Jackson Knox---“ Old (_ ,l“\\. I-» ‘ - Vol. VII. vi '1‘ "" I‘ _.< ism? - an max/i -~~—° A iilliiiliiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiliiiiil' s 1: € COPRYIGHTED 1889, BY BEADLE Asp ADAMS. % ? E. F. Beadle, William Adams, : Pvamsnans. PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. PUBLICATION Oii'i'ioaht i98 William Street, New York No. 344 AT THE PLAY. BY '1‘. C. HARBAUGH. Every night with airy grace r She trips adown the aisle. And yonder in her usual place I see her Witching smile. What pretty eyes! nobody seems To know her. but they say, That she, the idol of my dreams, is quoen of the parquet. I know not who beside her Sits, I only see the one; The look she's captured never flits Until the play is done. She sees me not. no fiirtive glance She sends across the way; A gleam of maiden innocence Is queen of the parquet. I see deep in her Winsome eyes A gleam of girlish joy— The same that I was wont to prize When 1 was but a boy. She’s smiling now. but not on me. She’s laughing o’er the play; What! can it be that Kitty Lee ls queen of the parquet? 1 lost her in the long ago. What years have. rolled bet weenl When she was hello and I was beau What merry times were seen! To-night my heart is beating fast, lcannot stop in. nay: For Kitty Lee is found at last— She’s queen of the parquet! She’ll come again to-morrow night. And, prithee, so will l; The play that gives hci‘ such delight I never can pass by. W ho makc the cast? Hold! let me see. I really cannot say: But over yonder Kitty Lee Is quecii of the parquet. Saddle-King Sam, OLD KIT‘S ADJUTANT; on, Tim Big Rustic. on the l’. V. L. ltancli. A ROMANCE OF THE LITTLE MISSOURI. B Y 0L] . COOMICS, Ai‘TllUltUF “Wiiii- KING .io,” “SlLEN’I‘ slum," “ Kl’l‘ HANDY,” nun, arc. CHAPTER V. This \NOLF-l’l'l‘. As the three men whom Rattler had declared were outlaws approached the old hunter and his two young friends, the latter drew their re- volvers and prepared for battle; but to their happy disappointment, the Indian and his fol- lowers turned suddenly to the right and moved away, passing within fifteen feet of the secreted trio. “ By the great Rosycrusiansl' exclaimed 01d Tom, with an air of relief as the three passed out of sight; “I thought I war goin’ to git a chance to show you youngsters a sample 0’ the Red River E ideinic’s fightin’ qualities.” “ Those fel ows may not be outlaws,afterall,” suggested Bob Marshall; “they may be cattle- men looking after stock.” “ They’re too hard—lookin’ bats for that, boy; I’ll bet a tub o’ ice-water and a nicely broiled deer with dressin’ that they’re outlaws, and that their den’s not far away.” “ If that’s the case,” argued Bob, “ then there must be water near.” “ That’s what, boy,” coincided Rattler; “ but say, do you folks I'ecmeinber that that gal, Dianar, axed us if we war goin’ to cross the Bad Lands?” “ I do,” answered Marshall. “What of it?” questioned Harry, fixing his brown eyes searchingly on the old hunter’s face; “ I hope you do not connect that girl with these outlaws in any way, do you, Rattler?” “ It are pretty hard to connect an angel with sich lookin’ varlets, I assure you, boy,” respond- ed Tom, in a tone that was not entire] satisfac- tory to Harry; but he let the matter rop there. “ Those villains—if such they are,” observed Bob, “ must have found our horses, and are out lookin’ for the riders.” “ That’s ’bout the size 0’ it, boy,” Rattler as- sented; “ but now I think we’d be safe in mov- in’ on—follow them critters, and maybe we’ll strike water.” The three at once moved away in the direc- tion the supposed outlaws had gone, and soon they came to a well-beaten path winding among the hills and bushes. Therein they discovered the tracks of both men and horses, all pointing in one direction. . Following the path for nearly half a mile they finally descended into a little rav1ne where, to their unbounded joy, they came suddenly upon a spring,r of cli-ar, sparkling water. _ Liko half-furnished animals they made a dive for the water, and for the next ten minutes all else was forgotten in the enjoyment of the “ de- licious wetness,” as Old Toni termed it. After his thirst had been assuaged, Old Tom examined the spring and its surroundings, and at once became satisfied that it was the resort of men as well as animals. The surplus water had worn a little channel along the ravine, and by following this the old plainsman hoped to find its outlet in a creek. He knew the trend of the rivers of western Montana, and if they should be fortunate enough to strike a fair-sized stream he was satisfied he could get their bearings by the flow of the current. So, filling their canteens at the spring, they started down the ravine. They made their way with no little difficulty, for the vale was choked with wild plum bushes and vines; but, creeping and crowding through, they finally came to a Wide, shallow sink-hole, or basin,_into which the little rill fell and at the very Sight of which they recoiled with a shudder of horror. The basin, at first sight, looked as though it had been excavated by man, but was, in reality. one of those natural freaks oi‘ the Bad Lands. It was not less than two hundred yards Wide at the narrowest place and nearly circular in form. At the lowest point its walls were. not less than eight feet high and perpendicular all the way around. There were places, however, was Where there had evidently been a break, the earth at the bottom had been dug away and the bank brought to the perpendicu- The bottom was a level of ash—colored dirt and sand, and over this were strewn scores of along this wall where the work of man plainly visible. lar. \ ‘ I ~ \ \\\\\\\ \ \\ \\ It was in mistaking the latter, at first sight, for human skeletons that caused the three men to start with a shudder of horror—the revulsion made the stronger by the sight of a score of gaunt wolves that were trotting to and fro among the ghastly relics-flitting in and out of holes which honeycombed the walls of the basin. “ Horrors of horrors!" exclaimed Harry Fos- ter, as his eyes swept over the place, “ what on earth have we run into .6” “ A wolf-fold, by the great Rosycrusians l” answered Old Tom, a look of unutterable disgust sweeping over his face. “ What’s a wolf-fold, Tom? Do you mean a wolf-den?” again questioned the young school- master. “ A wolf-fold,” explained Rattler, “is a place kept for breedin’ wolves for their pelts which bring a small price, and their skulps which brin a bounty 0’ from one to four dollars each, ’cor in’to the place where offered. In all my hoary ’sperience I never found but one sich be- fore. It’s the work 0’ the lowest and meanest of all God’s mean critters. Ye see, wolves are prolific breeders—anywhar from one to six or even seven to a litter. Nighly every settled county in the adj‘inin’ States pays a bounty on wolf—sculps for wolves killed in the county. In the sheep-raisin’ counties the price paid is a big inducement to hunt the varmints down. But, it’s easier for a lazy villain—who’s doubtless an outlaw—to steal cattle from the range to feed a pack 0’ breeders than hunt the wolves on the plains. Besides, it keeps up the supply. “ When the crop is ripe the pelts and skulps are harvested. The harvester goes over into the bounty-payin’ counties, swears he killed the wolves insaid counties. gits his bounty, and re- turns to his breedin’ pens and raises another crop. For fear 0’ bein’ suspected, he never, or seldom, goes twice to the same county. While waitin’ for the crop to grow, he can put in his time stealin’ bosses, or do a little counterfeitin‘ —-anything ornery to gratify his propensities for meanness. But, wolf—breedin’ is the lowest of all low meanness. Robbin’ coaches and blind orphans are recspectable besides it; but. that’s just what‘s goin’ on here, boys, and it’s aboss place for it, too: for it does seem that the devil has homesteaded this blighted land, and draped it with the misty smoke 0’ hell for his tenants’ purposes. I’ll go you a roasted quarter 0’ a prize beef, with oyster triinmin’s, that this peii’s been used for years for wolf-breedin’. See, the water from the spring falls into a stone trough for the beasts, the surplus sinkin’ into the por- ous earth.” “ The horrible brutes look as though they were nearly starved," observed Bob Marshall. “ It’s queer they don’t dig out of there.” “ They haven’t sense enough.” replied Tom: “ a wolf’ll dig under and down. but never up. But, boys, if we‘re caught ’round these diggin’s, our carcasses’ll go into that pen. Mine would be a lectle like b’ilt owl, but yours, boys, would be quail on toast to the ki—yotes.” . “ Heavens, Tom ! you’re a ghastly joker!” ex- claimed Harry, with a shudder. “ Let us leave here at once.” “V’Ve‘re’bout as safe one place as another,” responded Rattler, “ so long as this fog last s.” “ If we could only get away and notify the authorities,” put in Bob. “the wolf-raismg buSi- ness would take a tumble.” “ A dozen well-armed men,” replied Tom, “could bushwhack a hull rigiincniz for a month in this— Ah! harkee!” It was the sound of distant voices he heard. Quickly the three drew back from the rim of the basin into the dense bushes. and listened. The shouts of men. the pounding of hoofed feet, and the sharp, pistol-like report of whips, are what they now heard; and, as the sounds grew plainer each moment, it was quite clear that those who produced them were approach- ing the Wolf Fold. animal carcasses both large and small And they werc. Into sight. down a narrow, lane—like passage, on the opposite side of the pit, came a panting steer, with blazing eyes and drooling mouth, pursued by half a dozen mounted men, whose very presence was sug- gestive of human vultures. With wild yells and stinging blows of their long whips, the long-haired and ferocious-look- ing horsemen pushed on the ox, closing in closer and closer upon it as they approached the basin. The wolves, hearing the noise, and knowing what it meant, went swarming from their holes in the bank by the dozen and the score, yelping, snarling and snapping—tumbling over each other, leaping into the air with wolfish laugh- ter, and against the walls of their prison, mak— ing the place hideous with a most infernal noise. “ They’re goin’ to force the animal into the pit to feed the wolves!” whispered Old Tom, toying with the knife at his girdle as though his fingers itched to use it. His words proved correct. Blind with pain and fear the steer dashed on to the rim of the basin, leaped into the air and plunged headlong into the pit, falling upon its head and taming a complete somerset. In an instant the poor animal was buried be- neath a. swarm of wolves, but with a frantic bellow it rose to its feet, shook off the pack and dashed across the bone—strewn arena, bellowing with affright, lea ing into the air and tossing aloft its head to e ude the fangs snapping at its throat. Away swept the ravenous pack, old and young, after it, while the wolf-herders, now a dozen strong—white men and Indians—fairly roared with delight. The very souls of the three hunters revolted at the brutal spectacle, and it was only by a desperate effort of Will-power that Old om re- strained himself from shooting the animal to end its suffering. To and fro across the basin dashed the steer, surrounded by the starved pack. Several of the latter were trampled down and crippled, but, like wounded snakes, the dragged themselves along behind, rendered al the more desperate by the pan 5 of pain. Time and again the steer, blind with fear, dashed against the walls; of the basin, driving its horns deep into the earth, recoiling half- stunned by the shock and blinded by dust and dirt. Now and then it stumbled and fell to its knees among the pack. and W hen it arose, wolves were clinging to its haunches, its side and its throat, and it was only by the most fran- tic efi'orts it shook them off. The head and throat were the principal points of attack, and now and then a wolf was im- paled upon a born or tossed high in the air while eudeavoring to reach one or the other of these vulnerable points. A time or two the animal backed against the wall and endeavored to defend itself: but it was quickly forced to fly with half a dozen wolves clinging and dangling to its bleeding body. Roars of laughter from the outlaws greeted every point of advantage gained by the wolves. Slowly the strength of the steer gave way, but it strug led desperately to the last, and when it fina 13? went down, it continued its piteous moans and struggles until half devoured by the vulpine horde. The wolf-herders now turned and departed the way they had come. Their work was fin— ished. They had fed their pack. Almost sick at heart, Tom and his friends arose to depart. “ W’ell,folks, what do you think of that (ur- hibition of modern Romanism ?” It was a strange Voice that asked the ques— tion, and the startled trio turned quickly. Rat- tler grasping his revolver. They found them- selves confronted by a. tall, handsome young stranger clad in a ranchero’s suit. who stood wit'i folded arms, regarding them with a grim smile. It was Saddle-King Sam, the Range Patrol! CHAPTER VI. WHAT SADDLE-KING DISCOVERED. IT required but a single glance at the honest, manly face of Saddle-King Sam to tell Rattler and his companions that they were not con- fronted by an enemy, and releasing his revol- ver, Old Tom exclaimed: “ Rosycrusians! stranger, it are dangerous to creep up on the heels 0’ Tom Rattler! Who be you, anyhow?” “ My name‘s Sam Halliday,” the young pa- trol replied, “and I’m glad to meet Old Tom Rattler.” “ Be you the Sam they call Saddle-King?” questioned Rattler, taking the young ranchero’s and. “ The same,” answered Sam. “Then shake, you young rascal l” exclaimed the old hunter, “ for, by the Rosycrusians! you’rea lily-lipped hummer and deesarve the honor o’the Red RiVer E pidemic’s acquaintance. Here, Saddle-King, this is my friend, Bob Mar- shall, and this, Harry Foster—two boys that’s takin’ lessons under Tom Rattler.” Saddle-King Sam shook hands with the young men, addressing them in the free, hospitable way of an old acquaintance. “ Boys,” he said, “ I never met Tom Rattler before, but I’ve heard of him often, and I must Confess I find you in good company, if not in a very delectable country.” “And if one can judge by appearance,” re- plied Harry Foster, “ we will have nothing to regret in making your acquaintance.” “ Thank you; I hope not,” Sam answered, “ though I am not a little astonished to find any one in these parts except outlaws and coyotes.” “ “'31, I’m frisky glad you found us, Sam Saddle-King,” declared Old Tom; "for to tell ye the holy, sanctified truth, Bob and Harry there are lost and I’m with them, in that—clean lost.” “ What! Tom Rattler, the hunter and plains- man, lost ?” queried Sam, a broad smile playing over his honest face. “ Lost! yes, wusser than that Israelite tribe. Our bosses got away from us, the fog settled around us, we eat up our bread and meat and jellies and tarts, and drank all our wine and im- ported liquors, and, asides from a square drink 0’ water an hour ago, food’s a foreigner to our collapsed stomachs.” “I’ve an abundance, such as it is,” said Sam, “ not over a mile from here, and if you’ll come with me, I’ll divide with you, and give you your bearings.” " Lead on, Samuel,” commanded Old Tom, “ and we’ll foller with nimble steps. I’ve had to buckle up my belt fourteen times to keep from feelin’ empty.” “ You must be as hungry as those wolves." suggested Sam. “ Rosycrusians! what do you think 0’ that wolf business, Sam, anyway ?" “ I think it fun for the outlaws. but frightful- ly dyspeptic to the cattle business," was Sam’s answer, “ for the bush‘rangers are not only wolf-breeders, but a gang of shrewd cattle- thieve< whose business will come to an end as soon as I get back to headquarters.” “ Then you’re out patrolling the range. eh?” “ Exactly,” replied Sam. "But come, let’s be moving down to my camp, which is a plum thicket where I left my horse.” The young patrol led the way through the hills, going in an opposite direction from that taken by the bushrangers. " IVhen did you strike this devil’s nest, Sam ?” i asked Rattler. as they moved along. “ Yesterday, and I must confess this foggy weather has been an immense thing in my favor. Since July last—nearly two—and-a-half months. have I been on the range trying to lo- cate these thieves. and under cowr of the fog I have at last succeeded. To-day I made a dis- covery that’ll be a stunner to somebody, and, as soon as you get to camp, and' have appeased ' some five miles down t They soon reached the thicket Where Saddle- King had left his horse and Winchester. From a pair of capacious saddle—bags he produced bread and meat and divided it among his hungry, new—found friends. After the three had satisfied their cravings, Old Tom humorously observed,addressing Sam: “ Now, landlord, while we pick our teeth in the parlor 0’ Hotel dc Plum Thicket, we’ll be pleased to listen to the story you promised us.” “ All right,” replied Sam, taking a diary and pencil from his pocket. “To begin with, Per- rin, Veach and Langdon are the heaviest cattle~ owners in Montana. For some time they have been losing stock, and became satisfied they were being stolen. I was sent out as a special patrol to look after matters in the interest of all the cattle companies on the range, as well as that of Perrin, Veach and Langdon. ‘ ‘ I’ll not undertake to give you the details of all my long and lonely rides by da and night: but about two weeks ago I conclu ed to visit Sand Creek Ranch, which is located on Sand Creek, a tributary of the Little Missouri. It was a new ranch and far away from any other. I’d never been there, but had no difficulty in find- ing the place, and such a lonely, desolate place it was! Not a man was about the little cabin, nor could I find one around aiiywheres. The door, however, had been left open, as is the custom of most ranches, when all are away, as an invitation to the sojourner to enter and help himself. I entered the cabin and looked around and then left. “There was such oppressive silence in and around the place that it made me nervous, and supposing the men were off, perhaps on a visit to some other ranch, I rode away. This ranch is Owned, I will here remark, by one Enoch Brooks and a man called Lasso Jack, and one or two others whose names I forget. “ About midnight four days ago, 1 was aroused from my rest in a brush-patch on a creek one hundred miles west of here, by the sound of voices, crack of whips and tramp of hoofs. Crawling to the edge of the plain I dis- covered half a dozen or more white men and In- dians driving a bunch of cattle eastward with Whi and spur. “ made up my mind they were cattle—thieves and at once prepared to follow them, which I did. I kept out of their sight, and as daylight approached I dropped far behind. I discovered, however, that when the sun arose the thieves had all disappeared from sight, while the cattle were lying down resting on the plain after their night’s drive. “ I felt satisfied the thieves were concealed somewhere near, waiting for darkness, under which to renew their drive, and in this I was right. During the day the cattle had drifted e plain, and as soon as it was dark I moved down toward them, and found the thieves had appeared from their hid- ing and were again pushing the herd eastward. I followed, and during the night this fog settled over the plain. It proved a good thing for me and the robbers, also, for when day dawned they did not conceal themselves, but under cover of the fog pushed on. “ Well, to shorten my story, they finally en- tered the Bad Lands and after a day and night’s drive came to a halt about two miles north of this spot. They drove the cattle—about fifty head—into a canyon or basin something like the VVolf—Pen. “ Selecting this thicket as a base of operation, I left my horse and outfit and set out to recon- noiter the bushrangers’ situation. Guided by the shouts of voices and the occasional bellow— ing of a steer I made my way to the thieves’ corral, and from a point where I could command a full view of all I discovered the villains—ten to twenty of them, red and white—engaged in branding cattle,or rather in changing the brands already on. the stock! “ I discovered that the bulk of the cattle when they went into the corral bore the brand of the firm of Perrin, Veach and Langdon, of Montana. Their brand, on the left broadside of the animal, was three letters of their names with a bar between—I’ll show you.” With his pencil Sam drew upon a leaf of his diary these characters: H P_'V’__L.” “That brand the bushrangers were chang- ing,” the young patrol went on. “ By adding a loop to the lower end of the P, they made a B of it: and by attaching another V to the one already there, a W was produced; and by plac— ing another line to the L, E was produCed. Then, to conceal the short bars into which some of the new letters were run, a long, horizontal bar was burned across all three letters, over the short bars, and when the cattle were turned out of that branding-pen, they bore the new brand B. IV. E. on a bar. “ Of course, there was a minor brand on the right side, and that was changed also; so you see, when those cattle are driven back to the range from which they were taken under cover of night, they will not carry the brand of Peer» rin, Vcacli and I.angdon, but Hie duly recorded brand of the ownm's of the Sand Creek Ranch." “ Then. by the Rosycrusians!” exclaimed Old Tom, “them Sand Creekers are royal cattle- thieves."- “ Exactly!” declared Saddle-King: “and among the outfit at the branding-pen I recog nized Enoch Brooks and the gent who was my rival for special patrol, Lasso Jack.” “ I’Vell! well!” exclaimed Harry Foster, “that is a delectable state of business—wolf— breeding and cattle-stealing by the wholesale. The villains are certainly as bold as they are unprincipled.” “ The scheme of changing brands is not- a new one by any means,” Sam went on. “ The thieves always select the brand easiest changed. and of the strongest company, knowing the loss would not be discovered as readily as a company with a small herd would be likely to do. The ‘ P. V. L.‘ brand is one easily changed, and the Sand Creek thieves are getting in their work. I noticed, however, they did not touch any of the ‘P. V. l..’ steers or cows having any peculiar natural marks. through fear, I suppose, it might be recognized by its owner bearing sonieaody else’s brand, and thuslead to detection. So you see the thieves’ mode of procedure is to find a bunch of ‘ P. V. L.‘ cattle on the range, drive them this way at night. ccn‘eal themselves in the daytime so that, if the cattle should be dis covered by a cowboy, he would naturally sup- pose they were drifting away of their own ac- cord, as they frequently do. As soon as brand- ed, they are then taken back to the range proper, and others brought in here to be doc— tored. “But, my friends. I had almost forgotten to tell you of another thing that has given me some uneasiness. your hunger on such as my larder contains, I’ll tell you what it is.” I ing among these bills. I found a little glove—a Yesterday. when I was scout- 1' i Q.