Luis Senarens

“ As the night hours dragged by, Clark paced the ground upon the outskirts of the camp and listened for some sign of the return of Jason.
He knew that it was not possible for the faithful courier to return from the fort under two days.
But if the cavalry division was reinforced by the Vigilants and the Steam Man they might be able to keep the foe at bay until the fresh squad should arrive.
Thus the plucky young colonel clung to hope.
Time passed. It seemed an age to Clark before a silent shadowy form slipped out of the gloom and into the camp. ”

“ But with the glass Frank saw that they were mounted men and white men at that.
They looked like a roving band of cowboys. In any event they were white men and it was quite enough for the young inventor to know this.
“We can depend upon them to help rescue Pomp!” cried Frank, exuberantly. “Luck is yet with us, Barney.”
“Be jabers I hope so,” cried the excited Celt. “If they be white men and have a heart they’ll shurely do it.”
Frank instantly turned the wagon about and sent the Steam Man rapidly down to the prairie. ”

“ Walter Barrows, the brave young stockman, was the first to enter the main ranch.
The instinct of a lover took him to the chamber in which Bessie Rodman was kept a prisoner.
He burst in the door and clasped the young girl in his arms.
That was a joyous meeting.
When they appeared in the yard the vigilants cheered wildly. It was a brilliant victory.
Ranch V. was captured.
The stronghold of the outlaw Cliff, the den of villainy and vice, was captured. It did not require much time for them to reach a decision as to what to do.
“Every building must be laid low!” cried Harmon. ”

“ In the shallow water, protected by reeds, was a body.
For a moment all expected to recognize Barrows. But all drew a breath of relief.
It was not him.
The body was that of one of the Apaches. Doubtless it was one shot by Barrows, and his body had been thrown into this place to escape the notice of the white pursuers.
“That’s an Injun trick,” declared Harmon, positively. “I’m mighty well satisfied that the captives are alive.”
“I hope you are right,” said one man.
“Ditto!” said another.
“Then let us take the trail,” cried Frank Reade, Jr. “If possible, we must rescue them.” ”

“ Heaps of the dead and wounded cowboys lay upon the ground. As 8the Steam Man reached the Pass, a number of the cowboys tried to grasp the throttle reins and stop the machine.
But the ponderous body of the Man knocked them aside like flies and the wheels of the heavy wagon crushed them into death or insensibility.
The Steam Man literally forged his way through the Pass like a rocket.
Barney and Pomp cheered wildly and fired parting shots at the discomfited foe.
In a few moments the Steam Man ran out upon the prairie.
Frank did not waste time but set his course at once to the Southwest. ”

“ The ranch was a heap of ashes.
For these crimes Artemas Cliff was responsible. But Bessie Rodman was yet in his power. Travers was near the gallows.
These two people must be saved.
Frank Reade, Jr., saw the mission, as did Harmon.
Instinctively they clasped hands.
“I reckon we both know what to do,” declared the Vigilant captain tersely. “P’r’aps we kin work together. I’ll help you all I kin.”
“And I will help you,” replied Frank. “We will bring Cliff to justice if the Steam Man can help us to do it.” ”

“ Frank Reade, Sr., did not display surprise at this statement of his son.
“Now you have the whole thing in a nutshell, my boy,” he said. “Of course, you can do as you please, but if you wish to take any kind of a journey with your new invention, here is a chance, and a noble object in view. That object should be to track down the murderers, and clear Jim Travers. It may be that the nephew, Artemas Cliff, is the really guilty one, but in any case, I believe that it is in the West you will find the solution of the mystery.” ”

“ With Cliff leading them they were charging furiously up the hill. But the Vigilants stood firm and gave them a raking volley.
For a moment they wavered. Then once more they came on.
Cliff’s voice could be heard as he rallied them.
“Curse ye, go on up thar and kill the hull crew of ‘em!” he yelled. “Don’t let one of them escape alive! Kill ‘em, every one, and don’t give any quarter!”
“We’ll see about that,” muttered Frank Reade, Jr. “It may not be so easy to do all that, Mr. Cliff.”
Frank and Barney, from their position aboard the Steam Man, could pour a terrible fire into the ranks of the foe. ”

“ A thrilling incident stopped him. A loud cry went up.
“The cowboys! they are coming! To arms everybody! There comes Cliff at their head!”
Every eye was turned to the plain beyond the stockade.
There was no disputing the truth. Cliff and his gang returning from the hills had come just in time.
It would be folly now to burn the ranch.
Harmon, seeing the desperate exigency dropped the torch, and cried:
“To the stockade! It’s for life or death, boys. Fight to the last!”
But the command was not necessary. Already the brave Vigilants were at their posts. ”

“ The cowboys, however, seeing that succor had come tried to break away.
As Barrows was too exhausted to restrain them they succeeded and dashed away at full speed.
Reaching their ponies they mounted and were out of sight in a twinkling.
The next moment Barrows had clasped Bessie in his arms, first cutting her bonds.
“Thank Heaven!” he cried. “We are united once more, and this time let us hope never to part.?”
Those aboard the Steam Man pretended to be busy during the affecting meeting.
But soon the lovers came to the cage and a general welcome followed. ”

“ If you die so do we. Until the last the Steam Man will stand his ground.”
With tears of emotion in his eyes Harmon gripped Frank’s hand.
“God bless you!” was all he could say.
At this moment one of the vigilants came up excitedly.
“We are just firing the last cartridges,” he declared. “What shall we do? Is it a retreat, Harmon?”
“Retreat!” cried the vigilant leader, clubbing his rifle. “Never! Come on one and all. The crisis has come. Now let us show them how brave men can die.”
The cowboys with their wild cheers were forcing the crippled vigilants back. ”

“ Not a sign of a trail could be found.
It baffled the cavalrymen.
“By Jupiter!” exclaimed Clark, in disgust, “how are you going to fight such a shadowy foe. If they would only come out like men and fight it out it would be all right. But they don’t dare do it.”
“You would whip them,” said Frank Reade, Jr., with a laugh. “That is why they are playing hide and seek.”
“I suppose so, but it makes it pretty hard for me. I suppose the best course now is to send out scouts and scour the hills.” ”

“ The happy life companion of Artemus Cliff. When I get my hands onto Uncle Jim Travers’ millions, we’ll travel the world over, my daisy.”
Bessie did not appear to heed his words, though her face increased a trifle in its pallor.
“Monster!” cried Frank Reade, Jr., with intensity. “You will never succeed. Heaven will not permit it.”
“Heaven don’t have much to do with me,” cried the villain, with a lurid oath. “The devil has been a good friend of mine, and I ain’t afraid of his place either.”
“Begorra, they wudn’t have ye even there,” cried Barney. “Yez are too wicked for avin that place.” ”

“ The cavalrymen had reached the prairie in safety, and galloped away from the hills.
Clark knew that his only and best move now was to return to the fort for reinforcements.
He could not hope to do anything with the foe with such a mere handful of men.
Accordingly, just as the sun appeared above the horizon, the little cavalcade, with its shattered ranks, galloped away across the plain.
No effort was made to search for the Vigilants.
Clark knew that even with their aid it would not be feasible to give battle to the cowboys.
Clearly it was necessary to have two hundred more men. ”

“ The tramp of ponies’ feet could be heard and the distant baffled yells of savages were wafted up on the breeze.
“The Indians are coming up the pass,” cried Frank, with dismay. “Barney, there’s not an instant to lose.”
“Begorra, yez are roight,” cried the Celt, beginning to make his way up the cliff. ”

“ We can rescue the man later.”
“Yes!” cried Harmon, in a voice of thunder; “that is our duty! The girl first, boys; then we will try and save Barrows.”
The vigilants cheered, and away thundered the troop toward the defile.
A few moments later they reached it and entered it.
High walls of black, forbidding rock arose on either side to a mighty height. The bed of the defile was rough and strewn with bowlders.
It was harder for the horses of the vigilants to pick their way through here than the fleet-footed ponies of the savages.
Accordingly the Indians gained quite a lead. ”

“ While Frank Reade, Jr., kept the Steam Man on an elevation near, from which he, with Barney and Pomp, covered the work of invasion by a hot fire with their Winchesters.
The cowboys could not get upon the stockade to fire at the assailants for this reason.
Harmon’s men therefore worked with perfect immunity.
No more favorable time for an attack could have been chosen.
There were but few of the cowboys in the ranch, and these were picked off by the fire from the Steam Man as fast as they appeared on the stockade.
With lusty cries the vigilants chopped through the timbers of the gate. ”

“ The Vigilants had driven the Apaches before them into the hills.
But upon entering the fastnesses, with which they were not familiar, the Indians had given them the slip.
In the search, they had come upon the scene at an opportune moment.
There seemed no better thing to do than to give pursuit to the savages at once.
Accordingly a couple of spare horses were provided for Frank and Barney, and they rode forward on the charge.
The delay had been brief, but it had enabled the savages to cross the creek and start for the defile beyond,
Down thundered the vigilants in hot pursuit. ”

“ Artemas Cliff had covered his tracks well. He knew that Frank Reade, the young inventor’s father, was a friend of Travers and would see him through, if possible.
Therefore he had provided well for giving Frank Reade, Jr., and the new Steam Man a hot reception on the plains.
With hoarse cries the cowboys descended upon the Steam Man. They urged their horses forward at a full gallop.
Frank Reade, Jr., knew well that it was possible for them to greatly injure his invention, so he made quick action to defeat their plans.
He shouted to Barney:
“Give it to them, Barney. Shoot every man you can.” ”

“ THE ABDUCTION. Chief Harmon of the Vigilants was not wholly content to abandon the trail of the cowboys, just here.
He indulged in quite an argument with Frank Reade, Jr.
His remarks were not without logic.
“Why, only look at the sense of the thing,” he declared, “It is by no means possible that the soldiers are going to have an easy time with Cliff and his men. They may turn the tables on them yet. I tell you it was a premature thing for that colonel to do, to set us adrift so quickly.”
“Yet he ought to know his own strength,” said Frank. ”

“ He is strongly backed up. You have only twenty-five men with you.”
“But they air all men,” replied Harmon, pluckily.
“I will not question that,” replied Frank, “but the weight of numbers would defeat you. Cliff has several hundred men in his command.”
“We’re not afraid of ‘em. Yet ye’re right enuff. It’s well fer us to go easy.”
“It is well to be careful,” said Frank. “I think that you had better keep along with us for a time.”
“All right!”
“I think there is no doubt but that the young girl whom Pomp saw in the hills was Bessie Rodman.” ”

“ There is but one heir, and he is a nephew, Artemas Cliff, who is a stockman, somewhere in the Far West. It could not be him.”
“Could not?” Frank Reade, Jr., sat down and dropped into a brown study. After a time he aroused.
“I am interested in this case,” he declared. “And my Steam Man is at the disposal of justice at any time. But you spoke of the prairies. Is there a clew in the West?”
“The only clew possible to obtain at present,” declared Mr. Reade, Sr. “You see detectives tracked two suspicious men to Kansas. There they lost track of them. Everybody believes that they were the assassins.” ”

“ But they were at the edge of the pile. However, Pomp felt their heat and they would soon reach him.
The poor darky was nearly insane with a frenzy of desperation.
The savages now began a fiendish dance about the pile. They leaped and ran, and swung their tomahawks and made hideous faces at their victim.
But fate had not ordained that this was to be Pomp’s end.
Even while death seemed certain, rescue was close at hand.
Suddenly there smote upon the air the ring of horses’ hoofs, and a quick sharp order, followed by the crash of carbines.
Indians fell in heaps before that volley. ”

“ This Frank wished to avoid.
The young inventor had induced Bessie Rodman to seek refuge in the wagon. Otherwise, she would certainly fall into the hands of the foe again.
Frank started the Steam Man ahead, and went down to the stockade. He made the vigilantes a hasty address.
“Nothing will be gained by holding this place,” he declared, with force. “You cannot do it. The odds are too great.”
“But we cannot surrender,” cried Harmon, “and how can we retreat?”
“Easily enough,” replied Frank, “there is a rear gate. Open it and cut out upon the prairie.” ”

“ The Vigilants saddled their mustangs and all was soon ready for the start.
The Steam Man was an object of great wonder to the plainsmen.
“By Jinks!” exclaimed one of them, “the sight of that queer-lookin’ critter oughter scare the life out of any number of Injuns.”
“I think the Steam Man will aid us much in accomplishing our ends.” said Frank, modestly.
The start was made just after daybreak. The Vigilants rode alongside the Steam Man on their mustangs. ”

“ The big brute went over the edge of the precipice and crashing down into the gorge.
Pomp heard plainly the crash of the bear’s body as it struck the bottom of the pass.
Then he rushed to the edge and looked over. ”

“ Many of the Vigilants were wounded, and Captain Harmon was angry.
“Confound an Injun!” he muttered, in disgust. “They have sich a sneakin’ way of fighting. They allus attack one after dark, an’ hain’t got the pluck to come out in the open an’ fight.”
Everybody was bound to acknowledge the logic of this.
But the savages kept up the same mode of attack until Frank Reade, Jr., made a diversion.
Barney had succeeded in getting up steam once more in the Steam Man, and now Frank Reade, Jr., approached Harmon.
“Give me five men,” he declared, “and I will whip the foe for you.” ”