Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 518 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

nn Pe i 25 7 i 4: = ’ x A 2 7. : = 2 . 4 ~ bin > = Ne ee es PR te r ay ~ **T bave heard the yarn too,” Sioux Sam remarked, ‘‘and I know that a good many of the old settlers, men whose heads are level, believe there is something in it.” ‘* We will assume that the parties who have worked this Job are banking on the yarn, and they have decoyed the girl to the West, so that by her aid, sthey will be able to get at the treasure.” “ Well, it ain’t impossible,” the great scout ad- mitted. ‘‘ No, it seems to me to be mighty probable,” observed Sioux Sam. ‘** Now, in order to get on the track of this thing we must get after the two men who were with Sioux hyer when he was drugged—for that was how you were fixed,” Cool Colorado re- marked, nodding to the young scout. ‘The wine you drank, when you went up- stairs to the private room, was fixed, and these two strangers, this Billy Taylor and Johnny Smith, were the men who worked the trick, and fellows from the outfit, Mustang John and Bow- legged Stevens, were in with them, although I reckon the parties who ran the game were shrewd enough not to let them see just what the scheme was!’ **T don’t believe that Mustang John was in it,” Buffalo Bill observed. ‘That fellow is as squar’ as a die, but I don’t bank much on Bow-legged Ben. He’s too fond of benzine, and I have known him to play some nasty tricks, although he has been as straight as a string ever since he joined my outfit; he knows of me old, and wouldn’t dare to try any gum-games that he thought I would get onto. ‘Come to think of it, Bow-legged Ben is from Red Bluffs, and must be mighty well ac- quainted with all these Utes,” the great scout cried in conclusion. ** He’s the man we want then!” Cool Colorado exclaimed. , ‘* Have him in and we will put him through a cross-examination,” Bow-legged Ben was immediately summoned, and soon made his appearance, looking consid- erably alarmed. Sioux Sam, when he found that the Half-breed Detective’s suspicions were directed to Bow- legged Ben, had explained that it was he who had introduced the stranger, who called himself Billy Taylor, and Taylor had made him ac- quainted with Johnny Smith, and it was Smith who had brought up the drugged wine. ‘‘Say, I want you to tell meall you know about this Billy Taylor!” exclaimed Buffalo Bill, sternly, when Bow-legged Ben appeared. The great scout ruled his show with a rod of iron, and woe betide the man who dared to break any of his well-considered rules, **Don’t try any yarns on me, you know!” Buffalo Bill continued. ‘‘ I want the truth and nothing but the truth! I’ve got hold of the tail of a rat and I’m going to snake him out! I want to know all fe know about this Ute prin- cess, the Snow White Dove, hee been v r- ing possum in my camp, and how this Billy Ta gs mixed up with her!” ow-legged Ben was thunderstruck, and, be- lieving that Buffalo Bill knew more than he really did, made a full confession. Of course, the plotters had managed the affair so skillfully that Bow-legged* Ben could not give much new information, only confirm what the far-sighted Half-breed Detective had suspected. After his tale was ended the man was dis- missed with the stern warning to have less to do with strangers in the future. ‘*Now then, it is as I thought, and we must be off for Colorado as soon as possible!” the Half-breed Detective cried, **Don’t let the grass grow under your feet!” Buffalo Bill exclaimed. “‘I can’t go with you, pards, but I wish you godspeed!” CHAPTER IX. THE FLIGHT. LEAVING the two pards to pursue their jour- ney toward the land of the setting sun, we will turn our attention to the Indian princess. As the reader has seen, the two plotters had arranged the scheme so cunningly that the Snow White Dove had been able to leave the show without any one being aware that she was missing until hours afterward, and then it was the Ute Indian woman, the Green Snake's squaw, who made the discovery, and_ the woman, thinking she was doing the Snow White Dove a service by not speaking about her mys- terious absence, did not say a word to her hus- band about the matter until the Green Svake noticed that the girl was absent and inquired into the affair. | Cool Colorado in New t. ’ ; , ” ” 7% _. .£ * f- >= 13 ‘ ora if . 4 + i. " 1 *. a - —— - Although the Ute princess bad not confided | her love secret to either the buck or his wife, yet they had made a shrewd guess at the truth, and when Sioux Sam was discovered to be among the missing, they at once jumped to the conclusion the pair had fled in company, and by saying that the supposed squaw was sick gave time for the fugitives to escape! But, as the reader knows, no pursuit was made until two days had elapsed, and then, no recourse was had to the telegraph, that wonder- ful agent for arresting fugitives. Even if the parties in pursuit were certain they could identify the girl by telegraph, so that the western officers would be able to pick her out from a crowd of strangers, there was no particular charge they could make against her sufficient to warrant such an action, The girl had not been abducted, but had evi- dently gone of her own free will. Under the circumstances the only course that the trackers could pursue was to hasten to the West as fast as possible, and trust to luck, after reaching Colorado, to find some trace of the game, The plotters had shrewdly calculated upon all possible chances when they planned their en- terprise. hey did not think the machinery of the law would be called into play, but even if it was, the Ute princess was so well disguised that = was little danger of her being recog- nized. So, straight to Colorado the eg hurried as fast as the Iron Horse could carry them. The Snow White Bird and Dublin Mike were together, while Nick Spader occupied a seat in another car. It was the conspirators’ game not to allow the girl to suspect that there was any acquaint- auceship between them, ‘ In due time they came to the end of their journey by rail, halting in the town of Gunni- son. Dublin Mike had represented that Sioux Sam going by a different route, would meet them a Red Bluffs; but in order, as the arch plotter said, to baffle any attempt to track them, the pair did not take the regular stage-coach, but weir: at Gunnison for two days to procure orses. Dublin Mike explained the delay by pretend- ing that it was impossible for him to get horses to suit. In reality it was to give time for Nick Spader to make certain arrangements that the delay occurred, The horses were finally procured though and the pair set out. Nothing of moment occurred on the journey until they were within a few miles of the min- sn are and the shades of night were close at n The ride had taken more time than bad been anticipated, owing to the fact that the horses had turned out to be a pair of foundered steeds, a fact which caused Dublin Mike to declare that he he been most woefully cheated in his horse trade, They were in a wild and desolate region, the trail had dwindled to a narrow road, winding In and out amon the rocks, Dublin Mike pretended to be a little nervous. ‘Mighty lonely spot,” he observed. ‘* Just the kind of place for road-agents to hang out, but there isn’t much danger of their troubling S. ‘We are not the kind of game they are after. ‘*They seldom trouble travelers like our- selves; stage coaches with plenty of passengers, well-heeled, is what they are looking after.” ‘Oh, there isn’t any danger of our being troubled,” the girl said, confidently. Hardly had the words left her lips though when three dark, rough-looking men. their faces hidden by black masks, stepped into the trail from behind the shelter of the woods. They were armed with revolvers, which they leveled at the travelers, and loud on the air rung the hoarse command: ‘“* Hands up!” } The pair reined in their steeds imme- diately. Taken completely by surprise there wasn’t any chance for them to offer resistance, if they had been so me 80m ; The Snow White Dove was armed with a revolver, concealed in the folds of her dress, and, under the impulse of the moment, she thrust her hand beneath the cloak she wore as if to grasp It. Dublin Mike had his eyes on her and was of the road-agents at this piece of information; — quick to note the movement. York. “Don’t!” he exclaimed, “ don’t try any game of that kind, for it will not do us any good! ‘They have got us foul, and we would be foolish to provoke them by any show of re- sistance,” y This was wise counsel, and the girl withdrew her hand. ' ‘* Hold on! don’t fire!” Dublin Mike exclaimed to the masked strangers, ‘“‘ we surrender!” _ ‘‘That is where your head is level. It ain’t any use for you to be ugly. You are ina might se Ba ae and kicking won’t do you any good, mistake!” ‘Well, gen’lemen, you won’t make much out of us, for we are not well heeled with wealth,” Dublin Mike remarked. “Oh, yes, that is what every man declares when we stop him to collect the toll. This is a toll-road, you understand, and we are the men who collect the tax. _“* Light down now, lively! and shell out any pistols or knives that you may happen to be car- rying around with you!” Dublin Mike dismounted promptly, looked in- quiringly at the road-agent leader, and then at his companion, The masked man was quick to comprehend the meaning of the glances, ‘* Yes, [ mean for the lady to get off her ani- mal, too!” the marauder exclaimed, ‘‘And I reckon, if she looks carefully, that maybe she can find a revolver, or something of that sort.” ‘* All right, she will do anything to be agree- able, of course,” Dublin Mike remarked, and then he hastened to assist Snow White Bird to dis- mount; she did not wait for his aid though, but sli nimbly to the ground. . ith the patience of her savage race, she re- signed herself to the inevitable. ‘No. 1, take charge of the weapons of these parties!” commanded the road-agent chief, ad- dressing one of his men, Tae man thus distinguished stepped forward; Dublin Mike gave up his six-shooter, then he came to the girl, and she, too, surrendered her weapon. The road-agent chief had watched the pro- ceeding closely, and he shook his head when he saw that Dublin Mike only gave up a single re- volver. ** Oh, come, you have got another pistol some- where around your clothes!” he exclaimed, Dublin Mike protested vehemently that he hadn’t, but the marauder did not believe the statement and insisted on searching him, a pro- cmc: to which the other submitted willingly enough. ‘Oh, you kin s’arch all you like!” he declared, ‘You won’t find ary other we’pon on me big- ger’n a penknife. ‘Tt is jest as I tell you now! Iam one of the kind of men whose word you kin tie to, every time, This seemed to be the truth, for the inspection did. not result in the discovery of any more arms, ‘**T suppose, miss, that you have acted square- ly with us and fe. abe up all the weapons you had?’ the disguised leader remarked, as he ap- proached the girl. “Yes, sir,” she replied. Then the road-agent appeared to be impressed by the girl’s face, and studied it intently for a moment. ‘**It seems to me that I have seen you some- where before, but you were dressed rather dif- ferently,” be observed. ; “Tf lam not mistaken, you are the Ute prin-, cess, the Snow White Dove?” The girl nodded assent; like the most of her race she was sparing of words. ‘Well, I am delighted to have the pleasure of making your acquaintance, for it is an oppor- tunity I have long sought. ‘‘ By the way, pilgrim,” the outlaw chief ex- Claimed, abrapety turning to Dublin Mike. “Did I understand you to say that you wasn’t very well heeled as far as wealth was con- cerned?” “Vos, that was my say-so.” And if we should go through you for Spe plunder it would be considerable of a set-back for you?” ‘You kin bet your bottom dollar on that!” Dublin Mike eried. ‘“ Well, we will bave to let you down easy then,” the outlaw leader observed. ‘“‘Mebbe you wouldn’t think it from our looks, but we are a mighty wise lot of gentlemen when you come to get acquainted with us.” A series of grim chuckles came from the lips jesting of this kind was appreciated by them. e have got the deadwood on you, and no - 6 ~ + = : ft on Gis a Pas @ - poe ae a tebe or la © “ J 2 7 . uu ye. ~ / ‘ .? s ea f