Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 520 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 hadn’t gone very far before Bill saw that the ‘Road Raiders had gotten out of sight. Then he called out: Ag ‘¢ Hold on, Buck!” | ‘* Well, pard?” ‘¢7 will start back on foot.” ‘Don't do it, Billy.” “Yes, I will return to the settlement.” *¢ Don’t be a fool, pard.” “© T will not go on, and I can get back by alittle after nightfall.” ‘T wish you wouldn’t do it, Billy, for thar’s wolves on the way.” ‘“T don’t mind wolves any more than I do buffaloes, Buck.” * Then thar’s Injuns.” ‘‘T guess not any down so far as this, Buck.” “The Road Raiders might turn back on you.” “They have gone to their retreat to count their treasure.” ‘6 - : ” ri ag yer will go? “T hates ter see yer; but if yer must, good- by, Pard Billy.” The young borderer dismounted from the stage, and with a wave of his hand to Buck, started upon the back trail to the settlement, A walk of several miles brought him to a clump of timber, and as he entered it he saw a man advancing toward him. . It was Dan Bilis and he was leading his own and Buckskin Bill’s horses, and it looked as though the meeting between the two w.s not an accidental one. CHAPTER XXVIII. BUCKSKIN BILL’S PLOT, “Wada, Pard Billy, yer seen ’em?” Such was the salutation of Dan Ellis, when he met Buckskin Bill in the motte, ‘‘Yes, they robbed me.” ‘‘ Got the treasure?” ** They did.” ‘© And hev gone?” “Yes, they lost no time in getting off to their stronghold to count it.” . ** Too bad.” ‘Tt will be.” ‘‘ Now which way?” ‘Back to the settlement, Dan, and we'll lose no time.” Mounting their horses they rode away at a canter, and it was just about sunset when they drew up at the store of Hal Rice. ‘What, back again, Billy?’ cried Hal Rice, who was surprised, as he had seen the youth de- part in the coach early that morning. ‘Yes, the Road Raiders robbed me, and so I came back.” ‘“ What! did they get your gold?” “ As nicely as I supposed it was hidden, they ot the cushion,” and Bill entered the store with l Rice, followed by Dan Hilis. | ‘Do you mean to say that you were robbed, Pard Billy?’ asked a young man, rising from a desk where he was at work on the storekeepers books. It was Braxton Canfield, the school teacher, who had been engaged to take the place of Par- son Green, as the dominie found he had all the work he cold do to preach, and visit his numer- ‘ ous flock, sc had gladly yielded up to another the duty of teaching the children of the settle- ment, ‘Yes, Mr. Canfield, I was robbed,” replied Buckskin Bill. “ So I heard you say to Mr. Rice,” responded the teacher, who aided the storekeeper after school hours, by keeping his books for him. ‘It is too bad,” said Braxton Canfield with real sympathy in his voice. * But did they threaten your life?” Yes, the chief of the Road Raiders advanced to the coach door and, thrusting his revolver f i my face demanded my money, or ny life, just ike this.” As he spoke Buckskin-Bill thrust his own Te- volver in the face of the teacher, and continued in a low, earnest tone: ‘¢ Teacher Canfield, hands up or I will kill you The man started back, and Hal Rice uttered a ery of amazement, but Buckskin Bill repeated: *« Hands up, or I fire!’ hs Up went the man’s hands, while he hissed orth: ‘s What does this mean, Buckskin Bill?” “Yes, what. does it mean?” cried Hal Rice, Without replying at once, Billy said: ‘Dan, take his spurs, for he’s fixed.” Dan quickly step forward and took re- volvers from under the loose coat worn by the ow the rope, please, Dan. The scout took a small rope from his pocket "7? “ - ae Mt eo * = ¢ , at * en a eee — = ie 9 ete eer eee > -+- 7 eee a ~ as» ae ; . ~ >a a ovr om is ae of gre : ay a ete Pod ) : Buckskin Bill, the Comanche Shadow. and quickly bound the teacher, while Mal Rice again asked: ‘Billy, what in the name of thunder do you mean?” ‘‘ Mr. Rice, I mean that this man is the spy of the Road Raiders, for we have convicted him of so being.”’ ‘¢ Tt 1s a lie!” shouted Braxton Canfield. ‘¢ Tt cannot be, Bill,” Hal Rice added. “Tt is, but let us close the store, and I'll tell you all,” and impressed by the manner of the youth, Hal Rice closed his store, and lighting a amp, Said: ‘* Now, out with it, Billy.” The teacher was as white as a corpse, and oe glaring at his young accuser like a tiger at bay. ‘‘T ‘was surprised when I was told by the Road Raider chief that he knew I had money, on my other trip to town, and i asked who had known it besides my father and yourself, “You told me that the teacher was here at the time. | “Ten I got Dan to watch the teacher, and I did the same, and you remember that I told you 1 was going to town to take some money?” +6 Yes.” ‘‘T said I would put it in a cushion like those in the coach?” 7 Yes. 29 ‘‘ Well, when I told you that, this man sat behind the desk, working on your books, ‘‘T saw him there and said it for bis benefit.” ‘‘ Yes, I remember he was there, Billy.” ‘‘ Well, that night he left his cabin and met a horseman three miles from here, and then re- turned home. ‘*T came and told you when I was two take the stage, and he heard me, and while I went out to the stable, and was working on a leather cusbion there, putting something into the moss filling and sewing itup, this man came out and saw me, ‘‘ He followed me to see what I was doing. “That night heagain went out to the motte and met a horseman, but he little dreamed that Dan Ellis was upon bis trail.” ‘Curse you!” came from the lips of the teacher. ‘‘What I put in the cushion was not gold, as he supposed, but nails and lead, and that is what the Road Raiders got, and are mad enough by this time at being fooled.” ‘‘ Oh Billy!” said Hal Rice, ‘‘'The neighbors sent their money on the other trip of the coach, so that went through all right, and my old cushion was opened. ‘* Now do you believe that this man is guilty, Mr. Rice?’ ‘** Tt looks so.” “Tt is a base lie, that these two have con- cocted against me.” ‘‘ Well, Braxton Canfield, I am going to give you a chance for your life, Sotore t tell the set- tlers.” ‘‘ What do you mean?’ and the man turned livid. ‘“T mean that you must lead a party of us to the retreat of the Road Raiders, ‘Tf you do, well and good for yourself, for you shall go free unharmed. . ‘‘ But if you do not, I will call the settlers to- gether, and you will be lynched as sure as you are a spy and a thief, ‘* Now, which will you do?” The man made no reply. ‘Quick! will you betray your comrades in crime, or will you die?” ‘+ You know we will stand no nonsense, Can- field,” said Hal Rice, ‘Not a bit, pard,” added Dan Hillis, ‘‘My life is dearer to me than the lives of others, so I'll squeal. ‘‘But do 1 get a pledge from you all that I can go free unharmed?” bluntly said the man. 6s Yes,” **T say so.” “You kin go free, only don't linger around these parts,” added Dan Ellis, after the others had answered. ‘“'T accept your terms,” ‘Well, we will at once get the settlers living nearest here together and start to-night, for we can pick up a dozen men besides ourselves, 0 the way,” said Buckskin Bill. So it was decided, and fifteen minutes after, the party had set out from the store, the treacherous traitor tied to his horse, and turned over to Dan Ellis for safe-keeping, while Buck- skin Bill and Hal Rice rode on ahead to gather up the settlers living nearest the trail they wero to take. ‘ Before midnight sixteen men had assembled at a given rendezvous, and by common consent Buc Bill was made n, as it was through his plotting that the Road Raiders were to be run to earth. Then, with Braxton Canfield, pale and silent, riding between Buckskin Bill and Dan Ellis, the party set out upon the raid upon the Raiders, all well armed and mounted, CHAPTER XXVIII. CONCLUSION, Tur raid upon the Road Raiders proved to be a perfect success, for, true to his desire to save his own life, Braxton Canfi_ld had led the band of settlers directly upon the secret camp of the outlaws, It happened to be the home of a settler, whom no one had suspected of being an outlaw, but who had beena year only a dweller on that part of the border. He bad several cattle-men with him, as he called them; but they were members of his outlaw band, while others were constantly kept hiding in the chapparal, spying out, as they could, work for their lawless bands to ac- complish. Braxton Canfield’s brother was the captain of the Road Raiders, while he, with a good edu- cation, had sought occupation in the settlement as school-teacher, while he could at the same time serve as spy for his lawless comrades, But for the cunning of Buckskin Bill, he might long have kept up bis wicked work, and more, would have made a beautiful girl, the daughter of a settler, his wite. The Road Raiders had been surprised in their cabin, the door being opened at the’call of Brax- ton Canfield, and though they resisted, when they saw they were ina trap, they were quick- ly subdued, after two of them had been shot. Braxton Canfield had been at once-allowed to depart, but ere he got out of hearing, he heard his bruther’s curse upon him, as he swung into the air at the end of a rope. After this exploit, the mother of Buckskin Bill became so nervous at the wild life he was leading, that, from her entreaties, he consented to go away to school, and soon after departed for St. Louis. After two years spent there, he began the study of medicine, which his experience under Death-Killer had given him a fancy for. After attending a course of medical lectures, Buckskin Bill went to the Indian Territory to visit his family, and once among the old scenes, the old love of adventure came back upon him with full force, and in his heart a bitter feeling of revenge revaved when he was told that his olafpard, Dan Ellis, after having nailed above bis door over a dozen scalps, had been captured by Fire Byes and his warriors and cruelly put to death. One morning the family awoke, to find Buck- skin Bill gone on the war-path, for so said a: note he had left for his father. | Mounted upon a splendid horse, and with the most improved weapons, Buckskin Bill took the trail to avenge Dan Ellis, and before long it be- came known that Comanche scalplocks were be- ing tacked upon the door of the dead scout’s de- serted cabin, : So persistently did Buckskin Bill hunt down his red foes, that before very long he became known as the Comanches’ Shadow. One day, severely wounded, he rode up to the home of a well-to-do settler, and too weak to help himself, he was borne into the house ang tenderly cared for. For weeks there was one wko watched over him by night and day, and happy indeed she was when he was out of all danger. That kind nurse was Frankie Willard, grown into a beautiful girl of sixteen, and, at her entre ty Buckskin Bill gave up bis wild life and once more went back to his studies. _. When he next returned to the Indian Terri- tory, it was to cleim Frankie Willard as his wife, for she was there, teaching school in the same little log school-house where the scholars under Buckskin Bill bad beaten off the Co- manches, and where afterward the Teacher- Spy, Braxton Canfield, had taught “ young ideas how to shoot.” ‘ The settlement had in the mean time become much more thickly populated, and yet all knew well the name of Buckskin Bill, the Shadow of the Comanches, and when he was married to pretty Frankie Willard, many a warm hand- shake he received, with congratulations and good wishes for a long and happy Hie. > And little do.those dream now, who meet the allant bordermen among the marts of busy ife. of the many perils he has passed through im following red-Skins over crimson trails. THE END