nigh twenty feet oygr the grass. o, that ar’ blood’s hoss’s_ bl They must ’a’ come on him suddint-like, so he fired ina hurry and mebbe hit one of thar hosses a skelp. Then they twitched him with the larryett, and — like sixty to git behind that ar’ motte. ar’s whar we've got to go, Gotasix-shooter?” **'You bet!” replied the overseer, in his usual laconic style, exhibiting the weapon, at that time not near as common as now. “ Let’s its then!” was Wash’s remark, as he loosened his own revolver in the holster, and cocked his rifle. Then he started off on the trail of the horses at a jog-trot, Strother following with the two steeds, **Took him up bya ” remarked Wash, as the broad track that had been made by poor Eu- gene's body suddenly ceased. ‘‘ Only three em, all told.” And he pointed to the tracks of three horses of different sizes, but all evidently unshod, that composed the trail to the motte. ‘Thur mustangs—hey?”’ said Strother, inter- rogativel as he marked the three tracks. “Yes. Thur mustangs,” answered Wash, in an abstracted tone. But he did not seem to be at all satisfied on the subject. He went on slow] manttening to himself, and finalky turned round, and said: on a Neighbor, air you some ona trail?” ‘‘Kudn’t say I are,” replied Strother, modest- ly; ‘I hev done a wheen of it in my time, how- sumdever.” “Tell me,” said Wash, pausing, ‘‘ what’s the differ atween a white man’s and a Injun’s ridin’?” ‘“ White man keeps his hoss more on his hun- kies,” said the overseer, promptly, ‘‘’special’ if he be a ones Injun goes lollopy-lollop.” “Good!” said Wash, with a grunt. «Neigh- bor, you are some on a trail. You ar’ got gump- tion, you hey. Git down hyar, and take a squint, and tell me what you think o’ this ’ere.” And he pointed to something on the track which Strother could not see from his horse’s back. The overseer got down from his animal, and exam- ined the trail closel ‘See hyar,” said Wash, pointing to the tracks as he spoke, to illustrate his meaning, te ol are three hoss-tracks. Two on ’em is even, but this hyar goes deeper ahint than afore, So I say, that ar’ hoss war ridden by a white man with a sharp bit. What d’ye think, neighbor?” ‘* Looks reasonable,” admitted Strother ; ‘‘ but, how does a white man come hyar, consortin with Injuns?’ “There are sich cusses as him a’most enny- wheers,” said Wash, gravely; ‘‘morely, we’ve got a pardner down at the corral, as me. and Ed ev suspicioned a long time. Say, neighbor, war ye ever in Loozyanny?” He asked the question with curious abrupt- ness, and the overseer answered it with his usual brevity. “ You bet.” “Did ye ever know a cuss thar of the name of Louis Lebar? A short en fellow, a’most as black as a ni r, with a blac beard over his face. Mout ’a’ bina Portugee, from his looks,” ‘* No!” said Strother, briefly. Wash looked a little disappointed. He threw up his rifle on his shoulder, and marched off ong the track in silence, till they were close to the motte of timber. “Look out, neighbor,” growled Strother; ‘‘mout be Injuns in thar. Best git on yer hoss. Track’s plain nuff.” Wash Carrol made no answer. He hastened forward, still on foot, with his rifle ready to fire at a moment’s notice. He saw at the corner of the motte something which promised a clew. A clew it was, plain enough. The very identical plug of tobacco which Tiger Tail had received from Colonel Magoffin, lay there in the prass, amid the confused tramp- ling footsteps of a number of horses. “Tiger ‘Lail, by the jumping Jehosaphat!” cried Wash. ‘‘ Now, don’t you git into no sweat, neighbor; we'll hey that boy back before long, or I’m durned. That’s fair! I know whar he is. He ain’t kilt—he ain’t. He’s only gobbled, to see ef they kain’t git some ransom out of the cunnel. The gy Bab penn I know a trick wuth two 0’ his. hyar, neighbor! The hull band was hyar waitin’, and they’ve va- moosed the ranch as soon as they got the young feller safe. Thar’s the track, straight into Tiger ty oom si ted to a broad, plain trail e pointed to a in trail of man hoofs that led off from the corner of the ye to the Cross Timbers. “‘ How many fellers has this Tiger Tail?” asked Strother of his companion, as they stood watch- ing the track. ‘Bout a hundred and fifty,” said Wash. us Why qpeand x oom - party, and ride into © cuss’s hole, an e him give up the young feller?’ demanded Strother. 7 . : baie in turned eegerly wegen : : you make one of sich a party, neigh- bor?” he asked. oe “IT will that!” replied Strother, emphatically. “We've got our weepins, and no one ain’t a- goin’ through us so durned quick as this comes to. Come, stranger, let us be hoofin’ it. We'll hev bad news and good to tell the cunnel, but we mout as well git all the help we kin, fur *twon’t be so easy to skeer that ‘ere Tiger Tail without four or five six-shooters a-pointin’ his head.” ‘Neighbor, you're a hoss!” said Wash, heart- ily. ‘‘Give us yer claw.” The gigantic Tennesseean oe the other’s hand with a force that made it tingle. He and Wash remounted their horses and galloped back to camp, where they found all in the test commotion. Tennie fin was wild with apprehension, and the colonel had all his men armed, and ready for an assault. When Wash and Strother mae aes ww and told their , proposing the plan, there was not a dis- sentient voice in the whole party. Putting the women into the half completed

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1 block-house, and consigning them to the care of four well-armed negroes, the colonel, Strother Thornley, Carrol, and eight of the negroes, all cred to the teeth, set off to beard the tiger in en, CHAPTER XIV. THE BLACK STALLION. In a deep recess or bay, formed by two jut- ting projections or spurs of the Cross Timbers, lay the camp of the vagabond Seminole chief. It was surrounded on all sides, except the front, by the low, scrubby vegetation of the Timbers, ose-stunted oak, hickory, and black-jack ris- ing to an average hight of about twelve feet, and closely covered below with thorny under- brush, formed a curtain of defense, impenetra- ble except with the ax. Within the bay, which might have contained some fifty acres, was spread the camp of Tiger Tail, numbering be- tween and sixty lodges. The tent of the chief himself was dignified by a pole in front, on which dangled a row of scape, the flowing light hair on more than one attesting that it had been torn from the head of a white woman. Tiger Tail’s lodge was of the kind, and contained over a dozen women of various degrees of comeliness, for the Semi- noles are a handsome race of Indians. Several of them were lounging round the door, nursing pap and watching the boys of the camp at play on the green in front. he camp was almost denuded of warriors, and there were but few horses feeding outside; but the word had just been passed that Tiger Tail was returning, and the urchins of the camp ran yelling out to welcome the warriors. In they came at full gallop, Ftp try? their rs, and yelling for a headed by the chief himself, who bore across his horse’s withers a bound and helpless form. Tiger Tail rode up to his lodge, and threw himself from his horse, when he > pulled off the prisoner, and dropped him on the ground, like a bale of é Then it might be seen that the captive was a white man, dressed in the blue cottonade blouse and trowsers of a Louisiana Creole, his head swathed in a red blanket, that completely blinded him, The next man to Tiger Tail was the Black Mustanger, riding a freshly-caught wild horse, of great beauty, which he checked on its haunches, with a powerful Spanish bit, as he said, in a low voice: “T must go now, chief. Keep him safe, and on no account let him know that I am your friend. I will disarm suspicion by going to the corral. Those fools will never find out. Re- member, to-night, before they get their block- house eae Good-by. I will take the short nt Good!” said Tiger Tail, briefly; “ ’ !” said Tiger efly; ‘my yo sen will be there. gion Aste Lebar dashed the spurs into his horse’s sides, and galloped off to the very end of the bay. Here several narrow paths were to be seen, that had been cut through the underbrush, in past times, by the Seminoles, as a means of escape if they were attacked by superior forces. One and all were quite invisible until you were close to them. Lebar appeared to know his way well, for he chose one of the paths without any hesitation and forced the unwilling horse to his utmost along the narrow, tortuous way. In ten minutes’ rapid riding he gained the edge of the Cross Timbers, at another point, and ld before him, at a mile’s distance, the mus- Par r’s corral, of which he was supposed to be charge. A glance assured him that the corral was in- tact, and the captured herd still safe, and then he tore away toward them at the best speed the maddened mustang was capable of, and reached the gate in about two minutes. Here he pulled up the horse with such a jerk of the bit, that the animal reared violently up, wed the air for a moment, and went over backward to the ground. ut Lebar, though a poor hand with the lasso, was by no means a bad rider. He seppen out of the saddle, and stood by the fallen steed, unhurt, as the poor creature trembling and exhausted, arose and s quaking and covered with sweat before his con- ueror, ty The Black Mustanger took down the bars, and led the horse into the corral, turning him loose, after unsaddling, all reeking as he was, “Lucky for me those fellows haven’t come back,” he said to himself, as he looked at the ex- hausted animal. ‘They might have suspected something, if they had seen me galloping about Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. He began to wish he had taken his slow old out there. I wonder how long it will be before they find out the loss of young Dupre? Curse him! Tl have him killed for what he said to me once. Thank Heaven! he didn’t see me. If Tiger Tail lets him go for a ransom, it would have been awkward if he had recognized me. Old Magoffin might have pulled up stakes, and Rote for those Regulators, and where should I ave gone then? No one at that camp knows me, except her and her brother. The rest are all Tennesseeans. Heigho! It’s slow work waiting for those two fellows. Wonder what they can find so interesting at the Magoffins’ camp. He went to the top of one of the swells, and looked out in the direction of the emigrant en- campment. For some time nothing was to be seen, but at last he caught a glimpse of a horse- man’s head, followed by several others, comin over the top of a swell, several miles off, an heading toward Tiger Tail’s camp, by the prairie way. By this path, the distance from Magoffin’s to the Seminole village was at least six miles, whereas by the short cut ee the Cross Timbers, of which Lebar alone knew, it was only about two and a half. he Black Mustanger watched the cavalcade with close attention, counting the numbers. He counted twelve figures, and recognized the di- minutive figure of Wash Carrol, and the huge form of the overseer in advance. ‘*They’ve found it out,” muttered Lebar, ex- citedly. ‘‘ They must be going in search of him. Perhaps to offer Tiger Tail a heavy ransom. Ha! ha! He’ll ask enough to sicken old Magof- fin of the Cross Timbers. I’ve primed him well.” He continued to watch the distant horsemen, who were going at a loping gallop, straight to- ward Tiger Tail’s village, till they were hid- den from sight by a swell of land. “*T wonder what they’ll vce’ fad the chief,” mut- tered he. ‘‘ If heonly knew t vy were coming he might arrange a surprise for them. Why not? I’m the nearest still by four miles, and I can warn him in time. W ie we bag the whole crowd of them, Wash Carrol and all? Then I might be rich. By heavens! ’tis a good plan! Dll try it. ButI shall need a swift horse in case there’s any hitch. My own beast is ood, but he’s only amule. I guess I’ll catcha frosh mustang. Ill have plenty of time.” The Black Mustanger turned round and picked up his long lariat from where it lay by his sad- dle He climbed over the bars of the gate, and advanced toward the captured herd, which was quietly feeding near the pond. His appearance peace a stampede as usual, and again the an- huddled together against the fence in the corner, kicking and squealing. Lebar selected his mark, a fine steel-gray young stallion, and advanced close to the herd. But he was by no means skillful enough with the lasso. In order to keep the noose open, he whirled it round his head, and increased the ter- ror of the horses to such an extent by the ges- ture that they broke loose from the corner and made a mad pia e past him in wild terror. As they dashed by, Lebar threw his lasso with no very accurate aim into the midst of the sea of tossing heads. The next minute he felt himself pecare | from the ground, the rope cutting into is waist, while he was along the whole length of the corral, receiving many bruises in the ti ape till the frantic horse stopped in the corner of the corral, backing away to the end of his tether. Lebar gathered himself up, cursing furiously. He was a man of t personal strength and savage temper, and from that moment forgot everything, for some time, but his desire of re- venge on the horse. He found that he had las- soed a splendid black stallion by accident, one of the leaders of the herd, the noose having caught the wild horse round the neck, where it had ti up close to his head. ‘TH you, curse you!” bellowed the in- furiated mustanger, as he rose to his feet, smart- ing from his wounds, and began to pull up, by main force, to the frightened horse. But his furious gestures produced a bad result. The wild horse, to be approached successfully, needs caution and patience, and Lebar’s gestures frightened the wild stallion to such an extent that he made a second desperate break away to the middle of the corral, ing the k Mustanger after him, in spite of his desperate struggles to hold back. It was not for fully ten minutes that Lebar could get near him, and then the horse dropped on the earth, nearly dead from suffocation. The mustanger came up, hand-over-hand, and loosened the noose to allow the horse to breathe. mule, after all, but it was too late now. He must make up for lost time by fast riding. When he loosened the noose the wild stallion slowly rose, with an air of bewilderment, and made but little resistance on his way to the sc Lebar let down the rails, and the stallion unded through the opening with a joyful neigh, nearly rageing the wedges of his feet again in his efforts to escape. He did drag him so far from the gate that Lebar had no time to put up the barrier again till the stallion fell a second time from strangulation. But the Black Mustanger had recovered his coolness, and secured the lasso to a tree before he liberated the animal, when he left him to rise, while he put up the bars again. “Curse you!” he muttered, vindictively, as he again approached the horse, with his saddle oe his arm; ‘‘you shall pay for this pres- ently. But, as if in scorn of his words, the black stal- lion let fly both heels at him as he approached, with a violence that would haye ended Louis Lebar’s days then and there but for a timely spring backward. Then the mustanger did what he ought to have done at first. e hauled on the lasso for the third time, and pulled up to the horse’s “agri the animal straining chokingly on the cord, ti he got near enough to put his hand over the creature’s nose and breathe into its nostrils. The effect on the wild horse was apparent. It ceased to struggle, and submitted leper se 2 to be saddled, while Lebar inserted the noose of the hakimo into its mouth, twitching the under jaw and nose with merciless violence. With all his best endeavors, however, imitat- ing the tactics of Carrol as near as he knew how, it was fully a quarter of an hour more of strug- gles, all of them induced by his own clumsiness and savage violence, before he at last succeeded in throwing his leg over the back of the wild stallion, with a bridle in its mouth. When he did, the real struggle commenced. No longer under the choking restraint of the hakimo, the wild steed was at full liberty to use its best efforts to unseat its rider. It proceeded to use them as well as it knew how. Back jumps from the ground with all four leg: stiff, a combination of the leap and a kickin the air, whirls round and round, standing almost erect on the hind legs, only to make a sprin, from them; all these various tricks did the wil horse try. Lebar kept a tight gripe on the pommel of the saddle or the floating mane of the horse, and managed to retain his seat, though with great difficulty, answering every effort of the charger with a fresh dig of his huge spurs. He did not ride like a Mexican vaquero. The latter would have sat erect like a tower, with loose bridle, pt at the horse’s mad efforts, secure in his seat. But he did ride sufficiently well to stick on somehow, till the stallion had exhausted himself, when the Black Mustanger drove in the spurs for tke last time, and sent his charger off in a wild burst of speed toward the hidden path in the Cross Timbers. Once the wild horse is got to his speed, h’s conquest is certain. The harder he runs, the quicker will he exhaust himself. Lebar smiled rimly as he wiped the sweat from his dark, for- idding-looking face, and spurred the conquered beast harder than ever. The creature seemed to fly over the prairie, and less than two minutes brought him to the secret path, into which his rider dashed. Once out of sight in the scrub timber, however, Lebar began to draw on the bit, and brought his ani- mal to a slower gallop, under which he arrived at the Seminole camp. * When he pulled up at the edge of the clearing, he saw that he was too late. e party of white men was just riding into the camp. CHAPTER XV. BEARDING THE TIGER, “Now, cunnel,” said Wash Carrol, in a low tone, as he rode into the outskirts of the Semi- nole co, ** you jest leave this hyar biz to me, I know this hyar sneakin’ cuss well. Will yer do as I tell yer?” ‘* T will, Wash, on the honor of a gentleman,” said the colonel, earnestly. ‘‘You know the Indians better t Ido. But, oh! Wash, su emg they’ve killed him! How shall I ever fase is poor sister again?” “He ain’t dead, cunnel; “I'll sw’ar’t. Ef they’d ’a’ killed him, we’d ’a’ found his karkidge, already skulped. Leave ’t ter me and my neigh bor hyar, and do as we does or tells yer.” The colonel nodded silently, and the little

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The Wild-Horse Hunters. 11 rty rode into the camp of the Seminoles. ot a single motion was made, as the white men and negroes rode in; but they were met with scowling and lowering glances on every side. Wash Carrol rode on, entirely aware of the danger he was running, but equally resolved to meet it at any cost, rode straight up to the lodge of Tiger Tail. ¢ ‘" Mow, cunnel,” said Wash, hurriedly, ‘‘ you and your crowd stay on hossback; keep your eyes skinned, and be ready to blaze away into the cusses when I gives the word. Me and my neighbor, hyar, will do the torking.” He leisurely dismounted from his horse, along with Strother, and the two advanced to the chief’s front, with their rifles thrown back over the hollow of the left arm. Wash Carrol then drew from his belt the very same plug of tobac- co which he had found by the motte-side, all trampled with horse-hoofs as it was, and threw it down at the chief’s feet. ‘“ Whar do you think I found that, chief?’ he asked, abruptly. Tiger Tail looked va for the first time, and gavea grunt. It was his only answer. *“T found it by the tracks that told me as how you’d been a-stealin’ away the young white chief,” said Wash, firmly. ‘‘ Where have you got him?’ Tiger Tail gave another grunt. His eyes burned like live coals as he surveyed the puny frame of the hunter. ‘** Who you, anyway?” Wash turned a little red, and his eyes twinkled with anger, but he merely nodded to the gigantic overseer, who advanced and took up the word. Strother’s deep voice, like the growl] of a bear, addressed the Indian: ‘“See hyar, you! You come to our camp this mornin’ and we treated yer like a gentleman, didn’t we? Answer that, ef ye kin—say!” Tiger Tail grunted contemptuously. ‘\ No,” he said; ‘‘ want w isk and der, Much heap. Get bit blanket, lilly bit *baccer.” ‘““We guv ye what we could,” said Strother, “We no whisky to spar’. Well, what hev e done? Ye’ve stole away jest the nicest young eller as lives in this hyar State, and ye’ve put his family into. mournin’ for fear ye mout hev killed him. What did yer do it for, say?” ‘* Whar is he, say?” also demanded Wash. Tiger Tail’s eyes blazed’ again, but he made no sign of moving yet. He felt too secure in the numbers of his warriors, and never dreamed of the aeapecaie courage of the whites. His lip curled in an insolent smile, as he said: * Want much heap whisky, much powder for Wash Carrol made a rapid signal with his eyes to Strother. The next moment the giant’s grasp was on the chief’s shoulder, thence trans- erred to his long hair, by which he plucked him to his feet as if he had beenachild. The cold muzzle of a revolver was pressed against the In- dian’s temple, as Wash forth: “Call fur help, and [ll seatter yer brains over yer squaws, darn yer painted skin. WuHanRr’s THAT BOY?” CHAPTER XVI. { ben ody BAND of men were ju reaking camp in the prairie at the dawn of that : They were many miles. to the south-east of the Cross Timbers, but the broad trail of their previous day’s march evinced that that was their direc- tion, Horses and men were alike tough and hardy in appearance, eminently fitted for their wild prairie life. The horses were all half-bred between the small, wiry, spirited mustang, and the tall, large-boned “ States horse,” the pr4 duct being an animal, unequaled in any part of the world, as a hunter or cav horse. Round - bodied, clean-limbed, sturdy and swift, full of fire and endurance, these Texan bebe cg meres are pe — to do their eighty miles a , on nothi ut prairie grass, for a week ata aneteh. vA - Their riders were all of the hunter rough-bearded men, clad in buck-skin, an heavily armed. All carried revolvers, some boasting a pair of these formidable weapons, while a unrivaled Sharp Mah pet rary ion was to be seen in the hands of many of them, su plantan the old-fashioned pea rifle, e band numbered eighty men all told, and the sound of a bugle, blowing ‘‘ To horse,” prov- ed that some sort of military discipline was ob- served by these wild-looking frontiermen. The leader of the y, was, perhaps, the least conspicuous-looking of all, as far as re- garded personal strength. He was a small quiet-loo: § man, with sandy hair, with gray, having a gray eye of remarkable calmness and steady power of gaze. His dress was more civilized than that of the rest, but sufficiently plain. His gray hat and gray home- spun coat, with high horseman’s boots, coming up to mid-thigh mer or hunter of the South. The only marks of rank he appeared to possess were the beauty of his silver-mounted revolvers, and a Colt’s repeating rifle at his back. But his | orders, given in a low, quiet, conversational tone, were obeyed implicitly by the borderers, who addressed him as ‘‘ Colonel;” one or two of .them rey eC the denominations of “* Sheriff,” or ‘ Mr. ays ® This man was no other than the celebrated * Jack Hays,” the most successful Indian-fighter of Texas in his time. In the early days of the Lone Star State, before its admission to the Union, his name had been a terror to Mexicans and horse-thieves alike, and it was under his leadership that the terrible band, known as Me ‘“‘Regulators,” had been so successful in sup- pressing the more atrocious class of criminals who flocked to Texas, as a land of promise for thieves and murderers. By office, Hays was now Sheriff of Texas at large, with a sort of roving commission to exe- cute murderers and thieves, wherever found; and the forms of law were always satisfied, in case of a capture, by a summary jury trial, the jury being chosen by lot from among the Regu- ators themselves. At a second bugle signal the band mounted in military style, and moved off to the north-west in a column of fours, as regularly as trained dragoons. Sheriff Hays rode at their head, talk- ing to a dark, Indian-looking man, who was in oe a French half-breed from Louisiana, “You say that you are certain he was the man we're after, Baptiste?’ said Hays, interro- gatively, as they rode along. ‘‘ Remember that we don’t like to make any mistakes. Our justice is so swift, it must be unerring.” ‘“‘ Quite sure, colonel,” said the half-breed, con- fidently. ‘‘From the description the tavern- keeper gave, l’ll swear its Antonio Miquelez. Jus his hight and build, and his trick of rollin his eyes, when he was startled. His arrest conviction are certain, if we can get him to New Orleans. The coroner’s jury didn’t rise from their seats after the evidence was in. Mille tonnerres/ colonel, I hope he’ll get his deserts! The young man he killed was a splendid fellow, I wish he was safe in New Orleans.” “Tf it’s the right man, I don’t think he’ll get as far as that,” said the sheriff, dryly. ‘* We'll settle his hash here.” ‘So much the better, colonel. Pardieu, I should like to see him dangling at the end of.a short rope. “We shall kill two birds with one stone up here, if I don’t mistake,” remarked Hays, pre- sently. ‘*There’s a band of Seminoles, who’ve left their reservation, and come down hin; on. the Comanche hunting-grounds. we fin them, I’ve got orders to jump! their ranch, if they won’t go back ly. The half-breed jookert puzzled. ‘‘ Jump the ranch? I don’t understand.” “Kill ‘em all, except those that beg,” ex- claimed the sheriff. The band of Regulators continued their march with such rapidity that by sunset they were with- in ten miles of the Cross Timbers, where they went into camp iy the borders of the same stream that washed the side of Magoftin’s Claim. CHAPTER XVII. A BOLD STROKE. AGREEABLY to preconcerted plan, the colonel and Edward Thornley pushed their horses for- ward, to screen the scene with Tiger Tail from the sight of the warriors in the PS while they threatened the squaws with re- volvers, to keep them from screaming for help. The whole me passed so eee that Tiger Tail saw himself surround by threate: foes, and when he felt the mastering gripe, oa read the pitiless sternness of the faces round him, the Indian chief cowered. Wash Carrol saw his face assume the expression he was looking for so eagerly—that of alject terror. Let go,” he said, quickly; and the obedient overseer in a moment relaxed his gripe. ‘Now, look hyar,” said Wash, fiercely, but in a low tone; ‘‘ you give us that ar’ boy and yer safe. Lie to us, and I'll bore a hole right through yer. Whar is he?” The brutal insolence was gone, as the chief said, in a low voice, that trembled in spite of himself. ‘‘Behind. Im lodge.” Wash looked round to see if the warriors sus- pected anything yet. Any moment might bring a general rush. were those of an ordinary far- | “‘ Now, look hyar,” said the hunter, in a low, | savage tone; ‘“‘ you keep a still tongue in your | head, and ef yer warriors come pokin’ round hyar, order ’em back. Keep yer wimmin crit- ters quiet, too. Neighbor, ef he utters a screak, plug im, and then put like all creation.” | The last words were uttered to Strother, who | gave a grim smile, and renewed his on the | Indian’s shoulder, while he drew and cocked his | revolver with the other hand. He had dropped | his rifle when he first seized the Seminole. Wash Carrol dived into the lodge door, and found, as the chief had said, Eugene Dupre, bound hand and foot, with a gag in his mouth. The hunter eagerly cut the ree man’s bonds, and raised him to his potty ut Kugene was so stiff he could hardly stand. Carrol supported him outside. The colonel would have jumped down to welcome the returned one, but for the hunter’s warning. “Don’t ye stir, cunnel. We aren’t through this mess yet. Keep yer eyes skinned, I tell yer, for ye’ll need ’em presently. Now we was a ack o’ durnation fools that we didn’t bring a oss for Mister Doopray, hyar. Never mind. You stay hyar.” The reckless hunter left the lodge, and walked boldly up to a handsome spotted stallion, whose jaguar-ekin trappings announced him to be the chief’s. Theanimal stood by a lodge close by, hitched to a spear, driven into the ground, Without any hesitation Wash plucked up the spear, and led the animal up to ne. + Hyar, young feller,” he said; ‘‘ turn about’s fair play. Git outside o’ that critter’s back. The chief won’t mind it.” And he helped Eugene to leap on the back of the Indian charger, without stirrups or bit as it was, a light rein of plaited horse-hair encircling its under jaw. Wash Carrol then came up close to Tiger Tail, and — the pistol once more to his head. “You'll come with us, chief,” he said, quietly, but with a wicked glitter in his eye. ‘ ’Tain’t safe to trust yer loose till we’re outer gunshot.” Tiger Tail made no answer, except a sullen, vindictive gare Like asa’ dog who has been choked nigh to death, the t was taken out of the Seminole, under Wash I’s eye. ** Hyar, neighbor,” said the hunter to Strother ; *f you are as strong as a bull buffler. Git on yer critter, and carry this cuss off, as a hostage. I'll do the rest.” Strother uttered a grim laugh, and turned away to mount his horse, a huge, heavy, power- ful beast, of Pennsylvanian breed. He stooped and lifted the young chief to the Sarah noped behieguensmiaval, eid. rode died leaped on his own an e roun in face of the whole camp. The Seminoles had become suspicious that something was going on, and had to crowd toward that part of the camp, when to them suddenly appeared the whole \ wheeling round with cocked rifles, while Wash Carrol called out in the Comanche which the Seminoles all understood. “Tf a warrior fires a shot, we kill Tiger Tail. pee, © here arms!” Then, in — he shouted: “Forward, cunnel! Give ’em blazes ef they fire a shot.” The whole party broke into a gallop, and passed through the camp—Strother with a cocked ro held close to the Seminole chief’s head, he Indians, as if stupefied, allowed them to pass unchallenged, till they were a hundred yards out in the open prairie. Then Strother threw the chief to the ground without any further ceremony, and the whole party put spurs to their horses and mules (for the most of the n were only mounted on the colonel’s draft mules), and tore away down the prairie at their best pa The chief struggled to his feet as soon as they had , and ran toward the camp, yelling: “Shoot! Shoot! Kill them, warriors!” The Seminole warriors came running from their ona with a loud yell, and po: a scat- tering volley, but their was wholly ineffec- citing a shout of derision, from tual, whites aoe snares alike, Wash , alone, pulled up his horse, and — to the ground to take a ying. shot. He Ww a bead on the person of Signe ‘ail, as the chief fled toward his camp, and had the satis- faction of seeing the Indian halt and stumble forward, as if he was hit. _ There wasatremendousrushing about and yell- ing in the camp; and all the braves were soon mounted, and dashing out on the prairie, but only some fifty of them followed the emi t y, and these maintained a respectful dis- ce from the long-range rifles, contenting

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12 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. themselves with an occasional change of shots, slowly following at a foot-pace, on the way to Magoffin’s Claim. eanwhile, Louis Lebar had been waiting be- hind the screen of timber, in keen anxiety, the result of the colonel’s visit. He commanded a view of the Seminole chief’s hut, and ground his teeth with vexation, when he saw the success of Wash Carrol’s bold plan. He sat on his horse, muttering maledictions on the hunter’s head, but not daring to stir, till the confusion of the rush came, when he galloped headlong into the camp. He was just in time to stop Tiger Tail; who, wild for revenge, and bleeding from a slight flesh-wound in the leg, was for rushing off on ’s track at once. Lebar stopped him ith a word. ‘* Fool!” be cried; ‘‘have you forgotten the white squaw I promised you? Now is your time. e can reach the white man’s camp in half the time they could at full or and car- ry off the squaws before they get there. See, now! Send out fifty men under Ravenswing, to follow that party; harness them, and ex- change shots, so as to delay them. The rest of waserll go back by the eo ew and reach the camp before any one can intercept us, carry off the girls, and run off the stock of captured mustangs from the corral. There is no time to lose. Let us fly.” Tiger Tail'’s eyes eres with devilish glee, ~ he took in the import of the proposi- on. “Good!” he grunted; ‘‘the Black Mustanger’s words are like rain in the drought.” He mounted a horse, and dashed about among the braves, giving the ——— orders: The odges were hurri y struck by the squaws who began to move camp at once toa remote stronghold of theirs, in the heart of the Cross Timbers. Ti Tail himself and a hundred of his best warriors galloped off by the secret path through the “ar piee see as hard as they could go, following the lead of Louis Lebar, whose black eyes gleamed with wolfish glee as hesaw himself ready at last to swoop down on the sheep-fold, where dwelt the ewe-lamb he coveted. Away went the Black Mustan and his le Ata wild for revenge, plunder and lust —the Black Mustanger, on his sable stallion, out- stripping all near him in speed, The sun was just setting, and Magoffin was still about four miles from his camp. The pur- suing Indians had grown very troublesome, rid- ing up close and firing incessantly, but always fleeing from a direct attack. The progress of the had been very slow in consequence, and the colonel to look very grave as he thought of the distance yet to be traveled. Suddenly he heard, far away in the direc- tion of his own camp, the sounds of ers wing quite brisk as it swelled up into a vol- ey, and then dying away. turned eee Pee My God! Wash,” he cried, ‘‘they must have attacked the girls! What shall we do? If we run these fellows will be on us in a minute, and we shall do no a? Wash listened intently before he said: ‘“See hyar, cunnel. I hey done one _ tee brown to-day. Let me do another. e my kumrad here is well mounted. These hyar mules is kussid slow, but — don’t want t work now. Me and Ed, we'll git like all creation, eat you keep them cusses from follerin’. Come, The two mustangers, bendi over their horses’ necks, shot away over the prairie’ to- ward the unfinished block-house, whence the sound of shots now rose again. CHAPTER XVIII. TWO BRAVE GIRLS. We must return to Magoffin’s Claim to see what had been going on there in the mean time. Tennie Magoffin had seemed to alter her character compktely, as soon as she found the t misfortune that had overtaken her lover. Porhe , for the first time, she realized that Eu- gene Dupre was more to her than a cousin. poor sister, Louisiana, seemed to be utterly over- come, and sat in a sortof stupor, unable to do anything but brood. Before the colonel departed, he gave strict injunctions to all present to keep close to the block-house, and obey Miss Tennie as himself. Merry, light-hearted Tennie, in this emergency, proved herself as brave as her father. She superintended the removal of all the household goods within the walls of the block- house; and ordered the wagons and ‘‘ Dearborn” drawn up to cover the entrance. The women and children were all brought imside the in- closure, the few animals being penned in between the steep banks of the river on one side, and the wagons and block-house on the other. The lit- tle space that remained open was closed with a fence of ropes and sticks, hastily constructed, that served to keep in the animals only while they did not press against it, but was powerless against a stampede. Tennie had just four men, armed with mus- kets to depend on, in case of an assault, but the walls of the block-house were a complete pro- tection against bullets. The absence of loop- holes to shoot from was a serious objection, but there was a platform near the top of the wall for the men to look over; but their heads and shoulders would be uncovered in firing. The colonel had had no anticipation of an as- sault while he was away, but lis daughter was wiser, or more apprehensive. No sooner had he gone than she commenced her preparations for defense, not sorry, ler for the occupa- tion which served to distract her thoughts from mdateioceippiabeietane e work pro , and every thing was made snug, Tennie’s spirits rose, alana involun- tarily, and she found herself thinking hopefully of Eugene’s return, and consoling his poor sister. While in the act of cheering her, Louisiana suddenly started up and liste intently. ‘* Hush!” she said; ‘I hear something.” She hurried out into the open prairie, toa knoll that overlooked the river, toward which the afternoon breeze brought down the sound of distant shots. ‘They are fighting,” whispered Louie. ‘'Oh! Holy Mother of Heaven, protect poor Eugene! He is all I have left now.” Tennie listened anxiously. There was no mis- taking the sound. The sharp crack! crack! of rifles, and the heavier reports of muskets, echo- ing backward and forward, announced that some sort of a fight was going on. Tennie and her cousin listened for several minutes, during which the sounds grew sensibly plainer and nearer. ‘‘ They are coming in,” said Tennie. ‘‘ Heaven nt t Eugene is with them! My father said he would not return without him.” ‘They are being driven in,” said Louie, sad- ly. ‘ Perhaps they may be overpowered before ther t here. If not, how thankful we ought to be for that block-house, so nearly finished.” Tennie made no answer. She was listening to the firing, which had just died away when she was interrupted by a violent pull of the arm from her cousin; She looked round in surprise, as Louie Dupre, pale as marble, and with di- lated eyes, pointed out over the prairie in their rear. : Not a quarter of a mile off, and coming down full gallop, for the block-house, was a rfect cloud of Indians, with gleaming lances, headed by Tiger Tail, as they could plainly see from the bong robe he wore. But in front even of ger was ash ‘OTis he, , Oscar’s murderer! Eu- gene is dead. t me die, too, now.” d Louie would have sunk powerless to the earth in her ut for the sup- grad of terror, rting arm ot her cousin, who, now that real Senger was afoot, acted with all the cool cour: of her race. “ Keep up, Louie,” she said, sternly; ‘‘ don’t be a fool. e must get to the block-house be- fore they can catch us.” She started on a run for the block-house, half dragging Louisiana with her. Asthey ranalong for the shelter, the Indians, for the first time, raised a yell, but before the latter could get with- in ahundred yards of the lace, Tennie was in- side, and the four men left in charge were on the top of the platform. ‘As the whole body of Indians came rushing tumultuously on, the sudden reports of four muskets, from the top of the wall of the block- house, was followed by that of a rifle in the hands of Tennie herself, and the whole mass of assailants wavered, halted, and fell back, with several wounded men among them. Tennie felt immensely relieved at the result, and encouraged her defenders to the utmost. Tiger Tail ordered his men to spread out in a line, and attack the block-house by firing at it. The whistling of the bullets soon became so close around the ears of the defenders that they were compelled to dodge down behind the para- pet, and could not fire steadily for fear of being shot themselves. Tennie realized that the position was growing dangerous. Every time she put up her head to ‘*Can you shoot, coz?” she asked, anxiously. oe i 1 shriekin, where she knelt, trying to comfort a ie “*T will do all I id child. “We have lenty of muskets and pistols, but comes back. “Here, Aunt Hannah, Nancy Vinny, you must help us shoot, or we shall all be murdered.” ‘*Oh! De Laws, Miss Tennie!” cried Aunt Han- nah, aghast. ‘I do’ ’no’ nuffin ’bout pissols and gunses. Neber touch one in my life.’ “You must now,” said Tennie, decidedly ; ‘‘ or re shall all be killed and scalped in five min- utes. Her decisive tone prevented remonstrance, and the three women. aon strapping washer- women as they were, followed the young girl in perfect submission to her will. Tennie ran to the stores in the center, and hurriedly selected three muskets, with the belts with which she armed the three women. A } in the firing outside enabled her to give some hurried instruction to the ignorant women, about the way to load and fire, with caution not to fire carelessly. Then she led the way to the empty wagons, outside the entrance, and the three women in the firss of them, where the were sheltered from the fire of the Indians, wit orders to shoot re one who came near the place, and then to reload. It was just in time that she took the precau- tion. Peeping through a rent in the wagon-tilt, she perceived the cause of the lull in the firing. The Indians had been creeping round on that side, and were quite close to them. Tennie leveled her light rifle, and shot one man, just as he was rising to his feet. Snatch- ing Aunt Hannah’s musket, she poked it through the rent, and fired at five or six men in a hud- dled group, who were hesitating as to advance or retreat. The second shot settled the matter. All that were left bolted for their horses. Tennie fired a third shot after them, and went back in triumph to attend to her other duties. She reer pa “es the wall, eae and des- ndent, from the ost im ibility of kee ing covered while returning fre, if a ennie crept along under the shadow of the apet, doing her best to encourage them, b lling them that the colonel would soon be with help. In fact they could now hear the sound of the firing from his party, drawing nearer every moment. Tennie herself set them a good example. She suddenly stood up in an unexpected part of the ram , and took a deliberate aim at one of the advancing, creeping Indians. Before the enemy caught sight of her clearly, she had fired, and age down behind the rampart to re- load. She might not have been so quick, had she known how little danger there was. Tiger Tail had forbidden any one to fire at that golden head of hers. But the next moment came a heavy misfor- tune. One of the ne wishing to imitate her, stood suddenly up and took aim in like manner. His shot was successful, but before he could at to reload, came a dozen answering cracks, e next moment the man threw wu his arms with a loud shout of pain, and drop back into the inclosure below, stone dead, s through the heart. é The Indians gave a yell of triumph, and rose in a bedy, with a tremendous yell, firing a vol- ley and running forward. The next moment, Tennie rose up with her three remaining com- ow an res into ee Filly mae crowd, ith a second yell, every Indian dro flaton his face, and the advance was stayed! Cues Tennie Magoffin uttered a sigh of relief when they fell, and began to rel her rifle, The sun was setting, and the firing of the colonel’s party rapidly growing nearer. Suddenly Ten- nie felt her skirt pulled, and turning round, saw her cousin Louisiana standing j below the platform. Louie Dupre was very pale, but there was an expression of fixed resolve on her face for all that. She had a small silver-mounted revolver in a belt round her waist, and held a riding- whip in her hand. ee Trennie,” she said in a low voice; “ I’m going to cross the river and seek for help.” ‘* What!” echoed Tennie, incredulously ; “‘ You

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The Wild-Horse Hunters. 13 must be dreaming, Louie! you before you could cross.” i “They will not,” said Louie, firmly; ‘‘ Listen. I know the man at the head of D at party. It is Antonio Miquelez, the pg yee who murdered Oscar Peyton. I am the prize he covets, ever since I spurned him and love alike. I feel sure that he has murdered Eugene also, and joined these Indians. They will not fire at me.” " ‘‘But they will chase you, Louie,” said her cousin. ‘* Oh, sup’ that wretch catches you!” “He will not catch me,” said Louie, quietly. ‘My mare is swift, and if they should Cone? Up to me, and he should attempt to seize me, I wi keep the last bullet from this pistol for my own heart, if I fail to kill him with the rest.” “But, I don’t understand, Louie,” said her cousin, doubtfully. ‘‘There is no help nearer than father, and you cannot reach him.” “*T can draw away these creatures after me,” said Louisiana, pn “and relieve you of a t peril. More I not tell you; but I know t there is help beyond that river,and Iam going to seek it.’ As shespoke, her pale face glowed with a light, as if of “ay sity ” shesaid; and sprung “T shall bring help away to the horses, that fed between the block- house and the river, They would shoot CHAPTER XIX. TOO LATE. TE nightly serenade of the coyotes is the constant companion of the prairie-traveler. The coyote seems to howl for his own amuse- ment, or as a habit, and only stops when dis- turbed, Therefore is he an excellent sentry for the lonely trapper, warning him of the approach of strangers, whether human or quadruped, by the sudden silence that ensues. The Regulators had gone into camp for the night, prairie-fashion. Their horses were herded close to them, with an armed sentry to stand guard over them, the animals themselves bei hoppled. Later they would be brought in, an picketed closer to their owners; but at present the men were gathered around the great fire each cooking his supper, while the animals fed under the sentry’s eye. [ This supper was sufficiently simple. The car- casses of two animals lay on the und near the fire, and each hunter drew his knife and eut off a slice for himself where he pleased, which he proceeded to toast upon his ram- rod. The size of the slices depended on the ap- petite of the hunter, averaging from five to ten pounds, Indeed, it is astonishing, the quantity of meat which a hearty man, who has no other food, will consume. The two carcasses that lay on the ground were unmistakably horses, young mustang colts, shot in the course of the day’s march—young, juicy, and succulent. ‘We must be getting close to the Cross Tim- Baptiste, as he cut bers, colonel,” remar chunks of his horse-meat, ‘* ‘Yonder they are,” said Hays, briefly, point- ing with his thumb across the river to the dark line of timber beyond. ‘'We shall come on your friend, Miquelez, to-morrow, I Fes, if his pals haven’t stampeded. But hark!” and Hays sprung to his feet. Listening a moment intent- ly, he left the circle of hunters, going out on the lain a few yards. The coyotes had stopped feta sone token that something body approached, ; Hays moved out still further, and threw himself down on the earth, e heard a low, distant rumble on the soft turf, which finally resolved itself into the regular hoof-beats of a ing horse. The Regulator lay there liste 3 till ‘he rag cova that the sounds were ng on ee ee pfollo whole were co m. m. Hays jumipest up and hastened back to the fire, scat brands and e the flames, leaving only red embers. “Saddle up!” he cried, in clear, “* some is up. They're chasing a f ward us. Hurry up, men, The Regulators needed no more. Ina moment each man had seized the trailing lariat and led his horse toward the saddle. Saddle and bridle were alike lying in order, ready to snatch up. It took but a minute to throw on the rough horse-hair mat that served for a saddle b nag eee i? emerep through the rings, ha ’ secure Ha oi was’ the first man on horseback or some- tones; ow to- and rode out into the prairie, just as the gallop- ing hoofs became plainly audible, and a view of a dark figure, on a light-colored horse, could be a through the gloom, galloping toward emi “Fall in, men,” said the sheriff, quietly; ‘don’t mount till I give the order.” He rode forward himself to meet the new- comer, and to his astonishment, as he came near, he perceived that it was a lady, mounted on a white horse, spotted with black, The lady wore a dark riding-habit, and a hat with ostrich pias, and Semel up alongside of him quite earlessly. ‘Who are you, sir, in the name of Heaven?’ she asked, hurriedly ; ‘*will you defend me from my ursuers?” ‘Certainly, madam,” answered Hays, polite- ly; “against all the tribes of the plains, if need be. Iam Colonel Jack Hays, Sheriff of Texas, wit the Regulators, Who is after you, mad- am ‘Indians, sir,” she said, quickly; ‘‘ but they are headed by one who is far worse than am lag dian, a Po ese Mm) rer, named Miqu Sy In his satisfaction at the news, Hays almost allowed an oath to escape him; but the native politeness of the borderer stifled it, ere it passed 1 Maden! said the Regulator, quickly, “ you have brought us the best news that I are hanes We (pee ter that very man. Where is he now “He must be some way behind, sir,” she said; “‘my horse is very swift. I saw your fire, an ops toward it. But—” eal ush!” said Ha: ** Listen!” , suddenly. He lifted his hand in an attitude of attention. and the lady listened with him. The sound of many horse-hoofs was plainly audible on the pee but all in a moment was @ con- beating and scrambling, and the sounds sto r PR ney have pulled up,” said Hays, in a low voice. ‘‘They must have caught sight of our fire. We have to chase them. What made you ride down our way, madam?” “I heard your bugle, sir, about sunset,” an- swered Louisiana Dupre, for it was she. ‘It came to me twice on the wind, and I thought you were much nearer than you were. I have ridden full , for almost an hour.” ‘* Indeed,” said the sheriff. ‘‘ You must have good hearing, madam!” “T feared to tell my friends what I heard,” said Louie; ‘‘ they would not have believed me. many of the Indians in pareuy, but heaven only eft. Pray, sir, shall we “There is no hurry, madam,” said Hays, who had been listening intently during the whole of this conversation; ‘‘ your. ers have halt- ed. They don’t like the sparks of fire here, and fear to advance, but..don’t like to fly. “they can’t tell how many we are. You'll see that, if we keep quiet, they’ll come on; and the closer we get them, the better off. we shall be when it comes, $0 a race, Now, let us listen, if you ease. The whole party preserved a dead silence fot some minutes, di which there was equal uiet on. br hea eile Heys many. ames e@ over arm, and, lea horse behind, moved off into the Aacionae, 4 re- connoiter. @ took hold of his horse’s bridle as naturally as could be, and without asking. ness, Louie waited, all attention. The Regulators stood at their horses’ heads like black statues, The only sound heard was. the occasional snort of a Me we and a low murmur of distant Peyton, her betrothed,.. No beard could hide him from her. She had recogni him in a moment. Her daring ride been. executed with the express object of drawing him off from the block-house, and it had succeeded so far. Would he be captured now? While she sat on her horse, thinking these thoughts, and striving to pierce the darkness with her eyes, the distant murmur of voices ceased. ae man among the Regulators silent and without orders, prepared to moun his horse. Louie involuntarily straightened up in her saddle, and trembled with excitement and chill combined. Her long skirts were not yet, from her swim in the river, and the night’ air was cold. ve wimrg she heard a distant voice, f er ers, utter a cry in the Indian language. e next minute there was a bright flash in the darkness ahead, and the report of a rifle followed. p sprung the Regulators to their horses, just asa — burst from the darkness, followed by the es of forty or fifty rifles, all in a clump in the plain, some quarter of a mile off. But as soon as the first volley was off, it was answered by five distinct flashes, from the same point as the first, and the cries of anger and which followed from the Indians, showed that the eon iene of Colonel Jack Hays had not aimed in vain been a at the crowded mass of his oethén's clear ice shouted back ena , Sharp voice shou : * Forw: Don’t fire a shot!” Louie shook her rein and dashed forward; while the Regulators, all ther, uttered a tremendous te and swept down toward the spot where of their leader’s rifle told them he was. In a moment they were up to him, while the Indians, never waiting the attack, were heard galloping off into the darkness at full speed, and in total silence. There was a momentary halt around the sheriff, as he mounted his horse, but not for long. The active borderer leaped into his saddle, and led the pursuit at a round pace, after the sound of the fugitives’ horsehoofs. Louie Dupre was beside him, her fleet little mare keeping up gallantly with the foremost, and away they went over the prairie. _ But before long the sound of the horse-hoofs in front of her became fainter and fainter, while it out to the right and left, as if the fugitives were scattering. “Where are your friends?’ called out Hays to Louie, at this time, as. they rey tm along ca ore nearly drowned in the thunder o oofs, “Up the river,” answered Lovie, in the same tone, and pointing that way as she spoke. “Can't catch these fellows to-night,” cried Hays, in accents broken by the rapid motion; *‘ must do the best we can. Chase straight up- stream.” So up the river they went at full speed, kee ing enity some two or three fugitives in their house were so numerous, that Louie thought her uncle must have reached the 7 in safety, to Hays as any wagons?” ie: Two, sir. They began to build a block house, ‘“‘Humph!” muttered Hays to himself, with a grunt just like an Indian. It was his only ex- clamation of any kind, except a very rare oath. The exclama’ was called forth by the sud- ee neing eee t flame on the sum- mit of the knoll where the block-house stood. her and higher, the dark frame of the square stan: out boldly in relief against it, with several moving figures above the rampart. The fire proceeded from the two view which were drawn ed by the entrance, which were in a = t blaze. _ No sooner was the flame ly alight than a simultaneous volley came from quarters eae the besiegers, and ee = figu: es on e ram were seen heir arms u and fall back. if “Faster, men, faster!” cried Hays, for the first time seeming to be excited, as he spurred

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= = ee ——_ se TSS == pas Fe. ee nn ee a 14 his horse violently. They had been riding at an easy gallop so far, but now the whole per strained every nerve, and swept on at f speed. They had need to, if they had wished to help the beleaguered settlers, As soon as the volley had been fired a simultaneous rush was made from all quarters toward the block-house, amid yells that could be plainly heard, even at that distance. The Regulators dashed on as hard as they could go, Louie whip her game little mare till the creature seemed as if she would leap out of her skin. But faster than all their rush was the desperate assault of the Indians, who seémed to be determined to succeed at any , con- trary to their usual cautious tacties. They rushed on in a regular wave, which overflowed the block-house. There was seen a dense crowd close to the burning wagons, and then the echoes of the firing became a complete rattle from inside the edifice, mingled with yells, shouts, cries, and female shrieks, as the desper- ate conflict began inside. Se Yell, men! Yell!” cried Hays, at this mo- ment. *‘’Tis our only chance to:save them. Yell like the devil! will scare the Indians!” As he spoke he fired a barrel of his revolver in the air toward the distant blaze, and the Regulators yeee eens yell, a a nae volley at an angle of forty-five. e hope t something might reach the Indians. Ten minutes more and they were down by the banks of the the water glowing in the red light of the fires, while the shouts and cries from the block-house were growing less and less. Hays dashed his horse into the ford, and lashed across, followed by his men, Louie in the midst of them, pale and trembling, but still _ ly resolved to struggle on to save her ends. Several Indians came rushing down the further bank to oppose them, firing hastily into the water. But a volley of revolver-shots, and the sight of the formidable number of the Regulators, changed their fight into a flight in a single moment. elling and firing as er ay the borderers lunged ugh, and climbed up the steep bank yond as they best could. But the bank prov- eda more formidable obstacle than the foe. It caved in in so many p and gave them so much trouble, that it was fully ten minutes more of riding up and down to find a better place to climb, before they succeeded in reaching the top by twos and and galloping down to the block-house. But when they arrived at the top at last, it was empty of foes. The block-house stood silent ore Se a a burnin ——— were falling into glowing brands, and not an Indian was to be ot Jack Hays ran up to the block- house, and shouted: ‘* Hilloa! in there! Who's alive?” A faint voice answered: “Very few, neighbor.” CHAPTER XX. THE BLOCK-HOUSE. Tuer sight that met the sheriff’s eyes was suf- ficiently horrible. Men, women, and children; white, red, and black, lay huddled together in the little inclos- ure, ok and dying, in heaps. The dead were all scalped, except the Indian —. of them, and were principally negroes, especially women and children. Onn white man, a huge, Hercu- lean fellow, in ‘‘ butternut” clothes, lay on top of the heap, however, stone dead. His rough, black beard bristled out from his chin, stiff and horrible-looking, and his glazed eyes and grinning teeth gave an axpedésiont of im. fierce’ the dead countenance, that grim. mess to caused an involuntary shudder. The t’s hands were both tightly clenched, each he long hair of an Indian warrior, w faces were all mashed out of shape. His own scalp had been taken, and a d cleft in the back of his head, showed how he been killed. : Hays looked round in some surprise. ‘Where are the rest of you?” he asked, aloud. «Who called to me, just now?” “T did,” said the same voice, from a corner of the block-house. ‘‘ Kurn’t git out, stranger or Pd shake hands. Come and help me out, ef kin. This chile’s the only critter left alive yar, I do b’lieve.” Hays advanced to the corner of the block- house, and discovered the body of a man, lying with three dead Indians on him, from whom he was unable to extricate hi The man’s face was seamed with a broad scar, the mark of some former fight, and Hays recog- nized Wash Carrol. “That you, Wash?” was all he said; and pro- ceeded to drag off the bodies of the slain Indians from the prostrate hunter. When Wash Carrol was relieved of his burden, he rose slowly to his feet, and surveyed his de- liverer. “Ts that you, sheriff?’ he asked. ‘ Lord alive! Ef we’d’a’ know’d that, we mought hev be’n alive now, me and my neighbor thar, They c’u’d never ha’ flummoxed us as they hev, ef we'd ’a’ kep’ the cunnel hyar, and the other fel- lers. At this moment, Louisiana Dupre ran into the block-house, and saw Wash standing there alone. She uttered a wild shriek, and ran for- ward, crying: ‘*My uncle? Tennie? My brother? Where are they, Mr. Carrol? Oh! are they killed?’ “No, miss,” said Wash, eagerly. “They’re acrost the river, a-hidin’ in a motte, I guess. Me and Strother was all the white folkses and all the rest of us is dead.” “But where is my uncle?” cried Louie, wild- Ms “Where is my brother?’ Where is Tennie? ow came they to leave here?” “They slipped off arter dark, miss,” said Wash, “along wi Miss Tennie, yer cousin. ‘Twar I as told ‘em to doit, ’causé I know’d as how Tiger Tail wanted the young lady, and we was bound as how he shouldn’t hev her. Thar over yonder, she be, in one 0’ them mottes, and wh the Injuns don’t git over thar, thur she’s . ““ Which motte are they in?’ demanded Hays, quickly; ‘‘ and how many of them are there ‘* There are only the cunnel,and Mister ne, and Miss Tennie. Ed. ag Ea my ner, ez soon ez ever he h’ard that Louie, hyar, hed rid off on sich a chase, he off like a madman to find her, and whar he are at this ee time is more than I kinsay. Ed kin e care o’ hisself, I guess, ef he kurn’t find Miss Louie.” “Well,” said Hays, gravely, ‘‘ you people have made precious fools of yourselves, scatter- ing in this way. Tl have hard work to find you all. Are you hurt much, Wash?” ‘‘Reckon I am,” said the mustanger, faintly; ee: ae = three o’ them oo n the A mage, but t two or three plugs m guess, Poor Strother, thar, he hold 0’ two on ’em, and smashed thur durned brains out to- ther. ~ He war an orful strong cuss, anyhow, e war. The sound of a shot fired across the river, and a regular Indian yell, at this moment startled every one. pon Hays stamped his foot angrily, and mut- te “fy thought so. The stragglers he edge them.” lig yar, He ran outside, and went to the of the bank to look across the river. The t of the was reflected on the fi of several people on horseback, galloping down to the ford, pursued by the very Indians he had but me pursued J Louie Dupre came out after him, and recog- T om? - ther pate into the ster; wit ‘ennie, just as they lea n e river, the Indians hard atter al But whose was that form, mounted on a black steed and dressed like a Mexican ranchero, who headed the Indians? Louisiana ryt ey shuddered and shrieked as she recognized evil spirit, Antonio Miquelez, and saw that he was whirling a lasso over his head. The next minute it flew far out over the water, and hovered over the head of poor Tennie burning w M ffin. ere was a shriek from the anheppy girl, and then the rs saw her plucked m her horse, and whisked toward the shore in an in- stant, while the colonel and Eugene turned their horses, and rushed desperately on, to meet the terrible odds against them, but in vain. Louie saw the Indians rush forward and close around her cousin, beating off the frantic father, and shooting both the horses of the white men down. Then poor Tennie was dragged up from the oye and placed upon the pommel of the Black Mustanger’s saddle, when the whole party rode off across the prairie, and down-stream, with a yell of loud triumph. Colonel Magoffin was seen to run forward on foot, firing his re- volver, but the shots were not answered, and the poor father fell to the earth at last, hopeless and di : But at this sight*quiet Jack Hays suddenly aroused himself, and swore the only oath he was ever known to utter. * Now, by the God who sees me,” he said, in a deep voice, “I'll have that girl back, and kill Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. that fellow, if it takes every horse in my com- mand. Young lady, you stay here. I'll leave two men to rd you in this place. No an- swer. I must be obeyed now.” He spoke very differently from what he had. In five minutes more, headed by their redoubt- able leader, the Regulators were crashing down the bank into the river, after the fast- vanishing forms of Miquelez and the Indians, CHAPTER XXII. THE LASSO CAST. Out on the dark prairie beyond the river, at the same time that the Regulators dashed down the bank, a single horseman drew rein at the —_ of a motte, about a mile further down, and uttered a groan of disappointment, as he looked at the distant blaze of the burning wag- ons. “Too late!” he muttered to himself. ‘TI have ridden all this distance, and lost my way amon the mottes, for nothing. I can not find | her. re was some other track which I must have fol- lowed. Where is she now? Perhaps taken by that lustful devil, Tiger Tail, and at his mercy, while all her family is slaughtered yonder; and I have left my comrade like a fool. What can I do? What shall 1 do? What ought I to do? Blow out my own brains, most likely.” He sat on his horse, bitterly musing, and watching the flames, as if uncertain what to do, It was Edward Thornley, who, just as soon as he had heard from Tennie Magoffin, when he and Wash Carrol arrived at the block-house, of Louie’s rash ride, had instantly plunged down the bank, re ess of danger, and swum the river, the Indian bullets whistling round him. Searching for her, he had lost his way, and emerged in sight of the river, having by a mar- vel escaped the scattered Indians of Miquelea’s ar ow he dismounted from his horse, and watching the flames, wonde what had become of Louie, when he was ed by the sound of the gallop of horses near him. ith a vague instinct of self-preservation, he drew back into the motte, and beheld a party of mounted Indians pull up close to him, and stand still, listening. At their head, to his intense surprise, he recognized the form of his late partner, Louis Lebar, easily distinguished from the rest by the broad hat and coarse profile, relieved against the starlight. Lebar held across his saddle-bow a female figure, and Edward felt his heart throb desper- ately at the bare possibility of who it might be. For a moment he was tempted to shoot his partner, but the number of Lebar’s followers rendered such a feat too rash for success. He gras his horse by the nostrils, to prevent its neighing, and listened. Presently he heard Lebar say, in English, to his captive: “You may thank your stars, young lady, that ou were not scalped long ago. Those cursed ‘ tors have robbed me of your cousin, but Tiger Tail and I will take our revenge out, of you. You need not look back. I have thrown out the pursuers a second time, for all their smartness. There they go now, the fools, after <r man, a a anes = a blanket before , to represent you, while I carry you in m arms, my daint Mise offin.” oe us Thornley shuddered with aversion as he listen- ed, but he could tell that Lebar’s words were true, for the sound of other horses at full gallop, and the jingle of bridles at some distance her toward the river, announced that the pursuers, whoever they were, were passing by. For the first time, the young mustanger learned that Louie had succeeded in her dangerous enter- he oy that the famous Regulators were near at hand. Two hours ago, under the'same circumstances he would have fired at Lebar, dashed out to rescue Tennie, and lost his life without saving her; but his long and disappointing ride had re- called to the young man all t e coolness and babe a a he “ey age eh an he a fa Ma wait, and wa opportunity Oo su stantial service. wr Lebar ey sardonically, as he listened to the sound of the horse-hoofs, dying away in the ce. “There they go, Miss Magoffin,” he said, ‘‘on a wild-goose chase after a blanket, and you can’t scream, my pretty Tennie, because Pll choke ou if is try it. By heavens! if it were not hat I have oittiaad you to my friend, Tiger Tail, I should feel very much tempted to take you for a substitute for your eousin; but then these fellows would tell Tiger Tail, and I don’t care to offend him just yet. I want his help to carry off your pretty cousin. So I wont even

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The Wild-Horse Hunters. 15 taste those red lips of yours, but will go quietly along to my friend’s stronghold, in the very midst of the Cross Timbers, and let who can, find us, Thornley never stirred in all this time, though he listened anxiously to hear if Tennie answered. But the high-spirited girl did not utter a single word, which she knew would only meet with fresh insult. : Pretty soon, Lebar observed, in English: “Well, boys, we’ll go now, I think.” He added some instructions in Seminole, which Thornley did not understand, and the whole band moved off at a walk, on the trail of the very men who were after them. The rn er waited till they were some distance ahead, when he mounted and followed, taking care to keep his horse in the shadow of the mottes that were on his way. He followed for about two miles, when Lebar turned round and rode toward the river. Thorn- ley perceived, from the lay of the land, that they were opposite to the camp of ich 59 Tail which he had visited that morning, an judged that Lebar’s intention must be to go there. Just as the renegade turned toward the river, they heard the sound of shots far ahead, where the deceived ws pore” no doubt, were. Assoon as Lebar heard the sound, he rode rap- idly to the river-bank, with all his men, and en- tered the water. The firing from the Regula- tors soon ceased, and Thornley judged that they must have overtaken the fleeing Indian, and probably shot him, and discovered their mistake ere this. He remained closely watching the retiring Indians, till the gallop of approaching horses told him that his suspicions were correct. At the sound of the returning hunters, Lebar’s men halted on the other side of theriver. They were invisible, but Thornley could tell it, by the cessation of the noise of hoofs. He moved out from the motte-side, and stood in the path of the Texans. They came dashing up, and he was of surrounded by several suspicious Regulators, Thornley, never moving his eyes from the motte, under whose shadow he knew the Indi- ans to be standing, told his name, and the news which he had to communicate. ‘““The Indians out Fine have got Miss Ma- offin,” he said; ‘‘ and if you want to take them would recommend you to stop right here till morning. If you chase them now, they may get off into the bushes and escape, but they won't dare to stir, for fear of being heard, if you stay on this side of the river, and pretend not to know they are there.” Hays reflec a moment, when he admitted that the advice was good, and he and Thornley concocted their plan. This settled, ornley, Hays, and twenty of the best mounted borderers, rode off toward the block-house, leaving the lieutenant of the band to watch the Indians, CHAPTER XXII. THE CHASE. Wrrnarn the heart of that scrubby barrier, in a clearing evidently the work of art, was collect- ed the camp of Tiger Tail’s tribe, lodges pitched and fires burning, in complete security. An impenetrable wall of wood surrounded them, all the secret openings of which were hidden be- hind screens of bushes. From the level and fall- ing ground all round, the Cross Timbers being the highest part of the country, this arrange- ment was effectual. The smoke from the fires was quite invisible on the prairie. The camp of Tiger Tail was peri of war- riors, and only of squaws and children. The warriors of the tribe were gathered by the bank of the river, y ager to the band of Regulators, only about fifty strong, on the op- posite bank. Miquelez, seeing his enemies divided, as the morning dawned, had sent back the news to Tiger Tail; who had brought down all his war- a a oe to t a hundred and irty, to dispute the river passage, and chas- tise the borderers, if he could. : But in the rear of these again, and entirely unsuspected, was a third party. This consisted of Sheriff Hays, Colonel Magof- fin, his nephew and niece, Edward Thornley and Wash Carrol, the latter res and weak-looking, ai fatigue and loss = lood. is party was slowly approaching the scene of action from the direction of the corral of the mustangers. That corral remained intact, the Indians having neglected to stampede its in- mates as yet, and Thornley had availed himself ofthe fact to provide fresh horses for himself, the colonel, and Eugene, Thornley had selected the best horse that was left, for himself—the very steel-gray stallion which Lebar had failed to capture the day be- fore. He knew from its appearance that it must be speedy, and he fancied that, Naf pro- bably, he might yet have to try a hard race with the desperate Miquelez. During the night he had learned the true character of his late partner, and made up his mind to capture him with the lasso, at any risk. When he rode cautiously forward with the brightening dawn, there lay the river below him, and the Indians were all dismounted on the near bank, their horses standing behind the shel- ter of a motte, at least two hundred yards back. The only mounted oe were Tiger Tail and the dark murderer, Miquelez, and a single female e. Thornley needed no diviner to tell him who that was. e girl was seated upon a mus- tang pony, her arms tied behind her, and se- cured on the animal’s back by stout thongs of buffalo-hide. Thornley heard a low exclamation beside him, and turning, beheld Eugene Dupre close to him, his face e as ashes, his eyes blazing, as he was about to spring forward without orders Meri the sharp voice of Sheriff Hays retain ‘See here, young man,” said Jack, sternly; “you keep quiet till I give the word to move, I boss this job, and I’m not in the habit of making mistakes, either.” Eugene restrained his horse, though he looked longingly down toward the combat that was ant Now, boys) said the sheriff, quietly, “spread “ Now s,” said the sheriff, quietly, along behind this crest, and dont a Sa Ines till I give the word. Then charge, and keep your fire, till you can see the whites of their eyes.” The borderers quietly obeyed the order, rid- ing out into a thin skirmish-line behind the crest of the swell. There they waited, hidden ore till the sound of shots below announced that the fight was opened there. hornley, peeping cautiously over the brow of the hill, beheld the body of Regulators op- te yay Soe into the river, and opening on the Indians, The Indians, went run- ning out of the motte on foot, to meet them, firing and yelling, and in two minutes the fight became general. As soon as the sheriff saw that the Indians were too busy to notice, he gave the signal to charge; and down the hill swept his party— Hays himself far in advance, on a thoroughbred charger, with a revolver in each hand. e Indians, taken in front and rear, and by surprise, offered not the shadow of resistance ‘from that moment. With one accord they broke and fled toward their horses. But Hays’s party swooped down on the horses with a yell, and reached them long before their owners. ‘The cracking of revolvers, shouts, curses and yells, made a perfect Pandemonium of the river-bank for some minutes, as the Semi- noles, hemmed in on every side, and driven to d ae sold their lives as dearly as they dout In the midst of all the confusion, Edward Thornley and Eugene Dupre were only sensible of three persons in the melee, and these were Tiger Tail, Miquelez, and Tennie Magoffin. t the tg yell of the borderers in the rear, Tiger Tail seized Tennie’s rein, and turned both horses’ heads to the westw: Miquelez cast a single glance backward, and then set spurs to his steed, and fled along with them. While Hays and the Regulators dashed into the fight with the Indians, Thornley and Eugene pressed forward, both with the same object, Away they went, at full speed on the track of 2 he itives, oir ng eds ngs Me 2 PACS el ornley gatheri e coils of the silent bu dead] eo in ile Rand. as he went. Int minutes more they were out of the fight, and rapidly gaining on the wearied steeds of the fugitives. Toward the west, the prairie was open for some miles, but then it ended et in the main body of the Cross Timbers itself, the only outlet being a narrow passage between the tim- Se u ‘ow: narrow passage did uelez and Tiger Tail direct therr steps, catry ing with them their helpless prisoner. Eugene Dupre u a violent curse of rage as he saw Tiger Tail look mockingly back at him, and wave his hand in triumph as he went. He dug his spurs into his animal until it seemed to fly, and felt himself creeping slowly but surely up. Behind him he could still hear the shouts and shots of the fight, and then it all faded away. Thornley rode a little in advance, not urging his horse much at first, but still gaining, from superior speed. The further they went, the oftener Miquelez and Tiger Tail turned to look. They seemed to be trying to make up their minds to resist; and at last, when they were within a quarter of a mile of the Timbers, both ulled up. Miguelez pulled out a pistol, and held it close to Tennie Magoffin’s head, shouting: 590 back, you accursed fools, or P'll shoot t girl!” Eugene pulled up his horse in an instant, pale with fear. But Thornley never halted in his course. He came thundering on, with a tremendous aoe that so unsteadied the nerves of Miquelez, tha he involuntarily turned the pistol on the person of the mustanger. He fired hastily, and with- out aim, and the bullet whistled harmlessly by Thornley’s temple. The next minute down came Eugene at full speed, with presented pis- tol, firing shot after shot at the murderer. They whistled so closely that Miquelez gave way. He was a coward, after all, and the next min- ute showed it; for he turned his horse’s head and fled, ering TigerTail alone to dispute the way. r Tail drew up his horse, and leveled his rifle. He had no pistol, and but one barrel to mAs Thorn! him _by, only intent ornle , only intent on Miquelez, the Tadian snapped the weapon at him harmlessly, and the next moment Eugene Dupre ran his horse full tilt against the chief, sen horse and rider to the earth together, and - ing over them himself. 6 last glimpse that Thornley caught of the two, they were rolling on the prairie, struggling like two dogs. Then he forgot all else, in the Paris histo Msapelan, alias Teo Later, er. mio Miquelez, alias Louis in lasso-distan . for a fortune. With a nervous swing, and a loud shout of anger, he finally flung it through the air, saw it hover a moment, in a perfect circle, over the murderer’s head, and down over the shoulders of the doomed man it fell, pinioning his arms to his sides, as the lariat tightened. The gray stallion was round on his haunches in a moment, under the powerful Spanish bit, and Antonio Miquelez was plucked from his sad- dle with the shock of a thunderbolt, and sent rolling over on the prairie, helpless and stunned, ‘Throw away that pistol,” shouted Thornley, sternly, Recning the lasso tautly stretched, while he spoke; ‘‘ drop it, or I'll drag you into iteously. ward Thornley,” he said, “‘isn’t this ‘*To me, nothing,” said Thornley, vely; ‘“but you are a murderer, Antonio Wiogsics : and here come your judges, the Regulators of Texas!” ‘Oh! for God’s sake, Thornley!” screamed the frightened wretch, ‘“‘don’t give me up to them! They’ll kill me without trial.” “What for?’ asked Thornley, sternly; ‘they hang only murderers and horse-thieves. You are a murderer!” ‘*T killed him only in self-defense!” shrieked Miquelez, desperately; ‘‘let me up, Edward Thornley, Isay! What right have you to keep me here, curse you?” And as he spoke, hearing the horse-hoofs of the approaching Regulators, he struggled des- poms y to cast off the encircling noose of the , in the mad hope of escaping to the cover of the timber. But it was all in vain. He half-scrambled to his feet, only to be plucked back and Nesom f orward some fifty feet, as Thornley touched his horse with the spur. The yells for pity of the un- happy wretch faded into awe-stricken moans of a and terror as he saw around him, when he ted, nothing but the pitiless, bearded faces of the Regulators, with a single dark, Indian-look- ing countenance, that he recognized instantly as that of Baptiste Ledoux, a trapper of Louisiana, who knew him well. Then he realized that it was all over, as far as he was concerned; and he lay still and sullen on the ground, awaiting his fate. CHAPTER XXIII. HOW IT WAS ARRANGED. TiGER Tar went over, horse and all, and Eu- ene fell over hi e grasp of the a’ and found himself locked in etic young Indian, who was

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16 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. the close of a trial for murder: trying to draw his knife. Dupre caught him by | uttered his verdict, so dreadful when heard at e t roat with the left hand, and showered blows on the chief’s head with the barrel of his pistol, as fast and hard as he could lay them on. The chief ducked his head, receiving the blows on the matted hair on his crown, and soon mas- tered the Creole, rolling him over on the prairie. Eugene struggled manfully and well. But Ti- ger Tail had already drawn his knife; and ae hing his hand in Eugene’s hair, thrust back his head with a savage growl, and lifted the knife to strike. The Creole thought his last hour was come, when shouts and the galloping of horses near by disturbed the chief, and Tiger Tail wavered and looked up. In an instant more came the sharp crack of a pistol close by. ips Tail uttered a hideous yell, and leaped up, falling over on his back on the , stone bee the blood gushing from a hole over his eart. Eugene staggered to his feet to see the Regu- lators rushing es him at full speed, in chase of Tennie Magoftin’s mustang, which they caught at a hundred yards off. Eugene hurried up and found them all stand- ing round the prostrate body of Miquelez, who lay on his face, sullen and motionless, One of the borderers had cut Tennie’s bonds, and the girl welcomed his face, the only fa- miliar one to her, with a burst of gladness that wonderfully elated simple Eugene. And now, by twos and threes, the Regulators came galloping up, followed by Colonel Magof- fin and Louisiana Dupre, who had beenjwatch- gas fight in safety from the rear. reat was the rh ay eens the reunited cousins as they met, and Thornley sighed deeply, with involuntary envy, as he saw the kisses so freely bestowed upon the restored brother by Louie, who had seen his perilous struggle wit the Indian chief. But Hays soon recalled them to a sense of the more terrible part of the business, when he said: ‘Colonel Magoffin, you are aware, I suppose, that we have found the man after whom our band came here, Antonio Miquelez, the mur- derer of Mr, Oscar Peyton, of Louisiana. Here he is.” And he pointed to Miquelez. Two of the stalwart Regulators had dismount- ed and raised him from the ground, while they tied his hands behind his *k with a stout thong of deer-skin. The prisoner made no re- sistance, only he kept his eyes riveted on Louisiana Dupre in a way that made her shiver, Colonel Magoffin looked at him with disgust. ‘*T see the man,” he said. ‘‘ He has come out here to seek safety from his crimes, but God has directed me here to see him punished, I do not know him myself, but my nephew and niece re- cognize him perfectly.” ‘I do,” assented Eugene, in a low voice. “Tt is the same man who murdered poor Peyton, and threw him intothe bayou. They went out shooting in company, and a charge of buckshot, oo ge stam was found iu the poor fellow’s body f upon them, *k when they recovered the from the water.” _ “Are you willing to swear to this, young man?” ed Hays, ‘If so, we shall have a short trial. Bring the prisoner back, men.” The whole party took up their homeward march. to the motte where the fight had begun, where they found about twenty Indian prisoners, the sole survivors of the fight and massacre, Here a court was organized in regular style, the lieutenant of the borderers acting as judge, and twelve of the men peenpoenie & jury. Baptiste Ledoux and Eugene Dupre testified to finding the body of Oscar Peyton shot in the back with slugs, which were stamped with Mi- quelez’s private mark. The prisoner was asked if he had anything to say. e scowled at Eugene, and answered: ‘Not much. My time’s come, [ shot Oscar Peyton, because I hated him, He loved that young fool’s sister, and so did I, He was a soft milksop of a fellow, educated for the church and she was en to be married to him. I swore that she never should, and she never shall. If you smart fellows hadn’t come up when you did. T should have had her and her ty cousin there. Now, curse you all! Do your worst! I’ve said my say.” There was a low murmur of disgust around the circle, and the judge asked : ‘““Ts there any one here wants to say anything why this fellow shouldn’t be swung up?” ere was no answer. ‘“ Well, then,” pursued the judge, “we'll take the votes of the jury. What say you? Is this man guilty or not guilty?” Without a single dissenting voice, each man “Guiuty.” Then the judge said: ** Prisoner, you’ve been tried by prairie law. You ain’t had no chance to git off on a quibble. You killed the poor fellow, and you owned up. I sentence you to be hung, right off, to that tree, and the Lord have mercy on your soul!” And he rose from his seat on a fallen log, and stretched himself with great satisfaction. The Regulator jury yawned in chorus. It was old work to them. “Come, colonel,” said Hays, in a quiet tone to Magoffin; ‘‘lets be off to your shanty. My fellows will rush this funeral through without us. The ladies are not used to this sort of thing.” Magoffin bowed, with a grateful look to the borderer for his considerate kindness. “Come, Tennie. Come, Louie,” he said, sad- ly. ‘Our little home is made desolate enough, fear; but you are still left, my children, and that is much. Let us go.” They rode over the plain toward the desolate ruins of the wagons and block-house, with sad hearts. In one day, all their little household goods had been scattered to the winds, and their negroes were all killed and scalped. ash Carrol rode with them, trying, in his roe way, to console the colone ‘* Never mind, curnel,” he said. ‘ This hyar ain’t as bad.as it mout be. Yer all left alive, what’s white; and me and my kumrad hyar we'll buckle to and help yer. Besides, Curne Hays and his boys. ain’t the fellers to let you stay here, without helpin’ yer a bit, and ye kin scratch along till yer ootton’s riz.” “Ah! Wash!” said offin, sadly, ‘‘ I have no hands now to raise cotton. I left the r faithful fellows to defend themselves, and what's the consequence? They were all butchered. If I had stayed there, it might not have been.” “See hyar, curnel,” said Wash, stoutly, “I made yer do that ar’.. Ef yer’d a-staid thar, ron and Miss Tennie would ’a’ be’en skulped. at's sartin. Now, here’s Sheriff Hays ’ll tell you what to do,” ‘*T think, colonel,” said Hays, ‘‘that there is no need to despair. You have lost all your negroes and three empty wagons, but the In- dians had no time to touch the stuff in the block-house, and your cattle were quite unin- jured, when Isaw them. My fellows and I will 7 you finish your block-house and stockade, and you can turn stock-farmer, if you will. It needs very few hands, and you will have all these Indian ponies, and your own cattle to com- mence with. Many aman has come to riches in Texas, on smaller beginnings.” ‘“* And, colonel,” said young Thornley, blush- ing, “‘if you. wouldn’t think it a liberty, Wash Carrol and I will join stocks with you, and make a big corral for all our horses together. Poor Wash is too badly hurt to be able to travel with me to Nacogdoches; and I think that if we break theee mustangs to , we can sell them for a good price. As Thornley said this his heart beat hard for fear of a refusal; and he carefully avoided looking at Louie Dupre, the very one on whose account the proposition wasmade. Colonel Ma- {fin made no reply for some time, and Thornley to fear he was to be refused, when, glanc- ing at the colonel, he observed the big warrior’s face working. Magoffin rode alongside presently, and held out his hand. ‘*Mr, Thornley,” he in a choked voice, ‘I see your kindness, and I thank Mg for it. Sir, ba Mad a ye sneee But I cannot consen ou. sho orego your prospects in life to hal! an old who has nothing left in the world now but his daughter and niece, ** And I tell you, sir,” said Thornley, obstinate- ly, ‘that T have C) Pee mind to settle here for and all, evenif Ihave to live alone with old Wash here.” ‘Yes, curnel,” said that worthy himself. ‘* Me and Ed, we hev fixed it, quite permiscus, as I may say. We're a-goin’ to settle down hyar, like a kupple o’ jolly bachelors, seein’ as the plains is ruined for huntin’ anyway, and it’s settle or move on with us, all the time. I’m get- tin’ e’ena’most tired o’ movin’, and ha folkses comin’ arter me; so hyar r stay.” Finally ffin gave in to the plan with much grati ; and the very same day opera- tions were commenced. What fourteen pair of hands had begun, over a hundred finished. Knowing Jack Hays even impressed the Indian ede ige into the work of hauling logs to finish the block-house, and in- closing a Pig of the river with a strong stockade. The Indians were only too glad to pur- chase their liberty by a few days’ work, and a week after, everything was complete. A strong block-house of green wood, perfectly fireproof, and sodded to make it more so, tow- ered at the cornerof a strong-spiked stockade, loopholed all along the top, with a bank of earth thrown up inside, for the defenders to stand on. A tract of nearly a hundred acres was inclosed as a corral, with strong snake fence, strength- ened at the corners, while the animals could be driven within the stockade at night. The two mustangers drove their captured animals with but little trouble, by twos and threes, into the outside corral, and then the Regulators left them in e and safety. eir own task still remained to the Regula- tors being nothing less than the transportation of Tiger Tail’s predatory band back to the Semi- nole reservation in the Indian territory. This they accomplished without any more difficulty. All the captured horses, except sufficient for the absolute necessities of the Indians, were turned into Colonel Magoffin’s corral, to com- pensate him for his losses, The poor negroes and the brave overseer were buried decently. As Wash Carrol stood by Strotker’s grave, he emphatically remarked: “You war a man, neighbor; you war. I never see’d a better in all the scrimmages I ever fitin. You smashed out their durned brains wi’ “bed bare hands, and that’s more nor most men say. What more is there to tell? Any ef our read- ers must surmise the truth by this time. How sweet Louie Dupre, in course of time, so far for- got her grief for the lost Oscar, as to look with- out displeasure on the silent, earnest homage of Edward Thornley, and at last to own a flutter- ing feeling of liking, regard, pity, friendship, love, in gradual succession, for that happy indi- vidual, Pa Thornley made a aks As the States and returned, with all his worldly belongings invested in blood horses and cattle, to improve the common stock. How the stock increased and multiplied, year by year, till Magoffin’s ranch numbered its herds by the thousand, How Eugene became an ardent stock-raiser, and finally married pretty Tennie Magoffin, and be- came the father of a stock of a different kind, while Wash Carrol was ‘‘ master of the horse.” All this and more too, my readers can imagine, and still be short of the mark. : : Mrs. Edward Thornley, nee Dupre, is quite cheerful now, and often thanks Heaven for the chance that brought her in contact with honest Wash Carrol and her husband, and saved her from THE BLACK MUSTANGER. THE END. BEADLE’S Half-Dime Library. 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