Beadle's Dime Library No. 851 — 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 Double Dilemma. —_—-- “Yes, but it’s a longer trail to the Happy ‘trail just as though his rider was on his | a line of men across the little valley to the Hunting Grounds, Pony Bob.” | back. other side. ‘* Right you are, pard. | Pony Bob did not hesitate an instant, but He knew how tricky Pony Bob was, and “But, Pll be guided by circumstances | throwing himself into his saddle darted after | was determined he should not slip by on when I get there— Say, now I think of it, | the Pony Express horse. foot if he suspected danger at Eagle Rock, Handy, lend me an old suit of clothesand a; But he only went for a short distance But the men on guard across the valley hat that bullets won’t injure to any alarm- | along the trail. and then, driving the spurs had been so taken up with the Oring at ing extent, and several sticks ‘and a lariat, ; deep into the flanks of the horse he rode, he | Eagle Rock, they had all been gazing in L00.” | wheeled off obliquely, intending to flank the | that direction and so it was that the real ‘““T gee ‘your little game, Pony Bob. If _ position held by the outlaws. rider had gotten close upon them before he anything is to be shot it won’t be you.” | The valley there was not over four hundred | was seen. * Bxactly; but, hurry up with the things, ; yards in width, the trail running nearer the Then to their horror they discovered that for, though I’m ahead well on time, it will | right side, under Eagle Rock, than to the | there were two Pony Riders and one of them } seemed likely to go by, to dash through the | | take me half an hour to build my dummy, if | left. I have to do go; Lut, you bet, Handy, I’m It was broken by a few large bowlders | line. oh going through on this run, for the Pony Ex- that had rolled down from the mountains on When he realized his danger, Pony Bob Wee ela press Company can’t afford to lose me. the left and here and there were a clump of tee ‘‘T never heard any of the company say, trees, ie so, but that is my opinion.” Pony Bob’s plan was to ride as far to the | fire. at ‘You are right, Pony Bob, and your life | left as possible, and while the outlaws were He was a crack shot, and he sent two is more valuable than any freight you may | trying to head off his dummy rider, to get by | bullets first at the man nearest to him, then in carr the narrow space and unseen and so keep on | two more at the one under the tree, and was not idle. He quickly drew his revolver and opened + | Ee fe ier cid hOe, it is at Eagle Rock, and the | his way. the last two at the third man, over by the | ' $e oe camp was in the timber, the horses in the | The ‘‘ pony” dashed right ahead along the | cliff. fwd: * meadow, and five of them—don’t forget.” trail, and the clatter of his hoofs told the He was anxious to try and wound each, ; e “Forget? Why, I’m branded with it, | waiting outlaws that the Express Messenger | one, ‘ab Handy—tra-la-la,” and Pony Bob was away | was coming and on time. The first man escaped, but the second one | h eter to face the danger ahead of him, They were upon their feet and ready in an | fell to his knees, tried to get up and toppled | Af nstant, over, i} es ‘* Halt!” yelled a voice as the horse came The third seemed to have also escaped, for } hee CHAPTER XLIX, in sight, the ‘‘ rider” leaning far over on one| the Cloven Hoof called out: | y, side as though to dodge a bullet. ‘Kill Pony Bob, pards, or the King will But though the outlaw had .commanded We oe Pony Bor went flying along the trail, his | ‘‘halt,” as though to be merciful, he followed ee mind busy with what was before him. it quickly with a shot. ‘The moon lighted his way, but whether | But the rider did not fall and the flying dashing through heavy timber, under the | horse was almost upon the outlaws, J they opened. | shadows of the high walls of a canyon, ‘‘Riddle him with bullets!” yelled the As for the daring Pony Rider he had emp- | around a mountain spur, or over a range, he | voice of the outlaw leader, and it was heard | tied his revolver, and one was all that he kept up the same steady pace, by Pony Bob. carried, He was light, he had a good horse and he The volley of rifles that followed the com- He had a derringer in his pocket, but this was going over the ground at a speed that | mand showed that there were half a dozen | was kept for a last emergency and was not i kin used at a distance, : ! ) rr a y " s Al ‘ THE PONY RIDERS RUSE. kill us.” : They had emptied their rifles, so now turn- | ed to their revolvers, | But Pony Bob was within fair range, and ' _ was making minutes in his favor on time of | outlaws at least in the party. arrival, that is if he did not meet withade-| But, though the storm of lead seemed to| So Pony Bob had to ‘‘ take his medicine ” make the rider reel badly, he did not fall | as he said, as the outlaws gave it to him. Another shot wounded his horse again, and he heard a bullet, and felt it, too, strike lay. fk As he neared Eagle Rock he drew his horse | from his saddle, and again the clear, ringing down to a gallop, and then toacanter, at last | voice of the chief was heard: ; going in a walk, ** Kill the horse!” the thick leather pouches on his back. Soon he dismounted, hitched his horse off | As he gave the order he leaped out in| He knew that the bullet would have en- the trail and went forward on foot, having | front of the horse, almost upon him, and | tered his back but for the pouches, hidden his pouches and the bundle of old | fired his revolvers, his shot being followed | Another bullet cut through the brim of his et Handy bad supplied him with. by a rapid cracking of weapons at close | hat, anda third again wounded the unfcr- ) e proceeded with the utmost caution, un- | quarters. tunate horse. til he came in view of Eagle Rock, hind tgp wind was light, and blowing toward ——_-™ — a x —— x tn = any, ~& ~ = _ : - The doomed horse bounded into the air But Pony Bob was out of range now, and and fell heavily, riddled with bullets, roll- though his horse he felt was hard hit, he was. ing over the dummy rider lashed to his | still running well, and the rider was ready. back, | for a spring when he went down. If he could only last him a quarter of a mile further he would be all rigat, as he could. elude his foes on foot. m, ‘They are there,” he said, as he smelt to- bacco-smoke. _—_—_- Then he went toward the timber, and got aah iS tags | Fee _ eR os St eG e, : yin eriere he spit yoann ieee had CHAPTER L. n covered up, yet flashed up again. : The yell of disappointment that the Cloven. Cie wee = | Hoofs gave vent to, when they found a dum-- ““Now to the horses,” muttered Pony . . _ Bob, and making a flank movement around “THat’'s King Cloven Hoof's voice—I | my instead of Pony Bob, the latter heard ies} me timber, he saw the meadow, ; have heard it before,” said Pony Bob as the | and he smiled in his peculiar way and mut- » CE But the moonlight showed that the horses | first commard to halt reached his ears as he | tered: ‘were not there, ‘‘The way they’ll swear would make a sea. _. They’ve got them nearer at hand, and captain drown himself with envy. ** Just listen to that, now!” The last remark was caused by hearing: ready for moving. Deans) 9 4 must borrow one if I can.” the chief's voice uttering most violent oaths, and then saying: | Creeping into the timber, he soon found the horses all saddled and bridled. rl _ Selecting one of the animals, as well as he ‘“‘Well, the row over there helps me go ‘“ Gone by us, you say? _ could in the darkness, trying to get the best, | by.” | ‘‘By Heaven, but I'll shoot every man on | he mounted him and rede back to where he | Then came the command in the sime clear | that line!” voice to kill the horse. | Pony Bob chuckled and muttered: ‘¢ T wish he'd shoot the whole outfit!” had left his own animal. Then he went to work ‘‘ building his man,” Th h Then came the ringing command: “To your horses all and catch him!” as heexpressed it. _ _ The blanket on the outlaw’s horse and some _ Teaves served as stufling, and the old coat, ‘‘That means me,” muttered Pony Bob, pants, boots and hat, with the help of a lariat | there. -and he drove the spurs deep, and stake-rope was soon a fair representa-| ‘‘ I should have counted the horses.” He knew that the outlaws had all of three: ____ tive of a man and bound to the saddle of the Hardly had the words been uttered when | hundred yards to run to their horses, and by outlaw’s horse. Pony Bob found that the outlaws over by | the time they were ready to start, he would But try as he would, Pony Bob could not | Eagle Rock were not all that there were. have over half a mile the start of them. make the horse run the trail. | The King of the Cloven Hoofs was present | If he had had his own horse he would! | ‘ fs ee, turned and turned, and would not | himself on the field and he left nothing to | have had nothing to fear, for he could have» | leave his horse. | chance, he guarded well his flanks. _ | held his lead, “Tam sorry to have you go, old fellow, | This Pony Bob discovered when he sawa} Even with his present mount he could . man spring from behind a bowlder and fire | have kept ahead for a long time, but the ani~ at him, | mal was wounded and weakening. Fortunately he missed. That the poor brute could not go very _ for they may kill you; but you'll have to -_ earry the target, and you bet I'll make this, Then another came out from the shadow | much further Pony Bob realized, and then it was a case of his being dismounted, - 0 FP ae se e=it ad ‘eal ‘ was speeding to get by on the further side of the valley. Then came the shot, and again the voice was heard, ‘*Poor pony, you are doomed,” murmur- ed Pony Bob, and he added: = ‘*Poor pony,” muttered Bob as the volley rung out, and he added: “WHfandy was mistaken in the numbers, for there were over half a dozen outlaws - beast go, and the chances are that I’ll have | » tohoofityet. . “But Viljmake this try first,” of a tree and fired. _ §o saying Pony Bob transferred the dum- The bullet cut through the saddle-pouches my Pony Rider to bis own horse, after | he carried. iy - OHAPTER LI. ch nging Rots, end ore ei ae then : gute pats: pia AS pe also “hide | _ buckled the pouches about his shoulders. and Pon felt that his horse was hit b Be ¥ ite So MALS AP det - “Now I am just due here,” he muttered, | the satay that he gave. 7 asd PURSUING THE PONY RIDER. | | / Nee lg “Go!” he said to his horse, givinghima Bob, vite "slap, and unmindful of what was ahead the ‘The King of the Cloven Hoofs bad guard- | seplendid: beast bounded forward’ to run the ed the flanks of his position well, bad thrown: tha io . sf } a . ee" . % i 4 ¢ wd ; Wi Py nounted he could take to» bh ai seul ~ * f i ¥ _ yt at 24 bs s It began to look most serious for Pony |) : Pony Bor was now serious, yet full He felt that if di ta alt ow ity tre a4 i re) J 3 a ‘ t ep fret 7 4 < ” 9 m4 oP teas) oad + Abe fs iP: i 4,! tar4 (6G! af : ba, . : ha Sardar Conte eke iS Os. ; os se ee eomicbooks.com \e ‘