ing int Five Cents 79-Sq Seventh Ave. NV. ¥. SMITH, ice, RE RN, tt Hn by ET & Pr from before the po panic st Office, te mystery 1907 oe 9 at the 1 MARCH 2 tler $ fled in a SSeL Cla of the wh econd- LS Se inger NEW YORK f Entered as Vea SN int error ee : Getoe te ee 5 ODE S2 20” Fen z ” o © oe 8 Q. o te < e obs aad ~ oh J) om Set Uaat Got oS ” = ont 9 3 == omg Crt ‘ cores BP men Bee By subs. Se pe With w = Ly. 4fssued Week. 1272. Be90204 | PS pages Pee ae (A WEERLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO BORDER HISTORY. vy Issued Weekly. By subscription $2.50 per year. Baier as Second-class Matter at the N: V. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 79-89 Seventh Avenue, NV. ¥. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 19007, tn the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washingion, D. C. [=> Beware of Wild West imitations of the Buffalo Bill Stories. They are about fictitious characters. The Bufialo Bill weekly is the only weekly containing the adventures of Buffalo Bill, (Col. W. F. Cody), who is known all over the world as the king of scouts. No. 303. NEW YORK, March 2 2, 1907. Price Five Cents. Wee fs Ms % : 9 + Ne. 4 4, a eG 4 ee ba - The Mysterious edie: Man of ite Spectre; ee Ay \ wv Ps ~ Spirit Lake, Ns 7S ae Ws aS (. See 3 By the author of “BUFFALO BILL.” CHAPTER I. THE GIRL IN BLUE. The sight of a handsome young woman, seated on a spirited horse, at a point where the mountain trail en- \tered the town of Cocopah, her attitude being that of one {who wished to bar his way, caused Buffalo Bill to draw ein. | He lifted his big hat with the respect he always showed to a woman. f “I must beg your pardon,” she said, “but I came out (here to speak to you, before you entered the town.” | “Yes?” he said inquiringly. She was a handsome young woman, whose eyes spark- led with repressed excitement. The eyes were blue, ithe face somewhat tanned; her riding-habit was of blue, and becoming. Her small hands were gloved, and in one of them she carried a small riding-whip. a hear that you are going into we Spirit Lake Moun- ‘tair is,’ she said. i ‘That is my intention at present,” he answered. Eiihere | is a mysterious medicine-man at or near Spirit Lake, in those mountains, who is stirring up the Arra- pahioes to trouble ; which is the reason?” she asked. “Quite correct,” he replied. “I was sent here by the Gh colonel in command, who feared trouble with the. ‘Arra- pahoes.” “It is your intention to see that medicine-man ?” “it (ean: yesec = She smiled engagingly. “And now I come to my request,” to go with you into those mountains.” The scout’s face evinced his surprise. “It is a rather unusual request,” he urged, temporizing. “But you can. break your rules in this instance. I must go there.” a She began to read a refusal in his face. “You surely will grant the permission, when I tell you that I believe the mysterious medicine-man is my own father?” : : He stared his surprise. “Tt seems too strange to be even oie he de- clared. “You have some proofs?” “My father, a few months ago, went into those moun- « she said. “I want | tains, hunting for gold. He acted queerly before he set out, making absurd claims concerning certain super- natural powers he believed he possessed; and he pre-— tended to be able to do strange tricks of legerdemain and conjuring, which he said would be of use if he got into trouble with the a . my father. ” “Since he went we haven’t had a word from him, either directly or indirectly. have arrived at or near Spirit Lake this medicine-man is known to have appeared there. what I know with what I guess, it seems to me rather | About the time he should Now, by putting clear that the medicine-man must be my father.” pahoe,”’ You, will tet) me accompany you, anyway ?’ ‘she begged. “I must go there; I must make a:search for I haven’t money to finance an expedition. You are going there. I promise to be obedient to any regulations you make ‘for safety, and I will avoid ma- _ king trouble for you.” - Buffalo Bill’s face had flushed. He disliked to have to say “No” to this woman, who seemed about to break into tears in anticipation of a refusal. “You should understand the extremely delicate na- ture’ of the stask ain to undertake, he proeds ir would jeopardize it, if you accompanied me. I must endure long night watches, long riding, and many other hardships which a woman cannot be: re to stand. Therefore——”’ “Don’t—don’t refuse!’ she begged. I must go!’ “My ‘dear miss,” he said, “I i compelled to refuse your request. My sense of duty leaves me no option in the matter.” He touched his again and touched his horse, to move on, She wheeled ne horse and rode at his side, and all the way into the little town that hung at the base of the hills she continued her pleading. But the scout was inexorable. Even if he had. desired to take. her, “something in her manner, or in her face, would have deterred him, He did not know what it was. She was beautiful— “lo must go! her blue eyes invited trust; but something, some lifting . of the eyelids, perhaps, some curve of the mouth, or some gesture, had aroused within him a doubt of her thorough sincerity. _ He accused himself, at the same time, of being given to foolish fancies in this instance; yet the feeling re- mained, and helped him to his quick decision not to per- mit her to accompany him. An hhour later, after making a few purchases and some inquiries, he was on his way into the hills, bound for the small body of water called Spirit Lake, where, if reports did not lie, the mysterious medicine- -man had his lodge, and was fomenting evil in the conde of the Arrapahoes. : CHAPTER II. BUFFALO BILL'S PARDS, Buffalo Bill had not been gone long from the little town of Cocopah when two horsemen entered it, follow- ing a trail that came down from the other direction. They were of remarkable, yet dissimilar, appearance. - One was of the gay and ‘cavalier type of the border, - black hair falling to his shoulders, glancing bright eyes, dress that showed a good deal of velvet, and weapons that were mounted with gold. His horse was a splendid riding animal, tichly capari- ~ soned, the ae leather of the saddle alone Oe @ THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. al fancy that the medicine-man is dan Indian—an ‘Arra- "with him when he does, _ observed, were blue, and sparkled like stars. On hel Alice’ Sinclair. ing a considerable sum of money. And saddle ial brid! were ornamented with silver, the bits Secming to be. ¢ solid silver. The other man was a small, weazened specimen Bf a} the mountain trapper; his hair and beard were unkempt, oy al his clothing soiled and ill-fitting, on his head rested a battered cap of beavet-skin that had seen much wear. His rifle was an old-style muzzle-loader. of ancient pattern; the horse he rode was an ancient beast, shaggy coated and heavy-headed. A greater contrast than that existing between the to . men, and their mounts can hardly be imagined. Yet each, length and breadth of the border. For one of the men, the younger, was Wild Bill, the border dead-shot; the other was old Nick Nomad. pea Buffler ain’t thar,” old Nomad was saying, “we'll jes’ camp down an’ wait fer him. But ‘ef he’s been thar and se on, then we'll make a oe hike ter ce WE wit a TANS fhe doesn’t know that we're coming, he may have gone to Fort’ Davenport, or even over to Powder River,’ said Wild Bill. “An’ in that case, we follers him,” declared the erik . zled trapper. “He’s goin’ inter ther mount’ings, ac- cordin’ ter my understandin’, and we're wantin’ ter’ be fer he’s goin’ shore ter hit trouble hard when he puts foot in ther Spirit Lake ken- try. Ther band of “Rapahoes thet inhabits them parts -ain’t ter be beat on this hyer planit fer meanness and gin- ‘ral cussedness. And ef thet med’ cine-man has. set out ter stir °em up, then thar’s goin’ ter be blood spilt along | his hyer border a heap plenty and a ap soon. _ lear me. ee Waugh!” He delivered his ‘opinion oracularly, as one wee is sure of his facts and his opinions. When they entered the town of Cocopah and sagen for Buffalo Bill, they received the news that he had set, out not long before for the Spirit Lake Mountains. « “Alone? or said Nomad. ‘e “Yes, alone,’ was the answer. About a half an hour later a woman came “tavard Bill. She was a young and comely woman, ged’ in a ‘costume of blue that wonderfully became her. Wild Bill, who was sometimes impressionable where women were concerned, and particularly so if the wome were pretty, thought that she was about as good- -looking; as any young’ woman he had seen lately. Het’ eyes, he cheeks was a flush of heightened excitement. “Are you Mr. Hickok?’ she asked him, smiling up into his face. | He lifted his hat gallantly. — , “T am, and at your service, miss, he declared, meet- ing her emile’ with another. Pa | “Then this is for you.” Hee ae She gave him a note. When he opened it he read, with some amazement :* “My Ora Hickox: This will be given to you by Miss She desires to go into the Spirit Lake country. She wanted me to take her, but I was in too ereat a hurry todo so. Her reasons for going are good, and it will favor me if you will act as her escort, for L in his way, was famous throughout the : them, looked at them earnestly, and then 4 Wild, net have received news that you are due in Cocopah and will follow me on into the mountains as soon aS you arrive. “With best wishes, your old friend and pard, oO Wel Copy. : Apparently, the letter was in “Buffalo Bill’s well-known handwriting. Wild Bill did not question its genuine- ness. “Well, this is surprising,” he said, looking down at her. “It is a pleasure, too, of course. I'm glad you met Cody. You found him as fine a man as one could wish to get acquainted with.” She assented to this. “Could I have a few minutes talk with you in private: ue she said. “Why, yes! we'll go into the hotel here, if you like.” “And with your friend?” She glanced at old Nomad, who was boring her with his little, twinkling, gray eyes. Hickok passed to him Buffalo Bill’s supposed com- munication. “Waugh! geunted the old man to himself, as he read it with difficulty. ‘What in ther name o’ all ther Seven Wonders does Buffler mean by thet? Ef we take thet piece er caliker along of us, thar’ll be no eend o’ trouble. Women ain’t no bizness ous o ther towns and cities, sand I’ve allers said it.” He looked questioningly at Wild Bill. The latter swung out of his ornamented saddle, tied his horse, and followed the handsome young woman into _ the parlor of the hotel. Old Nomad also tied his horse, and trailed after them reluctantly and with misgivings. When he got into the parlor, the good-looking young woman was explaining to Wild Bill: “As I told Mr. Cody, 1 am firmly convinced that the man who is the reported medicine-man is my own father. He thought it likely, after I had given him my reasons for thinking that; and, because*of it, he gave me that letter to you.” Nomad dropped into a chair, held:-his battered beaver- ... skin cap in his fumbling hands, and looked steadily at the young woman. peickok, he said, “how in time did Buffler know thet we was comin’, and was goin’ ter foller him?” “Rumor, perhaps ; or he may have heard it from some one who knew.” _ “But we didn’t know it ourselves until yistiday! ie Wild Bill was listening to the young woman’s story, and paid scant heed to the possible objections of old Nomad. “We start at once,” he told: her. “A. good one,” she said, rewarding him with a shining look of triumph. “And you will find that I am a good traveler and campaigner. I shall not put you to the least trouble. Of course, [ felt sure that ‘letter from Mr. Cody would have its influence; yet I was uneasy. But you are such a gentleman!” Wild Bill’s face flushed under her praise. “We try to do whatever Cody in&tructs us to,’ he “Have you a horse?” said; “and it is a pleasure of itself. If you can be ready within an hour, we will set out. We have to get a few supplies, that is all.” So, no more than an hour or two after the departure ‘of Buffalo Bill for the Spirit Lake country, the woman whose company he had refused was following him, under » THE BUFFALO Bi SLORIZS. C3 the escort of his two old friends, Wild Bill and old Nick Nomad. ae Wild Bill was feces with the woman’s brightness. and show of courage. ! Old Nomad was silent, and harbored, even aan Buffalo Bill, a feeling of resentment for foisting this woman upon them. “Trouble’s going ter come of it,” he said to himself. “A bit of good-lookin’ caliker on a trail like this is as much outer place as if she war a cage-raised canary- bird. They’re useless, they're helpless, they’re nervousy, and they’re shore to git us inter difikilties. Buffler’d ort ter have more good, hard sense under his big hat than thiet.” CHAPTER III. ‘“PHR PROPHET ELigAn.” As Buffalo Bill was entering the lake valley, through a narrow pass in the Spirit Lake Mountains, he was hailed in a quaint, high-keyed voice. As he drew rein, a queer-looking man came riding forth from the thickets at the mountain base, waving his hand. This man was mounted on a large white horse, evi- dently Indian-reared, for it bore Indian brands. Buffalo Bill’s horse was also white, and closely resembled this one. The man himself was tall and angular, with a shrewd, hatchety face that had a wisp of beard on the chin, and with long hair and an unmistakably “Yankee” aspect. ‘Heto | Hello! “he called, Seems to me that youre mebbe goin’ in the same direction I be; and if ye air, mebbe you don’t object to havin’ comp’ny. This is a tarnal queer place in here; and if danger comes, two’s better’n one, any day o the week.” Buffalo Bill eyed the man suspiciously, though he saw only shrewd and bland good humor in those homely Yankee features. “Perhaps you will tell me what you are doing here?” he said.” The stranger laughed a “ha, ha!’ that rolled out with a cackling sound. UWaal | van. thats cece he declared: “fer 1 was jes’ goin’ ter ask ye that same identical question. ‘Great minds run in the same channel,’ I’ve heerd; so I reckon our minds b’longs to that category. What be you a-doin™ here, if ye don’t object to the question?” “Me? Well, I’m journeying just now to Spirit Lake.” “Sho! Dew tell! I’m journeyin’ to the same place. Another one of them there coincidences, that is cal’lated to make a man wonder. What be you goin’ tew do when ye git there?” “T don’t know that that is any of your affair!” The stranger was not insulted by this sharp answer. ‘He simply laughed again, and remarked that, as he had thought the same about Buffalo Bill’s questions, here was another queer coincidence. “As we're both goin’ to the same place, and travelin’ in the same direction, I reckon we might jine fORCes, he urged. “What dye say? 1 ain’t afeard of yeou, if yeou ain’t afeared of me. Though when I seen you comin’ I thought, b'gosh, maybe you was a road-agent, er something er nuther. round here, have ye?’ Aint seen any road- -agents ‘that any road-agents are troubling it. _ stage-trails here, and no large mining-camps. ne “hills! rae ‘THE BUFFALO . “Not likely ter be any round here, ye mean?’ “This is the Arrapahoe country, and I haven’t heard There are no “Yet I’ve heerd tell that there’s gold in these here | Phere may. be; I don’t know.” “You ain't lookin’ fer gold naow?”’ “No. 92 “Then what, lookin’: fer ?” , “We'll call it a fair question, and let it’ go at that. I'm here to try to get into communication with a certain - medicine-man who is at or near Spirit Lake, and whose actions are tending to stir up trouble with the Arrapa- hoes. Now tell me what you're here fort” There was a brief glinting of the eyes of the Yankee, which was gone as quickly; then his face again expanded in its queer grin. “Sense you're so frank,’ he said, “I don’t mind tellin’ ye that I’m Elijah the Prophet. ‘ He made the astounding statement as quietly as if he had been merely announcing that his name was John Smith. Buffalo Bill looked him heal in the eye, for the words betokened that the fellow was probably a madman. The Yankee’s eyes met his with a quizzical question. “Ive been sent here,” he went on, ‘ter preach to the Indians. The great and dreadful day of the Lord is comin’, and they don't know it. ~The world’s soon goin’ ter be destroyed and here they go on huntin’, dancin’ P and cavortin’ round in their Indian ignorance of that great fact, when they'd ought to be “preparin’ fer it. That's why I’m here.” His voice had risen into a high, religious whine, the sort affected by many emotional revivalists. “And I reckon,” he added, while his bright eyes bored — into those of the scout, “that perhaps you’re needin’ that méssage yerself the wust kind. Many white men don't know, it—never heard of it; and they’ re in dongetl As Elijah the Prophet, I warn ye!” Fe said it solemnly, with a solemn swinging of his ex- tended hand. “Crazy as-a loon!’ was the scout’s thought. “Now, what am I to do with him? He'll prove a nuisance if he stays with me.’ you haven’t been to that lake yet?” he questioned. “Test on my way there. I started frum the town down there yesterday. I was told what the trail looked like, and how to find it; and here 1 am. We can go on to- gether, if so be you're willin’ ?” As he did not see how he could at once get rid of the Yankee, the scout jogged on, with that eccentric indi- 7 fessed, apparently pleased. vidual jogging at his side. By and by Elijah the Prophet brought up a queet- looking object from one of his pockets. “See that?” he said, and held it up. “Tt looks like a combination of mariner’s compass and one of those divining- rods which so-called water-witches use in locating wells.” “Waal, yeou’ve nigh about hit it,” the Waukee con- “IVs 3 magnet | fer locatin’ gold. Yeou see this here needle? Waal, when a seam of gold, er a ledge with gold in it, is beneath, this ee netic needle tips cee ard? | in thé name of Hannah Cook, be ye BILL, ‘STORIES. a doredice if true.” ee “‘Strange, if true?’ Waal, it’s trie, ent bet! Le ek- pect to locate gold with it ‘while I’m here. And. see here)” He waved his hands. ° ~“T know who you air, and I know yeou’re a “square, fae man. Jine me in this; guide me, I mean; and whatever gold this here thing locates, we'll divide.” x His face shone with eagerness, or its clever counter- | feit. “But I thought you had come here to preach to the. Indians ?” “So I have, so 1 have; but does that hender me frum lookin’ fer gold while I’m at it? I don’t git nothin’ fer the preachin’; and a man has to live; and there ain't nothin’ in the Bible ferbiddin’ me tew locate gold, if | kin do tt.” For an hour or more he dilated on the merits of his invention for locating seams of gold-bearing rock. This man puzzled Buffalo Bill. He watched him closely. More than once the Yankee dropped slightly behind in the trail, or seemed to wish to‘drop behind. — The scout always prevented it, without apparently trying todo so. He did not want the man to get behind — him, for he had known instances where men “had been thus treacherously shot in the back, The Yankee continued his garrulous talk, and seemed not to notice the scout’s watchful alertness. ‘ Finally he began to’speak of the medicine-man. “T’ve heerd of that critter,” he said, “and some peo told me tha€ on account of him 4wouldn’t be healthy ee me to come into this section. What do ye know abaout : him ?’” The scout informed him that he knew very little, but hoped soon to know a good deal, “Yowll visit the Indians?” Ub may." | “When yeou do, I’ve got ter be with ye. I want to see that medicine-man. Will yee reach Spirit Lake afore night?” “T hope to. _ But I may camp. soon, this side” a it, We're near. it now. ae ae “Yeou've never been there ?”’ “No. 73 ‘ “Waal, I want tew know!” ° The scout turned on him. “See here,” he said, “how did you ‘know that I am Buffalo Bill? 1 don't recollect telling you. ; The Yankee laughed, - “Cody,” he said, here ain’t a man, woman, er child on ther whole frontier wouldn't know ye soon’s they sce ve. “T haven't found it so. In fact, many times i Hae had trouble. i in making people believe me to be what I am.’ “Waal, I knowetl ye—knowed ye soon’s I seen ye! ‘I swan tew man,’ I says, as soon as I clapped eyes on ye, ‘there’s Buffalo Bill! Naow,’ ll says, ‘what’s he doin’ here?’ And I rid out and jined ye.” “To find out?’ “Waal, that was one of the things, to be sure. An- other was, I felt the need of Ss ny. This is a danger- ous trail. » “And it will be a more dangerous one, I do not doubt, : before it ends.” : Sey aoe See GIRLS ; eel - out him, me that he is neither. uneasy thought. THE BUFFALO “Waal, it will,” said the Yankee. ‘And he seemed to give the statement a peculiar and strange emphasis. ec y CHAPTER EV. PRIENDS, OR FORS? Cee Buffalo Bill went into camp, which he did at a point near the lake, he had been several times tempted to resort to sharp measures, or at least sharp words, in his conduct toward the strange man who called himself Elijah the Prophet. If Elijah the Prophet had no evil intentions against the scout, ‘he at least did things which tended to make the scout suspect him. Once the scout fancied he beheld the gleam of a knife or revolver as Elijah put a hand into a pocket of his oo. ¥ But the scout’s eye was on him, and ie sucha weapon was really there, the man feared to try to use it. - But always Elijah—he said his real name was Elijah Bennett—maintained an air of quizzical good humor, so that really it was difficult to continue a belief in his evil intentions. The scout, as was his invariable rule, went to the top of the nearest hill and looked over the country before finally camping down. He left Elijah in the valley below, but his own horse he had taken to the foot of the hill and tied, some dis- “tance from the Yankee. He watched the Yankee, too, thinking that some action might occur which would reveal the inner heart of this queer fellow, if he were not indeed the madman his words declared. Another thing stirred the scout, however, as, with his strong field-glasses, he surveyed the country ‘from the top of the hill. What seemed to be three horsemen were advancing some distance down the trail over which he’ had so recently passed. He scrutinized them carefully. “By all the gods of luck!” he cried suddenly. “Two of, them seem to be Hickok and Nomad! And the third ?” He held the glasses closely on the third. “And the third is—a woman!’ He almost forgot the Yankee, as he watched those three riders, When he looked down into the little hollow later he discovered that the Yankee had vanished, and that the Yankee’s horse was also gone. “Let him go!” was his thought. “y feel safer with- He may be what he pretended to be, of crazy; but somehow I have a singular misgiving, which assures 1 can't understand it.” ‘ Ee was looking through the glasses. ~“Nor can I understand about that woman! What is a woman doing there? And how does it happen that my old pards are coming? But I’m glad to see them.” When the riders drew still nearer, he was even more astonished, as the glass told him that the woman was the girl in blue he had refused to permit to an ees him. The discovery was astounding. “She has induced Hickok to let her come,” was his “Wild Bill always has a 0 spot in his heart for a pretty woman, and she has succeeded in touching that soft spot. Well, I wish he had refused her, as [ did.” ine BILL STORIES. tions,” Wild Bill announced, Sac one —_ rail ha a EN Re tear Ee oRFR He descended from the hill, as soon as he knew that the horsemen, were Wild Bill and Nomad, and the woman the girl in blue, and raed to the spot where he had ~~ left his horse. When he regained the Doce he had selected for a camp, the Yankee was missing. The scout advanced to it carefully, rather fearing a treacherous shot, though the place was so open that an ambush would have been a difficult thing, which he had seen in selecting the location. Wild Bill and Nomad were delighted to meet oe old pard; Nomad was particularly and uproariously pleased. The girl in blue met the scout’s look with a aie. “We acted as her escort, according to your instruc- “She’s a good traveler, too, and lively company.’ te “My instructions ?” Buffalo Bill looked at the girl in astonishment. She still smiled, but her face had flushed. “Mar Cody, she said, “desperate measures require des- perate means, and sometimes deceptive ones. I had to come. You refused to let me come with you. I feared these men would likewise refuse me; and I forestalled their refusal by forging a letter with your name to it, saying for them to bring me. I found a scrap of your writing at the hotel where you stopped a eae ey and copied very successfully from that.” Wild Bill stared in astonishment. Buffalo Bill looked angry. Old Nomad’s little gray eyes glittered. “A forgery?’ broke from the lips of Wild Bill. “T beg your pardon for the deception,’ said the young woman sweetly. “The letter was a forgery. | thought it quite clever when it so easily deceived you. But in one thing I did not lie—my name is Alice Sinclair, and | I really was very, very anxious to come into these moun- tains. J am here now, and—-——” She hesitated, and stopped, looking at them earnestly. “And now that I am here,’ she went on, “of course, so long as I am real good, you will not tie me and leave me for the wolves to devour. And I solemnly promise to be very, very good.’ She seemed laughing, but her cheeks were red and — hot and her eyes were shinine. What further might have been said just then was in- terrupted by the Yankee riding out of a near-by gorge and coming toward the group. “Cody, who is that?’ Wild Bill asked, when he saw him. “Another deceiver,” was Buffalo Bill’s almost bitter answer. “He dropped in with me some distance back in the trail, and wouldn’t leave me. I thought he had de- parted, but it seems he has not.” The tall Yankee rode forward and awkwardly lifted : his hat. His eyes roved from face to face. “Gentlemen and ladies,” he said, “permit me to say © that I’m glad to meet you. It’s surprisin’ enough, in a country like this, where we don’t expect to see anything | but Indians. Tm Elijah the Prophet, come to preach to ‘em, and they was all I expected to find here. And I’m findin’ almost a congregation of white people.” . He looked keenly at the girl in blue, his eyes resting long on her face. “You might’ s well move erlont: said Nomad curtly to him, ‘GE it’s Ihjuns ye're lookin’ fer ter preach to. 29. Qi. 6 | oo THE BUFFALO Thar ain't none whatever hyar, and, with my permission, thar ain't goin’ ter be. make any furder trouble.” Elijah the Prophet seemed horrified by such blood-. thirsty sentiments. . Wild Bill had slipped to the ground and given Miss Alice Sinclair assistance in alighting. “You don’t blame me for the deception I practised?” she said roguishly. “Well, ought to. But I always find it hard to blame a pretty woman for anything.” “You're: a flatterer,’ she declared, though she was pleased. “Not intentionally. I mean it.” “You will ask your friend Cody to let me stay? I am sure if | remain with your company I can make some dis- coveries. If that medicine-man isn’t my father, the fact can soon be known. He came into these hills, and to this place, if my information is correct. I must find him. He is my father, and I fear his mind isn’t right.” “Tm willing to do what I-can to help you, > was Wild Bul’s gallant promise. “Oh, thank you—thank you!” she ede but still roguishly. Elijah Bennett began to make himself Ae by gather- ing up sticks, preparatory to making a fire. “Here,” said Buffalo Bill to him, stopping him; “we don’t need them. “Don’t need ‘em?’ Elijah: queried, straightening up. "Lo mever make a fire in the Indian countty; unless 7 take pains to hide it; and [ build it then of the dryest wood I can get, to hide the smoke. You didn’t intend to do anything to draw the attention of Indians to the fact that we are camping out here?” He eyed the Yankee sharply as he asked this suspicious question. oho! ored the ieee “Why should 1? I thought we'd need a fire ter cook things with. Ye goin’ to go without anything to eat?” “We'll take our supper cold, and there will not be much of it. That is, unless you have supplies for your- self?” Elijah the Prophet brought provisions from his blanket roll, and a bottle of water. ef got a plenty,’ he said, “and I’ll be glad to divide with ye. I’ve got some cold coffee here, tew, that ye can have, and welcome.” He produced a flat bottle heidine an amber-colored liquid, - Buffalo Bill felt almost abashed by his suspicions, as he looked at that bottle and its contents. He did not know this man, and he suspected him, ap-_ parently without cause ; yet that suspicion was enough to keep him from any desire to sample the Yankee’s coffee, which possibly might contain some drug or poison. As they sat in the thickening twilight and ate their | frugal meal, the Yankee offered his “coffee” to Wild Bill and to Nomad, both of whom passed it by. “T reckon yeou don’t keer fer any?” he said to Miss Sinclair. “Women gin’rally don’t like tew drink it oe itll spile their complexions and make ‘em yal- Cy 4 a3 os panes He laughed his strange cackle. ( _ Buffalo Bill observed one thing. The Vanes: swal- lowed the “coffee” ae therefore, it was not drugged. Ther only good way ter convert and save an I[njun is ter shoot him so dead thet he can’t - indian, BILL STORIES, As the darkness cepa ne talked of the ee ous medicine-man, of the strange courtry surrounding Spirit Lake, and of the lake itself. ‘The land was of volcanic formation, with lava sheets here and there, and jagged lava ridges. a depression, surrounded by black lava cliffs. Into it flowed a river that had a singular way of appearing and | disappearing in its cliff-walled bed. The Indians regarded the lake as a lake of ister .and it was they who had given it the name of Spirit Lake, or the Lake of the Spirits. That the medicine-man had chosen its shores as his abode told that he had in mind the effect which the lake itself produced on the superstitions of the Arapa- . hoes, “It’s singular, House. that. he leaves the tribe and sets up his medicine-lodge there,” the scout observed, speaking out of the depths of his large experience with Indians. “‘A medicine-man usually stays in the village of his people.” “Doesn't it prove my ee said Miss Sinclair, “that the medicine-man may be my father? If he is a white man he would:be more likely to choose the shores of the lake, away from the Indians, than if he were an That is my opinion.” Miss Alice Sinclair, who had shown herself so re- sourceful, and at the same time so unscrupulous, seemed to have taken a great liking to Wild Bill. The Yankee was apparently trying to gain the good opinion of old Nick Nomad. © “Ye ain’t preached any to them Injuns yit, I spose | a said Nomad, sniffing. “Waugh! When ye see ’em ye won't think they're wuth it. Injuns b’longs ruther ter ther wildcat breed, an’ I dunno ‘as they’ve got any souls ter save, If thar’s a future lite ter em, 1 callate they Ul go ter what they calls ther happy huntin’-grounds, whar ‘thar is plenty of b’ar an’ deer and buffler, an’ huntin’ is vthet easy it don’t involve no work at all. Thet’s ther Injun idee of heaven—everlastin’ huntin’, with plenty squaws ter do ther work and wait on ’em.’ This started Elijah the Prophet, who sought to ene) lighten and impress old Nomad with what he called the “truth. $3 Nomad listened, but the impression made on a was not very deep. He asked cynical and unsympathetic’ questions, ane seemed almost as suspicious in his attitude toward the strange Yankee as Buffalo Bill had been. The horses were picketed in oa thicket behind the camp. Something stirred them, oe one of them snorted. The Yankee looked sharply i in that direction. “T think I’ll jes’ see what that means,” he said. “*Tain’t Injuns,” said Nomad. “If’t war, ole Nebby would be makin’ a turr’ble row. Injuns nigh him, and ie - The Yankee walked out toward the horses. He had no more than reached them when there was a shot and a wild yell, followed by confused sounds, ae ‘then the galloping off of a horse. The scouts sprang up, grasping their weapons. Buffalo Bill called softly into the darkness, asking _ Elijah what had happened. There. was no answer, and the only Sound. was the oe trample of hoofs. The lake lay in _ Thet ole hoss don’t ‘low y aa hy stk ki {i 7 wt : blue. ° ve BUFFA ‘LO “Stand by, with your guns ready,” Buffalo Bill com- mancded. He clutched his eyo and strode out to the horses, which were snorting in alarm. The -Yankeé: and his horse were gone. Buffalo Bill looked about as well as he. could in the darkness. Then he glided back, and Pinoeed what he had oe covered. The girl in blue expressed her alarm by a little cry. “He was captured by something!’ she said: » Oh, dear! We don’t know what it was, nor what will hap- pen to us next!” Nomad slipped out; and soon they heard him talking in low tones to his horse, © lwarnt _Injuns, and I knows it,” he said when he came back. ‘‘Nebby acts in a certain way whenever In- juns is by him, er he has smelt ’em. Yer can’t fool him bout Injuns. So T know thar warn’t none thar.” ‘“Ahen what was it?” tremblingly asked the girl in “1 dunno: Bufller, what war it?” .