Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 958 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

eS a “~ ~ = r 35 Se ONY enka Se oe « ~~ a —t aanebente rik 40% Vick abe A es ee on : ‘4 . * , — , - ey au! mS ’ >. * : Te’ OCP CO! oT * ap 8 ret = (f- ° . yi ~~; a ‘ ' ga ‘ “WS . . = — rege Buffalo Bill’s Mazeppa-Chase. 5 - a - “” te 7 ee z now and then, when one spoke out louder than his fellows, he could eatch the words, ik The men were eight in number, and they ~~ s- were cooking supper. ya They. were his followers from the Colo- ) As he looked and listened attentively he ; “ghee distinctly heard the words: a “It’s a pity we missed him, for he’s just -- eurious enough, now he’s seen us, to want to know all about us.” a ae “That’s me,” grimly muttered the scout. a) - But he heard nothing else so plainly ut- et! tered, and yet twice caught his own name, yi a further proof that he was the one being ¥ discussed. bee Wi That they had followed him, then, con- - fident that he would not expect further _- pursuit and go into camp at the spring, he Wee was certain. nt But he had been too clever for them. Nie a Not finding him there, they had gone ~~ ‘into camp themselves. eee ey Each face and form, as narrowly as he a ~~. eould see them, the scout made a mental Ay photograph of, so that he would recognize them again, should he meet them about the fort or elsewhere. | we : Then he cautiously withdrew from his ie position, with the grim remark: Bent” “They are in luck that [ am their foe, ate. for almost any one else would send a few. a as pullets into that camp. =i hy “Tam. sure I could kill a couple of them and then easily escape; but I hope Ill rs « never come to taking human life, white ri? aan or redskin, without being forced to ON 0 80.” ai With this he withdrew as cautiously as he had come, and, regaining his horse, forele. gaid: * We've been thrown out here, old fel- ye low, and it’s a long ride to Jacob’s Pool. > - . ® ie oed “« » “But the water there’is colder and _bet- ter, and the grass is greener, 80 We have “that satisfaction, while we'll have a .. ghorter distance to go to-morrow.’ -. With this consolation, under difficulties, for himself and his horse, he mounted aa and held on his way. ‘The horse seemed to realize the situa- tion exactly, and set out at a willing -_._ eanter, holding it mile after mile. Pal - With occasional dismounts and walks of half a mile over uneven ground, or up and down ravines, to spare his horse, Buffalo Sais Bill held on his way for three hours, and then rounded the point of cliffs beyond which, up a vale, Was Jacob’s Pool. Jt was after midnight, and the scout a approached the place cautiously. meh There might be campers there before ORE He dismounted and approached on foot. ix - As he neared the pool he heard a sound . that at once put him upon his guard. | _-—- He did not seek safety in retreat, did --, not halt, but approached, yet with cau- tious steps and rifle in hand, | Another moment, and he beheld his foe, and there was a sudden spring, a quick shot, a fall, and the foe fell heavily, to _ rise no more. ; é eer ks) SOHAPTHR VIN. MH SCOUT’S RETURN. if Loud snorts from Buffalo Bill’s horse -. told him that he, too, had seented a foe. — _. But with the riffeshot the animal at | once quieted down, as though he fully un- © derstood the unerring aim of his master, — The foe that Buffalo Bill had found at. _ the pool was not a pale-face nor an Indian, but a lone mounte the natural foe of man. Un amie yty 8 Ph : : Spm aj i. a IY 4 *% » Paws! Vhs. Bt eee the spring both to J quench ils: ind satisfy his hunger, for he had found there a band of ante- we ri | ir { Mi : . (Se a” ott NAL a % ¥ Cee abe eee i camp, and he could see, by the firelight, | lopes, and, creeping upon them with the all whc were there, hear their voices, and | stealthy tread of a cat upon a bird, he had a a SS made his spring and brought down his in- nocent victim. The band had filed, and the mighty mountain lion was enjoying h's midnight supper when the approach of the seout had disturbed him. The horse had scented danger, and put the scout on his guard, and when he heard the low, angry snarl, Buffalo Bill knew just what he had. to expect. He prepared for it accordingly, and when the animal was about to spring, his finger touched trigger, and the power- ful beast fell heavily and lay writhing in agony, a bullet in his brain. A short while, and the lion was dead, and enough of the. antelope was left for Buffalo Bill to get a good steak for him- self. So his horse was led up and watered, then unsaddled and staked out, wood was gathered, a fire built in the crevices of the cliff, and then the scout cooked his sup- per and enjoyed it. | Stretching himself out net far from his horse, his blankets wrapped about him, Buffalo Bill, tired as he was, soon sank to sleep, to awaken only when the daylight appeared. Quickly he arose, watered his horse, had breakfast, and, mounting, was off on his long ride to the fort, anxious to reach there early in the afternoon, and with a long rest and food before his horse there, he was not afraid to push him for the miles that were to be gone over, A dozen miles from his night camp he came upon a trail crossing his own. Instantly he halted, dismounted, and followed it for some distance, where it was lost sight of by the nature of the ground. * Both pale-faces and Indians, or the latter, have captured horses from the fort, or the former have corralled some red- skins; which I cannot tell, as the trail is lost, and I would have to follow it to a camping place to find out.’’ With this he moved on his way once more, and, without further adventure, came in sight of the fort. His experienced eye told him at once that the fort hid been reinforced. | More guns looked over the stockade and éarthworks, 2 larger number of horses were feeding out in the yalley and there was an air of bustle about the fort which Only a much increased foree could give. When he 4pproached the entrance a Strange officer on duty as officer of the day greeted him, and riding to headquar, ters he found an orderly there he did not know, not Major Fairbanks’s man. Then he sent in to report his return by the orderly, 4nd being admitted, as has been seen by the reader, he cast a quick glance at the hew commander, as the lat- ter did at him, as though to read just/what kind of man the colonel commanding was. He was at once struck with his soldierly appearance, and more than pleased with his kind and complimentary reception of him, and thought: * Colonel Dearborn is the right man in the right place.” | : When Buffalo Bill had heard the words of Colonel Dearborn, that he had gone to Santa Fe under orders from Major Fair- | banks, and to make his report of his trip to the latter, he saluted and remarked: “As reinforcements have come to the fort, sir, thor» is little to report to-Major Fairbanks, other than that T delivered his desnatches, and bring him these. return | ones. but it is of my return trail that I would speak, and without delay, as I RR re eine tamertanae te _— Major Fairbanks, for I am but a student out in this country as yet,” was the cau- tious rejoinder of Colonel Dearborn, and then he added: “But I have already had some bitter experience fall to my lot, Chief Cody, and I look to you for aid, when you have made your report to Major Fairbanks,” and the sad expression resting upon the commandant’s face convinced Buffalo Bill , that semething had already gone wrong at 2: the fort since the arrival of the reinforce ments. But he had too much tact to show any curiosity upon the subject. — CHAPTER IX. THE STORY TOLD, William. Cody turtled to Major Fair- banks, as the colonel directed him to do, F and said: “TI carried your despatches through to Leavenworth, sir, and found that rein- Gs forcements had already been sent to Fort pi Farewell. Soars “The commandant, however, gave me these return despatches for you, sir.” ‘Had you no trouble in getting through, Jody, and back again?’ asked Major Fair- e banks, at | “I had some dodging of Indians to do, sir, going, and coming back a chase by a gang of outlaws yesterday, but I had a’ fast horse, and eluded them at night.” ‘You were fortunate, for the white men of this country, who are lawless, are even more bitterly your foes than are the In- dians, ie “Where did you see these men?’ am “At the crossing of the Colorado, sir, Ss at Lee’s Ferry. : ay “They were on this side, in camp, and mistook me for one of their number com- ing in, while I supposed they were scouts, until my horse had swum nearly across the river, and then I decided to keep on and make a run for it. eae “They called out to me to stake my Ae horse out with theirs up a canyon, and =: rt then come to camp, as they had news for me, so I rode on as though about to do'so, ak until I got past where they were, when I ae, made a break for the trail leading up the | YF hill.” x “They fired on you then?” a ie, “Yes, sir; but did no damage, and run- ‘os ning to the canyon, they mounted their Re. horses and gave chase, \ aie ‘To rest my horse, I went on foot up the iin steep trail, and did not urge him; but I ay gained the top while they were yet several ot hundred yards away, and, anxious to give ‘ie them to understand that I had a good rifle, I brought down one of their horses.” . (ies y not a man instead?” “Well, sir, I do not care to take life . te APY when there is not actual need for it.” mie “ You are a remarkable man, Mr, Cody,” at said the colonel, with real admiration for a frontiersman, who he had supposed, like many others, Was ready to kill a fel- bide: low-being upon the slightest pretense. tt “IT should have supposed you would ~— have deemed it a necessity, Cody, for I ee certainly would have,’ said Major Fair — banks. ave Rope: iN} Pipa “Not as I could escape, sir, without = — great risk. gr A oe “But IT saw that I had made a mistake, and to check them, while my horse gota on | minute more of rest, I fired at.their leader, as I supposed him to be, next time, and he fell heavily from his saddle” = “I know your unerring aim, Cody,” the major remarked, fraud ed Pa “T fired. to kill, sir, aiming at his head, Os and then cantered on ahead, as I saw all — dismounted, to advance on foot under cover of the rocks.” TeANE S| ke toa ae - £ report” Met ees: AC e fawn voll pare Cheba gio ancora r OT wit ea es teatiain eae a |, And you saw th mnomore?? = 8 ; 7 . - 2 . ~ . , “Twill be a listener then, so report to! “Well, yes, ESE og Sa Laas ne : _ # ® we = > be : . , ‘ ; 4 : its ‘ rs tere : “~ : f wh; , . * ; ‘ : . ] , Ls \ q he ‘ As me". ae Tea . . ie - es dt , cat ¢ \ ; a + ne ae tas 5 , stint ‘ > tae aS f, +) 7t y : 4 ; ty 4 Sl ee ahs. 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