Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 662 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

é* : .. ee ¥ ~ ye 4 be — f at : 1 f . i: a ' 4 f He | is a oe ‘° ¢ > og eo . ) y a F va tf y" 7¢ ao r0 q Ws o oly y’,' UB er. pe if ye iy a : 4 , Sate Dy f sf * wy . 4,” ’ By Zz Ww . P Dy ry " ow ey -. ad Pe es ¢ a ot _ wl : : ‘a ’ ’ J own affair, unless her sweet little friend and constant companion, Mattie Carter, was in her secret, for these two, though several years were between their respective ages, were inseparable. The general had been delighted with his in- spection of Fort M——, for he found all in per- fect condition, the soldiers under thorough dis- cipline, and the few things to be investigated had been given a satisfactory explanation. One of these matters was the fact that the outlaws on the Overland had been giving much trouble of late to travelers, notwithstanding the strenuous attempts of the military to capture them, The band known as “‘ Mounted Miners of the Overland” were a dangerous lot, under a skilled captain, who was called ** Yaukee Kit,” and it was said that they had a spy in the towns who reported to them when coaches carried booty, and were to be held up. But worse than this band was the terror in- spired by a lone horseman who had won the name of the Giant General. The history of this man Colonel Carter had made known to the general, as also the fact that he had just had word from the superintendent of the Overland Company at Omaha, that he bad hopes that the daring detective, Butterfly Billy, would soon run down this scourge of the trails, ‘* And who is this Butterfly Billy, Carter?” asked the general. *“*T will tell you, sir, what I know of him, but it must be in confidence,” ** Certainly.” , ** Nearly two years ago we were out from the fort for a deer hunt, officers and their families, when Miss Ivy Allen became separated from the aie, and saw suddenly dash into sight a Pony er: ‘* At that moment he was fired upon by some Sioux in ambush, who then dashed out upon him, as his horse fell dead; but the brave girl rode like the wind toward him, as he stood at ae eae springing up behind her, he thus es- caped, . * Braye, noble girl.” ** She is, indeed, sir, all that you can say good of her. ** Well, it was Butterfly Billy whom. she res- cued, and one vay at the fort he saved 7 daughter, Mattie, from being trampled to deat by a herd of steers that had escaped from the corral. ** He did this in view of us all, and at the risk of his own life, “*So much for the boy’s pluck, for he is now under twenty; and let me tell you that he was secretly a detective, though a Pony Rider. ‘* He it was who captured alone this Hercules of the Overland, and it is his history, as given me from his own lips, thet I now tell you. ‘‘The boy is a Texan, and his widowed mo- mother sought a home upon the frontier and established a ranch, ‘There the boy was raised, and he is a marvel as a shot and rider, and for pluck, ** But a Mexican band of outlaws raided the country and his mother was kidnapped, along ‘with an old ranchero, who bad once been a lover of the lady, I believe. **The boy took their trail, and after three years tracked them to the Overland, in this + whem and went as a Pony Rider to find em. ** He discovered, by capturing the Giant Gen- eral, that he knew of his mother, and that her sa al the outlaw chief, had taken her e. ** But to get this information the Hercules de- manded that the youth should aid his escape, ‘* This he frankly confessed that he did. . ac Ah 1”? ** Under the circumstances, general, I did not blame him, and remember this was given to me in confidence,” ‘ Tunderstand, colonel, and it shall remain a ret, but your Butterfly Billy is a bold one.” *T told you what he was, sir. ** Well, he aided the Hercules to escape, and then left the country as Pony Rider. “Going to visit his mother’s grave in the mountains, he found dwelling there her old lover, Major Mabrey, the Texas ranchero, and one time an army officer. “He lived the life of a hermit in a small cabin he had built; but he left with Butterfly Billy and together they went back to Texas, “* And there one day the youth captured, dis- ised as a 7 ami Yankee Kit, the chief of Mounted Miners, whom his deeds had driven from the trails here, ** When faced by Major Mabrey and Butterfly ss Bity, Yankee Kit confessed all be knew about ~~ the abduction of Mrs, Royal by the Mexican Butterfly Billy’s Bonanza. guerrilla chief, whom he was tben with, and told the youth that the grave near Castle Rock did not hold the body of his mother, but of a Mexican girl whom the chief had cast off, and who took her own life.” ‘* This is remarkable.” **Indeed it is, sir, and he further told him that Mrs, Royal was still the captive of the out- law chief, for some purpose, and that both were to be found in the northern country, for the secret leader of the Mounted Miners was none other than the Mexican guerrilla captain.” ** A strange story indeed, Carter.’ ‘* Yes, sir; and furthermore, this Yankee Kit told Butterfly Billy that the Giant General, who, after his escape, had left this country, had drifted around for a year, visited him, Kit, in Mexico, and penniless, had returned to the old trails as a highwayman, and that he knew just oe the chief and the captive woman could be ound, ) ‘“* Butterfly Billy at once put Yankee Kit in irons, and made him a prisoner in Major Mabrey’s ranch home, while he again came north and took the trail to hunt down the Mexi- can Outlaw chief through the capture of the Hercules Highwayman, **The superintendent of the Overland knows Butterfly Billy’s story as I do, and the boy is now on the Overland nominally asa Pony Rider, but really as a detective.” . ** Where did he get his strange name?” ‘*From his Pony Rider’s dress, a scarlet cap, blue jacket trimmed with gold, white corduroy pants, top-boots, red sash aif generally gor- geous make-up, ‘“* His real name is Rayford Royal, but he reg- istered in the company’s books as Ray Ford, and is only known as Butterfly Billy. ‘He is also called Buffalo Bill’s Protege, and the two are inseparable friends, and are now off on the war-path after both the Hercules High- wayman and the Mounted Miners. “One of the youth’s hobbies is to ride black horses only, and he has the finest lot of animals I ever saw, all of them jet black. *‘His outfit is superb, and he has given his horses, which he has trained perfectly, such names as Jet, Ebony, Darkness, Midnight, Blackskin, and Gloom.” . ‘“* He is certainly a character.” ‘*He certainly is, general, and I venture to say that he will capture the Hercules and drive off from the trail the Mounted Miners,” **T sincerely hope so, and in his work he has strong backing in Buffalo Bill, a most remarka- — man, from all accounts, for I never met m. ‘* He is a phenomenon, sir, and the two Bills are a team together that I have high hopes of— What is it, orderly?” ‘*The officer of the day, sir, sent me to report the coming of Buffalo Bill toward the fort, carrying in his arms Butterfly Billy, who ap- pears to be desperately wounded, sir,” was the response of the orderly, and the news at once sent a thrill of excitement through the fort, CHAPTER IX, THE MEETING, Two men were seated upon a log at the peak of a rugged ridge of hills, and a strange pair sey were, ne was a man of gigantic size, dressed in the uniform of a cavalry general, his face bearded and his hair worn long, falling to his waist. It was a strange face, full of power, resolu- tion and recklessness, and yet bitter withal almost to cruelty. Not far away was a small log cabin, and a huge black horse was staked out near, while a military saddle and bridle hung from a tree ready for use, The man was armed with a belt of revolvers and a sword, and a rifle stood leaning against the cabin. It was the Hercules Highwayman, and he was supposed to be at his home, or secret re- treat. a Up to the peak, which was overshadowed by a still higher one, divided by a chasm where the mountain had split in two, led a steep and rough pathway, or trail,and up this had come the visitor who now sat on the log by the side of the Hercules. The visitor ‘appeared to be a young Indian chief, in Nl oes and feathers, and what the conversation between them was, it suddenl ended in the red-skinned visitor springing to his feet and leveling a revolver at the Hercules, But the Hercules was quick as lightning too, and though taken by surprise drew a revolver and thereport of the two weapons rung out together, : 7 And both men fell to the ground, one seem- ingly shot through the heart, the other severely wounded, Then up the steep path atarun came a tall form clad in buckskin. He carried a repeating rifle in one hand and his eyes were fixed ahead. Tall, perfectly molded as to form, with a face as handsome as an Apollo be was ready to face death in any shape that it might come, The one thus coming upon the scene was Buf- falo Bill, a man too well known to need a de- scription here, and the one he had come to the aid of, though in the disguise of a red-skin, was his protege, ect Billy, the Black Horse Rider of the Overland. At a glance Buffalo Bill took in the situation, ei i he examined the wound of his young riend, “It is bad, Billy, so I must get you to the fort: = ended the career of the Hercules and I will ury him, for heis a man after all,” and the scout hastily bound up the wound in the youth’s side and then dug a shallow gravein a crevice and placed in it the huge form of the Hercules, Filling in the grave he raised the wounded youth in his arms and bore him to the horse of the Hercules, upon which he placed him, and leading him to their camp some distance off, was soon on the way to the fort. The sufferings of Butterfly Billy were intense, but at length, after a pens | time upon the trail the fort was reached and the young Overlan Detective was taken into the hospital quarters of Surgeon Delamater, where he could receive every attention. The surgeon reported the wound a most dan- gerous One, and wondered that it had not proven fatal on the way to the fort. But Buffallo Bill had proven himself quite a skillful surgeon, and had borne the wounded oy in his arms when he was unable longer to ride upon his horse, and thus the long, tedious and painful journey had been made, aving seen the youth in safe hands, Buffalo Bill reported at mney 9k le and was ushered — into the presence of Colonel Carter, who sat there with the general, and they were discussing his return and the wounding of the Black Horse Rider when he entered. ** You look pageere to death, Cody; here, let me give you a glass of brandy, and it will brace you up. ‘*General Hancock, I take pleasure in present- ing our chief of scouts, William F. Cody, known to fame, history and romance as Buffalo Bill.” General Hancock warmly welcomed the er aan veges and revived by the brandy, Buffalo ill said: ‘*T suppose, general, you wish to hear what has happened? . ‘Certainly, Cody, out with it, for I told the general not half an bour ago ote” fete had gone with your young pard, the Black Horse Rider, to hunt down the Hercules Highwayman, ‘* But I told Surgeon Delamater to report to me the exact condition of Butterfly Billy.” ? ‘*The surgeon says, sir, that Billy bas a ver dangerovs wound, but that he hopes he will pul} through.” “*T am glad of that, and if good nursing and +e skill will save him, he will live, ‘** Now, what have you done?” “Well, sir, we hung about the trails until I got a glinipse of the Hercules one day and dog- ged him to bis lair, which is on the peak of a ridge with only a rugged, steep trail to get here, ‘* He turned off to it at the crossing of a stream, so that his trail, across a water-shed of rocks, was not noticeable. : . , ‘Bi.y, in his disguise as a Sioux, then went there while I hung back some distance away, ‘He found the Hercules watching him, and went on to his cabin, where they took a rest up- on a log; but what passed, Billy is a little herent about, only 1 expect he drew upon and they both got in their shots together, or no two seconds apart, | “ Butterfly Billy fired first, and the Hercules — got it ge 2 the heart,” ‘Bravo for the bo while General Mancock remarked: “T am growing more in love with your young hero, Carter.” | and found the Hercules dead and the youth, as I at first feared, dying; but herallied, and as goon > as I dressed his wound I buried the oatlaw and then came on to the fort as fast as [ travel,” i Se t credit, my g lar !” cried Colonel Carter, — A} ‘‘] ran up the ridge, for Billy would go alone, - vif 3, ‘ (ee eS. - 4 ‘ ‘ On ou t/ | c > te due ¥ ‘oh ‘ ?, ~ 4 1 . ‘ > 23 Ag’ ‘ ‘And you deserve lant = friend, for your task has been a severe ote a said General Hancock, SE He yt moh a ff Dt cy, ‘y a 7 - & ’ ” ” a * al ie 7 ¥th : i As i) he wy: T \ “ :) : m= 7 7 5 ; é [Vv ¥ ——_—~_ - . . ry? 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