Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 958 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

Tw), cr A ee dinner, as Chief Cody wished me to tell him that would be soon enough.”’ “Cody knows best,” and with a few more words with Dave Denny, as though to get what consolation he could from him, Colonel Dearborn entered his office and went to work to keep his thoughts oc- cupied with other things than his son, But every now and then his mind would turn to the disappearance of his son, and he would muse to himself: “What a very remarkable chief of scouts is. “Tf he had gone to West Point and become a trained soldier he would have made a great name for himself. “T have heard that he has had a won- derfully eventful life, and he inspires all with perfect confidence in what he can do. “Why, if I had been a witness before a court he could not have drawn from me under oath more than he did of my past. “T was in hopes that the past wis dead, buried, and no more sorrow would fall upon my beautiful life, ““T had looked upon Kenneth Carr as dead, but from Cody’s questioning, I begin to really believe that was a false rumor of his death, and that he still lives to bring grief to my wife and I. “Tt would’ be like his acts of the past, and Cody says that if the one on the black mustang was poor Little Dick, he was bound there for revenge, and Indians would not so avenge their wrongs. “JT will not let my wife yet know of Dicks’ disappearance, and I will make a request to the officers and men, that in visiting home they do not speak of it, for fexr it may reach her ears, for I really have hope that that strange man Cody will yet find the boy.” So the colonel mused until Major Fair- banks came in and reported that Cody had started before dawn, ridden his best horse, and gone well provisioned. Also he said that Lieutenant Keyes was selecting Indian ponies for his men and Dave Denny had already gotten those for his scouts, who were to go, and he had picked his men, The lieutenant had also picked his troop- ers, and would be accompanied by his see- ond lieutenant, an assistant surgeon, carry along ample supplies for a long trail, a few extra ponies, and forty men, which, with the scouts, would give him command of fifty fighting men. Colonel Dearborn seemed much gratified at the great interest taken by one and all, and he became more assured that the expedition would be successful,. for he said:, : “Wéll, major, led by that man Cody, I have confidence that my boy will ,.be res- cued, om avenged, and if my enemy, Ken- neth Carr is his name, is at the bottom.of this crime, he will be taken and pun- ished.” And the sympathizing major could not but muse to himself, for Buffalo Bill had told him of his belief that the black mus- tang had gone over the brink of the preci- pice into the Colorado: “Cody, may avenge him, yes, but never find the poor boy alive.” But he did not by word or look destroy the confidence of the colonel that he would again see him alive. i CHAPTER XIY. THE TRAILERS. Lieutenant Keyes, a handsome young officer, who had already made a name for himself, had an early dinner at his cabin, and then went to report at headquarters. He was wished succeess by his brother officers, one of whom said: “Tf you and Cody do not bring the boy back, Keyes, then he cannot be found.” man that When he reported at headquarters Lieu- tenant Keyes was ready for work, as his appearance indicated. He was rigged out for hard service, had left all unnecessary trappings behind him, and he had his men go the same way. “T am ready, Colonel Dearborn, and I have my best men and a fine lot of ponies, and Dave Denny, the scout, and those with him are the pick of the buckskin band.” * Well, lieutenant, I have only to say that I leave all in your hands, and with Cody ahead, and you to Tely upon, no more can be done. * Good-by, Lieutenant Keyes, and, be- lieve me, I appreciate all you are doing from kindness to me outside of your duty.” Five minutes after Lieutenant Keyes was in the saddle, and as the command rode out of the fort the whole garrison had assembled to give them a hearty send- off and bid them God-speed on their way. “They are a gallant band, major, and that young Keyes is a splendid type of a true soldier,” said Colonel Dearborn. “He is indeed, sir, and he is going now determined to achieve success, for he said in the mess hall that with Cody ahead it was assured. “But I have to report, sir, that there are several men in one of the Companies you brought with you who know of your old enemy, Kenneth Carr.” ** Indeed ?”’ “There are three who appear to know of him, one coming from the neighborhood where he dwelt, who knew him years ago. “T did not get this information from him, sir, but from a sergeant who told me that when the man was drunk on one occasion he gave a great deal of his past history away to him, told him he had known you as a youth, and you had had trouble with a rival Whom you drove out of the country, and who was a cousin of his; but, pardon me, sir, he went on to state that now you Were a colonel and he only a private, you did not remember him.”’ “Tt was not intentional, I assure you. * Who is the man, major?” “Bradley Moore, sir, of B Troop.” “Bradley Moore—l never knew the man, at least by that name—ah! now I recall a youth, a cousin of Kenneth Carr, and a ne’er-do-well fellow who ran away from home; but his name, as I knew him, was Brad Moorehouse, and it may have been Bradley, and he have dropped the latter part of his surname,” “Describe him, please, major.” The major did so, and then added: * The sergeant further told me, sir, that when Private Moore sobered up he came to him and asked him not to think of anything he had told him, and wished to know what he had told him, and he re- plied nothing of any Moment, but that he Was sure that while under the infinence of liquor the man had shown an ill-feeling toward you.” ‘““T know the man, now that you describe him, and I onee asked him if I had not seen him before, but he said no. “Yes, he is the one I knew as Brad Moorehouse, and GCarr’s cousin. ‘* Major, will you keep your eye on that man for me, please?” The major promised, and feeling every confidence in the sergeant, he told him his desire to learn more of the Man whose tongue had been talkative when under the influence of liquor. In the meantime thé little command under Lieutenant Keyes had settled down to steady work on the trail. Ahead rode Dave Denny, and following ae were two scouts, ready to obey his cau, — <—w—— - -- Behind them at some little distance came Lieutenant Keyes and his brother officer, Lieutenant Ogden Ross. Then came the troopers, the pack-ani- mals and extra ponies followed them, and, bringing up the rear, Were the re maining scouts, nine in number, Buffalo Bill had left signs, as he had gone along, so that those following would not lose time in looking for the trail, and when the party arrived at the spot where the trail of Little Dick’s spotted pony had been lost amid the tracks of the In- dians, a halt was ealled. x There Dave Denny found a note fast- ened on the top of a stick, and it was ad- dressed to Lieutenant Keyes. Opening it, the officer read in lead peneil. “The boy’s trail ends here, being merged in with a number of other tracks, both shod and unshod. “T have made one important discovery, so will not follow the trail from here, but will you kindly divide your foree and send half on after the Indians from here, the others after me? * CODY.” ‘Cody knows what he is about, so I will do as he requests,” said Lieutenant Keyes. CHAPTER XY. LIKE AN APPARITION. Lieutenant Keyes at once read Cody’s note aloud to Lieutenant Ogden Ross, and Dave Denny, and the division of the force was accordingly made. Lieutenant Ross, with twenty soldiers, five scouts, and half the pack-animals, was to go on after the Indian trails, which the tracks showed numbered something over thirty horses. Lieutenant Keyes and the balance of the troopers, with Dave Denny and four other scouts, were to follow on after Buffalo Bill. The party under Lieutenant Ross pushed on, anxious to go as far as possible before having to camp for the night, for the trail could not be followed after darkness set in. After several miles they came to just where Buffalo Bill had lost it, on his way ' to the fort, having pressed on to Farewell, it will be remembered, not earing to take time to search for the trail. Lute Burns, the scout with Lieutenant Ross, was & good man, as were all of Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin Band, as they were called. He had been trained under a thorough tutor, and when the trail was lost on the hard lava plain, he at once,sent two of his men to either side to flank around the plateau and pick it up again, while ‘the command halted to await the result, In half an hour a shot On the right told that the two scouts in that direction had found it, so, sending 8 man to reeall the other couple ,on the left, Tate Burns pushed on, the soldiers following. They found that the trail had been picked up at a pool, the existence of which was not known to a scout at the fort, uwn- less to Buffalo Bill, | There the Indians had evidently camped for the night, and from there the trail was followed, though over the lava soil it was no easy work, until it led, by a steep and rugged path, upon a lofty plateau high above the plain that formed the banks of the Colorado River. Here another pool was found, and as night was falling, a halt was made. The command was astir before dawn, breakfast over, and all ready to start as isp as the light enabled them to see the trail. . Then Lute Burns made a discovery. ‘‘ The trail divides here, sir,’ he gala. a ew __ } “ \ ; om t \ = é~ saan, oe — ey ~~ eC . . 4 ~~ ee oe ~< < ~~ ee eee | | : : | . | 4 —— DOOKS.cOoOm