Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 414 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

—s © “ - “ ¥e -_—— _—_- his favor, for otherwise he looked and dressed young leader had won unenviable fame as Cap- the villain he certainly was. ‘‘ Waal, Buck, are thet you?” he asked, in a irawling tone, as the Bravo rode up. ‘* Tt most certainly are.” ‘‘- Yer allus tries te make a fuss in ther world, Buck, and must needs come up the Devil’s Highway a-shootin’ weepins, fer I lays out it were you.” ‘* Yas, I shooted at a eagle that were flappin’ about me most vivious as I rid along,” was the Bravo's ready lie. ‘* Yer hain’t skeered o’ a eagle, Buck, I hopes; but I wishes yer’d hev ther sense not ter shoot so near ther nest, fer it skeers ther boys, and ther cap’n sent me down to scout out who it were, and supper jist about ready, fer me.” ‘Thar yer go, Joe, an’ yer is properly called, fer yer is allus hungry, was born hungry, an’ yer’ll die hungry. ‘¢ But how’s things in ther nest?” ‘* All right, tho’ ther cap’n hev been anxious about you, fer yer were due here some two weeks ago.” ‘Yas, I knows it, Hungry Joe, but I hev been on a leetle trip of my own.” **Dust in it, Buck?” ‘*In course, fer I doesn’t handle nothin’ thar hain’t yaller metal in.” ‘*'You bet; but did yer see ther paymaster?” ‘* Does yer mean Badger?” sé Yas.” ‘‘No, I didn’t see nothin’ of him,” placidly said the Bravo, and he rode on with payed Joe up the defile which led further into the mountain depths. CHAPTER XXIII. THE GOLD BUZZARDS. | In the very midst of the mountains far up above the lowland valleys, was a canyon, shut in by lofty hills, the tops fringed by tall pines, and the whole spot just such a retreat as one would wish to dwell in, if he were a man that was forced to live away from his fellow-men. A fall tumbled over a high cliff at the upper end of the canyon, and the walls of rock were impassable to the foot of man or beast; but within were green fields of grass, a crystal brook, and upon its banks were built rude log huts, seven ir number. One of these seven, the larger one, stood apart from the others, and seemed rather more comfortable and inviting es an abiding- place. ' The others ranged along the brook, and evi- dently contained but one room each, Before each hut, or cabin, a fire was blazing, and about them clustered a group of men, vary- ing from four to six in number. They were a wild-looking lot, bronzed-faced, bearded, long-haired, and armed with pistols and a long knife each. Upon the trees scattered here and there were hanging saddies and bridles, and off up the can- on, grazing upon the rich grass, were nearly a Sunieed horses, varying from the large draught animal to the small broncho. Where the cabins stood the canyon was very narrow, they taking up the space, with the brook, so that they formed a barrier against the animals straying out of the natural in- closure. Back under the cliff was tho larger of the cabins, before referred to, and it had a fire built to one side of it, and over which a Chinese was yreparing supper, which consisted of broiled bir s, roast potatoes, raw onions, coffee and hoe- cakes, baked in the ashes, It was certainly a tempting repast fora hun- gry man, and so seemed to think an individual who was seated in a rustic chair before the cabin, and watching the culinary preparations of the heathen Chinee, The individual referred to was a man whose appearance seemed wholly foreign to his sur- roundings. . He was hardly the medium _ hight, his form was slender and graceful, and his face, if pos- sessed by a woman, would have been ed beautiful. f ' His hair was black and hueg in clustering ringlets upon his shoulders, and his darkly- bronzed face was beardless, which caused him to appear scarcely more than eighteen years of age. te was dressed in a suit of black velvet, and beneath his sack coat shone the gold buckle of a fancy belt, in which he carried a pair of silver-mounted revolvers and a superb bowie- knife, while his remarkably small feet were 1n- cased in stylish top-boots, armed with gold spurs. x black slouch hat with broad brim, and en- circled by a red silk cord, sat jauntily upon his handsome head, and was turned up upon te left side, and held there by a large pin, repre- senting a gold buzzard, an insignia which each one of the men also wore, yet not of the fine workmansbip and size of the one of their cap- tain, for such was the young man just de- scribed, The bivouac, or rather the ‘‘ Mountain Nest,” as the men called it, was the retreat of a band _of outlaws who had become known and feared cas the Gold Buzzards of Colorado, and their LE tain Kit. ‘*Come, Hong Kong, you heathen, do you in- tend to see me starve right before your eyes, for Ihave the appetite of Hungry Joe,” said the young captain, in a half-impatient way, ad- dressing his Chinese servant. ** Suppee ready light away quickee, nicee sup- pe for goodee ’Melican man,” answered Hong Cong, with a grin, spreading a clean cloth upon a rude table, for although an outlaw and living in a mountain nest, the Chinee kept up a ‘‘ washee washee, allee samee,’”’ as he expressed it, that his master might have clean linen for his table tc wear. ‘* For a good American man, you say, you heathen, and you know me to be a bad one; but anyhow I'll take the supper,” and rising from his chair, the young outlaw took a seat at the little table. Into a large silver cup the Chinee poured his coffee, and a massive bow] of the same precious metal sat near filled with sugar, while the rest of the table service was equally as valuable and had evidently done duty in some elegant home ere it became the property of the chief of the Gold Buzzards, As the young outlaw took his seat there rode into the camp two horsemen, whom the Chinee recognized, for he called out: ‘‘Hungry Joe comee back, and Buckee the Bravee with him,” ‘* By Jupiter! you are right, Hong Kong. ‘* Run and tell the Bravo to come up and take supper with me, and ask Hungry Joe who it was that fired that shot down toward the pass.” Hong Kong darted away, and soon returned with the two men, Hungry Joe simply saying, as be touched his hat: ‘* No danger, cap’n, fer it were Buck thet fired ther shot.” “All right, Joe; sit down, Buck, and Hong Kong will set a plate for you,” announced the young captain. Hungry Joe walked away hastily toward his own ce while Buck Bradley took a seat placed for him by the Chinee, and said: ‘Tare jist in time, cap’n, and I are thet hun- gry I could eat a piece o’ Chinee steak.” ‘No eatee Hong Kong steakee,” growled the Chinee, hastening to place food before the man who had hinted at cannibalism. ‘* Well, Buck, what have you to report?” asked Captain Kit. **T hev been off on a leetle expedish all 0’ my own, cap’n, and as I writ you, I hev not been in Bonanza City fer some time.” ‘*T received no letter from you, Buck; by whom did you send it?” ‘* By Jingo, who were in town ther day afore I started.” ‘* Well, Jingo got into a gambling-scrape, and his checks were called in, and that accounts for it; but did you write in cipher?” ‘*’Yas, cap’n.” ‘* Then no harm is done, so go on and tell me what you have been about, for I got anxious about you, and told Badger tc look you up, as he was going down with some booty to ex- change for dust.” ‘*Tll give ye ther news, cap’n, jist as it hap- pened, and you kin judge as to what are best ter be did,” and having finished bis supper, the Bravo lighted a cigar handed to bim by Captain Kit, and began the story he had arranged to tell his chief, for in reality Buck Bradley, the pretended miner, was nothing more than the spy of the Gold Buzzards. CHAPTER XXIV. THE BRAVO’S STORY. ‘Cap'n, thar were a new man come inter Benanza City,” Buck Bradley said, in begin- ning his won’ $ ‘* You speak of him as though it were not an every-day occurrence for a man to go to Bo- nanza City.” ‘* He were not an every-day man, cap’n.” ‘Ah! something out of the usual run of men?” ‘* He were, fer a fact, fer he were handsome as a pictur’ painted in red, strong as a bucking broncho, c’u’d shoot ahead o’ anything I ever seen, and had diamonds to throw to ther birds, ‘“He were dressed ter upset a gal’s head, sported a gold ticker and chain, and looked ther out and outer Dandy from Velvetville, but were chuck-full o’ sand and were a tiger from Tiger- ville ef yer rubbed him ag’in’ ther fur. ‘*Oh, he are a darling, and he jist painted ther town blood-red ther fu’st night they jumped him fer a slouch, and raised a howl in Bonanza City thet jist made ther dogs hang the’r tails in disgust.” ‘You seem to think well of this stranger, Buck.” ‘* Not me, fer I hates him, and has it inm mind ter fili his heart with lead whenever gits ther chance,” was the savage response, ‘‘ You spoke so highly of bim that I thought you were his friend,” indifferently remarked Captain Kit. ; ‘** I spoke of him as he showed himself ter be, cap’n, and I hain’t afeerd ter acknowledge a man when I sees one. 13 ** But Pll tell ye more about him.” ‘*I should certainly like tc hear about him, Buck.” ‘* Waal, cap’n, ther fu’st we seen o’ him were when I were crowded one night by ther boys, who didn’t like my holdin’ trumps in every game, and thar were five of ’em about ter bounce me. **It were at ther Free-and-Easy Saloon, yer know, and ther place were crowded. ‘*Suddenly a young gent gits up from a table over in the corner, and says he: ‘** Gentlemen, don’t squeai like cowards be- cause a man has won yer money, onless yer kin prove he hev cheated yer. ‘** Ef he hev, take bim out and hang him; ef not, try yer luck ag’in’ him another time. ‘**T hes watched ther game, and it seemed fair and square ter me, and I am a stranger in these parts, and I doesn’t intend ter let no five men jump onter one.’ ‘“'Waal, cap’n, them words set me top o’ ther heap, and we all looked at ther handsome cuss, ‘‘He were ther ono I told yer about, and he did look so dandified I thought he hedn’t ther grit ter back up bis words. ‘*But he tarned ther five fellers from me on- ter himself, and they looked mischief, while Iron Sam said: *** Waal, stranger, as yer has turned up with- out bein’ asked to perform, we'll drop on ther Bravo and waltz with you.’ ‘Ther stranger smiled as sweetly as tho’ he were flirtin’ with a widder at the funeral o’ her partner, and he said, in his sweet way: ‘** Gentlemen, I’d a heap rather have a little knock-down cirkis with fists than a dead-and- bury picnic with revolvers, for ther latter makes stiffs,as you know: so lay aside your weapons and let us fight it out with fists, and then I'll treat ther crowd to wine, whether I git whipped or not.’ ‘*Cap’n, it were astonishin’ ter see ther ef- fect o’ them words, fer it were something new in Bonanza City ter have a fight without weepins. ‘** But ther treating ter wine struck ther boys, while Iron Sam thought he c’u’d lick ther stran- ger without trouble. ‘*So they agreed, and ther weepins was laid aside, and Iron Sam went fer ther bandsome young feller; but cap’n, right thar is whar Iron Sam found that a tack-hammer, properly han- dled, are as dangerous as a ax, fer thet leetle left hand o’ ther stranger caught Sam’s blow and tarned it aside, while his lively right. plant- ed itself upon ther miner’s nose in a way that sent him flyin’ over inter ther crowd. ‘*Iron Sam were mad, and astonished, too; but he got up and went at him again, when he were laid out like dead. *“* A bottle o’ wine, please,’ said ther stran- ger to old Tom, ther bartender, and knocking ther neck off be poured ther contents over Sam, sayin’, pleasant-like: *** Thet will revive him.’ ‘‘And it did, too; and ther stranger asked Sam’s pards ef they were ready fer their tarn; but they declined with thanks, and so he set up ther wine fer ther whole crowd, with cigars throw’d in. ‘*T tuk a fancy ter ther chap and axed him ter make my cabin his home, which he did, and when he heerd about ther Lost Geld Mine, he said he w’u’d go with a party to find it. ‘Of course, I went along, as did Slouchy Sam, Bonanza Bill, and several more, and we a. a nice outfit and slipped off quiet one night. ‘*My idee were to go with ’em, and ef they found ther mine ter slip off and come arter you and ther boys, when we c’u’d wipe ’em out and git ther dust fer ourselves.” ““A good idea, Buck, and it.” ‘*Cap’n, yer has heerd o’ Red Renard, ther Sioux Miner?” ‘* Yes, and sometimes he is called the Indian — Detective, as it is believed that he is in the Gov- ernment’s service.” ‘Yes, cap’n, thet are ther very Injun.” “Well, what about bim?” ‘“*They say he knows whar ther mine are thet no one kin find, and he certainly hes plenty — o’ gold with him when I sees him.” **T have heard that he was the friend of an old miner who found a gold mine two years ago, ~ and was killed on the trail to Bonanza City one night, and that the Indian alone knows cret of where to find the lead.” 6“ Yas. eap’n, and he are determined no one _ am | ere whar I am confident ther Lost Mine i else shall find it, for he come into our the way and warned us away from the | are loca ‘*T thought it a prime idee ter torture ther secret out o’ ther Jnjun, and Jet inon him fer — OR thet iow em when Lordy! thet young game- cock I told yer of just tuk sides with ther Injun, backed ther whole lay-out out, and drove me away from ther camp.” a “You don’t mean it, Buck?” **T does, cap’n.” **T thought oan were not easil ** Nor is I; but driven.” JOO <€om (E S I hope they found — e se- 7 Lt - — ae Py a ~~ . ee be —T a . ,- aan +, 2.°5 - ee he did it, and I tuk water, fer te »