Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 942 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

~ 4 rs t< ' . ae a aed A. . 3 wnt =“ ar as i~~ > a _~ <9 a s; = . ” é a Sos - rte ” ‘4 oor “2 - SS 2 . > - — Wet “to ALO, - “é: a ~ 7 o * a x “ , ¥ x 4 - - x " ‘ “ - ee Ae > re . > be “ * ~~ ¥ « -— ct pe +s —s x i a 2 Ly ae . we & met . “et a ~ ‘ @ & > ; a ‘ J as ck Pal a ' > ‘ , . . oe 5 =e an = odie , f 4 \ 4 - —_ Pa > * : £ &, s. 4-2 - as ._ = : “= q ante . — ee bas | “but lived several hours Of his deed.” ef a « oe » w ’ x sf a : Sw es > ‘ « - 7 a oa , ey 2 Md e . ape e AMY Te | pg Ay, oes a : 9 a : S 7 * These thoughts fl ad . a s > - . 7 LO OT Ci I rom v * q 3 IR te A Al i eR : 12 * Some renegade pale-face, then?’ “ee No.’’ “Who then killed your father, boy pard?” asked Buffalo Bill, with increased interest. “ You did.” Buffalo Bill’s nerves were of iron, but , they gave a sudden twitch at the words of the youth and his face changed color for an instant. But he quickly recovered himself, and said: “Do you mean to say that I killed your father?” “Yes.” “When and where?” ‘* Have you fired at no one lately?” “Yes, an Indian chief, as I told you.” “* No one else?” “Ah! could it be the man who am- bushed Colonel Doan and tried to kill him, for I fired at him from long range, and wounded him, I know; but he could not shave been your father?” ~ “Yes; the wound you gave him was fatal—he lies in his graye now,’’ was the sad response. CHAPTER XX, FORGIVEN. ‘Buffalo Bill bit his lips to suppress his feelings at the reply of the youth. The situation to him was a most painful and novel one indeed. Who was the man who had fired upon Colonel Doan, His act would indicate that he was an euteast and a renegade. If the latter, why did he dwell there in that little home and not among the red- Skins. But the scout recalled that the youth oad said his parents had been massacred by the Sioux, und he, taken prisoner, had been bought from the chief by the man who was called by the boy father. This proved that the man must be an ally of the redskins, yet had some good in him to have purchased the boy from the chief. : His shot, thea, had proved fatal, and the youth, returning to his home from his act of nobleness in saving the command from ambush, and his life, had found his adopt- ed father dead or dying. But how could the youth haye known that he had fired the fatal shot, unless he had heard it from his adopted father, or when he was with the soldiers? flashed painfully through the mind of I Butfalo Bill as he stood before the boy, hardly knowing what to say. But he was no man to back down when Ae kneW he was in the right, and after : Slight hesitation said: ‘ + * “If it was your adopted father who fired upon Colonel Doan from ambush, then it was 1 who gave him the wound that Ray pioved fatal, for he made himself the foe: ot his own race by hig murderous act, and 4s such I regarded him, though I am sorry | that it raises a barrier between our friend- eas ship, boy pard,” * It does not.” “Ah! you are willing to justify my act, then?” — “My father told me that you had shot Oe hah bs him, for he recognized you, and he said that you did only your duty,” jy He said this?” ae ‘ When?” ) Sia ‘Two days ago.” | “You had a talk with him, then, after hk wounded him?” * . “Yes; he was barely able to get home, afterward, and told ‘Boa re why he attempted | to = chy ey ' ? goer ¥ ?, ai A pe rae nb ory bie se ae ee chee cae 7 l9) RT hig rare BS +f xen 194 ~ a ; f Me ° a" ‘Ar, - at wd Buffalo Bill's word he uttered. that was of the boy’s h uj FSi he sit ?, rh ei i Y hee o} * > Se sebum Tussle, ** Yes; he said that Colonel Doan heid a secret of his that made him an outcast, and if he killed him, then he could return to the East.” -“ Then there was a reason for his shot, for he must have recognized the colonel, might have been to the Indians, there ~~ 7) was no doubt but that Don hated them, —=7 and was glad to live apart from them. Poe He could understand now how the | youth had known that Indian Dick was’ © ~ treacherous, and had boldly gone to the and so did not fire upon him simply as a | Camp to denounce him as a traitor, but renegade who hated him as the com- | found him gone. _ mander of the fort here?’ Now, instead of feeling any malice toward the scout for having fired the fa- “ No; he did recognize him, and wanted ¥ tal bullet that ended the life of the only = him out of the way.’ “What was your adopted father’s | one who had ever been kind to him, he name?’ accepted him as his friend, and said “T do not know.” plainly that the man himself had said he “ Or, knowing, will not tell?’ did but his duty in firing upon him. ‘No, I never heard it from his lips.” That the boy knew more than he told \ “ How old are you?” Buffalo Bill did not believe, so he thought i that perhaps Colonel Doan would readily ’ recall who his enemy was, that- had. met him in the Wild West, and tried to end. his life. “ Well, boy pard, you must tell me your name, so 1 will know what to call you,” he said. all “My name is Don—that is what my father called me, and I know no other,” was the simple reply. ‘Well, Don goes, and it is a good name; but now we will fill in this graye and then go and have a long talk together, for I wish to return you your horse, whieh I thank you for, and you can have the pony of the chief I killed,” “Thank you, but I’ve got ponies enough —no, do not you fill in the grave, for I Wish to do it.” . Buffalo Bill yielded the shovel to the youth, who quickly filled up the grave, and, throwing jhis utensils upon the little handeart, he said: “Tam not sure, but I think seventeen.”’ ‘Where did you learn to Speak as you do, and all that you know? “My father taught me, for he used to tell ne so much of people and our country, and aJl about the world, and I’ve got lots of books he got for me,” “But you have never been far away from here?” * I know the country all about here for a hundred miles, and the Indian country, and beyond Fort Belvue and at the settlement, but that is all, for I do not remember well my home, though it comes back to me like dreams do, of my parents, for the Sioux taught me to forget as well as they could, you know; but they cou!d not wipe out of my brain the night they attacked our wagon train and killed my parents and many others—no, I remember that as though it was to-day, but nothing beyond it, though I was eight years old then,” “My poor boy, you have indeed been a sufferer, and must sincerely hate the “Now we'll go to the cabin and get Sioux.” : something to eat. “TI do, and they hate me, and have | This Buffalo Bill was willing to do, and tried to kill me since I shot Ohief Iron- | the youth, telling him that he was his Hand, who came here to buy me from my | suest, set to work and soon cooked a father. tj most tempting meal, surprising the scout “Would your father have sold you to | With potatoes, turnips and bacon: and him?” .| eggs, he explaining that his father regu- “No, indeed; but he was away when | larly planted a garden, and had brought the chickens from a settlement two years before. Buffalo Bill glanced over the cabin, read the mames of the books, looked at the pencil sketches and saw that the one who had dwelt there had certainly been a scholar and a man of refined tastes and © accomplishments, Whatever his crimes might have been. nee When the meal was over and Buffalo | Bill had lighted his pipe, the youth, look- ing at the warbonnet and Weapons of THE on a eee young Indian chief, which the scout had Ava the chief came, and he tried to force me to go with him, but I killed him.’ “You did right.” * Father said so; but he went to the vil- lage and had to pay a great deal in weap- ons and ammunition, blankets and beads, to keep the Sioux from killing me: but they hated me, and have sent several young braves to catch or kill me.” “ But they iid not do so?” “Oh, no, it was the other way; but I hever let the Sioux know what had be- come of the braves, though I don't. mind telling you.’ brought along, said: | ny ane “That is right, for the Sioux are my “These marks tell who it Was you — c es foes, too, and they got a very severe | killed.” o) AN a thrashing by: Colonel Doan and again By he ied that you are up in Indian ih We aie Lieutenant Lowery, and that is not all,” Don. Pas eta for they'll get many more, and your par- “Yes, it was a young chief by the se name of Blue Mark, for here are the three =~ blue marks he cut upon his weapons—in | fact, had upon everything he owned, “His brother was one who came to a A kill me, and I guess Blue Mark was nh Ae prowling about the house for the same. Be DR HE purpose, but seeing you coming, thous he Samat Is ents will be avenged, my brave boy pard; but tell me, are there not a number of white renegades in their village?” “I don't go there now, you know, so. cannot say, but there are two that I know of—Thunder Voice, the big medicine chief, and Indian Dick, who is also a chief.” — “Yes, and we want both of those men.” | He'd kill you too.” at s Me Ry “And T'll tell you how we ean eateh In- ‘If so I my “nae kept him from care ") if % in dian Dick, for he is the man that led the | 7 ying out his: tae ern Wie et i Sioux when they massacred my parents,” | So am I, * XS WAS: a young ders was the eager response of the youth. chief and mig it have’ gotten me; but. gee I don’t want his pony, for if they come to | look for the chief and found his ele: mila ‘ here, they'd make it too hot for me.” a “True, So I'll take the pony, back with — : Ke MY ¥ me and let them look — up at the | ey. fi ort; but, Don, why will you not go with a with each] me to the fort and give up this wild and fe i [lonely lite” fis th ~ “T would like to, nov on seem to want ; “me, and thee aunts Oe ae 0 8, ae Meat 7 we fk ee ads aie ie x oes ria! ie . + 5% ‘ si 1h OTnICDOoKs tanh ——— ————— CHAPTER XXI. A QUEST OF THE BOY HERMIT. Buffalo Bill. was becoming more and more impressed with the Boy Hermit, and his interest in him increased Of one thing he- seemed assured, cand “hee PAR’ Sauls 2 Nan men me 4 | Whatever “the man ad os ae ia x + . we T ye : ea ay oy “bite Se %. Hh? 4 4a 2 sd is Ra aN a Mee re