Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 958 — 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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He saw how they scattered, sust as Dave Denny had later, and he also read that they were hunting the country for some- thing or some one. He tracked them to Jacob’s Pool, later to Soap Spring, and could readily under- stand, when not looking for trails, why he had not seen them the day before in passing in haste. So on he went, bearing away toward the Colorado, for he realized that he was but following the track of the men who had pursued him, and to find them he must hasten on to Lee’s Ferry and from there track them. On he went, until he reached the canyon from whence the black mustang had come, and from there to the Colorado he had gone. Reaching the cliff, he dismounted, and began a thorough search. It did not take him long to discover that the black mustang had not gone over the cliff... There were his tracks where he had halted almost upon the very edge. He had halted suddenly, too, as though danger just in the nick of time to save himself and his vic- tim. Then his trail led off at a trot to the right, and that was toward the Colorado. ‘“‘Has he missed death here to be re- taken by his foes at the Ferry?” mut- tered Buffalo Bill. Again mounting, he rode on, keeping the faint trail, only here and there seen, of the black mustang in view, until, while crossing a ravine, he saw a puff of smoke burst out of some cedars, heard a twang- ing sound, ard felt a gush of water over him, as his canteen, hanging under his left arm, was torn by a bullet. CHAPTER XVIII. THE SHOT FROM THE CEDARS. Buffalo Bill always was a man of prompt action, knowing just what to do in a trying moment. He did not lose his nerve on this occa- sion, for hardly had the bullet torn across the canteen when he had slipped from his saddle on the side of his horse opposite to the one from whence the shot had come, and in an instant his rifle was leveled, his’ eyes searching for his hidden foe. But that foe, confident in his aim, hear- ing the bullet’s twang as it struck the can- teen, seeing the scout’s quick dropping from his saddle, supposed that the shot had proven fatal, and sprang from his covert, his revolver in hand. _ Too late he discovered his mistake, and raising his revolver to fire, saw a puff from the rifle and felt his hand shattered. But it was a life and death struggle with him now, and he hastily drew a see- ond weapon with his left hand, while Buffalo Bill called out: “Drop. that weapon, quick! “T do not wish to kill you!” ‘But the answer was a shot, the bullet ancing upon the saddle-horn. within a_ few inches of the scout’s face. “That man is dangerous—he forces me to kill him,’ muttered Buffalo Bill, and he fired with his revolver dine as Agnother cov 4 . mm ¥ 5 Abed? abi his ‘head. A, Pare Buffalo Bill's _— » f vt ts) ‘ ame " < « y et 7 ~ ._? iY - * . . s Mazeppa-Chase, ol Pe eo ee It was the last shot from the cedars. The secout’s aim was more sure. His bullet struck the one who had. tried to kill him squarely in the forehead. But Buffalo Bill was cautious. Why should one man be there? There must be more, So he left his horse, and advanced cau- tiously from rock to rock. Soon he came to the prostrate form. It was a burly form, a face dark, beard- ed, and ugly even in death. He was dressed in a frontier costume, and had two revolvers in his belt, besides the one lying near him. A bowie knife was there too, and his rifle lay upon the pine straw near a spread blanket. There was a tiny spring near, that, after flowing a short distance, buried itself in the rocks to trickle downward and mingle in the Colorado’s waters far below. No horse was there, but the man had quite a belonging in the way of canteens for water, a coffee pot, tin cup, frying pan and plate. He had, too, a canvas to serve as a shel- ter from rain, a rubber blank et, leather bag full of ammunition, bag of provisions, and another bag} which the scout, in his search, opened. A whistle of surprise was given at his discovery. There were a dozen watches, all gold, chains, some jewelry, rings, a number of valuable souvenirs of various kinds, a bag of silver coins, another of gold, in its crude state, a third of gold coin, and a roll of bank notes, the money amounting to some three thousand dollars and the other things about half that value. “T think I see the situation. “This man I am sure I saw among the gang encamped at Lee’s Ferry, and he has taken advantage of the chase after me to rob his comrades and skip. ‘He dared not go on horseback, as he could be tracked, so hoofed it, and came here to hide until he was sure of escape. * Seeing me, he concluded to supply him- self with a horse and what else of value he could find; but he missed his ealcula- tion and h‘s a‘m was not true. ‘Mine was better.” With this grim solution of the character of his foe, Buffalo Bill placed him in a decent position, folded his hands upon his heart, took a bundle of papers from an in- ner pocket he found in the man’s vest, and placing them, with the bag of valua- bles, strapped it to his saddle. Then he wrote the note to Lieutenant Keyes, and, filling his canteen, for he had two, with fresh water, he watered h’'s horse and rode on his way to further prosecute his search for the m'ssing son of Colonel Dearborn, for now he felt assured that the bov had not taken the plunge from the C“or-do elfffs: though he had little hope of finding him still alive after the time that had passed since he had seen him, bound as he was to the back of the black mustang. * CHAPTER XIX, ‘ THE MYSTERIOUS CANYON. Still pressing forward upon the trail, Buffalo Bill began to realize that matters were shaping themselves in such a Way that, with the scouts and soldiers also pressing toward a given point, they must all meet at Lee’s Ferry. | That the outlaws had returned to Lee’s Ferry after their pursuit of him, he was now assured. They could cross the river, and then they would be, as they supposed, in a country where the soldiers dared not pur- sue them, eyen if they Lene: wei. was to be a proton of Renee on » of ¥ 4 zs e oo me = > aay - Hes tt - ‘Leap fe ie te , -. Pa Once across the river, they had the: Grand Canyon country to Inde im upon their right a vast expanse of country to — the south in front of them, and the Navya-_ ge, ~ a 4 hoe country on their left, where soldiers — would hardly dare penetrate unless in very heavy force, It was true that Fort Wingate lay @ hundred miles southeast of the “Ferry, but | they could elude the fort readily. The question in the mind of Buffalo Bill was as to the unfortunate Mazeppa of the black mustang. Dead or alive, if still bound to the mus- tang, he must be found by either himself, Lieutenant Keyes, or Lieutenant Ogden Ross’s party on their way to the Ferry, as the whole country would be swept by them thor oughly. The scout, it will be remembered, did | not know that Lieutenant Ross had also: — y. divided ‘his foree, giving yet another — chance to drive in the black mustang. Nae If the latter was not found, when alf met at the Ferry, there was nothing to do- but to have a search party to still continue — the hunt, while they pressed on after the pour yet band, wherever their trail would — ea If the boy was with them he would be rescued, and if dead, he would be avenged. These thoughts were in the mind of Buf. falo Bill, as, after leaving the retreat of his foe in the cedars, he pressed on toward’ the canyon »Where he had intended to camp on his way to the fort, and out of — which he had seen the black mustang rush, with his victim. That part of the country is of remark-— able formation, and most ‘peculiar withal.. The right bank of the Colorado is seamed With great canyons, running back. into the level tableland that is miles im: width. Above this rises the red-stone tableland already referred to, and so it continues in mighty terraces, miles and-miles in width, until they end in lofty ranges. Barren almost of trees, save here anid there a cedar thicket; barren equally of | water back from the Colorado, and with — an iron soil, the whole seen for miles and miles, and if theeblack mustang Was still astray he would be like- | ly to be following along at the base of the: red cliffs, where the traveling was fairly” good. In this way he must be seen by the scout, the party of Lieutenant Keyes, Lieutenant Ross and his men upon the red tableland above, or the party beyond it, and following along its Se Though still weighted by his forced | rider, dead or alive, the black mustang © would doubtless, if driven from one of the springs, seek the Colorado at the Ferry, where there w If he got there after the departure of — the outlaws the chances were that the ferryman would see him, and thus rel’eye him of his burden, either dead or alive, But Buffalo Bill would first go to the canyon from whence the black mustang had come. He reached the break in the red el'ff, turned into it, and pushed back toward what appeared to be the end, But, as he had expected, it was nat ers end, though this discovery was not made — until he rode right up to the towering cliff. Then he saw a Crevice, or split in the’ ; cliff, running in at an angle, and in the sandy bottom. he discovered tracks coming — out. Ps They did not enter, but came out, and _ | that meant that the horse had gotten into the canyon Where he then was by coming through that chasm. Hence there was a passage through. _ Riding into it he ait gate on, until i » vo # : ' . . 7 { 4 , j . s : . ” ’ > ’ = ’ 4 « ee ji ee", ys * x a! ‘ . : 3 - ’ - < | SS. “ ca oman! OL @ yp efejye)}.<c @ w? rat Crew! c LA | ae > . country can be sergeant’s s . ras both water and grass. vay Ry a, oll te «