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COWBOYS cf THE 
 WILD WEST 
 
 A CftAPIIlC PORTftAYAL OF COWBOY LIFE ON TBI 
 
 BOVSDLBS: • - r WILD WEST, WITH ITS 
 
 ATTl iC A.VD EXCITING 
 
 INCIDENTS AND ADVENTURES. 
 
 IJAKKY ilAllKi 
 
 COF^ltlCHT, 1908, BY I. 4 If. OTTENBD: 
 
 L. LIPKIND, 
 
 35 Vandcwatcr Street, New York City. 
 
'^SST 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 ^ Introduction 7 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Kow King's Ranch 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 The Cattle Thieves 24 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Cave of the Bandits 34 
 
 . CHAPTER IV. 
 Chasing the Cattle Thieves 48 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Battle With the Cattle Thieves. 58 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Kidnapping of Gyp 65 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Carmencita 80 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 Gyp's Escape from the Bandits' Cave 94 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 ' 'ursued by the Bandits i u 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Captured by the Bandits and Rescucu uv uic ^uw- 
 boys 122 
 
 LiiAi'lij-K XI. 
 Figiit \\ iih the Indians . 134 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 The Revealed Secret. 153 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 The Prairie Fire 171 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 The Triple Wedding 185 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 No more interesting characters have ever stood out 
 against the horizon of border life 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 backwoods the erudit 
 
 tipn and culture of the collegiate education, 
 
 7 
 
8 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 It 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 
 termed, the soaring exponent of semi-civilized life. 
 
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 familiarly 
 spoken of as the castle of the "Kow King." 
 
 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 con- 
 sidered as a factor in its creation — and consisted of a 
 number of log cabins> thrown together in a haphazard, 
 heterogeneous mass, much after the manner of nursery 
 children at play with their gaudy blocks and Noah's 
 arks. 
 
 Among the many quaint and curious conceits which 
 first 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 char- 
 acter ; for from numerous port holes, cut through the 
 substantial walls of ponderous timber, the black muz- 
 zles of heavy cannon and the shining barrels of rapid- 
 firing guns frowned down upon the stranger with 
 grim suggcstivcness. 
 
 The formidable appearance of the castle, however, 
 was no true indication of its owner's character and 
 disposition ; for Colonel Daingerford was a gentleman 
 of the mildest mien, a man of dauntless courage, but of 
 

 o 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. I3 
 
 superior intellectual gifts and a refinement of 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 
 the great West were still 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 settlers, comparatively so few in number, 
 were put 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 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 title for services rendered in the Mexican War, was a 
 man well past fifty years of age, tall and spare of 
 build and of unusually dignified and commanding 
 presence. His hair was snowy white and fell in 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 eyes, a 
 freshness of youth rarely seen in a man of his 
 years. 
 
 In a spacious sitting-room of the ranch house, 
 tastily appointed and richly furnished, Florence Dain- 
 gerford, the Colonel's only child and who was known 
 throughout that entire section of wild country as 
 "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 guitar, 
 whose chords answered to the sweep of her dainty 
 fingers, with the thrilling melody of an eolean harp, 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. I5 
 
 vibrating before the flower-laden breath of a semi- 
 tropical breeze. 
 
 In a commodious arm chair, languidly poring over 
 a magazine, Miss Priscilla Prime, a wiry little 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 driz- 
 zling 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 
 same airs IVe heard her sing so often — dear soul! 
 Ah, how beautiful she was!" 
 
 "I have but a very indistinct recollection of my 
 mother, Prissie; you must remember I was but two 
 years of age when she died. 
 
l6 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 "Yes, I remember the night/' sighed Priscilla, "a 
 bleak, dreary night — weather just like this — the rain 
 was beating on the window panes and the wind was 
 chanting its mournful' anthems around the angles of 
 this old 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 — a dear, unselfish friend, beloved 
 by all who knew her — even the dumb beasts felt the 
 ominous oppressiveness of that fateful night ; for the 
 lowing of the cattle was subdued and seemed to sink 
 into softer notes of sad remonstrance against the 
 merciless fate that was to deprive them of the ever- 
 watchful soHcitude of their friend. They seemed to 
 feel 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 sham- 
 bles of far-away centers of population, there to be 
 slaughtered that their bodies might go to sustain life 
 in those teeming hives of degenerates." 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 1 7 
 
 "Yes, Prissie, it does look hard and cruel, too, to 
 see the poor cattle taken from their nice grassy ranges 
 and sent to their death; but I suppose, as Don Alvero 
 Guiliadza says, 'it is all in the game ; the strong will 
 always exploit the weaker organisms, be they dumb 
 quadrupeds or whimpering human bipeds/ " 
 
 "Well, Gyp, if Alvero says so, it must be true; for, 
 indeed, Alvero is 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 that always 
 makes me feel uncomfortable when he is near us." 
 
 "Prejudice, Gyp — just prejudice — why, his manners 
 are perfect, and, indeed, as to appearance, he is a 
 veritable Adonis ; but for my part I much prefer Don 
 Ramon Gonzalez." 
 
 And here the spinster, as she uttered this little white 
 lie, cast a sly glance at Gyp from under the corners of 
 her drooping eyelids; for Miss Priscilla was much 
 
l8 Cowboys of the wild wE§t. 
 
 enamored herself with the dashing Spaniard, Don 
 Alvero, and not a little jealous of everyone upon 
 whom he bestowed any of the little gallantries in 
 which he was an adept. 
 
 "No, Prissie, nor do I see anything to admire in 
 Don Ramon, and I have had a sense of impending 
 evil 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 
 brave cowboys. They may not be nobleman or 
 scholars, and perhaps they are not overburdened with 
 extravagant mannerisms and gush; but their hearts 
 are in the right place, and a good woman feels in- 
 stinctively that she is always safe in their midst." 
 
 ''Well, Gyp, you are young yet and take a narrow 
 view of things. These Sapniards have titles and great 
 wealth. With the fortune your father has built up 
 for you, it is in the foremost ranks of the old world 
 nobility that your destiny should place you and not 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 21' 
 
 here in this wild and isolated country, I am quite 
 sure that Don Ramon has right now more than a 
 passing feeling of friendship for you, Gyp/* 
 
 "Little good it will do him, Prissie; I'm not much 
 concerned just now about the romantic side of life. 
 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 
 many times he has urged me to take an extended trip 
 abroad since I returned from school in Paris three 
 years ago." 
 
 "Well, I will admit. Gyp, that some few of our 
 cowboys betray more refinement and are better edu- 
 cated than the great majority ; but they are scarce and 
 far between. Now, there's Calvin Yancey, your 
 father's chief cowboy. 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 is bright, 
 amiable and always cheerful — in fact, he is voluble 
 until one tries to draw him out as to his antecedents, 
 and then he shuts up like 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 
 Texas, which is proverbially the refuge of all sorts of 
 people, whose antecedents and past they have left 
 behind them. For my part, I take people as I find 
 them. 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 
 negro slave rushed excitedly into the room. Her face 
 was moist and shining with perspiration and her 
 ampW black fingers were festooned with strings of 
 dough, which she had carried from her bread-knead- 
 ing in the kitchen in her haste to gain the parlor. 
 
 "Lawd sakes. Miss Gyp ! dar's gwine ter be sumpin' 
 happen. Ole Marse an' Marse Cal and de hull troop 
 ob cowboys is comin', jist tearin' cross de prairie!" 
 
 Rising from their seats, the two ladies rushed to a 
 window overlooking the broad expanse of prairie, and 
 beheld in the distance, riding at full speed through 
 the driving rain a large body of horsemen. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 23 
 
 "Something wrong, Prissie, or there wouldn't be 
 so many of the boys coming at once to the house." 
 
 *'WelI, we'll know in a few minutes," answered Miss 
 Priscilla. "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 credit 
 to a band of savage Comanches, panoplied in their 
 picturesque war bonnets and streaked with paint, the 
 troop of cowboys dashed into the stockade surround- 
 ing the ranch house and, dismounting, led their horses 
 to shelter of a long, low shed which flanked the west 
 wing of the rambing structure. 
 
 Colonel Daingcrford, followed by his chief cowboy, 
 hastily entered the house, and in another instant the 
 two men were in the salon with the two ladies. 
 
 Calvin Yancey, the Colonel's trusted chief, entered 
 the room with diffidence ; a sensation which seemed to 
 overcome him always when in the presence of the 
 Colonel's beautiful daughter, and for whom he cher- 
 ished a passionate secret devotion. 
 
 24 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 25 
 
 He was a 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. His entire face was a study for a 
 sculptor with its delicate aquiline nose, straight in out- 
 line as though chiseled from parian marble,, and its 
 generous manly mouth, with full crimson and arched 
 lips, surmounted by a long, silken blonde mustache, 
 through which a beautiful set of even white teeth 
 gleamed like rows of lustrous pearls. 
 
 He was clad in an attractive costume in which the 
 prevailing cowboy fashion of the times blended tastily 
 with the more gaudy and picturesque dress of the Mex- 
 ican vaquero. Buckskin leggins with fringe down 
 the sides; a blue flannel shirt, the collar of which was 
 rolled back from the throat and fastened with a large 
 diamond button of great brilliancy ; a broad felt som- 
 
i26 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 brero of a delicate fawn color and elaborately embroid- 
 ered in running vines and leaves of gold and silver 
 threads, lent a peculiar dash and charm to the mag- 
 nificent physique of the young cowboy chief as he 
 strode through the spacious room to the musical ac- 
 companiment of the jingling rowels in his large Mex- 
 ican spurs. 
 
 "Gyp/' exclaimed Colonel Daingerford, "we have 
 met with an unusually heavy loss. That gang of 
 cattle thieves, which has been operating so extensively 
 of late in this region, has at last extended their depre- 
 dations to our ranch, and sometime within the past 
 few days a large herd of cattle — not less than three 
 thousand — has been driven oflf." 
 
 ^'Oh, the awful thieves !" wailed Miss Priscilla, "and 
 what are you going to do about it. 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. 29 
 
 ''Surely, papa, you are not going?" cried 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, will you?" 
 
 And before the chief's lips 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 ; but 
 you know the Colonel has a mind of his own and it is 
 no easy matter to set aside his determination when it 
 has once taken possession of him. 
 
 "Well, if he goes, so shall I," rejoined the beautiful 
 girl, her pretty brow contracting into a frown which 
 bespoke determination. 
 
 "Oh, never, Miss Gyp! Your father will be safe 
 with us. 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, I have been told, and there. may be a 
 number of the terrible Comanches operating with 
 them." 
 
 "That's possible, but we will be fifty strong, leaving 
 here, 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 
 
 wool towering high above a small, round face, deeply 
 
 seamed with a veritable network of wrinkles, answered 
 
 ^ to the summons of Miss Priscilla. 
 
 He entered the 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 Mandy were 
 grown up black folks when the Colonel, in short 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 3 1 
 
 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, wat 
 dun happen, honey — ye look so mad?'' 
 
 "Uncle Eph, the rustlers have paid us a visit. We're 
 going after 'em. I want you and Mandy to get up 
 rations to last ten days. Have a four-mule wagon 
 loaded with all we'll need for fifty men. Have the 
 cook wagon put in order, and when everything is 
 ready turn the outfit over to Shorty, our camp cook." 
 
 "Wha, wat ye gwine fer ter do wif Uncle Ephy, 
 Marse Art?. Isn't 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 I was a boy." 
 
 "Dat's so, honey ; 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 folks say about Uncle Eph? 
 Ain't de right laig jis' 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 big four-mule commissary wagon and the cook 
 wagon were rolled out from the wagon shed and a 
 number of 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 among the unbroken 
 bronchos a number of lively looking ones, which they 
 proposed taking along as relief stock. 
 
 The skill displayed in the manner in which these 
 wild little animals were subdued and broken to the 
 saddle seemed marvelous in the eyes of the Eastern 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 33 
 
 tourist or tenderfoot, but was a simple matter of 
 every-day occurrence on the great ranches of the far 
 West. 
 
 To the professional cowboy and expert horseman 
 it was just a pleasant little experience to' test the ec- 
 centricities of the little Spanish-American mustang. 
 They enjoyed the excitement of catching and throwing 
 him and solving by masterly horsemanship all the 
 mysteries of the rear and tear, stop and drop, lay and 
 roll, kick and bite, on and ojff, under and over, heads 
 and tails, handsprings, triple somersaults, standing on 
 their heads, diving, flipflaps and all the droll actions 
 included in the familiar term of "bucking." 
 
 Some of the men, with the unfailing aim of the 
 lasso, were roping cattle to 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 
 though he were a kitten and daily perform all the 
 hazardous feats of a Spanish matador was the ordi- 
 nary routine of the cowboy's life, 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 CAVE OF THE BANDITS. 
 
 Among tHe rugged mountains of Old Mexico in an 
 isolated section, though not remote from the 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 this formidable retreat 
 
 their abode. 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 to her bare arm 
 a soothing lotion, crooning softly all 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. A massive suit of wavy, jet-black 
 hair shone like polished ebony. Her features were 
 soft and regular, and illuminated by a complexion like 
 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 the arm of the young 
 girl, moved noiselessly, with the lithe motion of a cat, 
 
36 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 to the fire, which was beginning to smoulder on the 
 big flat stone which served for a hearth. Taking an 
 armful of dry fuel from a pile of fagots, she dropped 
 them gently on the hot embers, and in a few seconds 
 they had burst out into a bright fire, and the dry twigs 
 were crackling in the flames as they leaped with a roar 
 towards the rocky roof of the cave. 
 
 The noise of the replenished fire was more than 
 the woman had reckoned on, for the slumbering girl 
 began to move restlessly in her sleep, and, turning 
 over, awoke with a little cry of pain. 
 
 ''Ah, Santa Maria! what have I done to wake my 
 Carmencita ?'' exclaimed the woman. 
 
 ^'Oh, Consuelo ! 'tis you. I'm so glad. Such dreams, 
 Consuelo — such dreams. I could hear the rattle of the 
 shots and the hoarse yell of the Comanches, and 
 thought I was pursued again." 
 
 "No, Dulcina ; it was only the noise made by the re- 
 viving fire as I threw the fagots on.'' 
 
 "Yes; I suppose my nerves are somewhat unstrung 
 

 
 < 
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 O 
 
 <: 
 w 
 
 w 
 
 H 
 
 iJ 
 
 o 
 
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 o 
 
 § 
 
 bo 
 
 (1h 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 39 
 
 since my pony stumbled and fell with me ; but my arm 
 Es much better, Consuelo, 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 
 some day soon find some other occupation than 
 this wild and reckless life, always exposed to violent 
 death or the vengeance of the law." 
 
 "It was not Alonzo's choice that he is here with the 
 outlaws, my Carmencita. It was the decree of a cruel 
 fate which he could not avert." 
 
 "Tell me something about it, Consuelo," said the 
 girl, 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 
 cheerful fire playing upon her beautiful face, whilst a 
 
40 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 cluster of magnificent gems, studding a large antique 
 gold locket, suspended from a heavy chain which en- 
 circled her exquisite neck, flung back in showers of 
 dazzling sparks the light of the leaping flames. 
 
 'It's a sad history, my Carmencita, and one to which 
 I do not allow my mind to revert. I have tried to 
 bury the memories of the past, lest they eat away my 
 brain and drive me mad before I shall have accom- 
 pHshed my one aim in life, and that you know is to 
 restore Alonzo, my son, and your foster-brother to 
 his own. I cannot tell you now, but some day, my 
 Carmencita, I will tell you all, not only concerning 
 Alonzo Cabellero, as he is known here in this wild coun- 
 try, but I will reveal to you a secret of your own life, 
 which for your best interest I have not thought wise 
 to do as yet.'' 
 
 "Do you know aught of my parentage, dear Con- 
 suelo?" asked the girl, excitedly. "You have been a 
 mother to me ever since I can remember; but, Oh! 
 good Consuelo, if you know more, pity the burning 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 4I 
 
 desire and yearning which fills my heart to unravel the 
 mystery of my birth — help me, Oh I 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 I am deal- 
 ing the fateful cards, or in the silent watches of the 
 night, when, restless and wakeful, I struggle with the 
 feeble sparks of a lost memory to recall another life, 
 which sometimes comes to me in flashes, for the frac- 
 tion of a second, only to vanish again and leave me 
 afloat and tossing on the same limitless ocean of 
 oblivion," 
 
 As Carmencita spoke her lovely bosom rose and fell 
 in rhythmic undulation, like miniature billows in a 
 mimic storm at sea ; her ravishing eyes, in their setting 
 of long, silken lashes, sparkled like black diamonds, and 
 her full 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 yet, dear child, but some day, and soon, you 
 shall know all. There are some links I must yet weld 
 into the long chain of evidence which all these years I 
 have been forging for the welfare of both yourself 
 and your foster-brother, Alonzo." 
 
 "And where is Alonzo now? I have not seen him 
 since 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 Comanche In- 
 dians." 
 
 "Where, Consuelo?" 
 
 "I am not sure," replied Consuelo. "I suspect from 
 remarks I overheard that they are on an expedition 
 to rustle cattle in Texas, cross the Rio Grande with the 
 herd and make for New Mexico, along the river 
 through Mexico." 
 
 "When did they leave?" 
 
 "Two days ago." 
 
 "Do you know in what direction they went ?" 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 43 
 
 "No; but I heard them say they were going this 
 time to the ranch of the *Kow King/ " 
 
 "What?" cried the girl, "to the ranch of the 'Kow 
 King.' I see it all! — some devilment is contemplated 
 by that villain Guiliadza. How I hate that man, Con- 
 suelo ! I wish we were foot lose from his band." 
 
 "Yes, dear, and so do I ; but you know when Alonzo 
 was hunted down by the soldiers for that conspiracy 
 against the Mexican Government, Guiliadza offered 
 him a refuge and protection." 
 
 "Consuelo, do you know the daughter of the *Kow 
 King'?" 
 
 "No, dear." 
 
 "Well, I do, Consuelo. I met Ker once in the City 
 of Mexico with her father. It was before Alonzo 
 found us and brought us here. When you were so ill 
 with the swamp fever and we were so poor — don't 
 you remember when I put you in the convent and left 
 you to be taken care of by the nuns?" 
 
 "Yes, Carmencita; but I never knew where you 
 
44 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 went, child, nor how you got the means to provide for 
 me in my helpless condition." 
 
 "Well, I never told you, Consuelo, but I will now. I 
 went to the City of Mexico and entered the employ of 
 Ramon Gonzalez, the gambling king. There I dealt 
 monte in his gilded palace. I stopped at the same hotel 
 with the 'Kow King' and his pretty daughter. We 
 became quite friendly, and one day I told her of our 
 troubles — how I was toiling in the gambling hell to 
 get money with which to come to your relief. The 
 girl listened to me and her heart responded with the 
 warmest sympathy. She obtained a generous sum 
 from her father, gave it to me and insisted that I 
 should go and seek you with all possible haste. I did 
 so — you know the rest." 
 
 "Had I known that, Carmencita," exclaimed Con- 
 suelo, "I would have prevailed upon Alonzo not to 
 plunder so good and kind a man as the 'Kow King.' " 
 
 ""It is not the plundering I fear so much, Consuelo, 
 but some other dreadful outrage by that villain Guili- 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 45 
 
 adza. He has for a long time hoped to win the love of 
 the Kow King's daughter and marry her for the im- 
 mense fortune which she will inherit; but the girl 
 spurns^ his attentions and does not believe that he is 
 the rich Spanish nobleman whom he represents him- 
 self to be." 
 
 **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 pro- 
 ceeds of their plunder at intervals during each year. 
 Now, Gonzalez is in love with me, and of that I am 
 quite sure. He is rich, but I abhor him. For certain 
 reasons I have allowed him to think that I look with 
 favor upon him. He tells me everything that hap- 
 pens, and it was he who told me of Guiliadza's plot to 
 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 
 Mexican gamblers. Only a short while ago, when I 
 last saw Gonzalez, he unfolded the whole villainous 
 scheme, and laughed heartily at it as a niost capital 
 joke. But for the fear of some harm befalling you 
 and Alonzo at the hands of the brutal chief, I would 
 ere this have warned the Kow King's daughter." 
 
 "What if Guiliadza," ventured Consuelo, "in his dis- 
 appointment and rage at not being successful in his 
 suit for the hand of the Kow King's daughter, should 
 do the family some harm or incite to some outrage 
 those brutal Comanche Indians with whom he is so 
 friendly, and over whom he seems to be the only 
 white man who can exert any influence ?" 
 
 "Caramba! Consuelo, I never thought of that!" 
 cried the girl, springing excitedly from her couch. 
 "Get my rifle and revolvers and fill my belt brim full 
 of cartridges, Consuelo, while I go saddle my 
 horse." 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 47 
 
 In the next moment the lithe form of the beautiful 
 girl was bounding like a deer towards the corral, con- 
 cealed in a deep and almost inaccessible ravine 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 the trail of the outlaws, but had not 
 yet come within sight of them, although they were 
 traveling with greater speed, as 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 
 their night's rest and preparing for an early start on 
 their westward journey. The Indians were rounding 
 
 48 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 49 
 
 up the stray cattle which had wandered of? from the 
 main herd grazing. 
 
 Guiliadza and his lieutenant, Sancho Garcia, a 
 powerful and ferocious-looking Mexican, with an im- 
 mense blue scar along the entire length of one side of 
 his face, were bending over a small fire frying bacon 
 and in earnest conversation. 
 
 "I must trust you, Sancho, to get the two women 
 safely to the cave, for it would defeat all my plans 
 should I be seen and recognized by either of them 
 until the time comes for me to appear in the deal." 
 
 "All right, Chief; but it will diminish our forces 
 materially to attack the ranch when it is well known 
 how strongly it is fortified and the number of cow- 
 boys in service there." 
 
 "Not at all, Sancho," growled the Chief. "You may 
 depend upon it that the greater part of those cowboys 
 are on our trail by this time, and we'll have a fight on 
 our hands before another sun goes down." 
 
 "Well, Chief, what am I to do? Outline your 
 plan." 
 
50 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 "Take fifteen men and start at once for the ranch, 
 and approach it under cover of night from two oppo- 
 site directions — say five men from the east and ten 
 from the west. When the five men are within a few 
 hundred yards of the place fire off your guns, raise a 
 great racket, as if you were stampeding cattle. This 
 will 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 
 the inmates, tie them on the extra horses and start 
 westward towards the cave in Mexico." 
 
 "Shall I take all the inmates. Chief?" 
 
 "Well, no; leave the slaves. Just take the two 
 women, and if you see that cowbow chief, Cal Yan- 
 cey, bring 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. 5 1 
 
 But the big outlaw, who was vain with all his ugli- 
 ness, did not relish the Chief's joke, and from under 
 his shaggy eyebrows gave him a look which betrayed 
 the anger his remark had excited. 
 
 ''Sancho Garcia's head may scare the crows away, 
 as you say, Chief, but IVe known them to pick the 
 eyes out of some heads whose owners were overbur- 
 dened with confidence." 
 
 "Come, come, Sancho, only a little pleasantry. I 
 meant no 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. I will be there before you ar- 
 rive." 
 
 "Good, Sancho ; and see that the women arc treated 
 well till I arrive." 
 
 In a few moments more and the big bandit was 
 speeding over the plains with his fifteen men in the di- 
 rection of the 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. He knew 
 that ten to fifteen miles a day 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 in time to allow for all the contingencies which 
 might arise in the crossing, so as not to be taken at a 
 disadvantage by his pursuers; for often when cattle 
 strike swimming water they try to turn back, and this 
 is termed "milling," or swimming in a circle, and 
 which, if 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 onward with 
 their stolen herd, and not until the setting sun was 
 painting the western sky with his gorgeous hues of 
 pink and fiery red, softly intermingling with the deli- 
 cate tints of purple, green and amethyst, did the chief 
 give the command to halt for food and rest 
 
 As is the custom when making camp on the prairies 
 with a herd, the cattle were all rounded up into a 
 small compass and held until they laid down, when 
 several 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. 
 
 merous little fires of buffalo chips pierced the gloom 
 of night, and from a distance resembled countless 
 glow worms, swinging their little lamps of phosphor- 
 escent light in the tall grass af the prairie. Around 
 the fires the bandits and Indians had gathered, and 
 were occupied in cooking, smoking and enjoying the 
 few rude pleasures of their savage and semi-savage 
 life, 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 
 Colonel Daingerford, peering intently through the 
 gloom towards the bandits' camp." 
 
 "No, Colonel, they have no idea how near we are. 
 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. 57 
 
 yond the limit of prudence. I 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 cattle, for, doubtless, many 
 would stray off under cover of darkness and be far be- 
 yond our convenient reach by daylight, and that would 
 lead a few of us a merry chase, which, with Comanches 
 on the warpath just at this time, would multiply our 
 difficulties unless we all remain together in formidable 
 force." 
 
 "You speak sensibly, Cal, and we'll abide by what 
 you say. So let it be go in camp for the night, and 
 pounce on the enemy by the first signs of dawn." 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 BATTLE WITH THE CATTLE THIEVES. 
 
 Just as the first faint light of breaking day began 
 to dispel the somber veil of night which hung over 
 the broad expanse of prarie, the cowboy chief was 
 up and sweeping the horizon with his field glass in 
 the direction of the bandits' camp. 
 
 "They're up already, Colonel Daingerford, and 
 stirring. They'll soon be off. 
 
 "Sound boots and saddles, Cal," cried the Colonel ; 
 "we'll not give them a chance to get away from us 
 without killing and capturing some of them, if they 
 should try to abandon the herd and escape." 
 
 Answering with alacrity to the sound of the 
 bugle, the cowboys vaulted nimbly into their sad- 
 dles, and at the word of command fifty little ponies 
 
 S8 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 59 
 
 shot out like a cloud of arrows from a battalion of 
 archers, bearing their masters over the billowy 
 prairie 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 di- 
 rection and gathering up their arms, which were 
 lying about on the ground with the blankets that 
 had served them for their rude couches during the 
 night. 
 
 In a few moments the Indians were mounted and 
 had formed their battle line, and the bandit chief, 
 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 man was on his feet and the 
 well-trained little ponies were lying on the ground 
 in a compact body. 
 
 At the head of his men, Cal Yancey advanced, 
 tall, graceful, brave as a lion, the cowboys firing, as 
 they moved forward, with telling effect, whilst 
 every now and then one of their number would fall 
 to the ground, stricken with a bullet and was car- 
 ried to the rear and hidden in the tall grass. 
 
 In another instant the Indians came swarming 
 down upon the heroic band of cowboys with the 
 fury of a host of demons vomited from the fiery 
 crater of a volcano, threatening to swallow them 
 up in one great torrent of fire. 
 
 But the cowboy chief, like Leonidas at Thermo- 
 pole, 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. 6l 
 
 as wheat stalks fall before scythes of the harvesters. 
 The fight continued with unabated fury for half an 
 hour, and the day was almost won for the cowboys, 
 when a great calamity spread its dismal shadow 
 over the. little band and for a few minutes made 
 them hesitate and falter in their gallant fight. The 
 brave old Colonel Daingerford had sunk down into 
 the deep grass. A bullet had cleaved a pathway 
 through his heart. Like a mighty oak, shivered by 
 a lightning's bolt, he fell, a crimson stream spurting 
 from his breast, as he gasped in a last effort to utter 
 a parting word to' the cowboy chief, who was bend- 
 ing over him and trying to staunch the flow of blood. 
 
 "All over with me, Cal, my boy; look to your- 
 selves and carry my dying blessing to my daugh- 
 ter " 
 
 The last 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. 
 
 arms who had fallen on the battlefields of Mexico. 
 
 Wiping away the grime of powder that had set- 
 tled on his face, the cowboy chief sprang to his 
 feet, his brows knit, his teeth set and his entire face 
 taking on a fierce expression of determination, 
 which bid fair to end the conflict by victory for the 
 brave cowboy band. 
 
 Encouraged by the temporary appearance of con- 
 fusion in the ranks of the cowboys, the Indians and 
 bandits came swarming down upon them in a des- 
 perate charge to annihilate them at 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 moment the remaining cowboys were 
 all mounted and in hot pursuit of the marauders. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 63 
 
 who, terrified 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 up the herd, which 
 had stampeded, while some of them hastened back 
 to the scene of battle to minister to their wounded 
 comrades. 
 
 Two of the cowboys, besides the Kow King, were 
 killed and eight wounded, but none seriously, thus 
 making the casualties of the cowboy outfit very 
 light in numbers when compared with the thirty 
 ghostly corpses of the Indians and bandits with 
 which the bloody field was strewn. Ten more of 
 the outlaw forces were scattered over the field, des- 
 perately wounded and shrieking in agony of pain. 
 
 "Come, boys," cried Cal, "lift 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 
 and break the sad news to the family, while the rest 
 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 leave them 
 some water for the present. As soon as we are out 
 of sight some of their pals will return and carry 
 them away and bury their dead." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 KIDNAPPING OF GYP. 
 
 " Tore de Lawd, Miss Gyp !" stammered Uncle 
 Eph, all 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 left the bandit chief on his villainous mis- 
 sion. " Tore de Lawd, Fse so oneasy. I feels dat sum- 
 pin's gwine fer to happen. Old Mandy's don bin 
 hearin' de sperrits er rappin' all 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 fool- 
 ishness. It was Just the wind rattling the shutters of 
 your cabin." 
 
 *'Qr maybe Uncle Eph heard his own teeth chatter- 
 65 
 
66 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 ing/' laughed Tody Rockbridge, a handsome young 
 cowboy who had been only a short time in the Kow 
 King's employ, but had already made himself a general 
 favorite with everybody. 
 
 "Come, Tody, don't poke fun at Uncle Eph," 
 chimed in Hoke Barry, a grizzly old cow puncher, who 
 had been many years in the service of Colonel Dain- 
 gerford, and who was looked upon as one of the fam- 
 ily, who always addressed and spoke of him as Uncle 
 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, like nearly all the Southern children, raised 
 in remote sections, had imbibed many of the supersti- 
 
"'fore DE la WD, I'SE SO ONEASY/ 
 Page d'j. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 69 
 
 tions of the negroes, and firmly believed in manifesta- 
 tions from the unseen world. 
 
 Then, as if 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 tell what you 
 heard." 
 
 " T warn^t me, little Missie ; 't war ole Mandy wat 
 seed dc sights. I dun only heerd de knockin's." 
 
 "May be 'twas your knees knockin' together. Uncle 
 Eph," joined in, with a boisterous laugh. Hank Hardy, 
 a big, jovial cowboy, who enjoyed the euphonious so- 
 briquet of "Happy Hank." 
 
 "No, honey, 'twar not Uncle Eph's laigs ; 't war de 
 sperrits sho." 
 
 "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 
 woman, her bosom heaving with excitement, " 't war 
 too turrible — too turrible, honey." 
 
 "Go 'hed, Mandy, and tole little Missie wat ye seed." 
 
 "Well, Eph, if I muss I will, but I won't tole all, 
 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 tell us." 
 
 "Well, yc see, little Missie," spoke the old woman, 
 in a low, broken voice, "I war just gwine ter git mah 
 second nap, jist arter day begin ter break. Dc gray 
 light war just beginning to creep tru de chinks in de 
 doah; but 't war dark in de cabin. When all ov a 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 7I 
 
 suddin' dere war a monstrous noise, which follered 
 a whole lot ov raps 'round de cabin, an' de whole side 
 ov de cabin done fell out, and I seed a whole lot ov men 
 in de dim light o' dawn, an' dey was divided inter two 
 bands, and in one band I seed old Marse and Marse 
 Cal, an' de odder band war full o' Indians and, purty 
 soon dey was fightin', an' I heerd de guns go oflE an' 
 seed de Indians cavortin' around tru de smoke on dere 
 horses, and den de smoke got so thick dat I couldn't 
 see no mo', sep — sep — sep " > 
 
 "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!" 
 
 "Indians or more cattle thieves," said 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 invite interruption to their game. But, what- 
 ever it may be, all hands to the guns." 
 
 In another instant every cowboy had seized his 
 carbine and was making for his porthole, where the 
 different big guns for defense of the ranch were 
 mounted. 
 
 As the men took their positions at the guns Uncle 
 Hoke moved around, giving instructions how to act 
 in case of an attack. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 73 
 
 Gyp and her spinster cousin took a little rapid- 
 fire 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 to the 
 handling of the gun, and with firearms of all kind^ 
 this beautiful girl of the plains was as expert as tha 
 most experienced cowboy. 
 
 In all the hazardous sports of cowboy life Gyp 
 was as much at home as she was in the more re- 
 fined 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 to her skill than the sweep of her 
 delicate hand over the strings of her guitar. 
 
^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 
 broke out with renewed fury, and was supple- 
 mented by the discharge of carbines, until it seemed 
 that pandemonium had broken loose, and the up- 
 roar was approaching nearer and nearer to the main 
 entrance of the stockade. 
 
 Then a furious battering upon the big gate of oak 
 staves, threatening it with demolition, began. 
 
 'They are battering down the gate, Gyp," yelled 
 Uncle Hoke. 
 
 A deafening roar followed the words of Uncle 
 Hoke as Gyp opened fire, pouring a hail of shot in 
 the direction of the big gate. 
 
 The steady stream of shot and the thunder of the 
 quick-firing gun was greeted by loud and hoarse 
 shouts of defiance by the attacking party at first, 
 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 chase/' yelled Uncle 
 
 Hoke, making a dash for the corral, followed by the 
 
 entire force of cowboys. 
 
 Five minutes later and the ladies who remained 
 in the 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 
 and the treachery of the villainous Alvero Guili- 
 adza, executed by his cutthroat lieutenant, Sancho 
 Garcia. 
 
 "Goow Lawd, have mercy on us !" screamed Aunt 
 Mandy, running into the drawing-room from the 
 kitchen, closely followed by Uncle Eph, who was 
 all in a tremble. "Lawd have mercy on us, little 
 
*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 
 gun platform; "the boys are after the Indians, and 
 they'll soon be back with enough Indian scalps to 
 make a hair lariat a hundred yards long." 
 
 But Aunt Mandy and Uncle Eph would not be 
 consoled, and the old couple settled down on their 
 knees in a corner and began to wail and pray, call- 
 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 Priscilla spoke the sound of the galloping 
 horses grew more and more distinct, and before the 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 77 
 
 old slaves had left the room the sounds ceased and 
 a voice from the main gate sung out : 
 
 "All right, Gyp, we're back. Come open the main 
 gate. Someone has locked it." 
 
 The gate was not locked, but the wily Sancho, 
 suspecting that the women were alone, 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 Gyp dis- 
 covered them and suspected their design if they ap- 
 proached the house. 
 
 "That sounds like a strange voice to me," whis- 
 pered Gyp to Miss Priscilla. 
 
 "Ask who it is. Gyp." 
 
 "Who are you?" shouted Gyp. 
 
 "It's I, Uncle Hoke," replied the cunning villain, 
 Sancho, who had been posted by his chief. 
 
 "I guess it's all right, Prissie — just the boys re- 
 turning. They must have locked the gate when 
 
78 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 they left, I'll go let 'em in," and Gyp ran nimbly 
 off to 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 lifted her on to a pony stand- 
 ing in readiness. 
 
 "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 fist the 
 spinster had left her new false teeth fastened with 
 the vise-like grip of a lobster's claw. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 79 
 
 "Let loose them teeth or I'll stretch that long 
 throat o' yourn till it'll make an ostrich's neck look 
 short as a monkey's thumb/' 
 
 "Stop hurtin' me, you brute. I can't let loose the 
 teeth ; 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 west- 
 ward over the plains, bound westward for the Rio 
 Grande. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 CARMENCITA. 
 
 Uncle Eph, who had followed Miss Priscilla and* 
 her captors to the main gate, keeping at a safe dis- 
 tance behind, and dodging behind the stunted 
 shrubbery which lined the pathway, had just re- 
 turned, a pitiable object of abject fear. 
 
 "Mandy," he gasped, "dey's done tuk off de little 
 Missies. Dey muss er bin two bunches o' 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 his ample 
 
 black hand over the old woman*s mouth. "Stop dat 
 
 80 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 8l 
 
 yelHn', Manciy; dey'll hear yer and come back and 
 kill us bote. Dere now, I hear 'em comin' back 
 now." 
 
 Uncle Eph's admonitions were just then inter- 
 rupted by the sudden appearance of a beautiful 
 woman, who rushed excitedly into the house and 
 stood for a moment at the entrance of the salon, 
 looking dumbfounded at the sight of the two cow- 
 ering 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 its rays fell full upon her beau- 
 tiful 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 at once." 
 
 "Oh, golly, golly, little 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. We is here alone, if dey 
 don't come back and tuk us, too. De cowboy gem- 
 men done gone arter some Injuns, an' while dey 
 war gone some mo' dun come an tuk de little Mis- 
 sies o&. Oh, Lawdie! Lawdie!" wailed the old 
 woman, rocking back and forth in her seat on the 
 floor and wringing her hands. 
 
 When Uncle Hoke and the rest of the cowboys 
 left 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 
 and with the impenetrable darkness of a starless 
 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 
 cowboys several miles from the ranch, tliey sud- 
 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 sev- 
 eral miles after they had lost the trail. Uncle Hoke 
 called a halt. 
 
 "This chase is growing monotonous. I think we 
 are on a f ruitles hunt now, boys," he said ; "there is 
 no sound to guide us now, and it 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," 
 asquiesced Tody Rockbridge; *'weVe given them a 
 merry chase, but I guess the odds are against us.'* 
 And, turning in their tracks, the little band headed 
 for the ranch, urging on their spirited little ponies 
 at full speed. 
 
 ^'What's your name, Uncle?" asked Carmencita, 
 addressing the old servant. 
 
 *'Uncle Ephrum was my name, little Missie, but 
 I ain't sho' of anything jist 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 
 there?" continued the girl, pointing to the gun on 
 the elevated platform. 
 
 "Dat de sheen gun, Missie." 
 
 "Oh, I see — the machine gun," repeated Carmen- 
 cita. "Well, I'll take a few shots wl^ile you ring the 
 bell, and if any of the cowboys are within hearing 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 85 
 
 they'll come to us before some of those vandals 
 come back, murder us all and loot the house/' 
 
 But it was not the intention of the outlaws to loot 
 the ranch. They had carried out successfully the 
 orders of their chief, and were now well on their 
 way towards the Rio Grande with the treasure they 
 had been sent for. 
 
 Mounting the platform, the girl began to pour vol- 
 ley after volley from the lips of the vicious little gun 
 with all the skill of a practiced hand while the deep, 
 sonorous notes from the great ranch bell floated 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 a moment more the sound of galloping 
 horses, mingled with the defiant whoop of the cow- 
 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. 
 
 A few moments later and Uncle Hoke, followed by 
 the rest of his little band, rushed into the salon. 
 
 *' What's up?'' exclaimed the old cowboy, excitedly. 
 Then, noticing Carmcncita, he continued: "What, my 
 little friend ! You out here in the wilds ? I never ex- 
 pected to see you so far away from the rattle of the 
 checks — and in cowgirl costume, too. What friendly 
 wind has blown you this way, my bonnie lassie ?" 
 
 "Just on a mission of friendship, Mr. Barry; but 
 too late to be of any service just now to my friend 
 Gyp, although I have ridden night and day all the way 
 from old Mexico to save her father from the depreda- 
 tions of that villain Guiliadza and his band." 
 
 "Guiliadza !" repeated Uncle Hoke, looking puzzled. 
 "Why, that's the Spanish nobleman — the Colonel's 
 friend." 
 
 "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, surely you cannot mean that, Senorita?" re- 
 plied Uncle Hoke. 
 
 "Don't I know?" rejoined the girl. "I have just 
 come from his stronghold in Mexico. I learned that 
 he was on an expedition against Colonel Daingerford, 
 and, knowing that there is no limit to the deviltry of 
 which he is capable, I have tracked the gang here to 
 warn Gyp and her father — but too late, too late !" 
 
 "Too late ? Why, what do you mean T' cried Uncle 
 Hoke, 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 left and dun took away de little 
 Missies." 
 
 "I see It all!" yelled Tody Rockbridge, "they've 
 tricked us." 
 
88 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 *'Yes/' interrupted Carmencita, "I know how they 
 work. They have employed a common ruse when pre- 
 paring to rob a ranch. They first lure away the guards 
 with one gang and then pounce down upon their prey 
 with another." 
 
 "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 from between his 
 clenched teeth. 
 
 "Let's 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? Explain yourself!'^ cried 
 Uncle Hoke, eyeing the girl with a curious admixture 
 of suspicion and surprise at the firmness of her atti- 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 89 
 
 tude and determined tone of her voice. "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 is best to 
 be done, and you will think so, too, when I tell you 
 what I know ; but for the present it may be better that 
 the knowledge is confined to you alone, as my mother, 
 my brother and myself will be exposed to great danger 
 should it be discovered that I am instrumental m 
 thwarting the evil designs of the bandit chief.'' 
 
 "Most extraordinary!" mused Uncle Hoke. Then, 
 replying to Carmencita, he continued: "I do not un- 
 derstand all this mystery. In what way, girl, are you 
 connected with these robbers ? I thought when last I 
 played monte in Laredo that your occupation was a 
 dealer for the fickle goddess in the gilded haunts of 
 border civilization, and now I find you ostensibly doing 
 the good Samaritan at a remote ranch on the plains of 
 Texas/' 
 
90 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 "Very true, Mr. Barry, but there is a key to every 
 mystery if- one could but always put one's hands upon 
 it. But come, I will briefly clear up this mystery for 
 you and at the same time lead you to the stronghold 
 of the bandits, where I am sure the ladies will be 
 found; but I 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 may know why we 
 are in such company, let me say that it 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 I 
 happened also to fall into his power. Besides, Ramon 
 Gonzalez, the gambler, who was my employer, and 
 whom you know, is a friend of the bandit chief, and 
 he must not know— just yet, at least — for reasons of 
 my own that I am a party to what they will all con- 
 sider treachery, and punish it, if they can, with the 
 most refined cruelty." 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. QI 
 
 "Well, Carmencita, you may depend upon my dis- 
 cretion not only to proceed with great caution, so that 
 no harm will befall your relatives, but we will see to 
 it, too, as soon as we rescue Gyp and Miss Priscilla, 
 that some safer retreat than the bandit's lair is 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 brother, too, Carmencita. Some decent 
 work and association shall be provided for him. I am 
 sure the Kow King will give him a place in his ser- 
 vice." 
 
 Uncle Hoke little suspected when encouraging Car- 
 mencita by his unstinted praise of the Kow King's 
 generosity that all 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. 
 
 when I can find some more congenial surroundings 
 for my mother and myself, and I am sure my brother 
 would be more than contented to serve the Kow King, 
 for his connection with the outlaws was not one of 
 choice, but of necessity." 
 
 "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 through a pair of smoked spec- 
 tacles. 
 
 ''Now," continued Hoke, "call me 'Uncle Hoke,' 
 
 little girl; that's what they all call me around the 
 ranch." 
 
 "All right, Uncle Hoke," replied Carmencita, fall- 
 ing into the humor of the old cowboy, "and tomorrow 
 at the first streak of dawn I will lead you to the 
 stronghold of Guiliadza and his band." 
 
 "Yes, we must be off as soon as possible, and I will 
 leave 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 the great golden disc of the sun began 
 to rise from the plains and cut into the eastern hori- 
 zon Carmencita, Uncle Hoke and his band of cow- 
 boys 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 VIII. 
 gyp's escape from the bandits' cave. 
 
 "Miss Daingerford," said Consuelo, "the chief has 
 asked me to present his morning greeting to the 
 ladies and desires to know if it will be agreeable to 
 grant him an interview this morning." 
 
 "Tell him no. Since I have discovered the perfidy 
 of that imposter, I will have no interviews with him. 
 Tell him I demand the freedom of my cousin and 
 myself, and if 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. 95 
 
 tained a very courteous demeanor towards his 
 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 pota- 
 tions 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 of a cool spring which gushed 
 from a hole in the rock. 
 
96 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 When Consuelo repeated the answer of Gyp a 
 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 out- 
 law, at the same time roughly brushing her to one 
 side with a sweep of his powerful arm. 
 
 "You dare strike me, you brute!" screamed the 
 woman, her hot Mexican blood aroused as she felt 
 the rude touch of the besotted bandit. "You'll not 
 go where those ladies are unless you do so over my 
 dead body." 
 
 "Then over your dead body it'll be, you vixen T' 
 roared the infuriated brute as he made a vicious 
 lunge at the woman with his ponderous fist, but 
 which the agile woman evaded by a swift dodging 
 movement and a few rapid steps to one side. 
 
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 the woman, 
 which she. again avoided by nimbly jumping to the 
 side, whilst the impetus given by the force with 
 which the drunken ruffian had hurled his burly form 
 forward sent him sprawling to the ground. 
 
 Quick as a flash the lythe form of the Mexican 
 woman sped through the intervening space 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 wounded tigress, the 
 woman raised her arm, 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 
 mother and arrested the fatal blow. 
 
98 . COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 *'Don't do that, mother," exclaimed the young 
 Mexican. "What's the mafter?" 
 
 "Let me kill him! Let me kill him, the devil — he 
 would have struck me !'' panted the angry woman, 
 i Almost completely overcome by the liquor he had 
 drunk and vaguely realizing the danger of his posi- 
 tion, the 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 moments was lost 
 in a 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 it. 
 
 "When he becomes sober, mother," said the 
 young man, anxiously, "he will wreak his ven- 
 geance upon us. I have a mind to put a bullet in 
 him before he awakes and remembers what has oc- 
 curred/' 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 99 
 
 "Yes, son, do it — and right now," urged the Mex- 
 ican woman, fiercely, for she was still trembling 
 with anger. 
 
 Raising his carbine, the young man drew a bead 
 upon the sleeping bandit for a moment ; then, lower- 
 ing his weapon, said: 
 
 "Better not do it, mother; the other members of 
 the band would listen to no explanation that we 
 could make and it would result in the slaughter of 
 us all." 
 
 "Then, my son, we must make our escape from 
 here, for just as soon as he awakes he will seek to 
 visit his revenge upon me." 
 
 "Let us go, then, at once," replied Alonzo, "before 
 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 
 gamble a little, but will not tarry long, as they have 
 
loo COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 orders from the chief when to report for another 
 raid/' 
 
 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 I found down by the spring, well 
 under the influence of drink. He is now sleeping 
 off his debauch and will wake up in a ferocious 
 humor, and will no doubt do me some injury. He 
 struck me when I attempted to prevent him from 
 coming to your apartments in his drunken condi- 
 tion, and I was only restrained from driving my 
 stiletto into his heart by the timely interference of 
 Alonzo. He and I must make our escape from here 
 at once, and it would be well for you and Miss Prime 
 to accompany us." 
 
 *'But how can we do it with the two armed ban- 
 dits watching us?" 
 
 *'They are not watching now. All of the band 
 except the chief and the two guards are absent." 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. lOI 
 
 "But the chief and guards are outside, are they 
 not?" 
 
 "Yes, the chief is outside, but asleep, and the 
 guards left hurriedly only a short while ago to bring 
 back some horses that escaped from the corral. 
 They may not be back for an hour or more." 
 
 "I 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 corral, whilst his mother went in search 
 of the 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 
 his staggering steps towards the cavern. All of his 
 politeness and suavity had vanished under the bru- 
 talizing influence of the liquor. 
 
102 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 With his heavy, long hair all tousled, his eyes 
 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, my pretty bird — think you can defy Guili- 
 adza, do you? Tm not accustomed to contemptuous 
 treatment at the hands of subordinates or prisoners, 
 even though they may be ladies of wealth and sta- 
 tion." 
 
 "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 slen- 
 der waist. 
 
 ".Stand back, I say !" screamed the girl, trembling 
 with anger and indignation. 
 
 "Come, now, dearie; don't you love me just a 
 little bit more than anybody else in the world?" and 
 the bandit leered at her wickedly. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST, IO3 
 
 **Love such a brute as you! I loathe and hate 
 you, monster that you are, and you will have to 
 reckon with my father and his people for this out- 
 rage/' 
 
 ''Ha-ha-ha-ha !'* shouted the outlaw. "Your 
 father! Ha-ha-ha! Reckon with the old Colonel, 
 ehr 
 
 *'Yes, when you meet him you'll sing another 
 tune, you great hulking braggart." 
 
 "Ha-ha-ha-ha!'' laughted the besotted ruffian; 
 ''that's a good one. Well, you impudent little vixen, 
 you'll be my wife, whether you like it or not, and 
 I'll settle with my dear father-in-law when I join 
 him in Davey Jones' locker— ha-ha-ha-ha !'' 
 
 *'What do you mean, sir?" gasped the girl, a sickly 
 pallor creeping over her beautiful 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. 
 
 Davy Jones' locker — who is Davy Jones and whati 
 IS his locker?" demanded the girl, breathlessly. 
 
 "I mean," snarled the rufSan, with a vicious leer, 
 "I mean that the Kow King is dead. I saw him fall 
 with a bullet in his heart from the carbine of a Co- 
 manche Indian." 
 
 Clasping her hands to her face, Gyp uttered a 
 piercing scream of anguish and fell prone upon the 
 hard floor of the cavern in a dead swoon. 
 
 A shriek of terror broke from the lips of Miss 
 Priscilla as she rushed to the assistance of her 
 young consin, but before she could render her any 
 aid fell 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 
 no mercy, had struck down the victims of his vil- 
 lainous plot and was preparing to add murder to his 
 fiendish work. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. I05 
 
 "Hold, Alvero Guiliadza! Another move to in- 
 jure those ladies and Til fill you full of lead." 
 
 "You will, will you?'' roared the bandit, foaming 
 at the mouth like a mad dog, his disturbed features 
 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 all the strength ol 
 his ponderous frame towards the young man and 
 seized the barrel of the gun which was leveled all 
 him before his antagonist had time to press the 
 fatal trigger, and, turning the deadly weapon to 
 one side, clasped Alonzo in his powerful arms with 
 the grip of a grizzly bear. 
 
"106 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 Then began a terrible tussle for the mastery, 
 which meant death to Alonzo should his strength, 
 skill and endurance fail him in the desperate en- 
 counter. 
 
 For several minutes the men, locked in each 
 other's 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 carbine of Alonzo had fallen from his hand in 
 his endeavor to break away from the crushing em- 
 brace of the athletic outlaw chief. Neither of the 
 men wore his belt, which was hanging on- the gun- 
 rack in the armory room of the cavern. Back and 
 forth they swung and swayed, leaping and plunging, 
 beating each other in turns against the jagged sur- 
 face of the rocky walls; now the fortune of battle 
 seemed to favor one and now another of the com- 
 batants. 
 
 Gradually the superior strength of the giant chief 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. IO7 
 
 and his great animal endurance began to tell upon 
 the resisting power of the younger man, whose 
 lythe and shapely form writhed with all the grace- 
 ful motions of an Adonis struggling for freedom in 
 the iron embrace of a Hercules. As the younger 
 man's strength began to wane — and which the, sharp 
 ears of the wily bandit detected in his fitful breath- 
 ing, which became shorter and shorter — he re- 
 doubled his efforts to fling him to the ground, and 
 with one supreme effort he concentrated all 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 longer able to contend with the powerful 
 enemy against 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 I would 
 have been gone," breathed Alonzo, feebly, as he 
 sank exhausted to the ground. 
 
 *'Oh, mercy on us !" exclaimed the spinster, recov- 
 ering from her faint, "what's all this? Oh, see poor 
 Mr. Guiliadza — the poor man is hurt — he is full of 
 blood." 
 
 "Yes, and deviltry, too," retorted the Mexican 
 woman. 
 
 "But he will die. Can't we do something for 
 him?" piped the spinster, who, despite her discovery 
 of his true character and the villainy he had perpe- 
 trated, still 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 finish 
 the job, for he's hard to |cill — he has nine lives, like 
 a cat, and he's treacherous and cruel, too, like all 
 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 
 him from the fatal thrust of Consuelo's stiletto, and 
 at the same time pleading piteously with the deter- 
 mined Mexican woman to spare the life of the ban- 
 dit chief. 
 
 Disgusted at this exhibition of what she consid- 
 ered chicken-heartedness, but not divining the real 
 sentiment and motives by which the silly spinster 
 was inspired, she reluctantly replaced her stiletto 
 in 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 min- 
 istrations of the Mexican woman, aided by her son 
 and Miss Priscilla, soon had the grief-stricken girl 
 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 
 by the Mexican woman, and discovered that his pris- 
 oners had flown, his fury knew no bounds, and he 
 rushed like a 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 Cab- 
 ellero, and his shrewish mother." 
 
 "A rope for the pair of 'em If 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. 
 
 of approval from all 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 in hot pursuit of the fu- 
 gitives, who had a good start, however, and, led by 
 Alonzo, who was thoroughly familiar with all the in- 
 tricacies of the rough and rugged mountainous coun- 
 try, were making their 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 
 time from the cave, Alonzo. I am most uneasy about 
 her, and, not knowing what has happened to us, even 
 if she has met with no misadventure, she would 
 surely be murdered if she returns to the robbers^ re- 
 treat now, as they are furious with us.** 
 
 "I know the route, mother, that she would nat- 
 urally tae to return from the Kow King's ranch, 
 where you said she had gone, and we can steer our 
 course in that direction and intercept her." 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. II3 
 
 "Yes, that's whsit wq mvs^, do^ Alonzo^ for if she 
 falls in with the band she will be killed with but little 
 ceremony. I 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'* 
 
 "You acted very wisely, mother, for if you had es- 
 caped with these ladies, and either my sister or myself 
 had returned in ignorance of your act, we would have 
 been taken by surprise and slaughtered beyond a 
 doubt.'' 
 
 "Yes, I knew that, and intended to wait for you 
 both, and we could then have escaped all together had 
 not these unforseen and unfortunate events occurred 
 to precipitate our action." 
 
 "Well, mother, one thing you may be sure of — the 
 bandits are right now hot on our trail; but Carmcn- 
 cita will have to meet us first, and I am sure she will 
 return by the old mule trail, for which we are heading 
 now." 
 
114 COWBOYS O? THE WILD WEST. 
 
 ^'And that is, I 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 my sister there is no danger, 
 for the trail, narrow as it is in places, is level and 
 solid, as you will see, for we are going over it our- 
 selves." 
 
 "But how about these American ladies, Alonzo?" 
 
 "Well, I don't know about the older one, but the 
 fame of the Kow King's daughter as a daring and 
 skilful horsewoman is known far and near in this sec- 
 tion of the country. She can take care of herself 
 when it comes to riding, shooting or throwing the 
 lariat." 
 
 Gyp, who was so overwhelmed with grief by the 
 terrible blow she had received at the hands of the 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. II5 
 
 brutal outlaw chief when he announced to her the 
 tragic death of her father, had no ears for anything 
 that was being said by Consuelo and her son, but the 
 spinster, who had been drinking in every word, inter- 
 rupted them, saying with no small measure of con- 
 scious self-reliance: 
 
 "You need have no fears of me. Every Texas 
 ranch lady is as much at home on horseback as in her 
 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 gorgeous tints of his master brush the 
 little 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 
 bushes in the crevices of the rocky soil fringed the 
 brink of a yawning gulf, descending hundreds of feet, . 
 
Il6 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 and some thirty feet in width, which separated the 
 trail where the party was camped from a continuation 
 of the same trail on the opposite side, and which had 
 to be reached by proceeding for miles in a westerly 
 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 would be led 
 in any and every direction to attain it. 
 
 From where the party were encamped they could 
 toss a stone across the chasm and strike the trail, to 
 
 reach which they would have to ride for several 
 iours. 
 
 "This is a good place to camp, mother," remarked 
 Alonzo; "you see the trail along which Carmencita 
 will come is just across that deep ravine, and if she 
 comes along before we set out in the morning we will 
 see her, have her stop and wait till we go around and 
 join her/' 
 
 "And tell her all that has happened/' replied Con- 
 suelo. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. II/ 
 
 *'Do you know Carmencita ?" asked the Mexican 
 woman, addressing the spinster. 
 
 "No; but my cousin does, and I have often heard 
 her speak of the beautiful Mexican girl that she met 
 in the city of Mexico/' 
 
 "Yes,'' added Alonzo, "and I, too, have often heard 
 Carmencita speak of her friend the Kow King's 
 daughter That is the reason I left the gang when 
 I learned they were going to rustle the Kow King's 
 cattle; but I had no idea they were going to kidnap 
 his daughter and niece, or I 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 they intended to rob, but 
 as soon as I found it out I left and stopped at the 
 ranch of a man I know, and would never have gone 
 back to the cave at all but for you, mother, and Car- 
 mencita." 
 
Il8 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 "It is 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 Mexi- 
 can blankets, in order to add a little luxury to the 
 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 
 was tugging painfully at the strings of her maidenly 
 heart. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. II9 
 
 "I trust you are not ill, Miss Prime/' ventured 
 Alonzo, observing the preoccupied and sad expression 
 which had settled upon the countenaitce of the old 
 maid. 
 
 "Oh, dear, no,'' tittered the spinster, "but I am so 
 grieved about poor Mr. Guiliadza. Why — er — er — 
 he may be dead, don't you know.'' 
 
 "More the pity if he isn't," snapped Consuelo. 
 
 "And if he's not he'll do his best to kill us," added 
 Alonzo. 
 
 "But murder," ejaculated the old maid, clasping 
 her hands and looking sky ward ; "what an awful thing 
 to have on one's soul." 
 
 "It's not murder to kill rattlesnakes in self-defense," 
 hissed the Mexican woman, between her firmly set, 
 white teeth, while casting a contemptuous side glance 
 at the old maid from beneath her frowning brows." 
 
 "Oh, dear me, such a blow!" moaned the spinster. 
 "It reverberated all through the cave." 
 
 "I hope it will continue to reverberate all through 
 his wicked head," growled the older woman. 
 
120 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 **And had it not been for my cousin and myself it 
 would not have happened," continued the spinster, 
 *'for 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. "Guiliadza is a vil- 
 lain of the most cruel and hardened type, and the 
 world would be well rid of him ; jbut no such luck just 
 yet. He was only stunned." 
 
 "Dead, indeed!" laughed the Mexican woman, de- 
 risively. "As well try to crush an ostrich egg with a 
 broomstraw as to crack that robber's skull with a rifle 
 butt." 
 
 "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 the gathering darkness warned the little party, 
 tired and jaded from their strenuous ride, that it was 
 time to seek repose for the night, they all 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 COW- 
 BOYS. 
 
 Just as the first dim light of dawn revealed the 
 rugged outHnes of the towering mountain peaks a 
 number of horsemen wended their way in single file 
 along the narrow trail towards the camp of the fugi- 
 tives, who were still sound asleep and unconscious of 
 the close proximity of the bandits, who had continued 
 their pursuit 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 I heard the neighitig of a 
 
 122 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. I23 
 
 horse. They're not far off, perhaps a Httle beyond 
 yonder bend, where the trail broadens for a short dis- 
 tance — a fitting place to make camp." 
 
 ''We'll proceed with caution, Sancho, and take them 
 by surprise. Let's see, how many of us are there?" 
 
 "Ten, chief." 
 
 "Well, pass the word along back that four of us 
 will be sufficient to make the attack, as there is only 
 one man in the party, and I'll 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. 
 
 bridle is in that position the trained bronchos and mus- 
 tangs will never stir from the spot. 
 
 "There they are, and all sound asleep," said the 
 chief, under his breath, as he turned the bend in the 
 trail, 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 in the 
 other. 
 
 "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 
 awoke and attempted to gain her feet, but was quickly 
 seized 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 my suffering, beldame," 
 sneered the outlaw, "for I'll 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 — " 
 smirked the fatuous old maid, "you come with us." I 
 know our men will bear no resentment against you 
 for my sake." 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha!" roared the chief, "you would like to 
 trap me, my pretty bird." 
 
 "Oh, Alvero," wailed the spinster, "do not think me 
 unmaidenly, but indeed I do — I do " 
 
 "Do what?" bawled the chief 
 
 "I lik^eyou, Alvero. I would save you " 
 
 "Oh, my liver ! Oh, ha ! ha ! ha ! Hear that ! Save 
 me! Why, you old persimmon, you couldn't save a 
 nest of blind mice. Now, no more of this tomfoolery. 
 If you have any affection to waste bestow it on San- 
 
126 COWBOYS OF THE WILD^WEST. 
 
 cho. Eh, Sancho !'' whooped the outlaw, slapping his 
 thigh and exploding with laughter. 
 
 "Snakes! Snakes! Take 'em away! Take 'em 
 away!" yelled the Heutenant, pretending to be very 
 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? 
 Flew from 'the dovecote, my little dove, did you?" 
 
 "Oh, dear Mr. Guiliadza," broke in the spinster, but 
 before she could finish her sentence the outlaw turned 
 upon her fiercely: 
 
 "Enough of this nonsense, you old cranberry tart. 
 I have no more use for you than a monkey has for 
 two tails. Do you think, you vain old* magpie, that 
 because I had to 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. 12/ 
 
 "Come, dear, we'll all go back to the cave, and I am 
 sure that 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 
 which he will hold you captive for life." 
 
 And the impudent robber chucked the young girl 
 under the chin. 
 
 "Don't touch me, you monster. I abhor and loathe 
 the sight of you; leave 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. 
 
 "Unhand that lady, you cutthroat !" came in a voice 
 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 
 commanding his companions to cover the other pris- 
 oners in like manner. 
 
128 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 Then he yelled: 
 . *'Who are you to interfere with Alvero Guiliadza?" 
 
 "I'm Calvin Yancey. I demand the custody of those 
 ladies." 
 
 "Have a care, Mr. Cal Yancey. If you don't lower 
 your guns I'll blow these women into fragments." 
 
 Fearful that the desperate outlaw would execute his 
 brutal threat, the cowboy chief lowered his carbine 
 and ordered his comrades to do likewise. 
 
 "We have lowered our guns, now lower yours," 
 cried the cowboy chief across the chasm. 
 
 With a sneering laugh of triumph the outlaws re- 
 stored their pistols to their belts, when immediately a 
 strange and curious thing occurred. 
 
 "From behind a long, low ledge of rock, slightly to 
 the flank of where the cowboys had covered the ban- 
 dits with their carbines, four long, black lines, 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 live the cowboy and his lariat V' 
 
 The bandits who had been stationed back on the 
 trail, 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 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 ject squirming in the branches of a small tree which 
 grew from a large crevice far down in the side of the 
 deep ravine 
 
 *'It's 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 his fall and saved his worthless life. 
 
 As soon as the 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 the shelter of the 
 crevice from which the tree 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 yells of defiance at his enemies, 
 who, finding it impossible to reach him with their bul- 
 lets, gave up the hunt and proceeded on their way 
 along the trail to double around the gulf and join the 
 rescued party. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 1 33 
 
 A few hours later the victorious cowboys passed the 
 same spot on their homeward march with Gyp and the 
 three companions of her adventure and narrow es- 
 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 in Texas 
 towards the Kow King's ranch, when they fell in 
 with another party of cowboys from a neighboring 
 ranch, who were returning with a large herd of 
 cattle 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. I35 
 
 prey. 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 who were in charge of the herd 
 to make their camps together for the night, and es- 
 pecially as there had been numerous bands of warlike 
 Comanche Indians committing depredations through- 
 out that section of the country. 
 
 As gently as he could Cal Yancey had recounted to 
 Gyp during their journey 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 to be her protector forever 
 and fill the dismal void made in her 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 which was the mess 
 wagon, and under this the women had spread their 
 blankets for the night; but Gyp and Cal were seated 
 some Httle distance apart from the rest by the side of 
 a 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 
 more, but Cal was boiling some coffee over the little fire, 
 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 I returned to the ranch, to- 
 gether with the gloom into which the loss of your 
 father had plunged us all, the terrible shock of finding 
 that you had been kidnapped by that villainous Mexi- 
 can robber left me for a time almost bereft of my rea- 
 son, and had I not realized the importance of coolness 
 and quick action, and taken the trail of Uncle Hoke 
 without delay, we might never have met again." 
 
 "Indeed, Cal," replied the young girl, gently laying 
 her dainty hand upon the broad shoulder of the sturdy 
 cowboy, "had I not been sustained by the certain 
 knowledge that my poor, 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 mon- 
 ster He threatened to make me his wife by force " 
 
 "The fiend!" muttered the cowboy, with a hissing 
 sound from between his teeth, mingled with which 
 there lurked the suspicion of a good, round oath, 
 nipped in the bud out of respect for his gentle com- 
 panion. "Oh, if I had only been there. And just to 
 think of it, I had a dead bead drawn on the hulking^ 
 brute from across the chasm. I 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 and crook in those 
 mountains as a hedgehog is with his hole/' 
 
 "No, Cal, we have had trouble and bloodshed 
 enough. For my part, I hope the authorities will over- 
 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 not pass lightly over the suffering he 
 rp.3 caused you. And think of it! What might have 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. I4I 
 
 happened had we not arrived just in the nick of time 
 to save you !" 
 
 *'Yes, Cal, dear, wc owe our lives to you — all of 
 -js/' 
 
 *'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 I might have been 
 to die a thousand deaths to save you ; but it is to that 
 brave Mexican girl, Carmencita, that we are all in- 
 debted. But for her Uncle Hoke would never have 
 known where to follow you, nor would I." 
 
 "How did you find Uncle Hoke, Cal?'' 
 
 "He had not many hours the start of us, and his 
 trail was easily followed ; but to be sure we would not 
 lose it Uncle Hoke, who is an old cowboy and ingenuity 
 personified, left flour along his trail. Now, who would 
 have thought of that but Uncle Hoke? When I 
 opened the note he left for me at the ranch all it said 
 was : 'Cal — Gyp stolen. Follow me. Flour on trail.' I 
 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 is gone the whole respon- 
 sibility of the ranch will fall upon you." 
 
 "And when. Gyp, will the sweet responsibility of 
 its lovely mistress fall upon me ?" 
 
 "Whenever you like, Cal," murmured the girl, softly, 
 turning her face away from her lover, for it 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 separate from their cowboy hosts and 
 continue their homeward journey. 
 
 Just as day broke the camp began to assume an ap- 
 pearance of activity. The cook was bustling around 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. I43 
 
 the mess wagon getting the breakfast ready. Cow- 
 boys were scudding here and there over the prairie, 
 heading off small bunches of cattle which showed a 
 disposition to wander away after the main body of the 
 herd had arisen from their night's rest. 
 
 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 their 
 comrades, clustered around the cook's fire. 
 
 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. 
 
 When several dozen of the steers had been thrown 
 
144 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 and firmly held, 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. We saw 
 them while pursuing the stray stock. Have driven in 
 a number for killing." 
 
 To a tenderfoot this maneuver would have been a 
 mystery, but the assembled cowmen, whose wild life on 
 the plains led them into 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 
 fallen cattle, cutting their throats with one fell 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 other, three high. Al- 
 though it was known that Indians were in the vicinity, 
 no one suspected that they were so near until the cow- 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. I45 
 
 boys gave the alarm, and just in time?, as the Indians 
 could 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 Mose 
 Dibble, the leader of the cowboys who were in charge 
 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 the Indians approached nearer the women were 
 made to enter the circular breastwork thus formed and 
 lie 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, 
 mounted on their ponies, rode towards the Indians. 
 
 With demoniacal whoops and yells and firing of 
 shots the savages 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 
 to their work and shot across the prairie with the 
 speed of arrows, doubling back after passing the im- 
 provised fortress and, dismounting, sought shelter in 
 the enclosure. 
 
 "Let 'em have it !" shouted Cal Yancey, and deadly 
 volley was poured into the advancing Indians, which 
 tumbled them in numbers from their horses. 
 
 The Indians returned the cowboys' fire, but with no 
 effect, as their bullets were buried in the bodies of the 
 cattle, which proved to be a most effective 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. I49 
 
 For several minutes a running fight was kept up 
 and three or more of the savages were dropped from 
 their saddles. Just as the cowboys were closing down 
 on the savages to complete their victory by the total 
 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 for us — better not approach any 
 nearer." 
 
 As the reinforcing band drew nearer, the cowboys 
 recognized a tall, powerful Indian, handsomely deco- 
 rated with all the feathers and ornaments usually worn 
 by a great chief when on the warpath. 
 
 When the two bands of Indians came together, this 
 chief lined them all up facing the cowboys, and riding 
 up and down the line, gesticulating wildly and yelling 
 in his own language, succeeded in making some of the 
 
150 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 cowboys, who understood a little of the Comanche 
 tongue, understand that he believed the cowboys were 
 stronger in numbers and better armed than his war- 
 riors, and that he would not continue the fight, but 
 would lead the cowboys a long chase to where there 
 were many Indians; but that if there was any white 
 chief among them who had courage enough to meet 
 him in single combat, he would fight him at a point of 
 ground midway between the two opposing forces. 
 
 "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. I5I 
 
 "Paleface coyote. Paleface squaw man. No fight 
 big chief alone." 
 
 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 cowboy yell, started 
 off on a full run towards the bantering savage. 
 
 When Cal was within fifty yards of the big chief 
 his horse fell to the ground, having been killed by a 
 bullet 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 in hand, and 
 drove the keen-edged weapon to its hilt in his breast. 
 In the next instant the intrepid cowboy had jerked the 
 war bonnet from the head of the chief and had his 
 gory scalp swinging at his belt as he jumped upon the 
 dead Indian's horse and galloped back to his own men. 
 
 The whole affair occupied but little time, and the 
 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 pre- 
 cipitously across the plains. 
 
 "I guess those red devils won't harass us any more 
 for a spell, now," cried Uncle Hoke, as the Kow King 
 ranch cowboys took leave of their hosts and proceeded 
 on their journey homeward. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE REVEALED SECRET. 
 
 One wet and chilly night about three months after 
 the rescue of Gyp and her companions from the 
 clutches of the desperate Mexican brigand, the four 
 women were sitting . around the cheerful blaze of a 
 crackling fire in the large drawing-room of the Kow 
 King's ranch. 
 
 Tea had been served in the drawing-room for the 
 ladies a 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 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 his face, he managed to attract the attention of Car- 
 mencita, and beckoned to her to follow him. Sur- 
 prised by the strange actions of the old slave, 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. 
 
 "Come wif me, little 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. 
 
 "Dar was sumpin' quite curious wot happened, an' 
 I specs it war better fer me to tell yuh by yerself, 
 den yuh kin do wat yuh likes bout it wif de res' o' de 
 missies." 
 
 "Well, go ahead. Uncle Eph," answered Carmen- 
 cita, her curiosity now thoroughly aroused. 
 
 "Well, little Missie, dar wus a gem'man who come 
 ridin' up to de kitchen do' just arter de cowboys dun 
 finished supper and gone off, and he say to me : 'Uncle 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 155 
 
 Eph, you 'members me? I is Mister Gonzalez, wat 
 war a friend ob your ole massa, and I want for you 
 ter do me a favor/ Well, I axed him wat it war, an' 
 he done tole me to gib dis hyar letter to de lady Car- 
 mencita, and I dun took de letter, and hyar it be." 
 
 Fumbling under the bosom of his cotton shirt, 
 Uncle Eph produced the letter and handed it to Car- 
 mencita. 
 
 Tearing the letter open with nervous haste, she 
 read: 
 
 Carmencita — I must see you at once. Your safety 
 and that of your friends depends upon it. 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. 
 
 *'What can this mean?" mused the puzzled girl; 
 "what can he want witk me away out there on the 
 prairie such' a night as this? How did he know that 
 I am at the Kow King's ranch ?^' 
 
IS6 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 These and many more questions were suggested to 
 the girl's excited brain. 
 
 "I'll go," she said, under her breath. "Ramon is a 
 gambler and a bad man in many respects, but he'll not 
 harm me — anyway, he loves me, and he must know of 
 some impending evil or he would not be here. I'd bet 
 there's some deviltry brewing, and that villain Guil- 
 iadza is at the bottom of it. I'll go." 
 
 So as not to alarm the other women, Carmenclta, 
 upon the plea of feeling indisposed, said she would 
 retire to her 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 knew the direc- 
 tion, and after a ride of half an hour she saw a dim 
 light moving back and forth within a space of only a 
 few feet at a point where she thought the lone tree 
 ought to be. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 1 57 
 
 "That's a signal/' she said to herself. 
 
 In a few minutes more the girl drew rein on the 
 spot where she had seen the light, and then she saw 
 dimly the outlines of the lone tree, so called because it 
 was the only tree in a radius of many miles upon the 
 unbroken expanse of the vast prairie. 
 
 "Ah, Carmencita, you have come; that is good,'* 
 and the owner of the voice, who seemed to emerge 
 suddenly from behind a veil of darkness, stepped 
 briskly up to the young Mexican girl and stood beside 
 her pony. 
 
 "But why have you sent for me, Senor Gonzalez^ 
 Not to join you again in those dreadful gambling 
 hells of the city of Mexico, for I have no need of that 
 now. I am happy where I am, and the 'Kow Kween,' 
 as she is now styled since her father's death, has taken 
 me and my mother with her, and we are provided for 
 as members of the family." 
 
 "That is very good of her, Carmencita, but no more 
 than she should do, for I have heard from the lips of 
 
158 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 Guiliadza himself how you rescued her from his 
 clutches, and he has sworn eternal vengeance against 
 you for thwarting him in his design to possess himself 
 of the girl and her wealth." 
 
 "Where is Guiliadza?" asked the girl. 
 
 *^He is in the city of Mexico, and at this very mo- 
 ment recruiting a new band from amongst the most 
 desperate characters of the city. That is why I am 
 here. When I learned Lis plans I hastened here to see 
 you and put you on your guard." 
 
 "How did you know I was here, Senor?" 
 
 "It 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 you adrift and homeless after losing the only shel- 
 ter you had on her account." 
 
 "I intended to leave that 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 out- 
 laws." 
 
 *True," rejoined the girl, "but he is now safe and In 
 the employ of the 'Kow Kween.' " 
 
 "Good," exclaimed the gambler. "I knew the boy 
 in Mexico — a likely lad he was. I'm glad he is from 
 under the influence of Guiliadza." 
 
 "But why have you come all the way from the city 
 of Mexico to see me, Senor? "You told me in 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 
 grateful to you for the interest you manifested for me 
 when I was friendless and alone in the great city of 
 Mexico, and I entertain the kindest sentiments to- 
 wards you, but there it must end — indeed it must, and 
 I may as well tell you now." 
 
 "Ah, I see, you are in love with someone, perhaps 
 richer and younger than I," replied the gambler, with 
 
l6o COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 just the suspicion of amusement betrayed in his well- 
 modulated voice. 
 
 **Well, yes, Senor, since you ask me, I do love an- 
 other, and he is younger than you, to be sure, but not 
 rich— only a plain, honest cowboy." 
 
 *'But what if 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 
 discouragement of the gambler's professions of at- 
 tachment would excite him to anger rather than pro- 
 voke 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 friend- 
 liness to her in days gone by, "that I am grateful to 
 you and will always be your friend, but that is all." 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. l6l 
 
 "No, child, 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 my attentions, 
 child," continued the Senor, now speaking seriously 
 and in a low, soft voice. 
 
 *'But what do you mean, Senor? I do not under- 
 stand you. Speak, Senor, so I can understand you," 
 cried the young girl, startled 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 
 MY DAUGHTER!" 
 
 "What ! What !" gasped the young girl, descend- 
 ing from her pony. "You my father, Senor Ramon? 
 I cannot believe it." 
 
 "It is 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. 
 
 wreck of the vessel which brought us all to Mexico." 
 
 Carmencita had never shown the locket to anyone, 
 as Consuelo had always cautioned her not to do so 
 when she was growing up, as it was an article of much 
 value, and Consuelo feared that it might be stolen 
 from the child, so Carmencita had always kept it hid- 
 den from sight, suspended from a gold chain which 
 she wore under her clothing. 
 
 "What do you know of the locket?'' she asked, ex- 
 citedly, peering intently into the face of the gambler. 
 
 '1 know that it 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 else ?" asked the young girl, eagerly. 
 
 "And on the inside of the cover is engraved tjie in- 
 itials of my name and hers. I 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 MY DAUGHTER. 
 Page 163. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 165 
 
 changed my appearance very much, but a close ob- 
 server would not fail even now to recognize in the old, 
 weatherbeaten gambler, Gonzalez, your father, Don 
 Ricardo Alvarez, a nobleman of old Spain/' 
 
 "Dumbfounded, Carmencita remained speechless 
 for several moments, and then, as if speaking to some- 
 one far away, she said: 
 
 "Yes, I have often wondered where I had seen the 
 Senor before. He seemed to have htcn once in some 
 way associated with my early life. Yes, yes, now I 
 see it all,'' and the young girl, bursting into a flood of 
 tears, threw herself into the brawny arms of the gam- 
 bler and sobbed like a child. 
 
 "At last I have the secret which Consuelo has with- 
 held so long from me. I have all these years longed 
 for my dear parents, for, whilst kind and devoted to 
 me always, I knew always that Consuelo was not my 
 real mother." 
 
 "Your mother, Carmencita, was an Italian lady of 
 high rank and great wealth, a daughter of one of the 
 
i66 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 proudest families of Rome. Her parents were vio- 
 lently 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 my patrimony soon melted away 
 in living 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. I was 
 induced to exploit a great African bubble, and, having 
 had no business training, I was ignorant and plastic 
 in the hands of sharp and unscrupulous men. After 
 I had been led to rope into the scheme all my friends 
 and acquaintances the bubble burst, and I was left to 
 shoulder the crime with skilfully plotted evidence 
 against me. All the other perpetrators of the swindle 
 escaped except Guiliadza, who was my secretary and 
 held jointly guilty with me. When I discovered that 
 there was no future for me but that of a felon's cell, I 
 disguised myself and made my escape to Mexico on a 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 167 
 
 sailing vessel with you and your mother and Consuelo, 
 an orphan girl whom your mother had taken from a 
 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 I was saved by a marvelous chance. Having been 
 knocked senseless by a falling spar, I became entangled 
 in the rigging attached to it and was washed ashore, 
 where I awoke on the beach after lying insensible for 
 hours. How your poor mother was drowned we never 
 knew, but after the storm abated some fishermen vis» 
 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. 
 AH of our valuables and money were lost. I made my 
 way to the city of Mexico by gambling from village to 
 village, and when once settled in that city I became a 
 professional gambler, having- no other means of liy^U- 
 
1 68 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 hood. It was shortly after our arrival in the city of 
 Mexico that I conceived the idea of concealing from 
 you my relationship to you, and enlisted Consuelo's 
 co-operation in my plan, which was for your best inter- 
 est. I caused a rumor to reach Rome that I had been 
 drowned, and then I changed my name. This would 
 insure for you the inheritance of your maternal grand- 
 parents, 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 the secret, should betray us ; but I think a 
 comfortable sum of money will pacify him, and, al- 
 though he is a desperate man and robber, he will never 
 reveal the secret if 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. 169 
 
 "And, my dear father," murmured the young girl, 
 throwing her arms around the old gambler's neck and 
 kissing him affectionately, "what is to becoAie of you?" 
 
 "There is nothing left for me, my dear child, but to 
 remain where I am and settle on a ranch, preserving, 
 for your safety, the name I've borne all these years" 
 
 "Well, I'll not live in any Italy," exclaimed Carmen- 
 cita, decidedly, "and I don't care for any titles, either. 
 Texas is good enough for me. I'll sell the old Italian 
 estates and come here and live near you and Gyp, 
 where I can ride the plains, throw the lariat and shoot 
 with the cowboys, under whose rough exterior there is 
 more genuine nobility of mind and heart than that old, 
 tottering kingdom ever knew since Romulus and Re- 
 mus laid the first foundation stones of the Roman Em- 
 pire." 
 
 "You can now return, Carmencita^ and wait until 
 you hear from me again. I must hasten back to the 
 city 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. 
 
 ame time refrain from incurring his enmity, for your 
 inheritance all depends upon the condition that I am 
 legally dead, and no one can disprove the accepted be- 
 lief except Guiliadza, for Consuelo will never betray 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE PRAIRIE FIRE. 
 
 "Consuelo, I am going to Italy sogn/' said Carmen- 
 cita one morning, a fortnight after her interview with 
 her father. 
 
 "To Italy !*' cried Consuelo, in astonishment. 
 
 "Yes, Consuelo, to Italy. I know all now. I have 
 found my father and he has told me everything ; but 
 you are to 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 know the history of that 
 
 fortune. Since you have found your father and heard 
 
 from his lips the tragedy of your early history there 
 
 is nothing more I can tell you, except that so long as 
 
 your father lives you can inherit nothing." 
 
 171 
 
172 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 "But he is supposed to be dead." 
 
 "True; but so long as Guiliadza knows that he is 
 aHve there is no certainty that you can establish your 
 claim." 
 
 "My father will make a deal with the bandit." 
 
 "Alas ! I fear he will not succeed. Guiliadza is ra- 
 pacious. He will want the lion's share of your inheri- 
 tance to keep the secret." 
 
 "Well, let him have it. What do I care, if there is 
 enough left to settle us all snugly on a nice ranch." 
 
 "Ah," sighed the older woman, "you do not know 
 the outlaw chief. His desire for revenge is stronger 
 than his avarice, and he thirsts right now for your 
 heart's blood, and hates all those who were instrumen- 
 tal in wresting Miss Daingerford from his power." 
 
 "No, Consuelo, I think you are wrong. The bandit 
 chief was not so much infatuated with my friend Gyp 
 as with her wealth. He is a man without sentiment. 
 We can give him more many times over than Gyp's 
 whole fortune would sum up." 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 1 73 
 
 ''Does Miss Daingerford know of your change in 
 fortune?" inquired Consuelo. 
 
 *'Yes; but she does not know exactly about my fath- 
 er. I told her of my engagement to Tody Rockbridge 
 and of my inheritance and proposed visit to Italy to 
 settle up the affairs and dispose of the estates, but that 
 is all. The rest is our secret for the present, at least." 
 
 ''Well, sighed Consuelo, "let us look for the best. 
 All my hopes now of ever resuming my place in the 
 world as an Italian lady have vanished, and I suppose 
 ril 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 
 and loving friends. Why, I am giving up titles and 
 all the pomp which goes with them to be here with the 
 friends of my childhood and to live the free and happy 
 life of the plains, with a good, noble and generous hus- 
 band to shower upon me all the devotion of an affec- 
 
174 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 tionate and loyal heart in an atmosphere of simple 
 aith and rational existence." 
 
 "I hope so," sighed Consuelo. "Any way, dear child, 
 I can never, at least, be unhappy so long as I 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. 
 
 While Carmencita and her lover were billing and 
 cooing as only the cowboys and girls know how to do, 
 unearthly shrieks penetrated the spacious drawing- 
 room from the direction of the kitchen, and Uncle 
 Eph, followed by Aunt Manda, came bursting into the 
 room. 
 
 "Fire ! Fire ! Fire !" screamed the old servants. "De 
 prairie is all on fire!" they yelled, "and de cattle and 
 de cowboys is all tearing dis way." 
 
 Rushing to the broad veranda at the rear of the 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. I75 
 
 house, where they were a 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 ! the men are runnmg before the dreadful 
 fire — and, my God! Gal is 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 
 could reach this open space they would all 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. 
 
 wagons, in the direction of the approaching cowboys 
 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. After a while this oc- 
 curred, and the fire 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 cattle which had 
 perished in the flames. 
 
 "Oh, merciful Father !" moaned the distracted Gyp, 
 "they are lost — they are lost!" 
 
 "Not much!" grunted Uncle Hoke. "Not if Cal 
 Yancey was in the party they are not lost. Now, just 
 let's ride out there and see. The ground is not too hot 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 177 
 
 for the horses, and I'll 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 dead cattle, their scorched hides fiUing the 
 air with the strong odor of charred flesh. 
 
 Suddenly they came within view of the cowboys' 
 horses, lying scattered around in various positions, and 
 which they recognized at once by the saddles that were 
 still attached to their backs, but the cowboys were no- 
 where to be seen. A 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. 
 
 "Where are the men?" gasped Gyp, taking Uncle 
 Hoke by the arm and looking wildly into his face. 
 
 "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" roared Uncle Hoke. "Just look 
 there." 
 
 And as Uncle Hoke pointed to one of the dead 
 bronchos the scarcely recognizable head of a man, all 
 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. My throat's as dry as sandpaper." 
 
 "I'll pull you out," answered Uncle Hoke, "shaking 
 with laughter, "but maybe it would be impolite for me 
 to get too familiar without an introduction. Who are 
 you, anyway?" 
 
 "Come, no foolin', Uncle Hoke. Yank me out. 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. l8l 
 
 "Oh, Cal !" exclaimed Gyp, as she rushed up to her 
 lover and was about to throw herself into his arms. 
 
 "Oh, great Scott, no, Gyp ! This Is no toilet to greet 
 a lady in,'' 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 emerged from their tombs of 
 flesh in the bellies of the dead ponies. 
 
 "Come, Uncle Hoke, let's go look after the old fel- 
 low that we shoved into the carcass of one 'of his team 
 before we buried ourselves." 
 
 "Good thing you thought of that scheme, Cal, or 
 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. 
 
 and laughing until his face had taken on the hue of a 
 boiled lobster. 
 
 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?" 
 
 *'Sure, and Vm in here," piped a weak little voice, 
 which seemed to come from the bottom of an old 
 caved-in well. Then a head bobbed out and the rest 
 of the body of a little 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 let me get back in there a minute," he 
 implored. 
 
 Then he reached into the carcass and soon withdrew: 
 a little object all begrimed and matted with blood. 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 183 
 
 "Ah, here it is/' he said, wringing the blood out of 
 the article and placing it tenderly in his pocket. 
 , ^'Something you prize very highly, Mr. McGuffin?" 
 asked Happy Hank. ^. ;^--;t^^ 
 
 "Sure, and I hould it in hoi estimation, sur, for it's 
 me wig, and belongs on th' top o' me head." 
 
 A roar of laughter followed this sally, and then the 
 chief, addressing all present, said: 
 
 "Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor t© present 
 to you Mr. Terrence McGuffin, a traveling merchant, 
 whom we came up with on the prairie. 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 born agin, and viry much aloive." 
 
 "Well, we may all be thankful that no harm has be- 
 fallen us. Poor little ponies !" sighed Gyp, looking at 
 the bodies of the brave little animals, who had saved 
 their masters' lives. 
 
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 a 
 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. A little 
 later 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 Dainger- 
 ford, Carmencita, as he was traveling over the country 
 and carrying a stock from which I was sure both of 
 you could select such a trousseau as will answer until 
 you reach the large cities." 
 
 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 
 ranch selected for you, and will spend my declining 
 years with you and your fine, manly husband, my dear 
 child ; but I must be known only as your uncle, Ramon 
 Gonzalez." 
 
 "But Guiliadza, dear father ; you forget about him." 
 
 "No, child ; Guiliadza is now where he can harm no 
 one. A few nights before I sold out my business in 
 the city of Mexico Guiliadza became involved in a 
 quarrel with one of his men while on a debauch at the 
 Casino, and he was shot and instantly killed by his fel- 
 low-bandit." 
 
 "Then at last you are free from that haunting fear 
 of exposure. Ah, how happy I am," exclaimed the 
 girl, clappingf her pretty hands and bestowing a r^^ 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 187 
 
 sounding kiss upon the forehead of her erring but de- 
 voted parent. 
 
 On the following night the brilliantly lighted ranch 
 house echoed with the rattle of countless spurs as the 
 cowboys assembled to witness the marriage of their 
 chief and comrade Tody Rockbridge, one to the mis- 
 tress of the ranch and the other to the beautiful daugh- 
 ter of a noble Spanish family. 
 
 The grand salon was hung heavily with profusions 
 of exquisite flowers, and the long table in the great 
 dining hall was resplendent with its scintillating cut 
 glass, Sevres china and snowy linen. A great feast 
 was in course of preparation by the expert Aunt 
 Manda, and Uncle Eph's face 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. The two bridal couples 
 walked slowly into the grand salon and took their 
 places side by side before the minister. 
 
l88 COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 
 
 The solemn service was just about to begin, when 
 from a recess 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 this?'' as if in one breath came trom a dozen 
 mouths. "What does this mean?" 
 
 It means that Uncle Hoke's in this deal and ain't 
 going to be overlooked, for it's all 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 
 brought Uncle Eph and Aunt Mandy running into 
 
COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. 189 
 
 the room, and when the old slaves realized what had 
 taken place Uncle Eph threw up his hands, and, open- 
 ing his eyes so wide that the pupils looked like a fly 
 speck in the middle of a dinner plate, exclaimed: 
 
 ''Well, I declar. Who'd thunk dat o Massa Hoke— 
 an' de Missie, too, so sweet and 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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