Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 656 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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The man started and his face became the hue of death, while he said hoarsely: ‘“ Why do you call me Edward Orton?” **Ts it not your name?” 4s No. ” : ** Are you not from H——, Connecticut?” **T am not.” . “Well, gentlemen, what say you?” and the Pony Rider motioned for the two witnesses to enter, The prisoner yb net under the blow of r ition, and the detective calmly said: ‘* Well, Doctor Edward Orton, we meet again.” **T do not know you, sir.” ‘‘ But I know you, though your face has lost much of its old-time refinement, and is rather fiendish-looking now. ‘What do you say, Jailer Sterritt, for you were the doctor’s last keeper, excepting the short time I had him in the mines, when he killed poor Ramsey and escaped.” ‘‘ That is the man, Detective Dunlap.” : ‘*T am not, for I never saw either of you be- ore. ‘‘T was captured by the Indians as a child, and reared among them,” ‘*How came you by the papers, surgical and medicine-case of Doctor Edward Orton, then?” asked Butterfly Billy. . ‘ ‘*You had them, and are trying to swear away my life.” ‘‘No, I deeply feel the life of any one upon my hands; but your evil career has caused all to be merciless toward you, ‘* Let us go, for there is no doubt but that this is your man,” and Butterfly Billy turned away, and was followed out of the cabin by the detec- tive and jailer. ** Well, sir, you get the reward of five thou- sand for this man,” said the detective. ‘‘Thank you, but I do not care for blood- money, and besides, there is some one for Doc- tor Orton to leave his property to.” ‘You refer to his daughter?” ‘* Yes, for you told me he had lost his wife be- fore he went to the bad, and left a little daugh- ter, who was now living with a poor rela- tive.” You.” ‘Well, for my partI will give to you and the jailer five hundred each of the reward, and the alance, with other money now in Colonel Car- ter’s hands, and belonging to the prisoner, must go to the child, and the ge pre! of the fort ho in that it is placed in the proper hands for er. ‘‘ Well, you’re a strange one, young man, to give up your reward, and I judge, too, that you are not overburdened with riches, seeing that you are under pay as a Pony Rider,” said the detective. ‘* No, Iam not very rich; but I am not poor, either,” was the reply, and the prisoner having been identified and the Black Horse Rider being anxious to get away, Uolonel Curter ordered the man to be at once brought up for trial. White, stern-faced, and with an evil glitter in his eyes, a look that turned to the most utter maliguity when his gaze rested upon the Black Horse Rider, Edward Orton, alias the White Buffalo, faced his judges and accusers, . He pleaded “not guilty,” and said that he was the White Buffalo, but having been reared among the Indians since his childhood, he had been taught that the whites were his foes. He was asked by Captain Allen, who was the judge advocate, how old he was when he was taken by the Indians. His reply was that he was six years of age, and | 7 that his parents had been killed and his home burned, He told his story with a look of perfect truth, and added that Doctor Edward Orton had been captured by the Sioux, and was for a long while a prisoner, and dying in camp, had left him his case of instruments and medicines, More, he stated that he had become sucha / ee CC TL TE LD thorough Indian, that he bad felt that he was doing no wrong in fighting the pale-faces, As to his resembling Doctor Orton, he said that all the tadiane had considered him so like bim, that they called the doctor the ‘‘ White Buffalo’s Brother.” The story of the renegade had a decided effect, so well was it told and with such an air of truth. And this was increased when the two witness es were called on to swear to their man, and asked if they could remember any distinguisbing mark about him, Yes, they both could, for Doctor Orton had on his left arm his initials, ‘‘ E, O.,” in a shield, pricked into the arm with india ink. Both arms were examined for the mark, but there was none there ! The prisoner smiled, and the witnesses were nonplused, They then went upon the stand and told their story, but after having heard the one of the pris- oner, and not found the mark on his arm, they were unwilling to swear to the identity of the man, and it began to look as though a great mis- take had been made, and some whispers were heard that the Black Horse Riaer had been a trifle too previous, Buffalo Bill then took the stand and swore to this: That the prisonerand the man who had led the Sioux in their fight, and whom he had found as Butterfly Billy’s prisoner in the foot- hills, was one and the same, _ This the prisoner, however, did not deny, and his confession that he had been reared among the Indians accounted for it. Then Butterfly a was called to the stand, and he asked to tell his story in his own way, and to have the right to ask the prisoner a few questions, After some argument pro and con, it was granted, Then he told his te of his being cut off from the soldiers, and how he had deceived them into the belief that he was a fugitive. Then of his story about being the bearer of the treasure, and his plot with the prisoner to kill the Giant General and rob him. ‘This is but a boy’s story against mine,” said the prisoner, and be added: ‘‘ He is ambitious of fame, has been spoilt by adoration, and is willing to sacrifice me to gain favor and a name.” It did look tosome as though the prisoner might be right. But Butterfly Billy showed no uneasiness, and went on with the story as the facts had oc- curred, Then he asked the judge advocate to request the prisouer to tell if be had ever been among civilized people, since his capture. He had not. Butterfly Billy then referred to the language used by a man who had been captured at seven as of age, and been reared where he never ad heard the English language spoken. “Take, for instance, such words as ‘ adora- tion,’ ‘ ambition’ and ‘ sacrifice,’ and see if they were such as a child could use, and remember for thirty-five years,” This was a severe set-back, and continuing, Butterfly Billy said: ** Now, I have nothing to gain in all this ex- cept tbe credit of capturing the chief of the Sioux, who is a renegade white man, and having extri- cated myself from a very ugly situation. ‘*This man says that my story is false, and yet why did he leave his camp with me? why did he give me the chance to capture him? and more, why did he bring with him the ten thou- sand dollars now in the possession of Colonel Carter? ‘“*The reward offered for him, which he says that I wish to get, I have already disposed of, by giving one thousand to be divided among these two witnesses, and the other four thousand, with what Colonel Carter has, is to be left to the prisoner's daughter. -“ Tf he has never been in civilization, how is it pee» his teeth have been skillfully filled with gold, ‘‘T beg the judge advocate to examine the prisoner’s teeth, and to say if an Indian dentist did the work?” This blow fell heavily and staggered the prisoner, who murmured: ‘** Doctor Orton filled them for me.” “Show me a single dentist’s instrument in the case left (you say Doctor Orton left), ora piece of gold-leaf with which to fill a tooth. ‘* Again, the fact that the india ink stamp once upon the prisoner’s arm is not now there, let me tell you that when I was a boy a sailor pricked upon my arm a ship, flag and my name. ‘“My mother regretted it so keenly that I tried to get it off, and one day a Texas scout told me that there was an old Comanche medicine-man who could take it off for me, for the Indians possessed a secret for removing stains that the white race had not. ‘‘The old Comanche was friendly to the Texans, and I went to him, and see, my arm is stainless, for the stamp was right here,” and he showed the place where it had been, ‘‘ Now the Sioux must also know this secret, and thus Doctor Orton removed the stain from bis arm.” This was all that the Black Horse Rider had to say, aud when he had finished, the peace: g opinions of the guilt of the prisoner had changed, and no one doubted longer, This the prisoner saw and he could scarcely rise from his seat when commanded to do so, At length, by a great effort he got command over himself, and received his sentence without a word, And that sentence was that within two weeks he was to be hanged for his crimes, Back to his prison-pen he went under a strong guard, and many sought to congratulate Butter- fly Billy upon his triumph, but found that he had slipped away. At midnight two horsemen ‘left the fort, ac- companied by a pack-horse, and one of those two was Buffalo Bill. The other appeared to be an Indian chief, and was mounted upon a black horse. CHAPTER XXIV. BUTTERFLY BILLY’S STORY. THe two horsemen who left Fort M—— at midnight did so with the full consent of Colonel Carter. Their mission was known to but five persons in the fort, the commandant, Colonel Carter, Captain Allen, the post adjutant and [vy Allen and Mattie Carter. For some reason these two young ladies could pot be kept out of the secret, for their eyes and ears were open to all that was going on, and Mattie having heard Buffalo Bill arrange with her father to call before leaving the fort late that night, she had posted Ivy and asked her to spend the evening with her. : All hints of the colonel and Captain Allen to get the young ladies to retire were useless, and at last Cody came in and Colonel Carter said laughingly: “This looks like a plot, Allen, so we will have to let them into the secret I suppose.” ‘‘ What secret, papa?’ asked Mattie with an innocence that won Ivy’s admiration, ) ‘Well, Cody goes on a scout to-night, along with a certain bandsome rider of jet- black horses, and I have a few instructions for them before they depart.” ‘‘ Why does not this Black Horse Rider come and get his orders then, sir?” asked Mattie, who wished to see the young hero before he departed. ‘“‘ Because, Miss Mattie, the Pony Rider is not in visiting toilet,” saic Buffalo Bill. ‘“‘Goand fetch him, Cody, and let us see how he will muster,” said the colonel, and when the scout returned ten minutes after, he was accom- panied by what appeared to be a young Indian chief in his war paint and costume, Those present were surprised, and gazed upon him with admiration, for the cheat was perfect. ; ‘‘You are an artist, Cody, for the work is perfect,” said the colonel, ‘‘Tt was Butterfly’s idea, sir, and I but carried it out; but isnot the dyeon his skin the very hue of an Indian?” ‘Perfect, and if your broken Sioux does not betray you, Butterfly, you will pass any- where.” “He speaks Sioux well, sir, and will get through all right, for he has the nerve to do it; but we must be off, sir,” and with hasty fare- ate the two departed upon their secret expedi- on. An hour after sunrise the following mornin they reached a plain in the mountains whi Buffalo Bill said would bea safe retreat, Yt was at the head of a canyon, and a strong place in case of attack. The pack-horse was stripped and a comfort- able, though temporary, camp made, and the horses made secure by their stake-ropes, Then the two pards went off on a scout, each taking a different course, It was night when they returned, Cody ar- riving a short while before his protege, and he at once began to prepare supper, — eer