Buffalo Bill: His Life and Adventures in the Wild West — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

vs 5 <a att ~ J ae t sve ees ay you oath, and ¢ er ied 6 ib Bee a ale’ Seale Sake Ayer « We ] ee ceed did: you es in | the cavern, Pet, for I see that you did d anlk the Devils!” ot come with this party, but kept on | a h the Jarger force, contrary to what we ‘thought ; but I don’t. eke up their trail.” “Nor I py aN ow what do you say we shall do?” pe dger that the Danites have two “maidens captive, and have doubtless “earn ied them on to Salt City, and that they have massacred all the train peo le 6 No, there are not troops enoug though we know that these fellows are all ie in Indian garb and paint, we must ertain who their commander is, so we Wi nal go to Salt Lake City, if you say so.” a + would be taking great risks.” ' “True, but I have been there often be- f ore, and we can do more to save we cirls ps an army can.” I am ready, little pard.” : Th i was a long ride, but they covered the ‘g aD ind with more celerity than Leigh’s gal 1g. Besides, as it happened, Leigh was not ¢ n a good terms with Brigham Young, the | prophet and chief of the Mormons. ious complaints of massacres had been icially lodged at Salt Lake City by the nitec States Government; and although ‘the a [ormons talked confidently of defeat- ‘any forces sent against them, their oe ident and elders better knew that ~ iT ~) ~_ = P~) £ 2 earth if the frontier people were authorised tot arash them. Leigh, therefore, entered the capital NSE Vy but despatched his two captives under ‘guard of reliable fellows by a cir- _cuitous: ‘routes, These rogues, too, falling a ‘st on the sandy road, turned off for “33 Se nante. af a mining town called angers’ Rest—rather ominous! This diversion enabled Buffalo Bill and the Pet toc come upon their road. "1 know that party,” remarked Bill 7, whose eyes were reckoned to be er than the finest field-glass on the foie. “Tt is a man who has been in mischief: he is Hercules. Bluff, whom I ha to thrash some time ago; he has a arc rd with him whom I do not know ; but will swear that he is a villain. Then t the, re are two ladies with them. One is Mi ss. eae and the other, Miss Har- D6 ate bp ( i 4 reas at ‘ a) in. ‘nis chery ; port. to the commandant at Fort. ‘Fort Bridger to do us any good, nn they would be wiped off the face of the | tol fioht it site We are sil met, a | | we'll bluff Master Hercales’s little game.” “711 take him for a waltzing, pard, and you take his comrade, and we'll gail out | at the word ; but don’ t hit the ladiex.” he _ “Yes, the girls are not there; they did “Tm a dead shot, Bull.” YT know that ; but “’Sh—, Bul! I hear ote horses’ hoof- strokes.” s as You'll hear more than that presently, oy. Then the two friends sat in silence, awaiting the coming of the party, who were urging their horses hard. As they came nearer, Buffalo Bint Wesesties cautiously around the boulder, and whispered— * Hercules is in front, riding by the side of Miss Hortense, and has hold of her bridle rein.” “ And Dolores ? ” - “Comes behind, the rein of her horse held by a black-bearded pilgrim.” And on they came, the men looking ahead of them, and the poor captives, with bowed heads, seemingly in perfect despair, “ Charge!” The cry broke in trumpet tones from the lips of Buffalo Bill, and like arrows: shot from bows, their horses sprung away from the boulder, and were alongside of the two ruffians before they could draw a weapon. And they came to a sudden halt, and neither dared offer resistance, as a re- volver muzzle was pressed hard against their heads. So sudden had been the charge that it startled both Dolores and Hortense at. first, but recognising their deliverers at a glance, the former spoke the name of the Pet, while they both called out the name of the scout.. “We have met again, Hercules Bluff, and I warn you that my bullets are harder than my fist,” said Buffalo Bill, sternly. “* Yer durned fists is too hard fer me; but I guesses_I is done fer.” And me too, pard Hercules, durn yer fer gittin’ a honest man inter sich a scrape,’ said the other villain. “Yes, the devil wants just such honest men as you are for fire-wood,” said Buffalo Bill, and then he continued— “Miss Hortense, be kind enough ta take those weapons out of this gentle- man’s belt, for they are too heavy for him to carry.” With a light laugh Hortense obeyed, while Dolores did a like favour for the Pet. GOmicdooks. co m -