Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 948 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

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Se, itl a Pag al - ~ fx. . 7 ie . < fx, Ds ands a = - “* ¢a™ r ase 4 4 ‘er 7 + . “e 74 ~ gy = i, a : ‘a So _ : be =. - 3 , 2.” he * >t > a,\3 for the night to my layout and put you on the trail for the homes of Doctor Duke Delmar and Major Brasher, whom you say you have letters to, though I would advise you not to tel. your business here to either one of them, for I'll say flatfooted I do not trust the Doe a little bit, and if he has not got the major on a string I'm willing to be licked for. lying.”’ Buffalo Bill laughed, and then said: “Well, my young friend, I will take your advice and deliver my prisoner for safekeeping at the fort. “Then I will return and meet you here, and, after all you have done for me, I will be guided by you in regard to my future actions, for you know the country, the’ people, good and bad, and. I do not be- lieve you are half as bad as you paint yourself.” 7 “the ee parted, ¢ A . * 0 » aa 7 . ‘ "ones T - w . ' : Th, v < ‘. , . bd ‘ »* ** - ‘ _ Tk « - t.. 74 - < * - . . * « & ro - )! “Give a dog a bad name, and he'll soon begin to think he’s the meanest cur in town, for, save the Lady Beauty and four boy pards who will tie to me to the end, I’ve got no friends; but they say even that we boys are road-agents and all that is bad, though the Vigilantes have never been able ‘to catch us in a single lawless deed. | “We call ourselves Boy Rangers, and though we've fought the Indians and Rio Grande Renegades hard, several times warning the’ ranches of trouble, they won't believe we are honest, simply be- cause I am said to be a young terror. “Why, the ranchers keep a closer count on my cattle and ponies than I do myself, to see if I don’t add to them by stealing splithoofs and mustangs.” Buffalo Bill eyed the youth fixedly as he was speaking, and seemed to dwell upon every word he uttered. Then he said: “So you have a little raneh of your own?” “Yes, a baby layout, with a couple of hundred longhorns and thirty-odd ponies.” “And you have some pards?” ‘og “T've got a young Mexican pard, Rico Sanchez, though he’s a year older than I am, living at my layout with me, along with Sable, a negro boy I picked up, and whose heart is full of good blood, if he has got a bad face. “Then, on a little ranch below El Monte, I’ve got two boy pards whom I ¢an call on when I need them, and that is all. “You see, Rico Sanchez had to leave - Mexico or be killed, and was followed across the Rio Grande and wounded; but I happened along and helped him out, and took him. to my ranch, while Sable was stood up for a target one day in El Monte by a desperado, and I took his part, so he’s stuck to me ever since. “The other two boys I also helped out of a*scrape, and when I call they'll come; but folks will call me a terror, and maybe I am, in a quiet way.” | 3 _“ Well, pard, you are just the one I want to help me, you and your Boy Rang- ers, and when I return from the fort I'll tell you my business at El Monte,” and Buffalo Bill warmly grasped the hand of the ‘Young Terror.” CHAPTER XIX, * NOT FOR SALE. After talking together a short while ue anger, and the scout receiving from the uth a pencil-sketched map of his way, alo Bill at once returned to his pris- -oner, who was anxiously awaiting him, ‘wondering if Juan Trego and the peons, finding that they had not taken the trail | were expected to take, would run ‘across to still ambush them. e+ < é knew well that if he did not, his nly chance would be to raise trouble in Buffalo Bill’s Snap-Sh«t. “st Cer 7 nd * fhe Ww > El Monte, and have his comrades free him from the power of the scout, who he feared might make sure of him by killing him. He could not blame Don Trego, for he felt that he had acted as best he could; but Panama was not one to be taken back a prisoner by Buffalo Bill to the fort from which he had deserted, no matter what the cost might be to others. So when the scout returned he eyed him closely and asked: “Did you find anything suspicious?” “Yes.” ** Indians?” * Oc, “What then?” ‘Enough to make me leave this trail.” | “Ah! I told you sv, and you can go back to the other by a five-mile ride—” “IT know the way.” “Thanks, but I do not need your aid, nor will I go back to the other trail.” “Then you return to the Mission Ranch?’ sé No.” ‘T don’t know what you'll do, then,” Buffalo Bill had now untied the pris- oner’s horse and the pack animal, and tak- ing them in lead, to the surprise of Pana- ma, he turned short off of the trail to El Monte. * Where in the name of Satan are you going?” cried the prisoner. “TI thought I would go to Fort Rio,” was the calm reply. Buffalo Bill saw the start given by the prisoner, and that his face became the hue of death. “That is not the way ‘to the fort,” he faltered. “1 think it is.” “It’s over a hundred miles.” ‘ More or less, as you will see when we reach there by night, for I shall pash along rapidly.” ‘“My God! man, don’t take me there, “Tt is just what I intend to do.” “You accuse me of being North Adams, but I am not.” “Quit talking, Adams, for I know just what you are, and that you killed the sergeant who arrested you for robbing the paymaster’s quarters, and then shot the guard over you and made your escape. “As I reported when I followed you that I had killed you, and [ believed ic to be true, that ended the matter; but as it was my mistake, I will now be glad to atone for it by returning you to Genera: Carr, and to do so, I wiil take you to Fort Rio for safe keeping, for I know what to expect should I carry you a prisoner to El Monte. ‘Come, we must quicken our pace.” Panama groaned, and then gave vent to a string of oaths in English and Spanish. But Buffalo Bul paid no heed, but kept the horses at a Steady trot for several hours, following the direction in which he should go with an exactness that surprised the prisoner, who knew he was a stranger in that part of the country. At noon Buffalo Bill halted at a small stream for rest. The grass was plentiful, the water clear. and cold, and there was wood in plenty for a fire. But the scout contented himself with 4a cold Iunch from his supplies, the prisoner eating sparingly. , After a rest of nearly an hour, as Buf- falo Bill began to saddle up preparatory to starting on, Panama, said: | “See here, Buffalo Bill, every man has his price—what is yours?” “T haven't got anything for sale just Nonsense! , You understand me well. -. “Tf you carry me to the fort you'll have me safe, + : * on js ‘Now, nobody knows that I am alive*™ save you, and I will pay you a clean two’ % thousand dollars in gold if you will let me go.” ‘Tt is not enough.” “T'm not rich, but ’'ve won some money with cards and trading ecattle—” “And ¢eutting throats.” “T didn’t say that.” “No, but I did.” “Well, then, I have that more reason to Wish to escape, so if two thousand will not buy you, name what will, and I'll try and meet your price.” “Call it as many millions as you did thousands, and I guess I'd surrender.” “ Bah! Do you think I am a fool?” “Oh, no, and neither am I for sale, Adams,” and the journey was resumed. While resting Buffalo Bill had glanced over Wild Kid’s map, and saw that he had made no mistake, and if he continued on a couple of hours more he must get into the trail leading from the south to Fort Rio. This he did, and pressing on, just as the sun set he caught sight in the distance of the Stars and Stripes fluttering down from the flagstaff ac Fort Rio, and heard the sunset gun echoing among the hil's. But what was a great satisfaction for him was despair for his prisoner, CHAPTER XX. THE MASKED PURSUERS. When Wild Kid saw Buffalo Bill return to his prisoner he watched until they had turned off along the.range and disappeared from sight. Then he moved up to where the scout hid halted his prisoner, ‘while he came forward on the trail to speak to him. “Tl just halt here for a while, for Juan and the Don may come along in pursuit, and I can chip in if needed,” he said.’ So he waited for an hour or more, and then, aS no one appeared, began to ride along toward the old mission, He had gone about a mile, when his pony, Which he had named scamp, pricked up his ears. “Some one is coming—yes, I hear hoofs, and they are in a hurry, and more than %* one, The next moment there dashed into sighe four masked men. - hey were riding hard, and their horses snowed that they had been kept at a speedy gait for some distance, “The Don and his imups—imasks don’t fool me a litte bit,” muttered the youth. A momen¢ more and they had halted, While one ealled out: - “Ho, Wild INid, did you see two men pass along this trail?” 7 “Yes, Don Trego. One was Panama, and the other was a large, splendid-look- ing man.” at * You call me Don? “Yes, for I'm onto you, and Juan and the two Coppers. Masks don’t go with me, Don Trego, and I didn't know you” sporied them. ae Thought only bad men did “We hada purpose for Wearing them, ; for that fine-looking man you speak of has killed ¢wo men at hy ranch Panama a prisoner.” “Pan did look tied up.” . ares ‘How far ahead of us are they, Kid?” “Wel, I shouid say too far for you to catch them, for it's been, over an hour since I met them, and the big man was _ pushing jis hoofs for all they were worth.” Rie : “Caraniba! ejaculated the Don, and Juan echoed the oath, while Wild Kid said innocently: an. “If it is so important for you to over- and has — ff ~ ~~ ys “— eR, are. ‘ he ae ’ > = 4 . ‘ a ein! Pe tid e Sa — : o eel en teat te ee ee Ref, : —<—_- be a take him, Don, I'll lend you my pony, for | / :- a ee ‘ ~*~ ‘ . ae | . 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