A WEEKLY PUBLICATION

Issued Weekly. By subscription $2.50 per year. Entered as Second-class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 79-59 Seventh Ave. MV. ¥.

No. 242 i NEW YORK, DECEMBER 30, 1905. Price, Five Cents

 

 

 

 

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The surprise was a complete one, but Buffalo Bill, nothing daunted, fired back at the redskins,
while his companions plied the paddles furiously.

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

  
 
 

  

PENA? =A _WEERTLY PUBLICATION
| : DEVOTED TO BORDER HISTORY

issued Weekly. By Subscription $2.50 per year. Entered as Second-class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 79-8 Seventh Avenue,
N.Y. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1905, sn the Office of a ee of Congress, Washington, D. C.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

§3 Beware of Wild West imitations of the Buffalo Bill Stories. They are about fictitious characters. The Buffalo
Bill weekly is the only weekly containing the adventures of Buffalo Bill, (Cet W. F. Cody), who is known all

    

 

over the world as the king of scouts.

 

N Oo 242.

NEW YORK, December 30, 1905.

Price Five Cents,

 

 

Se ey

Butialo

Se
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pahoe

OR, ‘

FIGHTING TI

 

lance;

iE TEJONS.

 

By the author of “BUFFALO BILL.”

 

CHAPTER I.
THE HUNGER OF THE ARAPAHOES.

“There is hunger in the lodges, Red Plume.”
“Too well do I know it, O Snake Eye.
and the children look reproachfully at the braves who

The squaws

 

bring in little or no meat from the prairie and the forest.

4 < But what can we do? Never was there a summer when
i ’ game was so scarce.’

: i Red Plume, the chief of the Arapahoes, looked sadly
L4 ; at Snake Eye, one of the principal braves under his

We command, as he said these words. —
uy Snake Eye knew their truth as well as his chief did,
i and had nothing further to say.

“Yesterday I hunted—to-day I fs oroy I
“All I have
shot in two days is one small deer and a couple of birds.

 

 

shall hunt again,” Red Plume went on.

   

 

 

What are they for so many hungry mouths? Surely the

Great Spirit has deserted his children, the Arapahoes.”’
“It may be that we shall do better to-morrow, when

said Snake Eye.

“The game seems to have left this part of the country

‘remarked Red

“I have almost given up hope.”

all the braves go hunting,”

because of the dryness of the season,”
Plume sadly.

“Perhaps it would be well for us to go north and

east, following the game,” suggested Snake Eye.

“We shall have to do that if the Great Spirit is not
kind to us in the hunt after the next dawn,”
Plume.
country of our fathers. Many of the women and children
would be sure to die on the journey of hunger and thirst,
and we should have to fight with stronger tribes whose

hunting-grounds we invaded.”

said Red
“But it is not well to leave our lodges and the —

 

 

 

 

      
         
   
 
  
  
  
     
  
  
   
    
   
    
    

 

        
    
  

Ce

Bo A gas iia AN A HP

».suffering women and children of the tribe.

“position that summer, early in the “seventies.”

eS ng APT ll al RS ga ane tr te ta bebe ae nae i avi

a | THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. -

“Better die by the tomahawk and the bullet. than by

hunger, Red Plume.”

“True, Snake Eye. You know me too well to suppose
that I fear death. Have I not faced it often enough and
laughed in scorn at its terrors? But it is of the women
and children that I think. If the braves fall in battle
with the tribes of the Great Plains, where the buffalo
range in vast herds, they will become slaves to the Sioux,
or the Pawnees, or the Cheyennes.”’

Snake Eye, a tall, fine-looking specimen of an Indian
warrior, nodded his head sadly. With a parting salu-
tation to his chief, he turned on his heel and walked to
his wigwam, to try and comfort his hungry wife and
children with the hope that there would be plenty of
food for all, as the result of the hunt which was to be
held on the morrow.

Red Plume stood erect, looking after the retreating
figure of his friend and comrade, but with eyes that hardly
saw him. He was meditating on the evil case of his tribe,
and his mind had become oblivious of the things imme-
diately around him.

The chief was a young warrior—not more than thirty
—young, indeed, to hold the important position of leader
of a large tribe like the Arapahoes in war and in the
chase.

Yet he possessed the entire confidence and respect of
the braves under his command, and a single glance at
his noble face and well-knit, supple, manly figure was
sufficient to show that he thoroughly deserved it.

Red Plume was remarkably handsome for an Indian,

. and his countenance was open, honest and devoid of

savage cruelty to a degree most uncommon in a red

man. He loved far better to strike his enemy hand-to-

“hand on the field of battle than to dance around the

torture stake at which some unhappy captive was being
slowly done to death.

His heart was heavy now with the thought of thé
Most of
Indians would have cared little about them, and thought
only of the fact that they themselves were on the verge

of starvation. But Red Plume was of nobler mold. As

a chief should do, he felt responsible for the welfare
of his tribe and cared for others more than he did for

himself.

; The tribe of the Arapahoes was certainly in a bad

They
inhabited a large tract of country in southern California,

which was usually a good hunting territory. But owing
to the double cause of drought and of extensive forest
and prairie fires, the game had mostly been driven hun-
dreds of miles away.

There had been a hard struggle for existence for several

- weeks, and now matters seemed to have come to a crisis.

For several days the hunters had returned to the village
with practically no game, and the people were face to
face with the prospect of starvation.

“And when we are too weak to fight properly, the
Tejons may raid us,’ Red Plume mused bitterly, ‘They
must have-caught the game as it fled northward past
their villages. They must have had great hunting for
a few days, and jerked great quantities of meat.”

. This reflection added to the bitterness which he natur-
ally felt at the misfortune that had befallen his tribe ;
for the Tejons were the ancient enemies of the Arapa-

hoes. They had fought one another again and again,

with varying success; but the feud was still as bitter as —

ever.

Red Plume was so"occupied with his own sad thoughts
that he did not notice three white men approaching him
until they were within about fifty yards of the spot where
he was standing erect as a lance.

They had ridden out of a long belt of timber near-by

the village, given their horses into the charge of a young
Indian who was standing outside the first teepee they.
reached, and were walking up to the chief—easily recog-
nizable by the eagle feathers in his head-dress and by his
unmistakable air of command.

One of the white men, who walked in the center of
the three, was a handsome borderer dressed as a scout
and armed to the teeth with rifle, revolvers, hunting-knife
and tomahawk. He looked every inch as much a man
born to rule others as Red Plume did himself.

There was about him an air of chivalry and gallantry /

than made honest men instinctively like and trust him.
In a wood, you could tell by looking at him that he was
one who would always be true as steel to his friends and
terrible to his foes.

The man on his right was a gray-haired, weather-
beaten old trapper, and the third of the party was a
young man of about twenty-six, extremely handsome and

athletic in build, with a-look of high courage and lofty —

spirit. He wore his hair, which was of a light golden

color, long over his broad shoulders.
a

The Arapahoe chief turned swiftly to greet his white

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

ing fluently in the Arapahoe language.

 

       
   
 

   

THE BUPRALO

visitors when at last he caught sight of them. An ex-
pression of doubt flitted across his handsome face, and
he laid his hand on the tomahawk in his belt.
“Do you come in peace or in war, palefaces, to the
village of the Arapahoe?” he demanded sternly. |
White men were not common in that region then, and
Red Plume had cared little for the few he had seen,

who were creatures of low character who traded bad

firearms and worse “fire-water” to the Indians.

“We come in peace,” answered the old trapper, speak-
“Maybe you've
heard of me, for I have hunted in this country and on
the Great Plains for nigh on fifty years. Iam California
Joe.’

The chief inclined his head gravely.

“Red Plume has heard of the mighty paleface hunter,”
he admitted courteously.

“But here is a much greater one,’

’

said old California
“This is
Buffalo Bill, whom the tribes on the plains know as

Joe, introducing the tall scout on his left.

Long Hair.”

The Arapahoe chief looked with unwonted eagerness
at the man whose fame as a scout and a hunter was
known even at that day to all the Indian tribes as well
as it was to his own comrades.

“Many tales haye been told in our lodges of the great
deeds of Long Hair, the slayer of buffaloes,” he said, “and
now at last my eyes behold him, and I can believe all that
I have heard.”

The third man was introduced by California Joe as
Wild Bill, a scout who was then only second in fame to
Buffalo Bill himself.

After Red Plume had greeted him courteously, he
turned to the king of the scouts and said sadly:

“You are welcome to the lodges of the Arapahoes,
Long Hair—you and your friends. But the heart of

Red Plume is sad because he can give you only scant

hospitality. The braves have brought in no meat from
the hunting for many days. The Great Spirit is angry
with the Arapahoes, so that they go hungry.”

“We have heard a whisper of that,” said Buffalo Bill,
grasping the young chief’s hand and shaking it warmly,
A Mohave
brave, who shared a meal at our camp two days ago,

“and therefore we have come to visit you.

; told us that the game had left your hunting-grounds, and —
_ that your people were in great want.”

“It is true.” :

Sp SPACES Oe ONE SN Cr oe OA ina eda b LESAN eed od ae
PN te mer my mpstnglinars est URE REO

 

BIL STORIES. 3

“Then listen, chief. Yesterday we sighted a large
herd of buffalo feeding on the young grass which is
springing up on the prairie after the fire. because of the
rains of two weeks ago. It is not often they come so
far west, but they have been driven off the Great Plains
by many hunting-parties.”

“But where are they now?” asked the chief eagerly.

“I do not think they will have traveled far. They
were feeding quietly, and we did not disturb them. They
are less than half a day’s journey from here, and you

_and your braves ought to be able to round them up to-

morrow.”

“The words of Long Hair make the heart of Red
Plume glad,” said the Arapahoe. ‘“‘Will the great buffalo-
slayer join us in the hunt to-morrow, with his com-
rades ?”

Buffalo Bill said they would be pleased to do so.
That was the object with which they had come to the
village. |

“Long Hair and his friends shall be our friends for-
ever,’ declared the ardent young chief. “They have
saved our people from starvation.”

“Don’t forget that you have to kill your buffaloes
before you eat them,” Cody reminded him.

But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of Red Plume.
He seemed to think that Buffalo Bill’s coming was the
turning of the tide for his people. He had heard so
much of the wonderful skill of the border king as a
hunter that he could not believe they would fail under
his guidance. —

His joy was increased when the three white men went
to their horses and produced a considerable quantity of
jerked meat which they had brought with them for the
tribe.
gave it away freely to those whose need was so great.

It was all of their own reserve stock, but they

There was feasting in the Arapahoe village that night,
and much rejoicing around the camp-fires before the
braves. At the command of Red Plume, they retired early
to their wigwams to get some sleep before the great hunt
on the morrow.

 

CHAPTER IL
HUNTING THE BUFFALO.

_ Bright and early next morning the Arapahoe braves

assembled outside the village, ready to start under Buf-
falo Bill’s guidance in search of the buffalo herd.

_ They were all mounted on good ponies, for they had

 

 

 

   

  
oo eee ee Es

SSE ES

ESE

 

ee THE BUFFALO

not yet killed them for food, as they might have been
forced to do in a few days if they had had no good luck.
The average Indian cares more for his war-pony than
for anything else on earth—even his wife.

The Arapahoes had kept their horses alive, even at

the penalty of going hungry themselves, because they

knew they would absolutely need them if they decided
to abandon their village and travel far afield in search
of the game that had deserted their hunting-grounds.

“You have a fine-looking lot of braves, Red Plume,’
said Buffalo Bill, as he rode with the chief along the
double line of hunters, drawn up on horseback and num-
bering more than two hundred.

The face of Red Plume shone with pleasure.

“Man for man, they are better than the warriors of
any other tribe I have known,” he said simply, as one
who states a matter of fact, with no desire to boast.

“Tf all is ready, we will be off at once,” said the border

king. “We must locate the buffalo to-day, and there is

a hard ride ahead of us.”

“Yes, we must not return to the village without a
supply of meat,’ remarked the young chief. |

The order to start was given, and the cavalcade of
hunters moved through the belt of thin timber at a
steady gait, and soon entered the open prairie, where
they broke into a swift canter.

The three white men led the party in the direction
in which they had seen the buffalo two days before.

Hour after hour they rode in silence, until at last, crest-
ing a ridge, Buffalo Bill pulled up his horse sharply and
turned back. : \

“They are down there,” he said to Red Plume, hold-
ing up his hand to halt the Indians. ‘‘There are thou-
sands of them only about a mile and a half away.”

“Are they feeding quietly?’ asked the chief.

“Yes, they are not on the move at all.”

» “Then we shall get all the meat that we want,” said
Red Plume, his eyes shining with delight.

“It’s lucky we are to windward,” remarked Wild Bill,

“or we might easily stampede the herd. The buffalo

has been hunted so much in the last few years that he

is becoming a much more timid beast than he used to

7 be.”

‘The arrangements for the attack on the herd were soon

made. The hunters decided to swoop down in three

parties, after giving their horses a brief rest under cover

BILE STORIES.

of the long Tidge, from the top of which Buffalo Bill

had discovered the quarry.

One party of Indians, with Wild Bill, was to work
along the ridge and attack at an angle from, the left;
another party, with California Joe, was to do the same
from the right; while Cody and Red Plume, with the
remainder of the Arapahoes, were to ride straight ahead.

The plan succeeded admirably.

The buffaloes were so intent upon their feeding that
the border king’s party got to within half a mile of them
before they took fright. Then, led by an immense old
bull, they thundered off to the left—a vast sea of heaving
brown forms—but they were headed back cleverly by
the Indians who had ridden that way.

Again they tried to escape to the right, and they dashed —

on so desperately that the Arapahoes there had to ride
very swiftly and cleverly out of the way to avoid being
trampled into fragments beneath the countless hoofs of
that vast herd. ee

But in these maneuvers the buffaloes had lost time, and
now all the hunters were hanging tightly on the rear and
flanks of the herd. They knew full well that, having once
started, the beasts would continue their stampede irre-
spective of what might be in their way.

They would simply trample it down, and if it should
be a stream, those in front of the herd would fill up
the bed with their dead bodies, over which the others
would pass.

The rifles of Buffalo Bill and his two comrades spoke
again and again, and at nearly every shot they brought
down a buffalo. Red Plume and some of the chief
braves of the Arapahoes also had rifles, but most of them
were armed-with bows and arrows, which they used with
deadly effect. More than one brave was able to send an

arrow clean through the body of a buffalo, so that its:

head appeared on the other side of the animal.

Scores of buffaloes were killed without any mishap to —

the daring hunters, but at last Red Plume discovered
that the chase was not without its element of danger.
He had sent a bullet into a young bull of huge size,
Maddened
by pain, the beast turned and charged furiously at him.

wounding it in the flank but not killing it.

Excited by the chase, the chief had pressed his horse
close up behind the bull, and the attack was so unex-
pected and sudden that he had no time to get out of the
way.

Horse and rider-were hurled to the ground together,

 

 

See ome
i

 

 

 
 

  

as if by a cannon-ball, and a cry of horror went up from

several of the Arapahoes near by, who thought that their
chief was doomed.

Luckily, Buffalo Bill was riding only about thirty
yards from Red Plume.

The chief had hardly reached the ground before the
scout’s repeating rifle spoke three times as rapidly as a
Gatling gun.

Shot through the heart and the head, the buffalo sank
to the ground dead, by the side of the horse.

The border king dismounted at. once and hurried to

the assistance of Red Plume. He found that the young

chief was stunned and badly bruised, but otherwise was.-

" not hurt.

His horse had two legs broken, and there was nothing
to do but send a bullet through its head and put it out
of its agony.

In a few minutes Red Plume regained consciousness
and staggered to his feet, looking around him in a dazed
He saw the dead bull and Buffalo Bill stand-
ing over it, and understood what had happened.

manner.

“Long Hair has saved my life,’ he said gratefully,
clasping the scout’s hand. ‘Henceforward we must be
more than friends. We must take the oath of blood-
brotherhood together.”

The border king nodded.

“We will do it this evening,” he agreed, “during the
feast at the village.”

Most of the Arapahoes had ceased the hunt when they

saw the accident to their chief, and the rest soon came -

riding back. They had killed more buffaloes than the
whole village could eat in many weeks, over two hundred
They had now
to jerk the meat before it was spoiled by the sun or

and fifty carcases dotting the prairie.

devoured by the wolves, coyotes and vultures.

For hours they were busy at this task, cutting the

flesh into long strips to carry back to the village. Then
the carcasses which they had not time to cut up were piled

in a heap and a guard of twenty men left over them.

They would build fires in a circle round the pile and
keep off wild beasts during the night. In the morning
the rest of the braves would return and\resume the work;
but meanwhile they must return to the village with the
meat that was so badly needed there.

They got back soon after nightfall, the white men
accompanying them and Red Plume riding the horse of
one of the braves who had stayed behind on the prairie.

Pars ndianctene dey oo eieaaghiieigl Sanaa ENCE Geet

THE BUHD ALO BIEI STORIES

CHAPTER Hi

/ BROTHERHOOD AND ENMITY.

There was great feasting and rejoicing in the village of - |
the Arapahoes that night.

Accustomed as they were to seeing Indians gorge, Buf-
falo Bill and his two companions were amazed at the vast
quantities of meat that Red Plume’s people consumed.

“Goldurn it, Billiam,” said old California Joe, “these
yer Injuns is jest like wolves.
this.”

“Well, they’ve been going hungry a good while, Joe,

I never saw fellers eat like

and they are doing their best to make up for lost time, I
guess.” .

“They oughtn’t to be hungry again in a hurry,” growled
the old scout, who was himself very abstemious both in
eating and drinking. “This yer feast oughter last them
fur a month at least.”

Red Plume, Snake Eye and some of the leading men
of the tribe refrained from the overindulgence of the
rest. They felt that it was not compatible with their
dignity, especially when they were under the eye of
the white men.

After they had eaten enough, Red Plume returned to
the subject of making “blood-brotherhood” with Buffalo

Bill.

The king of the scouts had gone through the same cere-

mony on previous occasions with friendly Indian chiefs,
notably with Red Cloud, the war-chief of the Navajoes,
and Loud Thunder, the head of the Comanche nation.

It was a serious matter, for it placed heavy obligations
on the persons who took the oath. Therefore the border
king felt it necessary to ask a few questions, despite the
fact that he had been very favorably impressed by the
young Arapahoe chief.

"Tell me, Red Plume,” he said, “whether you have
ever taken the scalp of a white man.”

The chief’s eyes flashed fire.

“Red Plume has,’ he replied shortly.
three palefaces hang in his wigwam.”

“The scalps of

“But they were slain in fair fight?’ queried the king
of the scouts. ,

“They were,” said Red Plume. “But.I have not fought
against the palefaces with my people. These three men
were traders. They sold the accursed fire-water to my
braves, against my orders, and made them all drunk.
Then I challenged the three, one by one, to single com-

bat. I slew them all and took their scalps.”

 

  

 
 

      
 

 

p

ae a TPE gy AT wo RR” Gla REN SO a SP GERI regen oe Ry ORI Se AGRE IES LEDLG SG CEES VG HEAT E

6 | THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

“Vou did well, Red Plume,” said Cody. “This that
you have told me makes me even more ready to take the
oath of blood-brotherhood with you. Of course you
have never slain any white women or children?”

“Red Plume is a warrior—a man of honor,” replied
the young chief indignantly. ‘Why should he fight with
squaws and papooses? He strikes braves on the field of
battle, when they stand against him with their weapons in
their hands.”

“It is well,” said Cody. ‘There is no obstacle to our
making the oath together. I have slain many red men,
even braves of your own tribe; but I never struck one
of them save in fair fight.”

‘Red Plume inclined his head gravely, and made a

sign to the medicine-man of the tribe to step forward and
administer the oath.

As he did so the chief drew his scalping-knife from his
wampum belt and cut his forearm so that the blood
trickled freely from the wound. Then he handed the
knife to Cody, who did the same. _

They pressed their wounded arms together, so that
the blood mingled in one stream; and together they re-
peated after the medicine-man the solemn oath of blood-
brotherhood.

“Hearken, O Great Manitou, and send Thy wrath to
smite us if we swear falsely now or hereafter break this
oath! By the night and the day, by the keen blade that
smites in battle, by the happy hunting-grounds that we
hope to reach after death, we two swear to be true and
loyal brothers one to the other. |

“In poverty and wealth, in hunting and in war, we
The friends of the
one shall be the friends of the other, the enemies of the

swear to always aid one another.

one the enetnies of the other.

“Tf this oath be broken, let the false one suffer from
_the extremity of Thy wrath, O Great Manitou. Let his
crops fail, let there be no game when he goes hunting,
let his wife and children die and his enemies overcome
him. At the end let him never see the happy hunting-
grounds where his fathers wait for him.” 4

After this oath had been solemnly taken by the two
men, Red Plume suggested that Wild Bill and California
Joe should bind themselves to the tribe in the same
manner,

They agreed, and the former took the oath with Snake
Eye, while the latter allied himself with the medicine-
man.

_he had taken him for one of the Arapahoes.

Then the three Americans went round the circle of
braves who had gathered around the camp-fire, and
shook hands in turn with them, thus cementing the alli-
ance with the tribe.

_ There was only one red man among the whole party
who was disposed to be unfriendly to the palefaces.

He was a splendid figure of a man, tall and stately,
who was standing apart from the Arapahoe warriors.

When Buffalo Bill went up to him and offered his
hand this brave folded his arms across his breast and
looked at him with cold hatred. .

Buffalo Bill had not particularly noticed the man, for
But now he
looked at him closely, and saw that he wore the insignia
of a Sioux chief.

Like himself, he was merely a guest in the Arapahoe
village. He had arrived when the braves were away on
the buffalo-hunt. :

“Will not the Sioux grasp my hand in friendship?”
asked Buffalo Bill.

“Lance Head has never been a friend to the palefaces,”
replied the chief, ‘and he is too old now to learn new
ways. ‘He has nothing but hatred in his heart toward
the white man, and he scorns to hide it.: More than all
other palefaces, he hates Long Hair, who has killed many
braves of his nation.” (

“Long Hair has heard of Lance Head,” said Buffalo
Bill.

“And what has he heard?’ asked the Sioux, with an
eagerness that he could not conceal, in spite of all his
pride. Like most Indians, he was always curious to
hear the opinions of other people about himself.

“Long Hair has heard that Lance Head is a brave and
gallant warrior, who has high honor among his people.”

A gratified smile flitted across the stern features of the
brave, and he bowed his head in courteous acknowledg-
ment of a compliment that he knew to be well deserved.

“But if Lance Head will not take my hand because he
hates me,’ continued the border king, “it is best that we
should fight.”

The Indian again bent his head slightly, as if to say,
“Whenever and wherever you like.” ?

Red Plume, who had come up and listened to the con-
versation anxiously, now stepped forward and interfered.

“There must be no fighting between you here,’ he
said. “Long Hair and Lance Head are both honored
guests of the Arapahoes. By staying in the village they

ae a aa

 

 

 

 
or ie.

 

 

 

 

 

Dp ee POR RR, RE RIN LL LT RT EE ane St gore ay ae Wii ess Wis apa

Sel I ABE RISER. Ne A TSN I

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. 7

have given themselves into our care. If either is slain
here the faces of the Arapahoes will be blackened. Their
honor will suffer a stain.” :

Lance Head nodded. The Arapahoe chief had stated
the case rightly, according to Indian notions of hospitality
and etiquette.

“But we shall not always stay in your village, Red
Plume, * said Buffalo Bill. “We can leave it together and
fight on the open prairie. ~You and your people can have
no objection to that.”.

Now Z

“Then let us do it at dawn,” suggested Lance Head.

“Agreed!” exclaimed the border king.

“With what weapons?” asked Red Plume. |

“T leave the choice to Lance Head,” said Cody. “He
is the challenged party and, according to the white man’s
rules of dueling, he has the right to choose the weapons.”

‘Tance Head will fight the paleface chief with any
weapon he likes,” said the Sioux, “but if he is to make

- the choice, let it be knives.”

This being settled, the festivities around the camp-fire
continued cheerfully, the Indians dancing, singing, wres-
tling and reciting the legends of their tribes.

Lance Head, who was as thoroughly a gentleman as

a savage can be, threw off his reserve and sat down by

Cody’s side, talking with him amicably about the many
Indian campaigns in which they had both fought, but on
different sides.

Both men were too brave and true-hearted to bear pet-
sonal animosity against one another, although, for the
honor of their respective people, they were to fight to
the death on the morrow.

There was a truce for the evening, and they made the
best of it. ;

At last it was time to retire to rest.

Lance Head was shown to one of the best wigwams,

_ for he was a chief of high standing.

But it was long before he went to sleep, Far into the
night he sat, by the light of a-torch, busily employed in
whetting to a razor-edge the knife with which he hoped
to slay the paleface in the morning.

 

CHAPTER. iV.
BUFFALO BILL SPARES AN ENEMY.

~ Buffalo Bill was the guest of Red Plume in his tepee
during the night. Tired by the exertions of the day, he

rolled himself in a blanket and fell asleep at once, resting

brother drink some?

as peacefully as a child until he was awakened by his
host at dawn.

“Ugh?” said Red Plume. “Long Hair troubles little
about the fight. He did not stir once during the night.
I do not think he even dreamed.”

“No, I didn’t. But how do you know that I didn’t
stir, Red Plume?” LG

“The Arapahoe watched over your sleep.”

It was true.
all night.

The young chief had not closed his eyes
/ ;
“That was good of you, Red Plume; but surely it was
not necessary. _What harm could come to me in the
midst of the Arapahoes, who are my friends?”
“There is one man in the village who is not your
friend.” |
“You mean Lance Head? But he is an honorable man.
He would not seek to harm me while I slept.” :
- “Red Plume does not believe he would. But Red
Plume has seen so much treachery among the red men—
it cuts his heart to say it—that he dare not take any
chances in a matter like this, in which his honor is en-
gaged.” :
“We must be going,” remarked Buffalo Bill. “The

sun has already risen. Lance Head will be waiting for

us.”
“But first Long Hair must have some breakfast,” said
Red Plume. “It is ill work to fight fasting.”

He cooked some buffalo meat and flour cakes, while
his guest prepared a pat of coffee.

As they were hastily eating their breakfast the chief
produced a small bottle of whisky from a hiding:place in
the wigwam. —

“Red Plume keeps a little of the fire-water for use
in sickness,” he said, “though he loves it not. Will my
It is said to make men fierce as
the raging panther, so that they become mighty in battle.”

“No, thank you,” replied Buffalo Bill.
drink it when a man needs a steady eye and an unfalter-

“It is unwise to

ing hand.”

- Red Plume nodded approval, and put the bottle away,

untouched.

The two blood-brothers then started out for the place
which had been appointed for the duel, on the edge of the
prairie at the end of the thin belt of timber near the
village. :

On the way they picked up California Joe and Wild

Sa Aaa Cee ame tiie ate cee eemCremes ere re

: Sessa “pita tes Bandits a aga I aa IL

 

 
 

SE eT eee ee ee ee ee

8 THE BUFFALO

| Bill, who had slept in a wigwam near by that of Red
Plume.

“Buffler,” said the old scout, “I hyar as how this yer
Injun, Lance Head, is an almighty fine scrapper with a
knife. He’s the champion of his own people, and he’s
beaten the best men of most of the other tribes on the
plains.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard,” replied Cody.
This won’t be the first time I’ve handled a knife my-
self.”

“T know thet, Bill; but all I want ter say is this: If he
does yer up by any chance, he’ll hey ter fight me.”

“And me, too,” chimed in Wild Bill. “He shan’t get
away from us.”

“Red Plume also, as the blood-brother of Long Hair,
will claim the right to fight Lance Head after he has
ceased to be the guest of the Arapahoes,” said the young
chief.

Buffalo Bill stopped in his walk and wheeled around,
with a very serious expression on his countenance, to face
his friends.

“Now, look here, you three!’ he said. “You must
promise me that you will not do anything of the sort. It
would be most unfair.” Here is Lance Head without a
friend in the village to fight for him if he falls; and you
would force him to fight four duels, if necessary, so that

he would be almost certain to fall in the end.

“That would not be treating him squarely, and you
know it. You must promise me, on your word of honor,
that you will not challenge him or insult him if I should
happen to get the worst of the fight. Of course, if he
challenges you, it will be different. You will have to

fight him then.”

Buffalo Bill’s three friends were very reluctant to give

the promise he demanded, but after some argument he ~

forced them.to do so.

Arrived at the end of the little wood, they found the
Sioux chief awaiting them at the point chosen for the
fight. ? 2

Snake Eye, as one of the principal braves of the Arapa-
hoes, had volunteered to act as his second, out of courtesy
to the guest of the tribe. His sympathies, however, were
with Buffalo Bill, to whom his people owed so heavy a
debt of gratitude.

The duelists saluted one another ‘gravely and politely,
and then stood opposite each other at a distance of about

‘What of it?s

‘my war-cry, begin,” he said.

Neen

ee En Ge EMO eT gee Se ee EEO. ON are CF:

*

BILL ‘STORIES.

ten yards, awaiting the signal for the beginning of the
combat.

Nearly all the Arapahoe braves had arisen early and
come out to see the fight. An engagement between two
such redoubtable champions was not to be witnessed every
day.

Red. Plume looked keenly at the knife in Lance Head’s
belt, and then stepped forward to raise an objection.

“Lance Head’s knife is much longer than the one which
Long Hair carries,” he said. “That is not fair. The
knives should be of the same length.” _

There was a murmur of approval from the Indians
grouped around.

Lance Head drew out his knife and handed it to the
Arapahoe chief. ,

“Take it,’ he said, “and give me one of the same size
as the paleface’s. Or let the paleface take mine, and I
will take his.”

“Not so,” objected Buffalo Bill.
with the weapons we are used to.
length will not trouble me at all.”’

This was agreed.to eventually, although the Arapahoes

“We will both fight
The difference in the

were by no means pleased to see their white friend placed
at what they considered to be a great disadvantage.

Buffalo Bill’s opponent was a magnificently built sav-
age, who showed in every line of his gigantic form the
evidence of immense strength and physical vigor. His
quick and. graceful movements showed that he was as
agile as he was strong, and of his skill in the use of the
knife there could be no doubt, in view of his great’
reputation among the tribes of the plains. |

The border king was both shorter and slighter in build
than his adversary, although he was himself a much
larger man than most of the well-built Arapahoes around
him.

Every part of his body, however, was trained to the
finest point, and he had not an ounce of superfluous flesh
to carry. All was muscle and sinew, as the Indians—who
were experts in physical development—could see at a
glance.

It was to be a contest of champions, and the spectators
awaited the signal to commence with an intense eagerness
equal to that of the contestants themselves.

Red Plume took his tufted tomahawk from his belt and
held it high above his head.

“When I swing the tomahawk downward and shout
“Are you ready?”

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

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CE TT) PSEA ONS gee reer

SL ORE, ETE, INC PRISONS TY TT ST tS YAN

So ne Le ea a SOON

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. | 9

Both men signified their assent. _

Red Plume immediately gave the signal.

The Sioux, who was crouching like a panther about to
spring, at once darted forward with lightning-like quick-
ness.

His knife flashed forward with the swiftness of a ser-
pent’s fang, straight at the heart of the king of the scouts,

The incredible rapidity of the thrust took away the breath.

of the lookers-on for a moment, and they thought that
Buffalo Bill must surely have been stabbed.

But the border king was every whit as keen of eye
and quick of movement as his dusky foe.
his adversary’s intention by that mysterious sixth sense
which much experience in hunting and fighting gives
- to a man, and he dodged aside at the very moment the
thrust was delivered.

Instantly his own knife darted toward the throat of
his foe, but Lance Head whirled aside just in time, miss-
ing the blade by half an inch.

Then the knives clashed together, and it was thrust and
parry, cut and guard, for a full minute, without advantage
to either side.

The Indian watchers did not utter-a word or an ex-
clamation, so intent were they on the exhibition of the
_ most wonderful skill they had ever seen.

Suddenly a splash of red appeared on the white shirt
of Buffalo Bill. He had been touched on the shoulder,
sustaining a slight flesh wound.

A sigh of regret passed around the circle of Indians,
but their faces brightened when they saw that the border
. king returned to the attack with renewed vigor and skill.
Evidently he had not been seriously hurt.

The knives clashed together again, and, after a few
moments’ fencing, one of them flew up into the air,
flashing like silver in the sunlight.

Buffalo Bill had, by a cunning twist, disarmed his op-
ponent.

The Sioux, with a face as calm as that of a statue,
folded his arms and steadily awaited the death-blow which
he had no doubt would be instantly delivered.

But it was not in the noble nature of the knight of
the plains to slay an unarmed adversary.

He dropped his right arm to his side, stepped back a
few paces, and said:

a up your knife, Lance Head, and we will start
again.”

The Sioux stared in amazement, but did as he was

 

He had read

bidden, while the Arapahoes looked wonderingly at one
another. The ways of the white man were beyond their
comprehension. Why should not a man slay his enemy
when he got the chance? |

The duelists met again, and Cody wounded Lance’
Head in the arm. Next moment his knife blade snapped
off short at the hilt at it clashed against the Indian’s.

There was a simultaneous cry of dismay from Cody’s
white friends and the Arapahoes. It was not to be
expected that the Sioux, with his savage nature and
training, would repeat the magnanimity that had been
displayed toward him.

Whether he would have done so or not cannot be

known, for he did not get the chance.

Almost before the blade of his broken knife had
tumbled on the ground, Buffalo Bill clenched his fist,
closed in upon his enemy with a single spring, and sent
his reeling to the earth with a mighty short-arm uppercut
under the jaw.

The Sioux, who had had
no chance to use his knife, even if he had wished to ae

It was a complete cane.

so, lay still upon the ground.
“Have you killed him?” cried Wild Bill.
“No,” said Cody.
soon come around.” —

Kicking aside the knife which had fallen from the
Sioux’s nerveless hand, he bent down over him and set

“He’s only unconscious. He will

to work to restore him to consciousness.

“Wah! What a blow!” explained Red Plume. “The
man is as one dead. Who would think that a blow of the
hand could stun a man as if he had been struck by a
heavy club?”

It was fully ten minutes before Lance Head returned
Buffalo Bill helped him to his feet, and
for a few moments he staggered about like a drunken

to his senses.

man.
He could not at first realize what had happened, but
when he did so he was quite as amazed as the other
Indians to think that he was still alive.
“Why did you not stab me to the heart with my own
knife, Long Hair?’ he asked.
Twice you gave me a life.

“It was your right, for
you had conquered me.
Why did you do so?” t

“T do not kill helpless men, Lance Head,” returned the |
border king. “It is not the way of white men.”

“Lance Head cannot understand it,” said the Sioux.

   

 
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See SE

 

FE ae LOE TU eee Me thins MSMR PSTN ROM NE iacrinertsirne i N e aE Ra Ea RI (

10. THE BUPEPALO BILL STORIES.

“The red man kills his enemy when he can. It is a duty

he has “been taught from childhood.”
“When next a white man is beneath your knife, spare

him because your own life was spared to-day.”’

“Lance Head will do so. He swears it by the-Great |

Manitou.”
Buffalo Bill and the Sioux chief parted soon after this

encounter, and they never met again; but, years later,

the border king learned that the promise of Lance Head
had been faithfully redeemed. 3

An officer of the Fifth Cavalry, whom he met at Fort
Larned, told him that, in a skirmish with the Sioux, he
lay wounded and helpless on the ground.

A Sioux chief stooped over him, knife in hand, and
he nerved himself to bear the death-thrust.

To his amazement, the Indian put his knife in his belt,
helped him onto his own horse, and held him in the saddle
until they came in sight of a detachment of troopers.

“Go to your own people, paleface,” the redskin said.
“Lance Head gives you your life, as Long Hair once

gave him his. The Sioux has paid his debt.”

 

CHAPTER: Vi. \
THE TEJONS TAKE THE WARPATH. —

When they returned to the village, Buffalo Bill was
the hero of the hour.

Nearly the entire population had witnessed the fight.
The women and children, not daring to join the war-
riors on the scene of action, had watched from the edge
of the wood. |

Among them was Star Blossom, the sister of Red
Plume, and the pride of the tribe.
eighteen, and her beauty was remarkable for an Indian

She was a girl .of

maiden.

Her figure was slight and graceful, and her features
delicate and regular. Her skin was of a light olive
color, with a pretty rose flush in it. But the most won-
derful thing about her was her eyes. They were of a
deep, liquid brown, marvelously expressive, and as tender
as those of a young fawn.

They had shone with fatal effect on many a young
man of the tribe, and she had been wooed by many suitors;
but none of them had been successful.

Now, however, the case was reversed. Star Blossom

herself had fallen in love, and fallen in love at first sight,

too.
When she saw Buffalo Bill fighting with Lance Head,

she thought she had never beheld such a handsome and
wonderful man. He fulfilled all her dreams of manly
strength and beauty, and she instantly swore to herseli

that if she could not be his squaw she would be no other’

man’s.

Star Blossom was in her brother’s wigwam when Red

Plume brought the border king thither, and she looked :

“at him in shy and tender admiration as the young chief

talked with him about the fight.

Buffalo Bill was surprised by her unusual beauty, but
it made little impression on him; for he had a well-loved
wife of his own at home, and he was_as true to her as the
magnet to the pole. a

“THis is my sister, Star Blossom,” said Red Plume, in-
troducing her proudly.

He had a great admiration and love for his beautiful
sister, and treated her with such kindness and considera-
tion as few Indian women receive from the men on whom
they are dependent. | :

Buffalo Bill and his two comrades shook the girl’s
hand, and the border king chatted pleasantly with her
for some time in her own tongue. Then he made an
excuse to leave the wigwam, for he was a great deal
embarrassed by the too evident admiration that shone
out of her lovely eyes. S

“It is time we were returning to the prairie to cut up
the rest of the buffaloes and jerk the meat,” said Red
Plume presently, to the other two men. “TI will gather the
braves together, and we will ride out in a short time.”

The scouts said they would come, too, and Buffalo

. Bill, being found outside, agreed to do the same.

To tell the truth, he did not wish to be left in the
village alone with Star Blossom. He could not help re-

-membering his unpleasant experience with Dove Eye, the

Rose of the Pawnees, whose love he had been obliged
to repulse under circumstances related in a former story
in THE BurraLto BILL STorRIEs.

Soon a strong party, consisting of nearly all the braves

in the village, with the three scouts, rode out to the scene |

of the hunt on the previous day.

Lance Head rode with them for some distance, and
then bade them farewell and branched off on his long
journey to the Great Plains, where he was going to join
his own people, after a long trip to which he had been
impelled by his restless spirit of adventure.

To their great surprise, the Arapahoes saw none of
their comrades when they came at last in sight of the

 

 
 
     

 

 
 

 

 

 

soar honsn

Pee RAL, ee UME y TOUT eR

THE BUFFALO

mound of carcasses which they had left in the middle of

ie _ the prairie on the day before.

Red Plume’s handsome face darkened, and he spurred
his horse forward.

When he got up to the fee buffaloes he gave a a
of grief and rage.

There lay all his twenty comrades, killed and ceiaed

Scattered about around them were the dead bodies of
over forty Tejons.

The small party of Arapahoes had evidently been at-
tacked by an overwhelming force of their bitterest foes,
who had probably descended upon them suddenly in the
early dawn. That they had made a gallant and desperate
defense was plain from the fact that they had slain more

than twice their own number of the enemy.

After the first shock of the surprise was over, Red
Plume turned proudly to Buffalo Bill, who had ridden up
to his side,

“You see how my warriors fight, Long Hair,” he
said,

“They fought like brave men and died like heroes,
every man at his post,” said the border king.

OY eS,
back to the village.

They had horses, and might have tried to escape
But Red Plume left them to guard
the buffalo meat, and they would not leave it.” :

This was a fact. The twenty Arapahoes had entrenched
themselves behind their own horses and the carcasses of

_ the buffaloes, and had held off their enemies as long as

they could. But the Tejons had charged in and finished
them by sheer force of numbers.

The rage of the Arapahoes when they saw their slain
comrades knew no bounds. They clamored to be led out
at once on the trail of the Tejons, but their chief, al-

though fully as angry as they were, was more far-sighted.
He examined the trail of the Tejons carefully.
“They did not number more than eighty warriors,” he
said, after he had consulted with Buffalo Bill as to the
meaning of the tracks. “So small a force would hardly
have come into our hunting-grounds to attack us. They

must be a detachment from a stronger war-party.”

“Where have the rest of that party gone? Where—
if not to the village? If they. have not attacked it already,
they will soon do so, ‘There are not more than a dozen
men left on guard there. We must return at once to

protect the women and children.”

~ There was a general serie among the Arapa- :

d : t : & !
nace aN aN RCI aN T07 -FOND SOM RPS MSS OMOEA TIT a I IN Oe th

  

Se eae Wes AR PR Peres. Faia aneahinachcosd seen ae aceasta

Mere ye IOI ER RS MON IR MC

BILL STORIES ae

hoes, for hardly one of them was without relatives in the
village.

“We will leave enough men behind to protect the
lodges, and then follow the trail of the Tejons and
punish them,” concluded Red Plume.

California Joe suggested that it would be desirable for
one man to follow along the trail at once. He could
have time to ferret out any devices by which the enemy
might try to throw them off the trail, and his own tracks,
made as plainly as possible, could be followed at a swift
canter by the Arapahoe war-party.

California Joe offered to undertake this work himself,
and Red Plume, who instantly saw the value of the
plan, gratefully accepted the offer.

The return to the village was made as quickly as pos-
sible. The Arapahoes did not even wait to bury their
dead comrades; just as the Tejons, fearing to be caught,
had left theirs unburied.

As, side by side with Buffalo Bill, the chief of the
Arapahoes rode out of the wood into sight of his village,
he gave another loud yell of anger.

All the teepees had been destroyed, but only a few dead
bodies lay among the ruins.

This mystery was soon explained.

The inhabitants had had timely warning of the ap-
proach of their enemies, and most of them had managed
to escape to a secret cave near-by the village.

They were found there and brought back by some of
the Arapahoes.

To his grief and horror, Red Plume found that his.
‘sister, Star Blossom, was not among the survivors.
Neither was her body found among the dead.

Questioning some of the old women, the chief learned
that Star Blossom had been one of the last to leave the
village.

She had stayed behind to try to save her brother’s scalps
and weapons.

The inference was obvious. She had been captured
and carried off by the Tejons.

Red Plume’s grief knew no bounds. But it was soon
swallowed up in a stern thirst for vengeance.

In a few minutes he was heading a war-party, which
included Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill, and spurring for-

ward to take the trail of the enemy.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
   

 

a

/
/

12 THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

CHAPEER Vi

CALIFORNIA JOE ON THE TRAIL.

California Joe was not a man who allowed the grass
If-he had been so he would
have yielded up his scalp many years before this story

to grow under his feet.

begins, .

He rode along the trail of the smaller Tejon war-
party at a gallop, only getting off his horse at rare in-
tervals to examine the tracks made upon the soft prairie.

The old scout was a past master in the art of tracking.
No Indian could excel him in it. |

For five or six miles the trail was as plain as print,
for the Tejons had traveled quickly, without making
any effort to hide it. "Then they had come to a broad
stream, with long, shelving ledges of hard rock on the
opposite banks.

- It was the ideal place for the cqncealing of a trail,
and no redskin could have resisted the temptation. The
Tejons had ridden far up the stream.

But all their ingenuity did not avail to throw the old
scout off the scent. After a quarter of an hour’s careful
search, he hit the trail again and followed it without
difficulty. |

He rode on for about four miles, and then had the
narrowest possible escape from falling into the hands of
the braves whorn he was pitsune:. |

Riding onto the crest of a ridge, he saw them, dis-
mounted and grouped together, in a little hollow about
half a mile below him.

Instantly he turned back and rode under the cover of
the ridge. He felt sure that the Indians must have
noticed them.
had not. |

Still, the old scout was not the kind of man to turn

It would be almost incredible if they

back and ride to meet the Arapahoe party. He got off
his horse, ordered it to stand still, and then crept for-
ward on foot to the top of the ridge and cautiously
peered over,

To his amazement, the Tejons had not made any move

toward him. After watching them for some time, hidden

in the long grass, he was convinced that they had not seen
him in the brief moment he had appeared on horseback
above the ridge.

Why had they halted? he wondered. They might be
sure they would be followed by the outraged Arapahoes,
who would outnumber them, just as they had outnum-
bered the men they had slain.

   

la he er nk eta rn Sik Set sei sere Mara ee acon baaet ag sede ian

AP SA 50 FPN Ets Pe nh eA ATTAIN cht

There could be only one rational explanation of their
action, namely, that they expected soon to be joined by
their own main body, for whom they were waiting at a
rendezvous they had appointed,

_ With this idea in mind, California Joe looked around

to see whether there was any cover near by in which
he could conceal himself. Unless he did so, he was
pretty sure to be seen by the second party of Tejons
when they came up to join the others.

He perceived a little copse of redwood trees about a
quarter of a mile along the ridge, to the right. Leading
his horse, he walked down to it, behind the ridge, and took
cover there.

He tethered the animal and made his way through the
copse to the edge of the prairie. Lying dowr in the
grass, he peered round the trunk of a large tree and
had a good view of the halted Indians without any danger
of their perceiving him.

Thus he waited for fully an hour and a half, and then :
the second body of Indians rode over the ridge near the
very place which he had occupied, and joined the wait-
ing party.

They seemed to California Joe to greet one another
with much rejoicing, and he could even notice the scalps.
which they displayed. The advantage in this little war
had thus far been entirely with the Tejons, owing to the
sudden and treacherous manner in which they had made
their attack.

The old scout saw, with deep regret, that there was a
woman captive in the second party, bound to a horse.
Looking closer, he recognized her as Star Blossom, the
beautiful Indian maiden whom he had met in the lodge
of Red Plume.

He recognized, too, another in the party—Klamat ‘‘the
Tiger,” a noted chief of the Tejons, against whom he
had fought on former occasions.

Little time was wasted by the Indians in greetings and
mutual congratulations. The word to march was given
and they went on their way over the prairie at a swift
pace. They were evidently afraid of a speedy pursuit
by the tribe which had such just cause to feel incensed.

California Joe let them get on several miles ‘ahead,
and disappear behind another ridge, before he untethered
his horse and started to follow them. He knew the mean-
ing of fear as little as any other man, but he was not
reckless, especially in a matter where so much hung
‘upon his caution and vigilaitce.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

a

lai Sik am Wh Tack south, del sind ata ee tae ene ace ca cee, a Ce ELE OE RIE

SR PE Ra Se a ag eS

   

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. ~~ 2 13

“T won't wait for the Arapahoes,” he said to himself.
“T’ll do my level Best ter rescue that sweet-lookin’ Injun
gal as soon as the skunks halt. Ef I don’t, they may
kill or torture her.” :

After he crossed the second ridge, however, he began
to regret that he had not taken a greater chance, for the
The country had be-
come broken and fairly well wooded. They had disap-

Indians were now out of sight.

peared among the trees, but he could still follow the
trail. :

An hour passed, and then the trail divided, the In-
dians having broken up into three parties. They plainly
intended to rejoin one another at their village, many
miles away. Meantime they hoped to puzzle their pur-
suers by separating.

California Joe, despite his experience and skill, was
himself at a loss, He decided to follow the > eentral trail,
and did so until about the middle of the afternoon, Then
his keen nose smelled the smoke of a camp-fire, and in-
stantly he reined up his horse in the’ middle of some

* timber.

The scout tethered his horse beside a little stream hard
by, so that it would have the drink of which it so sorely
stood in need,

Then he went on foot through the timber for some
distance, seeking to find the source of the smoke, which
he could not see, but only smell.

It was evident that it had not been made by the party
he was following. Their trail went on straight. ahead,
and the smoke was away to the left, apparently, and a
little distance in his rear, :

California Joe left the trail that he had thus far fol-
_lowed. He knew he must be near one of the other parties
of the Tejons,

Springing lightly over a clump of bushes on one side,
he crouched down and listened.

At first he heard no sounds, but soon he heard a
trampling of hoofs and other sounds which satisfied
him that he was near a corral, or close to where horses
were feeding.

With his rifle at trail, his form bent down, he crept
cautiously on.

He had not gone a hundred yards before he found a
little plain of grass—taller and finer than the buffalo-
grass on the plains, and feeding in it, without any visible
guard, about thirty fine ponies—better stock than he had
ever before seen used by the California Indians.

 

 

While he gazed at them, and thought how easily he
could stampede the gang, he heard something like the
sound as an ax farther on.

As the grassy spot was surrounded by a dense forest, he
could not see Veyond it, but he concluded to creep around
to the left of the grass without disturbing the animals,

and see what he could discover.

It took him some time to get around, for the forest
was dense and full of underbrush, and he had to exercise
extreme caution lest he should startle the animals and
thus alarm their owners, :

Once around, he passed through the thicket until he
became convinced by the sounds that he was close upon
an encampment, but that it was densely shrouded in the
thicket.

Concealing his rifle carefully near the base of a thick-
branched tree under some loose brush and leaves, he
ascended the tree with excessive care, for he knew how
perilous it would be to be caught there by any stray
watrior,

He had only ascended about half-way when he was
rewarded for all his care and trouble. He looked down

~ directly into a small stockade, capable of holding perhaps

about a hundred men at close quarters.

It had been hastily built, ‘“white-man fashion,” with
posts set close together in the ground and a narrow gate-
way through which only one person could enter at a
time.

_A few loopholes commanded the trail which led to it,
but the whole position was exposed to a fire from such
a position as California Joevhad gained, and it was a
position often taken by hostile Indians in an attack.

It seemed as if those who built it intended it more as
a protection: for a brief time against sudden surprise than
as a fort that would stand anything approaching a regular
siege.

California Joe now discovered the: cause of the noise
which he had heard. :

Some Indian warriors, of whom there were fifteen or
twenty inside the stockade, were building a little shed, or
shelter, in a corner, evidently for the use of one upon
whom California Joe’s eyes rested with eager anxiety..

That person was Star Blossom, who, seated on a pile
of buffalo-robes, seemed to take her position quite coolly,
while she watched the braves at work.

“They haven’t been ill treating or torturing her—that’s
one comfort,” muttered California Joe, as he looked at

 

 

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SN Pe

her calm, quiet face. “But she mustn’t stay there to risk
7 |

He now looked at all the surroundings of the place,
and began to work out his plan. of campaign.

He saw that the Indians were building a regular little
room or cabin in one corner of the enclosure, and he had
no doubt that when it was finished she would be isolated
from the Indians, so that they could not see her when
she slept.
for the night.

California Joe looked at the pickets, or palisades, in
They were as thick as his thigh, and it
would be impossible to cut through them without making

that corner.

a noise.

But where the soil was thrown up the old scout could
He might at
night dig under it with his knife and hands, and thus

see that it was of a loose, sandy nature.

approach her, if she could only be made aware of his

presence and intentions.

But how could he effect this ? California Joe was good in
imitations. Now, too, he had a chance to show it.

He was screened among the leaves and with a thick
background, so he felt quite secure perched up in the
branches, though within actual pistol-shot of the Tejons
and their captive. He was so near that the scent of some

buffalo meat roasting before the fire affected him most

unpleasantly, for he was hungry. But to attract her -

notice must be his first thought.

He commenced to chirp like a wren, then to give the
long, plaintive note of-the cat-bird. These were too com-
mon. Neither the Indians nor their captive paid the least
attention.

“Caw! caw! caw!”

He now gave a first-rate imitation of the black crow.

The Indians looked up uneasily at the clouds and hur-
ried their work.

“The cusses think'it is going to rain! I’d give a finger
if it would!” muttered California Joe, almost despairing
of attracting the notice of Star Blossom, for she never

raised her head.
He now tried the coo of the ring-dove.
Why had he not thought of that before?
Star Blossom started at the sound, listened attentively,
and then looked up into the trees. The bird was her
favorite.
California Joe watched the Indians closely as he re-
peated the cry, and when he saw that none of them looked

SotigcarAnlit mecgantinee eye SRILA ERASE SEIN A ESR EES RH BEI PRB NES RES SA et 05 pe IN a RNAS atte Ree ny ea she ln Semen abide cymes

Seg RE PERS TR ee a AL haa eee ye

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

The Tejons evidently meant to eae there

 

up from their work, he repeated it, and gently shook a
branch which extended toward the stockade.

Star Blossom saw the branch move, and ‘her eyes at
once became riveted on the tree,

California Joe crept farther along, ‘until he was sure she
could see his face and form, then he took the red ban-
danna which he had worn loose about his neck, and
held it up.

Her form was motionless—there was not a change in
her countenance—but the fixed, glad look in her eyes
told him that he was seen and recognized.

Quickly he bent his head down on the palm of his fea

—then he put his hand over his eyes, signifying as well
as he could that when it was time to sleep he would help
her.

She answered by bending her head forward into the
palms of her hands, as if asleep; then raising her eyes,
she made a quick motion toward the corner where the
Indians were just finishing her shelter.

California Joe nodded, and then made an undulating
motion with one hand, to signify that after all were asleep
they would go, and then he drew back to watch and
wait.

He now looked around him at every point, so as to
familiarize himself with every bit of ground over which
he must pass in approaching the stockade, and in getting
away from it, if he succeeded in releasing Star Blossom.

. He sought to familiarize himself with the course which
led back to where their horses were kept, for he knew
that he must stampede their stock, or he never could
escape pursuit should he release Star Blossom. ‘There are
no better trailers in the world than the Tejons.

Star Blossom, calm and stoical, gave no sign to put
her guards on the alert, and California Joe looked on
her with double interest.

“She is a neck and a half ahead of any squaw alive,”
he muttered, “and there isn’t a white girl livin’ could
take this discovery as cool as she does. She is a picture
—she is!”

The Indians had now roofed over the little cabin
with a tanned buffalo-hide, another was fixed round it as
a curtain, leaving the occupant to lift a corner when wish-

ing to enter or leave it.

The head brave now examined the work, and by his
looks seemed to approve of it; and then, at his direction,
one of the others laid down a thick pile of robes ror a
couch.

N

ht Tan att aS Anas yo hah hn ie Wane

ys

PUL SS tir. ae eat age aie or a RR RE RNR TY meray eee

 

 

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IS AONE ORs sil ay se Dianne Ne ie aE ap ly MT gs Rp Se tal et ren Tapani GTS aE EY Te

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. 15

When this was done the leader approached Star Blos-
som and by signs gave. her to understand that she was
to lodge there, thus proving to California Joe that she
did not understand their language.

Star Blossom pointed to the meat roasting by the fire
and to her mouth, then reclined her head upon her hand
and closed her eyes.

She would eat her supper and then go into the cabin
to sleep.

The Tejons assented, and one of them cut several
slices of roast meat from a huge piece before the fire,
and gave it to-her on a piece of bark,

‘Star Blossom reached out her Gard for his knife to
use in cutting “it, and the brave handed it to her with-
out hesitation.

California Joe watched her as she ate slowly, and saw
her drink water from a calabash that a Tejon laid beside
her. And he saw that she did not give the brave his
knife again, but in a kind of forgetful way oes it into
the sash at her waist.

“Sharp—sharp as a new jack-knife in everything!”
muttered California Joe, full of admiration. “T’ll have
her out of that before I’m three hours older.”

Night was not far off, and now the old scout got
cautiously down from the tree, so as to regain his rifle
and get to the vicinity of her corner of the stockade while
he could see. :

He could hear the Indians, as some went out to look
after the ponies, go and return; and then, when twilight
set in, he could see them increase the fire inside, for
now with safety he could get near enough to look through
the cracks and chinks between the upright posts.

He crept close to the corner where Star Blossom was
lying i in her cabin, and gave out the quick, sharp chirp of
the cricket.

“His heart beat fast.
He was now within an arm’s length of the Indian maiden,

It was answered in a moment.

and only the pickets kept them apart,

He dared not speak, or even whisper, for the Indians
were awake, sitting around the fire, not fifteen feet dis-
tant, and any suspicious sound would put them on the
watch,

But with excessive caution he began to dig a tunnel

under the pickets. To prevent their falling, if he under-

mined them, was a point, he knew, not to be neglected.

And it was a difficult thing to do, to so fasten them as not
to have the act or the fastenings seen by the Tejons.

 

He had, as almost every hunter has, a number of strong
buckskin thongs in his hunting-pouch, which he used to
fasten game to the saddle or bind up bundles of skins: or
furs.

Carefully he managed to pass several of these from

post to post and around them, and thus to give suffi:
cient support to keep them in place.
- This done, and no alarm yet given, the brave old
scout began digging. And soon, when he paused to
listen, he became satisfied that Star Blossom was doing
the same thing from the inside.

It was now getting late, and several of the Indians
lay down with their feet to the fire to sleep. But Cali-
fornia Joe saw, to his great uneasiness, that a guard was
set to keep awake, and that several times he approached
the little cabin where Star Blossom lay, to listen.

Star Blossom seemed to be fully aware of this, for at
such times she snored like a low-pressure steamboat, much
to the amusement of the scout, though he feared her ab;
sence would’ be the more quickly discovered from this
when he got her out, as he soon hoped to do.

He worked away manfully, and had got a cavity under
two of the posts dug till he could feel the bottom of
each, and he expected soon to have it large enough, when
a new annoyance, if not a peril, threatened him.

 

~ CHAPTER VIL
THE RESCUE OF STAR BLOSSOM.

California Joe heard the sounds of something approach-
ing stealthily in the bushes. He was startled, brave as
he was, for at first he thought surely it was the tread of
men walking lightly and carefully.

Could it be other Indians coming to surprise these?
Or had he been overheard or discovered, and were the
Tejons creeping up in his rear to surprise him?

He rose from the work so nearly completed, and, knife
in hand, stood on guard.

He heard the steps coming nearer, and he oa there

was more than one making them now.
He glanced through the pickets, and saw that the Teton

-sentinel had heard the noise, for he, too, stood in a listen-

ing’ attitude.

Nearer and nearer came the noise, and now California
Joe knew that it was made by animals.

“The smell of that meat has drawn ’em,” he murmured,

A growl, low and snappish, told him that the large
gray wolf of the plains was his visitor. Answering

 

 
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16 ! THE BUFFALO BIEL STORIES,

growls also told hin that a gang of them was at hand.
He had no fear that they would attack him, unless they

were fearfully hungry, which at that time of year, in a’ -

country full of game, they were not likely to be. But
they were an annoyance, to say the least.

They came growling and snuffling about until they
almost rubbed against his body.
noise to drive them away, for that would at once reveal
Neither did
he dare to bend down and continue his work, lest he

He dared not make any
his presence to those inside the stockade.

might be attacked in his rear.

One of the animals having come within reach of his
arm, received a severe prod from his knife—one so deep
that the blood gushed out in a stream.

True to their wolf nature, the other wolves instantly

sprang on the wounded animal, and, amid horrible growls
and snarls, tore it in pieces, and commenced devouring it.

The noise woke every Indian, and as California Joe
peered through the chinks in the posts he saw them stand
and consult. They evidently feared a stampede among
their horses, and were about to come out and attack the
wolves.

To rush back through the pack of wolves and get speed-
ily into the thickest of the brush was the work of a few
seconds only, and not a second too soon; for the Indians,
with burning firebrands in their hands, rushed out of
the stockade, and, while some sent a shower of arrows

after the gang of wolves, others threw the firebrands at

them. Had California Joe remained near the stockade he
would inevitably have been discovered.

The wolves fled in terror from the spot, and then the
Indians, after seeing that their ponies were not disturbed,
returned to the stockade.

When all was still the scout crept back. The war-

riors were crouched about the fire, talking in low tones.
One of them went to the cabin where Star Blossom lay,

and looked in.

_ The young girl was there, and she had so covered the

sions of her work with her robes that the warrior saw

nothing to excite his suspicion. So he went back to the

fire.

He had not worked over four or five minutes before
dirt from her side of the excavation fell on his hands.
Ten minutes later he touched her hand with his. Then,

_for the first time, he ventured to whisper.

Again California Joe chirped like a cricket, and began
to work.

“Keep still while I dig, lest I hurt you with my knife,”
he said. ee

She did not answer, but she ceased to work.

It was.well she did. The Tejons seemed uneasy.
Again the head brave came and looked at her. She

_ was wrapped up in her robes in time, and he went back

to his comrades satisfied that all was right.
California Joe now worked like a beaver, and in a
little while had a hole so large that he could get in and
He knew that Star
Blossom could easily get through the hole that accom-

raise his head inside the cabin.

_modated his bulky frame.

“Come,” he whispered, ‘‘come!’’

He drew back to the outside of the tunnel, and, a second
She had the knife of the
Tejon brave in her hand—the same with which she had

after, she was by his side.

cut her meat at supper.

But what pleased California Joe just then even more

was that she had a large piece of meat in the other hand,

which she gave him.

He had fasted since the early morning, and was faint
with hunger, but he had no time or inclination to eat
until at a greater distance from those Tejon braves.

He whispered: “Follow in my trail, and be still as
death.” |

She pressed his hand in reply, and he crept away.

When they were at the edge of the little prairie, Cali-
fornia Joe halted to consult with her, and to decide
whether it was best to stampede the horses, or to try
and get away without noise, and get such a long start
on his own horse that they might not be overtaken.

Half of the night was yet before them. A few whis-
pered words, and the latter plan was decided upon.

So the old scout, followed by Star Blossom, crept
out to the trail. This he followed to the stream where
he had left his own horse. 3 |

The faithful animal, well-fed and rested, still re-
mained where he had been left.

California Joe led him out to the trail, mounted, and
bade Star Blossom take her seat behind him.

Not until they were out of the forest did he speak
above a whisper. : |

Now, however, when he felt free, and with his horse
headed right, he gave him the rein, and the scout spoke
out ; :

“Star Blossom has had hard luck.”

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

SES A par BE Se ES

}

THE BUFFALO

“Yes,” said the girl. “Did Long Hair send you to
help me?”
“No. I offered to follow the trail of the Tejons ahead

of the war-party of your tribe, and Red Plume agreed.”
“The white-haired brave has a good heart. Star Blos-
som was prisoner to Klamat, the Tejon!” -
“What, Klamat the Tiger? Was he in the stockade fe
“Yes, he was there; and he said that he would make

_ me his squaw as soon as we reached the village of the

Tejons.
love Long Hair—I will be his wife!”
“Buffalo Bill, or Long Hair, as you call him, has a
wiie already.”
“What of that?

But I would put this knife in my heart first. I

He is a great hunter, and can feed

“more wives than I have fingers on both my hands.”

““We palefaces have a law, and one wife is all that law
will let us have.” eo
“That is a foolish law. Suppose there are a heap
more women than there are men? Must all but oné go
without a husband?” : : “
California Joe was puzzled, but he bravely answered:
“Yes, of course.”
“Star Blossom is not a paleface. She loves Long Hair,
and if he has one wife or a dozen, she does not care.

She will be the last and the best-loved.”

Old California Joe was not good at argument. He con-
cluded that the best thing he could do was to let the
question of love go by default. But, nevertheless, it oc-
curred to him that it was going to give Buffalo Bill a lot
of trouble, and, worrying about this, he was almost care-

less about concealing his trail as he rode on.

Star Blossom herself called his attention to this neces-
sity, and it was near to the dawn of day when she did
so. It perhaps occurred to her because ey had reached
a good place for the purpose.

They came to the banks of a stream which flowed
downward from the slopes toward which they rode, on
the long detour which they were making to get back to
the Arapahoe country.

It would have been folly for them to ride straight
back on the trail, for they would have stood a great risk
of recapture. The sensible thing for them to do was
to travel in a direction in which the Tejons would not ex-
pect them to go. :

Into this stream that they had reached, California Joe
at once pushed his willing horse, and for some time he

rode along in the clear and refreshing water.

ail Ain da aca apni ori rl nh net ian non Beer Pye ttn sh rt hoIR NONE CAE

BILL STORIES. 17

They had paused to listen several times before day, but
had heard no sound of pursuit, so far. Now, when day
broke they knew, of course, that the absence of Star
Blossom must have been discovered,

“We have every bit of twelve miles’ start, and that’s a
good deal,” said California Joe, when Star Blossom sug-
gested that the Tejons would follow their trail.

“Two of us on one horse will soon tire him out.
Blossom had better walk,’ suggested the girl.

Ef thar’s walkin’ ter be done, I’ll foot it,”
said California Joe.

Star

“Nary time.
“My beauty hyar can carry us both,
an’ do sixty miles a day at a pinch.”

As they were now where a barren, rocky ridge stretched
out nearly in the course which they should follow, the old

’ scout decided to leave the stream.

He did so with great caution, so that he would leave as
few signs as possible for the enemy to follow.

They rode on a little way to a bit of timber, and now
California Joe thought it safe to rest for a short time,
and to eat some of the meat which Star Blossom had
been so thoughtful as to save.

The two dismounted from the tired horse, which at
once went to feeding—a prairie horse is never too tired
to eat, or a prairie man either, as a general rule—and
then Star Blossom produced her store.

The roasted buffalo meat, chosen from the tenderest
part of the animal, was both toothsome and juicy; and
California Joe, as well as Star Blossom, speedily set to ©
work to lessen the bulk of it.

While they were thus engaged, the old scout noticed
that his horse stopped feeding and turned its head, with
ears pointed toward the route over which they had come.
The
next second he was in the saddle, calling to Star Blossom

In a moment California Joe was on his feet.

to mount behind him; for he saw, not half a mile off, the
lances of a band of warriors on his trail.

 

CHAPTER VIII.
A HOT PURSUIT.

“Tet the white-haired brave save himself,’ Star Blos-
som cried. ‘The horse will not carry both of us.”
“It shall carry both or none,”

“Mount with me—or I dismount and fight it

said California Joe
earnestly.
out here!”

“The white-haired brave has a great heart, but he is a

fool to risk his life for a squaw,” said Star Blossom.

ee ees ees aS yeast

estes Nate tr sdgnis¥ obi nea pie cle ty aks Hh fs aes See itinmbsna abe meu hate eu ahaa (ak Ua Mu
ip alonse Ne tea Sa

 
er

fuasive wisn! pencil, “IRS owgg bitin! >

 

THE BUFFALO

“T don’t think so,”
up behind him.

said California Joe, as the girl sprang

Instantly he sped away over the ridge as fast as is

horse could carry the double burden, while the yells
of the pursuing warriors told that they had discovered
him.

On rode the heroic scout, looking now only for some

good place where he could halt, take cover, and fight for
his life and that of the girl in his care.

It seemed as if he never would find such a spot. On

leaving the little grove where they had halted, there was.

not a tree or a shrub for a long distance.on the barren
ridge.

thought he could hold them in check while Star Blossom
escaped, for he would rather meet death than see her fall
into the hands of the Tejons again—so gallant and heroic
was the old scout’s nature.

On-—on he rode, spurring his horse as he had never
spurred him before, and for a time he felt that, even if he
did not gain on his pursuers, they were not gaining on
him.

But weight and speed began to tell, and while the
- Shelter ahead was yet a mile off, at least, he felt that
_his noble horse was beginning to weaken and lose ground.

He did not speak, but he took one of the two revolvers
from his belt and placed it in the hand of Star Blossom.

“Ef it comes ter the wust,” he said, in a low tone, after
a pause, “die with thet in yer hand—an’ don’t have a load,
save the last one, left while thar’s a Tejon ter shoot, I’m
good fur a dozen, ef they don’t get me too quick.”

Star Blossom took the weapon and looked back. The
Tejons were strung along for a half-mile in a line, and

only seven or eight were very near.

One crept up to within almost a spear’s length, and he
had an arrow drawn up in his bow. _

Star Blossom saw at once that the life of one or both
of them depended on her, under the hand of the Great
Spirit.

Quick as thought, she raised the revolver and fired di-
rectly at the face of the Tejon, and ‘he, apparently, at the
same instant drew his arrow to the head and let it go.

The bullet must have been a second the quicker in its
_ fatal mission, for the arrow flew above the head of Cali-
fornia Joe, piercing his slouched hat. in the crown, while
the ball from Star Blossom’s pistol pierced the brain of
the Tejon.

ety heed et ph teh nel ims rie Ea aa tach aisle spp aes Ae

Teeter Se SRO RET
ei eb sora ma gy Lipa Aled

But ahead there was a patch of trees, and if he.
could gain it before his pursuers came up California Joe ©

BILL STORIES..

He fell forward on his horse without uttering a cry,
but, with that strange tenacity which the dead often show,

he still clung to his horse with his legs and arms.

The animal sprang forward in terror as he felt the
death pressure, and in an instant was alongside the horse
the fugitives were riding.

California Joe, not knowing that the man was dead,

raised his revolver to despatch the closing enemy, as he
thought him to be.

“Don’t waste your bullet—the Tejon is dead,” said Star
Blossom. And then she turned to see whether there were
more of the enemy within pistol-shot.

As she did so, California Joe caught the rein of the
other horse as it flew loosely near his hand, jerked the
animal close to his, and pushed the dead LIE from
his seat.

This took scarce a second, and, with a poe he sat
astride the other horse, calling to Star Blossom to take
his saddle on his own steed.

The Indian girl was at that time better occupied. She
was raising her revolver for a long shot at another Te-
jon.

She fired as she heard California Joe speak, and then,
as she slipped forward into his place, heard him shout:

“Gal, you’ve knocked spots out of another cuss! I’m
ashamed o’ myself ter let yer do all the fightin’ while
I’m on the run.”

He now turned in his saddle, for while he was speak-
ing he was clearing his repeating rifle from its sling.
Without checking the horse at all, he sent the next Tejon
in the line to the happy hunting-grounds.

“Good for the white-haired brave!” cried Star Blossom,
now catching the reins of her horse to take him in hand.
“We can fight them all.” .

“But not those that are ahead of us,” said California
Joe gloomily. And he called to her to hold up.

“The woods ahead are full of braves,” he added. “We
are cut off, and our time has come.”

Star Blossom looked in the direction in which he

pointed. She saw fully‘a hundred warriors within a few

hundred yards, all mounted and ready to charge.

One glance, while California Joe sent yet another Tejon
to death, checking the rest; and then Star Blossom cried:

Pad

“They are my people! They are Arapahoes!
“An’ Buffler Bill is with them!” yelled California Joe.

Waving a scarf which she tore from her waist, Star
Blossom shouted out a shrill war-cry.

 
  
   

  

THE BUFFALO

) In an instant it changed the apparently hostile attitude
) of the Indians, but, indeed, they had recognized her al-

| most as soon as she did them. .

They rode forth with weapons lowered, and she pointed

: to the Tejons, who had halted at the fall of the fourth of
' their number. :
Instantly a band of at least forty or fifty Arapahoe war-
riors darted away after the Tejons, who now turned to
) fly. While they dashed on, Star Blossom, bidding Joe fol-
{ q low her, rode on\to meet the others.

 
 
 
 

 

CHAPTER IX.

ROUTING THE TEJONS.

 

| The war-party of the Arapahoes was commanded by
. Snake Eye. Red Plume had divided his force when he
4 came to the point where the trail of the Tejons had forked.

He had pursued the larger party of the enemy, taking
Wild Bill with him; while he had asked Buffalo Bill to

quite so much confidence as he had in himself,

The king of the scouts rode forward to meet California
Joe and Star Blossom, welcoming them warmly. He had
"not gone after the fleeing Tejons because he had recog-

nized his friends at a distance, and wanted to hear their
story. —
It was soon told, and the border king saw at once, with
i | his quick military eye, what needed to be done. |

“Probably Klamat the Tiger and his braves are still
at that stockade,” he said. ‘They would await the re-
turn of the party which was sent in pursuit of you. We
must ride at once to attack them.

“The Arapahoes will probably dispose of most of the
Tejons, for their horses are fresher than those that have
a been chasing you. But some may escape and give the
a warning to the Tejon chief. If so, we must be on their
q heels. There is no time to lose.”

 

Snake Eye had gone forward with his braves in the
chase, so Buffalo Bill did not hesitate to take command,
as none of the Arapahoes seemed inclined to do so.

He gave orders for the whole party to move forward at
the gallop, which they gladly did, for they were very
keen to have vengeance on the enemies who had done
their tribe so much harm.

After they had ridden for an hour, they met their
comrades returning from the chase—all save seven. Four
had fallen in thg fight. Three had gone on after a solitary

 

iia cic emannsesceh lutte rica ope wales cade St rn fb den a

go along with Snake Eye, in whom, naturally, he had not

 

BILL STORIES. — 19

Tejon who had distanced them on a swift horse. The rest
of the enemy had been all overtaken, slain, and scalped.

Buffalo Bill, at the head of the party, rode on, side
by side with Star Blossom, with whom he chatted gaily,
to her very evident delight.

California Joe saw them together, and, remembering
what the girl had told him about her love for the knight
of the plains, he become concerned.

He made an excuse to draw the border king to the
rear, and told him all about that conversation, warning
him not to give the Indian girl the faintest reason to sup-
pose that her love was returned. ee

Buffalo Bill was surprised and distressed by the tid-
ings.

“Of course I will be careful,” he said. “It goes with-
out saying that I’m not in love with the girl; for I’ve got
a sweet little wife at home for whom I care more than
for all the other women in the world.

“I wouldn't marry a redskin girl, anyway, for I don’t
believe in marriages between red and white. Nature has
drawn a line between the races, and it ought not to be
crossed. I’m very sorry if the girl really cares for me,
but it’s only a passing infatuation which she will soon
get over. She is very young.”

The border king, however, rode for the rest of the way
with California Joe, leaving Star Blossom to her own
devices. Time after time, she looked at him in mute re-
proach, but he avoided her glances as much as possible.

He did not want to play with fire any more than he
could help, and he knew very well how fierce are the pas-
sions and emotions of an Indian, either for good or for
evil.

The morning was far advanced when the stockade was
reached. The Arapahoes scouted carefully around it, and
reported that the escaped Tejon had evidently reached the
place and warned the chief, Klamat the Tiger, as their
enemies were very much on the alert and had taken
measures, to the best of their ability, to guard against sur-
prise and be ready for a stern defense.

Buffalo Bill and Snake Eye, after a brief consultation
with California Joe, decided that the best thing to do was
to make a bold attack and try to carry the place by storm.

Some of their warriors would be posted in trees over--
looking the stockade to distract the attention of the Te-
jons by a plunging fire, while the attacking party did its
work.

Luckily, the piles of which the stockade was made were

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20

not likely, according to what California Joe had seen of
them, to offer any very hard resistance to the sharp toma-
hawks of the Arapahoes.

California Joe, with ten of the best shots in the party,
took up his position in the trees and began to fire down
on the men in the stockade, killing several of them almost
before they were aware of their danger.

Klamat the Tiger was in command of the Tejons in
the stockade, and he was a warrior of great courage and
resource. At first it seemed as if there would be a panic
among his men, thus suddenly attacked at a disadvantage
by unseen foes; but he rallied them in a moment.

Making them hide down behind the palisades, and not
venture into the center of the enclosure where they would
be picked off, he ordered them to return the fire of their
enemies whenever they could see a mark at which to aim,
but not to waste their ammunition wildly, as some of them
had commenced to do,

The border king and the Arapahoes, however, had no
idea of letting the fight“remain a mere exchange of shots.

They rushed from their cover and attacked the stockade
at the point where California Joe had weakened it by dig-
ging the hole through which he rescued Star Blossom.

Buffalo Bill, first in the charge, slashed the thongs
by which the old scout had bound the loose pickets to-
gether. A slight push then sent them tumbling to the
ground, -

This left a breach through which the Arapahoes dashed
after the border king.

Klamat the Tiger, his savage face convulsed with the
rage of battle, rushed at Buffalo Bill and fired his rifle at
him pointblank. It missed fire, and he clubbed it and
struck at Cody’s head.

The scout dodged the blow, and shot the Tejon through
the heart with his revolver. Then, before the dead body
could fall to the ground, he seized it with both hands,
swung it high above his head and flung it with terrible
force into the crowd of Tejons who were swarming up
to attack him.

Three of them were dashed to the ground, and others
tripped over them. The delay thus caused saved Cody’s
life, for he was alone in the stockade amid a host of
- enemies for a few moments,

Then the Arapahoes closed in, and there was a fierce
hand-to-hand fight for a few minutes. The Tejons were
outnumbered and disheartened by the death of their chief,
but, nevertheless, they made a gallant resistance.

THE BUSRALO BILL SIORTES.

Hemmed in in the stockade, they were like rats in a
trap, having no means of escape. A few, realizing that
they were hopelessly defeated, tried to reach the palisades
and flee to the timber, but they were picked off by Cali-
fornia Joe and his sharpshooters. ;

The victory was complete.

Not a Tejon.was left alive in the stockade. Quarter
was neither asked for nor given.

Remembering their murdered comrades and devastated
village, the Arapahoes were in no mood to show mercy;
nor did the Tejons seem to expect it,

The Arapahoes lost about twenty men in the fight, but
they cared little for that. They had begun to pay back
the score they owed their ancient foes, and that was all
they thought about.

CHAPTER X,
STAR BLOSSOM’S LOVE.

Next day Buffalo Bill’s party joined the force under
Red Plume. The Arapahoe chief reported that he had
fought with a strong band of Tejons on the previous
afternoon, and had put them to flight, with heavy loss.

He was following their trail when Buffalo Bill and his
men came up with them.

“They are heading for their chief village,’ said Red
Plume. “They mean to make a stand against us there.
It is what they would naturally do, for they would fear
that otherwise we would attack it in their absence and
destroy it.”

It was agreed to head straight for the Tejon village,
without troubling about following the trail, which was a
devious and crooked one. The Tejons were trying to hide |

their tracks, but that was useless when their destination

could be so easily guessed at.

The village was nearly a hundred and fifty miles off, but
the Arapahoes arrived in sight of it at dusk on the sec-
ond day, and took cover in a wood close by.

Buffalo Bill and Snake Eye, worming their way like ©
serpents through the long grass, skirted around the village

and reported that it was full of warriors who had returned

from the raid,

They were feasting, dancing, and drinking to celebrate
the taking of the scalps of the Arapahoes, but many of the
women of the tribe were mourning the loss of husbands
and lovers who had not come back from the war-trail.

eis a good time to attack now,” said Buffalo Bill,
when Red Plume suggested that they should wait until

 
 

 

h

    

 
  

_ likely to be least vigilant.

just before the dawn—the time at which sentinels are
“In a little while many of
the braves will be drunk, for they have a plentiful supply
of fire-water. They are keeping a very bad watch.”

After about an hour’s delay, to allow the orgy of the

_Tejons to reach its height, Red Plumie and the border

king led their little army through the long grass, each
man crawling on his stomach. As the Tejons largely out-
numbered them, they needed to have the advantage of a

f ~ surprise,

They came very near to the village without being seen,
and when they were within a hundred yards of the first
teepee Red Plume rose cautiously on his hands and knees
to peer above the tall grass and survey the position.

Hardly had he done so when a tall Tejon warrior sprang
to his feet, a few yards in front of the Arapahoe chief.

He was a sentry who had been lying, perfectly hidden,
in the grass.

So carefully had the Arapahoes advanced, that he had
not seen them until Red Plume lifted up his head above
the grass. Perhaps the fact that the Tejon had imbibed
freely of the fire-water had something to do with this.

He was alert enough now, however. In the instant that
he caught sight of Red Plume he yelled his war-cry and
snatched his tomahawk from his belt. He swung it above
his head, but before he could launch it on its fatal mis-
sion, Red Plume sent his knife hurtling through the air
and buried it deep in the Tejon’s throat.

There was no use in further concealment. The yell of
the slain sentinel had alarmed the village, and the Tejon
braves had already sprung to their feet around the camp-
fires, -

Led by Buffalo Bill and Red Plume, the Arapahoes
charged them, firing as they ran. In the bright light cast
by the fires, the Tejons made good marks and many of
them fell before the two parties came to hand-grips.

‘The fight was a bloody and desperate one, but, in the
end the remnant of the Tejons were driven in a mad rout
to the woods, many of them being cut down before they
could reach cover and find secure hiding.

The village fell completely into the hands of the
Arapahoes, and a number of women and children were
captured with it.

Some of the Arapahoes wanted to slay the old women
_ and make slaves of the younger ones and the children, but

Red Plume supported Buffalo Bill when the border king

ety
OR

ps sirstent afltt fr trey 9 7h 9 testo ne ne apy ep

TEE: BUEE ALO

   

BILE STORIES, 21

declared that he would not stand by and permit such in-
humanity. :

It was agreed, after much dissension, that all the cap-
tives who wished to go to the woods in, search of their
husbands and fathers should be allowed to do so.

To Buffalo Bill’s surprise, most of the women said
they wanted to be adopted into the Arapahoe tribe in ac-
cordance with Indian custom. They had lost their hus-
bands in the fighting, and the conquerors would have to
provide them with new ones from their own number.

The interrupted feast of the Tejons was continued by
the Arapahoes, but Red Plume first spilled all the re-
maining bottles of fire-water on the ground, and took
particular care that the sentries he posted were vigilant.
He had no mind to be surprised, in his turn, by the Te-
jons who had fled to the woods.

Buffalo Bill, disliking the scenes of gluttony inseparable _

from an Indian feast, withdrew to some distance and
threw himself down under a tree and smoked his pipe.

He was thinking over what California Joe had told him
about Star Blossom, and wondering whether it would lead
him into any serious difficulty with the tribe, when he
saw the girl herself approaching him. She had accom-
panied the war-party from the time of her rescue from the
pursuing Tejons.

He rose and ereeted her, and she sat down on the grass,
motioning to him to sit down beside her.

Cody looked at her wonderingly. Her cheeks were pale

under their olive hue, and her fine eyes shone like stars.

He waited for her to speak, but for a time she said —

nothing. [hen she burst out:

“Long Hair, there is something in my heart that I must
say to you, because you will not say to me what I would
hear. Star Blossom is the pride of her tribe, as you must
know. She has had many lovers, but she has loved none
of them. But now her heart has gone out to the pale-
faced chief—the great slayer of buffaloes; and she would
be his squaw and live in his lodge.” oS
_ Buffalo Bill was naturally taken aback by this very
blunt and direct proposal, but he knew that Indian girls
discuss the feelings of their hearts much more freely than
their white sisters, so he replied with equal plainness:

You are a beautiful woman, Star Biossom, and you
will make some man proud and happy. But that man can-
not be me. I have a wife already in my own lodge, and
she: loves me as I love her.”

“But she cannot love you as Star Blossom loves you,”

      

ithe nr caer mn atime

        

  

  
THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

“No paleface woman can

protested the passionate girl.

love as the Indian loves.”

Star Blossom’s voice faltered as she said these words,
and tears rolled down her cheeks, while her slight figure
was shaken by a passion of sobbing.

Such a display of emotion was very rare in an Indian
girl, and Buffalo Bill knew that it must be inspired by the
very deepest feeling.

He waited until she had
recovered control of herself to some degree, and then said

He was at a loss what to do.

gently:

“Iam going away, Sa Blossom. The fighting with
They will sue for peace and beg your
brother to bury the hatchet on any terms. My two com-
rades and I want to hunt farther north, where the game
When I am gone you will forget me and
marry a brave of your own people.”

the Tejons is over.

is plentiful.

“Never!” exclaimed the girl passionately. “If you
go away and leave me forever, Long Hair, I shall die.
Will you not come back to the tribe again? Go now, if
you will have it so—but return soon.”

Buffalo Bill considered for a moment.

“TI will come back in the fall,’ he said. “By that time
I hope you will have forgotten me and married some man
who is worthy of you.”

The girl shook her head sadly, arose, and walked
off, without another word, to the wigwam which had been
assigned to her for the night.

Buffalo Bill refilled his pipe and smoked contempla-
tively for some time.

“Well, here’s a pretty mess!’ he muttered to himself.
“Tf I know anything about Indian nature, more trouble
_ is going to come of it.”

need

CHAPTER XI.
: BUFFALO BILL IN A TIGHT FIX.

As Buffalo Bill had anticipated, the Tejons sent in
messengers from the woods in the morning to beg for a
_ truce, so that.a council of both tribes could be held to settle
_terms of peace.

Red Plume agreed to this, after hostages had been
placed in his hands; and Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill, and Cali-
fornia Joe felt at liberty to bid adieu to the Arapahoe chief.
They intended to ride northward and hunt until the fall,
_ when they would return to the Arapahoes, following the
game that would then go southward.

Red Plume parted from them with regret, and, as they
were about to ride off, he said to Buffalo Bill:

“My eyes have read the secret of Star Blossom’s heart.
My brother will surely return?”

The king of the scouts nodded his head.

“Yes, I will return; but do not encourage Star Blos-
som’s infatuation. I cannot marry her, chief, beautiful
though she is. It would be against the white man’s law.”

The Arapahoe looked puzzled at this, but said nothing.
He waved his hand in farewell, and the three scouts rode
off, Red Plume’s braves yelling loudly in their honor as
they went.

They journeyed for weeks toward the north of Cali-
fornia and had good hunting throughout the rest of the
summer, though no incidents worthy of record occurred.

In September they returned to the Arapahoe country,
intending to pay a short visit to Red Plume and then go
to the Great Plains and hunt buffalo before the winter set
in, so that they would have a plentiful supply of meat
and robes to use and trade with during the cold weather.

The scouts were amazed, on entering the Arapahoe
village, to meet with a cold and somewhat hostile recep-
tion from their former comrades. The braves absolutely
scowled at them, and did not respond to their greetings.

“This is queer,” said Buffalo Bill. “TI can’t understand
it. You two fellows pitch camp, and I'll hunt up Red
Plume. Ah! there he is—coming this way. I'll go and
meet him, and find out what’s the trouble.”

Leaving his weapons behind him, he went to meet the
Arapahoe, taking no notice of the evil glances cast at
him by several braves whom he passed. :

“What is the matter with Red Plume? His face has
a cloud on it,” said the king of the scouts, as the ne
chief, fully armed, strode toward him.

“There is a cloud on the face of Red Plume and an-
other cloud in his heart. Let Long Hair look well, and
he will see that there is lightning in both clouds.”

“Long Hair does not fear the storm,” said the scout
calmly. “What has it to do with him? Red Plume has
sworn the oath of blood-brotherhood with Long Hair.
He will not, surely, break his oath?” j

The Arapahoe chief looked irresolute, yet angry.

“Red Plume swore this oath, it is true; but Star Blos-
som is the heart of his heart, and he must think first
of her.”

“The chief of the Arapahoes should think first of his
word. In any case, Long Hair has done no hurt to Red
Plume’s sister. I and my friends have eh our word, old
man; now keep yours.”

Buffalo Bill was about to pass on and go back to his
friends; but the ‘Arapahoe chief stepped before him and
said :

“Stop! we must talk.”

“Well, be in a hurry about what you have to say. I
am waited for by my comrades.”

 
   

   

 

 

_ you and Star Blossom well.

 

 

 

“Let them wait! Red Plume is a great chief. Now
hear him! He has no master but the Great Spirit, who is
over all. Star Blossom is his only sister. He loves her as
no brother ever loved before. Shall he see her die, and

not complain? Shall she wither and pass away, and he not

try to save her ?”
“What have I to do with all this?” asked the scout.
“All. Long Hair has all to do with it. Star Blossom

~ loves him,” said the chief,

“That is no fault of mine. I have never spoken a
word of love to her. I have a dear wife and sweet chil-
dren in my own lodge.”

“What does Red Plume care for that? His sister will
be but one more. Her brother is rich now, with the spoil
of the Tejons. He will give Longe Hair a hundred horses,
and the braves of the Arapahoes will hunt for him and
bring him meat to feed all his wives.”

“There is no use in wasting time, Red Plume. I wish
I can do no more. She is
red and Iam white. The Great Spirit drew a distinction
between our races, so let us part—and part friends.”

The young chief stood and looked at the brave hunter
—the true-hearted scout—for a moment; and then he
said in a low, broken tone:

“Red Plume has been very proud. He never knelt ex-
cept when he whispered to the Great Spirit, but to save

the life of Star Blossom he will’kneel to the paleface.

She will not eat, she will not drink, she will perish unless
Long Hair tells her to live.”

“T can tell her to live for her brother, and for some
brave worthy of her hand—but not for me,” said the

chivalrous knight of the plains.

“Star Blossom will look on no other man. Long Hair
has cast a spell on her spirit. She is blind to all men but
him. She shuts her eyes when her brother stands before
her. She has closed her ears to his words.”

“Again I tell Red Plume that this is not oy fault. That
is enough.”

“Will not Long Hair speak kind words to Star Blos-
som, and tell her to eat and drink?”

“Yes, if that will do any good; but I can say no more
—do no more. I have to go far away to the Great Plains

to hunt the buffalo; and when I am no longer aoe Star

Blossom will forget this infatuation.”

“She will never forget Long Hair, but now Red Plume
will go back to her with a lighter heart. - He will tell her
that the paleface chief will come to the lodge of her
brother and speak to her.”

“Yes, I will go before we start on our journey to the
Great Plains. But now I must go back to my friends and
tell them to make the preparations for our departure.”

The chief bowed, and said:

Ped oo. will go and tell star Blossom that you are
coming.”

 

 

THE BUPRALO

Biel STORIES: 23

 

He turned away with a stately step and walked toward
his teepee.

Cody went back to the place where his comrades’ camp
was pitched, and told them of the conversation and of
what he had promised to do.

Knowing the Indian character as they did, both Wild
Bill and California Joe looked very grave. .

“It’s a mighty awkward mess, Buffler,” said California
Joe. “In spite of all the oaths of blood-brotherhood, it

wouldn’t surprise me ef Red Plume an’ his brother braves

turned nasty. An’, ‘pon my honor, I cud hardly blame
‘em; fur I guess poor little Star Blossom’s heart is well-
nigh broken.”

“T can’t help that,” Buffalo Bill returned, somewhat im-
patiently. “Of course, I am very sorry for her infatua-
tion, but what am I to. do—I, who have a wife at home
whom I love? Anyway, get ready for a quick move. Ill
see the girl, and then we'll get away as soon as possible.
We don’t want to have any trouble to the DEUS after
they have been such good comrades to us.’

The border king walked toward the wigwam of Red
Plume, and in front of it he met the chief.

“Where is your sister? What I have to say must be
said at once, as we are about to depart,” said the scout.

“In there. She is weak and sick. Say kind words to
her, to save her life; for she is the heart of my heart. Red
Plume is a child when he thinks that she will die before

his face.”

The scout made no reply,.but entered the lodge. A
fire was blazing in the center, for it was a cold, bleak day
in autumn.

By its blaze everything inside the lodge was made
plainly visible.

Seated on a bed of skins, her hands crossed upon her
bosom, her eyes cast down, was Star Blossom—so pale, so
sad-faced, that the noble-hearted scout felt both pity and
surprise.

The girl raised her eyes only when he stood before her
and spoke.

Her look, then, was so hopeless and desolate that it
spoke more than words could say.

“What ails my sister, the beautiful Rose of the Arapa- _

hoes?” he asked in a gentle tone.

“Her brother tells me she is sick—that she will neither
eat nor drink,” he continued, when she made no reply.
“Ts she not hungry or thirsty?”

“Yes, hungry—like the babe when its mother is dead,
and there is no milk for it. Dry—like the ground when
there is no rain to cool its hot bosom. Star Blossom is
hungry for what cannot be hers. She is sick—here!”

And the poor girl, sad-voiced, laid her hand ae her
heart.

“Long Hair is very sorry. Will not Star Blossom eat
and drink and grow strong for his sake?”

e

      
     
  

i
|

  

  
 
THE BUBEALO BILE STORIES.

“For him?
his sake?”

The scout did not wish to pain her, nor yet to let her
misunderstand the meaning of his words. He answered
in a low, kind tone:

“Long Hair wishes Star Blossom to live.
not eat, she will die.
Piste:

“Will Long Hair take Star Blossom with him—take her
as his wife—if she eats and drinks?”

“He cannot do that. He has to ride with his friends
to hunt the buffaloes on the Great Plains.
stock of meat for the winter.”

“Will he let Star Blossom follow him? She will be
no trouble. She has her own horses, her own lodge, her
own blankets; and her brother will give her hunters from
the tribe to get meat for her.”

“Star Blossom could not travel so far as I am going,”
replied the scout. “I am going far toward the sunrise.
Star Blossom could never stand such journeys as Long
Hair must take.”

Does Long Hair ask her to be strong for

If she does

If she does not drink, she will per-

“Then she could die where her eyes could take their

last look upon him.”

“Long Hair does not want Star Blossom to die.
must live for her brother.” |

“Star Blossom has lived for him long enough. She
wants to live for Long Hair now.” ;

“Then eat and drink and live. But Long Hair must
go now. His friends wait for him.”

“Stop—stop one moment, that Star Blossom may know
what she is to do! Is she to go to the lodge of Long
Hair ?”

“No, Star Blossom must stay with her brother. There
is a wife in the lodge of Long Hair, and he can have
no other.”

“Then Star Blossom must die! The flower that has
no stin to shine upon it must wither. Why did Long Hair
come here? He came to mock the poor Indian girl.”

“No. He came to comfort her—to ask her to live.”

“To live—and not for him? Star Blossom cannot. Go,
great brave, go! The Great Spirit guard you! Star Blos-
som will whisper to Him every night while she lives, and
ask him to make Long Hair happy.”

The beautiful girl bowed her head upon her rounded
arms, and a sob broke from her lips as the scout turned
to go.

But again Red Plume stood in a path as he passed
through the skin flap that covered the door of the lodge.

She

CHAPTER XII.
STAR BLOSSOM INTERVENES.

“Long Hair has spoken with a forked tongue to the
red man,” the Arapahoe chief said sternly. “He told Red)
Plume that he would come with words of comfort to his

He must get a_

sister. He has not spoken them. She bows her head and
weeps, for her heart is broken.”

“Chief, I have spoken straight words. I have asked
her to live for you. I have asked her, for my sake, to eat
and drink and grow strong. If she will not do so, and she
dies, it is not my fault. So, good-by! I will stay no
longer, for I must depart with my friends. It is better,
for her sake, that I should go at once.”

The firm tone and look of the scout showed full well
that he meant what he said. Red Plume saw at once that
the only way by which he could hope to keep him was by
force—yet he hesitated to use that, for the oath of blood-
brotherhood which he had sworn was still fresh in his
mind.

As he was trying to make up his mind what to do, his
quick ear caught the sound of sobbing inside the lodge,
and all the latent anger of his barbarian nature blazed up
at this new proof of his sister’s grief.

“You shall stay, Long Hair, whether you will it or not,”
he said. “You shall stay here in the village until you
agree to make Star Blossom your wife. Red Plume is a
chief with many braves at his command. You are in
his. power now, and you shall stay in it.’

“Remember your oath, Red Plume,” said Buffalo Bill.

“T remember only my sister,” returned the chief pas-
sionately.

“Your face will be block encd forever if you try to
make me your prisoner—I, who‘*am your blood-brother
—I, who came here freely, trusting to your friendship and
hospitality.”

“Red Plume cares not! Let the Great Manitou punish
him for his broken oath, if He will! You shall stay
here, Long Hair.”

The chief gave a signal to several braves who had been
lingering near by, awaiting the outcome of the discus-
sion with eager curiosity.

They instantly ran up, surrounded Buffalo Bill, and
rade him a prisoner.

The king of the scouts offered no resistance, for he was
unarmed, and there was more than a dozen of the braves.
Besides this, he did not wish to hurt any of the Arapahoes
with whom he had sworn friendship.

But California Joe and Wild Bill were not so particular.
From their camp-fire they saw the attack on their com-
rade, and they rushed to his rescue without a moment’s
hesitation. Knocking the Indians right and left, they burst
through the group to their comrade and set him free.

California Joe thrust a revolver into his hand, mutter-
ing as he did so:

“Hyar’s whar we see our finish, Buffler !”

It did, indeed, look that way.

Red Plume and his dozen or so braves fell back at
first, daunted by the leveled revolvers of the three scouts.
But they were speedily reenforced by at least a hundred
other warriors, who came running out of the teepees on all

 

 
     
 

  

   

sides, snatching up the first weapons that came to their
hands.

commenced, but just as the Indians were about to charge
in upon the scouts Star Blossom thrust aside the skin
) door of her lodge and stepped out.

a All trace of weakness had left her. She was now regal
) and commanding, as she took her stand in front of the
white men and imperiously waved her peaple back.

“What does this mean, Red Plume?” she cried. ‘These
palefaces are our friends: they have made blood-brother-
“hood with the tribe.

“Why do you now surround them with weapons in
your hands, seeking their lives? You will dishonor your-
self and the whole tribe. These men must depart in
peace and honor, as they have come.

“Do you not remember that they saved us from famine,
that they fought for us against the Tejons, and that the
white-haired brave rescued me from a slavery worse than
death? Do-you not remember that Long Hair saved
your life from the buffalo that attacked you?”

Red Plume lowered his gaze hefore her angry words
and blazing eyes.

“I remember all that now,” he said, “but in my rage
I thought only of you, my sister.”

“Think of me no longer. Think of your honor.
the white men depart at once, if they will.”

_ After a short but severe mental struggle, Red Plume
bowed his head in assent.

“It shall be as you wish, sister. Long Hair, you are
free to go. I will send none of my young men after you
to harm you. But’—he added, stepping up to the border
king and whispering in his ear—‘go at once and travel
swiftly. I cannot answer for my braves. Many of them,
who love Star Blossom, thirst for your blood; and they
may follow you for many miles to try and take it with-
out her knowledge.”

“Shake hands before we part, Red Plume,” said the
king of the scouts. “I am sorry this matter should have
come between us to interrupt our friendship.”

Red Plume silently held out his hand, and then led his
sister back into the lodge, first commanding his braves to
disperse and offer no insult or harm to the white men.
They obeyed him, but with a marked sullenness.

  
  
   
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
 
 
   
   
   

Let

 

CHAPTER XIII.
ATTACKED BY THE ARAPAHOES.

© The scouts left the village at once, and traveled through
wood and prairie for three days. They scorned to take
| the Arapahoe chief’s advice and travel speedily. If the
‘ | Arapahoes chose to pursue them, they would fight them.
| On the fourth day they arrived at a village of the Tu-
) lari Indians, situated on the bank of a wide, swiftly-flow-
ing’ river.

  

  

In another moment a fight to ihe death would have

- moment, and then there will be no getting out of it.

THE BUPPALO: BILL STORIES. ! 25

“Let us go on by water for a few days, Buffler,” said
Wild Bill. ‘We can buy a canoe here, and the river flows
in the direction we are traveling. We can hire an Indian
boy to take the horses along and join us when we have
gone as far as we can by river.”

The suggestion was agreed to, for the men had been
in the saddle, more or less, every day for months; and
were not sorry to enjoy the rest that canoe voyaging
afforded.

All day they swept on down the river, between banks
clothed with thick vegetation.

At night they still went on, for the stream was broad
and deep, without obstructions, and they wanted to make
good time.

Presently, about nine o’clock, Buffalo Bill noticed one
or two lights. flitting about the forest on the right bank.

He called his comrades’ attention to them, for Wild
Bill and California Joe were bending down, plying the
paddles, and looking neither to the right nor the left.

“Indians out late, I guess,” said Wild Bill. “They carry
torches to keep off the wolves and panthers.”

The words were hardly out-of his mouth when dozens
of Indians suddenly appeared all along both banks of the
river. Several of them held torches, which threw a gleam
across the water and showed up the canoe plainly.

They yelled the Arapahoe war-cry fiercely and opened
a fierce fire on the little party in the boats with bullets
and arrows.

The surprise was a complete one, but Buffalo Bill, noth-
ing daunted, fired back at the redskins, while his com-
panions plied the paddles furiously.

The bullets whistled around their heads, and several of
the arrows stuck in the sides of the boat; but none of the
three scouts was harmed by the missiles.

The gantlet was soon run, and the three friends were
beginning to congratulate themselves that they had es-
caped from the trap so cunningly laid for them.

But suddenly they were confronted with an even worse
danger than the ambuscade.

The roar of rapids, ending in what was evidently a
series of dangerous falls, came to their ears.

Their little canoe gathered speed and went swirling
down the river in a manner that would have been most
alarming to men of less steady nerves than the three
scouts.

“Here’s a small Niagara we’re running into,” said Buf-.

falo Bill. ‘‘We shall be in the grip of the rapids in a
What
do you say, pards? Shall we try to shoot the falls and

take our chances, or shall we run the nose of the canoe

for the bank?”

‘The woods are full of redskins,” said Wild Bill. ‘‘Let’s
try the falls. I’d rather be drowned than tortured at the
stake. Besides, I don’t believe we can control the canoe
any longer.”

NG

   
 

  
26

This was the fact. They were already mastered by the
tremendous force of the current, which gained in force
as every moment swept them nearer to the falls.

A little lower down, Wild Bill’s paddle, with which he
was doing his best to keep the head of the boat straight,
was torn away from his hand by the terrible force of the
water. California Joe singly did his best to steer, but
the task was one of herculean difficulty. The canoe was
soon swirled down into that frightful maelstrom as help-
lessly as a floating log.

Soon they struck the rapids and dashed through them
at the speed of an express train. Nothing could save
them now. Ina few seconds they saw the foaming white
water of the fails, and shot over them with a dizzy drop
that took their breath away first, and next moment ren-
dered all three of the men unconscious.

_ When Buffalo Bill came to his senses, he found himself

lying on a sand-spit which stretched out some distance
across the river beneath the falls. He had been washed
up on it, as if by a miracle.

Looking around him, he saw that his two friends were
close at hand. They also had been washed up there, near
‘to him; and they had not yet recovered consciousness.

The canoe had been smashed to pieces, and a few frag-
ments of it were lying upon the sand.

The king: of the scouts felt faint and weak from the
terrible pounding he had received from the surging water
when shooting the falls. He tried to rise to his feet, but
found himself unable to do so. He was forced to close
his eyes and rest for a few minutes before he could hope
to get up and help his comrades.

How long Cody remained in this semiconscious state,

he could not tell. When he opened his eyes, the moon
was shining down brightly on the sand-spit through a rift
in the clouds that covered the sky; and by its light he saw
that he was surrounded by more than forty Arapahoes.

Knowing of the falls, they had hurried along the bank
after the canoe, and had found the three men on the sand-
bank.

They surrounded them completely, and all thought of
resistance was out of the question, as Buffalo Bill saw
in a moment.

His firearms were useless, because they had been im-

His comrades were still insensible,
Further-

mersed in the water.
and could not strike a blow in their own defense.
“more, he was still scarcely able to stand.

Nevertheless, the Aparahoe braves, knowing full well
what a terrible fighter the border king was, treated him
with a great deal of respect, not altogether unmixed with
apprehension.

One of them, who was evidently the leader, pointed a
rifle at Cody’s head, and told him that he would blow his

brains out at once if he made the slightest movement to

resist or escape.

“All right, Bear Claw,” said Cody, who recognized the

7 Ce

Se

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

brave as a former comrade. “I know when to be quiet.
But I warn you that I shall escape if I get the chance.”

One of the younger braves started to chant a song
iruprovised on the spur of the moment by himself, in which
he took great credit to the war-party for having captured
the redoubtable Long Hair and the two other famous
palefaces.

Bear Claw stopped him sternly.

“To not let us boast,” he said. “We have done noth-
ing. It was the evil spirit of the river that conquered
Long Hair—not ourselves, for he escaped from the trap .
we laid for him. Let us now march without any more de-
lay. We have far to go before the dawn. We are still
in the country of the Tularis, and they may be angered if
they learn that we have made prisoners of the palefaces.
Our scouts have told us that the palefaces were friendly
with them.”

Bear Claw directed his men to Anke three hand litters
out of the branches of trees, for none of the scouts was

-in a fit condition to walk. They were bound, but not

cruelly, and placed upon these litters, each of which was
carried by four men. Then, at a rapid pace, the party set
off through the forest, going in the direction of the Arapa-
hoe country.

Wild Bill and California Joe recovered consciousness
soon after the journey commenced, and were consider-
ably surprised to find that they were still in the land of
the living.

Buffalo Bill explained to them what had happened, for
he had not been gagged; and they both agreed with him
that resistance was out of the questicn for the present.
They must wait and seize a chance later, if one should
present itself.

“What in thunder have they done this for?” asked Wild
Bill. “Do you suppose that Red Plume has a hand in it?”

“No, I’m sure he hasn’t,” replied Buffalo Bill, “He is
too honorable and straightforward. He told us to go in
peace, and he warned me that something of this kind was
likely to happen. I didn’t pay enough heed to his words, ©
I’m afraid.”

“It’s that old-question about Star Blossom, of course,”
said Hickok. “But what are they going to do with us?
How do they hope to make you change your mind?”

“Heaven only knows,” returned Buffalo Bill, with a
sigh. “But I wish I hadn’t got you fellows into this
scrape as well as myself. I ought to ‘bear the brunt of
my own troubles.”

“Nonsense!” said California Joe. “These Arapahoes
can’t hurt us, after all that we’ve done for their tribe.”

But though the old scout put on a brave front, he was
by no means so sure as his words suggested. He knew
enough of Indians to distrust their a unless it was
that particular oe of gratitude which is “a lively sense
of favors to come.” He knew, too, that Bear Claw. was

-madly in love with Star Blossom, and felt keenly the sad-

 
  

 

  

ness which had come upon her through her unhappy in-
fatuation for Buffalo Bill.

Several times during the night, the three scouts tried
to make Bear Claw tell them why he had captured them,
and what he intended to do with them; but he maintained
an air of impenetrable reserve and would not answer any
of their questions. Nor were the braves with him any
more communicative.

All through the night the party pushed on, not halting
until the first gray streaks of the dawn were seen on the
horizon. Then Bear Claw gave the word to light a fire
and prepare some breakfast.

After the scouts had eaten, he walked over to the place
where they were sitting.

“Now, Long Hair, the time has come for us to talk,”
he said.

“The time has come,” returned Buffalo Bill fearlessly,
“for Bear Claw to explain why he has committed the sin

99

against honor of capturing and making prisoner the men.

with whom he swore friendship—the men who are the
benefactors of his tribe.”
The warrior’s face flushed at this home thrust, but he
did not reply to it.
“Come,” he said. ‘Follow me. The braves who are
with me in this matter have assembled in council to de-
cide your fate and the fate of your friends.”

 

CHAPTER XIV.

A CLOSE CALL.

Cody and his two friends followed Bear Claw for about

a hundred yards to the spot where the Arapahoe braves
had gathered ae grassy slope under some hem-

) lock trees.

Their feet were at liberty, but their hands were tightly
bound. They had been deprived of all their weapons.

Several of the Indians took hold of them and tied them
to three trees which grew close together. Then all the
Arapahoes grouped themselves around these trees in a
circle, sitting cross-legged on the grass.

Before they could open the council, Buffalo Bill sternly

| demanded to know why allies and friends of the Arapa-

hoes should be treated in such a manner.

In an eloquent speech he reminded them of all that he
and his friends had done for the tribe.

The braves seemed ashamed when they heard the re-
cital, but their resolve to keep him prisoner did not seem
to be shaken.

They listened patiently until he had finished, and then
Bear Claw got up.

“Long Hair speaks truth, ” he said.
friend of the Arapahoes. He has saved them from
famine. He has led them to victory over their enemies.
All this we admit. But he has broken the heart of Star
Blossom, the Rose of the Arapahoes, the maiden whom

“He has been the

  

THE BUPEALO

BILL: STORIES |. 27

we all love. Unless he will return to the village with us
and make Star Blossom his wife, he shall not live to see
another 0

“Be it so,” said the king of the scouts calmly. “I have
explained before that it is impossible for me to wed Star
Blossom. ‘There is no more to say. I will die, if die I
must. But at least you can set my friends at liberty.
They have nothing to do with Star Blossom. Why should
they suffer for my fault or my misfortune?”

“But it is not our plan to set them free,” returned Bear
Claw, with a cold smile of triumph. “We know quite well
that the slayer of buffaloes is: not afraid to die. If he
were, he would not be a fitting mate for Star Blossom.
But we believe that he will change his mind and wed the

maiden rather than see his two friends perish because he .

is obstinate.”

Now the scheme of the Arapahoe was made plain to
Buffalo Bill, He must either be false to the woman he
loved, or he must be in a measure responsible for the
death of two of his dearest friends and truest comrades.

It was a terrible dilemma for a man to be placed in.
Brave and serene of soul though he was, can it be won-
dered at that he turned as pale as a sheet and that his
hands shook like an aspen leaf?

For a brief moment he hoped that it was only an idle
bluff on the part of the Indian, but a look at his stern,
implacable face at once dispelled that illusion.

Cody glanced around the circle, and saw that all the
braves were of the same mind as Bear Claw. They were
resolved that unless he wedded Star Blossom, all three of
the palefaces should die.

The knight of the plains could not trust himself to
speak. He looked in agony at his friends, and they re-
turned him glances full of the most heartfelt sympathy.
True and loyal men that they were, they did not think of
the peril in which they were placed, but of the cruel
problem with which he was faced.

“Don’t mind us, Buffler,” said California Joe. “We've
got to die some day, soon or late. As well now as any
other time. Yer honor is wuth a durned sight more than
our hides.”

“That goes!” observed Wild Bill. “Cody, there’s only
one way for you to decide—and that’s the me you have
decided right along.”

“The paleface chief need not be in haste to make up
his mind,” said Bear Claw. “He can take the whole of
the day. But we must have his answer at sunset. If he
will not promise to marry Star Blossom before the sun
disappears below the horizon, his friends will be shot to
death with arrows before his eyes, and then he, too, shall
perish.”

So saying, Bear Claw turned on his heel and left the
king of the scouts to his reflections—and bitter ones they
were! : a

The three white men were not released from the tree

        
  

     
 

     
 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

trunks to which they had been bound, but were left there
all day, food and water being brought to them at inter-

vals, for it was no part of the plan of the Indians to tor-~

ture them.
Never in his life did Cody spend a more terrible day.
His friends tried to comfort him, but in vain.

If only his own life had been at stake, he would have
given it up readily—even cheerfully. But what right had

he to sacrifice the lives of tis friends for the sake of.

preserving his honor? Would it not be, in a certain
sense, a form of selfishness?

He racked his brain to devise some way of escape, but
there was none. All day long the three were guarded by
several armed redskins, even though they could not stir
hand or foot from the trees to which they were bound.

Slowly the sun sank down in the west—but all too
swiftly for Buffalo Bill. When its red rim began to touch
the horizon, he was still as far from having made up his
mind as he had been in the early morning when the propo-
sition was first put to him.

. Bear Claw came up to him, but said no word. He
simply gazed significantly at the sinking sun, and then at
the border king. He silently awaited the decision.

The blood-red orb was cut in halves by the rim of the
horizon—and still Cody had not said the fateful word.

He had not even made up his mind, and to this day he
has no idea how he would have made it up when the last
moment came.

At a sign from Bear Claw, six Arapahoes came for-
ward and ranged themselves in front of the three men
bound to the trees. They fitted arrows to their bows and
waited in deathly silence.

Suddenly the hoofs of a galloping horse were heard.

All turned their heads in the direction from which the
sound came.

A minute passed, and the sound of the hoofs drew rap-
idly nearer.

Then Star Blossom, galloping her horse as if for dear
life, burst out of the wood near by, and reined up her
smoking steed between the braves with the bows and
arrows and their destined victims.

“Why are the palefaces bound to trees?” she demanded
angrily. “Why did you follow them, Bear Claw, and make
them prisoners? You will suffer for this when Red Plume
arrives here with the rest of the warriors. I came on
ahead because I feared there was mischief afoot. But my
brother is not far behind.”

“Tt means that we are all to die when the sun sets,
unless I promise to marry you,” said Buffalo Bill, looking

the girl steadily in the face.

Star Blossom turned a swift glance to the western hori-
zon. The sun had just sunk from sight in a red and
golden glory.

“The sun has set,’ she said solemnly, “but you shall
not die. Bear Claw is more likely to suffer.”

She paused and drew a knife from her belt.

“Arapahoes!” she cried, turning the keen blade against
her own breast. “Shoot at any one of the palefaces, and
I will instantly drive this knife up to the hilt in my heart.”

Her face was pale, but thoroughly determined. There
could be no doubt that she meant what she said, and
would not hesitate to carry out her threat.

- Bear Claw, after a moment’s hesitation, was obliged
to confess himself beaten,

“Cut loose the palefaces—let them go!” he said to one
of his followers. “Star Blossom, I tried to win happi-
ness for you, but you have cast itaway. Long Hair would
have yielded at the last moment, rather than have seen
his friends killed.”

“T do not know,” replied Star Blossom, ‘‘but even if he
had, I would not have bought my happiness at the price
of his shame.”

* * X* * * * *

Next day, below the falls which had so nearly proved
their grave, Buffalo Bill and his two comrades procured
another canoe and resumed their journey down the river.

As they paddled on over the placid water, Buffalo Bill

could see nothing but. the beautiful, saddened face of Star

Blossom as it had been when she said her final farewell ;
to him. He could hear nothing but her last words: . —

“In life and in death, I am always yours, Long Hair;
though you may never be mine.”

*k 6 K + *  @ * *K

The scouts finally reached their horses safely and jour-
neyed to the Great Plains, where they had many other
stirring adventures, which will be related in future issues
of this library.

Buffalo Bill never met Star Blossom or her brother
again. He often wondered whether the Rose of the
Arapahoes adhered to her resolution never to wed a brave
of her own or any other Indian tribe, but to remain single,

ccherishing his memory.

‘THE END.

The next story in this library will be one of thrilling
and exceptional interest. It will tell of some stirring ad-
ventures of Buffalo Bill among the Apaches—those red-
skin Arabs whom he fought again and again during his
frontier life. The title of the story, No. 243, is “Buffalo
Bill on Special Service; or, The Death Dance of the
Apaches.”

we Beware of Wild West imitations of the Buffalo Bill Stories. They are about fictitious characters. The Buffalo
Bill weekly is the only weekly containing the adventures of Buffalo Gill, (Col. W. F. Cody), who is kaowa all
over the world as the king of scouts.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

40—The Young Rough Rider’s Fight to the
Death; or, The Mad Hermit of Bear’s
Hole.

41—The Young Rough Rider’s Indian Trail; or,
Okanaga, the Cheyenne.

42—The Young Rough Rider’s Double; or, Un-

masking a Sham.

GThe Young Rough Rider’s Vendetta; or, The
House of the Sorceress.

44—Ted Strong in Old Mexico; or, The Haunted
Hacienda.

45—The Young Rough Rider in California; or,
The Owls of San Pablo.

46—The Young Rough Rider’s Silver Mine; or,
The Texas Giant.

47—The Young Rough Rider’s Wildest Ride; or,
Cleaning Out a Whole Town.

48—The Young Rough Rider’s Girl Guide; or,
The Maid of the Mountains,

49—The Young Rough Rider’s Handicap; or,
Fighting the Mormon Kidnapers.

50—The Young Rough Rider’s Daring Climb;
or, The Treasure of Copper Crag.

- 51—The Young Rough Rider’s Bitterest Foe; or,
The Challenge of Capt. Nemo.

52—The Young Rough Rider’s Great Play; or,
The Mad Ally of a Villain.

53—The Young Rough, Rider Trapped; or, A
Villain’s Desperate Play.

54—The Young Rough Rider's Still-Hunt; or,
The Mystery of Dead Man’s Pass.

55—The Young Rough Rider’s Close Call; or, ©

The Girl From Denver.

56—The Young Rough Rider’s Long Ride; or,
Life Against Life.

57—The Young Rough Rider’s Silent Foe; or,

oe The Hermit of Satan’s Gulch.

58—The Young Rough Rider’s River Route; or,

A Fight Against Great Odds.

59—The Young Rough Rider’s Investment: or,
A Bargain With’a Ghost.

60—The Young Rough Rider’s Pledge; or, The
Hermit of Hidden Haunt.

61—The Young Rough Rider’s Aérial Voyage;
or, The Stranded Circus.

62—Ted Strong’ s Nebraska Ranch ; or, The Fra-
cas at Fullerton.

63—Ted Strong’s Treasure Hunt: or, The
Demons of Coahuila, =

  

64—~Ted Strong’s Terrible Test; or, Joining a
Secret Clan.

65—The Young Rough Riders in Shakerag
Canyon; or, Routing the Rustlers of the
Big Horn,

66—Ted Strong’s Secret Service; or, The Mystic

Letter.

with the Evil Eye.

68—Ted Strong’s Troublesome Neighbors; or,
The Feud in Texas.

69—Ted Strong's Dusky Friend; or, The Gypsy
Girl’s Warning.

70—The Young Rough Riders in Panama; or,
An Unpremeditated Voyage.

71—Ted Strong’s Fearless Stand; or, The Young
Rough Riders in Arizona.

zona Clean Up.

73—-Ted Strong’s Celestial Foe; or, A Big
Show Down in Pacos. :

74—Ted Strong’s Luck; or, The Deed to Moon
Valley.

75—Ted rene Generosity ; or, The Mystery
of the Blue Butterfly.

76—Ted Streng’s Air Ship; or, Dueling in the
Clouds.

77—~Ted Strong’s Wild West Show; or, The

~ Making of an Indian Chief.

78—Ted Strong’s Commission; or, Going After
Government Gold.

79—Ted Strong, King of the Wild West; or,
Winning a Town by a Ride.

80—King of the Wild West’s Camel Hunt; or,
Young Rough Riders in the Mojave
Desert.

81—King of the Wild West and the “Bad Men”;
or, Putting a “Lid” on the Territory.

82—King of the Wild West on Guard; or, In the

_ Cause of the Governor’s Son.

83—-King of the Wild West’s “Bounties”; or,
The Young Wolf Hunters of Montana.

84—King of the Wild West’s Sapphire Mines;
or, The Smugglers of Yogo Creek.

85—King of Wild West’s Crooked Trail; or, A
Trip into Old Mexicd.

86—King of Wild West’s Human Map; or, The
Treasure of the Magic Cave Trail.

 

67—Ted Strong’s Decisive Tactics ; or, The Man

7a2—Ted Strong’s Tight Squeeze; or, The Ari-

 

 

 

 

All of the above numbers always on hand. If you cannot get them from your
newsdealer, five cents per copy will bring them to you by mail, postpaid.

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Ave., NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
 

 

EEKLY

Containing the Most Unique and Fascinating
Tales of Western Romance.

 

 

435—Handsome Harry’s Lightning Stroke; or,
_ The Mutineers of Misery Gulch.
430—Handsome Harry’s Fierce Game; or, The
Moonshiner’s Oath.
437—Handsome Harry in Chinatown; or, The
Highbinders’ Crimson Compact.
438—Handsome Harry in the Bad Lands; or, A
Fight for Life in the Bandit Belt.
439—Diamond Dick, Jr.’s, Castle in the Air; or,
The Deadly Duel with Riatas.
440—Diamond Dick, Jr., and the Fire Bugs; or,
The Ten-Strike at Lallakoo.
441—Handsome Harry’s Iron Hand; or, Solving
a Great Diamond Mystery.
442—Handsome Harry’s Treasure Hunt; or,
Three Old Tramps from Tough Luck.
443—Handsome Harry’s Steel Trap; or, A Run-
ning Fight in the Rockies.
444—Handsome Harry with a Hard Crowd; or,
A Blow-up on the Mississippi.
445—Handsome Harry’s Big Round-up; or, The
Beauty of Chimney Butte.
446—Handsome Harry in the Big Range; or,
Hey, Rube, in Arizona.
447—Diamond Dick’s Ghostly Trail; or, The
Phantom Engine of Pueblo.
448—Diamond Dick’s Boy Hunt; or, The Kid-
“napers of the Sierras.
449—Diamond Dick’s Sure Throw; or, The
Broncho Buster’s Last Ride.
450—Diamond Dick’s Fight for Honor; or, The
Wizard Gambler.
451—Diamond Dick Afloat; or, The Pirates of
the Pacific.
452—Diamond Dick’s Steeple Chase; or, The
Leap That Won the Race.
453—Diamond Dick’s Deadly Peril; or, A Fight
for Life in the Rapids.

484—Diamond Dick’s Black Hazard: or, The

Feud at Roaring Water.
455—-Diamond Dick’s Darkest Trail; or, The Se-
cret of the Haunted Mine.
456—Diamond Dick’s Desperate Dash; or, A
Rough Ride through Montana.
457—Diamond Dick’s Secret Foe; or, Nightwolf,
the Red Terror.

 

458—Diamond Dick’s Center Shot; or, A Hoo-
rah at the Golden Gate.

459—Diamond Dick’s Blind Lead; or, The Rus-
_tlers of Sandy Gulch.

460—Diamond Dick’s Cool Thrust; or, The Trail
of The Silent Three.

461—Diamond Dick’s Swiftest Ride; or, Won by
the Pony Express.

462—Diamond Dick in the Desert; or, The Shot-
Gun Messenger from Fargo.

463—Diamond Dick’s Deadliest Foe; or, A Fight

with a Destroying Angel.

464—Diamond Dick’s Death Seal; or, The Beau- :
tiful Bride of Salt Lake. :

465—Diamond Dick’s Riot Call; or, A Bad
- Man’s Oath of Vengeance.

466—Diamond Dick in the Klondike; or, The
Crazy Croesus of the Yukon.

467—Diamond Dick’s -Call to Time; or, The
Mystery of Chilkoot Pass.

-468—Diamond Dick’s Golden Trail; or, The Bad

Man from Forty Mile.

469—Diamond Dick on the Warpath; or, A
Brush with Yaquis in Arizona.

470—Diamond Dick’s Red Signal; or, The Rob- »
bers of the Roundhouse.

471—Diamond Dick and the Coiners; or, Shov-
ing a Queer Gang.

472—Diamond Dick’s Boy Pard; or, The Trail

- of the Black Ring.

473—Diamond Dick’s Double; or, The Lone
Bandit of the Sierras.

474—Diamond Dick’s Silver Star or, Cleaning
Up a Bad Town.

475—Diamond Dick on the Fire Line; or, The
Boys in Red at Lame Dog. |

476—Diamond Dick’s Hold-up; or, The Raid on
Robbers’ Roost.

477—Diamond Dick on the Fire-Line; or, The
Boys in Red at Lame Dog.

478—Diamond Dick’s Defiance; or, The Mid-
night Message from Redstone.

479—Diamond Dick’s Secret Pledge; or, The
Mysterious Man of Bar T.

 

 

 

 

 

All of the above numbers always on hand. [f you cannot get them from your
newsdealer, five cents per copy will bring them to you by mail, postpaid.

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Ave., NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

ROP SORE SOR Atle SAGAR Ye i ga) I i a rae AE i ros A ro RS a Sa “FCW Yo at le ath ede Gach Lv AWHL, Mt A er) ycLaaetrabece ODE

 

 

 

 

All readers of the Renowned Tip Top stories should beware of

io Y T TICN! base imitations, placed upon the market under catch names
Bk E« very similar to Frank Merriwell, and, intended te deceive.

 

 

 

463—Frank Merriwell Blizzard Bound; or,
After Big Game in the Rockies.

464—Frank Merriwell Captured; or, Trouble in
‘the Black ‘Timbers.

405—Dick Merriwell in Damascus ; or, The
Sword of the Sheik.

466—Dick Merriwell on the Desert; or, on

tives of the Bedouins.

467—Dick Merriwell in Egypt; or, The En-
counter on the Nile.

_ 468—Frank Merriwell’s Fingers; or, The Man
Who Came Back.

‘469—Frank Merriwell’s Reldiation: or, The
Clash in California.

470—Frank Merriwell in.’Frisco; or, The “Go”
- at the Golden Gate.
471—Frank Merriwell’s “Dope Ball”; or, The
Wizard Twirler of Leland Stanford.
472—Frank Merriwell’s Handicap; or, Es
The Hurdler from Humboldt.

473—Frank Merriwell’s. Red Challengers; or,
The Hot Game with the Nebraska In-
dians. , 2 :
474—Frank Merriwell’s Fencing; or, For Sport
or For Blood. | -
475—Frank Merriweil’s Backer; or, Playing
Baseball for a Fortune. ae
476—Frank Merriwell’s Endurance; or, The
Cross-Country Champions of America.
477——Frank Merriwell in Form; or, Wolfers,
the Wonder from Wisconsin. ¢
478—Frank Merriwell’s Method; or, The Secret
of Becoming a ‘Champion.
479—Frank Merriwell’s Level Best; or, Cutting
the Corners with a New Curve.
480—Frank Merriwell’s Lacrosse Team; or, The
Great Hustle with Johns Hopkins.
481—Frank Merriwell’s Great Day; or, The
Crowning Triumph of His Career.
- 482—Dick Merriwell in Japan; or, Judo Art
Against Jiu-Jitsu.
483—Dick Merriwell on the Rubber; or, Playing
Baseball in the Flowery Kingdom.

 

484—Dick Merriwell’s Cleverness; or, Showing
the Japs the American Game.

, 485—Dick Merriwell in Manila; or, Papinta, the

Pride of the Philippines.

486—Dick Merriwell Marooned; or, The Queen

of Fire Island.
487—Dick Merriwell’s Comrade; or, The Treas-
ure of the Island.

488—Dick Merriwell, BoD: Stopper; or, A Sur-
prise for the Surprisers. |

489—Dick Merriwell’s Sacrifice Hit; or, Win-
ning by a Hair’s Breadth.

490—Dick Merriwell’s Support; or, Backed Up
When Getting His Bumps.

491—Dick Merriwell’s Stroke; or, Sven
for His Life.

492—Dick Merriwell Shadowed ; or, The Search
for the Lost Professor.

493—Dick Merriwell’s Drive; or, Evening Up
with His Enemy.

494—Dick Merriwell’s Return; or, The Reap-
pearance at Fardale.

495—Dick Merriwell’s Restoration; or, Whip-.
ping the Team into Shape.

490—Dick Merriwell’s Value; or, The Success
of Square Sport.

497—Dick Merriwell’s “Dukes”; or, His Fight

with Himself.

* 498-—Dick Merriwell’s Drop-Kick; or, Chester

Arlington’s Team of Tigers.

4990—Dick Merriwell’s Defeat; or, How Arling-
ton Won the Second Game.

s00—Dick Merriwell’s Chance; or, Taming the
Tigers of Fairport.

501—Dick Merriwell’s Stride; or, The F inish of
the Cross Country Run.

s02—Dick Merriwell’s Wing-Shift; or, The
Great Thanksgiving Day Game.

503—Dick Merriwell’s Skates; or, Playing Ice
Hockey for Every Point.

s04—Dick Merriwell’s Four Fists; or, The Cham-
pion of the Chanson.

so5—Dick Merriwell’s Dashing Game; or, The
Fast Five from Fairport.

 

 

Back numbers may be had from all newsdealers or will be
sent, postpaid, by the publishers upoh receipt of price

 

 

STREET @ SMITH

PUBLISHERS

 

 

NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
PMA ed Ta hes ERO AME NS Se LaaBNO eT
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ic miictieaaines

 

 

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Brea) re aa
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= : Gi i

Containing the Most Thrilling Adventures of the Celebrated
Government Scout. “BUFFALO BILL” (Hon. William F. Cody)

 

 

‘>

197—Buffalo Bill in the Den of Snakes; or, The
Search for a Ton of Gold.

198—Buffalo Bill’s Nebraskan Quest; or, The
Secret Brotherhood of the Platte.

199—Buffalo Bill and the Hounds of the Hills;
or, The Traitor Trooper.

200—Buffalo Bill’s Young Partner; or, The Out-
law Queen’s Cipher Message.

201—Buffalo Bill’s Great Search; or, Bagging
Bad Birds in Wyoming.

202—Buffalo Bill and the Boy in Blue; or, The
Ghost Dancers of the Bad Lands.

203—Buffalo Bill’s: Long Chase; or, Nervy
Frank’s Leap for Life.

204—Buffalo Bill’s Mine Mystery; or, Conquer-
ing the Brotherhood of the Crimson
Cross.

205—Buffalo Bill’s Strategic Tactics; or, Trail-

/ ing the Terrible Thirty-nine.

206—Buffalo Bill’s Big Jack Pot; or, A Game
for a Life.

207—Buffalo Bill’s Last Bullet; or, Solving the
Mystery of Robber’s Rock.

208—Buffalo Bill’s Deadliest Peril; or, The Pur-
suit of Black Barnett, the Outlaw.

209—Buffalo Bill’s Great Knife Duel; or, The
White Queen of the Sioux.

210—Buffalo Bill’s Blind Lead; or, The Treasure
of the Commander.

211—Buffalo Bill’s Sacrifice; or, For a Woman’s
Sake. |

212—Buffalo Bill’s ’Frisco Feud; or, California
Joe to the Rescue. —

213—-Buffalo Bill’s Diamond Hunt; or, The King
of Bonanza Gulch.

214—Buffalo Bill’s Avenging Hand; or, Lariat
Larry’s Last Throw.

215—Buffalo Bill’s Mormon Quarrel; or, At War
with the Danites.

216—Buffalo Bill’s Deadshot Pard; or, The Evil
Spirit of the Plains.

217—-Buffalo Bill’s Cheyenne Comrades; or, The
Brand of the Death Brotherhood.

218—Buffalo Bill’s Fiery Trail; or, Lone Bear’s

Paleface Pard.

 

219—Buffalo Bill’s Sioux Foes; or, The Noosing
of Big Elk.

220—Buffalo Bill’s Cold Trail; or, The Medicine
Woman of the Apaches.

221—Buffalo Bill’s Iron Fist; or, The Tiger of
the Kiowas.

222—Buffalo Bill’s Race with Fire; or, ‘Saving
His Enemies.

223—Buffalo Bill’s Florida Foes; or, Hunting
Down the Seminoles.

224—Buffalo Bill’s Grim Climb; or, Fighting In-
dians in Mexico.

225—Buffalo Bill’s Red Enemy; or, The Wizard
of the Comanches.

226—Buffalo Bill on a Traitor’s Track; or, The

White Chief of the Crows.

227—-Buffalo Bill’s Last Bullet; or, Red Cloud’s
Smoke Signal. .

228—Buffalo Bill’s Air Voyage; or, Fighting
Redskins from a Balloon.

2290—Buffalo Bill’s Death Thrust; or, Snake
Eye’s Silent Doom.

230—Buffalo Bill’s Kiowa Foe; or, Buckskin
Sam’s Red Hand.

231—Buffalo Bill’s Terrible Throw; or, The
Strong Arm of the Border King.

232—Buffalo Bill’s Wyoming Trail; or, Wild
Work with the Redskins.

233—Buffalo Bill’s Dakota Peril; or, Wild Bill’s
Death Feud.

' 234—Buffalo Bill’s Tomahawk Duel; or, Playing

Redskins at Their Own Game.

235—Buffalo Bill’s Apache Round-Up; or, The

» Redskin Renegade.

236—Buffalo Bill’s El Paso Pard; or, The Red ~
Whirlwind of Texas.

237—Buffalo Bill on the Staked Plain; or, Lance,
Lasso and Rifle.

238—Buffalo Bill’s Border Raid; or, Fighting
Redskins and Renegades.

239—Buffalo Bill’s Bravest Fight; or, Star Eye,
the Pawnee Princess.

240—Buffalo Bill’s Heathen Pard; or, Lung Hi
on the War Path.

241—Buffalo Bill’s Dakota Dare-devils ; or, Rout-
ing the Redskins.

 

 

 

 

 

‘ |
All of the above numbers always on hand. If you cannot get them from your
newsdealer, five cents per copy will bring them te you by mail, postpaid.

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Ave., NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

ihilishiiaitanaliiasthieen iterate inaaalendnitaieninenaiinrin nto iit tlt tts escbhahetcragte snes
wr eee PORT ae EN ee D r

 

(THE FAVORITE LIST

OF FIVE-CENT LIBRARIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Redskins.

Stories.

 

BUPPALO BIEL STORIES

Buffalo Bill is the hero of a thousand exciting adventures among
These are given to our boys only in the Buffalo Bill

They are bound to interest and please you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOP WEEKLY

Frank and Dick Merriwell are
two brothers whose adventures
in college and on the athletic field
ate Ol intense interest’ to the
American boy of to-day. They
prove that a boy does not have to
be a Fowdy to have exciting
sport.

NICK CARTER =

We know, boys, that there is
no need of introducing to you
Nicholas Carter, the greatest
sleuth that ever lived. Every
number containing the
tures of Nick Carter has a peculiar,
but delightful, power of fascina-
tion.

 

adven- |

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¢ AILS 5,

is 2 IREESRAU AGT

 

"JACK Terai eae
| : : & eee ae |

ALL-SPORTS LIBRARY

All sports that boys are inter-

-ested in, are carefully dealt with

 

The
stories deal with the adventures

‘n the All-Sports Library.

of plucky lads while indulging in
healthy pastimes.

PAUL JONES ESE S20

Do not think for a. second,
boys, that these stories are a lot
of musty history, just sugar-
coated. They are all new tales of
exciting adventure on land and
sea, in all of which boys of your
own age took part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ce 2b

& 2 DIFFERENT COMPLETE aes EVERY. WEEK

 

 

 

BRAVE AND BOLD

Every boy who prefers variety
in his reading matter, ought to
be a reader of Brave and Bold.
All these were written by authors
who are past masters in the art
stories.

of telling boys’. Every

| tale is complete in itself.

ROUGH RIDER WEEKLY _

Ted Strong was appointed dep- [=
uty marshal by accident, but he |
resolves to use his authority and
rid his ranch of some very tough
bullies. He does it in such a slick
way that everyone

certainly deserves his title.

 

calls him |}
“King of the Wild West” and he || —

 

(7 STRONG HONG Tire WILD VST
ANID

town by a Ride

 

 

 

 

 

_DIAMON B DICK WEEKLY

The demand for stirring stories

of Western adventure is admir-

ably filled by this library. Every
up-to-date boy ought to read just
how law and order are estab-
lished and maintained on our
Western plains by Diamond Dick,

| Bertie, and Handsome Harry.

 

BOWERY BOY a eg

The adventures of a poor waif |
Whose only name is ‘‘Bowery
Billy.

of the streets of New York. No

boy can read the tales of his trials ||
without imbibing some of that re- |

source and courage that makes

the character of this homeless boy :

stand out so prominently.

 

 

Billy is the true product ae