i (i' i
‘ Entered at the Post Office at Neyyork.

N. _Y., at Second Class Mail Rates.

 

 

' giiiillillillli [Ill-Hill!“

‘£“‘tfl .\\ \\\r.  ~,
~ I

copyright. 1886. byinmnu: AND Amus. r_ V _ W October 19. 1886."_

mmmlmi‘iinim-uim IIT

 

$2.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY DEADLE AND ADAMS, Price.
VOL XIX“ 8» Year- No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. 5 Cents- NO° 

 

 

 

 

 

The Search fmfiie Hidden Basie.

BY OLL COOMES,

atrrnon or “WHIP-KING JOE,” “LARAMIE
JOE,” “BABY SAM,” ETC., ETC.

 

CHAPTER I.

A PRAIRIE MATINEE.
UNDER the wide-spreading branches of a,
arled cottonwood tree that stood alone on the
ks of the turbid Missouri, five mm reposed on
the earth from the rays of a Warm noonday sun.
They were all young men, fairly dressed and
well arme d, and there was a kind of brigandish
air about them and their outfit that might have
iven rise to a. doubt of their true character.
hey were not rancheros, nor were they hun-
ters. Their well-caparisoned horses, grazing
w with the bits in their mouths, suggested the

   
  
   

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HI

SEIZING THE FELLOW BY THE NAPE OF THE NECK AND THE SLACK OF HIS BUCKSKINS,

LIFTED HIM ALOFT ANY) FIRED HIM INTO THE WATER HALF-WAY ACROSS THE STRELK.

 

 

  

 

 

2 fitonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

 

 

 

possibility of their bein free rangers. But they
were not—they were out aws—freebooters of the
great Dakota range lying there in wait for
whati—for whom? ‘urely not an enemy, for
their weapons were lying scattered about in a
careless way.

The name of Black Bluford, the Prairie Ban-
dit, was associated with many a black deed of
robbery and murder, but one not knowing him
would never have taken him for the villain that
he really was. He was a man of five-and-thirty
and of rather a striking and repossessing ap-
pearance. He had long, dark air and a heavy

lack mustache. His complexion was as swar-
thy as an Indian’s and his gray eyes keen and
penetrating.

The appearance of Black Bluford’s followers
was more in keeping with their true character.
While they were young men, their very conn-
tenances were stamped with crime and wicked-
ness.

The party had halted there by the “Lone
Tree ” to rest and graze their horses. They were
provided with food, of which they partook, fin-
ishing up with a flask of brandy.

After their dinner had been dispatched, the
outlaw chief stretched himself out upon the
grass saying as he did so:

“ Now it does seem to me that our friend Van-
iyke should be around some time to-day.”

“ What if he and the girl had com romised
and concluded to go into business in t e settle-
ment?” observed one of the others.

“ No danger of that, Mexy Dan,” replied
Black Bluford, “ for our friend Vandyke is too
great a villain ever to com romise with the
girl’s dad after getting boote out of the ranch.

t is satisfaction, as well as a wife that Arch
Vandyke seeks now. And even if it should be
as you suggest, Arch would not go back on us
in ettin us know about that party going in
search 0 that hidden gold-cache.”

“ Won’t it create a tumultuous hoodoo in the
settlement if he succeeds in abductin’ the gal?”
said Mexy Dan.

“And it might
some of us gay gam

rove darned hoodooish for
here,” added a facetiously
inclined character.

“ That’s what I ex cted from Joker Jim,”
declared Mexy Dan: ‘ he’s etarnally explorin’
around for possible danger to himself. His bump
of caution—” '

“Hello! there comes a horseman now!” sud-
denly exclaimed Black Bluford; “ but it can’t be
Vandyke, for he’s comin’ from the wrong di-
rection.”

“ No,” said Joker Jim, “ that’s not Van, but I
should sa that it was a. Manitobian giant mount-
ed on a etland ony.”

“ Jews and Gen iles!” exclaimed Mexy, “ isn’t
hen?” ’ellhopper though—a reg’ler old Goliar
ta

“ Bless my liver!” exclaimed another, “ I
never seen such a. royal big_rooster—bigger’n
the boss he rides, or I’ll eat it. Who can it be,

bo sf”
XRather—what can it be?” added Black Blu-

or .

Thus the freebooters conversed as the horse-
man approached, and their surprise and curios-
ity were none the less satisfied when he at length
drew rein within the shadow of the ancient cot-
tonwood.

In size the horseman was a man of giant pro-
portions, althou h his smooth, beardless face
and ruddy comp exion told that he was a boy of
not over twenty years of age. He was fully six
feet in hight. and built from the ground u like
an athlete. He was clad in a mixed suit of nak-
skin and gray cotton cloth that fitted him closely
and showed 011' his splendid form to good advan-
tage. He was broad-shouldered and deep-chest-
ed. The collar of his blue-flannel shirt lay open,
revealing his stout, muscular neck and breast.
His big, brown ox-eves looked out from under
their long lashes with a pleasant, innocent light,
and his large, yet expressive mouth, seemed
wreathed m a smile that was indicative of a
kind-hearted and rollicking big boy.

At his back the young giantcarried a Spencer
carbine, and to a broad belt that encircled his
waist hung a pair of revolvers and a hunting-
knife. His mustang was well caparisoned, and
in addition to the coiled lariat he carried in
front, hung at the saddle-bOW, he carried a roll
of blankets and other articles strapped to the
saddle behind him.

The freebooters rose to their feet when the
youth came up.

The young giant was the first to speak. Dof-
flng his sombrero and throwmg it over the horn
of his saddle, he exclaimed:

“ Hullo! what’ve I struck? Pilgrims or pi-
“has?”

 

“Pil rims of the prairie, of course,” replied
Black luford, in a soda], pleasant voice.

“ Room foranother small follow, I reckon, here
under the shade of this ancient tree,” the young
giant observed, as he dismounted and slipped the
bits from his pony’s mouth and turned it out to
graze.

“ Oh, plenty room here,” replied the outlaw
chief, “ but in your case I don‘t see where the
small fellow comes in; nor do I remember of ever
having seen or heard of: a giant on this range
before. Stranger you’re an ’cllhopper for the
boy I take you to e.”’

“I wasn’t stunted in my youth, I’ll, admit,
stranger,” the boy responded, a smile lighting
his face.

“ And what’s your name, and where do you
hail from 3”

“My name’s Robert Comstock, and I hail from
the pine woods of Minnesota,” was the answer.

“ And which way are you going, Robert?”

“ \Vest, to grow up with the country,” was the
boy’s reply.

“ Slang iter Injuns and outlaws, I reckon?"

“ I‘m not going for my health, stranger, that
you can be sure of,” replied the boy, with a smile.
“ I don’t know what I will do yet—anything that
offers from herdin’ bulls to drivin’ stage.”

Thus the conversation ran on for some time.
The boy was shrewd enough to make no inquiries
as to who the five were, and where they were
going; for, while they were total strangers to
him, he mistrusted that they Were not what they
had taken some pains to let him know they were——
independent rangers.

After awhile the boy walked out to his pony
and taking some food from his pack returned
and seating himself at the foot of the cotton-
wood ate lns dinner, having first invited the five
to share his food with him which invitation, of
course, was declined with t ianlzs.

While the boy was eating, Black Bluford and
Mexy Dan went out to where their ponies were
grazmg, under the pretext of picketing their ani-
mals on a fresher grass-plot.

“ Mexy,” said the outlaw chief, when they
were out of hearing, “that big land-lubber is a
little older than he appears, and fully as large
as he looks. I don’t ust exactly like the way he
talks and acts, and his presence here at this time
bodes us no good.”

“He don’t surely know who we are or he’d
never stopped here,” re lied Mexy Dan. "He
don’t know enough to as who we are.”

“ Ay, but his apparent ignorance may be a
shrewd, bold game to disarm us of suspicion,”
declared Black Bluford.

“Well, we needn’t take no chances,” re lied
Mexly. “We can easil git rid of him. I on’t
thin he’s an thing ut a big, overgrown,
chuckle-head boy, and believe we can squeeze
all the information we want out of him easy as
squeezin’ the 'uice out of a lemon. A rope
around his nec and over a limb of that cotton-
wood would ’r’aps unlock all the secrets of his
breast, if he as any.” -

“Mexy Dan, you are as fertile-brained as a
born liar,” said Black Bluford, “ and I guess
your rope-trick will be the very thing as a Iper-
suader. You get the other boys aSIde ant let
them into the secret and make your arrange-
ments to jump him. But look out; he may give
you trouble-—a lively tussle. ”

“Tussle nothin’!” retorted Mexy, “ he’s a big.
soft. lubberly boy, of a mushroom rowth and
wiltfhna flabby muscle—an owrgrown uffalo-bull
ca . .

Black Bluford went back tothe shade and lazi~
ly stretched himself on the ground near the young
giant, who sat leaning against the tree-trunk,
his arm resting above his head. He engaged the
boy in conversation about the country north,
while Mexy and the others, who had been beck-
oned aside, were maturing their plans for taking
the onth a prisoner.

Finally all Was settled and the four returned
to the cottonwood. Mexy and Joker Jim came
up behind the boy, and 1i e hawks they pounced
upon the youth, each seizing him by an arm—
one of them exclaiming:

“ Young hem, you are our prisoner!”

One of the other outlaws sprung forward and
endfiavored to throw a rope around the youth’s
nee .

“I guess not. gentlemen ” exclaimed the boy
giant, as quickly as thong he were expecting
some such movement; then, with the quickness
of a panther and with apparent ease, he sprung
to his feet with the two outlaws clinging to his
arms like monkeys, and, at the same instant al-
most he spun around and flung Joker Jim away
from him with such force as to send the outlaw
flying headlong over the high bank into the turbid
river. And then with as much ease, apparently,

 

as one would fling aside a rat, he dashed Mexy
Dan against the tree with such force as to lay
that deluded villain stunned and bleeding on the
earth.

The other three outlaws quickly saw that the
youngmnn was a Hercules in strength as w ll
as a giant in stature, and at once rushed to tl.o
assistance of their friends.

\Vith a grim smile on his face and a deter-
mined look in his big brown eyes, Robert Com--
stock drove his clinched fist into a third man’s
face, knocking him back against Black Bluford
with such terrific force as to lay both prostrate
upon the earth. The fifth outlaw he dealt a
dextrous left-hander under the chin that lifted
the villain off his feet and sent him over the bank
Bnto the river with the howling, cursing Joker

1m.

Quickly recovering himself Black Bluford wrs
reaching for his revolver that lay near where to
had fallen, but young Comstock saw his move-
ment, and bounding forward be seized the vil-
lain by the ankle and with but little effort sent
the bowling scam ) sprawling into the river.
Then a kick of the oy’s big foot sent the fourth
man after his leader into the murmuring Mis-
souri; and to still make his work complete, the
boy giant turned to Mexy Dan, who, half-dazed,
was 'ust rising to his feet, and seizing the fellow
by t e na of the neck and the slack of his
buckskins ifted him aloft and fired him in to the
water half-way across the stream. Then shov-
ing his hands into his breeches-pockets the young
giant stood upon the bank, and looking down
upon the discomfited flve struggling in the water
to their necks, he burst into a roar of . trium-
phant laughter that provoked the villains into

ury.

And what made the situation all the worse for
the outlaws, the west bank, for several rods
above and below the Lone Tree was high and
projecting, making escape im oss1ble back to
where the boy stood. Their on y course was to
cross to the opposite shore and go either 11 or
down the river and cross back where t ere
was a break in the bank. This they quickly dis-
covered and through fear of the boy’s further
vengeance—knowing they were now at the mercy
of his revolvers if he felt disposed to use them—
they struck out, swimming and wading through
the muddy current. -

Robert Comstock picked up their weapons and
dropped them into the river, saying to himself
as he did so: '

“ If I Were only sure that mv suspicmns are

correct—that they are outlaws, I’d send them all

aflOat by sockin’ a bullet through every one. of
them. At any rate, be they out aws or rangers,
they’ll” not try any games with a lone boy

a sin.

gBlack Bluford, wl.o was the most expert swim-
mer of the five was the first to reach the oppo-
site shore, and, half—exhausted, he seated himself
on the bank and shouting back. to Mexy Dan,
who was laboring slowly behind the others,
said:
I “ Say, Mexy, what do you think now about
that boy? He’s not so much of a mushroom as
you thought. is be? His muscle isn’t as flabby
as one’d think, is it? This is what I call a
prairie matinee boys—a real dam r on some
one. Brace up there, Mexy, and in he language
of the poet, ‘ pull for the shore, sailor.’ ”

“ Shut up—your in—fernal gab!” blowed
Mexy, crawling out and sinking exhausted on
the beach.

As soon as the five outlaws had reached the
shore, the boy giant shouted over to them:

“Say. gentlemen, time to me is precious, and
I must be off; but. before I go, let me say, by
way of advice, that wheneVer you are prompted
by the spirit of mischief to foolish with a oy,
don’t forget your experience with Stonewall
Bob, who now bids you good-day.” .

And with a low bow and a wave of his som-
brero, the boy giant turned and walked away
toward his pony.

“ Stonewall Bob!” exclaimed Black Bluford,
in surprise and disgust, “that notorious young
giant from the Niobrara that we’ve heard so
much about, and—” .

“ Seen and felt somethin’ of, too,” put in Joker
Jim. “Yes, yes, we’re five darin’ knights of
the plains—taken in by a boy—innocent Bob
Comstock, from the pine woods 0’ Minnesota!”

“Who votes that we’re not five blind and
stupid asses?” continued the outlaw chief, grow-
ing blacker and blacker with im otent rage.

“ The motion’s carried unan measly,” piped
Joker Jim. .

On his way to his pony an idea suggested itself
to Robert omstock, and taking out is knife he

cut the girths of the outlaws’ saddles and the,

reins of their bridles. Then mounting his ani-

  
 

Mai...

 

I.“

 

 

  
 

 

 

Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

  

 

 

 

mal he rode away, a grim smile of triumph on
his bo ish face.

An , half an hour later, when the five free-
booters of the prairie had regained the west
shore of the river, they saw Stonewall Bob, the
Boy Trojan, a more speck in the distance, am-
bling away toward the west.

CHAPTER II.
A MOAN or DISTRESS.

THE big round moon seemed to stand still in
the valley of the Grand River, as once it had
stood in Ajalon’s vale flooding the plains of Da-
kota with a weird and mellow radiance.

A soft breeze drifting up from the south, car-
ried to the ears of a rim gra wolf that came
10 ing over the plain rom his aunts among the

' is, a strange sound that caused the animal to
sto , prick up his sharp ears and listen.

X night-bird skimming along the plain flapped
his wings ab0ve the wolf and uttered an impish
cry as if in defiance to its grizzled, hungry fee
of the night. . .

The wolf snapped at the bird, licked lllS chops
and squatted upon his haunches.

A fresh, strong breeze came swee ing across
the valley, trailing out a faint sound ike a moan
of human agony.

Quickly the sly old wolf rose from his
haunches, thrust out his sharp nose and trotted
off across the valley, sniffing the round as he
Went along. He had not gone tar when he
stopped again, raised his nose and sniffed the
air, turning his head from side to Slde, then sud-
-denl bounding away, gonng squarely u ) the
win . For more than a mile the animal oped
along in this way, but when that strange sound
again smote its acute cars, it again stepped, and

uatting on its haunches, raised its nose in the
air and gave utterance to several sharp, snappish
yelps, the last of which was prolonged into a
long, gibberish howl.

It was immediately answered from over the
plain by others of its kind. Again and again it
sent forth that same dismal howl, and agaln and
again it was answered.

Finally it was joined by a second wolf, and
these twu howled together, and others came and
joined them, and in the course of an hour a
score of the animals had congregated, and they
seemed to hold a council that lasted until that
mean of distress was again trailed across the val-
ley, when they began to scatter out and form a
circle on the plain, then graduall advance to.
ward a common center, all the whi o keeping up
a. demoniac howl.

In the grass—in the center of that circle of
wolves—lay a human being in dreadful agony.
The beasts could not see him, yet they heard his
moans of pain, and these, with the scent of blood,
seemed to aggravate their hun er. But with
their characteristic caution am cowardice the
scavengers of the plain continued to advance
slowly, yet noisily, toward that common center
where prone upon the earth—the moon shin-
ing in his upturncd,h1ood-stained face—lay a man
pinioned to the plain. His arms and legs were
extended, and his feet and hands lashed teposts
driven deep into the earth. A rope had been put
around his neck and then crosscd,and.1ts ends
secured to the same posts to which his hands
were tied in such a manne ' that any attempt to
raise his head would be to tighten the rope.

Who was this unfortunate man? and by WllOSe
ruthless hands had he been bound there in the
solitude of that desolate vallo , a living prey to
the ravenous wolves? It coul not have been the
work of savages, for savages would never have
left him, dead or alive unscalped.

But whfilt difference is it to these hungry wolves
whether e man IS prince or beggar, hunter or
outlaw? To their ever h'ungry maw the festering
carcass of a buffalo, or a hot, quivering flash of
a living victim, is the same.

The helpless man heard the beasts gathering
around him, but not until one of them came so
close that he could feel its hot. fetid breath on
his face, did he see its shaggy form that seemed
to tower above him against the sky like a great
hairy monster. _

A cry for help issued fromIthe man’s lips. The
wolves, frightened by his Yolce, fell back a few
paces, snapping and snarllng at each other but

. they soon rallied and again ressed forwar ,

Again and again the man s outed for help. But
where upon that great plam was an ear save
that of the Almighty, to respond to this ap-

pelill? hi b t th 1 ing of the wolves an
t ' u e e -
sweged  He tugged) and tore at his fetters,

 

but in vain. He shouted, he waged, he cursed.
He seemed u
became rigi
from their

a the verge of ma ness. His face
and ghastly. His eyes lared out
sockets like those of a (1 ng beast.

 

He writhed his body like a wounded serpent.
His breath came quick and hard. The veins in
his neck and face seemed ready to burst.

Closer and closer drew the circle of wolves.
Every moment the wretched man expected to
feel their sharp teeth tearin into his flesh. Hope
was dying in his breast an his brain seemed to
grow dizzy when, mingled with the snarl of the
beasts, he heard a new sound that he took for the
throbbing of his own heart; but suddenly he saw
the Wolves fall back and then vanish from sight,
While the clutter of hoofcd feet breaking upon
the man’s ears dispelled the sound of wolfish
orgies from his hearing. The next moment a
wild, terrified voice-the voice of a woman, fell
upon his ears, and before he could fully realize
the truth of the sudden change in the situation,
a panting horse was rcined in almost over him,
and the ithe figure of a woman leaping from
the animal’s back, fell upon her knees at his
side.

She was a young woman of not over seventeen
summers, with a lithe figure and a face that
was beautiful despite the look of fear and dis-
tress it wore. I-Ier long brown hair fell in a dis-
ordered mass about her shoulders from her un-
cow-rcd head.

Dropping upon the breast of the prostrate
man. livi' wiilto lips parted, and she cried out:

“ Oh, my dear father! are you alive? Speak
to me, father!”

“ Mabel, my child am I dreaming? Is it you,
Mabel?” responded the man, like one half deli~
rious.

“ Yes, father,” re lied the maiden, between
her sobs; “ I escape from thOSe human demons,
but they are coming in pursuit. Oh, heavens!
what shall I do?”

“Untie my bonds, child—quick!” the father
exclaimed.

The maiden sprung to one of the posts and at-
tempted to untie the rope, but the knots defied
her feeble strength. She seized hold of the post
and endeavored to draw it from the ground, but

it stubbornly refused to ield.
“ O’h, father! God be p us! I cannot release
on!

“ Let me try it a clatter,” said a voice behind
her, and turning the startled girl beheld a
strange man standing at her side.

He was an old man, dressed in the garb of a.
hunter, and armed with a rifle, pistol and knife,
and at sight of him a thrill of jot;i shot through
the maiden’s breast, for in his nd voice and
his rough yet honest face she recognized a
friend.

Without a moment’s hesitation after he spoke,
the old man drew his knife, and stoo ing, cut the
bonds that held his unfortunate ellow-being
prone upon the earth, saying, in the unmistak-
able vernacular of the border, as he did so:

“Stranger, you’re pinned down here pretty
solid, ar’n’t ye? Somebody’s been tryin’ to orna-
ment the landscape With you, haven’t they?
There now, rise up and tell a fellow who you be,
and who staked you out here.”

“ God bles ou, stran er!” exclaimed the
man, as he wit some (3 .ort raised his numb
body to a sitting posture: “ on have saved my
life. My name is Joshua T iurston, and I was
bound here, and left to be devoured alive, by a
band of devils led by Black Bluford, the outlaw.
This is m child!”

“Oh, kind stran er! I thank you with all my
heart!” cried Mabe , falling upon her knees and
kissing the old man’s hand. ,

“ You be entirely welcome, little gal,” replied
the old hunter; “but goodness gracious sakes,
don’t waste any more isses on that old hand.
Kisses ar’n’t made to be squandered on a feller’s
paw, don’t ye know, little one? But what‘s that
comin’ yander?”

“ The outlaws! the demons that bound me here
and fled with my child, who. escaping from
them, is being pursued i” said Mr. Thurston, in
great excitement. ~

“How many 0’ them be they?” asked the old
borderman.

“ Six,” answered Mabel.

“ Six—only six?” replied the old man, cocking
his rifle and dropping upon one knee, “that’s

'ust Old Zadok’s number for a square leetle

ht.”

gz‘Sir, are on really Old Zadok, the hunter?”
exclaimed r. Thurston, eagerly.

“I be that very old Mosaic temple,” was the
hunter‘s reply' “ but here, Mr. Thurston take
one o’ my revo vers and help me chug a ew 0’
them varmints if they charge us.”

Zadok kept his eye upon the approaching
horsemen, and when they were about a hundred
yards away he raised his rifle and taking steady
aim, fired upon them.

A cry of surprise came to the ears of the trio

    
  

 

"‘I‘.;."’R/“.M 
pd. - I ~

from the lips of the outlaws, and this was soon
followed by curses of rage, for Zadok’s shot had
taken effect and the horse of the foremost out-
law had been killed, and its ridu‘ thrown so vio-
lently upon the ground as to partial] stun him.

So greath were the freebooters ta 'en by sur-
prise thnt t ey were almost thrown into confu-
sion. They rcined in their horses and two of
them dismounted to assist their fallen friend
forgetting that the ' had stopped within rangeof
the unknown‘s dcm ly rifle until another shot had
tumbled one of thcm out of his saddle, dead.

Then the outlaws returned the fire with their
revolvers, their bullets whistling in dan erous
proximity overhead and around them. no of
them finally struck the horse upon which Mabel
had escaped, causing the animal to break away
and flee over the plain.

This was a serious loss to Mabel, and greatly
enhanced the dangers of their situation. Hear-
ing the maiden lamenting her loss, Old Zadok
turned to her and said:

“ Don’t worry one smidgeon, little gal, for I’ve
a hoss over here by the “ Sentinel ” that’s good
as ever thumped Dakota soil, and he’s at your
Sarvice.”

“ Oh, you are very, very kind, sir, said Ma—
bel; “ but Zadok, sec, those outlaws are hurryn
ing away toward thc river; what do you sup
pose they mom?”

“Gal,” said the hunter in a changed voice,
rising to his feet, “ do you hear a strange noise
up ther valley?”

There was a moment’s silence.

A low rumbling sound not unlike the roll of
distant thunder came to the ears of the listeners.
Mabel glanced up at the sky. Not a cloud was
to be seen on all the starry dome of heaven.

“ I do not understand it,” said Mabel, turning
her fair white face toward the hunter with an
inquiring look in her e cs.

" It’sa new danger,’ said the old borderer
“ and we must elude it or in half an hour we’ll
be ground into dust. It are a herd of buffaloes
a billion strong. I sighted the herd just before
sunset from an eminence on the plain, and I cal-
kerlated to swat a few 0’ them in the mornin’.
They’ve been stampedcd either by Ingins or
white hunters that are havin’ a moonlight hunt.
But come, let’s make for the Sentinel over here
whar m hoss is."

The 0 d man led the way across the valley, Mr.
Thurston and his daughter following.

Over beyond a little swell in the valley some
eighty rods distant they came to where a horse
was lariated out to grass with a bridle and sad-
dle upon it. And hard by was a at bowlder
-—the only one that was to be foun in fifty miles
of there. It was a landmark on the plains of
Dakota, and known among the white hunters as
the Sentinel. It was a point of convergence and
divergence for white men and red crossing the

lain. It was a favorite rallying—point for the

ndian hunters. -

The Sentinel resembled a monster 2gp; lying
llpon its side half-buried in the earth. rom the
small cnd pointing eastward it sloped upward to
a hight of eight feet. There was not a flat spot
upon its surface. It was round and sloping,
and the hand of time had polished it of! almost
as smooth as glass.

“ Thar, folks,” said Old Zadok, “are my boss,
Shuttle, and ther are the Sentinel. One 0’ us
three’ll have to mount the how and flee from the
path 0’ the huffalcrs, and the t’other two climb
onto the Sentinel’s hump. It will not hold more
than two.”

“Father,” said Mabel, “ you mount the horse
and flee, and I will remain with the hunter.”

“ I am ready to accept my share of the dan-
ger. I would not—”

“ Friend,” said Old Zadok, interrupting Thurs-
ton, “ don’t waste words—moments are precious.
You are not aware of the danger that's comin‘.
Mount Shuttle. and fly. Go in this direction and
go like the divil war arter you, and you’ll clear
the track 0’ the beasts. Trust ver gal with me.
and I’ll bring her through safe. Join us here
after the herd has passed.”

Joshua Thurston mounted the horse reluctant-
ly. He seemed to have a presentiment that
something dreadful was to he pen. and having
kissed his child and bid Old adok ood-by, he
dashed away at the top of the animaiis speed.

Mabel bore up bravely under the parting from
her father and in the face of the comin danger,
and Old Zadok, who was astonished at er won-
derful courage and presence of mind, said, in
ho s of still strengthening her courage for the
or cal to come:

“ Gal, you are a bravo little soul, and I hope
you’ll be nervy till the danger is iast. It's a
slip ,r hold on that rock, and ii we slip of?
whi e t e buffalers are passin’ it’ll be sure death.

'13:! 

 
 
 

 

 

  

4

 

Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

 

 

Your father was weak and nervous, or I would-
;i‘t have sent him away from you, but gone my-
self. It are more dangerous to stay here than to

o as he did, but as we couldn’t all ride I thought
it best that on and I stay. Now let me help
you up onto t e rock.”

Taking her by the hand, they began to ascend
the slanting rock, the maiden goin ahead. Za-

. dok’s moccasins being damp with ew from the

grass, they adhered to the rock’s smooth surface,
and enabled him tomaintain a firm footing. As
the old fellow seated the girl on the rounded
summit of the bowlder be said:

“God didn’t drap this rock here for nothin’,
did he, gal? But now I’ll slip back and git my
thin .’

“ o hurry, Zadok,” begged the maiden,
eagerly. anxieu 1y, for the sound of the ap-
proaching avalanche was now rolling so near
hhat the Sentinel seemed to tremble beneath

er.

Zadok sprun to the ground, and procuring
his rifle and banket, started to re—ascend the
rock. He had taken but a single step when he
was startled by the cry from Mabel’s lips:

“Look, Zadok! there are Indians!”

The hunter turned so quickly that he slipped

from the rock to the round, but he landed upon
his feet, and was rea y to meet the new dan er
that threatened him and his fair charge. 6
drew his revolver, but the savages were at his
side before he could use it. One of the red-skins
sprun u n the rock and began crawling up to-
ward a 1, while the other drawing his knife,
stopped to en a e the hunter, for full well the
In ian knew a the Sentinel would not shelter
four of them, and one of that four an old-time
enemdy.
Ol Zadok, although his life was in imminent
peril, was more considerate of Mabel’s welfare
than his own, and when his revolver cracked,
the red-skin on the rock, who had b a single
lea almost reached the maiden, an was then
en eavorin to push her OK, that he might save
himself, r0 ed to the ground, shot through the
heart. Mabel thus saved, the old man endeav—
ored to shoot his own sava e but the latter
seized his wrist and preven him from using
his revolver, and the next moment the two went
down in a hand-to-hand stru gle.

“Oh, may Heaven help him!" cried Mabel,
clasping her hands over her breast in an agony
of suspense, and gazing first at the combatants
and then back at the m riads of buffaloes roll-
ing down from the nort like the black waves of
an angry sea.

 

CHAPTER III.

A LIVING WHIRLPOOL.

To and fro Old Zadok and the red-skin whirled
in rapid evolutions about the base of the Senti-
nel, in mortal combat. Mabel watched them in
breathless suspense. She could hear their la-
bored breathing, their blows and occasionally
an involuntary gasp of agony.

To the poor girl the moments seemed like
hours. Her heart almost eeased to beat, and» be-
tween her anxiety for Zadok’s triumph and her
fears of the on-rushin buffaloes it seemed the
suspense would drive er mad. The earth now
fairly trembled beneath the near approach of
that million of boots, and the roar of an advanc-
in cyclone was not more terrible.

Enable to maintain her silence longer, the
maiden flnall cried out:

“ Zadok! o , Zadok! the buffaloes are almost
here!”

The old hunter and his antagonist lay alm0st
still at the lower end of the Sentinel, but at the
sound of the maiden’s voice Zadok raised his
head and gazed around him in a dazed sort of a
way. Then he raised himself and began crawl-
ing up the sloping rock. His movements were
slow and feeble. He spoke never a word. Ma-
bel watched him a moment, her heart growing
sick with horror when she saw the blood pouring
from a wound in his breast and fairly drenching
the back of the rock.

“ Zadokl” she cried, “ you are wounded! Oh,
m brave old friend! let me help you!”

dok raised his hand and motioned her back,
at the same time shaking his head.

The next instant a black form shot close by

the Sentinel, its head IOWered, its eyes glowing,

like fire-balls—the hot breath pouring from
its nostrils and clouds of dust bursting from
beneath its hoofs. And close behind this mad
beast came others. and then a solid mass of
movin forms—a black surging. seething sea
of bu aloes that reached out on either side and
back beyond the range of vision. The dust ris-
ing in the air cast a dull haze over the sky, and
this dust-fog and the warm, fetid breath of the

 

mad beasts made the air almost stifling and
suffocating.

Like a mighty torrent the bufl'aloes arted on
either side of the Sentinel, though t ey were
crowded so close a ainst it that their white
horns rattled and ra ed its sides. A huge bull,
swept on by the irresistible tide, and unable to
turn aside, struck his great head full against the
upper end of the rock. So terrific was the blow
that the animal would have turned clear over
the obstruction had it been a foot or two lower.
As it was. it seemed to stand for a moment on
its head against the rock, its tail lashing the
terrified Mabel across the shoulders. Then it fell
outward, half-stunned. Another buffalo stum-
bled over it, and another over that, and so on,
until the order, as it were, of the stampede seem—
ed broken, and the Sentinel became the center of
a living whirlpool from the depths of which came
the sound of rattling hoofs, crashing horns,
angry bellows and snorts of pain.

The blockade swiftly extended backward and
around the Sentinel. Hundreds of the terrified
beasts became piled in one romiscuous mass, in
which they leaped, and p unged, and walked
over each other—trampling and goring to death
the weaker ones.

To all this terrible scene going on around him
Old Zadok paid no attention. He stood upon
his hands and knees, his face bent downward his
body slight] swaying to and fro, while little
rivulets of b ood from the wounds in his breast
ran down the white sides of the rock.

“ Zadok !” Mabel finally shrieked above the
awful roar of that living whirlpool of maddened
beasts, “ Zadok, you are wounded l—you are
bleedlng to death! ’

“ Yes, yes, gal,” the old man replied, and the
words seemed to cause him a pang of agony, for
he sprung to his feet uttering a cry of terrible
pain.

Then he threw up his hands and clutched at
space as if for support, and reelin to and fro
his face contorted with pain, he su denly made
a convulsive leap from off the rock and falling
across the head and neck of a passin buffalo,
was swept away from the maiden’s sight like a
feather swept out to sea on the receding tide.

 

CHAPTER IV.
A GALLANT FRIEND.
ALON] now upon the Sentinel, her heart sick

with terror and her brain growing dizzy. Mabel .

Thurston sat watching the mad torrent of buffa-
loes rushing by. It was an ap alling situation
to the poor girl, and as shore ected upon the
possibility of her father’s death—knowmg full
well that Old Zadok had gone down to a terri-
ble fate—and that she was alone upon that deso-
late valley a strange feeling came stealing over
her, and the rock n n which she sat seemed
sinkigcg down, down into the trembling earth—it
seem she was about being ingulfed in the
depths of a black sea whose thunderous waves
were rolling about her feet. Her strength, her
courage, her senses were giving way, and she
was fast sinking into a state of unconsciousness
when the last of the herd of buffaloes swept by
and the crack of rifles and the about of human
voices reaching her ears roused her from her
stupor—the lethargy of terror. She started up
like one from a troubled dream. She gazed
around her. She saw the rear of the mighty
herd dissolving in the shadows of the distance.
She heard the crack, crack of fire-arms almost
continuously in the direction of the bufl’aloes,
and then she knew that they were being pur-
sued by hunters. Her first impulse was to cry
out for help, but it occurred to her that the
hunters might be enemies—Indians, as Old
Zadok had intimated, and she remained quiet.

But what should she do? She glanced around
her. The fog of dust still hung in the air, some-
what obscuring the light of the moon. Not a
vestige of the two dead savages could be seen
about the rock. The sharp beefs of the buffaloes
had tram led them into dust. Round and about
the rock av several buffalo carcasses trampled
into shapeless masses of flesh.

The maiden’s mind reverted to her father.
She wondered if he had escaped from the path
of the mad herd, and involuntarily she turned
her face toward the east.

Out of the distant shadows she saw a horse-
man comingl. Her heart gave a great bound of
Eloy, for she ad no other thought than that it was

or father. She clapped her hands in unbounded
joy and shouted his name.

But the poor girl was doomed to bitter disap-
pointment, for, as the rider approached, she
saw it was a stranger—a large man, who air
geared on the horse he rode like a giant of

robdingnag.

 

 

The horseman rode straight toward her, and
again was her heart and mind put to the severest
test between hope and fear.

The unknown rode up, reined in his mustang,
and fixing his eyes on Mabel, uttered a low
whistle, indicative of surprise.

“- Rats and calamity!” finally burst from the
fellow’s lips, “ what does this mean? a statue to
beaut , or an actual, livin’, movin’ girl of flesh
and b ood l”

“0h, sir!” Mabel found words to reply, “I
hope you are a friend!”

‘Salvation and calamity! woman— irl—an-
gel!” exclaimed the stranger; “I’m a ‘riend to
ever thing and everybody in need of friends. I
am ob Comstock, or, as they have twisted in
name around over on the Jim River, Stonewa 11
Bob, because I’m bigger ’n’ uglier ’n a stone wall
daubed with mud.”

“And are you not called the Boy Trojan?”
asked Mabel, her eyes beginning to glow with.
some of their wonted light.

“ Yes, Boy Tro'an, too; in fact, I’m all mixed
up so on names t at I’m almost a stranger to
myself. But, no difference who I am, you have
found a friend in me, Miss Stranger, and I will

be only too happy to serve your wishes. May I
ask our name?”
“ abel Thurston,” she replied “ m home

is at Humboldt settlement, on the C eyenne
River.”

“ Away down there? and you here alone?” the
boy iant exclaimed.

“ was left here alone.”

“ And were you here while that herd of buffa~ I
loes were passin’?”

“ Yes, sir.”

“Sin and calamity! Miss Mabel, I’m afraid:
you’re not here of your own free will.”

I f‘ lie sir; I am here by the pOWer of a vil—
am.

“ I’ll bet some blue—bearded devil’s at the bot-~
tom of it; but pardon in strong langua e, miss,
and my interruption. hat reason ad the
scamp for carrying you 011' up here?”

“I Spurned his profi’ered love ” Mabel went on.
with the utmost confidence in the gallant youth
before her here; “ I did so repeatedly, because
I loathed him. I could not help it, but he con-
tinued his advances until my father was com—
Eelled to interfere, and one day he turned Archi-

ald Vandyke from the house. Three months.
later I was riding alone on the prairie away a
mile or so from the settlement, when Vandyke
and a confederate rode from concealment, and
seizing my horse and me, and binding me in the:
saddle, carried me away by force. Where they
were takin me I knew not, at first, but when
they were oined this morning by the outlaw
Black Bluford, and four of his followers, 1 made
up my mind that I was being taken to the moun-
tains and—”

“ ardon me, Miss Thurston,” again inter—
ruiited the young giant, “but what kind of a.
100 ing fellow was this Black Bluford ?”

The maiden described the outlaw and his four
men.

“Fiends and calamit l” burst from the Boy
Trojan’s lips, “I had hat very gang at m
mercy yesterda , and could have made cat-fis
bait of all of t em had I been sure they were
outlaws. What a blind blunder! I mistrusted
them, and yet— But go on, miss, and I’ll try
not to disturb you again.”

“As I was saying, I felt satisfied,” Mabel
wont on, “ that the 0Lt1aws’ destination was the
hills, although about noon to—day I heard Black
Bluford say they would reach camp above the
Forks by midni ht, and so I su posed the had
a camp or ren ezvous above t e Grand iver
Forks. But {ust before sunset this evening, In
father, who a one had been following our trai .
came suddenly upon the party and attempted
my rescue; but he was over owend and made
prisoner' and then b Vandy e’s re uest he was
stretch u n the p sin and bean hand and
foot to pic et-pins driven into the earth, and
there ]e t to be devoured alive by wolves. A
few miles further on— 'ust before the moon came
up—I managed to elu e the villains and return!
to my father, who was still alive. A few mo-
ments after my arrival at my father‘s side, an
old hunter came up and helped me to release
him. His name was Zadok, and a kind and no-
ble old man he was-— ”

“Yes, yes, I know Zadok,” put in the Boy
Trojan; “he’s an odd old soul, but he’s as noble
as he’s brave; but, miss, here I’m chi in’ in
again. Go on with your story, and if I isturb
you again you’ll not be to blame for it.”

Mabel went on and told of her father’s release,
the re also of the outlaWS, the flight to the Sen— '
tine], he departure of her father. Zadok’s fi ht
with the savages, the old hunter’s fate and er

 

  

 

   

 

 

 

own mental suffering up to the moment of his
—Stonewall’s—arrival.

The boy giant fairly groaned in s irit over the

news of the terrible death of 01 Zadok, and
the maiden saw tears glistening in his big bright
e es.
y“ Poor old Zadokl” the youth said, dismount-
ing and resting his arm on the saddle: “ it was
a hard way to die, but it was in a good cause,
thank God. And so the Indians, tOo, are in the
valley? I reckon they’re on their annual hunt,
though earlier than usual. Oh, wouldn’t I like
an introduction to that man Vandyke, and
again have them outlaws as I had them yester-
da 1”

“ I heard them mention your name—the name
Stonewall Bob—several times since yesterday.
They jested each other about Stonewall Bob and
‘ ba tism,’ and then they would laugh and curse.
I a so heard them talking about interce tin a
party that was going in search of a id en
Uache wherein there was buried a. lot of
gold.”

“ Sin and calamity!" exclaimed Stonewall
Bob, “ how on earth have they got wind of that
expedition? Miss Thurston, I’m to join that
party at the forks of the Grand Rivers, and if
they intercept us—that is, me and the friends I
am to meet there—they’ll soon after be inter-
cepted in Purgatory by old Satan. A young
man from your settlement is to be one of that

arty of treasure-hunters. Perhaps you know
him; it is Ben Clark.”

“Ben Clark?” replied the maiden, her fair
face becoming suffused with a tell-tale blush.
“ Yes, sir, I know him quite well. Were you to
meet him soon ?"

“This very night at Willow Island at the
forks,” the young plainsinan responded. “ But,
condemn that villain Vundykel I wish he were
here now. Girl—pardon me, for it’s rot tocome
out—I’d splatter his carcass: all overt is range—-
All! there comes one of his associates now.”

It was a coyote to which the youth alludedfia
hungry, snarling beast attracted there by the
dead buffaloes. It came up within a few pat-cs
of the Sentinel, as if to investigate the situation.
Stonewall Bob gazed at it a moment, then whipe
ping out his revolver sent a bullet through its
brain. '

Coolly replacing the weapon in his belt, the
boy turned to Mabel and said:

“ So you do not know, then, Miss Thurston,
what has been your father‘s fate?”

“ No, sir,” she replied, with a deep sigh, “ but
I live in hopes that he is safe—J have prayed to
Heaven for his safe return to me.”

“I’ll turn a bloody old infidel, if the Lord,
'whom my mother taught me was so merciful,
hasn’t heard your petition,” the oung giant
declared; “ but until we know his fate, Miss
Mabel, you must place yourself under my pro-
tection. ‘

“ Thank you Mr. Comstock~”

“ Stonewall hob—4n Bob, please,” interrupted
the kind-hearted big border boy.

“ Well, as I was going to say, Stonewall Bob,”
replied Mabel, with a faint smile, “I am in
dire need of a friend, and yet I hate to be an
incumbrance to you, and ask you to endanger
your life for me.’

“ 8’ so not,” was the blunt reply, “ but
then m chap enough to volunteer to do so, and
that with great pleasure. God didn't make me
a big. overgrown calamity for nothin’ and if I
can be of service to you I will rejoice in the
honor. I’ve heard so much of rangers, and
hunters, and cowbovs makin’ heroes of them-
selves in behalf of autiful young gals, that
1’\'e always had a desire to try my hand at it,
and now that the opportunity’s offered I’m

oin’ to let myself loose, and if the outlaws or

ngins give me half a Show. by calamity, I’ll
fertilize this Valley for the comin’ generation 0'
farmers by strewm’ it With the carcasses 0’ red-
skins and freebooters. But this is what’s called
bluster, and blaster don’t count much onl when
the enemy is in another territory, soi you’ll
cume with me, I will take you to where I ex-
pected to meet; my friends. and once there I as-
sure you that you w111 be safe.

“But if my father should return here and
find me gone—”

“ Ah! there comes a horseman now from the
east,” exclaimed Bob, dropping his hand to his

istol.

P .s Mabel? Mabel, my child, are 'you .alive?”
came from the li s of the approaching rider.

“Thank God!” cried the maiden, her heart
filleg with a sudden joy, “it is my dear father 1"

S e leaped to the ground and ran to meet her
father, who, dismounting, clasped her in his
arms.

The first joy of their reunion over, Mabel

 

 

conducted her father to where Stonewall stood
and introduced him to the young plainsman. '

Then the two men hastil discussed the situa-
tion, which resulted in J os ua Thurston accept-
ing Bob’s proposition that he and his daughter
go on to Willow Island with him.

“Then,” said the boy, “let us be off. Miss
Mabel, you ride my pony and I’ll lead the way
on foot.”

“ Oh, I could not think—” began the maiden.

“ But you must,” interposed the young giant,
and he deliberately lifted her in his arms as
though she were an infant and placed her in his
saddle, saying, as he did so, “and you’ll please
excuse my outlaw-way of argument. Wouldn’t
I be a lovely here, though, to go riding along,
and the maiden I was heroing for sailing alonu'
afoot?” and the bluff, big-hearted boy laughed
heartily at his own conceit.

Bob was about to give the word to start
when he suddenly threw up his hand, saying in
a low tone:

“ By calamityl there’s another horseman comv
ing! and it’s an Ingin, true as I’m here. Stand
quiet, folks, and I’ll surprise the follow, for he’s
comin’ right this way.”

The young giant walked out to the wolf hehad
shot a short time before, and taking up the ani-
mal by the himl-lecs, slowly advanced toward
the red-skin. But the latter saw that all was not
what he had supposed it to be, and drew rciu
when about ten paces from Bob, and leaning
slightly forward and peering at the boy, uttered
a low, guttural exclamation.

“ V aughl" answered Stonewall Bob, and at
the same time he raised his arm and flung the
dead wolf at the sava e as though it were a
mere kitten. The novc missile struck the red-
skin in the stomach with a dull crash, and not
only knocked him hccls ovcr head from his
her e, but laid him lircathlcss and speechless on
the earth. And at the samomoment almost, the
young athlc’te sprung forward and seized the
savagc’s horse, and in a twinkling was on the
animal’s back.

\Vhen Mr. Thurston and Mabel caught sight
of the youth‘s face, it was all aglow with silent
laughtcr.

“ Stonewall," said Thurston, " you throw coy-
otes around like they were inicc.’

“ I reckon that ingin ’ll think a buffalo-bull
run into him when ho comes around,” replied the
boy; “and if it wasn’t for the looks of the thing
and the fear of drawin’ others here, I’d sock a
bullet through him. But now that we’re all
mounted I guess we’d better he amblin’ along,
and as we’re all on borrowrd horses we needn’t
be particular how fast we ride.”

So saying, the three rode away, going almost
due west 11 ) the valley.

They had not one far when their cars were
suddenly greeted y a series of wild, savage ydlls
and shrieks behind them.

“ Hal hal ha!" laughed Stonewall Bob out-
right, “ that red skin’s pot the kinks out of him
and begun to pipe an evenin’ carol; tut let him
pipe till the sun comes up, if he feels easier by
so doin'. However, his harmonious trills are
likely to call up some of his friinds, and the
further we’re away then the more enchantin’
it’ll be for us.”

And so they urged their animals on at a faster
speed, and miles were soon passed over. They
werepongratulating themselves on their good
luck in escaping further dangers when they were
suddenly startled by a savage yell behind, that
told them they were being pursued.

“ Oh, hc!” exclaimed Stonewa 1 Bob, betray-
ing no fenr or surprise, “ that‘s another tune,
and first thing you know there’ll be some more
red-skins hurt. But a little more speed, friends,
won’t be. out of oroer.”

The fugitives urged on their horses tn renewed
speed, while evcr and anon Stonewall Bob
glanced back over his shoulder. But he said
nothing, nor did his looks or actions betray the
least si of fcar or uneasiness.

But nallv Mabel, who rode between the youth
and her father, saw the boy adjust his revolvers
and unsling his carbine, which he carried muzzle
downward at the side of his horse as if ready
for instant use. These movements of the young
plainsman convinced her that the savages were
gaining upon them—that the brave boy realized
that a conflict was inevitable.

CHAPTER V.
OLD PEGLEG 80L.

“ HAL’I‘ there, and throw up, old man l”

This peremptory command was accompanied
by tle click of gun-locks, and he to whom
the command was given guickly reined in his
higrse and dropped his ban to the pistol at his
3 e.

 

Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan. 5

 

The hour was between sunset and dark of the
day preceding that of the events narrated in the
foregoing chapter, and the place was a little

rove on the banks of the South Fork of Grand
FiVfir, not far from its junction with the North

or .

The horseman who was so suddenly and unen

ctedly brought to a stand was a man of r-

aps fifty years of age. He was dressed in I
complete suit of buckskin, barring the coonskin
cap on his head. He was well armed and well
mounted; and that he was a man of the border
there could be no doubt, unless it should rim
from the fact that he had but one. leg.

But those who knew Old Sol Whistler knew
that he was one of the most fearless and success-
ful hunters on the nirthcrn hunting—grounds,
notwithstanding he was a cripple.

A wooden pcg, with a ferule and a sha brad
on the end of it, did service asa secon limb,
and it was from this that the old hunter had re-
ceived the sobriquct of Old Pegleg Sol. His leg
had been taken off half-way between the knee
and thigh, but as he wore his pants-leg full
length it concealed most of the wooden limb;
but as he sat in his saddle this limb stuck out-
ward almost at right-angles with his body, iv-
ing him, as a horseman, a decidedly comical
appearance.

’ ‘he old hunter had come down the river from
the west, and his reception at the edge of the
grove, wherein he hm expected to encamp for
the night, was a startling surprise to him. In
fact, not seeing the one who had ordered him to
halt, he could scarcely believe the cvidcnce of
his own hearing; but before he. could draw his
revolver three men with 'uns lcvelcd upon him
stopped from cover of the inshcs and confronted
him. The old hnntcr saw that boy were stran-
gers, and he knew at a glance that they were
l‘rcebootcrs of the prairie.

“Don’t draw that iron, old man,” exclaimed
one of' the villains, as he stepped from the brush;
“ jist you succumb quietly and no harm ’llcome
to you.”

“ Ram in’ tigers and blood!” rctorted.chleg
Sol, “ Pt like to know what you blear—ey id var-
niints want with me. If I‘ve anything ‘liout me

on want, take it and let me pass on. I’m no

log, and if a feller’s in need I’d even give him
my wooden 13:.”

‘You get own from that saddle," ordered
the outlaw; “ there are nothin’ ‘bout you we
want but yourself. We don’t mean to harm
you, but We want you a few days in our camp
in this grove to give it tone.” ~

“ I’ll prove a white elcephant on your hands,
men," said Old chleg; “besides I’ve an engage-
ment with friends down the creek that—”

“ Ay, that’s the very point, exact] ,” said one
of the outlaws; “ we were aware e that fact,
and were in waiting for you here, and have been
three days, so you’ll please dismount and con-
sider yourself our guest.”

“ Not of my own free will," declared the old
hunter.

A burly outlaw sprung at the old man and
seizing him by the aim, dragged him from his
horse. Then the three proceeded to disarm him,
whit h ihcy soon surcecdcd in doing.

“ New search his pockets for documents," said
the leader of the outlaw trio; “ he might have
n me information ’bout him, of the Hidden
Cache.”

“So, he!” exclaimtd Old So], “that's what
yru’re after, eh? Well, precious little good
you’ll git out of ban rin’ me around, for I know
110 were ’bont the iddcn (‘ai be than you do."

“We understand that, Pegleg Sol, but you
fright lave something of “due about you so
vi ’ll search you anyhow.”

The old man squared off and knocked the first
run down that came in much of him. It was not
his nature to succumb uietly to indi nities, and
while he had nothing 0 Value about is rson,
he pl‘0p(‘.S(‘(l to fight just the same. But 0. was
soon overpowerid and home down, then b he
gave the l are outlaws a lively tusslc,and, n the
midst of the struggle, a weapon was discharged
with a low, dull report, and one of the outlaws
fell, slot through the abdcnien, and died in a
few moments.

At first the freehooters supposed that one of
their own weapons had been discharged, acci-
dentally, in the struggle with Old Pep‘leg: but
an examination of their revolvers satisfied them
of their being mi taken. The knew that Peg-
leg had not fired the shot, for hey had disarmed
him, and so they concluded it must have come
from under cover of the grove, and if so, others
were like] to follow it, and with no little un-
easiness o mind, the two outlaws made haste to
get away from there.

Their dead comrade was thrown across the

 

 

   

 

back of Fe leg’s horse, the old hunter’s hands
were tied (1% his back, and then they marched
03 into the grove, Old Pegleg limping along
through the weeds and undergrowth with re
markable ease and celerity.

After going about forty rods they came to a
camp at the lower extremity of the grove, where
they halted. There were two commodious tents
pitched under the trees, and the place had the
apgearance of having been occu ied some days.

ld Pegleg, with his hands sti l secured at his
back, was tied to a tree, having sufficient rope
given him to sit or lie down at pleasure.

The wound of the dead outlaw was not ex-
amined. It was found that the ball had passed
through his abdomen and lod ed just under the
skin or. the opposite side. 1th his knife one of
the men removed the ball, and to their surprise
found it was a small cartridge—ball of twenty-
two caliber.

This discovery proved that the shot had come
from an unknown quarter, for none of their
men carried wea ons of so light a caliber, nor
were any of the rearms taken from Old Pegleg
less than forty five caliber.

That there was an enemy abroad in the grove
the outlaws had no doubt now, but wh that
enemy had not fired a second and third 5 0t as
deadly as the first, when the same opportunity
was offered, was a (Huestion they could not solve
on any other grouni s than that the slayer only
sought the life of the one man.

Darkness coming on, Old Pegleg’s blanket was
spread for him to lie down 11 on, the outlaws
seating themselves near him he villains were
afraid to strike a light. for the more they
thought and pondered over the death of their
friend the more the matter seemed to become in-
volved in mystery

For several hours they sat and quietly dis-
cussed the Situation,

Old Pegleg laid down and in the course of a
few minutes he fell asleep as was evidenced by
his heavy breathing

Thus the hours 0 night wore on. It was near-
ly midnight when the two outlaws were sudden-
ly startled by the sound of approaching hoofs
and the voices of men

CHAPTER VI
THE TREASURE-HUNTERS.

ON a little island on the Grand River just
where the two forks came together four men
Were encamped. They were all youn men and
although they were dressed in buC'skin, and
unusually well armed, but a single one of them
was a man of the border.

Frank Payne, the eldest of the party, was a
man of five-and-twenty years

Ben Clark was three-and-twenty

fiephen Dockwood was twenty

Nathan Renshaw was the youngest, being
ei hteen.

n Clark was a resident of Humboldt settle-
menton the Che enne River. The other three
were friends of is from over in Eastern Iowa.

The island upon which they were encaniped
was a long, tongue-shaped stri of sandy soil
covered with tall cottonw saplings and
fringed with a dense growth of wi lows The
river was not only Wider here than elsewhere,
but of considerable depth—so deep, in fact. that
they were com lled to construct a raft on
which to carry t an outfit over from the main-
land and ufin which they could pass to and fro
from the i. nd

They had 313: horses, two of which were packw
animals These horses were kept at grass on
the mainland during the day and then swam
over to the island at night to prevent their
straying ofi', or theft by roving Indian hunters
or outlaws, should there be any abroad in that
Vicinity.

It is a pleasant September night when we in-
troduce this party of young hunters to our
readers Up to this time they have been on the
island two days and nights They are there
waiting the coming of others as had been previ-
ously arranged.

Reclining upon the earth about their camp-
fire, they are smoking, telling stories, and pass-
ing the time as only ree-hearted and rollicking
young fellows can.

" Boys," Frank Payne finally observed, as be
stretched himself out lazily upon his blanket,
“ if we have to lay around here feasting on the
fat of the land much longer, I’ll get so lazy I
won‘t sit in my saddle. This thing of juicy
buffalo-hump and venison for breakfast and
venison and bufialo for dinner, and hot for
supper, the way Ben Clark broils it, will load as
all down with a superfluity of flesh."

“' Don't let that worry you, Frank," replied
Ben Clark, “ for if it is true that there are hos-

I

. -.~ _  ,Ir‘ql‘ll    ,i
   

 

was-..“ ,_ .x- . “.4”,

6 Stonewall Bob. the Boy Trojan.

 

tile Ingins in this country the red varlets ’ll be
apt to run some of the surplus fat off of us be-
fore we get that buried treasure.”

“ Do you really think there are hostile red-
skins about, Ben?” asked oung Renshaw.

“I am sure it was an ngin I saw to-day in
the dim distance ” replied Ben. “ It might have
been a scout or the advance guard of a party of
Ingin buffalo-hunters This is a favorable hunt-
ing-ground for the Sioux, although it‘s a little
earl for their fall hunting."

“ 'isdoui of Solomon 1” exclaimed Payne,
“ I hope no red skins will show themselves until
we have had a hunt for that hidden cache, al-
though I haven‘t as much faith in the convict’s
confession as I had a month ago The nearer
we approach to the scene of the reputed Indian
massacre, the more visionary this expedition
seems ”

“ Well,” declared Steve Lockwood, “ gold-
cache or no old~cachc, if Old Pegleg Sol and
Stonewall Bo get here we can have a grand
old buffalo-hunt, providing the red-skins don't
dispute territory with us. Love of Jonathan!
wouldn’t I like to make one swoo down on that
herd of buffaloes we saw up the orth Fork to-
day? If there was one bison in that herd there
werea million. I’d ’a’ sworn it was a district
of burnt prairie, but when Ben declared it wasa
herd of bufi'aloes I was dumfounded. Boys,
just think of a whole township covered with
cattle as close as they can stand and then you
can have an inkling of the game Ben and I saw
and the deep, broad oceans of fun we could
have ”

“ You don’t su pose they’ll stay there a month,
do you i" deman ed young Renshaw,

“They may rummage around in this valley
several days,” said Ben Clark, “if they’re not
disturbed, and—”

“Hark!” suddenly exclaimed Payne, in evi-
dent excitement.

All four listened.

A deep, rumbling noise like distant thunder
was heard over in the valley toward the north.

“ It’s the buffaloes!” exclaimed Clark
“ they’re moving nowl they‘ve been stampeded
and are moving east as though the very Old
Harr was after them ”

“ hat do you think _about it, Ben ?” asked
Payne.

‘ I think Ingins are at the bottom of it.”

“ And supfiiOSe thteYy conclude to add our scalps
to their catc of bu ale-skins?”

“ It’s very likely that before they get our hair
a few Ingin spirits ’11 jump the narrow boundary
of life into the happy hunting-grounds where
bisons and treasure-hunters roam not on the
plains. ”

“ How far is that flying herd away, Ben?”

“ Ten miles, anyhow.”

‘.‘ War of the Roses! it sounds as though they
were just over the river. It must be a tremen-
dous large—”

“ Hallo, over there i”

It was a stran e v01ce that thus hailed them
from the south s ore.

“ Old Pegle 801' I’ll bet a rabbit-skin!” ex-
claimed Ben lark

The four hunters, if we may so term them, at
once hastened to the south side of the island

“ Hullo, over there!” Ben Clark shouted back,
when they saw a man standing on the shore with
a rifle resting on his arm
b “yell, who are you?” the unknown answered

ac

“ A party of gentlemen!” Ben shouted

“ From Humboldt?” in uired the stranger

‘ ‘ Yes. are you Old Peg eg Sol?”

“ No. I’m not 01d Pegleg, but I’m hereto meet
you in Pegleg‘s place,” was the response

“ Well, who are you ?” asked Clark.

“ Yellowstone Bill,” came the answer.

“ I never heard of such a man,” said Ben. in
an undertone to his companions. then raising his
voice, he shouted to the stranger “ I don’t know
Yellowstone Bill, but I don’t doubt your word.
What’s wrong with Old Pegleg?”

“ Old Peg,” the man answered, “ is laid up at
the fort with a broken arm—too much grizzly
b’ar When he found he couldn’t come to meet
you as he agreed, he axed me to come and help
you hunt Captain Mercer’s Hidden Gold-Cache.
Them’s my credentials, gentlemen.”

“ That’s satisfactor , isn’t it, boys?" asked
Clark of his friends, wno at once answered in the
affirmative

The raft was at once sent over to the shore
and Yellowstone Bill brought to the island and
conducted to the camp, where he was given a
hearty reception by the party

The borderman was a man of ‘perhaps fifty

ears of a , with a rough, bearde face and a
een, blac eye. He was dressed in buckskin,

 

and armed with rifle, revolvers and the indis-
pensable hunting-knife.

La ing aside his weapons, the old hunter took
his p ace by the cam -tire with that social free»
dom so characteristic of the borderman and
then he took a pipe from his pocket, and filling
it, lit it and began to smoke and talk.

“And so Old Pegleg S01 is down on his back?”
Ben Clark finally remarked, anxious to know
more of his old friend’s condition.

“ Yes, got hug ed with a grizzly and some’at
chaWed,” replied ellowstone Bill; “ but the post
surgeon said he’d pull through if he could git
him all sewed to ether again.”

“ I hope so,” a dcd Ben Clark, “ for 1 do think
Old Peg is the dandiest old vagabond that ever
roamed this wide range over. He’s a whole
brigade of fun and frolic.”

“ Yes,” afiirmed the hunter, “Old Peg’s a
good man, but he orter giVe up huntin’, for an
old man bummin’ round wi’ one leg in the grave
anldntrying to fight grizzlies won’t work success-
fu .

“ Does he carry crutches?” asked young Lock-
wood.

“No, he wears a straight wooden peg for a.
leg, and it’d surprise you to see him go scotchin’
around on it,” said Clark.

“ Boys, not changin’ the subject, how long ye-
been here?” queried Old Yellowstone.

“Two days, and this is the third night,” an-
swered Clark.

“ I’d been here a day sooner,” Old Bill went.
on, “ if Peg hadn’t held on to the last, hopin’ to
be able to come hisself. He war awful sorry
and sent you his best wishes. and he ed you’
find the pot of gold that Captain ercer left
hid somewhar in this valley years ago. But
what ’bout that Hidden Cache, bo s? Old Sol.
didn’t tell me the ’ticulars— only sai you folks ’d
have a map, and so forth, locatin’ the spot whar-
the old war buried.”

“ es, I have such a map,” said Payne,
“ then b without some one that knows the val-
le we I, it would be rather indefinite. That is
w K we engaged Pegleg Sol to assist us. He is
we ac uainted with these valleys.”

“ I think I understand these valleys as well, if
not better than Old Pegle hisself,” asserted
Yellowstone Bill. “but w at are the facts,
youn ster, ’hout the Hidden Cache?”

“ e ot the first trace of it through a man
named oven, who died in the Ananiosa State
prison in Iowa some months ago. He had been
put in for fifteen years and had served twelve at
the time of his death. I was a deputy warden
at the prison at that time, and when he saw that
he must die he invited me to his bedside one
day to listen to a revelation he had to make. I
had been Very kind to him, so he thought, and
for this reason he made a confidant of me and
told his story. He said that nearly thirteen
years before he and a dozen others started with
one Captain Brown Mercer on a trading expedi-
tion to the Yellowstone country. They embarked
from Sioux City in bateaux. In addition to
articles for trade with the Indians that they took
along, they carried about twenty thousand dol-
lars in gold with which to purchase furs of white
traders When near the mouth of the Grand.
River they learned through their scout that a
large party of hostile Indians were encamped a,
few miles ahead on the river awaiting their com-
ing. As they dared not attempt to run the
gantlet with such a small force against such
overwhelming odds, and through hopes of giv-
ing the Indians the slip, they tuined up the
Grand River. They had hopes of reaching the.
mountains by the route at a point where they
could strike t e village of some friendly Indians-
from whom they would purchase poniesand con-
tinue their journey.

“ Well, he said the ex dition succeeded in
reaching a point near the orks of the two Grand.
Rivers when the hostile Indians headed them off.
They were forced to leave the river and fall
back into the open valley where they sought
shelter in a kind of a ‘blow-out.’ They re ulsed
the red-skins in three attacks without the loss of
a man. and as the save es finally withdrew
from sight, they suppose ,they had gone for
good, and so the party resumed their journey on
foot, the Indians having destroyed their ba-
teaux But they had not gone a mile before the.-
Indians appeared again. and so the party con-
cluded to desert everything but their weapons.
and try and save their liVes. Captain Mercer
buried his gold in a couple of iron camp-kettles.
He first removed the sod and then dug a hole,
throwing the dirt on a blanket, then put in the
kettles of gold, replacing the dirt and sod so»
carefull that not a trace of the cache could be.
seen. liken, in order to find the spot himself,.
Captain Mercer cut a cottonwood sprout from a»

 

   

 
   

 

solitary, stunted bush that grew about two hun—
dred yards from the cache and stuck it in the
ground some two rods from the cache, letting it

reject just about two inches above the ground.
Net over half a mile from where they abandoned
their things, a horde of mounted savages swept
down upon them, and there slew every man ex-
ce t Goven, who, catching an Indian pony,
w ose rider he had shot in the struggle, mount-
ed and fled, and succeeded in escaping the sav-
ages. He said that he saw the last one of his
friends shot down just as he caught the pony,
and thought it was the greatest miracle in the
world that he escaped death there to meet it in
prison and in disgrace.

“ After his escape from the savages he made
his way across the lains to Sioux City, where
he tried to sell the ndian pony, which he con-
sidered his by all that was fair, at least, in war
when he was accused of being a horse-thief, ant
in a moment of anger shot his accuser dead.
For this he was arrested, tried and sentenced to
fifteen years in the State Prison. Knowing that
he was the sole survivor of the massacre he kept
the secret of the buried treasure, determined to
secure it when released. But, alas! the fell de-
stroyer seized upon him. When he saw that he
must die, he made this revelation to me and ex-
pressed a hope that I might find the cache, and
obtain the gold, and live to enjoy it. He then
drew me a map of the Grand River country,
marking the spot as near as possible where the
massacre occurred. He also described several
landmarks in the vicinity of the cache, but as
many of them are liable to have been changed
with the lapse of time, he advised me to secure
the service of some old hunter who had been fa«
miliar with the Grand River valley for years,
and who would, if any of the marks be men-
tionod were gone, remember where they had
been.

“ This was the substance of Goven’s story.
He died three days after. M two friends and
I had already planned a buffa o—hunt in Western
Nebraska, but after hearing Goven’s story we
concluded to come up here and hunt for gold as
well as buffaloes. I wrote my friend Clark here,
of Humboldt Settlement, the whole particulars,
and of our proposed hunt, and instructed him to
employ a gride, which he did, making arrange-
ments for im—Old Pegle Sol—to meet us here
on or about this time. e were also to be met
here by a noted young plainsman called ‘ Stone-
wall Beb.’ This new is the story of the Hidden
Gold Cache, and the ma of Goven‘s, which I
have here in my pocket will now show you.”

Frank Payne put his and into an inner pock-
et of his hunting-jacket to procure the paper,
and just as he did so_the whole party was start-
led by a piercing shriek—the shriek of a woman
that was followed by the report of firearms and
a wild, demoniac, savage yell!

 

CHAPTER VII.
THE BOY TROJAN IN TROUBLE.

THE sounds that had so suddenly startled the
party on the island came from the north side of
the river, and forgetting all else, the hunters
seized their rifles and ran down to the edge of
the river.

Looking across the water they saw, on the
sharp point of land made by the junction of the
two rivers, a woman seated u n a horse or

ny,while further on were two orsemen turned

acing a horde of advancing savages, and pour-
ing shot after shot into the ranks of the yelling

ends. ,

“ By the bar 01' DaVidl” exclaimed Ben Clark
“'there’s some y in trouble—one a woman,
tool Boys, shall we go'to their assistance?”

“ By all means,” replied Frank Payne “ we’d
be cowards not to do so. To the raft, boys, to
the raft l” .

“ Men,” said Yellowstone Bill, “it’ll be death
to go over there—wussner suicide.”

‘ Death and suicide it is, then i” declared Ben
Clark starting for the raft, followed by his
friends, guns in hand. -

In a few moments the 1young hunters had
boarded the raft. Ben Clar seized the pole and
began warpin the float away from the shore
even before 015 Yellowstone Bill had got aboard,
The old man had plentytime to leap on, but he
hesitated, and the next Instant the raft was out
of his reach. .

“ I’ll not go back now,” said Clark, somewhat
surprised at the old hunter’s conduct; “ Old Peg-
l 801 ’d ’a’ been the first man on here.”

8 oung hunters were com elledtepass half
around the island before ma mg toward the
scene of conflict. '

When they came in sight. of the pemt they
saw that the woman had disappeared. One or

 

Stonewall Bob, the "Boy Trojan. '7

 

 

the men was also gone, and the other was stand-
ing alone on the very verge of the point, engaged
in a hand-tohand struggle with a dozen or more
savages.

“ Rearin’ rivers!” cried Ben Clark, as he

caught sight of the man struggling with the fee, I

“that is Hi friend, Stonewall Bob! Boys, let
loose into tie red demons, but be careful of the
Boy Trojan— Hurrah! Yellowstone Bill’s hang-
in’ it to ’cm from the island 1"

The three young hunters at once opened fire
upon the red—skins, while at regular intervals
Old Bill’s rifle rung out on the island.

“ Hold on to them, Bob, friends are comiu’ l”
shouted Ben Clark at the top of his lungs as he
plied the pole with all his strength.

Driven to the very extreme. verge of the point
Stonewall Bob stood battling like one possessed
for his life. Protected in the. rear by the perpen-
dicular bank he was enabled to keep the foe be-
fore him. Knives and toniahawks gleumcd in
the moonlight, and flew through the air about
the head ofthe young giant. Like a Trojan, in-
deed, lie stood with clubbed carbine ben ting down
the howling mob as they closed in within reach.
Never did man seem to hear a life more charm—
ed. Like a stone wall in fact he stood firm defy;
in the storm and assaults of the foe.

The bank behind the young Trojan and, in
fact, on either side, was fully ten feet high and
slightly projecting, and in order to effect a land-
ing the rescuing party must pass the point almost
under the boy giant, push into the mouth of the
North Fork and pass on a few yards to where
they could see the bank was low.

As they passed the point an Indian came
whirling over the bank and fell sprawling into
the river—knocked senseless by Stonewall’s club-
bed carbine.

The savages seemed determined to fake the
young giant al've. It was not at all likely that
the ap )roacli of these on the raft had been un-
seen; mt the foe are no att ntion to them,
every energy being icnt upon the capture of the
boy giant before assistance could reach him.

Suddenly, us if by a preconcerted movement,
and with a wild, infernal scream, the whole pack
of human wolves closed in upon the brave boy.
The young plainsmun staggered hack and as he
stood reeling on the ed c of the bank endeavor-
ing to maintain his :alance, a dozen savage
hands seized him. But at this very instant the
bank broke away and the young Trojan and near-
ly a score of red ‘SklllS were precipitated into the
river with athunderous splash. Tens of earth
went down beneath them, creating a vertex in-
to which the raft of the four young hunters was
drawn and almost swamped.

A scene of wildest confusion new ensued.
Amid the boiling, bubbling waters savage heads
and heels, arms and legs, became promiscuoust
mixed up. As head after head popped to the
surface s outing water like so many wounded
whales, t e voung hunters on the raft looked
eagerly for their friend; nor were they kept in
suspense. Up from the very center of the ver-
tex they saw his massive head and broad shoul-
ders rise.

With a pufl’ like that of an engine—with a
snort like that of a mad bull, the young giant
glanced around him—merely sweeping his e es
across these on the raft, who were shout up:
words of encouragement. to him—and quickly
taking in the situation, he began to reach out
right and left, and pound the head of every red-
skin that came in reach—beating them down
under the waves, at the same time shouting With
brazen lungs:

“Down to Satan, you red demon !—down to
your hemein fiend-land! git fhar, tothc sulphur—
pitl Ho! be! you red scorpions! feel with another
calamity, will you? Yoopl hur-rah l”

In the meanwhile, several red-skins rising to
the surface, hed endeavored to save themselves
by clinging to the raft, but they at once became
a target for the. amateurs’ revolvers, and in a
short period of time every savage had disappear-
ed from sight that was not drowned or slain.

Then again the valley resounded with ells of
triumph from Stonewall’s lips, in which e was
joined by the men on the raft.

Finally, turning in the water and looking u
into the face of Ben Clark, the Boy Trojan sai ,
reaching up his hand:

“ Ben, old boy, I’m all broke up with joy to
meet you! You must excuse me for not speak-
ing sooner, but you know business is business—
first come first served—I was on aged with other
company that called first, and lg was compelled,
through courtesy, to receive them first. Well,
how’ve you been, old Ben?”

“Happy, baby Bob.” responded Ben: “but,
say, climb up here and let me see if you’ve grown
—let me help you—here you are—heavens! hope

 

Bob Comsteck, these are

the raft won’t swam
' ayne, Steve Lockwood and

my friends—Frank
Nathan Renshaw.”

“Glad to meet you. boys,” said Stonewall,
shaking hands with each of them, “ if it is under
peculiar circumstances. I’m a little dump from
bein’ in that wet water. Hope. we’ll become
better acquainted soon.”

“ I hope so, indeed,” responded Paine. “ I’m
anxious to become acquainted with a boy that
can lick a whole Ingin tribe in a stand-up
fight”

“ That was a miraculous old fight,” replied
Stonewall, “and how I ever escaped death is a
miracle. The red demons shot at me, threwcd
tomahawks at me, stabbed at me, struck at me,

cllcd at me. kicked at me, and the Lord only
(nous what else; and I’m rather thinkin’ if that
bank hadn’t caved ofl‘ when it did the devils ’d
have got away with me.”

“ If we could only have landcd when we
reached the point behind you,” said Frank
Payne, “ e e could have rendered you some as-
sistance; but the fact is when we got up to the
bunk it was so high that we could neither see
you nor the red-skins, and We only escaped bein
buried under that falling bank by the skin 0
our teeth.”

While he was thus talking Ben Clark ushed
the raft back to the island and the )arty anded
and was greeted by Yellowstone ill, who ex-
claimed:

“ Boys yer shoved ofl‘ yer raft too quick for
me, but then Ignit in a few tellin’ shots from the
island lieie. .‘tonewall Bob, I are glad to meet
{is and git a gri ) o’ yer paw. I are Yallerstone

ill, I are, and ‘m from away up the kentry.“

” And is here in Old l’egleg’s place,” said Ben

Clark.

“What’s the matter with chlegl" asked the
boy'lgiant. h ‘ 1

“ eo muc s ueezin b a rim y " i‘c lied
OhlBflL q y g ’ p

“ And he sent you inhis place?” observed Bob.

“Ya-as, sir.”

Stonewall Bob knitted his brows and gazed
away reflectively up the river, then starting, he
turned to Ben Clark and said:

“ Ben, I have. some dreadful sad news for you.
A very dear friend of yours is in trouble.”

“What do you mean, Bob?” asked Ben, be-
traying some emotion.

“ Mabel Thurston and her father are in the
hands of the outlaws and savages.”

“ Great God! you are jesting, Bob!”

“ I’m not, Ben; I rescued the girl from peril
after that herd of stampeded buffalees had
passed, but the savages cornered us there on the
point, and both she and her father were spirited
away while I was battling with those demons.”

Ben Clark roaned in agony of spirit, for to
him Mabel T ursten was more than all else on
earth, and for a whilehis grief wasinconsolable.
It was all his friends could do to restrain him
from rushing madly away in search of the
maiden, when such a course would have been
almost criminal fell .

“ It was not Ingins, however," Stonewall at
length continued, “ that first abducted her from
home, but your old rival, Archibald Vandyke."

This news was more startling than the first,
and the young settler almost sta 'gercd under the
blow. His face turned pale amfhis eyes glowed
with a kindling fire of vengeance.
moments before he could speak.

“ I knew Vnndyke was a man without prin—
ciple,” he finally said, “ but 1 did not suppose he
was a demon. Boys, we cannot remain idle
when our help, our manhood, and even our lives
if need be, are demanded in the protection of in-
nocent womanhood.”

“ We’ll have to go keerful, boy,” said Yellow-
stone. advisedly.

“ Yes, you said the same a while ago!” replied
Ben, with no little asperity; “it seems to we if
we never risk anything we will never gain any-
thing. You predicted sure death to venture to
Stonewall’s aid, but we’re all back safe.”

“ But, lad.” said the old hunter, eoolly. calm-
ly, seeming to take no offense at his wordsof re-

roach, “ I know the impulsiveness 0‘ youth and

ev see’d whtt it cost in years a gene. The death
0’ them red-skins ever the river will stir up a
hornets’ nest, and if we rush wildly, blinnl ,
into a trap, you see we cut off all hope for t e
gal’s rescue. ’

“ Boys.” said Stonewall Bob, “ not wishing to
change the subject, but I must shed these wet
garments and dry ’em before I can do anything
more; and as for a rifle, I’ve got to draw on You
folks, for my carbine’s at the. bottom 0’ that
river,.all smashed to calamity ova red-skin

pares.
“ All right, Bob,” said Frank Payne, “ we‘ve

It was some

 

 

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more guns than gunners—got three extra.
Sharpes.”

So the party returned to the camp, Yellow-
stone Bill volunteering to remain at t e edge of
the island on uard.

As soon as t ey had reached the camp, Stone-
wall Bob turned to his four friends and said in
an undertone:

“Boys, I don’t know Yellowstone Bill, and I
don’t like the way he shoots off his yawp. He
may be all right, but I don’t like to trust mylife
in the hands of a stranger. The fact is, I’m just
green enough to be Lgloverned by a first impres-
sion, and that of 01 Yellowstone wasn’t favora-
ble, and if one of you boys‘ll go down and stay
with him till I get my clothes dried, I’ll relieve
you when I do.”

“ I’ll go,” said Ben Clark, “ for I’ve about the
same opinion of Old Bill that on have.”

So sa ing, he departed, while Stonewall Bob
divestei himself of his wet clothes and hung
them up before the fire to dr , wrapping his
gigantic form in a blanket, for e could not get
into any of the extra clothing of the amateurs.

The Boy Trojan found that he had not come
out of the fight with the savages unharmcl.
There were several ugly bruises and cuts on be;
head, breast and arms, and to these Frank Payne
gave his attention and knowledge of surgery, and
soon had the bruises anointed with arnica, and
the cuts plastered over—the amateurs having sup-
plied themselves before leaving home with med-
ical and surgical goods in anticipation of just
such accidents.

While Payne was dressing the youth’s wounds
Nathan Reiishaw broiled him some slices of ven-
ison and made him a. cup of coffee which the
young giant partook of with a keen appetite.

After he had satisfied his hunger and con-
versed awhile he donned his clothes, that by this
time were dry, and then proceeded to clean up
his revolvers and reload them with cartridges
furnished from the ample supplies of the ama-
teurs. This done, he selected a rifle from among
the extras on hand, and havingr loaded it, an-
nounced himself ready for action.

Searcer had he uttered the words when the
report of a rifle fell upon their ears coming from
the upper end of the island with startling fierce-
ness.

“ Come on, boys!” shouted the young border-
man, crashing away through the undergrowth
like a mad bull, “come on, for I guess there’s
another calamity on handl”

The others took up their rifles and hurried af-
ter him.

On his way through the darkness of the eve
Stonewall Bob ran square up against Ben lark,
who was rushing toward the camp: ,

“ Crash-bang—stars!” exclaimed the young

iantéi “is that you, Ben? What’s wrong up
re

“ Come and I’ll show (you,” replied Clark.

The young settler le the way to the upper
end of the island, stopping just under cover of
the shadows. He then parted the willowa and
pointed out across the moonlit waters toward
two large masses of driftwood and brush that
were slowly drifting out of the mouth of the
North Fork.

“ Behind them two floating masses of logs and
debris,” said Ben, “ there are no less than a
score of Indian warriors that are endeavoring
to steal a march upon us!"

 

CHAPTER VIII.
A SURPRISE-PARTY sunrmsnn.

“ BOYS,” said Stonewall Bob, in an undertone,
“ we’re going to have a real pretty little fight
and what we want to do is to hold our fire til
the red roses bloom into sight, and then warp it
to them as fast as we can nger the machinery.
We don’t want to let a ki-yote of them get
13:93:: cover of this island. Where’s Yellowstone

i

“ Right here, read for ther fun,” came the
hunter’s voice from t e shadows hard by.

“ Say, pards, I want one 0’ them big shotguns
at camp, said Bob, “loaded with buckshot to
the muzzle.”

“ All right, your wish shall be granted.” and
Frank Payne hurried to camp and returned with
three shotguns, all of which the young hunter
said had been “ loaded for bear” for three days
and nights.

Stonewall took one of them, and pushing the
muzzle throu h the willows, fired at the head of
a savage. he report of the piece sounded
through the night like the roar of a field-gun, the
recoil fairly staggering the young plainsman,
who exclaimed:

“ Ghoats and calamity! the thing works both
ways, don’t it? She kicked my whole shoulder

 

 

’bout ofl’. I wonder how that Ingin’s head
fared?”

A peep throu h the bushes revealed quite a
commotion in t 6 water behind one of the drift-
ing heaps, and the party felt well satisfied that
the red-skin had not esca d unharmed, although
they could hear no sound.e

'lhe shot, however, did not effect any change
in the course or advance of the drifting barri-
cades. In fact, it soon became evident that the
cunning red-skins had met with a difficulty they
had not calculated upon. The current at the
junction of the two rivers was not only a little
swifter, but the meeting of the two streams pro-
duced a slight swirl in it that. all of a sudden,
whirled the two bunches of drift around, expos-
ing the savages to the full view of those on the
island.

The hunters lost no time in taking advantage
of this lucky turn in the situation, and shotguns
and revolvers belched ton es of flame from the
dark fringe of willows wit 1 murderous effect.

The red-skins that escaped these deadly broad-
sides did so by diving under their floatin breast—
works, and seeking refuge on the ot er side,
where they Were content to stay, without any
attempt to call at the island until the current
had carried them out of reach of further dan-
ger.

In the mean time, a number of savages along
the shore had opened fire on the island, but as
their shots were at random they did no harm,
though the bullets cut through t ie foliage over
the heads of the hunters with a spiteful “ zip.”

It was at this juncture that Old Yellowstone
set himself in good favor with a] his friends by
“ winging ” three red-skins in rapid succession—
displaying no little skill as a marksman in doing
so the savages being over on shore.

Thus the conflict had again ended—most tri-
umphantly, too, for the hunters—and in a. few
minutes not even a lurking foe was to be seen on
either shore.

The situation was again discussed. Stom—
wall Bob had not a doubt but that the savages
would have recourse to some other expedient
to capture the island. In this opinion Y0110w-
stone Bill concurred, and finally the old hunter
concluded to go ashore and make a reconnois-
sauce. To this no one interposed any ob'ection,
and the old man was at once taken as ore on
the raft.

An hour later the moon went down, and a
foreboding darkness settled over the island.
The return of Yellowstone Bill was bein ex-

cted and discussed, when the silence o the

our was suddenly broken by the distant report
of firearms, the mingled shouts of men and yells
of savages.

“ By calamity!” exclaimed Stonewall Bob,
“ the red devils are at work up the river! But
who now can they be trying to butcher? Just
listen! Boys that’s a nasty old fight goin’ on.”

“ Perha s t ey and the outlaws have quarreled
over the ivision of spoils and captives,” sug-
gested youn Lockwood.

“ It woultf be a glorious thin for the spoils
and captives if the villains won] only extermi-
nate each other,” replied Stonewall; ‘ iut that's
not at all probable. I am afraid it is an attack
on a party of hunters more ex than we, and
who are having to sufl’er for t e punishment we
gave the savages. B0 3, just listen! it’s a furi-
ous fight, and it migh be that we could be of
great service to some one. Shall we go?”

“ Yes,” was the res use of each man.

“Then let us be 0 at once.”

So saying they took up their guns, proceeded
to the raft and crossed over to the south short;
but they had scarcely landed before the sounds
of the conflict had entirely died away and a pro-
found and oppressive silence followed.

“ Boys, the fight’s over with.” said Stonewall
Bob, half-regretfully, “ and no difference which
side whipped. it is not at all 1probable that we
can do any good now. It wil not be more than

two hours until morning, and we can then in- 3
‘ its motionless forms, the sun suddenly peeped up

vestigate the matter—providing our scout, Old
Yellowstone, don’t bring in the facts in the case
before.”

“ Then shall We go back to the island?” asked
Ben Clark.

“ By all means; we can’t afford to stay along
here in this before’dawn—darkness—the very
time that the red-skin usually prefers to murder
and plunder,” answered Bob.

After considerable more diseussion, the five
men turned and boarded the raft to return to
the island: but before they had pushed out from
shore Old Yellowstone made his appearance
from up the South Fork and was taken aboard.

“ What’s that racket mean up the river, Bill?”

Stonewall Bob inquired, as the raft was swung i

of! from the shore.

 

“It meant blood and destruction ” the old
hunter responded. “ It war a fearful fight—a
massacre.”

“Between the Ingins and whom i”

“ A party 0’ six or eight white men—hunters,
I suppose. They war aboard a raft constructed
0‘ logs, and as I s’pose, war driftin’ with the cur-
rent down the river when they war set upon by
a horde o’ red-skins, and every man butchered
arter a resolute fight in which they just slaugh-
tered the Ingins. They war a brave Crew 0’
fellers, but I think they war no experienced
bordcrmen, or they’d never been entrapped.
The raft is still flcatin’ down this way, fairly
kivered With dead men and Ingins. Arter the
fight war over, and I war sure all dangers war
past, I throwed ofl’ my clothes and swum over
to the raft to see if thar war any wounded
whites that needed help, and ter see if I knowed
any of ’em. But not a man did I know, nor
war a man 0" them alive. I think the crew war
all asleep when fu’st attacked, and that makes
me think they war amateur hunters unaware
o’ the presence 0‘ danger, and had no one on
guard ’

“Boys, when the raft reaches here,” said Ben
Clark, “we must investigate the matter and
ascertain who the whites are, and give them
Christian burial.”

“Yes, we’ll investigate the matter,” said
Stonewall Bob turning away in a thoughtful
mood, and leaving his friends in conversation
with Old Bill where they had landed on the
island.

The old hunter gave it as his opinion that no
further dangers would be visited upon them
that night, at least. ' He thought that the two
defeats that the foe had already sustained in
their attacks on Willow Island had taught them
discretion; and since they—the amateur hunters
-—had had no sleep that night the old man
thought they could now seek rest with impunity.

With this assurance they all proceeded to
camp whei e they were joined by Stonewall, who
told them to lie down and rest, and he would
stand guard until morning. This they did. and
soon the island was as noiselessas the grave.

An hour went by when the sleepers were sud-
denl aroused by Stonewall Bob, who said:

“ oys, get your rifles and shotguns and come
with me, quick.”

“What are wrong, Stunwalli‘” asked Old
Yellowstone Bill, starting up drowsily.

“ Come along and I’ll show you,” answered

0 .
The Boy Trojan led the way to the upper end
of the island.
By this time it was nearly broad daylight.
Objects could be distinctly seen several rods

away.

“ Look there,” said Stonewall, pointing up the
giver through an opening in the bushes before

im.

Looking as directed all sawa raft floating with
the current down toward the island.

“It are the raft with them dead men,” said
Old Yellowstone.

“ Yes,” responded Bob, in a 10w tone.

Plainly could they see the bodies lying upon
the raft. They lay in every conceivable atti-
tude that a deadly, hand-to-hand contx st would
have left them. Some hung partially over the
edge of. the raft, their hands dragging in the
water. Some were lying face up, some face
downward. Scme la across others, some lay
stretched at full lcngt on the raft.

“ It are a silent _old crew, boys,” remarked
Cld Bill.

“Very,” was the laconic reply of Stonequ
Bob, who seemed not a liitle affected by the
scene of death. .

Slowly the raft drifted on with its vomeless
crew.

“It’s going to lcdge against the island,” said
young Rensl‘aw.

“ Of course it is,” responded Stonewall.

While awaiting the approach of the raft with

over the eastern plain. and then the watchers
could see that the hands, and faces and bodies of
the raftsmen were covered with blood.

“ It’s been a gory struggle,” said Frank
Payne, with a shudder of horror at the ghastly

Sight.

“Yes, but you boys hold your weapons in
readiness and there will soon be a gorier strug-
gle.” replied Stonewall.

“ What do you mean, Bob?” ,

“I mean that every devil of them fellows is
alive! It’s but another damnable scheme to
entrap and butcher 118, and I’ll prove it.”

The raft was now not over twenty "eet from
the island. Stonewall turned, and like a lion
suddenly leaping from its concealment in the

  

 

  
 
 

9;“
I!
i

Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

    

9

 

 

 

jungle u n the timid s ring-bok, he sprung
upon 01 Yellowstone Bi 1, seized him by the
neck and the hip, and with an effort that seemed
almost superhuman he raised the form of the old
hunter above his head and hurled him from the
island into the center of the advancing raft.

“ Go to your friends, you old demon and trai-
tor l” the young giant fairly hissed, his face livid
with ra e.

A yel burst from Old Bill’s lips as he shot
throu h the air and the sound of his voice
seem to call the motionless warriors on the
raft into life for each and every one of them in-
stantly leaped to his feet with a frightful yell.

“Fire, boysl” shouted Stonewall Bob, and be-
fore the words had scarcely been uttered, five
revolvers were pouring their deadly contents
into the ranks o the fee.

The wily red-skins had. after all their pains
and cunning, been the party surprised; and Old
Yellowstone paid the penalt of his treacher ,
so opportuner discovered y Stonewall Bob,
with his life.

 

CHAPTER IX.
LIVELY TIMES AT THE OUTLAW CAMP.

LET us now follow Mabel Thurston whom the
fates had for the second time placed in the pew-
er of her outlaw admirer, Arch Vandyke.

The outlaws, hoWever, did not take part in
her rescue from Stonewall nor have a hand in
the conflict with the Boy Trojan on the river-
bank. It was not until both she and her father
had been captured by the savages and hurried
away by a few of them while the others engaged
the young giant, that Black Bluford and his fol-
lowers coming upon the Indians demanded the
possession of the maiden.

'After a short parley the outlaws were permit~
ted to take her, the savages retaining her father
who was conducted away toward the Indian
camp u the North Fork.

Mabe was, by her own request, permitted to
ride the pony that had belonged to Stonewall
Bob, and as the animal was led around to where
she stood, Black Bluford exclaimed:

“Boys, do you recognize that onyf Did you
ever see it before, eh? Speak, oker Jim, and
you too, Mexy Dan.”

“It seems to me I have,” replied Joker Jim;
“ if I remember ri ht the gentleman of the mush-
room growth and abhy muscle that entertained
as yesterday noon on the banks of the Missouri,
rode such an animal.”

“ Exactl ,” said Black Bluford with an oath;
then of the ndians he inquired as to how they had
come in ossession of the n ; and u on learn-
ing the acts, and.that t e ndians ad left a
number of their friends to slay the boy iant on
the river—bank, the outlaws’ 'oy knew no unds.

Mexy Dan, whose sore y and battered face
bore witness of the rough handling he had re-
ceived at the hands of the oung plainsman. be—
came almost frantic with elight, and declared
his intention of ridin on to the forks of the
river just tokick the ody of the dead giant-
the Indian assurin him that the big foe.was
dead ere that and his scalp ban in at the girdle
of a warrior. But being dissua ed y his friends
from so foolish a trip, he declared he would wait
there the coming of the other warriors, that he
might look upon the scalp of the boy giant.
Bu this, too was all bluster, for when his
friends moved away he went with them.

Again Mabel was ruthlessly separated from her
father, and though the parting was sad and heart-
rending indeed, it had none of the awful, agoniz-
ing terrors of the first partin that night when
she left him bound down help ess to the earth.

The outlaws moved away toward the west
crossed the North Fork of t e Grand River, an
than bore awayoin asouthwesterly direction un-
til they came the camp on the South F‘brk,
where they were greeted by the friends in charge

. of the camp.

Mabel was taken from the saddle and con-
ducted into one of the two canvas tents pitched
there under some cottonwood trees.

A dim light from a smoldering camp-fire re—
lieved the cam of its gloom, and as she was taken
to the tent Ma 1 saw an old man in a hunter’s

rb lying on a blanket, hard by, his hands

und at his back. She recognized him at a

lance as Old Pegleg Sol, who had often been at
finmboldt settlement. The old man appeared to
be asleep when they arrived, but be reused up at
the sound of the new-comers’ veices and gazed
about him.

“ Land of deli ht l” exclaimed Black Bluford,
at sight of Old IE6 leg, “ and I see you boys have
go our man Peg eg.” .

“ es, but it cost us the hfe of brave Pistol
Pete,” replied one of the old hunter’s captors in

V a, grave tone.

 

The outlaw chief seemed shocked b this news,
for the dead man was a favorite fr end of his,
and he declared with many horrible oaths that
Pistol Pete should be avenged.

An hour after the outlaws reached camp an-
other person in a hunter’s garb put in an ap-

arauce. It was the man whom we have

nown as Yellowstone Bill, but whose real char-
acter was that of a villain and who was known
among his friends as Cougar Bill.

Traitor that he was, he came there directly
from the island where the amateur hunters
were encamped, bringing the exasperating news
of the defeat of the savages in both their at-
tempts to capture Stonewall Bob and the is-
lani .

Black Bluford went into a fit of rage. He
cursed the red-skins, his followers, and himself,
until his face grew blacker than it was with
passion. To add still more fuel to the fire of
rage burning within his wicked breast, Old Peg-
lcg Sol remarked:

“Old buck ki—yotc, you’ll tooth your chin if
ye ar‘n’t kecrful. What aluscious fool ye make
0’ ersclf, slashin’ round here.”

The outlaw chief fired an oath at the old hun-
ter, and Mabel, who was watching and listening
from her prison lodge, trembled for the safety
of the borderman.

Black Blnford had scarcely become settled
down when his feelings were again harrowed up
by the appearance of the savages who had sur-
vived the conflict with Stonewall Bob and the
attempted capture of Willow Island. They
came straggling in looking as if they had jUst
escaped the rugged edge of a 0 clone. The
were wet and their faces were aggard wit
the chagrin of defeat. Most of them Were more
or less battered, bruised and bleeding, and a few
of them seriously wounded.

Black Bluford gathered them—a score in all—
abont the fire and made them a speech that had
a very mollifying effect upon their depraved
s irits; and then, while the redoubtable Mexy

an, who had a strong “ follow-feelin r ” for the
red-skins who had felt the power of stonewall
Bob’s good right arm, proceeded to dress the
despoiled warriors’ wounds, the outlaw chief
turned to Old Cougar Bill and said:

“ Well, Cougar, how were you received by
the buffalo treasure-hunters at Willow Island i”

“ Bumfustic; they took in in little story like
sunshine, and at once accepted ellowstone Bill
into full fellowship."

“And did you et the information we want
in relation to the idden Gold Cache?”

“Not a darned ’mation—not a squint at the
conviet’s map. Frank Payne narrated the whole
story to me of the convict—Goven’s—revelation,
'ust exactly as Arch Vandyke there overheard

en Clark, of Humboldt Settlement, narrate the
story to his sweetheart—she in that tent there—
some months age, under the shadows of old
Thurston’s vine and fig tree. When he got
through ’ith his stor he war just goin’ to show
me the map, when t e Ingins raised a hellibuski-
an noise just across the river and cut things
short ri ht there. But for that I‘d possess the
secret 0 that hidden gold. Since then no good
opportunity has offered to interduce the subject
a in ’ithout the dangero’raisin’ s’picion. Them
fe lers are all up ter stuff if they are amateurs,
and smce that big, maul-flsted Stunwall Bob has
got thar, a feller feels as tho’ be war creepin’
through a nest 0‘ sleepin’ grizzlies and war afeard
he’d wake ’em. Once or twice I war sure the
big man-masher ’dcgot onto my racket, the way
he looked at me an spoke. They’re all lightnin’
on the shoot, and if ever they’re took in it’s got
to be by sur rise. Comin’ up the river by great
heaps of dri twood,_an ijee pped into my head,
and that war to build a m t out 0’ them ogs—a
good-sized one, too—and then you fellers and the
red-skins get up a sham fight—that is, yell and
shoot like all furies 50’s the chaps at the island
can hear the sound 0’ the conflict—straw the raft
with dead—kill a hose if necessary for blood to
daub things with. and then let the raft with its
lifeless warriors float down the river and lodge
ag’inst the island, and the moment it touches
let the dead arise like Lazarus and skip forth
onto the island with the proper tools for short
work.”

“ But maybe that might not work out as you
figure it,” said Bluford.

“ i’ll see that it does, though,” Cougar Bill
went on. “ I‘ll help it along, anyhow. You see,
I, Yallerstun Bill, am out new on a scout—re-
connoiterin’. After you’ve built the raft and fit
your tight so the boys can hear the din 0’ battle,

’1! rush back and re rt a gory attack on a
raft-load o’ hunters riftin’ down-stream in
which all war killed and war left, with the dead
Ingins, also, on the raft, floatin’ down-stream.

 

 

If you’ll do this and hurry up, you’ll jist 'bout
git round to the island ’bout time it’s darkest. "

“ Cougar,” said Black Bluford, “ you’re a fer-
tile-brained villain, and I’ll sound the boys hero
——red and white~on our scheme.”

This the outlaw di , and all at once indorsed
the plan, the Indians becomin quite jubilant
over the thought of avenging t ie death of their
friends and w1pin out their own disgrace.

All the arty at three at once proceeded
down the river to construct the raft and carry
out Old Bill’s cunning scheme, and how well that
scheme succeeded the reader has already seen in
the preceding chapter.

The three men left at cam in charge of Mabel
Thurston and Old Pegleg So were whites, one of
whom was Mexy Dan, to whom Vandyke gave
explicit orders to wa ch Mabel closely and con-
stantly until he returned, and the other two
were men who had been slightly wounded dur-
ing the night.

After a few minutes had passed Maxy Dan
said to his two companions:

“ Boys lay down and take a nap and I’ll keep
watch. ' ou fellers need sleep and rest.”

The two outlaws at once availed themselves
of this opportunity for rest, and each wrap-
pring a b anket about him, laid down upon the
ground.

Mexy Dan seated himself at Mabel's tent,
facing the fire, and fell into a sort of reverie.

Old chleg Sol, afiparently asleep, watched
the villain closely. 0 saw the fellow glance
ever and anon at the tent in which the maiden
was confined. He saw a fiendish light in his
little gray eyes, and a sensuous, repulsive smile
contort the vampire lips. And finally, with the
lookof a fiend incarnate, the outlaw arose to his
feet, cast a fui'tivc. glance around him, and then
started toward the tciit. He reached it, and
was in the act of pushing aside the flap-door,
when the dull “ ping” of a firearm sounded be-
hind him, and with a cry of pain the villain
staggered back and fell heavily to the earth.

Quickly the two dozing outlaws sprung to
thcil' feet, one of them eXclaiming:

“ Great Moloch! what’s up here? Didn’t I
hear a shot ilred?"

“ Yes,” said Old Pegleg, drowsily starting up,
“for I heard it too.”

“Bloody blazes! there lies Mexy Dan, and
he’s been shot. fee must be ,lurkin’ in the
shadows and he’s the same one that killed Pis-
tol Pete.”

While one of them advanced to the side of
Mex Dan, the other examined Old Pegleg’s
bon s which he found still secure.

“Whoever fired that shot at Mexy shot to
kill, for Mex ’3 dead as a smelt,” declared the
startled and rutal outlaw, as he felt his pros-
trate comrade’s pulse.

“ Blood Moloch l” exclaimed the other; “ then
we’rp in anger. Hadu’t We better put this fire
out? ’

“It’sa good idee Racker, but let’s see that
ther girl’s all safe in st. It might be she’s got a
little pop concealed ’bout her and ’s done that
murderous shootin’.”

As the fellow s oke he turned to the tent and
pulling aside the cor, put his head inside. Just
as he did so, “ping ’Went that mysterious
Weapon again, and taming quickly he saw his
friend Rocker reel to and fro and fall to the
ground. At the same time he saw a little pufl
of blue smoke hanging on the air within the
circle of dim light.

The outlaw ran to his friend’s side. Racker
tried to speak, but only a rattling, gurgling
sound came from his lips.

The remaining outlaw’s face grew white. He
glanced nervously around him at the vanishing
puff of smoke, and then again at his dying
friend as if to solve the mystery of the murder-
ous shot. The dying man seemed to divine his
thoughts and wis , and raisin his arm with a
labored effort be pointed his rembling finger
straight at the form of Old Pegleg Sol

CHAPTER X.
PEGLEG son GETS IN SOME WORK.

ALMOST dizzy with a sense of fear the sur-
viving outlaw turned his eyes toward Old Peg—
leg, and as he did so he saw a riv1d flash before
him, heard the report of a weapon, ahd with a
or , he staggered forward and fell dead by the
si e of Backer.

Then it was that Old Pegleg Sol sprung tohis
feet, his hands unshackled, his bearded face
aglow with triumph. Straight toward Mabel
Thurston’s tent he imped in all haste, and dash-
ing inside of it he exclaimed:

‘Gal, how’s tricks in here? be you tied up?
Don’t git skeer’d. I’m Old Pe‘gleg Sol—not hand-
some nor cute, but rough an handy."

 

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Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

 

 

“ I know Pegleg Sol,” Mabel replied; “ I have
seen him at Humboldt Settlement.”

“Then come right out here and let me undo

our bonds, and we’ll promenade away from
here. The outiaws got sick and keeled over,
and I’m lord o’ the sitewation. There, now,

you’re free.” _

“ Who shot those bad men, Sol?” the maiden
asked, as they emerged from the tent.

“Death, gal, death took ’em ajoltin the maw;
but come now, and we’ll get a boss apiece and
amble off over the rairo like a pair 0’ tortle—
doves. This way, iss Mabel.”

Old Sol led the way through the narrow belt
of timber out into the plain where several horses
were tethered, all saddled, with the bridlcs hang-
iu upon their necks.

cognizing Stonewall Bob’s pony among the
animals, the old hunter secured it and assistcd
Mabel into the saddle, then he unfastcncd his
own horse, ut the bits in its moutn and gave
the rein to ubel. Next he unfastenod half a
dozen of the outlaws’ ponies. To the tail of one
be tied another, and in this way he secured all
the others, then mounting his own horse, and
taking the rein of the foremost of the coniiscatcd
ponies, rode away With Mabel at his side, the
string of mustangs followmg quietly behind.

It was now quite dark, for the moon had gone
down, but this darkness favored the fugitives.
They rode westward into the plain, talkingr but
little.

Old Sol was bareheaded and every hair on his
head, and his face too, for that matter, sccmcd
to stand out on end, and his bright, keen eyes
seemed to fairly burn into the night.

Knowing the old frontiermmn as she did,
Mabel felt entirely safe under his protection,
althou h she felt that a bit of mystery hung
aroun the old man, and the secret source of the
power that had enabled him to escape the three
outlaws’ hands.

They rode on until the sky before them began
to grow red, and then Mabel saw that they had
so changed their course since starting that they
were oing directly eastward, and as she im-
agin , right back to where they had started. .

“Sol, Will we not run into danger gomg in this
direction i” she at length inquired.

“ I hope not, little one,” replied Pegleg. “ I
want to strike the river opposite Willer Islan’,
for thar’s a hull lot 0’ young war-bosses there if
they haven’t been slewn by the minions 0’ that
sulphurian Cougar Bill. But Stonewall Bobby’s
not so easily catched as a sucker on a pin.
hook.”

“ Then Stonewall Bob is safe?”

“ Yes, he war at last accounts.”

“ Oh, I‘m so thankful!" the. girl exclaimed.
“ Bob is such a big, strong, brave fellow.”

“ He’s a hull family in one in gentleness,
bravery and daredeviltry. If I war a nice lit-
tle a1 0‘ ’bout seventeen, and my name war
Map 6; I’d lovelasso that big boy for a hus-
bundd

Before Mabel could respond to the old man’s
peculiar remark the form of a man suddenly

rose up in the grass before them, and pomting a '

pistol at Old Sol’s head, said:

“Halt! you infernal old devil, and git down
and die !”

Scarcely had the words fallen from his lips
when there was a dull, pistol-like report and the
unknown man, staggering, fell to the earth with
a moan.

A c of surprise burst from Mabel’s lips.

Oldrgol spoke to his horse, and the man and
the maiden rode on as though nothing had hap-

ned.

Mabel was silent, dumfounded. Old Peglc
was cool, calm and indifferent. When the gir
at length had recovered her power of speech,
she asked:

“Sol, was it you that shot that outlaw?”

“ Why do on ax that, little gal?”

“Because saw a little tongue of flame shoot
out from near your horse’s shoulder, though I
did not see you draw a wee n.”

“ Ho! ho! he!” laughed U (1 So], “I jist kicked
the feller in the face with this ere game foot 0’
mine. I’m an ole speckled irafl’e on a kick ’ith
that wooden peg, and out aws want to stand
aside. I reckon that war one 0’ your friends
lookin’ for you and this strin o’ ponies back

here, but the more he looks the onger he’ll hunt ,'
now. I’m no winged cherub, gal. when it comes ‘

to work like this on hand, and I amble right in
without ceremony—don’t say ‘good~evem'ng,’
nor tip my hat eVery time 1 meet an outlaw on
this ’ere prairie. But, look, gal, isn’t that sky
growin’ rosy red with ther quiverin’ bars 0’
mornin’ ii ht—woohi I’m growin’ poeticish,

, now, aren’ I?”

Mabel smiled at the whimsical remarks of the

 

 

brave old man, whose bare, bristling head and
sario comic features, as now seen in the morning

‘ dawn, were in keeping with his reckless, rollick—

' ing and daring spirit.

They rode on until the dawn ushered in the
new day and just as the sun peeped up over the

- rim of the horizon, the old man pointed ahead,
saying:

“ Gal, d’vc see the top of that grove yander?
That’s on Willer Island, and there i ’spect to find
our friends.”

“ Oh, I hope you may not be disappointed,”

} Mabel remanded.

; “Ah! tin-ic‘s some one now, by the shelaliah

I 0’ St. 1’. tcr! an’ it are that big boy, Stonewall

, Bob, or I’m a wild—«yes, and there comesanother

l —two more—~ four more—five in all, or may I be

impaled on a sunbeam. Yoopi hoolraw l”

The old man waved his hand above his head.
Stonewall Bob and his friends, who had just
come over from the island flushed with a grand
victory over the outlaws and savages, who,
through the treachery of Cougar Bill, had en-
deaVoi-ed to surprise them, had previously dis—
covered the two horsemen aud long line of horses
moving like. a snake out of the western shadows,
but not until Old Sol’s voice had reached their
Ears did Stonewall and Ben Clark recognize

1m.

The joy of the amateurs was unbounded, for
they had mourned Peglcg as dead since the dis-
covery of Yellowstone Bill’s infamous treachery.

In a few moments the old man and the maiden
rode up to where the five men were standing,
and then it was that the morning rung with
shouts of joy.

Ben Clark assisted Mabel from her pony and
embraced her, his heart overflowing with hap-
piness.

“ Bless your old soul, Pegleg Sol,” Bob ex-
claimed, “ your coming’s like one from the
grave.”

“No; why, bless your infantile heart, Stun—
wall Bobby,” Old Pegleg responded, “I’m here
as I agreed to be to he’p you hunt for a Hidden
Golden Cache. But, boys, I’ve been in some
trouble, and so’ve you, and I rejoice, oh, exceed-
in’ly great. to find you all safe.’

B “ How did you learn of our dangers?” asked
0b.

“ Heard Cougar Bill plan the hull scheme to
trap ye with ant 0’ dead men on a floatin’ raft.
I war harnessed upa pris‘ner in the outlaw camp
at the time. Cougar Bill war your guide, Yal-
lerstun Bill.”

“The infcrnal, treacherous old liar!” exclaima
ed Stonewall; “ he paid dearly for all with his
life. I got onto the dead-men-raft trick in time
to surprise them, and there were not many that
esca .‘

“ ully for St. Peter’s club!” shouted Old Peg-
lfig; “ if it hadn’t been for wantin’ to rescue

aple, there, I’d got ’round here before that raft,
maybe; but I had sich a glorious chance to save
her that I couldn’t resist the temptation; besides,
one gal’s worth more‘n five boys, m y way 0’ fig-

Eerin’. I also brought along most 0 the outlaws’
orses as you see; but if you think it war wrong

—think I’m a bare—headed thief, I’ll take ’em

back and ax their pardon.”

“What a divine conscience you’ve got, Peg-
leg," said Stonewall, “you’d ought to have been
a missionary. But I don’t think I’d take the
ponies back yet awhile, at any rate.”

In the mean time Mabel had told her brave
young lover of her abduction by Archibald Van-
dyke, the pursuit of her father, his capture and
trials, their escape by the help of Zadok, the
hunter and their recapture by the Indians. And
now that she was safe for the time being, the fate
of her father grieved her more than ever. But
she soon received the assurance of the party that
all within their power would be done to rescue
her parent if he were‘living.

Some time was spent by the party discussing
the situation, and they had finally concluded to
return to the island when Stonewall Bob espied
a horseman up the valley of the South Fork
moving Westward at a swinging gallop. Taking
Payne’s spy-glass—an indispensable thing to an
amateur hunter—the young man scanned the
horseman closely, then said:

“ By the roarin’ rivers! there goes a horseman
. carryin’ some one in his arms and I’ll swear I
believe it a woman. Pegleg, peel your eyes in
that direction.”

Olzl Sol took the glass and scanned the object.

“ You’re right, kid, that’s more deviltry goin’
on,” the old man declared, “ but whar the deuce
and ace do they git their wcemin? It seems no
trouble for a red- mouthed outlaw to git hold 0’
a. gal, but I’ve lived nighly sixty years and hav’-
n’t gpt a sign 0’ a woman yit.”

“ riends, take Miss Thurston back to the is]-

 

 

and, for I’m goin’ to foller that feller to Van-
couver’s Island but what I know who he is and
what he is totin’ off. I’m goin’ to cut for the
hills and head him off before he reaches the
mountain foot-hills.”

“None 0’ yer dod-gasted rashness, now, kid,“
said Old Sol; “ I’m goin’ to boss this gang and I
want you to go slow.”

“ Boys,” said Stonewall Bob, leaping into the
saddle on the back of his own trusty pony, “I
may be back soon—mebby not for a day or tWo,
or a week, or ma he never; if the latter, trust in
Old Peglcg and c’ll pull you through, though

on needn’t believe everything he tells you, for

e ornaments, frescoes and fringes his stories
very elaborately. Asto that buried treasure, use
your own pleasure about making the search.”

“Bob,” said Frank Payne, “ we all join in
wishing you success and a safe return. We
shall wait for ycu here.”

“Then good—by, boys,” and the young plainsv
man galloped away toward the southwest.

“God bless his big heart,” said Old Pegleg,
“ his likes never paced the plains 0’ Dakota. A
Boy Trojan he is, indeed, and when it comes to
the defense 0’ right. honor, man and woman-
hood he’s as unyieldin’ as the rocks 0’ ages——

“ ‘ A livin‘ wall, a human wood,‘
as the poic says.”

 

CHAPTER XI.
VANDYKE MAKES FOR THE MOUNTAINS.

AFTER Black Bluford and Arch Vandyke had
a sisted in the construction of the raft, and had
seen it and its murderous crew off for Willow
Island, they returned to camp to find Mexy Dan
and his two companions lying dead, and Old
Pegleg S01 and Mabel Thurston gone.

The fury of the outlaws knew no bounds. Van-
dyke raved like a maniac over the loss of his
captive, and in the midst of his fury two per—
sons entered the camp. One of thcse was readily
rcco nized as Singing-Bird, the daughter of
Blue Wolf, the Sioux chief, whose camp was
tcmporaril located a ,few miles away up the
North For . She was a bright. comely girl of
perhaps seventeen, with dark, luminous eyes and
a sylph—like form. She was arrayed in all the
characteristic gorgeousness of an Indian prin-
cess. Jewels flashed in the meshes of her raven
tresses. and upon her neck, arms and ankles.

Singing-Bird’s com anion was also a woman,
and, judging by her ress, was a white woman.
Her face was vailed and her form enveloped in a
long. dark cloak, under which she kept her hands
concealed.

At sight of them Black Bluford started, and
turning to Vandyke, and pointing to the woman,
exclaimed: -

“ Ah! that explains it all i”

“ Singing-Bird !” cried Vandyke turning 11 on
the woman like a mad demon, ‘tell me, air
daughter of the great Black Wolf, did you and
your companion release the man and maiden
that were prisoners here? Do you know who slew
these men?”

The princess shrunk back with alarm before
the glaring eyes of the outlaw, saying, in a
timid voice:

“ Singing-Bird and her pale-face friend have
just come.” .

“ I believe you he!” was the brutal Vandyke’s
re 1 .

nyan instant the black eyes of the insulted
girl flashed with the fire of resentment, and with
all the scorn that she could throw into her face
and voice, she retorted:

“Singin -Bird’s tongue is straight but she is
a weak gir . She would not tell a faisehood like
the pale—face she talks to now, as he did when he
came to Black Wolf’s camp and tried to win
Singing-Bird’s heart.”

“ Confound your little savagpf heartl it isn’t
worth winning,” thundered andyke—“ not

even worth breaking. But who is that woman

with on, Singing-Bird?” .

"S e will speak for herself," answered the
princess.

“Archibald Vandyke, you know me!” cried
the woman, throwing aside her veil and reveal-
ing the haggard face of a white woman—a face
upon which was written a look of deadly pas-
sion; “ it is your wife, the Woman whose life and
happiness you have wrecked and trampled upon,
and I am here to make sure that no other
woman’s life and honor be destroyed at your
hands!” ‘

As the last word fell from her lips she thrust
out her arm toward Vandyke—a derringer in
her hand rung out and the villain, staggering
back, fell to the ground. The next instant—be-
fore a band could stay the blow—the mad aveng-

 

 
    
 

 

   

i
'u

 

 

fell dead. '

knees at the side of the pale-face woman, drew
the dagger from her breast, and began a weird,
mournful wailing over her.

Unfortunately, the poor deluded woman’s shot ‘
intended to end a wicked career had failed to ‘ half of their number had been slain, but the sur-

do its work. The bullet only grazed Vandyke’s

eress plunged a dagger into her own heart and I Without further words the Indians departed

: in haste while the outlaws proceeded to bury

With a cry of terror Singing-Bird fell upon her : their comrades—a duty Black Bluford had per—

1 formed for the dead white woman before the ar~

StonewallfiBob, the Boy Trojan.

| rival of his friends, concealing her grave back I

i in the grove.

The loss of the outlaws had been great. Over

vivors concluded that in their great loss of

head, stunning him, and in a few minutes he had friends there would be. some gain in the division
recovered his senses and wus upon his feet, a , of the buried gold should they succeed in getting

perfect demon of fury. It was all Black Bluford I it.
| life.

could do to keep him from slaying the princeSs
Singing-Bird, and when the frightened gir
turned to leave the camp in fear of her life, the
outlaw seized her by the arm, saying:

“ No no, Miss Ingin you can‘t go, you black,
spiteful vixen, you! You shall bear the burden
of this traged , for it was you, and no one else,
that guided t t poor deluded woman here to
slay me, and finding old Sol, and that girl Mabel
Thurston here, released them, and so the death
of them three men is upon your head. You
needn’t fight, Miss Wildcat, for I’m boss of the
situation now. You have seen the day and hour
that you could command me, Ingin that you are,
but, by the gods, that day has asscd. 1 pro-
pose now to make you mine, any ow, and when

am tired of on, you can stick a dagger into

our heart. aptain,” and the villain turned to

lack Bluford, “I shall tarry here no longer.
Get the hidden treasure if you can. but as for me,
I shall at once start for the hills with a red bride,
long as I can’t have a white one. To help your
cause, tell Old Black \Volf thaz the pale-faces at
Willow Island stole the girl, and if the expedi-
tion now on the way to the Island fails, the old
chief will hurl his whole tribe against them.”

“ That’ll be a good scheme if the chief doesn’t
get hold of the truth of matters,” replied the out-
aw chief.

“ That he never will, captain, for I would be
the sufferer,” Vandyke continued; “if you will
bury that woman there, I will pull out for the
West at once—before any of the ln ins with
that expedition return. I guess 1‘1 tie my
lady’s claws, and then bring up my horse and
8&1 .

So sa 'ng, the villain, with the assistance of
Black luford, bound Singing-Bird‘s arms and
ankles, and then mounting his horse which was
one of the few left by Old Pegleg,
captive in his arms and rode out of the
and up the valle toward the west. ,

The dusky litt e princess did not give up with-
out a struggle, and she plied her teeth to her
captor’s arm with so little mercy that more than
once the villain cried out with pain.

With his early start and well-rested horse,
Vand ke had hoped to reach the hills unseen or
unmo ested by any one in the vicinity of the
Forks.

A bend in the valley soon concealed him from
View of his friend, Black Bluford, who was ex-
ceedingly anxious for his escape. The outlaw
chief saw that if the expedition sent to the island
failed, he could enlist the whole of Black Wolf’s
followers against the formidably-intrenched hun-
ters by charging Singing-Bird’s absence to them.
He was fully aware that the Indians acting with
them that night were doing so without the chief’s
orders. They were warriors who, returningi
from the slaughter of the buffaloes, had espie
the three fugitives, Stonewall Bob, Mr.Thurston
and his daughter, and had given chase. The
death of one of their number fired the others to
a spirit of revenge. and this led to other con-
flicts that had cost the red-skins dearly.

But Vand ke had been gone scarcely half an
hour when t ree outlaWs and five Indians came
back to camp With _the startling news of the
failure of the expedition to the island, and the
dreadful loss of _life, Cougar Bill being one of
the very first slain by the indomitable defenders
of Willow Island. ' _

Black Bluford received this news in evident

grove

he took the.

surprise and sorrow. He appeared to become ;

discouraged, and would have departed at once
for the hills had he not laced great hope in the
scheme of inciting the ndians to the destruc-
tion of the white hunters, and thereby secure
the secret of the buried gold and the treasure
itself.

After a few moments‘ calm reflection, he
turned to the Indians and said:

“ Warriors, go hasten to your camp and tell
your chief, Black Wolf, that his daughter, Sing-
ing-Bird, is 8. ca tive in the hands of the ale-
face hunters. hile we were away from ere
building that raft the canning Whites came and
slew those three men, released the captive maid-
en and the captive hunter. Tell him to bring all

his Braves, for the white hunters are great fight- 1
‘61‘8.

To them plunder was more than human

 

CHAPTER XII.
THE TIDE BEGINS T0 TURN.

THE hours wore slow] away. Noon came
and the sun had been on is downmird course
some time when the chief, Black Wolf, and a
hundred mounted warriors came thundering
down the valley of the North Fork and joined
the decimated ranks of the outlaws at their
camp in the grove.

Here the chief was given a rehearsal of the
falsehood calculated to fire his savage breast
with deeds of vengeance.

The outlaw asserted positively that Singing-
Bird was in the hands of the white hunters, and
so excited and alarmed the chief over the fate
of his child that he seemed almost crazed.

Straightway the Sioux led his warriors down
the river, accompanied by Black Bluford, and
laid siege to Willow ISIand. But a few random
shots, however, had been exchanged between
the shore and island, when the attention of the
Indians was attracted to two horsemen and a
footman coming down the valley from the west
at a leisurely walk.

Operations a ainst the island were sus )endcd
for the time being, and the approach of t o trio
awaited in suspense.

That one of the horsemen and the footman
were white men the savages had no doubt, but
the other appeared to be a woman. and an In-
dian at that.

Black Bluford watched their approach with a
look of alarm upon his face, for he recognized
the horse one of them rode as that which Van-
dyke had ridden away from the grove.

In a short time the party came close enough
for the outlaw to recognize all of them; one was
Stonewall Bob, another the princess, Singing-
Bird, and the third—the man on foot—was Ar-
chibald Vandyke! The latter’s hands were tied
at his back and one end of a lariat was fastened
around his neck and the other made fast to
Stonewall’s saddle, and in this way the villain
was led along like a haltered ox.

As soon as the savages recognized the Boy Tro-
jan and the princess they advanced to meet
them. A low, vindictive murmur passed from
lip to lip, and nearly every hand sought a wea-

n

In a few moments the three Were surrounded
by the savages. A stern look of triumph was
upon the face of Stonewall Bob. Singing-Bird’s
face was aglow with joy. while that of the scoun-
drel Vandyke was a sight to behold. It looked
as if he had been in the clutches of a rizzly. It
was one solid mass of cuts and scra ches from
which the blood had poured down upon his
breast. One eye was swollen shut and overhung
with a great blnbber of puffed-up flesh.

The moment she drew rein Singing-Bird leap-
ed from her saddle and was embraced by her
father.

Stonewall Bob remained in his saddle glancing
around him, regarding the murderous eyes fo-
cused upon him with as cool, calm smile as
though the red-skins looked upon him with ad-
miration. He heeded not the warriors’ jeers and
taunts hurled at him, nor did he move a muscle,
nor betray a single fear when a savage, here and
there in the crowd, drew a tomahawk as if to
throw, or raised a gun as if to fire at him.

Singing-Bird quickly spoke a few words to her
father in a low tone, when the chief hastily
turned and ran his eyes over the. assembled
throng, his action betraying surprise and indig-
nation. His eyes finally came to a rest on Black
Bluford, who had just mounted his horse and
started away at a gallop, fully cognizant of the
storm gathering around him.

“ Stop him! stop him! shoot him 2” shouted
Black Wolf, at the top of his lungs, his face the
very picture of rage

Instantly the whole band of warriors turned
and sped after the outlaw. Those on the outside
of the crowd began firing upon him, and the
whistling bullets told the villain that the tide had
turned against him—that the storm had burst
upon him, and that his only hope for life now lay
in the heels of his horse.

Stonewall Bob, still seated upon his horse,

 

 

11.

 

 

heard the chief’s command to shoot, and, seeing
the ineffective work of the excited red-skins, he

uickly raised his lon -range rifle, glanced along
t e barrel and presse the trigger.

A yell of triumph greeted the Shot. for the
horse of the fleeing outlaw sunk to the earth
with a broken shoulder, and before Black Blu-
ford could extricate himself from the wreck, as.
it were, the savages were upon him. But Black
Bluford was not a coward. He resolved to sell.
his life dearly as possible and fought the war-
riors with a fearful desperation, many of them
biting the dust before he was overpowered and
disarmed.

Black Wolf and his daughter turned to Stone-
wall Bob and complimented him on his shot in a
very extravagant flow of Indian language. Then-
he was invited to dismount and be seated on a
blanket spread by the chief on the ground. This
he did, the chief seating himself before him on
the same blanket, while the princess held the
young Trojan‘s horse and looked in silent admi—
ration.

Stonewall Bcb knew enotigh of Indian cus-
toms to know that to be invited to a seat on the
same blanket with the chief, and for one of the
royal household to hold the horse of a nest,
were among the highest honors that con d be
mid to a white friend; and so the Boy Tro-
Jan found himself a hero among his late ene-
nnes.

Of course, he knew it all came of his havin
rescued Singing-Bird from the power of the vi -
lain who stood but a few feet awa regarding
the scene with the feeling of one W ose feet al-
ready stood on the scaffold. .

The warriors now gathered around the chief
and Stonewall Bob. They saw that their leader
was conferring honors upon the pale-face and
tl‘cy at once assumed an attitude that showed
a respect for the wishes of their chief.

Black Wolf could speak English fairly. With
the characteristic prompiness of the lndian to
bestow titles of honor upon those who have er-
fornicd deeds of valor, he at once dubbed ob
\Vhite—Buffalo-Calf. much to the amusement of
the young plainsman.

Nothin r would do the chief but that Bcb must
narrate Ithe manner in which he had rescued
Singing-Bird, and to show an up reciation of
the honor conferred upon him, the 0y he an:

“ When the night had passed and White— ufl’a-
lo—Calf had come over from yonder island with his
friends, he saw a horseman gallo ing westward
with a captive in his arms. Whi Buffalo-Calf
knew that somethin was wrong, and he mount—
ed his pony and r e away in pursuit of the
bad man. He did not expect to catch him
so soon but his captive, the fair daughter of
the chief, had mana :ed to slip her little
hands from her hon s, and then she did
not hesitate, brave little lad that she was
to show the mettle of the lack Wolfs, and
forthwith she lied the nails of her little fingers
on the face of ier captor as the glossy catamount

lies his pearly talons in the flesh of the tender
awn. She made it so extrelrely lively for her
captor, as on can see by his lacerated face, that
he had to ismount to rcbind her hands. On the
ground she gave hist another round, and made
the bark fly like si y-’levon. Before the bad
man had succeeded in binding her, White-Buf-
falo-Calf charged down 11 on him like a whole
herd of young bisons. gave im a left-hander over
the ri ht eye that knocked him out of plumb, and
then t 0 work was done, and with Singing-Bird
and the bad man 1 returned here."

Black Wolf must have understood. in sub--
stance, if not in detail, Stonewall’s lavishly’told
story, for he smiled in a very satisfied way, and
said:

“The White—Bufi'alo-Calf is a great brave!
Singing-Bird herself has said so. and she is the
daughter of Black “'olf, the great Sioux chief.”

“That makes it so, for the chief is a great
warrior,” responded Bob, determined not to be
outdone in fulsome flattery, at the same time
secretly wishing that his riends at the island
could see. him and hear him “ladle out taffy " to,
the conceited old chief and the gaping warriors
around him.

The conversation between the two—the boy
and the chief—lasted for some time. and during
the whole of it the princess stood by, feastin
her dark eyes upon the face of her rescuer with
a profound look of admiration that produced a
burning envy in the breasts of man young war-
riors who would have givon their right arms for
Singing-Bird’s approving smile

Meanwhile, these at the island were not igno-
rant of the arrival of Stonewall Bob among the
Indians, but they were entirely ignorant of what
was going on. They had seen the excited de-
monstrations of the warriors at the time '

 

 
 

 

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12

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Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

 

 

 

 
 

Black Bluford’s capture, but were unable to de
cide its meaning, and it was witha feelin of
dire suspense that they awaited the result 0 the
conference on the plain.

At length their patience was rewarded by see-
ing Stonewall Bob, Black Wolf and the princess,
Singing-Bird, come out from the crowd of war-
riors and walk slowly across the valley toward
the island. When tiey had reached the shore
they heard the Boy Trojan shout forth in sten-
torian voice:

“ Hui-lea! over there, friends!"

Old chleg Sol quickly stepped into view from
the bushes and shouted back;

“ Here we are, Bobby, you renegade you! Do
you come to demand our surrender?”

“ Bring over that raft and take us to the
island,” replied Bob; “everything is now on a
peace footing, and brotherly love reigns su-
prenrely supreme. Come over with your gon-
dola ’

Ben Clark at once stepped aboard the raft and
pushed ashore, took Bob, the chief and the prin-
cess on, and returned to the island, where the
B0 Trojan was received with joy.

ob introduced the chief and is daughter to
his friends. Mabel and the princess at once en-
tered into a conversation. Singing-Bird spoke
English fluentl . She had learned the language
of the poor w ite woman who had taken her
own life in the outlaw camp, for she had lived
with the Indians for over a year and had been
an intimate friend of the princess.

Bob narrated to his friends the means by
which friend! relations had been brought about
with the In ians, and in this good newa the
whole part rejoiced, for they had all had
enough of when and outlaw fighting. The
chief did not hold them amenable for the death
of those warriors slain in the attacks on White-
Bufl‘alo—Calt’ and the island, for they acted con—
trary to his orders or wishes.

From the princess, Singing—Bird, Mabel learn—
:ed that there was a white man a prisoner in their
camp. He had been brought there a few min-
utes before she and the wronged wife of Van-
:dykc had started to the outlaw camp the night
before, and from the description given she knew
it was her father, and at once made a personal
appeal to the chief for his release.

Black Wolf promised her that her father
should be a free man as soon as he returned to
camp. In fact, the chief was in a mood to prom-
ise’most anythin desired, so rejoiced was be
over the return 0 his idolized child.

Old Pegleg Sol, who could talk the Sioux lan-
guage almost ierfectly, held a short conference
with Black 01f, which ended in the chief in-
viting the whole party of whites to go with him
and become his guests in his hunting-camp. The
old hunter was not ignorant of the characteristic
treachery of the American Indian, nor was he
ignorant of Black Wolf’s deep and undying

ratitude to one who had done what the Boy
Trojan had for him. So far as the chief was
concerned, Bob was safe to go and come among
the savages, as were his friends also: but Old
Sol was afraid that some of his warriors, who
felt little interest in the welfare of the rincess,
and who had suffered at tla hands of t e ama-
teurs, might undertake to wreak vengeance upon
them in a treacherous way. But, after all, the
danger in refusing to accompany the chief to his
camp would be fully as great, if not greater than
to go and so, after the matter had been dis-
gussed on its merits, the party decided to go with

im.

Camp on the island was at once broken: the
horses were taken over to the mainland, saddled
and bridled; the camp-equipage was rafted
ashore and packed upon the two packvhorses.

Then mounting, a1 rode out to where the sav-
ages were in waiting, and at once started for
the Indian camp, White-BuffaloCalf and Black
Wolf riding in front, Mabel and Singin -Bird
following, the amateur hunters and Old egleg
following the girls, and the warriors bringing
up the rear.

After their recent lively experience with the
savages the young amateurs could not su press
a slight mistrust and aversion to the half-nude
warriors, yet they succeeded in disguising their
feelings quite well.

The two outlaws, Black Bluford and Vand ke,
for some unaccountable reason, were taken a ong
as captives. This Stonewall Bob regretted, for
.he was afraid that their genial host, Black Wolf,
proposed to entertain his guests with an exhibi-/
tion of savage vengeance by roasting the out-
laws alive at the sta .

It was almost sunset when the rty reached
the Indian camp. which presen a picture of
life and bustle. The camp was a tem rary one.
y in their

The savages had come down there to

 

winter supply]7 of buffalo-meat, and from up r-
ances they ad not been idle. Thousan s of
pounds of meat cut into strips hung around the
tents, and to poles set upright in the earth,
and upon ropes stretched here and there over
acres of ground. The camp was also covered
with green robes stretched out and pinned to the
ground to dry. Scores of dogs were snarling
over the Cords of bones thrown aside after the
meat had been stripped oil‘. The s uaws were
all busy at something or other, while the few
bucks that remained at camp were lazily stroll—
ing around, wrapped in dirty red and green
blankets, enjoying an evening pi )e.

To the amateurs the scene was ecidedly novel

I and picturesque, but the strong odor of fresh

 

meat mingled with the conglomerated fumes of
:in Indian camp are not at all suggestive of tho
intoxicating perfumes of Araby or Ind.

Riding to the center of the camp the party
drew rein and the order was given by the chief
to dismount.

The amateurs unpacked their ponies which the
Indians led away and staked out to grass along
with their own.

Mabel was assigned quarters in the lodge of
Singing-Bird, and a few minutes later Joshua
Thurston was set at liberty and shown into the
presence of his child, where a joyous meetinfr
took place between the father and daughter, and
also the hunters. -

The two outlaws were securely bound hand
and foot, and confined in a lodge and a guard
set over them.

Soon the story of Singing-Bird’s rescue from
the poWer of the “ bad pale-face ” by Stonewall
Bob was heralded through the camp, and war-
riors, squaws and children came to look upon
gielrvaliant young warrior, the mighty Buffalo-

a '.

Among them was a powerful young buck an-
swering to the euphonious name of Bounding-
Bear. He was a savage giant, and as villainous-
looking fellow as one would meet in a lifetime.
But his size and wonderful physical and museu-
]ar strength made him an important character
in the tribe. He was a great.wrestler, and no
brave in the tribe, and in fact no two, had ever
been able to dovvn the Bounding-Bear. Cor.-
scious of his superior strength the fellow did not
hesitate to make it felt upon every occasion
among his own friends to such an extent that
some of the warriors had grown to regard him
with disfavor, while others looked upon him as
an Indian god ossessed of supernatural owcrs.

At sight of tonewall Bob, Bounding- ear ex-
pressed his surprise in a manner that seemed to
indicate contempt.

He walked up within arm’s reach of the Boy
Trojan, and looked him over from head to foot,
then walked around him and scrutinized him as
though he were an animal or some curiOSity
there for inspection.

Finally coming around in front of Bob again
he stopped, straightened up to his full hight,
and appeared to gaze down upon the young hun-
ter with lofty contempt, his little snakish eyes
gleaming like a serpent’s over his high, bulging
cheek-bones.

“Waugh!” he ejaculated, “ heap little big
pale-face!”

The Indian’s friends that were present ap-
plauded his paradoxical observation.

“ Lookee here, red-skin,” said Old Pegleg,
“that ’are boy‘s just ’bout as mountainious as
you be. He may not be so infernal handsome-—
over the left—as you be, but he’s a hull team 0’
brindle steers.”

“Ugh!” ejaculated the Indian, whether he un-
derstood Pegleg or not, “ me Boundin’-Bear—me
wrestle.”

“ Boundin’-Bear big wrestle,” put in a savage
standing by,

“ Rather a queer reception, isn’t it?” asked
Frank Payne, in an undertone of Old Pegleg.

“ That ngin,” replied the hunter, “is a con-
ceited big cuss that’s got it into his head that
he’s a wild, ragin’ war-boss, and seein’ Bob’s no
little runt, I reckon he thinks he’ll take the con-
ceit outen the boy right now so’s he'll know
what posrsh he occupies among the whales and
giants 0’ this ’ere camp.”

“ He must be a powerful Indian,” said Payne.

“He could proh’ly fling on and me around
easy enough,’ continued t e old hunter, "but
he’s a. big. laz , OVer-fed critter that our Bob,
I b’lieve, coul soon outwind and flummix.”

“ I’m not much on a wrestle,” said Stonewall
in reply to the savage giant, “ but when it comes
to standin’ up and knockin’, I’m medium.”

“ Me wrestle,” was the Indian’s reply, and he
beglan sidling up toward Bob as if to take hold

of 1m.
“ Bobby,” said Old Pegleg, “ that noble red-

 

man seems determined to know which 0’ you
daint little heletropes are the gamest on a
wrest e. If you could stand him on his head a
time ’r two he’d keep ’way from you.”

“ Take my Weapons,” said Bob “ and I’ll give
the lark a twister for luck. Now, look here
red -skin,”-—turning to Bounding-Bear— “ if
you’re such a star-eyed cyclone on a wrestle,
why, pile me up easy.”

The Indiar s present, seeing that the boy giant
Was actually going to wrestle with the great
Bounding-Bear, became so excited that the whole
camp was drawn, as if by magic, around the
contestants, Black Wolf being in the crowd.

Stonewall’s friends entertained no little anxs
iety for his success, but they permitted no look
or act to betray their feelings. On the other
hand the. faces of the red-skins wore a satisfied
smile which seemed to anticipate the triumph of
Bounding—Bear.

The two wrestlers grappled and the contest
began. In size they Were well matched, and it
soon became apparent to the red-skins that their
champion had met his match.

For several minutes they maneuvered for an
advantage, the Indian exerting himself at times
to his utmost. Stonewall seemed content to
stand on guard and let the red—skin do the work
until a favorable opportunity was offered, when
he suddenly threw all his stiength into a single
(fl‘ort and endeavored to bring down his man;
but the wary, athletic red-skin was on the alert,
and while the Boy Trojan succeeded in throwing
the Indian, the latter got in his work, and the
two went down together.

As neither could claim the fall the contest was
renewed. As before. Stonewall Bob allovved the
Indian tovdo the work. This continued for sev-
eral minutes, when suddenly Bounding-Bear’s
heels flew into the air and the savage landed on
the back of his head with such terrific violence
that it seemed that his neck must be broken. It
was done so quickly that no one save Stonewall
Dob knew just how it was d< ne and for a mo-
ment the savages were silent With surprise. Then
as the truth of the situation became apparent,
there arose a mingled cry of surprise, delight
and derision.

But there was more excitement when Bound-
ing Bear arose to his feet, gazed around him in
a bewildered sort of a way, staggered and fell
to the ground again.

“ By the jurrpin’ jackals!” exclaimed Old Peg-
lcg, “ you’ve ’bout killed that critter, Bob!”

“I give him the ‘Jim river Flirt,”’ said Bob,
“and I reckon the fellow is confused in his head
and weak in the spine.”

Bounding-Bear again arose to his feet, and
with the help of a friend staggered away, un-
able to come to time.

“Bobby,” said Pegleg, “that gives you the
belt and the Ingin the wry neck.”

A few minutes later the crowd had dis ersed
to their 10d es, for it was now almoxat dar , and
Stonewall on was walking about the camp. in
hopes of learning by some means or other the
disposition to be made of the outlaws. Black
Bluford and Arch Vandyke, when a little figure
cre t u to him from the shadows of her tent,
an 100 ing up into his face With a pleading,
anxious look, said:

“ White-Buffalo-Calf, beware! Bounding~
Bear is a bad Indian, and he will take your life
when you see him not.”

“ Thank glen, SingingBird,” replied Stone.
wall; “ I w heed your kind warning.”

 

CHAPTER XIII.
AN EXCITING BUFFALO-CHASE.

As soon as Stonewall Bob reached the ledge
assigned to him and his friends be acquainted
the latter with Singing-Bird’s warning.

“ Ohol” exclaimed Old Pe leg, “ the little
black-eyed, smoked-skinned wi ch is’n love with
you, Bobby; I see’d that today the way she
fixed her eye with an expirin’ look onto on.
But then her warnin’ is no doubt timely. hat
Boundin’ Bear are the meanest-lookln’ Injun
that God ever put breath in, and that ‘Jim
River Flirt’ you give him will call for blood and
may after all be the means 0’ givin’ you some
trouble.”

“ I rather think that as soon as we can we had
better get away from here,” said young Payne.

“ I’m not afraid.” replied Stonewall, “ for the
chief and his girl are on our side.”

“That may be,” said Old Pegleg‘, “but the
chief don’t control the actions 0’ his vermints
when out 0’ his sight; see how they waded in on
you fellows at Willow Islan’.
needn’t tear oursclves away, but then I can see
nothin’ to detain us here longer than to-night.”

I; lint maybe Stonewall can,” suggested Ben

r .

To be sure, we '

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Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

13

 

 

“ If Bob’s in love ’ith that princess,” said Peg-
leg, “why thar’s no salvation for him, for I
don’t believe this camp’ll hold him and Boundin’-
Bear both very long.’

“Oh, it away with your lover-clatter,” re-
torted tonewall, “I’m up here in search of
buried treasure, and suppose, Payne, you show
Pegleg that convict’s map and see what he
knows about it, or rather the location de-

scribed.”

“All ri ht,” responded Payne. producing the
paper an unfolding it, “here now, is the docu-
ment that has come so near costing us all our
lives.”

In the light of a uttering fat-lamp Old Peg-
leg and Stonewall ob closely examined the
map, and after this had been done, and even be—
fore the explanatory notes had been read, the
old borderman exclaimed:

“Humphl I know exactly where Captain
Mercer and his men were killed. I passed over
the ground a few months afterward and saw
skeletons lying there, but I supposed they were
savages that had been butcherin one and anoth-
er and thought no more ’bout it. But go on,
Bobby, and read them ’are notes.”

Stonewall Bob read the notes as written by
the convict, Goven.

“Exactly,” Pegleg) said, after the youn Tro-
jan had finished; “ utI observe thar’ll e one
difiikilty in makin’ the search for the treasure
and in 'ttin’ away with it all if we find it where
Mercer eft it.”

“ Why so?”

“ The Injins ’1] want a share 0’ it.”

“ They need not know anything about it.”

“YeS' but we can’t keep it from ’em if we
find it, or this very Ingin cam covers he spot
whar that gold is or was bum'e . if l’iii not aw-
fully mistaken; and I don’t think thar’s a man
in America or anywheres else that knows these
Grand river valleys as well as I do, ’ceptiu’, 0’
course, the Man who made them.”

“How long do you think the Indians will re-
main here?”

“All fall, or until the huntin’ season’s ovor
with, unless they’ve good luck in baggin’ all the
game they want sooner.”

“ Well, I can’t stay here that long,” said Payne.

“ We can examine the grounds and locate the
Hidden Cache, at any rate," observed young
Renshaw; “ and then, if we have to come back,
or send one or two of our party brick, all there
will be to do will be to ig up the gold and
ca it home.” a

“ tonewall Bobby ’il be comin’ up this way
no doubt,” said Pegleg, “for I know he’s all
mashed u on that princess, and he can git the
treasure i thar be any.”

“Yes, ‘if’ there be any ” repeated young
Lockwood; this has seemed like a wild-gOOSe
chase to me all the time. I’m half inclined to
think that d ing-convict stor was the offspring
of adisea mind; but 01 or no gold, we’re
having lots of healthy exczting amusement.”

Thus the conversation ran on until late into
the night. when the party all lay down to rest
except Pegleg, who concluded he would watch
the movements of the Indians for awhile, at
least. Aside from Bounding-Bear and his
especial friends. he had no fears of treache 'on
the part of the red-skins; his ob'ect in watc ing
was toaseertain if possible, the isposition made
of the two outlaw prisoners. He felt certain
they would be disposed of during that night,
some way or other.

Barking dogs and howling coyotes, however,
were the only sounds that disturbed the night;
but the coming of. day brought wild excitement
to the camp when it was discovered that Black
Bluford and Arch Vandyke had escaped from
their prison dodge!

The chief was greatly exasperated, and but
for the fact that the warrior who had been left
to guard the outlaws wasfound unconscious and
almost dead, it is likely his life would have paid
the nalty of the prisoners’ esea e.

at the outlaws had help, 0 course, there
was no question, but With Old Pegle and Stone-
wall there was a uest1on_as.to w ether that
help came from outSide or Within the camp.

‘ It’s my humble opinioc ” said Stonewall to
his friends, “ that them outlaws have friends in
this very camp.” _ .

“No doubt o’ it, Bobby; them Villains and
these Ingins have been friends too long to break
off all at once,” declared 01d Pegleg Sol; “I
don’t think the chief has had one thing to‘do
with their escape. but that infernal big Boundin’-
Bear is the chap I’d suspect.” . .

“ I see he’s got a my neck this morning.” 581d
Payne, “and has to turn his whole body when
he looks around. I wonder if he feels like a
‘ heap, big wrestle ’ this morning?”

 

The whites took breakfast with Black Wolf
that morning, adding from their own supplies to
the matutinal meal coffee and sugar, of which
the chief was passionately fond.

Scarcer had their repast been finished, when
an Indian scout came burr in into camp with
the news that an immense CI‘( of buffaloes was
feeding in the valley some five or six miles away.

Like wildfire the news spread through the
camp, and the red lllllltf is at once began prepa-
rations for the chase. Old Black Wolf inVited
his white guests to join them, and to please the
chief, as well as gratify their own desires for a
grand buffalo-hunt, they accepted the invitation.

In less than ten minutes more than a hundred
Indians were u on their ponies ready to start.
Black Wolf too the lead with his white friends
at his side, and then all rode away toward the
northwest.

Mabel and her father remained in cam , which
was left in charge of a few warriors w l0 were
unable to go on the chase. Bounding Bcnr was
one of those who remained behind, his stiff neck
being an ample excuse for not going; but no
sooner were the others out of sight than be
armed himself, mounted his pony and struck out
up the valley evidently bent upon mischief of
some kind.

The hunters soon left the valley and took to
the hills to enable them to approach as close as
possible to the herd unseen, and it was nearly
noon before the chief had got his men osted
ready for the char 0. The best position lie rc-
served for the w iite hunters and when, at
length. all was ready, the signal was given, and
over a hundred horsemen burst from the hills
and wont thundering down upon the mighty
herd of buffaloes.

In an instant the game took alarm and started.
At first the hunters could hear a low, sullen
noise that radually deepened into a roll like
that of thun er.

To the amateur hunters the scene was beyond
their comprehension, and the excitement it on-
gt ndcred in their breasts was of the most thril-
ling character. With their eyes fixed upon the
mighty herd sweeping away before them, them-
selves gliding along at a rapid speed, the very
earth seemed slipping away in their front—rush-
ing on like the b ack waters of a mad, roaring
sea.

Among the very foremost in the chase Were
Old Pegleg Sol. Cripple that he was he was
nevertheless a fine horseman, and with his
weight resting in the one stirrup and his wood-
en ‘ g” pointing out almost at right-angles
with is body, he urged on his horse, carbine in
hand, and was the first of all to fire a Weapon,
the shot bringing down a fine fat cow.

The old hunter’s shot seemed a signal for the
slaughter to begin, and the crash of rifles and
bark of revolvers were at once heard on either
side along the line.

The amateurs soon recovering from the “buck
fever” that the thr.lling scene had iven them
entered into the wild, wanton s r with the
zest of old hunters. Being excel ent horsemen
and fine marksmen they made nearly every shot
from their heavy navy revolvers count 8. dead or
wounded buffalo.

And on, close upon the heels of the herd, rode
the red and white destroyers. The noble ame
went down b the score, and the trail be ind
was left dotte with carcasses. Here and there
laya great bull ora sleek cow thrashing the
earth in death agonies. A few able to walk, but
mortally wounded, Wcre slowl staggering ofl'
toward the hills to die in sec. usion and be de~
voured by the myriads of coyotes that could al-
read y be seen hovering off on the summit of the
bluffs.

The horses and ponies ridden by the whites
were animals of superior strength and speed, and
when, after a few miles’ chase more t ian two-
thirds of the Indians had dro ped out. every one
of the white hunters was stil at the front show-
ing no signs of fatigue. And finally, when
every red-skin had given up the chase, the whites
were all pressing on after the buffaloes, and they
kept on until their cartridges began to give out.
Ben Clark and young Renshaw were the first to
draw rein. Lockwood soon followed, but the
inimitable Old Pegleg, the redoubtable Stone-
wall Bob and the dashing young amateur,
Frank Pavne, pressed on, finally drawing up
five miles beyond where their friends had given
up the chase. ,

Dismounting to rest their panting horses the
three men threw themselves upon the ground,
Old Pegleg saying to Payne:

“ Boy, wasn’t that a rustler, though?”

“Well, I should say it was a grand 131138-10
chase a’; any rate,” replied Payne; “but is it
possible that we three are the last togive it up?"

'with the warriors before Mabel

 

“Yes,” answered Stonewall; “ the last Inginz
dropped out several miles back, and our three
white boys must be back fully five or six miles.
We‘ve chased the buffaloes over ten miles.”

“ Jerusalem l” exclaimed Payne, “it don’t
seem to me to be more than three. Boys, after
all this is barbarous—wanton destruction of the
noblest cf game.”

“Boy ” said Old Peglcg, “you’re mistaken
thar. true hunter never dcestroys game for
the mere fun 0’ killin’ it. Them lngins '1] skin
every one we’ve killed and lug the meat tociimp
and jerk it for winter use. It are only pale--
faces that reds kill for the fun 0’ it. Bobby,
thar, has an indirect interest in this hunt, for,
this winter when he goes a-courtin’ o’ Singin’~
Bird in the Ingins’ big nest, he’ll set cross-legged
on old Black Wolf’s dirty blanket, and. like a
fox hound, gnaw jerked buffalo till his eyes bu’g
out. Bobby’s a goncr. and a your hence an
eagle-feather ’ll adorn his head, and a red
blanket with the totem o’ a Buffalo—Calf onto
it, and a grcas loin-clout will be all that the
noble white buc —the Boy Trojan—will wear."

“ Say, Pegleg,” put in SfAmcwall, “suppose
you let up on me and that Ingiii girl and give
your attention to that outfit coming yonder.”

He pointed south toward the river, from which
direction five horsemen were approaching at a
rapid pace.

‘B the rampiii’ tigers o’ Bengal 1" exclaimed
the 0d hunter, “ thar’s that big Ingin, Boun-
cin’—Bear, at the head 0’ that squad, and, as I
live, them two fellch next himself are Black
Bluford and Arch Vandykel”

“You’re right, Pegleg,” afiirmed Stonewall,
“and they’re after our hair. You can see now
who liberated them outlaws. That {all I gave
Bounding—Bear—that ‘Jim River Flirt’ is the
cause of all of it. Boys, we’ve a fight on hand
—-—two outlaws and three Ingins, and I guess we‘
can attend to that. can’t we?"

“I should think so,” replied Payne; “but
what has possessed them to make an open at-
tack on us here?”

“ It’s all clear to me as crystal ice ” replied
chlcg; “ in a hunt 0’ this kind men a ers pur-
sue the buffaloes till the last cartridge or shot
is ex ended. No one knows that better then
that ii Ingin. They think we are eaten shoot-—
in’ stuff.”

“There’s where they’re goin’ to cork them-e
selves,” declared Stonewall, “for I’ve no less
than six cartridges in m carbine this minute
and some of them will in the carcasses of
them” imps o’ Satan inside the next two min-~
utes.

As he spoke the young hunter sprung to his
feet and took his carbine from his saddle.

“ And I’ve a few shots left,” said Payne, pro—v
curing his weapon.

“ And you can bet Old Pegleg’s ot one or two-
on hand yit,” said the old hunter iopping about
likeacrow; “I never use the ast shot till I
have to. I done that trick onc’t and it cost me
a leg, and so I know iiiore’n I did, even if I
ar’n’t so beauchiful and festivcrous. But. boys,
hold your fire and when ye shoot, swat ’cm in
the bowels am see ’em curl up and squeal. They
think our show of fight is a bluff, but—-— There,
b0 3, they’re pullin’ rein to shoot—lot ’cm have
it n the’r digestion.”

Quick as a thought almost, the three hunters-
raised their Wea ns and fired and both Black
Bluford and andyke tum led from their
horscs. A second discharge brought down a.
red-skin.

Taken by surprise, the cowardly Bounding-
Bear whirled his pony, and lying forward upon
its neck sou ht safet in flight, his surviving
red friend fo owing him.

Several shots were fired at the fleeing-
wretches, but despite the skill of the hunters as—
riflcmcn, they escafied apparently unharmed.

“ Thunder and arsl what next!” was the-
exclamation that burst from Frank Payne’s lips.

“ Go over and kick them dead outlaws,” said
Pagleg; “ oh, but if cVer live beauties ever feel-
ishcd themselves it war that five. If We’d been
eaten shootin’vfodder, they could ’a’ picked us
off at pleasure, ’less We could ’a’ outrid ’em.
But now we know what we’re to expect from
BouncinY-Bear, and I reckon Bobb s got to
harvest him in afore he’ll be safe in t e arms 0’
his smoky-skinned bride.”

“ Lay this matter before the chief,” said
Payne; “why not?”

‘ N0. I’ll say nothing to him,” re. onded'
Stonewall, “ for fear we might at into .rouble
ursten is safe.
For her sake I’ll kee quiet and watch my
chances to defeat that Bigin giant in his treach-
erous work.”

So conversing, the trio walked out to where

 

 

I

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— ‘ifiri‘i’rfi/«F‘I
‘ < _

W‘-

dreams of the amateurs.

14

Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

 

the two outlaws lay—Black Bluford dead, and
the villain Vandyke writhin in his death-throes.

“ Hullo here, ole sinner!’ exclaimed Old Peg-
log. “ so ou’i'e down at last, ar‘n’t ye?”

Vandy 'e looked up, and although the death-
glaze was dimming his eyes, he recognized the
trio, and, game to the last, he felt around in the
grass for his revolver, muttering an oath.

“ It’s no use, Vandykc,” said Stonewall,
“ you’ve got to give it up, and what a miserable
end it is, too, when you could as well lived and
died like a man. You might have lived awhile
longer had you not followed that Ingin, Bound-
in r—Bear, out here to slay us.”

‘ He said—he said you were out of ammu-
nition,” the dying man gasped with a great ef-
fort that seemed to rend him with pain.

“ Yes, but we don’t hunt buffalo like Ingins,”

ut in Pegleg; “ we alcrs keep a few shots back

r 'zzlies and outlaws.”

“ ounding-Bear released us," the villain went
on in a delirious sort of way, “ and he said you
were out of ammunition—out of ammunition—-
there it is ca tain—the buried gold! I heard
him tell Mabe all about it—we’ll get it all, Blu-
ford—all of it—and then—”

“He‘s delirious now,” said Payne, “ and can’t
live but a few moments.”

And he spoke the truth, for the outlaw soon
breathed his last.

Mounting their horses the trio began retracing
their steps. They rejoined their three friends,
and as they all continued on, they related their
adventures with the outlaws and the revengeful
Bounding—Bear and his friends.

The trail over which the buffaloes passed now
presented a b scene. The Indians were en-
gaged in skinning the game and cutting it up
for transportation to camp. uaws, with
pack-ponies, had followed up the unters, and
were carrying the meat back to camp, and not a
few of the women were carryin upon their own
backs slavish loads of the dripping meat.

Black Wolf, the chief, awaited the return of
his white friends, and received them with sav-
age blandishment. He congratulated them upon
their skill as hunters, and gave them the credit
of killing many buflaloes.

The day was well advanced when the part
reached camp, where they were welcomed wit
joy, especially by Singing-Bird, Mabel Thurston
and her father.

The white hunters were tired and hun .
The day’s sport had surpassed even the Viv (1

They had entered into
the full enjoyment and excitement of the chase,
and one of their greatest hopes had been realized.
The other, now, was to secure the buried treas-
ure of the fur-trader, and they would be ready
to depart in the enjoyment of all they had sought
in the Grand River valleys.

A supper of broiled meat, hot coffee and In-
dian bread was partaken of that evening by the
whites, and with a gusto that can be realized
only by those who have undergone a like expe-
rience and pleasure.

After supper the white hunters sought their
lodge to talk over the day’s work and their fu—
ture course. The conduct of Bounding-Bear was
the only thing that the now had to give them
any uneasiness. The fe low had not returned to
the camp yet, and Pegleg thought he and his few
friends might not, as long as they—the whites—
remained there, through fear of incurring the
chief’s ire for the attempted killing of Stonewall
and his friends that day.

While the party was discussing the situation,
who should enter the lodge but Singing-Bird?
She was gaudily arrayed in all her finest para-

hernalia. A smile was upon her face and a
ight of joy in her eyes, and there was not a man
in the party but what admitted to himself that
she was a beautiful girl, Indian then b she were.

Upon her arms and in her hands is e carried a
pair of moccasins and leggins that were beauti-

ully wrought- in various-colored beads, and ad-
vancing to Stonewall Bob, she laid them at his
feet saying:

“ The W bite Buffalo-Calf is a brave pale-face.
He saved the life and honor of Singing-Bird, the
daughter of the great chief, Black Wolf, and
Singing-Bird brings these things for the pale-
face brave as a token of her thanks.” '

Stonewall Bob was both surprised and confused
by this unexpected reward of merit from this
simple—hearted Indian girl; but mastering him-
self, he took up the presents and holding them
in his hands, replied:

“ Singing-Bird. daughter of the great chief,
Black Wolf. I thank you for these beautiful

presents and the kind words you speak. White-
butfalo—Calf is mud to know that he raved the
life of the fair inging-Bird from the clutches of
the white vulture. He will always remember

 

her and when I wear these beautiful moccasins
andleggins I know I shall be inspired to deeds of
bravery and heroism by a remembrance of their
fair donor.”

With a smile of jo the maiden turned and
left the lodge, while 0 d Pegleg, with mock so«
lemnit , broke the silence, saying:

“W ite-Butfalo—Calf has spoken, and the
sound of his voice war like the gurgle 0’ molasses
in Jinuary. Oh, my!”

An outburst of laughter was indulged in at
Stonewall’s expense.

Meanwhile Stonewall sat uietly examining his
presents, his face aglow wit 1 a smile of delight.

“ I sce’d that gal and four other squaws war
busy this mornin’,” Peglcg went on; “ but I
s’posed they war goin’ to make a fancy blanket
outen them as what are leggins now; and when
I sce’d the foundation 0’ them moccasins, I
s’posed they war goin’ to make a pair 0’ canoes.
I reckon it took all the loose buckskin in camp
to git up them things, and the beads on ’em
would fill a barrel. Bobby, you’re ruther an
expensive lover—a ruther costive calf.”

“ Go right along with your abuse, Pegle ,” said
Bob; “ I can stand it, seeing you’re an 01 man.”

Stonewall was induced to put on his moccasins
and leggins, and when he had done so he walked
out an through the camp with evident pride in
his new possessions, though the Indians present
looked upon him with envy.

Night finally settled over the valley, but the
Indians kept coming and oing nearly all night,
bringing in the buffalo-hi es and meat from the
fields of slaughter.

At an earl hour, howevgr, the white hunters
retired. OIL Pegleg and tonewall occupied a
small lodge alongside a larger one in which
were the amateurs. The latter soon fell asleep,
but Pegle and Stonewall could not dismiss from
their mini 3 the treachery of Bounding-Bear, and
this, along with the confusion in the camp, kept
them awa e.

Lying close together they conversed in whis-
pers. The hours wore wearin along to them,
and Old Pegleg was etting out of patience with
the noise in camp, w en suddenly they discover-
ed that the door to their lodge was being drawn
slowly aside and that the moonbeams were
stealing in upon them.

Without saying a word or moving a limb they
turned their eyes toward the opening, and there,
plainl outlined against the sky, they saw the
gigan ic frame of Bounding-Boar, steeping—a
gleaming knife clutched in his hand!

CHAPTER XIV.
THE HIDDEN GOLD CACHE.

STONEWALL BOB took in the situation in an
instant. He saw that but a moment separated
him from the murderous thrust of the Indian
giant’s knife—165s time than he could possibly
place himself on the defensive or draw a weapon.

Old Pegleg Sol seemed to have realized the
situation equally as quick, for Stonewall Bob
saw him throw n his wooden leg as if to check
the advance of t e assassin. At the same in—
stant a dull, pistol-like report rung out, and the
Boy Trojan saw a little tongue of fire spit out
apparent! from the old hunter’s wooden limb,
while, wit a low gasp, the would-be assassin
sta gered back from the opening in the lodge
an at once disappeared.

Grasping his revolver, Bob sprung nimbly to
his feet.

“Sin and calamity! what’s this mean?” he ex-
claimed.

“ Hullo, pard!” said Old Sol, starting up as if
from a sleep: “what’s the matter with you?
Been ha vin’ bad dreams?”

“See here, old man, don’t you know what’s
been going on? Didn’t you see that form in the
doorway, and hear that pistol-shot, and see the
flash of the weapon?”

“ Boy, you’re in a bad condition—been havin’
bad dreams, I swow you have—say. la down
here and keep still—you’ll raise the hul camp.
You’re fiighty, boy—you’re not well.”

“ Pegleg So], you old calamitous wretch,
you’re telling me a straight, all-wool lie; on
fired”that shot and I know it. Say, now, di n’t

on?

“ Wal, Bobby, to be honest with you,” the old
fellow said in a whisper, “ l jist kicked that big
Ingin in the stomach with my game leg, and I
guess it made him sick to the digestion, for I
gaititshove that peg harder’n a buck antelope can

u .

“ Pegleg, confound you, you're still lying to
me, and I’m going to wrench that wooden leg
off and thump you over the head with it, if you
don’t own up the truth. Say, haven’t ou got a
masked battery concealed in that (peg

“Te! he! he!” snickered the 01 man; “ boy,

 

 

I’ll own up, thar’s one o’ the slickest little shoot-
in’--irons concealed in that wooden 1pegleg you
ever see’d. The hull thing works li e a clock,
and now I’ll tell you ’bout it. The ferule on the
end is fastened'with a hinge. A spring holds it
in place and a spring flips it back when I want
to shoot. If I can it my hand into my pocket,
I can work the mac iine from thar. By techin’
a little button the ferule flies back; another but~
ton and the weapon’s discharged; and a third
button and the cartridge is extracted and an-
other inserted, ready for business. It war the
invention and ift o’ a wealthy gunsmith what
I met at Fort enton three years ago. The hull
thing is no heavier ’n a ordinary wooden club
and I tell you she shoots likeaderringer. It
has served me several good turns lately. I
swatted three— cs, four outlaws with it, the
night I rescued liss Maple Thurston. The last
shot was fired right before her eyes, and you
never see’d a gal so broke u —nighly as bad as
the great VVhite-Bufi’alo—Ca f war ’while ago.
lgolvgghat’s the sacremental truth, Mr. Buffalo-

a .

“You immense old fraud!” exclaimed Bob,
“it would sur rise anybody to see a wild-eyed
old, wobble-sir cd institution go ’round shootin’
with his wooden leg.”

“ I reckon that Bouncin’-Bear war surprised,”
Pegleg went on, “ and if I ive him a s uare zip
in the digestion it are like y he’s sick ’ ut this
time. I ’spected to hear him yawp, but he only
grunted and Went away. Reckon he war tryin’
to come a s1 game on us—a still hunt.”

“ If the big scoundrel should die we might get
into trouble, although 1 observe the report of
your ‘ shooting-1e ’ hasn‘t raised any alarm
yet—not even wa eued our own boys sleeping
within ten feet of us. Surely they ar’n’t all
dead.”

“ I’ll bet that Ingin don’t want Black Wolf to
know anything ’bout his movements, and don’t
think we’ll be disturbed any more by him—
leastwise, not soon.”

And in this the old hunter was right, for the
night wore away without any further molest-
ation; and in the morning Bounding—Bear was
found dead on the outskirts of the camp, shot
through the stomach, with a Ion swiping-knife
driven deep into his heart evi ently With his
own hand.

The news of the giant’s death soon spread
through the cam and great excitement re-
vailcd, but when it became known that he ad
committed suicide, though no one could explain
the bullet-wound in the stomach the general
verdict was that he had taken is own life
through mortiflcation growing out of his defeat
in the wrestle with W hite-Bufi’alo-Calf.

The matter being thus settled Stonewall and
Old Pegleg felt easier, and after brea st the
whites held a consultation and finally d ided to
begin the search for the Hidden Cache.

To expedite matters and to allay any suspicions
their movements mi ht arouse, they took the
chief into their confi ence and promised him a
share of the gold should they succeed in finding
't

l .
To the surprise of the party the chief informed
them that he could take them to the very spot
where the massacre of Mercer’s party occurred,
for he himself had taken a leading part in the
conflict. But he knew nothing 0 any hidden
treasure nor had he eVer heard of it before.

More hopeful now than ever of finding the
cache, the spade brought along for the search
was procured and the party started off headed
by the chief.

But not over a mile from the camp the Indian
suddenly stopped and said:

1 “ Ige’re is the place where the pale-faces were
{illcc .’

The whites gazed around them with a melan-
choly 100k. Not even a bleaching bone was to
be seen.

“ I guess you’re right, chief,” said Old Sol,
“ but I war thinkin’ the massacre occurred a lit-
tle east 0’ this.”

“ Black Wolf.” said Frank Payne. to test the
chief’s memory, “do you remem r how many
of those pale-faces escaped?”

“ Just one—he catch pony and escape,” replied
the chief.

“ I guess Goven’s story was a true one,” said
Payne, “but the gold was buried where they
were last attacked. The note on the convicts
data says it was buried half a mile east of where
the massacre took place. or rather the massacre
occurred west of the Gold Cache.

“That’s rather indefinite, I find now,” said
Ben Clark, “ but we have plenty time to make a
thorough search.”

So the arty moved back about half a mile
and then t 6 search began in earnest. Ever: de-

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pression in the ground, however slight, was thor-
u hly explored with the spade, and so eager
n5 anXious were the amateurs that they regret-
ted there were not half a dozen spades at com-
mand.

The hunt was kept up without success till noon
when all went to cum ) for dinner, but as soon as
the meal was over t ey hurried back and re-
sumed the search. All that afternoon they la—
bored diligently without success, and when dark-
ness at length compelled them to quit for the
day the plain around and about them looked like
a deserted prairie-dog iown.

With a feelin r of disappointment they return-
ed to camp rcso ved to continue the search on
the morrow. They were satisfied beyond all
doubt that the Hidden Cache was somewhere in
the vicinity, and they were determined to find
it if it took a month or more.

The next morning they started out quite early,
and as they neared the scene of the prekus
day’s labor Old Pegleg caught sight of a black
stump of a bush protruding an inch or so above
the rass. .

“ Ok here, lads,” the old plainsman said,
“thar’s the stub 0’ a bush that’s been growin
here once.”

“ Yes, and a cottonwood, too,” said Stonewall,
steeping and chipping ofl.’ some of the stump
with his knife.

“Well, what can you make of that?” asked
Frank Payne.

“ Why, doesn’t them notes say Mercer stuck
a cottonwood stick in the ground ’bout a rod or
two west of the cache ?”

“ Yes, but that’s a stump six inches in diame—
ter ” replied Payne.

‘ I know it, but aren’t it singular that a cot-
tonwood bush should once he growin’ here
alone—out so far from the river? You know,
don’t you, that a cottonwood cutting will take
root and grow like a willow? Now, s’pose the
twig Captain Mercer stuck in the ground near
his cache took root and rew to a good-sized
bush, and then the rairie re literally killed it,
and the buffalo rub d it down, leaving nothin’
but this stump?”

“Well, in that case, which is possible, but
hardly probable, the cache would be about two
rods east of the stump," said Ben Clark, “ and it
won’t take long to make the examination.”

“By smoke! here’s a slight de ression,” ex-
claimed Frank Payne, who was ready on the
search; “bring the spade here, Clark.” V

Ben took the spade to him, and asping it
impatientl , he sent the polished bla 9 down in-
to the eart . As he did so he sprung back as if
from a serpent, exclaiming:

“Did you hear that, boys? The spade grated
upon something hard. Listen!”

A ain he sent the spade down into the earth,
andfihis time all heard a dull, grating noise.

“Boys, we’ve found it!” declared the elated
young man. as he worked the handle of the
spade to and fro, and produced that grating
sound a ain.

“ Dig own, youngster, and be sure it’s there,”
commanded Old Pegleg, “ before you procla-
niate so stoutly.”

Frank began to shovel out the dirt, and in a
few moments the iron rim of a kettle was re~
vealed to their gaze.

“Eureka!” shouted Payne, tossing the spade
into the air and shoutin with jo ; “come,
boys, and look upon the rim of the ettle—the
pot that contains the treasure!”

The arty all came up, and leaning over,
gazed own at the kettle; then they started up
with a yell, and for a few moments they acted
like wild men. Stonewall Bob threw his hat in-
to the air and shot a hole through it before it
reached the ground. Old Pegleg danced a jig
on his one foot. Young Lockwood stood on his
head, and Ben Clark turned a handspring back-
ward and forward, the last time ,riving his
inoccasined feet into Stonewall’s breast with
such force as to completely upset the young
Tro'an.

“ here, now, that’ll dol” Old Pegleg finally
said, “ don’t bu’st your galls, but come and let s
finish the work. To be sure we’vo found the
gold, for I beam the eagles on the coins just
now pipin’ to each other With 30y.”

Stonewall Bob took up the Spade and carefully
dug the dirt from around the iron kettle, then
he took hold of the vessel and lifted it from the
hole and placed it on the ground. .

“ It’s heavy as lead ” the young Troaan said.

The pot was full, t e top being covered with
solidly-packed earth, so that all beneath was in-
visible.

“ Turn it up and empty it on the grass,” said
Ben Clark. _

A3 Stonewalllifted the pot a breathless silence

.upon that particular occasion.

 

Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan.

15

 

fellupon the party and all fixed their eager eyes
upon the vessel. '

The young Trojan turned the kettle up. The
contents slipped out in a solid block like a brick
from the mold. Still nothing but dirt was visi-
ble. Frank Payne gave the lump a kick, and it
crumbled to pieces, but not a gold coin was to
be seen!

“ The devil and calamit l" blurted Stonewall,
“ what does that mean? thre’s the coins with
chleg’s piping eagles?”

“ They must be in the other kettle—Coven
said there was two of them buried,” said Payne,
somewhat excitedly.

Stonewall begun digging, and soon struck an-
other kettle, which he lifted from the cache.
Like the other, it was full of something, the top
being covered with earth.

“ oys,” said the young Trojan, as he turned
the kettle upside down, “ this tells the tale.”

The contents of the vessel slip d out like the
other, in a solid block. Stonewa ltore the block
to pieces with his hands, and to the utter amaze-
ment of all, not a single gold coin was to be
seen!

 

CHAPTER XV.
THE END or rr ALL.

LIKE dumb statues the hunters stood for sev-
eral moments gazing at the empty kettles the
gaping cachc, and at one and another, With a
blank look of disappointment and surprise upon
their faces.

“ What’s that, Bob?” asked Payne, pointing
at the ile of earth.

“A ottle, by calamit l” exclaimed the Boy
Trojan, picking asmall g ass vial out of the dirt;
“ and it’s got a pa )er in it, too.”

“ Perhaps it will explain matters.”
uickly broke the vial with his

up the paper and handed it to

Stonewall
knife and too
Frank Pa ne.

“ Yes, ere is some writing upon it,” the
young man said, unfolding the paper with nerv-
ous fingers.

“ Read! read!” cried the friends.

Payne read as follows:

“To WHOM Tnis COMES Ganmmot—Four weary
pilgrims journeying up this valley chanced to find,

ythe merest accident. this rock» in which more
were many thousands of gold dollars; and not know-
ing whether the owner was alive, nor the where-
abouts of his heirs, we Will take possession of it and
devote it to the benefit of some 01 hens we know of
in great need. (Signed) HE Oarnms."

As he concluded reading, Payne crushed the
paper in his hand, and looking about him, said
in dis ust:

“ ill somebody please kick me?”

“ Heavens! that makes me tired,” observed
Lockwood.

“ Let’s all go soak our heads,” added Ben
Clark in disgust.

Stonewall Bob and Old Pegleg rolled on the
ground in a fit of laughter.

“ Well,” Payne finally said, gazing abstracted-
ly away across the plain, “ we’ve been having a

lorious lively time, anyhow, gold or no old.
fiealth is wealth, they say; therefore, I’ve )een
enriched coming West on this excurSion. Gold
corrupts the morals, and I’ll venture the asser-
tion that the canker has laid hold of them cussed
‘ Orphans ’ before this."

“All that galls me is the den ers we passed
through getting here,” observ young Ren-
shaw.

“ That‘s passed, and you’re safe, and know
more than you did, so what are you whining
about?” retorted Lockwood.

“ All your trouble comes,” said Stonewall Dob,
“of Ben Clark blabhimy Govcn’s secret to his
sweetheart in Arch Vain yke‘s hearing. Lovers
shouldn’t talk.”

“ Big White-Buffalo-Ctilf has hawled again,”
said Old Pegleg, “and if he’d apply his advice
to hisself, whur’d them canoes on his feet, and
them blankets on his legs be?”

“ Stonewall,” said Payne, “ you can give them
two kettles and that spade to the chief, and this
cache will do for a skunk’s nest. Let us go
back to camp and have a wandance.”

So saying, the entire party returned to camp
disappointed but not at all des ondcnt.

The party remained at the ndian camp over
two weeks, and in that time'they were not idle.
They went out with the Indians on several huf-
falo-hunts, and upon each occasion distinguished
themselves for the number of bisons they slew.

Finally Old Black Wolf gave a grand war-
dance in honor of his guests, and if ever night
was made hideous with a demoniac revel, it was
To the amuse-
ment of his friends, Stonewall Bob took part in
the dance, and his towsring form wasa conspicu-

 

 

ous figure among the half-nude, grotesquely-
painted Indians.

Ridiculous as the whole proceedian were to
the white spectators, the chief am his fair
daughter regarded thcm as eminently success-
ful and it was with a smile of joy that Singing-
Biid watched the form of thc lloy Trojan as he
went yelling and posturing and dancing around
and around in one never-varying circle.

That the princess was in love with the youn
giant there was not a doubt in the minds 0
the whites, but there was some question as to
whether her ail‘cctions Were l'ully reciprocated
by the young pluiusmiin.

At length the time for departure home came,
and it was with a feeling of no little rcgret that
the hunters were forced to uit the Indian camp;
and no one seemed to take t icir departure more
to heart than did Singing-Bird.

Before )arting, the princess and Stonewall
held a private talk, and what passed between
them—what promises were made and wishes ex-
pressed will nevcr be known, for Stonewall was
too gallant and honorable to trifle with the afl’ec-
tions of the simplc-hcartcd girl, or to say aught
of her not of the greatest respect.

Old chleg Sol consented to accompan his
friends to the settlement—the home of tlieT urs-
tons and Ben Clark, and no sooner were they out
of sight and hearing of the Indian camp than
Stonewall Bobopened on the old borderman and
gave him “dead away ” to the party as to the
“masked batter ” he carried concealed in his
wooden leg; he a so revealed the mystery con-
nceted with the death of the Indian, Boundin -
Bear, and not until then did Stonewall’s frien 9
know how near he came to death that night in
the Indian camp].

At noon of t e first day of their homcward
journey the party halted in the valley by the
Sentinel that historical rock where the Boy
Trojan first met Mabel Thurston on that ever-
to-be remembered night of the great buffalo
stampede. The )lished bones of half a dozen
Lisons Were all t at remained of that whirlpool
of death that rolch and surged around the rock,
chepting some dark stains on the stone where
the life—blood of Zadok, the hunter, had been
3 filled.

IA feelin of the deepest sorrow filled the
breast of Mabel Thurston as- she stood by the
Sentinel.

The maiden again told the story of the old
man’s tragic death, and vat bitter y.

“ Boys,‘ said Stonewall, ‘lct ns dedicate this
rock to the memory of Zadok, the hunter, and
carve his name upon it. that ages to come may
look upon it.”

“Oh, do! dol” cried Mabel, with a feelin of
veneration for the memory of the man who had
saved her and her father’s life at the cost of his

own.

With the blade of a hatchet for a chisel, Stone-
wall Bob cut the name, “ ZADOK,” in large, deep
letters 11 on the stone. It re aired sevsriil hours
to do it, ut all felt that the time was well spent,
and when they mounted and moved on, it was
with a feelin of relief over having paid a last
tribute to a end here.

On the fourth day of their journey the party
reached the settlement, where all were recei'Ved
with the wildcst demonstrations.

And thus ended the search for the Hidden
Gold Cache, and while it had been barren of re-
sults so far as treasure was concerned. every one
of the party was ready to vote it a grand suc-
cpsg so far as icrils, adventures and thrilling
sport went. The amateurs were prond'of their
lively CXJWI'lOlk‘B on the Great Range, yet they
had no csire to pass through the same a ain.

And while the amateurs were at Hum oldt
they had the pleasure of attending the wedding
of Ben Clar and Mabel Thurston, an affair
which the notorious Archibald Vandyke had
hoped to prevent by the abduction of the mai-
den, assisted by the outlaws to whom Vandvke
had furnished the information concerning Mer-
cer’s buried treasure.

Finally the time came for the amatcurs to
take. their departure for their Eastern home,
and it was then that their separation from their
friends—from Stonewall Bob and joll Old Peg-
lcg—wasmade with feelings of the ecpest re-
gret, which would have been all the deeper, had
arrangements not been made for another an!
hunt one yrar from that time. when the reo-
quaintance and friendship could of course be re-
newed.

Duringlthe fall Old Pegleg Sol returned to his
favorite aunts away up on the upper Missouri,
and there Stonewall Bob promised to take the
amateurs when the again came West in quest
of sport and adven ure.

THE END.

 

 

 
  
    
    

   
  
       
 

BEADLE’SrHALF-DIMErLIBRARY.

Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents.

No Double Numbers.

 

 

BY EDW'ARD L. “'11 ICELER.

Dead wood Dick N ovcln.

I Deadwood Dick, thr l'rinm oi tho Road.
20 Double llukflt‘l‘l‘ or, ilrrnlwood Dirk'l Defiance.
28 Ihlll'ulu "an; or, )wlulwnml Dick in l’inguino.
85 \ llll Ivan. ihc iiuy i‘iande Duvnl.
42 I’hantom .“lllt‘l'l or, Drudwood Dick'n Bonanza.
40 Omaha 0|]. or licndwood Dick in Danger.
5.’ Deadwood Div ‘u l'Iauicn; or, The l'arda oi Flood Bar.
78 Deadwood Dick on Deck; or. (Tnhunitv Juno, tho Heroine.
'27 Corduroy ('hurllc: or. lil‘llliwrmii Dick'l Lint Act.
100 Deadwood Dirk lll Lcad\ lllc.
104 Deadwood Dick'n Dc\ lo *: or, NH: Doubin Cross Sign.
109 Dead wood Dick an Dctc-otirc.
129 Deadwood Dick‘n Double: or, The Ghont of Gorgon’n

Gulch.
188 lllnllde lilill 0r. Dcndwrmd Dick's Home Bale.
149 A Gun“- oi' Gold; or. Dmquon Ilivk’: liig Strike.
150 DcadWood Dick of Dead wood or. Tim i'icin-d Part .
195 Deadwood Dick'a Drcam; or, 1 im Riwln oi‘the Rom.
201 The "link Illllu Jezebel; or. ill-:illwnml l) ck'l Vl'nrd.
205 Deadwood Dick‘a Doom; or. Cuilunity June'l Lint Ad-
venture.
217 Captain Crack-Shot, the Girl liri and.
221 Ha ar-Coated Nam: or, This Biiu' Gown.
282 Go Il-Dult Dick. A Romance of Ronng and Toughl.
203 Deadwood Dick'a Divide or, The Spirit of Swamp Lake.
mm Deadwood I’IOL’I Dcnth ‘rall.
309 Deadwood Dick'u lilg Deal; or, The Gold Brick of
legal).
821 Deadwood Dick's Dozen 3 or, The Fakir nil’hantom Firm.
347 Deadwood Dick's Ducata; or, Rainy Day: in the Dig-

mun.
851 Deadwood Dick Sentenced: or, The Trrriblo Vandettn.
802 Deadwood Dick‘a Claim; or, The Fairy Face or Faro

Finis.
405 Deadwood Dick in Dead City.
410 Deadwood Dick’a Diamonda; or, The Mystery of Joan
urtOl'.
421 'Dcadwood Dick in New York; or, A “ Cnle Cn-e."
480 Deadwood Dick's Duat; or, Thu Chnlnod linnd.
448 Deadwood Dick, Jr.
448 iiekcl-Plate Ned; or, Dradwood Dirk Jr'. manure.
453 Sunflower 8am, oi Shanta; or, Deadwood Dink Jr'n Full

Hand.
459 Fla-h Fan, tho Farrct; or, Deadwood chk 11"» Big Ronnd.
485 I’ll-[lo Fly, 0! Phcnix; or, Dudwood Dick Jr's Racket at
Claim 10.

471 Bozcman Bill; or. Deadwood Dirk Jr'l Corral.
‘76 Humboldt Harry, the Hurricane; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’-
Dog ~tovtlw.

o|| Myatery; or. Deadwood Dick Jr. in Dendwmd.
l’lntol. the King of the Welt; or, Deadwood Dick

 

  
 
 
  
   
 
  
  

431
491

496 n: or. Deadwood Dick Jr'l inheritance.
500 ‘u Dixfliugu; or. Dr. Death-Grlp’n Snoop.
508 ‘n Dc veroucc.
515 'a l’rotczcc.
522 'a Three.
529 ’n Danger Duckl.
584 '- Death Hunt.
589 Jr., ill Texan.
544 Jr" .1... mm wm Vidocq.
549 on Illa Mottlc.
554 Jr- in Gotham.
23} 'J" “infill: d 1 in
r.. n a e a.
519 Jr., in can-ago."

Other Novel- by E. L. Wheeler.

.6 Cloven Hoof, the Buliaio Demon.

82 Bob Woolf: or, Thu Girl Dead-Shot.

89 Death-Face, Detoctivr; or, Lli‘u In New York.

45 old Avalanche: or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand.
68 Jim Bludaoc. Jr.. the Boy Plicnix.

01 lillckhorn "ill; or, The Rad iliiio Team.

69 (told lililc Hu- lmrnhooter: or. The Bo Doioctiu.
80 Ion-bud llob or, aunt Nod, th— Kn girl.

34 dyl, the Girl . inert or, itoaelmd Rob on Hand.
88 beta ra 11 Phil; or. Rosebud lloh‘l Reap cannon.

9 ana a (i ci; vr, Old Anaconda in Sitting uil’l Camp.

. and» E a; or, Arnbl and Angel» of a Great City.

3 .01: Hay e the Young Spoculator.

llit- Edged Dick, tin» Sport Dctoctlv.

‘inaamon ‘ in, the Girl Sport.

5 Bonanza liill. Minor.

8 "all "oh the King of Boothlacita

Solid Ham lbo Boy RondJigont.

Oantnin Ferret, tho Nuw York Datectivo; or, Boa Bob’s

“OI! Job.
New York Nell tho Boy-Girl Detective.
Nobb Nick oi’ filevadai or, The Sicrral Scamp.
“’lld rank. 1h» Burk-kin ilravo.
Fritz, tho Bound-Boy Detoctive.
Fritz to the Front: or, Tim Vontrilolguilt Hunm.
226 Snoozcr tho Buy Sham: or, The Arab cacti".
2150 Apollo Ill", the Trail Tornado.
40 0 clone Kit, lilo Younx Gladiator.
ilarra Ham, lllu Froniiur Ferret.
248 R-‘erra fiam'u Hccrct; or The Bloody Footprint;
258 fl--crra Bam‘a Paul; or. ‘l‘bu Angel on Big Vista.
258 H crra Ham’a Seven; or.’l‘h. Stolen Bride.
2711 Jumbo Joe tin», liny Patrol; or, The Rival Hoira.
277 Denver Doll, the Inwilvo Queen.
231 Denver Doll‘n Victory.
2N5 Denver Doll’l Decoy : 01. Little Blil’l Bonanza.
891 Turk, the Hay Ferret.
296 Denver Doll‘a Drllt; or. The Road Queen.
2 A No. 1. the Dashing Toll-Taker.
808 ’ldz. Jane, tlw 'liri Minor: or. the iron-Norvcd Sport.
325 Kelley, “11"”: 4' 00.. tin- Di-trrtivva of Philadelphia.
330 .lttlc Quirk-N lot: or, 'i‘lm Dnml Face of Dnggonvillo.
884 Kangaroo Kin or. 'l‘ho Myltorloua Minor.
'89 Kangaroo Kit’n Racket.
348 Man attan Mike, the Iiowcry Blood.
858 FIrnt-Clau Fred, Ihe Gum iron] Gopher.
868 \jreka Jim. the. Gold-Gatherer: or, The Lottery oi

Llil

872 Yreka Jim’l Prize.
8'!!! Nabob Ned| or, The Sword of Shh City.
8932 Cool Klt. lhn King of Kidl; or. A \‘iiiain'l Vongonnco.
385 Yreka Jim’s Joker; or, Th” Rivals of Red No“.
81%" Bicycle "out or. 'l‘lno Lion of Lightning Lode.
894 Yrek a Jinn of Yuba Dam.
400 Wrinkles, the Night-Watch Detective.
410 illgh Ilat Harry. the lim Bail Detective.
426 Sam Sulabai the Beggar-Boy Data-diva.
484 Jim Beak an l’al, rivato Detectives.
:38 Hall.“ Fe Hal, the Siuhor.

0 Seal-kin Sam. the Sparkier.

BY BUFFALO BILL (lion. Wm. F. Cody).

"G

‘—
In"

a'-‘—.. noun-lanai!
~=Ifla pasta
hs~flfl a-

 

 

 

Kalla Klng; or. The Red Right Hand.
In bantorn 88y: or, 'l ha Film. of tho Prairio.
“d1!- yo. an nknown Scout.
OHIO? obln flood; or The Prairie Rover.
any Frank of Colora at or, Tho Trapper’l'l‘rnn.

 

 

BY CllA “LES MDIKRIS.

18 Will Son-era, tho Bur Drtcvtlvo.
22 I’ll” Hardy, the limo liny,
26 Picayune l’c-tc; or, Nicmimnnn, the Dog Demtive.
0 Detective Dick: or, The “en: in Rugs.
2 llanduamc Ilarry, lliu lioniiilar-k Detective.
7 “'ill Wildiirc, thr- 'l'horoughhn-d.
2 "lack lit-an. \\'ill Wlidiin-‘a Kari-r.
7 Mike Murry, iln- lliirimr in”... lioy,
2 \VIII Wildilrc In the “'ooda.
5 liilly Baggage. the Railroad liuy.
0 \ Trump Card; or, Will Wildiirn VVinI and Long
>1» liob Iiockctl; or, Mysteriesoi'New York.
9 lilib liockctt the liank iiunm-r.
it The Hidden llandfi or, Will Wildflro'u Revenge.
1”? Fred llalyard. tins .iir llont lira; or. The Smugglers.
139 Bob liookctt; or, Driven to the Wall-
196 Hhadowcd ; or, Bah Rovkett‘a Fight for Life.
200 Dark l’uul. tins 'i‘im-r King.
212 Din-hing Dave, the Dam) ' Detective.
220 Tom Tanner; or, The ii nrk Sum-p oi the Flock.

2.3 Ham Charcoal llir l’rvmlurn ilnrky.
235 Shadow Ham. ihc Mona-nu" Boy. ,

42 Tim ’l‘wo “ lilooda"; or, Sinmnndonh Bill and His Gang.
252 Dick Danhaway: or. A ilnkoin liuy in ('im-ngu.
262 The Young Sharp-x or. iloilicidng Mike’n iiot Trail.
27-!» Jolly JIIII. lin- ilrtectivr Aluprr-niirr.
2N9 Jolly Jim’s Joli; «7, Thu ion-u: Dc-torilvc.
29H Tin- \i'au~r-lloandx or. 'i‘ln- Young Thoroughbred.
805 (Dav-haway. oi’ Dakota; or, A \Vrniern Lad in the Quaker

“I ,

I 3.
82-1 Ralph Heady. the ilotol iloy Detective.
311 Tony 'l‘horrw. the Vugnhund Driertivc.
353 The licportcr-Dcicctlvcg or, Frrd Flyo-r‘a Blizzard.
807 \i' Idc-Au'akc doc; or, A Iloy of the ’i‘inn-r.

79 Larry. the Lovell-r; or. The iliuodl of tho boulevard.
403 Fireliy Jack. lilo River-Rat Dela-rtlvu.
423 The Lou-t Flurrcr; or. 'l‘hoe Entrnppod Cuhlcr.
428 Fred Fiver. tie llrporirr Detective.
482 invincible Logan. tho i’inlmricn Ferret.
450 llilly lirlck. the Jolly Vagabond.
460 “’ldc-Awake Jerry, Dulcrtivr; or, Entombed All".
479 Dctcctivo Dod ct or, The hlyuiery of Frank Hearty.
48H “'ild Dick lint- '11..
501 lloola. the Boy Fin-man x or, Too Sharp for tho Sharper.
566 The Secret rcrvlcc lloy Detective.

1
1
1
l
l
‘l
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

I’lfldaafilaflba

B Y 0L1. COOMES.

5 Vagabond Joe. the Young Wandurlng Jew.
13 The Dumb Spy.
2? Anti-lapt- .\ln:, lllr‘ Boy Guide.
8| chn-kuii'c, tlm l'rinl'r oi‘thu I‘rairiel.
41 Latino Jack, Ilu- Young Multanger.
58 The llordcr Kin ; or. The Barret Foo.
71 Delaware Dick, 1 a Young Ranger Spy.
74 IIawk-evc llarrv line Young Trapper Ruan
no Irono, tho “0‘ llnnuer.
184 illum- Hhot h‘ct I, ih. lioy Riflanmn.
148 Hoar-Face Saul. the Mien! Hunter
140 I‘llvcr Star, the lioy Knight.
153 Eagle kit. the iioy Druinn.
168 Little Texan, the Young Mustang".
17" Did Solitary. the lirrlnit ,l-rllll'H‘I’.
1H2 Little llurrlcanc. thv- Bo captain.
202 l'roa out Pele 3 or, The 'ounz Unliaw "uni-all.
208 The toy Ilercalca: or, The l’l‘nil’in Trampn. '
211i 'I‘Ilrcr ’I am. the Tun. Tmrm.
224 Danhlmr Dick; or. 'l'rnpper 'l‘om‘a Castle.
22“ Little \Vlldilrc, tlm Yum!“ Prairie Nomad.
233 The I'm-non Dc.- tccilvct or. The Little Bangor.
248 The Diaznlnc-d huldc; or. \| ild Raven, the Ran...
260 Dare-Dew" Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger.
272 Mlnkukln “Ike, Hw- llov Sharpshooier.
290 Little Foxlirc. lilo iluy Spy.
800 The Sky Demon t or. lininbnli, the Ranger.
384 “’hlp-klng Joe, ilm llov Rnnchrro.
409 llerculea or, Dirk. ilm iloy Rnnunr.
417 \Vcbi'oot . lone. ilm Trump iln-lw'live.
422 llah Ram. iho iioy Giant oi llw Yellnwatone.
444 l.lit e Bucky-kin. um Youlu! Prairie Centaur.
45? Wilmcdi‘oot Fred: nr. Hid l‘olm Saul.
4 Tamar-ac ’l‘om. thr nix 'rm .1... Ilny,
4‘28 0Id ' ‘om Rattler, ihc er {lver Epidemic.
482 Stonewall “ab, illu lioy 'l‘roian.
562 Blundcring Bar-ll, ihclirrrnit Boy Trappcr.

111' T. 0. “Ali liAl‘Gll.

28 Nick 0’ the Night; or. ’l'h~ Boy Spy of ’16.
37 The Hidden Lodge; or Tho Liitlw Hunter.
47 Nightin ale but u, The Fun-u (.‘n tuinl.
64 Daml fuck; or, ‘hn- (luilnwa of the roxon M.
82 Kitl arci'out the “'ood-llnwk.
94 Midnight .laoL; or. The lioy Trapper.
106 Did Fro-ty, llia (I'Iliilr; nr, 'i'hu White Quota.
128 Kiowa Charlcy 1h.- \\'nii.r MnninnKor.
189 Jud e l. ‘nch, Jr.x or. 'l'ho Buv Viriianto.
155 Golr Tr or. HIV Slim; or. 1‘lmGlrl Avenger.
Iii” Tornado ‘anu t-r, njnn Jru-k From Red Core.
188 Ned Temple, tins 150nm Bay.
193 Ariana-aw: or. 'i ln- Qn» n oi Fair-’a Revengo.
207 Navajo Nick. the lioy Gnill Hunter.
215 Captain liullctg v-r, Litth- Tor-knot‘l Crusade.
231 l’lucky I'll“; or. Roan, ihn iia‘ Jazehei.
241 Ill“ liravox or, The Ronni” ni llir liockiol.
255 (‘anialn Apoll , the Kinzvi‘in ui' Bowie.
26? The liuckakin Detective.
279 Did “'im-h: or, The lilll'iil-lilll Drnrmrndoca.
294 Dynamite Dun; or, The linwlc liladc of Cochetovl.
802 The Mountain Detective: or. The Trigger Bar Bally.
816 Did Follpac. 'l‘rumn (inrd of Arizona.
920 The Ten l’arda: --r. The 'i‘urror 01 Take-Noll“.
836 "It: Hell-on: or, The Queen) oi the La no.
845 l'itilcua Matt; or, Red Thunderhoil’n Secret.
unit I ‘oul ‘an u. l’ur : o The Terrible Six.
306 Velvet Foot. tlw lndinu Dutm'tivc.
8S6 Captain Cutlana; or. h.- ll ('cnnrer’l Girl Foo.
896 Ron 11 Rob or. The 'win Champions oi‘ Blue Bind.
ll Tho ilkcu .n-no: or. The Role of Rnuch Robin.
13 Fellx Fox. the iloy Spout-r.
425 Tony: Tr . in. lioner Rntllcr.
480 Phil 1“ . I It‘ New Yul-Ii Fox.
445 The City Vampirca; or, lied Ruin-’- Pigeon.
461 Due A aim-t Fli’lyt or. 'l'hr inns! Man of KenoBar.
470 The l oy Shadow: or. Frlix Fox‘s Hunt.
 Tl“. l-‘lxpplahpr Spurtg or, The Wiahington Spotter.
499 Single NI ht. tho (inn-Eyed Sport. -
502 Branded lea, the Night Form-t.
512 "Dodger Dick. ilu- Wharf-Spy Detective.
521 viodzcr Dick’a Bent Dodzc.
R i‘ox and Falcon, iin- linm-ry Shadowl.
53“ 3m 3:. Dick, tin-I Dork Ferrel.
548 3... I“ Dick’n Double: or, file Rival Boy MM
558 h. ‘n Dick’n Dcapcratc Case.
n u. r Dick. the Roy Vidocq.

  

'9

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-
-
I
—
-

 

 

 

 

 

 

508 3.
578 The Two Shadowa.

 

DY COLONEL I’RENTISS INGIIAIIAM.

7 The Flying Yankee; or. The Ocean Outcast.
17 linlph "a ', tlw Iioy iinr'l-nnmr; or. The Fugitive Yacht.
24 Diamond Dirk or, The )lyntrry of tho \‘eiiowntonc.
02 The Shadow fill”); or. The Rival Lirutcnailll.
75 The lloy Dnellat; ur, Tim Cruinu of the Stan-Wolf.
102 Dick Dead-Ere. the lioy Sinuugier.
111 The Qua-Devil; or, 'l‘Im Midnhlplnnn'l Legacy.
116 The lluauar Ca rialn; or, Th.- iiennit oi lloii Gate.
197 Little Grit; or, nie, the Siock-Tundrr'a Daughter.
204 Gold l’lumc: or, The Kid—Glove Sport.
216 lib-on Illli. the Prince oi the Rain].
222 Grit. lhc llravo Sport; or, The. Woman Trailer.
229 (‘rimron Kate or, The Cowboy": Triumph.
2157 Lone Htar, the Lowboy Cu iiain.
245 Mcrlc tho Middy or,’ hc i-‘recinnrr iirir.
250 The )lldahipman . lutincer; or. lirnndi, the Buccanm.
264 The Floating Feather; or, Marin Monta’n Tun..."

inland.

200 The Gold Shin; or, Merle, the Condemned.

2‘“!  Monte a Cruise; or, Thu Chnu of “The Gold
A i ll.

2N0 Merle Mantc’a Fate; or. Pearl, tho l’irnw'l Bride.

284 The Sea Marauder; or, Marlo Montc'n Pledge.

2N? lillly Blue-Eyea, tlm liny Rover I-l ilm Rio Grande.

304 The Dcad Shot Dandy ; or, Benito. the Boy Bugler.

308 Keno Kit; 01, Dead Shot llnndy'a Double.

814  Myntcrioua Marauder; or, The Boy Bugler’n Long

l’li .
877 Bonodcl. the Boy Rover: or, The Finzlm Schooner.
8M! 'l‘hc ludian l’llot; or, 'i‘lm Search for Pinto inland.
88? Warpath “'ill, the Boy l’lnmtorn.
898 Seawuii’. the May Lieutenant.
402 laodor, the Young Connplrator; or The Fatal Leagu.‘
407 The liov lnaurxcni; or, l'hn Cnhnn V’ondotta. '
412 The “'i d Yacht-man; or, The Wnr-Clouu’l Cruilo.
429 Duncan Dare. tho Boy Refugee.
433 A Cabin 110 "I Luck; or, The Cor-air.
43? The Run Iin dcr.
441 The Dceun Fifi-1111 or, A Milliiy'a Vengeance.
440 llaphazard llurr ; or. '1'!” Snipe raw of tho Sn.
450 “'lzard “'illl 0r. 'im 11“}'l“l‘l'l‘a.0 New York.
451 “'lzard “'ili'a fitrcct Scoutn.
462 The Horn Guide: or. Thu Minor boy Wanderer.
40” Neptune Red, the liuy Coulirr.
474 Flora: or. Wunrd Will's Vnunhond Paul.
483 Forrcta Afloat or. Wizard \\'ill'n Lani Coat.
48’? Nevada Nod. tm lievniwr ltonuer.
495 Arizona Joe the any l’ard m Tuna Jack.
49? Back Taylor, King oi 1hr Cowboy;
508 The lioynl Mlddy ‘ or. The Shark and the Son Cat.)
50? The lluntcd Midi-1| man.
511 The 0utluwod Mid y.
520 Buck-kin lilll, the Comanche Shadow.
525 Brother: in Back! in.
580 The Back-kin Bowen.
585 The line akin Rove".
540 Captain Ku-Klax, the Marauder oi Vinita.
5-15 Lieutenant Leo. the Son of Lama.
550 Lailtie‘a Legacy: or. The Avenging Sol
555 The Creole Coraair.
560 l’awnoc Bill, the l’mlriu Shadow".
505 Kent Kin don, the Card King.
5‘10 Camille. t a Card Queen.
575 The Surgeon-Scout Detective.

LATEST AND NEW ISSUES.

571' Pavement Pete, the Seen-t Sifter. By Jo Pierce.
5714 Deadwood Dick, Jr., Afloat. By Edward L. Whoohr.
579 The Chimncy Spy; or, Broadway iily’a Snrprlu-Party.
By J. C. Cowdl’ick.
580 The Dutca-t Cadet; or, Tho False Dotoctivo. By Col.
. Prenlinln ranam.
581 Double- urvc Dan, the Pitcher Detective. By Goon-‘9 c.

Jenkl.
5S Dodger Dick’s Drop. By ’1'. C. liarbaugh.
58 Saffron lliol. the. Man With a Shadcr. By Lit-at. A. K.Sima,
5R Deadwood Dick. Jr.. in Don“ r. By Ed. I. Wheel-r.
5 \Vill Watcra, the Bov Frl'rct. By 0. Enton.
58 The Buck-kin Avenger. Bv ll. Prentic- lngrnham.
5” "Id liomlnllt'll. the Ranger  By “’11:. G. Patton.

 

588 Jack-o’-Lantcrn, the Undtr-Sca prcior. By Jo Pam.

589 Tom-Cat and l’ard; or. The Den Set at Silver City. By
Lieut. A. K. Sim:

590 Deadwood Dick, Jr’s, Decree. By E. 1.. Wheeler.

591 L‘clmonte. tho Young Sea Rover. Bv Col. 1’ ingraham.

592 The Bov Pinkerton. By J. C. Cowdrirk.

598 Keen Cicm. the lunch imp. By P. S. Warm.

594 Little Lon, the Street-Sinner Detoctivn. By T. C. ilarbangh.

595 Deadwood Dick Jr. in Beelzcbub’a Buain. By L

L. Wheeler.
1598 .{ilmrny the Kid; or, A Lamb Among Wolvcl. By Chan.
0" I

597 The Young Texan Detective. By Col. 1’. ingrnham.
598 Flutc. tlm inter Detectlvv. By Goo. . Junkl.

599 Jim Dandy the No-Namc Sport. [iv 1‘. S. Warno.

600 D‘cadwood Dick Jr. at Concy Inland. By Edward L

W line or.
601 Ila llana, tho Dnich Vldoc ' or Rod-Hot Time. at.
Rouge-yup. liy Licut. A. K. Sims. q, ’

602 The Vagabond of the Mine-I. By Col. 1’. lngrnham.

«08 Wide-Awake Bert. the Street-Steer". liy Jo. PM...

804 Iron Fern, the Man at Fire. B\' “'m. G. Patten.

605 “’llllam 0’ Broadway; or, The Boy Detoctivc’l Big in.
ning. By J. C. Cowdrick.

606 Deadwood Dick Jr’s Leadville Lay; or, Briatol and
Burket'u 00m. By E. . “heclr'.

00? The Rover Detective; or, hrno Kil'l Champiom. By
Col. 1’. inurnnnm. ‘

608 The Pitcher Detectlvc’n Foil; or, Doubln Curvo Dan’s
Doule Play. By (120. C. .lrnkn.

009 Holly Dorrlt. tilts ' etrrnn Detective; or, Littlu Lightning’s
lnvinci‘dul. By John W. Gabon.

010 (Nd Skinner, tlw Gold Shark; or, Tony Sharp on Guard. By
T. C. Harimugh. Read ' I rii ‘2.

61] Blldud Barnacle, t a eirctive llorcnlcc; or, Tho Tunic n1
’1' hie Mountain. By Lieni. A. K. Simu. Ready Apr: 9.

612 Deadwood Dick Jr. in Detroit; or, Turning the Tabla.
on Satan. By Edward 1.. Wheeler. Rn' d)‘ April M.

618 Bllly Blanca; or, The Skeleton’n Legacy. By 1’. S. Wang,
andv Avril ‘lii

614 Whit-til": Jacob, the Detective’l Aid; or, The Q“... Com-

6 bination. Dildo Pierce.h Résgigiy‘ frilgm‘. d c ‘ Th

15 Fl hiln arr , i e 1e 0 .nm yrone: or o-

Ho‘arthen ince'l Niiulon. By J. C. Cowdrlck. Ready Kay 1-

A New qu0 Ever! Tuesday.

The Half-Dime Library in for Illa by all mad-alum Ive
mt. par copy, or not by mail on receipt of II; «at. “ch.
BEADLE m ADAMS, Publiallora.
98 Willia- Street. New You].