Beadle's Dime Library No. 362 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

Buffalo Bill’s Grip. ‘‘Lordy! I blushes ter heur thet liar lie,” said Frank Gourard. ‘*One question more: ‘* Who is buried in that grave? “Some Injun Bill Cody recognized as a ld pard, and planted him decent like, fer friendship sake.” ‘* Who killed him?” ‘Bill an’ me both got our work in on him.” ‘Who were he?” asked the guide. _““Ther Sioux warrior they calls ther Leap- er, ther Flyer, an’ sich.” *‘Ha!is that famous Sioux brave dead?” cried General Carr. ‘“‘Ife lies under thet yarth thar, gen’ral, and so oughter be; but now yer'll spar’ ee ans’in’ yer questions, won’t yer, gen’- yal?” The general made no reply and walked away, while Frank Gourard said, in a dis- gusted tone: ‘* Yer oughter be shooted fer bein’ so ’feerd ter die. ‘* But ther platoon are yeady, sinner pard, so yer better ’rastle with yer pra’ers lively ter ther hymn o’ Hallylujah, fer ther so- Jers is a-tunin’ the’r orgins ter play ther Dox- 0 'ey,” _ The doomed man groaned in anguish of spirit, and as the sergeant came forward to untie his bonds and lead him to the place of execution, he trembled so that he excited the mingled pity and disgust of all. He could hardly walk to the grave which had been hastily dug for him, and when he looked down into its loathsome depths a ery of horror burst from his lips and he would have fallen had not the sergeant up- held him. ‘* Say, pard, bea man, an’ don’t make me *shamed 0’ bein’ a human,” said the guide, hoarsely, stepping to the aid of the ser- geant. The poor wretch tried to brace up, and managed to stand without support, but the crimes of his life trooping before him, and death at hand to avenge them, caused him to droop his head upon his breast and groan in anguish. All was now in readiness for the execution, and a moment more would have ended the painful scene, when suddenly there came the rapid fall of hoofs, and there dashed upon the acene Buffalo Bill. His horse was panting and covered with foam, and as the scout threw himself from the saddle he cried quickly: | ‘* General Carr, I beg you not to execute that man |” ” CHAPTER XXyV. AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY. Au looked up in amazement at Buffalo Bill’s sudden coming upon the scene, and with the appearance of having ridden hard to get there. is face was flushed, and he seemed both anxious and glad that he had arrived in time to save the life of the miscreant. As for General Carr, he was certainly sur- prised, but said in his pleasant way: “‘T am glad to see you, Cody, though you come to save the life of this wretch.” ‘Thank you, general, but I do ask it as a special favor to me, if you can grant it, that you will spare the man’s life and turn him over to my keeping.” ‘For you to be his executioner, Cody?” said the general, with a smile. ‘Oh, no, sir! but I have a reason for asking the favor that I cannot now ex- plain.” “€ You arrived just in time, Cody.” “Then you will spare his life, general?” ‘* Yes, Bill; as you ask it, I cannot refuse, for he is your game, only turned over to me for execution,” frankly said the officer. ‘Thank you, sir.” An’ I thanks you, Buf'ler Bill, from my heart, [ does,” cried the miserable wretch. - Buffalo Bill wheeled upon him with flash- . Ing eyes as he said: “7 wish no thanks from you, Ginger Sam. ‘*T would prefer your curses, ‘But I need you, and with the general's consent, I will take you with me.” ** Leave us a lock o’ his ha’r, Bill, for I hes $$ rr guide, and in spite of discipline his words caused a laugh. ‘* But, Cody, you do not intend to leave us again?’’ said the general. ‘*Yes, sir, I must, for I am on a trail I must follow to the end.” “The madman’'s?” ‘He is still ahead of me, sir, though I overhauled him at this point just after dawn this morning.” ‘*] know’d thar hed been a cirkiss in this heur timber, an’ thet ther animiles hed hed a turn in ther menagerie,” put in Frank Gourard. ‘Come, Cody, what happened?” asked an officer of the staff, ‘‘Oh, a pack of red hounds jumped the , Mad Hercules, and were worrying him when | I came up.” ‘‘ Well?” said the general, with a quiet smile. ‘* | sailed in, general. Red-skin there got | a wound which sent him hoofing it into the thicket yonder, and when I got back Crazy Grizzly and the Injuns had skipped off.” ‘‘Except the dead,” remarxed General Carr, dryly. ** Yes, sir, they tarried.” ‘* You killed several, of course?” “Old Soft Head was cashing red-skin chips pretty lively when I arrived; but | there’s my sacrifice offering to Custer’s memory,” and he pointed to the scalpless , red-skins that were lying near an open | grave, which the soldiers were digging for them. ‘‘Why did you not take the scalps of the others, Bill?” asked the adjutant. ‘Their hair did not belong to me, and the Mad Shanghai was in too great a hurry to play barber.” ‘* And that wretch there, what aid did he give you?” and General Carr pointed to the | prisoner, who stood with bowed head and in silence near them. ‘‘He came pretty near killing me, and would have done so, had he not allowed his curiosity to get the better of his judgment. ‘*It may be all right for a woman to make such a mistake, but not for a man. ‘* Pray explain, Bill.” * Ina few words Buffalo Bill told of the circumstance of his meeting with Ginger Sam, and what followed, and Frank Gourard muttered : ‘*'Ther Boss o’ ther Big Horn, he calls his- se’f, do he? ‘Waal, ef he hain’t ther Boss o’ Big Liars, set me down right now as ther father of ‘em all, even ef thar do be a high-toned gent from Hotland thet lays claim ter thet name.” ‘* And that there is the grave of the Sioux warrior noted as the Flyer?” ‘* Yes, general, and he well nigh made me a believer in spooks and goblins, I can tell you,” and the scout told of his inysterious ad- ventures with Ne-ta-ka, and added: ‘He was sent by Bill Bevins to trail me from the Big Horn battle-field and get my scalp, and he came very near getting it for a tassel for the war-bonnet of the old renegade; but I must be off, for I have work ahead of me, ‘‘Press on hard, general, on the trail of Sitting Bull, and I'll try ahd meet you be- yond the Yellowstone with tidings.”’ *“*You do not intend to carry.out your foolhardy intention of going to the Indian village, Cody?” “‘[’ve got to keep my promise to Miss Feather Feet, general,” said Bill, with a light laugh, and he turned toward the prisoner, fastened the end of his lariat securely around his waist, binding his hands behind him, and, witha salute to the general, and a wave of his hand in farewell, said, sternly: ‘“Now, Ginger Sam, git!” ‘* Whar, Pard Bill?” ‘*To your cabin.” The man started, shrunk back, and seemed inclined to rebel. “To your cabin, sir, or stay here, and oc- cupy that home.” Buffalo Bill pointed at the open grave, and with a shudder the outlaw walked | away, taking the trail leading down the river, and leaving all gazing after them'with | interest, and whose thoughts Frank Gourard echoed with the words: ““Thet Bill Cody are playin’ some deep | a sneakin’ idee he hain’t goin’ ter remain in game, an’ usin’ Ginger fer ther seasonin’ of good health long,” said Frank Gourard the . it!” / CHAPTER XXYI. A LIFE-DEBT PAID. I wit now return to the movements of Buffalo Bill ;rior to his return to the tim- ber just in time to prevent the execution of the man who deserved death for his crimes as surely as any one ever did. After crossing the river he readily follow- ' ed the trail of the ponies kidnapped by the Mad Hercules, and it led into a most hilly country, ere he had gone a couple of miles. Suddenly, as he turned into a canyon, he came upon a startling scene, and one which required nerve and quickness to prevent from becoming a frightful tragedy, At bay, in a recess of the canyon, was a woman, her back toward the scout. She knelt upon one knee, had a long-blad- ed knife in her right hand, the arm being enwrapped in a buckskin mantle. Her left band clutched a revolver about the middle, for the weapon had evidentl been emptied of its charge, and it was half- raised, as though also to be used as a means of defense. Before the woman, and just rearing up for the fatal embrace, was a large bear, and the game he was seeking was before him. In some way the bear had cornered the woman in the little recess of the canyon, cutting off all eseape, and she had turned | and prepared to fight for her life. The black hide of the bear was stained red in several places, showing that the woman had used her revolver to the best advantage; but the wounds served to enrage the brute, and the struggle would have ended quickl for its human foe, but for the ringing aha of a rifle that brought the brute to the ground, But he was not killed, and he staggered to his feet just as Buffalo Bill rushed in upon him and began to empty his revolver into his huge body at close quarters, everal shots were fired before the beast succumbed, and, as he dropped dead, the scout’s hand was grasped firmly, and he turned to behold before him the one whose life he had saved. He saw a young girl, with a skin almost as dark as an Indian’s, a face that was hand- some, with dark, lustrous eyes, and a wealth of jet-black hair. head coronet, with feathers, sheltered her head, and she was clad in buckskin leg- gings, hunting-shirt, and a patch-work skirt reaching to her knees, and made from the skins of a score of animals, Her small feet were incased in moccasins, and about her slender waist was a belt, with an ammunition-pouch, and a holster for her revolver, and a scabbard for her knife, while at her back was a quiver devoid of arrows, and a broken bow lay a few paces distant. ‘* Buffalo Bill!” She uttered the name softly, still grasping his hand, and her face flushed with joy. ‘*Ella Wesley! and here in the Big Horn Mountains?” cried Buffalo Bill. ‘Yes, Lam Ella Wesley, but grown from the girl of fifteen, when you knew me, to the woman of twenty,” she said, sadly. ‘Still you are the same brave girl that saved my life seven years ago, Ella, and 1 have not forgotten it; but I missed you from the settlement; and none knew where you had gone.” ‘*No, I left secretly.” ‘¢ And why?” ‘Don’t ask me, Bill,” she said, in a tone of deep sorrow. ‘Poor girl, | am afraid you have had your sorrows: but I would not be here now, if you had not saved me that night, when the road-agents were coming to lynch me, and I am ever your friend.” “You have just canceled the debt, Bill, for in going for that old bear | bit off more than I could chew,” said the girl, in a bold, reckless way, and with a light laugh. “Yes, he would have done the chewing, Ella; but why did you try to bag such big game?” **T hunt most of the time, Bill, for I have little else to do, and I have frequently killed game as large; but his hide was tough. I shot my quiver out upon him, emptied my six-shooter into him, broke my bow over his head, and then ran for base like a quarter horse. ‘‘ But I took the turn in here, and got shut off and euchered.” (E(0) ,00 (C (E on m 1s S