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Vol. XL W321?” ﬁeadémﬁfgxi’ﬁﬂﬂ Tamm- N o. 131

ETIEK’SKIN SAM, THE TEXAS TRAILER; or, THE BANDITS OF THE BRAVO--

BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM,

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Buckskin Sam,
THE TEXAS TRAILER;

7

The Bandits of the Bravo.

A Life Story of a True Trail, founded upon inci—
dents in the adventurous career of the noted
Texas Ranger, Major Sam S. Hall—“ Buck-
skin Snin,"—from notes furnished by his
comrades on Plaza and Plain.

BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM,
AUTHOR or “THE an CADET ” “ BLACK FLUKE,”
“run SEA surpna,’ ETC., ETC.

CHAPTER I.
m BULL-FIGHT.

Irwin a gala day in the Alamo City;

For my weeks it had been pu licly an-
nouncod that a certain noted purveyor to the
amusement-loving citizens of Montere , Mexico,
would visit San Antonio, in the “ ne Star
State,” and inaugurate a series of bull-ﬂ hts.

The well known manager of this not Span-
ish exhibition, had engaged half a dozen muta-
dores, two of whom boasted of deeds and dex-
terity never equaled.

The populace of San Antonio, at that time,
was lar ly composed of Mexican, with a
liberal sigth of Castiliaii, families; the re-
mainder were iople of an adventurous char-
acter, coming rom all portions of the United
States, with outcasts and adventurers from

my .v ., need, toLthe eof
tho gulf-Q $13 Band; .1: 88:53:31,-
“ ' ‘. ' “or lead}? 5 ‘ I‘éﬂp.
that it suppl ed that excitement which

'comcs
as necessar as food to those whose trails often
run throng dark and bloody grounds.

Upon the open prairie, across the San Pedro
cf’ee , was erected a circular screen of canvas,
twelve feet high, held in position by posts. from
the top of which to found, descended tiers
of seats in‘the style 0 he interior of a circus

 
te t.
The barrier around the arena, some ﬁve feet
high, was of rough boards, forming a circle of
OOnSIderable extent. '
‘ , In the center of this ctclo was a stout pole,
with four projecting arms, to which were at-

tached ropes, hanpn downward and with
iron ringsin tbd‘ eémt Just the 1) ’hi; for
o

a matadore to 06 and raise imself
up. if hard by the bull.
There were so in.thc arena, between the

rope e¢a ‘ the'ba rier four holes dee
enough tomhcehl a min :tan’ding upright in 
Into these the matsdore could lea for sai‘et at
amOment‘whon the enraged bull) expeote to
la him on his horns.
is  _ known that the animal
whiehdepen upon ii: horns for assault when
charging upon an enem , at the some instant
that it lowon in head, spreads out its le ‘
both: behind and , before, not only to ginning4
force totbo blow, but to prcVent bei fo r ‘1
turned when comin in con with tho 1- 
’B thismeansitwllbcseen 7 ,
the ulliwouldnot odoWn into the ..
rtheman,w ow thereby

(1118 .
jag'from the boots. ' , 
, in eopud

im
t

    
hauld the life of a matadorc be 1 y
when crowded against the mar, his agility
would enable him to place his hand: on the top
and bound over upon the ton. (

‘33“ 333?" °‘ pom”'°‘or'{§’°b2i2 “‘8 °’
ga ‘ one I) a on e er, and
the other cameo with a small: con-mi, in
which were conﬁned be bulls, free

theer fa‘ s1 fullofﬂre
furious at. , on libertfy;I '

I have entered thus miuu Rinto the arena
auditslmrrounding it-bein own that ,fliis,
was the am bull-ﬁght ever wn in the 0mm
States, and to ve an idea of how this brutal
sport is condo ' '

At the appointed hour, on the eventful day of
the fight, hordes of people wonded their way
toward the scene, coming from Plaza and
Plain, and not the lea‘oouspicuons among them
being the gay] dressed scnorita, escorted by
their shadows, he duennas, who kept faithful
guard over their ﬂirtatious, except when a few
silver pans blinded them for a few moments.

Sharing the honors of conspicuoumess with the
beautifn senoritas, was a band of onng horse—
men, who had won fame as Texas ngers.

A handsome, dashing set of men, over jolly in
the face of death, dressed in f attire, that
gave them the look of dandids, to one who did
not know what gallant deeds had been theirs.
and mounted upon‘ superb animals that seemed
almost a part of their riders, it was no wonder
that the beauties of San Antonio were gazing
in admiration upon them. and that they were
the hereon of the entire mpulace.

At the head of this ga nt trootpoof horsemen,
rode the hero of this, my true a ry of Texas
trails, Buckskin Sam whose name was known
m the length of he Rio Grande, and the

th of the Lone Star State, as a man who

   
' " active feats‘auri hair—

' smoke of corn-shock

 Buckskin. Sam.

the deadly encounter.

Lariating their horses upon the prairie, Buck-
skin Snm and his comrades entered the canvas-
inclosed space, and took prominent positions,
from whence to View the entertainment, them-
selves the observed of all observers.

And upon the. face of their young leader,
Buckskin Sam, the eyes of men and boys tum-
ed in hero-worship, while the glances of admira—
tion that were shot at him from the dark orbs
of the senoritas, proved that many a little heart
was willing to have his. image engraveu on it
forever. .

A man of slight stature, slender waist, and
broad shoulders Sam’s form would attract at«
tention for its look of subtle strength and en-
durance, while his face, darkly-bronzed, and
full of calm eelf~conﬂdence, would win the re-
gard of a good person, the dread of an evil
one.

Another feature of the assembl 9, were a
number of sporting men 0 San An onio, who
also came in for their share of observation and
admiration, as there were heroes among them,
too, though of a different heroism from that of
the Rangers.

And'yet, there were fair faces turned upon
them, , cially from among the Eandango
queens, t e be] e of whom was‘a brilliant co-
quette, Mariana Coyen, a woman of strange
character, who under the rule of strong paSsions
would go to extremes in acts directly at variance
with the dictates of her better nature.

Half an hour before the entree of the ﬁrst
bull every seat was occupied, and loud and im-
patient cries run”r from all sides.

“El Torre—E? ’l'or—rr—rr—o .' ”

“ Drive in yer iigb 'n’quadripidsl”

“ Slin open yer agral an" start.er fmil‘.’ 

“H’i. out!» or (fiend-slayer}, fel' we k
sp’ilin’ fer suth n’len'joya'ble.”

Such were the yells that ﬁlled the air, until
the ruder element reigned supreme, and the
audience became a mob, to calm which, Buck-
skin Sam coolly drew his‘revolver and ﬁredint
the gilt arrow that acted 'as a weather-vane oh
the top of the center le.

The ﬁrst shot struc it fairly on the dart and

spun it round, and "then rapidly ﬂashed the ,

runger’s revolvers held in each hand, and the
metal arrow was kept ﬂying round and round,
for, marvelous to say, not a bullet missed its
mark!

This wonderful exhibition of marksmanship
quieted the crowd until the appearance of the
matadores in the arena. '

These agile, sinewy, sharp-eyed braves were A

gins

gorgeously attired in close-ﬁtting silk 1 t-
1'

profusely bebutioned fringed shirts, and s

waisted ackcts of red and green, richly embr
vold'; their long hair, oiled, perfullned

d’up in a one behind with ﬂaunting

cred wit
and bean
ribbons.
The princi matadore was a wiry man,
of some forty ears of age, who carried a crim-
sou ﬂag in lns land. ,
Drawing u in *a crescentxcurvc the made a
low bow to 1 ie audience, amid loud v has, and
then commenced a rigid examination of the
arena—as the smallest stick Or stdne might cost
‘_ .

alifc. ' :
1 do not propose ’ describe the man
eadth escaples wbic
rtion of t

 
occurred during the first

. ition. ,
. :Five bulls had minim-n from the arena,

homered with bauderillas and blood. their
"tongues hanging from their mouths, comp
E ged and cowed, with but just life on

to stagger back to the con-ah At M as
I‘Dble a beast as ever spurned ' sod was
being prepared for the lists- lou cries of “El
torro nigml” came from the lexicon: of the
audience, and thick clouds of the fragrant
"gametth rolled iy
{mm a thousand men he and nostri omtho
inclosure.

The mutadores thrust their heads into
buckets of water, and each drank a stiff horn
of brandy to brace for the contest to come.

A side tgate was opened and into the arena
galloped a manager 11 a ﬁery. mustang,
gayly ca risoned, hold g a long, glittering
ance in is hand. The hurried orders of the
manager, the nick lances and excited man-
nerbf the meta ores s owed that the encounter
before them was no child’s play. .

The audience became aware that the grand
event of the day was about to come off, and all
eagerly watched the entrance ate, and, as the
signal born sounded, a dent less silence fell
upon the vast concourse, broken only by the
fierce bellowing of the enraged bull.

Each matadore stood with watchful eyes,
braced for the charge, with barbed bars of
steel, to which ﬁreworks and ﬂuttering ribbons
were attached, in hand, which were to be stuck
in the animal to increase his re a.

At the sounding of the sccon born. the tes
were thrown open and a magniﬁcent ull,
black as ebony, an as glossy as a race—horse,
entered the arena.

He stood, a perfect type of prairie freedom,
with eyes inﬂamed by fury, pawing madly at

 
the earth, his long, slender horns, tipped with

id» ,

e exhibi-'

 
never deserted a friend in distress or a foe in } black, glittering like lance-points, and as sharp.

l The bull gave one amazed, furious look at the
‘l ﬂaunting red ﬂag in his front, held by the chief

matadore; one half-frightened, hurried glance
about, as the vast audience gave a yell of ad-
miration; and then the beautiful beast advanced
proudly, with head erect, snuﬂing the air, into
. the arena.

As the huge gates slammed behind the animal
his whole frame trembled for a moment at the
strangeness of the scene before him.

It was but for a moment. The red ﬂag taunt—
ingly ﬂuttered but an instant when, with one
grand gathering of all the immense muscular
power in his frame, the bull sprung into the
midst of the matadores.

In another moment the beast stood u n the
opposite side of the arena, trampling be red
ﬂa beneath its feet, two of the matadores were
sw nging from the ,safet rings, some were
crouching in the holes, 0 ers had leaped owr
the barriers, while the manager upon his mus-
tang, which snorted and pranced in terror, was
spurring for dear life toward the entrance

gate.

A deep bellow, a cloud of dust, and, like an
arrow sent from the bow, went the maddened
brute, toward the man and mustang.

a former in an instant comprehended his
great peril.“ none of his matadores were in
the rin to draw the bull from him with their
ﬂags. ﬁnickly he attempted to turn his horse,
and point his lance. but before this movement
could be accomplished the furious beast was
upon him, and one long, glittering horn ierced
the‘mustang, just back of the shoulder, aring
through the lungs and heart.

One horrible, piercing shriek, such as is only
given by a_ horse in the agony of fear and pain
monaﬁnizedﬁ etding look at his master,
utmost sin use vision, .hvm t 6 1110'”
tallywbun ed steed, then,'asthc hill jerked
clear, a great stream of blood spurred ten feet
into the arena, blinding the bull for a moment,
and bespattering the gaudy ccstumes 0f the
matadores who were now attempting to draw
the animal away- from the manager. Thelatter
quick] shook his feet clear from the siii'rups,
as the orsc gave a spasmodic leap into the air
and fell dead against the barrier, and with a
‘ face ghastly as death clumbered to a place of
safety.

The triumphant bull stood impatiently aw-
ing the earth, trembling with mpdness an ex-
citement, while the audio gave‘a bug-drawn
. sigh of relief at the escape _ the mana er, and

 
then one wild cheer of ,sdmiration, as’ he bull \

stood panting, but still ready for business,
watchin every move of the matadorcs, who
gmtte and prepared for a fresh attackat the
risk of limb or life, to ain the plaudits which
so far'had been lavish on the successful pride
Of the prairie.

The bull was now rocking with blood and
foam, its tongue hanging from its mouth, mad-
ness that wasdreadful to contemplate glaring
from its eyes, and it was apparent that any
movement toward the monster would be fraught
with Frost danger. , ;

Bu the matadores were before an audience
which would brook'no cowardice, and they
knew it, til h peth )5 this know] e was a
detriment tot cm in 1 ie work bef them as
forced briitVery does not often brig, I . 80-

toayiresu k, r , ..
echicf matadore approached with a new
in front of him. One lunge of the bull, a
ck l aside by the matadm w .hout
' Ignition of the ﬂag, and, the orns
of theh ‘ull were I ornailii‘eutedzieth
swieabtndo lwaopngcd pino
ﬁgMMcrofthobeaahtheieb addingtohis

Tearing the ﬂag from h

f , he in an
ﬂat the ﬁerce brute rung in purrzﬁuit of a
madam, who was rnnn to escape by leap-
ing the barrier. He can t the man on his
horns, throwing him high into the air, to the
Wot the spectators. and with a sickenin
thud the man fell to the earth. One bound on
the lag tapering horns went crunching through
his . wine . dripping with blood, amid
cries of was hurled again into the dusty
air and fell within ten feet of the ~barrier.

At thil'same instant with a pent-u cry of
agoiiy Mariana Coyen, tho beautiful ueen. of
the audangoes, leaped the barrier, and ﬂitting
to the trate form of the mangled bull-lighter
tender y took his head upon her breast knee]-
in u n the blood-stained earth: the bull stood
, W: h ollin tongue and ﬂasbin eyes, not six

feet from ariana, who rocked go and fro the
head of the dying man, The audience arose to
their feet but Were chained there by the bar-
rowing scene. ‘

Thus, for one awful moment the tableau re-
mnlndﬁii, for the danger of tlhe womaili holilitng

e ngman, scemer to ave para yse He

matacfores with terror, and one and all stood
spellbound. _
., No, not all. for a slender,  form sudden-
1y forced his way to-thc fron , and mth an
agile lea , be cleared the barrier, and was the
next in at in the arena. _

But he did not stop there, as a few sggngs
brought him between the bull and his in dad
victims

 
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] Téien, iron; the vast aisembly went up dsone
on c an n nevery ‘ were two wor :
« Ellison 5%?" .m "

But, how was Sam, brave as he was known
to be, to save the dying man and the heroic
girl, from instant death, when the trained ma-
tadores feared to meet the maddened beast?

But, cool as an icicle, Sam stood, while the
bull now turned his ﬂaming eyes upon him as
his foe who quickly drew his revolver and held
it in a hand as firm as iron.

The audience held their breath in horror and
cautionary cries came from the Texans as the
report of the revolver burst sharp and quick,
upon the air, mingled with a piercin shriek.

At the instant the )istol belch forth its
deadly messen er, the '11 gave one bound into
the air and fe dead at the feet of Buckskin
Sam, who quickly placed his foot upon the
head of the brute, and then cast his eves toward
the lpoint from whence had proceeded the shriek
at t e moment of his seeming peril.

He saw in that glance abeautiful Castilian
girl being borne away in a dead faint. He
caught but aglimpse of her features; but in
gm: glance he photographed them upon his

ra n.

Wild hens? rolonged cheers rent the air
and Erin: d edphis sombrero to the admirin ’
crowd,” Mandated Mariana to her feet and
delivered her to her friends, for the matadore
had bmathed his last. The bull-fight was over
and the most exacting could not but admit that
they had had four bits’ worth of tra y. From
what could be gathered from o weeping
Mariana she had seen the matadore but twice
since his arrival from Monterey, but that limit-
ed a uaintance had been sufficient to cause her
to ' her life for him. Fair daughters of
Mexico! what will you not do for him who is in
den r or distress? Your charity and affection
are ruiy boundless.

And homeward went the motley crowd, while
Buckskin Sam, accom anied by his Texan
friends, repaired to the laza House, their place
of rendezvous in San Antonio.

CHAPTER II.
N m inns:  goth
mantrasme ears vom em.
ing of my romance, them ﬂed in t pomp
from the ma Plane. of

and-luxury‘aiearle
Monte ,='anol Spa

 
niard by the? name of
Rafael with his family which consisted
of his wife, and a son, their only child. -

This son, Jose Castro, after having completed
his studies under private tutors at home, had
been sent to Cuba to receive a polish to his
education lurtbe gay city of Havana.

Upon his return home-an ei nit gentleman,
he was nccom nied by a fol ow-student who
alao‘claimed h rank and vast richesin 01d

Spam.

Imnao h-ogado, for such was the name of
Jose Castro’s friend, was received with warm
welbbmevbvaon Rafael and his wife, whore~
'ciced that their son had a camarada worthy of

is own blue blood.

With the stables well stocked with ﬂeet
steeds, the cellars ﬁlled with choice wines, the

two onu menhadeve tofen -
menty, J recently IiaVear’t‘o joy

books. they
now galloped over the extensive rancho, and
often into the city of Moutorey, when they
had the entree into the most aristocratic cir-
cles of society. A constant round . of
some weeks’ duration followed during which
Lorenao B c was forced, ’by' the non.”-
rival of fun 5 from his parents_ in _Spain,-to
borrow somewhat heavily from his friend Jose.

The latter rejoiced to have it in his ‘power to
befriend one who had seemingly rel n ished
other pro ts and plans to accompany 1m to
his home In Mexico.

The manner in which so many doublooua
were die of Lorenm at last became a
perplexin subjec of thought to Jose, until
searching n thecit for him during one of his
many unaccountab absences. he found his
friend deeply engaged in betting at "mute at
one, of the many gambling houses. Pained
though he was, he made no remark though it
caused him many a thou htful hour.

A short time after. the . iaeovory both he and
Inmnaoattended aballordaaza, given by the
Alcalde of Montersy, where both young men
were inmaduced top beautiful rl who had

entered society, and whoalso longed to a
ﬁn who prided themselves on their wealth

e.
The name of this lovely creature was Xa-
rieﬂa P , and it was no wonder that both
Jose and Lorenao became smitten by her many
charms of education,~beauty and character.
Sumac itto say that Jose Castro eventually
became the poem lover of Marietta, and that
upon the rejec of Laenao his villainous
nature became unvailed. He leagued himself
with bandits, and at their head, upon the night
of the nuptials of Jose and Marietta. attacked
thisd hacienda, and attempted to abduct the
0.

Although this devilish t was not suc-
cdnl theﬂendiah rovers otflgijzcchapairals shot
both Don Rafael and his wife last they dyiﬁ
before the defenders of the hadenda succeed

 
in driving the bandits from the grounds, and
without being permitted to give their blessing
to Jose, their dearly loved son.

Jose and Marietta, ﬁlled with grief, took up
their abode in the old hacienda; but were kept
in constant alarm by the frequent attempts of
Lorenzo to avenge himself upon his rival in
love. Shortly after the birth of a daughter,
who was christened Lena Castro, Don Jose was
called away from his home on public matters,
and in his absence the rancho was again at—
tacked by the bandits, and Marietta captured,
and taken to the mountain retreat of the band,
the infant child escaping on'ly throu h the
efforts of its nurse who secreted hersef with
the little one in the shrubbery of the garden,—
and she was the only servant left on the hacienda
upon the return of the master.

In a frenzy of grief Don Jose employed for
months a number of men, well armed and
mounted, and at their head scoured the coun-
try, high and low, far and near, for his lost
wife, but in vain. Fearing, from the past. the
power of his enemy in the future, he sold out

is entire estate, and well disguised, with his
daughter and the faithful nurse, he secretly fled
to San Antonio, Texas, ho ing that there his vin-
dictive enemy, Lorenzo rogado, would never
ﬁnd him, to rob him of his only loved one, his
darling child Lena.

Don Jose, upon his arrival in San Antonio in-
vested a large rtion of his funds in real estate,
in and about t e town. At this time there were
but few American residents of the city, and
soon after, when the tide of emigration swe t
that way, he became immensely wealth
the advance in landed property. But 
his wealth Don Jose was far from bein ha ;
the tragic death of his parents haunted him 11
his dreams and a thousand fearful con ectures
in regard to the condition of his wife n'etta
so preyed upon his mind that it was a wonder
his reason was not unseated.

All these bereavements, so dreadful to brood
over, having come upon him throu h'the per-
fidions treachery of one he had ca led friend
who had so often broken head with him, and
shared his ', steeled him against all men
and he loo ed upon new ashis friend, trusted
no one with his hepes, except his daughter, and
closely hugged his fears of uture trouble within
his cum breast.

The uenee was he seldom: went out,
knew but ii is of the doin in the outside
world, and had theme 0 beta piped" '
meme. ‘ ow ng from the past  Lonnie
B 0 would- ositat'e at' no cﬁmatosatisfy
his human enmity, how" in Mt 
of his daughter being taken from him by t
devilish monster. ____'_

CHAPTER III.

m SPANISH RECLUBI»

Dino! the grandest homes in San Antonio
was the abode of Don Jose Castro, the recluse,
as the citizens were wont to call him. -

An almost broken-hearted man he'_ lived alone
for his daughter, and theredaroun’dherevery
luxury th heartoou desire. ‘ V "

Austen to others, to her he was ever-ﬁnds,
and now as we ﬁnd him seated alone in ele-

t librar late in the afternoon of the day of
bull t bitterly musing on the his
thoughts or the boame Lana min e‘in his
bitter memories for, to please her on he had
no to the exciting exhibition, the gala scene
at opens this slag. ' ' ‘

Two things h particularly attracted the
attention of the' Don, and over both he was
(1 y worried.‘ '

rst. from their seat, which were very near
the spot where the matadore had fallen the
Don had observed the eyes of the dying ll-
ﬁghter fixed In Lena with a look he could not
fathom, even t ough the man knew that death
was not far from him, and lay in the arms of
Mariana Coyen, the Queen Coquette, as she was
often called.

In vein was it that Mariana bent over the
wounded matadore, trying to fix his (1
gee 1W her; his eyes mould rosin to the

anti nl face of Lena Castro, and there dwell
with an unfathomable stare.

This stran look Lena noticed, as well as did
her father, t neither spoke to the other re-
garding it.

The other cause of distress to the Don, was
the shriek given by Lena, at the danger of
Buckskin Sam, when he fearlessly sprung tothe
rescue of the dying matadore an Fandango
Queen, and her faintin at the risk he run.

Butu this subjec also the Don had not
spoken Lena, thou now, as he sat alone
in his library, he mum deeply upon the scenes

“I fear that my child has in some we met
this youn Ranger," he muttered half aloud,
“though 5 e has never spoken to me upon the
subject.

“ Ah me! what if she should love him, as her
deep emotion certainly leads me to believe!

“ It is wrong in me to keep her out ofsociety,
where she can meet men who are of equal rank
as herself, and I will in future see th is she
holds the position to which she is entitl , for,
thOugh there is nothing against that Ming

young Ranger Buckskin Sam, he is not the one
would select as a husband for my daughter.

“I will send for her, and find out just how
dee 1y she is interested in him.” and tinkling
a ‘ ver bell, Don Jose bade the servant who an-
swered its summons, to ask the Senorita Lena
to come to the library.

Rising, he paced the room slowly, and his
dark, sad face was clouded more than was
usual; but then in the past he had much to
sorrow for, and remembering that Lorenzo
Brogado still lived, he feared daily that an
otherblow might be struck at his life, or, worse
still, his daughter be torn from him as his wife
had been. ‘ ,

A few moments only he waited and the door
opening, Lena Castro swept into the room.

A form of rare grace, and a face of exquisite
loveliness, it was no wonder that the gallants of
San Antonio were wont to vote her fatheran
old wretch for keeping her out of society, where
the could lay siege to her heart and hand.

din a snowy robe, that set off her dark
beauty to perfection, her father gazed on her in
rapt admiration as he took her hand and led her
to a seat.

“ I hope in daughter has fully recovered
from her in sposition of the morning?” said
Don Jose, kissing her affectionately.

“Wholly, father; it was foolish in me to be
so overcome at the look' of a man I did not
know.”

“ The look! you mean the danger of the young
Ranger?”

Lena ﬂushed slightly, but said in reply:

“ No, father; the look of that dying matadore
overcame me, for it made me very nervous, and
I saw in it a presentiment of evil.

Don Jose turned deadly pale, but trying to
hide his fears, he answered:

“ I too noticed his strange look, and somehow
his face haunted me like a vision in a dream, as
though I had seen it before; but, my child, I
feared that your fainting when the Ra
whom they call Buckskin m, pIaCed his to
in peril, showed a deeper interest in him than a
young r1 should feel for one who was not an
acce lover.”

“ o, father I feel onl kindly toward the
Ranger though it is true have met him beforei
as he i was who so severely nished the wﬁ
cow-boy that day, for throw his lasso and
catching my horse.”

“Ahi he it was; you said only then that it ‘
was a, handsome young Ranger; I owe him
gratitude, and shal thank him,w‘hen next we

“glow, Lena,1wish to speak toyou upon a
tu ectnear my heart.”

‘ am listening, father.”

“ I wish you to go more into society, and to
mingle with men and women, for there are ﬁled
old families here, as you know; and, myc d,
thmerenislone whom I would be willing to see you

Iona arched her beautiful brows, but asked
no questionsaudibl , of who this favored one in
her {ath eyes in lilt bah i g I“

“ tis ugustin lceo: e swea y,a gen-
tleman and well fitted to make ‘halpnpy, and
Ihﬂehadaletterfrom him, 11$: t honor
of offering“ his attentions. _

“Remem ,Idonot ed ,you’tohinimnly
I know ofno one I woul rat erseeyoursuitor;
nowl‘my child, you may ‘. the invitation
to the danzas that are given , and I know

on will re supreme as a’belle; now we will

for a drive,” and shortly‘after the stylish
equipage of Don Jose Castro, astonished the
citizens of San Antonio by drivin through the
streets, with the father and da ter seated in
it, and which caused a noted monte sport to re‘
mark to a brother gambler:

“At the bull-ﬁght this mornin and now
driving through San Antonio. I’ll a that
sand peace that the Don is (foiug'to bring hi
da hterout in soci , an if e does,that
she’ be the reigning be le within the month."

The beta were taken at once; not from a de-
preciation of Lena’s charms, but because it
was natural for the gamblers to wager pesos ,
onlanything where there was a chance to win
or ose.

 
CHAPTER IV.

m asugnas’ swoum.
Tun San Pedro Sg'mgsimated a mile from
the main plans of n tonio, have long beat
the Mecca of the traveler’s hopes, coming as he
does acres the burning sands, with no moisture
to soothe his burning throat after a long and
dreary trail from the northern plains.

Out of the limestone ledge gurgles the limtp‘ild
water, and around it is We of trees t
cast upon it a coolingss , while trailing
vines and feetoons of punish moss make ita
retreat that seems a Paradise to those who have
been facing the heat of the sun for many a

mile scrum the plains. ‘
L In t is little e many thrilling scenes have
transpired, an many a desperate encounter
hasbeenthere. whenmenstood face to faoein
the deadly dune.

And here,
of the

the ni ht followi the da
bull-ﬁght: a picturesgﬁe scene 1’.

 
presenmd to view, for it is a bivonac of Texas

 
4

Buckskianam.

 
Rangers; 9. band of roving, darings irits that
have made their names feared upon p aza, plain
and in the wild chaparrals.

Amon these Rangers are those who were at
the bull- ht with Buckskin Sam, whose daring
deed and sadly shot was the theme of conversa-
tion around the camp-ﬁres.

Indolently lying upon their scrapes, smoking
and talkin , were men who have won names in
Texas as t e bravest of the brave, for the one
humming a love son in a low voice, is Reckless
Joe, the daring brot ers, known the South—west
over as the Fighting Thompsons, Bill Lambert
Tom Clark the Ranger Spy, Rio Grande Bil
and others, all dressed in the jaunty style of
the Rangers, with top boots, buckskin leggins,
with rows of silver buttons down the outer
seams, embroidered shirts and jackets, and a
black slouch hat with a silver star looping up
one side of the broad brim.

Other members of the band were less fanci-
fully attired, and their darkly-bronzed faces
and worn clothing showed that they had lately
been on trails.

Amen these Were men also famous in the
annals 0 border warfare, for Big Foot Wallace.
Dutch Pete, Hoggy Bennett, Jack Hodge, the
Stage Driver, an Clown, the Apache Scalp-
taker, were there.

At the cam fire, hustling about with all the
extra airs an gestures of a French cock, was a
negro, of some fort years of egg. This was
Austin, the most poite and polls ed negro in
Texas; be having traveled all over Europe with
his master, where he had picked up aristooratic
notions and foreign language.

Evarybody knew Austin, and he prided him-
self on bein intimate with all the members of
the State vernment—more especially with
Governor Houston. Austin was black as ebony,
neat, and very dressy, not to as foppish—for
he considered a bros cloth suit, ashy neck-tie,
and stove-pipe hat indispensable tohis dignity—
even while superintending the culinary epart-
ment of a Ranger camp.

Dutch Pete was celebrated over Western
Texas as the boss mule-whacker and roper
wherever he went, and now, as we glance upon
the camp he is talking very emphatically and
ﬁlesticulatinlﬁ“a roust at twore rectory mules

at, mule- , ave wandered from good feed,
near camp, to s. barren spot over the creek.

Each 'Rangeris intetzsit 11903)ch arms or
examining uipmen , as roug e grove
rings them-idiom the amp-ﬁre:

‘ Oh, es O—o—o—o—e es, msstersl Cum
up! R0 1 along towards dis umin’us center ob
subtractshunl De graby am pro llin’ itself of!
, dis luxur’ous beefsteak, an’ con ensin’ inter de
blue tomb abuv us. Dat ooﬂee, gemmen, beats
de Parley Voosi I’se eevin’ cans Mensa Bun
ain't here, he’s ’scrim tin’ ’nuﬂ ter ’precists
coﬂee oh my comoockshun.” .

It needed no second invitation from the ne 0
to bring the hung? Rangers about the ﬁre, w th
their tin cups a home-knives ready for the
meal of corn-pone, beefsteak, broiled upon the
coals, and black coﬂee. These were gracefully
dealt out b Austin, whose face beamed wi
self-en smiles. .

“B the royal crown of Jamesl” exclaimed
Rec Joe. “ Austin you are s. treasure. It
is not often we Texans have a man to cook for
us who has traversed the Old World gazed at
monarchson their-thrones, tram d the Boule-
vards, and wandered through t e ruins of an-
cient Rome. It is a mystery to me how you
ever picked up so much knowledge in Europe
and still never forgot the ways and habits of
Texas.”

“ Now, look a~hcre J06,” broke in Big Foo
“ we-uns stain tbis-a—ways for in an
of you an’ Austin gits to palaver n’ ’ ut
Yurup, my fodder won't go down good; if yer
has an lin o ’bout Texas, jess spit ’er out an’
I’ll it unk; I’ve weekened on ev’ry lug
what don’t consaru this ’ere section. We’re in
a quiet s whar a wan’hoop or Greaser- ell
ain’t like y ter bu’st in atween bites; an’ t’s
make a squar’ meal, pe with Texas talk if
anything, an, I‘ll ’low, ur myself that Idon’t
banker arter much tongue—music'k, when I’m
a-feedin’.”

“All right me lord duke,” answered Joe,
laughing good-humoredly. “ I’m alwa s ready
to hsten to the wishes and counsel of he King
of the Live-oaks. Austin, thissteak is delicionsci
and the coffeeas ood escanbehadattheol
French market in ew Orleans.”

Austin, from behind Big Foot, gracefully
Waved his thanks for the compliment, giving at
the same time, a respectful nod and signiﬁcant
wink toward the Giant Scout, as much as to
say he needed no second hint from the latter to

keegiis tongue still.
“ ou‘re right, Big Foot,” added Fighting
Ben, “ a man can gets uare deal without going

acrost the drink. We ve got longer river’s,
deeper canyons and bigger prairies than they
canshake an where. We can makealay-
out of E d ide of one of rmrtﬁrsirie-dog
towns an not interfere much with egame o
thﬁ dogs. I had a great deal rather spread my-
sel before one of your good dinners, Austin,
than hear you exlpstiate on the mcrack no-
tions of the Par ey Vous an’ ohnny Bulls.

 
Jack, what makes you so glum to—night? Reckon
they didn’t deal square enough to suit you at
the Bull’s Head last night.”

“ That thar danged whisky 0’ Bob Caile’s beat
me a cussed si ht more’n ther game,” answered
Jackﬂodge: ‘ fact on it were, I cudn’t bet ter
win, fur I were so danged full 0’ pisun that ther
; spots doubled on me ev’ry time. When ev’ry
l ace is adeuce things don’t look squar" an’ I don t
i linger long arter ther Jacks ’gin tcr wink at me
, an gallop round ther lay-out. Clown,” con-
‘ tinned Jack, turning to his ard, “ ’pears ter me
1 you ware as full as a foun’ ’r’d stage-horse yer~
self, an’ yer looks as discour’aged as I’m feelin’. ”

“ I duz feel kinder purplish,” responded
Clown, “ an’ I’m thinkin’ I were purty consider’-
ble full 0’ whisk’, ter fall asleep an’ miss ther
bull-fight. But I don’t feel so danged down in
ther mouth as I sh’u’d ei’ yer warn’t in ther
same box erself, Jack.”

“That 11]] ﬁght was a big thin ” broke
in Bill Lambert quickly, ‘ and uckskin
Sam made his point as usual. He always

makes his move before any one else gets things
thro h their head. The way he made that
leap mm the barrier, clear over Mariana’s
head, and faced that bull was a sight worth
seein ; but I’ve seen him do things up just as
neat fore. Haven’t you, Joe?”

“ You’re right. me lord,” answered Joe
proudly, tearing oil? a huge mouthful of steak.

‘ Sam 3 a right royal outh. It’s a high honor,
I think that I can cal him pard from the days
when e wasn’t bigger’n a ration of bacon.
He’s white and square, any way you may take
him. He will share the last biscuit or drink of
water with any one who is suffering.”

“Boys!” exclaimed Big Foot, in a quiet. con-
ﬁdential tone unusual for him, “that Sam are,
I believe, ther whitest, uarest feller I’ve met
in a year 0’ Sundays. e’s constertooted ter
make a first-class Texan. He’s a. heap solider’n

most 0’ ther lads what cums from ther States.
Fact are I never see’d any as y as he are so
ht at that;

danﬁzd fur from hum, an’ on ther
an’ looks as rosy an’ rettyas a young gal.
Put calico on him an’ boys w’u’d be srter
him  piert I rec’ons. I ain’t ejucated, but
I can from ther good what sparkles in his
Ezepers, on what I has seen 0’ him, that it ’u’d

shardjobterﬂndhisekilinanysection. If
that teller of old times what Joe told me ’bout,
Dodger-knees, what went round huntin’ a man
whs w’u’d ve s squsr’ deal with a Jack-s-
lsnturn, s-run ag’in’ Sam, his his w’u’d ’a’
bin bu’sted, an’ his occipation gone up. If ther
cuss lived now, an’ ’ud cum ter Texas he’d light
on a few what poll ticks ha’n’t demos-lined an’
what don’t wear b shirts. Sam t tor
be this-«way: ’bout now, bedn’t he, Bill

“When I ft him,” answered 13 ll Lambert,
“hewould not romisewben lnwouldcomeout
tocemp, ache ad businemto attend to. Some
of Cortlna’s cut-throats, and a lot of horse-
thieves mixed with them. are re ted in Atas-
mooning; andI reckon Sam on the look-
out for ormation in regnrd to them, to far-
wsrd to Governor Houston. Sam is so well
liked by the Mexicans of San Antonio that he
has a good show to get news from them of any
strange Grosser: from over the Bravo, who are
smelling about thiswsy, for news in regard to
our movements.”
was" a“ “entrant's “1°

- spo 0 up a , mp-
sou, ﬂﬁthat didn’t, I reckon, get as notice 1
gave to it. Anyway I have heard no one men-
tion having seen anything wrong about the deal
“it I'd'ink I dinki din

“ tam s vas ng sum vcs
wrong,” said Dutch Pete. “ Put I don? ya:
kicks spout much ven I seesdings looks muleisb.
I keeps mine eyes opens all der same.”

" I w’u’dlike tor now what ther dickens on
two fellers are drivin’ at,” said Jack H I?
looking somewhat indignantly at Daring)0 ill
and Dutch Pete. “ E! has yanked rib us,
kicked brakes, an’ snap whips throu’ mes,
hog-wallet, canyon, an clean rrara, Slay an
wet, fur sum extended 'ods, ha’n’t got ther
snap outen me yit an yer can list chalk that
down on yer way-hill, an’ I rec on Big Foot’s
blinkers are ’bout assharp as a tiger-cat’s claw
if he has meandered ther perrara an’ bush ’til
his scalp ’s a-gittin’ mangi, and wood-ticks
him by as tew tough ter itch onto. No ense
ter you, Ipard,” said Jack, aside, to Big Foot.
slapging im on the shoulder, “ but it cuts 11110
a ) alt-snake (whip) ter have any one 8°
heavy on, as I dus on Bill an’ Pete, think thet
I’m a warein’ blinders, fur I stole away {mm
ther stable an’ left Clown sleepin’-b88 Y9?
Eardin Clown l—an’ fetched u at ther lon -

orn ow. Fact is I see’d it al , throu’ a crac
under ther frunt seats, fur I war lookin’ like a
Piute arter bein’ dragged throu’ a bog-hole.
an’ didn’t want ther gas ter gate on m’e when
my harness wearn’t on squar’ un’ not 116d up

fur show.” "

“Never ﬂare u ’mong friends,_Jsck. Big
Foot laid. “ Bill om’sen never spits out,any-
thi tar hurt feelin’s ’tenshunal nur Pete's ther;
yer a’n’t gut ther whisk’ outern er skin, at,
an’ rare 1: too surldent like. or c’u’dn a
Seen ev’ry hing goin’ on thru’ a crack, ’spesb’ly

 
When yer bed snakes crawlin’ round yer boots

 
—ef they warn’t in ’em. Ez fer me, I war over
ter Mrs. Wells’s, an’ didn’t throw my four bits in»
tew a Greaser’s pocket, ter see a few bulls on
ther muscle. I has seen enuif 0’ that game loose
on ther perrara.”

“I’ll speak for Pete, as well as for myself,”
now broke in Daring Bill. “ I did not intend to
say any one was thick-sighted; but there were a
good many things to draw a person’s eyes so
they wouldn’t see or notice any little thing like
I refer to. It was when Sam stood in front of
the bull, and the matadore was dying, he drew
Mariana’s head down, and whis red in her car,
at the same time by a look irecting her at-
tention to the spot where Lena Castro, the
prettiest irl in San Antonio sat. with her

ather. he wa I put it up was this: The
matadore had b
death would bar the game of him—or his em-

ployer—for I know such a low-down bull-ﬂ hter-

couldn’t have anything to do with a high- rn
Castilian family like the Castros. That this
biz was of importance was shown by its being
held as high as his religion. There was but a
short breath between the communication and
hislast prayer, as he ressed his blessed medal.
which hun to his nec , to his dying lips.

“Then, t 0 next thing which impressed me
and stamped this more vividly u n my mind
was this: as the bull made his set lunge at
Sam the same Lena Castro ve a piercing
scream, and went off in atdeadufaint. If Sam
hain’t got a soft thing on ning the affections
of Lena Castro, with all he blue blood in her
veins and doubloons around her ranch, as thick
as sand-ﬂeas at Point Isabel, then I’ll never
spread another in -out, or sling a card.”

“I’m a tam ’cb mule-triver, I knows,”
added Dutch Pete, “ put I have seen all dat you
dslks spout, Pill- an’ sum more, as dat. Iwatch
dat tam ll-sticker ven he was so clost to
Mariana, cude shust shute dat Gre’ner if der
pull ’adn’t killed him an’—”

Here the whole rty broke intoatumultuous
roar of laughter, or Dutch Pete’s lan e, and
the vim he put into his words, told pﬁﬁ that
he bad 9. soft spot in his heart, occupied gy the
Queen of the Fandango.

“Vot you makes any vays! Vat for you
laughs, pays?” continued Pete. his face red with
blushes and shame that he had shown his weak-

nem to his rds. “l sees notdin to laugh at,
mineself. dinks all you tellers likes der dance
mlt Mariana.

Put, a I vas shgaktng,l vas
vstching dot gal and Gre’ssr nod sssshemakes
hertahsvun lockupindeskyundcross
herself; nnd I myslmdo , ‘sum dreuples
comes mit db tom pull-tight? mgr I “(links so

Figh Ben (Ben Thom n
{gingexci ﬁdon’tcomeoutof it)’I think u

Pete does. hen things commence in San An-
tonio as t did to-da they don’t end right
swa . We have s k of fun, see if we
don When blood is spilled near the Al»

mo. even if it is Greater and bull blood,
there’ll be sure to follow shooting and cuttin
of sane Oban I reckon we boys
come in for 5 din the deal. Something-’s in
the wind, or Sam would be here before this.”
anhkmdne‘r fkaluulate "1:33:11 the; Sun’s}:
n n rou er news, ' u
wiped his bowie, drank the 1.35am... and
drew his sleevencroes his beard. “Ef ther
are any thet count toward a rumpus he’ll git
a—hold on it, bet ersoulp. I huh!
t, mute,- o’ h campany but what I has. I’ll
sguar’ mm to: own, no es me banker arterr
bein with him frequent sn’oﬂen. As ter the
danged Grosser s-kickin’ ther bucket, thet
won t diam m innercent seesters fur a single
more, 12;: you ellars what ware u with Bur-
leson has any it'hing ter sling ’brggt in, on thet
m m an ,n as ther s so .

Rwell,” said all Inmhert, picking his teeth
with his bowie. “the ﬁrst time I ever saw Sam
was on the Main Plans, just as be t his outﬁt
wd clued Burleson. He had gught Black
Ciond from Martin Cam’bell—we didn’t know
the bone, or boy either, as it turned out. Our
camp was at the San Antonio Springs, and ﬁve
of us were going out.
h “ We bantesedmn Samt hi'for a race. ttheinking to

ave our own a expense, he in fresh
from the States; We all lit out; and,8 boys,
my I never see my darling Lou, if he didn’t
get to camp, got his mg of! and sit eatiu his
rations when we got in. He never said not log,
or got the laugh on us by blowin to the oths'
boys, and that made me like him from the
start. When we got up to the Blanca Falls,
not far from the Devil’s Back Bone, the whole
crowd there were stripped for a swim, and
some of the ﬂats went to pokin fun at Sam in
1-933. rd to his verdancy as a nger. He got
his blood up and dared an and all to follow
him. We idn’t know at get what he meant,
but 800" Got our eyes opened. He took a mu
and made a ﬂying leap of? the racks, down into
the pool at the f00t of the fall. It’s all of ﬁfty
soot {:om the ledge; and jnobggy linke'w how

eep was, or ow man too there
(were hid awn beneath thye  We

own in won er, never expectin to see Sun
again; but up he came, very wgak, we could

With Lena Castro, and his

4

5

i

é

g.

p.
»
l

 
r
3

 
Buckskin Sam.

 
5

 
see by the way he swam, for he was under
water a ion time and—”

“IVaal, jest be dog-goned intew a conti-
nental cucumber,” interrupted Big Foot, as he
moved from his seat to get nearer to .Lambert.
“Yer don’t go tcr say Sam leaped oil’en that
place anl cum out piert on his pins? I has bin
right thar an’ knows jist how things is sit-
ewated.”

“Hold your horses and I’ll tell you," again
commenced Bill. “ e did conze out 0. K.,
climbed up an’ stood drippin and panting on
the rock, with folded arms, llooking defiantly,
will cqptemptuously upon the whole crowd.

re ]_

“Didn't none 0’ ther sapheads foller his
jum )l” again interrupted Big Foot.

cs,” again commenced Lambert, “ﬁve or
six of us, Joe Booth, here, among the number.
We felt as though we’d go it or get killed, and We
made the rifﬂe safe' but I don’t want any more
such long 'umps. ’hen we got out, and again
stood on t e rocky shelf, we saw Sam wasn’t
through yet, for he took a run away from the
edge and then faced the falls. Capt. Burleson
ye led at him not to go over again, but it done
nog . He took a run, and I’ll be tetotally
bamfoozled if he didn't go over head-first and
went down likeashot, straight as an arrow. He
didn’t wobble a hair nor make a break in the
waters foot wide. Well, I might as well say
that nobody followed him, everybody stayed
gutlnof that pot. They couldn’t see him, you

et

“Bully fur Saml” yelled Big Foot as he
threw his battered sombrero into the air, the
Same falling into the camp-fire and being dex-
terously recovered and gracefully returned by
Austin.

“Did ther (1 ed soft sodder, pusilanimus
scum o’ ther clar in’s have any more for say
“bout Sam bein’ fresh,’ an’ green? I’d ’a’ gi’n
slug ter bin thar. I’d a’ slung ther cusses over
inter ther Blanco, an’ I be doggoned ter thunder
of I w’uldn’t bin ockerd ’bout it, an’ not so
ﬂanged partic’lar ’hout thar bein’ scariﬂeri
when the. ware on ther whiz to’ard ther liquid.”

“They never bothered Sam but once after
that,” continued Lambex t. “ Then his horse had
been bitten by a rattlesnake, and he wouldn’t
run ther animal after buffalo. For this his
ability to kill one was questioned—this was
when we furst got into the range—Sam left
camp on foot With his lariat, six and bowie.
.lle rode into camp next morning on a wild
mustang he had snared and inoko without sad-
dle or bridle. He had a prairie twist on the
’nag’s under jaw with his lariut, and in that fix
had run killed and scalped the biggest, fiercest
looking bull bison I over saw—we come acrost
the beast on the march next day—and he
brought in the finest n:o;; scalp of the forehead)
we took the whole campaign, and slun it. all
bloody, into the face of the galoot w )0 had
been prominent in sneering at him, at the same
time covering his heart with his six.”

“Did ther cuss wilt?” asked Big Foot
eagerly.

You bet, he wilted. There wasn’taRanger
there but what would have made a lead mine of
him if he had hurt Sam. and he knew it, and
took a ack seat. Fact was he deserted a short
time a er; when we got news the reds Were
coming down on us, thick and eager for hair.”

“ I nefer likes ter dalk so much ven I pee:
)udding avay mine rareshuns,” spoke up Dutch
Pete ‘ I don’t can see how you vcllers gets
done mit your krub so quicks; put as I vassay,
I kude dolls sum dales )out dat Buckskin vat
vouid makes you likes 'm sum more. Von I
dakes mine smokebi sumlhmes, und der
mulars bees all 0. K. on I shpits owert dings
pout dem dam red-skins vat vas drying von race
mit me an’ Sam, and we pees in von waggon,
mit six molars vild as ter tyvel, an’ gonig (lru
dose host—oaks, like sum ’untred t’ousan’ tyvllS.
Mine skalp git grawling now, when I dinkn
’pout dat times.”

“ Tugs an’ martingales ” exclaimed Jack
Hodge, blowing a big whiff of smoke from his
mouth and laying down his corn-cob pipe.
“ That must ’a’bin fun; I had aruu in ther some
fix up on Devil’s River when I driv’ fur George
Giddmgs. Steve 8 war my outrider, an’
ther way he made is black-snake whiz round
them thar mules’ hames were a caution. Ev’ry
lick brought a stiﬂ squeal an’ jump' but we
made ther riﬁle, an’ fetched ther statlon, with
ther arrers jist- a-cuttin’ the air round us. We
never bu’st a buckle, an’ Steve an’ me each on
us got a new Colt’s six, gi’n us by ther passen-
geixl-s,”what had purty loose scalps fur ’bout three
m e.

“ I wouldn’t mind humpin’ myself round that
same Section arter a few ’Pachc scul .,” said
Big Foot. “ I’m gittln’ sick 0’ wood-tic s, sand-
ﬂeas an’ down-kentr Greasers; a change 0’
water an’ feed wou dn’t set me back much
’bout now. I has had cunsider’ble fun in ther
’Pache an’ Lchn kentry,——“Lone IVolf, that
danged, smolzy sun 0’ Satan, with a gang 0’ his
butchers, run me n piert race, when I war on a
lone scout, for loose hn’r, onc’t. I had ter slip
my nag an’ take tor ther rocks, scarifyin’ my
buffs an’shinsri ht smartly fur yer knows I
ain’t no Sinderil a. “I wearn’t very ockerd,

 
nur slow, ’bout cacheesin’ myself in a hole, like
a Paciﬁc Digger, right abuv ther river, which
war good eighty foot plum, sheer down, an’ all
chance fur biz over my head war just as risky.
It war a. close ame, at long range, all ther
arternoon an’ had ’em all round me, thar
he’ds bob in’ out frum ahind ther rocks, like
perrara dogs: thar war right smart on ’em gi’n
ther death yell through ther hull game, an’
sum on ’em dun sum tall old circusin’ towards
ther drink, that war ’musin’ ter witness. But
ef it hadn’t ’a’ bin fur sum mustang snares. what
I diskivered hid away in ther cave and what I
spliced tergether; an’ slid down easy when dark

cum, ter ther drink, it w’u’d ’a’ bin a tough biz =

fur yours ’spectfully. I did’nt ’low ther dew ter
ﬂy much arter I got ter my nag; I took ther
bottum ev a branc , an’ follered er up fur sum

cunsider’ble of a long shoot afore I got stampede»

5 *ed on. I rec’on it war a long old yell
t 1cm ’Paches gi’n when light cum, an’ they seen
ther lariats swingin’.”

“Dit you say ofer your brayers?” asked
Dutch Pete, “did you bray to de pig Fat’er, on
tid you t‘ink all do times you gits avay frum de
rest-skins, Pig Fute?"

“That are sumthin’ I never ’lows ter talk
common ’bout. Him what put me here, in his
own ood time will take me awa ,” answered
Big oot lifting his sombrero, an gazing sk -
ward, with a reverential air about him, that t e
boys had never observed in him before. “I
don’t make a show 0’ m kind 0’ Christ’anity,
like ther preachers an’ t em what 5 uats in a
church, an’ thinks ther way are all in d out, an’
paved fur ’em ter kingdom cum—my creed are
ter keep a clean trail; feed him as is hungry, if
I has it; an’ help them what’s in tr’ubble. My
scri ter are the plains an’ mount’ins, the rivers
an’ ush; an’ what’s in ’em. I ain’t ejucated
an’ c’uldn’t read no other kind. Them’s
enough fur me, an’ 1 risks my futer on what
they teach me.”

“ Vat you dinks dem tam vild mulars deach
anydings gooti Dey brays terripley, sumdimes,
und makes much drouples mit efferygoty.
Efgou gets in de neighborhoot of dere ee 3,
100 ourt, lightennin’ quick, or day preaks up
your pissness. Dey pees de divels on de root,
or on de barara.”

Big Foot looked at ﬁrst indignantly at Dutch
Pete, as he made this last remark; but seeing
nothing but earnest innocence in his face his
features regained their usual stoical appearance,
but the Rangers were forced to withdraw from
the vicinity and smother their mirth by a
general drink all round from the sprin .

Then Big Foot sat down by the 81$: of Pete
and inquired of him:

" Do them thar cussed mules make anything
by buckin’ an’ kickin’l”

“ I ~ts (ley don‘t,” answered Pete. “ I gives
dem e pack-snake vip like do debble, sum-
dimes. o, dey makes notdings.”

“ Well, I rec’on that yer can l’arn a lesson
fi-um even a mule,” returned Big Foot exultant—
ly, “ f :r if yer go easy, glide along a trail with-
out any fuss, or bluster, yer has got a show ter
make things cum out hunk. Thar are a heap 0’
men, jist as bad as a mule, allers in a muss.
They it wusted ev’ry time an’ don’t yer fergit
what ’m spittin’ out, on this subjec’. I swan,
it stren’thens my argement, for if yer can l’arn
frum a mule, er can from any doggoned thing
what crawlsl’ and Big Foot burst into a horse
laugh, Pete joining in. Tnis brought the boys
back to camp. in wonder at the way things had
terminated; for they had anticipated trouble
from the way Pete had broken into the favorite
religious platform of Big Foot.

Before the Rangers had reached the camp-ﬁre
the attention of all was drawn by the quick
clatter of hoofs, and the next instant there
dashed into the camp, Captain Phil Immeke,
who cried in ringing tones as he drew rein:

“ Rangers, I come to you from Buckskin
Sam, who needs your aid, for San Antonio is
graftsned by Cortina the Swamp Fox and his

n .

One wild' vell from the Rangers, and every
man sprung for his horse, and ﬁve minutes after
they were riding rapidly toward the Alamo
Plaza, where they were to meet Buckskin Sam.

CHAPTER V.
ran BANDrrs’ ATTACK.

UPON the arrival of the Rangers in the city,
they found the houses and stores all closed, and
darkness and silence rested upon all: but the
shadows of night and the quiet were the calm
before the storm, for armed men were crouching
in secret recesses, awaiting the moment to
move to combat, when Cortina and his band
should dash in upon the town they expected to

surprise.

Alreadv had the town militia been called out,
and the Vigilantes had done some deadly work
a n traitors, as, in front of the house of the

atholic Priest, 9. dark form was swaying to
and fro from the limb of a tree.

It is Contraband Jim, a noted horse-thief and
desperado, whose fate had been quickly settled
by the Vigilantes.

At the ‘Bull’s—Head Bar,” 9. party of Texans
had gathered, and among them was Buckskin
Sam, who was arranging with the town ofﬁcers

3. plan of attack, when Cortina should come
into the town.

Presently, out of the mesquite bushes be 0nd
the city, dashed a troop of horsemen, an en-
tering the Plaza, they ride up to the Bull’s—
Head Inn, and attempt tobreak in the doors.

But with the ﬁrst stroke the stout door ﬂII‘S
open, and a dozen revolvers flash in their faces,
and the battle is begun.

“ The game’s afoot, boys; go in and win i” cried
Buckskin Sn and well did the Bandits know
the Ra er tye 1 that followed, and turn quickly
to face t e oes they had not expected to meet.

Mounted on his beautiful mustang, Black
Cloud, Buckskin Sam led the charge upon the

1‘ Bandits, and along the streets the ﬁght raged,

until the main Plaza w as reached, and then the
enemy turned to ﬂy. for they could not face the
deadly revolvers of the 'Rangers.

As Buckskin Sam was about to start in pur-
suit, he heard his name called, and beheld a
man lying a ainst his dead horse.

“Me spea with you—you Buckskin Sam,”
he said with an effort.

“Yes, what have you to say to me?” asked
Sam, seeing by the faint light of the rising
moon that her was a Mexican and badly
wounded.

“Me Pedro; ou saved m
Nuccesz‘me tel you many
and want to kill on.

“Me at bull- ght in disguise, and see on
save Mariana; the matadore was paid to ill
you, and Mariana was to help him, and then
we was to take Senorita Lena to bandit camp.”

“ Ah! that was your little game, was it?”

“ Yes; me 8 ak true now, for me die soon.”

“ You certainly are dying; well, go on, if you
have more to say.”

“ Keep your eye on the Senorita Lena Castro,
for they mean her mischief.”

“Hal who means her mischief?” asked Sam
quickly.

“Don Brogado, the Bandit Chief; me die
n0w; good-by,” and the dying man closed his
eyes and seemed anxious that death should
come and relieve him of his sufferings

As Sam turned away there suddenly pierced
the air a wild shriek in a man’s voice, followed
by a ringing cry for he] .

It came from the irection in which the
bandits had ﬂed, and the next instant there
dashed upon the scene a mule, ﬂying like the
wind and bearing a man clinging to him.

Quickly Sam’s revolver ﬂushed and a bullet
brou ht the mule to the ground with a heavy

life one time on
ex1can hate you,

fall, urling his rider far from him.

Springin I like a panther into the air, with
beﬁro‘r an despair in his countenance, he
ye e : \

“Mother 0’ Mozes, don’t shoo si’in, gentle-
min! ‘Sure, don’t yels see I’m aft er surrin-

derin’, an’ ’avin‘t evin a shillalah wid me to do
yees harrum? Wirra, wirra! phat a worruld!”
This speech was greeted with a deafening
ell, which caused the Irishman to shake in his
cots, followed ly a burst of uncontrollable
laughter from the party of Rangers which
caused just as sudden a change of feelings in
the person so unceremoniously introduced into
their midst».
“I ropes ter be jamlusted intew hash by old

_ squaws. an’ fed by thrr sroonful ter Piute pa
‘ pooses, ef it ain’t Mick McFillinn l" suddeng

 
shouted Big Foot. “ Wbar in t. er name 0’
Kurnil Krocket did yer cum frum, Mick? an’
what’s in ther wind ter make yer skate this-a-
ways so almighty speedy an’ let loose yer music
like a dyin’JJanther cat?”

“ Masha, exclaimed Mick, pantin with ex-
citement. “ ,’pon me now], I t n ht the
hull worruld had gone intirely. Faith, i: ’s
versel’s I was sure I was a ther matein’ beyont

ere. an’ ridin’ like divils ye ware, as I came
discanterin’ along an’ I gi‘n a rousin’ yell fer
bare joy, whm luck an’ the divil catch the
svalpeens, whoiv'er the ware, they began to
blaze at me wid pisto 8. Blood an’ nonnkers,
but it was an awful fright I got. an’ I gi’n the
mule a prod v. id me knife which made the divil
of a haste mad as a bother. an’ afther raisin’
his heels to the moon as I put me arums around
his neck, he tuck me like a true friend thro’ the
whole batch, who ware afther goin’ t’other we
as fast as Mick an’ the mule came this. Bede ,
but of the mule had stood still I’d ’a’ killed ther
hole clutch o’ thim—yees needn't ter laff. Sure
it’s mesilf ’ud bin darin’ enuff ter do that same,
but fer the bluntherin’ mule, what kicked me gun
into” ther bushes, an’ didn’t know fri‘nd from
fee.

“Cums and dukes snmdings fore dem vel-
lers cumes ck, Mick.” yelled etc, from the
lager keg, w ich had teen rolled out of a saloon
for the benefit of the Rangers. ‘

Mick cast an anxious glance toward the cor-
ner which he had just doubled at speed, than
noticing the amused looks of the Rangers. he
arcse from his sitting position in an ex itious
manner, just in time to esca the bee s of his
now recovered mule, which t e bullet had only
stunned; and drawing his sleeve across his r-
spiring brow, he walked stifliy toward Imme e’s
saloon, and addressed Pete.

“ ’Pon me cowl, Misther Pate; it’s not versel’
that w’uld insult an’ Irishman, be

oﬁerin’ him

 
Buckskin Sam.

 
6

sich stuff as that same. Me throat is either
falin’ loike a tarantalar’s nist, an’ it’s snmthin’
what ’11 make me lively I’m nadin’, this blessed
minim, either the harrud ,rnn, fruln the divil
knowa what they ware, bedadl Phat kind ev a
row is this afther baill’, onyllow, Misthchctc?”

“Vell, Mick, those pees sum of deln vellars,
vat dink all do mulars all’ llosses on der bararies
pees their own, ven do don't done 0t von
pranting iron petween em, und dey ( ties to
get som’ frients owert ob de courut house,
put dey gits wnswd in der game. Here pees
sum goot schnnps; drinks it all, it viil do you

77

oot.
8 Mick dashed down the (glass of whisky, as if
he was used to that kin of liquor, and only
regretted that his throat was not longer and his
capacity greater for taking in and consuming a
larger quantity.

 
CHAPTER V.
rm: NEST on rat: MEDINA.

’I‘anause of the onslau ht upon the town
was the arrest of two of t eir number, whom
the bandits had Sworn to rescue. One had been
hung, however, and the other was still in the
hands of the authorities, anxious to see the end.
Sam and his Ranger pards the next morning
rode into town, froln the cam at the San Pedro
Springs and arrived at the Mi itary Plaza at the
very moment that Marshal Burns opened the
ﬂail door to Mustang Bob telling that celebrated

arse-thief and desper 0 that he was free to
go on his way, much to the sur rise of the
prairie outlaw. The Plaza swarme with armed
men, stern determination marked 11 11 their
countenances; and as Bob gained t 6 Court
House door, which opened upon the Plaza, and
this, to him, fearful sight met his eye, he read
his doom.

OVer the way he saw another foreboding sight
which sent the blood from his face, leaving it
of a deathly lor—Counterbrand Jim swingin g
from the gal ows tree.

The instant Bob’s foot
the cockin of hundreds o riﬂes, shot-guns and
revolwrs roke ominously upon his ears, and
full of fear he staggered against the door.

But he braced himself recomred his presence
of mind, and glared, like a wild beast at bay,
into the thousand piercing eyes; among which
none showed a ray of mercy.

“ Han me, gentlemen,” he cried,“if you will;
but. for od’s sake don’t shoot.”

This strange re nest was made not because he
preferred to be ung, but because he thought
they would take him outside the city to execute
him and then there would be a chance for his
friends torescue him. As Bob ellcd out his
request he gun a glance behind im. The ﬁll
door clariﬁed and the cell, from which he d
gladly wa ed, and into which he would now
have eagerly returned, was closed to him.
There was no refuge; there was no outlet for
escape: and with another wild. fearful yell,
such as is seldom heard from human 11 ., he
s rung into the Plaza, from the Court case

oor.
age bowie-knife, in the hands of one of

pressed the threshold

A h
the Vignlantes, ﬂashed before his 0 es.

He grasped the blade ﬁrmly in is hand, but
it was wrenched out cutting the hand char
hero‘ss to the bane, whillje 13% enigma brawiny
nan sgras 'man' e m y, ntno‘
and strugg lag, and led him slowl throgzrh th:
densely packe Plaza. to the sout east corner,
where stood a mesquite-tree which had often
served for the dread purpose before. The vast
crowd was still as death, and naught was heard
but the cowardly pleadings of Mustang Bob. A
lariat with running noo—re was thrown over a
limb, the fetal loop quickly a usted and

the time allowed for prayers spent it wild cries

for mercy.
“ Time 3 up, Bob,” 3 ke one of the Vi ntes,
oldihg his watc in his

in a stern ﬁrm voice
hand, and marking the time as coolly as for a
me .

I? is an ugl sight under an circumstances
to see a man ung; but when t t man spends
his last moments in coward] pleadin , cries
for more , and struggles for e, then it most
horrible ndeed.

So it was with Bob. Quite a serious scuﬂle
occurredlbefmf'e his  were dtiechiisfli;3(t).dand he
swung cear rom e groun , y spas-
modiclel twitching up and down and the blood
ﬁowiu rom his wounded hand down his cloth-
in an ttering the earth below.

ot un il the last gurgling had been ven
—the last trenlulous twitch o nema, di' the
vast crowd heave e si h of relief, and speak in
whispers, which ran t rough the observer un-
used to such scenes like whispers from the lips
of death.

Before the Vigilantes had reached the fatal
tree Buckskin Sam turned Black Cloud quickly,
and facing his Ranger pards, exclaimed in a
low/void»: ‘

“Pards I’ve lingered here long enough. l’m
oil on a lone scout to the Medina river, to see
if less ick up any information in 1' rd to
this rel If you boys lay around San ntonlo

fort leight hours you’ll see or hear from me.
Ad 3, camaradao ;” and touching his sombrero,
Saul guided his steed slowly through the crowd,

 
the good wishes and adieus of his pards being i
given silently. l
Centering down a side street Sam turned i
South before reaching San Pedro creek—then,
in a wild allo , suited to his spirits, he sped on 
through he cxican portion of the town, ‘
greeted from more than one case. with compli-
ments from silvery tongued senoritas, and in l
ﬁve minutes was dashing like the wind clear of l
the town, through the mesguites, on the d0wn i
river trail toward Mission onception.
San Juan, San Jose and Conce tion Missions .
were left far in the rear the brid e reins hun
loosely over the horn of his saddle, Black Clou
needin no hand to guide, while his master, I
with h s Sharp’s riﬂe in the hollow of his left
arm, inspected each clump of mesquites, with l
lightning glances.
Still onward with no slack in the headlong l
gallo , kept Black Cloud, until the timber .
whic fringed the Rio Medina came in view.
There Sam and his mustang entered the dark :
shades, and came to a halt upon the bank, under 1
an immense live oak, literally shrouded in l

Spanish mess and vines. 1

Just ny his side, as Sam sat upon his horse,
hung a arge festoon of moss, rooping from
the ranches overhead.

This was gra by our hero, and its meshes
carefully par showing in its center a bright,
scarlet river ﬂewer, fresh lucked and wet.

A look of pleasure an su rise overspread
Sam’s features as he placed t e ﬂower in the
coils of the littering snake which sewed as som-
brero ban , and he gave an expectant glance
upward.

There came a rustle from among the moss
and Ieav and down a huge vine glided an In-
dian we or, who the hand of our hero,
pressed the same his heart, and then stood,
with folded arms, his eagle plumes mingling
with the swaying moss.

Silent as a statue stood the Indian brave, his
left 'foot forward, his massive breast swelling
with conscious strength and pride—a perfect
picture of symmetrical beauty, 9. god of the
crest surrounded by Nature’s most lavish and
luxuriant beauties. His buckskin leggins were
fringed and embroidered in bead-work; the
silken sash, to which the le as were attached,
and which also served as reech-cloth, was -of

the ﬁnest kind. A single strap, onl worn by a
chief, highly ornamented, as over his
shoulder down to the sash, an sup rted paint

bag, b et—pouch and scalping-kmfe. Nanght
covered the dark bronzed skin, from the waist
up. save a bear-claw collar, clasped about the
muscular throat. The eagle-feathers of his
head-dress Were as black and somber as the 100135
locks which fell behind, to the waist, ornamen
with richly en raved silver plates, which spoke
of raids over t e Bravo.

For an instant the eyes of the Indian in ted
the surroundin shadows, then rested wit deep
affection and riendship upon our hero, who
sprung from Black Cloud, leaving the animal
at liberty to browse at will.

One moment red and white Zed into each
other’s e es; then Sam quickly rew his bowie-
knife, w irled it over his head, and hurled it
wi h great force, buryin the weapon to the
hil in the turf between t e feet of the Indian,
who, as the steel ﬂashed in his eyes, never
winked, or mOVed a muscle of his stoical face.

Then Sam, pointing at the hilt projectln
from the earth, exclaimed in a voice of earn
friendship:

“ Thus, Warlula, do I bury the knife, and with
it all thoughts unfriendly or suspicious. You
are my brother. I now know you to be true as
the steel beneath ygur feet. Houston, the great
father of Texas, as said it, and his tongue
never tells a lie. His tongue is not forked.”

A beam of leasure overspread the coun-
tenance of the ndian, his form became a triﬂe
more erect his ‘bosom swelled With gratiﬁed
pride, and he answered:

“Tonkaway tribe true to father of Texas—
true to Rangers—Warlula heap glad Buckskin
his brother—know big sun come when no clouds
—-know Warlula come when trail clear—Buck-
skin friends, Warlula friends—when heap bad
Mexican tie Warlula tree—try make tell where
Rangers~spitin Warlula face—~then come Buck-
skin—shoot nick — cut loose — save Warlula
life—no care ife—want die in ﬁght—no care be
kill by Greaser do —want be shoot in ﬁght—g0
on lon dark tra' , plenty scalps—it is enough
when arlula forget Buckskin—then sun go
black —moon come no more -—here friend
totem !”

Pluckin one of the long eagle—feathers from
his head- ress the Tonkawav placed it in the
sombrero band by the side of the scarlet ﬂower
which had told our hero of his return from a
long. lone scout, and his resence in the tree.

Sam now took from is pouch a lettﬂ‘ and
gave it to the Indian, saying in explanatibn:

“This per talk is from Bouston, the great
chief of exas; and in it he says, ‘ Warlula» the
Tonkaway, is brave to a fault. true to the death
to Texans, and no lies nestle upon his tongue.
No better trailer between the Red and Bravo,
and l have known and called him friend and

 
brother for years.‘ ”
“ Heap good talk from Great Chief!” ex-

claimed VVarlula, lproudly. “Houston eat.
warrior—pa er tal muc good—lay on earl:
when go on ong, dark trail—when lay down in
big sleep —— Great Spirit know Warlula heart
white—say Warlula go happy hunting grounds
—never dry, never tired, never hungry—it is
good—-Warlula heart glad.”

“ I wish half of the white men were as honor-
able as you are, Warlula. But to business.
When we arted you volunteered to show your

l gratitude or the service I was glad to do you,

y getting some information in regard to the

‘ movements of different parties who make this

section a dangerous Place for a ranchero to
locate in. How is it. Have your eyes been
open. and are your moccasins worn thin?”

“ Warlula trail go throu h thorns of Bravo—

his eyes have been open— reaser dogs on war—
path—man bad white men with them—trail
point San ntonio—my white brother has seen
them—he has heard the thunder of their guns—
a little bird told Warlula big ﬁght on Plazas—
death-howls have ﬁlled the air on Alamo.”
The little bird sung a
Song of truth in his ear. Many bad men, Mexi-
cans and white, were shot. Counterbrand
Jim and Mustang Bob now han like dogs from
trees on the Plaza. We can sta e out our mus-
tangs and not be obliged to sleep with the
lariats in our hand."

As Sum spoke of the desperadoes being hung
the Tonkawa shuddered: his tribe believing
that such a eath debars an Indian from the
he”? hunting rounds forever.

‘ hen you ound out nothing in regard to
any other parties except those who were so
badly whi ped last night?” inquired Sam.

“Warlu a moccasins make many trails—he
has seen morehso many," indicating ﬁfteen by
opening and closing his extended ﬁngers.
“Grosser do 8 camp down Medina—camp
there ”—point n east—“no go with others to
San ntonio—w en night dark Warlula crawl
like snake—hear Greaser dogs talk—say kill
Buckskin for Monterey Mexican—get heap gold
—say steal Senorita San Antonio—get heap
more old.”

“ here are these Greaser cut-throats now,
Warlula, who are so anxious for my life? I’ll
give”them a chance to take it if they think they
can

“ Warlula is right.

“When sun come, short ride—when mus-
tang o fast—see camp quick; no there now,
gone ‘an Antonio—Warlula no break word—
come meet Buckskin—no follow trail.”

" This is all the news you have then, my red
brother?”

“ Warlula got more tulip—plenty sign on Rio
Bravo—big chief of horse—thieves there—got
many warriors—Cortin' “cap big cam p—Bln'gos
Mountains.”

“What’s that?” exclaimed Sam, in surprise.
“ You have not been so daling as to cross the
Rio Grande into Mexico alone?”

“Warlula swim Brz.vo—~l\'arlula ride fast,
ride long for friend.”

“Give me your hand again. I’m more than
satisﬁed, I’m proud, to (-all you brother; and
will 8?, in true sincerity, you do sling yourself
aroun the Country about as lively as elec-
tricit .”

“ ho lo?" rxclnimed the Indian, quickly,
“Bi wni‘riol (—lnuch ﬁght on warrpathl”

“ 88,” answered Sum, laughing. “He’s the
biggest chief in our nation, and rides like the
lig tnin in the skies.”

Warlu a was satisﬁed he had been compared
to no small fry.

“ Well, my red brother, I must return to the
City by we of that- Gretaer camp. Iwant to
run in on their trail if I can. Do you need any»
thing? I see you are rigged for council in gay
style. Reckon those fancy tricks haven’t seen
much service.” I

“ ggins make long time—hide in nest up
them,’ inting up the tree. “When go on.
trail go more—much head no good on war-

ath—Warlula want nothing—kill deer with
how—no make noise like riﬂe.”

“When shall I see you again, and where?
You need rest for some time to come.”

“Warlula never rest—no say where go—
sometime here—sometime there—keep eyes
open—Buckskin see red brother when no think
——Warlula watch trail of white brother-maybe
so save scalp.”

Sam gave a low whistle and Black Cloud
came .dashing up to his side. rubbing his nose
affectionately against his master’s shoulder.

The hand of white and red met in a warm,
friendly graap, which spoke more than words;
eyes met, re ecting heartglances of mutual re-

ard, and Sam sprung into the saddle, wavrd

is sombrero over his head and then dashed
down through the bottom timber toward the
Greaser camp, leaving the Tonkaway standing
beneath the swaying moss with sine arms
folded over massive breast, gazing mar his
white friend.

For a long time stood Warlula, his eyes ﬁxed
upon the bushes, which had been dashed aside

as Sam 8 down-stream. All was silent ex-
cetpt the ripple of the river, and the gentle
w ispers o the aephyrs through the mossy

draperies.
Suddenly the Indian’s head turned toward

.
.Th~

 
fir

Buckskin Sam. ‘

 
the north, his whole aspect changing to quick
action; his breast swelled, his nostrils expanded
like a race-horse’s at the starting signal, and he
5 mg up the trail Sam had made coming from

11 Antonio. Upon reaching ﬂrm ground he
threw himself prone upon the earth and rested
his ear, for an instant against the award. Then,
with a stepas light and cautious as a panther
stealing upon its prey, “'ariula arose, returned
to the tree, bounded up among the branches and
disappeared.

Five minutes after the Tonkaway had secreted
himself there came to his ears the swish of
branches, and pantin of hard-ridden steeds.

Peerin from his oek-out he observed six
ﬁerce exican cut-threats ride beneath the
tree, dismount, and examine the ground where,
but )3 short time previous, Sam and himself had
stm .

“ Caramba! the cursed Gringo has again
esca. d us i” growled one of the party. “ Surely
El iable guards well his muchaeho."

“Per Dies, senores,” added another. “Les

Indos has met the Texan. Scalp-Taker is in.

league with el hombre Colorado.”

“ Si, sent/res, it’s plain as el camino del Rey !”
spoke up one, who had been up and down the
stream, intent upon the sign, and who, from
his authoritative manner was evidently chief
cut-throat of the gang. ‘ Carajo! the cunning
Texan has gone toward our last night’s camp,
and Les Indos has pointed a trail up the river
on foot. His trail is as light as a Chaparral
rabbit’s. Our course is plain. The Indos isa
runner. He has gone to the ranches at the
ford, and will return alone. Here his life trail
must end. Diuble! Ibave an ideal This must
be the same red-skin the young Texan cut from
the tree, in our camp on the Bravo, when he
shot so many of our men. Gasgardo, you will
stop here. You know the red 0 , and never
show me your face until you bring his ears
with you. Senores, come! We follow the white
boy who shoots faster than 'the lightnings of
the Gulf. The doubloons must rattle in our

~kets when we attend the next danza in

innterey. Gaspardo, remember! your cura—
bim shoots well—meet us at Mi'sion Conception
to-niorrow, with the ears of he Tonkau ay.
Adios 1”

“Adios, com dries. Mil ias, cnpifan.
I have ridden ong and fast, need rest. It is
well. I can shoot a Tonkaway as well as a
Gringo.” And Gaspardo led his horse away to
a small, clear spot: removed the bridle, and
secured the animal to a limb.

As his comrades went gallo ing down the
trail made by Sam, be seated imself behind
the long festoon of moss, which hid him from
the sight of any one coming down the river.
Then he took from his pouch tobacco and shucks,
and making a cigarette, commenced deliberately
to smoke, a be it to which his class are so
chained that they will indulge in it even when
it endangers their lives.

As the bandits rode away, leaving Gasparde,
Warlula sprung from limb to limb, far u into
the tree, to an ingeniously constructe hut,
made of reeds from the river, woven thickly te-
ﬁlther, and secured to the limbs of the tree.

ere he procured a long, stout lariat.

Returning to his former look-out, directly
over the head of the Mexican, the Indian
fastened one end of the rawhide rope to the
li mb, and, with great care and caution twisting
his limbs about the rope, began sliding slowly
downward, his long seaming-knife between his
teeth. Ga. urdo’s attention, from some slight
noise up t 9 river, became attracted in that
direction, and the cigarette between his thumb
and tin or burned close to the ﬂesh, causing
him to t row it quickly from him and matter a.
deep curse.

i arlula took advantage of this distraction,
and slidiu still further down, hung just over
his head, t e sombrero of the bandit shutting
out from sight the awful avenger swaying
above.

The fingers of Gaspardo were buried again in
his tobacco-pouch, when right before his eyes
swung a long, glittering knife, held in a muscular
hand of bronze, the steel gleamed only long
eneu h for his dull brain tofully comprehend
the ght. The bright blade described an up-
ward curve, cut the air with the velocity of
lightnin , and was buried to the hilt in the
breast o the bandit. One long-drawn green of
mortal agony. and Gasparde fell backward,
his death-stricken e es seein for an instant a
I‘PVOlVlllg‘ figure in t ieair, an the next moment
Warlula stood before him, his eyes ﬂashing
with the war—spirit of ven eance.

“Greaser dog, sing deat -seng—no more . it
Warlula face—when tie Warlula to tree like
ilog; Warlula say kill some time—Warlula never
ic.

Stooping the Indian drew the long knife
from_the breast of the Mexican, the blood
ginning in a dense stream upon the award. and

aspardo, With another deep groan, crosle
himself, muttered a. prayer through his ghastly
lips, and was dead.

Quick ﬂashed the blood-dri in steel around
the head of the dead man an w th gory scalp
in one hand, knife in the other. held high in air,
Warlula, With a wild, weird dance, and guttural

 
song of exultatien whirled arouan his victim
for a moment. Then at length, seizin the
body he dashed it with great force throng the
branches, and it disappeared with a lunge and
splash beneath the waters of the M ina.

Then he glided quickly up the tree, but almost
immediately descended, stri ped of his ﬁnery,
holding a Sharp‘s carbine in his hand, and with
the long stride peculiar to his people vanished
amid the underbrush, down the river, on the
double trail of the bandits and his white
brother.

".—

CHAPTER VI.
rim FIGHT AT MISSION CONCEPTION.

LESS than three lea es below the Alamo
City, on the bank of he San Antonio river,
there stands one of the many hundred Catholic
Missions, built a century ago, which are found
in ever city and town of Spanish origin, from
the At antic to the Paciﬁc, in fact man of
them stand isolated from settlements. and ad,
in the old time, under their control, vast tracts
of land, over which roamed countless herds of
cattle, horses and mules.

In and below the city of San Antonio are
four of these ancient and imposing structures,
in a ed state of preservation. They are
name respectively: the Alamo, San Juan,
San Jose, and Mission Conception.

The reader’s attention is called to the last
named, upon the ni ht following the day on
which our here had t ie interview with Warlula
the Tonkaway, on the banks of the Medina.

It is the midnight hour and a hazy moonlight
lights up the scene.

Approaching the Mission Conception from the
north its dome, and towers loom up to the sight
while in front is a small 0 ning, which extends
from the back walls of the ission to the narrow
line of pecan trees, which fringe the stream, or
form the bottom timber. Many of the out-build-
ings, the dormitories of priest and nun, are
fallen todecay, and the adobe debris, is scattered
on the ground. All that remains of the north
wing is the front wall. What formerly were
the windows are now gaping, unshapely holes.

The trail coming from the south, leads north
to San Antonio, passing directly in front of the

ﬁssion, and is somewhat higher than the
ground inside of the wall, as there were at one
time vaults beneath the win , which have caved
in and been but partially ﬂl ed with the crumb-
ling adobe falling from the walls above. This
has made it a dangerous place, seldom trod by
foot of man or beast.

The main Mission is a massive structure, the
walls near three feet in thickness, with but a
few narrow windows and niches for saints, to
break the plniiiness of outline. The roof is
nearly ﬂat, with the exce tion of the dome; and
the walls stand breast hig above the roof, with
projecting eve~spouts in the old Spanish style of
architecture. It was and is a fortress of no lit-
tle strength, and easy for a few to defend
against a best unless cannon were brought to
bear upon its walls. In dangerous times it has
a place of refuge, as well as a house of prayer.

At the time of which I write it had become a
rendezvous and hiding lace for bandits, thieves
and des )eradoes; and t 0 white man who would
loiter a at its ruin. especially in the night
time, must have put little value upon his life.

The murmur of the beautiful San Antonio
river, laughing, plunging, and rolling its
crystal waters over its rocky bed, sounds sooth-
ingl sweet. The noble pecan trees lining its
ban interlace their branches, and call on trail-
ing vine and mess to assist in lovinglyr sbadin
from the scorching sun by day, an the col
stared the moon by night, the dearly loved
waters which nourish their roots, but here and
there the silver rays ﬁlter through the verdant
screen, and turn the rippling waterlets into
shimmering silver.

From the river to the far-oi! prairie on either
side stretch out mesquite moms, and through
them, at full speed Comes Buckskin Sam.

He holds his Sharp’s riﬂe at a ready, and his
eyes wander nervously about the shadows of
the trers, and the old ruins. By the labored
lope of the mustang, it has been a long and fast
ride they have had; but there is no falter in
speed until a gentle word from Sam brin the
horse to a halt in the middle of the openﬁfg, in
the rear of the Mission. Then Sam rings to
the ground. Again his eyes reve a at the
borders of the opening. With suspicious air he
makes a circuit round Black Cloud, his riﬂe
resting in the li0110w of his left arm, his right
thumb pressed upon the hammer, and ready for
instant use.

Nothing but the music of the waters, and
song of the insects of the night, strikes his ear.
Naught but weodshadows and somber ruins
meets his eye.

It is evident that Sam only intends to make a
short stop, for the purpose of resting his horse;
for he merely loosens the girth, and slips the
bridle bit, to allow the animal to feed from the
rich, curly mesquite grass which covers the
opening.

Laying his Sharp’s riﬂe u n the award at a
half-cock, Sam pulls some the grass from the

 
'7

 
sod and rubs off the rocking sides of Black
Cloud, who still pants hard from his exertions.

The ins] ection of the bandit camp and trails,
after leaving Wariula, has kept our hero longer
than be anticipated, but he is new on his way to
San Antonio, to rejoin his Ranger pards. at the
San Pedro Springs. While Sam was engaged
rubbing the foam and perspiration from his
prairie steed, speakin low words of ercoura ﬂe-
ment, well underst and ap reciated by is
dumb friend, the latter sudden y jerked up his
head, stopped chewing, the grass hanging from
his lips, and with a ow snort gazed intently
toward the up trail, north. Sam quickly re-
covered his riﬂe and stood by the side of his
faithful mustang, every nerve and sense of
each strained to the utmost.

They heard the dull clatter of horses hoofs,
coming in a desperate gallop toward the Mis-
sion, the sound increasing until our hero eis-
tinctly interpreted the din to be occasioned by
a number of horsemen in (sursuit of one who
was some distance in the lea .

Sam instantly decided that mischief was in
the wind and sli ing the bridle bit into the
mouth of Black loud, he vaulted into the
saddle. Man and mustang were, for a momen
silent as statues, with beads bent forward, an
eyes and ears intensely strained to solve the
cause of the alarm. ~

The thundering clatter of boots new sounded
clearly upon the ear of our hero, who estimated
in his mind that full a score of horsemen were
coming, at break-neck speed, but he was totally
ignorant of the nature or nationality of these
he had decided to meet, be they friend or foe.

Suddenly the sharlp report of a pistol broke on
the midnight air, f0 owed by a piercing shriek
of terror from feminine lips, there was a ﬂutter
of snovwwhite ments through them uite
motto at terri 0 speed, and then, just as am
was about to dash toward the trail, a sight met
h'm view, which drove the bleed surging back
to his heart.

Through one of the embrasures, in the ruined
wing of the Mission, not ﬁfty paces from his
position, Mg, in a wild, desperate lea a
night—blat- mustang, with a young mai en,
pale as death, clin 'ng in terror to the ﬂowing
mane of the animaﬁ' .

As that fair, vs hite face was, for a ﬂeeting in-
stant, presented to his view, the long raven
hair ﬂying away from her brow with the wind
formed by the lightning—like lea as the moon,
for that brief instant, lit up the c ssic features,
Sam recognized Lena Castro, whose shriek had
drawn his attention at the bull-ﬁght. Then,
{Inustang and rider sunk in a ghastly crumpled

ea

upkea meteor Black Cloud plunged toward
the ruin, and Sam sprung to earth.

Dashing over the crumbling heaps of adobe
be grasped the senseless term of the young girl
from off the disabled horse, who lay with
broken limbs. amid the debris of the walls,
and bore her to clear ground, laying her by the
feet of his mustang.

Then, drawing his bowie-knife, he returned,
and to save the animal from useless suﬂering
buried the steel to the hilt in its heart.

As he sprung away from the dyin mustang,
back tothe prostrate form of Lena tro, and
his impatiently pawing steed loud yells and

maledictions in Spanish, mind with cluttering
beefs, close at hand broke u n his ear. Re-
gainiu his saddle, lie lean over to earth,
steadying himself by dplacin his left heel under
the cant e of his sad e, an lifted tenderly the
senselem form of the lovely Castilian girl from
the sward. .

Sustaining Lena Castro over his left arm,
Sam drew the bridle-rein over the hem of the
saddle, being able to control Black Cloud by
word of month and pressure of limb. Then
grasping a Colt’s i avy six in his right hand he
was ready for the cut-throats, who now dashed
up and crowded the holes in the ruined wing of
the Mission.

As they caught sight of Lena in tre arms of
Sam the sharp, quick detonations of the latter’s
six shooter sounded in their: astcnished ears:
and the leaden messengers of death caused six
of their number to either fall dead or woui'ded
from their mustangs. With deep. loud curses
mingled with yells of pain, they drew back for
.a moment.

“El Mi c’mrho Di‘ablo! ” cried the bandits,
as they leveled their escopetas and fired. Their
shots were wasted on the unity air, for Black
Cloud, as Sam em tied his revolver and pro: sed
his knees in sign to the steed, sprung like an
arrow shot from how around the corner of the
Mission into the south part of the opening. ,

Right in the middle of the. o ring he jerked
the bridle-rein, bringing Bloc Cloud back on
his haunches until they almost resud upon the
sward. In his front came the bandits, who. on
the previous day had just missed meeting him
during his council With Warlnla, and who had
been on his trail since that time. Right in his
front they came dashing through the mesquite
motte like mustangs in a stampede. upon the
Scalp—Taker of the Hanosand the Lil ‘ of the
Alamo; while around the south wall) of the
Mission, on his ﬂank, charged the remnant of
the pursuing party, maddened by the fearful

 
i
i
l
I
2

 _.....I.._.‘ . 

i _.v._. .e,... “1.... V

' the bandits in line charg

, -...... - .‘_...—......~~

havoc so lately made in their ranks by his ﬁre
through the sashless windows of the ruian

wall.

Sam’s face was ale, his teeth set with the
desperation of a ger at bay as he whirled
Black Cloud about, and dashed the spurs cruelly
into his quiverin ﬂanks. Oﬂ like the wind
thev bounded nort , toward the deep and dan-
gerous asa , the yelling horde of yellow-
sl-:inned devxls close in their rear, and the zip-
ping bullets cutting the air above and around
lim’lll.

Ono tremendous bound and Blnck Cloud and
h is burden cleared the visa/{um or irrigating ditch,

.4... o. m,..-

and Sam, with nimble ingers, half unwound 1
his silk sash and bound it about the slender ;

waist of Lena Castro, resting her form over his
hips in such a manner as to shield her in a
measure from the ﬂying balls 'and.enable him
touse both arms in the coming struggle. He
knew the bandits, even if they had to skirt the
Mission could overtake him before he could
reach an Antonio, burdened as he was and his
horse almost broken down by hard riding.

Lena was safely secured. The sight of her
upturned face, so innocent and ravishineg
lovely, added to the deadly hate he bore toward
his foes and nerved his arm and brain to carry
out the desperate resolve born on the instant.

Black Cloud was once more turned toward
the Mission. The bandits, balked b the-to
them—impassable asa s, were hud led in a
mob upon the south sde of the deep ditch as
Sam. to their extreme su rise, came toward
them like a thunderbolt, ho ding with ﬁrm grip
a deadly revolver in each hand, taken from his
holsters.

His long hair ﬂying in the wind, his eyes

luring hate, his mustang snorting and strain~

g every muscle of his sinewy'frame, he came
like an avenger.

For a moment they gazed in wonder, not un-
mixed with fear, incapable of action.

In that moment the Texan yell burst from
Sam’s throat, as ﬂying over the axon e he
landed in their midst, his revolvers ﬂash ng fire
and sendin death on all sides.

At this instant the Texan yell burst once
more on the air, and sweepln down from the
river bottom came “Rock ess Joe,” to the
assistance of his lifelong pard, who. cutting
safely through with his fair burden, met him
half-way between the river and the bandits-—
who were now forming for a charge en masse.

“ By all the gods of war and love Sam, I find
you ina pretty pickle! That muslin must be
worth its weight in gold for you to take such
desperate chances toprotect it. How’s this do
yonder base, craven abortions of the abori nes

hink to banish the buckskinned knights of the
Lone Star State. Come on, i oble ladrones,
we’ll send on to so warm a c ime that hence-
forth you’ renounce your favorite seasonin

of chill Colorado.‘ Sam, on freeze to tha

angel in muslin. and I’ll go t alone against the
cowardly curs.”

Saying this Joe spurred toward the GreaSers,
but his mustang had nogone ten feet before

down upon the two
Rangers, with fierce, vengeful yells, ﬂashin
their long knives in the air, as they had no
had timeto reload their old-fashioned escopetus.

It was like the continuous ﬂashes, of the vivid
lightnings, seen during a storm on the Mexican
Gulf. The fire spurt/ad from the revolvers of
Sam and Joe, lighting up the scene, and bring-
ing the combatants into a mingled crowd
of cursing- men and rancing, fear ~ stricken
mustangs. Many sad es were em tied: many
wounded sent up groans of an sh from the
trampled, blood stained swa : many mus-
tangs, maddened'b wounds, dashed here and
there through the ush with wild snorts; but
there were enough of the miscreants left to hurl
themselve so on the two brave Ranger-boys.
Steel clan to steel; a stiletto ﬂashed before
the eyes 0 Sam; himed through the six pene-
trated his cheek; and strikin his teeth, crum-
bled two to atoms, fracturn his jaw. I At
the same time a carbine struck im on the head,
and he reeled and sunk among the slaianrag-
ing Lena Castro, who had revived during the
melee, with him. Her arms were wound about
his form, asif her life and salvation depended
upon him, while terror and despair were de-
p cted upon her countenanbe.

Reckless Joe, ﬁghting like a hero, was knocked
senseless from his horse, after receiving a stab
in the leg from one of the wounded bandits,
who was dismounted. One burly rufﬂan tore
loose the fair girl from her now powerless
tel-tor. and vaulting into his saddle, wit a
yell of triumph, bounded southward. .

Two of the ruﬂians leaped to the ground, to
make sure work of Sam and Joe, when the
wild war-whoop of VVarlula broke u n their

ears, followed by a shot from his on us which
killed the bandit, who alread held the litter-
ing steel over the heart 0 Sam. L e an

avengiing spirit from an unknown world came
the onkawaynchief, and his scalping-knife
found ahome the heart of Joe’s would-he
murderer. Sprinng upon the back of Black
Cloud, who stood y is falbn master, whinn -
ing and pawing the earth, Warlula sgaln
sounded the wamy of his tribe.

 
uckskm Sam.

Thus sat the Indian, azing after the ﬂeeing
bandits, master of the eld, the wild war ‘rit
filling his eyes, and eager for the blood of t ose
whom he knew it was useless to follow alone.

The surprise of the bandits had been great
when ‘v‘ Reckless Joe " put in his voice and arm:
but when Warlula, in his own war-paint, and
sounding his war cries, came upon the scene
they were appalled, and right willingly followed
their chief, who bore away as captive, one of
those the had risked so much to secure.

Lena astro gave one look of despair at the
pale face of Sam, who lay amidst the slain,
with the blood welling from his wounded face:
and then, as she was carried with great speed,
hugged tightly in the arms of the bandit, all
hope left her. No mercy or pity could she see

3 in the brutal faces of her captors.

 
Had Sam been captured instead of the Spanish
girl there is no doubt but that Warlula would
have followed to the death. As it was, he
loosened quickly a gourd from one of the sad-
dles; and procuring water commenced to
bathe the head of Sam and 30e as tenderly as
any woman. Meantime he muttered words of
vengeance against the yellow dogs, or gazing
around upon the slain exultantly, sung songs of
praise for his white brother, whose recent des-
perate situation and valiant defense made him
more than ever an object of reverence.

CHAPTER VIII.
comma BACK TO LIFE.

WARLULA without slint laved the wounds of
Sam and Joe with the cool water, making
several trips to the river for a fresh supply.
Upon returning from his last trip to the river
the Indian observrd Joe sitting up, supporting
himself with his hands upon the earth before
him, with a dazed, half insane look upon his
features.

Upon seeing Warlula approach J 06 became
somewhat excited, and crawled along until he
came toa dead mustang. Leaning over the
body of the animal, and bringing Ihe revolver
which he had found on the ground to bear upon
the Tonkaway, he exclaimed with a hoarse,
wawring voice: ,

“ Who art thou, bold warrior, that thus ap-
proacheth the victor of this bloody ﬁeld?—
Comest thou with foil intent, toward thy peer
in all things? Comest thou with murderous
thoughts revolving within thy feather-bediz-
ened, paint-daubed skull? If this be thusly,
warble sweetly upon the midnight air thy
death-song; pr! cure a through ticket to the
happy huntix g-grounds of thy tribe; give a
farewell gaze upon the works of thy father,
Nature; for, although sorely wounded, and
somewhat mixed, and concloberated, I think I
can lay out thy noble form. Joseph, be true to

thyself. The Last of the Mohegans stands be-
fore thee. Son of the forest and prairie,
die!”

Vainly the wavering arm strove to bring
the revolver to boar on the Indian. The iron
tube described circles in the air, the weak
ﬁnger spasmodically pressed the trigger as J00
fell back in a dead faint, and the contents of
the pistol Were buried in the dead mustang.

Warlula’s quick perception saw Joe’s con-
dition, and he was ready to evade the shot,
should the latter sucoeed in bringing the sight
to bear upon him.

“Joe heap big brave—no know Warlula—
heap sick—lose heap blood—Greaser cut deep!”
—— muttered the Indian, as he continued to act
the Good Samaritan.

Warlula soon had gratifying evidence that
Sam was still alive. His heart beat feebly in-
deed, and he uttered heavy sighs. Placing
him in an easy position he returned to Joe,
who soon recOVered, under the cold water
treatment of the Indian, and opened his eyes.

“Avaunt, foul fiend!” cried Joe; “and quit
me right! But, ethyl—methinks there’s some
mistakouor thou Wouldst long ere this have
artistically rem0ved my skull-cover, ears in-
cluded. Hast thou a strawberry on thy right
arm? Ay, dreams! and such dreams as Would
stop digestion and make each n. rve within thy
ﬂush to creep and cringe, to coil and squirm,
like fire-singed serpents! What, ho! guards!”
and J as sprung to his feet, his hands clutching
wildly in his hair, and staggering like a
drunken man, supported by Warlula, he gazed
about the scene of the conﬂict.

The whinny of Black Cloud drew Joe’s at-
tention: and just by the horse the lOVed form
of his pard, “Buckskin Sam,” lying upon the
blood-stained earth, near a heap of dead
bandits.

Joe feebly brushed the hair away from his
bI'OW, and assisted by the Indian gained the
spot, and knelt by his side, exclaiming in deep

 
emotion as be grasped the hand of his fellow

Ranger:

“ I remember all now, Sam, old boy. You
are not dead, great God in Heaven forbid l"

Suddenly turning, and grasping the arm of
the Indian, Joe demanded: “Speak if you
have a tongue, man! ﬂendl. devil, or— no,
forgive me. I know you are a friend, and as
such tell me, is my poor pard, who sailed the
sea with me to this wild land, who has slept
for years under the same blanket, who has
divided his last drink of precious water on the
burning sands of the Llano Estacado—tell me,
is he dead? If so, hear me ye gods of war! for
every hair upon his head a Greaser dies; and
these bands, which have so oft been grasped by
him in friendship and brotherly love—these
hands shall know no rest until he is avenged!"

Weak and trembling Joe raised his arms
skyward, as he ceased. The, Indian for a mo-
ment looked at Joe with awe; then, under-
standing by his manner and words his deep at-
fection for Sam, which found an echo in his
own heart he answered:

“Buckskin will iive——the Great Spirit is
good—my white brother no die—go on heap
trails— kill more Greasers- kill more Com-
anches,” and the Indian gently pressed Joe
down to a sitting position, while be dressed
Sam’s wounded face in a primitive manner
and bound up Joe’s thigh with a silken sash,
taken from one of the slain. Soon Sam moved
rcstlessiy, breathed heavily, opened his eyes,
and, in a feeble voice exclaimed, as he recog-
nized Joe and Warlula, who each held one of
his hands; “ Howdy, pards, what's up?”

Then, ashe suddenly changed his position,
and the blood ﬂowed into his mouth, the events
of the night ﬂashed back upon his brain, and
he sprung to his feet, gazing about the mes-
quites, river bottom, and Mission, his eyes
brightening as the joyful whinny of Black
Cloud struck his ear, and he felt his faithful
mustang rubbihg its head against his shoulder.

“Sam, old pard, shake! Put it right there!”
cried Joe, overjoyed. “I’m not blushing to
say that there’s been a salt is; ring bu’st out in
both me optics, and me checks are damp ) e!.-—v
Sure as shooting I was dubious about your ever
again bestriding your noble steed. I thought
your trail had come to end, you certainly look
as though you’d been badly murdered. I’m
cut deep myself; but don’t show the butchu ’5
work as much as you do. Never say die, Sam,
till this chicken has lost his comb, head in-
cluded. I’ll sell out for a string of suckers
when you pass in your checks.”

Then turning to Warlula, Joe added:
“Come, thou representative of a fast disap-
pearing race; dOSh see you tower and battle-
inents? Hie ye to its uppermost pinnacle and
shout the war-cry of triumph! Ring the loud
tocsin; for Samuel and Joseph sail! live,
although the republic of Mexico has vomited
its hordes of ludrones and assassins OVer the
Bravo to blot out our existence from this mun-
dane sphere and the red tribes of the West
have at several distinctly well remembered oce
casions almost interlaced their digits in an ex-
tremely affectionate manner amid cur ﬂowing
locks while they gracefully carved the atmos-
phere before our optics with their glithrmg
swiping-knives! I repeat it, sir. The UniOn
must and shall be preserved. The geese that
howled at the gates of Rome shall trample the
proud banner of England in the dust, and the
British lion shall crawl, like a noodtick-cov-
ered coyote, beneath the gigantic rock of Gib-
raltar there to die, ay, die. hang out your
banners on the outer wall when you see me
come. Gentlemen, I have the honor of repre—
senting the Lone Star State, before this
august body. I’ll oppose this measure to the
bitter end. I‘m a warrior, and peace troubles
the regular gliding machinery from which we
thoughts ﬂnd birth. Horatio, I would rest.
Wrap me up in pleasant dreams; waft me to
lullaby lands.”

During the latter portion of his ‘mixsd
oration, Joa had stopped upon the carcass of a
dead mustang, and interlarded his speech wiin
various Well-timed gestures, which, in sphc
of wounds and grim, ghostly surroundings,
caused Sam to laugh; but Warlula, not kilo“-
ing Joe personally, thought surely he was sing-
ing his death song, and interred without a
muscle moving in his stoical face.

“ Come here, Joe,” said Sam. “I really be-

lieve if yOu were condemed to be hung you
would spout Shakespeare, or somebody else, on
the scaffold. Come here, I wish to make you
acquainted with my red brother—as white a

kl

 
l‘l

 
Buckskin Sean.

 
9

 
man as ever wore paint, or sounded war-whoop.
This is Warlula, the Tonkaway. You have
often heard Gen’l Houston speak of his faithful ,
services to the State. Warlula, this is ‘ Reck- I
less Joe,’ my brother by long association on ‘
sea and land. .We were together when little I
boys, far away, a thousand leagues in the;
land of the north, where the rain comes white
like feathers, and covers the grass from sight;
where the leaves on the trees ﬂy away on the
wind, and leave the branches bare, the same as
in the land of the Sioux and Blackfeet.”

The Indian and Joe grasped hands and
having buried steel in friendship, gazed into
each other's eyes with mutual regard, knowing
by that glance that each would be true to the
other.

“Now, we have wasted time enough; to
business,” exclaimed Sam impatiently. “I
don’t understand why those Greasers did not
make sure work of Us, when they had the
chance. When did my red brother come to
the Mission? Did lVarlula see the Grease:
dogs take away the white Lily-43. pale—faced
maiden? Our council ended on the Medina,
luw came my red brother here?”

“Warluia follow trails Greaser dogs come ;
Medina-‘Wariuia take one scalp—follow others ‘
—they ride fast for Buckskin—“'arlula ride
fast on trail~-maybeso save scalp of white
brother—come quick here—heap big fight—
Greaser knife Buckskin—Griaser knife Joe—
lVarlula sound war-whoop—shoot quick—save
Buckskin—cut Greaser heart—save Joe scalp—
Greaser ride fast south—that way—have white
squaw—Warlula stay—maybeso Buckskin go
on dark trail—Warlula heart sad—now heap
glad.”

Before the words were half spoken Joe and
Sam had grasped the hands of the Indian,
their eyes speaking the thanks which, by his
manner and character, they knew he would
not allow their tongues to utter. They Were
ﬁlled with surprise and gratitude, and truly
appreciated the heroic eﬂorts of the Indian
and his well-timed charge in their behalf.

As Sam clearly comprehended the state of
affairs, and the pale, pleading, innocent face of
Lena Castro was reproduced in his imagination,
as be last saw her, he became aroused to the
necessity of rescuing her from the bandits
before they cromcd the Rio Grande.

One thing was plain. Their trail must be
followed to ascertain what ferd they were
10inting for. Neither Joe nor himself were
equal to the task, wounded as they were, and
grasping again the hand of the Tonkawayhe
exclaimed:

“ Warlula in the Buckskin’s brother. He
saved the life of him and his friend. The
Great Spirit has seen it and he will cause his
rifle to shoot straight, and game in plenty to
hover around his trail. Warlula has done
much, but I know he will do more. The
Greaser dogs have stolen the white ‘Hly of
the Alamo.’ Her white-haired father weeps
with grief. His only child has been torn from
his old arms. All he holds dear isnow being
taken toward the Bravo in the arms of 3
bandit to be hid away from his old eyes for-
ever—perhaps dishonored. They stole her
this night, and by some means she nearly
emped upon her mustang, which leaped to his
death through the windows yonder. Your
white brother tried hard to save her from
them, but numbers prevailed against my two
arms, and they have her again. Your white
brother has met her but twice, yet he claims
her as his sister, and has sworn to save her at
every hazard My brother Joe and myself are
wounded and weak; we cannot follow them to-
night. Warluln will follow the yellow-skinned
thieves, and sec to which ford on the Bravo
their trail points. My heart tells me my red
brother will do this."

Before Sam had ceased speaking the Indian
had loosened alnsso from one of the saddles,
and coiled and held the loop. Then as one of
the riderless mustangs, frightened by the coy-
otes which were now prowling around the field,
came dashing past, he threw with the quick-
ness of thought the circling acetic, and bring-
ing the slack and about his hips to add his
weight to his strength, brought the mustang to
a sudden halt, answering no the same time
Sam’slut words in his laconic style:

“ Warlula will foi'ow Greater dogs.”

He gave a run, hauling in the lamt, hand
over head, grasped his Sharp‘s rifle from the
min, and into the saddle.

Bringing the slack and of the larint with a

 
whirl over his head he lashed it about the

mustang until it sounded like the hiss of a whip-
snake on the run, and the mustang sprung south-
ward on the trail, disappearing among the
mesquites, with the pursuit yell of the Tonka-
ways echoing and re-echoing about the ruined
,walls of Mission Conception.

“ What do you think of my red pard, Joe?”
asked Sam, as the cry of the Tonkaway died
away on the night air, and our hero seated
himself upon the sward, quite exhausted from
excitement and loss of blood.

“Think,” answered Joe. “ By the heard of
Mahomet I haven’t had a chance to frame a
thought since I had my snooze broken up in
our little cabin yonder. But any one with
half an eye, or half a thought, could see that
he’sa man every inch of him, from the lust
stitch in his moccasin to the tip of his eagle
plumes; I‘d trust him to the death, and that's
more than I would say of any white man on
such a limited acquaintance.”

“ The Greaser who gave me a knock on the
head must have struck me with a. bee-tree, for
its been on the buzz ever since."

“The Tonkaway gave me a good bathing in
the waters of the San Antonio. The water
from that stream would fetch me back to biz
as quick as any liquid this side of old Loomin-
ster, for its fairy wavelets kiss the lilies on the
shore where dwells my dulcina. And speak-
ing of Martha, my fair one and true, brings to
the front an idea which has been playing cir-
cus around my somewhat disconglomerated
brain-box ever since I struck this field of car-
nage. Where did you first meet this fair Cas-
tilian belle, that you take such a life and death
interest in herl I thought your heart was
iron-clad and case-hardened. What will the
love-sick, languishing creatures who ﬂirt their
beribboned, bemuslined, fairy forms about the
dams and fandangoes, to gain your smiles for
one brief moment, do when they hear of this
risking of your life for this hitherto close-
vailed, convent-lived daughter of a Castilian
Croesus?"

“ I care nothing for what they say or do, if
they let me follow the trail I have hid out for
myself,” answered Sam. “ I owe allegiance to
no woman, and thank God I can say I never
wronged one. Bless them all, I think too much
of them to link my wandering, adventurous
fate with one of their number I am wedded to
justice and humanity; and a man having
these grand objects in view can ﬁnd plenty of
chance for practice in righting wrong, in saving
innocence frombeing down-troddcn by brutal
lust, and blotting from tbecarth those who
would disgrace even the wolves of the prairies
by association, but who call themselves men.

“As to my beingin love—you know me
well enough. Were this girl thc'daughter of
the lowest ladrone who frequents the Bull’s-
Hend, and bets at his children's last rial at
montc, I would follow the trail just as eagerly
and just as far.”

“But the boys say, Sum. that she’s dead in
love with you. You know she fainted when
that bull tried to rush into your arms like n
long lost brother."

“ I am well aware that this Lena Castro is
the same girl who fainted at the bull-ﬁght; but
have reason to believe that it was not my
danger that affected her. The violent death of
the matadore before her eyes was sumcient to
unbalance the brain of so tender a ﬂower,
unused to the werld; and, strange to say, this
same matadore, who was killed by the hull,
was a spy of the bandits, and paid to find out
in regard to these Costros, and also to kill
your humble servant. You see, I am hunted
by paid assassins. The man who takes such an
interest in me will, I hope, soon be knewn to
me, if he does reside in Monterey. I gained my
information from the dying lips of that Mexi-
can I shot up the Nuecu ﬁght. The boys were
going to hang him when I claimed him I. my
prisoner, and saved his life, though for a bad
purpose, as it proved, for he was among the
bandits shot on the Plan. .On my visit to
Win-lulu, yesterday, I first became aware of
another body of these cut-throats being about
here. Coming back on their trail to warn
Don Jose Castro of his daughter’s danger,
while resting Black Cloud hem, at Conception,
I heard: mmpusupthenuihnndwho
should make a dying leap through the windows
of the mined wall but the subject of my
thoughts, Inna Castro.

“I cornlod her, put the broken- mus-
tang out of misery and fought the deviluho
had escaped from after they were joined by
the main party,who hadbeeu on my trail

 
from the Medina. How they regained thy
prize you know as well as I do. But lij
came you to arrive so opportuner upon thm
ground! I thought you were with the he) s at
the San Pedro Springs. If you hadn’t cone
as you did I should have been a gone coon,
as Big Foot would say. I owe you my lite,
clear and plain.”

“Don't mention it. Not that I would de-
preciate the value of the same, but that I cue
you more in that line than I ever can repay.
The way I happened to be in this delectable
region was this: I got lonesome in camp when
you were away and had a presentiment of
danger in connection with you, pard, so I put
down the trail the other side of the river to
our old cabin, which we built when we ﬁn st
struck Texas. and when we practiced shooting
under old Grangei’s directions. You know it
ain’t a riﬂe shot from here over the creek.
Well, I was having a gay, old-fashioned snooze,
tall snoring thrown in, I reckon, when the ﬁr-
ing awakenei me, and I went for ‘Young
Paint’ fast, but he had strayed of! the range.
He got the spurs good when I did straddle him,
and I didn’t stop for brush, nor hunt for the
ford. I come blind and got here, it seems, in
time to do some good. Ay, me lord duke, the
pepper-eating sons of the Montezumas, the self-
appointed conﬂsticators of Texas live stock,
were about to annihilate you to the last grease-
spot, when the war-cry of. Joseph knocked
them up a standing, and there they are. Eur»
rah for us! The Lone Star shines with an
extra glitter tonight, Mexic maids will weep
for those who will never return with the stolen
doubloons of Texans. But, old pard, how do'
you feell I think in forty-eight hours I’ll be
able to exclaim, in the patented words of Will-
iiam Shakespoke, Fem, Richard is binself
again. Be ready to flaunt my banner in the
breene and dare them all to come!”

“Joe, you ought to have stopped in the
Bowery. The stage has lost a glittering star,
though the Lone Star is gainer by it. How
would you like to drop into one of the Wash-
ington Market restaurants now and go for
fried eggs, buckwheats and coffee in the old
style!” .

“Don’t mention it, me lord,” answered Joe,

his stomach. “Ordinarily I could
devour about six of those hash-homes, minus
the flunkies; but now I-am rather delicate, as
the gemininc fenders my, although I wouldn’t
go back on a quart of ctr-(mg colon. That
Tonk’ ought to have been educated on surgeon.
He bandaged my woundinutylo. Howie it,
pardl shall we ride to camp, or don’t you
think you could make the rifle! I observe mo
noble stood, Young Paint, is, as is his master's.
,usual custom, laying in a goodly store of prov-
ender when he ﬁnds it plenty. 'Ihls curly
mesquite gum is more nutritious than com.
The boys will just bowl with disappointment
to think they were laying at the springs while
we ind such lively times. Ben Thompson will
mention with distinct emphasis the names in
rotation of all the gods of mythology, beau-c
behaan handinthedeal. BigFoot
will prance around that camp and kick
orchnwthehurkoﬂallthe tron Duth
will spoil all his whips, whacking his mules out
of pure spite at his being absent: and Austin
Will spill the next meai’s cop (gravy) into his
stove-pipe hat. Wake up, pad, the night
grows old, and I hear the lonilycrow of clan-a
ticicer from the dim distance, although it ain’t
veryclearnsyct. Howthccrow ofnroostcr.
will taken fellow back told: boyhood days.
Sounds the some the world over, and makes a '
person as homesick uchurch bells. The latter
don’t Rouble us much here, in this section.
What’s brewing in your noddle, Sam! Shake
of! the dull lethargy of wounds, privation and.
years, and sweep away all worldly obstacles in.
thy trail. Yours is good, Sam. Not twenty
year- old and noted in Tcxul history—though.
it‘s a rocky road to Dublin.” I

“ I am far from being asleep. Joe; but I am
thinking of the dreadful situation of Lena.
Cacti-datum mercy of tho-o cowardly cut—
throat. Abravcmnnwillnovorhurma
woman, or use her harmed, but you do not
know what those roman: of Gunner: are

ofdoing.

“Iknow,”nnswcndJoo, “thntifthcyuro
bribcdtocapturcandtaknhcrtolonteny
thonnnwhopaysforltwlllnotshoveoutth
doublocngifshocomcstohlm nil-policy
forthemtotmat her well. Ducal-cubic.
cunedniriltaiutcdﬂththounellofblood,
and the coyotes and bun-rd. hnpdcutly

 
r
i

v. .r-

.2“: .

::;f?;;:" ﬁ":" - : .s

_ .mzr

.o-~ v.“ .._. .Mwo _ “ -,

'10

 
N mu...“

Buckskin Sam.

 
await.our departure. They are even now
peering from the foliage with glittering eyes,
gloating over their prospective feast of horse-
ﬂesh.”

With some difﬁculty our two Ranger pards
mounted their mustangs, made their way
aroumi the Mission to the trail, where Sam
pointoi the dead. horse out to Joe, under the
ruined wall, and then they proceeded slowly
toward San Antonio, conversing upon the
expedients tobe adopted in the coming chase,
after the bandits, which Sam. despite his
wounds, had decided upon, and Joe had sworn
by the Alamo’s sacred walls to see him through,

army stretching from the mouth to the head of
the Bravo strove to intercept them.

 
CHAPTER IX.

BIG roo'r nocxs moms. inc: norm-
‘ man’s 3mm.

Am the excitement, incident to the execu-
tion of Mustang Bob, had somewhat subsided,
the Rangers, headed by Ben Thompson, re-
paired to the Plaza House, to discuss with the
many rancheros who had arrived in town,
from different parts of the county, the whisky
of Bob Guile, and the general situation of things
on the south-wastem frontiers.

Big Foot, having imbibed somewhat freely
during the day, meandered into the Bull’s-
Head, where he lost nearly every dollar that
he had in his pouch, “ bucking against monte,"
and then Went wandering about the Plaza,
thoroughly disgusted with civilization gene-
ralg, and the monte part of it in particular.

0 finally concluded, after nervously feeling
in his pouch for the gold that was not there, to
try and get even in some way.

With this determination in his mind he re-
turned to the Bull’s-Head, and leaning on the
end of the table, behind which Charley Smith
was dealing, he nervousl inquired:

“I say, Charley, yer game open ter
hogs? I’m plum played out o’ oro, an’ plats,
an’ I ’lows tor bet my livestock ﬂat, an’ nary
bar the door wunst.”

A smile and an afﬁrmative nod was Charley
Smith’s answor; and, with a pleased expression
on his face, Big Foot began to bet his hogs on
every lay-out thrown on the board.

Still the fortune of the game was against
him. Steade he lost, until the title to five
hundred hogs had followed where his gold had
gone. '

Then Charley turned down the cards, as if

an idea had suddenly struck him, and anxiously
inquired: '
. “Big Foot, old boy, where are your hogs?
I don’t reckon you’ve got that many in town
with you. If you have they’ll spoil ou my hands
this hot weather.’ ‘

The giant scout raised his sombrero from his
head, ran his ﬁngers through his tangled locks,
and answered: '

“ Wall, Charley, them thar hogs are high-
born, sassy, chuck full 0’ grit, an’ powerful
hard to corral. As ter whar tha' bees, I rec'on
you'll find 'em—'lowin’ tha’ hasn’t scattered
Toffee ther range—eprea’d roun’ permisc’us like,
from my ranch on ther lower Frio, clean ter
ther Bandard Hills. I hain’t gouged out time
for two year, or etch a matter, ter mark ther
critters, but when yer draws a dead site, 'hind
an’ ’fore, on a herd on ’em in that range, an’
one on ’em has my mark, which ar’ a two-thirds
clip on ther right ear, an’ a Comanche split on
ther left, why yer kin jist haul in ther hull
pot, corral the entire caboodle, an' sashay
hum with yer bacon. That ar’ a fn’r an’
squar’, straight up an’ down bargain, an’ I sees
yer through, of it comes to blood an’ ha’r."

The wild roar of laughter from the by-
standers, at this rather lengthy, “round the
corner" answer, caused Cherie to blush the
colorof a boiled lobster, but one look at the
huge infant, who, in times past, had done so
much to keep up his game, and whose whole-
souled eyes looked down upon him in child-
like innocence, unconscious of having done any-
thing wrong in giving Charleya six months’
furlough, hunting ﬁve hundred hogs, ninet -
nine out of one hundred of which he won (1

but returned to San Antonio in three days,
completely broken down by forced marches.
through the post-oaks, and without having
caught a glimpse of any swine bearing the two-

.thirds clip and Comanche split, as a distin-
i guishing mark. A frequent and exasperating

i
i

question was often asked at his bank:

“ Charley, are this g me open ter hogs?" and
the only answer that e could give with any
satisfaction to himself was:

“I don’t take any ‘big-footed’ ones. If I
take any I take them ﬂat, as a bet; and laid
out ﬂat on the table. I’ve got through hunting

1 a stake among the post-oak bogs.”
though Santa Anna himself, at the head of an I

 
It was but a few minutes after Charley

' Smith had closed his game against all bristle-

bearing quadrupeds, the monte-room being
still crowded, when the sound of loud
voices in the adjoining bar-room which
opened on the street, the monte-room
backing on the engine-mom of the old Herald
ofﬁce—came to the ears of those who were on-
gaged in or watching the games; a general
rush was made into the front establishment.
Upon the sanded floor in front of the bar lay
the body of Augustine Birrara—a man known
by everybody, and holding the position of City
Marshal under Chief Marshal Bums—his
cigarette still smoking between his teeth. The
hands of friends soon tore the coat and shirt
away from his breast, showing a small punc-
ture, just over the heart, with but a single
drop of blood upon the surface of the skin—
the work of a deadly Spanish stiletto.

Judge Henson. who was present, upon ques-
tioning the barkeeper, Ernest Rhumell, ascer-
tained that while‘the latter had his back turned,
arranging some articles of ornament near the
mirror, he had observed a man, whose features
were partially concealed by a slouched som-
brero, come in by the entrance next to the
market, pass quickly across the room, deliver
a sudden blow at Augustine, and then run out
by the front entrance, going down the street
toward the foot-bridg , Augustine reeled,
staggered a moment, and fell to the ﬂoor.
That was all he or any one else know in re-
ga'rd to the assassination. No person was in
the room except Ernest, the assassin, and the
victim.

Was this murderer one of the bandits who
had escaped death in the ﬁght on the Plazas,
and who secretly returned for vengeance on
the city oﬂlcial who had been prominent in the
conﬂict, or was Birrara a victim of a family
vendetta? No one could say. ' '

No attempt was made to' follow the mur-
derer, as all knew he could quickly elude cap-
ture by dodging into one of the many hijals
0n the street, or over the foot-bridge.

Prominent among‘the crowd about the‘ mur-
dered man were Fighting Ben, Big-Foot, Dutch
Pete, and others of our friends; who were
listening to every word and opinion, never
losing a chance to gather information which
might prove of advantage to them in their war
against the outlaws. They were doubly inter-
ested in this case, as Augustine had been well
known and highly respected by all the Ameli-
can boys in San Antonio.

Dutch Pete walked up to the bar, purchased
two bottles of whisky, and departed muttering
to himself.

“ Tam dat pull-fight, and all dem tam dings,
vat vas cums mit idi Much drouples mit
ev’ry poty. I goes pack to de camp, liveerly
quick, und vaite'dili dot Puckskin cum’s. Den
sum fun cum’s mit him, I pets I dotzen
mulars.”

l Pete straddled his horse, which stood in

front of the market, and galloped to the
camp at‘San Pedro Springs, taking a pull at
one of his bottles, now and then, on the run.

When Pete rode into camp he found no one
there except Mick McFillinny, and Austin,
the ecok who greeted him gladly, as they were
quite lonely, and anxious to know what had
become of their fellow Rangers," especially
“ Buckskin Sam.” '

Pete quickly divested his horse of its equip-
ments and led the animal to Then, tak-
ing from his malettos, (sn‘ddlebagg) 'a bottle
of whisky, he held the same above'his head

.triumphantiy, and gave a yell that would

never ﬁnd,” Charley Was no more posted in l have shamed a Comanche, and which caused
postmk hog-hunting than, he was in teaching a the mules over the creek to jerk up their heads

Sundayechool, calmed Chart
here add, however, that Char ey had consider-
able conddence in himself in regard to hush-

i

down. I will in surprise, Austin to knock his stove»pipe off

against a limb, and Mick to drop his pipe,
which he was lighting, and burn his fingers.

whacking, (this expression was iu'use before Hastily inserting his digits in his mammoth
them), and subsequentlyhired two Mexicans. mouth, and then shaking them through the
What he took with him to corral the porkers, air, Mick turned about with anger in his eye,

 
which suddenly changed to an expression of
intense surprise, and gratiﬁcation, as he ex-
claimed:

“ Be ther big ould castle ev me gran‘faather,
who was, ’pon me Irish ’onnor, an’ Irish king!
an’ it’s whisky ye are afther havin,’ misther
Pate, God love yeesi ye alwi’s was afther bain’
a dacint gossoon as iver whacked a mule—me
curse on the craythers. it’s a harud time I had
a-tindin’ thim while ye were gone, an’ me legs
is black frum a kick I got. Misther Pate, sure
don’t ye know I was alwis afther havin’ a.
tindher regard for yees, an’ it's a d’rop o’ the
craythor ye‘ll let me swig, me darlint; fur,
’pon me sow], l’m smuthered wid schmoke an'
dust.”

How pees dem mulars, und how dey vas all
do vile I vas gone mit San Antonio?" inquired
Pete, as he leaned against a tree-trunk and
took a stiff drink, addressing himself to Aus-
tin, who tipped his hat in a respectful manner,
his ebony features shining with joyous antici-
pation as he watched the bottle pointing
toward the sky, while Pete, with a gurgle,
gurgle, gurgle, poured down the greatest curse
sent to humanity.

It was with some concern and many comi-
cal contortions of countenance that Mick saw
his ﬂattering speech utterly ignored. He
scratched his head vigorously as he watched
the upside-down position of the bottle torso
long a time.

“Mai-’sa Pete, de mules am scrumtious.
Deir be'n in no danger of starbation durin’
your sumwhat perlonged an’ aggrawatin’ ub-
sense. But ungodliest ob all animiles, de goeh-
ear’d, mangy-maned paint (many-colored),
done jist h’isted de lid oﬁ‘en dis Chile’s stew-
pau wonst, when he dun’ stampeeded past de
fire. but didn’t spill de b’ilins, or he’d never see
Chuesday ag’in. Mar’sa Pete, [‘50 not feelin’
’strawdin’airly lubly; gimme, arter dis gentle-
mun, jist a leetle smell ob dat ’stinguisher ob
de bill yousness oh all gentlemuns, ob ebry color
an’ inclineations."

Pete stood for a moment with a [road
whisky-grin upon his face, intensely amused
at the sudden importance to which a bottle of
whisky had raised him in the estimation of his
two peculiar pards.

"Vich you likes. der pess, poys, dis tam
Tuch mular triver, or dat tam pottle of whisky?
Peas you mine freens, indeeti”

“Marsa Pete, you laeserate my ’fectshuns
to an elewated degree. I ’sures you 1 feels
’streamly aggervated at de insinerwatlon!”

Austin folded his arms and assumed the air
and position of a much injured man.

“Misther Pate, duz ye take an’ Irish gintle-
mon, the dascindaut ev a king, to be the kind
ev a mon what ye are afther incinivatin‘i Go
way wid yer dirthy sthuﬂ, sure I’d not giv a
hater fur a hull cask ev it, and Mick strode
toward the fire and picked up his pipe.

“Veil, poys, as ve vants no drouples ’pouf
id, I almost preak dis pottle on de tree, dough
it but gost me swi-pits at de Pull’s-Heat.”

Pete raised the bottle on high, feigning to
be about to dash it to

"Min," 0' Moses, Misther Pate, don’t be
afther doin’ that. Troth the men’s gittin’
crazy i” cried Mick, as be rushed back.

“ Gollamighty, marsa Pete, ain’t you ’crimi-
natin’ ’nuﬂ ter know we both am willin’ fer
breeve our last gasp fer yer on any ’strawdin-
ary ’casiou, an’. why you dun g0 ter labor up
our feelin’a dis' wayi You ’pears for be
preshus portic’lar ’bput a small decockshun ob
corn-juice.” '

Pete, having had his own fan, now passed

the whisky to Mick, who, as be glued the '

mouth of the bottle to his lips, closed his eyes
and rubbed his stomach with great satisfaction.
He then handed the ﬂ-sk to Austin, who, with
a very low bow, his hat under his arm, ad-
dressed Pete:

“Marsa Pete, I drinks ter de holesale pro?
pairaty oh you an’ de mules, and hopes 39"
will git a good wife, lib till yer eyebrows
drag on do grown', an’ yer’ll hub chilluns
’nuir ter hold em up, ’sist yer on de road 3’"

has t9? 80 all’ stompede eberythin’, mules\

’cluded, outen yer trail.”

Austin drank copiously, while the hanging
moss “POn the trees quivered with the wild
bursts of laughter from Dutch Pete and Mick;
the latter executing a dimcult Irish jig on the
hard-trodden earth, .

Our trio of friends in a short time bécame
engaged in an exciting argument which wen-
dered from one question to another until it
ﬁnally settled down to a discussion of the ex-

posures ,‘ a...

 
a-ﬁmlv.\ .‘ a...

Buckskin Sam.

 
11

 
tent and importance of the diﬂenent nations
from which each had respectively originated. .

“Sure, any man that’s afther knowin’ ony-
thing, can’t dany but phat ould Ireland are
the jewel o’ the worruld. Be jabus, she’s
afther bain’ called be avrybody phat knows
his mouth from a hadger’s hole, the gim
o' the sees! Bedad, but she’s the granest
grass, the brightest dazies, the bluest lakes, an’
the purtiest mounthins. She‘s ther sw’atest
buthermilk. giruls an’ pertaties, the foightenest
b’ys an’ cats. ye can shake out. Phat do yees
think Angland’s Quane w’n’d do widout Irish
b’ys to foight for her? The back 0’ me hand to
that victory, an’ bad cess to the h'ys; fur it’s
thiinsilves, an’ ould Arin go braugh, wid ther
grane ﬂag spathered wid Shamrocks, abuv’
thim, they ought to be whackin’ furl Troth,
whin I thinks ev it I c’u’d chnw me own he’d
olf wid vaxation an’ sorror. Giv’ us a kiss oil
the mouth 0’ that bothle, misther Pate, I feels
a vacancy in me sthomic’, an’ signs 0’ grate
wather in me eye. Here’s to me gran’faather,
the last King 0’ Ballyschlaven, p’ace to his
ashes. Be the hole in me coat—I mane the
blg’est one—but I’ll newr again see his mone-
mint—indade I‘ll be a lucky mon ef I sees me
own in this land 0’ unsartintes.”

And Mick lubricated his tongue again with
his favorite beverage.

“Veil,” began Pete, “I don’t vos knows
much ’pout dot Ireish cundry, put I kn0ws ve
makes euuff lager bier in Yarmany, dot you
cude dake dot liddle lrelond and svim id all
spout in de bier, and not vas pees in der vay
elder, mcoch. Und ve cude bile upe de kase
(or sheese,) und pretzils ober dot lrelond, vot ve
makes, so high as neber vas dere a mounlen.
Den ve makes de Limberger scheese und—-—”

“Marsa Pete,” interrupted Austin, “’cuse
me, but my degesstin' meiodeons am ’streniely
del’kate, an' I has bin near dem towns in Gar-
miny, whar day makes dat cheese; au’ I ‘clare
ter Moses I smelled dem arter marsa’u’ I done
got clean ter Blane. Marsa Mick, spashiatin’
’bout Ireland, did yer eber see or hear tell on
de Giant’s Crosswayl”

“Troth I hav‘ that same. Sure I oiItln
hearud me faather tell 0’ me gran feather, the
last King 0’ Ballyschlaven, havin’ crossed on
it to France. "l‘was in bad rapare at the time,
an’ he cam’ near bain’ lost intirely, liavin’
taken a. miss-sthep into the wathel'; an’ the
King 0’ France sint him home in the ﬂute o’
the navy, an' was either giving him slathers o‘
jewels, iur ’tWas a darrin’ fate, avin as long
ago as that. That’s but few phat has re’d
cont! 0’ histery ter know that ’twas Saint
Pathrick himsilt b’ilt that bridge, ter cum over
the say, an’ tache the true faith, in cold
Ireland. Heaven bless him, foriver. 'l‘ip the
bottle own at Austin, misther Pate; sure, the
mintion o’ the chase made him sck, an’ no
wontherl He’s a triﬂe pale, but it‘s not ter be
suppOscd a thick-headed Dutchmen w’u‘d ob-
serve it, whin he’s thinkin’ o’ thelat gals
squasin’ grape juice on ther R’ine. Be the
same tckin, ef it’s nothin’ but pretsils, an} beer,
an’ krout ye has her talk of, I’m thinkin’ ye’ll
giv‘ the crow ter the lrish cock. Hurrooh for
ould Ireland, an’ ther last King 0’ Bally-
svrhlavenl Take me back gintly, in a jaunting-
carl Bmuther me wid dazies, an’ burpy me

where ther shamrock ngs, on the hauled-
I’ll die as aisy as a newborn

Killurheyl
b‘bes”

Mick in his excitement leaped npsnd danced
in ahvely way about the grove, until Pete
gave a warning whistle, and shading his eyes
with his hand gazed up into the trees.

“ Phat the divol are ye either sayln‘, misther
Pate?"

“ Vun tam"possum, vot vos peen schleepin’
mit his dail rount de limb. Giv’ me vun gun,
livcrly, quick. I shoots him, und ve has vun
goct roast”

Mick sprung to the ﬁns and handed a rme to
Pete.

“Tam dat gun! de poys dakes do lock to he
mentedl how you dinks I shoots dot ’possum
mitowert no lock on de gun?”

“Tunilther an’ turl! how the divil’s the
’possum to know that!” said Mick, as he handed
Pete another riﬂe. Taking quick aim the
Dutchman brought his game, with a heavy
thud, from the top of one of the highest
trees. ‘

“’Pon me sowl, misther Pate, ye has a
triﬂe too much polheen. Sure ony mon wid
since c’u’d see the fall w’n’d ’a’ killed him, wid-
out wastein’ powther.” r

“.Vell, I dolls you vot I dinks, Mic I

 
dinks you petter dake atrink OWert der spring,
your hot vas gettin’ thick; und den go change
your bony do petter grass, vere he kan pat sum
more meat on dem pones.” "

“More mate on his bones, is it? Bejahersl
but he has all he can take along wid him now.
It’s a harud-h’arted mon ye are, Pate, to wish
the poore haste over—hardined.”

“You yoost dakes kare you gits not cher-
purtened, mine frient," muttered Pete, as he
gave a knowing wink at Austin; and glancing
to see if Mick was out of sight, continued in a
guarded tone:

“Cum on, ’Ustin, I makes a liddle dalk mit
you. Cum liverly qurck mit de woots, and we
has sum fun mit dot Mick, burty soon, py und
py-”

Mick soon returned to camp, talking to him-
self and gesticulating vigorously. On reaching
the neighborhood of the camp-ﬁre, where his
view was unobstructed, hediscovered, to his
surprise, the absence of his comrades, who
were seated in the bushes where they could
observe every movement of the Irishman.
The eyes of the latter, roving about the camp
in an unsuspecting manner, suddenly he-
came ﬁxed upon the bottle of whisky which
Pete had purposely left at the foot of the tree.
Mick gave a leap into the air slappng his boots
with his hands as he jumped, breathed out a
low “ Hurrool” and sprung to the tree, grasp-
ing and hugging the ﬂask to his bosom, ﬁrst
giving it a shake to satisfy himself that it still
contained a. quantity of 0- be—joytul.

He lost no time in transferring a large por-
tion of the whisky from the bottle to his
stomach. / t

Then, for the ﬁrst time realizing that he had
done a mean trick' and that Pete and Austin.
might, at any moment, return, he sprung to
the spring and ﬁlled the bottle with water
enough to make up for the quantity he had
drank, wiping it off dry, and replacing it in
the same position he had ﬁrst observed it.

His eyes leered with cunning, and he slapped
his own back to give himself credit for this
well executed maneuVer. Then he went to
the. further portion of the camp but could not
keep his eyes from returning toward the foun-
tain-head of his present elevated condition.

With much fuss and blarney, which sounded
loudly through the camp, Mick now feigned to
be just returning from staking his horse, think-
ing that the boys would hear him.

The deep potations had begun to tell upon his
brain, and in trying to execute a diﬁcult
stepu‘n his lone Jig he fell ﬂat to the earth,
much to the amusement or the watchers, who
onlyﬁhad sutﬂcient of the ardent on board to
make them hungry for fun. After several at-
tempts to- rise again, Mick ﬁnally give it up as
a had Job, and sat with his back against a tree
indulging in a soliloquy: . 1

“Mick McFillinn y, are ye here! Prisent
sorl
Sure, ye were alwis behint before. Bad ’cess

whisky i’uri Staleyer whisky, is it sort ’Pon
me sowl the mon what says a McFillinny aver
sthcle—the mon what says a dacindent ev the
last king 0’ Ballysohlaven avir tuck a haper or
avin asthraw frum any one, will die saddest
widout prsste er prayer—Hither 0’ Moses,”
I’d. take me oathcn the blarney-sthone, I’ve
not had a schmell, avin,o’ whisky ther day.
Sthick toit, Mick: fur be the (a’ries o‘ Killarney

month were so harud at work yer nose had no
chance at all, at all.

“sure Invtr mind,4Mlck, me h’y,” patting
himself on the head, “ther day will he afther
cumin’ whin ye can hav pliuty widout axin’ no
favors. Wirra. wirra, but whar the divil are
the b’ysi Sure ’twaaa mane trick to l’ave me
alone.‘ Hui-mo fer ould Ireland an' ther King
0’ Ballyschlaven an’ his— Phat ther divil’s ther
mather wid me? Sure thar was me (author
was the sun ev me gran‘faather the king; an’
I’m takiu’ me owth I’m a sun ev me feather.
Bedad but I has it. Hurrooh fer ther sickond
sun ev ther King 0’ Ballyscblaven—that’s Mick
McFillinny, all ther woruld over!
{er the sickond King 0’ Ballyschlaven! Hur-
rooh fer Ballyschlaven, King 0’ the McFil-
llnnysl Hurrooh fer the King 0’ that Bally-
schlavens, Bally—King! .Hurrooh fer ther
’Schlavensl King ’Schlavenel Hurrooh fer
ther Ballysi Hurrooh for King McFillinny,
Schlavenballykingl Hurrooh fer Micki Hur-
rooh ‘Ballyl Hurrooh ’Schlavenl ‘Hurrooh
King! Hm'rooh Bohlavenhally—«iivil a smell
ther day—hirer shtole a hapen‘l Hun-ooh

 
Arrah, me b’y, ye‘r here, tustat last.

to ye, phat the divil was ye either, st’alin' me.

Ye didn’t sthop long anuﬂ fer smellin’, an' yer-

Hurrooh .

 
Bally—” and Mick sunk to earth in a drunken

Pete and Austin now emerged trom their-
hiding-places, laughing immoderately, and,
walking into camp placed Mick in a more
comfortable position, covaring his face from
the thOusands of buzzing ﬂies,

“Mick woot pe vun tam pat soltier dit he
hat all do schnaps he coult trink. He )‘(bst
wents do sleeps eﬂery dimes. ’Ustin, ve will
dakes annoder trink, hav zumdings do e .t; d\ n
we has more fun py und py, hnrty soon, mit
Mick. I has blenty more dot schnaps mit
mine sattle-pags.”

“ ’Clar’ ter grashus, Massa Pete,” exclaimed
Austin, in a tone of bitter disappointment.
“ Dat ’possum dun gone skedaddled. Tho’t you
killed him, dead sure. Gollamighty I’z agger-
wated ’bout dat. Was goin’ hab a ’stremely
lushus stew outen dat dehble; but I tells yer
be gone sure an’ ,sartin. Done tote hisself
away {rum dis dangerous lucnlhty.”

“Py tam, vos dot ac? Veil nem tam dings
vill alvis tools ev'rypody. Muss pute dtm
riut indo de pot or dey goes und runs avay
mit demselves, shoost so soon dey dinks you
not looks apout, und sees dem. Vell, dare V08 no
use do veeps ’pout id; ve can dake vun, dwo
dotzen trinks in de blac‘I of dot blag}~ ’bossum.
Here vos luck, mine freent. Mick, rake npel.
Vas long dimes dem trinks petweensl Vot
you says? Notdings? Veil, dot v0s 1K tter for
you, mine poy. Take \‘un gcot schleep. 1
sends you on vun long skowert, py und py.”

Austin, between drinks, prepared a lunch
for himself and Pete, while the latter perfected
his arrangements for further fun with Mick,
when the evening should set in, to shield, in a.
measure, anything which might appear wrong
to the fuddled Irishman.

Mick’s mustang was bridled and saddled for
the road, and taken some distance,ti the
woods north of the springs, “here there was a
small, circular opening, entirely free of mes
or brush. In the Center of this opening Pete
drove an iron picket pin, with a swivel heed;
an extra lariat was secured to the (Dd oi the
one about the neck of the horse, u-aking some
eighty feet in all, and the end. tied to the
swivel head of the picket-pin. This done, and
explained to his sable comrade— who rolled
about the grass in convulsive laughter, much
to the detriment of his tidy- make-up they re-
turned to camp and partook at their simple
prairie supper, washed doun with the whisky
so liberally diluted by Mick—the other L‘( the
being held in. reserve to carry out the proposed
plan.

By dusk the camp was put in order, the
horses and’mnles secreted to the south of lhe
camp, and Austin, through Pete’s direction,
hid away in a tree, where, from his perch, he
could observe things and enjoy the success or
defeat at Pete’s plans.

The latter then took the bottle of whisky
which had not been thus far disturbed, ran to
where Mick was snoring, and, shaking him
abmlilt roughly, exclaimed in a voice of leigned
trig t: .

“Wak’ ups, Micki. Wak’ upel, ’undred
t’ouzen tyvels, wak’ npel”

Then he gave a loud war-whoopin the ear
of Mick, who sprung upright in an instant——
and the next knocked Pete with swell-directed,
powerful blow several feet, end over and,
down the bank, the latter just saving himself
from going into the stream by frantically.ng
ing a bush. Recovering his teet, exasperated
almost beyond endurance by the turn of affairs,
and doubly maddened by the knowledge that
Austin was a witness to the .rather turn-table
incident, he yelled to the bewildered ’ Irish-
man:

“Got in himmul, vot vor youdus dat?
Ton’t you knows dot tam Tuch mulars trivsr!
Bender and blitsen, you preaks mine bet and
tam near preaks de pottle oh schnspsl”

Seeing that Mick did not yet realise where
he was, or what he had done, Pete’sii-e cooled
down, and he approached and inquired:

“How vos you feels, Mick, ole [my—

in

“Fale, a it, man! sure, I tale loike I was
afther hain' awake at Donnybrook Fair. It’s
mail! has a mwlin’-mill, full blast, in me
sthommsck; an’ s’cotton-mill. Wid sax t’oussnd
sphindles, runnin’ in me head; an’ wia’vmills
hangin’ on me ears. Fur ther luv-0’ quan’
friendship. giv us a big dhmp 0’ that sthul ye
hasintherhothel. Wharinthenamso’since'
as we, onyhowsi an’ how came Iasieept"

“Dake vun trink, Mick, liverly, quick, an’

  
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4:52;:

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12

.._.___._..___._.- _ _, .

cum mit me. Tem tam rent—skins vos here
vile you peee schleepin’, und dakes 'Ustin, dem
horses and mulars all avay do der bararar.
Cum.”

Pete dragged the astonished and frightened
Irishman through the woods, stopping in the
dark shades to whisper caution and give him a

» drink, which, owing to the circumstances in

which he found himself placed, was no small
quantity, and ﬁred up his nerves, sending a
those-ind conﬂicting thoughts in a wild stam-
pede tvhmugh his brain.

Dragging Mick through the bush toward the
opening, Pete explained matters on the run.

“You sees, Mick, you shooet must ride dot
mustang vot you gut. He vas all dot vas save
frum dem tam Injuns; and you goes like der
tyvel und dells dot Puckskin 8am, und
der udder pcys dey cumes here lightnin’
quick und goes mit der drail. You haf ter
goes mit der noots, or dare reatskins dake oi!
yer scalp”

Noticing a hesitancy in Mick to undertake
the enterprise, Pete thrust the whisky bottle
into his willing hands, saying: ‘

“Dare, Mick, pe a goat poy, und rite quick-
ly, and van you gits tired, vy you dakee sum;
ding strong to prace you upe, vot you say, ole

yl gcotl"

“ Troth, i will that. I'll go to the end 0’ Texas
fur the b’ys’ horses. Me sculp’s on me head
now, thunk God, an’ I hopes it'll ethick;
although thar is a power 0’ misery under it,
an’ I’m not in dape luv wid this worruld.
Sure, l w’u‘d wish me hair to go wid me, an’
I’m not wantin’ to be sint to me long home be
red hathens me curse on thim furst’alln’ the
bosses o’ the b’ysi Where in t’undher’s Aus-
tin! Sure the scalpers w’u’d not be wantin’ a
as .”

“Tam id, I dolls you dem teat-skins vce got
him! Dey dakee him do cook ups ds mulars,
'I dinks."

“Powers 0’ pewther, vat’ll we be doin’ fur
.br‘akfast the mornin’i"

“Got in Himmull ve vants no preakfast af
dam Injuns cums pack! Cum, quick! dare
'vasyourhcee! Let dot rope trag; then you
no cums pack ve can ﬁnd dot drail easy," and
Pete assisted Mick into the saddle.

“ You patter keeps on de edge ter weots and
you pees all riut. Hare vas ein goot plack
renake vhip, giv dot hose blitaeu on do rest, so
;he goes like von tear."

' " Where’s me gun? Sure I’ve nuthin’ to da-
‘ﬁnd mesilf wid."

“ Rf you sees dot Injuns, make dot hoes run
away mit himself. You got goot pocket-pis-
ztol unit you."

Pete gave the mustang a kick, and at the
same time Mick brought the whip around the

» ianimsl’s hams, who sprung wildly around the

margin of the opening, held by the lariat
hitched to the swivel-headed picket-pin.

Then Pete dashed into the bushes before
Mick came around to the starting-place.

It was now quite dark, and the lrishman
alternately taking a swig from the bottle on
.the run and lashing his horse to greater speed,
wasmmuddledtonoticethattheanimalwas
going full leap around in a circle.

“ Hurrooh fur the king 0’ Ballyechlavenl
Ould Ireland foriver, bad luck to the red
nagnrs, it’s Mick McF'iliinny don’t care a rush
fur thiml Take a dhrink. Micki sure, it’s the
best hat 0' Pete’s whisky I hav sg’in, an’ he'll

.bemad as a hathen whin he ﬁnds the other

bands is wather entirely l”

Away at breakneck speed went the Irish-
man, wild with drink and yelling like a mad-
man, while his horse. knowing something was
wrong with his master, was terriﬁed at his
forced circusing.

It was but a short time after Mick had
started on his singular journey when Pete and
Au~tin, disguised as Indians, sprung from the

‘ bushes with wild yells and ﬁred half a dosen

shots at the almost ﬂying man and mustang.
'Then secreting themselves they rolled on the
ground in a frenzy of mirth, as Mick every
moment went dashing past, putting their imi-
tation Indian yells to shame by his wild, un-
earthly: “ Hurrooh fur ther King 0’ Bally-
:achluvoni Hurrooh fur Buckskin Sam! What
the divil are ye, me My” sure yees are wants!
at ther Springs: Be that fa'ries o’ Killarney but
thay war atther me scnlp entirely. so they war,
.an’ it’s not out ov danger ye are yet, Mick, me
b’ye, an’ av it warn’t fur the Dulciimau’scour-
up how wad ye ivsr hev made the grand race
wid the murthsrin’ spalpeensl Sure, it must
'henigh to theh’ysthat I am, an’ of they hear

 
399F§W59m

 
me yell it’s afther that red devils they’ll be!

Whoop! it’s famous wid ther Rangers this ride
will make me! Hurrooh fur Buckskin Sam an‘
Mick McF‘illinny——ther Rio Grande Rangers!
Hurroohi”

The truly ludicrous ride of Mick, was thus
kept up, the whisky meanwhile being fast
transferred from the bottle to his stomach. His
wild hurrah sounded fainter and fainter, and
at last he fell forward, his arms clasped around
the neck of his horse, which now slowed up,
and gradually came to a stand-stilL

Then Mick McFillinny, the descendant of the
last king of Ballyschlaven, very ungracefully
slid to mother earth and repose- while Pete
and Austin fairly made night hideous as they
rolled upon the grass of the opening, in an
ecstasy of mirth.

 
CHAPTER X.
a namus mun—Iran name mar.

Mann: Canommo’s fandango, situated in
the mesquite Chaparral about one mile from
the Main Plans of San Antonio, was in
full blast; and as brilliantly lighted as could
be expected from tallowdips and tin reﬂectors.
A cease-stand and monte-hank were drawing
their share of attention in one end of the build-
ing, while the hard, trampled dirt ﬂoor was
ﬁlled with gay senoritas, and a sprinkling of
American, French and German girls. The
men who were dancing were all white frontiers-
men, stage-drivers, harden and sporting-men
of the Alamo City, a mixed crowd all armed
with Colt‘s revolvers and bowie-knives, and in
their shirt-sleeves.

Between dances, as no beverage was sold on
the premises stronger than vino dulce for
the girls, ﬂasks were produced and passed here
and there, amid boisterous clamor, through
which the silvery laughter from the Mexican
senoritas rung in a musical manner. Notice-
able among the men was one who from his
muscular frame, and symmetrical ﬁgure, would
be picked out from any crowd as an object
worthy of attention. He is clad in a red shirt,
ﬂowing collar, black pants fucked with high-
legged boots, a very wide-brimmed sombrero,
and is armed as the others.

This is “Overland Jim,” the stage-driver;
who calls Santa Fe his home, but takes a run
occasionally down toSan Antonio, to see his
pardsof the ribbons, Sam Scott, Jim Dodson,
J Am Harding and others. He is evidently on
“a regular jamborce,” as he calls it, in loose
harness, and hand in hand with an American
girl, frail and fair, who sticks to him through
every dance.

Overland Jim, since hisarrival in town had
been keeping company with Mariana Coyen,
and those who know the latter prophesy
trouble in camp.

Many ofthe men are hantering Jimatthe
easy manner in which he changes calico: but
none dream of the consequences yet to come.

In the midst of the merriment a white «robed

ﬁgure glides through the doorway, and then,
for a moment halts.
. it is Mariana Ccyen, the heroine of the San
Antonio bulkﬁght. As she appeared then,
risking her life to ease the last moments of the
gored torredor, there was a look upon her face
almost heavenly; but now she appears a ﬁend
incarnate. Her features are pale as death,
her lips are drawn up, showing her pearly
teeth grating together like those of a mad-
dened wolf, while her eyes are glowing with a
wild ﬁre, as they glare around until they fall
upon Overland Jim and his partner.

Then, like a phantom of death she glides
forward. ~

One moment Overland Jim is heading over
the America girl, his arms about her neck;
the next, Mariana, with ﬂashing eyes and
gleaming stiletto, sprung like a panther
through the crowd. Ber graceful hounds
bring her immediately behind Jim and his

ner. .

With the quickness of thought, Mariana
raises her left hand, and gathers the long,
thick hair of her rival in her ﬁngers, giving a
violent twitch backward and downward, draw-
ing the head of her victim over until the white
throat lay bare beforeher.

Then the right hand of Mariana Goyen is
raised in the air, her stiletto glitters an instant
in the poor girl’s mce,end then dropscnite
murderous way. Across and through the
fair, white throat it cuts its cruel way. a spurt
of hot, red blood ﬂies over the muslin of the

 
dancer, a horrible shriek of terror and agony
comes from the pallid lips, and the girl falls
into the arms of Overland Jim, a corpse.

With pale faces, in hushed horror the other
girls huddle in groups, and shrink away from
the blood-sputtered spot.

The ghastly deed was done so quickly, and
so paralysed each and every beholder, that be-
fore the assembly could realize what had hap-
pened, Mariana, with a ﬁendish laugh, had
glided out again, through the door. and disap-
peared in the dense mesquite chaparral.

This is no fancy sketch of what might hap-
pen, but a truthful record of what really did
occur at Madam Cnndelerio’s fandango, as
hundreds of people now living in San Antonio
can testify. Mariana, who risked her life to
ease the last moments of one, and took the
life of another, in a cowardly, murderous
manner, escaped all punishment for the latter
brutal deed, save a brief imprisonment.

Fair daughters of Mexico! In your jealous
rage what will you not do to him or her who
comes between you and the object of your
regards? In love or in hate who can surpass
you?

 
Meandering through the bunches of nopal,
or prickly pear, on the Mexican side of the
Rio Grande, above Eagle Pass, are a party of
horsemen. In their midst is a beautiful
female who although care worn with grief and
despair, we recognize as Lena Castro. Those
who guard her—so brutal and debased in mien
—are for the most part, the same bandits we
saw at the old Mission below San Antonio,
though a few more of the same character have
been added to their ranks.

All the men are more or less drunk; and a
bottle of mascal is being passed fiequently
from one to the other—they are celebrating
their safe arrival with their captive upon
Mexican soil.

What care they for those of their number
who now lie festering, stark and stiff, beneath
the shadows of the Mission, torn by wolves
and peeked by bumrds‘l They are so intent
upon their plans for the future, when the heavy
reward for her who is now being taken to their
patron shall be distributed, that they do not
observe that a man dressed in Mexican garb,
is watching them from a rise on their right.

To be sure, he is somewhat screened by the
brush. but were they on Texas soil they would
certainly be more watchful, and the spy would
be seen.

It is evident he understands their condition
or he would not be so careless. He keeps his
post until the cavalcade almost disappears
from view. Then, gazing up at the sun, and
raising his hand toward the same, he gradually
allows ittodrop in a line with the party of
bandits. This observation made, he draws a
knife and cuts out the form of an arrow from
the bark of a tree near him, the front directly
towardthecoursepursued by those he is evi-
dently intending to follow at some future
time.

Then, with a peculiar, Ions, swingins suit,
he starts toward the Bravo, on the back trail
of the bandits. o

He reaches the Rio Grande, plunges in, and
swimming to the opposite shore, disappears in
a dense thicket. '

He is gone but a short time, when the under-
brush parts, and our red friend Warlula, in all
hi. wu- paint and weapons, mounted upon his
mustang, bursts into view and speeds away
from the Bravo toward the Nuecee.

We know now that the Mexican spy and
Warlula are one and the same, and that he

has, so far, been faithful to his white brother, \

“Buckskin 8am.”

 
The hot sun pours down on the parched,
cracked award of the prairies to the south of
the Rio Nueces. Warlula, the Tonkaway is
coming as fast as his lagged mustang can hear
him, toward the river of nuts, and it is plain
tones that his animal, although short-bodied,
and compactly built, has been tared beyond
his endurance, and can serve his red master
but ashort time longer. Covered with foam,
discolored with blood from iacerated jaws, and
scratches of the thorny chaparral, lelt far he-
hind. and panting painfully, still he is urged
on by word and quirt over the hot, dry plain.
As they near the green line which marks the
bottom-timber of the Nueoss river, the mus-
tang gives a low whinny of pleasure at the
scent of water; and the eyes of the Indian
brighten, for the throats of both are parched

 
enam-

Buckskin Sam.

 
and their tongues swollen with maddening
thirst.

The eyes of man and mustang are centered
upon the verdant belt before them, which in-
sures relief from their sufferings

Suddenly Warlnla jerks his horse upon its
haunches: and the animal, standing almost
erect upon its hind legs, its tail mingling with
the prairie grass, snorts with pain and anger—
pain from the sudden twitch upon the torn
jaws, anger at being brought to a halt when
nearing the cool water, and green grass, so
madly craved.

What has caused Warlnla to come to a
sudden stop! He is as anxious to proceed as
his steed.

His eyes are still fastened upon the bottom
timber, and two moving specks. which have
just sprung from its shade—specks resembling
animals. They are horses—one ridden, one
led—and are bounding through the tall grass
which fringes the timber toward the open
prairie and Warlula.

Who is the rider?

Travel through a dorm tribes and you
would not see an Indian maid that could com-
pare with her who comes at reckless speed
over the plain toward the Indian, and whose
appearance has brought him to a sudden halt
since distance and the quivering, hasy heat
that hovers over the surface of the prairie,
mask her character.

She sits her horse as one who has spent years
upon a mnstang’s back, moving gracefully and
in unison with the motion of a spotless black
mare, whose long, slender limbs and neck show
speed more than endurance; whose ﬂowing
mane and tail, and glossy coat, show the
animal has not, for a time at least, been used
to hard service.

The Indian maid in clad in a complete suit
of buckskin, fringed and headed. A silken
sash about her waist supports a Colt’s revolver
and Spanish stiletto; a Sharp’s carLine hangs
from the horn of her saddle; while upon her
head rests jauntin a hat, still fresh and green,
made from the ribbon reeds, plucked from the
banks of the Nueces.

Her long hair, black as raven’s wing, ﬂoats
behind her eyes that now ﬂash with pleasure—
for she has recognised the lone rider afar over
the plain. On her cheeks a faint blush shown
through the skin, but faintly tinged by Indian
blood and Southern sun. As we see her
mounted and speeding over the plain, she forms
a picture so fresh, grand and beautiful that it
is worthy of the noblest artist‘s dream. The
horse she has in lead is a powerful animal,
whose appearance also shows long lingering in
luxurious pastures.

Warlula and his mustang resemble, and are
as ﬂxed upon the p. . n as an equestrian statue
of Mom.

Suddenly the lips of our-Indian queen part
in a joyful smile, and then the prolonged, slum
scream of a panther ﬂies from them over the
plain.

As this signal reaches the ears of Warlula he
once more urges on his horse towardthe Nueces.

The speed they are making brings warrior
and maiden face to face in a very short time,
and they game into each other’s eyes, as those
long loving and long parted.

Before a word is spoken by either the Indian
maid loosens a gourd from her saddle and
passes it to War-lulu. who eagerly drinks, pours
the cool water over his'head and face, and then
into the mouth and over the nostrils of his
suffering steed.

Warlula speaks ﬁrst, as is his right.

“ Lulula has been at nest of WarluLi—she
has been on Medina—she seen the talking leaf
—it is gmd—Warlula heart glad."

“ Iaulula has seen the talking leaf,” answered
the Indian maid. “ She has been on Medina—-
talking leaf told her come to Warlula—she has
come.”

She raised along, wide and still green leaf,
upon which was punctured, with a thorn, a
number of figures in a rough, uncouth manner,
but still plain talk for the one for whom it
wasiutended,andpamedthesame tothe war.
rior.

On one end of this leaf wasaruderepreeentae
tion of a party of horsemen, with sombreros
upon their heads, one figure among them with
ﬂowing hair and skirts. Back of these, and
apparently following, was a single horseman,
whoseeagle plumes proclaimed his character;
and at the other end of theleaf,alsoheaded
toward those mentioned, was a ﬂguxu mounted
upon one horse, leading another. This ﬁgure

 
had long hair, a single plume as ornament, and
held a bow and arrOw in the hand which
pointed toward those ahead.

This leaf, pinned with the thorn"which had
ieen the tool used to execute this rather in-
artistic picture to a limb of the big tree in
the Medina bottom, within whoae branches
Warlula had his nest, together with an arrow
beneath it, which pointed toward the Nuecer
at a particular ford, had been plainly under
stood by Lulula. It told her that her warrior
was on the trail of Mexicans, and that she
must follow with a fresh horse for him. That
was all; and she had filled the bill.

Warlula tore the talking leaf to pieces,
which he dropped in the prairie grass. Then
turning again to the Indian maid he inquired:

“Did Lulula see my white brothers-did she
see Buckskin on Medina—did she see Rangers?”

“Lulula see no Rangers—she no see the
white brother of Warlula—she rode fast—she
came like the prairie dove to her mate-her
eyes make her heart glad—she has not looked
on the face of Warlula for many sleeps—War-
lula has [made nest on Medina——when will he
come back to gladden the heart of his squaw—
when will soft words fall from his lips—when
will he walk in ﬂowers, shoot deer and forget
to sound war-cry!”

“ When Lulula hear death-yell of Warlula,”
answered the brave, “ then she know he forget
war-cry of his people—he has sworn by Great
Spirit to be true to white brother—Warlula
tongue not forked—the voice of Lulula is
sweet as the birds of Guadalupe—he lovesto
hear it—but he is not a squaw—he is a
warrior— Warlula has crossed the Bravo-—
he must cross the big river again— he has
long trail to go—then he ﬁnd the lodge of
Lulula—he will see her on Guadalupe before
next moon grow small.”

“ Lulula will sit by her lodge and wait—she
will ask the Great Spirit to bring Warluia
back—the birds sing sWeeter, the ﬂowers
brighten, when Warlulaisat his home lodge—”

“ Warlula will come.”

Ashe spoke the Tonkaway sprung from his
panting mustang and commenced to change its
trappings to the lead horse, brought by his
squaw.

“Sun soon go down in plain,” he continued
—“Wnrlula go back to Bruvo—Lulula ride
fast to nest on Medina—leave sick mustang
here—he ﬂnd grass, find water—Warlula catch
him when come back from war-path—my
white brother will come on trail—Lulula will
see him—she will tell him Warlula watch
Grosser dogs—trail lead Eagle Pam—maybe-
so Monterey—Warlula ﬁnd where take pale
lily—meet Buckskin on Mexican side Bravo—
no time much talk on war-trall—Warlala say
good-by.”

Stepping to the side of the horse ridden by
Lulula be pressed her band to his heart, gave
one look into her eyes, and exchanged a full
for the empty gourd. Then he sprung ripen
the freh horse, swung his quirt biasing through
the air, as the pursuit yell burst from his lips,
and again went speeding over the plain, to-
ward the Rio Grande.

Lulula bent forward, with a yearning, anx-
ious look upon her features, mingled with sad-
ness and regret, until the form of bet savage
lord grew small in the distance. Then whirl-
ing her mustang, she turned on her trail, and
went like the wind toward the north, cromlng
the Names. Without halt she lashed her mus.
tang on for the Medina, to do the bidding of
him she worshiped more than all the world.

 
CHAPTER XI.
4 rarana’s must.

Sass and Joe, upon the r arrival in San An-
tonic, after the fight at the Mission, erased
the Main Plans and rode down Commerce
street, ﬁnding at that hour Planes and streets
quite deserted. '

Arriving opposite the Commerce street sta-
blea, at Whittle'a boarding-house, Sam climbed
over the fence, opened the gate, and by that
time Mr. Whittle himself, awakened by the
noise, came upon the scene. -

When he recognized his old friend Hallhe
hustled around, attended to the horses and then
awakened the servants to prepare entertain-
ment for our two friends, so much in need of
food and rest.

When Whittle found that Sam and Joe were
wounded he sent for Dr. Reed. who was a par-
ticular friend of our hero and was overjoyed
to see him; after their wounds had been dremed

by the doctor and they had partaken of a

 
rousing old San Antonio breakfast, they felt
much better.

It was some time yet before sunrise, and
Sam. anxious in regard to Lena Castro, crushed
down the feelings of faintness produced by
pain of wounds and loss of sleep, and proceeded
to the residence of Don JOee Castro.

The old Castilian opened the door himself
at Sam’s knock, for he had not pressed hf d
during the night, and stood with tear~dimmod
eyes and a countenance full of anguish aid
despair.

With a hasty salutation our hero grasped
the old man's hand and gently pushed him
back into the hall, and no sooner had the door
closed behind them than Sam laid his hand on
the shoulder of the old Castilian, saying:

“Don Jose Castro. you do not know me, I
reckon, but that matters not. The words I
propose to say to you will give an insight into
my character.

“You have lost your daughter. Pleaseto
state to me the circumstances of {her abduc-
tion as far as you know them, and who you
suspect has instigated, or accomplished the
villainous deed. Yet, in the ﬁrst place, to set
your mind at rest, I will say that my wounds
were received in an endeavor to rescue and
bring her back to your arms.”

The old man grasped the hands of our hero
and wrung them, while his eyes mirrored the
thanks and gratitude his tongue refused from
deep feeling to express.

A hasty, impatient gesture from Sam
brought him to the point in question. Clearing
his throat and drying his eyes he assumed a
calmer expression and answered the farmer’s
questions.

“ Don Samwell, I do know you. I law you
do a heroic deed at the bull-fight. I learned
from my daughter of a service you once did
her; and those things coupled with the in-
formation gained from my servants, were endl-
cient to prove to me that you were a worthy
gentleman, before i gained the knowledge from
your own lips to-night that you have suffered
and fought for me and mine. Iknow I can
trust you, even with a secret which has prayed
upon my mind for years. I have reason to
believe that my dear daughter, Lena, my only
child, has been stolen—torn from my arms-—
by Intense Brogado, my bitterest enemy, who
abducted my beloved wife from my hacienda
near Monterey, and who was also guilty of the
death of my saintly parents. Lena went to a
dansa—a private ball— under trusty guardian-
dlip, as I supposed, last evening; and my ser-
vants were overpowered by mounted men,
who, according to their story. placed my
daughter upon a horse and galloped down the
river with her. Several of my servants were
wounded and one killed while striving to pro-
tect her. My heart is broken, and having had
so much misery in the past, this great calamity
has left me paralysed and powerlem, although
I have gold to pay for the services of any
who will endeavor to save my darling
from the fearful fate that is in store for
her. The city authorities have pronounced
themselves unable to do anything for me, and
I am at a loss to know which way to look for
assistance. At least I was previous to your
arrival. I now have a glimmer ‘of hope, and
would ask you to inform me when and in what
condition you saw Lena. Ah me, I fear that I
shall never see the loied form of my innocent
child again.” As he spoke the tearscoumd
afresh down the furrowed cheeks of the grief-
stricken old Castilian.

“ My presence here, Don Jose, ought to have
led you to suppose that I came with a knoon
edge regarding your great loss. Listen and I
will relate the circumstances and incidents
which have brought me here this morning."

And Sam related in detail the fight, rescue
and recapture of Lena Castro.

“ I wish to state, for the relief of your feel-
ing that l have taken steps to have the trail
of the bandits followed, by one upon whom I
can depend; and also that I have comrades,
ready and eager to pursue ewn to Monterey.
I have registered an oath to «the: nscue your
daughter or die in the attempt.”

“My dear young friend, your words give
me hope. You shall have all the gold you
wish to carry out your plans, and if you sac-
ceed anything I messes shall be yours.”

' “ i ask no pay'fcr web a service. Indeed I
would never undertake such a trail, were it
not for the deep sympathy I feel for, you in
your-troubles. IftrueTexancoarageand
perseverance amount to or can accomplish any-

 
Evie.
a

 ‘3‘ “3 ‘

,l-M “  ' ‘“ ,2

 
4

14'

 
huskst Sam-

 
thing, you shall yet clasp in your arms your
daughter, pure and uncontaminated by the
base villains who seek her dishonor. As to
your gold—some of the boys may need some
for ammunition, but I doubt if they will ac-
cept it from you, as their credit is good in San
Antonio.”
“Send them to me, Don Samweil. I will
.not insult your noble nature by offering gold
to you; but trust I shall be enabled to repay in
some manner your extremely unexpected kind-
ness, and loyal friendship to an old man.”

“ Say no more. Don Jose! I bid you adios;
for I must see my comrades, and shall soon be
bounding over the trail, toward the Rio Grande
and Lena.” .

“That God and the saints may watch over
and bless your efforts. shall be my continuous
prayer. Adios, amigo mic.”

A hasty shake, a glance from youthful but
daring, fearless eyes, into those that were
aged, tear dimmed and sorrowful, despite their
faint brightening of hope, and the two parted.

Sum hastened back toward the Main Plaza,
not noticing the form of a. youth on the oppo-
site side of the street, who, unknown to him,
had followed his footsteps, and watched and
waited for his interview to end, pacing up and
down, with impatient steps, biting his lips
with angry vcxution, and fierce jealousy
plainly flashing from his eyeS.

Let us look at this intruder—0r spy shall we
call him -so that we will know him should We
meet him in the future,

A soft black Sombrero, ornamented with a
silv er star. is pulled down over his face, partly
hiding his countenance, but we see enough to
know, that neis a mere youth, with a sickly
mustache, rosy cheeks, black ﬂushing eyes and
raven hair, hanging in wavy masses to his
shoulders, over a richly embroidered, black-vel-
Vet juket, literally covered with buttons.
Slashed panlaloons, to match the jacket, are
tucked into the tops of high, fancy boots, on
the heels of which jingle the long-roweled
Mexican spurs, with their little, tingling bells,
soeommon at that time in that country—A
'ﬁue, embossed belt, with huge silver buckle
supports a Colt’s army revolver, and bowie-
knifo. Take him altogether he looks the
dandy sport of the fandango, and manta-house;
yet he is so young that one is forced to doubt
in regard to his character. It is perfectly evi—
dent, hoWth-r, frtm his manner, that he is ex-
tremely, interested in the. movements of our
hero, and as he is on the trail of Sam the
reader will know him if he puts in another ap-
pearance; but to be more sure of his identity
before I have him I will Christen _ him, “ black
Bravo,” and drop him, dodging the footsteps
of our friend, Buckskin Sam.

From Don Castro‘s, Sam went immediately
to Whittle’s, where he found that Joe, who had
taken a short siesta, was up and around, alter-
natelypoking fun at the Dutch girls in the
kitchen, and spouting conglomerated English
in Bichter’s bard-com, adjoining the boarding-

' house. A few words in Joe’s ear and the lat-
tor was ready for anything which should turn
up. The home were brought’around, having
been well groomed and fed; the boys mounted,
and by the time they reached the Main Plaza
their passage was blocked by crowds of people
who greeted them with loud yells, and hearty
hand shaking; for the news of their deeds of
the previous,rilght had spread like wild-ﬁre,

'ntattcd by the talkative Dr. Reed.

Both boys stopped in to see the doctor at his
drug store, who promised them, if they paid
strict regard to his directions about using his
healing balms, they should be ready to move
“We the trail, without danger of inﬂammation
of their wounds, in three days.

Three days! .

It was an eternity to wait, and despite the
warnings of the doctor they clipped of! one
third of the time, and in two. days were in the
saddle, moving upon , the trail, and, at last,
entering the shadows of the Medina river
bottom-

 
CHAPTER XII.
'rnl humans 01" THE mm.

A. scene of Texans were on the trail, all of
them having been of the party that was en-
camped at the SauPedro Springs. , , .

Buckskin yam, Reckless Joe. Fighting Ben,
Daring Bill, and Big Foot Wallace led the van,
while in them: was the eccentric Dutch Pete,
Armin andliko McFilliany.

’ ,All were armedto the teeth, and ﬁve pack-
mlu, heavily laden, showed that they had

 
started prepared for a long - Scout. They were

mounted on fresh, hardy mustangs, for some 1

time corn-fed and grazed on the rich, curly
mesquite grass that grew to the west of the
Springs camp. ‘

This was the force that halted beneath the I

huge, moss-decorated tree, so well known to
Buckskin Sam. The intention was to ﬁll their
canteens from the Medina, and then to strike
up-stream to the ford, and scatter south upon
the opposite side of the river, to ﬁnd the trail
of the Greasers who had abducted Lena
Castro.

But no sooner had the party in the lead
halted, and Sam was feeling within the long
fcstoon of moss, hoping to flnd some “ sign”
from VVarlula, which would hear on the busi-
ness ahead, when an incident occurred which
kept feet in stirrup, and eyes bent with aston-
ished looks upon the foliage above their heads.

Coming hand over hand down the huge stem
of agrape—vine, from the dark shades of moss
and leaves above, a perfect queen of nature
swaying amid appropriate surroundings, was
Lulula, ravishineg lovely in her romantic,
beaded, buckskin costume, her face ﬂushed by
being the center of stranger glances.

Ilowever much she disliked the interview
she could not but obey Wurlula’s instructions,
and, as she afighted gracefully upon the award,
she repudiated the presence of all except him
with whom she had been ordered to communi-
cate. _

She fixed her game on “Buckskin Sam,”
seeming to know him by intuition, and he
sprung from his horse and removed his soul-4
brero in respect for beauty, grace, and sex, as
did every man in the command. . All seemed
amazed by the, strange, unaccountable appear—
ance of the Indian maid, though through Sam’s
mind ran thoughts with lightning speed, con-
necting her with Warlula. Before he could
frame words to address her she;spoke:

“Lulula-would have talk with Buckskin, the
white brother of Warlula. Her eyes and heart
say he is before her.”

9‘ The eyes and heart of Lulula are truthful!"
exclaimed Sam. “Warlula is my brother,
and Lulula my sister. I am proud to meet one
I have heard so often praised by as true a
warrior as ever trod prairie-grass, and of whom
I am anxious to hear. My ears are open to
the words of Lulula.” ._ \

f‘ When the moon was big in the sky,” ex-
plained the Indian maid, “Lulula came to
the nest of her warrior—she found talking leaf

,~—she found arrow—the talking leaf told her

Warluln on war-trail——long trail—want Lulula.
bring mine—mow say trail go over Bravo,
pointingsouth—Lulula ride fast take mustang
to Warlnla—ride long over N ueces~meet
Warlula-he say tell white brother come on
trail—daring more white warriors, Greeters
with ,White Lily go over Bravo—Laredo ford
-,-may_beso Moutorey— Warlula take horse,
leave one much sick—go fast, go back on trail
—-say go Monterey ifﬂreuer go—leave sign,
mayheso lose scalp for white brother-amen
Lulula jump in big water—Lulula die.”

Buckskin Sam grasped the hand of the In-
dian maid. pressed it tobis heart, while a wild,
jubilant yell arose from the Rangers, that rung
through the bottom timber, causing the leaves
and drooping moss to quiver like asp'ens, and
the Indian mold to shrink back like a stirtled
fawn, and spring up into the branches of the
tree.

. “Hold, Lululal” shouted Sam. “The boys
manning to show their appreciation of the
gallant daring of Warlula and yourself.”

Toe Indian girl gazed down a moment upon
the boisterous crowd, and seeing in their eyes
nothing . but respect she waved a gmtful
adieu, and disappeared from whence she came,
up ,thc grapevine, amid the mossy draperies,
to the nest of Warlula

The Ranzets knowing that it would house-
less holding any further conversation with her,
as they were conﬁdent that she had told them
all that she know in regard to the trail, ﬁlled
their canteens, rode up the stream to the ford
and then struck out for the Laredo crossingief
the Rio Grands.

“ Gentlemen, we must use our nap with
care,” remarked Fighting Ben, as they fairly
settled to their course. “We may need both
speed and endurance when we point for 'lbxas
after showingour hand to these Greener guerril-
las. We’ll have a thousand yellow-skim“
cusses after us, in less time than it “helm
spread a lay-out.” ,

“ That are solid hose sense, Ben,” exclaimed

\

 
Big Foot Wallace, as he shot a squirt. of
tobacco juice over his horse’s head. “Yer
talk are plain, ter ther p’int, an’ chuck full 0’
re’sun. It ’pends, sum, how things pan-out,

. whether we make ther riﬂle an’ korral ther gal

without kickin’ up a. dubble distilled, old he
rumpus. Ef we has ter use our shooters much,
nigh on tor Monterrey, thar’s a dead sure
thing on our havin’ fer hump oursel’s right
pert on ther jump, fur ther Bravo ag’in. How-
sumever, I rec‘ons on our keepin’ ther yullar-
bellies a ’spectful distance with our Sharps. I
ha’n’t ﬂt ev’ry thing what wares ha’r, frum
ther big—salt-drink .ter ther Rockies-reds,
grizzlies, panthers, an’ sich, tor pass my checks
inter a GreuZer. I'd jist as soon speed ’er
thru’ ther hull Montezuman c’untry, as ter
cross ther big plains ter Sante Fe. Are any
ev yer feed sottin’ bad on yer stumjaok, Joe,
that yer ain’t a-slingin’ yer tung’ az ﬂuuntly as
common?” _

“ Ah, melord duke,” answered Reckless Joe,
“dost thou address me with the idea that].
shall expaciate upon each and every thought.
that has, for the last ten minutes. run riot
within me alabaster brow! If so, I tell you at
the start, ’tis impossible to narrate the wild
workings of me brain. But ﬁrst and foremost
of me troubles is, the fact, that We shall soon
be playing hide and seek in the cactuscountry,
and most of you boys are fond of chili. You
see that troubles me. I sha’n’t have a fair
show at grub time. Chili colerado «red pep-
per) is me abomination, and you’ll have it in
every dish you cook. Your frijoles will be so
full of it that it will take the skin oﬂ’ a man’s
threat, the turkeys will be stiﬂed with it,
while Joseph will be compelled to sit on one
side with his corn-pone, camie asado, and
coffee without extras, all because you are
copper-lined and can swallow red pepper by
the mouthful, without winking, Bani the
thought makes me thirsty now; how will I feel
over the river, where water is scarce, the
ground cracked _with drouth, and the sun is
blazing down l”

A hearty laugh all around greeted Joe at
the close of his remarks. .

“ I really believe,” said During Bill, “that if
Joe was in the middle of a deal, was raking in
doubloous by thousands, he‘d stop lo ask if
the coﬂoe had boiled, and if the beef didn’t
need turning. Joe, you think more of your
stomach than any one I know of, and still
you’ve had to suﬂer many a time for grub on
the plains.”

“You’re rigltt, me lord,” answered Joe.
“Sam and myself have had tough troubles on
the North and West plains, particularly cross--
ing the Llano Estacado. We have roughed it.
when we didn’t mind how tough the grub was,
if ’twas only eatable.”

“I have seen the time when numberless:
civilised luxuries ﬂoated in orderly array be—
fore me half-starved vision, but didn’t do me
any good. I say a baked coyote is I rich meal
alongside of nothing. Then even a stewed
lariat is tangible, is nourishing, is “table.
When a man; hungry he’ll eat old boot .or
bridle soup; and a centenaiian buck Piute.
would be a. luxury, even without salt. Boys,
when I get up from a good square meal, all is
serene and beautiful. Thebefeatbertd ﬂat—”

“ Hold ther cuss, stop him,” yelled Big Foot,
amid boisterous laughter. "Cum out squar-

looted Bill Thompson, an’ ’spldia what kinder

tail Joe’s tung’ are on now. He‘s ther ems-t.
galoot I ever see’d. What’s he bineatin’l He
talks as tho’ he’d swallered a. hull shale-house.”
“I don’t know What" “P Wm! 300,” 511‘
swered Daring Bin. “He throwsa lull deck
of words, that’s a fact Ask him some",
what troubch him.” , ,
“ Joel O—h Joel what have struck yer now!
wmh him, boyl, an’ don’t let him git a-goin’
’in.”
8“Joe rained up his horse, alongside of the
Giant Scoot, saying in answer, and without a
fraction of I. smile upon his countena: ee: .
“King of the liveoaksl I would have you ‘
know—now listen to me tale, and muik Well
me words. An eccentric fastidiousness has
struck me, without embarrassment and without
a reconnaissance as to the reoe tion of me
words, without a prepossesging ntrodnction-
1 have made mystiﬂcation, my be“ card-
b‘We oxPlained a somewhat chemical affair,
with a felicity of quotation, an exuberance of
spirit, and voluble lips. if I have been ex-

tremely enthusiastic in regard to a short ao-

quaintance with a winged Warbler, who is It
times aquatic and luxuriates in extended“?

 
Buckskin Sam.

15

 
lutions, at others cuts the air as do the angels
in astronomical explorations, my remarks have
been incontrovertable, even if perspectively
imaginary. If I have been vociferously gar-
rulous, so much so that it affects your cor-
porosity, I throw me upon your mercy. I am
circumstanced at the present moment aﬁiuently
in the way of feed, am diminutive in stature
and willing to conciliate toward the con-
valescence of your trouble, called exasperation,
contracted by my copious illustrations in soar-
ing adjectives. Nevertheless suggested sym-
metrical statr—”

But Joe was suddenly interrupted by Big
Foot’s manner and actions. The latter, ex—
asperated beyond control, and having been
perfectly stunned and bewildered with the
jaw—breakers of Joe, jabbed spurs home,
and with his hand on his six-shooter,
charged at him, his patience utterly exhausted.
Away went both, while the whole crowd
roared with laughter.

“Lasso ther little cuss an’ I’ll stuﬂ his grub-
trap full 0’ dirt !” yelled Big FOot. “ Doggone
yer, Joe, chaw up yer words afore yer spit ’em
at mel Cotch him, boys, an’ we’ll gin him a
puke ter git rid 0’ his high-faluten dickshunary
English, or whatever danged lingo it are.
VVe’ll feed ther galoot on green persimmons
arter this, an’ that’ll put his thro’t full 0’ kinks.
It’s scan’alus ter lissen, an’ nobuddy kan buck
ag’in’ him.” '

The Giant Scout shot out these words, half-
angry, half-amused, while tightening his girth,
the looseness of which had forced him to dis-
mount. .

“ Boys!" exclaimed Fighting Ben as he sped
over the prairie, Big Foot in pursuit, yelling
like an Apache in a war-dance; “if it wasn't
for the fun Joe makes, and once in a while a
change from that to the bantering nonsense of
Dutch Pete, and Mick, the trails would seem
longer, our privations doubled, and we’d have a
dull time generally, between fights, especially
on a clear trail and easy riding Speed.”

“ You are right, Ben,” anmered Sam. “Joe
is the life of every crowd he’s in; I never saw
him wilt, I never knew him to loose his grip
but once.”

“Deal us out the , Sam,” requested
‘ Daring Bill’ “ it will help pass the time; Big
Foot has a long chase ahead."

“ Well, b‘oys,’_‘ said Sam, “the time I refer to
was when We were coming out to Texas to-
gether in 1859. We were on the fore-and-aft
schooner Henry James, and had a fair wind
and weather until we struck the Gulf of
Mexico. I had purchased, at the recommenda-
tion of the captain, before sailing, some old
Otand brandy, and pickled limes, as a prevent-
ive of seasickneas. By partaking of homeo-
pathic doses of the brandy, and nibbling on the
limes, Joe kept his stomach in order until We
were south of Key West, when a most terriﬁc

gale struck us, tearing sails to ribbons, and,

breaking loose a quantity of barrels of beef and
pork, which formad a part of our deck load.
The wildest confusion prevailed, and we ship
seas over our decks at every plunge. 9
heavy barrels rolled from side to side, and
stove the bulwarks; the sailors refusing to risk
their lives in trying to lash them again.

sea ran mountains high, the cabins were
ﬂooded, and it seemed we were doomed,
especially when it was found the schooner was
leaking badly.

“Joe had kept free from seasickness so far,
having surreptitiously canﬂscated my brandy
and limes; but this storm dished him, and he
was the sickest boy I ever saw. I managed
after lashing the'women in the cabin, so they
could not drawn, as they were helplessly sick,
to make Joe fast to the main rigging, so he
could neither move hand or foot; for he did
not care whether he rolled overboard or not.
It was a discouraging enough sight for a well
boy, and not much chance ahead for us to
roam the prairies which was our day and nrght
dream. Some of the sailors ware at the

pumps, others throwing overboard the deck

load, the sch00ner’s rail was under water, the
captain was yelling, the crew swearing and
the devil was to pay generally. I never shall
forget that night. We drove before that
north-east gale, down toward the coast of Yu~
 Although I was not seasick, poor Joe
wilgedgthare wasn’t anymore nerve in him
waginrthdeckwahandbetweeuhh -
ingmwhenlwouldaskhimhowhefe

he would mutter, ‘Oh-h-h-h, Sam, take me
back—to the Bowery—[durn Texas—dun you.

 
Oh-h-h—hl roll me overboard!
heavensl’ ~
“ I had to lash myself by Joe’s side to keep
from being washed over into the sea, and at
times crawled into the cabin to see to the wo-
men, whose protector was sick as death, lashed
to the hatch bolt. We outrode the storm,
however, and made the fastest trip between
New York and Matagorda Bay that had ever
been made under sail. Ask Joe some time if he
was ever seasick, and you’ll get some rare En-
glish out of him in the descriptive line. But I
See he’s up a tree where Big Foot can’t get at
him, and is spouting Shakespeare at our boss
trailer. Joe’s a brick, each and every time.”

“ Thanks, Sam, for the story. I have never
beenfon salt water,” returned Daring Bill, “and
don’t want any in mine.”

During all of this talk, however, no time had
been lost. When the Rangers had reached the
spot where Joe was corraled, a few laughing
words were suﬂicient to put the two friends
again in amity, and with scarcelya halt the
Rangers moved on.

Oh-h-h-h—

CHAPTER XIII.
AN OUTLAW FASTNESB.

A TWO story, rambling edificc, with walls of
adobe, three feet thick, stands in the midst of
a walled garden, somber, gloomy, overshad-
owed with trees from which hung snakelike
bignonias, orchids and other trailing vines,
whose main stems come winding, twisting up
from the dense shrubbery below.

Around this house are the chinartree cypress
and the towering, plumed head of the cocoa—
palm, and beneath, the orange, lemon, lime,
guavas, mangoes and many others not indi-
genous to the soil, all in a tangled, nnpruned
state, a vegetable mob, each member striving
to reach some spot where the sunlight would
kiss its foliage, but the cypress and palm self-
ishly appropriating the light and warmth of
the god of day.

The narrow windows of the now are guard-
ed by bars of iron, making it appear more
like a prison than the habitation of a ranchero.

Still it had been such; and he who now owns
it claims that as h'n profession. ’It doesnot
differ from most Mexican haciendas, except
that the shrubbery and trees surrounding it
have been left for years unpruned, to spread
and twine their shoots into a tangled jungle,
through which but few sunbeams ever ﬁnd
their way.

The hacienda is situated within an extensive
garden, around which are high adobe walls
that cut oi! all intrusion, for upon the top of.
this wall the outer edges on each dds have
been built higher than. the middle, and the
cavity ﬁlled with earth the whole length of
the wall Surrounding the gardens and hacienda.
In this earth, long ago, prickly-pear was
planted, which grew rank and thick, rendering
it impassable without a systematic and lengthy
assault, aided by ladders and tools.

The gardens now are rich in fruits and
ﬂowers, at some distance from the building,
where there are no trees towering above them.
Cominodious stables and outbuildings are
almost hidden within the luxuriant groves of
orange, lemon, pomegranate and wide-spreading
bananas.

A passer-by would not dream that the
abode of man stood within the thorn-guarded
ENVBS did he not accidentally stumble against
the adobe walls of the garden, for the roots of
those trees next the wall have throwu seed and
root to the other side, where the infant shoots
hove almost attained the same altitude as
their parent stems. Were it not for the dreary
prison-10015 0f the buildings this would certain-
ly be a quiet paradise, in which one weary of
the selﬁshness and, corruption of the hollow
world might with a solitary pleasure, dream
life away in continually balmy air. : Eveh'th.
patio, (court-yard,) is now but a narrow walk,
since creeping vine and spreading shrub have
bunt up through the pavement, throwing the
soft stones aside to givethem room tosend :up
branch and foliage. A massive gate of iron,
itself eaten with that and shrouded in green, is
the only break in the great wall. . ,

By the side of this entrance stands the l
of the portero (porter) and there he sits puﬁng
vigorously at his shuckmiganﬂo.

A straw sombrero shades thelfull-bearded,
repulsive, brutal features of the perm, and a
shock- of coarse, black hair rests upon his
shoulders. His eyes wander nervously about,
like. those of a suddenly disturbed serpent.
The high cheek-bones, wiry form and has of

 
skin show him to be a mestizo, having a mix-
ture of Spanish, Mexican and Indian blood in
his veins.

A brace of large holster pistols which carry
a blue-whistler, (ounce ball,) and a deadly
cuchdlo, (long-bladed knife,) are stuck in the
folds of his red silken sash, while on the grass
at his feet lies an escopeta.

This hacienda, dear reader, was the birth-
place of Jose Castro. In these gardens, in his
boyhood days, he plucked the fruits and ﬂow-
ers, and scattered crumbs for sweet singing
birds, while in the ancient old adobe porch sat
Don Raphael Castro and Inez, his father and
mother. Over the court-yard, in after years,
cluttered the boots of gallant steeds, ridden by
himself and supposed friend Lorenzo Brogado,
when stai ting on some pleasure expedition for
the entertainment of the latter. But now what
a change! His father and mother murdered
by him he had cherished and favored as a
friend; his young wife torn from his arms by
the same friend; and by some strange fatality,
his home is enjoyed and Owned by this mur-
derer, Lorenzo Brogado—next to Juan N.
Cortina the most celebrated bandit of North-
ern Mexico.

Suddenly the portero grasps his escopeta
and springs to his feet, bending toward the
gate in an attitude of listening. As the tinkle
of spur-bells, and dull tramp of horses on the
thick award, strikes'his ears, he bounds to the
wall, next the gate; cocks his gun, and runs
the muzzle between the iron bars.

The sounds, which tell of an approaching
cavalcade, come nearer and nearer. The
horsemen are within twenty pm of the gate,
still screened from view by the wall, and the
portero seems to grow pale, but at last musters
courage to shout:

“ Quien vine?”

“Amigos! Antonio, are you
getting blind that you know not your omn-
pancros oompadm? Are you turning coward-
ly that you skulk around the wall! You’re as
rusty as your old gate, and must. mke to the
chaparral again or you won’t be worth a cigar-
rito-stub. Open to the fair lily of Texas, who
henceforth is to be queen of the old hacienda.
Where is Don Brogado—at the ranchooron

.the plain?"

“DonLu-enroisatthe omSenorCorlies.
Thewalls arethiokandtobestilliatobe
secure. We have need to be watchful for
those diablo Texans are bold bravoa They
have tramped d mine to nonterey once and
may do it again; if they did they would not

pass us by.”

Antonio laid down his gun, and with a

ponderous key unlocked the gate, swinging it.

open. ,

As the gate struck an ironsockettletlna
postinthoearth forthepurposeof mounting
too wide an opening, the dull clung of abell
sounded within the gloomy mansion, and the
bandits rode within the patio, ‘wiﬂr Inna
Castro in their midst. As the cavalcademed
up the courtyard the huge gate clanged behind
them, and at the same time the front door of
thaoaaaopened, andamausteppedout to n‘s~
certain the character of those who were of so
much importance as to have gained entrance
into his grounds.

Although he has greatly changed in years it
is Lorenzo Brogado still. The checks once
ﬂushed with youth are now ghastly and fur-
rowed by dissipation and perhaps byaguilty
conscience.

The sametreacherous, shaky eyes are now
glittering w‘th pleasure, ‘at the sight before,
him. He rests the ever ready gun, which!»
has brought full-cocked to the door, againu
thewallofthe porch, and steps down towel-
come his cut-throat gang, and gloat over the
misery of his captive. ' -

“Bruno hombre Corliss, you havewon the
doubloons. But where is'the cursedGringo,
Buckskiul Surely he iscarrion, or you’ll carry

lessgoldinyourmatctoc (saddle—bags Winona .
are the other men?” - ., n.2,

“ Don Brogado,” answered Cor “we maxi
in luck to bring the.er 0 carried;

our gold dearly.
less than one fourth of the men thatvl started
with. They are now rotﬁng near- San An-
tonio do Bexar. The Texans are macho (liable;
They about” and aim well, but we m ton
much for them. The ODIN-0'. batsman-db

' bones of him you hate so‘mnch. We left Bunk v

akin—Don Seawall es they call “hill! ﬂan
Antonio—with a bolt in hill head, near m
Conception." ‘ ' ‘

 
l aroma! the Bravo with «x

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“Bueno! Dismount, stable your mustangs,
and all come inside. Ihave a merry crowd
within, among which you’ll find old friends.
Lena Castro, welcome, thrice welcome to your
birthplace! I have an agreeable surprise for
you anon.

 
Western Texas and as it were boarding the
lion in his den, capturing the only child of him
who had been his successful rival in love, and
giving the deathshot to one he hated and de-
tested for being the slayer of many of his men

I see the jomada has fatigued you, i and the frustrator of many of his murderous

but never mind. A few days of quiet rest-— l’ plans.

it’s very quiet here, by the way—and you'll be i
i ordering his peons to bring fresh supplies of
, liquors.

fresh as yonder blushing cactus flower."
The bandit chief stepped to the side of her

animal, to assist Lena from her saddle with ;
pledged his band in a toast.

exaggerated politeness, born of deep potations.
Lena shrunk from his grasp with a loathing,
sickening fear at her heart, as the bandits, who
had torn her from her home, with coarse laugh-
ter rode around the casa to the stables.

Jerking her mustang, she whirled about; but
seeing no avenue of escape, and knowing by the
taunting look of the fiend near her that there
was none, she sprung unaided to the ground,
though she staggered back With the numbness
of one long in the saddle, added to the priva-
tions of the trail. Recovering herself she as-
sumed an erect, proud position, and with blaz-
ing eyes exclaimed:

" Why have your c0wardly radians torn me
from my poor old father’s arms! Why am I
brought to this spot, n0w dismal, though once
the beautiful home of my ancestors? Fitly
does the cypress wave over the blow-stained
stories where murder and rapiue took the place
of peace and love. Who are you, and what
am I to you? Have you any claim on me or
mine?”

“Dias! but you, in your anger, are ravish-
ineg beautiful; and compare well with your
mother as I first knew her. ”

“Had I a weapon, I would lay you dead at
my feet for daring to mention one so holy;
daring to contaminate her memory by speak-
ing of her with your vilc lxpsl”

With folded arms, poised head and taunting
manner Lena faced Don Brogado.

“You would have made a star actress,” he
answered, sueeriugly. “ Why 1 have had you
brought here you will know soon enough.
Rest satisfied with what you do know, for, by
the powers of Hades, you would regret the
sense of hearing, did i give an explanation.”

Lifting a silver whistle which hung about
his neck, he now blew a call which was im~
mediater answered by the appearance of a
maiden, who, although careworn, and showing
the marks of much mental suffering, matill
beautiful, though now her features were con-
torted with jealous rage.

“ Were you listening. Pancbitol" demanded
Don Brogudo, “ that you are here so soonl
Beware! no dogging of my movements, no spy-
ing. Take this visitor to the upper, cast
chamber, give her suitable clothing and food."

Then in a lower tone he added:

“ Bemcuibcr that your tongue must not
wobble, and for fear of intrusion you lock her
docraad‘briug ﬂukcyto m. Doyou under-
stand!” I , ’ -

“ Si, senor.”

“ Soc that you obey my instructions to the
letter. If you do not you know what to on-

n

The two women-one biting her lips with
pent-up ‘pamiou. the other utterly hopeless,
helple- fn thopowcr of a human devil un-
scrupulous, merciless, almost dead from forced
marches, want of sleep and food—disappeared
within the portal. of the gloomy, prison-like
hacienda, followed by the bandits. Inst of
all entered Don Brogado, the chief cut-throat of
them all; who dpuble barred the strong door,
with a rude chuckle of pleasure, fiendish in ex-

rec-fora

P

ﬂoated on. the sword, in his old position, is
the par-taro, Antonio, puﬂng at his cigarrito,
apparently the only live man within those
grim, gray garden walla.

When Lorcnno Brogado had securely fasten-
ed the outer door he followed the recently
arrived men into the large dining hall, where a
score of- u desperate ladronoo and assassins as
themselves were congregated, engaged in a
debauch, whose wild, boisterous rovelry would
have: been heard outside were it not that the
window. inthisroom hadbcanscalcd upwith
masonry, tothofullthlcknc- ofthcwalla

A loud yell of welcome the new
comers, and; ducts of “ Viva Corlicsi Viva
Don Brogadoi Carr-casAmoricana-f’resonud-
od through the mom, amid the clink, clink of
51:3; coda-usher cmptybottlcsapinsttho

Du Brag-down; elated bythc mecca-of
Wvﬁll‘ln‘  to the principal city of

 
The bandit chief manifested his pleasure by

Then, at the head of the long table,
which stood in the center of the room, he

“Fill to the brim, my brave coldats! (sol-
diers.) We rule the plain and chaparral, and
now have a queen to rule the old hacienda! She
is a beauty, worthy of your chief. Besides, I
have combined business with pleasure. Revenge
is my business; one more life, and the vendetta
betWeeu the Brogados and Castros ends. The
father will come for his child, and within these
walls, if he can effect an entrance, where he
ﬁrst saw light, my cocliillo shall drink his life-
blood, though not until I show him his daughter
the willing slave of his destroyer; and his wife
a gibbering maniac!

“Drink, mi hombres, to the White Lin of
San Antonio; the last scion of the Castilian
Castros; the queen of our fortress; now the
slave wife of your chief."

Loud rung the vines through the hall, from
ruiiiuus already crazed with drink, and glasses
crashed into fragments as they were brought
down on the table empty.

The dehauch was kept up until, one by one,
the brutes in the shape of men slid from their
seats to the ﬂoor, and dropped into drunken
slumbers, with muttered curses and babbling
nonsense inning from their poison-reciting
lips

 
CHAPTER XIV.
A s'raanoumr ronxn Farm.

WHEN Panchito conducted Lena Castro to
the apartment designated by the chief, she
left the captive while she want for a change of
clothing, and for food for the utmost famished
girl.

No sooner did the door close, and Lena
find herself alone for the ﬁrst time in many
days, than she fell upon her knees, and prayed
long and fervently to the Blessed Virgin to
watch over and temper the grief of her dear
old father, and open some avenue for her ca-
cape and return to his arms.

Upon rising to her fact she glanced about
her prison.

The room was furnished in elegance; but
what interested her most was the case-
ments. 'l‘hcrowcre three windows, two look-
ing cast and one north; unglaned, and guarded
by bars of iron, not into the walls.

Lena sprung from one to the other, grasping
each barof iron and striving with her feeble
strength to loco'cn it or show signs that it could
be removed. ‘

But they were firmly imbcdded, and she could
not stir them. One thing she noticed, which
pleased her. The branches of the trees brush-
ing against the walls outside throw their green
twigs and foliage between the bars of iron, so
thatthe projected into the room. Reaching
up she plucked a branch to hold tobcrparcbcd,
feverish lips and brow, when, to her horror,
she found it was a twig of ill-omenod cypress.
At that her little remaining hope ﬂed away.
To be sure, from what she knew of
the character of uckskin Sam she had no
doubt that if he lived he would leave no stone
untamed in his endeavors to save her from the
fearful fate she did not dare to allow her
thoughts to dwell upon lest reason should do-
sort her altogether.

Was be alive!

The last view she had of him he lay motion—
lm and covered with gore, among the dead
bandits.

Augustin Silicao, although her devoted
lover and slave, was not audaicutly versed in
prairie lorcto follow the loo trail the had
come, oven should his gold hri m lexi-
cana to amist him. She know even they would
hesitate to risk the danger when they knew
they would receive no quarter from the fol-
lowers of Don Brogado, when once the! W in
battle. Wu a not an impossibility for my
one to penetrate to this mysterious ion-cat,
once her bahyhood home, the scene ofthc muro
der of her grand-parentc. and the abduction of
her mother!

Though her family history had been locked
in the breast of her father, yet through his
muttering- in troubled slumbers, and the un-

 
guarded conversation of the bandits on the
march, she had learned enough to know that
she was in the power of a brutal ﬁend, who
had brought death, despair, perhaps dishonor,
upon her dearest relatives, and caused her
father’s form to bend prematurely and turned
his hair to silver with anguish and torturing
agony.

Where was that dear mother whom she
never remembered to have seen? Was she
still alive? Great God! It was impossible for
her to live and retain reason!

Pacing back and forth across the room with
clenched hands, disordered tresses and tears
running down her cheeks, Lena stopped in the
middle of the apartment, while a shudder con-
vulsed her frame as the massive door swung
on its hinges. Thank Godl-it was Panchito—
not he.

At the sight of Lena in anguish and tears,
Panchito slammed the door, threw the clothing
upon a chair and caught both hands of her she
had been commanded to serve.

Gazing into her eyes with a glance pierc~
ing, wild and ﬁlled with passion, she de-
manded:

“ Does my lady love Don Brogadol will she
be his wife?”

“May the Holy Virgin save me from such
fate!” burst vehemently from the lips of Lena
——at once an answer and a prayer.

“ I hate, ay, loathe him, more than the pol-
son-ranged Serpents that hide in the orange
twigs and spring without warning to bring a
horrible death to those who never harmed
them. Sooner than be his wife, I would trust
my eternal happiness to the mercy of our holy
mother and take my own life!”

A gratiﬁed expression played upon the
features of the Mexican girl as she quickly
drew from her breast is small, keen, glittering
stiletto, saying:

“My lady will not take her own life and be
eternally lost; but when Don Brogado seeks to
do her harm cut his foul heart in twain. He
won my love under another name; be induced
me to leave my dear father and mother in
Mier—I loving him. better than life, than
honor. He promised to marry me, but his
tongue speaks naught but lies. I had a little
babe—his babe and mino—and—let me whis-
per the dread crime within your oar—ho
strangled the innocent nursling that, in the
few days God honed it to me, I had learned
to love more than its father. I was too weak
to have its life, but swore by the Virgin and
saints over the cold form of my little Bonita
that I would have Vrngeancc; and I will, if
God give me the chance.

“He thinks I love—I only fear him still. I
wait for my time. It will and revenge
-—reveugc sweeter than the thoughts of Heaven
that I,s’pring from innocent minds—shall be
mine

“Thanks be to Heaven that I have found a.
friend in this band of brutal" exclaimed Inna,
as she clasped Panchito in her arms.

For a moment the two were silent, for they
realized the necessity of caution, and know
that it would even he better for themto appear
enemies to each mr9,¢WId “19" b0 bf W81“
together in the presence of Don Brogado.

aftcr changing her dazzled clothint.
com to ribbons by her wild ride through the
chgpgml, and partaking of a hearty supper,
with .n appetite born of her newly-found hope,
lpent some time talking with Panchito in re-
gard to the wayin which things were con-
ducted at the hacienda, and the means of

Both came to the conclusion that it would be
a matter of impossibility to escape without out-
side aid. Antonio, the portem, was an old
member of the gang, and one who could 110‘: be
inﬂuenced or bribed.

To this most important post the bandit chief
had appointed one that he know was faithful
tothcdcatbtohis andonctoowcll
known by his crimes to canto venture even as
far as the trail to Hunter-ay, which posted but
a mile from the hacienda walls.

This whole dlltunco was a dense mosquito
andcactuacha in which no one would
be liable to trust themselves, even did tb‘!
stumble on one of the many narrow, winding
trails made use of by the guerrillas.

Assuriuchna that oh. woulduothc dil-
turbcd that night," the bandit mm
their chief, were too intoxicated '0 I"! W ‘
visit, Panchito folded her unfortunate sister in
distress in her-arms, kissed horned-mt)“
opened the door.

 
Jain

m.

' kskin Sam.

17

 
At this instant a prolonged, piercing shriek
rung through the house, seeming to come from
aclosed apartment in a distant part of the
casa.

Seeing a shudder of alarm shake the form of
Leno, Punchito exclaimed:

“There is no harm being done.
you about this to morrow. Now go to sleep,
forl must leave you. \Ve may be susixgcted if
I do not give up the key. I shall watch over
you, my sister.

“ Bueno noche !”

The door closed, the key grated, the bolts
shot with a rasping, grinding sound, that sent
ashiVer of dreariness through the poor cap-
tive. and Lena was alone.

Realizing that she must seek repose, and hav-
ing faith in Panchito, that she would explain the
horrible scream which, from the Mexican girl’s
manner, she believed ought not to cause her
alarm, she eventually, from the utter ex-
haustion of many nights full of anguish and
concern, fell into a deathlike slumber. Then
the Scht notes of a czenzontle, the mocking-
bird of Mexico, ﬁlled the room, as, perched
upon a branch at her window, the feathered
warbler seemed to be calling down blessings on
the head of the captive Castilian maid, who, in
her dreams. once more hung her arms around
the neck of her dearly beloved and much—suf-
fering father.

I will tell

 
CHAPTER XV.
"rm: BATTLE AT THE LAREDO FORD.

ON the American side of the Rio Grande
ride, late at night, avscore or more of horse-
men, their mustangs half-sliding, half-stumbling
down the steep bank at the Laredo ford.

Although not a word is spoken, and no noise.

is made, except the unavoidable jingle of bit,
spur and accoutermeuts, it is not hard to
recognize the Texan Rangers, with Sam, Joe,
B-n, Bill, and Big Foot in the lead.

The waters of the river glide on in inky
blackness before them, but there, is to hesi-
tation as they come to their edge. Each man
hangs his ammunition and revolvers about his
neck, shoulders his riﬂe, and giving a loose rein
to his steed, plunges in, each leaving a long,
dark, boiling eddy behind.

They soon disappear in the darkness; but by
intently listening, the grinding of hoofs, the
rattle of gravel, and dripping of waters, can
be heard, as the mustangs scramble out and up
the opposite bank.

The Rangers are upon the dangerous border
—the dark and bloody ground of Mexico.
Upon the south side of the Rio Grande a white
man‘s life is not worth a. real. Before them
lies one wide expanse of foes; what may be be—
hind them they have never thought, and so,
certainly, could not guess.

Yet there are some in their rear who are
either friends or foes; for on that border there
are no neutrals. ,

Scarcely has the sound of the tramping of
the Ranger’s steeds died away in the distance
when a single horseman comes down the bank,
following over the ,very ground trodden by
those who have gone on.

The moon, just peeping over the prairies,
gives light enough to recognize the solitary
rider. It is Black Bravo—he who dogged
Buckskin Sam’s footsteps the night when he
sought the presence of Lena Castro's father.

He is armed to the teeth; his features, his
form, and manner in the saddle sh0w a deli-
cacy almost feminine.

But there is nothing delicate nor feminine
about the way he urges his mustang, mad-
dened by the torturing spurs, into the river,
with a. sputtering plunge.

He is following the trail of those in his front
with intense eagerness; but even that interest
does not entirely account for his haste. There
is still another on the trail, the sound of whose
approaching gallop can be distinctly heard be-
fore Black Bravo has mounted the bank and
plunged into the bushes upon the other side of
the Laredo ford.

A few moments after Black Bravo has
passed from sight an Indian in war-paint, and
armed with riﬂe, revolver and a bow and
quiver at his back comes down to the water’s
brink, and halts for a moment.

A seeming Indian warrior; and yet the
graceful movement of the body, acting in con-
cert with each step of the animal, the graceful
poise of the lndian’s head, and lastly the intri-
cate and elaborate ornamentation of the quiver
show that it is Lulula, the beautiful Tonkaway,

who has taken the trail of him she loves.

 
A moment she listens to the vanishing sounds
of the now distant gallop of Black Bravo’s
mustang, then Lulula urges on her horse, it
breasts the waters of the rolling river, and is
soon speeding on the trail of those who have
gone before.

And not a moment too soon has she gone, if
she would escape observation, for once more
there is a clutter of boots, this time of a bun-
dred, and down the bank, in a disorderly

throng, go a score of Texan Mexicans, with ;

Don Jose Castro at their head. By his side ‘

rides a young Castilian gentleman, clad in a
richly ornamented costume, and armed with
weapons tipped and embellished with silver and
gold.

Though years and misery had racked and
broken his frame Don Jose had been unable to
rest supinely under the burden of grief cast
upon him by the abduction of his daughter. A
day or two of inaction had rendered him al-
most insane. Visions of a thousand nameless
horrors were conjured up in his brain, through
all of which he saw his beIOVed daughter
passing, until he could rest quiet no longer and
live. It was then, that he and Augustin
Siliceo, having bad a long conference, decided
to hire this party of San Antonio Mexicans to
go with them to aid the Rangers in regaining
Lena, and punishing his hated enemy Don
Brogado.

Thus many armed, determined avengers are
speeding toward the old hacienda, and the
prospects are that the bandit gang of Don
Brogado will soon have a lively time of it
amid the dense thickets of thorns which mask
their stronghold.

The Rangers could have gone down the
American side of the river, as far as Gucrerro,
or even to Roma, and not added any miles to
their trail, supposing the bandits had taken
Lena into the vicinity of Monterey; but it was
possible that the rendezvous of the guerrillas
might be on the Rio Sabinas—indeed, it was
quite likely. So far they had had clear work,
as the Tonkaway had left plain sign, and in
addition the robbers had, for security, left the
regular, traveled road, and taken to the
chaparral stock paths where there was but
small chance of meeting either wagon trains or
soldiers of the republic.

But the calculations and reasonings of the
Rangers, although not correct in regard to
ﬁnding the retreat of Don Brogado upon the
stream ahead, were so in regard to meeting
difficulties at so favorable and favorite acamp.
ing place for the bandits of Juan N. Cortina.
Just before reaching Rio Sabiuas “Fighting
Ben " and his brother, “Daring Bill,” had
ridden on ahead of the command to reconnoiter
and ascertain the best place for a. halting camp,
as the hOI‘S(-S needed rest and feed. The boys
had but time to reach the timber, which tow-
ered above the surrounding chaparrals, and
bordered the river upon each side, when the
main command was suddenly surprised bya
fusilinde of revolver shots and ﬁerce yells.

In an instant, all, except the guard in charge
of the pack-mules, drove spurs deep, and
bounded along through the many cattle trails
which led to the river.

The Rangers were not a moment too soon,
for Ben and Bill were desperately holding their
ground against a horde of Greasers, whose
loud yells of “ Viva Cortimi !” proclaimed their
character.

Little did the guerrillas think that upon their
native soil they would meet such a charge as
now out through and through their ranks.

Amid Texan yells, dying groans, and rally-
ing cries, a leaden hail of bullets mowed them
down; riﬂe barrels went crashing through
skulls, and bowie-knives, held and guided by
sinews of steel, ripped the bandits from breast
to thigh. It was fora few brief moments a.
horrible melee, shrouded in thick sulphurous
smoke, the air ﬁlled with the sickening taint of
blood and powder. During this time, when
friend and foe were {indiscriminately mixed,
Sam, whose horse in the charge had carried
him in affrighted plunges clear of the scene of
conﬂict, into the bandit camp, found himself
nearly surrounded by a gang of Greaser cut-
throets, who assailed him from the only point
which parted him from his ranger pards.

Defending himself with desperation, almost
hepeless at the extreme danger of his position,
he blazad the remaining shots in his revolvers
into the mass coming upon him in an annihila-
ting charge,‘ threw his empty Weapons at the
heads of the nearest of those who survﬁred his
fusillade, and grasping his riﬂe by the barrel

 
raised it high in air and drove spurs deep
into the ﬂanks of Black Cloud, in hopes of rid-
ing down or through those in his front.

Black Cloud behaved noblv. The riﬂe
swung quickly, and with goad eﬂect but the
bandits were too many for one man to cope
with. A lasso, from the ou'side of the now
inclosing circle of foes, hissed through the air,
the noose encircling his neck and tightening as
a prayer fell from his lips. As the torturing
raw-hide was choking out his breath the deadly
cuchillu’s (long-bladed knives) ﬂashed upon all
sides.

But death was not yet to be his portion, for
the war cry of a Tonkaway broke upon the
air, in brave though somewhat feeble tone.
Help was coming. More than one Greaser
threw up his arms, dropping the glittering
knife he had thought to bury in the scout.’s
body, while his eyes rolled in death as he sunk
back from the mustang which, with mad
plunges, stampeded away. A Tonkaway to
the rescue!

Still, however, the tightly-drawn noose of
the lasso encircled the neck of Buckskin Sam,
and it seemed that life for him was very near
its close, since a blackne<s of night was drawn
across his eyes, and he felt as though just
launching into a great whirlpool.

Then suddenly a slender youth in richly or-
namented black velvet dashed past our hero,
placed his revolver against the twanging lasso
and Will! one shot severed it in twain, while
with another he laid low the Mexican who
held the further end. At the same time an
lndian in full war-paint plunged past, dealing
death right and left, while Sam, utterly be-
wildered, wounded anl bruised, almost choked,
swaying and tottering, clung to the mane of
the mustang, who (‘lcal‘ed the mass of dead and
dying bandits with wild bounds and stood
panting at the south side of the guerrilla camp.
Recovering himself, Sam turned his animal
to g t a view of the field and his preserveis.

The ﬁght was over. A number of riderless
horses were stampcding here and there, insane
from the ﬁght of battle and torturii g wounds;
their boots crashing through the skulls and
mangling the bodies of those who proudly
rode them as masters but a short time before.

Just emerging from the mesquites were the
Rangers coming in scattering groups, but no
Sign could Sam see of the mysterious pair of
friends, who had arrived upon the field so op-
portunely, and who had, without a doubt,
saved his life. During the excitement, the
danger and the smoke of battle, neither the
stranger in velv-t nor the lndian had been
recognized, nor had our hero any idea of their
identity, as he had not seen their faces.

“How in ther name 0’ Kn cket, come yer
out here, little purdi” yellvd Big Foot. as he
rode up to our he; 0 and gz.z;~l with surprise at
the dead bandits some distance away from the
scene of the main ﬁght.

“Are ye hurt? Gerusilem an’ jumpin’ge-
hossifatl ye had a rouser eva ﬂghtl That
thar beats all ther shootin’,— I say, ‘Buck,’
how did yer git away with all them skum o’
thcr Bzavoi Thar‘s enuﬂ on ’em ter h’ista.
half-dozen like yer outen thnr boots an’ make
’em wilt inter thar socks—perviden' tha’ is
high born an’ tender footed enuﬂ ter w’ar
wool.”

“Quite a number of them quit the business,
I admit, Wallace,” answered Sam. as he re-
loaded his revolvtrs, which he had regained
from among the dead bandits where he had
thrown them during the fierce conﬂict. ‘~ They
came near sending me over the river—as near
as I ever care to go again—but I had help,
very strange help. Did any of you hear, the
war-cry of a Tonkaway down here, not long
sine-c?”

H No!”

“ Nary a. war-cry i”

“ Not a wonstl” ,

“Well, boys, it was a very lucky thing for
me,” explained Sam. “ I was iassoed and
choked half to death after I got away with a
few of them; and the long knives were coming»
just tar-flashing into my eyes, when I “PB-I'd &
war-yell, a, fusiuﬂde of revolver shots follbwing,
and a. gay-locking duck, die-sad in black vel-
vet, mounted in style, shot away the lasso and
went through the GreaSers on a Charley May
charge. At the same time a young Indian—I
didn‘t get a glimpse of the faces of either—
tore in upon those that black velvet missed like
chain lightning. Between the two they made
a ten strike, and vanished before I knew which
end my head was on, or could expres my

 
i
l
'l
l
,'

‘ v...‘ -. ._

2x; 

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18 

 
thanks for their services. Take it all around,
it’s a harder puzzle to me than locating ‘ Thim-
ble Rig Jim’s ’ little joker.”

"Thar a’n’t no use ter stir up yer brain on
ther subjec’," said Big Foot, decidedly. “If
thar’s any loose friends ’round, what think
cnnﬁ' on yer ter do sich a job as that thar, why
yer lucky. Fact are, it’s a dead sure thing, no
matter what sort ev a scrape yer git yersel’
inter. yer cum out equar’ nn’ ﬂutfooted, with-
out br’akin’ bones or losin’ ha’r. Yer g’ardi’n
angil minds her biz, an’ are alwis ’round. Keep
yer eye skinned in tht-r futur’ fur black velvit,
an’ when yer hears a Tonk's war-yt ll ag’in, out-
side o’ \Varlu'a’s, why, I rec’on yer’ll hav’ a
show ter thank ther cuss what done a big thing
fur yer. ’Twa’n’t our red, I'll sw’ar; fur be
are a score 0’ leagut-s truni this, a-usin’ his eyes
an’ ears ter ’vantnge, bet yer last hogl Boys,
hump yersel‘s, an’ git ready ter git frum here!
Sam, yer don’t ’low tor camp afore night, I
rec’on, arter this scrape? Yer don‘t choze ter
camp amung sich a lay-out ev excoriated, scari-
ﬁed, homicidal, corpuses? Thar’s anuther
squad 0’ Cortina’s ladrones bu’sted up, an’ll
soon be re‘dy to be served up as a second-class
free lunch fur cayootees and buzzards. What
are yer a-sayin’, little pard?”

“I wasn’t saying anything, Wallace. You
have had the floor," answered Sam. " But
I’ve been thinking that, as you say, we had bet-
ter put the leagues between us and this camp.
The cut-throats who have escaped may work
us mischief, for I have no doubt but that they
are connected with Don Brogado’s band, and
they may warn that gentlemanly butcher of
this invasion. If so, he will consider that our
advance upon Mexican soil means business with
him, and take steps to balk us by ﬂying to his
mountain retreat, where it will be almost im-
possible for us to accomplish our purpose, and
we will run the risk of losing the lives of the
whole party. I have hopes of seeing the Tonk-
away soon. Then we will know just what to
expect ahead. We must now look to the
wounded—I hope none are hurt so they can’t
continue the march.”

“ Tom Johnson and Steve Spaulding are
both dead,” announced Fighting Ben, as he
rode up at this moment.

“Yes,” added Big Foot. “1 see’d ’em go
under; but tha’ fit like white men an’ c'uldn’t
’a’ gone on ther dark trail in a better cause—
though I hates ter lose a pard by a Greaser
knife.”

“A dreadful misfortune," exclaimed Sam.
“We could not Spare such heroic fellows and
it hurts my heart that time will not allow its
to take their bodies to a last home on Texas
soil.”

“Glory be to God i” here burst out Mick.
“ The dacindlnt ev the last king 0’ Bally-
schlaVen kan sthar. 1. ’mn his own two futs, an’
behould himself a.ive mi’ kicking. Sure Mick‘s
a sinsible sleevcen, «.4 dun a power 0’ slath-
erin’ an’ whackin’ wid thim yallar-bcllies, or
begorra I’d be kiit int 1‘ ly, an’ cut off frum
avin purgetory, be bain’ laid wid these murth-
erin’ divils wid thim other b’ys. Sure, if ye
cure for Mick, b’ys, whin he’s kilt yc’ll take
him in a bag over the big river yondther, an’
hav’ a praste say a prayer fur a dacindent ev
ther last king 0’ BallyschlaVen.”

“Veil, you ’ad potter tooks sum breachcr
along mit you, Mick, und sdakes ’rm owert do
grass mit a bicket bin, ginder loose, mit der
odder mulars, so day kan kick his prains owert.
Dare vas do many dem breachers apout al-
reaty.” -

“Tundther an’ turf, but it’s yersilf ’ll be
wanting a pr’acher bafore long, I’m thinkin’,
Misther Pate. Sure tha’ra hape smarther‘n
yer-ill; fair: I niver saw wun—”

“ S‘pOsiu’ yer sh’u’d shet up yer grub-traps,”
broke in Big Foot, riding past the pair, “an”
’low yer hasbezl up lingo ter subsule. I rec'on
yer'd be solider, bein’s we’uns ule ’bout tor
kiver up a c'upple o’ pards, what never ’ll hav’
anuther show at shootin’, cutthin' or chawin.’
'Pvars ter me yer’d better be sorter more inr-
mun. ll yer’d hav’ less gab, an’ hustle round
an’ ﬁx things up, so we ’uns kan git frum this
ockerd persish’. ”

' Amid words of deep sorrow and regret, and
praises of their bravery and ﬁdelit y, the dead
were buried, the wounded attended to, and all
gathered together, ready for another fight,

should foes stand in the trail between them
and the object that had brought them outside
of the boundaries of the Lone Star State.

[“On, boys, on!” yelled Sam, as he golloped
to the front. in the company of Ben and Bill.

r Joe.”

 
Buckskin Sam.

“On to the gold-chests of Don Lorenzo
Brogadoi

“On to Montereyl

“ On to the rescue of the old man‘s darling,
from the brutal murderers of the chaperralsl”

“On, on, me braves!” broke out “Reckless
“On for glory, and gold! Sam can
take the old man’s darling; we’ll take the yellow
doubloonsl By all the gods of war but I’m
hungry! I’m starving! Give me a square
meal, or give me deathl Feed me extensively
and I’ll hurl deﬁance at the whole Grenscr Re-
public, from the middle of the Grand Plaza of
Montereyl

“When there’s a show for grub, boys, some
of you whisper in my car to that effect, for
I’m a-going to estimate in my mind how many
coffee and cake shops there are between the
Battery and Union Square, and the length of
time it would take me if I was dropped ﬁat~
footed at Castle Garden to go through them
all.”

The depression of spirits which had fallen
upon the band of Rangers from the death of
their pards was thrown off by forced hilarity.
They knew the necessity of keeping up their
spirits and hopes in the dangerous position they
were in, on foreign soil. Even the wounded
exhibited a fortitude that, under the circum-
stances, was heroic in the extreme, and called
forth the admiration of their more fortunate
comrades.

All were aware that it was a necessity to be
brave and true to each other, that every man
must act as a watchful guard for the whole,
that it was impnssrble for the wounded to re-
turn to Texas since the absence of the guard
who would be forced to attend them would so
weaken the party that the expedition would
have to be abandoned, or the lives of those who
remained would be at the mercy of the blood-
thirsty bandits of either Cortina, or Dan Bro-
gado, his right bower.

So, for the present, we will leave them,
pressing on through the cacti country, the
thorns, the leaves of the bristling Spanish
daggers and bayonets, the sword palma and
even the humble soap-weed all seeming, with
their sharp, steel-like pointed foliage, to be
threatening them, or warning them, to return,
and the ill-omeued, rcd-jowled buzzard hover-
ing over their heads as if the foul vultures ex-
pected, before long, to prowl about and Over
their dead carcasses, and pluck out their eyes.

 
CHAPTER XVI.
ma MYSTERY or rm: runxron'r snerK.

TllE morning following the drunken debauch
of the bandits at the hacienda, Lena Castro
was awakened by the sweet songs of many
birds that, ﬂitting through the foliage near her
window, uttered a thousand musical notes of
joy, as the god of day arose over the far-off
plains, and cast his warm smiles across the dew-
dripping leaves of the tree-tops. At ﬁrst Lena
did not realize where she was, so deep and.un-
broken had been the sleep, that followed her
privations and great fatigue. Almost the ﬁrst
thought, utter eornprehending her situation,
was of her newly-touud friend, Panchito, whose
reappearance sue waited for with a great
yearning. '

She had not long to wait, for Panchito soon
appeared, with a breakfast of coffee, tortillas,
and chili-concarnie, which she had prepared
with her own hands, and with a “good morn-
ing,” both smiled and spoken, she placed the
smoking meal before the captive maid, who
greeted her in a loving manner and partook
freely of the food set before her, Panchito wait-
itrg upon her in silence.

Lena noticed that the breakfast service was
of solid silver, beautifully engraVed, with the
monogram of an old Custiliun family deeply
cut in each piece. This was another convinc-
ing proof of the strength and utter recklessness
of the bandits. She reasoned that were they
not in some way protected or favored by the
government they would not dare to maintain a
rendezvous so near to Monterey nor allow such
proofs of their criminal trade to be used in the
hacienda. It certainly showed plainly that
Lorenzo Brogado felt secure in the retreat he
had chosen for his head-quarters.

When Lena had satisﬁed her appetite, she
thanked the Mexican girl, and then proceeded
to Question her, hoping to be able to concoct
some plan of escape through the knowledge
Panchito had gained by 8 long stay in the
case.

But ﬁrst she decided to ascertain the mean-

 
,.,_,, we. , ~.._..___.

 
ing of the mysterious cry which had so alarm-
ed and puzzled her the previous night.

“Now please explain, Panchito,” asked
Lena, “in regard to the scream I heard last
night. I fear some other poor unfortunate
woman is detained here by these brutcs, and
has been fearfully wronged. There was Some-
thing in her cry which wrung my heart, alnsl
ulreudy overﬂowing with grief at being torn
from the arms of my poor father. I know the
necessity for keeping my spirits and ho; as up
since I want not only to preserve life and
honor, but, if possible to escape with you,
Panchito, from this dreadful place, once the-
happy home of my parents.”

“Dear lady, I can tell you but little in re-
gard to the strange captive kept conﬁned here
by cl diablo Brogado. She has been here ever
since I was brought to this den of sin. From
one of the gang who was wounded and brtught
here to be nursed by me, and who afterward
died, I learned that she was of noble birth and
was once loved by Don Brogado. She rejected
him to marry another; and amid fearful
slaughter he tore her from her home and bus-
band, many years ago, and kept her hidden
in his mountain cave, far from here. I also
learned that a holy Padre, who held high in-
ﬂuence over Don Brogado, and who had once
been the confessor of this lady, had used his in-
ﬂuence to gain her release and return to her
husband, but had only succeeded, by holding
his cnr~e over the head of Don Brogado, in
preserving her from violence and outrage.
But the wretched lady became insane,and when-
ever the bandit chief presented himself before
her, to gloat our the success of his heathen-
-ish revenge upon his rival, she would shriek
wildly, and go into cmvulsions. He seeks
her presence but seldom, yet I knew last
night that he was on a. visit to her and
that made me hasten away for fear that
he would observe I had been in your com-
pany too long. The reason I am here so-
early this morning is that Imay ham» 0 few
minutes’ conversation bchle he sleeps (if the
effects of the aguardiente and vino which he
drank so freely last night.”

During the time Panchito had been relating
her story Lena, her forehead clasped by both
palms, had listened intently, and tl.onght
deeply. For some time after the hlt'xrcan
girl had ceased speaking she remained thus;
then she looked up, and speaking suddenly, in-
quired:

“Panchito, how came you so much above
most Mexican girls in education 1”

“Padre Benivedas, of Mier, taught me, my
lady.”

“You were very unfortunate ever to have
allowed yourself to be taken from his holy in-
ﬂuence. NOW I Will ask it you have not—with
what you have heard tall from my lips and
what you must have overheard between myself
and Lorenzo Brogado—in your thoughts con-
nected this unfortunate, insane captive, with
myself?

“Oh, God! can it be?" continued Lena. as
she sprung to her feet, and paced the ﬂoor
with impatient strides. "Can it be that the
surprise this ﬁend promised me was to present
me to the insane wreck of——my mother?”

The last two words were given out in a
hoarse, gasping whisper. Pale as death she
stopped in her walk opposite Panchito, who had
also sprung to her feet as ghastly as her who
stood so deathlike and silent, with clasped
hands, before her. ,

Lena, horror-stricken that a ﬁend could
exist, who would ﬁnd joy in such a scene, and
wild with the horrible realization of those
pentup longings to see her mother that she had
nursed within her heart through life, grasped
the hands of Panchito, and with the tears
coursing down her cheeks exclaimed:

"'Panciiito, what think you? Is it possible,
or am 1 too going insane?"

-‘ Not only possible, dear lady, but, as there
is a  above us, ,tls true. In the Very poise
of form, in every Seem“, glance of eye, move-
ment, and tone of voice, I see the counterpart
of the poor lady conﬁned below. Strange that
with what has been said, and your pres-nee
here, together with the knowledge of the great
cost of life Mid Hold to get you, I had not
thought that revenge was at the bottom of it
all! Did I not hear you called a Castro fool?
That I was to know that a Brogado only seeks
a Castro for revenge? That I have board a
thousand drunken curses called down upon the
family, and have known your father's death
and your ruin would only end the terrible van.

 
13W}??? Sail

19

 
detta? How did ,Don Castro escape these 2
devils sent to kill him? Holy Mary protect 
youl A fearful fate is in store for the daugh- l
ter of Don Jose Castro.

“But Panchito will save you or die! Her
stiletto will ﬁnd the black heart which lured ;
her from home and virtue.” ;

Holding the glittering steel above her head !
she whispered an oath, kissed the blade, and 
stood before Lena a perfect picture of faithful i
friendship and heroism. l

One instant these two, so strangely met, so
suddenly become sisters in affection and don
ger, gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes, and
then they were folded in each other’s arms, the
lily-white cheek of the Castilian nestling
against the creamy skin of the daughter of
the Montezumas; the red lips, through Which
coursed the proud blood of old Spain, pressing
those rich in the fire and fortitude of Indian
kings. _ '

The heavy, iron-studded door burst suddenly
open, and the bandit chief, with tangled hair,
disordered clothing and bloodshot eyes blaz-
ing with fury, stood before them.

“ Santissima Maria!" broke in a hoarse whis-
per from Panchito.

Then she hastily whispered to Lena to coun-
terfeit sickness and leave the brute to her.

“ Caramba! what means this billing and
cooing of female dOVesl Panchito, what do
you here? Your short acquaintance calls not
for such extravagant affection. What means
this, I demand? Are you a traitor to your
chief? Explain, or I’ll cut your heart out and
throw your carcass over the wall for coyotes to
feast on!”

Although the situation called for great self
command and tact, Lena comprehended her
position, and that of her friend, immediately.

Knowing all depended upon her actions, she
languidly drooped again back upon the shoul-
ders of Panchito, who answered with an unwa-
vering voice the demand of the bandit chief.

“This lady is very ill, Don Brogado. Her
jornada has been too much for her. She
could not eat, so I ha‘ve taken my breakfast
here, as she has been in such a condition that I
feared to leave her alone. I think she had better
retire again, it' you will be so kind as to leave
us. She may require a doctor from Monterey
it she does not improve through the day.”

The bandit chief leaned against the door and
leered with suspicion at the two females, as
Panchito, to carry out the plot, assisted Lena
to a chair, and bathed her head with perfumed
spirits.

Lena was so ﬁlled with fear at the sight of
the monster she bated with such intensity,
that she became more and more ghastly, until
even Don Brogado, still partially stupeﬂ d
with drink, was convinced that she was dau-
gerously ill. Not wishing to have a doctor or
pritst enter his haunt, he staggered out, think-
ing his presence calculated to increase Leno’s
Sickness, and closed the door, rejoining his fol-
lowers, who were tremblineg quatﬂug their
morning drams.

No sooner had the door closed than Lena
sprung to her feet, exclaiming:

“Panchito, this warns us that we must be
more prudent! Why (lid you not lcck the
door? Thank God! the monster has gone! I
thought I should die with horror. Do not
leave me in his power. I felt a deathly terror
come over me at the sight of his bloated face.
I should not have the strength to brave or defy
him, or even attempt to protect myself in his
presence. I fear I should lose my senses did
he enter this room when I was alone. By all
the hopes you have of heaven, I adjure you, do
not, leave me, my dear, my only friend, and
for the love of mercy, think of some plan to
bring me face to face with her I believe is my
mother. Great God, give me strength a little
longer i”

Panchito pressed a glass of vino dnlco to the
lips of Lena, who drank the invigorating cor-
dial and became more calm.

Meanwhile thoughts and plans for the Wel-
fare of her friend ran like wild-fire through
the brain of the faithful Mexican girl.

“ When my lady feels better, Panchito will
take her to the room of the mad-woman, even
at the risk of her life. Thank the saints, Don
Bnogado drank deep last night, and in conse-
quence must also drink more this morning, or
suffer greatly. I know a way to the room of
her I am positive is your mother, which he lit-
tle dreams I am aware of. Come, we must
go now, while he is with his ruman crew.”

 
“king the hand of Lena. the Mexican girl

 
led the former out, locking the door and secur-
ing the key at her girdle.

With stealthy steps various passages were
traversed and they descended two ﬂights of

'stairs, the last, damp, moldy and covered

wish spider-webs. They were in the cellars of

t the hacienda.

it was not very dark, as a narrow, grated
window allowed a dim light to show the casks
and bottles, of which the bandid chief had a
goodly store.

Traversing the cellar to the further and
north side, Panchito climbed up upon some
casks and reaching above her head she pushed
up upon a ring, opening a trap door to
the ground ﬂoor of the casa above. Then
a>sisting Lena upon the casks she, with the
help of the latter, succeeded in making her
way through the trap.

A low murmur of incoherent sounds broke
upon the ear of Lena as she stood in the semi-
darkness upon the wine casks: then the hands
of her friend reached down through the trap.
Grasping them and giving a spring she landed
in the room above.

CHAPTER XVII.
a FRIEND AT rm: GRATING.

WHEN Lena Castro stood by the side of
Panchito, after springing through the trap
door from the Wine-cellar, a sight met her eye
which made her grasp the arm of her friend
for support, while a wild cry leaped from her
half parted lips, in which cry was blended joy,
Sorrow, and the long pent up love of years.

Seated in a huge old arm-chair, swiftly
slippingsome gold heads back and forth on a
string, dressed in gay colors of rich goods, but
of old-fashioned make, was the form of her
she had so often dreamed of, so often prayed
for, so often longed yet dreaded to see.

The oil painting of her mother, which hung
at her home in San Antonio, draped in black
crape, had been, from infancy, familiar to
Lena Castro’s eyes, and the face before her
was its counterpart, except that lines of care
and suﬂering were on the brow, the cheeks
were ghastly, and the look in the eyes had
changed from the loving tenderness depicted
in the picture to a vacant, meaningless stare,
or a glance of dread, or one of ﬁerce deﬁance
and hatred.

One appealing loving look Lena cast upon
the form of her she now knew was her] ing-
lost mother; then she sprung from the trap—
door and kneeling, clasped the hands of the in-
sane woman, and covered them with kisses.

To the astonishment of Panchito, who had
quickly followed to protect her friend from
any outbreak of the mad-woman, the latter,
in place of exhibiting anger or violence,
softly stroked the hair of her daughter, and
bending down lovingly, kissed her pure, white
brow.

Lena, with tears of joy, ﬂung her arms
about her mother’s neck, and for the ﬁrst time
within remembrance, kissed her lips, and mur-
mured: “madre mic!”

There was something about the manner of
the poor, unfortunate long-sufferer that for-
bade Lena venturing too far in her fondling,
something so sacred about her presence that it
made her own voice seem a sacrilege. - It’s
hoarse unnaturalness, as she ﬁrst, face to face,
spoke the loving word, “ mother,” sounded
through the room like the last groan of a soul,
relieved from earth’s bondage. Why was it
that her heart stood still? why was it that the
vacant look seemed to pierce her, and send a
cold thrill of horror through her frame?

She asked herself these questions, and her
heart answered. She had always had a hope
of seeing her she had been taught to love and
revere, because her father had never given up
the thought of again pressing his wife to his
heart, pure and stainless. Why he felt that this
Would be so he could never explain to her, and
she had been taught to think her mother would
sometime bleSs her, and repay for the long and
forcel absenco in a love and affection known
on earth to but few. She had as the years
rolled on hoped and prayed that it might beso:
but she never dreamed of meeting her with
the stare of insanity in her eye, and an ab-
501100 of motherly aﬂection in her actions.
The embrace just received had been as devoid
of feeling as if given to a doll. ConSequently
the poor girl was bewildered, her joy was
tinctured with a nameless sorrow, which made
her faint and listless as achild, and she allowed
herself to be led away to the trap by Pan-
chito, who was now ﬁlled with foreboding: of

 
misfortune, and wondered how Lena had pre-
vailed upon her to make such a dangerom ex-
periment as to bring her to the madwoman's
room.

With her last glances bent upon her mother,
who had again commenced ﬁngering her beads.
and muttering prayers, Lena was assisted
down into the cellar, the trap-door closed. and
the two girls stood and listened, with fear
and trembling, at the drunken dicord, which
had broken out afresh in the dining-hall, and
sounded plainly in the cellar.

Clinging to the hand of Lena, Panchito ap-
proached the stairs, but before re .ching the
steps they were forced to pass through a bar
of light, shining through the small grated open-
ing. As they reached this spot the blood-
curdling warning of a rattlesnake sounded
from the window above them, which caused
the girls to utter a. low cry of horror, and gaze
toward the point of alarm. That whichthey
saw at first made their cheeks more ghastly,
their breath to come in shorter gasps; for it
was the hideously-painted visage of an Indian
warrior.

A warning hiss proceeded from his lips, a
fresh plucked magnolia blossom, white as the
untrampled snow, fell—a sign of truce or faith
—at the feet of Lena, and words came to her
ears that brought the blood back to her pale
cheeks, and doubled the hope in her heart.

“ Pale Lily watch—Pale Lily no be afraid—
Buckskin on trail—take Lily back to White—
hair—Warlula watch—Greaser hurt Pale Lily,
lose scalp—Warlula is a bird-he will sing in
tree—sing when night come-mayhem ﬂy—
wah!”

Whether the last guttural expression was
given in farewell or not, the girls could not
tell, but they thought it meant a signal of
danger, and as, at the instant of its sounding
through the cellar, the head of the Indian dis
appeared, they supposed the danger had pointed
toward himself. -

Both realizing the danger they were in from
discovery, they quickly mounted the stairs,
traversed the various passages safely, and
entered the room of Lena, Panchito locking the
door as the former threw herself uron her
knees by thebedside in thankful prayer, pint-
ing with fear, hope, and nervousness. Soon
Panchito knelt by her side, and with arms
clasped about each other the two wept togo ther,
their tears those of thankfulness at the promises
and hopes of the future.

“\Varlula is a bird—he sing when moon
comes!” _

These words sounded in their ears, almost an
echo to those they had heard a moment before,
in the cellar. Their eyes met in wonder, then
strove in vain to pierce the dense foliage of
the cypress; for they knew the words came
from its shadows, and were intended for their
ears alone.

Their star of hope was gaining in brilliancy,
and its light was reﬂected in their eyes, as
Panchito hastily gathered up the breakfast
service, and exclaimed:

“My lady must not grieve more. She has
two friends now; one outside and one inside of
this accnrsed hacienda. W hen ared warrior of
the plains says he is a friend you need not fear.
I must go, but will watch the drunken rufﬂans
below. You have faith in this Buckskin the
Indian speaks about, have you, my lady Q”

“ Yes, my dear friend, he is as sure to come
as the moon to rise, if he can ﬁnd the way.
One of my worst troubles has bf en the thought
that he was dead—that he lost his life in my
service. A great load is lifted from my heart-
by the words of the Indian. God grant they
may be true, and that my lips may‘thank him
for his more than brotherly services”

A bright, hopeful smile, a warm kiss, and
Panchito passed. quickly out of the room, the
door clased, the key grated, and the beautiful
Castilian girl was alone.

No! she was not alone! a friend as true as
the temper of a Damascus blade, with e es
everywhere glittering like those of 8 ~13 0.
and ears as sharp as those of the "11d mustang
lay along a branch, hidden in the screen of
leaves near her window; the noiseless, deadly
bow and arrow in his grasp, the long scalping—
knife in his belt.

CHAPTER XVIlI.
THE COUNCIL IN THE CEAPARRAL.

Tun bandits who abducted Lena Castro from
San Antonio had made long, rapid marches
until over the Rio Grande, when feeling safe
from pursuit they had indulged in'drink, and

20‘

1......“ A __.....~.m .A... .

_ g “0" ~-_...«». - , . ,...

Buckskin Sam.

 
lingered in their camps, losing much time, it
being ten days before they delivered their cap-
tive at the hacienda of their chief.

The Rangers. starting from San Antonio
two days after the ﬁght at the Mission, having
been delayed by the wounds of Sam and Joe,
and then by preparations for the long trail,
had made some forty miles each day, until
crossing upon Mexican soil they increased
their length of march to ﬁfty miles, being but
eight days on the trail before reaching the
vicinity of the robber retreat.

In fact the Rangers were within ﬁve miles
of the retreat of Don Brogado when that de-

generate son of old Castile had awakened from ,

his drunken slumbers, and surprised Lena and
I’anchito by appearing in the room of the
former.

Although the Rangers had been enabled by
the well understood sign left upon the trail by
the Tonkaway Indian, to gain a position so
near to their foes, still they did not think it
prudent to approach by daylight any ,nearer
the hacienda. There might be a large force
within the walls, who in that case could by

having the advantage of position, and being ,

upon their own soil, succeed in holding their
own, and even eventually so thin the ranks of
the Rangers that perhaps they might in the
end annihilate the whole party.

What they might accomplish they khew
must be done by strategy and surprise. Night

Would be the most favorable time for the at- 2

tack, and they were now conﬁdent that with-
in the walls was their daring spy the Tonka-
way, who would ascertain the weak points and
report to them before the time came for the
assault.

It was not probable that Warlula would sup-

pose them to be so near, but they knew he i
would not hesitate at a fifty-mile ride to give 1
them the desired information; and he must be _

aware that they were within that distance.
The princpal scouts in the invading party
having come to this conclusion, they settled
down to'await news from the hacienda, secure-
ly hidden meantime in an opening in the chap-
uirnl, their camp being well guarded and the

animals resting and luxuriating in the rich i

mesquite grass, which, in spots, grew thick
end verdant. '.

To the south of the Ranger encampment, be-
ing-nth the cool shade of a thick clump of mes-
quites, reclined Buckskin Sam and his pards.
Upon the further side, toward the north, were
Dutch Pete, Austin and Mick McFillinny, in
the usual arguments, so frequently brought
about by their mixed nationality and ideas,
though here prudence chained their tongues to
low tones, which gave a call for extra vent to
their anger in gesture, grimace and movement.
As Big Foot eXpressed it, after rolling on the

award with the other boys is suppressed mirth:

“Tha vv’u’d hav’ ther ground trumped down
as hard as ther inside 0’ a corral afore camp
war broke?”

While the scouts were enjoying the antics of
the singular trio who formed the debating
club of the Ranger band, the quick, loud crow
of the chaparral cock, unheard except at night,
broke on their ears, fol owed by an exact imi-
tation of the warning signal of a dozen enraged
rattlesnakes.

Every man sprung to his feet in alarm, and
every eye at the same moment guided by the
sound fell upon the proud, erect ﬁgure of War-
lula, who stood with folded arms in their
niidst, his stoical countenance showing no unu-
sual emotion.

Guarded ejaculations of surprise and pleasure
and warm hand-grasps greeted the Tonkaway
brave. Then each Ranger seated himself on
the award, forming a circle.

In silence the Indian slowly drew his pipe
from its pouch, seated himself also by the
side of his white brothers, prepared for
council.

Never before had Warlula seen a pipe go
the rounds of a circle of braves so quickly;
never before had his eyes encountered more
eager, interested glances than those that were
now centered upon him, awaiting anxiously
the words to fall from his lips.

The pipe was returned to its owner, whose
‘lips parted as the same was thrust into his
pouch.

“ Warlnla is glad—be is [read of his white
brothers—their eyes are keen—they ride fast——
they ride long-~my white brothers are great

' warriors—they sleep not on war-path—War~
lulu. has trailed the wolf to his den—he is a
cunning wolf, but Tonkaway can see like

panther—the chaparral is thick, the thorns
sharp—Warlula can crawl like snake—the
walls high, Warlula ﬂy like bird—he has
seen Pale Lily from big tree—Warlula say
Buckskin come—say many white warriors
1 on trail—Pale Lily heap glad—Greaser
idog thick in big house—drink much whis-
‘, ky, make heap noise—they much fool——
. sing death songs ’fore ’nother sun come—
: Warlula go back see big Greaser Chief no hurt
‘ Pale Lily—my white brother will come with
warriors—he will be at big-gate when dark
j comes—-big-gate look at sunrise—Warlula will
i make clear trail—much big ﬁght, many scalps
‘ —Greaser got much blanket, much gold, much
‘ heap powder—my white brothers’ guns shoot
fast, shoot straight—Pale Lily will go back to
white-hair father—Rangers no make noise—-
maybeso big chief Cortina come from Bravo—
then too much Greaser for RangersmWarlula
go back—Pale Lily with wolves—wolves got
sharp teeth—bite Pale Lily—VVarlula no there
——got talk, speak quick.”

“My red brother,” returned Sam, “is a
great brave. There is room for another eagle-
feather in his war-dress, and Buckskin will put
:it there with his own hands. Many thanks
will be spoken from the lips of Pale Lily when
her face is turned toward her home and father.
The thanks belong to Warlula. He has done
, nobly, and We depend upon him to—nlght more
, than upon ourselves, for cunning wins oftener
than strength, powder or steel. We will be at
° the big-gate, which fronts toward the sunrise,
Ewhen dark comes. When Warlula hears a
1 coyote yelp three times he will know his white
1 brothers are ready for battle. The cry of a
I raven will tell us all is well. Any thing you
I boys think of to say to our red brotherl”

“I don't rec’on,” answered Big Foot, “ that
any one on us has a word for sling what’ll
mak’ any~ diiIer’ in ther ﬁx 0’ things. All I
i has heard puts up ther job in open order, an’

ther lay-out are spread ’zactly ter suit. All’s
ire‘dy ter commence ther game. Ef ther gal
l‘ are in danger ther Tonk’ better slide hisself
, back ag’in er she might git damaged afore we
gits her outen ther claws o’ ther cusses.”

“Big Trailer talk good—Warlula got heap
swork—his knife will be red, when next see
white brother.”

Waving his hand the Indian arose and
stalked away through the mesquites, and was
soon lost to view.

CHAPTER XIX.
UNBIDDEN GUESTS.

Ame. leaving the camp of the Rangers
Warlula followed a narrow, winding trail
through the dense chaparral, which towered
far above his crouching form.

His eyes glanced suspiciously around upon
all sides, at times stopping in his tracks and
listening intently. Then, with long. rapid
strides, he glided noiselessly on his way, until,
still hidden by the foliage of the mesquites,
cacti, and bristling dagger-leaved palmas, he
came to the high adobe wall which surrounded
the hacienda of the bandit chief.

Turning south, and following the wall,
avoiding the thick clumps of red and black
chaperro, cranberry bush, wax-berry, and
junco, he came to a mesquite, the upper
branches of which towered above the wall.

Quickly mounting up through the limbs, the
Indian loosened a strong trailing vine, which
he had evidently twined about the tree when
he had started on his visit to the Ranger camp.
The long, twining net-work of branches, and
serpent-like twigs which sprung out in every
direction from this vine, high up in a tree-top
on the inner side of the wall, Were strong
enough to support a much heavier weight than
the Tonkaway.

The end held by Warlula had been severed
by his knife from its connection with the earth
inside the garden.

Grasping this vine ﬁrmly the red-man made
his way through the branches of the magnite,
as far away from the wall as the vine would
admit, then braced himself, gave a ﬂying
spring, far out over the wall, and its dangerous
clum of prickly pear, into the tree which sus-
taine the vine.

Warlula was inside the garden.

Glancing about, the Indian, seeing nothing
to alarm him, quickly slid down the tree to the
ground, grepcd his way through the thickets of
fruit trees, until, near the hacienda, he meant-
ed the cypress, and in a moment after was gaz-
ing through the grated window into the room
where Lena Castro was kept conﬁned.

 
‘were carousing below.

 
Much to Warlula’s satisfaction Lena was
seated in a chair, in deep slumber. She had
not been troubled by the bandit chief during
his absence.

Not wishing to remain idle, Warlula climbed
higher up the tree, and with some trouble suc-
ceeded, after carefully making his way out
upon a limb which projected over 1he ﬂat roof
of the hacienda, in dropping upon the same
without being seen or heard.

Walking t0ward that part of the house-top
under which the dining-hall was located, 'War-
lula distinctly heard from the chimney the
sounds of rude song and laughter, mixed with
ribald jest and oaths, from the bandits who
His attention was,
however, suddenly diverted from this din by
the dull clang of a bell, and listeninghe heard
the clatter of’ hoofs upon the pavements of the

atio.

Luckily the branches of the trees which stood
by the main entrance drooped over the roof,
and the Indian, hastening to the breast-high
wall, was enabled, secure from observation, to
see plainly through the foliage that the bandit
chief, Don Brogado, who seemed much intoxi-
cated, was welcoming the new-comers—a score
of cut-throats, at whose head rode a ﬁnely-
formed, large man, clad in a rich, highly orna-
mented blue velvet suit and armed to the
teeth.

One glance told the Tonkaway that Juan N.
Curtimr, the scourge of the Rio Grande, the
king bandit of America, was below, and a
double scowl of hatred and gratiﬁcation settled
on his brow.

Amid loud clatter the horses Were staliled;
but instead of Cortina entering the haciemh he
turned his mustang, ordered the gate re-
opened, waved an adios, and gullnpi-«l to-
ward Monterey, leaving his men as guests
of Don Brogado. Thus, as was often said,
the devil took good care that his right bower
should not be caught in a trap. Had Comics
entered the hacienda, hundred< of brave men,
whose mutilated bodies now molder in lonely
graves in the chaparral, might be living yet,
hundreds of homes now sadly beleaved might
neVer have known sorrow, and the rancheros
of the Rio Grande might count their cattle and
horses by thousands where not a hoof-print is
now seen.

Although the extensive dining hall of the
hacienda was now crowded with lawless men,
nearer brutes than humans, three to one
against the little band of Rangers, Warlula’s
actions showed that he had no doubt of the
issue.

Tightening his belt, he, with a spring, grasped
the limb from which be had gained the roof,
and was soon in his old perch by the window
of the captive maiden, who, awakened by
the clung of the bell and the bustle below,
was pacing her apartment, with great anxiety
depicted upon her features.

Suddenly the warning of the rattlesnake
issued from the branches of the tree.

At ﬁrst the sound made her shrink with
fear and utter a stiﬂed scream; but connect-
ing it with the signal she had heard while with
Punchito in the cellar, and also upon second
thought knowing the rattlesnake does not
frequent tree-tops, she advanced to the barred
window.

“Maybeso Warlula snake, maybeso War-
lula bird,” spoke the Indian, in a low tone!—
“ Warlula been to Ranger camp—Buckskin
here when dark come—heap more Greaser in
big, house—Cortina wolves—no bark more
when sun come—sun go down in West—
Greaser never see more—Pale Lily catch rope
tie to iron.”

The Indian as he spoke tossed the end of a
lariat to Lena_ who fastened it to one of the
window bars.

Warlula, with all his strength and weight
pulled on the lariat. -

The iron bar bent, and one end slipped from
its adobe sccket and ﬂew outward.

Fastening securva the end he held to a
limb overhead he swung himself upon the win-
dow sill, unfastened the end from the bent bar.
secured it to the one still ﬁrmly imbedded,
drew out the loosened iron, stepped through

» the window, and stood in the room with h r
1 he had risked his life many times to save from

a fate worse than death

Lena gazed at the paint—grimed warriir.
then made her way to his side and took his
hand, torn and bleeding from the chaparral-
groping, and tree-climbing.

“ My kind, noble friend, how much I that:

'asn.~-l. '.

Buckskin Sam.

 
you for what you have done to protect and
save me from the brutes below. Words can-
not tell—”

“Warlula no want thank,” interrupted the
Indian, “Warlula got good squaw—he come
save Pale Lily, for Buckskin—White brother
say, Warlula, go Rocky Mountains, he go
quick—Buckskin, he brother of Warlula.”

“Bet your last doubloon on that!” broke
upon their astonished ears, and amid a rustle
of leaves and springing of branches, Buck-
skin Sam bounded through the window, into
the room, and grasped a hand of each.

“ What for Buckskin come—want diei—how
elimb wall?” asked the Indian quickly.

“I came to see what kind of a fit-out you
had here. I don’t want to die just yet and do
not propose to do so. I found a way over the
wall, for I am used to following your trail,
Warlula. I left the boys about a mile from
here;they will be ready for lively times when
they are wanted.”

He turned to Lena, then, and from her full
heart she burst out:

“May the Saints preservs you through this
dreadful night! That I should bring you into
such danger makes me wish that I had never
been born. You saved me from the bandits at
Mission Conception, but fate decreed they
should recapture me after you were at the
gates of death. You have traced me here. to
this far-away haunt of outlaws. I have found
through my misfortunes friends more true
than I ever thought were found in this world.
Surely all is for the best, for in being torn
from the arms of a loving father I have found
my long-lost mother; and through your efforts,
and the help of God, our family may be re-
united for the ﬁrst time in my remembrance.”

“ Can this be possible?" said Sam in surprise.
" Then indeed this has been a fortunate turn in
your life, and in the history of your family.
But we gave no time for further conversation.
Thank eaven we have the winu cards,
and will save you and your motherfgor have
our bones to the coyotes of Mexlool”

At this instant the key grated in the lock.
Sam drew his revolvers and sprung behind the
door as it swung open; the llndian darted
around the draperies of the bed, drawing his
scalping-knife; and Lena, pale as death, trem-
bling for the safety of her friends, stood unable
to move, in the middle of the room.

“ Praise be to God!” burst thankfully from
Lena‘s lips, as Panchito entered, closed and
locked the door.

“ Hy lady is excited!” exclaimed the Mexican
girl.

Then, discoveringSamatbei-side, and War-
lula just coming from his hiding-place, a scream
was ready to burst from herlips; but it was
stifled quickly by Sam, as, with one arm
wound about her waist, his bad pressed her
quivering lips, and he said in a low voice:

“We are friends, and here to take away
from this den all who are kept here through
fear or force.”

Onelookintothe eyes ofSam,andPan-
chito smiled, for she recognized that a. true
friend was clinging to her.

“ What are the bandits doing below?” hastily
added Sam, as he released Pauchito.

“They are drinking and singing, senor.”

“How many outlets are there to this haci-
ends!"

“ Four, senor. Front, side, back, and a
secret tunnel from the cellar to the stables."

“ Mark that, Warlula," said Sam.

Then turning again to Panchito he added:

“ Can you get Lena’s mother into this room
without discovery?”

“ 1 will try.”

“T00 much talk,” broke in the Indian.
“ Warlula go'kill Antonio—get key—open big
gate—sun .say good-by over plain—dark come
soon—Buckskin go bring warriors.”

The Tonkaway sprung from the window
and disappeared in the tree.

“ Lena,” said Sam, “ be calm and conﬁdent.
This girl must bring your mother into this
room and take the key and lock the door on
the inside. You will then be safe while the
battle goes on. chpect we will have a tough
time with the devils. They will fight like
demons, maddened-as they are by the rum,
but we must whip them here or they will hang
on our trail and take in more than one of our
brave boys. Have no fears for us. We are
used to bloody games, when steel and lead are
trumps. GOOd-by.”

Before hecould prevent it Inns. and Panchito
had cached seized a hand and pressed their lips

 
to his palms. Then he sprung through the win-
dow, slid down the tree, glided swiftly through
the shrubbery, and over the wall by the
swinging vine, moving off on his .way to re-
join his anxiously waiting pards.

 
CHAPTER XX.
HOW THEY FIGHT IN MEXICO.

ANTONIO the portero sat in his usual position
pulling at a cigarrito, his scrape, (blanket,)
closely wrapped abbut him, as the dew was
falling, and now and then he took adrink from
a bottle of vino dulce, which lay on the award
by his side.

Little does he dream that around the wall,
not ﬁlty paces from him, are a score of hated
Texans, armed to the tooth.

Little does he dream that not ﬁve paces be-

hind him stands an Indian braVe, with along ,

knife held tightly in his hand.

Softly, cautiously, as the panther stealing
upon his prey comes Warlula. The grass gives
no warning—it is fresh and green. Oue bound
and the hand of the Indian drives the cigarrito
into the mouth of Antonio, his knife cuts the
air and is buried, with a sickening thud, to
the hilt, and the has portero gone to answer for
his crimes.

Dragging his victim into the little lodge by
the gate Warlula secures the key from the
folds of the sash of the dead Antonio, and is
master of the stronghold of Don Brogado.

Warlula has watched from his look-out in
the tree, and knows if the gate swings wide
open it will sound the bell inside the hacienda,
and he will prevent this alarm being given.

The yelp of a coyote, thrice repeated, now
sounds on the night air, and the caw of the
raven breaks from the Indian’s lips in answer.

The moon glides on its course, high in the
heavens; its rays ﬁltering through the branches
of the trees, upon the pavements of the patio,
upon the form and fantastic war-dress of the
Tonkaway— who has resumed his eagle-feathers
and riﬂe, which have been secreted within the
garden—and upon a score of Texan Rangers,
crowded about the iron gate, peering inside.

The hacienda almost shrouded in shadowy
gloom, prison~like, loomed up in silence: no
noise being heard from its front that would in-
dicate that occupants were within.

“What did I tell you, boys?" aid Sam, in a
guarded tone. _“ Warlula never promises what
he don’t fulﬁll if life is given him.”

With a guttural grant of satisfaction and
pride the Indian inserted the key, and in an
instant the. ponderons gate swung partially
open, Warlula remarking as the Rangers on-
tered the grounds:

“Letgatego back,makeheap big noisein
big house—chief open door, use white warriors
-—meybeso no want Greaaers know here."

“ Not yet, Warlula. Hold her where she is
a moment. Wallace, we must divide the party.
Some must surround the stables, and a few
must be at each entrance. Where do you pm-
pose to locate yourselfl”

“I rec’ons on sashhayin’, ’longside 0’ you,
little pard. Yer so danged brash yer’ll git
wiped out ef I don’t watch. I rec’on thet Bill
Lambert, Dutch Pete an’ Mick kan watch ther
hole in ther stable, an’ keep ther loose Greasers
from takin' ter ther mustangs, tho’ I don’t see
how tha’ can h’ist tharsell’s over ther wall. I
bets high money we has ’em corraled closte,
311’ no show ter slide out. Ben Thompson with
a few pards kan put a stop on ’em crawlin‘ out
ther hind door. Billie, Tom Clark, Jack Hodge,
CIOWQ. J08, you, Sam, an’ is 01’ coon ’11 take
’em here, an’ keep our peepers peeled on ther
east door, kinder scattered ’round ther corner.
Ther Tonk’ can h’ist hisself ’round permiscuss-
like, an’ watch fur ha’r, an’ chances fur all
hands. He knows ther trap better‘n we’~uns,
an’ I rec’on will be kinder o’ a big boss 0’ ther
layout, fur he have brunged us later his on ther
buzz, in‘ fast-class order.”

“All right, Wallace, you have arranged to
my likens, and if this programme suits the
other buys we’ll soon take our positions.
up”

“Hold, me noble king 'of the Live Oaks,”
interrupted Reckless Joe. " The next time
you posish Joseph, give him astand near the
kitchen. Make a note of that and give him an
orchestra chair in your brain-box. We will
make no changes now; perhaps ’tis better.
Iead on, I’ll chew me way to grub or die
hungry. Show me his satanice majesty, Don
Lorenzo Brogado, and I’ll carve a fac-simnle of
the main entrance of the Alamo upon big
breast. Sum, I’m despera'e. I smell entree

21

 
within. those dismal walls; do something quick
or I’ll cbaw nry own tongue up.”

“ All right, Joe,” returned Sam. “ Boys,
take your positions; let the gate swing and
show them we are ready to open game. Don
Brogado will have a surprise-party which he
will not care to welcome.”

Bill Lambert and Fighting Ben, each with a
squad of men, went cautiously to their posi-
tions. Big Foot Sam and their pards stood
concealed by the side of the porch, and by a
wave of the hand Sam gave the signal for
Warlula to swing back the gate, which he did.
Then quickly he closed it and sprung into the
gate-lodge of the portem, out of sight.

A moment after the dull clang of the bell
resounded through the hacienda, Sam and Big
Foot heard a heavy step inside the hall, accom-
panied by the sound of curses, loud and deep.
Then the key turned, the doOr swung open and
the bandit chief, with his riﬂe at a ready,
stepped into the porch, raised his hand to shade
his eyes from the bright moonlight and gazed
toward the gate, exclaiming:

“Caramba! did my ears deceive me? The
gate is closed. What means this mystery,
Antonio!”

The name was spoken in a tone which showed
a foreboding of evil, for he saw the portero'
was not at his post.

There was no time given for an answer. The
iron grasp of Big Foot Wallace held him in a
vise-like grip; Sam wrenched the ride from
his hands, and in a trice Don Brogado was.
bound fast to the trunk of one of his own treesr
and securely gagged before being able to sig-
nal his followers.

While Sam and Big Foot were securing the
bandit chief, Daring Bill and the other
Rangers made a rush inside the ball, but all
halted as the silence of death had taken the
place of the low sounds of revelry which had
struck their ears upon the opening of the door
by Don Brogado.

“Halt, boys!" ordered Ben. “ I’ll see what
the devils are about and draw a few of their
mrds before the game is really open and they
know what is trumps.”

Stepping to the door of the dining-ball,
through the key-hole of which shone a bright.
light, Bill Thompson showed that he was well
entitled to the oognomen of ‘Daring Bill,’ by
throwing the door wide open and with a Colt’s»
six-shooter in either hand, standing boldly in.
full view of three score of rut-throat, who,
standing in groups, or seated at the long table,
extending the length of the vast hell, were-
holding their glasses ﬁlled with liquor ready to.
pledge their chief upon his expected entrance.

At the sight of Daring Bill with his cocked.
revolvers, they were, for a moment, thunder—
struck, and stood or sat open-mouthed and;
staring at the solitary audacious Texan. That-
mcment of inaction sealed the doom of many,
for in a quick, rattling fusillade Bill ﬁred his.
twelve shots betore they could recover their
surprise, or draw a weapon. Then he slammed
the door shut and sprung back to the main en-
trance, where he met Sam and Big Foot, and
while reloading explained his little game.

For a moment all was wild confusion within»
the dining-hall. Many of thel-andite had been
killed or wounded by the lightninglike fuell-
lade of Daring Bill; and the outlaws were in
total ignorance of what had become of their
chief, or what force threatened them. Judg-
ing from the execution done by a single Texan,
they had a poor show if many of his stamp
were about, but being now ready, with their
weapons in their bands, they, in a confused
mass, without a leader, endeavored to plan
some means of escape from the trap in which
they found themselves. They knew Ben could
not be alone, and conjectured that their chief
had fallen, or was captured.

A rush was made by many out of the from
hall, the Texans falling back into the patio.
As the bandits crewded out the door, they be! t’
deadly volleys into their massed ranks, block-
ing the entrance with dead, and driving the
survivors back in terror, while curses and bill d
yells drowned the groans and shrieks of the
wounded.

The Texan yell now broke, wild and clear,
from the rear, followed by the cracking clatter
of revolvers, and the war-cry of Warlula,“ .
the party of Fighting Ben poured death into .
those attempting to escape by the back en-

A score, at least, of these desperate bandits
Were wallowing in gore when the remainder
regained their ﬁrst position, the dining-balk

 
; «W; ‘ '

rank}, I 2 r I”. ,1

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22

 
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Buckskin Sam.

 
The absence of their chief was still a mystery,
and an unlucky occurrence in their present po-
sition, and Corlies, who had successfully made
the raid after Lena Castro, was chosen chief
for the occasion.

Some of the Mexicans were sent to the wine
cellar to make their way through the tunnel to
the stables and get ready the mustangs; others
were sent up to the roof to pick off the Texans
below with their riﬂes, and the main party,
’under Corlies, were to make a grand rush over
the dead, out of the main entrance.

The Texans reloaded and awaited further
operations. There was a pause, and all was
silence except the groans of the wounded and
the shrill screams of numerous night-birds,
affrighted by the unusual din about their homes
in the thick branches.

At this instant, when all were intently
watching for the appearance of the bandits in
another sortie,a delicate hand, followed by a
black velvet sleeve thickly covered with buttons,
was quickly thrust through the bars of the big
gate, and the key which Warlula, in his hurry,
had left in the lock was turned. The gate
opened, and Black Bravo, followed by a Tonk-
away Indian in war-paint, sprung inside the
grounds and disappeared within the lodge of
the pattern, just as the gate slammed against
the spring in the post and the bell clauged
within the hacienda.

As the bell sounded the bandits under Cor-
lies, thinking that Don Brogado had returned,
charged in a body over the dead and into the
patio. The Rangers, whose attention was at-
tracted by the bell toward the open gate, were,
for the moment, oﬂ? their guard, but met the
charge ﬁrmly, dealing death at every crack of
their revolvers. .

In this charge, when Big Foot and Reckless
Joe were cut off from their pards, when the
balls were cutting the air in every direction
and the sudden fall of heavy bodies upon the
pavements struck the ear each instant, Corlies
sprung for Buckskin Sam. and pointing his
pistol at his breast, pressed the trigger. .

But as the pistol belched ﬁre Black Bravo
sprung between the muzzle and our hero, and
TGCt‘iVCd the ball intended for Buckskin Sam
in his own breast, falling to the pavement at
Sam’s feet. ' ,

At the same instant Corliés also dropped
dead from a shot through the brain, ﬁredby
Reckless Joe. ,

As Corlies and Black Bravo fell, the clatter
of a hundred hoofs thundered over the pave-
ment of the atio, and Don Jose Castro, at the
head’of his exas Mexicans, appeared upon the
scene.

A wild yell of relief and welcome broke from
the bandits, for they thought, from the cos-
tumes and countenances of the new-comers,
that friends had come to their relief.

A rally-yell from the Texans brought Fight-
ing Ben and his crowd, with Bill Lambert,
from the stables. Their riﬂes were turned
upon the new arrivals; but quickly lowered as
the leader shouted:

“Viva Don Samweill Viva Texanosl Down
with the bandits of Don Brogadol Jose Castro
has come for his child!” ‘ . .,

At this moment the bandits who had gained
the roof poured a deadly volley into the ranks
of the hated Texas Mexicans, many falling
dead from their mustangs before they could
ﬁre a shot. Warlula, the ﬁrst to discOVer the
new point of danger, with a war-cry ebuuding
from his lips, sprung for the big cypress,
mounted, stopping an instant by the window
to speak a word of encouragement, and inform
Lena Castro of her fathei’s arrival. Then be
mounted still higher up, and bounded upon the
roof. Before him were half a dozen bandits,
firing down upon the patio, their backs turned
to the Tonkaway.

Quickly the long scalping-knife cut the air,
and loud sounded the Tonkaway war-whoop,
as the glittering steel was plunged alternately
into the hearts of three of the cut-throats before
the others comprehended their danger, and
sprung upon him with clubbed riﬂes.

One more falls, his breast cloven with a
terrible blow from the red son of the prairies,
who grasps a riﬂe descending upon his head
and is grappled in a death embrace by the
most powerful of the bandits. While the other
is about to deal the Indiana death‘blow from
behind, he is himself caught in the arms of
another Indian, that has apparently dropped
from the clouds, who buries his knife deep in
the breast of the Greener.

Warlula and the burly bandit struggled

 
ﬁercely, neither able to gain an advantage, the
Indian not daring to loosen his hold on the
riﬂe. and each glaring hate into the other’s eyes.
Back and forth over the dead, slipping in the
gore upon the roof, they go, locked in an em-
brace which can loosen only with the death of
one or the other. The strange Indian, who
arrived upon the scene so opportuner stands
with one foot upon the bandit he has just slain,
and draws a. delicately formed and highly
ornamented bow from the quiver at his back.
together with an arrow.

Watching the fearful struggle before him
he fits his arrow to bow, and with eyes like the
sky-soaring eagle blazing with the fury of war
draws the bow, and sends an arrow hissing into
the very heart of the bandit, the feathered
shaft resting against the cheek of Warlula, as
it quivers at the sudden meeting of bone.

One ﬁendish yell, a scowl of intense hatred,
a gurgle and spurt of blood from mouth and
nostrils and the last foe upon the roof of the
hacienda sinks at the feet of the panting War-
lula.

The Tonkaway turns upon his heel and con-
fronts his preserver, who stands in silence be-
fore him with heaving bosom and modest
mien.

Warlula. gives a glance, ’tis but a lightning-
look, then, with his war-cry sounding, and
blood~dripping knife cutting circles in the air,
he bounds into the cypress, for the sounds of
war ﬁll the air, and he is wild with the insanity
born of battle and blood. His white brother is
in danger, and he is soon at his side, shoulder
to shoulder with him, ﬁghting like a ﬁend.

 
CHAPTER XXI.
mm anor A LONG TRAIL.

UPON the bandits being satisﬁed by the
words of Don Jose Castro and the ﬁring of his
men into their ranks, that the mounted Mexi-
cans were their foes, and from Texas, their
fury knew no bounds. They became desper-
ate and strove‘to cut their way through the
ranks of the Rangers, to get at those they
hated and detested more a thousand times,
than the whites.

For a few moments there was a rapid ex-
change of shots on both sides, the men under
Don J oee ﬁring over the heads of the Rangers
with, their carbines and revolvers.

In the midst of this terrific hail of lead the
attention of the combatants was drawn toward
the stables by wild yells and cheering, and
there mounted upon mustangs, were a score of
bandits, who had escaped through the tunnel
in the cellar.

As they came thundering over the pavements
toward the mounted men under Don. Jose, 9.
cheer arose from the hard-pressed and thinned
ranks of their comrades at the porch, who were
at this moment forced, by. a desperate-charge,
headed by Joe, Sam and the Fighting Thomp-
sons, hack into the hacienda.

There were not over a dozen of the Mexicans
left, as they retreated once more into the din-
ing hall and barricaded the door.

The Rangers leaned on their riﬂes exhausted,
and blood and powder grimed, gazing upon
the charge of the mounted bandits, who came
on from the stables at a reckless gallop tQWard
the followers of Don Jose Castro. The tramp-
ling of many steeds had broken down the
bordering shrubbery, until the patio was its
original size, leaving quite an Open space for
the conﬂict of “ Grosser ag’in’ Greaser,” as Big
Foot remarked.

During the ﬁghting Don Brogado remained
tied to the tree in the shadows. He had been
forgotten by those who plat-ed him there, and
not been discovered by the others.

He ground his teeth, as much as the gag
allowed, in insane fury and madness, as he saw
his men fall like the dry leaves of the forest;
but as his hated enemy, Don Jose, appeared
upon the scene, the bandit chief struggled,
foamed at his mouth, and at last wrenched
himself free by one almost superhuman effort,
tore the gag from his mouth, and, as his men
charged upon their mustangs from the stables,
be rushed across the patio like a bounding
buck, and met them in plain view of all upon
the grounds. I

At the moment Don Brogado reached his
men, who recognized hhn with a yell Oi joy,
one of the number dismounted and Passed his.
saber to his chief. -

Don Brogado sprung into the saddle, With a
diabolical yell, whirled his saber in circles
through the air, drove his spare deep into the

 
ﬂanks of his mustang, and at the head of his
cut-throat band, charged down upon Don Jose
and his Texas Mexicans.

The instant that the mounted bandits emer-
ged from the stables Reckless Joe sprung to-
ward the big-gate, exclaiming:

“ Hang out your banners on the outer wall,
close up your gates, the cry is still they come!"

Shutting up the gate to cut off all retreat, he
sprung back to the side of his purd, Sam, yell-
mg:

"Come on, you mangy scum! Come on,
and darned be he who ﬁrst cries hold. I have
quantum sufﬁcitl Brace up, boys, and hurl the
demons into the pits of doubled~distilled dam-
nation!”

"Hold, Joe, follow us! We’ve got to be
mounted torcope with those fellows, for they
are going right through Don Jose’s party.
Come on, boys, for the stablesl” and the two
life-long pards, Joe and Sam, together with
Bill Lambert, the Fighting Thompsons, Ben
and Bill, and also Big Foot. rushed around the
hacienda, and securing each a mustang, which
had been left ready saddled by the bandits,
they galloped madly toward the patio, to
the aid of Don Jose and his men.

Meanwhile the mounted bandits and Texas
Mexicans were ﬁghting like tigers, and the
Rangers left behind, at the main entrance,
were shooting the bandits from their horses
with Sharp’s riﬂes.

Don Brogndo strove hard to reach his enemy,
Don Jose; but the latter’s men protected their
aged leader heroically.

The bandit chief when, at last, he had but
four men left able to ﬁght, was reinforced by
those from the dining-hall, who had recognized
the yell of Don Brogado, and rashed out the
unwatched back entrance; and all. prcsswl
against the east wall of the hacienda, fought
for dear life. Those on foot made a dash into
the shrubbery and captured each a horse from
whose hack the owner had been shot. Then
they gathered _ together around their desperate
chief, who, yelling like a fiend incarnate, once
more ordered a charge upon Don Jose and the
men who were alive and standing ﬁrmly by
their aged leader. But now the .mounted
Rangers came at a break-neck gall0p upon the
patio, and cut the bandit chief off from his
contemplated revenge. A '

“ Down with the murdering ladrones!" yelled
Buckskin any). “ But save Don Brogadel We
want him alive!"

Sam, followed by his friends, each with his
Colt’s revolvvr presented, came like an ava-
lanche upon the last forlorn hope of the bandit
gangyaud amid the rattling fusillnde every
follower of Don Brogado fell, pierced wilh
balls, and the, bandit chief found himself the
center of a circle of deadly tubes, a tiger at
bay, frothing blood from his gag-wounded
mouth.

“Leave him to me, gentlemen,” cried Don
Jose Castro, dismounting from his mustang,
and drawing his sword. “He has wronged
me and mine more than human heart can con-
ceive.” .

A quiet gleam of satisfaction averrpread the
brutish features of the bandit chief, as the
circle of Ranger- parted, allowinsun opening
toward the approaching Cam-o. '

“ Digmaunt, you dog of a murdereri”shouted
Sam. “ You despoiler of Christian homes and
seduoer of virtuous maidens! Place him from
whom you stole father, mother, wife and
childl” '

With a gleam of intense ferocity the bandit
chief sprung to the bloody pavement and
rushed at Don Jose, their swords clashing to-
gether as the Rangers surrounded them, to
prevent the escape of the robber chief.

Knowing that before him was the man who
had caused him a life of intense misery, and
brought him to age and gray hairs before his
time, who had murdered his saintly parents
upon their own hearthstone, and torn his wife
and daughter from his arms, Don Jose fought

with a consciousness that justice governed each'

stroke of his sword.

Knowing that naught but death awaited
him Don Brogado fought with a desperation
born of deqnir, hate, and madness. '

Up and down the patio, over dead and dying.
amid pools of gore, fought the pantins me",
neither gaining advantage, as steel ch!!!“l ‘0
steel, and sparks flew right and left.

But now new-comers appeared “P00 a“
scene of carnage and fierce passion.

An Indian, leading Lena Castro, who clings
to her insane mother; and in their front Pan-

"Mam ...._ ,, 

Buckskin Sam.

'23

 
chito, the Mexican girl, with ﬂashing eyes,
gazing here and there at the heaps of slain.

As the latter neared the circle of Rangers,
she saw him who tore her from home. parents
and virtue, to deceive her and murder her
child before her eyes, and saw, too, he was
engaged in a deadly conﬂict that might lose
her sworn revenge. ‘

Her features contorted, her eyes ﬂashed with
the pent-up passion of years of wrong and
maddening misery, and drawing astiletto from
her girdle she broke through the ring of Ban-
gers, and rushed with the fury of atigress upon
the bandit chief:

“ H:- is mine! He has wronged me more
than any human being on earth! I have sworn
to have revenge and thus I take it!”

Bounding between the ﬂashing blades, gazing
into the eyes of her seducer she buried the steel
in his breast, and as he fell, stood over him like
an avenging angel, the moonlight, ﬁltering
through the foliage, casting a halo of silvery

light about her queenly ﬁgure.

At this instant a white-robed girl ﬂew past
the Rangers, the word “ father!” bursting from
her lips, and Lena Castro was folded in the arms
of her lovad parent.

Then a moment later Buckskin Sam stepped
to Castro’s side, leading the insane woman, and
and addressed the old Castilian.

“ Dcn Jose Castro, you have your daughter
in your arms, unharmed. Now I restore to
you your, long-lest wife, Marietta Castro,
stolen from this hacienda, once the happy home
of you and yours, by the, ﬁend at your feet.
Terror and deepair unseated her mind; but I
think~I sincerely hope—that in time, with
the kind care of yourself and your loving
daughter, she will recover her senses; and that
many happy days are in store for you all.”

During the time Sam had been speaking Don
Jose gazed in a dazed, bewildered manner at
the spirit-like form before him; but'when he
really comprehended the words of our hero,
and those ﬁr dad by his daughter. Lena.
the tears urst rom his eyes, and he folded
the unresisting, long-lost wife to his bosom, .,

At this moment the ﬁghting ‘Thompsdns
came up, hearing a wounded man, whose
feeble moan drew the attention of Lena Castro.
Despite the blood and powder grimed features
she recognised Augustin  her betrothed
husband. .

“ Lena," explained Sam, “here is a gentle-
man who fnught nony through the deapdrate
charges of the last part of this ﬁerce battle,
and he claims your soothingcue undettention.”

“An’ hem are anuthar what‘ll put yer in
theme persish, little pad,” exclaimed Big
Foot, mournfully advancing toward our hero,

newsman holdslnu infant, one of the
wounded in his arms. “ Here are ther piece
of black voivit, what!“ yer bank at ther
Sabinas; nn’ he’s nigh on tor pamin’ his
checks.  ._ .

“ By heavens. man, not only did he save my
life on the Rio Sabinas; but here, “might, be
received the ball intended for me. lay him
down gently, Wallace. We may be able to
save his life. He is a mystery to me, ﬁnd yet
I owe him more than I can ever r696!” .

Tenderly did Big Foot place the fem of
Black Bravo upon a blanket, spread out by
Sam ; and then, taking his handkerchief, be
wiped away from brow and {we the We“
beads of ﬂow, wrung out by 68007, and 00m'
ing death.

The soft silk performed a miracle; for when
it left the before stained face, pale, delicate,
beautiful feminine features were disclosed to
the view of those who gazed with deep interest
upon the strange scout, who had appeared to
th'm only in times of deadly peril.

The long lashes quiverineg lifted from the
palhu cheeks, and tho dark,hanel eyes looked
undying love into the face of Buckskin Sam.
Big Foot loosened jacket and shirt to ascertain
the extent of the wound, but sprung amazed

' to his feet.

A faint musical voice struck the ears of Sam
as he gazed sadly down upon the mysterious
stranger.

-‘ Sam—don’t—yon know—Mary?”

The words came like a uphyr, born of the
ﬂutter of angvls’ wings.

“Great God in Heaven, who are youi” burst
in gasping tones from the lips of Sam, as he
fell on his knees and held his face down near
that of the wounded girl—for such she was.

A gentle whisper again repeated his name in
loving tones, the delicate hands clasped around
our hero’s neck, his long hair fell drooping

 
about her face, and he answered in a voice of
anguish:

“ Mary. My God, what does this mean?
—why did you follow me—alas, .1 fear to your
death?” -

“ Because—l loved—you, Sam—and thought-

you loved—Lena Castro. Tell' me-you do
not—that you—love Mary—and kiss me—be—
fore -—-I die.”

It was agony to hear her words gasped out;
and tears cut furrows down the blood and
powdergrimed cheeks of the rough Rangers.

“By my hopes of Heaven, Mary, such a
thought as lOVU for Lena Castro never entered
my brain. I came here to save her from a
fate worse than death, and restore her to the
arms of a loving, much bereaved father. I
have‘never thought of love. I have only
cherished even you as a friend; but now I
swear, if you will but live I will love you
more than mortal ever dreamed, and make
upon this earth a heaven for you.”

“Thank God!” Whispered the dying girl.

“I can—die happy—I have—prayed for—
this. One—more—kiss—Sam—meet—”

A heavy, soul-reading groan burst from
Sam, and his form shook like an aspen.

All was over.

There, surrounded by dead and dying men,
the taint of battle in the air, a true, pure
spirit winged its way to heaven, leaving be-
hind a strong, brave heart torn with agony.

As the last of her words was whispered, the
last faint gasp died in his ear, Buckskin Sam
folded the dead in his arms, and he who here-
tofore had allowed no sorrow to unbend him,
whose yell of encouragement but a few mo-
ments before had rung in the ﬁerce battle’s
iront, bowed down to earth, with a grief
beyond consolation, terrible to those who wit-
nessed it. _

In life he had known her but as a friend; in
death suddenly he knew her as a lover.

Warlula approached his white brother, and
by his side the strange Indian who saved his
life on the roof of the hacienda, and, who in
company with Black Bravo, sawd Sam when
surrounded and lassoed by the, bandits of Cor-
tina, on the Rio Salinas. The war-paint had
disappeared and Lu.th  mauled.
Both stop, as they see the form of Buckskin
Sam prone upon the pavementth arms en-
circling Black Bravo. They keep their places
at a respectful distance, awaiting the time
when their white brother shall have con-
trolled his grief. All who are within the patio
are now aware of the. sex. of the brave, self-
sacriﬁciug stranger clothed in black velvet. ,

Each individual kept his place in silence,
and. respect for the sudden and, unloobed-for
grief of him they all loved as a brother. 

The tip-ity-tip of a horse, coming up the
trail from toward Monterey, caused no change
in the scene, although,any eyes glanced to-
ward the gate, in surprise and anxiety. .

The sound of the galloping horse came nearer
and nearer. The animal and it: rider entered
the moonlit space at the gate and came to a
sudden halt, the steed giving a wild snort of
terror at the scent of blood.

Who was the rider?

Not one in that battle-worn band but knew
himtoo well at the ﬁrst glance.

The commanding ﬁgure, the gold buttons
ﬂashing in the moonlight, the polished mount-
ings of saddle and arms, the black sombrero
and plume, the long hair, and the poise upon
the steed, as he quickly pulled the animal upon
his haunches, in astonishment and apprehension,
all showed the well-known ﬁend of the chapar-
ralﬁ, the scourge of theBioGrande, Juan N.
Cortina.

But an instant did the form of thiscelebrated
chief stand outlined in the moonlight. The
scene was too fearful for even him, reared
amid bloodshed; and then there lurked there
for him the deadliest danger. He whirled his
mustang, drove spurs deep, and bounded into
the dense chaparral, with a look of fear and
horror upon his white face.

As Cortina disappeared the scene suddenly
changed. A sheet of lurid fl .me sprung from
the window of the wine-cellar, roaring like the
sound of an approaching nor-ther. The origin
of the ﬁre was explained to the observers by
the sudden appearance of Dutch Pete and Mike
McFillinny with a. basket of bottles.

No doubt but what, in their explorations for
the liquor they loved so well, they had set
ﬁre to the hacienda.

As the ﬂames crackled and pierced the very
heavens, ﬁlling the air with vast clouds of

 
smoke. all realized that their lives depended
upon immediate departure, that the ﬁre would
signal the many followers of Don Brogado,
who still lurked in their mountain retreat, and
also bring down upon the Texans the soldiers
of the republic, from Monterey.

Big Foot advanced and gently laid his hand
upon the shoulder of Sam, saying:

“Little pard, rouse yeiself—-Mary Saunders
are gone ter a heap better place ner this. an’
we has ter hump ourselves or git our gizzards
carved. Thar’s sum’ livin’ ones ter care fur,
an’ we can’t help thim what's taken the'r
jump inter kingdom cuni’. We all feels fur
yer, an’ all that; an’ ’lows ter help go ther
hull hog on avengin’ her. We’ll think 0’
Mary as well as ther Alamo when we cut our
way thr’u’ ther murderin’ cusses herearter.
Come, little pard, all ther boys is ready fur
h’istin’ tharselves outen this bloody hole.”

Recalled to himself by those words the man-
ner of our hero changed. Raising his hands
stained with the blood shed to save his own,
upward toward the ﬁre~lit sky, he exclaimed
in a hoarse, unnatural voice:

“Gentlemen, hear me! From this night on
I swear over the dead form of this noble, in-
nocent maiden, whose affections, unknown to
myself, were centered on me, and who has
sacriﬁced her life for that love—over her
bloodstained, murdered form' I swear that
henceforth I never give quarter to a dog of a
bandit who has ever raised hand against a
white man, woman or child; my heart shall
know no mercy for the bandits of the Bravo!

“ Now I am ready to prepare for departure;
but I should not have peace in the future did I
bury Mary Saunders within these walls. She
shall not rest under this polluted earth."

One. by one Sam’s friends had gathered
about him.

Lena Castro took his hand, the tears cours-
ing down her checks, for she felt that she‘ was
in a manner the cause of the death of the un-
fortunate girl.

Then Warlula and Lulula each pressed Sam’s ,
hand to their hearts, Warlula saying: ‘

“Buckskin Sam is warrior—when he sing
death-song an’ go happy hunting-grounds
he meet black velvet squnw. She much
brave warrior—too bad die—white bro-
ther sad, Warlula snd—Lulula heart bleed
much for Buckskin.”

Each of his Ranger friends spoke'a kind
word and gave a shake of sympathy. Then
the bustle of departure created a busy scene.
The horses of the min nmbrongbt from
the chnparral, and others, sufficient to mount
the party and pack the booty, were gathered
together

The females and wounded were mounted
ﬁrst, and preceded by an advance guard they
passed out of the gate.

The remainder of the Rangers followed,
driving pack-mules laden with spoil, for Don
Castro did not allow them to go away empty-
handed from the house of his fathers. Only
a little behind the rest rode our hero, sur-
rounded by his nearest friends and bearing
in his arms the dead body of Mary Saunders.

Taking a north-west course through the
chaparral they rode on until at last, beneath
the drooping branches of the bottom-timber,
on the banks of the Rio Salinas, they buried
the murdered maid. Then slowly they made
their way toward the ford near the juncture
of the Rio Alamo and Rio Grande, and at last
once more pressed foot on Texan soil. ‘ a

A few months later Buckskin Sam had the
honor of being Augustin Silioeo’s best man,
upon the joyful occasion of his marriage with
Lena Castro, the fair lily of the Alamo.

The wedding took place at the residence of
Don Jose, at San Antonio; and of all of
Buckskin Sam’s friends who followed the long
trail from Don Brogado’s haunt, not one
was absent. But best of all was the sight of n.
noble-looking, White-haired woman, who, with
a quiet dignity, watched the ceremony that
joined the two lovers for eternity. The wife
of Don Jose had recovered her scattered senses,
and though almost childlike in the simplicity
of her manner, would henceforth be to him the
loving partner of whom, for so many wretched
years, he dreamed.

Of the Rangers mentioned many still live;
and Buckskin Sam, (Major Sun S. Hall) now
resides in Wilmington, Delaware, where new-
found “ pards ” often listen to his stories of the
dangers he has known on the trails in the Lone
Star State. .

m IND.

 
339.»: ~. .

:: 2:31:

at- ." M.

.n.a;r.;. ‘ .

m

Arr.

 
iBEAlJLE’S

--

32 Large 'l‘lIrN--(‘.nlIImII Pages.

1. A Hard Crowd : OR, GENTLEMA‘N
SAl's SISTER. By Philip S. Warne.

2. The Dare-Devil; OR, THE WINGED
WITCH OF‘ THE SEA. By (,‘Ol. Prentiss Ingrahmn.

3. Kit Carson. J r., THE CRACK SHOT or
THE WEST. By Buckskin Sam.

4. The idnapper; OR, THE GREAT
SHANGHAI on THE NOll’l‘l-iWEST. By Philip S. Wane.

5. The Pire-Piends; OR, HERCULES, THE
HI'NCHDACK. By A. P. Morris.

8. Wildcat Bob, THE Boss BRUISER ;
on. THE BORDER BLOODHOUNDN. By Ed. L. Wheeler.

7. Death-Notch, 'l‘HE DESTROYER; OR,
THE SPIRIT LAKE AVSNGERS. By 011 Coomes.

8. The Headless Horseman. Astrange
story of Texas. By Capt. Mayne Reid.

9. Handy Andy. By Samuel Lover.

10. Vidocq, THE FRENCH POLICE SPY.
Written by himself.

1 1. Midshipman Easy. By Capt. Mar-

ryat.
12. The Death-Shot; OR, TRACKED To
DEATH. By Capt. Mayne Reid.
Pathawa : OR, NICK WHIrrLEs, THE
OLD'T or THE ORTHWERT. By Robinson.
14. Tia endanegea, THE SCOURGE ;
OR. THE WAR- LE or THE Momwxs. Ned Buntline.
15. The Tiger-Slayer: OR, EAGLE-
HEAD To THE RESCI'E. B Gustave Aimard.
18. TheWhite hard; on, THE GREAT
PROPHET or THE SENINOLEs. By Ned Buntline.
17. Nightshade, THE RORRER PRINCE
or HOUNsww HEATH. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.
18. The Sea Bandit; on, THE QUEEN
Ned'Buntline.
19. Red edar, THE PRAIRIE OUTLAW.
Binmtsve Aimlrd.
80. The Bandit at Ba 3 OR, THE PI-
mm or THE PRAIRIE-s. By G ve Aimsrd.
81. The Trapper’s Danqhter: on,
THE OUTLAw’s FATE. By Gustave A msrd.
88. Whitelaw; OR, NATTIE or THE LAKE
SHORE.  J. H. Bo neon.
88. . Bed arrior: OR, STELLA
Duom's CouANCHE LOVER. By Ned Buntline.
84. Prairie Flo By Gustave Ai-

, We

mug author of “ -8ln er." etc.

8 .The Gui e; ORSTEELARII,
m REGULATOR. By Francis Johnson.

88. The Death-Track; OR, THE OUT-
LAws or THE MOUNTAIN. Francis Johnson. -

87. The 8 etective: OR. THE
Guns or NEW 03!. By Albert W. Aiken.

88. Three-Pingered Jack. THE ROAD-
Aom or Rocnna. By Jose h E. Badger, Jr. .

89. TEL!- Dick. THE ARo KING; or,
THE CARRIER‘E CRIME. By Philip 8. Warne. '

80. Gospel George; or. anr FRED,
THE OUTLAW. By Josep E. Badger. Jr.

31. The New York ‘8 3’ on, THE
FLARE or LIORTNDIC. By Albert W. iken.

38. B’hoys of Yale; OR, THE SCRArEs
orA HARD SET or COLLEGIANB. By John D. Vose.
88. Overland Kit. By A. W. Aiken.

34. RockyM‘ountain Rob. By Aiken.

35. Kentueh, the Sport. By Aiken.

80. 3 Dick. By Albert W. Aiken.

87. 1:1 r1. the Hunchback: OR, THE
SWORDIAARER on THE SANTEE. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.

38. Velvet Hand ; on, THE [RON GRIPor
lIuUN DICK. By Albert W. Aiken.

89. The Russian Sp 3 OR. THE BROTH-
ERH ON THE STARRY CRuRs. rederick Whittaker.

ormlsut. B

40. The H ed ‘Pardsz' OR,
THE TARTARe or THE INH. By Joe. E. Badger. Jr.
41. Gold Dan: OR, THE WHITE SAVAGE ,

Bv Albert W. Aiken.

on THE GREAT SALT LAKE.
Detective: OR,

42. The California
THE Wmva or NEW YORK. B Albert W. Aiken.

43. Dakota Dan, THE CELEss RANGER;
or. THE limz-HUNTERs‘ EXCURSION. By 011 Coomes.

4-4. 01d Dan Rackback. THE GREAT
EXTARHINATOR. By 011 Coomes.

45. Old Bull's Eye, THE LIGHTNING
SHOT or THE PLAINS. By Joseph E. Badger. JR.

48. Bowie-Knife Ben. THE LITTLE
HUNTER or Inn Now-weer. By Oil Ooomes.

47. Paciﬁc Pete, THE PRINCE or THE
REVOLVER. By JON. E. Bmizer. Jr. '

I aho Tom. THE YOUNG OUTLAW

or SILVERLAND. By 011 Coomes.

49. The We 1’ Demon; or. THE QUEEN or
THE KANAWIIA. Bv Albert W. Aiken.

50. Jack Rabbit. THE PRAIRIE SPORT;
By Jon. E. Badger Jr. ~

 
LIBRARY.

 
51. Red Rob, THE BOY ROAD-AGENT.
By 011 Coomes.

52. Death Trailer, THE CHIEF OF
Sconrs. By Hon. Wm. F. Cody, (Buffalo Bill.)

63. Silver sum; or, THE MYSTERY 0F
Deniwoon CITY. By Col. Delle. Sam.

54. Always on Hand; or. THE SPORTIVE
SPORT OF THE FOOT HILLS. By Philip S. Warne.

55. The Scalp Hunters. AROMANCE OF
THE PLAINS. By Ca t. Mayne Reid.

58. The In H Maze
MAD MAN or THE PLAINS. By 1 ert W. Aiken.

57. The Silent Hunter; or, THE SCOWL
HALL MYSTERY. B Percy B. St. John.

58. Silver e; or. WICKLIFFE, THE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANGER. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.

59. The Man From Texas: or, THE
OUTLAW or ARKANSAS. By Albert W. Aiken.

80. Wide Awake: or, THE lDIOT ON
THE BLACK HILLN. By Frank Dumont.

81. Captain Seawaif. THE PRIVATEER.
By Ned Bun line.

88. Loyal Heart: or, THE TRAPPEBS or
ARuNsAi-I. BY Gustave Aimsrd.

a; or, THE

83. The W (1 Whale. By Aiken.
84. Double- ht, the Death Shot.
By Joseph E.

Badger. r.
85. ..he Rod R g or, THE SCOURGE
or THE INDIEs. By Captn n Frederick Whittaker.

88. The arque. A TALE
or THE PACIFIC. y Ca tsin Mayne Reid.
87. The 3 or, HONEsTT
vrnsvs CRoonEDNEss. By Joseph E. Badger. Jr.
88. The Pig 3 or, KIT
CAsson'rom RBOUL y 0s J.F.C.Aduns.
. The Irish Ca 8 A TALE or
FoNTENOY. By Captain F erick Whittaker.

'20. Hydrabad. THE STRANGLER; or,
Amnn, THE CHILD or THE CORD. By Robinson.

71. Captain CoolBlade, or, THE MAN
BEAR: or m mum”. By Joe. E. Budget. Jr.

78. The A STORY or
Nrw You HEARTHI AND Hons. B A. W. Aiken.
18. The t o Cross;

Albert W. Aiken.
7 . The Hysterious py: or, GOLDEN

CCANEEn‘s DAUGHTER. By Gui r.
THE POLICE SPY.
Albert W. .
80. A Han of Den-6e; or, CALIsAN,
THE DWARI'. ﬁl’hﬂin 8. Warns.

By COL Thomas H. Monstery.

88. Gold Bullet gor, THE KNIGHT-s
or THE OVERLAND. B Bu 0 Bill.

84. Hunted wn; or, THE WHITE

WITCH. ByAlbeI-t W. Aiken.

85. The Cretan Rover: or. ZULEIEAH,
THE BEAUTIFUL. By Col. Prentiss .

88. The Big Hunter: or. THE QM
or THE Woons. By the author 0! " Silent Hunter."

87. The Scarlet Captain; or, THE
PRISONER ON THE TOWER. By Col. Delle Sara.

88. Big George. HE GIANT or Tm:
Gown; or THE FIVE OUTLAW BROTHEns. By Badger,

89. The Pirate Prince: or. PRETTY
NELLY, THE QUEEN or THE Inn. By Col. Ingrahsm.

90. Wild Will. THE MAD RANCHERO;
or, THE Txnmu‘. MAN. By Buckskin Sam.

91. The Wi Oar: or, THE INN
KEEPER’N DAi‘GmR. Bv Albert W. Aiken.
92. Buﬂ’alo Bill. THE BUCKSKIN KING;
By Major Dangerﬁeld Burr. _

. agtain Dick Talbot. KING OF

y Albert W. Aiken.
. . E BUCCANEER; or. The
WAX!" or THE WAVE. B. , Col. Prentiss Ingraham.

95. Anhort. THE AXNAN; or, THE SECRETS
or THE DUCAI. PALACE. By Anthony P. Morris.

98. Double-Death; or, THE SPY QUEEN

THE ROAD.

 
or WronING. By Ca t. Frederick Whittaker.
97. Bronze ach. THE CALIFORNIA
TnonononnRED. By A. W. Aiken.

98. The Book Rider: or. THE SPIRIT

. or THE SIERRA. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

 
Each Number Complete. Price 10 flu.

99. The Giant Riﬂeman; or, WILD
LIFE IN THE LUMBER REGIONs. By 011 Coomes.

100. The French Spy: or, THE BRIDE
or PARIS. A Story Of the Commune. By A. P. Morris.

101. The Man from New York; or,

THE ROMANCE or A RICH YOUNG WOIIAN. By Albert
W. Aiken.

102. The Masked Band: or, THE MAN
WITHOUT A NAHE. By George L. Aiken.

103. Merle. the Mutineer; or, THE:
BRAND OF THE RED ANCHOR. By 001. P. Ingrnhsm.

104. Montezuma, the Merciless; or,
THE EAGLE AND THE SERPENT. By 001. P. Ingraham.

105. Dan Brown of Denver, THE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN DETECTIVE. By Jon. E. Badger, Jr.

106. Shamus O’Brien. THE BOULD BOY

OE GLINGAL; or, IRISH HEAR-rs AND IRIsH Hem.
By Colonel Delle Sara.

107. Richard Talbot of Cinnabar;
or, THE BROTHERE or THE RED HAND. By A.W. Aiken.

108. The Duke of Diamonds: or, THE
hour: or CAICU'I'I'A. By Capt. Fred. Whittaker.

109. Captain K d, THE KING or THE
BLACK FLAG. By Colonel Prentiss Ingrahnm.

110. The Silent Riﬂernan. A. Tale of
the Texan Plains. By Henry W. Herbert.

1 1 1. The Smuggler Captain: or, THE
Smn‘s CHINE. By ed Buntline.

118. Joe Phenix, PRIVATE DETECTIVE;
or, THE LEAGUE or THE SKELETON Ens. By Aiken.

113. The Sea ; or, THE ANA
m FREBBOOTEBB. By Pro .1. H. lngrshnm.

1 14. The Gentleman ﬁ-Oln Pike: or,
THE GnosT or THE CANYON. By Philip S. Warne.

115. The Sev Head; or. Tn
SECRET or CAsTu: Cover. Capt. F‘nd.Whittake.-

118. Bleeh P1 TnDBVlL or mac
SEA; or, an SamurnmI-GATE. By Colone’
Presu- harshest.

1 17. D ‘ Dandy. THE BOTsPUn or
m H111“ or, Tn PRINCE‘s STRAIN“: PAID.
By Major Denserﬂeld .

118. The

Captain: or, To

FALLENSI-An. By .J.H.lngrnhm,,

118. Aloha-e Joe; or, THE YAsoo
HAN-11mm ByJosephE. Monk.

180. TheTenan sor, THE PRAIRIE
Gm By Bewtonl.

181. The80aCedot3 or, THE Rom
or m Rum-ms. By Ooi. P. lngrnhsm.

188. 8on1 8. ,THE IDIOT 8n:
«.moumsm ByRedantliDe.

188. Alapaha. the w; or. Tn
BEN-mm or m Bonn. By Johnson.

184. Assam the 8. rs on
THE Donner-Tnan Byl‘rsn Johnson

185. The Blacksmith Outlaw; or,
HERETENOLAND. Hymns-worth.

188. The Demon Duelist: or, THE
LEAGUE crann- ByOolonel Thou. alienate”.

187. 801 Scott. THE HAstD MINER; or,
DAN Brown‘s Bonus. By Joseph H. Men

188. The Corsair: or,TEE

HERITAGE or Bun-D. By the anther of “Merle.
the Mutineer."

189. Bil-steely)?l Hose: or, A STRONG
liAs‘s mom's. By nerd Willett. April 13th,
188. Ca Volcano; or, THE MAN

or THE RED Rsvonvnss. By Albert W. Aiken.
Ready April mm.
131. Buckskin SaunTHETEXAN TRAILER;

or,'i‘m: anm or THE BRAVO. By Col. Prentiss
IngI-shsm. Ready Aprllm.

181:). Reigning“ of the Tr ; nr,
'1‘: IANY Im. a TNGEANCI. C Fred.
Whittaker. Ready May 4th. By up“ n

188. Body. the Dover; or. THE Rn
DONHAN or IRELAND. By William Carleton.
Ready by 111

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