Beadle's Dime Library No. 362 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

i —————-— — = ~ —— = ee te ee Buffalo Bill’s Grip. ee 17 bs cc: tons acpdtlaatibicls limes Slitenantnintitte aie tas him, and then beholding the scout, who | and Ginger Sasksae was certainly in a humor ! -seize the weapons of Buffalo Bill, to use stood half-concealed in the doorway of the cabin, she cried: t Father, you are free, and 1 owe it to you, Buffalo Bill.” ‘‘Ha! you does know this man, Ella?” cried the old villain. ‘| should think so,” she answered, look- . ing from one to the other. ‘‘ And you know her?”’ ‘Tl should remark, for she saved my life years ago, Ginger Sam,” ‘And he saved mine to-d: ay, and your life too, father, for I saw the soldiers go b the Eagle’s Nest and neither you nor Bill | being with them, I came home,” tf Waal, waal!”’ ‘You seem all broke up, old man,” said Buffalo Bill. “1 am,’ ‘‘Ts it such a remarkable thing for us to know each other, father?” asked the girl, “No, only you didn’t speak o’ knowin’ him, and now I guesses I onderstands who er meant when yer told me yer kinder 1anker’d arter a han’some scout, an’—” ‘‘ Father! father!’ cried the girl, ‘Well, Sam, [did not know until to-day that Ella Wesley was your daughter, and on owe it to her that you are alive now, for | the weapon to get the working of it, for he set you free for her sake only, and I came here with you to make you give me your pledge never to turn your weapons against your Own race again except in self-defense, ‘* Your word | consider worthless, but your daughter shall keep watch on you, and if you do war upon your own people, who ma happen 10 come into these hills her duty will be tosend me word, for without her pledge to do so I will not leave you here, but carry you back to General Carr, and ask him to ore instead of shoot you. 0 you hear?” ‘*T does,” was the sullen reply. ‘*And you accept my terms?’ ‘* I does.” ‘* And you, Ella, will swear not to defend your father, but frankly send me word to { Fort Fetterman if he breaks his pledge?” ‘*T will, Bill, for I am glad that have a restraint upon him, ‘‘l have lived in these wilds with you, father, because I loved you, and not a mur- mur have you heard from me. ‘* | have overlooked your crimes because I knew you were hiding to save your life; but I will do so no longer. “Tf you remain here, I will stay with you; but if you kill white men who rove through these mountains wantonly, for fear they may betray your presence here, I will do as | pledge myself to Bill Cody to do.” “Go and give it away whar I am, I s’pose?” ‘Yes, father, that is just what Ill do,” was the firm response. ‘‘And then, old man, if I get my grip on you, not even your daughter can shake it off, and up you go toa tree.’ “Tl not tarn my rifle on human bein’ ag’in, Bill, unless it be a Injun as wants ter scalp me.” ‘See that you do not. ‘‘Now I must be off, for I have a trail to find before dark.” ‘“‘No, Bill, stay and have some dinner first,” said Ella esley, earnestly, " Yas, Bill, forgit I are as bad as I be, an’ stay an’ eat su ‘thin’ with us,’’ urged the out- law, in a tone of humiliation. Buffalo Bill readily yielded, and the girl set about preparing a repast of the best the cabin could afford, and as Ginger Sam was a good provider, sending by the Indians twice a year to buy provisions from the sut- jers, there was a chance of a very good meal. Interested in glancing about the strange abode, Buffalo Bill strode here and there, while waiting for dinner, and no longer look- ing upon Ginger Sam as : dangerous, paid lit- tle attention to him. At last dinner was ready, and it was with real relish the scout sat down to enjoy the meal, aud again and again complimented the young girl upon her skill as housekeeper and cook. Ella ate, however, with little appetite, and her father with far less, and it was left to their guest to do justice to the dinner. The young girl seemed sad and absent- minded, though she tried to appear pleasant, e will ; muzzle inside, a ES, that was by no means agreeable. , ‘them, for he was held in a grip he could not At last he said: | shake off, and which seemed as sure as death. ‘1 tell yer, Bill, I hes hed sich a turn ter- | ‘‘ Treacherous fiend, come into your cabin, day, I'm all upsot, so you an’ the gal talk and behold your cowardly work!” eried Buf- tergether, while I takes a look outside.” falo Bill, in a voice that rung like a trumpet, He left the cabin, and neither Buffalo Bill To the cabin door he dragge d the cower- or his daughter caught the look of fiendish | ing, dreading wretch, and held his face upon hatred upon his evil face. the scene within. Had the scout done so, he would never It was enough to melt the most adaman- have allowed him out of reach of his good | tine heart. right arm. There, upon the floor, having fallen out of ‘Once outside of the cabin, and Ginger | the chair occupied at the table by Buffalo Sam’s eyes became fixed upon an object that Bill, lay Ella Wesley. stood upon one side of the door, Upon her head was the huge sombrero of It was the Winchester rifle which Buffalo | the scout, and that she was dead, no one who Bill seldom allowed three feet from him. had ever seen death, and gazing upon her His belt of arms he had on, but his rifle he | could doubt. had left there when he went in to dinner, feel- “'There, you incarnate devil, is the one ing no longer dread of treachery upon the | you killed, part of the outlaw. But he knew not how black was the vil- lain’s heart who had asked him to sit. at his table with him, Seizing the weapon he strode around the cabin until he came to a window which he knew Buffalo Bill sat with his back to, Glancing in cautiously, he saw that he was unobserved, and carefully he examined fully took my hat and placed it upon her head, at the same time taking my seat. ‘Behold the result! Shereceived the bul- let intended for me, and you are your daugh- ter’s murderer. “Oh, God!” ind the villain, in agony. “Of all your crimes "continued Buffalo Bill, in the same stern, almost fierce tones, “this crime is the blackest, and for it you shall suffer the worst punishmen nt.” ‘‘Merey! Oh, mercy! Bill, I did not mean ter kill her, ‘‘Let me go, that I may kneel by her and ask her to forgive me!” ‘*She is de ad, man, and can never forgive; but you shall follow her out of life, and quick too, I promise Mh as “Mercy, Bill, fer I hain’t fit ter die!” “That is your misfortune and not my fault. ‘Come, you must die.” ‘Don’t kill me, Bill! don’t kill me!” and the wretch groveled in the dirt at the scout’s fect. “T don't intend to kill you, vile as you are, in cold blood, as I have the power to do, but I intent that you shall meet me, knife to knife, in a struggle that can end only in your death or mine.” The proposal was by no means an unfair one, as far as the two men were concerned, for Ginger Sam was fully as large as Buffalo Bill, and he was a man of iron muscles and great powers of endurance. But he did not take to the proposition kindly, for he said: ‘‘lam no match for you, and you knows had never seen a rifle like it before, Apparently satisfied at last, he again stepped to the window, gently. placed “the and ran his eye along the sights. With long and cool deliberation he took aim, muttering to himself: “Now, Buf’ler Bill, ther secret o’ my den won't be known to any man, fer I stops your tongue right heur, an’ with yer own weepin. His finger then touched the trigger and the sharp explosion of the rifle followed. OHAPTER XXXII. THE SHOT AVENGED, Tue cool deliberation with which Ginger Sam took aim to destroy a human life proved how deep-rooted in his heart was a love of crime, Buffalo Bill had forced him to lead him to his home, and he was determined that he should never live to tell the secret he had thus discovered. With no honor himself, or the shadow of it, he could not believe that the scout would keep his pledge not to betray him. He had saved his neck for years by hiding like a hunted wolf in the wilds of the Big | it.” Horn, and did not intend that any stranger ‘*Bah! Iyremember that it was once your knowing his secret should live. hoast that you were the worst hand with the It mattered not to him that Buffalo Bill had that day saved the life of his daughter, whom he loved as the wild beast loves its young. It was nothing to him that the scout had that day saved him from death at the hands of a platoon of soldiers, for he had no grati- tude, and all men were his foes, Hence he made up his mind that the scout should die. The window in the rear of the cabin was quite high from the ground, so that he had to stand on tiptoe to get a good aim. His target was the very center of the large- brimmed sombrero which Buffalo Bill wore, and which, from long habit, he had not cast aside when entering the cabin. To shoot him through the heart Ginger Sam feared would not be sure death, and that with the powerful physique he pos- sessed Buffalo Bill might, though fatally wounded, yet rush upon him and kill him. A. bullet through the head was certain work, and therefore straight at the head he aimed, or rather at the center of the som- brero. With the shot there was a fall within, and the outlaw gave a yell of delight, and rushed around the cabin to view his victim, and also to make his peace with his daughter. To his horror he ran straight into the arms of Buffalo Bill, with bare head and pallid face, just coming out of the cabin, revolver | him. in hand, With a cry that seemed like a prayer, he He was too near to use the rifle, and the | took the fatal leap off into mid-air, and shot scout seemed not inclined to use his revol- | down out of sight. ver, for, seizing the Winchester with a grip | Back te the ears of Buffalo Bill came the of iron, he wrenched it from the outlaw, and ' sickening thud as the body struck the ground then gr rasped him with a power he found it , far below, and for a moment he stood almost impossible to shake off. unnerved. n vain the outlaw struggled, striving to' But then ke shook off the spell upon him knife upon the border.’ ‘*T were a young man, then, Bill.” ‘“You are only about forty- five now, and in your prime. ‘Come! you have that chance for your life, for I have no time now to take you to General Carr to execute.” ‘Bill, let_ me see my little girl, for I did one her, and then youcan do with me as you Ke The man’s tone of voice and whole man- ner suddenly changed, and instinctively Buffalo Bill released his grip upon him, and with bowed head he stepped into the cabin and then dropped down upon his knees by the side of the dead girl. ‘‘ Ellie! Ellie! Speak to me!” He spoke the words in pitiful accents, and then said in a tone that touched the scout deeply: i brought you away here, Ellie, to in the end have you die by my hand. ‘Oh, God! I cannot stand this!” He fairly shrieked the last words, and springing t to his feet, dashed by Buffalo Bill, who in vain tried to stop him, tearing his hunting-shirt off his back in the effort to do So. With the speed of a deer, his face covered with his hands, the conscience-stricken wretch ran straight toward the cliff, and, spell-bound, the scout stood gazing after —— ee LE ‘When I arose from the table, she play- | - a ~ = SSS eae =: ——— _——_—— -_- -— Gomichbooks (E(0)