Beadle's Dime Library No. 851 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

— ; The post was a tall staff, upon which | waved the flag of the Pony Riders, a red field with a horse and rider in blue, { Over the headquarters cabin floated the Stars and Stripes, and the post was right in | front of it. | There were but a few minutes to spare to the time of arrival when Buffalo Bill came | walking leisurely toward the crowd. | He was all ready for the ride, dressed as | | was his wont, but carrying, all noticed, two | revolvers in his belt, while at his back was | slung a lariat. He was wholly unmoved and greeted the crowd with a pleasant word, glancing at his watch as he did so, Just then Juniper, the man who had cared for Buffalo Bill’s horses, came up leading Red Devil. The crowd gave the vicious animal ample room, for he appeared in an ugly humor, | and Juniper was having trouble with him until Buffalo Bill stepped forward and spoke to the beast, sharply. Instantly the horse calmed down, and Juniper had no further trouble with him. The captain always knew ahead of the days when extra valuable packages were to go over tue trail, so he now came out of his cabin and said: ‘All ready, Buffalo Bill?” *¢'Yea. oir,” ‘* Well, you will have another valuable freight to-day, as Wild Bill brings one in,” “Tf Wild Bill gets in,” growled Rocket Rob. ‘Oh, he'll get in all the same, Rocket Rob, never fear,” assured Buffalo Bill, con- fidently. **He’s no nore than human, and a bullet will down him as quickly as it will any of the rest of us, or even you,” was the half sullen reply. if Danhiesie if he gets in the way of one; but I have faith that Hickok will as surely get in, as [ will reach the end of my run, or that Pony Bob will make his from Valley Farm to Danites’ Ranch. We are the lucky three you know,” ‘* Do you want to go through?” ‘* Yes, of course, and bet to win.” ‘* Will you bet that the rider whom Wild Bill gets his freight from will come through?” } ‘* No; that chap, whoever he is, is not on my betting list.”” ‘Will you bet that the man Pony Bob gives his freight to goes through?” ‘“No, again,” “ But you will bet on yourself, Wild Bill and Pony Bob?” ‘*Of course I will. The Good Luck Three every time! So name your bet,” ‘ First, why won’t you bet on the others?” demanded Sob, as if to get information for the jealous five, ‘‘ For the simple and sufficient reason that I do not know them.” “Don’t know them?” ‘* No, [am not sure who brings the freight to Wild Bill or takes it from Pony Bob. If I was I might bet on them, one way or the other.” | ‘‘How do you mean?” ‘‘That they would, or would not get through.” “Then you only have faith in you and | your particular pards.”’. 3A *‘I wish to consider all the riders my ‘ pards, but as you put it that way, I will say that 1 have faith in a man as I know him, and when he has shown just what is in him, ‘*T would bet on the going through of many I see here, while there are some [ wonld not bet on,” We ‘‘ Who, for instance?” 3 Buffalo Bill smiled and replied: . ‘‘Did you go through on the east run that BY, I volunteered for, Rocket Rob?” A loud laugh greeted this question, and - Rocket Rob retorted with ‘a visible show of anger: ; “Well, T'll bet you fifty dollars, Buffalo. Bill, that your Good Luck Three, as you eall yourselves, don’t go through safe on this run,” -. . * Piltake the bet! ; . ‘* Book it, please, pene Starbuck, and ¥ — there comes Wild Bill now,” and a yell - ie yi _ greeted Buffalo Bill's .zords, while Captain a)... Starbuckcalled out; | We save a es | re Mtl bak Ti hly Wht ie vhf - at Be at bet that all three of you fot feria) a? Tw 6s te be ‘ NOTE, Oe ' ‘Captain Starbuck, with whom he ha upon theerock. flash, the Pon to ” oe e) ts < oF et (l-r =s)S 9 war ee em 8 eee — 2 ee ee ee a eee ——— One ee The head disappeared once more, the rifle barrel flew up and all was silence. ‘Well, he aimed straight,” remarked the 700d Luck Rider, as he wiped the hlood from a scratch on the cheek, for the bullet had merery grazed it, ** A half a minute in his favor!” Along the trail Wild Bill came with a rush, his horse all in a foam. As he drew nearer, it was seen that the | horse was bleeding from a wound in his | neck, and drawing up, Wild Bill waved a | long black scalp lock around hig head and | ‘‘'There may be others there,’ muttered called out: the rider; at which thought he dismounted, ‘* Tt was an Indian, this time, captain; but | left Red Devilstanding and ran swiftly and [ brought you a souvenir of him!” noiselessly to the rock. ‘Then you were fired on by Indians,; Darting around it he suddenly stopped | Wild Bill?” and from his lips broke the words ‘* No, sir; only one lone Indian, for I saw ““My God!” | , no other. The bullet struck my horse, but; ‘‘ Bill, ’m done for,” was the faint reply. | rode onto him before he could fire again, | ‘* Fearless Frank, my poor pard, what in and that was his funeral. I thought I’d} Heaven’s name did you lie in ambush to fetch his scalp along, for actions speak loud: | kill me for?” er than words, ‘You've got it wrong, Pard Bill, for I ‘*Good luck to you, Pard Bill! May you , didn't intend to kill you, but you saw me, me go through without a scratch! You carry | thought I was an outlaw, and fired, and valuable freight,” he continued, turning to | then, to protect myself, I had to fire.” Buffalo Bill, who had heard what his friend ** What a terrible mistake I made in firing, had said, without any word of comment, | yet what else was I to ‘infer but that you and leaping into his saddle, went away with | were an outlaw, and here to kill me? Oh, one mighty bound of the angry and impa- | Frank, what a terrible mistake you made.” tient horse, which was to risk his life with ‘ Bill, ’ve got my death call, and I'll tell his rider’s, and, followed by a roaring cheer | the truth.” from the crowd, he was watched by all un- He paused a moment to regain his breath. til he had disappeared at the first turn in the ‘*] was here for a purpose, and that was Overland Trail. to ascertain for a fact if what we opined was any true. We five—you know whom I mean— ey CHAPTER XVII. ~ suspected you of being in with whoever toad kills the riders, and I was the spy to find | out,” lie ** Great Gos! Fearless Frank, did you sus- pectme* hacrime?’ “We aid; and I was spying, and—say, Bili, catch me for Jin falling.” Vs ae He stretched out his hands and Uuilalo Bill grasped them, though the man was not falling, for he already lay flat on the ground, , Before Buffalo Bill could speak, he felt the tight grasp of the hands released and the Pony Rider spy was dead! That Buffalo Bill was desply impressed there was po question, for he stood like one— struck a stunning blow. But, inan instant, he seemed himself, and, with a deep sigh said: ** Poor fellow, he made asad mistake.” Then he looked about him for the horse of the Pony Rider spy, and after a few minutes found him hitched in a thicket, One Leading him to the rock he strapped the body to the saddle, and, mounting Red | Devil, started off for the corral under the cliff, but going at a slow pace, not caring to — dash along with the dead body of the un- — THE SPY, THERE were very few men in the crowd that saw Buffalo Bill ride away, who thought they would ever behold him alive again. Good luck could not continually favor him, was their way of putting it. So believing, several openly asserted that he would never get through, “How much i is your opinion worth, pards? I’ve got money to bet that he goes through,” called out Wild Bill, turning from been talking. Silence fell at once upon the crowd, and Wild Bill called out: ** Money talks, pards!” “Well, it’s my opinion he goes under,” said Jockey Jack. ) “Put up or shut up!” cried Wild Bill, waving a roll of bills above his head, ‘You can’t back me down, Wild Bill, so name your sum,” Jockey Jack added, with some temper, ‘*Good! You are the kindof mun I like— one who has the courage of his opinions. ° ee “There is fifty dollars. and I've got more | fortunate Pony Rider, who had come to of the same sort if anybody wants to put | such an untimely end, | up.” | se Jockey Jack Covered the bet promptly, : ro and one other Pony Rider took a thirty CHAPTER XVIIL. 4a dollar wager that Baffalo Bill would not go HALF-WAY, at! ; through. Ry Wild Bill at onee covered it, and then walked off to his exbin. Meantime, Buffalo Bill was riding alon with Red Devil at a full ran—on—on, until the first relay was reached and passed, for, as before, he did not change his horse, Reacnutna the secret corral under the cliff, Buffalo Rill stood up in his saddle and lifted the body of Fearless Frank toa shelf = rock where it would be safe from the coyotes ‘until his return, and where, unseen by the vultures, it would be undisturbed by them, The stock-tenders there ‘were too much Then he bee up the the barrier’ and Bieta) edd afraid of Red Devil, while, at the next sta- | ed the two horses loose in the natural corral tion, there was a pen in which he could be | to await his return, eon kept to himself, if need be. Fastening his saddle, bridle and the As Bill neared the spot where he had be- | leather bags and buckskin pouch tothe end “Ss fore found the stick with the warning in it, | of the double lariat, he climbed on top and eh his eyes were searching the trail to see if drew the things up after him, : a, there was any signal there this time. There stood the horse, the same he had > 4 He discovered none, and was about to, left there, but he could see that he had been | turn off to go to the secret corral over under | taken away and cared for by the Mysterious _ the cliffs, when just off from the trail he | Guide and then brought back in time for his thought he saw a head disappear behind a | coming. Mims! rock which was sheltered by a group of | Nowhere visible, however, was. the un mm small pines, | known friend in need, bi). att hr Drawing rein he sat upon his horse wait-| Saddling and bridling the animal, Buffalo ing, a revolver cocked, in his hand, Bill mounted and rode rapidly away upon Still as a statue in bronze were horse and | his run. — Ot rider, the eyes of the latter fixed searchingly He had lost over half an hour by his bao 1 « fortunate and fatal meeting with Fearless n Frank, but he knew the cut-off wou ae he the ae and did not push on at fullest te: speed. Turning again into the Pony Trail, when it at length was od geiaet he looked at his watch and saw that he had some minutes to ~ spare, but for some reason he now dashedon atthe utmost speed of his fresh mount, - When at last he dashed up to the lone ~ cabin of Silent Sam, he found the st eady for him. — org! > 5 . 4,94 i ‘ wan’ * : ! mi ; aed vie het ae ‘ a: | ‘ i NINN RR, S| lA, ay == : S/ gn @ yaa gg ®@ \/ , &. ¢ ; ‘ @ | } | | | 1) aa J\ ™ ~ >, mw WV EEE 8 Ge DS ww ww EN = LOS SR See ree ae tr elton UPL e en! NE & Buffalo Bill was sure that whoever was there would look over the stone again to see ey he did not ride on, | | ust as he had surmised, soon the top of a hat appeared over the rock; then. the fore. head and eyes of a man; when quick asa Rider fired, : He saw the head disappear, then reappear, and a rifle ran out over ee rock and flashed just as Buffalo: Bill pulled trigger ais rag OE “ganar 8 en he Bee, | = ii Fi 7 Ba) 9 i. - . 74 ; . i ey > r+ i ‘ 7* ms TT - aree da r 7 f f ew laa ei Te 4 ‘eA AS? 4 W/o ated SViket,- We 7P ed