Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 482 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

ati a) Dred é - ~! * , 6 —e -_- a back of Pegleg’s horse, the old hunter’s hands were tied at his back, and then they marched off into the grove, Old Pegleg limping along through the weeds and undergrowth with re markable ease and celerity. After going about forty rods they came to a camp at the lower extremity of the grove, where they halted. There were twc commodious tents pitched under the trees, and the place had the 1 ee ya of baving been Aiea ye some days. ld Pegleg, with his hands still secured at his back, was tied te a tree, having sufficient rope given him to sit or lie down at pleasure, The wound of the dead outlaw was not ex- amined. It was found that the ball had passed through his abdomen and lodged just under the skin or. the opposite side. ith his knife one of the men removed the ball, and to their surprise found it was a small cartridge-ball of twenty- two caliber. This discovery proved that the shot had come from an unknown guarter, for none of their men carried weapons of so light a caliber, nor were any of the firearms taken from Old Pegleg less than forty -tive caliber. That there was ar enemy abroad in the grove the outlaws had no doubt now, but why that enemy had not fired a second and third shot as deadly as the first, when the same opportunity was offered, was a question they could not solve on any other grounds than that the slayer only sought the life of the one man. Darkness coming on, Old Pegleg’s blanket was spread for him to lie down upon, the outlaws seating themselves near him he villains were afraid te strike a light, for the more they thought and pondered over the death of their friend the more the matter seemed to become in- volved in mystery For several hours they sat and quietly dis- cussed the situation. Old Pegileg laid down and in the course of a few minutes he fell asleep as was evidenced by his heavy Li y esnips Thus the hours of night woreon. It wasnear- ly midnight when the two outlaws were sudden- ly startled by the sound of approaching hoofs and the voices of men ——— - CHAPTER VI THE TREASURE-HUNTERS. Ow a little island on the Grand River just where the two forks came together four men were encamped. They were all young men and although they were dressed in buckskin, and unusually well armed, but a single one of them was a man of the border. Frank Payne, the eidest of the party, was a man of five-and-twenty years Ben Clark was three-and-twenty Stephen Dockwood was twenty Nathan Renshaw was the youngest, being eighteen. p Clark was a resident of Humboldt settle- ment on the Cheyenne River. The other three were friends of his from over in Eastern Iowa. The istand upor which they were encamped was a long, tongue-shaped strip of sandy soil covered ‘ith talj cottonw saplings and fringea with a dense growtk of willows The river was not only wider here than elsewhere, but of considerable depth—so deep, 1n fact, that they were compelled to construct a raft on which to carry their outfit over from the main- land and upon which they could pass to and fro from the island They had six horses, two of which were pack: animals ‘These horses were kept at grass on the mainland during the day and then swam over to the island at night to prevent their straying off, or theft by roving Indian hunters or outlaws, should there be any abroad in that vicinity. It 1s a pleasant September night when we in- troduce this party of young hunters to our readers Up to this time they have been on the island two days and nights. They are there waiting the coming of others as had been previ- ously arranged. Reclining upon the earth about their camp- fire, they are BmiOnnes telling stories, and pass- ing the time as only free-hearted and rollicking young fellows can. * Boys.” Frank Payne finally observed, as he stretched himself out lazily upon his blanket, ** if we have to lay around here feasting on the tat of the land mucb longer, Tli get so lazy I won't sit in my saddle, This thing of juicy buffalo-humip and venison for breakfast, and venison and buffalc for dinner, and both for supper, the way Ben Clark broils it, will load us ali down with a superfluity of flesh.” ‘-Ton’t let that worry you, Frank,” replied Ben Clark, “for if it is true that there are hos- r . ee eee - - _ ——— es tile Ingins in this country the red varlets ’ll be apt to run some of the surplus fat off of us be- fore we get that buried treasure.” ‘Do you really think there are hostile red skins about, Ben?’ asked young Renshaw. ‘“‘l am sure it wasan Ingin I saw to-day in the dim distance,” replied Ben. *‘ It might have been a scout or the advance guard of a party of Ingin buffalo-hunters This is a favorable bunt- ing-ground for the Sioux, although it’s a little early for their fall hunting.” ‘Wisdom of Solomon!” exclaimed Payne, ‘I hope no red-skins will show themselves until we have had a hunt for that hidden cache, al- though I haven’t as much faith in the convict’s confession as I had a month ago’ The nearer we approach to the scene of the reputed Indian massacre, the more visionary this expedition seems ” ‘¢ Well,” declared Steve Lockwood, ‘“ gold- cache or no gold-cache, if Old Pegleg Sol and Stonewall Bob get here we can havea grand old buffalo-hunt, providing the red-skins don’t dispute territory with us. Love of Jonathan! wouldn’t I like to make one swoop down on that herd of buffaloes we saw up the North Fork to- day? If there wasone bison in that herd there were a million. I’d’a’ sworn it was a district of burnt prairie, but when Ben declared it wasa herd of buffaloes I was dumfounded. Boys, just think of a whole township covered with cattle as close as they can stand, and then you can have an inkling of the game Ben and I saw and the deep, broad oceans of fun we could have ” ‘*'You don’t suppose theyll stay there a month, do you?” demanded young Renshaw ‘*They may rummage around in this valley several days,” said Ben Clark, ‘‘if they’re not disturbed, and—” ‘* Hark!” suddenly exclaimed Payne, in evi- dent excitement. All four listened. A deep, rumbling noise like distant thunder was heard over in the valley toward the north. ‘It?s the buffalces!” exclaimed Clark ‘‘they’re moving now! they’ve been stampeded and are moving east as though the very Old mays was after them ” BS ‘What do you think about it, Ben?” asked ayne, aT think Ingins are at the bottom of it.” * And pil dpa ey conclude to add our scalps to their catch of buffalo-skins?” ‘*Tt’s very likely that before they get our hair a few Inginspirits ’ll jump thenarrow boundary of life into the happy hunting-grounds where bisons and treasure-hunters roam not on the plains.” ‘* How far is that flying herd away, Ben?” ‘“Ten miles, anyhow,” “War of the Roses! it sounds as though they were just over the river. It must be a tremen- dous large—” ‘¢ Hullo, over there!” It was a strange voice that thus hailed them from the south shore, ‘* Old Pegleg Sol! I'll bet a rabbit-skin!” ex- claimed Ben Clark The four hunters, if we may so term them, at once hastened to the south side of the island ** Hullo, over there !” Ben Clark shouted back, when they saw a manstanding on theshore with a rifle resting on his arm : PF ae who are you?” the unknown answered ac ‘‘ A party of gentlemen!” Ben shouted ‘From Humboldt””’ inquired the stranger ‘* Yes. are you Old Pegleg Sol?” ‘‘ No, ’'m not Old Pegleg, but I’m here to meet you in Pegleg’s place,” was the response. ‘Well, who are you?’ asked Clark, ** Yellowstone Bill,” came the answer, ‘*T never heard of such a man,” said Ben, in an undertone to his companions, then raising his voice, he shouted to the stranger. ‘' I don’t know Yellowstone Bill, but I don’t doubt your word. What’s wrone with Old Pegleg?” ‘*Old Peg,” the man answered, ‘1s laid up at the fort with a broken arm—too much grizzly b’ar When he found he couldn’t come to meet you as he agreed, he axed me to come and help you hunt Captain Mercer’s Hidden Gold-Cache, hem’s my credentials, gentlemen.” “That’s satisfactory, isn’t it, boys?’ asked Clark of his friends, woo at once answered in the affirmative The raft was at once sent over to the shore and Yellowstone Bili brought to the island and conducted to the camp, where he was given a hearty reception by the party The borderman was aman of perhaps fifty ears of age, with a rough, bearded face and a een, black eye. He was dressed in buckskin, Stonewall Bob. the Boy Trojan. ee ee - ee ee ave * 7 1 " ; . Me 0 ' - > : “ ate PF ho hh oa Ee i ce ‘a Po * a > A eS - 2 > 4 a ns . ; ® * —-— ' j we : i. * he Tots Bates bed demented LAR IGENY Sag Pa Ny, ae * A: = Pe s% % oe ee <= s an 45" . cS * aig) Dey i, “ob é “? 2 ‘ * 2 * . ~ : c ~ , ” Ts: * ¥& ~<a - a= Y Pid ee oe ee : and armed with rifle, revolvers and the indis- pensable hunting-knife, Laying aside his weapons, the old hunter took his place by the camp-fire with that social free- dom so characteristic of the borderman, and then he took a pipe from his pocket, and filling it, lit it and began to smoke and talk. ‘* And so Old Pegleg Sol is down on his back?” Ben Clark finally remarked, anxious to know more of his old friend’s condition. ‘Yes, got hugged with a grizzly and some’at chawed,” replied Yellowstone Bill; ** but the post surgeon said he’d pull through if he could git him all sewed together again.” ‘*T hope so,” added Ben Clark, ‘‘ for I do think Old Peg is the dandiest old vagabond that ever roamed this wide range over, He’s a whole brigade of fun and frolic.” ‘* Yes,” affirmed the hunter, ‘‘Old Peg’s a good man, but he orter give up huntin’, for an old man bummin’ round wi’ one leg in the grave Ni to fight grizzlies won’t work success- ul, ‘* Does he carry crutches?” asked young Lock- wood, ‘* No, he wears a straight wooden peg for a. leg, and it’d surprise you to see him go scotchin’ around on it,” said Clark. ‘¢ Boys, not changin’ the subject, how long ye been here?” queried Old Yelluwstone. ‘“'lwo days, and thisis the third night,” an- swered Clark. ‘‘T’d been here a day sooner,” Old Bill went. on, ‘‘ if Peg hadn’t held on to the last, hopin’ te be able to come hisself. He war awful sorry and sent you his best wishes, and boped you’ find the pot of gold that Captain Mercer left hid somewhar in this valley years ago. But what "bout that Hidden Cache, boys? Old Sol didn’t tell me the ’ticulars—only said you folks ’d have a map, and so forth, locatin’ the spot whar the gold war buried.” ‘Yes, I have such a map,” said Payne, ‘‘though without some one that knows the val- ley well, it would be rather indefinite. That is w y we engaged Pegleg Sol to assist us. He is well acquainted witb these valleys.” ‘*T think I understand these valleys as well, if not better than Old Pegleg hisself,” asserted Yellowstone Bill, ‘‘-but what are the facts, youngster, bout the Hidden Cache?” ns We ot the first trace of it through a man named Goven, who died in the Anamosa State prison in Iowa some months ago. He had been put in for fifteen years and had served twelve at the time of his death. I was a deputy warden at the prison at that time, and when he saw that. he must die he invited me to his bedside one day to listen to a revelation he had tomake, I had been very kind to him, so he thought, and for this reason he made a confidant of me and told his story. He said that nearly thirteem years before he and a dozen others started with one Captain Brown Mercer on a trading expedi- tion to the Yellowstone country. They embarked from Sioux City in bateaux. In addition to articles for trade with the Indians that they took along, they carried about twenty thousand dol- Jars in gold with which to purchase furs of white traders When near the mouth of the Grand River they learned through their scout that a large party of hostile Indians were encamped a@ few miles ahead on the river awaiting their com- ing. As they dared not attempt to run the gantlet with such a small force against such overwhelming odds, and through bopes of giv- ing the Indians the slip, they turned up the Grand River. They had hopes of reaching the mountains by the route ata point where they could strike the village of some friendly Indians from whom they would purchase ponies and con- tinue their journey. ‘‘ Well, he said the expedition succeeded in reaching a point near the forksof the two Grand Rivers when the hostile Indians headed them off, They were forced to leave the river and fall back into the open valley where they sought shelter in a kind of a ‘ blow-out.’ They repulsed the red-skins in three attacks without the ioss of a man, and as the savages finally withdrew from sight, they supposed they bad gone for good, and so the party resumed their journey on foot, the Indians having destroyed their ba- teaux But they had not gone a mile before the Indians appeared again, and so the party con- cluded to desert everything but their weapons. and try and save their lives. Captain Mercer buried his gold in a couple of iron camp-kettles, He first removed the sod and then dug a hole, throwing the dirt on a blanket, then put in the- kettles of gold, replacing the dirt and soil so carefully that not a trace of the cache could be seen. hen, in order to find the spot himself,, Captain Mercer cut a cottonwood sprout from : . — . = — -