Luis Senarens

“ Away tore the iron fiend through the crowded ranks, and both sides were threatened with death.
“Back to the rocks!” roared Jared Dwight, just as Frank Reade picked himself up from the ground and gazed wonderingly around him. “Keep inside the pass.”
The emigrants obeyed, but three of their number were knocked down before they could elude the horse.
The Indians ran, yelling and shrieking, from the spot, scared to death by the odd affair; for without a driver on the seat, it appeared as though the iron steed knew what he was doing when he struck them down with his spiked hoofs. ”

“ A cheer rang out upon one side, a loud shout of defiance from the other, and then the two parties closed in a wild fight.
Rifle and pistol, bullet and blade were crashing and contending, and blood flowed from cruel wounds.
The plunging of the steeds, the hoarse and vindictive shouts of the riders, the screams of the wounded and dying men rang out in a demoniac chorus, and with such music above them the leader and the driver still clung to each other, rolling fairly under the hoofs of the plunging steeds, in their desperate encounter. ”

“ At this moment, just when a perfect stillness hung over everything, the sound of a shrill whistle came distinctly over the plains.
“That’s the Steam Horse,” said Max. “They’ll soon be here.”
“Whoop!”
A shrill yell rang out.
Then came a chorus of horrid yells, and the redskins rushed forward.
Crash!
A random volley was poured in over the shafts of the wagons.
One or two of the emigrants fell, badly wounded, but none were killed by the random fire.
“Ready!” yelled Mustang Max.
Every muzzle was directed outwards as the foe came rushing up with a reckless burst of speed. ”

“ In the body of the wagon stood Barney Shea, and in his hands the brave Irishman held a loaded rifle.
The pursuers had reached within two hundred yards of the helpless captain before they discovered the Steam Man, so excited were they by the thought of taking their prey a prisoner.
Then they pulled up short, and tried to wheel their horses so as to escape the impending danger.
The man kept level with the horse, even at this terrible speed.
Charley Gorse held the reins of his high-stepping man, and on the seat beside him, perched up like a frog, sat the darkey. ”

“ Pomp jumped from the wagon of the Steam Man.
In went his banjo, and out came an iron bar that lay upon the floor of the body.
Twirling this as lightly as any dandy in the land would twirl his gold-headed cane, the darkey leaped in among the half-intoxicated reds.
The white men and the outlaws had been more profuse in their use of liquor than their more temperate red friends, and were lying around in the most helpless position, dead drunk and perfectly useless. ”

“ They seemed to fear him far more than even Jared Dwight, although the latter was the more destructive foe.
Pistols cracked, bullets went whistling in the air, knives spun over and over in the various lights streaming up in columns from the wagon attached to the Steam Horse, tomahawks clashed against rifle butts, savage oaths were met by savage yells, and the life-blood of the contending factions rapidly stained the field. ”

“ The steed of the other horseman was wounded, and as the rider fell to the ground, he fired upon the boy.
A scream of pain from the gallant mustang told that he was hit; but still he bounded onward and dashed fleetly away for a mile.
Then his strength began to fail, for his life blood was oozing forth from a cruel wound in his shoulder.
With his eyes blazing, he essayed to leap onward; but he stumbled and fell, and, like a rocket, Pedro shot over him, and landed stunned and bruised on the level plain. ”

“ Head down to the plain went the leader of the outlaws, and like a monkey, Pomp leaped up and was instantly in the saddle.
As Charley Gorse had told his cousin, the darkey was one of the most expert riders of the day.
He could do more with a horse than an ordinary rider.
He seized the reins, gave them a peculiar twitch, and the horse reared upon his hind legs.
Pomp yelled at him, and the animal began striking viciously with his iron-shod hoofs.
His heavy blows knocked men from their saddle, and caused other horses to leap away in fear. ”

“ And then Harry Hale saw the young genius’ latest invention, and eyed it with wonder.
He walked painfully towards it, for his leg felt stiff and sore, but his curiosity and admiration would not allow him to rest until he had fully examined the wonderful contrivance from end to end.
“That’s really the greatest invention of the age,” he said. “And if he can do as well as the Steam Man, you can have good times on these prairies.”
“He can do better than the man,” said Frank. “We have just had a race, and I should have won it if it had not been for a band on foot that we had to wipe out.” ”

“ A bullet told them that they were pursued in turn, although by one man only.
Pomp’s opening shot knocked a red-skin from his saddle.
“Out on de fly!” roared the much-tickled darkey, and again that deadly revolver flew up.
Bang! and this time he effected a neat double play by killing an Indian and wounding a horse.
The Indians didn’t like it.
Ordinary riders and ordinary marksmen they were in no great fear of; but when a man could stand erect on the back of a madly-leaping steed, and, with an unerring aim, send destruction into their midst, then they felt appalled. ”

“ They ran him into the camp of tents, handed him over to the tender mercies of an aged warrior, bound and gagged, and then they skedaddled back to the rumpus.
After the fracas was over, and Van Dorn went to the camp, he was delighted to find Ralph there a prisoner.
“Aha!” he cried, gazing malignantly upon the helpless boy, “you are back again, are you? You see you can’t keep away from me if you try. How do you think you feel?”
And the brutal villain, elated over the recovery of his prize, gave the boy a kick. ”

“ He dashed to the front of the little house, and peered out upon the plains.
Several forms, hitherto hidden by the tall prairie grass, were now dancing up and down in savage glee.
“We’re hemmed in,” despairingly said the borderer. “To go out by either door would be to get a bullet, or a dozen of them, through your body. We must stay here as long as we can, and trust for something to turn up to aid us, and if nothing does come, then we’ll die together in the cabin. You and the children had better die than fall into the hands of those brutes yonder.” ”

“ Meanwhile the red and white band of pursuers rushed down upon the crazed beasts, and their rifles told the death of more than one.
With exultant yells and cries they dashed among the beasts, firing right and left in the full glory of slaughter, and at last the animals began to recognize the fact that a common enemy was destroying them.
Then they ceased to fight among themselves, and turned to meet the band.
With vindictive growls they battled with them, but the well-trained and naturally smart prairie horses were much too quick and wide awake to be caught on their cruel horns. ”

“ Barry Brown had been selected by Hale to enter the counterfeiting gang, and by his skill in die-sinking and engraving, to work himself thoroughly into their confidence, for this gang conducted its secret operations on a larger scale than any other in the country, and it was worth time and patience, and all possible risk, to have the glory of bringing the rascals to justice.
This Brown was as cool as a piece of steel, and his nerves were like the same chilly metal in texture. ”

“ There was a wild shriek of mortal agony, as the iron-shod hoof of a madly plunging steed crashed through the brain of the unfortunate driver, and then the leader leaped to his feet, heated and half worn out, but still full of energetic command.
“I’m here!” he shouted, for well did he know that the sound of his ringing blows would encourage his men. “Drive them from the field!”
High above the roar and din of voices and weapons could be heard the crashing sound of many hoofs spurning the pebbles of the stony plain. ”

“ Like a swarm they came, keeping up their horrid chorus of chilling yells; but Mustang Max had taken good care that the women should have no chance to interfere with the defense.
“Strike hard,” he cried, as he sprang to the breach. “Force them outside and then keep them out.”
Nobly they leaped forward at the word, but the foe was a desperate one, and were not to be easily driven off.
Many a redskin went down clutching a white man in his arms, and their lives would flow out with their mingling blood as they lay upon the ground in that deadly embrace. ”

“ And then a laugh came to his ears, a low, chilling, sneering laugh, and from the brilliant glow proceeding from the inner room stepped the captain of the counterfeiters, Jerry Prime.
He was speaking to somebody behind him, or rather laughing scornfully at the party, and Barry Brown understood at once that he had not been seen by the leader of the outlaws.
But the man with the sword standing almost over him, the weapon gleaming in the brilliant light? Barry stole a glance of amused interest at the figure now, and then lowered his revolver. ”

“ Even as the darkey stood up one of the big beasts made a desperate leap upon one of his foes, the other in turn attacking a foe ahead of him; but the fierce charge of the first-named brute was well directed, and the second buffalo sank dying to the plain, a gash fully a yard long in his side, showing where he had been disemboweled as quickly and as neatly by a cruel horn as the sharpest sword could have done.
Pomp’s horse was heading direct for the fighting beasts. ”

“ And through it all Frank Reade lay under the wagon senseless, his head just a few inches back of the hind hoofs of the Steam Horse.
Some of the men who had shot at him, supposing him to be dead, wished to secure the wonderful suit in which he was habited.
Three of them had shot at him, three white men, and one of them now called to the others:
“Go for the boy. If he’s dead we want his suit, and if he’s only wounded, we want his body. We can wipe this crowd out easy enough.” ”

“ The iron hoofs, sharp spiked, of the Steam Horse created terrible havoc, and the man fairly walked over the redskins with his gigantic strides.
Right and left the avenging emigrants struck.
Crack! crack! went the weapons of the men in the wagons, and Indian after Indian fell lifeless to the plain.
The half-breed turned to fight, nerved to desperation; but Pomp shot him fairly through the heart, and without a sound he fell dead.
Steadily onward went the slaughter, man after man being cut down without any mercy, until but one was left, the arch-villain, James Van Dorn. ”

“ Some of his comrades dashed forward to lift him from the ground.
Jared spoke out sharp:
“Shoot the foremost man!”
His wife’s rifle flew to her shoulder, the end of the barrel resting in the little port-hole; her keen eye flashed over the weapon, and her steady forefinger pressed the trigger.
“Crack!”
A yell of mortal agony followed the shrill report, and the first man of the number which had rushed forward, fell dying in the arms of his comrades.
A chorus of yells rang out as they bore the dying man back into the shelter of the trees.
Then all was still.
“A good shot,” said Jared. ”

“ The buffaloes—those left alive—had made up their minds to migrate, and they were now plashing through the waters, making excellent time for the opposite shore.
Many of them lay upon the blood-stained plain by the water’s edge, either dead or dying.
Black Arrow, a tall, powerfully-built Indian, and a white man called Billy Blossom, a low-browed, swarthy villain of middle age, were looked up to as the leaders of the party, and they now came forward and took a look at the sullen prisoner.
“Well, you’ve got me,” said Van Dorn, as he looked up into the face of the white leader. ”

“ A series of shots rang out, and almost at the same instant a succession of very painful yells told that the bullets found many a living mark.
But the rush was too impetuous even for a volley to check, and the next moment the Indians piled into the grove.
The prospectors met them bravely, and it was lucky for them that the darkness of the night was in their favor, for, greatly outnumbered as they were, they must have inevitably been gobbled up by their savage foes.
A hand-to-hand fight in the dark is always a terrible thing.
One is as apt to strike a deadly blow at a friend as at a foe. ”

“ Both Frank and Charley knew that horses were too heavy for them to ride down without running the risk of injuring their machines, so they steered slightly to the right, and as they passed the remainder of the pursuers, the darkey and Barney let drive at them.
Pomp’s revolver brought down two out of the three, and Barney’s rifle finished the affair.
“Pull up slowly,” cried Frank, “and turn back to that poor chap.”
As they slowly wheeled and retraced their route back to the helpless man on the ground, the riderless steeds of the fallen men rushed madly over the plains. ”

“ Barry Brown caught it on the coat that served him for a shield, and before the outlaw could strike again, a bullet, sent by Harry Hale, crashed through his brain, and stretched him lifeless by the side of his wounded comrade, whose fall he had sought to avenge.
Down the hallway dashed Hale and Gorse.
After them, pell-mell, rushed the men from the hallway above.
“Brown?”
“Here.”
“We must fight our way out.”
“We can do it.”
“Shoulder to shoulder then,” cried Harry Hale. “Strike down everything in your road.”
“And get to the man?” cried Gorse. ”

“ On, swiftly on over the rolling prairie dashed the horse bearing the darkey rider and Ralph Radcliffe, for the plunge into the cold waters of the stream had greatly refreshed the animal, and the ground seemed to fairly fly under his hoofs.
But when a goodly distance had been placed between them and their pursuers, the darkey pulled rein and brought the horse to a walk. ”

“ But when they started, Charley found that he did not know exactly where he was traveling to, for, like his Cousin Frank, he had lost his bearings.
Onward they sped through the gloom; mile after mile gliding under the feet of the Steam Man, until Charley guided him into the blazed path leading into the patch of woods in which was situated the rendezvous of the counterfeiting gang.
As he traveled along the pathway at very low speed, he bumped over some obstacle, and with a redden flash, his headlight in the man’s head went out, just as he got into the open space in front of the house. ”

“ BARNEY SHEA IN HIS ELEMENT.
Slap-dash into the midst of the excited and half-crazed dancers rushed the Steam Man and his four-footed friend, the Steam Horse.
Frank and Charley, perched on their seats, guided the iron monsters, and took care to circumnavigate the dancing Irishman and the playing darkey.
In an instant the scene was changed; the dancing ceased; people scattered right and left; shouts shrieks and yells were heard from red and white, and the high old wedding festivities came to a sudden end. ”

“ When Pomp and Ralph Radcliffe, on the back of the flying steed, rose over the wild buffaloes, the pursuers were rushing at the fighting beasts in a swift charge, their rifles leveled for a deadly volley. ”

“ The thundering sound of mighty feet were heard on the hard roadway of the plains, a bright light, steady and brilliant, suddenly shot up, a ringing cheer from four throats, mingled with a clear whistle, and then the Steam Man and the four brave fellows it brought to the rescue, dashed swiftly up to the grove. ”

“ Very soon the Steam Horse hove into view, Frank on the seat and Pedro at his side, while behind him, in the wagon, clustered Harry Hale, Barney Shea, the latter fiddling away with might and main, and the gloomy avenger. ”