Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 656 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

BS ‘> j = ‘tame Ae =? ~~ ae * ot A pep 4 ore. wae! . camp?’ he asked quietly, as the the body-guard of half a hundred mounted braves who had followed him, ‘* Well, young man, what do you think of my seated them- selves under a tree near the chief's tepee. ‘*] think you have a situation that it would take an army to carry by storm, and you have arranged well against surprise.” ‘* Yes, and I can bring into the field a thou- gand braves, old and young,” ‘*Well, you need not fear the soldiers, as long as you keep near your own country.” ‘“No! and I did not wish to attack the fort, knowing that it would bring the soldiers upon us, and their scouting parties would prevent our hunting for weeks; but the other chiefs urged, and having seen Buffalo Bill in the train were more anxious than ever to attack it, for the scalp of that scout is worth a fortune among the Sioux.” **It is lucky for me that you did attack it, chief.” ‘*' Yes, and Iam glad now that we did, for it has convinced the Indians the more of my bet- ter judgment, and then I am glad to have res- cued you.” “Thank you, sir, and I hore you will help me along in the new life that I must lead as a red- skin now,” ‘*Oh, yes; but let me tell you that I do not anticipate dying an Indian by any means, ‘‘T am not an old man, and I love lifein the cities; but I have been unfortunate, for I wanted gold, robbed one of my rich patients, for as I told you, I am a physician, was caught and carried back, and my stealings taken from me, while I was sent to prison for years. ‘*T escaped, but took the guard’s life to do sO, and came West. ‘“‘ 4 reward of some thousands was put upon my head, so that detectives dogged me to the mines, and I was again captured; but I escaped once more by killing the man who held me prisoner, and sought a home among the Sioux. ‘There was an epideisic of small-pox among them at the time, and I saved the lives of hun- dreds, their medicine-man among the rest, and the old medicine-chief gave me bis daughter for a wife, and I was called White Buffalo. ‘*Soon after [ was made chief, and now my word is law among the Sioux. ‘**T have gone back on my own people to curry favor with the red-skins, and, of course, have done many cruel deeds I did not care to be guilty of. ; ‘But I do not like the life, and wish to give it up and you can help me do so.” ss How? . ‘*T will tell you,” and the chief drew near to the Pony Rider, and though speaking in Eng- lish, lowered his voice like aman who had a secret to tell, CHAPTER XVIII. THE TEMPTATION. ‘‘] HAVE often heard of the terrible Sioux chief, White Buffalo, but never suspected that you were a white man,” said Butterfly Billy, while the chief seemed to be meditating upon just how to begin his story. ‘*Yes, I have tried to conceal the fact that there was a white chief among tbe Sioux, well knowing that the scouts and soldiers would be that more anxious to dog the red-skins and per- haps capture me, “You noticed in the' fight, night before last, when I saw that the troopers were upon us, I lost no time in leading the retreat, ‘* But to my story, for as I said, I believe you can help me in getting out of the life I now lead, and, of course, that means I am to work for your interest as weil.” ‘“*T am willing to be guided by you, chief, for you see how wholly at your mercy I now am.” ** And to help me, too?” ‘Certainly, Chief White Buffalo,” was the readv reply of the Pony Rider. ‘* Well, to begin, let me tell you that I havea comrade who is on the Overland as a holder-up of coaches, and as I always keep a small band of Indians within calling distance of him for protection in case he should be too hard pressed, so that he can take refuge in my village, he pays me a certain sum out of bis gains, you see. **'Yes, I see,” said Butterfly newed interest. ‘Now, this man you may know, for he has Billy, with re- _ been a bitter foe to Pony Riders, and has made some very good hauls from them of late “a What did you say his name is?” ‘ “The Giant General, they call him.” : ‘Oh, yes! I have heard of him often, and he | treasure; one hundred and twenty thousand, . has been the terror of the Pony Riders.” ‘* Now, the Giant General sent for some extra braves not long since, only a week ago, in fact, and stated in his letter to me that either a Pony Rider or a coach would carry through a very large sum of money: he thought as much as sixty thousand dollars, going to the pay- master at Fort M——, and he wished to make no mistake, for if it went by coach he would desire enough warriors with bim to make a clean sweep of it, and so I sent him twelve braves,” ‘To work with him?” ‘Yes, for he has a retreat for them, and would hold up the stage somewhere in their neighborhood, you know. ** Now, | trust no man, and my desire to have my baaves near the General, was to see that he did not desert me, carrying with him the plun- der, you see, **So my warriors are spies upon him, know- i ng all of his moves, though he does not suspect it. **'You do well to watch bim, for he has evi- dently deceived you.” ‘*In what respect?” “The sum to be sent through was sixty thousand, you say, cbief?” sé Yes,” ‘* You were to share with him?’ ‘* Yes; to have one-half,” ‘*Now, the amount is eighty-two thousand dollars,” ‘* Ah! how: know you this?” ‘Did I not tell you that my honesty was tempted by having intrusted to me a large sum of money?” ‘Ha! it was sent through by you, and not by coach.” ‘* Exactly,” ‘* But how could you carry such a sum?” ‘* The money sent to paymasters is in new bills, just out of the treasury, andvit is in packages, of ten, twenty, fifty, one-hundred dollar bills, which do not make up such a very large pack- age, and these are fitted into a false padding of the saddle, ‘** Now, I was the Pony Express Rider selected, and I tell you I could not stand the temptation to get a fortune st one grasp, for 1 could arrange matters to let the company think that I had been killed, while [ could escape southward into Mexico and South America and enjoy my riches.” ‘* And you got the money?” eagerly asked the renegade chief. ‘‘ Yes, Llaid my plans on one ride, to carr with me a disguise and also another horse, tell- ing them at the station that my other horse bad broken down and died on the way. ‘*T hid the horse and my disguise in a canyon, and when I came through with the money, took the false pad from my saddle and was prepar- ing my plotby killing my horse and disguised as a miner to go southward on the other animal, when I heard boof-fallsand sawa party of sol- diers dashiug toward me, while a scout stood near watching me,” ‘You had been followed?” ‘* Yes, chief; but I knew my horse and fled, and going through a wild canyon quickly hid my treasure, ‘* At night I supposed I had thrown them off the trail, so went to sleep, and awoke to find the scout and soldiers before me, ‘* The scout was Texas Jack, and he had been a spy on me, and knew all that I was doing. ‘* On the way to the fort with me, where they said I would certainly be shot, the soldiers came upon the party who were to attack you, and we went with them, and in the charge I made a dash for liberty, to seek the Sioux, and the rest you ow s And this money?” eagerly asked the rene- ade, — nf Is where 1 left it, for I would not admit that I had taken it, but said that road-agents had rob- bed me of it.” ‘* And how much is it?” “« Kighty-two thousand dollars,” ‘You are sure?” ' ‘‘ There is that much if there is a dollar.” ~** Well, now let me tell you what I will do.” “ye, or.” ‘The Giant General has money, and plenty of it, and my braves know where he keeps it.” es “He admits to having thirty odd thousand, and | have here something like ten thousand hidden away, which I have gotten by robbery, and have been paid by the Giant General to- er. itr It will make, with the General’s and your , — Re me mn Ee - SE oF PT a RS ee et all = =o renee " "gue See teem — Ps < < — — ey”, & - ae . . : , - we Pad he ‘ pl by at, 4 : a ‘ 4 A o~ " ae any jo Sa * Se Vth ~ er ot = a ' : . x a - - 5 to} ” Ts " % ie **. eB we ~~ pe, ; . . 4 gs i war ¢ a Ly . . 7 - ee . - “ae ee Fa eS | Butterfly Billy’s Man-Hunt TE ss ° 1) ° SO oe ne os Sh ~ 7 | | say, and this we will divide equaliy together.” ‘*T don’t understand you.” ‘*T will tell my chiefs that lam going to see the Giant General, and you are to go with me; do you see?” 7 ea, sir.” ‘*T will carry my riches with me, and when we find the General, we will kill him and have my braves show me where his treasure is.” | ** T see,” a “Then I will leave the braves to sbift for themselves, and we will go after your treasure boi and with it and the other money we will share equally and go together into Mexico.” ‘intl ‘‘But your money and the Giant General’s will only be about forty thousand.” ‘True; but [ give your life to you, do you see, which about evens up your putting in the largest sum,” *“T see; but when will you go?” ‘‘ ina few days.” ‘You had better start at once, as when the soldiers return to the fort they may send a large search party to follow my trail and look for the treasure, knowing I did not have a good chance to securely hide it.” ** You are right, we will start at once, for the soldiers and scouts wil] be all over the country in a few days after what has happened.” ‘*] am ready, chief, to go out any time.” ** Well, [ will see my chiefs to-day and get my money, so as to be all ready to-night, and in two days at furthest we will be rich men.” ** We will indeed.” Soon after midnight two horsemen rode away from the Indian village, and they were the rene- gade chief, White Buffalo, and Butterfly Billy, the Black Horse Rider of the Overland! CHAPTER XIX. THE OVERLAND DETECTIVE. THROUGH the night the renegade chief and the Pony Rider rode, until just at dawn they halted for rest and breakfast. Then, too, the chief wished to get rid of bis paint and feathers, in fact, be metamorphosed from tbe Indian into a pale-face miner, which was the character he intended to assume. While he was busy unmaking and making his toilet, he asked Butterfly Billy to get wood and make a fire,so asto cook breakfast, for they had a coffee-pot, frying-pan and rations along. “TI tell you,” he added, *‘that lam glad you agreed to my plan, for I did not care to torture you, but if you had not I confess I would have handed you over to the Indians to torture until you confessed where your treasure was hid- den. ‘‘f am glad you did not have to do that.” ‘* Yes, soam I; but we are the best of friends now, are we not, pard?” “Yes, sir, we are,” and Butterfly Billy showed no sign of having read the renegade’s face so thoroughly as to know that be would be as quickly gotten rid of, after his treasure was found, as would be the Giant General, the chief’s ally, when they discovered him. Then Butterfly Billy went for some wood, and by the time he returned the renegade had cast aside his weapons, and was about to undress for a bath in the brook. “Twant you, White Buffalo, so hold out your hands !” Had the earth opened to swallow bim, the renegade could not have been more startled and surprised than at what he heard and saw, There stood Butterfly Billy within two feet of him, with a revolver in one hand, cocked and covering him, and a pair of handcuffs in the — the same that had served the youth so well. He was speechless with amazement, so para- lyzed with fright he could not move, and he quivered like a wind-shaken leaf, ; ‘“‘There you are wise, not to make me kill you,” and with a dexterity and quickness that were remarkable, he snapped the irons upon the wrists of the renegade, This act recalled the man to his senses, and with a bound be sprung upon the youth. But Butterfly Billy nimbly sprung aside, and with his foot tripped the renegade, who fell heavily, while a blow half-stunned him, and in a moment of time his ironed wrists were lashed firmly to his body, The man gritted his teeth with fury, and the blood came from his lips where he bit them. The veins stood out like cords on his forehead and hands, and he looked the picture of mad de- ir, 3 At last he said: A ‘‘Take my money, and let me go back to tho Sioux.” -~ : 5 * ‘ ’ ++ ' . . f° ag | micbooks.com a i , + a te 2 a ye . ot ~ . ~~ 4 te