Beadle's Dime Library No. 362 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Buffalo Bill’s Grip. @ : the red field of the Big Horn, and Custer and | his troopers. Orders had been given for the men to turn in early, for a start tor the scene of the fateful battle would be made before dawn; but, for once unheeding discipline, the soldiers sat around the camp-fires talking in low, earnest tones of the fearful tidings brought by the scout, and many a suppressed oath of vengeance — made by those who knew the gallant ead, The officers in the general’s tent had breath- lessly listened to the scout’s story of his having sought Custer with dispatches, followed bis trail to the field, and what had suddenly burst upon his amazed and horrified vision. The scene there with the renegade, Bill Bevins, and his warriors, the saving of his life by Feather Feet, who wounded him with an arrow to do so—for, had he killed the white medicine chief his death would have followed— and, at last, his pledge to deliver himself up to Sitting Bull were all made known. * But you certainly do not intend to keep your pledge, Cody?” said General Carr, noticing the earnest manner of the scout, ‘I certainly do intend to keep it, general,” was the low reply. At this every officer was upon his feet, gaz- ing at the scout in amazement, and real indig- nation, that he should think of keeping a pro- mise so made, “By the gods of war! but they’ll burn you at the stake, Bill!” cried a young officer, ““Why, you, of all men, Cody, the Sioux and Cheyennes are anxious to get into their power,” cried another. ‘I know that they are anxious to make my more intimate acquaintance, gentlemen, and I intend to give them the chance,” was the calm reply of Buffalo Bill ** Never, Cody!” ** But, general, I—” “*T will hear no buts, Coe for if you persist in your foolish intention of keeping your word made to an Indian girl and a renegade, I will vat you under arrest until after old Sitting Bull and his warriors are defeated and brought to terms,” said General Carr, with considerable ech ——— “I’m afraid Pll grow gray in the guard- house, then, coneral.for Sitting Bull ae til. ready retreated, and it will take a large army to bring him and his warriors to terms, especial- ly after their victory ov r Custer.” ‘Well, in that I agree with you; but that does not alter the question that I forbid you to return to the red-skins’ camp, because you were forced to make a promise to save your life.” “TY must remain firm in my determination, general, for if I take big chances in going to Sitting Bull’s camp, [ also hope to accomplish a purpose I have in my mind.” The general and his officers all saw that the scout was determined in his purpose, and had some ulterior object in view which he cared not to make known to them; but General Carr said; “Cody, I owe to you my life, and in the past, services I can never repay, and if, even by the harshest means, I can keep you from making a ee of yourself and losing your life I intend to O SO. ** Every man on this border who is your foe knows what Buffalo Bill’s Grip is, and I intend ie you shall know what the grip of a friend Buffalo Bill laughed lightly, and before he could reply a sergeant entered and saluted. ** Well, sergeant?’ asked the general, ** He is not there, sir.” ** Who is not there, sergeant?” “The madman, sir.” ‘“*Hal Iremember, you went in the place of Murphy, to bring the body of the madman into camp? ** Yes, sir,” answered the sergeant, ** And you say the body was not there?” ‘¢ Yes, sir.” **Did you go up to the top of the ridge?” “Yes, sir, and along the top of it on each side of where the trail led.” * And searched thoroughly?” ‘7 did, sir, and sq did the eight men I had with me.” “This is strange, Cody, for you certainly killed the madman,” and the general turned to the scout, who responded: *‘T shot to kill him, general, and aimed at his head; but he may be as much like a grizzly as he looks, and hard to slay. . “I will go up on the ridge with the sergeant, and see if he found the right spot.” “Do so, Cody, if you are not too much fatigued, for I confess that I would prefer that nad Pane should rather be dead than alive,” Buffalo Bill left the tent, and accompanied by the sergeant and his squad went toward the hills, leaving the general and his officers still discussing the sad tidings they had heard of the battle of the Big Horn. in half an hour the sergeant returned, and one, ‘*Where is the scout, sergeant?” asked the general, quickly. ; “He left us upon the ridge, sir.” ' | ** Lett your” ~ Yee, Biri? ‘And where did he go?” and the general seemed anxiously to await the reply. | ‘‘We did not find the madman, sir, or any trace of him, and Mr. Cody sent one of my men to camp after bis horse, and rode away, telling me to say to you, sir, that he would try and see if he couldn’t get his grip upon the Mad Her- cules, or Sitting Bull, before he saw you again.” ‘* By the gods of war, he has gone!” cried the general in a tone of real distress, for he feared that Buffalo Bill, to keep his word to Featber Feet, bad rashly gone to bis death, a CHAPTER XII. _ . TRAILING A MADMAN, THAT Buffalo Bill was intensely surprised upon reaching the spot where he knew the Ma ercules to have fallen, to find him gone, there is no doubt. The aim he had taken had been a quick one, the distance very great, and he had barely time to see a huge being, clothed in hair, rushing knife in hand, upon one whose uniform proved him to be an officer of high rank. He saw how bravely that officer faced his foe, sword in hand, and he raised his rifle and sent his bullet upon its unerring way. Arriving at the spot afterward he bad not for a moment doubted that his aim was fatal, for a glance had shown him the buge head marked with a red stain, and the tidings of which he was the bearer had sunk the madman in their importance and horror, and o: ly upon arriving at the bivouac had General Carr sent back after the body. Buffalo Bill knew there was no mistaking the spot where the Mad Hercules had fallen, and yet he was not there. In some unaccountable way he had disap- peared, Had he friends near who had seen the encounter, and then borne him off? After a moment’s thought he felt that this coulu not be, for be remembered that in all the stories he had heard of the Mad Hercules, it was never said that be bad a companion, and that he made war upon all human beings alike, At any rate, being out of the encampment, and confident that General Carr would prevent his leaving the command to keep bis wora co Feather Feet, Buffalo Bill determined to remain away, and, as the sergeant reported, sent for bis horse, Riding away in the darkness he did not go very far, but went into a lonely camp for the night, and in full view of the camp-fires of the soldiers, Knowing that the general would leave before dawn, and push on bis way to the Big Horn with all rapidity, he did not fear being discov- ered in the darkness, and after looking to the comfort of bis horse, rolled himself in his blanket and lay down to seek slumber. He was awakened by the moving of the com- mand over the ridge; but remaining quiet, as it was yet dark, he sunk to sleep again, and never ama until the rising sun sent its rays into his ace, The scout was a man who always traveled well provided with provisions, and his break- fast was by no means a light repast, while he ate it with a will that showed perfect digestive organs, and that he had the strength to demand a generous meal. hen saddling his horse, he mounted and rode along the ridge to where the military command had erossed. The last stragglers had been for some time out of sight, having ip? 4 ey in the recesses of the distant range of bills, and Buffalo Bill then set tu work to solve the mysterious disap- pearance of the Mad Hercules, Thorough plainsman as he is, it did not take him long to discover that his shot had not been fatal, and that the madman had left of his ow» accord, How seriously he was wounded he could not tell, so followed the large-footed trail along the ridge, then down into the valley, across it, and up the range of hills upon the other side, As something about the trail seemed to strike him, Buffalo Bill suddenly hastened on, and reaching a high elevation took a survey of the scene below him. The trail which General Carr’s command was following, led down into a valley beyond, and alongside of a steep bluff at its base, and this they were just passing when the scout arrived at his point of observation. Fs Tbe course he had taken, in following the madman’s trail, had been one a bold rider only dare follow, and it had brought him out ata point ahead of the marching soldiers, But it was not upon them, as they went by at the base of the range of hills, that his eyes rest- ed after tho first glance, but upon the tall form of the Mad Hercule:. In an instant Buffalo Bill divined his object. Thwarted in his revenge the night before, he | had seen the trail the troopers had taken, and, | acquainted with the locality, knew that they. must pass under the bluff, and thence he had gone to head them off. So intent was he at his work when Buffalo Bill stepped upon the hill above him that he did not see him. And that work? He was gathering huge rocks and piling them upon the edge of the cliff, beneath which the head of the column soon must pass. His intention was evident, for several hun- dred feet below him, and immediately beneath, the trail led, and the maddened being meant murder in its vilest shape. | At first the scout intended to hail the column | and warn them of their danger; but, with a second glance at the madman he changed his | purpose, threw the rein of his horse over alimb, and leaving his rifle hanging to his saddle, stepped noiselessly over the top of the hill, and | descended slowly toward the huge being at his ruthless work, With a shot from his revolver Buffalo Bill knew that he could drop him dead; but he was no man to take such an advantage even against one who was said to possess the strength of a Samson, With a step rendered light and noiseless by following many a deadly trail, the scout de- scended the hillside, keeping in the shelter of the scattering trees, until he stood within twenty feet of the Mad Hercules, That strange and dread being had completed his task, of procuring a magazine of heavy rocks, and having made them into a buge pile, stood gazing down upon the coming soldiers, wholly unmindful that there was one gazing upon bim, and onlv a few paces away, who had so nearly ended his days of madness the evening before, And, Buffalo Bill as be gazed upon the wild creature saw that, his eyes were as fierce as a wolt’s in their flash, that his hands opened and shut with nervous clutches, and his body was bent forward with eager expectancy cf satiat- ing bis hate by a cruel revenge upon his fellow- men, Also, the scout saw that his long hair, which hung down beneath his huge skin cap, was mat- ted and stained with blood, from the wound where his bullet had cut its way. Nearer and nearer drew the column f sol- diers, until the advance reached the bluff and passed from sight beneath it, But still the madman made no hostile demon- stration, His eye was upon the general and his staff, ast came riding along after the first regi- ment. Through a gap in the bluff Buffalo Bill saw that the general and those about him were to be the objects of the Mad Hercules’s attention, and he stood ready to act, As the general rode from sight, upon the | trail winding directly under the precipitous hillside, the madman carefully selected a huge stone, and raising it above his head was picking out his victim, and biding his time to throw it, when Buffalo Bill bounded from his place of concealment, and, with a revolver in one hand, with the other lightly touched the giant upon the shoulder with the quiet remark: “Say, Shanghai pard, drop that tombstone oe ih le me, if you are pining to kill some- ody CHAPTER XIII. THE STRUGGLE ON THE CLIFF. WuHeEn Buffalo Bill addressed the Mad Her- cules, in bis calm, bantering way, he had nerved himself for the consequences, The man’s gigantic frame, rendered larger by his hairy attire and bigh wolf-skin cap, is savage, bearded face, with eyes that glared rather than shone, his matted bair and beard, and belt of arms, made him a foe that few men would have dared to face, Buffalo Bill could have dropped him in his tracks as be stood, but there was too much manlivess in his nature to take suc) an advan- tage, altaough he knew he had little more than a wild beast in ferocity to deal with. Tbe madness of the man he pitied, and he de- termined to see if be could not cow him iuto submission, though he knew the chauces were against doing so, He was wholly upon his guard, therefore, when he laid his hand upon the arm of the Mad Hercules, and addressed him as he did. - The madman sbrunk back as though an adder had stung him, at the same time uttering a wild bal 4 of apparent terror. 1 till he did not lower his upraised hands, nor drop the huge stone they held. ~, Trembling violently be gazed upon the scout, who kept him covered with his revolver, and as the fierce expression in his eyes changed to a look Buffalo Bill, who watched him like a hawk, could not fathom, he began to back slowly from before the man who had so boldly confronted im. His wild yell had been heard by the marching soldiers below, a shout had been the answer, and the column had halted and stood gazing, as though spell bound with horror, upon the scene far up upon the bluff, This Buffalo Bill saw in one quick glance, and he seemed to feel that the madman was backing off so that he could get fairspece tohurlthe — stone at him. Se SS ee Oe en ae ee ee i ee i es Gomicbooks.co