Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 661 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

‘ Ps, “J : i. © . " i ae ~*~ ya f %, r> . : ae oF z _ 7 A vam Care a A. Banner Ben, the Wildfire of the Prairie. eral appearance, had the courage to use his weapons if need be. His name was Bob Burch, and he was the boon companion of Harry Ash- more. As the trio drew rein upon the bluff and glanced over the landscape, Banner Ben ex- claimed: ‘‘Great jeewhangs! there’s your panorama, boys! How d’ye like that for Arkansaw scen- ery? ‘<Tt’s grand, glorious!” exclaimed Harry, in exuberance of spirit. ‘‘Cherubimic!” added the Young Wildfire; ‘don’t it look like a section o’ paradise/—a chunk o’ the hunter’s glory? There’s buffaloes till you can’t number ’em. Oh, but we'll have swogs o’ fun, boys. We'll take them critters right along with us and have a frolic all the way to Bloody Fork. Don’t I wish that old Greek tulip, Tom Rattler, was with us now! It’d do your soul good to hear him ree] off language. He has a multiplying ’tachment to bis talker and the way he can spin off yarns beats a hu dog-town of chatter. But then, he’s as jolly old soul as ever raised a laugh, downed a buffalo or good-a-fied an Injun, an if we survive the fun o’ the 4 oat mised buffalo chase we'll be with the old pilgrim by night. But now, boys, in order to git a little bulge upon them bison we've got to ride back a ways, descend into tha® holler, and then enter the valley so as to keep yon belt o’ brush between us and the buffs, Then wecan reach the river unseen, cross over, stiffen our backbones, tickle our ponies a little, and away we go down on the game o-Sy IDE pop range bellow—smoke—hoofs and horns! Oh, but we'll have miles of cherubimic fun!” ‘¢ Will it not be wanton sport to shoot down scores of the noble beasts and leave them to rot on the plain?’ asked Burch. “Boy,” answered Banner Ben, with a smile, ‘¢ you're too gentle and dovish ever to be a hunt- er. Do you see them kiyotes languishin’ on the hills "way over yander? Do you know they’re dyin’ o’ starvation? No, there'll be no buffaloes wasted, for eve blessed kiyote over there can crowd a hull buffalo carcass inside its skin, hoofs and horns included.” ‘‘Poor Old Rattler!” sighed Burch, a smile hovering about his lips, ‘‘ if he’s a greater archi- tect of worm-fence assertions than some folks I know of still in their ‘ teens,’ I pity him with all my heart.” rning, the three rode back along the trail they had come, descended into a deep defile that led them out into the river npwey § The herd of buffaloes was on the orga side of the river, but, by keeping a long belt of tim- ber that fringed the stream between them, the hunters succeeded in eee I the river, which they managed to ford with but little trouble. Then Ben gave his friends some instructions in c the buffalo, took the lead, and away they went at the top of their animals’ . e wary game wason the alert, and in a few moments the whole herd was sweeping up the valley, the very earth trembling under their frightened tread. } nto the cloud of dust raised by the flying hoofs dashed the young hunters, and soon the crack of their revolvers was mingled with the thunder-like roar of feet; and above all, the clear clarion voice of Banner Ben could be heard ringing out in peals of wildest glee. Away up the valley thundered herd and hunt- ers, a black cloud of dust hanging upon the air like a pall asif to shut out from view the work of the wanton destroyers. ; Instinctively the coyotes drifted down from the bluffs and gathe for a feast on the trail of death. For over five miles the young hunters kept up the chase, but at length Banner Ben ca led a ‘Isn't that enough, boys?’ he asked, as the three reined in their ponies. ‘* A plenty—a multitude,” answered Burch. ‘‘ But shall we not secure a supply of fresh meat?” asked Ashmore. “‘ By all means,” replied Ben; ‘‘it’s not fur to the Forks now, and we may have to lay in wait- in’ there several days, so we'd better take a sup- ply o’ buffalo meat.” XS saying, they rode back to the first dead buffalo and dismounted, and then Ben proceeded to skin the desired game. This labor occupied but a few minutes, but before they had secured the meat upon their ponies their ears were greet- ed by the pounding of distant hoofs. Quickly Banner Ben , his keen eyes ge | with a new fire. He back down the valley. He saw the sbadowy outlines of a score of horsemen riding swiftly up the valley through the settling cloud of dust. For a few > ¥ ay a Boel ae 4 a & oP aned — — 4 aS i £! . ’ ah {. , u .. ‘ s Ae P é i Sas : c ‘ rudiak a “ 4, um, tae : seeks ; te moments he kept his eyes upon them, then turn- ing to his friends, exclaimed: x | jee-whangs! boys, them horsemen are In- gins ‘¢ They can’t be hostiles, can they?” asked Bob Burch. Before Ben could reply a wild, demoniac war- whoop burst from the red-skins’ lips, almost chilling the blood in the amateurs’ veins. ‘“There!” exclaimed Banner Ben, ‘‘ does that sound cherubimic? Is there anything dovish bout that hyena yawp? Boys, they’re a gang o’ Old Stooping Bear’s warriors, and they’re after scalps. Kids, mount and tickle your ponies for all there is in them. We'll run first and fight last, seein’ as what them devilonians has ten to one nearly.” Leaping into their saddles the trio put spurs and galloped away, taking the nearest cut to- ward the river. This was a turn in affairs unexpected by Ash- more and Burch. They had no desire to encoun- ter hostile Indians, although their young guide, Banner Ben, had promised them a variety of ad- ventures and sport when they set out on their ramble ten days before. Ben, himself, was not expecting danger from the red-skins in that ps of the country. He knew that Stooping Bear’s followers were hos- tile, but as they were a long ways from the Indian village he was not thinking of red-skins. But the lad was no novice in Indian-fighting. He fully understood the red-skins’ savage, blood- thirsty nature, and knew that to fall into their hands would be sure death. Ben could easily have outridden the foe had he been alone. is pony was one of superior and endurance. Those ridden by and Bob were no matches for it; but Banner Ben would not desert his friends, notwithstand- ing, hesaw that the enemy were gaining slowly upon them. The young hunter had quickly conceived the idea of dodging the enemy among the me me of trees and bushes along the river, or else ford the river and seek the cover of a large body of tim- ber on the opposite side. As the race continued Ben unslung his rifle and made ready for fighting on the run, if fight he must. ‘The very first smoked hellonian that comes in reach o’ my ‘ -a-fier’ ‘ll git tapped for blood,” the brave boy declared, But before an opportunity for a good shot had been offered they reached the river. To their see they found themselves in a sharp bend, and to still add to their precarious situation they discovered that the opposite bank, up and down the stream, was high and perpendicular. So to retreat from the bend or cross the river and escape danger was equally impossible. But in looking about for some way out of their di- lemma, Ben’s keen eye caught sight of a goodly sized bateau lying at the water’s edge but a short distancefrom them. To whom is hetona ed he did not inquire, but leaping from his saddle he exclaimed: ‘‘ Boys, there’s a boat! Jump and run for it! It’s our only show now to escape from them hellobulluians!” Ashmore and Burch leaped from their saddles and started with Banner Ben toward the boat. A buffalo trail cut the bank Sagres y down tothe water’s edge and the boys had just reached the noint in this where the path began to dip down- ward when four villainous-looking white men, one of whom Banner Ben ebcogpined as a notorious outlaw named “‘ Jaguar Jim,” sprun from a clump of bushes at the side of the path and leveling their revolvers upon the youths, J aguar Jim commanded; Halt! you young thieves, or we'll splatter your livers all over this ag ! Ha! hal Ban- ner Benjamin! you sweet and kitteny cherub, you're corrilled at last—yow’re our meat |” Without a word the dauntless boy threw up his hands and his friends followed his example; but the next instant the young plainsman drop- forward with the quickness of lightning, touched his hands upon the earth and then whirled himself through the air as if shot from a mortar. Banner Ben’s feet, as they came over, were planted squarely on the breast of one of the outlaws and, with such violence, that the villain’s neck cracked like a pistol. Flat upon the earth as if struck down by a thunderbolt fell the outlaw, while over on him whirled the agile form of Banner Ben—once more touc his hands to the pero and shooting forward through the air—over the bank and into the river with a defiant yell. ‘‘ Curses on the slippery little devil! I'll shoot him and have done with it!” stormed J | Jim, running to the edge of the bank. But just * sea, LL LL LLL LL as the villain caught sight of the boiling waters where Ben had gone down beneath the waves, he felt the earth sinking beneath him and with a ery of baffled rage he sprung backward. The next instant tons of the bank on which he had stood caved off and with a thunderous plash fell into the river at the very spot where Banner Ben had gone down under the waves! CHAPTER IV. A STARTLING SURPRISE. _ A DIABOLICAL laugh escaped the lipsof Jaguar Jim as he again advanced to the edge of the bank and looked down into the agitated river. ‘¢ That fixes the young greyhound of the prai- rie, thank the good, kind fates!” he exclaimed. ‘‘T guess he'll never git out from under that mountain of dirt with any wind in him,’ Ha! ha! ha! But, by the Saints in Utah, I’m afraid the infernal brat flung his heels into Kendig’s breast and broke his neck.”’ He advanced to the victim of Banner Ben’s superb and wonderful handspring, and found the fellow motionless in death, bleeding at the mouth and nose. The fury of Jaguar Jim knew no bounds, and he would no doubt have wreaked a bloody re- venge on Ashmore and Burch had not the Sioux arrived on the scene at ae moment. The Indians were led by a white renegade whom J r Jim recognized at once and greet- ed with the familiarity of an old friend. ‘‘Hello, Eagle Nose, my esteemed villain- friend,” J said: ‘I am truly delighted to see you at this time, for I want to show you and them red hyenas at your back how grareful | can play a tenderfoot.” ‘Where's Little Devil?’ asked Eagle Nose, after running his little snakish eyes over the crowd and its surroundings. Little Devil was the red-skins’ name for Banner Ben, for whose scalp ft ig longed more than that of any enemy * they ; ** He’sin the bottom of that murmuring stream under ten feet of earth and stone,” answered Ja- guar Jim; ‘‘the bank fell in on him after he’d pos into the river. But, eternal curses upon im! he did all the mischief he could: he kicked the life plumb out of Kirt Kendig.” ‘Why didn’t you shoot him?” asked the rene- e chief. ‘* Shoot thunder! could yow shoot a streak o” lightning as it went flying through the air like that boy? I'll swear he flew so fast that my eyes even couldn't foller him. ang shoot noth- ing,” and Jaguar Jim seemed thoroughly dis- Eagle Nose turned and imparted to his war- riors the news im to him by the outlaw. A look of ee OE clouded the red-skins” faces, for they felt certain of Little Devil’s scalp; and to assure themselves that the young pale-face had not escaped the falling bank and was hiding along the water’s edge, they dis- mounted and oo age | searched i banks u and downthestream, Butno trace of him soultt be found, and so they turned their attention to Ashmore and Burch, and for the first time in their lives the young amateur hunters began to realize the savage cruelty of an Indian. They were securely bound to a couple of trees and then subjected to taunts and blows and the ter- ror of knives and tomahawks whirling about tnsThile they were th Sai ile they were thus engaged another n arrived upon the scene. He. wad a white man of perhaps thirty years of age, with a swarthy complexion, a heavy black mustache, a sharp black eye and long ark hair. He was dressed — in a suit half-savage and half-civilized. He was well-armed and mounted upon a handsome and mettlesome steed. Jaguar Jim and Eagle Nose advanced to meet him, the latter saying: ‘““Itis White Medicine, the last person I ex- pected to meet here, but I am glad I have.” ‘* Doctor ak aa added Jaguar Jim, ‘‘shake, old friend, for I’m glad to look upon your hand- some face, You're looking remarkably fresh and happy. From whence comes thee, doctor?” The rigs of Roaring Rocks,” replied the man, ‘* but who’s that lying there?” ‘* Kirt Kendig—kicked into eternity by that boy fiend, Banner Ben, but the imp overshot his mark and landed himself in e ity by the river route.” ‘‘ Ts that a fact, Jim?” ‘The holy truth, Gwynn,” declared Eagle ose. ‘‘Then there are two of your pestiferous ene- mies pone. x ‘¢ Who's the other?” ‘‘ Kit Bandy, the mountain detective.” ‘* Great Peter! say it sible? Tell me who slaughtered him that I may ain, doctor. Isit pos- a .* <, . « « ae 4 d >