Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 942 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

es leaving the ambulances, and the command set off, just after nightfalk under the guidance of the mysterious youth, Indian Dick not having returned. Lhe colonel rode ahead with the youth, who, mounted on his Pinto pony, had quietly taken the lead, and like specters the command moved out of the camp. Believing in the young guide, Colonel Doan was yet prepared against a sur- prise, and had a single action of the Youth indicated treachery, a bullet from the revolver of the officer would have Deen sent crashing through the brain of ihe one who had accused Indian Dick of treachery, yet asserted that he could lead the command to safety. Whether the youth knew or suspected ihis, he rode on with the utmost ecalm- mess, and entering the heavy timber at the base of a mountain range, began to climb the steep trail, all riding in Indian file and wondering how he could in the intense darkness find his way. But he never hesitated, and that he seemed to know thoroughly what he was doing, he would now and then say to the colonel: . “The trail is rough and dangerous, mow, sir, for a short distance, 80 pass back word and have a man dismount and lead the horses of the ladies.”’ The colonel smiled to himself as he obeyed what was really a command from the boy, and the nature of the trail for the next half mile showed that the ad- vice had been timely. At last the summit of the range was reached, and the boy pointed to a distant yalley where there was a glow. “Camp fires!’ said Colonel Doan. “ Yes, that is where the redskins are ly- ing in wait. “We have flanked them, and at the bottom of this range is the direct trail from the fort, which you left to come Around, over a dozen miles, but one- fourth the distance by the trail,’ and the boy began the descent of the mountain. After a ride of several miles, a slow and perilous descent in the darkness, the base of the range was reached. The guide was now alone in the kad, the colonel following, and when they came out into the valley, the former said: “This leads direct to the fort, forty miles distant, and—hark!” All listened aitentively, and the sound of many fs was heard moving rap- idly, but muffled as though at a dis- tance, “The Indians have discovered that you eluded their trap, and, knowing you must «ome out here, are pushing hard for this point to head you off; but you are all well mounted, and have over a mile the start, for they are back in Sunset Canyon, so ride hard, and send a courier ahead to ‘bring help, for they May follow you near the fort.’ Colonel Doan turned to order two cour- iers sent on ahead at full speed, but when he looked again for the boy guide, he had disappeared like an appariuvon. CHAPTER VII. HE SAVED THEM. The. young guide had disappeared al- most mysteriously. Some had seen him ride out of the trail into the shadow while Colonel Doan was giving orders, but when looked for he could not be found. The ecolone] had despatched two cour- jers to the fort, in Case the horse of one of them should fail, with orders not to spare the spur and press on at the ut- most speed. “He had sent for a foree of cavalry, mounted infantry and two guns, some- ; oo Buffalo Bill’s Tous meets ty Ot Pe - 1 * % “ary ao Eso ¥e — ee — $$ i, tN sn stc-se ——— thing over two hundred men, for he hoped. to be able to give the redskins a lesson, and yet he did not like to take more men from the fort, as the youth had hinted to him that a still larger band of Sioux might make an attack on the fort. As the youth could not be found, there was not a2 Moment to lose waiting for or Searching for him, and’ so the colonel gave the order to form column of four. as the trail was broad enough, and thus push on ata canter, for the Indians eould be heard coming rapidly, the sound of many hoof-falls echoing in the Sunset Canyon. : On went the cavalry, and they kept a Steady pace until the colonel felt that the Indians must have reached the spot where they came into the trail. Then he halted and listened, several officers with him, while the command pushed on. Tbe sound of the iron-shod hoofs of the troopers’ horses soon died away, and then came the dull thud of the shodless ponies, The sound ceased.as the redskins drew rein at the trail down the mountain. “ They are searching for our trail. “ We will gain a few minutes by their delay, so will overtake the command,” said Colonel Doan. They Ird gone a quarter of a mile and drew rein to cross a stream and water their horses. Then there came to their ears the sound of wild yells of rage. “They have discovered that we flanked them, and are on our way to the fort; but how far ahead they do not know. ‘We must ride for it, gentlemen, and our horses are fleeter than their ponies, though not as enduring.” With this the little party dashed on, and after a mile’s hard ride overtook the command, ‘ Going to the front the colonel increased the speed to a steady gallop, without say- ing anything to alarm the ladies. Thus the flight continued through the night, following the broad trail mile after mile, and which had been a pathway for a hundred years or more of Indians in their wanderings. That the redskins were gaining upon them slowly, but yet gaining, Colonel Doan well knew, and so he dropped back to the rear of the command and began to form his men for battle. The trail Was new to him, and to the others, but he felt that they must be Within a dozen miles of. the fort, and he intended to let the ladies push on under a small escort, while he halted to fight the Indians back until reinforcements ar- ried from the fort. He was looking out as ‘well as he could in the darkness for a good place to make a stand, when back over 4 level stretch of land he could see the Indians coming in a large and compact mass, They were not more than a quarter of a mile away, and, were urging their ponies to the utmost, determined to run upon their foes before they should get nearer to the fort. That there must be halt a thousand of them’ Colonel Doan knew, but yet he would halt his little force at the first good position and fight them. The ladies, under an escort of an officer and ten men. were sent forward at the greatest speed their horses could go, and coming upon a rise, ragged with bowlders, and where there was a cedar thicket. Colonel Doan ordered his men to wheel into line to make a stand there. The tired horses were quickly halted, the men threw themselves from their sad- dles and got their carbines and revolvers ready, sheltering themselves behiad the : ; . j . : - b 7) nail 4 - - - “ \ uy Mee eR; , = Pal 4 ‘ af es t . : : ‘ ; Y; rr45 a 4 ¢ er is Ney. : | ia « a Bie pt ~ ) € rey f, PLY “s ‘ e aa ae 5 oe wei . i sf ‘ 7 ee oe” % 2 - 7 J Ae re ~~ ooP k - 1 aes 9 ” wt ‘2. , - F .4 ~~ f Owe Ye - - oy '? 5 —— = A sthnniensEr bowlders and among the trees, and in a minute were ready to meet their foes. Not suspecting that a halt had been made, the Sioux reeled back under the Severe fire that greeted them at short range, but, confident in numbers, rallied for a charge, when behind the soldiers came wild cheers, the sound of bugles, and the thunder of a hundred iron-shod horses in full run. The Indians heard it, too, and they began to check their ponies to fly, for they knew that their foes had received help from the fort. But, good riders though they were, half a thousand charging horses were not easily turned about, and the contents of the carbines of the cavalry that had come to the rescue were poured upon them with deadly effect. ng The mounted infantry was also coming up at a run, and the two guns were fairly fiying into. position, and going into action, the bursting of shells of the artillery sent death among the now retreating red- Skins, a retreat that ended in a stampede. Pursued by the eayalry, the Sioux, badly whipped, were scattering in every direction when day dawned, and Colonel Doan camped upon the field, while he said to Captain Gordon: “ And it was that boy who told me to send couriers on ahead to the fort for aid, when I would not have thought it necessary, so the fight was won through him—in fact, he has saved us.” GHAPTER . VIII. ON THE SEARCH FOR BUFFALO BILL. The ladies had kept on to the fort, while Colonel Doan and his men had camped in a pleasant valley near the soene of the fight, to care for the wounded and bury the dead, pale-face and redskin alike. A courier had been sent to the fort to report a victory, and for ambulances for the wounded, and several scouts having come out with the reinforcements, Colonel Doan felt more at ease, for with Indian Dick away and accused of being a traitor. and Buffalo Bill left behind, he had se- verely felt the absence of men in buck- Skin, so absolutely necessary to a fron- tier force of soldiers. As several of the Indians had been but slightly wounded, the colonel ordered their wounds dressed, and the pursuit having been recalled, they were to go on after their comrades and bring a number of braves back with them to look after their injured comrades and their dead. They were accordingly well mounted and started upon their mission, one of the scouts who spoke their language well having told them that Colonel Doan and his men would break camp in the after- noon to return to the fort, leaving the redskins with supplies to await the return of their comrades for them. In scouting about with a few troopers and a scout, Lieutenant Arthur Lowery, the colonel’s aide, came upon a dead horse, saddled and bridled. At once he halted, and, turning to a sergeant, called out: “Sergeant, do you horse?” “Tt's Indian Dick's, sir.”’ ‘* Yes, I was sure of it. “See if there is anything about the saddle to further prove it is the horse of the traitor guide.” The sergeant dismounted, and with one of the men stripped the saddle and bridle from the animal, the former unfastening a blanket rolled up and fastened to the cantel of the saddle, thereby revealing an Indian chief's feather, war-bonnet and a lot of paints. “It's Indian Dick’s, sir, for I saw these recognize that Indian fixin’s one night when he unrolled, Us