Beadle's Dime Library No. 826 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24 Buffalo Bill’s Sharp-Shooters. ** Well, I brought him on with me then, Bil, and that is all there is of it, but I hope that no harm has befallen the Scalp Taker,” CHAPTER LIII. MISSING, THe day se away and nothing was seen of the Pawnee warrior Scalp Taker. Expecting that they would have to be up again all night, both Buffalo Bill and Sur- eon Powell went to sleep soon after break- ast, and left the prisoner to the care of Buttons and the Pawnees., It was late in the afternoon when they | awoke, and they looked worried when But- : tons told them that Scalp Taker had not ap- , peared. f Then they decided to have a talk with ‘ the prisoner, and Buffalo Bill hit upon a clever way of getting all the information out of him that was obtainable. The prisoner was a young warrior who appeared to stand well asa Sioux, to’ judge Bey" from his own account of himself told to i Buttons. b: He recognized both Buffalo Bill and Sur- geon Powell, having seen them before on several occasions, and he had been in the “we attack on the scout when the surgeon had ‘J frightened his band off, and also in the three defeats the Sioux had met with after- 2" ward. es He was willing to sound his own praises ‘% and Buttons had encouraged him to talk, but intimated that he supposed that he would be put to death. hen Buffalo Bill took him in hand to im him he asked him if he was not a chief. The red-skin was sorr was not, yet hoped to near future. Then the scout asked his name, and was told that it was ‘‘ Talk-too-much.” **T hope you’ll talk all you wish,” said to confess that he e some day in the = _ Buffalo Bill, and then he went on to tell him Ae: that they had come there into the Indian Py). country for the sole purpose of rescuing some friends the Indians had taken prisoners —s &tt the Battle of Hermit Pass. sy Watching the face of the Indian they could see a certain expression upon it that neither of the scouts could fathom, oe) ‘Those friends are now in the Sioux camp,” continued Buffalo Bill. ee ‘And if your brother braves will give he icepan up to us, we will return you in their cn) ace.” . This was the tact Buffalo Bill had taken to ree find out about Frank Fenton and his com- -_- panions, and now encouraged to talk, the prisoner said that there were no prisoners in the aoe village taken at the fight of 7 t | -—s ** Were they put to death?” asked the ~ scout, ti “ce No.”’ What was done with them?” -—s *‘None were taken there,” was the | answer. _ ** Did not the Sioux have any white cap- tives in their village?” Sytpe INGt One.” _ ** This about coincides with what I heard the chief say in the Council Lodge,” remarked _ Buffalo Bill to the Fighting Surgeon. _. ** Yes; can it be possible that we are on a false trail, Bill?” pion «8 **T hope not, for 1 had hopes that Fenton was alive,” ____ ** He certainly was not among the dead on the field, nor were Bostwick and Corbett.” ‘No, and their horses were not found, so __. they must have been captured.” But by whom?” . ‘ ‘* Perhaps Sioux from elsewhere than this Bee village were in the fight, and carried them * Ask the Sioux,” The question was asked and the answer was that the Sioux from the village alone were in the fights. ¥ _ * Well, we must wait-for Scalp Taker and _ gee if he will turn up.” — ** And if not take the back trail?” oe ‘Yes, for we are on a false scent after _ Fenton in this village I verily believe.” _ The prisoner was asked other questions ’ = et Ah $ ; * BJ ‘ . ’ ‘ a, fe ¢ . nti M wis 7 a _ — ‘s “ = 4 rel , oes 4 na . » ys Fev 5 o . s to his chance to know if there were white | his knife to be on’the defensive. _ prisoners in the village, but his answers UQHj}} =... sss... TTT re ape enna fiemetinenemenitecmatianniinnataeestti ‘ ae @ f nail ~ | & aad 7 7 M4 ae 2 *™ * ~ proved that he was in a position to know all that took place in the tribe. That night Buffalo Bill and Surgeon Pow- ell agaln started for the Indian village. They did not intend to enter it, but they wished to seeif they could find Scalp Taker in any way, or discover if he had been killed or captured by the Sioux. They went rapidly over the trail and reached the spot where they had parted with the Indian, thinking that he might have mis- understood the place to meet them, and was in hiding near waiting for them. But Scalp Taker was not visible, nor did he put in an appearance as they waited. he village seemed more quiet than it had been the night before, and yet neither Cody nor Powell wished the other to make the venture of the previous night, though each one was willing to go and reconnoiter if the other would wait there for his return. But this neither would hear to, and after remaining until midnight they started upon their return to the camp. ‘If they have caught Scalp Taker, missed oung Talk-too-much, or failed to find the ndian and dog I killed, it has all acted upon them like a dose of soothing syrup, for the Village is as quiet as a gravevard to-night.” ‘« Yes, Bill, and speaking of graveyards let us get away from here,” and they walked rapidly back upon the trail to the secret camp in the canyon, CHAPTER LIY. THE SCALP TAKER, ANOTHER day of rest for the two friends, another night's tramp to the place where they had last seen the Scalp Taker, and still no sign of him. When the third night had passed in the same way, Buffalo Bill said: ‘‘We will go again to-night, Frank, and if he does not show up, we must start upon the back trail.” ‘*T think so, Bill.” ‘¢We are now doubtful as to Fenton and his comrades having been captured, and we have certainly done our duty in coming here to look for them, for the chances were a hundred to one that we turned up our toes to a daisies. x ‘‘Now Scalp Taker has doubtless parted company with his scalp, poor fellow, and if he does not meet us to night we will start on the trail out of this country.” ‘* Whatever you say I am with you.” So once more the two friends took up the long tramp for the place which they had now visited four nights in succession, in the hope of finding the Scalp Taker. They had just reached the rendezvous, and were gazing at the lights of the Indian village, when, from their hiding-place the saw two forms approaching. ** Shall we hold them up, Doc?” ‘*Not unless they fall upon us, for we oat one more Indian now than we want, ‘You are right,” and as the scout spoke the two forms halted. **One’s a squaw, Bill.” ‘* Sure.” They were not fifteen feet away, and were conversing in a low tone, as they halted and turned toward the village, apparently in- vies in the view of the lights of the camp- res, Then the two came forward again and Buffalo Bill whispered: ‘Frank, it is the Scalp Taker.” The two forms were now facin hiding-place of the pards, and one said Sioux tongue: ‘‘Now we must hurry on, for if my white brothers believe that I have been killed and have gone, the Fawn Eyes will have to re- turn to her tepee, for she cannot walk, and the Scalp her again.” ‘“A love affair, or I’m a saint,” muttered oe to himself, and then he said aloud: ‘*Your pale-face brothers have not left you, Scalp Taker.” Both Indians turned quickly, the woman uttering a slight exclamation of alarm, while Scalp Taker dropped his hand upon the the ker must come for | uttered —* 5 e . 0 ae Ww ‘cis 70) i 1 Ww Bol, the: wor » fou ico ryho--had A one osm, Seat hy, a? ee es g ot af . mre ans Eon ‘ ’ " dew et @ *.3-4e - e as a ee TS a a 8 a ot Se a es a them, and Buffalo Bill and Surgeon Powell at once stepped out and confronted them. ‘‘ The Scalp Taker is glad to see his white brothers, for he feared they had gone far away, as he did not come back. ‘*But the Scalp Taker loved a little maiden, whose father isa Sioux chief, and her mother a Pawnee captive. ‘*He left her here when he escaped from the Sioux, and he met her when he came the other night, ‘‘She is the Fawn Eyes, and she hid the Scalp Taker in the tepee of her father, for her mother is dead, ‘The Scalp Taker has heard all that the white chief would know, and he started to- night on their trail, the Fawn Eyes going with him to see if they had gone. ‘*Tf they were gone, the Fawn Eyes was. to come back to her people, but if the Scalp Taker found the white chiefs waiting for him, he wished them to take the Fawn Eyes. with them that she may go to the Pawnee Village with the Scalp Taker.” The Indian ceased speaking. He had told his story and pleaded his cause, The Sioux maiden stood silent and with face downcast. ‘*Tt is the same old story, Doc, whether in palace or hovel, army post or Indian camp, the story of love.’ ‘* Yes, Bill, you know how it is yourself, so don’t be hard on the girl and take her along.” ‘““You bet I will,” and turning to the Scalp Taker the scout said: ‘* The Fawn Eyes is welcome, and can go with the Scalp Taker: but let us go at once, for if the Scalp Taker has not found the white prisoners in the Sioux camps, we must start on the back trail to-night.” “The Scalp Taker knows that the white braves are not in the Sioux village. “‘The Sioux took no prisoners in the late battles, and know nothing of the three pale- face braves. ‘‘The Fawn Eyes can tell them with a straight tongue, for she knows.” ‘That is Ast the conclusion we had come to, Scalp Taker, from what we had found out. | ‘‘- You have done well, however, and I am glad that you have captured a Sioux pris- oner in the Fawn Eyes, ‘* Now let us be off.” They started at a brisk pace, and the Fawn Eyes never once showed fatigue, and they reached camp in time to get started on the or trail a couple of hours before the dawn ay. ° ; CHAPTER LY. THE HERMIT OF THE PASS. Tur Fawn Eyes had come prepared to ie with Scalp Taker, provided the party had not left the camp, believing him dead, and there was a way for her to go. If Buffalo Bill bad gone with his party, then the Scalp Taker was to go into hiding until the Fawn Eyes could get two of her father’s best ponies and join her lover with them. That was the arrangement according to Scalp Taker, and when the sunlight revealed the Fawn Eyes, she was seen to be a very pretty girl, that is as far as the beauty of In- dian girls go, which is limited. She was young, graceful and plucky. She had put her trousseau in a blanket and brought it with her, megs! the bundle herself all the way from the village to the camp, for, though a lover, Scalp Taker be- ing a warrior could not lower his dignity by bearing a burden. The gallantry of both Powell and Cody had made them offer to carry it, but Fawn Eyes declined, and they fell from grace in her eyes for being willing to carry a bundle. A pack-horse was given to the red-skin maiden, and she seemed perfectly at home in the saddle, and appeared to consider the giv- ing up of her father and people for Scalp Taker a very fair exchange. The Scalp Taker acted as guide on the re- treat, and Buffalo Bill told him that they wished to leave the Sioux country by way of the Hermit’s Pass, so he bore away in that direction. | The reason for going by that trail was . , ~~ i i } fn % a? Pot ; a | > ' é | i J é&. ° > >“ YE ULL EY > x " oe me ; that both Surgeon Powell and Cody were = |) a 4 pas