Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1892 — ROYAL RANGER RALPH; OR The Waif of the Western Prairies. [ARTICLE]

ROYAL RANGER RALPH; OR The Waif of the Western Prairies.

BY WELDON J. COBB.

CHAPTER XIX. THE MODOCS. Walford, the old hermit, started Slightly as Inez stepped before him. He peered anxiously, curiously into her face, and then seized her hand, his impressive face ag ow with sidden emotion. “Yes," he murmured, “it is indeed tho daughter of my o d friend —I could not mistake that face ” Inez stood with downcast eyes and pallid countenanced did not reply to his words. DespariL hissed but one menacing sentence her shrinking ear: “Remember your promise!” he breathed fiercely. “Your lover dies if you fail me now.” Then aloud he said to Walford: “You are satisfied that this is Inez Tracey?” The hermit bowed assentingly. “She has a letter from her father written just previous to his death If you wish to seo it she will show it to you." “I wouid like to see it.” Inez produced a missive she had received some weeks before. The hermit perused it, returned it .to her and asked, “This gentleman is your intended husband?” For a moment Inez faltered. She seemed about to deny tho query when she met the fierce, threatening glance of her captor. “Yes,” she gasped, almost inaudibly. “And you wish mo to deliver to him the trust left me to execute by your dying father?” “If you will. ” Warford drew a time-worn paper from his breast. “In this document,” he said, “your father left his fortune to you in my charge. The fortune consists of lands in California near the sea coast, which are already deeded to you, and a description of which is contained in this paper. ” He handed Despard the document as he spoke. “These lands,” he continued, “are comparatively worthless; but, besides them, Mr. Tracey left a fortune in tangible shape. It comprises a casket containing diamonds, into which he converted his wealth in Peru; diamonds which, while they only fi.l a small metal box, repre sent a value exceeding one hundred thousand dollars. ” “And you have these diamonds’” asked Despard eagerly. “Yea My friend Tracey told me to deliver them to his daughter. I now do so ”

The hermit retired to a darkened portion of the apartment,-and was gone for some moments. When he returned he bore a small black box in his hand. The avaricious eyes of Despard gleamed with secret exultation. The coveted fortune of the Traceys was within his grasp at last, and he could scarcely contain himself for joy. The old scout, a silent and interested spectator of all that had transpired within the past few moments, was terribly excited. He saw the apparent accomplishment of all Dyke Despard’s evii plans. He saw the Tracey fortune wrested from its rightful owners, to enrich a desperate villain. He saw .Inez the wife of tho renegade. He resolved to act boldly. Drawing his revolver he sprang past the bandits. “Hold!” His voice was clear and commanding. The startled Despard recoiled. Ranger Ralph had wrested the casket from his grasp just as‘ the old hermit had handed it to him. “Walford, do you not know mo? It is I—Ranger Ralph!” A cry of amazement broke from the old hermit’s lips. “You!” he cried. “Yes, yes. Youder man is Dyke Despard, the outlaw, and the girl is acting under his threats. ” “Down him!” The enraged Despard shouted the order to his men 1 hoarsely. He himself sprang upon the scout as he spoke. The box fell with a changing sound from the hand of Ranger Ralph to the hard stone floor of the cavern. The other outlaws to press forward to aid their companion and leader, when a sudden episode diverted them from their purpose. < > A lithe form, that of a yyoman,. darted suddenly into view. Springing from a dark corner of the cave,’ she revealed the face and figure of White Fawn, the Indian princess. She glided to where De'-pard and the scout were struggling in deadly combat. With one blow she drove a knife into the back of the outlaw leader. Then, stooping, she seized the box of jewels and disappeared like-a flash down one of the dafk cdrrfddrs bf the place. With a cry of pain and rage Dyke Despard staggered back. “Shoot them down!” he cried hoarsely to his men as he retreated to their ranks. The old hermit seized the scout as the latter was about to spring forward to rescue Inez. At the same moment the outlaw fired at them. “This way,” spoke the hermit quickly. He drew Ranger Ralph out of range of the bullets of their foes. “Follow me, ” he oi dered. “But the girl!” “You cannot rescue her now. ” Walford had darted down a dark corridor. Suddenly he paused. A series of savage yells emanated from the apartment they had just left. They were mingled with the alarmed cries of the bandits. Loud reports of continuous firing awoke all the silent echoes of the place. “What doe 3 that mean?” demanded the mystified scout “The Indians ” “Modocs?” “Yes. They have penetrated the cave. See! They are coming this way. Hasten, old friend and partner, I have a safe retreat if we can only reach it in time ” The truth flashed across Ranger Ralph’s mind as he obeyed his companion and stumbled down a dark corridor. White Fawn, he reasoned, had reached the tribe, and they had returned with her to wreak vengeance on the renegades. In this theory, however, the old scout was only in a measure correct What had really happened was this: White FaW’n had rode toward the place where she supposed the Moiocs were encamped. She had seen her father and had told him all the cruel story of her wrongs. Within an hour the warriors were aware of Despard’s treachery, and were on the war-path, wild with emotions of revenge and rage. One hour after Despard had left the outlaw stronghold with Inez Tracy, the savages arrived there. The bandits left behind fell immediate victims to the vengeance of the Modocs, but White Fawn managed to Induce her lather to spare Darrel Grey. Provided with & horse, he was led out

out of sight of the tribe by the chief and told to hasten to some of the settlements, as the savages were b'ooithirsty and intoxicated, and he could not restrain them. The Fawn then led them after Despard. She was the first to enter the cave of the old hermit, and as has been seen she secured the diamond casket and fled. She was lurking in one of the numerous corridors of the cave when the Modocs penetrated to the p'ace. A scene of the wildest confusion ensued. The savages attacked the renegades mercilessly. The a armed Inez was borne away captive by two of the Indians. Despard had disappeared mysteriously at tho very commencement of the attack. The wily outlaw leader foresaw his peri l , and, wounded as he was, managed to escape. Shadow Snake ordered a thorough search for the Crow, and by accident the savages went down the corridor where the hermit and Ranger Ralph had gone Wa'ford g anted back as ho heard the savages. “They are following us,” he said to his companion. “Is there a way out of the place?” “There is a place of safe refuge for us, yes,” replied the hermit. “As to these savages, we will stop their pursuit. ” “How?” “That you shall see.” The hermit had halted at a place where tho corridor widened. Watching his grim features silently, the scout saw him draw a keg fiom a recess in the rock. Walford p'aced it across the corridor. A minute later a flaring, spluttering fuse, emitting brilliant sparks, told the scout that the old hermit intended in a a summary manner to close the pursuit of their savage fees.

CHAPTER XX. THE HOUSE IN THE AIR. “Powder!” ejaculated Ranger Ralph, as the hermit hurried him from tho spot. “Exactly. The Indians would have overtaken us, and we had to cut off our retreat ” “Have we done it?” “Wait and see. ” Tho corridor they were pursuing,came to an end at last. It terminated* at a shelf of rocks overlooking a little ravine that was a branch of the main canyon. So precipitous was the descent, and so frail the area of the rock they had reached, that the scout looked dismayed. “I see no way of escape,” he remarked. “Wait.” Both stood silent for some moments. Suddenly there was a deafening explosion. “The powder?” “Yes. ” “You believe it will block up our retreat?” “I am sure of it.” “And now how are we going to leave here?” “Look out and see.” Ranger Ralph advanced to the edge of the rock. He uttered a cry of interest and delight, as his eyes met a curious spectacle. From the rock a dead tree ran like a bridge across to a high perpendicular column of rock. Twenty feet beyond this was another rock. Between the two, he!d firmly in place, was a rude, dilapidated hut formed of logs. “That is my retreat,” said Walford. “And a safe and strange place it is,” remarked the scout. “But how did that house ever come there?” “It was built by me ten years ago, when the two rocks were one. ” “I understand. ” “Gradually they crumbled away. ” * “And left the house between them’” “Exactly. ” “Is it safe?” “For the present, yes. Some day it will go crashing down. Cross over on the tree. ” A few minutes later they had reached the first rocks. Thence thay gained admittance to the hut. It was a singular place, indeed. From the window thoy could look for many miles down the ravine. Beneath them was an open space lor many hundred feet. The hut seemed tightly wedged in between the two rocks. “What do you intend to do?” asked the scout, after a careful survey of the strange surroundings.

“Remain here for a while.” “Until the Indians go away?” “Yes. ” “But the girl?” “Wo will think about that later. We can do nothing by precipitate action. ” “You saw the Indian girl?” asked tho scout “I saw a quick form dart thiough the cave and secure tho diamonds, yes.” “It was White Fawn.” “And an enemy—one of tho Modoc spies?” “Nc, a friend.” “She has disappeared. ” “But she will return the diamonds. ” And Ranger Ralph related what he knew of the Indian princess. For over an hour the two men discussed the situation. It was just coming on nightfall, when tho scout happened to glance from tho window. “Look!” he said. The hermit hastened to his side. The valley below them was filled with Indians. They could see that the savages were about to camp In tho ravine for the night. Among them the scout made out the girl prisoner, Inez Tracey. “See,” he said, “the girl is safe.” “Yes, and W 9 will rescue her if they remain for the night.. Too late! We aro discovered.” Botn men drew back from the window hastily. Evidently they had been seen by some of the Indians in the valley below. They could see them point to the strange house in the rocks. Then several shots were fired at them. “I am sorry they saw us,” remarked Walford. “Thoy cannot injure us. ” “Perhaps not; but they will try to dislodge us. ” “They are trying it already, cried Ransrer Ralph excited y. “What do you mean?” “Look yonder. ” “At the tree bridge?” “Yes. ” A cry of alarm parted the hermit’s lips. On the shelving rock were several Indians just about to cross the treebridge that led to the strange house in the air.

CHAPTER XXI. NIGHT ADVENTURES. The attention of the two bordermen was now entirely centered upon the tree that had crossed the ravine. At exactly the place whence the scout had first seen the house in the air, several savages were visible. The explosion in the cave had evidently only temporarily blocked their progress. So far, apparently, they had not seen the occupants of the cabin, but as they regarded the strange hut and pointed to it, the hermit knew that they meditated a visit “They must not come here,” he said to his companion. “Of course not,” replied the scout; “but how are we going to prevent them?” “Get your revolver ready. ” “All right.” “Now take a position by this rock,*

Hanger Ralph did as directed. “If any of them attempt to cross, firs at them,” said Walford. “And you?” “I am going lo destroy the means of access to our place of refuge. ” “Aud cutoff our own retreat!” “ifotatall. There is an outlet by the other rook.” The scout remained on guard behind the rock. The old hermit crept cautiously toward the spot where the dead tree rested on the first cliff of stone. Ranger Ralph could observe all the movements of the savages without being seen. He saw one of them finally make a movement as if to cross the impromptu bridge. The scout drew a bead on him and tired. The astonished Moooc fell back with a cry of pain. His companions, too, retreated further into the cave. They were completely mystified at the strange attack. Their 'bewilderment increased when they saw the tree go hurtling down the ravine. The hermit had pushed one end clear of the rock, and it fell, depriving the savages of any opportunity of crossing to the rock. A minute later he rejoined the scout. “There is no danger to be apprehended from our enemies that way?" “None. ” “They may fire at us. ” “The rock intervenes, and they cannot reach us. No, they will soon retire from the cave as they came. ” “And then?" “An attack from below, I presume.” “That won’t amount to much. ” “I don’t know,” remarked Walford concernedly. “Now they have discovered us, they will exercise all their cunning to dislodge and.destroy us." For over an hour, however, there was no especial commotion visible in the valley below. The Modocs had moved their camp farther down the valley. Quite a party of them had sought shelter behind some rocks directly under the cabin. From their frequently pointing to the cabin the hermit and the scout realized that they were forming somo plan of assault. Ranger Ralph looked anxiously but vainly among the savages for some sign of White Fawn. He believed that she could Induce Shadow Snake to cease hostilities if she was there. The Modoc Drincess, however, was nowhere to be seen. As the scout learned later, she had mot with adventures that prevented her appearing to her friends for many a long day. Finally, just at dusk, the Modocs below were joined by several more savages. “Thoy are the Indians who tried to cross on the tree,” explained Walford. Their enemies seemed to discuss the question excitedly. They separated, but the watching men in their strange eyrie could see that they were disposing themselves for a combined attack upon the cabin In tho air. The hut was perhaps a hundred feet from the ground. The savages first began to fire at tho windows of the cabin. Then, realizing that this was a useless expend ture of powder and ball, they ceased all hostilities for somo time. [to be continued.]