~~ 2 =
Be SS ¢ aN
"| 0 3
= Bile E
= s
—— | © =
8 s
ox x > S
a i :
3| Le 5
| 2 |
a4 | s
By
== =
= Be :
B <
o
=|: 3
— % ®
3 aoe
e S: oO
= s a wy
1 § “8
| wll Sle 27
| s|> O i
=. ne }
| me 5 8 +}
ma | Sor
3) t% YD |
f . | = ne
r= ga aoe
p S a 9 6
bor S| pet 23
os 3 | Ge | So
r CD a a
gm 8 = 0
| a s ne
. | pated =
|= =o
S a 8
&
q a 2
ve =
3 £
: :
S > |
ba) tu i
:
S 3
s 3
a) 4
=| © =
XY
S/N =
3g =
‘iz

 

 

 

 

 

 

bs 8000204 |
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

= — Poe Sega
=e ~ ae
= se — —
pee oie pe ea BEES Re ean
/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
ee

eee

 

 

 

 

so " pEVOTED.

A WEEKLY PUBLI CAT! ON

 

 

TO BORDER HISTORY

 

& lssued Weekly. By Susdreeae $2. 50 Per year.

Entered as Second-class Matter at the N. VY. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 79-59 Seventh Avenue,

N.Y. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1906, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.

[35> 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, (Col. W. F. Cody), who is known all

over the wort as the ng of scouts.

 

 

Wo. 264. |

NEW YORK, June 2, 1906.

Price Five Cents.

 

suita

 

THE WILD RIDERS OF THE WILDERNESS.

 

. By the author of “BUFFALO BILL.”

ee om Whe PP ae LLCS

 

 

CHAPTER I.
BURIED ALIVE.

With a rapid clatter of ringing hoofs a horseman came
galloping through the wide pass of the Sweetwater, fol-
lowing the trail that led down from the mountains to the
wild mining-camp of Crystal Bend.

‘He sat on his horse with centaurlike firmness, and
was a picturesque and attractive figure. The large, light-
colored hat, the long hair flowing down on. the collar of
the yellowish coat, the neat trousers, the high cavalry
boots with the silver spurs, the well- known mustache and
imperial, together with the repeating rifle and the shi-
ning revolvers, proclaimed him to be the noted scout and
Indian fighter, Buffalo Bill.

As he rode thus along, a cry reached him, causing him
to draw rein.
“Help! {72

It was a cry that had never gone unanswered by the
noted scout.

Yet, where it came from was the thing that puzzled
him, | 7s
Lifting himself in the stirrups, he looked around, and
up and down the pass; and then let his eyes wander along
the slopes of the adjacent hills.

Apparently, whoever uttered the cry could not be far
away, yet no one was in sight. All he saw that had life
was a vulture winging its spiral flight Bas as if it
had been disturbed by his approach.

‘Some one wounded, perhaps,’ was his thought.

Again he scanned his surroundings with eyes as keen
as an eagle’s, but the result was as before. No human
form was in sight, standing erect or lying prostrate.

Again and again came that cry, low and faint, as if

the one who uttered it were too weak to lift his voice.

It was not only faint, but it was hoarse, and it had a

baffling quality which defied the attempt of the scout to

locate it.

Then he started, for he heard his own name called:
“Cody! For Heaven's sake, Cody!”

   
   

  

SILI ATT TITe AT E OT

I ae

ees

a
tp

        
 

Ny

The sentence which followed was indistinguishable.

“Some one who knows me, and is wounded and too
weak to sit up, or lift his head. He is on the ground
somewhere about here. Ah, perhaps behind those tufts
of sage-brush !”

The scout rode over to the sage-brush and there
scanned the ground, but nobody was there.

Yet the ery came again, as baffling and mysterious as
before.
Buffalo Bill began now to ride slowly ad in a
sweeping circle, scanning the ground, looking behind

every stone and tuft of grass, even though the stones
and Sr seemed too small to hide the form of a.

man,
‘He stopped c onee more, listening; for the cry seemed

nearer; yet still he saw no one, though his keen a

searched everywhere.
“Cody! For Heaven's she Cody !
me?” came the voice.

Can’t you see

“T can’t see you,” the scout confessed, perplexed. “You.

are lying near here, wounded?”
“Pm buried ave!” |
_ The scout thrilled to the finger-tips at the words. The
voice seemed to come from the ground at no great dis-
tance away.

“Buried alive? Are you under the ground?
vou, but I fail to see you!”

“All under but my head, Cody—a part of my head!

ight here!”

: hear

The scout began to walle his horse about; and then he
iw. some stains of yellow earth; and in the midst of it

ise. face of a man, which was set even lower than the
surface of the ground, for a little spot had been hollowed
there, and the upturned face, ae at the oe seemed
to, be lying init.

~The scout fairly threw himself from the saddle. and

ran toward that face.

‘He uttered a wondering cry” as he did so, and then a
name, the name of a friend, almost as. well-known i in the

annals of the West as his own, came in a shout ‘of sur~

prise and amazement from his lips:
“Frank Powell!” _
“Yes, Cody!”

_ The face was so set in the garth that had been banked

tightly about it that only the nose and eyes, the mouth,
and the cheeks, and forehead were visible.
only could be turned. The effect was startling. It was
as if the face had been cut away from the head and laid
there in that shallow hole.

Yet that there was a living man pont hainited of
no doubt. The eyes were full of life, and though the
face was white with pain and anxiety, it flushed slowly
-3 the scout hurried up and bent down over it.

“Cody, thank Heaven!” came in a hoarse whisper. cab

lought you would go by and J should fail to.make you

|

THE BUFFALO

The eyes

BILL, STORIES |

_ hear; you were riding fast, you know. No other person

has come along here for hours. The day has seemed
weeks long to me. My hands and oo are tied, and Vin
helpless.” a | oe

“Tl have you out of here in a minute.”

The scout was already digging the earth away from

the face and neck, to give greater freedom to the head:

and, though he was filled with anger against eye
miscreants had done this, and questions concerning it |

boiled within him, he worked rather than questioned. —

Having drawn away as much of the earth as he could.

with his hands, he began to attack the ground with his
knife, spading it out in a fever of haste.
“Tf I only had something better to work with,” he
said; “but I'll have you out of this soon, Powell.”
Though the knife was his only digging tool, he sank

into the ground with the speed of a grubbing badger, |

and soon had the prisoner’s broad shoulders uncovered.
“Ah, that is better!” Powell panted. “Now I can
breathe! The weight of that earth on my chest has al-
most smothered me.’
“Tn the name of.Heaven, who were the fiends that did

this?” the scout gasped, as he continued to sink the knife

deeper into the yielding soil.

“The Bandits in Black!”

“Those human devils!”

“Ves, Cody.”

“Well, I’ve come into this section to look after foc
gentry. This adds to the score of the reckoning wgalis:
them. Are you wou Powell ?” :

HNO. rae

“That's. peod!?. «> |

“But limo nearly dead.”

“T- should think you would be.”

“T’ve been here for: hours, Cody; and had: ae to
despair.
against me.
one passing through here. People are afraid of it, and
avoid “it, because of those rascals; and take the pass. to
the south: which is safer.
scoundrels, and expeeted me to die-here.”

He panted out the words in a gust. oF passion.

It was slow work releasing Powell from that. living.

grave to which the Bandits in Black had consigned: him.
Powell talked at intervals. as the scout worked, though

Buffalo Bill urged him to save his strength and tell the.

entire story after he had been released. :
“Tt was horrible—horrible,. Cody!” he. declared. “You
saw that vulture? He has been here by me for hours,
watching and waiting.
tended to pick my eyes out, and I think he would have
done it but for the fact that my voice frightened him.
That’s why I am so hoarse, shouting at that foul bird.
He was like some black devil, hopping and walking
slowly round and round me here, waiting for some da

This is a lonely trail, arid the chances were all
Sometimes weeks may go by without:.any

_And they knew. that, the

Time and again I thought he in-

 

 

 

 

 

t:
on

NS

pe ae ee rear ae eer NO

a

i
|
q

 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. 7 a

4 “ness on my part which should encourage him to attack
i

u me.

|) And that was what those fiends doomed me to!
told me the vultures would pick my eyes out, and that

 

 

 

Pee si nate

 

é
diode

Cody, it was horrible! 1 shall never be able to see

one of those birds again without sending a bullet at it.
They

the sun would cook my upturned face raw; and then
that I should die in here—die the death of 2 dog, they
said. As if ever a dog died so horrible a death as they

} planned for me!”

Buffalo Bill listened to the bitter, panting words of his
friend almost without speaking; the task of uncovering
him took all his strength and breath, for he worked with

{ furious haste.

Yet, because the tool was so inadequate, a long time
was consumed in removing the earth from about the
body of Frank Powell.

As soon as Powell’s hands were uncovered, Buffalo
Bill cut the cords that bound them at the wrists.

The ropes that held Powell’s ankles were cut after he
had been dragged out of the hole, and lay panting on
the grass.

(> Buffalo Bill himself was. almost exhausted, he had

worked with such furious speed.

“And now you'll let me tell you about it?” said Powell,
when thus released. “You have saved me from worse
than death, Cody; and when I had about lost all hope.”

“We'll make a bitter settlement with those fellows,’
answered the scout, thus consenting for his friend to
gO Of.

“T was in the town down there.”

Powell pointed down the pass in the direction of Crys-
tal Bend, which was still invisible.

“I had come out here on a hunting trip, and they

learned I was in the town. One night a fellow came into
the hotel and asked me, in my room, if I was Doctor

Frank Powell. —

“I told him I was. He seemed a decent sort of chap,
judging by his clothing and appearance, but he was one
of those rascals in black, as I learned afterward.

“You're the Doctor Frank Powell who is known by
the Sioux Indians and the oe tribes as White Beaver ?’
he asked.

“When I assured him that I was, an said he had heard
of me, and of my skill as a surgeon; and that he had a
friend who had been very seriously injured in a mine,
that he wanted me to see at once.

“There were no decent doctors in Crystal Bend, he
claimed, and his friend, he feared, would die if he had
not at once the attention of a skilled surgeon.”

“And you could never resist an appeal like that,” com-
mented Buffalo Bill,

“Never. Whenever I am asked to go anywhere to
assist a man, or a woman, who is sick, or injured, I go
without question. The fellow knew it. I followed him

if I # (es & ‘ }
ee ee Di Slcdcsiseh aes ig iad Soe EU SARA coca “5

p
ik §

y a

pe

out of the hotel, for he told me he had a horse ready for :

me, and we rode away together.
“We hadn’t gone a mile from the town before we rode

into the midst of a band of men all clothed in black and

masked. I knew at once they were the Black Bandits.
They made no attempt to conceal the fact; but said they
needed a surgeon so badly just then that they had taken
this means to get me out of the town, and appealed to

me to go with them peaceably, and attend to the wounds |
of their chief, promising to return me to the town with-

out injury.
“T couldn’t have turned back then if I had wanted to;
and I didn’t want to. The thing caught my fancy, and

I was quite willing to render service even to a robber,

if he was wounded and in danger of death for need of
medical and surgical skill.

“So I told them to go ahead; that I would see the
wounded man, and do everything I could for him.

“Tl make the story short. We reached their camp
the next morning, after they had blindfolded me and
conducted me to it by a roundabout way, so that I should
not be able to locate it afterward.

“There I found a young man, who was not the chief,
but his lieutenant. He had been shot in the shoulder.

The ball was still in the wound, and there was danger |

of blood-poisoning. His temperature was high and his
mind clouded. It was through his wild babbling that I
found he was the lieutenant, and not the chief, and that
the chief was a prisoner in Denver, convicted of murder,
and about to be hanged.

“T extracted the bullet, and the next day, so rapid was

the fellow’s progress, he was out of danger, and his mind -

had cleared.

“All would have gone well, and I would have been
sent back to the town under escort but for one thing. A
young woman was captured and brought a prisoner
there, which they did not intend I should know, but
which she herself brought to my attention by escaping
from them and rushing into my presence, begging me
to do something for her, and telling me in breathless
words her story. It was a remarkable and startling ore,
for she was the daughter of the governor of the State,
and had been captured and was being held there to force
the governor to pardon and release from prison the
bandit chief, who was about to be hanged for murder.

“They seized her in my presence and tried to stifle her
cries, but she had told her story; and, in spite of the men
surrounding me, I promised to secure her freedom, or
die in the attempt.”’

He stopped, thoughtfully.

“Well, I came near dying, Cody!

“Vou did; but you’re still in the land of the living, and
will be able, I hope, to make that at good.”’

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“You are beginning to feel cyeone again?

(7?

Here, have

a ee See L AN Us

Site

——

 
 

 

THE BUFFALO

a little more of this whisky!’ said the scout, pressing on

his friend the contents of the metal flask taken from his _

saddle-pouch.

“Not any more, Cody; I shall be all right in a short
time.”

He shivered, as the memory of his horrible experience
swept over him.

Then he went on with his story :

“They kept the girl out of sight, and wen I would
not agree not to trouble myself about the matter, they
tied me and brought me toward the town.

“On the way they asked me to promise to ‘forget’ the
whole thing. They even offered me money if I would.
They said they did not intend to harm the girl, but meant
to use her to make the governor pardon the chief, and
that then they would release her.

“Then I said to them that if they did that I should not
trouble about the matter, and would even agree to keep
still after they had concluded their negotiations with the
governor. For me, Cody, that was going pretty far.”

“They are negotiating with the governor?”

“Yes, so they said.”

“T’ve been away from the towns and out of touch with -

everything, and had heard nothing of this.”
“T think I will take a little more of that liquor, Gedy.
I never was so weak. Strange, that should make me so!”
| What you have been through is enough to kill most

 meéfi.’

Buffalo Bill produced the flask and put it to the lips
of his friend. ee

The latter, having taken a swallow, lay back on the
grass, and color began once more to come into his face.
His clothing was much soiled from contact with the
ground, and he seemed used-up.

“The horror of a situation like yours would break
down the nervous system of almost any one,” continued
the scout, watching the face of his friend.

“Words can’t describe such suffering ey

“Tt was a hellish deed!’

“The thing I saw, Cody, was that they didn’t intend
to keep their word with the governor, even if he released
their chief; they meant to hold the girl. The lieutenant
had already, before he was hurt, fallen in love with her,
and so had some of the others. If the camp isn’t turned
into a nest of fighting fiends over her in a little while, I’m
not good at guessing.

“So, seeing just what they meant, and that they were
trying to deceive the governor long enough to get their

.

chief out of his hands, my promises were not made with

a vehemence and a show of earnestness to please them.
And, besides, they got to drinking.”
“How did they get hold of the girl in the first place?”
“Kidnaped her. She was out here, or near here, with
some friends, on a camping trip. I wonder that her fa-

 

BILL STORIES. a 4

ther permitted her to come into such a section! Perhaps @

he didn’t know the Black Bandits were in this neighbor-
hood. One day, when she rode out alone, they captured

her.

believed he would do it.
“But, to get back to what I was saying about myself.

They started out, pretending they meant to conduct me | -
to Crystal Bend. Whatever their intentions, when the |

vehemence of my promises wasn’t enough to satisfy them

they turned aside and voted to put me to death. They |

were crazy drunk by that time, and ready for anything.
Shooting me wasn’t fiendish enough for them!’

“Vou can be thankful, Powell, that they really pre-
ferred some other method!”

“Ves now; but at the time the method they chose |
They intended it to be,

seemed worse than a bullet.
worse.

“Having decided to kill me—or, rather, to bury me [ .

re!

me passed from them. They became fiends, then, in thet" |
And they got a fiendish satisfaction f

alive—the little show of kindness and consideration given

conduct toward me.
out of what they set out to do.

“They tied my hands and feet, and with me sitting '

here on the ground they dug the grave, telling me all
the time of the horrors of being buried alive in this way;
of the horrors of having the vultures pick out my eyes
and tear my face into strips while I was yet alive; and
of the agony of having the burning sun blaze down on
me, when I could not turn my head to escape it.

“And they talked cheerfully of the wolves that would

Just what word they sent to her father I don’t 7
know of course; but they said they promised to release |
her on condition that he released their chief, and they |

 

  

come at night to finish me, if I lived through the day and ae :

survived the torments of the vultures.”
“Pleasant gentlemen!” said Buffalo Bill ironically.

“Biends, if ever there were any! Drunken fiends!

“And so they buried me here, as you found me; and it 0

was only good fortune that brought you this way in time.

When I thought you were about to ride on by, the agony :

of that thought was worse even than my fears had been
of the vulture.” .

His face paled as he thus talked.

“Try to put it out of your mind.”

“Cody, if I should live a thousand years I could never:
forget it. It will-be a nightmare to haunt my sleep
throughout the rest of my life. It was something terri-
ble—horrible! No words can picture it.”

“We'll talk of something more cheerful, ” the scout
urged. “I'll unfold to you my plans for capturing, or
at least breaking up, that rascally band known as the
Bandits in Black. Which way did they go?”

“On toward Crystal Bend.”

“Then we'll move in the same direction.”

 

 
 

$¢

ey

  
 
  
   
 
    

i
th

| <owns of that day.
headquarters of as pitatical a set of rascals as ever in-

 

Eine BUrb ALO
CHAPTER II.

TRAPPED.

The sun was less than an hour high when Buffalo Bill
ind the famous White Beaver entered the town of Crys-
al Bend.

They had remained out in the hills until Powell's
strength was sufficiently recruited to enable him to ride
he scout’s horse, and then they had come boldly on to

“Crystal Bend, Powell on the horse and Buffalo Bill walk-

ng.
Crystal Bend was one of the roughest af the Western
It was the haunt of bandits and the

‘ested the earth. Gamblers, confidence men, thieves and
hugs, murderers, and men of every class who had fled
‘rom justice in the older communities made it their abi-
ling-place.

Their prey was the miners—the men who toiled
fgeonan the day in the mines that surrounded the

! <own, and when night came appeared in the town with
) ‘heir earnings and their gold-dust, ready to fling it away

if the gambling-halls and the all-night dance-houses.
Such a place offered special protection to such men

i as the Bandits in Black, who were “gentlemen of the
¢ 9 coad,”

or, in the parlance of the West, “road-agents.”
They levied toll of the stages that ran between the

7 mining towns, held up travelers on the lonely trails,
» -obbed~niiners, sometimes looted border banks, raided
_vanches, and lived the wild and reckless life of eg
| jooters.

And like freebooters they died ahot down in their

raids, or dropping to death at the end of the hangman’s
“ope.

None of them lived long. It was a wild life—

and a short one.

Though the great scout and his doctor friend knew

‘ hat Crystal Bend was a nest of desperadoes, and be-

 

 

   

: jeved that in it were many sympathizers with and allies

of the Black Bandits, they did not ‘hesitate to enter it.

out always “Pard,” or something as noncommittal .

They found the streets filled with drunken horsemen,
ind were sure that at least some of these belonged to

he Black Bandit gang.

Doctor Powell found a drug store the first thing, and
here secured certain drugs and medicines that he never
‘ared to be without.

When he reappeared, the scout pointed to a building
iot far off. A man stood holding his horse, ready to
ake it away and put it in a stable.

“I thinkewe’ll put up there, pard,” said the scout.

“Just as you say,” Powell answered.

Neither, in speaking now, used the name of the other;
et
‘ven this caution could hardly keep their identity undis-
‘overed.

The proprietor of this particular hotel and warbling:

 
     

    

incase ke: RR a aoa Mee eb — Sete

 

lungs, and is bleedin’ ter death, I reckon.

Coal iN a Oy ds ee ena

BILL STORIES. 5

house, which, like all its class, had a saloon attachment,
stared at the two men as they entered.

Then he surprised them by addressing each by name.
“I never fergit a face,” he declared. “Yes, I reckon I
kin put you up. House is crowded; but it’s like an omni-

bus—allus thar’s room fer one more.”

He was a homely fellow. with a long face and lank fig-
ure; and his two catty eyes were as yellow as those of a
tiger, and looked as treacherous.

He had hardly shown the two men to the room oe
shouts sounded in the street.

A little later the lank proprietor made his appearance.

“Doc Powell,” he said, “thar’s a feller down-stairs,
in ther room below ther saloon, what’s shot through the
I told him »
you was a doctor, and he asked me ter git ye. Will yer
go down and look at, him?”

“He was shot awhile ago?”

“Yes; out in ther street thar, durin’ the fightin’. He’s
a young feller, anda miner, and ain’t got no dust ter pay
ye with, I’m thinkin’; but-—”

“Oh, that makes no difference,”
doctor.

“Then you'll come?”

“Tl be there in just a minute.”

The proprietor retreated, as Powell made his prepara-
tions.

“It’s lucky I went to that drug store awhile ago,” he
said. “I’ve got a few things that are nearly always
needed.”

“Do you think he gave you straight goods?” asked the
scout,

“The druggist?”

“No, the proprietor.”

Powell looked him in the face.

“Treachery, you mean?”

said the big-hearted

“T was just asking you what you think about it. I
don’t like the looks of that fellow, nor his eves. He’s a
tiger-cat. I almost wish we hadn’t come into this hotel.”

“You're nervous!’

“No, only cautious.”

“You'd advise me not to go down and see that young
miner?”

“T can’t do that, of course; but I’m going with you.
A lot of those Black Bandits are in the town, and I have
a feeling that this proprietor is thicker with them than
fleas. The fellow shot may even be one of them.”

“Tt would be singular if I was called twice in succes-
sion to see a member of that band!’

“It might be more than singular—it might be danger-
ous.’

Powell stopped in his Arepuea cas, and, standing up,
looked full at the famous scout.

“Cody, a little earlier in the day it was I whose nerves
had gone all to pieces. I felt like crying, or wanted to ©

 

 
 

 

6 : ‘THE BUFFALO

jump at the rustle of a leaf. And now, while I seem to
have got over that, you appear to be growing nervous.’

“It’s just a feeling I have,” said the scout, “and, of
course, I oughtn’t pay any attention to it. But, Powell,
I’ve felt in just this way Oe and something has al-
ways happened.”

- “Always?”

“Nearly always.”

“Then there have been exceptions ?”

“You're laughing at me!”

“T don’t want my big and brave-hearted friend to grow
superstitious, that’s all. We medical and scientific men,
you know, lay all such things to nerves, as we call it.
You’re nervous, Cody; and I don’t wonder. I’m still
but a bunch of shaking nerves myself, though I’m trying
to hold them in subjection.”

“You're willing for me to go with you?”

“Glad to have you, Cody.”

Leaving the room together, they descended the stairs,
and found the proprietor below awaiting them.

“This way,’ he called. “The feller’s bleedin’ like a
Bis Pig. If it can’t be stopped he’ll go over the divide
soon.’

He led toward another stairway that seemed to ae
the way to the cellar.

‘Down there?” queried Powell.

“T couldn’t have him in the saloon, ner in the office!

So we put him there. Some o’ his friends air with him,
but they can’t do nothin’.”
For an instant Doctor Powell hesitated; then he was
on the dark, narrow stairs, following the proprietor.
Buffalo Bill came close at his heels, and it was signifi-
cant that he dropped a hand to one of his revolvers.
But he saw a light in the room below, and thought he
heard voices.
The proprietor Stood aside as they gained the bottom
of the stairs.
“Right on ahead there,” he said, “whar ther light
shows. Jim, hyar’s ther doctor I said I’d bring!”
He turned back, up the stairs.
Powell started on toward the light.
_ Buffalo Bill turned round, looking at the reresag
proprietor. X
“Vl be with you ag’in in jist a minute,” said the latter.

He ran quickly up the stairway, while the scout hesi-

tated.

Then he elosed the door with a vicious bang, and the
scout heard a heavy bolt shoot into place, and heard,
likewise, singular laughter, that seemed to come from
the throat of the proprietor.

At the same moment a cry came from Doctor Powell.
(2.

“Why, Cody,” he shouted, ‘there isn’t a soul in here!
“Trapped!” thought the scout. “Just as I feared!”

 

BILL STORIES.
CHAPTER IIL.

SURROUNDED BY FOES,

“I think we’re trapped, Powell,” said Buffalo Bill, 7

stepping in the direction of the light.

Powell came out of the room, into the narrow tunnel- |

like entrance to it, holding the lamp over his head; and
the light showed that his face had paled. ;
“Tt looks it. I found this lamp in there, and not an-

other thing. That isn’t a room at ab but only a cellar; |

damp and musty like a cellar, too.”

“We're trapped!” said the scout, looking his friend
“The proprietor made an excuse to go |

full in the face.
back up-stairs, and I heard him bolt the door from the
other side, and was sure, too, that I heard him laugh.”
“And I’m to blame for it!” —
“Not at all.” - |
“But you warned me!”
“I had a feeling that something was wrong.’
“And we ought to have heeded it!’

ame ¥

Buffalo. Bill accompanied him on into the cellar, and |
It was a musty hole, with heavy brick 2

looked about it.
walls, and the only avenue of egress the one ae propiy
tor had retreated by.
“Treachery, without doubt!” said Buffalo Bill. _
“Not a soul in here, you see!”

“Fe made an excuse of that shooting in the street, and a

told you a wounded man was down here to get you into
the place.” ON err
“Tt’s too bad that you came along, Cody.”

“Oh, he expected me to. He was clever about it. The a
question now, is, what does he intend to do; and what |

can we do?”

“It was idiotic in me to fall into this trap, after my 2
said Powell, much shaken ©

36

escape from that other one,
by the discovery that he had again been fooled.
ought to have warned me.”

“That

“It was only your kind heart that caused you to fal! ;

urged the scout, seeing how distressed his friend
We haven’t tried that door.

into it,”
was. “But we'll get out.

If we can force it we'll fight our way through the bar-

‘room with our revolvers. I think I’d like to get a shot
at that rascally hotel man.” |

They left the cellar and went back along the narrow
passage to the stairway; and, ascending the stairway,
arrived in front of the locked and bolted door.

Beyond the door they heard voices in low talk, but
could not tell what was being said.

Buffalo Bill, who had gone up the stairway first, laid

his hand on the knob. The door was tightly locked.

The talk in the room beyond subsided when the speak-
ers heard his hand on the door-knob and knew he was
trying the door.

Caution warned him to step aside, and he also pushed
Powell aside.

  

ae eyes Se

 

 

 

 

 

  
    

   
  
  
 
  
 
 

   

 

 

* iend.

The BULPALG

_ They may sling lead through ‘the door,’ he whis-

red. “Look out.””

Then he called out:
“Hello, in there! We think we ‘4 like to get out of this

23

Hace.

He ducked his head as he said it, and a revolver

-sared in the barroom, the bullet cutting through the
or just where his head had been when he spoke.

Silence followed, the rascals in ‘the barroom listening
r the sound of his falling body. | o
Buffalo Bill and Powell lay low on the stairway, refi-

p coring it almost impossible for any one in the barroom

reach them with a revolvet.

Then they began to crawl softly down the stairs. ‘The
mp they had left below; and, taking it up. again, they
ent back into the cellar.

“Only, if they

“We're safe in here,” said Powell.

:. ld us in here long enough, I don’t know what we shall

The scout was listening, but now he turned to his
“Unless there’s another way into this place, in my
inion the Black Bandits who are in town will steal
wn the stairway and make.a rush on us; but they'll

sot try it until they think we’re worn out and asleep. In_
ny nen we're secure for awhile.

In the meantime,
arch of this place and see what it con-

>a lamp down here!

Xess Bi that was done to draw us in. If there had
en no light we'd have hesitated and the game would
ive been up.”

With the lamp they began now a-thorough- investiga-

yn of their prison, They went all round it, feeling of

e walls, thinking that perhaps there was at some point
secret door; but they found none. The place was clut-
red with broken boxes and old barrels, and refuse of

‘ ious kinds; and, not having been vised for a es time,
-e odor was particulatly disagreeable.

When they had circled the walls and came back to

ie: eir starting-point, they placed the lamp on one of the
_ »oxes and looked at each other. .

 

 

 

» ith them,”

| 8 clever.”

 

“That hotel-keeper i is one of the Bie Weiciiee: in
said the scout. “Otherwise, he’d have no
terest in doing this. The shots in the street may not
ive ‘indicated a fight, but may have been for the purpose

' giving him an excuse to claim that a wounded man
as down here. All of es to show that

“The ‘question is, how are we to get out?”

“T don’t know yet. We can rest awhile, and seé what
ippenis. You’ - pretty at used up; ahd a bit of Test
on’t hurt you.”

“Not if I was in a decent ples: and no pancety on my.

hi cnetireie Re dillen ppsnateeeern

BILL STORIES.

fo v %
ON ee oxte

mind; but this sort of resting’ won't do me much good,
I’m afraid.” i

After a time the scout Site to the stairway; ad. lying
on it close up by the door, he tried to get the drift of the
low conversation that he could tell was Ae on in the
barroom.

He discoverd that many men were coming into the
place, and then the talk grew louder, showing that some
of the rascals were drinking,

Some time later, having returned to the nelien he
caught an odor of smoke, and called Powell’s attention
to it. :

“Tye smelt that for several minutes,” Powell acknowl-
edged, “but didn’t want to speak of it.”

“Can it be that the Black Bandits have fired the build-
ing ?”

“Would they do that, if the owner is one of them?
They wouldn’t want to burn his property.”

“He may not be the owner, and he may not have au-
thorized it. They’re pretty drunk now, some of them,
and drunken men are ready for any deviltry.”

They rose from the box on which for some time they
had been sitting, and tried to discover the point from
which the smoke came, but failed. It seemed to permeate
everything, and there was no oe it was becoming
thicker.

“The hour is pretty late,” said Buffalo Bill, looking at
his watch. “All the decent oe of the town are asleep.

I confess this makes me uneasy.”

Then they heard a sudden roar from the throats of
many men outside; and as that roar rose upward, they
caught also, the crackle of fire.

There could be no doubt that the puldies had been
set. on. ne by ae Black Bandits.

 

CHAPTER 1Vo
“THREATENED BY FIRE.

Gabe Haskins, the lean rascal who ran the hotel and
barroom, had not intended to go so far when he trapped
Buffalo Bill and Doctor Frank Powell in the cellar.

He wanted to take the lives of these men, but had not
the nerve to attack them, or lead an attack on them.
Being a member of the Black Bandit gang, he knew
what had happened to Doctor Powell, for some of the
scoundrels who had buried Powell alive had boasted of
it to him that very day. And he knew the story of
Powell’s entrance into the Black Bandit camp for the
purpose of extracting a bullet from the shoulder of the,
young lieutenant and of the discoveries he had made
while there. All of these things had, to his mind, made
Powell a very dangerous man.

He was wildly astonished when the doctor reappeared
in-the town in company with Buffalo Bill. He feared the
scout even more than he did the doctor. It was clear to

(Rirmtndiolelbecsptine rehendier dc

 
;

)
it

AT
73
‘a
ee

i]
nt
|
:
\
if
rr
a
be
iy
RY
4
ey
DY
af
S
q
;
}
bf
;
a
ny
4
PS
i
x
A

 

ee

= knew of their entrance into the place, that as
had rescued Powell from his living grave; and Haskins

THE BUFFALO

him, Seto all the members of the Black ‘Bandits who
hat Buffalo Bill

and his friends were sure, from the character of Buffalo
Bill and Powell, that they would not let the matter rest
there. 4
On the impulse of the moment, Haskins, who thought
himself very cunning, had inveigled the scout and his
friend into the cellar, thinking that some of the more
daring of the bandits then in the town would be only too
willing to go down there and finish them. —

None of the outlaws had nerve enough for that, know-
ing the desperate character of such men when at bay.

Finally, when they had filled up on Haskins’ bad
whisky, the thing he might have anticipated came about.

They took matters in their own hands and set fire to
the house, in spite of his protests; and when the flames
leaped up they gathered about it, revolvers ready, think-
ing to shoot Buffalo Bill and Powell when the smoke and
the heat drove them out.

They were so strong in numbers, and for so long a
time had exercised such a reign of terror, that they
knew none of the law-abiding of the citizens would in-
terfere in this carnival of fire and death, and they yelled
like wild Indians when they beheld the flames mounting,
and in sheer wantonness began to shoot into the build-
ing.
Down in the cellar, safe enough for the time, Buffalo
Bill and Doctor Frank Powell heard the shots, the yells,
and the roar of the fire, which increased at each moment,
showing that the flames were gathering headway. The
situation was as dangerous as the mind of man could
imagine. | .

“We'll be roasted alive, choked by the smoke, or forced
out to meet the bullets of those yelling fiends,” said
Powell. :

And, remembering the terrible experience he had been
through, his perturbation of mind may be readily imag-
ined.

Frank Powell was no coward. He had looked death
in the face calmly many times. He had won for himself
the reputation of being one of the most daring and cool-
est of the fighting men of the border. But his nerves
were still unstrung, and he was weak from what he had
passed through. And, to the bravest, the thought of a
situation like that would have been something terrible.
Even Buffalo Bill, whom no man ever accused of cow-
ardice: or of flinching in the face of danger, was much
concerned now, seeing how perilous was the position of
himself and his friend. : oe

“We'll not die in here like rats in a hole, without try-
ing to do something !” he declared, with determination.

He drew his knife and turned to the cellar wall.

“We can perhaps dig a hole in there, which may shel-

BILL STORIES: ©

ter us somewhat from the fire; and, anyway, we'll he iy I

ing to do something.”
“Could we force the door?” said Powell. |

“We'd be shot down as soon as we appeared. even if 1.
we did. _They’re watching that door, you may be sure.”

eS Sag)

 

“The thing seems

Powell stopped ; he had been about to use the word i

“hopeless.”
We Can try
knife.

2.

mortar from between the bricks.

loudly now, and the yelling and shooting were inces-

_The smoke became more and more troublesome, and
then an unbearable heat began to make its way dow |
into the cellar. The house was all on fire and burning
furiously, drawing out a large portion of the population j

of Crystal Bend.

Down in the cellar Buffalo Bill and Frank Be oyeel ;
worked like badgers, digging at the refractory bricks, |

One after another they loosened and drew out, and by

~-and by they had a hole in the brick wall Jarge enough to 7

admit the body of aman.

Behind it was the solid earth, but into this they began
now to dig with their knives, driven to furious exertions |

by the increasing smoke and heat. |

Close up by the wall, in the edge of that enlarging |

hole, they found more relief than elsewhere.
The earth yielded before their knives much more read-

ily than had the bricks, and they increased the hole so |
rapidly, taking turns at the digging, that soon it was |
possible to thrust into it almost the whole of a man’s |

body. —

- They did not cease, but dug the more furiously, as
the heat and smoke became worse and the noise of the |

fire and the mob louder and louder. : |
As they worked thus, at intervals they heard a burn-
ing beam drop down on the floor over their heads with
a jar that shook the timbers. oe :

¢

~ Suddenly the point of the scout’s knife struck against

something hard. ‘He put out his fingers and found that, }

the substance was a brick.
“Another wall the announced, his voice thrilling.
“And that means another cellar beyond it.”

he amended; and he, too; drew his §
Bene oe cniel WaMaa tay Re i Cee
"With the lamp set so that it lighted the wall at that | pe
point, the scout and Powell began hurriedly to pick the | _
Sih ee ea i ye

‘They worked as rapidly as they could, but it took time | |
to remove even. one brick. Above them the fire roared |

 

 
 

pe

 

UNS, I think so. There must be a house over it, and i |

that, too, is probably burning; but it offers hope. Now,
to go through that wall.” :

He crawled into the hole and attacked
ime pot of hisknife. ©
- When he had loosened a brick and dra

the wall with

wn it out, he

 
 

 

THE BUFFALO

almost choked by the heat and smoke. .
@ The stout knife and the strong arms of the scout tri-

 

1 if ; umphed over this second wall in a little while, and he

e.” i saw he had cut through into. another | cellar. But the air

: was fresher there. tien

srd “Come on!” he whispered back : Powell. “There’s a

cellar here!”

his He crawled Piroueh he for. dropped down fate the *

'- | cellar, and then helped Powell through, when he ap-

iat | peared.

he The roaring of the fire was not so loud now and the

yells and the shooting less distinct.

ie “We ought to have that lamp,” said the see and

‘eq | forthwith he crawled back through the hole and got it.
| With the aid of the light they surveyed the interior of

| this cellar, and found that it resembled the one they had
left, but that a small manhole opened somewhere into
an alley or street.

As they stood looking up at the iron cap of the man-
hole they heard wild yelling, and this was followed by thé
crash of a falling building. —

_ The burning house from whose cellar they had just
féscaped had fallen in, and the fiendish bandits were ex-
ting over the supposed death of their intended victims.
The iron manhole had rusted in its bed, and it re-
uired all of the scout’s tremendous strength to lift it;
ut he moved it at last.
slit thus made, the flare of the fire of the burning house
Me iown upon them.

_. They heard with startling distinctness the blood-lust
Taging of the drunken and frenzied mob composed of
the black bandits and their friends.

With an eye at this hole, the scout looked out into
the narrow alley into which it opened.

He discovered then that the house above him was also
burning, having caught from the fired hotel, The oc-
cupants had escaped into the alley, and some of them

were still struggling to get their belongings away.

The fierce miscreants who had started the fire cared
'. nothing for such as these, and would have shot them
' down or trampled them to death without compunction ;
h a and the frightened people escaping from the fire knew it.

; ony think our chance is as good now as it will be soon,”
4 said the scout, when he had made this careful survey.
A “The attention of the crowd is directed to the hotel whose

|) wal)s have just tumbled in, and are not looking here.”
> “They never would believe we a from that cel-

@ Jar!” he

= “So much the better for us now, then,
" ready 2”

_ He had one hand on the cap of the manhole, and the

other held his revolver,

_ Yes, I’m ready!”

~ Powell’s voice was as steady as that of Buffalo Bill

 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
   
  
 
  
 
   
  
  

 

 

| Are you

   
   
    
 

pushed it back to Powell, who stood close up by the hole,

And then, through the narrow

   

BILL STORIES.

himself. Danger, and perhaps death, awaited them out
there in the. alley when they dared to show themselves;
yet it did not daunt them. The noted White Beaver had
conquered the weakness that had troubled him ever since
his marvelous escape from that. living grave, and was
again himself, fearless, self-reliant, heroic, and ready to
do anddie. @

“Tl go first, and then Dll give you my hand and a
lary eke : |

Exerting his strength again, the scout slipped the lid

‘of the manhole aside, revealing the round hole, and with

a jump was in that hole and half-way into the alley.

Some one saw his head and body protrude through
the opening and gave a yell of surprise.

The scout pulled his body through; and then, extend- .
ing his hand, half lifted Powell up after him.

The yell of the man who had witnessed Buffalo Bill’s
appearance was drowned in the wild roar of the fiends
who were dancing before the ruins of the burning house
beneath which they believed rested the bodies of the men
they hated and feared. i

“Buffalo Bill! Buffalo Bill!” yelled this man.

But not until he seized one of the bandit leaders by
the coat and jerked him fairly backward could he make
any one understand the nature of his startling discovery.

By that time Buffalo Bill and Powell were out of the
manhole and in the alley.

A roar of rage came from the bandit when he beheld
them, and his ready revolver cracked, the bullet cut-
ting the dirt at the scout’s feet.

Buffalo Bill and his pard turned to run for the nearest
corner, as the bandits began to realize that something
had gone wrong. As the scouts thus retreated, down
from a stairway just before them stumbled Haskins, the
miscreant hotel- -keeper who had locked them in the cel-
lar.

‘Haskins gave a howl of rage and astonishment when
he beheld them, but his fear of them was so great that
he would have leaped back inte the doorway from which
he had come if the scout had not prevented him.

With a quick jump Buffalo Bill seized Haskins; and,
swinging him round, placed him as a shield between him-
self and the revolvers of the fiends by the fire.

“Run for it!’ he shouted to Powell.

“And ledve you? I guess not!”

Powell swung in behind the scout, keeping the body of
Buffalo Bill and that of Haskins between himself and
his foes, so that Haskins was thus made a living shield
for both the fugitives.

Haskins was livid with fear, and so weak, also, be-.
cause of his fright that he was but a child in the hands
of a man like Buffalo Bill.

“Try to get away and [’ll kill vault he scout | had
said, and Haskins expected to see that big revolver
turned on him and to feel its lead tear through his flesh,

  

 
 

 

 

LO

hue was a wild Tush of ‘the miscreants by the Hee 7

toward the men who were retreating so defiantly, and

when. Buffalo Bill’s revolver spoke and one of their num-.
ber tumbled back with a bullet through his heart, the

others began to shoot at him.

Haskins struggled to escape from his dangerous posi-
tion, but the clutch of the scout was inex@rable.

“They'll kill me!” he screamed, as the bu re whistled
round his head.

“And will serve you right! If they down me you'll go
with me, you villain !”

Then Haskins gave another Seaaetoe a bullet had
cut through his cheek. Blood poured froni*the wound,
and he ‘fell ely oat the scout’s DeEeSe aes

violently,

But the corner of the alley was at hand. Powell had

already gained it, and was firing at his foes from that
point.

arid this decreased the scout’s ae which was, eye
ever, great enough.

Holding Haskins to his breast until the corner was
reached, the scout was about to pitch him from him,
when. Haskins stiffened with a quiver, a bullet having

struck him; and when the scout threw him down now, it -

was a dead body that struck the ground. The enraged

and amazed bandits had not even spared one of their own

number.

A storm of bullets swept through the alley, as the
scout thus pitched the body of Haskins from him and
sprang round the corner, which Powell had already
passed.

“Now, run for it!” said Buffalo Bill.

 

CHAPTER V. _
THE MAN FROM DENVER.

Some. Ene evidently citizens afraid of the ee

of the bandits, were scurrying wildly on in advance as.

the scout and his friend made this lively run for. safety.

Instead of continuing on toward the end of the street,
they darted into an open door which they saw. before
them, and dropped down in the darkness beyond it, lying
flat on the floor.
The drunken ruffians who were pursuing saw this
door, but, hearing and seeing the men who had fled on
before, they ran right on by it, without examining it,
fully believing that Buffalo Bill and Powell were still in
front of them.

The street filled with a howling mob which would
have been glad to tear them limb from limb, but this

- mob. surged on through, following the foremost of the |

pursuers.

Yells were rising and revolvers cracking, and the roar-

ing of the not distant fire came plainly.

? oy ‘THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

There was no doubt that many of the bandits
- were withholding their shots for fear of hitting Haskins,

el ipl A ge

(eae lbh ohne ttt nt ing cette eter eee Ton

: a eile night in " Ciystal | Bend Woe the scout ina &
i oThis night’ 3 | .

low. tone when the mob had Swept by.
work is a disgrace even to the border.”

Aye, it is!”

“They think we have fled on inte ‘the hi ls, and that’ S
what I want them to think. It will insure our safety. a

“We'll stay right here until morning?” :

“Unless we’re discovered and driven out.
seems to be unoccupied.
and a nasty fight could be put i behind them ; but I
hope we shall not have to fight.”

y That scoundrel you held” as a . shield was killed, I
think.”

“Shot dead! iv wonder I didn’t get that ane i
heard it when Gt “struck him.
through his body, Wee hadn't’ held him in front of me
I’d have had that bit of lead under my skin now. Hark!
some of the devils are coming back!”

They lay low in the darkness, ‘not even venturing to

peér ott, as the baffled miscreants | returned along the.

alley, swearing and yelling.
From their maudlin talk it was “certain they believed

that Buffalo Bill and ‘his’ companion had escaped into.
the hills, and they were in a roaring rage because of if.
They were also amazed and bewildered for the escape |
had been so unexpected, when they had. — the two |

men dead or dying under the burning hotel.

For hours bands of drunken and armed ounffians pa-
raded the streets of the little town, keeping all decent citi-
zens Closé within their homes and making night MeRouis.

But, like the wolf-pack that howls and slays in the |

darkness, they began to’ disappear with the coming of
dawn, and when the sun rose, sending its light into the
narrow’ streets, they had slunk from sight. —
The reputable citizens began to _appear—the business
men, and the miners who toiled in the mines that wete
near the town. The most of these had kept well out of
sight while the place was in the hands of the wild mob.

As they ventured forth they found dead men in the

street, for the bandits and the drunken ruffians had et

réled among themselves, as all drunken men will, and

these quarrels had sometimes been terminated with pistol dy

or knife.

“T think we'll venture forth now,” said the s ‘scout =

length.

Nevertheless, in thus venturing forth they were wary.
But the Black Bandits and their friends had disap- |

“T’m anxious about my horse.”

peared. Some of the bandits were on their way into the —
Others were lying in alleys too drunk to know

hills.
anything, and ap on were gs in some of the
houses. ~
Buffalo Bill and the doctor kept to the middle of the
street as they walked along, half expecting: to draw shots
from the houses on each See of the way. But they were
not troubled, and seemed not to be seen by any foes.

"This house.
It’s got. some stout log walls,

I don’t think it ‘passed i

 

 

 

 

 

 
  
    
 
  
 
   
   
 
    
     
  
   
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 

eae
’

THE BUFFALO

| of a hotel, and saw tide a small man, who stared
“l) strangely at them.
“One of them?” said Powell.
“Very likely.”

The man stepped down fron the piazza, approaching
se. \ them.» Buffalo Bill’s hand went to his revolver butt.
S, ba. man was a probable foe. —

“You are Buffalo Bill?”

The scout faced the man, hand still on revolver.

“T am called that,’ he answered.

“Then you’re the man I want to see.”

“Perhaps I do not want to see you, though.” .

The scout’s tone was rather curt. This man, for all

“You must see me!”
He came toward the scout.
ok ea here not two hours ago, while the mob

4 )tiad escaped and fled into the hills. Bat as soon as |

saw you I was certain that neither of those stories was

a correct. I never met you before, Buffalo Bill, but I

knew you as soon as I set eyes on you.”

' He was paying no attention to Frank Powell, who

| stood at the scout’s side.

. * «sy over to see if my horse was spared yy
aaits,’’ said the scout.

) “then 1 wili go with you, for I must have a talk

with you. It is on a matter so important that I know

ou will pardon me for troubling you and for asking

our aid.” f

The scout looked keenly int the eyes of the man and

“observed that he had an honest expression.

“T am willing to hear what you have to say, and we
an talk as we walk along. But I must. warn you that
“treachery will not be tolerated. My friend came near
death recently through treachery, and that attack on us
| ast night began in treachery; in both cases Claims being
made and help asked. You must pardon me if I seem
. rude, or suspicious. This is my friend, Doctor Frank
4 | Powell, better known sometimes as White Beaver.”
| The little man stared at Powell.

q “White Beaver!” he cried, and extended his hand.

'<i’m happy to meet you, sir. My name is Leonard Bell,
nd I am the governor of this State.”

Buffalo Bill stared at the little man.

-.He was familiar with the name of the governor, but
ot with his face or appearance.

“Governor Bell, you say! Is that possible ?”
“Yes, Iam Governor Bell.”
Frank Powell had colored strangely.

Cp Ua 8B

 

 

Se aeae: een eae per ee ete: tne Fe Abs OMAR AT SE ae SR ES

tential Sieg era wi See tee A SNe em oe

BE Meine PP arate estan co nip aN ABA Ee Nears Vang RnR Ret ee eae ann Vale hee ec arg

BIEL STORIES. it

“Then you are of all men the one man I want to
ee,’ he said. “Governor Bell, I have just returned from
the secret hiding-place of the outlaws known as the Ban-
dits in Black; and I found your daughter held a prisoner
there, and

The little man clutched him by the arm.

“Trell me about it!”

He was nervous and anxious, and his voice trembled.

“Tt doesn’t seem possible!” he cried. oe me about
it. I had a message from them, and

 

 

“I think we had better move on,” interrupted Buffalo
Bill. “We may be in danger, standing here in the mid-
dle of the street. The mob of last night was composed
largely of Black Bandits and their friends and sym-
pathizers:; and a number of them must be still in the
place.”

“Yes, you are right,” said the little man; “but we can
talk as we go. Where is the stable? Oh, right over
there !”

He almost ran along, asking questions, but had gained
little information when the stable was reached.

To his delight the scout found that his horse had not
been disturbed. It whinnied for its morning feed, and
the scout threw some hay to it, and then found it some
corn.

Just inside the doorway Doctor Powell and Governor
Bell were talking rapidly and in low tones, the governor’s
questions fairly tumbling over each other, so great was
his haste to know all, and so intense his anxiety concern-
ing his daughter.

Buffalo Bill stood looking at the man and listening
to his words.

“Yes, he seems honest!” was his conclusion. “I didn’t
know at first but that he might be some rascal professing
to be the governor for a purpose.
led into another trap!”

_ Even after having come to this conclusion he felt a bit
uneasy, knowing how the town swarmed with rufhans of
every degree and condition.

“Ts that the governor, or is he a plausible rascal? I'll
find out!”
He stepped forward, interrupting the talk.

“Governor Bell.” he said, “I have heard what my
friend, Powell, has been telling you. I’m willing to say
to you that after rescuing the doctor from that living
grave and hearing his story of the young woman held by
those murderous scoundrels I had made up my mind not
to rest until I had done something for her release. To
that end we came on into this town, and then were at-
tacked by the Black Bandits. They seemed to know we
were planning something against them. We had a nar-
row escape, as you are aware, and are not even now
safe from them.

“But what I was going to say is, that we stand a

er ae es

We don’t want to be

   
 

 

 

 

aman as the captain of the Black Bandits.

I ee ARO A aera eee ties

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

to help you in every way in our power. Of course you
_ have the letter the bandits sent you?”

It was a delicate way . asking the man to show his
credentials.

“To be sure,” was the answer.

Forthwith the little man produced not only the letter
which had been sent him, but other documents which
proved his identity.

Buffalo Bill gave him his hand heartily.

“Forgive my suspicions, and I had a few; but we are
so surrounded with peril, governor, that we must ex-
ercise caution. Your daughter is held by the Black Ban-
dits, who expect to force you to release their captain,
who is now, as I understand, a prisoner at the State
capital. Perhaps you come to assure them that the man
will be released? In any event, my friend Powellsand I
stand ready to help you to the extent of our abilities.”

“Nobly spoken, Cody!” the governor cried.

He was wringing the hand of the scout heartily.

“Those words make me realize that the reputation you

j

enjoy is not undeserved. And now I want to tell you ©

my plans.”

“We shall be glad to hear them,”

“The capture of my daughter by those villains was
such a shock that I almost succumbed under it. When
I knew why it had been done I was at first inclined to
surrender the man at once.
have been an illegal use of the governing power.
even to protect my own have I any right to release such
He will be
hanged on the last day of this month, unless he is re-
leased. There is no hope for him, for he is so guarded
that his friends cannot get at him. And he deserves to
die, for the murder he committed was cold-blooded and
atrocious.

“When I decided that it would not be legal for me to
buy my daughter’s safety by the release of that mur-
derer, my first impulse was to take the State militia and
"move against the bandit stronghold.”

“Which would probably have meant the death of your
daughter,” said the scout.

“Ves, so I was advised; and, therefore, I dropped that.
What I was to do I didn’t know. Then I came on here
alone, and in disguise. You, having never met me before,
did not notice that, of course. But I have shaved off my
beard, wear a wig, and the clothing I have on is of a
kind I was never seen in before. My best friends would
hardly know me.

“The perfection of my disguise is shown by the fact
that, though I have been seen by a number of men since
my arrival here in Crystal Bend, no one has recognized
me. A day’s journey behind me is the sheriff of the
county, with a strong posse. What he will be able to do
I don’t know.” oe

“Nothing,” said Buffalo Bill.

said Powell.

But you know that would ’
Not ’

0: retreat.

“T feared so, Cody; those bandits are strong in this
section, because of their many friends.”

“Half the people of this town are their active sym-
pathizers.”’

“So I have been told”

“They have their stronghold in the hills, aiid fa
there make their wild raids; but when they want to come
into Crystal Bend, or any of the towns in this section,
they know they are perfectly safe. They and their sym-
pathizers had full swing here last night.”

“And you think they are here now ?”

“Some of them—and all of their sympathizers; but
LOE of them probably got out of the place before morn-
ing.”

“And now what's to be done, Cody ?”

He looked anxiously up into the face of the scout.

In his cheap clothing, and being rather insignificant ||
as to size and height, he seemed but a smooth-faced boy, |
as he thus looked up at the Herculean scout, who towered

above him.

“Whatever is done cannot be done with force. Tien.
fore, strategy will be needed. J really think, governor, |
that the safety of your daughter lies in not moying on. 5
the bandit stronghold with militia or troops. The would |
probably send you an ultimatum, saying if you did not |
retire they would kill her; and you would be compelled |

Otherwise, they would not hesitate to carry
out their threat.” :

The governor’s face became white with anguish. :

“T will submit to your sere in the matter, “Cody.”

The scout turned to Powell.

a guard the door, so that no one may comie
near.’

White Beaver obeyed, and the scout again addressed
the governor.

“To secure your daughter’s safety, Governor Bell, we ff
shall have to enter the bandit camp itself, and release 7
her. I see no other way.”

The governor’s face brightened. '

“T had thought of trying that myself, Cody, before I

met you; and when I saw and recognized you it oc- |
curred to me that you were the one man in the world to
assist me.” :

The governor was a hero, after all, as his words
showed.

“T planned that, after one of the State detectives had
secured from the bandit captain their secret signals,’ hey’
admitted. “The detective did that by disguising himself |
and entering an adjoining cell as a criminal charged with |
some offense against the laws. He was, he told the chief,
to be released in a few days, and he volunteered to catry |
a message to the outlaw camp. That he might do it, the
chief gave him the signals used by the bandits; and,
Cody, I had resolved to use those signals, convey the mes-

 
    
  

Sint ss BUFF ALO

1s " sage, and then get my datighter away, or perish in the
@ effort.”

| The scout’s admiration for.a brave man. shone in his

“Governor Bell,’ he said, again clasping the hand of

} the little man, “my friend and I will make the effort

| with you, and perish with you if we fail.”

 

 

CHAPTER V1.

OFF FOR THE BANDIT. STRONGHOLD.

 

With the coming of day Crystal Bend had changed
i for the better.

| The citizens who desired to be law-abiding secured
‘control of affairs; and the hurried organization of a
company of vigilantes, and the hanging of two men
) by Judge Lynch for the burning of the hotel, sent a
| number of rascals into hiding, and cleared the moral
atmosphere.

& Before night came again it was possible for a decent
" man to walk the streets in comparative ’ safety.

This had been easier of accomplishment because of the
death of the hotel-keeper, Haskins, shot by his friends
while Buffalo Bill was using him as a shield. Haskins
had been the leader of the sympathizers of the bandits,
and without a leader they were helpless.

Buffalo Bill and White Beaver secured a room in a
hotel not far from the stable where the scout’s horse was
kept; while Governor Bell, still under an assumed name,
sought ¥ést in another hostelry not far away.

Word that a sheriff’s posse was marching upon Crys-
tal Bend strengthened the hands of the vigilantes and
gee the hearts of the vicious element
~ That night Buffalo Bill and Powell left the town to-
| gether on horseback, shortly after dark, going so quietly
| that they hoped no one knew of their departure.
Governor Bell left at about the same time, choosing
another route.

They met well out beyond the town, and then under
the guidance of White Beaver they shaped their way to-
ward the distant stronghold of the Black Bandits.

They were no more than an hour on their way when
behind them they heard a thundering of hoofs.

Drawing aside into the shelter of the darkness, where
| some scrubby trees stood, they beheld more than a &core
of mounted men ride by on the trail they had been follow-

 
  
  
   
   
   
 
   
 
   
   
 
   
   
  
  
   
 
  
  
 
 
   
   
  

a

1 fi ing.
e The horsemen were clothed in black, and wore black
f | masks,

“The Black Bandits!” said Powell, when the riders
had passed.

| “They deserve their name of the Wild Riders
) Wilderness,” said the scout; “they were going
whirlwind.”
“And in so doing rode right past us without dis-

of the
like a

VAD ee ae li ee ee fl Pay Tee RA A gil a Be ota’ Hig ON a a ene peg WO yar eet AO RS PEA teil Cab iggallaeate Be ee Ee Fe ee ee tte eee pars

~ Bend immediately after our departure.

_ Capturing the governor, though he had no proof of it.

BILL SLORIES, 13
covering that we had turned aside,’ remarked the
governor. “They were following our trail, do you think,
Cody?”

- “Not a doubt of it. They must have entered Crystal
We were not as
successful in getting away unobserved as we thought.
Some of their friends spotted us. And the Wild Riders
set out on our track.”

“And now what?”

The question was asked by the governor.

“We will proceed straight ahead.”

“But if they are aware we have left the town in this
direction it will make it difficult for us to enter the bandit
stronghold, in spite of the fact that we know their
secret signals.” .

“True enough. I judge that in some manner they have
discovered who you are, Governor Bell, and that Powell
and I have joined forces with you and are headed toward
their camping-place. They may move camp. But we
can follow them if they do. We shall have to be guided
by circurnstances.”

“Will it not increase the danger my daughter is in?”
was the anxious inquiry of Governor Bell.

“We shall hope not. The thing to guard against now
is the capture of ourselves, or rather your capture. If
they could get you into their hands, governor, they would
be in a better position to dictate terms at the State ae
and could hope to secure the release of their captain.”

The governor was plainly nervous, as they rode on.

Feeling sure that in some way the outlaws had gained ~
a knowledge of the governor's intentions and of <his
presence in that section, the scout redoubled his watchtul-
ness as they continued on their way. It seemed to him
probable that this band of the Wild Riders had de-
scended on Crystal Bend that evening for the purpose of
It
was simply one of his intuitions, which seldom were
wholly wrong.

Though Frank Powell had been taken blindfolded and
secretly to the stronghold, so excellent was his sense
of diréction and location that he had no trouble, even
when the trail was departed from, in taking a course
that was the true one.

When morning dawned, the three riders had gained
the high slopes of a mountain which commanded a view
of the valley where the outlaws had their present abode.

As the sun rose Buffalo Bill leveled his glass on the
valley, and, after a brief survey, passed it to his com-

- panions.

What they saw was a small hollow raed round with
cliffs, whose sides were as steep as those of a house.

A cafion ran through this valley, cutting it in two,
and giving two outlets, both narrow and with steep walls.
This cafion had in its bed a stream which furnished
water ; and, with food sufficient, the position seemed to be

ala

 
 

 

Ire Reed aaa JR geese eee ee pO MATS

1a might Sepia Sbesaa rennet te

a4 THE BUFFALO
admirable fitted to withstand a long siege. Certainly it
could never be taken by troops without a great slaughter
of the attacking force, for within the hollow, and pro-
tected by the cliffs, the outlaws had such an advantage in
‘situation that they might well deem the place impreg-
nable.

seemed to be a good deal of bustle and confusion. a
No doubt the Wild Riders who had followed the trail
from Crystal Bend had arrived during the night, with
their story, and with the news that a strong sheriff’s posse
was approaching Crystal Bend, and might be Se to
march upon this place.
Governor Bell looked long and earnestly thibueh the

powerful glass at the tiny log houses, in one of which

he believed his daughter was held a prisoner. Some of
the houses were built against a steep bank, and appeared
to burrow into it, thus being half underground ; and with
their earthen roofs would not have been seen from the
mountain except by persons looking for them. The log
cabins, too, were very inconspicuous, set as they were in
the shadows of some trees that lined the sides of the
cafion stream.

The watchers could see no guards. or sentinels, though
they knew such existed.

“No telling how many of the rascals are down there
now,” said Bell. “I can’t see over a dozen or so, but I
‘don’t doubt there are more.”

He passed the ace back to the scout.

“Cody,” he said, “what do you say to my trying = a,

bold bluff? How would it work if I should ride boldly
up to the cafion’s mouth, announce myself as the mes-
senger sent by the chief from the jail in Denver, and
by giving the secret signals gain entrance?”

“I’m afraid you wouldn't come out again,’
frank answer.

was the

“Then you think oa dropped to the fact that.

I have left Denver in disguise and am in this part of
the country ?” ce

“7 think so. I haven’t any good proof of it.”

“T have half a notion to try it. If I could to-night

get my daughter out to the cafion entrance, you two _

could make a diversion for me and hold the attention
of the guards, and then I could make a dash through the
cafion with her.
that must be taken, anyway.”

uate oes

CHAPTER VII.

IN THE HOME OF THE OUTLAWS.

Tom Brent, the wounded lieutenant of the Bandits in
Black, was sure he had never seen as beautiful a girl as
the one before him.

He sat propped half erect in a chair, his face somewhat

The three friends, thus ae down into the ‘hollow
from their place of concealment, observed that ‘there

It would be a risk, true; but a risk like

ots hn enon
oe te ae sancrvaeata tau RIAN Ste) praeaen eRe NS Ponte pee Api aaore sev eine Lag ene

7 ee

BILL “STORIES.

fevered, and looked at her with hot eyes, as she sat by :

' the little window that gave the one view from this |

cabin—a view along the cafion’s bed and out toward the |
little meadow where the outlaws’ ‘ponies grazed.

That the girl’s face was red from crying, and her eye-
lids even redder than her face, did not, in his opinion, |
detract from her beauty.

The thought that was growing in his ind was itis
desire to have her for his own, and he was wondering if |
there’ were not some means by which this desire could be i
gratified.

When the bandit chief had been captured and con- |. ‘
~ demned to death in Denver, Brent had been as anxious as

any member of the band to bring about his release, and
had acceded to the scheme of capturing and holding this
girl as a hostage, when it was known that she was in
a section where she could be reached. :

But Brent’s view-point had changed, and was still |
changing. He began to feel less of a desire to see his |
chief again. If the captain never came back, the chances
were good that he would succeed to the command; can}
if he were chief he could do prey much as he pleased |
with this girl.

_A few days before, Brent had been at death’s door be-

-cause of a lack of surgical skill in the camp. Believing |

that he would die if the bullet in his shoulder was not |
extracted, some of his men rode into Crystal Bend, cap- |
tured and brought out to the camp the noted surgeon-
scout, White Beaver; and now Brent was so far on the
road to recovery that thoughts like these gained posses- 4
sion of him. |
He had not been pleased when news was brought to

him that the surgeon-scout had been buried alive, as a

measure of safety. He did not approve that, thinking
if it became necessary to put the man out of the way it
could have been done as effectively with a pistol bullet

- or a knife-thrust.

When further news came that the surgeon-scout had
reappeared in Crystal Bend, accompanied by Buftalo

_ Bill, the noted border fighter, and that apparently he had
been rescued by Buffalo Bill, Lieutenant Brent swore

roundly, denouncing the idiocy of the men who had
buried the White Beaver, instead of shooting him.

He knew, also, from the same reporters, of the fire

which had burned the hotel kept by their good friend

Haskins, and of Haskins’ singular death; and he felt
that, through drunkenness and wanton plbed taeweicess
there had been a good deal of blundering.

Whenever anything went wrong, it was the ae of
the now imprisoned captain to take it out of the man
left in command in his absence. = —-

_ A number of things had happened which would ee
down the anger of the chief if he ever came back; not the
least being that a chain of circumstances had been set
in motion which now seemed to threaten the integrity of.

 
        

  

sg aaa aa ayy ET BS

  

gr oN

 

THE BUFFALO

  

   
  

ae end, and Buffalo Bill had departed from that town with
Thite Beaver and a man who was unknown, and had rid-
ion in the direction of the outlaw stronghold. The three
-en might even be near the stronghold at that. moment.

  
  
   
  
 

Meould do nothing against a place so fitted -by nature to
"4 sist attack; nor could the sheriff’s posse reported to be
oming do much more. But ee
Brent turned back from these thoughts to a Bontcapla:
von of the loveliness of the girl before him, and studied
er beauty with growing passion.

  
 

 

   
  
   
 

"ave hoped to win even stich a girl as this for his wife;

    
  

3S birthright for a mess.of pottag

 
 

ed

» robbed. his employer,: and

 

vospects, he had gone “wild,
trying to escape, had. killed an-officer. .
Heotly pursued, he had fled to the wilds of ‘the Wee

  
  
   
 

iking and gambling habits;
bery, and then a murder; and had fled again, this time
the outlaws known and feared as the Black Bandits.
The captain of the band, shrewd and clever, and a
vidge of men, welcomed him, for young Brent was intel-
‘gent, and intelligence was at a premium there. For the
jiost part the members of the band were brutal, drunken,
‘ourageous enough in a murderous way, but singularly
intelligent. Brains were needed; and in a short time
ent was made lieutenant.

Now, almost before he knew it, he found himself plot-

   
 

 

   
    
   
   
  
  
  

a (ag mentally against: the chief who had. elevated him
8. |) d was. now in prison, and the cause of his plotting was
it | yois fair girl, pure as the lily, with reputation and char-
ot Ff

 

">< ter unstained, and the child of. the governor of the
state,

    
  
 

ch! t.
Pheoviets paleshat lids he regarded her.

  
 
  
 

doubt be made captain.
at surgeon-scout out here when they feared I was about
die shows how they value my services—which means
’ leadership. They will not try to put any one else
my place.
shrewd one and is a fiery fighter.

  
  
  
  
  
 

— otain does not come back; but I shall shoot the dog
wn, if he stands in my path. Aye, and any one else
0 rises to oppose me!

 
  
  

‘No, I don’t want the. captain ios return. Tf he did he
uld make this girl his wife, that is, if we didn’t send

‘home in order to gain the captain’s release. I must
‘vent that; and at the same time try to make the boys

  

There he had gone quickly to the bad; had fallen into
had committed another

Lhe aspirations of the young ee were. ued rising

Bp Rp pal a et Se

lye outlaw band. A sheriff’s posse had reached Crystal p

_ before it is well under way.

Of course three men, in the opinion of young Brent,

m@ There had been a time when the young cutee ae :
t. that. time had long passed. as had, -as.it were, sold .

Fairly well educated, ae a Sey: night

ma 4

“1f the captain is: hanged,” ‘ran his tHoubhts, SE shal l
The way the boys brought

Not even José, the Mexican, though he is.

“There may be trouble between me and. jot if the:

BILL, STORIES.

\ ‘

think I favor it. It can be arranged in some way. The
expedition. which takes her back can be made to fail—
can be delayed so late that the captain will be hanged.
There will be no need to £0,
on then, od I can have her brought back here. And
he a

He closed his eyes, for she had turned to look at ‘him,
and the blood mounted into his face.

“How my head aches!” he said, opening his 2 and ao
speaking in a complaining way.

She rose from her seat by the window and came toward
him,

“Is there anything I can do?” a asked.

Her voice was singularly pure and sweet, the voice of
a young woman of culture and refinement. .Though she
feared and hated this man, she had seen that he was the
best of the lot, and felt that if protection came to her it
would come from him. In addition, she was moved by
the sentiment of pity—pity. for his sufferings.

“You might wet that cloth and lay it on my forchieats
he said.

She obeyed, and bees to place the cloth in position.

As she did so, with his face still flushing, he put his
arm round her waist, and with a quick motion drew her
toward him.

With a little cry she ee herself, and let the loth
drop to the floor.

“Why, what’s the matter?” he asked, with pretended
innocence, :

The tears had come to her eyes.

“You—you insult me, when I come to aid you! 1

“Tut-tut!’ he cried. “Nothing of the kind. But you
are so confounded handsome, Nellie, that I did that be-
fore I thought.”

“Don’t do it again, please.”

“Won't you put the cloth.on my head?” he utged
“I will not!’
“But, honestly, my headis splitting! Be a good: eit
now and put the cloth oe my forehead. Or, hand it Pe
to me and [ll put it on,’

 

She gave him the cloth, standing back so that he could
not again place his arm round her waist.
He laughed in a cold, cynical way.

“Do you know what I’ve been thinking ? the ae
tioned..

How should I?”

“You might try to guess.”

“T hope you’ve been thinking of letting me go,”
urged piteously.

she

“Oh, we'll do that when your father releases our cap-
tain |”.

“He'll release him at once, as soon as he knows of
your demands on. hin?

“He hasn’t seemed to be in a hurry about ite!

He. laughed harshly,

  
     
     
}

 

 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

‘Fie received our message nearly a week ago. The
captain is still there in prison. I think your father has
abandoned you, Miss Nellie.” ae
“My father abandon me?”
“Well, doesn’t it begin to look that Lae He hasn’t
released the captain.”
“Then he a to send soldiers here to force you
to release me,” she said, with spirit, while her eye bemes
| and her cheeks began to glow.
He laughed again, with that cynical sneer.
“You looked handsomer than ever when you said that.”
- She retreated toward the window. e
“Come, why can’t we be good friends?”
“T’ll be your friend forever, if you'll let me go.”

“But when you let a bird out of a cage and it flies”

away you never see that bird again, eh? I don’t think I
should. like that a little bit. I’ve taken a fancy to you,
Nellie.”

With hot cheeks, she stood by the window, looking out —

‘into the cafion, where the shadows of night were begin-
ning already to gather. And in her heart there had
come a great and increased fear of this man. She won-
dered blindly and wildly if she could not get out of the
place herself. And she looked along the cafion path,

which ran beside the little stream, trying to recall the.

route by which she had come there. She could remember
little enough, for the hour of her arrival at the outlaw
camp had been in the night.

“Why don’t you say something ?’’ he asked petulantly.

39

-*T don’t think there’s anything to say,” she answered,

still looking from the window, while her soul beat against .

this imprisonment as the wings of a bird beat against the
bars of its cage.

She seemed as helpless to get away as any imprisoned
bird.

“There’s a good deal you might say,” he urged.

“All I can say is that I want to get away from i
—to go back home.”

“But, Nellie!”

She turned on him with flashing eyes.

“Don’t call me by that name!’

“Why not.”

“I don’t wish it.”

“Too familiar, eh? We're likely to be more familiar
before this thing is through with.”

He laughed again, this time insolently.

_ “Of course you can insult me, when you know I’m

helpless !”

His tone changed.

“See here,” he said coaxingly, “we don’t want to be
at sword’s points, nor enemies; we want to be friends.”

“T shall be your friend forever, as I told you, if you'll
only let me go.”

“Would you? That would be to lose you. Vou don’t
think I care for you, but I do; I’m caring more for you

Spy.

every minute, Why, } Nellie, Pa scaly in love with |
you. Think of that.”

“T don’t wish to think of it!”

“But I ask you to.”

She gave him a glance of scorn.

“You are insolent,’ she cried. ee A

“Vou think I don’t know what love is! And say, Nel- |
lie, I’m beginning to want to help you, if I can. That's | i
honest. As soon as this cursed shoulder is better Tl | j
think about that, too. But just now we can be friends, ot
and nc
She felt such intense disgust for the fellow that isl
had to turn back to the wea to aoe it from showin
in, her face. 4

A step was heard outside the door, and a man dane |
into the room. :

He looked canon at the ae and then at the yon |
man reclining in the chair. oa

“A word with you alone, Heutenant, ” he ae

Brent turned to. the girl. y

“Step into the other room a minute,” he ue 4
“Jones, here, has something he wants to say to m:
will take only a minute.”

She was glad to go, and she glided from the room
with a light step, Te the ee door behind her,

Wo

CHAPTER VIL
THE GOVERNOR'S ARRIVAL,

“Now, ee is it Jones?” said the lieutenant, regati:
ing the outlaw before him. “Speak i for there’s no
need she should hear anything we say.”

Jones had been glancing suspiciously at the oor ie i
hind which the girl had withdrawn.

“Indeed, thar isn’t, sir,’ he said politely, touching |
his hat. ‘‘But I’ve to report that a man is comin’ along i
the trail to the south, and if he’s not held up. he'll hi
the mouth of the cafion. What’s the orders concernin
him? Shall he be put out 0’ the way, like the others?”

’ Brent’s attitude had ee ‘and he was alert and
commanding in manner. |
“Bring him here and let me see ‘in He's ey 2
If he is I think I can discover it. If he isn’t, and |
is only a miner or prospector, we'll hold him, or ki

him, just as seems best. He’s near, is he?” ~

“Not far away from the end of the pass, and comin’ | 4
along lively. It’s gittin’ dark, and I didn't see him | es
well; but the boys up thar says he’s a SABRENT They've Fe

‘had him in sight some time.”

“All right; capture him and bring him here.” j
The outlaw hurried out of the ne and his retreating |
footfalls sounded.
‘Some fool miner, stanmnied Hoque here by chance,
probably,” ” was Brent’s conclusion. f

 
vith Be He tutned to the door, behind which the: ee had dis-
“appeared,

|) “Nellie!” he called.

“Miss Bell!’ he said, raising hie voice aed ne was

no answer. — ee a
“Sulking, eh!” he aoa wie a oe “Well,

‘that’ s to be expected. I startled her, and scared her. But

‘it’s just as well she should know how I feel.

ntend to send her back to her father; and that means

he death of the captain; which means that I'll soon be

aptain myself. And when I am—well, it won’t do her

ny good to sulk, then! -

i don’t doubt will be taking proper pride in the fact

inside of a year from now.’

He laughed in a cynical: way. But, after all, ip did not

seem to him so very anes a een stranger things

ung | than that had happened. - tes

_ He called again, sharply:

_ “Nellie!”

i There was no answer. : ns
‘Confound it, what is the matter with ae ce he

   
  
 
   
 
   
    
 
  
 
  
 

lel-
at’s

Til
nds,

she
ing

  

aime

   
  
  

om:
1ef, |

 

“Something’s wrong, sure,” he ues : “ond here
m as helpless in this chair as a pig under a gate.”

He stared round, and at the door through which the
utlaw had gone.

“Any one out there?” he valen

  
   
  
  
  
   
 

he girl.
“Til see, myself, what this means!”

   
  

ntly, for there was danger of starting a hemorrhage;
nevertheless, he dragged himself out of the chair; and,
holding his body as rigid as he could, he walked to the
connecting door and opened it.

: It resisted his efforts at first, and when he forced it

  
  
    
  

pen he heard a chair pushing back in front of it.

_ “Placed a chair against it, eh? Nellie, you little oe
what do you mean. by that?”

He felt himself growing weak, and in imagination felt
e blood cen to pour from the wound in-his shoulder ;

 
   
   
  
 

To his surprise he found it vacant.
The window at the: farther end, oe the had thought

  
   
  

Lieutenant Brent stared: at the) window in dim sur-
ise. This was going farther than he had thought the
trl would have dared. It angered him, and for a time
$ rage sustained his failing strength. Forgetting his
ar of starting a ae he ran to the window
d looked out into the gathering darkness.

“Nellie!” he called sharply, clutching at the window

   
   
    
  
  
 

 

THE: BOPP ALO Bink: pL ORIES.

I don’t.

She'll be an outlaw’s bride, and .

When this brought no answer he called angrily again’

He knew it was a thing he should not desi vio--

ledge for support and reeling with weakness.
the girl, where is she? Nellie!”

When there was still no reply, and in the gathering
gloom he could not see her, he tried to raise himself to
the window, as if he would leap out and go in search of
her; but he felt such an increase of weakness that he
dropped with his body half in the window, and clung
there, gasping.

‘Heavens, I know’ I’ve started that wound gona) and
—and I'll bleed to death here, like a stuck pig! Curses
on that girl! What a fool I was, to trust her to come
alone into this foe
locked, and that

His brain was reeling and he was gasping, while his
limbs trembled.

With difficulty he drew back from the window and
put his feet to the floor, clinging desperately to the win-
dow ledge, while his brain spun with sudden dizziness;
and then he began to grope his way weakly, back toward
the other room. ~~

He gained the separating door, and en he fell heavily

“Confound

 

-across the threshold, dragging down a chair which he

had clutched.
Something less than half an hour later, the outlaw
who had reported the approach of a stranger, returned
to-the cabin, accompanied by two other outlaws: and
they had with them a smiling little man, who declared

that he had a message for the lieutenant of the band. -

The message was an important one, he claimed, for it
was from the governor, and concerned the captain.

Coming into the cabin with the man, who was virtu-
ally a prisoner, the outlaws were surprised to see Lieu-
tenant Brent lying, gasping, against the wall, his face as
white as a sheet.

He looked at them reproachfully and weakly.

“Confound you!” he cried, and then used a stronger
term; “here I’ve lain for an hour, bleeding to death, and
no-one would come near me, though lve yelled myself
hoarse.”

The outlaws rushed to fan lifted | him, and placed
him on the cot, which he had tried to reach and had
failed. Blood dyed his shirt and coat. 4

“The girl’s gone!” he shouted to them. “And that’s
what started the wound. She escaped through the win-
dow in the back room, and when I tried to follow her

I came near falling in a faint; and here I’ve been lying :
ever since.

I yelled for help, and nobody came.”

They apologized, saying they had not been near enough
to hear him; but that others of the band ought to have
been near enough.

A. strange look. had come into the face of te man,
when he heard that the girl prisoner was gone.

-As the reader has guessed, he was the father of the
girl, and had dared the power of the bandits by invading
their stronghold thus, that he might reach and aid her.

, But I thought the window was _

     

a

eee

      
 

  

   

ee = PAT AIRS SNUB RIEU ah Oi
~~ Cae aii "ge

a

8 | THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.”

And now she was gone!
| ee a feller says he’s a messenger from ther cap-—
‘ain,’ one of the outlaws announced. “He had ther secrit

ignals,” :
, Brent stared at him. a ce
“That so? Well, V’ll hear him later. Spread the

Jarm, and hunt for the girl. She can’t get out of the
ralley.. Doctor up this wound, so that I won't lose any
nore blood. And move quick; for Pm bleeding ee
ally,”

One of the outlaws darted from the room.

The little man followed him.

“Better go back in there and stay till - s ae ter
alk to yer! the bandit snarled.

“What is this about a girl?”

“Tt’s ther gov’nor’s gal, that we’re holdin’; ther one
we want ter trade off fer ther captain. But she can’t
git away. She’s got out o’ ther cabin an’s hidin’ some-
‘eres, but twon’t do her no good. She can’t climb them _
walls, and you seen how the pass is guarded. Go back
in thar an’ stay, and directly ther lieutenant will talk to
yer

The man Petia toward the door, fens id
the outlaw ran on, disappearing in the darkness |

Governor Bell was in a quandary. If he but knew at.
that moment where his daughter was, it occurred to him

that he might escape with her, in that time of confusion. -

While an outlaw who knew something of rude surgery
was working over the bleeding lieutenant, the aroused
members of the band began to search through the little
valley with torches for the girl,

From the doorway of the cabin the governor watched
this search. He wanted to join it, yet refrained, from
caution. To have aroused suspicion might have been
fatal to all his hopes and put his life in jeopardy. Yet
it took all his self-command to remain there quietly while
that hurried search was in progress.

‘In the room back of him he heard the lieutenant groan-
ing and cursing, as the heavy-handed outlaw tried to-stop
the flow of blood and rebandage the wound.

“Curse you, for a blacksmith!’ he heard Brent yell
“I wish, I had that doctor surgeon back here! He had
some brains in his head, and didn’t poke at rhe as if
I was made of leather. Be a little easier there, can’t
you?” ag

Then he roared again with pain, while the outlaw
apologized for his heavy fingers and general clumsiness.

The search for the. girl was. still going on, when.
Governor Bell was summoned into Brent’s presence, and
found him propped in the cot, white-faced and weak.

The lieutenant looked at him with eyes that burned
like fire, seeming to bore him oo and through.

“Well, who are you?” he asked. “They say you're

- looking envelope. —

to find a man for that, and I told him I'd try it”

_ you were holding ee as a | hostage, to. prevent his being

_ he flashed Bell a hostile look—

«change of your a one

a messenger from the governor, but I rather think you're.

a liar! -Have you. any credentials, to show that you
have come from the governor?” |
“T have,” said Bell ae and . produced a- ‘eget

“What's your name a

“James Stinson.” > me

“You're a friend of the governor?
pen to send you?”

How aid i ne.

|
“I’m a deputy sheriff. He sent me because I ed 3
teéred to take this message to your camp. It wasn’t |
OAtraid of qs ene |
A. faint smile curled the white lips of pio
“No, or I shouldn’t have come. ‘Your captain heard
that’ you had captured the governor’ s daughter, and that)
you were offering to exchange her for him ; that, in fact,}

   
  
  
  
   
 
  
  
    
    
  
  
   
    
 
  

hanced ©]

“That’s right enough. Well, hat. have you got to
say? Let me see the credentials. And, “mind YOU?
Me you’ Te trying. rm) fool
us, or play us false in any way, it will be the worse
for you!” ,

“You expected a messenger on the governor, didn’t
you?” asked Bell, with a coolness that was remarkable,}
“Otherwise, how did you hope to nego for the ex-

“Of course, but-

Weak as he was, Brent | Aieed to bag propped higk ®
and that the lamp might be ee near him, so he could
look over the papers. me

 

Ability to read anything but the aes print was
an accomplishment not common among the outlaws[q
known as the Bandits in Black. Therefore, the erudition
of Lieutenant. Brent, who was fairly well educated,
passed for very much here; and they felt almost awe ot
him, as he tore open the envelope.and began to scan
the intricate-looking writing it- contained. Brent could]
ae oan, they knew; or thought, unless it was in/i

“one o’ them furrin langwidges what nobody knows.”

This was not in a “furrin langwidge,” but was plain]
enough. It introduced the messenger, James Stinson,
who was declared to be a Denver deputy sheriff, and pro-@
claimed that he was authorized to negotiate for the re-
turn of Bell’s daughter and ee restoration of their cap-
tain to his freedom,

“The girl is to be taken’ ae two of our men to Pilot|
Rock, where two men from Denver will bring the cap-
tain, and there the exchange will be made,” said Brent,
looking up from the paper. “But how do we — that
the governor can be trusted?” |

“In the same way that he owe you can be trusted.”

) Piiere may be treachery |7:

“He has to risk that you'll play treacherous; and you |
 

Be Se te Sanat ent er a RABI TSR NT et WE li RAS eta cer ptm pe year TTS De EN at aar tat ie a

ill sauewiede that/it seems more ee that you would
han that he should.”
al- Brent frowned.

} He put the paper down i hesan to think.

“These men will be at Pilot Rock to-morrow at noon;
nd to get there we’d have to start our men out with the
oung lady in the morning early. The captain will be
Pilot Rock with the two Denver men then—at noon
)-morrow !”’ ale

Governor Bell saw what was passing through the mind
f the young lieutenant—the treacherous thought that
e could send-an armed body of the Bandits in Black to
at point and retake the captain by force.

Governor Bell knew, then, that his fears of these men
ere justified. They were so treacherous a lot, that even

Ou

 
 
  
    
 
 
   

a Mm 2 negotiation which involved the life of their captain
oe ey could not be trusted.
ateg

Moreover, he saw that young Brent did not intend to
rrender the girl under any circumstances.

tol “We'll have to find the young lady first, ” said Brent
Moothly. , ‘Just now she seems to have disappeared.
Ol RE he Thasn’t been ill-treated; but, naturally, she wanted to
Sect away; and, being left alone in that back room there,

e slipped out through the window and vanished. But

1{fhe’s in the valley here some place, and my men are look-
g for her. When they find her Ill consult with the
nen and give you our answer.”

He looked hard at Bell.

» Of course, you understand that we'll have to hold you
@ a prisoner. This we’re compelled to do in self-de-
pense, until we know that the governor means to play
pir with us. But as soon as this exchange i is made we'll
et you at liberty.”
» Uhen he added, for the benefit of the listening outlaws:
“And I hope that the governor will learn by this little
d,MexpPerience that the Bandits in Black are not to be
of Merifled with.” :
anf] The door was open, and Bell was standing with the
id fi§ide of his face turned toward it, as he listened to these
initsulting words from a man who defied the great com-
_Monwealth of which he was the governor. —
in i ) Then, sharp and clear, in a burst of astonishment that
n, Morgot consequences in the tremendousness of its sur-
o-|Brise, came the voice of his daughter:
e- (“Father !”
p-} Haggard and wild-eyed, the girl, who had reached the
Moorway, driven in to that point by the searching out-
pws, fell, fainting almost, at his feet.
p- (§ Brent half sprang from his lounge, in spite of his
it, JVound. His eyes were staring.
at “Surround him!” he yelled frantically.

Bell drew a revolver and tried to lift his daughter
”’ @irom the floor,
“Surround him!” yelled oe

   
 
   
   
 
 

“There’s—treachery

va ecte! Capture him.” :

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES

tvhat she had said already.

19
“oD

ie? aie :
Back!” Bell shouted, swinging the revolver as he

lifted the girl.
But the outlaws gathered in the room and: by the door

_ were dashing on him; and though his revolver roared, its

muzzle was struck downward; and then the bandits threw
themselves upon him in a mad rush.

The daughter, through overwhelming surprise and be-
wilderment, had at a stroke undone all her father’s efforts
to rescue her.

 

CHAPTER IX.
IN THE POWER OF THE BANDITS.

Nellie Bell crouched on the floor, by the wall, white-
faced and trembling, realizing what she had done.

Her father was struggling in the arms of the outlaws
who had rushed upon him. Though a small man he
fought with a strength so great that for a moment it
seemed he would break away and escape from the room.

Yet he was thrown down, and a rope was brought hur-
riedly to bind him. A man of more Herculean mold
and courage even than the little governor would have
succumbed under the weight of his foes.

The girl rose, tottering, and staggered over by his
side, and dropped beside him. She did not say a word;
she feared to, having wrought such terrible results by
she felt it was too late to
undo that one mistake. :

The bandits began to bind the arms of Governor. Bell.

Lieutenant Brent sat up in his cot, staring as if he
could not believe what he had heard and seen.

“Ts that man your father?” he demanded of her,

She turned upon him a face from which every trace
of color had gone.

“He is not!” she said, lying when it was too late to
serve her.

“What did you mean by that, then?”

“T knew he had come from my father; and the sight of
him so astonished me that——”

“What is his name, then?”

“She knows that my name is James Stinson,” said Bell
hurriedly. “She has seen me many times in Denver, in
the office of the sheriff, where I am a deputy, and

Brent cut into the interruption by which Bell was try-
ing to acquaint his daughter with the character he had

 

assumed on invading this camp:

_*What'is his name?’

Brent scowled fiercely, as he asked this, and lifted him-
self higher on his cot, buoyed by excitement.

“St—Stinson!” she gasped, in some bewilderment.

The lieutenant laughed scornfully.

“That’s pretty good; but it don’t fool me! You'd have
said anything he suggested. Now, wouldn’t you?”

He turned from her and stared at the man who lay
in a half-upright position against the wall. Could this be

 
 

THE BUFFALO

the governor of the State—the man to whom the outlaws
had sent their ultimatum, the father of the girl they had
captured and held as a hostage? The thing really seemed
preposterously improbable. Even now Lieutenant Brent
was hardly able to believe it.
And if it seemed preposterous to him, how much more
so to those gaping and ignorant outlaws!

“Are you Governor Bell—the governor of this State ?”’
Brent demanded.

The listening and wondering bandits, some of them,
broke into hoarse and derisive laughter.

Of course I’m not,’ said Bell, glad of a chance to say
something to further acquaint ie daughter with his as-
sumed character and what he had been trying to do.
“Pve told you my name; and that I came from Governor
Bell as a messenger to try to arrange for the exchange
of his daughter for your captain. And J-—” |

“That will do!” said Brent sharply. “Just answer the
questions I ask you, will you?”

“Certainly,” said Bell.

“Tf you’re not that girl’s father, why did she say what
she did when she saw you first?”

“She has explained that.”

“Not to my satisfaction.”

“You'll have to ask her for further explanations. But
I want to say that you’re making a mistake in treating
me this way, if you hope to save the neck of your cap~,
tain |”

“You mean that you are the governor, and that if we

_don’t treat you well you’ll have the captain hung?”
“No; I mean that Pll not take your message back, and
that will result in his hanging, all right.”

Brent looked now at the girl, who was as white-faced
as if she were a corpse, and he saw she was trembling so
much that she could hardly stand. Two of the Black
Bandits stood close by her, ready to seize her arms if
she made the slightest movement. .

“Where have you been?’ he asked.

“II don’t know,” she answered, in bewilderment, un-
able to think of anything but the peril she had brought
upon her father.

“You thought you could escape, if you got out of this
cabin, I suppose; but you see how wrong you were.”
_ His voice became kindly and more quiet as he spoke to
her, for he did not fail to remember his desires concern-
ing her.

The girl was about to answer, put she stiffened rigidly,
staring at the window opposite. She had seen a face
there, and it was the face of Buffalo Bill. With difficulty
she repressed a cry of surprise. She had recognized
that face, having seen Buffalo Bill once in- 1 the streets of
Denver.

Brent, who was quick and shrewd, was made sus-

picious by her stare at that window and by the fact that
for a moment she did not speak.

ea cs oe seas

Oe tet tle ane Ges Sie ere ee at

poe oman rary

BILL

STORIES.

“Corson,” he said, in a low tone, “slip outside and
see who is by that window. Lively, and quiet.”

A man near the door glided out noiselessly.

He was gone a minute or more, during which time no
one in the room spoke.

Then he reappeared, a puzzled look on his face.

_ “No one out there!’ he reported,

The girl. whose throat and chest had felt constricted,
breathed freely again. She did not believe she had fan-
cied what she saw, and she did not want the outlaws to
discover the man outside.

“You're sute of that?” said the lieutenant.

“Certain,” replied Corson.

“Go out again and look closer, and send some men
out along the cafion in both directions. Tell them that
we have captured ofe spy, and that another was seen by
the window, and tell them to keep a closer watch than
ever, and to do no drinking.”

Corson disappeared again.

Brent turned to another man.

“Grimes, you and Billings take this man andl P, he Fos
in the other cabin, and hold him there. If he gets away
T’ll have you both shot in the morning!”

His voice was like ice, or iron, cold and hard now, and

so stern the girl would not have recognized it.

The bandits saluted, and, grasping Bell, lifted him.
- bound, from the floor, and began to drag him to the
door. The girl screamed when she beheld that, and

_ moved toward him with outstretched, suppliant ands. Cs

Brent laughed hoarsely.

“First-rate!” he said. “I think Vil call myself King
Solomon. You gave yourself and your dad away then,
Miss Bell. I know now that he is your father.”

The outlaws who heard him stared, for they had not |

been able to believe this man could be the governor of
whom they had talked so much lately. And some of
them wondered dully if the lieutenant was saying this
for some ulterior purpose.

Bell was dragged away, and one of the bandits ho
remained in the room caught the girl roughly and kept
her from a we struggled in his grasp.

“Easy there, Benso
with the young lady.”

” warned Brent. ‘Don’t be rough

Benson fell back, his face decane. but barred the

door.
“She scratches like a cat!” he protested.

The girl faced him, her eyes flashing and her cheeks

now like flame.

“Out of my way!” qe screamed, with an emphasis

that was hysterical, forgetting longer to play a par’
“You sha’n’t keep me away from him!
She flew at him with tigerish impetuosity.

, He caught her as easily as he could, and flung her ;

back into the room.

N

i vi

I will go out!" ff

 
THE BUFFALO

She threw herself down in front of the cot on which

and
Brent rested, clasping her hands about his knees,
“Please, please!” she begged, hysterically. “Let me go
no Mout, please! I shall die if you don’t. Please! I must

be with him; I must go to him.”
Brent put out his hand and touched her.
“My dear young: lady,’ he said, “let us understand
ed. each other. Is that man your father?”
an- § She hesitated, her whole body shaking.
to “T know that he is,” he declared; “so it will be no use
to lie about it.”
“He is!” she confessed wildly.
o him!

39

“And, oh! let me go
Please, please; I must go to him! You'll let

 

ien ge
hat | ‘see here, Miss Bell,” he urged, “you'll make yourself
by fll, you know; and. I don’t want that. Let us have an
n punderstanding, That is your father. It doesn’t seem
possible, but I guess it’s so. I don’t know what fool
notion ever induced him to put his head in the lion’s
ypmouth. I suppose he hoped to help you, yet he ought
t0 heave known he couldn’t, in that way. We intended
to let you go as soon as our captain was released. We'll
let you go now whenever you ask it. You can bear a
Bmessage to Denver for us, telling the people there that
we now hold the governor of the State a prisoner, and
will hang him as sure as they hang our captain.”

lan

dm. 4
ray

nd

he & lhe outlaws who heard him smiled grimly.

AA Apparently, they had the game now in their own _

hands. With the governor in their power, the people at
~BDenver sould not dare to hang the captain of the Ban-
dits in Black.

“Ves, yes,’ she responded, trembling so much that
she could barely stand.

“You'll take such a message ?”

. She hesitated, for she did not want to leave her fa-

a ther. j

Os “Yes,”’ she said, when she had thought a moment. “I
will start now—this minute, and——”

tof, Be stopped. For the moment she had forgotten the

at face seen at the window.

- But Brent had not forgotten her queer attitude when
she beheld that face.

“Who did you see at the window?” he asked quietly,
ye |but in a manner he hoped would surprise the truth from
fyher,

" She stood with lips closed tightly.
3m | Who did you see there?” he asked again.

  

“No one.’
- “Is that quite true, Miss Ber
“W “It is,” she faltered, feeling justified now in telling

ivpmary Tie,
| But he saw she had not spoken the truth.
Suddenly she knelt again before him.

“Please, please,” she said, “I will start for Denver at.

Bi STORIES. Tay

once. You must ae some kindness in your heart. You
speak like a man who is educated; and I know——”

He interrupted her wild pleading with a wave of the
hand.

“Miss Bell,” he assured her, “I have no wish to in-
jure your father, or you; and no injury will be done.
Vly talk with you about this later.’

He turned to the men.

“Mason, you and the others go out in front and make
a search along the cafion and out round. I’m sure Miss
Bell saw some one at that window; and whoever it was
must be captured. He can’t get out, however he got:in;
and we'll take him in the morning; but I’d like to have
him captured and brought here at once, so that I may
get a look at the fool.” .

The men departed, closing the door behind them,

The girl had risen, and stood before him.

His manner changed, and he smiled upon her. He
was weak, and his head was roaring; yet he managed to
smile and to look upon her kindly.

' She dropped down before him again.

“I said that just to get them out of ‘here,’ he ex-
plained in a voice that suddenly frightened her. “I in-
tend to be your escort myself, to set you on your way to
Denver. If I can get my strength back we'll start be-
fore morning. That cursed pee nearly killed
me. But Vil help you away, and

He stopped, coughing.

“Tf we don’t start to-night, we'll go to-morrow night.
And I want you to believe that I’m your friend. I—”
he glanced round and lowered his voice—‘“I’m ready to
S out of here, abandon these rascals, and try to live

gain an honest man. I'll know you'll help me in that?”

She stood before him, trembling.

Her woman’s instinct warned her that he was more
dangerous now than when, a little while before, his man-
ner had been so different, and she feared him more than
ever.

 

Berean

CHAPTER Xx,
BUFFALO BILL AND WHITE BEAVER.

Buffalo Bill and White Beaver had remained behind
when Governor Bell set out to enter boldly into the
camp of the bandits as the governor’s messenger, James
Stinson.

They had not believed it was the wisest course; yet
the governor believed otherwise, and had come prepared

-to make that entrance into the outlaw stronghold.

“We'll follow you, if you do not return quickly,” they
had told him.

“T don’t think you can pass the guards,” he had said.
“What I think you had better do is to stay close by the
entrance to the cafion there, and be ready to help me if I
get out of the place with my daughter.”

 
 

 

 

22

They had promised, and he had gone his way, walk-
_ ing boldly up to the outlaw guards and making himself
known as James Stinson, a messenger sent from the
governor to enter into negotiations for the es Of
the girl for the bandit chief.

He had not been gone long, when, as the darkness
deepened, Buffalo Bill felt impelled to follow him, and
he said as much to Doctor Powell.

“Tam seldom wrong when I have these presentiments
of danger,” he declared. “Some one in that camp will
discover the governor’s identity. Many of those outlaws
have been in Denver, and they no doubt have seen him;
_ and though he has made such a change in his personal
appearance, I am sure he'll be known.”

“Tm ready,” said Powell quietly.

Though he had gone through so terrible an experience
in getting out of that bandit camp, he was ready to enter
it again, at the behest of his friend, disregarding the
danger. White Beaver was one of the heroes of the
border whom Buffalo Bill believed in and loved like a
brother.

“You've got the whisky ready?”

“Yes, and the opiates, and the hypodermic,” was the
reply.

Buffalo Bill took one of the flasks of whisky produced
by White Beaver and substituted it for the flask of pure
whisky which he usually carried for emergencies.

Then they moved forward softly through the darkness
_ toward the mouth of the cafion, where, as they had dis-

covered, two sentinels kept watch.

‘As they neared the cafion they separated, so that Buf-
falo Bill should approach on the right side and White
Beaver on the left; the guards occupying opposite sides
of the entrance.

The scout crawled softly forward through the darkness
toward the guard on his side, and stopped when he be-
held him. Lying close against the ground, he could see
the guard without being seen in return.

The sentinel was walking slowly to and fro along a
beat, stopping now and then when he reached an end of
it. When he came to the end near the cafion he sat down
now and then to rest there, with his rifle across his knees,
while he looked off toward the trail that led into the
mountains.

He had not stopped there, as the scout knew. Hence,
when he walked slowly back along his beat Buffalo Bill
writhed softly forward, and placed the flask of prepared
whisky on the stone which he knew sooner or later the
guard would occupy.

By a happy chance, for the scout’s purposes, the guard
took a seat there on his return, and fished at the pipe he
carried in the outer pocket of the black coat he was
wearing.

The scout had retreated as quietly as he had ap-

 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

 

  

proached, and was lying a little distance away, lookir.
at the man.

It would have been quite possible to shoot the m;
from that position, but the report of a weapon was
thing he wished to avoid; and he wished to avoid, als
the chance of an outcry and the sound of a struggle,

It was necessary to pass these two vigilant guards, ar
the plan the scout and his friends were trying to put in
operation was White Beaver’s suggestion, who had |
penchant for the use of drugs in efforts of this kind.

As the sentinel fished at his pipe he felt the whisk
bottle that the scout had left there but a minute befor

 

He put his hand on it, with a start of surprise.

Taking it up, he looked at it.
_ “Great Joshua!” the scout heard him mutter.
this come hyar ?”’

He pulled out the cork, sniffed at the bottle, then, ti
ping it to his lips, tasted it.

“Stuff’s all right,” he said; “but how in time did it ¢
hyar, and why- didn’t I notice it afore? Say, S20
it hyar an’ forgot it, and I’ll bet a bulle?
dollars on’t! Sam allus was a keerless -

He chuckled dryly.

He looked round again, rose to his fect. and turn
about like a dog making a bed for himself in high gras
and then sat down. He had beheld nothing suspiciou

“How

“Sam’s bottle o’ rum, er I’m a nigger!’ he muttere
“Got it las’ night over in Crystal Bend. Say, this hyar
too good ter keep. I guess I won’t keep it!’?.,

He tipped the bottle to his lips again, and. this ‘tim |
took a long pull at it. When he withdrew it at last
smacked his lips approvingly.

“Good stuff!’ he said aloud.

He was a generous fellow in his way, and he arose an’
called softly across to the other guard.

“Say, Bill, d’ye reckon you'd darst ter come over hy:
a minute?”

“Ain’t seen nothin’, have yer?” the other asked i in
low tone.

“Well, I’ve found ne was the answer. “Sam
left his bottle er whisky hyar, an’ I’ve jist found it, ar
been samplin’ it. Ther lieutenant guv orders we warn’
ter bring any red-eye out hyar with us, but he didn’
order thet we shouldn’t drink any, if we found it ov
hyar, did he? Strikes me thet he didn’t. What ye
say ?”

What Bill “said” was a movement in that direction.

The bait put out by Buffalo Bill had been taken, hook
line, pole, ‘and sinker, all going down. White Beave
had been slower, or more cautious, and had not yet gt
within a dozen yards of the guard on that side.

As Bill, the guard, shuffled heavily across the mout!
of the cafion, Buffalo Bill retreated with the silence of |
gliding serpent; and while the two sentinels were enjoy

 

 
 

ow

_ ti

it

rn
ras
iou
re
yar

itr: |

t fi

an

<
wi
Ana

Vations while there.

¢ the ‘whisky which “Sam had left’—Sam being: the

vard on duty there just before dark—the scout rejoined’

yhite Beaver near: the mouth of the cafion on the 2 other
ide. ie

We'll not need the other stuf au es White Beaver

) a low whisper.

“T can’t tell yet. We'll know soon. Conte on.”

‘He led the way, gliding over the ground with the slip-
prinéss Of an eel; ane One Beaver came ‘close at his

Heels.

In safety they passed throust the mouth of the cation
a passage that the bandits boasted could not oy eles
y a foe without discovery.

‘The guards were sampling the contents of the doc-
bred flask of whisky. So powerful-was the drug which
e doctor had put into that whisky that the sentinels
ecan to feel its effects immediately.

Their “thirst” had made them swallow the contents: of.

he bottle, and two minutes later they. ‘were lying near
e entrance, snoring as stupidly as swine.

“The- scout and the doctor passed on through and be-
an to make their way cautiously down into the valley.
hey did not know if other guards had been set or not,
it were taking no chances. -

As they slipped thus aoe like shadows a dog came
ifing toward them.

They saw him but dimly; but dropped down, and -

hite Beaver tossed the brute a bit of meat well ‘“‘doc-
on

he dog snapped it up eae and bolted it.

He had hardly swallowed it before he rolled on the
round, writhing.

“His supper is likely to last him a long time,”
cout grimly.

a ‘the

He moved forward, and, taking the still. writhing dog

y the hind-legs, lifted him out of the trail and tossed
im quietly into some bushes, is
‘Farther down another guard was encountered;- but
was relying so much on those posted at the entrance
at the scout and the doctor had little trouble in Pasig
im without his being aware of it.

They were in the valley at last—in the home of the
bandits in Black, into which the governor had recklessly
One some time before, without returning. -

White Beaver knew the place well, through his obser-
He led the way now, with the scout
bllowing, and they passed on toward the cabin occupied
y the young lieutenant. : ce

“This man Brent’ is a clever fellow, ” White Beaver

yhispered. “I’m afraid G Governor Bell was unable to > de-
eive him.”

| When not along distance from the cabin, Buffalo Bill
tole on alone,

a was at this time that the girl, looking at the window, -

THE BUFFALO

BILL STORIES. oe

saw the scout’s face there, he having ae ap to the
window to look in.

What he beheld and heard caused him to vathdhew
with celerity and quiet; and he was well out in the direc-®
tion where White Beaver lay when the man sent out to
look for him arrived by that window.

“The girl is in there, and her father is a oe the:
scout announced. “She saw me, and I think said some-
thing—perhaps my name. We've got to lie close, But
we'll get the young lady and her father out of the hands:
of these rascals, or die in the attempt.” :

“Tm with you in that,” said the heroic White Beaver
in a tone of deep feeling. :

 

CHAPTER XI.
JOSE MIGUEL.

Lieutenant Tom Brent and the governor's daughter
were alone together in the cabin, and he was trying to.
ingratiate’ himself in her favor, when the door opened
and a smooth-faced man entered,

His features were dark and his eyes black; his hair
was black, also, and hung down upon his shoulders. ‘His
dress was Mexican, bright, gaudy, and glittering. ay
man himself was a Mexican.

_ This glittering personage was José Miguel, the one
man in the Black Bandit band that Brent fea! aside
from the captain. ey

José closed the door behind him with firm hind. and. i

then walked with catlike steps slowly across the room
in the direction of the cot on which the lieutenant rested.
There was something sinuous and deadly in his move-.
ments, something that reminded of the tiger stealing
on its prey.

Brent looked at him as if fascinated, and a certain
pallor came to make his cheeks whiter than they had dee
been. a
The girl drew co the of for the calm de
ness of the man’s manner frightened her even more than
the words she had listened to from the lips of Lieuten-
ant Brent.

“Carramba !” grated the ce
fool, eh? I keel you for that!”

Lieutenant Brent put up his hand, trembling,

“Stop, José; stop right there!”

José stopped, but looked at him, bending his head for-
ward, so that it resembled the vibrant head of a serpent.

As he stopped thus he drew from his crimson sash that
girt his waist a long, thin blade, which: flashed. in the
lamplight as he pulled it out.

“Now, what is it, José?” said Brent, his voice shaking.

A Spanish oath came from the brown lips.

“T keel you for that!” 4

“For what?” said Brent, temporizing. oe

He looked about the room for a weapon, and’ ‘glanced

“Vou think me one.

 
 

 

 

THE BUFFALO

at the window, which was not open, and at the door
which José had closed.

“Ki me for what?” he repeated.
mander, remember, while the captain is away.

oT am the com-

39 -

and
He stopped, hesitating, fairly cowed by the ouch

manner of the would-be assassin.

“Aha! You have me shot for dis in the morning, 2 2

I cut you neck—so!”

He drew the back of the shining blade across _ own

throat in a significant gesture.

The girl wanted to scream, but was held still in her
tracks ; she seemed to have lost all power of movement
or volition.

Lieutenant Brent lifted himself higher in the cot and
put his hand on the rail to get out, for he felt that this
demon would rush on him with that knife in another mo-
ment. :

‘Where are the men?” he said, trembling.
summon them, and you'll get your deserts, José!

~“T can

7? 3

There was a snarl of contemptuous rage, low and

deadly, like the purr of a tiger.

“T have all them sent away,” said Jose, with malignant
triumph. “T am commander, when you lie seek in the
bed. Is it not so? De men will not hear you when you
call.
hear you. Ah-h!”

The purr sounded again, vibrant and blood-chilling. ©

‘Brent leaped from the cot, forgetting his weakness,
and rushed to get a sword that hung on the ope
wall,

As he did so the Mexican leaped toward him.

The lieutenant pulled the sword from the fastenings,
and, leaping into a corner, presented the point of the
weapon, which stopped the Mexican’s rush.

“Now, see here, José! I am a sick man; but,” he
uttered a fierce oath. “I’m not afraid of you! And if
“you come near me I'll run you Uronet. Now, hear me !
What’s the meaning of this?’ .

José stopped, panting, and licking his lips; while his
eyes gleamed like two coals of fire.
clutched with desperate strength,

“T keel you!” he said, beginning a soft circling move-
ment, looking for an opening to leap in.

“For what? In Heaven’s name, for what! 2”

“VYou—ah—tell de man you be captain, when de cap-
tain is dead! -It is me—you hear-r? It is me for de
captain |”

“Who reported that I said that?’

“Manuel say so!”

“Manuel is a liar.”

“Beppo, and Tom, and Bille say SO.
say so! Vy

a a th thio na a A i hl he es os

T’'ll have.
you shot for this i in the morning, if you don’t go out

Shout so loud like de thunder and they will not -

His long knife he

They hear you,

BILL STORIES.

: “Infernal liars, every one of them; and I'll settle with |

them, after ga
The Mexican was still maneuvering for an Opening.
‘Ah you do not feentsie 7

- “After I settle with you!” -

- He. Sprane forward, driving the sword-point straight
at’ José’s heart.

The girl screamed in a iow tone, sad tne on havids
clasped, and cheeks as white as ashes, while ae eyes
glittered with excitement.

‘The Mexican avoided the point of the ue sword,
and then rushed in through the guard. In truth, he had
drawn that thrust for the purpose of breaking through.

The girl reached the door and set her hands on the
knob, against which her nails rattled in terror. The
door was locked—José had locked ee and unno-
ticed as he came in.»

_ She turned, as though at ae and. aie she beheld
frightened her almost into a faint.

For José and the lieutenant were fighting with the
ferocity of wild animals, or with what to her seemedhy
animosity of snakes. :

The lieutenant tried to get the Mexican by the throat,
and his sword dropped with a clatter to the floor.

The bright blade of the Mexican flashed in the lamp-
light, and was driven deep into the side of the lieuten-
ant.

He stiffened convulsively, swayed an instant, and then
fell heavily against the wall.

In a fascination of horror the girl saw the Meanie

pull away the deadly blade and wipe it with superb
coolness on his crimson scarf, which was so saturated
already that it could hold no blood-stain. He glared at
the lieutenant as the body slipped on down to the floor
and fell in a limp heap; and another low Spanish oath
fell from the brown lips.

For a moment he stood, as he scones to fea, and
restored the knife to the sash; and then he turned and
came toward the girl. |

She tried to cry out, to scream wildly for fon any-
thing, any one, rather than the touch of this blood
stained wretch! But her tongue was rigid in her mouth.

“Aha!” said the Mexican, staring at her with his

bright, glittering eyes. “You will with me come, eh!

He caught her by the wrist, and reached out his other
hand to unlock the door,

“We shall go far from dis ae ere far; nto Mex:
ico, my land; you shall go with me!”

Then her throat chords loosened, and a “scream y
fright rose from her lips.

José threw open the door.

“You will come?” he snarled.

And he pulled her through the doorway ; where, catch

ing her in his arms, he lifted her, and staggered ae intoy :

the darkness.

a sa

bi

 
  

THE BUYFAI a)

   

with ® CHAPTER AIT.

SOME CLEVER | WORK.

Seeing that the danger of discovery from the outlaws,
who had been sent out of the cabin by Brent to search
or the man whose face had been seen by the girl at the
window, was ‘very great, Buffalo Bill and White Beaver

ight

andsppeat a hasty retreat from their. perilous situation. -

eyes | In this retreat they moved away from the cafion trail,
amd over. toward the heart. of the little valley, cominy

ord, ™pnus by what seemed almost an accident upon the herd

had(mef ponies feeding on the rich grass watered by the ¢ over-

h, [Row of the cafion stream. |
As they discovered the ponies, some of dition lifted

the
Thelmineir heads and sniffed suspiciously, Doctor Powell put
nno:fmis hand into a pouch he carried slung over his shoulder,
d drew out some tufts of. hae that had been soaked in
held fimealt.
There are few things a horse Hes better than salt, and
thefmnis is particularly true of horses such as those kept by

mane otitlaws, where regular oe of the animals is neg-
ected.

The ponies sniffed ae ae on the grass tufts thrown
oward them, and crowded up eagerly.

‘Oat,

mp-§ In another moment they were fairly fighting for the
ten- (grass,

Powell threw them all the grass tufts he had, and then
hen fe and the scout lay low in the darkness, watching the

ager ponies, and at the same time with their ears set in
he direction of the cabin from which they had come.

  
  

erd
ted
| ati

_As the reader guesses, those salty bunches of grass
lad been soaked in something far more powerful than
S: alt; in a solution prepared by Powell himself, which had
the effect of making the ponies. stiff and dead lame
thin less than five minutes from the time they swal-
owed it.

 
   
 
 
  
 
  

p At the same time, this drug w was not permanent in its
fects; for the ponies would recover from it in a day or
"$0 and be as well as ever. Doctor Powell was forced at
nes to strange methods, but he never forgot that he
as a humanitarian. It was not necessary to kill the
Onies, and he had no desire to do so.

   
  
  
  
    
  

“There will be a lot of wild men, when the outlaws
Scover this,” said the scout, with a chuckle. “But I
on ‘'t hear anything from the cabin!” nee

  
     
  
 

€ sat up, listening.
/ Ah, some of the rascals are ‘moving away!”

José was sending them away, that he might be free to
Nwreak vengeance on Lieutenant Brent, and get into his
wer the girl whose beauty had captured his inflamma-
€ heart, and whom he meant to carry away with him
to Mexico; for the Mexican, having fallen in love with
€ girl, had resolved to abandon his companions and fly
ith her that very night, after killing the present com-

    
   
  
   
 

 

Bis

TORIES.

ty
CL

There is said to be honor among thieves, but seldom
is it so. There was no honor in the hearts of these hu-
man wolves, at any rate. They were ready to tear each
other to pieces, if by so doing they thought they could
advance themselves.

Buffalo Bill and the doctor lay « on the orass, decische
the situation, and wondering where the governor was, or
if he was in that cabin with his daughter and those men.

“We'll rush to the cabin, as soon as these ponies have
stiffened up a bit,” remarked the scout. “With the
ponies out of the way and the guards drunk at the en-
trance, it will be strange if we can’t get out of here, even
if they outnumber us ten to one. But I guess they out-
number us more than that.” P

“We've got to make sure where the governor is first.’
“That's so, too. Perhaps we’d better crawl back to-
ward the cabin now.”

As they advanced they came to another cabin: and,
lying on the ground there, they became half-convinced
that the governor was held here.

- Buffalo Bill drew his knife and crawled round to ae
seemed to be the front door.

An outlaw was coming out of it, sa stopped at the
door to lock it with a heavy key, having thus his back to

¢ ne scout.

“Necessity knows no mercy, and such oinidrels as
you deserve none!” the scout muttered.

He rose to his feet, and, with knife tightly gripped,
took a step toward the door.

As he did this the man locking the door heard him
and turned quickly, leaving the big key sticking in the
lock.

He saw a dim form before him; and then that dim
form sprang for his throat.

Buffalo Bill had meant to use the knife and drive it
to the heart of the rascal; ‘but when he saw the advantage
of his surprise he caught the man by the throat instead.

They fell together against the door, making morte
noise than the scout desired; and there the scout tight-
ened the grip of his deadly fingers, sinking them into the.
flesh of the man’s neck until they seemed to bury them-
selves.

With a choking eurgle, the man’s hody became limp,
and then collapsed.

White Beaver had come forward anxiously.

“Tie him! !” the scout whispered.
“Ah, you got him?”

“Yes, he’s the guard; he was locking the Abeer, on
had just come out. I had to squeeze pretty hard, but I
think he isn’t dead. Better tie him and gag him.”

From the pouch the doctor brought some bits of rope, |
and his deft fingers secured these about the wrists and
ankles of the senseless outlaw.
Buffalo Bill prepared a gag while Powell was doing

  
 

 

  

26 0 Ee BUPPALO

this, and the gag was oe on in the fellow’s
- mouth.

- “When he comes to himself, he'll wonder what’s hap-
pened to him, and where he is,”” said the scout, with a
grim chuckle. “Now, ie eee ere inside of the
cabin | Ay . . oe

- He unlocked the door and iched } it open.

“Hello, in there?’ he called softly. »

“Is that you, Cody?’

- It was the voice of the governor. ee

vee” said the scout, passing in now. “Got you a
prisoner in Bate; eh? Is your nett in that other
cabin?”

“Yes.”

The governor was trembling so that he could hardly
answer.

He held out his bound hands in the darkness, and
crawled over the floor toward the scout, for his legs
were also tied together.

It took but a moment for the scout to Palease. him:

“Your daughter is still in the other cabin?” eG
~ “Ves, I'm sure of it.” .

“Then, we'll try to release her. We'll have to work
carefully. But we’ve drugged two of the guards and all
of the ponies, and have poisoned a dog that was in the
trail. We've been clearing the way, so that when we

make a bolt from the place we can go Morey withou},

question.”
“You're a wonderful man, Cody !”
“Your thanks are due to White Beaver, rather than

to me. He’s the boss poisoner since the days of the
Borgias. He penne the thing, and chiefly carried it
out.”

He laughed in a pleasant way, for his work seemed

prospering, and he wished to encourage the trembling

governor.

os have your daughter safe out of this place soon
hte added.

; God bless you, Cody.”

The scout was leading the way to. the door, outside :

of which stood White Beaver, in a listening attitude.

“The guard hasn’t waked up yet, eh?” Buffalo Bill

queried.

“Not likely. to soon, I pe your eee cut, into his

throat pretty deep, in my opinion.’
rues choking at the end of a rope is what pe oe de-

serves.’

‘They moved toward the other cabin.

As they neared it the door was thrown open, 2 wild
scream was heard, and José Miguel staggered out into
the darkness, bearing the governor’s daughter in his
arms.

 

CHAPTER X11.

THE ESCAPE,

‘Dufsio Bill laaned oe like a tiger out of the

gloom.
He caught the Mexican by i shoulder, and then by

BILL STORIES.

ing, for he knew the girl’s scream and the sound of the

    
   
   
  
   

the throat, hurling him to the ground; andthe girl, fall} A
ing almost in a faint, tumbled over into: 1s outstretched erno.
arms of her. father. af

as
White Beaver had drawn a rece and. iand listen ik é

It
fight would draw some one out to see what the. noise waspand
about. [belie
José Miguel, sanding rascal that he was, 2 oe
down limply under the choking given him by the scout} G
and feigned insensibility. The scout me him from|jed.
him. a Ty
“Come,” he said; “we’ve got to move now! i > pron
He reached out his arms for the girl. 7 gee

heer
“Tl carry her, governor; I’m stronger than you, and ma

 
 

 

we've got to move lively.” ge V

less
tere
fen
0 1

  
 
 
 

With hesitation the father relinquished his daughte
to the scout. In that moment of peril he felt that he
ought to be the one whose arms should clasp her. ‘But
he saw that the scout was right. ae |

With the half-unconscious girl held close in his stfong!
arms, the scout ran toward the trail that led along the
cafion; and the governor and White Beaver followed
him, the latter with revolver ready.

That the scream of the girl and the sounds that fol-
lowed it had been heard was soon evident. Outlawsfiihe
were stirring and asking questions. Then the shrill, 4 esc
hoarse, voice of José Miguel was lifted in
a call for help.

“T ought to have knifed that villain!” Was the tou.

 

be

 

  
   
 
 
 
  
 
   
  
  
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
 
  

of the scout, as he ran on. — ; }
‘The calls and shouts of the aroused bandits crated 50
louder as the fugitives fled along the cafion trail; and |
there were indications that some of the outlaws, were run- hor
ning to get the ponies. o
White Beaver laughed sey when he divined their dle
purpose, 9 Sif
Before the mouth of the cafion was ied fice: Was Ml ho.
a clatter of hoofs behind them, and loud outcries from ~
the mounted men, who could not understand why theirf je,
ponies were so stiff. They were beating the animals and
cursing them furiously. de
‘The one guard left at the side of the trail shoxtes| |
down something. ri
"The prisoners have escaped toward the mouth of the :
cafion,”’ Buffalo Bill shouted uP to him in a disguised 2
Voice,

  

“Ts that you, Kennedy?” was shouted back. |
“Yes; but stay where yer air,’

The guard leaped down, perhaps suspiciously; and a :
swift blow on the head, dealt. with a revolver butt by
the strong hand of White Beaver, laid him-senseless,

The rage of the outlaws when they discovered their
slain lieutenant, and found that their ponies were lame,
passed. all bounds.

José told a voluble ane ingeniots story: claiming that
the lieutenant had been killed by the governor, who had
men with him, and that thus the girl had been res-
cue oe

   
   
 
 
  
  
   

     
 
 

 
  
  

& :
rk eben ON hers ee Seieemineiinamatene lie Se ee ae oe
RRA PH ed eee ASAE pe LL A ra led Mana =
fall
ched

ens
the
was

ped
out
rom

THE BUFFALO

A dash was then made to the cabin where the gov-
ernor had been placed as a prisoner, revealing the bound
and gagged form of the guard lying by the door. He
was still unconscious; and, therefore, could give them
no enlightenment.

It was plain that the man supposed to be the governor,
and the governor’s daughter, had escaped; and it was
believed that the two men were with them—and the
rumor grew into a belief that those two men were But-
falo Bill and White Beaver.

Guards were set in the cafion, and a strong party sal-
lied forth to hunt down the fugitives in the hills.

Though the scout and his companions had escaped

jfrom the valley, they were not yet safe. To make mat-

and

ite
he
But}

ong
the
v ect]

fol-
VWs
yet

oir
as
im

IT

od
ed |

Aa

3

ters worse, they discovered that their horses had either

been stolen by the outlaws, or had released themselves
and wandered away.

With bandits swarming in every trail, it seemed use-
kss to try to advance in the darkness. Therefore a shel-
tered and secluded spot was sought, where they could
fight for their lives if cornered; but where they hoped
fo remain unseen until daylight came, when the trail of

-Bthe horses could be found and followed. ©

‘emeemens

 

GHAPTER XIV.
CONCLUSION. .

With the first light of morning, Buffalo Bill picked up

the trail of the horses, finding that they had simply

escaped and wandered away.

White Beaver was left behind with the governor and
the girl, fer his fighting abilities would be sorely needed
by them if the hiding-place were discovered by the out-

Baws.
Buffalo Bill pushed the pursuit of the wandering horses

so rapidly that he soon came up with them.

He caught his own horse readily enough; but the
horses belonging to White Beaver and Governor Bell
were wilder, and fled on before him.

Mounting his animal, which had on its bridle and sad-
dle just as when it got away, he was about to go in pur-
suit of the refractory animals, when he found his way
barred by a half-dozen of the Black Bandits.

They were on foot, and wore their black masks. Their
level rifles pointed at his breast.

It was a close corner, and they thought they had him
dead to rights.

“Surrender !”
rifles at him,

The thing the scout did was astonishing, and seemed

yelled the leader, as they pointed their

wild recklessness.

He set his horse in motion. With his wild cry ringing

and his revolvers rattling out their leaden hail, the un-
“| daunted scout charged into the jaws of death.

The action was so unlooked for that it took the Black
Bandits by surprise ; and that revolver-fire, which seemed
to pour in two streams from his revolvers, was so deadly
that they were fairly thrown into a panic. Two of them
went down, and then two more. .

They were shooting at him, and one of their bullets

cut into the shoulder of the horse; then the other two

bandits, who still remained uninjured, leaped aside, and
tan wildly, uttering yells of terror.

Buffalo Bill sent some shots after them to hurry their
going,

ROVLRAIOVE Dea aarO ROBE W Garin ones ee i si

BILL SIORIES. : 27

_ Swinging down out of his saddle, with revolver ready
in case of treachery, he bent over one of the wounded
men.

The fellow looked up at him with staring eyes.

“You're ther devil, I think!” he said hoarsely.

Buffalo Bill tore the mask away and looked into the
man’s face, but he had never seen him before.

But when he took the mask from the face of one of
the dead men, the brown, evil visage of José Miguel was ~
revealed. a

Yet the scout did not know. what the girl knew, and
would never know that this was the man who had
planned boldly to usurp the position of captain first; and
then, won by the girl’s beauty, had slain the lieutenant
in a sudden resolve to carry the girl away and fly with
her into Mexico.

There was a scowl of hate and surprise on the face of
the dead Mexican.

Seeing that he could do nothing for the wounded men,
Buffalo Bill went on in pursuit of the horses, cornering
and capturing them after awhile, and returning with
them safely to the spot where his friends were, having a
story to tell, too, which was surprising enough.

But by this time the bandits had regained their cour-
age somewhat and recovered from their surprise; and
when the scout and his friends had laid plans for leaving
their hiding-place and continuing their retreat toward
Crystal Bend they found that they were surrounded.

The Bandits in Black feared the deadly weapons of the
scout too much to show themselves, but when any mem-

“her of the party appeared in view a veritable hail of

bullets came singing over the rocks.

Buffalo Bill’s wounded horse was hit again, and so in-
jured that he shot it as an act of mercy; and pretty soon
one of the other horses was wounded, leaving but one
uninjured.

“If we could get out, Miss Bell could ride that horse
and the rest of us walk,” said the scout; “and we might
get away by making a desperate charge, just as I did
when those rascals confronted me and commanded me
to surrender.”

Yet, because of the girl and the governor, he feared
to risk such an attempt. If it resulted disastrously, he
felt that he could not blame himself too much. As they
were now out of the valley, and thus, as it seemed, well
on the road to freedom, to let a rash act perhaps spoil
all, seemed scarcely less than criminal.

The girl had long since recovered from her fainting
and weakness. Yet her face was unnaturally white; and,
altogether, her father felt much anxiety.

It seemed. a strange thing that he, the governor of
the State, should be thus hemmed in, with his daughter,
by these wild and lawless men; and his anger burned
furiously against them.

It was apparent that the-Black Bandits were in a reck-
less mood, even though they still exercised due care for
their personal safety. They seemed to feel that if these
people escaped, the hanging of their captain at Denver
would surely follow; and, besides, the death of Lieuten-
ant Brent, and later of José Miguel, demanded their pun-
ishment.

Stealthily they crept closer in, and their rifle-fire be-
came more accurate; so that the one remaining horse fell
after a time, and the people thus ringed in escapd only
by crouching low and keeping well covered behind the _

rocks. (

 
 

28 oe : THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

The deadly rifles of the scout and White Beaver, that
toppled down every outlaw who ventured to make him-
self visible, alone held back the bandits at this juncture.

But it was slowly becoming apparént.to the scout and
the doctor that the end even of this would be reached at
last.
The scout was thinking seriously of trying to break
through the cordon, when everything was changed, as
in the twinkling of an eye. . ue .

Loud yells and wild cheering were heard, and many
rifle and revolver-shots. The bandits were seen flying
from their stations in the surrounding rocks.

- Then a band of horsemen came into view, and rode
down the flying bandits, pistoling them without mercy.

The sheriff's posse had arrived from Crystal Bend,
and had taken a hand just when affairs seemed most
serious.

Buffalo Bill and his companions leaped out of their
hiding-place and made their presence known by loud
yells and shouts.

Soon they were surrounded by the posse.

_ The captain of these men, who was at the same time
the sheriff of the county, bent over and took the scout by
the hand. a Hoe Se

“We've been hanging to your trail, Cody, like a dog
to a root; and this mornin’ we got here. We heard the
shooting, and our scouts brought word what was up;
and then we:came on. But didn’t we give it to ‘em?
And never lost a man!’

He was a big-girthed fellow, who laughed as he
‘alked, and seemed to make light of the bloody sights he*
jad witnessed. - s
Governor Bell thanked him earnestly. “ :
“Governor, I told you I’d foller you!’ was his an-

swer. “You made it hard work fer me, but I got hyer - b

in time, after all. And so this is the little girl, eh?”

He lifted his hat to Miss Bell.

“Purty good size fer a little girl—and you said a little
girl.” : : :

“She will always be a little girl to me,” said Bell, in
response.

“Thev ©. grow up mighty fast, governor; I’ve got
girls ea ass, own, and 1 know!”

; '- at the flushing young lady, who trembled

aer desire to appear calm.
ud, Miss Bell,” he said, “when you conclude to
cake a canter on yer horse, mind hereafter that you take
it sorter in the limits of civilization. We'll git you out,
of course, as often as ye fall into the hands o’ such crit-
ters; but the thing is troublesome to us, ye know, and we
don’t like to have to murder folks.” cS

He laughed again, in his big and hearty way.

“But no doubt you’ve been havin’ a pleasant time, with
Cody and White Beaver fer company; and yer dad with
ye, too!’ ;

He turned to the men who were behind him.

“Come on, boys; we ain’t finished this job yit! There
won't be any Bandits in Black when we git through.”

Then he rode on toward the valley, into which the
fleeing bandits seemed to have run, and his men went
with him, except a few who remained to act as the gov-
ernot’s guard and escort.

But most of the bandits had merely fled there to get
some of their belongings and to warn the others in
there; and then had fled on out by the other end of the
cafion, into the hills.

   
  
   
  
   
 
 
    
  
  
  
   
 
 
   

A few of them were run down, and either killed or cay
tured; but the most of them scattered in the hills anf
escaped. Fs

And yet it was the end of the Bandits in Black as|
road-agent organization. ,

The attempt of the Bandits in Black to force the goy
etnor of the State to release their captain had ended |
defeat; and the murderer was hanged in Denver on th
date set for his execution. ce

Buffalo Bill and White Beaver had done their worl
and had done it well.

on

nile:
THE END.
Next week’s issue, No. 265, will be “Buffalo Bill ani te
the Indian Tiger; or, The Leap for Life.” Anothe d
story of Indian fighting and Indian warfare, with thg@n
marvelous work of Buffalo Bill, the great scout, in hi
efforts to thwart the devilish plans of the savages. Tl
Indian Tiger was pitted against him in a manner t
make his work exceedingly difficult. A beautiful India’
girl plays an important role; and, altogether, the story i:
one you will not want to. miss.

For

 

    
 

 

      
 

About the @
Early kl
‘no LIP Lop Weekly
We receive hundreds of letters every week from teaders
asking if we can supply the early humbers of Tip Top contain-
ing Frank’s adventures. In every case we are obliged to reply
that numbers 1 to 300 are entirely out of print.

We would like to call the attention of our readers to the fact
that the Frank Merriwell Stories now being published in book /
form in the Medal Library are inclusive of these early ntimbets,
The first book to appear was No. 150 entitled “Prankatertiwell \
Schooldays.’’ a vA

We give herewith a complete list of all the stories that have
been published in book form up to the time of writing. We will
be glad to send a fine colored cover catalogue of the Médal
Library which is just filled with good things for boys, upon

-teceipt of a one-cent stamp to cover postage. —

The Price of The Merriwell Books is Ten Cents per Copy. At all Newsdealers

         
       
   
       
         
       
     
     
 

 

 

  

 

     

Frank Merriwell at Yale. Medal No. 205. 10c.
Frank Merriwell Down South. Medal No. 189. 10c. |
Frank Merriwell in Camp. i Medal No. 258. 10c. |
Frank Merriwell in Hneland, Medal No. 340. 0c. |
Frank Merriwell in Europe. Medal No. 201. 10c.
Frank Merriweéll in Maine. Medal No. 276. 10c.
Krank Merriwell on thé Road. Medal No. 300. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Athletes. Medal No. 288. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Bicycle Tour. Medal No. 217. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Book of Physical Development.

Diamond Hand-Book No. 6. ‘6c.

          
         
       
           
       
       
         
         
       
     
       
           
         
         
       
     
       
       
           
         
         
       
       
         
       
       
         
         
       
         
       
       
           
       
       
     
     
       
        
  

  

Frank Merriwell’s Bravery. Medal No, 193. 10x. |
Frank Merriweil’s Champions. Medal No: 240. 0c. (
Frank Merriwell’s Chase. Medal He. Baile LOG:
Frank Merriwell’s Chums. Medal No. 167. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s College Chums, Medal No. 312. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Couragé. Medal No. 225. 10c. | |
Frank Merriwell’s Cruise. Medal No. 267.° 10c.. |
Frank Merriwell’s Danger. Medal No. 251. 10c. | |
Frank Merriwell’s Daring. Medal No, 229. 10c. | |
Fraua Merriwell’s Fame. Medal No. 308. 10c. |]
Frank Merriwell’s First Job. : Medal No. 284. 10¢e.
Frank Merriwell’s Foes, Medal No. 178. 10c,
Frank Merriwell’s Fortune. Medal No. 820. 0c.
Hrank Merriwell’s Great Scheme, Medal No. 886. 10c. |
Frank Merriwell’s Hard Luck. Medal No. 292. 10c. |
Frank Merriwell’s Hunting Tour. ~ Medal No. 197. 10¢.
Frank Merriwell’s Loyalty. Medal No. 254. 10c.
Frank Mertiwell’s New Comedian. Medal No. 324. 10c¢. |
Frank Merriwell’s Opportunity. _ Medal No. 288. 10c.
Frank Meérriwell’s Own Company. Medal No. 304. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Problem. -. Medal No. 316. 10¢.
Frank Merriwell’s Prosperity. Medal No. 328. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Protege. Medal No. 296. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Races. Medal No. 213. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Return to Yale. Medal No. 244. 10c.

pg Frank Merriwell’s School-Days. Medal No. 150. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Secret. Medal No. 247. 10c.

j Frank Merriwell’s Skill, Medal No. 287. 10c.
rank Merriwell’s Sports Afield. Medal No. 209. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Stage Hit. Medal No. 332. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Struggle. Medal No. 280. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Trip West. Medal No. 184. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Vacation. Medal No. 262. 10c.

 

  
  

Ir Cap \

 

 

Is an P .
‘as [KSUED EVERY MONDAY. HANDSOME COLORED COVER
> LOY . : | e rome:

edi’ = Ted Strong wants to make your acquaintance, boys, and we are

yn thi

pnvinced that you will be proud to have him as a friend. The.
bles of his adventures among the cowboys are full of fascinating -

Brterest. He is known to every one as “King of the Wild West”
ind he upholds the title

  
  
 

 

 

1 PRICE FIVE CENTS PER COPY

rdia i For sale by all newsdealers, or sent, by the publishers to any address upon receipt of price in money or postage stamps
ry ig

<< HERE ARE THE LATEST TITLES:

1o1—King of the Wild West in Siberia; or, Castaway on
the Arctic Ocean. :

102——King of the Wild West’s Haunt; or, Stella’s Escape

from Sacrifice. |

403—King of the Wild West’s Dive; or, The Finding of
the “Golden Baby.”

104——King of the Wild West’s Guard; or, Stella’s Long
Shot.

1o5—King of the Wild West’s Posse; or, Stella’s Own
Vigilance Committee.

106—King of tthe Wild West Underground; or, Stella
to the Rescue.

107—King of the Wild West’s Brand; or, How Stella
Held the Fort.

108—King of the Wild West’s Campaign; or, How Stella
Won the Victory. . ae

to9—King of the Wild West’s Booty; or, Stella Finds
the Pirate Loot.

t10o—King of the Wild West’s Success; or, Stella and the
Marked Bill.

~—King of the Wild West’s Militia; or, Breaking the
f Strike in Leadville. 4
ti—King of the Wild West’s Justice; or, The Sheep
War of the Las Animas.
King of the Wild West’s Saint; or, The End of
r Polygamy in Utah.
me 3—King of the Wild West’s Hold; or, Capturing the
va ?)~— 6c Biv. Timber Thieves.
u—King of the Wild West’s Submarine; or, The
Search for Sunken .Treasure.
§s—King of the Wild West’s Finish; or, The Great
Stone Door.
oo>—King of the Wild West’s Peril; or, The Cannibals
of Tiburon Island.
97—King of the Wild West’s Strange Quest; or, The
White Princess of Sonora.
g8—King of the Wild West’s Horsethief: ‘er, The
Enigma of Lost Springs.
99—King of the Wild West’s Chase; or, The Rescue
of Yuen Ho. '

ee Sr ee a

ae

STOR ar ace Ie

100—King of the Wild West’s Meteor; or, The Race for
the Klondike Diamond.

 

11i~-King of the Wild West’s Daring; or, Stella’s Great
Lariat Throw.

 

 

IF YOU WANT ANY

   

BACK NUMBERS

of our libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Cut out and fill in the foliow-

_ | BB 128 order blank and send it to us with the price of the books you watt and we will send them to you by return mail. POSTAGE

_ | STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY.

|| BBSTREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79 Seventh Avenue, New Vork City. Cus Ue Se ces 190

i Gentlemen +-Enclosed find........ cents for which please send me:

ma copies of Tip Top Noo a ea

| ae “ © Nick Carter Nose ae eee Ue A oe un et cea

aoe "Diamond Dick) Nosiei ii sso ss eves te Ee FGA Gey SCE U S Ue enua gets CoCr a Ak sae
fee “© Buffalo Bill ee ae
ee cM he ee ed ee ee eae
Te Otte te NO a a ae eee gee
ee SErech ANG NO jy avon cess) GaGa dace eae ec es own Oe i eaten

 
 

 

 

 

. STORIES OF BOWS WO SUCCEED

is not now longer by thousands of words than any other Piveceat Library.
_ Here’s your chance, boys.

 

\
4
4
{
4
;
4
y
q
4
7
3
q

Sn REE te Se fe ete ee oe ee ee

The biggest five cents’ worth published in America, and the
best,too. Stories of boys who succeed in life. A different story

every week. Get your photo published. MIGHT AND MAIN prints
pictures every week of successful boys.

For Sale by all Newsdeslors or will be sent on receipt of price by the Publishers.

a.
; THE WINNER LIBRARY COMPANY. }
i

LLIDDEEPE DDD PADD Bolo Sa Boho ho Gor fonhe Foleo hohe he hehehehe PEELE LEE

é

 
 

 

 

 

svep EVERY TUESDAY.

 

   

_ BEAUTIFUL COLORED COVERS

Butialo Bill wins his way into the heart of every |

xc who reads these strong stories of stirring adventure

n the wide prairies of the West. -

B Boys, if you want tales of the West that are

awn true to life, do not pass these by. :
PRICE FIVE CENTS PER COPY.

For sale by all newsdealers, or sent, by the publishers to any address upon receipt of price in money or postage stamps

 

 

»—Buffalo Bill’s Arapahoe Alliance; or, Fighting the
Tejons.

i—Buffalo Bill on Special Service; or, The Death
Dance of the Apaches,

Buffalo Bill on a Treasure Hunt; or, The Secret

. Uoard Geet ¥ aquis.

- sie Lost Quarry; or, Following a Cold

y rail,

a - HERE ARE THE

to—Bufialo Bill Among the Pawnees; or, Nick Whar-

x ton’s Redskin Chum.

4 (o—Buffalo Bill on a Long Hunt; or, The Tracking of

| Arrowhead, ae

s1—Buffalo Bill’s Wyoming Trail; or, The Conquering

‘ of Red Hand.

p2—-Buffalo Bill and the Redskin Wizard; or,
Mystery of Biting Adder.

i 6é—Buffalo Bill Among the Comanches; or, Loud
‘ Thunder’s Last Ride.

i i7—Buffalo Bill’s Stockade Siege; or, Holding the
—_ Fort. S

’ is—Buffalo Bill’s Creek Quarrel; or, Long Hair’s Long
i Shot. oS

a

a

     

The

  

 

LATEST TITLES:

253—Buffalo Bill’s Bold Challenge; or, Fighting Red-

skins in the River.
254—Buffalo Bill’s Shawnee Stampede; or, Evil Heart’s
i Last Call.
255—Buffalo Bills Worst Foe; or, The Black Panther
of the Sioux.

/256—Buffalo Bill On a Desert Trail; or, The Mystery of

the Mojave.

-257—Buffalo Bill’s Rio Grande Feud; or, The Giant of

the Apaches.
258-—Buffalo Bill in Tight Quarters; or, The Ruse of
the Jumping Tarantula.
259—Buffalo Bill’s Daring Rescue; or, Hunted by
Wolves.

. 260—Buffalo Bill at the 7 orture Stake; or, A Close Call

Among the Utes.

261—Buffalo Bill’s Treasure Train; or, The Doom of
the False Guide.

262—Buffalo Bill Among the Blackfeet; or, The Wizard
of the Wind River Mountains.

- 263—Buffalo Bill’s Border Beagles; or, The Trail of

Gold and Death.

 

 

   

AMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY.

   
   
 
 
  

IF YOU WANT ANY

our libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Cut out and fill in the follow-°
ae order blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we will send them to you by return mail. POSTAGE

MBERS

 

BACK NU

 

TREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79 Seventh Avenue, New York City. «atte terete ne erent ener ect eer cea eaene 190
Gentlemen :—Enclosed find........ cents for which please send me: :

Bs. copies of Tip Top ices unee cl ceorsceer es Melua ae Ge Cees eels even dees Ure cunen ce cea
Bos, * “Nick Carter BE eer as Siete Ga ceietag sel Lema se cee Ulta e te ohms nes 8s
Me {oO Vinmenge ee Mos ec eel eae ee cau tema cae see .
“ “ Buffalo Bill -NoS,....-..-.-- OE CS a a ce ce ve
io ie © Reaves wee ON No ieee ce sde Seeele ee crete me ctem ace ese ( CONs ss uais da disiieaca ts thos sam
ee ee ee eieee (Seep ues cuetebge deme) ERG Manet sees, coos
Bees kt ee eet Street and NO... ..eccccseesseer cesses ceeues TOWN... ose e ee cee State..... occcececves

   
pd A> ® Sp Lyi fad

 

The Greatest

ever written, by the most popular writer of stories of
athletics in the world, Burt L. Standish, will
appear as a serial, commencing in the July number of

( The Popular

for sale at all news stands for ten cents per copy on
June 10. The announcement of a new, long story by
Mr. Standish will interest practically every young man
in the United States. Every one who has ever read the
Frank Merriwell stories, every one who is interested in
the least in the great national game of baseball, every one
who likes a story of action and incident in which every

character is real and true to life, is sure to read this
story, which is entitled

‘‘,FHE ROCKSPUR WN i N E a s

It is the story of a baseball nine, but above all, it is the -
story of areal, human character—a young man with
plenty of good points but with plenty of failings also.
In reading the history of his temptations, of his strug-
gles and final victory, you feel toward him as toward
a comrade and friend. You know, without being
told, that Burt L. Standish can describe a game of
baseball as can no other author. You know that he is
absolutely unequaled in his ability to interest and hold
his readers. This announcement will serve as a friendly
hint to you to secure the copy of Zhe Popular contain-
ing the first instalment in advance. Tens of thousands
are awaiting another long story by Mr. Standish, and
the edition is sure to be sold out within a short time
after its appearance on the news stands.

THE POPULAR MAGAZINE is the only magazine for young men.
It is the only magazine which contains NOTHING but STORIES
OF ADVENTURE. It is the largest fiction magazine issued. There
are no “articles” in it, no poems, no love stories, nothing but stories
of incident and dashing adventure, It costs 10c. at any news stand.

 

 

 

 

STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK

 
 

 

y 3
“a ee eo a a i A 5 seria heaeemeeirceeees eS < seme eet Panes ee a . ssa alee ida at aS ae
2
a
* = : 5 = 4
ae
‘ ss °
5 2

 
 
THE FAVORITE LIST]

OF FIVE-CENT LIBRARIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUFFALO BILL STORIES

Buffalo Bill is the hero of a thousand exciting adventures among
the Redskins. These are given to our boys only in the BUFFALO
BitL Srories. They ate bound to interest and please you.

 

 

MIGHT AND MAIN

These are stories of the adven-

 

 

tures of boys who succeeded in
climbing the ladder of fame by
honest effort. No more inter-
esting tales can be imagined.
Each number is at least one-third
longer than the ordinary five-

 

 

cent library.

NICK CARTER ES

We know, boys, that there is
no need of introducing to you
Nicholas. Carter, the gteavest |
sleuth that ever lived. Every
number containing the adven-
tures of Nick Carter has a peculiar,
but delightful, power of fascina-
tion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BRAVE AND BOLD 4
ae | Every boy who prefers variety.

ere in his reading matter, ought to
be a reader of Brave and Bold:
| All these were written by auth drs
|| who are zpast masters in the art
of telling boys’ stories. Every

| tale is complete in itself.

 

Ted Strong was appointed dep- | ty
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 calls him
“King of the Wild West” and he
certainly deserves his title,

 

 

 

 

 

DIAMOND 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. LIBRARY

The adventures of a poor waif [-— cm
whose only name is ‘Bowery eine
Billy.” Billy is the true product
of the streets of New York. No
boy can read the tales of his trials
without imbibing some of that || ~
resource and courage that makes |
the character of this homeless boy
stand out so prominently.

 

 

 

 

 

THE TIP TOP WEEKLY

Boys, Frank Merriwell has opened a school of physical devel-
opment. He has gathered all of his old-time comrades about him
and their adventures are wonderfully interesting. These are cer-

tainly the best tales of athletic adventure.