Buffalo Bill: His Life and Adventures in the Wild West — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

: . . AR 7. Cer \ a” oe I A ate 8 AAR SPCR Dole * Sie Oe tk : . : aS « ae to ‘ » e yt tp’ aS P! aT Tt ‘ ; ; s 4 ‘a. % = oP ~ 4 ag 1 Le . by Q : oy - < ‘ , 4, eae ~ . “ ar ‘ q a "ay << , ‘ALO B ; . Sighs o ae wer {°° bu? eee - ON os f- thriven, and the farm was 9 smiling es- tate. | In ali ihe country he had not an enemy, if it were not a farm-labourer, named James Lanxtry, whom the people called “TLynx-eyed Jim,” because of a leering look, and the vague similarity of sound in Lanxtry and Lynx. All over the frontier, nicknames supersede the ones derived - from the christening SONU, . _ Lynx-eyed Jim*had quarrelled with old Mr. Beal, when, reproached with insolence to Miss Beal, and young Beal had walked him off the property with a few cuts of a -cow-hide “whip. Jim had sworn. ven- eance, but that had not alarmed the | ener, when, however, it was rumoured that the bad fellow had joined the Rust- lers, or Landitti, and was uot unfriendly with the Indians, the Beals kept on their guard, | The Rustlers were an organization of scoundrels, who were always on the stir in mischief, that is, keeping things ruszing, ‘hence the name. They would have in- eurred the united action of the frontiers- men to put them down, only for their cunning in generally painting their faces, and otherwise dressing themselves up to resemble Red Indians, when they attemp- ted a serious outrage, | — Qne day, old Beal was out riding, and his: horse “smelt” Indians —frontier- horses become.as good as dogs in scenting out mischief—and, giving the alarm, he wheeled, and started for home at the best ~ pace the ro bh nature of the wooded land would allow him to travel. gone four or five miles before he met his son coming along at the same gait: he, too, had seen Indians at another point, and was seeking hisfather to warn him. They proceeded homerard together, and, on the way, had to dash through a band of savages, who were prematurely surprised in preparing an ambush for them. Singular to say, they recognised these ‘Indians to be strangers to that part of the frontier. They wera indeed, the ~Apaches, These are very ferocious brutes, their ferocity heightened since, of late years, they have been driven off the rich New American and Texan prazing-erounds by the cattle industry, and into the arid, jesolate, stony region of the Lower Colo- grado Canyons, or gorges, Nevertheless, they are reckless and adventurous villains, who do mot fear to go northward to a great distance, and many 4 vile theft and cowardly murder, for which Sioux, Paw- noes. or Cheyenzes, have been blamed and punished, were really due to the Apaches, may travel on territory with the negroes and a couple of Mexican less condition. This was a secret to the He had not ' aaa how « band of tribes, very that there is an irregular society, W. th secret rites, which takes in warriors, Print cipally outcasts, and it harbours its mem 7 bers anywhere on the plains, up to the Yellowstone River itself. These are the Deg-Soldiers. a In any case, the Beals, soon after their arrival home, found that they were be- leagued by these Apaches. All the whites, » TA vagueroes, or cowboys, in other words, cow= herds, were indoors e ranche. The open space, in the centre of the dv lling, was floored above, and, by as i n, os ‘ . : ; Fs Seto He stairway, the occupants of one apartment. could reach the other. =# © =~ 4% The old farmer hastened to his wife and daughter, cheering them by his words and manner as far as was possi t " e—although | he was far from confident that he could” defend his home successfully. SPOR ae” Had there not*been an underground assage to the creek or rivulet, he would . ~ J of ee: ave been in a most despondent and hope=. Mexicans; not having been used in their time, the blacks could be trusted not fo”, reveal it, and Beal was not woll aware whether or not the discharged Lynx eyed! Jim: knew .of,it. se Darkness thickened on the scene, and a . Py eo Cm ie USE aS fo Gaertner ae stillness reigned which was apalling. Soon, however, ominous | acnntgst were heard ;, whilst, unobserved, half a score of: red fiends crawled to a cabin, against which they leaned a large hewn log. This they dragged, noiselessly, toward tho) dwelling, oe Gaining a position, just clear of tha) first loophole on the front side of the, western end of the building, they 3 us 10d: toward the door of the east wing—b1 nig ing the end of the huge pieco of timber within three feet of it; when, with a lunge forward, they all sprung free! Rey. x ey The concussion was terrific, in force ani sound ; indeed, few doors could have wit stood the shock. The iron sockets, which | held_in place the upper bar of the door,” were driven clear of the logs; the bar fi y= ing half across the room, The upp of hinge was also broken, and the lower one bent ; thus forcing the top of the door i © ward, sufficiently for one man at a time, or two, by crowding, to spring into the room, No sooner had the crash sounded, than: every Apache shot out a fearful + whoop, each as one, and a rush wes madg: ~~ ; p~ BF) *w for the half-open door, = = == 8 comicbooks.com (e ') Vo” Shee oe