Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 59 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

— . —~— - = to a ama by it. hen Lhe gray scalp was produced, and gravely | handed over to Buffalo Horn with the dramatic words: ‘Behold! this scalp once belonged to Pandy Ellis; now it is yours. Tho man whose head it adorned wiil never again trouble the great Sioux nation ”—all of which was strictly true, as Pandy intended it should be. Tho scalp was gravely passed from hand to hand, many declaring they recognized it as the top-knot of their inveterate foe. Pour this Ralph, against all protestations, had dressed himself out like a Sioux brave, and was just without the lodge, so that he heard most of the talk within. It was as much as the old ranger could do to keep from laughing outright, and during the next half-hour he bottled up enough merriment to last him for years as a solace during his lonely spells. When all the talking had been done, the came down to the bed-rock, and began to talk about the promised reward; and the council ended by the stipulated price being actuall handed over to the white-haired renegade wit the strange voice. The articles were packed under the old joker’s own supervision, and struck off from a bill he held in his hand. Fifty valuable bluck fox- skins, one hundred buffalo robes, two hundred beaver pelts, the gun with the silver-dickered stock, and a keg of gunpowder fresh from the hands of the Indian agent at the agency. The barrel of whisky the old fellow declined, telling the chiefs to give it to the warriors and let them have a glorious time while dancing the scalp- dance around the top-knot of their old and inveterate foe, The articles were nicely packed upon half a dozen mustangs, which were to be left at the agency, for the Indians to reclaim. Refusing all offers of assistance, the supposed renegade ‘drove his mustangs off before the light of day came, for he did not want to be in the village when the sunlight was liable to betray him. Never were men so thoroughly duped as these credulous chiefs. The remainder of the night was spent in wild orgies, and by the time morn- in wned, several more of the squaws were widows as a result of the fights into which the fire-water led the braves. As for tne ¢ he was doubled up as he went away, asif he had been seized with a cramp, but it was with suppressed laughter. The stupendous joke had been successful beyond their wildest expectations. It was strange that the chiefs stuck to their compact, but in reality it took nothing from them individually, and would get them the name of doing beg on the square, so that all bordermen would afraid incur their hostility for fear of being hounded to death in the same way. Pandy Ellis refused all offers of company, and perry bidding the chiefs farewell, after tellin hem to call on Old Hickory whenever they h another job like this on hand, he went away into the forest with his five laden mustangs. Hardly had he got beyond the confines of the village, before he was joined by two Indians, one of whom was a remarkable specimen of the aborigine. This was no other than Roarin Ralph Rockwood, and his comrade, who chew so industriously at something he held in his hand, of course was Powder Flash. When Bolly Wherrit heard the full joke, he came the nearest to dying with the fits and actually turned black in the face, as he looked first at the presents and then at his chum. There was need of haste, however, for they were in the hot-bed of iniquity, and should the Sioux chiefs discover the deception that had been so successfully practiced upon them, while the white rangers were still in the heart of the Indian country, nothing could save them from the fury of the savages. By the following night Pandy and his friends had placed many miles between themselves and the lodges of the Sioux, and determined to take things a little more leisurely from that time out. The old hunter chief was induced by Bolly to have his hair cut, and resume the iar ex- pression of countenance that had always distin- “overan him, by removing most of the hair from is face. Then Richard was himself again, so far as looks were concerned. They reached the fort at length, and were y greeted, for these rangers were known and respected by almost every soldier in the West. When the result of their terrible hoax was known, the wildest enthusiasm pre- vailed. News at length reached Buffalo Horn that old Beadle’s Half-Dime the great Sioux chieftain, and had determined | Pandy was alive and well; and, too, that it was he who had won the reward. At first he would not believe it, but when other runners came in corroborating the story and saying that they had it from the lips of old Pandy Ellis himself, the sachem ground his teeth and swore a fearful oath to the effect that Heavy Knife should not live another moon. One attempt was made to murder the old hunter, but the would-be assassin, caught in the very act, after his bullet had whizzed by within an inch of Pandy’s head, turned out to be a half-breed named Dusky Joe, the identical man who had written the proclamation in regard to Pandy’s ‘ie He refused to say a word in regard to his in- tentions or employers, but the rangers knew full well that he had been-hired by Buffalo Horn, and ten minutes later the body of Dusky Joe was dangling from the nearest tree. From that time, Pandy had no attempt made upon his life, by a hired assassin at least, and is, to this day, the most renowned ranger of the plains. The events chronicled in this story occurred only a short time ago, and all of our characters are still in the land of the shen, 7 I am glad to say, Powder-Flash did, in the end, manage to accomplish the great task he had set about doing, and felt, when the last remnant of the tough venison had vanished, as if he had become ahero. The chief is at pre- sent with his tribe, and I believe Pandy and Bolly were with him at last accounts, Blue Beans, together with Roaring Ralph and Rocky Mountain Joe, are scouting eho adh in the North-west, where the hostiles have been making things lively of late, and if General Howard knows their worth, he will find most valuable coadjutors in these veterans of the plains. Their lives have been spent in the West, and although all of them are now in comfort- able circumstances, they could not live away from the scene of so many of their adventures, It was some time before Harry Belmont could come to look on May as a sister, but time works wonders. The gallant officer was lately married to a young beauty from the East, and at the same time Jack Holmes took May Hasly for his bride—his earnest devotion having warded. He was a wealthy man in his own right, and is now living in St. Louis, where the general often visits. Buffalo Horn never recovered from the effects of the terrible joke that Pandy played upon him, as Old Hickory, and drank himself into the grave. It might be well perhaps if some daring hunter should attempt the same thing with his compatriot, Sitting Bull. 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