Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 942 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

“It is nearly sunset now, sir, but I can go on ahead rapidly with a few men to the camp, where you left the ambulances, and send them back here, so the wounded can start early in the morning. for the fort.” sé Yes,’’ “Tf you come on then to the camp near the canyon, we will be between the wounded here and the redskins, and it will be a good base to operate from.” “Yes, and it is a good camp for de- fense, while grass, wood and water are plentiful about it. ; ‘But you deem it best we should hold it for a few days, to keep our eyes on the redskins, I see, and I will so send word to Colonel Doan.”’ “Yes, sir, that, in fact, was my idea, but I thought while you were in camp there, and making short scouts about, lL would like to go off on a long trail.”’ “Ah! after the man who fired on the colonel?” ‘Yes, sir, partly; but also after that boy.” **T see.” “Tie knows who the man was, I feel sure, who fired at the colonel, and then, too, I wish to find out who and what he is,”” “By all means, if you can, for he is a blank mystery to all of us, from the colo- nel down.” ‘‘“And to me, sir; but why not fathom him?” “ True.” “He served the command well, sir, and he saved me, too, and he aocused Indian Dick of being a traitor, a renegade; but who is he?’ “I give it up, Cody.” “If he is allied with bad white men dwelling jin these mountains, and I half believe that he is, why, we must find it out and take the noble young fellow out of such company,” “It is just what should be done, if we wan.” _“ Now, lieutenant, that young fellow talks like a book, he has no dialect, no slang, and speaks like a man in years, and one of education and refinement, yet he must have been a long time in this wild land to know it as he does, and know the Indians Also so well. “He says he is a boy hermit, but are there not others who are near him, and what is the influence that he is under? ‘I have heard there were white men dwelling in this country, allying them- Selves with the Indians, while they hunt for gold, and it would be to their interest to keep the soldiers and settlers away, and to do this, they would war with the Sioux against their own people.” *“ You are right.” “Now, it was a white» man, sir, who fired upon the colonel, and Indian Dick, Who claimed to be a lone trapper and hunter, proved to be a traitor, so he must be in league with that intended assassin.” Yes, but do you suspect that boy can be of that gang?” "I fear so, sir, but that his nature re- volts at their crimes, and he does what ood he can to counteract their evil deeds. “ What else can he be, sir, though I may be mistaken?’ “You do not generally get far off the trail, Cody, and |] begin to see the situa- tion as you do, and would like, above all things, to run that boy to his lair and rescue him from those he is with. if they are such as you. think: put he boldly charged Indian Dick with treachery, and that proves they cannot be friendly.” “It does, sir; but if he wished to cut loose from men of that Stripe, why did he Still hide his identity, refuse to speak of himself, or return with me to the fort?” Buffalo Bill’s Tough Tussle. ‘That is more than I can answer, Bill.” “Well, sir, it is my wish to find out, and to-morrow morning I will leave the camp at dawn to track him to his abiding- place.” ‘** But he is afoot, Cody, and it will be a trail to follow that will puzzle even you.” Buffalo Bill smiled and replied: * Lieutenant Lowery, I was compelled by circumstances to desert that youth in what seemed close quarters for him. “But [ saw that he had too much wis- dom to betray his presence by firing on the Indians, so let them all go off in pur- suit of me. “They therefore supposed that I had killed their sentinel in the canyon, and the youth, being on foot, they will not find his trail, but follow the tracks of the pony.”’ sé Yes.”’ ‘Now I have an excuse for going back to see after my boy hermit to find out if he escaped all right.”’ ‘Yes; but where will you go, Cody?’ “I will go to the canyon, sir, where I left him, and will go supplied with several day’s provisions, for I may be detained, sir, in my search, and, if so, you must not remain in camp on my account, sir.” * I'll remain, Cody, if I have to send to the fort after a month’s rations.”’ “Thank you, sir!” “ But it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack, to search for that boy's foot-trail in these mountains.” Again Buffalo Bill smiled and replied: “You forget, sir, that I shall ride his pony.” CHAPTER XY. ON THE RIGHT TRAIL. The dead soldiers were buried with mili- tary honors, the warriors slain were de cently placed in their graves, and Lieu- tenant Lowery had the wounded ¢ared for with all the skill that kind and willing hands could bestow upon them, Buffalo Bill had gone on with the junior lieutenant, rank Nesmith, and half the men, to establish the camp at which Colo- nel Doan had been joined by the Boy Her- mit, and to find the ambulances and bag- gage which had been hidden away. They found the two ambulanees just as they had been left, and the baggage also, with several pack-saddies of supplies also hidden by the soldiers, as it would be a hard climb for pack-animals, the youth had told them, by the trail over the mount- ain. The horses brought along were hitched to the ambulances, which at once started for the camp, where the wounded were, While Lieutenant Nesmith got all in readi- hess for the rest of the command when it Should arrive in the morning, for Lieuten- ant Lowery had decided to remain where he was all night. When he had started the wounded for the fort he would come on to the advance camp in the morning. Buffalo Bill's own horse had been brought to him, so he had mounted him. to spare the Boy Hermit's pony all that he could, and fad eared for him well upon reaching camp. Hungry and tired, the scout had his supper, and then sought his blanket foyp the night. He was up with the dawn, had hreak- fast, and putting his saddle upon ihe Pinto pony, took his own horse in lead and Was ready to start upon his lone trai]. Ne had earried ample supplies‘ along, and Lieutenant Nesmith said, as he rode away: “You will find us awaiting you here. Cody, if you return in three days, but if you delay longer we will be on your trail searching for you, so mark it well.” “ Yas, chief, jist leave-a hint which way 9 tL yer goes when trails grow dim, so as we kin track yer, ter bury yer decent if yer has been kilt, and avenge yer, or ter take keer o’ yer if yer is in distress and needs our aid,”’ called out Nugget Nat. With a salute to Lieutenant Nesmith and a wave. of the hand to the scout and the men, Buffalo Bill rode out of camp, allow- ing the pony he bestrode to take his own way from the very Start. He had not gone far before he came to the cliff which had so nearly been the scene of a tragedy, and which he had climbed by means of his lariat, There were no Indians there then, but the lasso hung tied up, just within reach of his hand, and Buffalo Bill decided to get it, and what had been left for him. He had another lasso with him, and this he coiled about his waist and began to climb, ' Reaching the shelf upon which the tree grew, he found tne note and bag of food just where it had been placed, and where he could not have failed finding them had he returned in the night. Taking the lasso, he had brought with him, he tied the two together and let the other ends fall to the canyon below. That the Indians had been there he did not doubt, but they had left all intact, ex- pecting he would return and fall into their clutches. Catching hold of the two lariats, Buffalo Bill slid down-to the canyon, and then pulled on one until the other was drawn over the limb of the tree. Mounting again, he allowed the pony to take his own way. That the pony was not going home by the canyon, out of which Buffalo Bill had ridden guided by the boy he well knew, but he was moving along as though he knew just where he was going, so he was given free rein. Passing out of the canyon into a yalley, the pony still followed along at the base of the cliffs, which yet presented an un- broken wall to the gaze of the scout. Feeling, after the large battle, and their fight with Lieutenant Lowery, that the In- dians would retreat rapidly to their vil- lages, Buffalo Bill had no fear of meeting them in force, though he was constantly on the lookout for some straggler, perhaps (wo or more together, and avoided every rock and thicket that would serve as a good piace of ambush for them. He was glad to observe also that ~no matter how he turned his pony out to clear a bowlder or thick underbrush, he invaria- bly went back in the direction he had first started. At length he came to a break in the solid wall of rock, and the pony turned into it without hesitation. There was a dffir trail there, and this the pony followed, crossing the range, going through the valley beyond, and at last, to the surprise and delight of the scout, halt- ing on the banks of the stream just where he had lost the trail of the intended as-’ Sassin of Colonel Doan. CHAPTER XVI. FOUND. “This looks to me as though the man wno fired at Colonel Doan and my Boy Hermit took the same trai] to get home,” said Buffalo Bill, as the Pinto pony stopped at the edge of the stream. Giving him his rein, the scout allowed the pony to drink, his. own horse in lead quietly Seeming to wonder why he was not ridden by his master. As soon as the horses ‘had finished drinking Buffalo Bill urged the pony on, without touching the reins, and he smiled grimly as the animal turned up the stream. The creek averaged in depth from knee,