Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 942 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

. +a 8 aS ie, nee ee . ee Lr an, . x ee = i, ~ - * < vu org on - 2 Po * y - ; —_—— a shes Bill’s OS: y a ver te : Y ¢* i . ? -> 4 : his blanket, and he said he act them with him to play redskin if he got into a ught place any time,” ‘I dare say he could play Indian better than he admitted; but we will take those things with us, sergeant, the whole out- tit, and I’m only sorry we did not’ find Indian Dick instead of his dead horse. “I think I shall ask the colonel to let me take a few more men and scout back On the trail to look up Buffalo Bill.” ss ‘Yes, sir; and 1 would like to go along, sir.’ “You shall, sergeant.” “Me, too, loot‘nent, for though this country is a leetle new ter me, it are ther same ter most of us, but I'm willin’ ter learn it, and kinder feel dubious about our Chief o’ Scouts, Buf’lér Bill, ther best lian as ever wore buckskin,” said Nugget Nat, who had come out West as a miner, struck it rich by finding a fortune in one golden nugget, but which had been the ruin of him, for he had dissipated it all away, and then became a scout, saying he never wished again to have more than a living. A good scout he was, and a good man, too, but he had only been at Fort Belvue a few months, and had not yet, as he expressed it, “Got ther lay o’ ther land down jist fine.” “ All right, Nugget Nat, you are the man I want with me as scout, and we'll find Buffalo Bill, or know what has become of him,” was the lieutenant’s answer, and he led the way back to the camp. Colonel Doan readily acquiesced in the request of the lieutenant to go on the search for Buffalo Bill, but ordered him to take a detachment of thirty-five men, Selected from three troops, and a company of mounted infantry, another officer with him and a second scout beside Nuggei Nat, and this would give him all told a force of about forty men. As the command pulled out for the fort, the lieutenant started upon his ex- _pedition by a flank movement, not wish- ‘ing to be seen by the Indians, some thirty in number, who had just returned to the scene for their dead and wounded com- rades, wholly unable to understand why the pale-faces had given them up to) them. As it was nearing sunset, Nugget Nat, who was ahead of the little command, suddenly halted, and all heard the clatter of approaching hoofs, then the rapid rat- tle of a repeating rifle, answered by other shots, and the next moment a horseman dashed into view, pursued by half a hun- dred warriors. “ Buffalo Bill, by the Gods of War! and mounted upon that boy guides Pinto pony!” cried Lieutenant Lowery, as he quickly formed his men for action. CHAPTER IX. THE LOST TRAIL. When Buffalo Bill climbed up to the top of the cliff, by the aid of the lariat, which he had caught over the tree grow- ing among the rocks, he had quickly looked around him to see if there was not a dead body lying somewhere about. That the intended assassin of Colonel Doan could escape the volley of carbines turned upon him he could not believe. He saw at once that the man had ex- _ pected to remain hidden among the rocks, not supposing that any one could get up to him, but his throwing the lariat had disabused his mind of that idea and he had fled, having to take the risk of the gantlet of fire from the position he held, But Buffalo Bill, instead of finding a - dead man, beheld one very much alive Ree in full flight. - He had bounded down the steep lope (Wes etaked out, Gad ny © 7 ss elas me Nagy’ a eg sae Sy 4 the scout saw him saa as he was mount- ing. Then up went the deadly rifle, There Was a quick aim as the horse bounded away, and Buffalo Bill saw that his bullet had gone true, for the man reeled in his saddle, clutched at the horn and half drew rein, and the next instant he drove his spurS deep and dashed away. The scout could have fired again, but be was not one to hit a man when down. The man had fired to kill the colonel, and just the result of the shot Buffalo Bill did not know. He would have preferred for the in- tended assassin to have turned upon him and so have it out, but he saw that he would escape unless he brought him down, so he fired, for to try and kill Colonel Doan from ambush was desery- ing of death as a forfeit for his act. “I believe he is hard hit, so I will fol- low him,” was Buffalo Bill’s comment as he walked rapidly on after the flying horseman. He saw where the horse had been Staked out, and he took notice that the animal was shod, though: evidently an Indian pony. Following the trail, Buffalo Bill kept upon jit for a couple of miles or more, the while expecting to come upon the wounded man or his dead body. * At length he came to a stream and here he discovered that the man had halted, dismounted, and bent down to quench his thirst, for the bank was red with blood, and there were the prints of his hands in the soft earth, Looking across the stream Buffalo Bil! could see that the horse had not left the Water there, He had gone either up or down the stream, and this was, of course, to throw pursuit off his trail. The scout hesitated, what to do. If the colonel was seriously wounded, he decided, the command would push rapidly on to Fort Belvue. Of course, his horse would be left in the canyon for him, just where his lariat was. Perhaps some of the men would re- mzin there to await his coming. If too badly wounded to travel rapidly, the colonel would be put in the ambu- lance, and perhaps the command would £o into camp not far away. Indian Dick had said to the scout that there was no way to get upon that ridge With a horse without riding miles in one direction or the other. So Buffalo Bill felt assured if he went wondering just back to the canyon on foot it would take some time, and to get his horse and ride around to the spot where he then was would hardly be possible before nightfall. Then a search would have to be made for the trail, to see Which way the man had gone, and this could not be done be- fore the next day. — If he remained there and looked up the trail he would gain time, for he had heard of a hermit living in that country, Whose appearance answered that of the man he had got a shot at, If this was the hermit, he argued, hi® retreat could not be very far away; but, as he had never heard of his being un- friendly to the soldiers, why had he at- tempted to kill Colonel Doan? Anxious to find the man, dead or alive, Buffalo Bill ‘threw his~- rifle. over his shoulder and started down the stream. His eyes searched both banks as he went along to discover where the horse | had left the water. But after going a couple of iles he came to some rapids, which showed that. we sia had not HOR DEMERS. brine % _- : J : if 3S ag sats 4 ae its aoe his a ite e ie cabs i ey + +. pe: b> ~ oT otek - dy Brot is s Tough aassle. mee pint ASS —— oo a ee ae Nor was there a trace of his having — gone ashore before reaching the rapids. To make sure, however, Buffalo Bill re- traced his steps slowly, searching as thor- oughly as he went along as before. He reached the spot he had started from, having discovered only that the wounded man must have turned up the Stream. So up the stream he went, and after several miles came to where, upon the other shore, a lava valley ran to the very edge of the water. There the horseman must have ashore, and, fortunately, Short distance above bridged the stream, and the scout crossed. But night came on, was compelled to admit that no hoof could make a trail in that lava valley, and there were a.dozen different direc- tions that the fugitive might have gone in from the banks of the stream and leave no trace of his going. “ Well, I've lost the trail, tain. “ Now, darkness is the question,” gone and Buffalo Bill that is cer- to find my way back in the he said. CHAPTER X, WAITING FOR HIM. Buffalo Bill started upon the back trail tired and hungry, for he had brought no food with him, and had been too anxious to find the man he was in search of to look for game to bring down with his rifle. He found no difficulty in going back over his trail as long as he kept to the banks of the stream, But the darkness was intense in the tim- ber along the banks, and he could not tell just where he had reached the water, so, rather than go astray, he determined to. camp for the night. Without food, he could only take his fill of water from the stream, and then wrap himself in his blanket and go to sleep inas good a spot as he could find. | But Buffalo Bill was one to take things: us they came, good and bad, and never grumble, so he slept well and awoke at dawn. If he had no breakfast, he consoled him- self with the thought that he had not the work of collecting wood, making a fire and cooking food. ~~ As he trudged along upon the trail of the horseman he had followed, a deer ran near him, but, hungry though he was, he would not fire, determined to" wait until. he reached camp, for he felt certain that some one had been left with his horse to await his return. He walked briskly and had reached the foo. of the ridge when the sun was about an hour high. Ascending the slope toward the cliff, ‘and feeling that he would soon join his friends, Buffalo Bill started as he suddenly saw a form before him, directly in his path, and leaning upon a rifle. Instantly he was on his guard, for he knew not whether to expect friend or foe, His first glance made him aware of the presence of some one, and the thought flashed through his mind that it was In- | dian Dick waiting for him. No, it was not Indian Dick. Instead, it was a mere youth in buck- | ‘ap of varl— skin, and with a most ee ous-hued feathers. This much Buffalo Bill ga we as well as noting that the person was a perfect. stranger to him, and more, that his man-* ner was not hostile. On the contrary, it seemed that he was waiting for the scout. { : He had seen Buffalo Bil first, and rose at his approach. The scout kept on, instinctively 1 ready for $i | a trap should one: Apetosie 4 vaptacsst ee aa ate ws +) mY ee ie rene rt ; “ahh tee a fallen tree a Ne / tt ye << a, te ; i Sy l, ra? ow by sa wns Cy s “ ee >= se 7. re gn dy —_ = re = . _ ied’) — bys ra SF. > : 7 .. > Pn . _ oe - 7 % p Pee “, yee at 4 ‘s a. ® ys * ina * - - rw — _ \ a a ~~ = Soon 5 P = -*. 7 « a sz . A "tat Wy ‘ a cate | %y : a > 4 < + tte e: - tok : Pep is ~~ ~ 4 © . ass ea oo & /~ aoe) + — Ge a f - * Ww an pte *, 5 1 cA > ; rcomic boda com