Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1063 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

- * “* : * wa, = = pee ae } , , pi tals . as Welln 10 some rocks, and Wild Bill followed closely. As he did so, another figure arose out of the black- ress. Hesawa swinging motion and tried to dodge, throwing up one arm, Then it seemed as if a ball of fire burst witha tremendous crash in his brain. CHAPTER XI, BILL ON THE TRAIL, THE Pistol King had been struck down, and ve some time he lay in an unconscious condi- ion. Finally be stirred and uttered a groan, With- in another minute, he sat up and stared blankly around. ‘* W here—what—when?” Those words came from his lips, showing how great was bis bewilderment, ** Spooks and hobgoblins! am I alive, or am I not? Is this you, Bill, or is it somebody else? Those are important questions, Will somebody please rise up and answer?” His head was throbblng with a terrible pain, and his left arm felt as if it were broken. “*T think a mountain must have fell on me,” he said, speaking to himself, ‘‘and it was a very heavy mountain, too. It made me tired, and I took a rest, ** But, I wonder if this arm is in working order, or is it out of repair?” He examined his arm carefully, and was de- lighted to find it was not broken. ‘* All right there,” he muttered, ‘‘ Now to see if my bead is whole, It feels cracked.” His sombrero bad protected his head so the scalp had not been broken, and Bill felt nota little thankful when he found this out. ‘*T am all right,” he said, grimly; ‘but I would like to have a little session with the galoot who bit me that belt, 1 wouid entertain him to the best of my ability, The woman fied into the shadows here, and he was crouching among these rocks, When I came along, he rose up and let me have for all he was worth. It was a settler, and that is a fact! ‘*But why didn’t they kill me and have the job over with? Tbat is what sticks me, That black creature claims to be my deadly foe, yet, when I was down, she does not take the advan- tage of it, Well, things are getting very warm in these parts, and that isa fact,” Bill scarcely thought either the Witch or her companion were pogertng around, but he took the pains to look about, e was not rewarred by a discovery. Then he turned his steps back toward the cabin, Ay this time the moon had slipped well down to the crest, and half the valley was in shadow. Bill took the precaution to go all around the cabin and make sure no ond was in the vicinity. Then he went to the spring and bathed his head and arm, after which he felt much better, He was not a little chagrined by the outcome of his pursuit of the black woman, but he had to make the best of it, ‘*A crisis is at hand,” be murmured, as he stood looking up at the place where Nervy Ned had seen the lights shine out, ‘‘ Perhaps a band of our enemies are up there now, waiting for the time to come to down us, We must be con- stantly on our guard,” The remainder of the night without anything in particular taking place. Bill tad determined not to fell bis comrades of his ad- venture with the Black Witch, but in the morn- ing he changed his mind enough to inform Nervy Ned of all that bad occurred, The young man listened with interest, ** Bill,” be said, ‘‘do you know, the night you got up and left the cabin so suddenly, and after- ward claimed you thought one of the horses was down, I thought that was not the reason for your action.” “Tt was not,” “This black woman—” ** Had been looking in at the open window,” ** And do you think she sent you that written warping?” Ne: mute else could have sent it?” “‘That 1s something I cannot answer. But, - how came it within the cabin?” “ You tell!” ““T cannot. It has been a puzzle to me.” “Tf this black -creature was a spook—but I reckon she is flesh and blood,” irits, if there are such things, do not send ngs written on scraps of paper.” ety Nary time!” ** Bill, wae believe one of our party will bear watch- ’ ‘ - . } pat uM a? : . : / 3 4 3h: 4a ; - r 5 , : - » 4 hs . ry. 4 . - . : "te, - ‘ , 7 oy Ned » re d. Aa _ eS vf he yi * * OF hoe a iy rs " * Wild Bills Weird Foe. The Pistol King started. ** Who?’ be asked. ** Ginger Jim!” ‘“‘Why, the fellow is nothing but a braggart; there is no harm in bim,” Ned sbook his head. ‘‘Perhaps not; but I am not so sure of that, Anyway, [ am going to keep my eyes on him.” ‘“* That won’t burt anything.” ‘* His bragging air may be assumed—likewise, bis apparent cowardice,’ ‘* }t is not impossible,” ‘‘ It may be ail a trick to fool us,” ‘¢ That is so,” The two men were silent for some moments, then Ned said, with startling suddenness: és Bill,” ** Yes, pard,” ‘* You are going to attempt trailing down the ones who stole our horses?” 46 I am,” ** Well, I want you to burry back as soon as ou can.” ‘¢1'll do that, pard; but I mean to know what has become of those animals, if I have to follow them into Montana,” “*T feel as if something may happen while you are away.” ** Don’t get shaky, lad; the chances are, noth- ing will happen any quicker while lam away than while | am here,” ‘* But, you would be one more fighting man with the party.” Bill nodded, ‘*T understand; you are looking for trouble. Well, I will do my level best ubout getting back, rest easy astothat, Meantime, put Old Zeb onto anything you may discover. He is to be fully trusted,” With this, Bill turned away and began to pay his attention to picking up the trail of the stolen horses, That was not near so difficult as be bad anticipated, and he soon bade his comrades oe th The little party watched the scout till be had disappeared from view, then Big Bruno turned avert shaking his head soberly, and saying: na almost feel as if we should never see him ain, es Mig d’yer mean by thet?’ demanded Crab e . ‘‘No more than I said. Something tells me Bill will never return.” “Do you insinoowate he will puckachee?” ‘‘No, not that; but 1 believe the Hills abound with dangers,” Zeb gave a snort of disgust. ‘“Wal, you ‘low Wild Bill ter look out fer Number One!” he said, decidedly, ‘‘ Thar don’t no red-s:in git his ske}p very easy, an’ as fer ary white skunk downin’ him— Wa-al, they hain’t bin able ter do thet leetle trick so fur.” ‘‘ Bill hed oughter tooken me long with him,” said Ginger Jim, ‘ Ef tber Injuns bed tackled him then, he’d hed somebody clost by ter fended bim frum them,” ** Wa-al, we may need your ’fendin’ byer afore he gits back,” drawled the old prospector, * Good gracious!” squawked Jim. ‘* You don’t reely think thar’s any danger, do ye? “ Jest like’ ez not, thar’s fifty reds away up yen, watchin’ this place now,” Ginger took one look toward the spot indicat- ed by the old man’s gesture, then he gave a yoop of genuine fear and plunged into the cabin. “ Thet’s ther kind o’ er red-skin extarminator he is!” said Crab Zeb,in disgust, Wild Bill was an expert trailer, and be was ‘able to follow ti.e stolen horses much more swift- ly than he had dared hope todo, At places he would be bothered a little, or compelled to go slow; but the nature of the ground seemed to compel this. He began to believe the tbieves bad made no effort to cover the trail. ‘* Perhaps I see their little game,” he muttered, as heswung along, his Winchester ready for quick use, if necessary. ‘*They thought they might have some trouble in covering the trail so I could not follow it, so they make no attempt to doso. If that is true, then they will lay anam- bush for me, I reckon, I must be on the out- look, or Lshall stumble into a trap.” Wilder and wilder grew the country, as he penetrated still further into the Hills, The scenery was picturesque, but Wild Bill bad no eyes for the beauties of nature just then, He was attending strictly to business, At length, he detected the first deliberate at- tempt to cover the trail, but it was sach a pvoor one that he laughed to himself. ‘¢ That wouldn’t fool a baby,” he said, ‘‘ Let’s gee if they try it again. If they do not, I shall think was not areal attempt to cover the trail, but was a bluff.” Oe Ae, vie a <= f ‘ > ‘ae Before long he came upon still another attempt to blind the trail, and it was much better than the first, ‘¢ This looks like business.” he muttered, scowl- ing a bit. ‘Still, 1 donot think it will puzzle me very much,” He was obliged to spend an hour in picking up the trail, much to his dismay, for he did vot wish to lose time, Once more he went onward, Mid-day came, and it found him studying over a third attem}'t te deceive any one who might be trailing the ani-\ mals. They had taken to a stream of wate!, and he was forced to travel up and down tle creek on both sides for a Jong distance before Le again found the trail, Even then it was not easy to find. Thehorses had not left the water atany place that offered, but, as Bill had im- agined might be the case, they bad come cut un a fo that would leave scarce the ghost of a trail. It was looking for just such a place that Bill succeeded in striking the track again. He saw the creatures’ feet had been muffled, and bad he simply looked for the marks they would vatur- ally have made, he would have lost the trail right there. He laughed aloud when he came to the place where the mufflers were removed, “Ten to one that was their last resort!” he cried, ‘*I don’t believe they will a it again,” He was right. The trail from that forward was easy to follow. But Bill was destined to come on a surprise that would nearly take away his breath. He found the spot where it seemed the horses bac been left for the night, and be found something more, ‘“‘Injun sign, by the heavens!” be cried. ‘Those animals were discovered by red-skius and carried off! Just what does that mean?” lt did not take bis active brain long to reasom out the probable meaning, ‘‘ Kither those whites are in with the red imps or the borses were stolen from them in turn)” he decided, ‘It looks as if the former was the right of the affair, but it may not beso, In case it is not, then I may be in a trap at this very minute! ‘¢ if the reds found the borses bere, they he.e* probably set an ambush for the ones who lit them, for they would know the animals belonged to whites,” Tbe thougkt was not a pleasant one, for Bill knew a red-skin might be drawing bead «n his heart at that very moment. Perhaps the In- dians had seen be was trailing tbe borses, aud bad held their fire to watch bis further move- ments, Without appearing to do so purposely, Bill moved toward the cover of some bushes, inte which he darted like a flash, at the first uppor- tunity. He was not an instant too soon, The crack of a rifle rung out, and a bullets flipped a bit of fringe from bis leggings, ‘*That settles that!” came grimly from the Pistol King’s lips, as he peered from his covert. ‘‘One or more of the red imps spotted me. I see where the bit of smoke is rising, and 1 meum to have that red buck’s top-knot before another hour passes,” He Jocked around to see if there was no way of escaping from his present situation, and to his delight, be discovered a pee fees fissure that led down among a mass of ragged bow]ders, He» lost not a moment in taking to the gully, crep- down upon his stomach, pushing his rifle along abead of bim, Hod Bill risen on bis hands and knees, be would have exposed bimself to the keen-eved red-skin who came so near lodging a bullet iu bis body a short time before, But he was used to crawling, as well as fight- ing, and be did not waste any time in gettny down amid the rocks, Once out of the gully, he skulked along in crouching position, every sense on the alrt, ready for instant action, ‘*T must obtain a position where I can geb sight of that red whelp,” he thought, He knew it was not at all wai, & the Indian would remain in the place where he bad been when the shot was fired, so, as soon as he coul , he studied the lay of the land, seeking to (i-- cover which way tbe Indian would be spt to move, He was not long in deciding there was hut one way he could leave his covert, and then Bul planned to get sigbt of him as he was creeping 10 another hi Ce | ** Ten to one he will think I am still concealed in those bushes,” thought the scout. “If be does, he will plan to keep himself hidden ; = > \ oo ot a ——— ™ “gy ee ee ~ Ws