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35 Vandewater

New

York City.

jfT^

COWBOYS cf THE WILD WEST

A
CftAPIIlC

BOVSDLBS:

OF COWBOY LIFE ON TBI r WILD WEST, WITH ITS iC A.VD EXCITING ATTl INCIDENTS AND ADVENTURES.
PORTftAYAL

IJAKKY

ilAllKi

COF^ltlCHT, 1908, BY

I.

If.

OTTENBD:

L.
35 Vandcwatcr

LIPKIND,
New
York
City.

Street,

'^SST

CONTENTS.
PAGE.
^

Introduction

CHAPTER
The

I.

Kow

King's Ranch

9
II.

CHAPTER
The
Cattle Thieves

24
III.

CHAPTER
Cave of the Bandits
.

34
IV.

CHAPTER CHAPTER

Chasing the Cattle Thieves

V.

48

Battle

With

the Cattle Thieves.

58

CHAPTER
Kidnapping of Gyp

VI.
65

CHAPTER
Carmencita

VII.

80

CHAPTER
CHAPTER
'

VIII.

Gyp's Escape from the Bandits' Cave

94

IX
i

'ursued by the Bandits

CHAPTER
boys

X.

Captured by the Bandits and Rescucu uv uic ^uw122

LiiAi'lij-K XI.
Figiit
\\ iih

the Indians

134

CHAPTER
The Revealed
Secret.

XII.
153

CHAPTER
The
Prairie Fire

XIII.
171

CHAPTER
The
Triple

XIV.
185

Wedding

INTRODUCTION.
No more
interesting characters have ever stood out
life

against the horizon of border

than the daring and

hardy cowboys of the great Wild West.

The

early pioneers of our

Western history

such

men

as

Sam

Houston, Davy Crockett and others

loved and admired them in the inverse to the hatred

and fear which they inspired

in the breasts

of lawless

Mexicans and savage Indians.

In the early days, and to a great extent in subs^

quent times, the cowboy element was composed of the

sons of the early settlers in the West; but not a few

venturesome young men from the centers of Eastern

civilization served to swell their

ranks and blend with

the crude mental training of the

tipn

backwoods the erudit

and culture of the

collegiate education,

8
It

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

was
in a great

measure due to

this fortuitous

assimilation of the poHshed

and the rough,

in the

same

hazardous pursuit of fortune, that the composite cow-

boy character

is

the most unique and picturesque that

the world has ever exhibited as,

what may be aptly

life.

termed, the soaring exponent of semi-civilized

COWBOYS cf THE WILD WEST

CHAPTER
I.

THE KOW KING RANCH.

In a broad expanse of prairie which rolled off in
every direction in undulating billows of grass until
it

was cut by the lower edge of

the horizon, just as

the rim of a

mammoth

inverted bowl of translucent

azure might cut a boundless plane of waving velvet,

stood the bizarre
structure,

which

was
King."

familiarly

spoken of as the

castle of the

"Kow

The

castle,

or more properly termed, the ranch

house, was a low, rambling piece of architecture

if

lO

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

indeed the science of architecture had ever been considered as a factor in

its

creation

and consisted of a
in a

number of log

cabins>

thrown together
after the

haphazard,

heterogeneous mass,

much

manner of nursery

children at play with their

arks.

gaudy blocks and Noah's

Among
first

the

many

quaint and curious conceits which

greeted the eyes of the observer

when approach-

ing this masterpiece of incongruity which served as a

home

for the family of Col. Arthur Daingerford,

were

the manifold evidences of the owner's warlike character

;

for

from numerous port

holes, cut

through the

substantial walls of ponderous timber, the black

zles

muz-

of heavy cannon and the shining barrels of rapid-

firing

guns frowned down upon the stranger with

grim suggcstivcness.

The formidable appearance of

was no true
disposition
;

the castle, however,

indication of its owner's character

and

for Colonel Daingerford

was a gentleman

of the mildest mien, a

man

of dauntless courage, but of

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

superior intellectual gifts and a refinement of

I3

mind

and manner sadly opposed

to the

rough and ready

environment in which unscrutable destiny had chosen

to place him.
It

must

also be borne In

mind

that in the early days

of the

last half

of the past century immense areas of

still

the great

West were

in their primitive state,

with

only a handful of white settlers to share the battle of

life

with the prowling beasts of prey and the ferocious

Indians that roamed over the measureless plains and

through the trackless

forests.

The white
were put

settlers,

comparatively so few in number,

to their wits'

end

to

protect

themselves

against the depredations of hostile Indians, and in

some

sections,

defend themselves against the preda-

tory raids of Mexicans, bandits and outlaws.

For

this

reason

many

of the ranchers of means

fortified their

homes with the most approved weapons

of the times.
Colonel Daingerford,

who had

obtained his military

14
title

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

for services rendered in the

Mexican War, was a

and spare of

man
build

well past fifty years of age, tall

and of unusually dignified and commanding His hair was snowy white and
fell in

presence.

wavy

profusion well below his neck.

His moustache and

goatee were also white, which contrasted pleasantly

with his fair rosy complexion, lending to his face,

from which flashed a pair of searching black

freshness
years.

eyes, a

of

youth rarely seen in a

man

of

his

In a spacious sitting-room of
tastily

the

ranch

house,

appointed and richly furnished, Florence Dain-

gerford, the Colonel's only child and

who was known

country
as

throughout that entire section of

wild

"Gyp," from her exquisite beauty of the gypsy type,

was beguiling the time with

little

snatches of Spanish

songs, which she sang in a low, sweet contralto voice

to the

accompaniment of a beautiful Mexican

to the

guitar,

whose chords answered

fingers,

sweep of her dainty

with the thrilling melody of an eolean harp,

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

I5

vibrating before the flower-laden breath of a semitropical breeze.

In a commodious

arm

chair, languidly poring

little

over

a magazine, Miss Priscilla Prime, a wiry

lady of

some

forty

summers, was whiling away the monotony

of the lonely hours which hang so heavily upon the

ladies of

remote ranches in rainy weather, and for

several days a chill norther, accompanied by a drizzling fall of rain,

had held

in its dismal

grasp

all

that

section of country for several

hundred miles from the

Gulf.

Dropping her book

into

her lap, weariness and

ennui plainly depicted upon her small, sharp features,

she directed her eyes towards Gyp.
"Gyp,'* she said, "you remind

me

so

much of your

mother as you

sit

there with your guitar, singing the

so often

same

airs

IVe heard her sing

dear
of

soul!

Ah, how beautiful she was!"

"I have but a very indistinct recollection

my

mother, Prissie; you must remember

years of age

was but two

when

she died.

l6
"Yes,

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

I

remember the

night/' sighed Priscilla, "a

just like this

bleak, dreary night

weather

the

rain

was beating on the window panes and the wind was

chanting
this old
its

mournful' anthems around the angles of

home

we

were

all

buried

in

grief

while

watching for her gentle soul to leave us and speed

through the storm-ridden night to the eternal goal.

Yes, a lovely

woman

by

all

who knew

a dear, unselfish her even the dumb beasts

friend, beloved
felt

the

ominous oppressiveness of that fateful night

lowing of the
cattle

for the
to sink

was subdued and seemed

sad remonstrance
to deprive

into softer notes of

against

the

merciless fate that

was

them of the ever-

watchful soHcitude of their friend.

feel

They seemed

to

how

her gentle nature rebelled against the cruel

torture of the red-hot brand iron, and

how

she shrank

from the thought of parting with her pets as they

were gathered
in great

herds and driven to the shamto

bles of far-away centers of population, there

be
life

slaughtered that their bodies might go to sustain

in those

teeming hives of degenerates."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Yes, Prissie,
it

does look hard and cruel, too, to

see the poor cattle taken

from
but
I

their nice grassy ranges

and sent

to their death;
'it

suppose, as

Don Alvero

Guiliadza says,

is

all

in the

game

the strong will

always exploit the weaker organisms, be they

dumb

quadrupeds or whimpering human bipeds/

"Well, Gyp,
indeed, Alvero
if
is

"

Alvero says

so, it

must be true;

for,

a scholar, as well as a Spanish noble-

man."
"I
don't
like

that

man,

Prissie.

He may

be a

scholar and a nobleman as

you

say, but I don't like

him

there

is

something about that

man
is

that always

makes me

feel

uncomfortable when he

near us."
his

"Prejudice,

Gyp

just prejudice

why,
much

manners
is

are perfect, and, indeed, as to appearance, he

veritable

Adonis

but for

my

part I

prefer

Don

Ramon

Gonzalez."
here the spinster, as she uttered this
little

And
lie,

white

cast a sly glance at

Gyp from under

the corners of

her drooping eyelids; for Miss Priscilla was

much

l8

Cowboys of the wild wEt.

enamored herself with the dashing Spaniard, Don

Alvero, and not a
little

jealous

of
little

everyone upon
gallantries
in

whom

he bestowed any of the

which he was an adept.

"No,

Prissie,

nor do
I

see anything to admire in

Don Ramon, and

evil

have had a sense of impending

ever since papa brought those two gentlemen to

our home and introduced them as Spanish noblemen

of great wealth and distinction.

For

my

part, I prefer

the plain, outspoken and simple characters of our

own
or

brave cowboys.
scholars,

They may not be

nobleman

and perhaps they are not overburdened with

extravagant mannerisms and gush; but their hearts

are in the right place, and a good
stinctively that she is

woman

feels in-

always safe

in their midst."

''Well,

Gyp, you are young yet and take a narrow

view of things.
wealth.
for you,

These Sapniards have

titles

and great

With
it is

the fortune your father has built

up

in the foremost ranks of the old

world

nobility that

your destiny should place you and not

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

here in this wild and isolated country,
sure that
I

21'

am

quite

Don Ramon

has right

now more than

passing feeling of friendship for you, Gyp/*

"Little

good

it

will

do him, Prissie; I'm not much

life.

concerned just

now

about the romantic side of

I'm perfectly happy on the ranch and contented with

the simple pleasures this life affords.

So long

as

my

dear father

is

spared to me,

I will stay here,

though
trip

many

times he has urged

I

me

to take

an extended

abroad since
years ago."

returned from school in Paris three

"Well,

will

admit. Gyp, that some few of our

cowboys betray more refinement and are better educated than the great majority
far
;

but they are scarce and

Calvin

between.

Now,
cowboy.

there's

Yancey,

your

father's chief

He

has been a mystery to

me

during the whole three years that he has been on the

ranch.

Can't get anything out of him.

He
he

is

bright,

amiable and always cheerful

until

in

fact,

is

voluble

one

tries to

draw him out

like

as to his antecedents, "

and then he shuts up

a rat trap-

22

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Well, Prissie,
I

have noticed that myself; but

it

is

well not to scrutinize too closely, especially here in

is

Texas, which
people,

proverbially the refuge of

all

sorts of
left

whose antecedents and past they have

For

behind them.
them.

my

part, I take people as I find

My

father thinks a

good deal of

Cal.

In

fact,

he treats him more as a son than an employee.''

Scarcely had

Gyp

finished speaking

when an

old
face

negro slave rushed excitedly into the room.

Her
and

was moist and shining with

perspiration

her

ampW

black fingers were festooned with strings of

dough, which she had carried from her bread-kneading in the kitchen in her haste to gain the parlor.

"Lawd
happen.

sakes.

Miss Gyp

dar's

gwine

ter be

sumpin'

Ole Marse an' Marse Cal and de hull troop

is

ob cowboys

comin',

jist tearin'

cross de prairie!"
ladies rushed to a

Rising from their

seats, the

two

window overlooking

the broad expanse of prairie, and

full

beheld in the distance, riding at

speed through

the driving rain a large body of horsemen.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Something wrong,
so
Prissie,

23

or there wouldn't be

many

of the boys coming at once to the house."

*'WelI, we'll
Priscilla.

know

in a

few minutes," answered Miss

"I trust nothing serious has occurred; the

indications

are

that

something

unusual

has

hap-

pened."

CHAPTER

11.

THE CATTLE THIEVES.

With a wild whoop which might have done
to a
credit

band

of savage

Comanches, panoplied

in their

picturesque

war bonnets and streaked with

paint, the

troop of cowboys dashed into the stockade surrounding the ranch house and, dismounting, led their horses
to shelter of a long,

low shed which flanked the west

structure.

wing of the rambing

Colonel Daingcrford, followed by his chief cowboy,

hastily entered the house,

and

in another instant the

ladies.

two men were

in the salon

with the two

Calvin Yancey, the Colonel's trusted chief, entered

the

room with

diffidence

a sensation which seemed to

in the presence of the

overcome him always when

Colonel's beautiful daughter,

and for

whom

he cher-

ished a passionate secret devotion.

24

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

25

He was

man

not over twenty- four, straight as an

arrow, fair and ruddy as a Viking, with long, flowing

golden hair, which rippled over his massive shoulders,

falling

nearly to his waist; a high broad forehead

beneath which sparkled a pair of violet blue eyes,

tender and soulful in repose, but firm and determined

under excitement.
sculptor with
line as
its

His entire face was a study for a

delicate aquiline nose, straight in outits

though chiseled from parian marble,, and

full

generous manly mouth, with

lips,

crimson and arched

surmounted by a long,

silken blonde mustache,

set

through which a beautiful

of even white teeth

gleamed

like

rows of lustrous

pearls.

He was
prevailing

clad in an attractive costume in

which the
tastily

cowboy fashion of the times blended

with the more gaudy and picturesque dress of the

ican vaquero.

Mex-

Buckskin leggins

with

fringe

down
was

the sides; a blue flannel shirt, the collar of which

rolled

back from the throat and fastened with a large

brilliancy
;

diamond button of great

a broad

felt

som-

i26

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

brero of a delicate fawn color and elaborately embroidered in running vines and leaves of gold and silver
threads, lent a peculiar dash and
nificent

charm

to the

mag-

physique of the young cowboy chief as he

strode through the spacious

room

to the musical acin his large

companiment of the jingling rowels

ican spurs.

Mex-

"Gyp/' exclaimed Colonel Daingerford, "we have

met with an unusually heavy

cattle thieves,

loss.

That gang of

which has been operating so extensively

last

of late in this region, has at

extended their depre-

dations to our ranch, and sometime within the past

few days a large herd of

thousand

cattle
oflf."

not

less

than three

has been driven

awful thieves
to
!"

^'Oh, the

wailed Miss Priscilla, "and

it.

what are you going

do about

Uncle Arthur?"

^'Go after them, of course; hunt

them down and

mete out to every one of the scoundrels the punishment

which our code provides for such miscreants," exr

claimed the Colonel, whose big black eyes were flash^
ing with indignation and ill-concealed anger.

THE COWBOY CHIEF.

Page
2y.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

''Surely,

29
cried

papa, you are not

going?"

Gyp,

anxiously, as a ghostly pallor chased the bloom from

her velvet cheeks.

Then, turning appealingly to the

cowboy chief:

"You

will not let

papa go, Cal,

lips

will

you?"

And

before the chief's

could frame an answer

she continued in an undertone, while seizing the chief

by the broad

collar of his shirt

and gently drawing

him

to one side

"You must

not

let

him

go, Cal; he

is

too old

now

for such venturesome work."

^"ril

do what

I can.

Miss Gyp, to restrain him

his

but
it is

you know the Colonel has a mind of

no easy matter

own and

to set aside his determination

when

it

has once taken possession of him.

"Well,
girl,
if

he goes, so shall

I," rejoined the beautiful

her pretty brow contracting into a frown which

bespoke determination.

"Oh, never, Miss Gyp!

with us.

Your

father will be safe

We

will take almost nearly

our whole

force,

leaving only enough

men

to

guard the ranch."

30

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"But these marauding bands of
cattle thieves arc

very strong,

have been
terrible

told,

and there. may be a

operating

number of the
them."

Comanches

with

"That's possible, but

here,

we

will be fifty strong, leaving

and

we'll pick

up reinforcements from other

ranches, as the whole section will be glad of a chance

to rid the country of those outlaws."

"Call

Uncle

Eph,

somebody,"

interrupted

the

Colonel, as he paced nervously back and forth.

In another

moment an

old negro

man, a

typical old

plantation slave, with an

immense stock of snow-white

face, deeply

wool towering high above a small, round

seamed with a
^

veritable

network of wrinkles, answered

Priscilla.

to the

summons of Miss
entered the

He

room and approached

the Colonel

with that kindly familiarity which was begotten by

long association between master and servant in ante-

bellum days

for

Uncle Eph and Aunt

folks

Mandy were
short

grown up

black

when

the

Colonel, in

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

clothes, used to ride the ponies

bareback with the

little

pickaninnies over the ranch in his father's days.

''Wat, wat's de matter wit

Marse Art

wha,
visit.

wat

dun happen, honey

ye look
I

so mad?''

"Uncle Eph, the rustlers have paid us a

going after 'em.

We're
up

want you and Mandy

to get

rations to last ten days.

Have a four-mule wagon

fifty

loaded with

all

we'll

need for
order,

men.

Have

the
is

cook wagon put

in

and when

everything

ready turn the outfit over to Shorty, our camp cook."

"Wha, wat ye gwine

Marse Art?.
Isn't

fer ter

do wif Uncle Ephy,

Uncle Eph gwine 'long?"

"No, Uncle Eph; you and Aunt Mandy must stay and look after

my

daughter and niece.

You know

you're not so spry as you used to be some fifty years

ago,

when

was a boy."
honey
;

"Dat's

so,

but Uncle

Eph

kin cut de pigeon

wing

yet."

"But, Uncle Eph," ventured Miss Priscilla, "they

say you've got the rheumatism in your left leg from
old age."

32

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Well, 'fore de Lawd,
little

missle,

wat kind

o' fool-

is'ness

was dat dose

jis'

folks

say

about

Uncle

Eph?

Ain't de right laig

as ole as de lef an' I ain't got

no rheumatism

in

dat?"

Shortly after Uncle

Eph

left the

Colonel everything

began

to

assume an

air

of bustle around the ranch.

the cook

The big four-mule commissary wagon and

wagon were
number of

rolled out

from the wagon shed and a

the boys were at

work putting them

in

order for the campaign.

The other members of

the troop were

all

busy, care-

fully replenishing their belts with

ammunition, clean-

ing their arms and putting their personal equipments

in

good condition

generally.

Some were

outside of

the stockade selecting

from
lively

among

the

unbroken

bronchos a number of

looking ones, which they

proposed taking along as

relief stock.

The
wild

skill

displayed in the

manner

in

which these

little

animals were subdued and broken to the

saddle seemed marvelous in the eyes of the Eastern

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

tourist or tenderfoot, but

33

was a simple matter of

every-day occurrence on the great ranches of the far

West.

To
it

the professional
just a pleasant

cowboy and expert horseman

little

was

experience

to' test

the ec-

centricities

of the

little

Spanish-American mustang.

They enjoyed

the excitement of catching and throwing

all

him and solving by masterly horsemanship

the

mysteries of the rear and tear, stop and drop, lay and
roll,

kick and bite,

tails,

on and

ojff,

under and over, heads

and

handsprings, triple somersaults, standing on

their heads, diving, flipflaps

and

all

the droll actions

included in the familiar term of "bucking."

Some
lasso,

of the men, with the unfailing aim of the

cattle to

were roping

be taken along with the

troop and from which a fresh supply of choice meat

was

to

be added to the commissary supplies as needed.

To

catch a calf, stop a crazy cow, throw an untamed

steer, lasso

a great wild bull and play with him as

all

though he were a kitten and daily perform

the

hazardous feats of a Spanish matador was the ordinary routine of the cowboy's
life,

CHAPTER

III.

CAVE OF THE BANDITS.

Among

tHe rugged mountains of

Old Mexico
from the

in

an

isolated section,

though not remote

Rio

Grande, there

is

a spacious cavern, worn deep into

the interior of the rugged rocks by the ceaseless stroke

of Nature's hand through countless ages.

The

flare

of a flickering

fire cast

uncanny shadows

upon the irregular surfaces of the stone walls and

danced in fantastic shapes over the skins of wild
animals and the multi-colored Navajo blankets, which

draped in barbaric abandon

the

deep

niches

and

entrances to the numerous natural chambers which

served as sleeping apartments for the members of the

fearsome banditti which made

their abode.

this formidable retreat

From

all

parts of the cavern gleamed the

34

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

35

bright barrels of carbines and vicious knives in their

metallic scabbards.

The cavern was

deserted save for the presence of a

comely Mexican woman, who was bending over the

couch of a sleeping
girl

and applying
all

to her bare

arm

a soothing lotion, crooning softly

the while an old

Spanish lullaby.

The

sleeping girl

was

quite

young and presentea a

picture of ravishing beauty as the fitful rays of the

feeble fire light swept over her exquisite

face

and

form.

The

girl's

features were of the most pronounced

Castillian type.

massive suit of wavy, jet-black

hair shone like polished ebony.

soft

Her

features were
like

and regular, and illuminated by a complexion

the deep, brilliant tints of a luscious peach in which

the rich, creamy color battles for the ascendancy

with the delicate pink hue of a sea

shell.

The woman having bandaged

girl,

the

arm of

the

young
cat,

moved

noiselessly, with the lithe

motion of a

36
to the fire,

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

which was beginning to smoulder on the

big

flat

stone which served for a hearth.

Taking an
dropped

armful of dry fuel from a

pile of fagots, she

them gently on the hot embers, and

they had burst out into a bright
fire,

in a

few seconds

and the dry twigs

were crackling

in the flames as they leaped with a roar

towards the rocky roof of the cave.

The
the

noise of the replenished fire

was more than

girl

woman had
to

reckoned on, for the slumbering

restlessly in her sleep,
little

began
over,

move

and, turning

awoke with a

cry of pain.
I

''Ah, Santa

Maria! what have

done to wake

my

Carmencita ?'' exclaimed the woman.

^'Oh, Consuelo
!

'tis

you.
I

I'm so glad. Such dreams,

could hear the rattle of the

Consuelo

such dreams.

shots and the hoarse

yell

of

the

Comanches, and

thought

was pursued again."

;

"No, Dulcina
viving
fire

it

was only the noise made by the

re-

as I threw the fagots on.''

"Yes;

suppose

my

nerves are somewhat unstrung

<
tn

O O
<:

w
bo
(1h

w H
iJ

o o

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

since
Es

39
but

my

pony stumbled and

better, Consuelo,

fell

with

me

my arm

much

thanks to your good nurs-

ing."

"A narrow

escape you made,

little

one you were on

;

the edge of a deep ravine, quite unconscious

when

your brother Alonzo found you and brought you to

the cave."

"Ah good Alonzo.

!

How

often I pray that he

may
than

some day soon

this wild

find

some other occupation

life,

and reckless

always exposed to violent

death or the vengeance of the law."

"It

was not Alonzo's choice that he

is

here with the

cruel

outlaws,
fate

my

Carmencita.

It

was the decree of a

which he could not avert."

"Tell
girl,

me

something about

it,

Consuelo," said the

entreatingly.

"You

often

promised

that

you

would, and then youVe changed your mind."

And

as she spoke she partly rose

from her couch of

furs, resting

upon one elbow, the bright rays from the

playing upon her beautiful face, whilst a

cheerful

fire

40

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

cluster of magnificent gems, studding a large antique

gold locket, suspended from a heavy chain which encircled her exquisite neck, flung

back

in

showers of

dazzling sparks the light of the leaping flames.

'It's
I

a sad history,

my

Carmencita, and one to which

to revert.
I

do not allow

my mind

have tried to

bury the memories of the

brain and drive

past, lest they eat

away my

me mad

before

shall

have accomis

pHshed

my

one aim

in life,

and that you know

to

restore Alonzo,
his

my

son,
tell

and your foster-brother

to

own.

cannot
I

you now, but some day,

you
all,

my

Carmencita,

will tell

not only concerning

here in this wild coun-

Alonzo Cabellero, as he
try,

is

known

but

I will

reveal to

you a

secret of

your

own

life,

which for your best

to do as yet.''

interest I

have not thought wise

"Do you know aught of my

suelo?" asked the

parentage, dear Con-

girl, excitedly.

"You have been a

mother to me ever since

can remember; but,

pity the

Oh!

good Consuelo,

if

you know more,

burning

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

desire

4I

and yearning which

fills

my

heart to unravel the

I

mystery of

my

birth

help me, Oh

Consuelo, to chase

away

the phantoms of uncertainty which haunt every

moment of my

existence

which

follow

me through

each golden hour of

summer and

the bleak, cold days

of winter; which are ever present, whether in the

riotous scenes of the gambling dens,

when

am

deal-

ing the fateful cards, or in the silent watches of the

night, when, restless

and wakeful,

struggle with the

feeble sparks of a lost

memory
to

to recall another life,

which sometimes comes

me

in flashes, for the frac-

tion of a second, only to vanish again

afloat

and leave me
ocean
of

and tossing on the

same

limitless

oblivion,"

As Carmencita spoke her

in

lovely

bosom rose and

fell

rhythmic undulation,
at sea
;

like

miniature billows

in

mimic storm

her ravishing eyes, in their setting

like black

of long, silken lashes, sparkled

her
full

diamonds, and

red

lips,

chiseled in the exquisite outlines of a

Cupid's bow, quivered with the strong emotion which

filled

her soul.

42

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Not
shall

yet,

dear child, but some day, and soon, you

know

all.

There are some

links I

must yet weld

these years I

into the long chain of evidence

which

all

have been forging for the welfare of both yourself

and your

foster-brother, Alonzo."
is

"And where
since

Alonzo now?

have not seen him

my

accident; or, in fact, before, as I

remember

nothing of his bringing

me

here."

"Alonzo

is

with Alvera Guiliadza and the band.

iThey have gone on a raid with some

dians."

Comanche

In-

"Where, Consuelo?"
"I

am

not sure," replied Consuelo.

I

"I suspect from

remarks

overheard that they are on an expedition

to rustle cattle in Texas, cross the Rio

Grande with the

river

herd and

make

for

New

Mexico, along the

through Mexico."

"When

did they leave?"

"Two

days ago."
in

"Do you know

what

direction they

went ?"

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

43

"No; but

heard them say they were going this

time to the ranch of the

*Kow King/

"

"What?"
King.'

cried the girl, "to the ranch of the

it all!

'Kow

I see

some devilment
How

is

contemplated

by that
suelo
!

villain Guiliadza.

I hate that

man, Con-

wish

we were

foot lose from his band."

"Yes, dear, and so do I ; but you

know when Alonzo

was hunted down by the

against the

soldiers for that conspiracy

Mexican Government, Guiliadza offered

protection."

him a refuge and

"Consuelo, do you

know

the daughter of the

*Kow

King'?"

"No, dear."
"Well, I do, Consuelo.
I

met Ker once

It

in the City

of Mexico with her father.

was before Alonzo

were so
ill

found us and brought us here.

with the

When you

swamp

fever and
I

we were

so poor

don't
left

you remember when

put you in the convent and

you

to be taken care of

by the nuns?"
I

"Yes, Carmencita; but

never

knew where you

"

44

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

went, child, nor

how you

got the means to provide for

me

in

my
I

helpless condition."

"Well,

never told you, Consuelo, but

I will

now.

went

to the City of

Mexico and entered the employ of

There
I dealt

Ramon
monte

Gonzalez, the gambling king.

I

in his gilded palace.

stopped at the same hotel

with the

'Kow King' and

friendly,
I

his pretty daughter.

I

We

became quite
troubles

and one day

toiling in the

told her of our

hell to

how

was

gambling
your

get

money with which

to

come

to

relief.

The

girl listened to

me and

her heart responded with the

warmest sympathy.

She obtained a generous sum

it

from her

father,

gave

to

me and
all

insisted that I
I

should go and seek you with

so

possible haste.

did

you know the

"Had
I

rest."
that,

known

Carmencita," exclaimed Conto

suelo, "I

would have prevailed upon Alonzo not

plunder so good and kind a

""It is

man
I

as the

'Kow

King.'

not the plundering

fear so

much, Consuelo,

but some other dreadful outrage by that villain Guili-

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

adza.

45

He

has for a long time hoped to win the love of

the

Kow

King's daughter and marry her for the imwill

mense fortune which she

inherit; but the girl

is

spurns^ his attentions and does not believe that he

the rich Spanish nobleman
self to be."

whom

he represents him-

**How do you know

all this,

dear child?"

"Many

strange tales find their

way through

the

channels of romance, dear Consuelo.

My

source of

information

is

very simple

when

explained.

You

see,

Consuelo, the gambling king, Gonzalez, and Guiliadza

are fast friends.
It is at

Gonzalez's place in the City

of Mexico where the Guiliadza banditti drop the proceeds of their plunder at intervals during each year.

Now, Gonzalez
quite sure.

is

in love

with me, and of that

I

am

He

is rich,

but

abhor him.

For
I

certain

reasons

have allowed him to think that

look with

favor upon him.

pens, and
it

He

tells

me
me

everything that hapof Guiliadza's plot to

was he who

told

win the hand of the

Kow

King's daughter.

46

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"The

Kow King

little

dreams that he has been en-

tertaining in the guise of Spanish noblemen the fear-

some

chief of the bloodthirsty banditti

and the king of

I

Mexican gamblers.
last

Only a short while ago, when

saw Gonzalez, he unfolded the whole

it

villainous

scheme, and laughed heartily at

joke.

as a niost capital

But for the fear of some harm befalling you

at the

and Alonzo

hands of the brutal

chief, I

would

ere this have

warned the

Kow

King's daughter."

"What

if

Guiliadza," ventured Consuelo, "in his disin his

appointment and rage at not being successful

suit for the

hand of the

Kow

King's daughter, should

incite to

do the family some harm or

those brutal
friendly,

some outrage
is

Comanche Indians with whom he

so

and over

whom

he seems to be the only

white

man who can

exert any influence ?"

"Caramba!

Consuelo, I never thought of that!"

excitedly
fill

cried the girl, springing

from her couch.

"Get
of

my

rifle

and revolvers and

my
go

belt

brim

full

cartridges, Consuelo, while

saddle

my

horse."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

In the next
girl

47

moment
like

the lithe form of the beautiful

was bounding

a deer towards the corral, coninaccessible ravine

cealed in a deep

and almost

which

the robbers used to shelter their horses whilst they

were sojourning

at the cave.

CHAPTER

IV.

CHASING THE CATTLE THIEVES.

The

first

gray streaks of dawn had just appeared

in

the eastern horizon

when

the

cowboy cavalcade halted

on the prairie for breakfast, after a hard night's

march.

They were on
yet

the trail of the outlaws, but had not

sight of them, although they
as

come within

were

traveling with greater speed,

the

bandits

were

driving the herd, and their progress was naturally

slow.

Seventy miles further west on the prairie Guiliadza,

with his brigands and Comanche Indians, numbering
over
fifty

desperadoes in

all,

were just rising from

start

their night's rest

and preparing for an early

on

their

westward journey.

The Indians were rounding

48

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

up the stray cattle which had wandered main herd grazing.
Guiliadza and
his

49
from the

of?

lieutenant,

Sancho

Garcia,

powerful and ferocious-looking Mexican, with an im-

mense blue scar along the

his face,

entire length of one side of

fire

were bending over a small

frying bacon

and

in earnest conversation.

"I must trust you, Sancho, to get the two

safely to the cave, for
it

women
plans

would defeat

all

my

should I be seen and recognized by either of them

until the time

comes for

me
it

to

appear in the deal."

"All right, Chief; but

will diminish

our forces
well

materially to attack the ranch

when

it is

known

how

strongly

it

is

fortified

and the number of cow-

boys in service there."

"Not

at

all,

Sancho," growled the Chief.

it

"You may
cowboys

depend upon
are on our

that the greater part of those

trail

by

this time,

and

we'll

have a fight on

our hands before another sun goes down."

"Well, Chief, what
plan."

am

to

do?

Outline your

50

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

fifteen
it

"Take

men and

start at

once for the ranch,

and approach
site directions

under cover of night from two oppofive

say

men from
men

the east and ten

from the west.

When

the five

are within a few

hundred yards of the place

great racket, as
will
if

fire off

your guns, raise a

cattle.

you were stampeding

This

draw out the guards from the stockade.

Then,

while the five

men

are leading the

cowboy guards a

running

fight, luring

them further and further from

the house, the other ten

men

will

rush in and capture

start

the inmates,

tie

them on the extra horses and

in

westward towards the cave

"Shall I take
all

Mexico."

the inmates. Chief?" the slaves.

see that

"Well, no; leave

Just take

the

two

women, and
cey, bring

if

you

cowbow

chief, Cal

Yan-

me

his head,

and ten thousand gold shiners

for you, Sancho."

*Tt's

a go, Chief.
"

I'll

have his head or leave

mine

"To

scare the crows away," snickered the Chief.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

But the big outlaw, who was vain with
ness, did not relish the Chief's joke,
his

5
all his ugli-

and from under

shaggy eyebrows gave him a look which betrayed

the anger his

remark had

excited.

''Sancho Garcia's head

as

may

scare the crows away,

to pick the

you

say, Chief, but

IVe known them

eyes out of some heads whose owners were overbur-

dened with confidence."

"Come, come, Sancho, only a

meant no

little

pleasantry.

offense, old friend," responded the Chief, in

a conciliatory tone. "All right. Chief.

You may

look for

me

at the cave

with the two women.

rive."

I will be there before

you

ar-

"Good, Sancho
well
till

and see that the women arc treated

I arrive."

In a few moments more and the big bandit was

speeding over the plains with his fifteen
rection of the

men

in the di-

Kow

King's ranch.

No

sooner was Sancho Garcia out of sight than the

52

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

herd was gotten under way, for the bandit chief re-

aUzed the importance of time

if

he hoped to elude his

pursuers until after he crossed the Rio Grande and

gained the mountainous section, where pursuit was

not only
difficult,

but where the rugged nature of the

country aiforded greater opportunity for defense.

The

bandit chief had been a cowboy himself, and un-

derstood the handling of cattle on a drive.

that ten to fifteen miles a day

He knew

was the

limit of space

that could be covered by a herd.

He

also

knew

the difficulties attending getting cattle

over a stream, and was anxious to make the Rio

Grande
might

in

time to allow for

all

the contingencies which

arise in the crossing, so as not to be taken at a

disadvantage by his pursuers; for often when cattle

strike
is

swimming water they

try to turn back,

in

and

this

termed "milling," or swimming

if

circle,

and

which,

continued for any length of time, results in

the drowning of the animals.

Here

it is

where the daring cowboy leaves

his pony,

DASHING AND SPLASHING, FRIGHTENS THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Page
53.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

55

doffs his clothing, scrambles over the backs of the

cattle

and

scatters them,

and with whoops and

yells,

dashing and splashing, frightens them into the right

direction,

and keeps them headed that way

until they

reach the bank.

All day the bandits traveled steadily
their stolen herd,

onward with
sun was

and not

until the setting

painting the western sky with his gorgeous hues of

pink and fiery red, softly intermingling with the

cate tints of purple, green

deli-

and amethyst, did the chief and

rest

give the

command
the custom

to halt for food

As

is

when making camp on

were
all

the prairies
into

with a herd, the

cattle

rounded up

small compass and held until they laid down,

several

when

men began

to ride-'^around

them

in opposite

directions, singing all the while to soothe their fears,

lull

them

into

quietude and strike terror into any

prowling beasts of prey that might approach too near

and cause a stampede.

As

darkness began to spread over the plains, nu-

56

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

little

merous

fires

of buffalo chips pierced the gloom

of night, and from

distance resembled countless

their
little

glow worms, swinging

escent light in the
tall

lamps of phosphor-

grass af the prairie.

Around

the fires the bandits and Indians had gathered, and

were occupied

in cooking,

smoking and enjoying the

and semi-savage

few rude pleasures of

life,

their savage

unconscious of the close and dangerous proximity

of the

Kow King

and

his troop of brave

cowboys, led

by

their dauntless chief, Calvin

Yancey.
?''

''Do you think they have discovered us, Cal

asked
the

Colonel Daingerford,

peering intently

through

gloom towards the

bandits' camp."
are.

"No, Colonel, they have no idea how near we

They

are a wily

set,

and are no doubt sure that they

are pursued; but they have not calculated upon the

forced marches that

we have

made

to

overtake

them."

"Quite true; and

I fear," replied the Colonel,

"that

we have

tested the metal of our steeds to a point be-

'

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

I

57

yond the

limit of prudence.

am

afraid our horses

are too tired to warrant an attack tonight."

"True, Colonel, and nothing, moreover, to gain by

a night attack, but rather the risk of losing a good deal

by the stampede of the would stray

off

cattle,

for,

doubtless,

many

under cover of darkness and be far bedaylight,

yond our convenient reach by

lead a few of us a

and that would

merry chase, which, with Comanches

at this time,
all

on the warpath just

difficulties unless

would multiply our

we

remain together in formidable

force."

"You speak
you
say.

sensibly, Cal,
let it

and

we'll abide

by what

So

be go in camp for the night, and

first

pounce on the enemy by the

signs of dawn."

CHAPTER

V.

BATTLE WITH THE CATTLE THIEVES.

Just as the
to dispel the
first faint light of

breaking day began

somber

veil of night

which hung over

chief

the broad expanse of prarie, the

cowboy

was

up and sweeping the horizon with

the direction of the bandits' camp.

his field glass in

"They're
stirring.

up

already,

Colonel
off.

Daingerford,

and

They'll soon be

"Sound boots and

"we'll not give

saddles, Cal," cried the Colonel

them a chance

to get

away from us
if

without killing and capturing some of them,

should try to abandon the herd and escape."

they

Answering with
bugle, the
dles,

alacrity to the

sound

of

the

cowboys vaulted nimbly

into their sad-

and

at the

word

of

command
S8

fifty little

ponies

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

59

shot out like a cloud of arrows from a battalion of

archers, bearing their masters

prairie

over

the

billowy

with the swiftness of the wind.

Yelling and shouting, holding the carbines aloft

and swinging them around, the troop advanced

upon the camp

of the outlaws

and Indians, who,

surprised at the suddenness of the approach of their

pursuers, were chasing, helter skelter, in every direction

and gathering up

their arms,

which were

lying about on the ground with the blankets that

had served them

night.

for their rude couches during the

In a few

moments

the Indians were

mounted and
chief,

had formed

their battle line,

and the bandit

with the desperadoes of his gang, were scattered

here and there through their ranks.

When

within about five hundred yards of the out-

laws, the

cowboys resorted to a ruse well known

and often practiced by them when engaged with

superior numbers in Indian warfare.

6o

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Halt and dismount!" rang out the order from

the

cowboy

chief.

In an instant every
well-trained
in a
little

man was on

his feet

and the

ponies were lying on the ground

compact body.
the head of his men, Cal

At
tall,

Yancey advanced,
cowboys
firing, as

graceful, brave as a lion, the

they moved forward, with

every

telling

effect,

whilst
fall

now and

then one of their number would

to the ground, stricken with a bullet

ried to the rear

and was

car-

and hidden

in the tall grass.

In another instant the Indians came swarming

down upon

the heroic band of

cowboys with the

fiery

fury of a host of

demons vomited from the

crater of a volcano, threatening to swallow

them

up

in

one great torrent of

chief,

fire.

But the cowboy

pole,

like

Leonidas at Thermo-

stemmed the onrushing

tide

and from the blaz-

ing muzzles of their carbines a dea41y hail of leaden

missiles

mowed down

the red devils and bandits

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

as

6l

wheat

stalks fall before scythes of the harvesters.

The

fight continued

with unabated fury for half an

for the

hour, and the day

was almost won

its

cowboys,

when
over

a great calamity spread

the. little

dismal shadow

band and

for a

few minutes made

them

hesitate

and

falter in their gallant fight.

The
into

brave old Colonel Daingerford had sunk

the deep grass.

down

bullet

had cleaved a pathway

through his heart.

Like a mighty oak, shivered by

fell,

a lightning's bolt, he

a crimson stream spurting

in a last effort to utter
chief,

from

his breast, as he
to' the

gasped

a parting word

cowboy

who was

bend-

ing over him and trying to staunch the flow of blood.

"All over with me, Cal,

selves

my

boy; look to your-

and carry
"
last

my

dying blessing to

my

daugh-

ter

The

words were spoken

in a

whisper so feeble

that the chief could barely hear them, and before

he could reply the brave

spirit of the old soldier

had

been gathered to his Father's and his comrades in

62

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

fallen

arms who had

on the

battlefields of

Mexico.
set-

Wiping away
tled

the grime of

powder that had

on

his face, the

cowboy

chief sprang to his

feet, his

brows

knit, his teeth set

and
of

his entire face

taking on a fierce

expression
conflict

determination,
for the

which bid

fair to

end the

by victory

brave cowboy band.

Encouraged by the temporary appearance of confusion in the ranks of the cowboys, the Indians

and

bandits

came swarming down upon them

them
at

in a des-

perate charge to annihilate

one

fell

swoop.

But

in the twinkle of

an eye the cowboys formed a

hollow square and met the rush and roar of the

infuriated

demons with a

fire

of such rapidity

and

deadly effect as to cause fearful havoc in the ad-

vancing body of the enemy, the battle

line of

which

was

entirely broken

and began to assume the ap-

pearance of scattered stumps in a mill pond.

In the next
all

moment

the remaining cowboys were

mounted and

in hot pursuit of the

marauders.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

who,
terrified

63

by

their

own heavy

losses

and the

Herculean fighting of the cowboys, had turned and

were flying

in every direction across

the

plains,

abandoning the herd and glad to escape with their

lives.

For several miles the cowboys kept up the chase

finally

abandoning

it

to round
of

up the herd, which

had stampeded, while some

them hastened back

to the scene of battle to minister to their

wounded

comrades.

Two
killed

of the cowboys, besides the

Kow

King, were

and eight wounded, but none seriously, thus

casualties of the

making the
light in

cowboy

outfit

very
thirty

numbers when compared with the

ghostly corpses of the Indians and bandits with

which the bloody

field

was strewn.

Ten more
field,

of

the outlaw forces were scattered over the

perately

des-

wounded and shrieking

cried Cal, "lift

in

agony of

pain.

"Come, boys,"

our old employer's

remains tenderly and place them in the commissary

64

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

wagon.

Then use

all

the space available for our

wounded, and use also the cook wagon.

"I will take ten

men and go ahead

to the ranch
rest

and break the sad news to the family, while the

of

you

may

follow on as escort for the dead and

wounded."

"How

about the enemy's wounded,

chief?'*

asked

Shorty, the cook.

"Those that have any chance to recover, you can,

several of you, bandage

them

up.

Then
as

leave

them

some water
of sight

for the present.

As soon

we

are out

some

of their pals will return

their dead."

and carry

them away and bury

CHAPTER

VI.

KIDNAPPING OF GYP.
"

Tore de Lawd, Miss Gyp !" stammered Uncle

all

Eph,

in a tremble, as

he passed around the table

waiting upon the two ladies and the cowboy guards

as they sat at supper

on the second night after Sancho

Garcia had
sion.

left the

bandit chief on his villainous misso oneasy. I feels dat

"

Tore de Lawd, Fse

fer to

sum-

pin's

gwine

happen.

Old Mandy's don bin

all

hearin' de sperrits er rappin'

las'

night, an'

we

couldn't sleep fer de racket

wot dey made."

''Nonsense, Uncle Eph," interrupted Miss Priscilla,

reprovingly, "you must not pay attention to such foolishness.
It

was

Just the

wind

rattling the shutters of

your cabin."
*'Qr

maybe Uncle Eph heard

65

his

own

teeth chatter-

66

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

ing/' laughed

Tody Rockbridge, a handsome young

in the

cowboy who had been only a short time

King's employ, but had already
favorite with everybody.

Kow

made himself a general

"Come, Tody, don't poke

chimed
in

fun

at

Uncle Eph,"

Hoke

Barry, a grizzly old

cow puncher, who

Dain-

had been many years

gerford, and
ily,

in the service of Colonel

who was

looked upon as one of the famof him as Uncle

who always addressed and spoke

Hoke.

**You know. Tody," continued Hoke, "Aunt

Mandy was

a seventh daughter and was born with a

caul and a veil."

"Ole

Mandy

sholy does see sperrits," insisted Uncle

Eph, impressively, and with a solemn shake of his

white, woolly head.

"Don't talk about such wierd things, Uncle Eph,"

cried Gyp, shuddering, "you frighten me, especially as

papa

is

away on

that dangerous trip."

Gyp,
in

like nearly all the

Southern children, raised

remote sections, had imbibed

many of

the supersti-

"'fore DE la WD, I'SE SO ONEASY/ Page d'j.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

tions of the negroes,
tions

69

and firmly believed

in manifesta-

from the unseen world.

if

Then, as

nerving herself to an ordeal which

al-

ways caused her much alarm, and yet which, impelled

by an unsurmountable
curiosity, she could not resist,

she turned to Uncle Eph.

"Never mind, Uncle Eph, you can

heard."
"

tell

what you

warn^t me,
I

little

Missie

't

war

ole

Mandy wat

seed dc sights.

dun only heerd de knockin's."

"May

be 'twas your knees knockin' together. Uncle

in,

Eph," joined

with a boisterous laugh.

Hank Hardy,

a big, jovial cowboy,

who enjoyed

the euphonious so-

briquet of

"Happy Hank."
laigs
;

"No, honey, 'twar not Uncle Eph's

sperrits sho."

't

war de

"Call

Aunt Mandy and

let

me

talk to her.

Uncle

Eph," cried Gyp.

Another moment and the old slave entered the room,

followed by Uncle Eph.

yO

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

**Her eyes were distended to an abnormal size and

an expression of tense excitement played over her eb-

ony

features, indicating a severe mental struggle to

overcome the terror with which she was possessed.

"What's that Uncle Eph has been
telling us,

Aunt

Mandy,"

cried Gyp, turning a shade paler

upon ob-

serving the perturbation of the old negress.

"Oh,

little

honey,

I dassn't tole ye,''

gasped the old

"
't

woman, her bosom heaving with excitement,

too turrible

war

too

turrible,

honey."

"Go

'hed,

Mandy, and
if I

tole little Missie

I will,

wat ye seed."
all,

"Well, Eph,

muss

but I won't tole

and dey's no use

fer to

ax me."

"Well, Aunt Mandy," rose in chorus from the two

ladies

and some of the cowboys, "go on and

see, little Missie,"

tell

us."

"Well, yc
in a low,

spoke the old woman,

ter git

broken voice, "I war just gwine

jist arter

mah

second nap,
light

day begin ter break.

Dc gray

war

just beginning to creep tru de chinks in de

't

doah; but

war dark

in de cabin.

When

all

ov a

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

suddin' dere

7I

war a monstrous

noise,

which follered
whole side

a whole

lot

ov raps 'round de cabin,

fell

an' de

ov de cabin done
in de

out,

and

seed a whole lot ov

inter

men
two

dim

light o'

dawn, an' dey was divided

bands, and in one band I seed old

Cal, an' de

Marse and Marse

Indians and, purty
oflE

odder band war

fightin', an' I

full o'

soon dey was

heerd de guns go

an'

seed de Indians cavortin' around tru de smoke on dere

horses,
see

and den de smoke got so thick dat

I couldn't

no mo', sep

sepsep

"
>

"Except what?" cried Gyp, springing to her

feet

and

looking intently and anxiously into the old woman's

face.

"Sep

nuttin', honie

dat

was

all.''

And Mandy

beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen, fol-

lowed by Uncle Eph.

"I didn't have de heart foh ter tole her, Ephrum,'*

gasped the old negress; "but sho as you

is

born,

Ephrum,

I seed old
!

Marse
!

killed."
!"

"Oh, Lordie

Lordie

Lordie

wailed the old black

y2

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

man.

'Toh

ole Marse. I don't

dun

believe

it,

Mandy."

Just here Uncle Eph's lamentations were interrtipted

by a

series

of demonaical yells emanating from the

prairie just east of the stockade.

''What's that?'' cried Uncle Hoke, sprnging to his

feet.

"Indians!"
thieves," said

"Indians or more cattle

Happy

Hank.

"Must be
*

Indians.

Cattle thieves wouldn't yell

like that," retorted

Uncle Hoke.

"I never

knew

cattle thieves to

make any

noise

and
ever

invite interruption to their

it

game.

But, what-

may

be, all

hands to the guns."

In another instant every

carbine and

cowboy had

seized his

was making
guns

for his porthole,

where the
were

different big

for defense of the ranch

mounted.

As

the

men took

their positions at the

guns Uncle

Hoke moved around,

in case of

giving instructions

how

to act

an attack.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

73
little

Gyp and
fire

her spinster cousin took a

rapid-

gun, whose formidable muzzle emerged from a

small porthole just under the eaves of the roof, the

gun being mounted on an elevated platform

in

ona

end of the grand salon, which was accessible by a

shoj-t

ladder.

This gun commanded a sweeping

zone of space, describing a large segment of a circle

in

both directions from the main entrance to the

stockade which surrounded the ranch house.

Gyp had been

well trained

by her father
all

to the

handling of the gun, and with firearms of

this beautiful girl of the plains

kind^

was

as expert as tha

most experienced cowboy.

In
all

the hazardous sports of

cowboy
in the

life

Gyp
re-

was
fined

as

much

at

home

as she

was

more

and feminine accomplishments of the draw-

ing-room.

To

put seven shots in an ace of hearts from a re-

volver in rapid sucession was a feat which offered

no greater obstacle
delicate

to her skill

than the sweep of her

of her guitar.

hand over the strings

^4

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

She was an adept

in the

use of the

lariat,

and

could rope a wild steer or break a stubborn bucking

broncho with equal certainty and

ease.

Now

the yelling on the outside of the stockade

fury,

broke out with renewed

and

was
it

supple-

mented by the discharge

that

of carbines, until
loose,

seemed

pandemonium had broken

and the upto the

roar

was approaching nearer and nearer

main

entrance of the stockade.

Then

a furious battering
it

upon the big gate

of

oak

staves, threatening

with demolition, began.

'They

are battering

down

the gate, Gyp," yelled

Uncle Hoke.

A
Hoke

deafening roar followed the words of Uncle

as

Gyp opened

fire,

pouring a hail of shot in

the direction of the big gate.

The steady stream

quick-firing

of shot

and the thunder of the

gun was greeted by loud and hoarse

party
at
first,

shouts of defiance by the attacking

but gradually the yells became fainter and fainter

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

75

as the asailants retreated through the darkness out

on the

prairie

towards the

east.

"We've got 'em on the

run, Uncle Hoke," shouted

Happy Hank.
"Then
let all

hands make a dash for the

corral,

mount our horses and give

Hoke, making a dash for the
entire force of

chase/' yelled Uncle

corral, followed

by the

cowboys.

Five minutes later and the ladies

in the

who remained

house could hear the beating of their horses'

hoofs as the cowboys sped

away

across the prairie

through the darkness after the supposed Indians,

little

suspecting the ruse perpetrated upon them

Guili-

and the treachery of the villainous Alvero

adza, executed
Garcia.

by

his cutthroat lieutenant,

Sancho

"Goow Lawd, have mercy on

Mandy, running
into the

us

!"

screamed Aunt

drawing-room from the

kitchen, closely followed

all in

by Uncle Eph, who was

us, little

a tremble.

"Lawd have mercy on

*j^

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

Missie.

We's

all

alone

in

dis

big

house

without

nary

man

sep old

Ephrum,

an' he

am no good no

mo' when Injuns

am

about."

"Quiet yourselft Aunt Mandy," exclaimed Gyp,

reassuringly, as she

came down the ladder from the

are after the Indians, and

gun platform; "the boys

they'll

soon be back with enough Indian scalps to

a hair lariat a hundred yards long."

make

But Aunt Mandy and Uncle Eph would not be

consoled, and the old couple settled

down on

their
call-

knees in a corner and began to wail and pray,

ing vociferously upon the "Good

Lawd"

to save

them from the Comanche

devils.

"Stop your praying, Aunt Mandy," commanded

Miss

Priscilla,

"and get into the kitchen.

"Don't

you hear the horses coming back, and the men

hadn't finished their supper, poor things,

when they

were interrupted by those red

devils."

As Miss
horses

Priscilla

spoke the sound of the galloping

distinct,

grew more and more

and before the

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

old slaves had
left

77

the

room the sounds ceased and

a voice from the main gate sung out

"All right, Gyp, we're back.
gate.

Come open

the main

Someone has locked

it."

The gate was not

suspecting that the

locked, but the wily Sancho,

alone,

women were

and know-

ing Gyp's prowess with the terrible rapid-fire gun,

planned to have her come to the gate, thereby

in-

suring safety for himself and his desperate band

from the havoc which would follow

in case
if

Gyp

dis-

covered them and suspected their design

they ap-

proached the house.

"That sounds
pered

like a strange voice to

Priscilla.

me," whis-

Gyp

to

Miss
it
is.

"Ask who

Gyp."

"Who
"It's I,

are you?" shouted Gyp.

Uncle Hoke," replied the cunning

posted by his chief.
Prissie

villain,

Sancho,

who had been

it's

"I guess

all

right,

just

the boys

re-

turning.

They must have locked

the gate

when

78
they
off to
left,

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

I'll

go

let

'em

in,"

and Gyp ran nimbly

open the gate.

In another

moment

a shriek of terror cleft the

sombre gloom, as Gyp was firmly seized by the

burly brigand and thrown to the ground as the

gang

of desperadoes gathered

around her

in the

darkness, while

some

of

them

deftly tied her

hands

behind her back and

ing in readiness.

lifted

her on to a pony stand-

"Now

for the other

woman, boys," muttered

the

lieutenant.

With

a rush half a dozen of the burly robbers en-

tered the house, and returned carrying the old maid,

who was screaming

at the top of her voice, while

kicking and biting like an untamed mustang

when

being broken to the saddle.

"Quit that kicking and biting, you old fried egg"

roared a big bandit, into whose ponderous
spinster
fist

the

had

left

her

new

false teeth fastened

with

the vise-like grip of a lobster's claw.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Let loose them teeth or
throat o' yourn
till it'll I'll

79

stretch that long

ostrich's

make an

neck look

short as a monkey's thumb/'

"Stop hurtin' me, you brute.

teeth
;

I can't let loose the

they've got loose from

me and

they're biting

on their own hook."

In a few

moments more the

spinster

was placed

upon a mustang,

tied similarly to

Gyp, and, led by

two

of the bandits, the cavalcade shot out westplains,

ward over the

Grande.

bound westward

for the

Rio

CHAPTER

VII.

CARMENCITA.

Uncle Eph, who had followed Miss

Priscilla and*

her captors to the main gate, keeping at a safe distance

behind,

and

dodging behind the stunted

re-

shrubbery which lined the pathway, had just

turned, a pitiable object of abject fear.

"Mandy," he gasped, "dey's done tuk

Missies.

off

de
o'

little

Dey muss

er bin

two bunches

them

pesky red niggers."

"Oh, Lawdie! oh, Lawdie! sabe us!" screamed

the old negress, in a paroxism of terror, and rolling

over and over on the

floor,

where she had

fallen

from sheer
!

fright.

"Sh sh !" cautioned Uncle Eph, placing

black hand over the old woman*s mouth.

his

ample

"Stop dat

80

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

yelHn', Manciy; dey'll hear yer
kill

8l

and come back and

us bote.

Dere now,

hear 'em comin' back

now."

Uncle Eph's admonitions were just then

inter-

rupted by the sudden appearance of a beautiful

woman, who rushed

stood for a

excitedly into the house and

at the entrance of the salon,

moment

looking dumbfounded at the sight of the two cowering old slaves which met her gaze.

For a moment she stood rooted to the

spot,

her

great black eyes flashing in the bright light of the

great center lamp as
tiful
its

rays

fell full

upon her beau-

face,

transforming her whole person into a

picture of ravishing beauty, the

doorway forming a

frame and the somber night outside a background.

Recovering from her amazement and advancing

into the room, she cried:

"What's the matter with you two? Where's Gyp

Daingerford.
I

must see her

little

at once."

"Oh,

golly,

golly,

Missie,

who

is

you?"

blurted the terrified

Mandy.

82

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Come,

talk quick, Auntie.

I'm Carmencita, a

friend of your

young

mistress.

Where

is

she?"

"Oh, Missie, Missie," moaned the two old slaves

in unison,

"sumpin

turible jist

dun happen.

De

In-

juns dun took Miss

Gyp and Miss

Prissie away.

Gh, Lawdie! Lawdie!"

"Where's the Colonel?

Where

are

all

the white

folks?" asked Carmencita, excitedly.

"All dun gone, Missie.

don't

We

is

here alone,

if

dey

come back and tuk

arter

us, too.

De cowboy geman' while

little

men done gone

some Injuns,

dey
Misold

war gone some mo' dun come an tuk de

sies

o&.

Oh,

Lawdie!

Lawdie!"

wailed

the

woman, rocking back and

floor

forth in her seat

on the

and wringing her hands.

Uncle Hoke and the
rest of the

When
left

cowboys

the house in pursuit of the bandits they were

fully ten

minutes behind them, which meant a good

start for the outlaws,

mounted on

their swift horses

starless

and with the impenetrable darkness of a

night to cover their retreat.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

83

When

the bandits started off eastward over the

plains they kept

up a great racket for a few miles,

shouting, yeling and firing off their guns, which

enabled the cowboys to keep well upon their

trail,

and which was

just the

end which the wily outlaws

wanted to acomplish.
After they had in this

way decoyed

the pursuing
tliey sud-

cowboys several miles from the ranch,

denly ceased their demonstrations, and, veering

around

in a

broad

circle,

they doubled

on

their

tracks, heading

due west, passing the cowboys at a

distance sufficient to prevent the sound of their

horses' hoofs being detected, and

were soon

lost in

the heavy veil of darkness which

hung over the

broad expanse of

prairie.

After proceeding for sevlost the trail.

eral miles after they

called a halt.

had

Uncle Hoke

"This chase
are on a

is

growing monotonous.

I think
;

we
is

f ruitles

hunt now, boys," he said "there

it

no sound to guide us now, and

would be useless

to try and follow the trail in the darkness."

84

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

'Well, Uncle Hoke,
it's

back to the ranch then,"

a

asquiesced

Tody Rockbridge; *'weVe given them

I

merry chase, but

guess the odds are against

us.'*

And, turning

in their tracks, the little

band headed
little

for the ranch, urging

on their spirited

ponies

at full speed.

^'What's your name, Uncle?" asked Carmencita,

addressing the old servant.

*'Uncle

Ephrum was my name,

anything
jist

little

Missie, but

I ain't sho' of

now, dey's such queer

things happenin'."
''Well,

Uncle Eph,

I see it all," cried

the

girl,

and

we

mtist have aid,

and that quickly.

Now

you give

the alarm

ring the ranch bell and what's that up

girl,

there?" continued the

the elevated platform.

pointing to the gun on

"Dat de sheen gun, Missie."

"Oh,
cita.

see

the machine gun," repeated CarmenI'll

"Well,

take a few shots wl^ile you ring the

of the

bell,

and

if

any

cowboys are within hearing

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

they'll

85

come

to us before
all

some
and

of those vandals

come back, murder us

But
it

loot the house/'

was not the

intention of the outlaws to loot

carried out successfully the

the ranch.

They had

orders of their chief, and were

now

well on their

way towards

the Rio Grande with the treasure they

for.

had been sent

Mounting the platform, the

ley after volley

girl

began to pour vollittle

from the

lips

of the vicious

gun

with

all

the

skill

of a practiced hand while the deep,

bell floated

sonorous notes from the great ranch

out

through the dense gloom over the

prairie.

"Suddenly the

bell

ceased and Carmencita turned

from her position

at the

gun, attracted by the shuffling

of feet in the room, occasioned by the entrance of

Uncle Eph, who breathlessly announced

"I hears 'em comin', Missie."

And

in

moment more

the sound of

galloping
the cow-

horses, mingled with the defiant

whoop of

boys, broke

upon the ears of the

girl as she

descended

the ladder from the platform into the room.

86

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

few moments
little

A
*'

later

and Uncle Hoke, followed by

the rest of his

band, rushed into the salon.

What's up?'' exclaimed the old cowboy, excitedly.

Then, noticing Carmcncita, he continued: "What,

little

my

friend

You

out here in the wilds ?

never ex-

pected to see you so far

away from

the rattle of the

checks

and

in cowgirl costume, too.

this

What

friendly

wind has blown you

way,

my bonnie

lassie ?"

"Just on a mission of friendship, Mr. Barry; but

too late to be of any service just

now

to

my
all

friend

Gyp, although

have ridden night and day

to save her father

the

way

from old Mexico

from the depredahis band."

tions of that villain Guiliadza

and

"Guiliadza

!"

repeated Uncle Hoke, looking puzzled.

the

"Why,
friend."

that's

Spanish nobleman

the

Colonel's

"Humph!"

ejaculated Carmencita, with a sneering

curl of her pretty lips; "Spanish nobleman, indeed!

Spanish devil the boldest robber on the border, chief

of the most desperate gang of cattle thieves and out-

laws that infest the Southwest."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

8^

"Why,
plied

surely

you cannot mean

that, Senorita?" re-

Uncle Hoke.
I

"Don't

know?" rejoined
his stronghold in

the girl.

"I have just

I learned that

come from

Mexico.

he was on an expedition against Colonel Daingerford,

and,

knowing
is

that there

is

no

limit to the deviltry

of
to

which he

capable, I have tracked the

gang here
too late
cried
!"

warn Gyp and her "Too

Hoke,
late ?

father

but too

late,

Why, what do you mean T'

Uncle

in alarm.

"They have kidnapped Gyp and her

cousin," cried

the girl, choking back a sob, her* throat convulsed with the intensity of her excitement and distress.

"What!

What!

Kidnapped the women?" roared

the cowboys in chorus.

"Yes, Marse Hoke," groaned Uncle Eph, "dey come

back just after ve

Missies."

left

and dun took away de

little

"I

see

It

all!"

yelled

Tody Rockbridge,

"they've

tricked us."

88

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

*'Yes/' interrupted Carmencita, "I

know how
ruse

they
pre-

work.

They have employed They

common
lure

when

paring to rob a ranch.

first

away

the guards
their prey

with one gang and then pounce with another."

down upon

"And," moaned Uncle Hoke, "while we have been

pursuing a decoy they have perpetrated
this crime."

"Exactly so/' hissed the high-spirited Tody, as a

sulphurous imprecation escaped
clenched teeth.
"Let's

from

between

his

mount

at once

and follow them," commanded

Uncle Hoke.

"No

use to do that," ventured Carmencita, with ani-

mation, and almost authoritatively.

"Why

not?" retorted Uncle Hoke, impatiently.

"Simply because you would be wasting time to no

good purpose," firmly asserted the

girl.

"How

so?

How

so?
girl

Explain

yourself!'^ cried

Uncle Hoke, eyeing the

with a curious admixture

atti-

of suspicion and surprise at the firmness of her

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

tude and determined tone of her voice.

89

"Why

not

proceed and give chase at once ?''

"Listen to me, Mr. Barry/' said Carmencita, drop-

ping her voice to almost a whisper and leading Uncle

Hoke

apart from the others.

''I

know what
when

is

best to

be done, and you will think

so, too,
it

I tell

you

what

know but
;

for the present

may

be better that

the knowledge

is

confined to you alone, as

my

mother,

my

brother and myself will be exposed to great danger

it

should

be discovered that
evil

am

instrumental
chief.''

thwarting the

designs of the bandit

"Most extraordinary!" mused Uncle Hoke.

Then,

replying to Carmencita, he continued: "I do not un-

derstand

all this

mystery.

In what way,
I

girl,

are you
last I

connected with these robbers ?

thought when

played monte in Laredo that your occupation was a

dealer for the fickle goddess in the gilded haunts of

border
the

civilization,

and now
at a

I find

you ostensibly doing

good Samaritan

remote ranch on the plains of

Texas/'

90
"Very
mystery
it.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

true,
if-

Mr. Barry, but there

is

a key to every

one could but always put one's hands upon

I will briefly clear

But come,
at the

up

this

mystery for

you and

same time lead you to the stronghold

I

of the bandits, where

am

sure the ladies will be

found; but

must

rely

upon your good judgment and

discretion to do nothing that

may

jeopardize the safety

of

my

mother and brother, both of

whom we

will find

there.

Now,

in a

word, that you

let

may know why we

it

are in such company,

me

say that

all

happened

through

my

brother's political connections in Mexico.

When

indicted and pursued by the

government he

sought and was afforded protection by the bandit

chief, Guiliadza,

and

in that

way my mother and

power.
Besides,

happened also to

fall into his

Ramon

Gonzalez, the gambler,

who was my

employer, and

whom

you know,

is

a friend of the bandit chief, and

yet, at least

he must not

knowjust
am

for

reasons of
all

my own

that I

a party to what they will

it,

con-

sider treachery,

and punish

if

they can, with the

most refined

cruelty."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Well, Carmencita, you

QI
dis-

may depend upon my

cretion not only to proceed with great caution, so that

no harm
it,

will befall

your

relatives,

but

we

will see to
Priscilla,
is

too, as

soon as

we

rescue

Gyp and Miss

that

some safer

retreat than the bandit's lair

pro-

vided for you and your mother."

"And my

brother?'' ventured Carmencita, in a sad

tone, her great, soft black eyes looking appealingly into

the face of the sturdy old cowboy.

"And your
work and
sure the
vice."

brother, too, Carmencita.

Some

decent
I

association shall be provided for him.

am

Kow King

will give

him a place

in his ser-

Uncle Hoke

little

suspected

when encouraging Car-

mencita by his unstinted praise of the

generosity that
all

Kow

King's

which remained of the good Colonel

was on

its

way

to the ranch, a lifeless form, in the big

commissary wagon, and attended by his faithful band

of cowboys.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Barry.

I will

be so happy

92

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

I

when
for

can find some more congenial surroundings

my

mother and myself, and

am

sure

my

brother

would be more than contented

to serve the

Kow

King,

for his connection with the outlaws

choice, but of necessity."

was not one of

"Well," replied Uncle Hoke, cheerily, "everything

will

come out

all

right in the end," for old

Hoke was

one of those optimistic souls who could see the bright

side of a coal scuttle
tacles.

through a pair of smoked spec-

''Now," continued Hoke, "call

little

me

'Uncle Hoke,'

girl; that's

what they

all

call

me around

the

ranch."

"All right, Uncle Hoke," replied Carmencita,

fall-

ing into the

at the
first

humor of
streak of

the old cowboy, "and

tomorrow
to the

dawn

will lead

you

stronghold of Guiliadza and his band."

"Yes,
leave

we must

be off as soon as possible, and

I will

word

for Cal

and

his boys to follow

on when he

returns.

Well

leave

two men here

to protect the

house

till

Cal returns, and he will leave others."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

93

Long before
to rise

the great golden disc of the sun began

into the eastern hori-

from the plains and cut

zon Carmencita, Uncle Hoke and his band of cowboys had taken their departure, and when they were
well on their

way westward towards

the Rio Grande

the cavalcade bearing the remains of the*

Kow King

and the dead cowboys was just entering the main

gate of the ranch stockade.

CHAPTER
gyp's escape

VIII.
cave.

from the bandits'

"Miss Daingerford," said Consuelo, "the chief has

asked
ladies

me

to present his

morning greeting to the

if it

and desires to know

will be agreeable to

grant him an interview this morning."

"Tell

him

no.

Since

have discovered the perfidy

of that imposter, I will have

no interviews with him.

Tell

him

demand
if

the freedom of

my

cousin and

myself, and

he persists in detaining us here, he

may

look for no mercy from

my

father,

who

is

surely seeking us

now and

will find us, notwith-

standing the isolation of this place and the cunning

of its master."

Since the arrival of Guiliadza and his captives at

the outlaws' retreat, the bandit chief had main-

94

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

tained a very

95
his

courteous

demeanor towards

prisoners, hoping

by

this

method

to soften the re-

sentment

of

the fiery Gyp.

He had

studiously

avoided any intrusion upon the privacy of the two

ladies,

who

occupied the most luxurious apartments

of the vast cavern

and were permitted

to ramble

and

ride about at will in the neighboring wilds, but al-

ways attended by two heavily armed

bandits,

whose

duty was to guard against and prevent any attempt

to escape.

When

Consuelo sought the chief to deliver Gyp's

message, he was lolling on a bed of green

moss

alongside of a great rock and beneath a giant oak, a

few yards from the entrance to the cavern, where

he was dividing the time between

an

enormous

black segar and the consumption of frequent potations of brandy,

which he would deftly convert into

long, aelicious drinks, with the aid of sugar, that he

took from a massive silver bowl resting beside him,

and the crystal water

from a hole

of a cool spring

which gushed

in the rock.

96

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

Consuelo repeated the answer of Gyp a

When

dark cloud of anger overspread the swarthy features

of the inebriated outlaw,

and with a muffled oath he

scrambled to his feet and started at an unsteady

gait towards the entrance of the cave.

"Where

are you going?"

demanded Consuelo,

springing suddenly in his path and intercepting his

pi ogress.

''Stand out of

my

way,

woman !"

roared the outto one

law, at the
side with a

same time roughly brushing her

sweep of
strike his powerful arm.

"You dare

me, you brute!" screamed the

as she felt

woman, her hot Mexican blood aroused

the rude touch of the besotted bandit.

"You'll not

go where those
dead body."

ladies are unless

you do so over

my
T'

"Then over your dead body

it'll

be,

you vixen

roared the infuriated brute as he

made

a vicious

lunge at the

which the

woman with his ponderous fist, but agile woman evaded by a swift dodging
a few rapid steps to one side.

movement and

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

97

Thus thwarted

in his brutal design, the outlaw,

uttering a yell like a wild beast and foaming with

rage,

made another lunge towards

she.

the

woman,

which

again avoided by nimbly jumping to the

side, whilst the

impetus given by the force with

ruffian

which the drunken

had hurled

his burly

form

forward sent him sprawling to the ground.

Quick as a

flash the lythe

form of the Mexican

space

woman

sped through the

intervening

and

alighted squarely on top of the prostrate outlaw,

while at the same instant the bright blade of a long,

slender poniard seemed to leap to her

hand from

its

scabbard, which

was concealed

in the folds of

her

Mexican

jacket.

With

a shriek like that of a

raised her arm,

wounded

tigress, the

woman

and just as the descending

stiletto, flashing in

the sunlight,

was about

to pene-

trate the heart of the struggling bandit, the strong

hand

of

Alonzo Cabellero seized the arm of his

fatal

mother and arrested the

blow.

98
*'Don't

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

do
that,

mother," exclaimed the young

Mexican.

"What's the mafter?"

kill

"Let

me

him!

Let
!''

me

kill

him, the devil

he

would have struck me

i

panted the angry woman,

Almost completely overcome by the liquor he had

drunk and vaguely realizing the danger of
tion, the

his posi-

outlaw made several abortive attempts to

regain his feet as Alonzo led his mother to the cave,

but finding himself too overcome by the intoxicants

he had consumed, he

stretched

himself

out

full

length on his back, and in a few

in a

moments was

lost

deep drunken slumber.

In a few hurried words Consuelo recited to her

son the details of her encounter with the bandit

chief

and the cause which led up to

sober,

it.

"When he becomes

mother,"

said
his

the

young man, anxiously, "he

geance upon us.
I

will

wreak

venin

have a mind to put a bullet

him before he awakes and remembers what has

curred/'

oc-

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Yes, son, do
ican
it

99

and right now," urged the Mexshe was

still

woman,

fiercely, for

trembling

with anger.
Raising his carbine, the young

man drew
;

a bead

upon the sleeping bandit

ing his weapon, said:

for a

moment

then, lower-

"Better not do
the band

it,

mother; the other members of

would

listen to
it

no explanation that we
result in the slaughter of

could

make and

would

us

all."

"Then,

my

son,

we must make our

awakes he

escape from
will seek to

here, for just as soon as he

visit his

revenge upon me."

at once," replied Alonzo, "before

"Let us go, then,

the

members

gf the

band return from the hunt.

They have been gone two days now and may be

expected at any moment.
I left

them

last night as

they were homeward bound.

They stopped

at the

ranch of old

Dominico Miguel to carouse and

but will not tarry long, as they have

gamble a

little,

loo

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

orders from the chief

raid/'

when

to report for another

Hastily entering the apartment in the cave which

Gyp and

her cousin occupied, she advanced towards

the young girl and said

"Miss Daingerford, your message has infuriated

the chief,

whom

found down by the spring, well

under the influence of drink.

off his

He

is

now
a

sleeping
ferocious

debauch and
will

will

wake up

in

humor, and
struck

no doubt do
I

me some

injury.

He

me when
to
I

attempted to prevent him from

in his

coming
tion,

your apartments

drunken condi-

and

was only

restrained from driving

my

stiletto into his heart

by the timely

interference of

Alonzo.
at once,

He and
and
it

must make our escape from here

for

would be well
us."

you and Miss Prime

to

accompany
*'But

how

can

we do

it

with the two armed ban-

dits

watching us?"
All of the

*'They are not watching now.

band

except the chief and the two guards are absent."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

lOI

"But the
not?"

chief

and guards are outside, are they

"Yes, the chief

is

outside, but asleep,

and the

guards

left

hurriedly only a short while ago to bring

that
for

back some horses

escaped from the corral.

They may not be back

"I

an hour or more."

am

ready," answered Gyp, eagerly.

"Anything

to escape from this horrid place."

"ril

go to the

corral,

mother, and saddle four

fleet

horses,

meanwhile put us up a few supplies and pro-

vide the ladies with arms and ammunition."

Saying

this,

Alonzo made

his

way

post

haste

towards the
of the

corral, whilst his

mother went

in search

arms and

supplies.

Hardly had Alonzo reached the corral when the

bandit chief, aroused by the rays of the sun beating

down

into his face, arose

from the ground and bent

All of his

his staggering steps

towards the cavern.

politeness and suavity

had vanished under the bru-

talizing influence of the liquor.

102

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

his heavy, long hair all tousled, his eyes

With

bleared and bloodshot and his features bloated and

inflamed, he presented a picture of coarse brutality

which evoked screams of terror from the two

ladies

as he reeled into their apartment with a sneering

curl of his swollen lips.

"Aha,
adza, do

my

pretty bird

think you can

defy Guili-

you?

Tm

not accustomed to contemptuous

treatment at the hands of subordinates or prisoners,

even though they

tion."

may

be ladies of wealth and sta-

"Stand back, you imposter and ruffian!" cried

Gyp, her eyes flashing
fire,

as the bandit approached

her and attempted to put his arms around her slender waist.
".Stand back, I say !" screamed the girl, trembling

with anger and indignation.

"Come, now, dearie; don't you love me

little bit

just a

more than anybody

else in the

world?" and

the bandit leered at her wickedly.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST,

**Love such a brute as you!
I loathe

IO3

and hate

you, monster that you are, and you will have to

reckon with
rage/'

my

father

and

his people for this out-

''Ha-ha-ha-ha
father!

!'*

shouted

the

outlaw.

"Your

Ha-ha-ha!

Reckon with the old Colonel,

ehr
*'Yes,

when you meet him

you'll sing another

tune,

you great hulking braggart."

laughted the besotted
Well, you impudent
ruffian;

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!''
''that's

a good one.

little

vixen,

you'll be
I'll

my

wife,

whether you

like it

or not, and

settle

with

my

dear father-in-law

when
!''

join

him

in

Davey

Jones' locker ha-ha-ha-ha

*'What do you mean, sir?" gasped the

pallor creeping over her beautiful

girl,

a sickly

features as a

vague suspicion of some great calamity which she

apprehended,
but
could

not

understand, flashed

through her excited brain.

"What do you mean by meeting my

father in

104

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

Jones' locker

Davy
IS

who

is

Davy Jones and

girl,

whati

his locker?"

demanded the

breathlessly.

"I mean," snarled the rufSan, with a vicious leer,

"I

mean

that the

Kow

King

is

dead.

saw him

fall

with a bullet in his heart from the carbine of a Co-

manche Indian."
Clasping her hands to her face,
piercing scream of anguish and
fell

Gyp

uttered a

prone upon the

hard floor of the cavern in a dead swoon.

shriek of terror broke from the lips of Miss

Priscilla as she

rushed to the assistance

of

her

young
aid
fell

consin, but before she could render her

any

fainting herself beside the fallen girl.

Just at this

moment Alonzo rushed

into the cav-

ern and, seeing the outlaw chief standing over the

prostrate forms of the

two women, concluded that

the outlaw, whose evil passions

when aroused knew

his vil-

no mercy, had struck down the victims of

lainous plot and
fiendish work.

was preparing

to

add murder to his

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Hold, Alvero Guiliadza!
jure those ladies

I05
in-

Another move to

and

Til

fill

you

full of lead."

"You
at the

will, will you?''

roared the bandit, foaming

dog, his disturbed features

mouth

like a

mad

purple with rage and the veins of his bull neck

standing out like whip cords.

"Yes, you black-livered fiend
;

make another move

and ni

let

the daylight

sift

through your ugly car-

cass like water thrpugh a sieve."

"Thoroughly maddened by the taunting threats

of his subordinate, the

hardy outlaw, who had

re-

covered under the tense excitement from the weak-

ening and benumbing effects of the liquor, sprang

with the agility of a tiger and

his

all

the strength ol

ponderous frame towards the young

man and
leveled
all

seized the barrel of the

gun which was

him before

his antagonist

had time to press the

fatal trigger, and,

turning the deadly weapon to

in his

one

side, clasped

Alonzo

powerful arms with

the grip of a grizzly bear.

"106

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

terrible tussle for

Then began a

the

mastery,

which meant death to Alonzo should

skill

his strength,

and endurance

fail

him

in the desperate en-

counter.

For several minutes the men, locked in

other's

each

embrace,

lurched,

twisted,

strained

and

struggled over the uneven floor of the cave.

Not a sound save the hissing

of rapid respiration

through their set teeth escaped from either of them.

The
his

carbine of Alonzo had fallen from his hand in

endeavor to break away from the crushing emNeither of the

on- the gun-

brace of the athletic outlaw chief.

men wore

his belt,

which was hanging

rack in the armory room of the cavern.

forth they

Back and

swung and swayed,

leaping and plunging,

beating each other in turns against the jagged surface of the rocky walls;

now

the fortune of battle

seemed to favor one and now another of the combatants.

Gradually the superior strength of the giant chief

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

IO7
tell

and

his great

animal endurance began to

upon

the resisting

power

of

the

younger man, whose

all

lythe and shapely form writhed with

ful

the grace-

motions of an Adonis struggling for freedom in

the iron embrace of a Hercules.

As

the younger
the,

man's strength began to wane

and
and

which

sharp

ears of the wily bandit detected in his fitful breathing,

which became shorter

fling

shorter

he

re-

doubled his efforts to

him

to the ground,
all

and

with one supreme

effort

he concentrated

of his

great strength into one irresistible hug, locking his

arms around

his opponent's waist

and bending him

backward

until to

offer further resistance

meant

certain farcture of the spine.

No
enemy

longer able to contend with

against

the

powerful

whom

he was pitted, the young

man

was sinking slowly

to the ground,

when

the tortu-

ous corridors of the spacious cavern resounded with

the echo of a crashing noise as Consuelo brought the butt of a carbine

down with stunning

force

upon

I08

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

the head of the ferocious outlaw, felling him like an

ox, senseless to the earth.

"Good!

Mother!

Another instant and

would

have been gone," breathed Alonzo, feebly, as he

sank exhausted to the ground.
*'Oh,

mercy on us

!"

exclaimed the spinster, recovall

is

ering from her faint, "what's

this?

Oh, see poor

is

Mr. Guiliadza
blood."

the

poor

man

hurt

he

full

of

"Yes, and deviltry, too," retorted the Mexican

woman.
"But he
will die.

Can't

we do something
villainy he

for

him?" piped the

spinster,

who, despite her discovery

had perpe-

of his true character

trated,
still

and the

nursed a secret tender feeling for the

intrepid outlaw.

"Yes," snapped the Mexican woman, "we can do

one good thing for him, and that would be to

the job, for he's hard to
|cill

finish

he has nine

lives, like
all

a cat, and he's treacherous and cruel, too, like

the cat tribe."

COWBOYS 0F THE WILD WEST.

IO9

As Consuelo spoke she drew from her bosom her

long, keen stiletto

and, approachitig

the

uncon-

scious outlaw, raised the

weapon

for a deadly blow,

when, with a scream of horror, the spinster threw

herself

on the body of the outlaw, thus shielding

fatal thrust of Consuelo's stiletto,

him from the

at the

and

same time pleading piteously with the

deter-

mined Mexican
dit chief.

woman

to spare the

life

of the ban-

Disgusted at this exhibition of what she considered chicken-heartedness, but not divining the real

sentiment and motives by which the

silly spinster

was
in

inspired, she reluctantly replaced her stiletto

her bosom, saying:

"Come

all

of

you; we must be

off before this

brute revives and the guard returns.*'

Then, turning her attention to Gyp, the deft ministrations of the

Mexican woman, aided by her son

soon had the grief-stricken
girl

and Miss

Priscilla,

sufficiently

restored to realize the seriousness of

no

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

their situation,

and

in a

few minutes more the party

had begun

their flight

and the outlaw regained con-

sciousness just as the last faint sounds of their

horses' feet could be heard clattering

down

the rug-

ged mountain

trail.

CHAPTER

IX.

PURSUED BY THE BANDITS.

When

Guiliadza recovered from the blow dealt

him
pris-

by the Mexican woman, and discovered that his

oners had flown, his fury

knew no bounds, and he

rushed

like

mad

bull for the corral.

Meanwhile the two guards and the main body of

the bandits had
all

returned and were putting their

ponies up as the chief entered the enclosure.

"No

tarrying here

now,

men," he

roared; "the

women

prisoners have escaped and I have been nearly

murdered by that treacherous renegade, Alonzo Cabellero,

and

his shrewish mother."

If

"A

rope for the pair of 'em

we can

catch 'em,"

bellowed Sancho Garcia, the outlaw chief's lieutenant.

This bloodthirsty proposition was greeted with grunts

III

112

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

all

of approval from

the outlaws, as neither Alonzo

nor his mother were any too popular .with the rank

and

file

of the banditti.

In a few moments more the

whole

band

were

mounted on fresh horses and

gitives,

in hot pursuit of the fu-

who had

good

start,

however, and, led by

all

Alonzo,
tricacies
try,

who was thoroughly

familiar with

the in-

of the rough and rugged mountainous countheir

were making

way

at a

good

gait in the di-

rection of the lowlands bordering the Rio Grande.

*'I

am

in great

dread that something dreadful has

overtaken Carmencita.

She has been gone a long

I

time from the cave, Alonzo.

her, and, not
if

am most

uneasy about
to us, even

knowing what has happened

no

she has met with

misadventure, she would

surely be
treat

murdered

if

she returns to the robbers^ reus.**

now, as they are furious with

"I

know

the route, mother,

that

she

would nat-

urally tae to

return

from the

Kow

King's ranch,
steer

where you

said she

had gone, and we can

our

course in that direction and intercept her."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Yes, that's whsit
falls in

II3

wq

mvs^, do^ Alonzo^ for if she

little

with the band she will be killed with but

I

ceremony.

was hoping

for her return several days

ago, because I had been planning the escape of these

ladies myself, but did not dare to

undertake

it

until

you and Carmcncita were with

us'*
if

"You

acted very wisely, mother, for

ladies,

you had

es-

caped with these

and either

my
act,

sister

or myself

had returned

in

ignorance of your

we would have
beyond
a

been taken by surprise and

doubt.''

slaughtered

"Yes, I
both,

knew

that,

and intended

to wait for
all

you

and we could then have escaped

together had

not these unforseen and unfortunate events occurred

to precipitate

our action."

"Well, mother, one thing you

bandits are right
cita will

may

be sure of

the

now

hot on our
first,

trail;
I

but Carmcnsure she will

are heading

have to meet us

and

am

return by the old mule

trail,

for which

we

now."

114

COWBOYS O? THE WILD WEST.

is,

^'And that

am

told, the

roughest route leading

to th cave after leaving the level country," ventured

Consiielo,

"Yes,

it is

rough so far as deep gorges, precipitous

ravines and gulches are concerned, and in

some places

there

is

just

room

for a horse to tread between sheer

rocks and almost fathomless abysses, yet for one as

skilful

and cool-headed as
trail,

my
it

sister there is

no danger,
and
our-

for the
solid, as

narrow as

is

in places, is level

you

will see, for

we

are going over

it

selves."

"But how about these American

"Well,
I

ladies,

Alonzo?"

don't

know about

the older one, but the

fame of the
skilful

Kow

King's daughter as a daring and

is

horsewoman

known

far

and near

in this sec-

tion of the country.

She can take care of herself

shooting or throwing the

when

it

comes

to riding,

lariat."

Gyp,
terrible

who was

so

overwhelmed with grief by the

at the

blow she had received

hands of the

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

brutal outlaw chief

II5
to her the

when he announced

tragic death of her father,

had no ears for anything and her son, but the

that

was being

said by Consuelo

spinster,

who had been

drinking in every word, inter-

rupted them, saying with no small measure of conscious self-reliance:

"You need have no

ranch lady
is

fears

of me.

Every Texas
as in her

as

much

at

home on horseback

rocking chair.

It is true

our horsemanship has been

principally confined to broad expanses of prairie, but

the narrow trails of your mountains have no terrors for us with these sure-footed
little

animals."

Just as the setting sun began to flood the western

skies with the
little

gorgeous

tints

of his master brush the

party went into

camp

in a small but comfortable

flat

space, sheltered

on one

side

by a towering rock,

whilst on the other side, about twenty feet from the

base of the rock, a

little

irregular

growth of stunted
soil

bushes in the crevices of the rocky

fringed the
feet,

brink of a yawning gulf, descending hundreds of

Il6

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

thirty feet in width,

and some
trail

which separated the

where the party was camped from a continuation

trail

of the same

on the opposite

side,

and which had

in a westerly

to be reached

by proceeding for miles

direction

and then doubling around where the gulf

terminated and returning to the east.

Such were the

tortuous windings of the mountainous trails that the

traveler destined to a point in the east
in

would be

led

any and every direction to attain

it.

From where

the party were

encamped they could

strike the trail, to

toss a stone across the

chasm and
to

reach which they would have

iours.

ride

for

several

"This

is

a good place to camp, mother," remarked

trail

Alonzo; "you see the

will

along which Carmencita

come

is

just across that deep ravine,

set out in the

and

if

she
will

comes along before we

see her, have her stop

morning we

and wait

till

we go around and

join her/'

"And
suelo.

tell

her

all

that has happened/' replied Con-

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

*'Do you

II/

know Carmencita ?" asked

the spinster.
does,

the

Mexican

woman, addressing

"No; but my cousin

and

have often heard

her speak of the beautiful Mexican girl that she met

in the city

of Mexico/'
I,

"Yes,''

added Alonzo, "and

too,

have often heard

Carmencita speak of her

friend

the

Kow Kow

King's

daughter
I learned

That

is

the reason I left the

gang when
King's

they were going to rustle the

cattle;

but I had no idea they were going to kidnap

I

his

daughter and niece, or

should have gone to the

ranch and exposed the plot."

"And you

did leave them, Alonzo," cried his mother,

her eyes sparkling with pleasure

"I surely did.

When

I left

with the gang I didn't

know

it

was the

Kow King
it

they intended to rob, but

I left

as soon as I found

out

and stopped

at the

ranch of a

man

know, and would never have gone

all

back to the cave at

mencita."

but for you, mother, and Car-

Il8
"It
is

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

fortunate

we

arc

away from

there

indeed

it

is/' said

Consuelo.

''Yes/' rejoined Alonzo, "it

was only a matter of

time that either GuiHadza or myself would have been

killed, as

he has been suspicious of me, and angry, too,

ever since I quit the raiding party."

All the while they were conversing the mother and

son were busy preparing the evening meal, while

Gyp

and the spinster gathered such dry grass and moss as

came

into their

way and

spread

it

under their Mexiluxury to the

can blankets, in order to add a

little

comfort afforded by the rough surface of the rocky

ground.

Absorbed

in

her gloomy thoughts, Gyp partook

sparingly of the savory meal which the deft hands of

Consuelo had prepared, while between every mouthful

the spinster gave vent to a series of long-drawn sighs,
indicating plainer than

words that some ruthless hand

at the strings of her

was tugging painfully

heart.

maidenly


COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.
"I trust you are not
ill,

II9
ventured

Miss

Prime/'

Alonzo, observing the preoccupied and sad expression

which had
maid.

settled

upon the countenaitce of the old

"Oh, dear,

no,'' tittered

the spinster, "but I

am

so

grieved about poor Mr. Guiliadza.

Whyerer

he

may

be dead, don't you know.''

the pity
if

"More

if

he

isn't,"

snapped Consuelo.
kill

"And
Alonzo.

he's not he'll

do his best to

us,"

added

"But murder," ejaculated the old maid, clasping

her hands and looking sky ward
to
;

"what an awful thing

have on one's
"It's

soul."
kill

not murder to

rattlesnakes in self-defense," firmly set,

hissed the

Mexican woman, between her

white teeth, while casting a contemptuous side glance

at the old

maid from beneath her frowning brows."

spinster.

"Oh, dear me, such a blow!" moaned the

"It reverberated all

through the cave."

"I hope
his

it

will continue to reverberate all

through

wicked head," growled the older woman.

120
**And had

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

it

not been for

my

cousin and myself

it

would not have happened," continued the

*'for

spinster,

we were

indirectly, at least, the occasion of it."

"You need

not

let

your conscience trouble you on

that score," returned Alonzo, not suspecting the real

cause of the spinster's solicitude.

lain of the

"Guiliadza
type,

is

vil-

most cruel and hardened

rid of

and the

world would be well

yet.

him

jbut

no such luck just

He was

only stunned."

"Dead, indeed!" laughed the Mexican woman, derisively.

"As

well try to crush an ostrich

egg with a

broomstraw as to crack that robber's

butt."

skull with a rifle

"Indeed, mother speaks knowingly," said Alonzo; "far from being dead, he
is

at this

very

moment

lead-

ing his band in pursuit of us."

As
tired

the gathering darkness warned the

little

party,
it

and jaded from

their strenuous ride, that

all

was

time to seek repose for the night, they

wrapped

themselves in their blankets save Alonzo, who, after

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

121

attending to the horses, kicked the remaining embers

of the

fire

over into the ravine, in order that the glow

or smoke might betray them to an enemy, and then

rolled himself a cigarette

and

sat

down near

the sleep-

ing

women

to spend as

much of

the night

on watch as

tired nature

would permit.

'm

CHAPTER

X.

CAPTURED BY THE BANDITS AND RESCUED BY THE COWBOYS.

Just as the

first

dim

light of

dawn

revealed the

rugged outHnes of the towering mountain peaks a

number of horsemen wended

along the narrow
tives,
trail

their

way

in single

file

towards the camp of the fugi-

who were

still

sound asleep and unconscious of

the close proximity of the bandits,

their pursuit

who had

continued

from the

start almost

without interrup*

tion or res.t

"If the signs do not deceive me, Sancho," remarked

the bandit chief to his lieutenant,

who was

following

dose behind him, "we are nearing our prey."

**ycs, chief, I

thought

heard the neighitig of a

122

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

horse.

I23

They're not far

off,

perhaps a Httle beyond

yonder bend, where the

tance

trail

broadens for a short dis-

fitting place to

make camp."
and take them

''We'll proceed with caution, Sancho,

by surprise.

Let's see,

how many

of us are there?"

"Ten, chief."
"Well, pass the
will be sufficient to

word along back

that four of us
is

make
and

the attack, as there

I'll

only

one

man

in the party,

take a shot at that traitor

or

no, better yet,

I'll

take him back to the cave and

;

hang him

to the big tree

then

we can

all

use his car-

cass for a target."

Sancho passed the word along back for

all

the men,

but the two behind him, to halt and remain where they

were

until further orders.

Then

the chief, followed

by Sancho and two other bandits, moved slowly and

noiselessly forward, leaving their ponies standing in

the trail with the bridles thrown forward over their

heads and touching the ground, which

is

the

way

that

cowboys train

their horses to stand,

and so long as the

124

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

and mus-

bridle is in that position the trained bronchos

tangs will never

stir

from the
and
all

spot.

"There they
chief,
trail,

are,

sound asleep," said the

in the

under his breath, as he turned the bend

bringing into view the
flat

space where the fugi-

tives

were encamped.

In another instant the bandits were standing over

their sleeping victims, each one holding his carbine in

one hand and a bunch of stout leather thongs

other.

in the

"Ready!

Go!" roared the

chief,

and two of the

outlaws sprang upon the sleeping Alonzo, and before

he could make any resistance overpowered and bound

him

securely.

At

the sound of the chief's harsh voice Consuelo

to gain her feet, but

awoke and attempted

seized

was quickly

and bound by the chief and Sancho.

The

car-

bines belonging to the fugitives were quickly gathered

in

and

their small

arms were taken from

their belts,

leaving them completely at the mercy of their captors.

"

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

125

"You'll suffer for this outrage, Alvero Guiliadza," shrieked the Mexican

woman.

"Well, you'll never witness

sneered the outlaw, "for
I'll

my

suffering, beldame,"

have you and that cayote

son of yours pushing clouds before

my

time comes to

cash in."

"Oh, dear Mr. Guiliadza, do

let

us go, and

and
I

smirked the fatuous old maid, "you come with us."

know our men

for

will bear

no resentment against you

my

sake."

"Ha! ha! ha!" roared

trap me,

the chief, "you

would

like to

my

pretty bird."
spinster,

"Oh, Alvero," wailed the

unmaidenly, but indeed
I

"do not think

"

me

do

do

"Do what?" bawled

"I lik^eyou, Alvero.

the chief
I

would save you

!
!

"
that

"Oh,

my

liver

Oh, ha ha ha

Hear

Save

me!

Why, you

old persimmon, you couldn't save a

nest of blind mice.

Now, no more

of this tomfoolery.
it

If you have any affection to waste bestow

on San-

126
cho.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD^WEST.

Eh, Sancho
!''

whooped

the outlaw, slapping his

thigh and exploding with laughter.

"Snakes!

Snakes!

Take 'em away!

Take 'em
to be very

away!" yelled the Heutenant, pretending

much

terrified,

while dancing, dodging around and

hiding behind the other two bandits.

"Well,

my

haughty

little

lady," cried the chief, ap-

proaching Gyp and peering into her face with an ugly

leer of triumph,

"thought you would escape me, eh?

little

Flew from 'the dovecote, my

dove, did you?"

in the spinster, but

"Oh, dear Mr. Guiliadza," broke

before she could finish her sentence the outlaw turned

upon her

fiercely:
this nonsense,

"Enough of
I

you old cranberry

tart.

have no more use for you than a monkey has for

tails.

two

Do you
had
to

think,

you vain

old*

magpie, that

because

make

love to

you

in order to be near

my

sweetheart here," pointing to Gyp, "that I'm going

to stand for

your

silly

palaver

now?"

Then, turning to Gyp, he continued

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Come,
sure that
dear, we'll
all

12/

go back

to the cave,

and

am

when you

see

and know more of Alvero

Guiliadza, the king bandit of Mexico, you'll be proud

to bear his

name and wear

the chain of roses with

life."

which he

will hold

you captive for

And

the impudent robber chucked the

young

girl

under the chin.

"Don't touch me, you monster.
the sight of you; leave
I

abhor and loathe

me

at once,"

screamed the

girl,

with heightening rage.

"I'll

teach you to spurn me, you haughty vixen,"

roared the outlaw, seizing

Gyp roughly by
!"

the throat.
in a voice

"Unhand

that lady,

you cutthroat

came

of thunder from across the ravine, and as the bandits

quickly turned to look in that direction they were cov-

ered by the carbines of a dozen cowboys.

"In the twinkling of an eye the outlaw drew from

his belt

an enormous

pistol

and pointed

it

straight at

the head of the

young

girl; at the

same time hurriedly

pris-

commanding

his

companions to cover the other

oners in like manner.

128

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

yelled:
to interfere with
I

Then he
.

*'Who are you

Alvero Guiliadza?"
the custody of those

"I'm Calvin Yancey.

ladies."

demand

"Have

a care, Mr. Cal Yancey.

I'll

If

you don't lower

your guns

blow these women

into fragments."

Fearful that the desperate outlaw would execute his

brutal threat, the

cowboy

chief lowered his carbine

likewise.

and ordered his comrades to do

"We

have lowered our guns,

now

lower yours,"

cried the

cowboy chief across the chasm.

re-

With a sneering laugh of triumph the outlaws

stored their pistols to their belts,

when immediately

strange and curious thing occurred.

"From behind
the flank of
dits

a long, low ledge of rock, slightly to

where the cowboys had covered the banlines,

with their carbines, four long, black

like

the tongues of four monster serpents, shot out across the chasm, and, twisting their sinuous forms around

the necks of the burly bandits, held them for a

mo-

FOUR LONG, BLACK LINES, LIKE THE TONGUES OF FOUR MONSTER SERPENTS, SHOT OUT,
Page
129.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

I3I

ment

fast in their deadly

coils,

and then, suddenly

contracting, with a sharp jerk dragged

them forward

over the precipice into the yawning gulf below.

As

the bodies of the four bandits shot

down

into

the abyss Carmencita and three of the cowboys rose

from behind the

ledge,

and were greeted by a burst of

rousing cheers and yells from a dozen throats.

**Bravo
!

Bravo

!"

shouted Uncle Hoke, and a dozen

other voices joined in

"The

lariats

have

won

the day

Long
The
trail,

live the

cowboy and

his lariat V'

bandits

who had been

stationed back

on the

hearing the commotion and unaware of the pres-

ence of the cowboys,

now advanced towards

the camp,

but as soon as they hove in sight they were met by a

deadly volley from the cowboys which sent four of
their

number tumbling down

into the

chasm, and the

others beat a hasty retreat, abandoning their ponies

and disappearing behind the bend

in the trail.

"Look down there!"

yelled

Uncle Hoke, bending

over the edge of the chasm and pointing to a dark ob-

132
ject

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

squirming
in the

branches of a small tree which

grew from a
deep ravine
*'It's

large crevice far

down

in the side

of the

that skunk Guiliadza, as sure as

my

name's

Uncle Hoke."

And

it

was the outlaw

chief,

who, more fortunate

than his comrades, had alighted in the branches of the

tree,

which broke
as the

his fall

and saved

his worthless life.

As soon

cowboys discovered the chief a dozen

carbines were pointing at

him and ready

for action, but

the wily bandit, hearing their yells and anticipating

their
fire,

swung himself within

tree

the shelter of the

crevice

from which the

had sprouted and was

completely hidden from view.

Every now and then

he poked his head out from his place of concealment

and hurled oaths and

who, finding
lets,
it

yells

of defiance at his enemies,

impossible to reach him with their bul-

gave up the hunt and proceeded on their way

trail to

along the

double around the gulf and join the

rescued party.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

1 33

A few hours
same spot on

later the victorious

cowboys passed the

the
es-

their

homeward march with Gyp and

and narrow

three companions of her adventure

cape.

CHAPTER XL
FIGHT WITH THE INDIANS.

Nothing occurred to

interrupt

the

homeward

journey of the cowboys until they had crossed the

Rio Grande and were well on their way

towards the

in

Texas
fell

Kow

King's ranch,

when they

in

with another party of cowboys from a neighboring

ranch,
cattle

who were

returning with a large herd of

which had been stolen by the Indians and

recaptured by the cowboys.

It

was

late in the

evening and the cattle were

lying down, while several cowboys

were

riding

around them and singing to them the cowboys' song

to soothe the cattle

and divert their attention from

the howling wolves and other prowling beasts of

134

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

prey.

I35

During the two hours of each watch

all

through

the night the cowboys sing without cessation the same

song

to as

many

different tunes as their several reper-

toires contain:

Lay

nicely,

now,

cattle, don't

heed any

rattle,

But

quietly rest until

morn;

For

if

you skedaddle,

we'll

jump

in the saddle,

And

head you as sure as you're born.

When

the usual exchange of courtesies between the

two bands of cowboys was over, and which consisted

of a generous pull at the big brown jug which was an

important part of the equipment of the mess wagon,

Cal Yancey decided to accept an invitation from thq

leader of the cowboys
to

who were

in charge of the herd

make

their

camps together for the

night,

and

es-

pecially as there

had been numerous bands of warlike

Comanche Indians committing depredations throughout that section of the country.

As

gently as he could Cal

their journey

Yancey had recounted

to

Gyp during

from Mexico the sad

details

136

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

of her father's death, and

how

he had brought the re-

mains of the good old Colonel and the cowboys who

were

killed

with him, to the ranch.

He

described the

pathetic scenes at the ranch attending the last rites

performed over the remains of the Colonel and the

brave cowboys, and in a voice husky with emotion he

poured into the ears of the beautiful Gyp the tender

feeling

which he

felt

for her

now

that she

was an

orphan and almost alone

in the wild

West, and ex-

pressed the hope that his ardent love for her would

some day develop

into those

sacred relations which

would give him the right

and
fill

to be her protector forever

in her

the dismal void

made

young

life

by the

loss of her

good and noble

father.

As

the evening ad-

vanced the cowboys stretched themselves around on the

ground

in a circle, in the center of

this the

which was the mess

spread their
seated

wagon, and under

women had

blankets for the night; but

Gyp and Cal were

rest

some
a

Httle distance apart

from the
;

by the side of

little fire

of buffalo chips

for the nights were

grow-

ing

chilly.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

I39

The evening meal had been over

for an hour or
little fire,

more, but Cal was boiling some coffee over the

insisting that

Gyp should have

a nice hot drink before

she retired for the night, a performance which

was

more suggestive of an innocent scheme on

his part to

enjoy alone the society of his sweetheart than from

any

real necessity for refreshments.

"Yes, Gyp, dear,

when

returned to the ranch, to-

gether with the gloom into which the loss of your

father had plunged us
that
all,

the terrible shock of finding

villainous

you had been kidnapped by that

left

Mexirea-

can robber
son,

me

for a time almost bereft of

my

and had

not realized the importance of coolness

and quick

action,

and taken the

trail

of Uncle
again."

Hoke

without delay,

we might never have met

girl,

"Indeed, Cal," replied the young

gently laying

her dainty hand upon the broad shoulder of the sturdy

cowboy, "had

I not

been sustained
poor,

by the

certain

knowledge that

my

dear old father and you

would come swiftly

to our rescue, I could never have

140

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

endured the loathsome advances of that outlaw monster

He

threatened to

make me

his wife

by force

"

"The

fiend!" muttered the cowboy, with a hissing

his teeth,

sound from between

mingled with which

there lurked the suspicion of a good,

round oath,

nipped in the bud out of respect for his gentle companion.

"Oh,
it,

if I

had only been

there.

And

just to

think of

had a dead bead drawn on the hulking^

I

brute from across the chasm.

dared not

fire

for fear

he would

kill

you.

Well, well,

I'll

have another chance

at him, for

Tm

quite sure he will get out of the ravine,

as he

is

as familiar with every turn

is

and crook

in those

mountains as a hedgehog

with his hole/'

trouble

"No,
enough.

Cal,

we have had

and

bloodshed
will over-

For

my

part, I

hope the authorities

take Guiliadza in his criminal career, and the country

will then be relieved

of a great scourge."

"Well,

if

the law does not get

him

my

cowboys

will, for I will

rp.3

not pass lightly over the suffering he

caused you.

And

think of

it!

What might have

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

happened had we not arrived just
to save

I4I

in the nick of time

you

!"

*'Yes, Cal, dear,

-js/'

wc owe our

lives to

you

all

of

*'No, Gyp/'

answered the cowboy, slowly and

se-

riously, "as dear as

you are

to

me,

it is

not

my privilege

to claim that honor,

however willing

might have been

it is

to die a thousand deaths to save

you but
;

to that
all

brave Mexican
debted.

girl,

Carmencita, that

we

are

in-

But for her Uncle Hoke would never have

to follow you, nor

known where

would

I."

"How

did you find Uncle Hoke, Cal?''

"He had
trail

not

many hours
;

the start of us, and his

was
it

easily followed

but to be sure

we would

not

lose

Uncle Hoke, who

is

an old cowboy and ingenuity

personified, left flour along his trail.

Now, who would

Hoke?
ranch

have thought of

that

but Uncle

When
all it

opened the note he

left for

me

at the

said
I

was

'Cal

Gyp

stolen.

Follow me.

Flour on

trail.'

set out as

soon as

I possibly

could after Uncle Hoke,

142

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

and overtook him just a few hours before we rescued

you."
"I will see that Carmencita and her mother are pro-

vided for in a manner hereafter to insure them against

the necessity of consorting with bandits,

and you, Cal,

please take her brother in the employ of the ranch,

for

now

that

my

dear father
fall

is

gone the whole respon-

sibility

of the ranch will

upon you."
sweet responsibility of

"And when. Gyp,

its

will the

lovely mistress fall

upon me ?"
Cal,"

"Whenever you

like,

murmured the

girl, softly,
it

turning her face away from her lover, for

was only

the darkness that concealed the delicate pink which suf-

fused the cheeks of the beautiful Gyp.

The night had grown

old before the lovers sepa-

rated to snatch a few hours' sleep before daylight,

when they would

continue their

separate from their

cowboy hosts and

homeward

journey.
to

Just as day broke the

camp began

assume an ap-

pearance of

activity.

The cook was

bustling around

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

the mess

I43

wagon

getting the breakfast ready.

Cow-

boys were scudding here and there over the prairie,

heading off small bunches of

disposition to

cattle

which showed a

wander away

after the

main body of the

rest.

herd had arisen from their night's

Suddenly a succession of wild shouts was heard in

the direction of the herd, as several cowboys

came

fly-

ing over the intervening space driving ahead of them a

number of

steers.
!

"Rope 'em Rope 'em !"

yelled the

cowboys to
fire.

their

comrades, clustered around the cook's

Without stopping for any explanation of

this sud-

den and strange action on the part of the men driving

the steers, a

number of the cowboys sprang

into their

saddles and were flying in every direction, throwing

their lariats with unerring

aim and bringing the bulky

animals to the ground, each

man

springing from his

horse and holding the fallen steer on the ground with

as

much

ease as

if it

had been a frolicking lamb.

had been thrown

When

several dozen of the steers

144

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

held,

and firmly

one of the cowboys who had driven

in the cattle

rushed into-the camp, where his chief was

in conversation with Cal

Yancey, and cried

!''

"Comanches

Comanches

**Where?" asked the chief, anxiously.

"A band

of them not over a mile away.

stray stock.

We

saw

them while pursuing the

a number for
killing."

Have

driven in

To

a tenderfoot this maneuver would have been a

life

mystery, but the assembled cowmen, whose wild

the plains led them into

on

many

deadly encounters with

the ferocious Comanches, understood perfectly what

he meant, and

in

another moment, from a signal given

by

their chief, the

cowboys begait the slaughter of the

one
fell

fallen cattle, cutting their throats with

swoop

of their sharp knives, and then dragging the carcasses

into the

camp and ranging them around

in a circle,

piling

them one on top of the

it

other, three high.

Al-

though

was known

that Indians

were

in the vicinity,
until the

no one suspected

that they

were so near

cow-

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

boys gave the alarm, and just in
could
time?,

I45

as the Indians

now

be seen distinctly on the crest of a swell

in the prairie

and riding

in

open order towards the

camp.
*'They intend to circle around us and harass us with
their fire

and stampede the herd/'

said

old
in

Mose
charge

Dibble, the leader of the

cowboys who were

of the herd.
"All right," growled Uncle Hoke, 'let 'em
circle.

We'll take care of 'em

all

right

from that

circle

of

dead

steers."

As
made
lie

the Indians approached nearer the

to enter the circular

women were

breastwork thus formed and

down, sheltering themselves behind the carcasses of

the cattle.

Some

of the

men took

their positions behind

the breastworks, where they could, with deadly effect,

fire

over the bodies of the animals, whilst others,

their ponies, rode

mounted on

towards the Indians.

yells

With demoniacal whoops and

shots the savages

and

firing

of

came swooping down upon the

146

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

camp, lured on

by the

mounted cowboys, who

turned their horses and pretending to be retreating in

panic.

The

little

ponies of the cowboys bent every sinew

shot across the prairie with the

to their

work and

speed of arrows, doubling back after passing the improvised fortress and, dismounting, sought shelter in
the enclosure.

"Let 'em have

volley

it !"

shouted Cal Yancey, and deadly

was poured
in

into the

advancing Indians, which

their horses.
fire,

tumbled them

numbers from

The

Indians returned the cowboys'

but with no

effect, as their bullets

cattle,

were buried
to be a

in the bodies of the

effective

which proved

most

breast-

work.
After a few minutes of sharp fighting on both
sides,

the savages, realizing that they were outgeneraled and

that they

were getting the worst of the

battle,

turned

and

fled.

The cowboys

instantly

mounted

their horses

and followed the Indians

at full speed.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

For
several minutes a running fight

I49

was kept up

and three or more of the savages were dropped from

their saddles.

Just as the cowboys were closing

to complete their victory

down
total

on the savages

by the

annihilation of the remaining ones, another

band of

painted savages rose in sight from a depression in the

undulating prairie, which had up to this

moment

con-

cealed their approach, and were galloping to the rescue

of their tribesmen.
"Halt!''

commanded

the

cowboy

chief; "they are

getting too thick

nearer."

for us

better
drew

not approach any

As

the reinforcing band

tall,

nearer, the

cowboys

recognized a
rated with
all

powerful Indian, handsomely deco-

the feathers and ornaments usually

worn

by a great chief when on the warpath.

When

the

two bands of Indians came together,

all

this

chief lined

them

up facing the cowboys, and riding

gesticulating wildly and yelling

up and down the

in his

line,

own

language, succeeded in making some of the

150

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

cowboys,

who understood

little

of the

Comanche

tongue, understand that he believed the cowboys were

stronger in numbers and better armed than his warriors,

and that he would not continue the

to

fight,

but

would lead the cowboys a long chase

were many Indians; but that
chief
if

where there

there

was any white

to

among them who had courage enough

meet

him

in single

combat, he would fight him at a point of

forces.

ground midway between the two opposing

"ril fight

him

!''

shouted Cal Yancey.

"I

know

that

red devil and he's the greatest cattle thief that roams
these plains.''

"No, Cal;

let

me

fight him,"

sprang from a dozen

throats in chorus.

For some few moments there was no reply given to

the big chief,

who

interpreted the silence as an evi-

dence of cowardice, and galloping towards the cow-

boys alone, he stood upon the g'round which he had

suggested for the battle and poured out a volume of
abusive Indian lingo, accompanied by derisive shouts

and

spitting in the direction of his enemies.

COWBOYS OP THE WILD WEST.

"Paleface coyote.
big chief alone."
Paleface squaw man.

I5I

No

fight

Raising his carbine

aloft,

and despite the remon-

strances of Uncle Hoke, Cal stuck spurs into his horse's

flanks and, venting a long, loud
off

cowboy

yell,

started

on a

full

run towards the bantering savage.

fifty

When

Cal was within

yards of the big chief

his horse fell to the ground, having been killed

bullet

by a

from the

chief's carbine

but almost at the same

instant he fired himself, striking the chief square in

the breast, which caused

him

to reel

and

fall

from

his

horse

but before he had fairly touched the ground the

athletic

cowboy was upon him, knife

its hilt

in hand,

and

drove the keen-edged weapon to

in his breast.

In the next instant the intrepid cowboy had jerked the

war bonnet from

the head of the chief

belt as

and had

his

gory scalp swinging at his

he jumped upon the

dead Indian's horse and galloped back to his

own men.
and the

The whole

affair occupied but little time,

Indians seeing the

summary manner

in

which their

152

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

noted chief was dispatched by the cowboy leader, were

stricken with superstitious awe, and, turning, fled precipitously across the plains.

"I guess those red devils won't harass us any

for a spell, now," cried Uncle

more

Hoke, as the

Kow King

ranch cowboys took leave of their hosts and proceeded

on

their journey

homeward.

CHAPTER
THE REVEALED

XII.
SECRET.

One wet and

the rescue of

chilly night

about three months after

Gyp and her companions

from

the

clutches of the desperate

Mexican brigand, the four

women were
crackling

sitting

around the cheerful blaze of a

fire in

the large drawing-room of the

Kow

King's ranch.

Tea had been served

ladies a

in the

drawing-room for the

few hours after the family supper, which was

one of the old-established customs at the ranch, and

Uncle Eph was busily moving about clearing away

the remnants of the night's collation, when, with a

sudden and mysterious motion of his hands, while at

the same time rolling his eyes about until they looked
like little

snowballs against the dark background of

153

154
his face, he

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

managed

to attract the attention of Car-

mencita, and beckoned to her to follow him.

prised by the strange actions of the old slave,

Sur-

and

curious to

know what he meant by

so

much

mystery,

she rose quietly, and, leaving her companions, followed

the old

man

into the spacious hall outside.

little

"Come wif me,

Missie," whispered Uncle Eph,

"I'se got sumpin' f er ter tell

yuh but we muss go out

;

on dc poach whar we kin

talk/'

"All right. Uncle Eph," said Carmencita, following

the old

man

out on the broad porch.

quite curious

"Dar was sumpin'

I specs
it

wot happened,

an'

war

better fer

me

to tell

yuh by
wif de

yerself,

den yuh kin do wat yuh

missies."

likes

bout

it

res' o'

de

"Well, go ahead. Uncle Eph," answered Carmencita,

her curiosity
little

now thoroughly

aroused.

"Well,
ridin'

Missie, dar

wus a gem'man who come

cowboys dun
to

up

to de kitchen do' just arter de

finished supper

and gone

off,

and he say

me

'Uncle

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

Eph, you 'members me?
I
is

155

Mister Gonzalez, wat

war a
ter

friend ob your ole massa, and I

want for you

it

do

me

a favor/

Well, I axed him wat

war, an'

he done

tole

me

to gib dis hyar letter to de lady Carletter,

mencita, and I

dun took de

and hyar
his

it

be."
shirt,

Fumbling under the bosom of

Uncle Eph produced the
mencita.
letter

cotton
it

and handed

to Car-

Tearing the
read:

letter

open with nervous haste, she

Carmencita

must

see

you

at once.
it.

Your

safety

and that of your friends depends upon

Mount your

horse as quickly as possible and come due west from

the southwestern corner of the corral until you reach the lone tree.
I will wait for

you

there.

Ramon

Gonzalez.
girl;

*'What can this mean?" mused the puzzled

"what can he want witk me away out there on the

prairie such' a night as this?

How

did he

know

that

am

at the

Kow

King's ranch ?^'

IS6

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

to

These and many more questions were suggested

the girl's excited brain.
"I'll

go," she said, under her breath.

"Ramon

is

gambler and a bad

man

in

many

respects, but he'll not

harm me

anyway, he loves me, and he must know of

evil

some impending
there's

or he would not be here.

I'd bet

some

deviltry brewing,

and that
go."

villain Guil-

iadza

is

at the

bottom of

it.

I'll

So as not

to

alarm the other women, Carmenclta,

feeling indisposed, said she

upon the plea of

retire to her

would

room, instead of which she hastened to

the corral, and a few minutes later

was riding across

the prairie as swiftly as her pony could Hft his trira

little legs.

The

night was so dark that the girl could not set

the lone tr^e in the distance, but she

tion,

knew

the direc-

and after a

ride of half an

hour she saw a dim

light

moving back and

feet at a point to be.

forth within a space of only a

few

where she thought the lone tree

ought

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"That's a signal/' she said to herself.

1 57

In a few minutes more the girl drew rein on the

spot where she had seen the light, and then she

saw
it

dimly the outlines of the lone

tree, so called

because

was the only

tree in a radius of

many

miles upon the

unbroken expanse of the vast

prairie.
is

"Ah, Carmencita, you have come; that

good,'*

and the owner of the

suddenly from
briskly

voice,

who seemed

to

emerge

behind

veil

of darkness, stepped
girl

up

to the

young Mexican

and stood beside

her pony.

"But why have you sent for me, Senor Gonzalez^

Not

to

join

you again

in those dreadful
I

gambling

hells of the city of

Mexico, for
I

have no need of that

now.
as she

I
is

am happy where
now

am, and the 'Kow Kween,'

styled since her father's death, has taken

me and my mother
as

with her, and

we

are provided for

members of
"That
is

the family."

very good of her, Carmencita, but no more

I

than she should do, for

have heard from the

lips

of

158

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

Guiliadza himself
clutches,

how

you

rescued her from his

and he has sworn eternal vengeance against

in his design to possess himself

you for thwarting him

of the girl and her wealth."

"Where
*^He
is

is

Guiliadza?" asked the

girl.

in the city of

Mexico, and

at this

very mothe most

I

ment

recruiting a

new band from amongst

city.

desperate characters of the

here.

That

is

why

am

When

learned Lis plans I hastened here to see

you and put you on your guard."

"How
"It

did you

know

was

here,
*

Senor?"

was no great

stretch of

nagii^ation,

Carmen-

cita, to infer

that Miss Daingerford

would gratefully

recognize the service you have rendered her, and not

see
ter

you

adrift

and homeless after losing the only

shel-

you had on her account."

leave
that

"I intended to

robbers'

den anyway,

sooner or later," remarked Carmencita.

"Yes, but there was Consuelo and Alonzo," repled

the gambler, and you

know Alonzo was hunted down

"

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

159

by the authorities and had no refuge but with the outlaws."

*True," rejoined the

the employ of the

girl,

"but he

is

now

safe and In

'Kow Kween.'
"I

"Good," exclaimed the gambler.

in

knew

the boy
is

Mexico

a likely lad he was.

I'm glad he

from

under the influence of Guiliadza."

"But why have you come

all

the

way from
told

the city
in

of Mexico to see me, Senor?

"You

me

your

note that some danger threatened

me and my

friends/'

"Yes, Carmencita, and

it is

because of

my

love for

you

that I

am

here."

'

"Oh, Senor, do not say

that.

You know

that I

am
me

grateful to you for the interest you manifested for

when

was

friendless
I

and alone

in the great city of

Mexico, and

entertain the kindest sentiments toit

wards you, but there

I

must end

indeed

it

must, and

may
"Ah,

as well
I see,

tell

you now."
in love

you are

with someone, perhaps

gambler, with

richer

and younger than

I," replied the

l6o

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

just the suspicion of

amusement betrayed

in his well-

modulated voice.
**Well, yes, Senor, since

you ask me,

do love an-

other,

and he

is

younger than you,

to be sure, but not

richonly a
*'But

plain, honest
if

cowboy."

what

he

is

not rich, Carmencita?

You

are

rich

enough

to

buy

all

the cattle in a county for your

cowboy," replied the gambler, breaking into a low,

musical laugh, which added greatly to the growing

astonishment of the young

girl,

who

expected that her

at-

discouragement of the gambler's professions of

tachment would excite him to anger rather than provoke an exhibition of mirth
"But, Carmencita," continued the Senor,

"my

love for

you

is

of more ancient origin and more abiding than

that of your

cowboy

lover."

"I have told you,

Senor," answered Carmencita,

gently, for she could not forget the gambler's friendliness to her in

days gone by, "that

am

grateful to
is all."

you and

will

always be your friend, but that

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"No,
child,

l6l

more than

that you'll be to me.

I love

you, Carmencita, and always have, but not in the

way

you

think.

You

have misconstrued
Senor,

my

attentions,

child," continued the

now

speaking seriously

and

in a low, soft voice.

*'But

what do you mean, Senor?

do not under-

stand you.
cried the

Speak, Senor, so I can understand you,"

girl, startled

young

by the unexpected turn

the conversation had taken and the air of mystery

which the Senor's manner assumed.

"I love you, Carmencita, because

"

''Because what?

Speak, Senor, speak!"

"Because,

Carmencita BECAUSE

YOU ARE
girl,

MY DAUGHTER!"
"What
!

What !" gasped

the

young

descend-

ing from her pony.

I

"You my

father,

Senor Ramon?

cannot believe
"It
is

it."

true,

Carmencita, and the locket you wear

around your neck contains the picture of your mother

and myself,

my

dear wife,

who was drowned

in the

l62

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

all

wreck of the vessel which brought us

to Mexico."

Carmencita had never shown the locket to anyone,

as Consuelo had always cautioned her not to do so

when
value,

she was growing up, as

it

was an
it

article of

much

and Consuelo feared that

child, so

might be stolen
it

from the
den from

Carmencita had always kept

hid-

sight,

suspended from a gold chain which

she wore under her clothing.

"What do you know

citedly,

of the locket?'' she asked, ex-

peering intently into the face of the gambler.

that
it

'1

know

contains the miniature of your

mother, a beautiful young woman, with great black

eyes and a luxurious suit of black hair falling in long
coils

over her shoulders from beneath a broad band

of pearls which encircles her head."

"And what
"And on
itials

else ?"

asked the young

is

girl, eagerly.

the inside of the cover

engraved

tjie in-

of

my name

and

hers.

gave her the locket

when we were both young and

betrothed.

My

age and

heavy beard, with the ravages of time, have no doubt

BECAUSE YOU ARE

Page

MY DAUGHTER.
163.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

changed
server

165

my

appearance very much, but a close obfail

would not

even

now

to recognize in the old,

weatherbeaten gambler, Gonzalez, your father,

Don

Ricardo Alvarez, a nobleman of old Spain/'

"Dumbfounded, Carmencita
for several

remained
if

speechless

moments, and then, as

speaking to some-

one far away, she said:

"Yes,
I

have often wondered where

had seen the

in

Senor before.

He seemed

to

have htcn once

life.

some
I

way
see

associated with

my

early
girl,

Yes, yes,

now

it all,''

and the young

bursting into a flood of

tears,

threw herself into the brawny arms of the gamlike a child.

bler

and sobbed
last I

"At

have the secret which Consuelo has withI

held so long from me.

for

have

all

these years longed

my

dear parents, for, whilst kind and devoted to

I

me
real

always,

knew always

that Consuelo

was not

my

mother."
Italian lady of

"Your mother, Carmencita, was an

high rank and great wealth, a daughter of one of the

i66

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

proudest families of Rome.

lently

Her

parents were vio-

opposed to our union, and vowed that neither

she nor her issue should ever inherit their vast for-

tune as long as

I lived.

After our marriage

in living

my

patrimony soon melted away

up

to the station in

which we were born,

to-

gether with unfortunate speculations into which I was

inveigled by designing men.

Destitution followed, and then

came a

crisis.

was

induced to exploit a great African bubble, and, having

had no business
in the I

training, I

was ignorant and

plastic

hands of sharp and unscrupulous men.

to rope into the

After
friends
left to

had been led

scheme

all

my
was

and acquaintances the bubble

shoulder the crime with
against me.

burst,

and

skilfully

plotted

evidence

All the other perpetrators of the swindle

escaped except Guiliadza,

who was my

secretary and

held jointly guilty with me.

there

When

discovered that
cell, I

was no future

for

me

but that of a felon's

to

disguised myself and

made my escape

Mexico on a

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

sailing vessel with

167

you and your mother and Consuelo,

your mother had taken from a

an orphan

girl

whom

convent as a companion to her.

''When

in the

Gulf of Mexico our vessel was caught

in a terrible cyclone

and blown on the

reefs.

The

crew and

all

the passengers were

drowned

in attempt-

ing to leave the ship, except Consuelo, yourself and me,

and

was saved by a marvelous chance.

falling spar, I
it

Having been

knocked senseless by a

became entangled

in the rigging attached to

and was washed ashore,

where
hours.

awoke on

the beach after lying insensible for

How

your poor mother was drowned we never

vis

knew, but after the storm abated some fishermen

ited the wreck,

which was

fast

going to pieces

in the

surf,

and found Consuelo and you and brought

yoi|

ashore.

You were

then a

little

over four years of age.

lost.

AH of
way

our valuables and money were

made my
village to

to the city of

Mexico by gambling from

settled in that city I

village,

and when once

became a
liy^U-

professional gambler, having- no other

means of

68
It

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

was
I

hood.

shortly after our arrival in the city of

Mexico that you

conceived the idea of concealing from

my

relationship to you,

and

enlisted Consuelo's
inter-

co-operation in
est.

my plan,

which was for your best

caused a rumor to reach

I

Rome

that I

had been

drowned, and then

changed

my

name.

This would

insure for you the inheritance of your maternal grandparents, to

which you are now

entitled, as the last one,

your grandmother, has just died at a very advanced

age,

and there

is

nothing

now

to prevent

you from en-

tering into your fortune unless Guiliadza, the bandit,

who knows
comfortable

the secret, should betray us

but

think a

sum of money
a desperate
if

will pacify him, and, al-

though he

is

man and

robber, he will never

reveal the secret

once he agrees to such proposition

as

we may make

to him.

As

for Consuelo

well, she

will

be faithful unto death, for she has loved you with

a devotion second only to that of your

own

mother,

and, of course, you will see that she shares your good

fortune and spends her decHning years with you."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"And,

169

my

dear father,"

murmured

the

young

girl,

throwing her arms around the old gambler's neck and

kissing

him
is

affectionately,

"what
me,

is

to becoAie of

you?"

"There

nothing
I

left for

my

dear child, but to

remain where

am and

settle

on a ranch, preserving,

for your safety, the

name

I've borne all these years"

"Well,
cita,

I'll

not live in any Italy," exclaimed Carmen-

decidedly,
is

"and

I don't

care for any

I'll sell

titles, either.

Texas
estates

good enough

for me.

the old Italian

and come here and

I

live

near you and Gyp,

lariat

where

can ride the plains, throw the

and shoot
is

with the cowboys, under whose rough exterior there

more genuine
tottering

nobility of

mind and heart than

since

that old,

kingdom ever knew

Romulus and Re-

mus

laid the first foundation stones of the

Roman Em-

pire."

"You can now

return, Carmencita^
I

and wait

until

you hear from me again.

city

must hasten back

to the

of Mexico and devise some means to stay Guil-

ladza in his desperate resolve of revenge, and at the

170

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

refrain
all

ame time
inheritance

from incurring

his enmity, for

your

depends upon the condition that I

am

legally dead,
lief

and no one can disprove the accepted be-

except Guiliadza, for Consuelo will never betray

CHAPTER
THE PRAIRIE
"Consuelo, I
cita

XIII.
FIRE.

am

going to Italy sogn/' said Carmen-

one morning, a fortnight after her interview with

her father.

"To

Italy

!*'

cried Consuelo, in astonishment.

Italy. I

"Yes, Consuelo, to

know

all

now.

have
;

found

my
to

father and he has told

me

everything

but

you are

go with me and share

in the fortune

which

awaits me, and then

we

will all return to dear old

Texas."
"But, child, you do not
fortune.

know

the history of that

Since you have found your father and heard

from
is

his lips the tragedy of

I

your early history there

nothing more
lives

can

tell

you, except that so long as

inherit nothing."

your father

you can

171

172

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

is

"But he

supposed to be dead."
is

"True; but so long as Guiliadza knows that he

aHve there
claim."
is

no certainty that you can

establish

your

"My
"Alas
pacious.

father will
!

make

a deal with the bandit."

I fear

he will not succeed.

Guiliadza

is

ra-

He

will

want the

lion's

share of your inheri-

tance to keep the secret."

"Well,

let

him have
us

it.

What do

I care, if there is

enough

left to settle

all

snugly on a nice ranch."

"Ah," sighed the older woman, "you do not know

the outlaw chief.

His desire for revenge

is

stronger
for your

than his avarice, and he thirsts right

heart's blood,
tal in

now

and hates

all

those

who were

instrumen-

wresting Miss Daingerford from his power."

I

"No, Consuelo,
chief

think you are wrong.

infatuated with
is

The

bandit

was not

so

much

my

friend

Gyp

as with her wealth.

He

man

without sentiment.

We

can give him more

many

times over than Gyp's

whole fortune would sum up."

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

''Does Miss Daingerford

1 73

know

of your change in

fortune?" inquired Consuelo.

*'Yes; but she does not
er.

know

exactly about
to

my

fath-

I told

her of

my

engagement

Tody Rockbridge

and of
settle
is all.

my

inheritance and proposed visit to Italy to

affairs

up the

and dispose of the

estates,

but that
least."

The

rest is

our secret for the present, at

''Well, sighed Consuelo, "let us look for the best.

All

my

hopes

now

of ever resuming

my

place in the
I

world as an Italian lady have vanished, and

ril

suppose

have to

live

and die known only as the Mexican

woman, Consuelo."
"Don't speak in that sad
strain,

dear Consuelo.

What

difference does

it

make

so long as

we

shall

be

together,

and you

will be

always surrounded by kind

I

and loving
all

friends.

Why,

am

giving up

titles

and

the

pomp which goes with them

to be here with the

friends of
life

my

childhood and to live the free and happy

of the plains, with a good, noble and generous husto

band

shower upon

me

all

the devotion of an affec-

174
tionate
aith

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

and
loyal heart in

an atmosphere of simple

and rational existence."

"I hope so," sighed Consuelo.

I

"Any way, dear

I

child,

can never, at

least,

be unhappy so long as

have you

with me.

But here comes Mr. Rockbridge now."

Just as Consuelo uttered the words

Tody Rock-

bridge stepped briskly into the room, and, approaching

Consuelo, took her tenderly in his arms and implanted

a kiss upon her lovely lips which sounded like a mus-

tang drawing his foot from a puddle of

stiff

mud.
and

While Carmencita and her lover were

cooing as only the cowboys and girls
unearthly shrieks penetrated the

billing

know how

to do,

spacious drawing-

room from

the direction of the kitchen, and Uncle

into the

Eph, followed by Aunt Manda, came bursting

room.
"Fire
prairie
!

Fire

Fire

!"

screamed the old servants.

"De
and

is all

on

fire!" they yelled,

"and de

cattle

de cowboys

is all

tearing dis way."

Rushing

to the broad veranda at the rear of the

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

house, where they were a

I75

moment

later joined

by

Uncle Hoke, Gyp and Consuelo, they saw far across the
prairie

immense volumes of black smoke

rolling sky-

ward, under which great lines of red flames rolled in

billows over the earth.

"Oh, oh
fire

the

men

are

runnmg
is

before the dreadful

and,

my God!

Gal

with them.

Quick,

let

us

go

to their rescue," cried

Gyp, frantic with the dread

thought of her lover's threatened destruction by the

most

terrible

of deaths.

For half a mile around the ranch the long, dry grass
had been
cut,

and was always kept so

in anticipation

of just such catastrophes, and those in the ranch knew

that if the

cowboys and

cattle driven

by the flames
all

could reach this open space they would

be safe.

"Quick, to the corral.

Hook up

the

wagons and

bring the medicine chest. Uncle Eph," screamed Gyp,

almost beside herself with excitement.

In a few moments later
all

the inmates of the ranch

were galloping over the

prairie, followed

by the heavy

176

COWBOYS

0-^

THE WILD WEST.

approaching cowboys

wagons,

in the direction of the

and

cattle.

In a few minutes they had reached the

edge of the cleared space, but the smoke had become

so dense that they could not

now

see out into the burn-

ing prairie but very indistinctly.

For

fifteen minutes,

which seemed hours of

terrible

suspense to the watchers, they stood waiting for the

fire to

reach the open space and exhaust

itself for

want

of more fuel to feed upon.

curred, and the
fire

After a while this oc-

ceased to burn, the heavy pall of

smoke

lifted,

and, looking far out upon the blackened

plain, all they could see in the distances

were a number

of bulky objects scattered about in irregular heaps.

These heaps were the bodies of the

perished in the flames.

cattle

which had

"Oh, merciful Father !" moaned the distracted Gyp,

"they are lost

they are

lost!"

"Not much!" grunted Uncle Hoke.

Yancey was
let's

"Not

if

Cal
just

in the party they are not lost.

Now,

ride out there

and

see.

The ground

is

not too hot

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

for the horses, and
I'll

177

bet

my new

leggins agin a whiff

of smoke that we'll find 'em

all alive

except the cows

and the horses."

For several miles the party rode over the black

ashes of the burned grass, passing every few yarcjs
clusters of
air

dead

cattle, their

scorched hides fiUing the

flesh.

with the strong odor of charred

Suddenly they came within view of the cowboys'

horses, lying scattered around in various positions,

and

which they recognized

still

at

once by the saddles that were

attached to their backs, but the cowboys were noto

where

be seen.

little

further on a large

wagon

stood "on the prairie with two horses lying dead on the

ground, the harness

still

upon

their bodies,

and the

canvas top of the wagon fluttering from the wooden

frame

in bits

of blackened rags but the contents of the

;

wagon, composed of large wooden

chests, piled

one

upon another, were not damaged beyond the

blister-

ing of the paint and the charring here and there of the

most exposed

parts.

178

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

are the

"Where

men?" gasped Gyp, taking Uncle

wildly into his face.

Hoke by

the

arm and looking

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" roared Uncle

there."

Hoke.

"Just look

And

as Uncle

Hoke

pointed to one of the dead

all

bronchos the scarcely recognizable head of a man,

bedaubed with blood, emerged from a tong

slit

in the

animal's belly, and a voice, which seemed to be stifled

for the

want of

air to breathe, called

out

"Is that you. Uncle

Hoke?

For God's

sake, pull

me

out of this and give

me

a pull at the jug from the

medicine wagon.
"I'll pull

My

throat's as dry as sandpaper."

you out," answered Uncle Hoke, "shaking

it

with laughter, "but maybe

to get too familiar without

would be impolite for me

an introduction.

Who
out.

are

you, anyway?"

"Come, no

foolin',

Uncle Hoke.

Yank me

I'm

Happy Hank."
"And I'm
Cal Yancey," cried the cowboy chief, as

he sprang from the interior of another pony and ran

towards Gyp,

all

besmeared with blood.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Oh, Cal
lover
!"

l8l

exclaimed Gyp, as she rushed up to her

to

and was about

throw herself

into his arms.

"Oh, great
a lady
in,''

Scott, no,

Gyp This
!

Is

no

toilet to

greet

cried the chief, dancing back

from

his im-

petuous sweetheart and shaking with merriment.

"Well, Cal, I think you're real mean.
I don't care

anything about your

toilet so

long as I've got you back

again," cried the girl,

who

could not restrain tears of

joy nor choke back the merry laugh which broke from her
lips as

she gazed upon the funny plight of the cow-

boys, as one by one they

flesh in the bellies

emerged from

their

tombs of

of the dead ponies.

let's

"Come, Uncle Hoke,

go look

after the old fel'of his

low that we shoved into the carcass of one

before

team

we

buried ourselves."
that scheme, Cal, or

"Good thing you thought of

you would
all

have been done up brown enough to

please the taste of the most fastidious cannibal chief

by

this time," said

Uncle Hoke,

still

bending double

l82

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

until his face

and laughing
boiled lobster.

had taken on the hue of a

Hurrying back

to

where they had

left the

wagon,

the cowboys surrounded the carcass of a big horse

which was

split

open from neck to rump.

"Let's rap at the door/' cried Uncle Hoke, pounding

on the

ribs of the

dead horse.

'^Anybody

in there?"
little

*'Sure,

and

Vm
to

in here," piped a

weak

voice,

which seemed
caved-in well.

come from

the bottom of an old the rest

Then a head bobbed out and

little

of the body of a

man

followed, answering to the

steady pull of the cowboys.

When

the

little

man was

well outside he ran his

hand

over the top of his head, which was covered with blood,

and

all

at

once his face took on a pitiable expression

of dismay.
"Sure, and
implored.
let

me

get back in there a minute," he

Then he reached
a
little

into the carcass

and soon withdrew:

object

all

begrimed and matted with blood.

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Ah, here
it is/'

183

he said, wringing the blood out of

it

the article and placing

,

tenderly in his pocket.

^'Something you prize very highly, Mr. McGuffin?"

^. ;^--;t^^
it

asked Happy Hank.

"Sure, and
I

hould

in hoi estimation, sur, for

th'

it's

me

wig, and belongs on

top

o'

me

head."

roar of laughter followed this

sally,

and then the

chief, addressing all present, said:

"Ladies and gentlemen,

to

have the honor t present

you Mr. Terrence McGuffin, a traveling merchant,

up with on the
prairie.

whom we came

He was bound

for our ranch to see Miss Daingerford, and will in due

time explain his mission."

"And

lucky I was, sure, to meet up wid yees, fer

if

yees hadn't put

me

in that hole in the horse I'd

be in

one that

I'd niver git out of.

As

it is,

I'm not a dead

sinner, but

wan

that's
all

born agin, and viry much aloive."

be thankful that no
ponies
!"

"Well,
fallen us.

we may
Poor

harm has

be-

little

sighed Gyp, looking at

the bodies of the brave

their masters' lives.

little

animals,

who had saved

184

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

Attaching two of the saddle horses to the wagon,

the party started for the ranch house rejoicing over
their escape.

CHAPTER

XIV.

THE TRIPLE WEDDING.

Several days after the devastating prairie
fire

strange gentleman, garbed in sedate black and riding

a horse equipped with large saddle bags, arrived early

in the forenoon at the ranch,

and was courteously

re-

ceived by the mistress of the house and introduced as

a friend, the Rev. Mr. Tyum, of Galveston.

later

little

Senor

Ramon

Gonzalez followed the

clerical

gen-

tleman, and shortly after his arrival was closeted with

Carmencita in her private

sitting

room.

"I sent the Irish merchant to you and Miss Daingerford, Carmencita, as he

was

traveling over the country

I

and carrying a stock from which

was sure both of

you could

select

such a trousseau as will answer until

cities."

you reach the large

185

l86

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

"Yes, father, and both

Gyp and myself are

well

pleased with our purchases/'

"I have also sent the minister, as you requested in

your

letter,

so that

now

all

the preliminaries for the

double wedding are arranged.

"When you

return from abroad I will have a fine

will

ranch selected for you, and

years with you and your
child
;

spend

my

declining

fine,

manly husband,

my

dear

but

must be known only as your

uncle,

Ramon

Gonzalez."

"But Guiliadza, dear father you forget about him."

;

"No,
one.

child

Guiliadza

is

now where he can harm no

I sold

few nights before

out

my

business in
in

the city of

Mexico Guiliadza became involved

quarrel with one of his Casino, and he

low-bandit."

men

while on a debauch at the

instantly killed

was shot and

by his

fel-

"Then

at last

you are

free

from that haunting fear

I

of exposure.
girl, clappingf

Ah, how happy

am," exclaimed the

her pretty hands and bestowing a r^^

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

187

sounding kiss upon the forehead of her erring but devoted parent.

On

the following night the brilliantly lighted ranch

rattle

house echoed with the

of countless spurs as the

cowboys assembled
chief

to witness the

marriage of their
to the mis-

and comrade Tody Rockbridge, one

tress of the ranch

ter of a noble

and the other

to the beautiful

daugh-

Spanish family.
salon

The grand

was hung heavily with profusions

of exquisite flowers, and the long table in the great

dining hall was resplendent with
glass, Sevres china
its

scintillating cut

and snowy

linen.

great feast

was

in course of

preparation by the expert

face

Aunt

Manda, and Uncle Eph's

glowed with pride as he

capered around, rubbing the dust of years from the

bottles of his old massa's rare wines.

All

was ready.

The

minister stood behind the

little

table at one

end of the room.

into

The two

bridal couples

walked slowly

the grand salon and took their

places side by side before the minister.

l88

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

service

The solemn
from a recess

was

just about to begin,

when

in the farther

end of the room came a

voice in loud, ringing tone:

''Hold on there, Mr. Preacher

the train's going off

without

all

the passengers."

And

then, to the utter astonishment

and surprise of

the assembled cowboys, Uncle Hoke, resplendent in a

long, black frock coat of a seventeenth century vintage,

and a

tall

white choker, tripped gaily up through the

long room towards the altar with Consuelo hanging on

his arm.

"What's
mouths.
It

this?'' as if in

one breath came trom a dozen

"What

does this mean?"

means

that Uncle Hoke's in this deal

it's all

and

ain't

going to be overlooked, for

been arranged these

many weeks between Miss Consuelo and Uncle Hoke.

Eh, sweetheart?" said the old man, as a mighty shout

went up from a hundred throats and shook the old

ranch house from foundation to rafters.

The

noise
into

brought Uncle Eph and Aunt

Mandy running

COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST.

the room, and

189

when

the old slaves realized

what had

taken place Uncle

Eph threw up

his hands, and, openfly

ing his eyes so wide that the pupils looked like a

speck in the middle of a dinner plate, exclaimed:

''Well, I declar.

Who'd thunk
and

dat o

Massa

Hoke

an' de Missie, too, so sweet

puss-like.

Wat you

think o' her, Mandy?''

"Dat's

all right,

Ephrum.

We none of

us wimmins

ever gits too olc."

**Das so, das so!" ejaculated Uncle Eph, rolling his

eyes almost inside out.

The

End.

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