Buffalo Bill: His Life and Adventures in the Wild West — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

A Cs "4, ‘? . re a - . Pm wes y aS Se wee. . a FS a .* ‘ puee 4 te a7 eS SaVING:A FATHER'S LIFE. . eee [7 v ; * 4 a» = : oe , ‘ i, ; sd "2 ’ , tn SAVING A FATHER’S LIFE, x Ay ‘Gegace in Kansas, Mr. Cody be- WW came interested in the affairs of : ' » the State, and joined the Free _ Btate . There mes this ne Sue opposition party in politics, e Free State partisans iatntaizied that any negr ve, entering a new state of the ' Union, would become free, by the mere _ treading on the free soil. Those, mostly settlers from the Southern, or silave- holding states, held that slaves were the owner's property, wherever they went. This led to a war in 2 cortain time, ’ While making a spsech, on one occasion, Mr. Cody was deliberately attacked and _ severely wounded. | He, however, recovered sufficiently to "work on his farm again, but was constant- ‘ly harassed by his old foes, who, on several occasions, visited his home with the in- tention of hanging him. _ On one occasion, when in town, Billy learned of an attack to be made upon his father, and, mounting Sable Satan, rode with all speed out to the farm. ' He was recognised, anc hotly pursued ; but he got home in time to warn his father, echo took Little Grey and made _ The horsemen, a score in number, came /to the farm, and finding Mr. Cody gone, the leader struck Billy a severe blow, and, men he departed, carried with him Sable _,__ this almost broke the boy’s heart; but ie declared he would, some day, regain his horse, and for weeks he tried to do so, but without success, _ One night, two horsemen came to the jody farm, and again asked for the ‘farmer, but were told by Mrs. Cody that ‘@ was away. | “They would not take her word for it, ut thoroughly searched the house, after hich they forced Billy’s sisters to get hem some supper. While they were eating, Billy and his ather returned, end, warned by ono of ihe girls, Mr. Cody went up-stairs to bed, or he was quite ill, and suffering from the vound he had received. ’ _ But Billy went into the kitchen, and aw there the very man who had struck aim the severe biow, and who had takea Yable Satan on his last visit... _* Well, boy, that’s a@ good horse I got 9m you,” he paid, with a rude laugh, 15 6 Yes, he’s foo good for such a wretch as you are!” was the fearless reply. No lip, boy! or I'll give you a licking you'll remember, By the way, where's that old father of yours?” said the man. Billy made no reply, but walked out of the kitchen, to be soon after followed by his sister, Mary, who said anxiously— “Oh, Will! they say father must have coms with you, and they intend to search the house again.” “Then I'll go up, and tell father,” whispered Billy, and up-stairs he went. He found his father asleep, and his mother was seated near him, and told Buly he had a high fever. “The don’t wake him, and [ll not let them come up here,” said Billy, and he went out of the room, and took his place at the stairs, A moment after, the two men, with istols in their hands, came out of the lichen, and started to come up-stairs. * Stop, Luke Craig, for you can’t come up herei” said the boy. With a hoarse laugh, the man sprua up the steps, to fall back as a piste flashed in his face, and roll back to the bottom, knocking his companion down, too. But the latter quickly sprung to his feet, and dashed out of the house to where their horses were hitched. His horse was a white one, and his com- rade’s was Sable Satan, and to the latter he ran. But up went the window, and, in a loud voice, Billy cried— “ve got my rifle on you, and I'll fire, if you take my horse!” The man evidently believed that he } would, from what he had seen, and, mounting his own horse, dashed swiftly away in the darkness, while Billy returned to the one he had shot. He found him badly-wounded, but not fatally, and, putting him m his father’s trap, drove him to the nearest doctor, at whose house he remained for months, be- fore he got well again. | eer CHAPTER V., ~ LOSING A FATHE..». HE civil strife grew hotter and hotter, and again circled round and ap- proached the oasis of green wood on the Kansas prairie, with its brighf stream shining like liquid gilyer in the hinxoiakcace LAL =»