Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 981 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 Buffalo Bill’s Fighting’ Five. man up in Colorado, but I don’t know him,” “I have the advantage of you, then, for | think that I do,” and the scout rode on in silence, while the face of Lasso Sol was full of anxiety. After awhile he said: “Say, pard, we hain’t had no chance to talk together, we three, since we were captured, so jist take us one av a time and ask us who and what we is.” “I know.” * What? ” “Settlers in Meadowland Valley, and who hoped to make capital, or get rid of me by capturing me under the pretended belief that I was a renegade. “This is why I am taking you to the fort, to prove that I am not.” “We'll take yer word for it now.” **I do not ask you to. “‘T intend to convince you.” “You wants ter hang us?” * What for?” “For revenge, Was a renegade.” “That is not my nature, but, as | may ride through your valley again sometime, I wish to have proof of my identity.” *“S’pose ther valley is attacked while we is away, fer there hain’t any too many men there?” “You should have thought of that be- fore,’ and the scout again lapsed into si- lence, and miles were gone over without a word being spoken. When the end of the valley was reached a halt was mate for dinner, the scout dismounting his prisoners and looking to their horses with his own, but leaving the men still bound. He cooked dinner for all, while the three men lay all. huddled together, as though asleep. When the meal was ready he said: “TI shall release one of you at a time, to eat your dinner, but, look out if you attempt any nonsense, for I noticed that you were plotting something.” As he spoke, Buffalo Bill approached Lasso Sol, to suddenly see his hands come around from behind him, and his right hand keld a revolver, while the command came sharply and with tri- umph in the voice: ** Now, Buffalo Bill, it is my time. “ Hands up, or you are a dead man!” Buffalo Bill saw the muzzle of the re- volver not five feet from his face, and there was no tremor in the hand that held it. ' But to the utter amazement of the three men he said in the lightest vein: “Fire away, Lasso Sol, and see if you can hit me. “T’ll bet you can’t in the six shots!” Lasso Sol was ‘astounded, but uttered an oath and pulled trigger. The cap snapped. — Then in rapid succession he pulled trigger five times more. But each time there was no report, only the snapping of the cap. Driven to frenzy by his failure, Lasso Sol hurled the weapon at the scout, strik- ing him squarely on the chest, the se- verity of the blow felling Buffalo Bill as though a bullet had pierced his heart! ‘cause we thought you CHAPTER XVII. BROUGHT TO BAY. So sudden and unexpected had been the act of Lasso Sol that the scout was for once caught off his guard. _ He had expected a quick surrender of _. the prisoner, when he found his weapon i. was unloaded. Instead, in his dismay and frenzy com- bined, the man had hurled the ‘weapon | __ with ‘telling aim, Buffalo Bill was vulnerable, like any other man, and the blow was a telling one, for it knocked the breath from his body and felled him as though he had been struck with a battering ram. For a few seconds he was unable to move, to collect his senses, though he saw the man spring toward him, while a yell broke from his lips in triumph at his success. Another instant and he would have had one of the weapons from the scout’s belt, but there came a shout of alarm from Barney and Reddy, and down went Lasso Sol with a weight upon his back. The weight was the form of Lone Buf- falo, who had bounded from a thicket near and lighted upon the back of the prisoner. ‘Me kill quick, pale face move!” So said the Indian, and his warning was heeded, for the blow on his back had been a severe one, and he was half dazed by the shock. In fact, all fight had been knocked out of him. Springing to his feet, though with an effort, Buffalo Bill said: ‘Well, Lasso Sol, you are a good one! “But for the coming of Lone Buffalo you would have had me all right.” “T didn’t know yer hed told ther Injun ter trail us,’ growled Lasso Sol, while Barney and Reddy were willing to weep with disappointment. “T did not tell him to follow us, and had no idea that he was within less than fifty miles of us. “TI put up that little game on you to try you, for I saw Barney gnawing your rope loose while pretending to lie there asleep. So I. dropped that revolver, after drawing out the loads, pretending not to see it. “You bit at the bait only too quick, and my little joke very nearly cost me my life.” Then turning to Lone Buffalo, who stood silently by, he thanked him warm- ly and asked how it was that he hap- pened to be on hand when so much needed, “Three bad pale face; White Buffalo all alone. “Lone Buffalo think bad pale face might kill big white chief, and follow him all right.” “Yes, and it was all right, but I shall see that there is no other chance to bet- ter me, for I will not halt again, when I start, until I reach the fort.”’ The three prisoners at this looked ter- ribly crestfallen. But Buffalo Bill told the Indian to give them their dinner, one at a time, while he bathed his badly-bruised chest with arnica. Lone Buffalo seemed to enjoy his din- ner, and then aiding the scout to mount his prisoners and tie them to _ their horses, he again said good-by and took the back trail. Buffalo ‘Bill rode on his way in no very pleasant mood, for the blow of the revolver in the chest pained him, and he answered shortly when adategsed by Lasso Sol. Crossing the Rio Grande at a ford, late in the afternoon, Buffalo Bill came out upon a mesa to suddenly ride upon a couple of wagons and a half dozen horse- men, There was no time for retreat, and yet he did not know just what the party would prove, friends or foes. The cries of his prisoners, however, at once told him that they knew them, and Lasso Sol called out: “Ho, pards, to the rescue! This man is a renegade chief among the redskins, and has us foul.” There were five horsemen in the party, and two drivers, one to each wagon, and they all quickly surrounded the scout and his prisoners. A glance into the faces of the men showed Buffalo Bill that he did not know one of them. | This appeared bad for him. ' But he smiled complacently at the. words of Lasso Sol, and said politely: “Good afternoon, gentlemen.” All eyes were upon him, and the leader of the party said: “What did yer say, what is you three one man?” “Pil tell yer, and quick, pards. “Ther Injuns raided the Bainbridge Ranch last night, and was led by a white man. “ They burned the cabins; kilt Bain- bridge, his pretty wife, Little Tommy, ther two niggers, and ther two cowboys, and carried off all ther plunder. “We, Barney, Reddy, and me, got onter ther trail of this man, but he had Lasso Sol, and doing prisoners to a Injun with him, and was too flip fer us, fer yer see how he has got us foul.” The eyes of the seven men were glit- tering now malignantly as they heard Lasso Sol’s story, and their hands were upon the butts of their revolvers. It looked very black for Buffalo Bill just then. CHAPTER XVIII. AT THE MUZZLE OF A REVOLVER. Buffalo Bill did not change counte- nance at the looks turned upon him, and the threatening attitude of the men. He looked upon the men as just what they were, a party of settlers from the valley going down to Fort McRae to purchase supplies, for there was a trad- ing post there. Wholly unknown to them, they would naturally take the word of their com- rades against his. But he made up his mind not to yield, in spite of the odds, for he was not a man to give up when he knew he was right. “Gentlemen, there are two sides to every story; you have heard one, now listen to mine.” : Several demurred at this, and the three prisoners cried out against their friends listening to the accused, while one man sprung forward, knife in hand, to cut the bonds of Lasso Sol. But quick as a flash Buffalo Bill's re- volvers were in his hands, and one coy- ering the man who held the knife. ‘You attempr to free that Man and I will kill you.. “T have a right to be heard, for I am a Government army officer, and have a right to be here.” The last words checked the hostile act of the men, while the one covered by the scout’s revolver sneaked back into the crowd again. “TI say, men, he has a right to tell his story—let him taik,”’ called out the lead-— er. There were voices against this, but one called out: ‘“‘He’s a Government officer, he says, pards, so don’t make no mistake.” ‘Yes, go slow,’ cried another. the leader again spoke up. “Yes, say your say, mister,” “Tt’s a lie; he haint no Government officer, but a renegade.” “Why, he claims ter be Buffalo Bill,” shouted Lasso Sol. 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