Beadle's Dime Library No. 851 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

—- ——— > - wad ae Re sis tem among themselves, and Rocket Rob told Sis th Ce) Seale said in a low tone. * aw “\ . . 7 As vabsed as 8 ——- -- impressed with the suspicious circumstances | brought up against Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill aud Pouy Bob, there was no doubt, Upon the principle of misery loving com- any, they were united, for all of them had ost money betting against Buffalo Bill’s success. Then, too, they had all been dethroned by his remarkable deed, which so much over- shadowed theirs, They were decidedly in an ugly humor toward Buffalo Bill, and it only needed the spark of suspicion, set forth by Fearless Frank, to kindle a fire of proof in their minds that no mere luck could carry a man through with what Will Cody had accom- plished. There must be something else, and Fear- less Frank had doubtless hit the nail on the head in suspecting that the Indians and Cloven Hoofs spared the three pards, for rersons to be discovered, to vent all their hatred upon others of the riders. That the three Pony Riders dressed alike, and all rode blood-bay horses, was not put down as an eccentricity on their part, but as a proof that they did so for some subtle purpose, What that purpose was the quintette de- termined to find out, Now, bow to go about making the discov- ery that their three fellow-riders were other than they seemed, was a question they must very carefully consider, _ They knew that not one of the turee were men to trifle with, and they were aware how serious was the charge that they must make, when they asserted the three men were secretly in league with either the Indians, Mormons or outlaws, for they believed that many Mormons were lawless in their deeds towards Gentiles, and opposing civilization not established in the wilds by followers of their creed. Whether this was true or not of a few liwless followers of Brigham Young, the _ Mormons as a whole were made to suffer for many crimes of outlaws and deeds done by the Indians, and the Pony Riders stood in awe of them as of foes they had real cause 1o dread, _ The warning letter was discovered by the five men and the writer of that too was con- nected with Buffalo Bill, and, after a long conversation together they worked them- selves into the belief that they really had three traitors in their midst, But there was not one of the five, plucky ‘men though they were, who had the nerve to openly make the charge against Buffalo Bill and his two friends, that they were not true to the League of Pony Riders ; They must first get undoubted proof against them and then spring the trap that ete would destroy them, nf Todo this they must establish a spy sys- just. how this could be done. ‘*Pards, we have got to watch them,” he a 4) There wag no dissentin he went on: | ah. see do this: keep one of our number con. __ stantly on the watch. ‘*Now this must be a dead secret among us five, for we can trust each other. A hint of it to others would thwart our whole scheme and put us in a hole,” -_ ** Yes, a real hole in the ground,” sup. g voice to this, and q : . lemented Fearless Frank in a tone the sig- __ hifleance of which all understood. __ ** Now one of us five has got to play spy, ant we are to relieve each other at the busi. " / Byss, $4 ; . aM __‘‘ What's your plan, Rob?” asked Jockey Se PUCK. Baht ‘It's for one of us to go out ahead of — _ Buffalo Bill on his next ride, ___- ** We are to go some hours before, and to the place where Pe hold him up if anywhere, —- ** J say to the place; but I mean near it, ©The man that goes can turn off the trail, hide his horse and on foot creep near to the go the Cloven Hoofs would . ts ‘he ey tenil, getting position where he"can see a | Jong way in both directions, but not, to be | seen. “Ae will have to take grub along and stay in position until Buffalo Bill comes _ baek, if he don’t discover anything when he's going. ceatett mg n't appear to be < ry® ms cre 25) - ce elects do NO sh Ay yk et m 4 vit ata) i et be ot Za ~ eae py te ; ee ae" . a om ¥, 73 ~ oe eS ee eens i LL LL S _P pei F he Md }. . . as a spy must select another one, and so on, the sick list, and so he won’t be missed first to go?” , Rocket Rob glanced over the faces of his comrades and saw that none of them seem ed just anxious to lead off, though they alli thought the plan was the best one to entrap Buffalo Bill. As no one spoke, Rocket Rob continued. ‘* Maybe I had better lead off.” “No, we want you here as captain. I'l go as Number One," spoke up Fearless Frank, ‘Yes, you made the charge against Buffa- lo Bill, so you are the first to go as spy, Fearless rank,” said Rocket Rob. And so Fearless Frank was the one to go AS Spy. CHAPTER XV. THE SECRET CONFESSED, BurraLo Brut was thoroughly rested when he woke up at nightfail, after his champion ride, His frame was too enduring to get sore from hard work, and he felt no il)-effects when he got up and said that he was ready for supper. This over, and he ate heartily, he went over to headquarters cabin to have a tall with Starbuck. The captain was a man all the Pony Riders liked, yet knew better than to trifle with. He was firm with all, rigid in his discipline, but kept the best horses constantly on hand for them to select from, had the trappings always inthe best condition, and always sup. plied his men with the best food, having some one hunting game for them all the time. The stablemen were kept up to the mark in looking after their duties, and there was military discipline upon all. . Captain Starbuck had been a cavalry sol- dier for ten years, rising to the rank of order- ly-sergeant, Then he had driven stage for several years, and from that had gone to keeping a border tavern and being sheriff of the place as well! Those who knew him were well aware that he had a ‘‘record” as a man who had never been run over, but never Sought trouble, and he was selected as the very one to take charge of the Utah Division of the Pony Ex- press Line, He at once brought order out of chaos, and in a short while, though on the most dan- gerous and worst part of the whole trail, his riders made a record as the promptest men on time, the most daring, trustworthy, as well as having proven themselves good In- dian-fighters. By courtesy Nat Starbuck had been pro. moted to ‘‘ captain,” as the commander of the Pony Rider’s Division, Ile was thoroughly trusted by the com- pany, and he was known to be fully com- etent, | Buffalo Bill and Starbuck had met before, when the one was an army sergeant and the other a messenger for the Overland wagon- trains, and they had beea fast friends. When Buffalo Bill came to the Pony Ex- ress, Cuptain Nat, as he was most frequent- y called, had been very glad to have him, and when Wild Bill and Pony Bob had join- ed later, through their pard leading the way,. Starbuck had written to the superintendent of the company: “ Lhave now got three men who will ride if the stars fall, | “They are Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill and Pony Bob, and I'll stake my life against them, any time. | “The other men are good, Ihave the pick of the frontier, and there is not one who will not do tu tie to, so send on your freight, and ‘ifit can go through. my men will take it, but if it fails, you will know that the man who earried it is dead,” : ‘This was high praise for bis company of riders,but Nat Starbuck knew them, and in spite of set-backs they had not failed him, or same ong. hat gone ee ph aneR ride, and those who lid lost their freight val ee ," » We Pa) ¢ a js! rr - Re HA } fi L555 | ee toe the right one, then the next man who goes ‘*We can report the man that goes as on ‘* Now, I want to know who will be the d lost, Buffalo Bill’s Double Dilem | , supper, and thought I’d come over and see ee eee eee a rh a Sy ae cRgae oY § "s 5 f / Mma. When Buffalo Bill reached headquarters he found Captain Starbuck smoking his pipe. ‘* Ah, Bill, glad to see you. ‘* | just finished my report, and wished to question you, but did not care to wake you, so made it up without, “How do you feel?” ** Fine as silk, thank you, sir, for I had a good, long sleep, then ate a few pounds of you before I turned in for the night to make up on sleep.” “Tam glad you did, and I won't detain you long, for to-morrow comes the rub again, you know,” ‘‘T am ready, sir.” **] know that, Bill, you always are ready. “* You may be sure I wrote a deservedly flattering report of what you had done.” ‘*You are very kind, sir; but we are in this business to put the freight through, so why shrink when certain death seems to bar the way, ‘* Suppose a soldier did not go into battle if he feared he would be killed, what kind of an army would we have? ‘* No, I am here to take all chances, and if I cannot circumvent my foes, then I am ready to meet the alternative,” “Well said, Cody, and I know that I can rely upon you and others in spite of what has happened,” ‘‘Ido not blame the men from holding back against the warnings, but I cannot do as they wish, and run half adozen of them through together. ‘‘ Suppose every division had to send a Pony Rider through under a guard, it would take thousands of men and then the dis- tance could not be made in one-third of the time.” ‘* You are right, sir. It is a one man ride, and the Mormons who oppose it, the out- laws and the indians must learn that the Pony Rider is going through on a lone trail. ‘If one rider goes under, another must take his place, and the ride must and shall be made..’ ‘* Right you are, Cody! ‘* But now, let me ask you if you have any idea as to the sender of that mysterious letter of warning?” ‘*Captain Starbuck, 1 came over here to tell you what I deemed it my duty to make khown to you.” “Well, Cody?” ‘‘T am under a pledge of secrecy, but I feel that I owe it to you to let you know the secret,” ‘*] will so consider what you tell me, Bill,” **T do not wish to appear under false colors, sir, and hence I desire to make known to you how I got through on my last run, ‘*‘T had intended to make a dash, where I believed the ambush was, firing with both revolvers, but I was saved making the effort to break through, and I will tell you how.” Then Buffalo Bill told of his warning, his unknown guide, and how he had returned, making known also the finding of a second warning paper in the trail, ‘““This is remarkable, Bill; but may your mysterious guide always protect you,” earn- estly said Captain Starbuck; and soon after Buffalo Bill returned to his cabin and turn- ed in for the night. a eer eee CHAPTER XVI, WILD BILL’s ‘‘ SOUVENTR.” THERE was a large crowd at the post the © next morning to see the arrival of one Pony | Rider and departure of another. " All of the riders were there, with few ex- ceptions, and the stablemen had also put in an appearance in mumbers. The settlers had heard of the fate of the . riders of late, who had ridden what was known as the Death Run, and they also had come in, while miners, and others in the Home Ranch settlement were all on hand The Pony Riders had been called up by Captain Starbuck and sworn to secrecy on the subject of the warning letter, as it was feared that, if it got out, it might cause Ay ghe one who + warned them. _As the time drew near for the coming ‘in — f the rider from the ee , the crowd — in to gather at the post. ) a a a i ee i ee a ° GN. aS ae 4. a 0 ero af . wv ‘ 2 " ‘ phe a 2 io é 5 i) LP