Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 958 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

-_ i 4 Buffalo Bill’s Maze ee EEE But Buffalo Bill was not to be caught Then he felt that he should have recon- napping. He was too well versed as a plainsman not to feel certain that his foes, assured that he must know of the spring, would go right there to find him, and would be likely to approach the spot on foot, hoping to catch him in a trap and unprepared. So to the spring he would not go; in- stead, he would ride along close under the red cliff, come to some break and there seek shelter for the night, His horse could get fairly good picking of grass, but no water, and he also must go thirsty, for he had intended filling his canteen at the Colorado, but had been prevented from doing so, as has been seen. Seeing a break in the eliff, he turned toward it, and was glad to find there as good a camping-place as could be expected when wood and water were not to be found. He, however, was glad to see that there was grass there. The break extended back into the cliffs a distance of several hundred yards, it 2p- peared, but he did not care to go further in. and perhaps be hemmed in by hs pursuers. Where he then ‘was he could mount and dash out should he see them coming, and he had a view of over a mile back over the trail. When darkness came he knew he could hear their horses’ hoofs on the flinty trail. and so he was not alarmed. So he took off the bridle, unsaddled his horse and staxed him out, and then con- cluded ‘he would climb up the cliff, as he saw that he could readily do, for fifty feet or more, and take a view further back over the trail by the last rays of sunlight. Up the cliff he climbed to a ledge, where he found a good resting place, and was turning his eyes back over the trail, when his horse gave a startled snort, and, glanc- ing quickly down into the qanyon, what he saw held him spellbound. The sun was just touching the horizon, and its rays penetrated back into the can- yon. There, dashing along at full speed, and coming out of the rocky recesses which he 4ad not explored, was a large black mus- tang, his glossy hide not marred by a singl spot that was not of a sable hue. He was long bodied, clean limbed, and was flying along like the wind toward the open plains. But that was not what startled the scout most. ‘ The mustang wore no bridle or saddle, and yet had a rider, or, rather, bore a human form. And that form was clad in buckskin, moceasins, a hunting shirt from which the sleeves had been torn, and for the purpose of firmly binding thongs about the bare arms, which thongs were made fast to a girdle about the body of the animal. The face of the one thus bound, in the glance the scout obtained of it, looked young and well favored, and might be that of a youth, perhaps of a maiden. Bound thus to the girdle, by waist, arms and legs, the form of the unknown Ma- zeppa Was stretched at length upon the back of the black mustang. “My God! What does. what can that mean?” cried Buffalo Bill, as he stood there on the ledge, helpless to aid, and beheld the black mustang plunge out of the canyon and strike across the plain in a wild, run-mad way, heading straight for the cliff banks of the Colorado, which wert sheer dowmward a thousand feet. It was a startling, painful sight to the scout. and he at first blamed himself for having climbed the cliff, for had he been in the canyon, and seen the horse coming, he might have caught him with his lariat. noitered to the end of the canyon before dismounting, and then he could surely have lassoed the black mustang. As he had done neither he could only do what he could, that was, saddle up and go in pursuit. Rapidly he descended from the ledge, and ten minutes after the black mustang had passed him he was mounted and in pursuit. CHAPTER YI. THE NIGHT CHASE. Was it fancy, or did he really see a small, dark object in the distance, still rushing for the brink of the Colorado, several miles away? wondered Buffalo Bill. His whole energy now was bent upon saving the life of that unfortunaie belug, man or woman, Indian or pale-face, that he had scen bound to the back of the bing. inustang, lorge:ting his own danger, he sought Only the rescue of the unfortunate one. Not a word had come from the lips to indicate even that the Mazeppa-like being | was dead or alive, but in the momentary vlance he had gotten of the form it had seemed to him that the eyes were open wide and each hand grasped the girdle about the waist of the fly.cg horse. If the animal was maddened by - his sirange burden, thus bound to him, he would dash blindly along, seeing nothing, and go over the precipice without a doubt. But where had the mustang been up the canyon? To the seout it seemed that the canyon ended but a few hundred yards further than he had gone. Did it really penetrate further, perhaps continue on as a pass through the red cliffs. It must be so, mused Buffalo Bill, or else the mustang had kept strangely quiet up the canyon, “So the scout thought as his horse sped onward over the plain, Keeping his eyes steadily upon the dark spot he had noticed and taken for the run- away horse, he saw that he seemed to be drawing nearer to it. Was that proof that it was but a rock, or was it the mustang and his own horse gaining upon it. Still with fixed gaze upon the object, Buffalo Bill decided that it was the mus- tang, and nothing else, and more, that he was gaining upon him, So the spurs touched the flanks of his splendid horse, and the animal at once stretched himself out into a great speed, such as few horses of the plains could equal, But night had fallen, and the increased darkness shut the object out of sight. Still Buffalo Bill kept up the same tre- mendous speed for a while, sufficiently long to feel that he had gotten well upon the mustang if the latter had not in- creased his pace, and then he eame to a sudden halt, sprang from his saddle and stood a few feet away from his horse listening attentively. Not far ahead he heard the rapid clatter of hoofs, and then as suddenly as a shot the sound ceased and a startled cry broke the stillness of the night, a stillness that in that land is awful. Buffalo Bill was in his saddle in an in- stant and riding on again. But he did not go at the same great speed, only at a canter. He knew that the cliff banks of the Colorado were not far away. Soon he felt the presence of the mighty chasm he could not see, and he drew rein, threw his rein upon the ground, and, dis- mounting, walked forward. ppa-Chase. —E ——_— A cool air swept his face, coming up from the river rushing along in the depths of the earth, and in a moment more he beheld the vast void that marked the mighty chasm through which swept the grand Colorado over a thousand feet be- low. But only the swish of the waters rose to his ears, no sound came to them of hoofs upon the rocky plain, and from his lips broke the words: ‘‘My God! the black mustang has gone down with his unfortunate rider!” For some moments he stood in deepest thought, conflicting emotions crowding upon him. Then he said, sadly: ‘* Poor fellow! “T can do no good now, so I will push on. and after all I will go to the spring, for if {hose men are not there by thit time they will not be, and if they are I won't eare to camp there.” With this he turned his horse back to- ward the trail he had been following along the base of the red cliffs. He had been a long time absent from the fort, SO he would not delay to see how far back that eanyon ran out of which had come the black mustang, or remain to tind out who and/what the band of white men might be. So on he rode toward the springs,* keep- ing his horse at a steady trot, for he knew that he needed water, as he did, and both were very tired. After a ride of a couple of hours he came in sight of the little yale in which the springs were, and where there was some timber, with sheltering cliffs all about. But he did not care to halt there, for a glimmer of a camp-fire told him that his Ser or others were installed there before im, CHAPTER VII. THE SHOT IN THE DARK. A feeling of deep disappointment swept over Buffalo Bill as he saw that the springs were already surrounded by camp- ers, He felt certain that they must be the men who had pursued him from the Colo- rado, and who had passed along the trail while he was in chase of the black mus- tang and his Mazeppa rider. More concerned for his horse than for himself, he determined to at least give the animal a short rest, while he reconnol- tered the camp, and then pushed on to the next oasis, a splendid spring, where the Mormons had once had a fort, and known as Jacob’s Pool. It would be a three-hours’ longer rapid ride, but there his horse and himself could get delicious water, there Was grass in plenty, and they could have six hours’ halt before pushing on to Fort Farewell. So the horse was left alone, and, rifle in hand, Buffalo Bill cautiously approached the camp. He saw that a good fire had been built of the dry cedar wood scattered about, and, covered by the darkness, he dared go quite near. There were horses staked out in the vale beyond the camp, and Buffalo Bill mut- tered: “T’d leave that party on foot if I could only get their horses by the camp unseen.” But the vale was a narrow one, and the spring was near its entrance, and there was too much risk in attempting to lead the horses by for even Buffalo Bill, daring as he has ever been. So he crept nearer and nearer the camp, and at last reached a rock that gave him a place of refuge. It was nota hundred yards from the * Now known as Soap Springs.—The Author. com 7 7 Gy ane SS: an — i. t; : : ; ; ; . 900ks.com.