Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 958 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

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I did so mean it.” “And out of the army, sir?” The colonel looked Buffalo Bill straight in the face, and again the major seemed annoyed, but looked relieved when Colonel Dearborn said: “ Mr. Cody, I have one foe who has been almost a curse to me, for he has caused me amd my wife untold unhappiness.” ‘“ And where is he now, sir?’ “TY have been led to believe that he is dead.” “Have you any proof of it, sir ‘‘T confess that I have not.” “Do you mind telling me, sir, if he were alive, if he is capable of striking a blow "°°? out here to injure you or Cause you sor-’ 39 f row “Great God! yes! “* He is capable of any crime!” excitedly said the colonel. “ Has he the power, sir, with the will, to harm you?” Kes,” “ When did you last hear of him, sir?” “Two years ago.” ‘And heard that he was dead?” “Yes; I saw an account in the papers that he was killed.” “ Kast, sir?” “No; out in the mines of California.” ‘You have no other proof of his death, sir?” ** None,”’ “ How was he killed, may I ask, Colonel Dearborn?” “In a brawl in the mines, where he had developed into a desperado.” } “Pardon me again, sir, but was his en- mity toward you caused by real or im- aginary wrongs?” The ecolonel’s face flushed, but he re- plied: “T am on the rack, Cody, and will not -gbrink from the pain. “We was my rival for the hand of my wife. “By false representations he had durned her against me; but I went in per- son to defend myself, and arrived in time to prevent her father forcing her into a marriage with my traducer. . ‘‘T not only prevented the marriage, but T gave proof of his treachery to me, and the result was that he hired an assassin to go with him to take my life. “T was too quick for them, for I killed the hireling and slightly wounded the other. : “But he was recognized as a would-be assassin, and thus forced to fly, and ‘the mext I heard of him was when my boy svas stolen by gypsies and came back 10 | us years after, and I knew that he had | dealt the blow. “Again My boy was taken away from “as, to return after two years’ wandering with a circus in South America, and from all I can learn from him, that man was at the bottom of his carrying off. ; “Now you have the whole story, Cody, and I take in just why you have asked the “questions you have, to get at a motive for | mie son’s disappearance, other than the be- lief that he was captured by Indians.” frank manner, telling 4 | and seeing that he had done so, and held no ill-will toward Buffalo Fairbanks felt easy regarding the inquisi- —— GCHAPTER XII. THE SCOUT’S DETECTIVE DBAL, The colonel had spoken in a manly, me Rg ll. hiding nothing; Bill, Major tion of questioning him the scout had put him uponD, SORE aS a Pee -* ‘iy ; ’ +, We ety 4 (2 3 2 - aie 7 Mrs 9 , x on , ; ‘ wy . * we) + i ~~ +e ¢ - s “alt * ie » a wa) : . s to » ; * > = . - ‘ * : t = . it. # ae” 1e ‘ , 3 ’ , eared G 4 yer | 7 s . a ea - * Be < . . +i, ' df * ry Ai “* , NY “2 = fa! . ty Buffalo Bill had listened with the deep- est attention, Not a word had escaped him, and when the colonel had made his confession, he said: “T am glad that you have told me all that you have, sir.” “1 told you I would.” “TIT know you appreciate my motive, sir, and I wish to say that what you have said relieves every man at this fort of any suspicion, unless it may be that your foe may have a friend in one of the cavalry troops that came with you, sir, and which you say were stationed upon the frontier before. “That we must find out, sir, and you can do so by discovering if. any soldier is from the neighborhood of where your enemy lived and knew him.” “Ah! a good idea, indeed, and I will have their captains get me the particu- lars.”’ “ Let me caution you, sir, that any sus- picion aroused might spoil all.” “True; I will be most careful.” ‘‘Now, sir, I am confident that Indians had nothing to do with the capture of your son, or, if they did, they acted for some one else.” “Why do you think so?” “Well, sir, Indians don’t make Mazep- pas of pale-face captives.” “True,” said the major. “Then, sir, that binding of your son, taking it for granted that it was your son, upon the back of the black mustang, was an act of revenge. “Tt was Meant to hurt both the boy and some one else.”’ ‘And you do not expect to find my boy alive?” “T will not say that, sir.” ““T have hope, then?’ “T lost sight of the black mustang on the plain above the Colorado River. “T then came on to Soap Spring, to find my pursuers had gone there in search of me, and there camped.” “And then?” “JT eame on to Jacob’s Pool and spent the night, and, Major Fairbanks, I killed a splendid specimen of a mountain lion there, and brought you the skin.” “Thank you, indeed, Cody, it was just what I was anxious to get, you know, to send to General Sheridan.” “Well, I brought head, claws and all, sir, to dress; but let me say now that it is my intention to start out at dawn to-mor- row and take the trail of Master Dick’s Spotted pony. “ About noon, sir, I will have my scouts, twelve of them, at least, and would like to have a troop of cavalry take my trail and follow me, for I will mark it well.” “They shall start when you , wish, Cody.” “And, major, if you will have the scouts and troopers all ride unshod Indian ponies, I would be obliged, sir, so their trail will look like one made by redskins, not by soldiers.” * All right, I will so instruct them, and I will send Lieutenant Edward Keyes and his troop.” 7 “Thank you, sir; he is the very officer for me. and.a better Indian fighter is not at the fort.” “No: he likes these scouting expeditions, too.” | “Now. sir, I wish to ask if you have known of any strangers having been seen around the fort or adjacent camps of date?” “T have not heard of any, sir.” “If you will kindly make inquiry, sir, and send me word by Lieutenant Keyes, I will feel obliged, sir.” : —“T will do it, Cody.” “And now, Colonel Dearborn, I would | like to ask if you will describe this enemy of you's 10 me, sir.” “Yes, certainly. ‘When I saw him last, which was @ trifle over fifteen years ago, he was @ man then of twenty-five. . ‘He was tall, well-formed, broad-shoul- dered, with small hands and feet, and bright blue eyes and black hair, and mus- tache—in fact, a handsome man, though with a strikingly peculiar face. “He also, I remember, had. gleaming white teeth, and had a way of showing them when moved that gave him a rather fierce look,” ‘What was his calling, sir?” “He inherited a fortune, and did nothing particular but squander it; but he loved horses, was fond of hunting, a great rider and sport.” . “Thank you, sir. “T will go now and get some rest, and then make my preparations for to-mor- row’s work,” and Buffalo Bill’ departed from headquarters, the colonel shaking. hands warmly with him and saying: *T leave all to you, Mr. Cody.” As the scout left the room Colonel Dear- born turned to Major Fairbanks and said, earnestly: “That man will either find my boy or know his fate, and, if the victim of cruelty, will avenge him, “Why, Fairbanks, he is a perfect won- der, a born detective, as you said, and he has gone into this matter with the yim he would enter a deal of his own, and he will ferret it all out, shadow the guilty slayers of my boy to doom, for, alas! L cannot but feel that he is dead.” CHAPTER XIII. THE START. When it was known that Buffalo Bill had returned to the post, many were heard saying, both officers and men: “ Now we will know just what has be- fallen Little Dick.” It was early the next morning when the colonel arose, for he had had a sleepless night, grieving for his lost boy. He attended strictly to his duties, gave no sign to others what he suffered, but all knew that he did suffer greatly. When he went to his headquarters, from his living cabin, he found a scout there awaiting him, *T am from Chief Cody, sir, and he wished me to say that he readily picked up Master Dick’s trail, and will stick to it. “T am to guide Lieutenant Keyes, sir, and any instructions you have for the chief of scouts I will take them, he told me to say, sir.” , “Thank you, my man, ‘Your name is Denny, I believe?” “Yes, sir; the boys call me Dave for short.” ‘Major Fairbanks gave a good account of you, and‘I believe it was you that brought back word that my son’s trail ended just where there was an Indian trail crossing it?’ “ Yos, sir, at the place where the Indians bad been encamped for some little while as though waiting for some one,” 2 ‘Well, I am glad that you are to be Lieutenant Keyes’ guide, and you e¢an tell your chief, Cody, that I have every confi- dence in him.” “You may have, sir, for h fox, and if any one can get } back again, he will do it.” “What time did he start?” “We were at the spot where he was to pick up the trail when the dawn broke, sir, and that was three miles from here, and he has already been over two hours following it. : “The lieutenant starts at one, sir, after ean trail a ster Dick