Beadle's Dime Library No. 362 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

~~ _— —— ~<A SS Se ——— _ 2 — ** Drop that tombstone, old Blue Beard!” The order was given in a s ern. foreatening ward the c-iff, tone, in spite of the light words, and Buffalo Bull | held the eye of the madmun as hea spok +. lnstantly the heavy stone fell with a crash to the earth, and the madman’s hands fell to his sile, passing the butts of his pistols with no effort to grasp them. “Why this is a pienic, when I expected to tackle a cyclone,” said the scout, in his off-hand way, and still covering the Mad Hercules he was abont to advance upon him, when a ringing ery came from the plain below: ** Hold, Cody! for God’s sake hold!” Buffalo Bill glanced quickly downward, and beheld Gensral Carr seated upon his horse be- . 7, and with hundreds of others gazing up at im, But he uttered no word in reply, and again nerved himself to advance upon the madman. As for the strange being he seemed not to have heard the general’s cry, but stood trem- bling, aud gazing upon the scout, while bis jaws moved as though he was gritting his teeth with rage, S-eing Buffalo Bill again about to advance, as thouga to try his strength with the madman, for he had lowered his weapon, General Carr shouted: ‘“Hold, Cody! for here comes my guide, ¥rank Gourard, who can drop bim where he s'ands,” But Buffalo Bill heeded not the command, and at once stepped boldly toward the madman, As be did so the strange being gave a cry of seeming fright, shrunk backward, waved his hands, as though to ward the scout off, and then, with the bound of a deer had started away in a wild run. Buffalo Bill was amazed, and half-raised his revolver, as pees SP to check his flight; but thinking better of it on the instant, returned the weapon to his belt with the remark: ** Poor, mad wretch, let him go.” Beholding the flight of the Mad Hercules, where they bad expected to see him spring upon the scout, the soldiers broke forth in one long, wild cheer, and up the hillside floated the ring- ing words from the lips of General Carr: ‘Bravo for you, Buffalo Bill!” The scout raised bis hat in response and turned " away, and though the command waited for’ some time, as though expecting to have him join it, he did not come, Then Frank Gourard went up to the summit of the hill, and soon after returned to report to General Corr * Ther Mad Herckiles had a pile o’ stuns up thar ter sling onter us, gin’ral, an’ Bill doubtless tackled bim afore he c'u’d open fire, an’ saved ther brainpans 0’ some o’ us from gittin’ smashed in,” * But did you see nothing of the madman, or of Buffalo Bill either?” ‘** No, gineral; they had both levanted,” ‘But where had they gone?’ persisted the general. ‘* Ther trails showed that ther Mad Herckiles hed dugcut fer all he was wuth, an’ thet Buf- fler Bill were hot on his tracks.” ‘Then Buffalo Bill has again gone in chase of the madman, Frank?” ** Thet’s jist ther identical sizo o’ it, gin’ral— Holy smoke! look a thar!” Tne exclamation of the guide, followed by his words in a loud voice, caused every eye to glance upward, for his gaze was fixed upon the top of the bluff, which they had passed beneath only a few moments before, There was no reason for any one toask what had caused the cry, for there in plain view of all, were visible two b-iman forms engaged in a death-struggle upon the very verge of the pre- cipice, and each one striving to hurl the other from the lofty hight. CHAPTER XIV. “(THE FIRST SCALP FOR OUSTER.” THE scene upon the cliff, and upon which the eyes of the soldiers were riveted, was a most rilling one, Especially was it so to those who gazed upon it, as ove of the men struggling for life and death was Buffalo Bill. At first all had believed that it was none ' other than the Mad Hercules, who bad turned upon his trailér to join battle with him, But a closer look proved that it was other than the madman, The fact is that Buffalo Bill, as Frank Gou- rard had said, bad gone on the trail of the mad- man. At first he had determined to let him go, as he seemed to fly from him in terror; but when he glanced at the pile of stones he bad intended to hur! upon those who had never wronged him, and when he remembered the stories told by trappers and bunters in the Yellowstone of the man’s ferocity, he felt that it was better to run im down while he had the power to do so, and _ to make him a prisoner if possible, and kill him if he must. He foilowed the trail of the madman for some little distance, when suddenly he saw coming toward him an Indian warrior, The red-skin was slowly following the trail of Buitalo ‘Bil’s: Grip. the madman and Bulfalo Bill, made in going to- Hidden as he was in a thicket, the scout knew that he had the advantage, and intended giving the red-skin a surprise, when suddenly he dis- covered another mounted warrior in the rear of the first. Not knowing how many more there might be, Buffalo Bill at once wheeled his horse about, made a quick circuit, and came out upon the | | bluff at a point where he remembered shere was alarge bowlder behind which his horse could be concealed. To hide the animal there, and then throw himself down behind the pile of rocks heaped up by the Mad Hercules, was but the work of an instant, and then the scout was ready for his foes, for, as he remarked to himself: “Te the grow too numerous for me, the general will send Frank Gourard and afew of the boys to my aid,” Buffalo Bill had not lain long in his retreat, when he beheld the Indian he had first seen come slowly over the ridge. He was on foot now, and reconnoitered ahead of him with the greatest caution. ‘“‘ Be takes the skin-covered foot of the mad- man for a bear-track, and thinks I trailed it here to the rocks. “Well, the circus will soon begin, for he thinks he'll get a scalp and bear-meat all wait- ing for him,” and Buffalo Bill kept his eye at the crevice between the rocks, as he Jay his full length upon the ground, and right upon the very edge of the cliff. As though satisfied with his lookout ahead, the red-skin gave a movement of his hand to call his comrade on, and soon appeared over the hilltop the war-bonneted head of another red- skin, and he was mounted and leading his com- panion’s pony. ‘‘T wonder how many more there are?’ mut- tered Buffalo Bill, as he got his matchless Win- chester around ready for use. The question was soon answered, for the first Indian had not gotten half-way down the ridge toward the cl ff, when a third mounted warrior appeared, like the other in all the feathers and paint of a war-trail, ‘That family of rels is increasing too fast to suit me,” said Buffalo Bill. But, though he knew a call for help would bring the soldiers quickly to his rescue, or as quickly as they could mount the steep slopes pe- yond the jutting bluff, he would not give that cali untal he felt that be needed aid, ‘Only three of thera,” he said, grimly, as the first Indian now had approached within forty paces of him, and the other two came down the ridge with an air that plainly told his skilled eyes, practiced in every move a red-skin makes, that there were no more in their rear, Having advanced to within fifteen paces of the pile of stones, the red-skin stood gazing upon them with a strange mixture of curiosity and dread in his face, for he could not appar- ently account for their being there, A motion to his comrades caused them to dis- mount, fasten their horses and come toward him in that cautious, stealthy tread of an In- dian, almost akin to a wild beast. ‘* Now this is crowding the animals,” muttered Buffalo Bill, in his quiet, quaint and humorous way, and he added: ey guess Pll stick up the notice—‘ Beware of the dog!” He saw that the three Indians were splendid Epacimens of savage manhood, tall, muscular, thoroughly armed,* and two of them wearing the barbarous insignia of warriors who had won their spurs, while the third, the one who had trailed, and now stood within a few paces of bis hidden foe, had on all the paraphernalia of a great chief. As Buffalo Bill uttered bis last remark, he aimed his Winchester rifle at the red-skin fur- thest from him, and his finger lightly touched the trigger, Ere the savage fell his length, a second shot brought down the other warrior, and then, with his ringing war-cry, Buffalo Bill arose to his feet, casting aside his rifle, and drawing a revolver. The chief had started at the first shot, but, brave to recklessness, he had not attempted to spring to cover, but rather to rush toward the point of danger. As he saw the tall form of the scout rise be- fore him, he half-way halted, for he recognized one whom he had met before, and between whom and himself be knew there would be no mercy shown, Instantly he gave his wild war-cry, as the second warrior fell, and shouted in the Chey- enne fongue: “I know you, Pa e-has-ka * You want to fight? ** Come fight me!” “Pll do it,” shouted Buffalo Bill, and the re- | volvers of the two flashed together. * During what is now known as the “ Custer war,” the Sioux and Cheyennes were armed with the latest tterns of fire-arms, procured in a manner which ye Government should never have permitted.—Tun UTHOR. The Indian staggered back, hard hit, but his aim was vot as true, the bullet cutting only a slight gash in the scout’s leg. ithout firing again the two now drew their knives and sprung upon eacb other, Kach caught the hand of the other in its first thrust for life, and clutching in the death em- brace the two splendid specimens of athletic manhood, the red-skin and the pale face, stag- gered toward the edge of the cliff, where the eyes of those below fell upon them, As the Indian chief struggled harder for the edge of the bluff, Buffalo Bill quickly recognized his purpose, ® had received, as he believed, his mortal wound, and was determined to spring over the cliff and carry bis white foe with bim. Possessed of wonderful strength, for an in- stant Buffalo Bill almost felt that he would suc- ceed; but, by a herculean effort he wrenched bis band from tbe grasp of the red-skin, and quick as a flash buried his knife to the very hilt in his heart, Instantly the grip of the savage relaxed, and he sank to the earth, upon the very edge of the cliff, while Buffalo Bill, dragging off the chiet’s war-bonnet, scalped him in the twinkling of an eye, and waving the red trophy, and its attach- ment of feathers and head-dress in the air, shouted in ringing tones: ‘* The first scalp for Custer.” In the wild hurrah that followed from the sol- diers down on the plain, Buffalo Bill dodged back out of sight, and when, ten minutes after, General Carr and his guide reached the spot, he had disappeared, The three red skins were there, the scalp-locks torn from their heads, their ponies were feeding near, but Buffalo Bill had gone, and Frank Gourard said: ‘* He are off ag’in on ther trail o’ ther Herck. iles, and ther Lord help ther madman when Bill do get his grip upon him,” ‘So say I, guide; but register three scalps to avenge poor Custer,” responded General Carr. ‘‘Thet are so, gin’ral, Bill hev sot in lively ter keep his oath, or I are a shriekin’ liar,” was Frank Gourard’s reply, as he went over the dead Indians, examining them with the air of one who was reading signs that would be of ser- vice to him.* CHAPTER XV. THE MYSTERIOUS SHOT, ALTHOUGH twice since leaving the bivouac of the military command on the prairie Buffalo Bill had come in full view of the soldiers, and in fact in easy talking range, be still persisted in Beepin to his purpose to go alone upon his trail, lead him where it might. As soon, therefore, as he had scalped the Indians,* a work he most scientifically per- formed, the scout caught and fastened their povies, and then mounting bis own horse, set out once more upon the trail of the madman. He had no difficulty in finding it at the point where he had left off trailing when he discover- ed Yellow Hand and his two corurades, and at a rapid pace he went on, the Mad Hercules seemingly having made no effort to cover up his tracks, Bill’sshorse was a good one, in fact the scours had never found the animal’s equal upon the plains, both for endurance and speed, and at a swinging pace he continued his way without the slightest distress. “That mad pilgrim is a goer,” muttered Buf- falo Bill, as he saw that the trail indicated the same long, swinging stride it had from the start. At last the tracks led to the bank of a small stream; but across it had the madman gone, evidently without the slightest hesitation. The course of the Mad Hercules lay straight for the Big Horn river, as though anxious to gain the shelter of the heavier hills about it, and perbaps thus make his way back to the Yellowstone, where it was said was his favorite tramping-ground. ‘*He is kind in takiug this trail,” said Bill, “for he does not lead us off our way, does he, old fellow?” nA he patted his horse affection- ately as he spoke, . Atter awhtle he said, again addressing his horse, for want of a human companion: ‘The general and the boys say we are fools, old borse, to go to Sitting Bull’s camp. ‘**But we promised to do so, and we must keep our word, and I guess all will pan out well, ‘‘But we'll find this Mad Hercules first, and discover just who he is, ‘Old California Joe says he is a giant Bar- num got in England, to show through the States, and that he caught the gold fever and ran off to California, and finding no gold for *The Indian killed by Buffalo Bill, and who fur- nished “the first scalp for Custer,” was a noted Cheyenne chief by the name of * Yellow Hand,” and the son of “Cut Nose,” also a famous chief. * It was not the custom of Bnffalo Bill to scalp red- ' skins; but kno their scalp-lock, and imbittered by the sacre, he determined to do so upon his trail , Venge.—THe AuTHOR, . “ how highly the Indians prize ter mas- of re- (CON MUS cS ,OO €O