Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 482 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

| _ —_ — ——- a ee ee ite a a* 7 : ~ a tg ll in lll ———— “If Bob’s in love ‘ith that princess,” said Peg- lox, *‘ why thar’s no salvation for him, for I[ dun’t believe this camp'll bold him and Boundin’- Bear both very long.’ **Oh, git away with your lover-clatter,” re- torted Stonewall, ‘I’m up here in search of buried treasure, and suppose, Payne, you show Pegleg that convict’s map~and see what he knows about it, or rather the location de- scribed.” ‘* All right,” responded Payne, producing the paper and unfolding it, ‘‘ here now, is the docu- ment that has come so near costing us all our lives.” In the light of a sputtering fat-lamp Old Peg- leg and Stonewall Bob closely examined the map, and after this had been done, and even be- fore the explanatory notes had been read, the old borderman exclaimed: ‘*Humph! I know exactly where Captain Mercer and his men were killed. I passed over the ground a few months afterward and saw skeletons Jying there, but I supposed they were savages that had been butcherin’ one and anoth- er and thought no more ’bout it. But go on, Bobby, and read them ’are notes,” Stonewall Bob read the notes as written by the convict, Goven. ‘* Exactly,” Pogles said, after the young Trro- jan had finished; ‘‘ but I observe thar’ll be one diffikilty in makin’ the search for the treasure and in gittin’away with it all if we find it where Mercer left it.” “Why so?” “The Injins ’ll want a share o’ it.” ‘They need not know anything about it.” ** Yes; but we can’t keep it from ’em, if we find it, for this very Ingin ari covers the spot whar that gold is or was buried, if I’m not aw- fully mistaken; and I don’t think thar’s a man in America or anywheres else that knows these Grand river valleys as well as I do, ’ceptin’, o’ course, the Man who made them.” ‘* How long do you think the Indians will re- main here?” ‘* All fall, or until the huntin’ season’s over with, unless they’ve good luck in baggin’ all the game they want sooner.” ‘* Well, I can’t stay here that long,” said Payne. ‘*'We can examine the grounds and locate the Hidden Cache, at any rate,” observed young Renshaw; ‘‘ and then, if we have to come back, or send one or two of our party back, all there will be to do will be to dig up the gold and carry it home.” ‘Stonewall Bobby ’11 be comin’ up this way, no doubt,” said Pegleg, ‘‘for I know he’s all mashed up on that princess, and he can git the treasure if thar be any.” ‘Yes, ‘if’ there be any,” repeated young Lockwood; this has seemed like a wild-goose chase to me all the time. I’m half inclined to think that dying-convict story was the offspring of a disea mind; but gold or no gold, we’re having lots of healthy exciting amusement,” Thus the conversation ran on until late into the night, when the party all lay down to rest except Pegleg, who concluded he would watch the movements of the Indians for awhile, at least. Aside from Bounding-Bear and his especial friends, he had nofears of treachery on the part of the red-skins; his object in watching was toascertain, if possible, the disposition made of the two outlaw prisoners. He felt certain they would be disposed of during that night, some way or other. Barking dogs and howling coyotes, bowever, were the only sounds that disturbed the night; but the coming of day brought wild excitement to the camp when it was discovered that Black Bluford and Arch Vandyke had escaped from their prison-lodge! The chief was greatly exasperated, and but for the fact that the warrior who had been left to guard the outlaws was found unconscious and almost dead, it is likely his life would have paid the penalty of the prisoners’ escape. at the outlaws had help, of course, there was no question, but with Old Pegleg and Stone- wall there was a question as to whether that help came from outside or within the camp, ‘It’s my humble opinion,” said Stonewall to his friends, ‘‘ that them outlaws have friends in this very camp.” ee ‘No doubt o’ it, Bobby; them villains and these Ingins have been friends too long to break off all at once,” declared Old Pegleg Sol; “T don’t think the chief has had one thing to do with their escape, but that infernal big Boundin’- Bear is the chap I’d suspect.” ‘ “*T see he’s got a wry neck this morning,” said Payne, ‘and has to turn his whole body when he looks around. I wonder if he feels like a ‘heap, big wrestle’ this morning?” Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan. The whites took breakfast with Black Wolf that morning, adding from their own supplies to the matutinal meal coffee and sugar, of which the chief was passionately fond. Scarcely had their repast been finished, when an Indian scout came hurrying into camp with the news that an immense herd of buffaloes was feeding in the valley some five or six milesaway. Like wildfire the news spread through the camp, and the red hunters at once began prepa- rations for the chase. Old Black Wolf invited his white guests to join them, and to please the chief, as well as gratify their own desires for a grand buffalo-hunt, they accepted the invitation. In iess than ten minutes more than a hundred Indians were upon their ponies ready to start, Black Wolf took the lead with his white friends at his side, and then all rode away toward the northwest, Mabel and her father remained in camp, which was left in charge of a few warriors who were unable to go on the chase. Bounding Bear was one of those who remained behind, his stiff neck being an ample excuse for not going; but no sooner were the others out of sight than he armed himself, mounted bis pony and struck out up the valley evidently bent upon mischief of some kind. The hunters soon left the valley and took to the hills to enable them to approach as close as possible to the herd unseen, and it was nearly noon before the chief had got his men posted ready for the charge. The best position he re- served for the white hunters, and when, at length, all was ready, the signal was given, and over a hundred horsemen burst from the hills and went thundering down upon the mighty herd of buffaloes, In an instant the game took alarm and started. At first the hunters could hear a low, sullen noise that gradually deepened into a roll like that of eiriunlee: To the amateur hunters the scene was beyond their comprehension, and the excitement it en- endered in their breasts was of the most thril- fing character. With their eyes fixed upon the mighty herd sweeping away before them, them- selves gliding along at a rapid speed, the very earth seemed sipping away in their front—rush- ing on like the black waters of a naad, roaring sea Among the very foremost in the chase were Old Pegleg Sol. Cripple that he was he was nevertheless a fine horseman, and with his weight resting in the one stirrup and his wood- en “peg” pointing out almost at right-angles with his body, be urged on his horse, carbine in hand, and was the first of all to fire a weapon, the shot bringing down a fine, fat cow. The old hunter's shot seemed a signal for the slaughter to begin, and the crash of rifles and bark of revolvers were at once heard on either side along the line. The amateurs soon recovering from the “‘ buck fever” that the thrilling scene had given them entered into the wild, wanton sport with the zest of old hunters. Being excellent horsemen and fine marksmen they made nearly every shot from their heavy navy revolvers count a dead or wounded buffalo. And on, close upon the heels of the herd, rede the red and white destroyers. The noble game went down by the score, and the trail behind was left dotted with carcasses, Here and there lay a great bull ora sleek cow thrashing the earth in death agonies, A few able to walk, but mortally wounded, were slow] staggering off toward the hills to die in seclusion and be de- voured by the myriads of coyotes that could al- ready be seen hovering off on the summit of the bluffs. The horses and ponies ridden by the whites were animals of superior strength and speed, and when, after a few miles’ chase more had two- thirds of the Indians had dropped out, every one of the white hunters was still at the front show- ing no signs of fatigue. And finally, when every red-skin had given up the chase, the whites were all pressing on after the buffaloes, and they kept on until their cartridges began to give out. Ben Clark and young Renshaw were the first to draw rein, Lockwood soon followed, but the inimitable Old Pegleg, the redoubtable Stone- wall Bob and the dashing young amateur, Frank Payne, pressed on, finally drawing up five miles beyond where their friends had given up the chase, . Dismounting to rest their panting horses the three men threw themselves upon the ground, Old Pegleg saying to Payne: ‘Boy, wasn’t that a rustler, though?” ‘** Well, I should say it was a grand buffalo chase a’; any rate,” replied Payne; ‘‘ but is it possible that we three are the last togiveit up?” ‘with the warriors before Mabel 13 ‘** Yes,” answered Stonewall; ‘ the last Ingim dropped out several miles back, and our three white boys must be back fully five or six miles, We've chased the buffaloes over ten miles.” ‘** Jerusalem!” exclaimed Payne, “it don’t seem to me to be more than three. Boys, after all this is barbarous—wanton destruction of the noblest cf game,” ‘*Boy,” said Old Pegleg, “‘ you’re mistaken thar. true hunter never deestroys game for the mere fun o’ killin’ it. Them Ingins ll skin every one we've killed and lug the meat tocamp and jerk it for winter use. It are only pale- faces that reds kill for the fun o’ it. Bobby, thar, has an indirect interest in this hunt, for, this winter, when he goes a-courtin’ o’ Singin’- Bird in the Tngins? big nest, he’ll set cross-legged on old Black Wolf’s dirty blanket, and, like a fox hound, gnaw jerked buffalo till his eyes bu’g out. Bobby’s a goner, and a year hence an eagle-feather ‘Il adorn his head, and a red blanket with the totem o’ a Buffalo-Calf onto it, and a Br eey, loin-clout will be all that the noble white buck—the Boy Trojan—will wear.” ‘Say, Pegleg,” put in Stonewall, ‘t suppose you let up on me and that Ingin girl and give your attention to that outfit coming yonder,” He pointed south toward the river, from which direction five horsemen were approaching at a rapid pace, ‘By the rampin’ tigers o’ Bengal!” exclaimed the old huuter, ‘‘ thar’s that big Ingin, Boun- cin’-Bear, at the head o’ that squad, and, as I live, them two fellers next himself are Black Bluford and Arch Vandyke!” ‘* You're right, Pegleg,” affirmed Stonewall, ‘fand they’re after our hair, You can see now who liberated them outlaws. That fall I gave Bounding-Bear—that ‘Jim River Flirt’ is the cause of all of it. Boys, we've a fight on hand —two outlaws and three Ingins, and I guess we can attend to that, can’t we?” ‘IT should think so,” replied Payne; “ but: what has possessed them to make an open at- tack on us here?” ‘It’s all clear to me as crystal ice,” replied Pegleg; ‘‘in a hunt o’ this kind men allers pur- sue the buffaloes till the last cartridge or shot is expended. No one knows that better then that big Ingin, They think we are outen shoot- in’ stuf,” ‘‘There’s where they’re goin’ to cork them- selves,” declared Stonewall, ‘‘for I’ve no less than six cartridges in my carbine this minute and some of them will in the carcasses of them imps o’ Satan inside the next two min- utes, As he spoke the young hunter sprung to his feet and took his carbine from his saddle, ‘* And I’ve a few shots left,” said Payne, pro~ curing his weapon. ‘* And you can bet Old Pegleg’s got one or two on hand yit,” said the old hunter, hopping about like a crow; ‘‘I never use the last’ shot till I have to, I done that trick onc’t and it cost me: a leg, and so I know more’n I did, even if I ar’n’t so beauchiful and festiverous. But. boys, hold your fire, and when ye shoot, swat ’em in the bowels and see ’em curl up and squeal. They think our show of fight is a bluff, but— There, boys, they’re pullin’ rein to shoot—let ’em have it in the’r digestion,” Quick as a thought almost, the three hunters raised their weapons and fired, and both Black Bluford and Vandyke tumbled from their horses, A second discharge brought down a red-skin, Taken by surprise, the cowardly Bounding- Bear whirled his pony, and lying forward upon its neck sought safety in flight, his surviving red friend following him, Several shots were fired at the fleeing wretches, but despite the skill of the hunters ag: riflemen, they are apparently unharmed. ‘Thunder and Mars! what next?” was the exclamation that burst from Frank Payne’s lips. ‘¢ Go over and kick them dead outlaws,” said Pegleg; ‘‘ oh, but if ever live beauties ever fool ished themselves it war that five. If we'd been outen shootin’-fodder, they could ’a’ picked us off at pleasure, ‘less we could ’a’ outrid ’em. But now we know what we're to expect from Bouncin?-Bear, and I reckon Bobby's got to harvest him in afore he’ll be safe in the arms 0’ his smoky-skinned bride,” “Lay this matter before the chief,” said Payne; ** why not?” ‘No, I'll say nothing to him,” responded Stonewall, ‘‘ for fear we might get into trouble Pinraton is safe, For her sake [ll keep quiet and watch my chances to defeat that Ingin giant in his treach- erous work,” So conversing, the trio walked out to where tee a re re ee eee *) é a sya ~~ Ccomicbooks.com