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A WEERLY PUBLICATION
DEVOTED TO BORDER HISTORY |

  

 

 

dssued Weekly. - By Sybeeipne $2.50 per year. Entered as Second-class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 79-89 Seventh Avenue,
N.Y. &ntered according to Act of Congress tn the year 1907, 7n the Office of the Librarian of Congress, eee ‘DC;

(33> 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 world as =e king of scouts.

 

No. 316.

"NEW YORK, June 1, 1907.

 

Buffalo Bill's Da

Price Five Cents.

‘ith Death:

 

(te

OR,

PERIL ON THE GOLCONDA GOLD TRAIL.

‘e

 

By the author of “BUFFALO BILL.” .

 

, CHAPTER L
HOW PE Bs GAN.

The manner of its beginning was almost the strangest
;of any of Buffalo Bill’s marvelously strange experiences.
« The deer stood above him, on the snowy slope, half-
‘hidden in an old growth of dead weeds which marked the
site of the beginning of a mine.

The mine had never got further than that beginning,

and all that told of the hopes of some prospector was a
/tmound of earth, a few weeds that had grown about it,
/ Ja small hole in the ground, and out in front of the half-
hidden deer an old cracker-box.
| This box, even more than the weeds, screened the
deer, which seemed to have taken refuge behind it.

Buffalo Bill had been long on the trail, and his stock
jof provisions was so low that when he saw the deer he
threw his rifle to his shoulder, thinking of juicy venison
steaks as he glanced along the sights.

When he pressed the trigger. the world seemed ‘to
explode, with a shock and a roar that might have been
heard and felt for miles, and he was hurled backward
down the slope with great violence.

Before - could pick himself up, or real tly knew what

s

 

had happened, the top af the mountain seemed to be
falling down on him, and pusnine him forward. with its
swift descent.

He was enveloped, smothered, in snow which was
filled with earth and rocks.

He knew that he had started a snowslide, and felt that
perhaps the end for him would be death.

He did not understand how that rifle-shot could have
caused so tremendous a thing, though often nothing more
than a.shout is needed to set one of these terrible
avalanches in motion.

He came later to the knowledge of how it ‘had hap-
pened.

This may be set down here, for the reader's cdieen,

and that he may have a better understanding of the ©

story, and of what followed.

The supposed cracker-box which had been in front of

the deer had -been, instead, a box containing sticks of
dynamite.

The miner, in abandoning his claim, had not cared {Ou

take the dynamite with hin, but had left it there, and

there it had remained, uninjured by the weather, until

the moment of the eventful beginning of the scout’s

singular adventure.

*

; : ss ;
Sana SEPSIS OCEAN a NS eT EN a a aad

SESS EOS DER EIGN

Sif BUSS

ROSES ELT

 
 
  
   
   
   
   
  
  
   
    
   
 
    
   
  
   
  
   
 
    
  
     

 
THE BUFFALO

  

That he might hit the deer in the body and make
sute of it, Buffalo Bill aimed his bullet through the
bex.

- It had: str ack the dynamite, in its passage into the body
of the deer ; and then dynanzite and deer disappeared, and
the hillside.with its. store of snow went into the air, to
fall as an avalanche, and bear the scout on before it into
the lower valley and the cafion trail." |

-Buffalo Bill did not know. what had happened, more
than that he had started a great. snowslide and that it
was carrying him on, smothering him, rolling him over
and over, burying him and then shooting him again into
the light, as it rushed on its oe ae down the
mountain:

“In the: ae chaos of his eee he had a fecting that
he was’ doomed.

- The descent was quickly made, and he felt himself

flung forward into the snow.

He was buried in a snowbank, but he was alive. His
head whirled giddily, yet-he was sure he was not
- seriously oe and he began to try to dig out of the
snow.

A. pinkish tight which he knew to be sunlight, reached
him from above, showing him that the snow over him
was, after all, not deep.

Thus encouraged, he set about his task, and at length
pulled himself out of the drift.

The valley trail had been wiped out. The snow on
the ‘mountain was gone; but here it lay, filling half the
valley, mixed. with earth and stones, so that in places
it: was like adamant.

Fortunately for the scout, the snow which had held him
imprisoned had been of a lighter quality, else he never
again would have stood above it.

As he looked about, still blinded and dizzy, he heard a
shout,

Farther Hoven the alee only the tail end a ee ava-
lanche had struck, and there the depth of the snow was
much less. en We
Climbing up a a haae and coming toward him
from that direction, he beheld a man, who seemed
astonished, and even dazed, and waved his hands as if he
‘were a maniac.

Some distance beyond the man,. half-buried, was a
stage-coach, though no horsese could be seen.

The thing was astonishing. ;

The scout began to walk weakly, but as fast as he
could, toward the mag,

Then he saw other’ men by the stage, who were
frantically dieging the stage-horses out of the snow
which had buried them.

“Yough luck!” the mam cried, as he drew mear. “1
v

i seen you weaving round

thought you was dyin’ when

 

BEL STORES:

up there, weak on yer legs as an hour-old calf. How’d
ye git into the thing? And how did it happen?”

Caution came at first to stay the scout’s words, just
as he was about to tell how it had happened. -

“The stage was caught?’ he asked.

“Yes. We thought we was all dead. The horses was
buried, but they’re gitting ’em out. How did you happen
to be up there? You weren’t walking in the trail?”

“T was up on the side of the mountain,” said the
scout, “and there the snowslide caught me. Came near
finishing me, too.”

The man was looking: curiously at him.

Say, he cred oe ‘air you Cody?”

Yhat's my name: yes): oe

‘Well, don’t it beat the Dutch! We was. talking about
you there in the hearse just before the thing happened.
One of the passengers. said he’d seen you at Golconda
last week, and he was’telling about you, Well, put her
there! Shake. My name’s Snyder.” oe

They shook hands.

“Glad to know you, Mr. Snyder.”

Snyder looked about over the mountain and the snow-
filled valley.

“Funny how quick the thing happened! “Twas just
like a shot out of a gun. One minute we was all right,
and jolly as you please as the old hearse. rolled along,
and the next the blamed old mountain was falling right
down on top of us. If this is a specimen of the West,
I think I like the East better. But, of course, being
Western, you're €xpected to stand up for your part of
the country. I don’t stippose we can get on over this
trail now? And to De aS up here: ain't Oy to be
a joke.” ae ,
“I was up on ‘the mountain hunting when it happened, F
the scout vouchsafed. TAS “you say, it came like a shot
out of a gun, I'll tell you what I know about it later.
None of your folks down there were hurt in the least?”

“No, Just scared a bit. Come down and see. It will be
a surprise to ’em. And I ge now ities, Cody, that I'll
take pride in introducing you.

Buffalo Bill’s head was still ringing with the effects
of the roar of the avalanche, and he still felt rather giddy
and weak. He had looked himself over and found he
was not hurt, nor was his clothing much injured. He
had lost his rifle, but he still had his revolvers and
his knife, and his hat.

“All right, V’ll go down,” he said.
with suggestions, if in no other way.”

Having now reached a conclusion as to what the
effect of his story would be, Buffalo Bill told it to
Snyder, as they made their way together down to the

point where the stage had been caught. by the snow-
slide.

“Maybe I can aid * |

 

Sy =
Sa

 

 

 

 
 

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get (re
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CHAPTER TE
THE ROBBERY,

The men who had been in the stage were een that
they had escaped with their lives. Nevertheless they
were in an irritated and fuming temper. . Two of the
six horses that had drawn the stage were dead, a wheel

was damaged, and the trail was closed by the snow and

earth, which lay so deep in it that it seemed the suns and
rains of centuries would have trouble in ‘cleaning it out.
Buffalo Bill arrived with Snyder while the work of
excavating the horses was in progress.
Buffalo Bill’s story was the thing most in Snyder’s
mind, and he proceeded to tell it as soon as he had made
known the identity of the scout.

_ “The famous scout, Buffalo Bill!” he Said introducing
him. “And he tells me he’s the chap that turned the
trick ©

The scout lifted his hat. It had been in the snow by

him when he pulled himself out of the drift’and he had
~ not lost it.

“Glad to meet you,’ he said. “This is tough luck.
Sorry, that I’m responsible for it even remotely. I lost
my rifle, and came near losing my life.”

in addition to the driver, all
save one working to rescue the horses. The man who
was not working sat on top of the stage, which was half-
filled with snow, and swore roundly at the mishap that
had ‘compelled him-to halt in that desolate spot.

There were seven men,

“And you're responsible for it, eh?’ he shouted at
Buffalo Bill. “Tn that case, if ‘twas me, I’d- kept still
about it.”

He was a thin, wiry, muscular man, with a red face
and redder nose, and watery eyes.

“Here I’m due at Glencove to-night, and how am I to
get there? It’s nearly sundown now, though we can’t
see the sun because of the snow that’s still flying. Yes,

‘Td kept it to myself, if I'd turned a trick like that.”

“I don’t doubt you would!” was the scout’s cutting
retort. :

The living horses were out of the drift, and the dead
ones could not be helped, though their harness was
worth saving. The men turned from their work to listen
to the talk. : a
“You brought that snowslide, eh?” cried the red-faced
passenger again. (

CAINE fet vou
Just now perhaps

“Tt was an accident,” said the scout.
the full particulars about it soon.

: ‘there’s some work in which I can help?”

_ He still looked weak and shaky, and his face was pale.

There was nothing more to be done, the men informed
him, and he gave the details of his remarkable story and
the manner in which the snowslide had been set in
motion.

 

  

% % ’

Hil STORIES a 3

“You admit you got us into it; perhaps you can get us
out?” growled the red-faced rarglen

“We can get out by going down the pally in the
direction of Golconda, I think; or we can cut steps and
climb over the blocked-in pass, and so go on to Glencove.
The Golconda route is the best. Nobody will get through

this pass to Glencove until spring, unless they climb the —
mountain.” .

The other passengers and the stage-driver were dis-
posed to fraternize and be kindly; so that the scout cared
little enough for the surly words and manner of the red-
faced grumbler.

“There’s nothin’ more kin be done to-night,” said the |
driver, whose name was Joe Meek. “So we might’s well
clean the snow and dirt out of the old hearse and camp
down in her. To-morrer we'll see what’s to be done.
I’ve got the mail, and that’s got to go through, if I can
take it. I never yit failed to git her es and I don’t
cry quits on this till I have to.”

He, too, was red-faced and slender, with keen, lean
features, and sharp, dark eyes.

The’ story told by Buffalo Bill was so astonishing ‘that
the men found nothing else to talk about.

They dug into the snow and stripped the harness from
the dead horses, and then proceeded to clear the snow out
of the stage, that they might have a place to sleep in
that would be more comfortable than the snow outside..

“Funny thing about this,” remarked the driver, “is,
that there ain’t any snow at all lower down. Streets of
Golconda dry as a bone, and no snow there, or rain
either, fer a month of Sundays. But soon’s we struck
this here high altitude we got the snow good and hard;
and then came the snowslide, burying everything. But
of course we don’t lay that to you, Cody. How was you
to know there was dynamite in that box; and that it was
goin’ to tear the mountain up by the roots when you
turned your rifle loose on it? But I wonder what be-
come o’ that deer?”

He laughed in an amused way, as he drew a mental
picture of the deer sailing through the air.

“Mebbe it was pulverized,” he said aloud, correcting
this mental picture. “I reckon if a feller could wander
up round there he’d find little pieces of venison steak -
stickin’ to all the tree-branches, if there’s any tree-
branches left fer it to stick to. aa,

_“T know who owned that mine, too,” he added .thought-
“Twas Nick
He give it up as a bad job more’n a year
ago, and lit out fer Frisco.

fully, biting a plug of black tobacco.
Commons.
Mighty keerless of him, ter
I reckon we'll
have the stage company sue him fer damages.”

leave dynamite settin’ round that way.

He laughed again. He was a joker.

Buffalo Bill aided the men in clearing the snow out

 crecencsen ere TET Gag eT TT a ST

 
 

TOE BOP PALO

of the stage; and as a return they invited him to stay
with them in it through the night.

“The trouble is, though,” said the driver, “we ain't got
nothin’ to eat, and only this dirty snow to drink, unless
our friend here,” he indicated the red-faced passenger,
“can fetch up a bottle or two o’ somethin’ wet?”

The red-faced passenger acidly declared that he had
“nothing wet,’ .though he had been seen with a _ bottle
of liquor during the trip.

He swung down from the top of the stage, and poked
round, grumbling, and declaring that he must go right
on to Glencove.

“Pole along,” said the driver dryly. “Nobody ain’t
holdin’ you down by settin’ on yer wardrobe.”

There was but one man of the company who seemed
inclined to side with the red-faced passenger, and that
was a little, black-eyed borderman, who seemed a trapper
rather than a miner or trader.

He called himself Jim Mason, and said he was going to
Glencove to see if he couldn’t make a better living than
he had made where he came from; but where he came
from he did not tell.

At times this little man put in a favorable word for the
red-faced passenger, who called himself Slocum; yet he
was not as nagging toward Buffalo Bill as Slocum, who
seemed to desire to create annoyance for the scout, if not
trouble.

Buffalo Bill ignored these two men, and soon all ig-
nored them.

After that they subsided, and by the time night came
down peace and good-will seemed to reign.

The scout gained the respect of the other passengers

in a very short time, and though his story was so strange
none of them disbelieved it.

Not even the red-faced Slocum claimed that he dis-
believed it; he merely heaped blame on the scout for his
“foolishness” in shooting at a deer on a snowy mountain-
Side, “when he ought to have known that a snowslide
would be the result.”.

But, as. stated, all this was passed over, and ignored,

as night came down; and the passengers, with Buffalo
Bill, prepared to cnend the night as best they could in the
stage.

The horses were in the lee of it, feeding on some
cottonwood boughs that had been cut for them.

Night came, and a gale of wind, which subsided later,
though the darkness remained.

The inside of the stage was not warin, a it was
genial compared to the cold outside.

As Buffalo Bill had heard, there was no snow down in
Golconda, and he knew enough of the weather conditions.
‘to be sure that this cold would not last twelve hours.

' Along in the night, when most of the men had fallen

BILL STORIES,

asleep, he heard a whisper, and then a movement; then
he saw the stage door ope and Slocum and Jim Mason
step out into the snow.

He was wide-awake in an instant.

“Something wrong!” was his conclusion.

He reached over and touched the stage-driver, who had
fallen asleep near him.

The stage-driver aroused with a start.

He saw the door open and Buffalo Bill looking out,
and then he heard the crunch of feet in the snow out-
side.

“Eh?” he’said. “What is it?’

“Mason and Slocum,” the scout whispered.
leaving. What does it mean?”

The stage-driver came to an: erect position, with a
startled exclamation, and began to paw round in his
pockets.

“Robbed!” he said. “‘Geewhittaker, I’ve been robbed!
Ten thousand dollars that I had in oe all in an
envelope in this here pocket, is gone.’ ‘i

He leaped to the stage door, knocking over some of the
awakening sleepers.

“Cody,” he cried, “come with me!: Them devils have
robbed me and got every cent I carried, and it will ruia

me. It was express money, which I didn’t think anybod’
knowed I had.
with it.”

snow.

The night was starless, yet there was some light be-

“They're

They've got it, and they’re sliding |

He drew his Sunn as he landed outside in* the

cause of the whiteness of the snow, though it was not

sufficient to point out the men who had left the stage.

. But their crunching feet could be still heard, though the

sounds had become faint.

The stage-driver, wild over the loss of the money that
had been entrusted to him, began to run in the direction
of the sound.

“What is it—what is it?’ came the inquiries.

“Robbery,” said the scout; “two of the passengers have
robbed the driver of a large sum, and are getting away!”

Then he, too, ran in the direction which the driver had
taken.

 

CHAP TERR TN
AN OLD FRIEND.

Buffalo Bill heard crunching steps ahead of tie as a

Nabe

hurried on, and believed them to be those of the stage a

driver,

Catching no other sounds, he called to find out whether
the trail of the robbers had been lost.

The answer was surprising enough. A shot flashed
in the darkness, and its bullet. whistled past the scout’s

&

 

 

 

pe

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

though hardly expecting an answer.

ee Pee eee

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. ’ 5

cheek, At the same time he heard an exclamation, in the
voice of Slocum.

The scout drew a revolver and fired in return. —
He stood still, listening, after the teport of his shot

had died out.

Not a sound did he hear then.

“Tt looks as-though I’ve brought, the rascal down,”
was his thought.

But he was too wary to at once go forward, for he did
not know but Slocum was laying for him there in the
darkness,

When he had waited a while and no sound reached
him, he bent his head low, and advanced with as much
caution as possible, waving his head and body from side
to side, to baffle the aim of any one who might fire at
him.

Another shot came, then a leap, and a sliding sound

ween below him, as if a small snowslide had occurred there.

ile ran forward, sure that Slocum had jumped to a
lower point on the mountain slope, and was ne a
desperate effort to get away.

The sounds ended soon.

After that he heard no more, afd stood in the darkness,
uncertain what course to take.

Again he called, in a low tone, to the stage-driver,
And none came.

Having reached the point from which he had been fired
upon, he ventured to strike a match.

He found tracks in the snow at the point from which
Slocum had jumped.

Throwing down the match, the scout made his way
with care toward the spot where he was sure Slocum had
landed after his big jump.

Seeing and hearing nothing there, he struck another
match, and, by its light, found Slocum’s tracks, leading
on down toward the river and the filled-in trail.

The scout followed slowly now, anxious and watchful.

He knew that the robbers had separated, and that he
had lost the direction of the stage-driver..

As well as he could he went on in the course taken
by Slocum. Yet such trailing was uncertain,

So long as the snow held, he lighted a match now and
then, in spite of the danger, and stuck to Slocum’s trail.

But when he had worked down the side of the
mountain, and on down into the valley in the direction
of Golconda, the snow failed, and here the tracks were,
of course, lost.

Yet he had seen the course Slocum had taken, and he
went on, hoping that he would not be far from Slocum’s

trail when daybreak came, and that he could then pick
it up.

He regretted that he had become separated from the

Bik ian a Mh

stage-driver, and that the robbers had parted company,
though the latter was a thing to have been expected, as it

, is an old trick for hunted men to scatter and so try to

baffle pursuit.
The deafening roar of a noisy river rose before him.
The scout was still pushing on through the darkness,
when once more he heard a sound—a wild threshing in
the darkness, with yells and shouted commands.
“Slocum!” he said. ‘I’m still close behind him! He’s
stumbled into a hornets’ nest of some kind?’
Then he was astounded by the clatter of hoofs, as if
a horse near at hand was kicking and threshing about.
Soon after this a rifle flamed in front of him, a voice
cried out angrily to the horse, and a ballet came singing
past his head.

The scout dropped to the ground, expecting eter
shot.

What next he heard surprised him still! more.

“Whoa, consarn ye!” the voice bellowed.

"Come on,” it added, as if addressing the scout.
“Come on, you persimmon-faced pie-eater! Think you'll
rob me, do ye? Jes’ come on, and make a try of it ag’in.
Think there’s another gal hyar ter steal, do ye?”

Buffalo Bill stood up and called into the darkness.

The voice and the kicking of the horse stopped
instantly. :

“Hello, there!” he called.

A revolver flashed this time, sending its lead close by
his head, and again the scout dropped down, fearing
another bullet.

He laughed, though, as he did so.

“Stop that, you mutton-headed Piute!”’ he shouted.
“I’m no robber! What’s the matter with you?”

“Matter enough!” came back through the pitchy dark-
ness. ‘‘Mebbe ye think you kin twict git onter me, but
I’m layin’ fer ye. Come on and try it, and me and ole
Nebby will make mince-meat out'n ye. And you hear
me, I’m comin’ fer thet gal!”

“Nomad!”

The man seemed to be listening.

“Ts that you?”

“Don’t you know me, Nomad?” the scout asked.

99

“You can’t come no tricks
Give up ther gal, an’ 1 won't

(Vain't you, < came back.
onter me! I know ye.
make no trouble fer ye.”

“Nomad, you old goose, it’s Cody!”
Again there was silence.
“Who's the liar says that he’s Cody?”

“Tl come forward and exhibit myself, if you won’t
try to shoot me.”

The scout rose to his feet and advanced. |

As he did so he flashed another match, that he might be
seen, and not shot at.

a airy Yaseen eg a

 
 

  

6 | THE BUPREALO

A voice cried out:

“Waugh! Buffler, by the eternal! And I war ‘tryin’
ter poke holes in ye! Buffler, you’re as welcome as the
flowers in May. Amble on; I’m glad té see ye. But
what in time you doin’ thar? Thet’s whar ther skunk
run ter thet tried ter steal Nebby, an’ got away wi’ ther
gal. Yer must have seen him.”

The scout and the old trapper met and struck hands
in friendship.

“Somebody tried to rob you, Nomad?” the scout asked.
“And what is that about a girl?”

“Tried ter steal Nebby, and stole ther gal.
skunk kited in the direction you comed frum.
see him?”

And ther
Yer didn’t

“T think you must be mistaken as to the direction he
took.”

“Strike another match, Cody, and Ill show ye. No
better wait till daylight. *“Twon’t be long in comin’, and
maybe he might take a notion to shoot permiskus down
hyar, by ther light of yer match. But what does it all
tnean anyhow?” —

The scout began to ask questions, instead of answering
this one.

_ Even in the poor light he could see that Nomad had
been camping in a sort of hole, or pocket, in the rock,
and, though he could ‘see no fire, he smelt its smoke. The
air was warm and cozy, compared -with the cold outside.

“*Tain't possible ter foller ther skunk?” said Nomad,
anxiously. “I’m troubled about ther gal. He run off wi’
her.

“When I war jes’ about startin’ in pursuit, why I
heerd him ag’in, only thet time it war you. Waugh!
Buffler, I’m that balled up I dunno who I am, er if I’m
~ one man er two. And seein’ you step outer ther dark
thar is as puzzlin’ as ther rest of it.”

The old trapper had reloaded his rifle without seeming
to know it, and was now clutching it tightly, as he bent
his body and peered out into the darkness.

_ Buffalo Bill had not been enlightened to any great
extent. :
“T hear nothing,’ he said.
though, if you think it advisable.”

oN \
UWelloiry. fo: follow,

“If we only knowed whar ter go, Buffler? Thet’ s ther
trouble. Ther skunk has jes’ sunk out of sight in ther
dark like a drownin’ man sinkin’ inter water.”

“This girl? What about her? Who was she?”
> “Buffler, [ll tell you thet in a minute. I gotter go out
and look round,
Waugh!”

He turned to his nervous horse.

“Whoa, thar, Nebby, consarn ye!” he grunted.

yand see if 4 can. start’ anything.

“Pit
trade ye off fer a mus’rat, seein’ ‘t you ain’t got more

 

‘sense ’n you've showed ter-night.

 

Bich STORIES.

Give yer warnin’ after
ther deed’s done and the man’s Sure away! Is that ther
way you war teached?” —

But he did not tarry to scold the old horse. -

He stooped still lower, and stole out into the surround-
ing gloom, moving so silently that when he was a few
feet away even the keen ears of Buffalo Bill could not
hear his steps, in the roar of the river.

The scout drew closer to the warmth of the hollow,
listening for some sound, which should indicate that
Nomad had made a discovery, or was in need of assist-
ance. And he pondered on the mystery of Nomad’s
words.

In ten minutes or so the old man came back, much dis-
tressed.

“Seen nothin’,” he said, dropping down in the hollow.
“Not ary consarned thing. Ther man’s gone, and ther
gal is gone. We’re sewed up hyar till daylight, fer it’s
so dark out thar we can’t do a thing.” a

Again the scout began to ask questions, this time with
more success. /

“Tft hadn’t been fer ther fire, Cody, ’twouldn’t hap-
pened; I played ther fool and left my fire hyar unkivered.
He seen me an’ ther gal settin’ hyar, an’ [ reckon he seen
ther hoss. He worked ther trick han’some.

course, that dtaed me out thar ter see what Nebby war
up ter,

“Next thing war a screech frum ther gal, and her
yellin’ out ter me. I come ee but didn’t see nothin’,
though I heerd her yell ag’in, and heerd a thrashin’
turrible in ther bushes.

“Thet last war ther hoss, thet begun ter kick up a
hellybaloo.. I didn’t know how I’d been tricked till I
turned and seen him, red like, by ther hoss, with ther
gal layin’ limp on ther ground, fer ther light o’ my fire
shone out thar; and he war then tryin’ ter cut Nebby’s
halter, wi’
band.

“Like’a fool, I’d drapped my rifle. I jumped fer it,
and he grabbed ther gal up and went kitin’, He was out
of sight in ther dark quicker’n scat, and me chasin’ him.
But I reckon it warn’t fer me ter ketch up with him, fer
after ther fust jump er two I didn’t git nigh him.

“I was gittin’ Nebby, when I as i heerd Himes!
yelled and blazed away. And ’twar you.”

The simple narration made the scout wish to start at

once on the track of the ruffian, whether he was Slocum
or another.
“The girl?” he said. “Who was she?”

“Sam Danby’s daughter, Jennie. You knowed Sam.”

“Jennie Danby? I’m going to follow him,”
scout, turning away from the fire.

-

said the

THe set ole
Nebby ter dancin’, by gittin clost up ter him, and 0’

ther ole hoss thrashin’ round ter beat ther _

  

 

 

er
+

Bo

 

 
 

j° \ “And ther chances air ten ter one thet Buffler will git .

 

corte,

 

 

tiie BOE ALO

“What's ther vise; Buffer?” <.

“But T must.”

“What's ther use, Buffler ? If sisting couliier he
done ‘tis me woulder done it. It’s: aa H cats, and no
tellin’ whar he went, ner which way.”

But Buffalo Bill was moving out mto the night.

The old man stood staring after him as he disappeared
quickly in the darkness.
_ “Never war a bigger heart on ther iat But what kin
ne do, more’n I war willin’ ter? Thar’s times when a
man gits on jes’ as fast settin’. ca’mly down as he does by

tushin’ round and breathin’ hard.” ie

He clutched his rifle, still peering into the gloom.

‘For a. short time he heard the footsteps of the scout,
and then they were lost in the roar of the stream that
flowed close by, just as had been the case with the
sounds made by the man who-had taken the girl.

“Ther wust luck ever!’ the old man grunted peevishly.

inter lively trouble fore he gits back, if he gits back!’

 

CHAPTER. IV:
WHAT HAPPENED TO. CODY.

The roar of the river, making it almost impossible to
hear other sounds, was. annoying, as the scout set forth
in the thick darkness, on what seemed a vain quest.

His hopes were not high, for he knew he was like a

' man who hunts for a needle in a haystack. Yet he could

not find it in his heart to make no effort at all. At the
same time, he did not blame Nomad for giving up the

Search. -{, 7 ¢

Reasoning that the abductor of the girl would keep
close to the river, that its roaring might assist him in his

‘escape, Buffalo Bill remained near the stream,

“Tf the scoundrel continued in the direction he started,
he went up the stream, of course!”

With this conclusion, the scout also went up the
stream.

&

No sound reached him as he plodded on. There was
no snow at this poimt, and so he could not hope by
striking matches to find footprints even if the abductor

had passed that way.

When he had gone less than a mile he was startled by
a scream. :

It seemed the scream of a woman, and it thrilled him

to the core.

He stood for an instant in silence, wanine for its
repetition, and then ran as fast as he could in the direc-
tion from which it had come.

But he heard nothing more as he went on.

When he had gone what he thought about the right

“Indians imitate this oe closely, and the scout ‘was

and he began to fear he had lost the moccasin-wearer.

‘hurling him to the ground.

BILL. STORIES. Io

distance, he began to strike matches and search. the
ground for tracks.
It seemed -useless, yet, after a “little, he. fora! foot.
steps, close to a rock, in what was a dim. trail. a
He stared at them, and cast his match away.
“Moccasin prints!’ he said, stupefied. “And’ that
means the fellow was a redskin.” ; eS

“Nomad had not mentioned Indians.

White men use moccasins sometimes. But the wearer
of the moccasins had toed in, and that is an Indian
characteristic. Yet white men when trying to pass as

puzzled,

He did not waste more time searching for tracks, but
hastened on, following the trail as well-as:he could 4 in the
darkness, trusting to luck, Soe

Fearing he was out of the trail, he again. struck « a
match. TRUM at ed aba

This was extremely dangerous work, for the light was
likely to be seen and bring a rifle-ball.

He was in the trail, but he found no moccasin eee

He was now some distance from the noisy stream; and
as he stopped to listen, he heard footsteps, cautious and
slow, as if some one were trying to creep up on him.

He sank down in the trail, waiting: ~

The footsteps came on, slowly and cautiously, until, in
the gloom, he saw the stooping form of a man.

The man did not see him, apparently, and the scout
could not determine whether he was a ue man ora
redskin.

He waited until the man was almost upon him. Then
he sprang on the fellow, catching him by the throat and

As soon as he had done so he Wise ed ‘at ee was
a white man, or at least a man who wore white man’s
clothing. And the voice that gurgled through the cho-
king was the voice of a white man.
Buffalo Bill withdrew his choking fingers, ae an-
other match, and flashed its light in the face of the man,
as he lay on his back in the trail, gasping for breath.
The man was the driver of the Golconda stage, Joe
Meek.
The scout glanced at the fellow’s feet, and saw that ae
was wearing moccasins!
The stage-driver was coming to himself, but the match
had gone out before he did so and could look about.
“I’m Cody,” said the scout, in a hard voice. “What
were you doing here, sneaking on me; and why do oe
wear Indian moccasins?’
“Cody!
at the scout, whom he-could hardly see.

The stage-driver ae and sat up, » staring

4

se aN aOR ST RN eT Ye Wig Wee ee eee gaa

 
Sich Lactate cae ee a SRS A Rl se Ea Tatas
a

  

; “y
° 2 Ry

tions.’

did you tackle meé fer? ;
“Why were you trying to sneak up on me?”

ey “wastrt; “Cody. Its 4 tisiake.

out what it was, and then you tackled me.”

the scout could hardly see, however.

of the express company that entrusted ’em to me.

robbers, fer a part of the swag?”
, He oroaned.

missing money.
The scout: had risen.

hard,” he said apologetically.

moccasins, too;”

that he was suspected by Buffalo Bill.

when [jumped out of the stage.”
Potpatl |

you that you're mistaken in thinkin’ I’m crooked.”

seemed a mere waste of time and strength.

daylight.”

ivehia BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

“Yes, Pe Cody: and I helicge aS head my ques-

“Let up; Gots ! ‘There's a big mistake, q guess. What

1 Deen tryin) 10
foller them robbers, and jes’ thinkin’ about what the
a robbery meant made me nighabout crazy. I lost ’em in
the darkness, and got turned round. I dunno where |
am, now, and can't understand the thing at all.’ I heard
somethin’ in this direction a while ago, and tried to find

ae clawed ruefully at his throat, a movement which ga
been held up on this Golconda trail, and the passengers.

ey suppose you got lost, too,’ said Meek. “It’s black
enough to git anybody twisted, to-night. And I reckon

* them devils have got out of the country. It spells ruina-.
tion to me, Ten thousand in bank -bills—jes’ ten bills of.
a thousand dollars each, they took frum me. I, carried

the bills in a wallet in my inside pocket, and didn’t

2 think a soul on earth knowed about ’em, a the agent

réckon it'll be charged that I played into the hands of the

He could think of nothing but the

“I'm sorry, Meek, that I gripped your windpipe so
“But I thought you a
rascal I had followed. Even yet I must say, as he wore
moccasins, it looks suspicious that you are wearing ©

Joe Meek scrambled up with the unpleasant feeling

“I don’t know jes’ what you're drivin’ at, Cody; but
these. moccasins J wore when I left the stage, as you can
see if you'll go back there and look at my tracks. I put
‘em on when I laid down to sleep, and so had ’em on

“You didn’t see or hear any one on this trail a short
time since?’ the scout asked: “The rascal followed this *

“T didn’t see nor hear a thing, Cody, till I heard you.
I’m willin’ to help you in this, any way I can, to show

Buffalo Bill looked impatiently in the darkness in the
direction he supposed the fleeing abductor had gone.
Impenetrable gloom baffled him.’ To continue his search |

“Meek,” he said, “I’ve a friend in camp below here
in the river-valley, and we'll go there together, if you say
so. We can’t do anything here, nor anything until

         
    
  

Then, ina few oe ls told: cel ae a was there
and the. story of the singular abduction of Jennie Danby.
The story, though so strange, held ‘little interest for
Joe “Meek, who seemed unable to Tee of anything but
‘the money he had lost. Be
Yet he was se to go down into the valley with
the scout.

   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
  
  
   
    
  
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
   
   
  
    
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
 
  
  
 
 
   
  

“You 'll-help me with this thing in the mornin’, Cody ?”
he begged. “‘T’ve got t’ have the help o’ some one that’s
a better trailer than I am. Think of it! -Ten thousand
dollars—ten one-thousand-dollar bills, all tucked away
safe in my pocket in a wallet! It was thought the only
safe way to send it. A half-dozen times my stage has

gone through, but the road-agents never troubled me;
and so it was thought best for me to carry the stuff,
ruther than to trust it to the express box, which is the
first thing the agents bust open, ye know. Think
of it! Ten thousand dollars! And I’m held responsible -xg-~
fer it. I reckon I'll be accused and arrested assoonasil «.)P«
show my face in the town?”

 

He could talk and think of Counae else, he was so
distressed,

 

CHAPTER V.
1 Uo CROE DON .

When Buffalo Bill and Joe Meek reached the camp
of Nick Nomad he was sitting by his hidden fire, rifle
across his arm, watching.

“It’s all right, Buffer; I knows yer footsteps, even in
ther dark,” he cried. ‘Come right in, and a welcome
ter the man with yer, whoever he air. *Fer you wat
neverta man fer bring an inimy inter ther camp of a
friend. /

“I’m gamblin’ thet ye found nothin’ o’ ther gal er ther
man that made off wi’ her!” he added, as the scout and
the stage-driver advanced.

The scout introduced Meek, and the latter told his
story.

 

Nomad harkened to it attentively; then drew the ashes
away from his fire, letting the glow of the coals shine
out, as if he desired the light to reveal Meek’s face.
After looking keenly at aie he glanced down at Meek’s
moccasins.

 

This was only by way of tye cadon, and he con-
tinued his comments: a

“A purty good wad o’ money; but it ain’t wu’th half
as much as ther happiness of ther gal who war trustin’
her safety ter me; and I don’t reckon thet Mr. Meek
kin be any more anxious ter git it back than I am ter +5 *
git her. Soon’s daylight throws a little sunshine down
inter this black airth I begins my s’arch, and I don’t let

  

 
fi v

 

THE BUFFALO

up on it t til ther devil, ibe he white er red, goes neioe and
ther gal is safe ag’n. Waugh! ee

He pulled at his scanty beard, and for a moment or
two stared at the red coals of the fire.

Buffler, I didn’t tell you all about thet gal, an’ her dad
an’ his money! Mebbe you knowed thet ole Sam Danby
had been minin’? Waal, he hit it rich, and tuck out a lot
0 dust; which, like ther fool he war, he fer a long time
hid round mostly in bags in his cabin. Last week, hows’-
ever, jes’ as if he knowed his end war nigh, he took
most of it, and turnin’ it inter bank-bills, he entrusted it
ter ther express-agent in Golconda, instructin’ him ter
send it on East fer better . safe-keepin’.”” He looked
queerly at the stage-driver. “From what I learnt, ther
amount war ten thousand dollars! a het gal stole me
thet, arter her dad had passed in his checks! Could it
er been ‘the money thet Mr. Meek kerried so reckless
like in ther pocket of his jacket?

“I war thar visitin’ when ole Sam Danby got hurt,
a rocks fallin’ on ’im-in his mine, an’ I war with him

when he died, yist’day. He tried ter tell me whar his

dust war planted, which he hadn’t turned inter bank-

bills, but he couldn’t, though he maniged ter beg me ter

* take keer of his gal.

cx

 

 

\ *

 

eT

ste) ett. tlm apm hee
“yi

“Waal, I buried his body; and cached all I could find
0 ther gold dust, an’ set out at onct with ther gal, stri-
kin’ fer Golconda, thinkin’ ter put her in ther hands o’
friends, er mebbe in a school thar, which she war willin’
to. :

“But las’ night this hyar camp whar I’d squatted down
war\raided, and ther gal disappeared in ther midst of
a lot) of screechin’, and who done it I dunno, but oa:
ter find out cake s 1 kan. “And thet’s ther hull story,”

He was staring into the east, where streaks of light

had begun to appear, heralding the dawn.

The scout and the stage-driver had dropped down by
the fire with him, where they now talked of the many
things which lately had occurred, and laid plans for the
work of the morning.

The old man brought out a store of food, ‘roasted

some of the meat on the coals, and they had breakfast. |

As soon as the light was good enough, the trapper
went out to his old horse, that was munching in the deep
gtass, and began preparations for taking up the trail of
the girl’s abductor.

“Buffler,” he said,

“come hyar! We’re ein’ ter have
visitors, | reckon.

Mebbe you'll know who they air.”
Only one man was approaching, however, as the scout

~ “84w_even before he reached the trapper’s side.

‘> This man came up with great haste, though when first

seen by the trapper he had been standing still, with his
eyes fixed on the ground, as if searching for a trail.

He was a young man, rather comely of appearance,

dressed in border: costume, and armed with te ons

fos

a

ae, 2

Bi, STORIES. Ce 9

He looked hard at the trapper, eecre, oo at the
scout and the stage-driver. : ce

“You don’t know me, but I funk J ie you,’ * hel
said to Nomad. “My name is Luke Crofton, and I have
been a very close friend of the Danbys.” ee

Old Nomad looked at him attentively. ee

“TI thought you had heard of me,’ went on the young
man. “Well, when I reached Danby’s house yesterday
I found it deserted. I saw that something was wrong,
and I struck your trail, and hung to it until dark caught.
me. I hit it again half an hour or more ago, at the first
light, and came on. And here | find you.”

Nomad turned to Buffalo Bill.

“Buffler,’”’ he said, “I reckon this hyar’s ther ee ther
gal war speakin’ ter me about—a young feller she war
goin’ ter marry soon.
Crofton.” ne

The scout was studying the face of the young man,
and he did not wholly like it.

But he concealed his feelings,
kindly when thus introduced to him.

“L. hope nothing has happened to
Crofton, Speaking to Nomad. ae

“That’s jest it,’ Nomad answered. “Everything's -
happened. Fust and foremost, she’s been run away with!
I reckon you don’t know nothin’ about it, but somebody
—Buffler half-thinks it war an ee inter ea
camp, and skipped with her.”

Crofton was amazed.

“She eloped with some one?” he cried.

“No, she war kerried off by some one; and who he is
’m-= preparin’ now ter diskiver.’

“I heard strange sounds in the night,” said Crofton.

Ther name’s ther same—Luke

and greeted Crofton

Miss Danby?” said

“They made me uneasy; but I didn’t dream of any as

so terrible as this.”’

Joe Meek had tapped Buffalo Bill on the arm, and now
he whispered to him.

“Look out fer that snake,” he-said. “Jest because he
ain't shakin’ his rattles ain’t no sign he ain’t pizen. He's
a rattler, and no mistake, er I’m a fool fer thinkin’ it.
Watch him, He’s here fer dirt.”

“T. don’t like his looks,” the scout admitted,

“We'll both watch him.” said Meek.

The scout again studied the young man who claimed
to be the lover of Jennie Danby. The thing that struck
him most was that Crofton.did not show any great grief’
or‘emotion. His manner was calm and matter-of-fact. _

Yet this was no real indication that he was not what
he claimed to be.

While Buffalo Bill was edae this ey ee was
again a cry from the keen-eyed old trapper. A half-
dozen men were seen in the trail close by the stream.

When they came on they were discovered to be pas-_
sengers from the stage, who had contrived to get out of ©

’ their unsatisfactory position, and were trying to make

 

   

 
   

THE BUFFALO

  

their. way now- down aie Le on. oe hoping to reach
Golconda. ae

“The hofses, they ‘had ten with one of their dither,
wiio ‘had said he would demand big pay from the stage
company for Playing “a them Hee oe could be aut
out of the snow.

“Phe passengers contaeee: on dick way to Golconda,.

after they had listened skeptically to the stories told
them.

“Tt was later learned that they suspected Meek, and
believed that he had made a pretense of being robbed,

and had secreted the money, intending to get it later for
himself,

Full daylight was now at hand, and Buffalo Bill was
glad to see them go on. .

When he began a search for the trail of the abductor
of the girl, he was not long in pas moccasin tracks
close by Nomad’s camp.

These were particularly distinct in and close by the
little grove where ia iieeear had been throughout
the night.

Joe Meek looked at these tracks with oh interest.

“I know what you meant, Cody, when you spoke about
my moccasins,’ he said; “but now, let me show you!”

- He fitted his moccasined foot into one of the tracks.

“The track is too big to have been made by me, ye
see, he declared. “I couldn’t have made ‘em, though
you thought mebbe I did. I don’t blame you. for
suspectin’ ‘everybody and everything, when matters
air so blamed mixed up. It’s kinder like me suspicionin’
that feller who calls hisself Luke Crofton.”

Crofton had, without invitation, added himself to
Buffalo Bill’s party, and declared his intention of never
giving over his search until he had found Miss Danby
and punished her abductor. His threats were loud and
deep: :

Joe Meek had, also,
party, saying he didn’t know what else to do, and that
by sticking with Buffalo Bill he was as likely to find the
rascals who had run away with the ten thousand dollars
as if he tried to search through the wild hills alone.

“The morning showed a decided change in temperature.
A= Chinook wind was blowing, and before its warm
breath what remained of the snow in the valley by the
stream melted away.

The trail of the moccasined feet Buffalo Bill followed
to the small trail where he had seen them the night
before.

“He knew now that Joe Meek had not made them, and
he credited Meek’s story of the robbery.

When Buffalo Bill tried to pursue the moccasined trail
after it ascended the hillside, he was battled. The trail

had vanished.
This necessitated a scattering of the trailing-party, as
a result of which Buffalo Bill found himself alone,

i)
i,

Bil SLOREES,

 

without invitation, joined the

  
  

“CHAPTER Vie
THE DANCE, WITH DEATH.

AG Buffalo ‘Bill went on, climbing fhe. “steen ‘hillside,
slippery now that the warm ‘Chinook was melting what
remained of the snow, he came on a thing that startled
him. :

This was the outline of an arrow drawn in a Somat
patch of snow, the blade of the arrow being tipped
with red, so that the snow there was. dyed 2810 ce
with blood. Close by the arrow was seen again that
moccasin track which the scout had been following, but
for some time had lost.

The red-bladed arrow-mark brought from Buffalo Bill
an exclamation which was almost that of fear, and he.
stared at it with starting eyes.

“The Red Death!’ he whispered.

_ He had been thinking that the abductor of the girl w was
an Indian, but this was more terrible than any Indian.

“The Red Death!” he whispered again, straining his.
eyes over the slope as if he expected to behold therd
the object of his thoughts.

He saw nothing, and heard nothing, and ee to try -

to pick up the trail indicated by the moccasin prints near
the arrow. If the girl had been with this man, he had
carried her, for her footprints were not to be seen.

Just what the Red Death was, the scout was not sure
that he knew..

By some he was supposed to be a robber, the leader .

of a desperate band of road-agents.

That he was a murderer, the red-tipped arrow again
indicated; for, defying vengeance and officers, he had
time and again set that sign beside the body of one of
his victims.

He was known to have held up stage-coaches. and
robbed them with a boldness that almost defied belief.
Yet he had not disdained to descend on some lonely and
helpless settler or miner, and rob him with as much gusto
as he had robbed a stageful of pabceneers laden with
gold dust. ae

Worse than all, at least in the minds of the jaedacee
he had more than once led red-handed Indians against

the white settlements and against stages and wagon-
trains.

But all these outrages had been committed far from
this spot; for which reason Buffalo Bill had not dreamed
of connecting the Red Death with the abduction of

Jennie Danby, no more than he had thought of cone oT
necting him with the robbery of Joe Meek, the stage-..?

driver.
Buffalo Bill had never seen the Red Death, and few

there were who had ever looked on his face, so that the
scout did not know if the Red Death. were a white man

or an Indian,

trp AN ay: hy be ce Ate has at alsa! i ee ery scent ce Up oe Lop pacer tN oat iS Aad ate ttt tee tit tahiti cert citi fins. -ptn) Sins ME

of iF

 
      
 
     
 
   
  
  
     
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
     
   
   
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
   
 
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  

 

im, es

 

     
      

Ce Sa
 

4

Bécause he was known to bea leader . Indians, many
men declared him a redskin; and by the same course of
reasoning, because he had led road-agents and white
murderers, he was said to be a white man.

His dress was red—as red as the pigment that tipped
his outlines of warning-arrows; and his red clothing,
together with his murderous deeds, had given him the
only name by which he was known to the scout.

“Indian or white man, devil, fiend, or whatever you
are, I will follow you to thé bitter end!” said the scout,
as he searched for the moccasin trail and again looked
at the arrow drawn in the snow.

“I wish I had Nomad with me,” was Hie thought.

But Nomad was not near, nor any of the others who
had set forth with the scout that morning.

Not able to see footprints beyond the patch of snow,
Buffalo Bill circled slowly about, hoping thus to pick up
the trail.

When he was unable to do it, he started off in the

a ae direction he believed the Red Death had taken.

‘ Some distance farther up the hill, near its crest, in fact,
the scout again found the moccasin tracks, where they
had sunk into a clayey soil.

The general direction they indicated was the same,
and Buffalo Bill hastened on.

More than two hours did the scout spend in thus

following the elusive trail, finding it now and then, and

a

A a a ist

losing it again.

The hill he was climbing was but the outer barrier, as
it were, of a mountain, that rose skyward, still snow-clad
in spite of the Chinook. i

Streams of water souied down the sides of the moun-
tain, made by the melting snow. The result was that as a

tule the tracks were washed out: yet here and there a
soft bit of soil or a wet and SG stretch of path |

retained the moccasin tracks, thus luring the scout on.
Ever the way became wilder and rougher.
The depression between the hill and the mountain, a
gully-like but deep trough, was rocky, with precipitous
sides.

Here the moccasin tracks were lost entirely; but, as |

there seemed only one course the Red Death could have
taken, the scout took that.
He did not forget/that he was pursuing a terrible

Red Death. Not for a moment did he lose his wariness,
or take his eagle eyes from the course he was following.

For there could be no telling when he might come face’
“to face with that fearful shape in bloody | red and be
‘compelled to give it battle.

He recalled stories of how pursuers of this man had
been lured into dark cafions and murdered; and there
was one account of a miner, who, when found, was a
raving maniac, made so, it was believed, ae his awful

experiences.

ai ese ek lke AMM sal ge a

A a snl P,

 

 

222 STR SN pana sa iiaaateasi

4

THE oe BILL STORIES. | . : IT

Buffalo Bill’s eminently sane mind was ae to discount
all such narratives. He had long ago learned that when
a strange story starts, it grows with prodigious leaps.
Hence, he did not believe all the things he had heard
about the Red Death. Least of all did he credit the
beliefs of many, that the Red Death was not a man but a
demon, or a creature not of this world. Buffalo Bill
had nothing superstitious in his make-up.

The course the scout took led between the trough-like
hollow between the hill and the mountain, and then
across rocky ground, where great boulders lay scattered
as if they had been tossed down there by Titanic ball-
players. 7

For some time he had seen neither a trail nor any

indication that the man he was trying to follow had

passed that way.

Then, out from a hold in the rocks, a wild- looking
creature appeared, and leaped on him with a suddenness
that was disconcerting and startling.

“You dance to your death with me now,” cried the
grewsome figure, seizing the scout and whirling him
round.

It was the strangely-attired man known as the Red

Death.
WA oar thar, a to shake the hills broke from his
lips, following these words.

Buffalo Bill was only given time to see this form in
red as he was borne backward, and to note that the

clothing was similar to that of the Mephistopheles of

masked balls, and to observe that the Mani was not an
Indian. *
The scout’s rifle had ba knocked out of his hands,

and, though he tried to get out his knife and use it, in

this he failed. oe

Then he found himself gos desperately with this
strange man,
hurl him instantly into eternity.

The tremendous nature of the surprise was all 4 in favor
of the Red Death.

Buffalo Bill, watchful as he had tried to be, had been
taken at a great disadvantage.

Nevertheless, he clung tenaciously ‘to his assailant,
knowing that only the greatest exertion of his fighting-
ability could now avail him.

He made a quick, sliding turn, as he was bent back-
ward toward the rocks, and by it released somewhat the
man’s terrific clutch, at the same time slipping from
beneath him.

He was able, by this, to get his arms free and clasp

them round his antagonist, so that the advantage was
not all on the side of the Red Death.

The combatants swayed to and fro, bending and writh-
ing like pine-trees whipping in a gale.

Bellowing roars of rage came from the lips of the Red
Death as the terrific fight went on. |

i eros etre oe ee oe ee eee ee ee ere Mae

who had seized him as if he meant to.

 

 
 

   

Buffalo Bill sought again to get out his knife, feeling
that the battle was going against him, and rendered
desperate by the discovery.

As he drew it back to strike, while the Red Death

clutched at his knife-hand to prevent, a scream came
from the hole in the rocks where the Red Death had
appeared—a scream in the voice of a girl.

Buffalo Bill knew that the girl whose voice he thus
heard was Jennie Danby; and that in following the Red
Death he had followed the right trail; but that he
could now help the girl seemed problematical.

What followed was astonishing to the scout.

The Red Death reeled back, as if to avoid the knife.

With almost the same motion he freed himself and hurled.

the scout from him, showing a strength and energy that
were marvelous.

The girl’s scream had sounded again.

The scout saw the Red Death jump toward her. Then
the girl turned and fled wildly back into the hole, the
long fingers of the red-robed man stretching out as if
to catch her. by the hair,

Buffalo Bill was reeling with bewilderment.

The knife was in his hand, but its point had not drawn
blood—he had not been able to drive it into ae body of
his enemy.

Without stopping to catch up his rifle, er even to
calculate what would come of such a pursuit, Buffalo

Bill leaped after the disappearing Red Death.
_' It seemed almost a suicidal thing to do; for in that
black hole he could not know what traps ay hidden, nor
whether other foes were there or not.

He did not stop to calculate chances; the girl needed
him,.and he was willing to try to help her, despite the
‘seeming great peril.

He found himself, almost instantly, in darkness, when
he had passed the black portals; but he ran on, and was
thrown sprawling, by what seemed a rope, or vine, drawn
across his path.

He heard the girl scream again, and tried to scramble
up; when the Red Death, leaping on him with a great
jump, forced him down, and then began to beat him and
bang his head against the rocky floor.

There was another cry, by which the scout was made
aware that the girl had come to his aid; but just then his
senses left him, and he knew nothing more for a time,

 

CHAPTER VEE
IN THE RED DEATH'S CAVE.

When Buffalo Bill returned to consciousness, with a
splitting headache and suffering from sickening nausea,
he saw that he was bound hand~and foot, with a rope
which was probably the one he had stumbled over, and
that before him burned a dim light,

THE BUFFALO BILL

_as I am yours;

STORIES.

 

The light had been made by ee a eu splinter *

into a bowl of fat, and igniting it.

But it was not the light nor the discovery that. he
was bound that astonished him, but the girl who sat by
the light, staring at him with a depressing mournfulness.
~ “You are better?’ she said.

Her voice was low, almost a whisper; and as she spoke .

she looked round, as if she feared being heard.

The scout sat up with a jerk.

“Tm in a peculiar and unfortunate position,” he re-
marked, not knowing what to say. “I was attacked,
and

She inclined her head.

“Yes, I know, and I tried to help you, but couldn’t;
though maybe my interference hept him from killing
you.
sees some one coming.”

She put her fingers to her lips to warn him to
silence.

You are Mics Danby,” he said.

 

“Vou are my friend,

he comes back.”

But apparently the strange man called the Red Death
had heard even her low-spoken words, for he appeared
before them, coming with steps so light that the scout,
who had not been able easily to turn his head, had not
heard him.

The Red Death stood with folded arms loplen down |

on the helpless scout.

When he spoke his deep voice rumbled.

“Why did you follow me?” he asked.

Buffalo Bill hesitated.

“Por the sake of the young lady,” he declared, at
length, guessing that the Red Death knew this.

“Your friends are coming !”
It was an announcement coolly made, but o a. char-
acter to stir the scout to intense interest.

“My friends?”

“The men you were with this morning. You know -

who they are; the men you camped with, and who set out
with you, when yer foolishly undertook to follow me.
They're coming.”

“Ves?” said the scout, not knowing how to answer
this.

“They have struck your trail, and are following it;
they could never have followed mine.”

His arms were still folded, and a look of pride shone

Vn his tace:

He had a wicked, malevolent countenance, and black

eyes that burned in a singular way, as if hot coals lay

smoldering back of them; and he puckered his lips, like
a dog snarling.

“You are going to invite your friends to enter this
place, and then they will be as you are,’ he said coolly,
with apparent confidence. “You are willing to do this?”

He’s out there : the entrance, and I think he

      

  

ces

cut these cords, and let me up Le ye

 

MW
e~
R 3

 

 

 
 

 

THE BURPPALO

“Certainly not,” the scout replied. “Why should I
seek to get others into this trap ?”

“Very well, then; there is a way; your rifle lies out
there, to tell them that you are in here. They will come
in to investigate.”

While these confident statements were being “made,
Buffalo Bill was wondering how he could give warning
to the men whose, coming had been thus announced. _

That they were Nomad, Joe Meek, and the young man
who called himself Luke Crofton, he did not doubt.

“Nomad is shrewd,’ was his thought. “He will not
walk easily into this trap.’

The Red Death glanced sharply at the girl, as if warn-
ing her, and stepped again toward the entrance.

“Now!” the scout whispered to her. “Get these cords
off me quick!”

But the Red Death instantly returned.

He suspected such an attempt, and he now took
measures to block it. He seized the girl by the wrists,
a clapped one big hand over her mouth to keep her from
screaming, and then proceeded to tie her, as he had
tied the scout, while the latter writhed helplessly, a
witness of this outrage.

When the Red Death had tied the girl and thrown her
to one side as.if she were mo more to be considered than
a heap of rags, he turned again to Buffalo Bill.

“Hark,” he said, and he put up a hand. “Do you not
hear them—the men who are to drive your friends in
here? You would not help me, but I do not need your
help. Listen to that !’’

The scout heard an Indian yell, keen and piercing, fol-
lowed by another.

The mysterious man disappeared again, leaving the
girl and the scout bound and incapable of doing anything
to give warning to the white men who were said to be
outside.

A rifle-shot sounded, and after it more wild yells.

It was difficult to make sure, but the scout feared that
Nomad and those with him had been attacked by

Indians out in the trough-like hollow that lay between

the hill and the mountain.

“They’re retreating in this eee which shows that
the redskins are on the other side,” he concluded, as he
hharkened. “Old Mephistopheles is right; they Il come
in this direction, whoever they are, and perhaps will
seek protection in this cave. If they do?”

His first thought was that this would afford him an
Opportunity to escape.

Then he saw that perhaps some trap would be set for
them; and there was the further consideration, that the

Red Death had declared the Indians his allies, and that

they were purposely making an attack to force the
. white men into the cave and into his power; a thing
- Buffalo Bill did not believe, however.

BILL STORIES. : , 12,

After those yells and the shot, there came silence out-
side.

The scout and the girl ee for a repetition of the
sounds.

When’ they did not quickly come, the scout began to
question the girl.

She could talk, fortunately, for the Red Death had not
taken the trouble to gag her:

“T know that you are Jennie Danby, and I was a close |
friend of your father,’ he said. “I have heard your
story, and of your father’s death, from my friend, Nick
Nomad; and I know how you were carried out of his
camp last night. I followed the trail of this man who
captured you. Perhaps you know something about him;
I know very little.”

The girl had been Lie and at times straining —
helplessly at the cords which bound her wrists. Her
voice broke, as she answered:

“T think he must be the Red Death I have heard my
father tell about. I never saw him before, but he seems
a maniac, and that’s what I think he is. He sprang into
the camp last night and carried me away, almost before
I knew what was happening; and he made me travel so
fast that I am nearly dead. When my strength gave out

he carried me; he is wonderfully strong. You met Mr.
Nomad?”

The scout told her more fully how he had come to

take up the trail, and also told her who he was.

“I knew you,”

she declared, “even though I never met

you before; my father used to talk of you a good deal,

and I remember his description, and the things he told
about you. But I’m sorry you followed me; for now you
will be killed, I’m afraid.”

The scout was listening to her, and also listening for
sounds outside of the cave.

“Do you think that Nomad and the others, your
friends, are the ones who are out there ?” she asked.

“There was with Nomad, when I separated from him,
a young man who called himself Luke Crofton,” the
scout now informed her; “and he said that he was your

‘promised husband.”

“Tuke!”’ she cried, drawing herself up so that she
could see better into the scout’s face. “Then he is‘in
danger out there, with Mr. Nomad! He will be killed
by those Indians!”

She did not try to conceal her agitation.

“What he said was true?’ said the scout.

“Ves. J have promised to marry Mr. Crofton. He
must have come to our house after I left with Mr.
Nomad; and then he followed our trail.”

She tore at her bonds with frantic energy; for Crofton
seemed to be calling to her, in his present peril.

“Oh, if I could only get loose—could only free my-
self!” she wailed.

 

 
 

Ta

THE. BUFFALO

“My dear young lady, you could not aid Crofton if you
were; but you might aid yourself, and me. I wish you
could twist out of those cords. Mine seem to be drawn
_ so tight that I can’t budge them.”

The scout had also been testing the cords that held
him, and lay back discouraged, his head still throbbing
and his body weak from the assault of the Red Death.

But soon he began to writhe in the cords again, trying
to swell the muscles of his wrists so that the cords would
be stretched, and thus slackened until he could draw out
his hands.

While he was thus engaged the man eae he Red
Death reappeared.

 

CHAPTER VIIt.
MONEY AND CARDS.

When the Red Death came again into the cavern, he

did not look at the prisoners at first, apparently affecting ”

not to see them, or remember them.

He passed them by, and went farther into the cave,
seeming to be searching there for something, or some
one. :

When he returned he dropped down on the floor, in
the half-light in the entrance.

Producing a pack of greasy cards, he began to deal
them, as if a player sat opposite to him.
~ At times he spoke to this supposed opponent, and
laughed as if he had received in return some humorous
comment or answer.

When he had dealt the cards, giving some to tic right
hand and some to his-left, he drew a big leather wallet
from a pocket of his red coat, and threw it on the floor.

Buffalo Bill, seeing this, and already astonished, lifted
his head still higher and stared.

_ He stared even more an instant later, when, from this
big wallet the Red Death drew out several bank-bills.

* They were of the denomination of a thousand dollars
each! |

The scout’s amazement was so great that he could
hardly believe what he saw.

“The wallet of money stolen from Joe Meek!” was
his thought. “What can it mean? And how did it get
into the hands of this man?”

The mystery thus presented was so great that the scout
could not even guess the answer—it was overwhelming
and bewildering. :

“But it may not be the same money,” he conjectured.

Yet he could not get out of his mind the belief that
it was the same money, and the puzzle of how it came
into the possession of the Je Death was not over-
borne.

The girl had also now seen what the man was doing,
and her astonishment was apparently as great as the
scout’s.

oem enn! ethene pent mp emma ei

 

BILL STORIES.

x

+ : ‘ x

Her eyes ‘met those of the scout in a ee look,
as much as to say:

“T do not understand it; what does it mean?”

The Red Death was paying not the slightest 2 attention
to his staring prisoners.

Nor was he giving heed to what had so excited him not
long before—the fate of the white men outside, who were
said by him to be chased and threatened by Indians. —

The Indian yells had ceased.

Yet the silence without was not strange.
Indians to maintain silence while trying to crawl on a
hidden foe. It indicated to the scout that the white men
were at bay in the hollow and the Indians were maneu-
vering to capture or kill them.

Of all these things the Red Death was apparently

forgetful, or oblivious.
He was playing cards with a imaginary spneneny
slapping the greasy paste-boards down on the floor

noisily, and sweeping cards and winnings from one side

to the other, as they went to the right hand or the left.

He was staking bill after bill from the wallet with as

much seriousness as if he were really engaged in play
with an opponent.

He believed that he was so engaged, and talked to the
imaginary man, and laughed again and again, and now
and then cursed when the cards did not run in his right
hand as he wished; apparently his right hand represented
himself and his left hand represented his opponent.

Buffalo Bill watched this strange card-playing with
singular interest, and studied the man who was known
as the Red Death.

“A maniac, as the girl says,” was his thought;
can't be anything else. But what does it mean? Where
did he get that money; why did he steal the girl away
from Nomad; and what is he doing here?”

These were tseless questions, and he knew it; yet he
asked them over and over. © i

He recalled, too, what he had heard of the Red Death,
in other parts of the country.

While he watched the strangely-dressed card-player

by the cavern entrance, he was straining his ears to catch ~

the faintest sound outside, and working quietly to throw
off the cords that held his wrists.

He was sure, too, that the girl was trying to release
herself.

As the Red Death was thus engaged, and the strange

quiet held outside, quick footsteps were héard in the -
cave; and the scout was astonished to see Slocum appear,

Slocum, the wiry, red-faced passenger, who, with an-
other, had been charged by the stage-driver with having
stolen the wallet of big bills.

The card-player did not know that Slocum was there,
and did not hear his ao being so wrapped up in his
game.

\

Mai pin ad men tcl Nie neat aan Aa egies

It was like

“he :

J a atin a et ene tm etree Ks

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

   

. He had heaped the pile of bank-bills on one knee.

Nor did it appear that Slocum was aware that. the Red
Death had prisoners; he did not glance into the shadows
by. the cavern. walls, back from. the entrance, where- the
scout and the girl were; which seemed to indicate that he
knew. nothing of the fact that they were there.

Softly. he: stepped up. behind the ‘Red Death, looked
don, at the heaped bank- bills, and then, peace out his
hand, caught them up.

The Red Death turned with a snarl, half-rising, and
drawing a knife.

“Oh, it’s. you, is it?’ he cried, changing his manner.
“That's funny! What you doing behind me, when just
now you was sitting in front of me, playing cards with
me? And why did you snatch the money? Are you
afraid I won’t play fair? You needn’t be afraid! You've
already won all of it; and I think you done it oy
ae i?

“Slocum stood staring at him in Poe and beni

oo derment.

~“What’s the matter with you: >” he said, his tones
sfaitled,
“What's the matter with you?” countered the Red
Death.
“Nothing.”
“Well, there’s nothing the matter with me.”
“But about this card-playing—my playing with you?”
“You said you were willing to let the cards settle it,
and so we. played; but I think you cheated, for you won
“nearly every: time.”
His face showed suspicion, and his look frightened
Slocum.
“See here, what’s the matter with you?’ Slocum asked
again.
“What's the matter with you?’ was the response.
The question irritated the Red Death, and he raised the
knife, )

Slocum rolled the bills together quickly ae "thrust
them into his pocket.

.“Come!”’ he said, “Are you forgetting things?”

The Red. Death rose, knife out, and backed
against the wall.

“What things?” he asked. “What are you talking
about? You've won.the money, even if, maybe, you did
cheat; so take it: but don’t look at me that way, and don’t
try to jump on me!”
ie Slocum stared hare. peering into the face of the man

before him.

‘Come! !” he said again. “Haye you gone crazy? You
remember about this business? Has something cracked
you on the head and caused you to go daffy?”

No, of course not,” the other snarled,

. But Slocum evidently believed that the other had lost
his mind.

“THE BUFFALO

 

“You know that the money is mine, and that I gave it
to you only for safe- keeping?’ he said. a ‘was. on the

point of being captured, when I met you. You’ re cleverér

at dodging than Il am. Sol ‘turned it over to you,. ‘and
told you to cut out with it, and that if I got through. Vd
Join you here. And now I’m here.”

“You've got the money, haven’ t on wo the, Red Death
snarled.

“Yes, but this queer talk and the card- -game, a all |

that rot?) What——’
The Red Death leaped a him,
knife. ia
Slocum was not taken unawares, however. He put
out his foot, and his*assailant rolled to the floor, the
knife shooting out of his hand.

striking with the

Slocum caught it up before the Red Death could rise. _

“pee here,” he said, This ain't tue
first time you've acted queer.
way again, or I'll shoot you down!”

Me had drawn a revolver, and the Red Dea shtanle
against the wall i in fear.

“Don’t shoot!” he begged. “I was just joking.”

He laughed in a way that made the blood run chill
and which proved to the listening scout, 1f it ee not to

Slocum, that he really was insane.

“you're a fool.

To the scout, the mystery had not been greatly lessened
‘by what he had heard. It was clear, however, that

- Slocum and this man were confederates.

Buffalo Bill was still twisting at the cords on his
wrists, and was encouraged by feeling the knots slip
somewhat; though, still, he could not release his hands.

“They're outside,’ said the Red Death, glaring at
Slocum; “and they'll be in here soon, and then they'll
finish you!”

‘“Who’s outside?” said Slocum.

The Red Death laughed, his deep “Ha, ha!’ ringing
out unpleasantly.

“Q-ho! You. didn’t know it?”

“T don’t know what you're talking about. You're dats

_ to-day, all right, and you're a fool for displaying that

money, even here in the cave where no one could. see
1b
“Oh, can't they see it? They see it now, and they see
youl? oe
“What are you talking about?’
“You're crazier’n a June beetle.

Slocum demanded
nervously. What you
talking about?” | Ha

“About the men outside,’ said the Red Death, with
evident craftiness. ‘Who else could I be talking about,
but the men outside?” 2 :
“But what men are outside?

“Well, the Indians are out there!’

SOut wheres

“Out in the deep gully ; or else they’ re watching the

gully where the other men are.”

3?

 

 

BILL Pe. IS i

But don’t jump at me that

       

 

 
    
16 THE BUFFALO
“What other men?’ Slocum persisted.
* you've imagined them.” :
-“No, they’re out there!”’
“Who?”
He stepped toward the entrance.
“Stop!” yelled the Red Death. ‘You'll get shot!
The stage-driver is out there, and there’s a young feller
_ with him, and old Nick Nomad, the trapper.”
Slocum retreated swith a jump, as if he oN the wind
of a bullet past his face.
Are you lying? You're craziern a March hare!’
“Stick your nose out, and get a bullet, and then youll
know. I saw them, and I heard them.”

and———”
“Noy; IL was pling ‘cards with you.”

« Out there? Come, help me roll some stones into place.’
“Do it yourself,” said the Red Death defiantly.

CHAPTER IX,

A QUEER TURN OF AFFAIRS.

1?

“He’s gone crazy, sure!” Slocum was thinking, as he
went toward the entrance. “I wonder what it means?
He’s been acting queer at times for a good while, but I
didn’t think he really had bats in his steeple. I’m a fool
for trusting him, and I was'a bigger fool for giving him
that money last night; yet I was afraid I’d be caught,
and I thought that he could get through with it better
iu than I could.”

1 He stopped in the pace and listened for some
evidence of the presence of the white men and the

_' Indians the Red Death had said were outside.

4 “He’s crazy about that, too! There’s no one out there.”

i He went on farther, that he might get a better look.

a _ He was no sooner out of the shadowy entrance to the

where Buffalo Bill was lying.

thought the man meant to attack him. He saw a gleam
in the fellow’s eyes, which told surely of the insanity
which had developed.

Buffalo Bill knew that if the man attacked him with
that knife he could not hope to escape his fury.

Yet he never seemed calmer or cooler than when he

“> ‘were beginning to work in a threatening manner.
“Ah, you have come to release me?”

could be no doubt of it.
It gave a new turn to the man’s ous
His face cleared. ae
“Ves,” he said, in a low voice,. “that’s what I meant to

e

 

Yo ae
pitas
iy
TIN a ph hs a hes Lar ck ater ea digg aap bln seen sacs dia lobcin ecinns nae siphina diagss

oi te ie - &

“I suppose. d

“Yet. you. sat here playing cards with yourself,

“And took no pains to block the entrance, with enemies.

cave than the man called the Red Death moved over to

Hie had Wie knife in ie Hat ond Gt Gree Bunelo Ball

looked up into the face of the Red Death, whose features |

The scout said it in the pleasantest tone, and as if there »

+

Bill “STORIES.
i
~ Ha,. ha!
Yes, T’ve come to release you; and her, too.”
He stooped over, and ran the keen blade: se the knife
through the cords that held the scout’s wrists, ae
He seemed on the point of aiding the girl in ee

way, but. was. stopped by Indian yells that now broke on»

the air.

“Ah!” he said, straightening up.
redskins, are musical as wolves. There will be fine
fighting in a little while, I judge.”

He stood erect, listening. fh aa

“T must see what it means,” said the scout. “Would
you mind running your knife through the cords that.
hold my ankles ?” ee

The man did not seem to hear him.

He began to move stealthily along the wall, toward.
the cavern entrance, clutching the knife.

“Crazy; but I judge from what Slocum said that he.
hasn’t been so very long.”

The scout rose to a sitting position, and began to

work at the cords on his ankles. ee

The girl was regarding him with wide-open, eee
eyes,

“Can you free yourself?’ she whispered.

“T think so, and you, too, in a minute.”

He was forced to attack the stubborn knots cautiously,
or run the risk of setting them so hard that they could
not be untied. Hence, the time required to release his
ankles seemed interminably long to the watching girl.

At length the cords were removed from his ankles, and
he began to work on the ones that held the girl’s feet.

When he could not untie them, he caught up a sharp-
edged stone and sawed it across the cords, thus severing
them. 2
He cut the cords on her wrists in the same way.

“Our friend\has a clever way of setting his knots,-so_
that yey may never come loose,’ he commented.
“He—— |
He heard a step behind him ; and, turning, saw Slocum

Never was there a more Stored man than Slocum.

He had not known that any other than the Red
Death was in the cave; and to see Buffalo Bill in the
dim shadows by the wall, with the girl close at his side,
was as bewildering as : he had suddenly faced spirits
from the other world,

An exclamation came from him, and he a hastily
toward the entrance. .

“See here, Slocum!’ the scout called,
stopped him.

   

Slocum did not Ley but oe to fanble: oe his °

revolver.

el ve oe you coveted, Slocum, so don’t try to full
your gun,” the scout declared, though he had no wegpon
whatever. “You seem.to be in trouble here, and sh Bree
we; and perhaps it will be better-for us to be friends for |

 

Ene ail ae tenes nga

Did you ‘think I> meant ae else? :

Pour fees . a

eo fone that :

y
4 i

pe

ee

vy 6

Saas aeetanth emirates

 

 

 
 

‘a while; sathier than enemies,
ft S

“he proposition + was’ so. amazing» > that a toon Slocug? S
breath. a eae as } ) A i
Ther he potas if the cae eo yas about
f the: money, or that he was the rascal and robber he
f was.
| -“What.is it you want?” he grunted.

“He knew that Buffalo Bill was a dead shot; so, credit-

| What do 1s think of

'-- ing his statement that he was armed, he did not try

further to get out his revolver. a

1 “There are enemies outside—Indians; you can hear
( them. - They’ll-not ‘leave this cavern unsearched, and
they'll give us trouble. I opine, Slocum, that it won’t
be. any foe for you to aa oe a them ee it
| —willbefor a5." >> =.

“Mebbe not,” Slocum See “Dut how did ee
j get here, and who ye got there with you?” — .

\ “The young lady is Miss Danby; ee you ne
her, and perhaps you don’t.” —
--“But I don’t understand what
“Explanations at another time, iocne
danger is mutual. Shall we help each other; or shall
we fight like the Kilkenny cats, and so make matters
easy for the redskins out there ?”

“I ain’t got nothin’ ag’in ye,” Slocum eet

“Of course not. We met as friends when I tumbled
down on your old stage-coach, and we can still be
rriends, if you’re willing. Hear those redskins ~yell
agar ho. -
~ “Oh, I’m hearin’ ’em; and they’ll.be here in a minute!
I reckon you can help defend this place, and I’m sure
willing that you should.”

 
   
  
 
  
  
    
  
  

 

-for long-distance shooting. 1 might be able to pick off

teach them it isn’t healthy to come close.”

Slocum looked about, apparently familiar with the
cave. -
“There’s a rack of rifles over there,” he said;
yourself.” e

He moved hurriedly toward the cavern entrance.

He was bewildered; and at’a loss what to do.’ He
sought now the Red Death, and found. him- at the
entrance, peering out.

“help

“How in thunder did Buffalo Bill get in 1 here without
you knowing it?’ he demanded.
_ “How can I answer-that, if didn’t know it?” was tlic
shrewd reply.
“4 “Did you know it?’ - : | .
yes, Of oe he was my prisoner, but I let him
loose a while ago.”

 

“The deuce you did! ae funsiched him wih weapons -

~ os with a revolver?”

“He has no revolver! I took his away ee him when .

e

 

 

 

) s or

[> 4 a ae THE SUPEALO
.

Just now our.

“You've got rifles here? ‘This revolver I have is poor.

“some of the rascals at long range with a rifle, ae BO g

 

 

BILL STORIES. | og

I captured him. You ought to have seen. that fight—

tight here in front of the cave, when I tackled him, and_

we whirled round here; but I downed hime Ts was : too
much for him.” gee

“He has a revolver, and he’s got Hiles. a- plenty 1 now.
Who is that girl with him?” :

“That’s Miss Danby.’

“T don’t understand.”

“Well, you will when I tell you. ae her.
I’m watching that hollow over there.
ae the white men out of it and they’re ag a
way.”

He pointed with his anger .

“There! Did you see that white man slide from behind
that rock?”

Smoke spouted and a rifle cracked at the a he had

ate now

indicated.

“He has opened on the reds with hic rifle,
me feel ie running out there and joming in >the
scrimmage.”

“You said the Indians were about to attack this cave?”

“Well, they will be soon—soon’s those white men reach
it and take refuge in it, and that won’t be long. There!
See him running now? He’s coming this way, and
there’s ee with him. It’s old Nomad, or I’m a fool at
guessing.”

A step sounded behind Slocum; and he became oe
that Buffalo Bill had advanced to the entrance, armed

with a repeating-rifle, and with a belt of cartridges at

his waist. The girl was with him.

Slocum turned on ae a glance of oe ae

inquiry.

The Red Death also took a glance at te scout, and
observed the rifle.

“We've Bo! plenty of ’em back there,” he said, quite
cheerfully; “and it looks as if we ‘Il need ’em mighty
quick. Here comes that fellow now, and another man
with him.” |

The girl edged nearer. Looking out when the scout

did, she saw the two men who were running along the

thread of path leading toward the cavern.

“Nomad! said the scout. “And the other’s, Luke
Crofton.”

The girl stared,

“Luke Crofton?” ©

“Yes, that one on the right, behind that bush, oe near
the Indians, There’s a redskin on the top of that rock
over there going to fire at Nomad.”

The scout’s repeating- -rifle was lifted, its a rang.
out, and the redskin toppled from the high rock with a _

yell.
“That man it not Lae Crofton !” ce the girl.

3?

“That

 

man is
The scout looked round as ae hesitated, and saw
that she had grown strangely pale.

The ‘Indians have -

i ae :

1s
 

e

GGG: ee THe BUPEALO
aU Who she?" he said, startled. -
me Phat is AVolf ‘Thompson, the outlaw! as

“My: dear young lady, that is the man who told: me
fie was Luke Crofton.’’

> The girl. swayed against the wall and put out a hands
as if to keep from falling. —

- She: was armed with a rifle, which the scout had got
for her; and she had declared to him that she would
use it, even against herself, if it seemed necessary to
save her from falling into the hands of the Indians.

“Courage!” he said.

He heard the Indians yelling, after the fall of the one
from the top of the high rock; and heard, too, the “pop,
pop!’ of their guns, as they fired on the retreating
white men.

. Nomad come on, but Wolf Thompson had disappeared.

. Ehen; off at one side, running briskly, the scout saw

the stage-driver, Joe. Meek.

» Slocum drew his revolver, as Nomad and Meck came
near the mouth of the cave. .

“This is no place for them,” he said. ‘Let them go on;
we don’t want those redskins to know we're in here, and
have them besieging us.”

He was pulling the revolver down as if he meant. to

_ shoot Nomad; when the scout caught his arm.

The rifles of the Indians had now been turned on the
white men near the cavern entrance, and some of the
bullets came whipping in, striking the walls.

“Back!” said the scout, pushing the girl away from the
entrance, “back, or you will be hit.” :

But she struggled into position again, and ened out,
her eyes searching for the man she said was Wolf
Thompson, :

 

CHAPTER X,

THE ATTACK ON THE: CAVE,

’

‘Tt was at this juncture that Buffalo Bill made an

astonishing discovery.

Wolf Thompson was not trying to reach the cave, but
was leading the Indians and urging them on. He had
thrown aside his pretensions and come out in his true
colors, as Wolf Thompson, the outlaw and renegade.

Slocum made the same discovery at about the same

_ftime, and was astounded by it, but in a different manner
from the scout.

- “Hello!’ he muttered, as if a his surprise to
himself,
his redskins from harming us.”

But the Indians were coming closer. in toward the
mouth of the cave; the rattle of their shots sounded
loudly, and the bullets came threshing into the very midst
ef the little party hovering there in a manner that was
startling to Slocum.

“Back !” said the scout again.

him.

“What’s that mean? Yet I reckon he can keep

BILL aN soe

This time Se drew the girl back, and ae Aer. behind

“But you?” she protested:
Hitasc 1
He did not answer. ~
Nomad was at the entrance, running wh ave ce
ness of a young man. At his heels was Joe Meek,
“Right in here!” the scout. shouted.
Nomad hesitated.
He did not recognize the voice, nor ie words, and his

thought was that he was about to run into the hands of |

enemies,

The scout aod again, and rushed out.

“Richt in here!” he yelled, beckoning.

“Buffler! Thank Heaven fer shelter 1 in a storm like this
hyar! ie

The scout caught him by the hand.

“Right in here !”’

Then they were within the entrance, Meek being with
them, and were pushing back out of the reach ‘of the
flying bullets, cc

Slocum retreated with them. He was not sure Wolf
Thompson could keep his redskins from harming him;
in fact, he feared Thompson had no control over them.

“We've got to pile up a barricade here,” he said to
‘Buffalo Bill. “Friends or enemies, whichever we are,
Cody, we've got to stand by each other and against them
tedskins now, or we'll all lose our hair. We can bury the
hatchet for a while, even if we dig it up and go to
slashin’ each other later.”’

The Red Death, who .had been outside, cals
running about, dashed in after them. ny

His appearance was so strange that the attention of
Nomad and Joe Meek was attracted. He was muttering
queerly, and seemed insane.

“Bug-house!” said Nomad significantly. “Waal, a
man thet w’ars clo? es like thet’s hound ter be:

Fe stared harder.

“By Jinks, if it war is comble I'd think this war ther
critter thet jumped inter my camp las’ night,” he
muttered. “Ther red glow of ther coals o’ my fire: made
thet critter look as red as this one does,”

The Indians continued to shoot into the mouth of the
cave, forcing the occupants to retreat still further for
safety, but they did not attempt to follow in by a
charge. It is not Indian nature to take such chances.

There were in the cavern now, in addition to the scout
and the girl, Slocum and the Red Death,

Meek, certainly a mixed company of friends and foes.

Nomad stopped short, observing the girl for the first
time; his mouth opened in amazement, and_ his Tittle
eyes seemed to grow big and round.

“Waugh!” he grunted. “You wee Waal, ther day
0’ miracles. ain’t past.” fs

#

“Vow are-as likely to. be e

, who were
supposed to be confederates, and old Nomad and Joe

 

    
   
 
 
 
  
    
 
 
  
  
   
   
  
  
     
   
  
   
   
  
   
    
  
 
   
      
   
       
      
      
         
      
      
         
 

 

 

Oe

meee ttethethernncmnnsansnteertaninen heh
se an

ERE BUDPALO BIEL STORIES.

She rushed up to him ee ‘Tears were in her

eyes.

ished.

“It shore makes me think of aes I war.a boy and
dreamed ©’ seein’ angels. You hyar? Seems ter me [|
don’t jes’ understand it. Anyway, thar ain’t any call ter
cry, I reckon. Hows’ever you got hyar, you're safe fer
ther present, and I cal’late thar’ll be some dead white
men before them redskins kin git in hyar ter trouble
ye. But bless ther Lord, gal 1 didnt expect it!”

He patted her arm oa as a father might have
done.

“Don't cry | he begged.

“But it’s—it’s about Mr. Crofton,”
His face changed.

Thet skunk?” :

He broke out in a gust of temper.

“Ther white-livered Piute thet he is!

she said.

Fu’st time I kin

: pull my ole rifle down on him I puts a bullet through him

shore. You cryin’ fer a coyote like him? Waugh!”

“You don’t understand!” she urged.

“No, I don’t; I don’t understand how a gal like you ©

could associate with sech a whelp, and as fer cine about
him now! Waugh!” :

“But that man isn’t Mr. Crofton !”

‘NOs ??? ;

His eyes widened again with a snap.

“No, he deceived you, Mr. Cody said; that man is the
outlaw, Wolf Thompson.”

“Thet so? By ther Great Rockies! Wolf Thompson!
Which explains ther fact that as soon as ther Injuns
bergun ter crowd us he j’ined in wi’ ’em. He’s ther
renegade, Wolf Thompson? Waal, I war sold by him;
and thet means thet I shore kills him off fust chance.
Waugh!”

He seemed dazed. He glanced round, at the red-robed

figure of the Red Death, at Slocum, and at the others,

bewilderment on his face.

. (Buffler,” he said, “ther feller is Wolf Uhompsorn, 7
reckons I got ter git out inter thet entrance and see if I
kin git a bead on him, even if it is resky.”

The scout and Slocum had em to work at the
barricade.

“Help here, first, Nomad,” was Buffalo Bill’s request.

“Those reds may try to force a way in here, and then

_. things will be unpleasant; we can hold them out with a
»barricade, backed by our rifles.”

He called to the Red-Death and Meek to assist, also:
and the girl, without invitation, lent her aid in rolling
stones into position at the cavern entrance.

As he worked, old Nomad kept muttering the name. of
Wolf Thompson, and breathing out threats against him.
“Buffler,” he said, when the barricade was finished, and

i

ropes tems yest cmt tien etm teen ein pin kt De

-He patted her arnp affectionately, though still aston-_

 

 

19

he withdrew from it, “I had ter leave ole Nebby ter ther

tender mercies of ther reds, and what thet means ter
him, hatin’ em as he does, ye know; but I’m cal’latin’
mebbe} he’ il break away. Waugh! If-I should see Wolf
Thompson settin’.on his back it would so hurt my feelin’s
that | reckon I’d keel Over and die.”

Explanations had been made and questions asked and
answered while they were working at the barricade, so
that a general understanding on many points had been
arrived ats. Yet a good deal of mystery and ignorance |
still hovered over the situation.

Further explanations were stopped by the increased
yelling of the Indians.

Slocum started to the entrance, and Buffalo Bill dc-
companied him.

“Cody,” said Slocum, as they came within the danger
zone, “I know you're not thinkin’ too much of me, and
I ain’t askin’ you to; but mebbe you'll think ’'m honest,
when I tell you to look out, for that feller in red. He’s
gone daffy, and may be expected to hurt somebody if he
ain’t watched.”

“Thanks for the warning, Slocum, I know it,” the
scout replied. “I wish I could induce you to tell me
some other things with equal frankness.”

“What, for instance?” said Slocum suspiciously.

They had come together at the entrance beyond the
barricade, and looked forth into the trail.

“This is a dangerous plage, and all of us may not get _

out of it alive.”

“You're right about that, [ reckon,” said Slocum seri-
ously. ‘That bullet came near chipping a piece out of
my head, instead of hitting that rock, Yes, I reckon
there’s danger that some of us will go under this trip.
I don’t understand why W——”

Inadvertently, he had almost spoken his thoughts con-
cerning Wolf Thompson.

3?

“Tf you should happen to be thie one,” said the scout,
“Tt would be a good thing if I knew, more about that
money which you took from the gentleman in red. That
was the money stolen from the stage-driver, wasn’t it?’

Slocum looked startled, but did not answer.

“Silence gives consent, it is said; and I take it that my
guess is right. I’m pretty certain, Slocum, that that
money belongs to Miss Danby.”

“How’s that?” said Slocum.
what you’re talking about.”

“T guess I don’t know

Buffalo Bill explained, by repeating in substance the
story told him by Nick Nomad, of the money given to
the express-agent in Golconda by the girl’s father for ©

shipment to the East.

“T take it,” said the scout, “that the bpeat thought it
safer to start it secretly by the stage-driver. You stole
that money—you and the man with you! Isn’t that
right ?”

It was a blunt question.

\

FP

ie RS UAC aN Ate Cae Ito Whe Steer

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

20 | THE BUFFALO

“Cody, Vd -be a fool to confess that, and I dont. That
money is mine, and I came by it honestly.”

Yet his manner did not bolster the statement.

“Tf the money is yours, how did it come to be in the
hands of the gentleman in red?’

“Cody, I don’t have to answer your questions, and I
won't; and I stand by that.”

The tone was final, even angry.
The scout, while talking, had been peering out of the

opening, regardless of flying bullets, as if he felt that he

bore a charmed life. .

“Ah!” he cried, drawing back with a-jump. “That's
what they’re up to, is it?”

There was a downward rush of flaming fire the same
instant, which fell in the mouth of the cave.

On the rock over the entrance, the Indians had heaped
up grass and dead boughs, and fired them, and had then
tumbled then: down into the opening.

The inflammable stuff blazed fiercely, and the wind

drove the smoke and fire into the cavern, forcing Buffalo

Bill and Slocum to beat a quick retreat.

“That breeze going through here shows there are out-
- lets somewhere,” said the scout, as he and Slocum climbed
the barricade and joined those behind it.

“Ves,” said Slocum, “there are some holes in the roof,
through which the wind sucks; but no one could get in
by them, unless they made them bigger.”

“The redskins will try to de that, probably ; we'll have
to defend those holes with out rifles, as well as this barri-
cade!)

The choking smoke drove the whole party back from
the barricade, and set them to coughing. That smoke,
penetrating everywhere made the situation very un-
pleasant.

Soon it was seen that the holes spoken of by Slocum
would be their salvation, as they began to serve as
chimneys, and drew off the smoke as it rose toward the
roof of the cave.

By crouching close to the floor, or lying down, most of

the smoke could be avoided, and soon the whole party

lay stretched on the cavern floor, seeking this relief.

Outside, the redskins were yelling as if they were
sure that now they were certain of bagging the im-
prisoned white men.

Suddenly there was a rush of Indians at the barricade,
which they tried to leap, hoping to rush thus on the
occupants of the cavern.

But they discovered that this was a costly error.

The scout’s rifle cracked, toppling over the leader, and
cracked again, dropping another; and then all the
weapons of the occupants of the cave opened up, so
that the confined space roared and echoed with the
sounds of the shots. |

A half-dozen Indians bay dead ea the barricade
and the others fled.

ny 7 '

BILE SOR TES.

“Ho, ho!” Nick Nomad curgled, as he reloaded his old
rifle. “Cold lead’s a med’cine them devils can’t stand.”

But, though the redskins had been driven back, they
continued to hurl fiery stuff down in front of the cave, :
hoping that the smoke would force the white men out

Or at,

And the occupants of the cave kept close to the floor,
coughed and gasped and strangled, and endured the
trying situation as well as they could.

CHAPTER Xf,
SLOCUM’S TREACHERY.

A peculiar call sounded from the outside, in the voice
of a white man.

Slocum lifted his head to hear better.

“Cody,” he said, “you heard that? I reckon that white
man out there wants to hold some kind of conference.

Maybe he'll draw off his Indians and let us git safely out | -~-

of this.”
He began to crawl toward the barricade.
The scout put himself in motion at the same time, and

crept behind Slocum’s heels.

When they gained the barricade ae heard the call
again.

“I think I'll just crawl over and investigate that,” said
Slocum. “What do you — eo

“No,” said Buffalo Bill, “you don’t go out there!”

“No? Why not?” :

“Because it means reach ry. You'll go back from
this barricade in a hurry.”

Slocum seemed determined to crawl over the barri-
cade; and the scout, grasping him by the collar, forced
him back from it. |

The smoke was coming in denser volumes than before,
so that he and Slocum were nearly choked by it as they
retreated,

“Slocum,
“there must be other holes, in the rear of the cave,
judging by the way the smoke drifts,
anything about them, 1 wish you’d go back with me to
look at. them. Since hearine that call, Im atraid the
Indians may be up to some tricks there.”

Slocum’s manner was cringing now, as if he thought
that the scout suspected him.

“There are some little holes there,” he admitted, “but
I don’t reckon the Indians could do anything with them.”

Nevertheless, as if to conciliate him, he went with the
scout, to point out the holes.

“Keep close watch on the barricade,’ was Buffalo
Bill’s parting injunction to the others in the cave.

“Slocum,” said the scout, when he saw the holes

’

Slocum pointed out, “it’s not those holes I really want

to investigate, but you!’

SR pe eg a sey

said the scout, as-he thus pulled him away,

If you know’

 

(ae ge ae ee

Qs

(2a Srp,

oot ee, ed AS
 

 

 

  

   

“Slocum turned quickly, and saw that the scout’s rifle
was covering him.

He jumped back, i oabing. and tried to get out his
revolver, but dropped his hand when the scout com-
manded him to do so.

“What d’ye mean?” he said, his voice chaiciite:

“Just this, Slocum. You’ve got ten thousand dollars
of Miss Danby’s money. I saw you take it from the man
i” we call the Red» Death. You haven’t explained that
f) transaction very well, but I know it’s her money. You'll

hand it over to me now, or I'll put a bullet through you

and take it.”

_ His voice was low, yet tremendously threatening.
Slocum shrank back against the wall.

“Is this a fair deal, Cody?” he asked, ‘This is
treachery. We was to be the same as friends while we
were facing the Indians.”

 

   
   
   
   
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
   
 

“Let me tell you something that I’ve discovered. You
went up to the barricade, when that peculiar call sounded
from the outside in the voice of a white man. I noticed
that you seemed to understand it, and but for me you
would have gone out to meet him. You speak of
reachery. What do you call that?”

“You're mistaken, Cody!’ Slocum protested. “You're
_plumb mistaken. I was just wantin’ to see what it
_ meant,”

“Some time ago,’’ the scout went on, “I reached cértain
conclusions.
Long since I learned that he was associated with a
murderous desperado called the Red Death, and I have
seen here that you are the latter’s friend and ally. What
have you to say to that?”

“That it’s not true,’ Slocum declared, his voice still
trembling.

“Tt’s true that you have that money!’

Ves: but it’s mine.

“You will hand it over to me at once. If I hadn’t
stopped you, you'd have gone out to Thompson and his
Indians, and would have taken that money. I can’t
afford to risk that. You would join Thompson, and
would be safe in doing it, as he seems to be the leader
of those redskins, and then the money would be aa
Til take the money, Slocum.”

Slocum hesitated, wriggling uneasily against the wall,
the scout’s rifle still covering him.

“Cody, this is a high-handed outrage!” he Ber.
“We said we would play square with each other while
the reds was confronting us, even if we had to be enemies
afterward; and now ff :

 

“I think that was your proposition, not mine; but, any-
way, what you attempted just now does away with all
that. Hand over the money!’’

“But itis my own money !’’

“ll take charge of it; and if you can prove that it is

 

   

i ieeatigat ta ean ot

PELE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

That man out there is Wolf Thompson. ©

permit the people in the cave to hear the call.

 

yours you can have it back for the asking. I think it
belongs to Miss Danby, and it’s my duty to see that she
doesn’t lose it.”

“But, Cody

“Fork over that money!” was the stern command.
“It’s hers, not yours!’

Protests were useless, ae with much grumbling:
Slocum produced the wallet and the roll of bank-bills nad
gave them to the scout.

With indignant rage he saw the scout stow them away.
“I reckon that you'll keep the stuff,” he said: “I’m
betting that even if you were right, in saying it was her

money, which it ain’t, she’ll never see a dollar of it!”

“Slocum, you can fix that up easy, so that Ill have to
give it to her, by just telling her about it when we get
back. I’m willing you should do that. Now, we’ll walk
back. I don’t think the holes in the roof of the cave
represent any immediate danger. You say there are no
more. Ii you don’t want to say anything when we get
back, you needn’t to; though, of course, I’ll have to tell
the whole thing later, and turn the money over to the
Sirk,’

“Tf it’s my money ?”

“If it’s your money you get it again, I’ve said.”

Slocum dropped to the floor sullenly, when they came
again near the barricade.

“Any dangerous holes back
asked.

“No; how’s things out in front?’

“Waal, that white man has been doin’ some more of his
queer yellin’. I sw’ar I don’t understand it.”

Slocum said nothing.

Again that peculiar call came from the outside.

For some time the redskins had been silent, as if to
That it

 

thar, Buffler?”. Nomad

was a signal, no one who heard it could doubt.

_ “T should think they war signalin’ ter some one in
hyar, ef I didn’t know better,” said Nomad, moving |
uneasily.

He rose from his recumbent position, gasping; and
Miss Danby began to shift her position, too, for the
smoke had swept toward her, and was overpowering her.

Slocum took his desperate resolution at that moment.

With a jump and a startling yell he sprang on the girl,
whirled her round with a quick motion, and began to run
backward through the smoke to the barricade, dragging
her with him.

The thing was done so suddenly that every one was
taken by surprise.

Buffalo Bill lifted. his rifle; but he saw that Slocum
had put himself behind the girl and was using her as a
shield, and that it was almost impossible to shoot him
without hitting her. :

In an instant the scout was on his feet, and was
rushing on Slocum.

   
22° : - THE BUFEALO

But the desperado was clever.

He caught the girl in his arms, still holding her against
him as a shield, and backed against the barricade of
stones.

-For an instant he hesitated ; he could se easily climb
over the stone wall with her in his arms.

But Buffalo Bill was rushing on him and he could
not hesitate longer.

He swung the girl round and hurled her by sheer
strength over the barricade, jumping over after her.

Buffalo Bill’s rifle flamed, but the rascal dropped down
on the other side of the rocks.

The smoke was so dense that the scout could see
neither Slocum nor the girl now. ~

The situation was desperate. The Indians were
yelling, their rifles had started up again, and bullets came
whistling into the cave.

They did not know what Slocum was enn and
were shooting blindly into the cavern.

Unable to see beyond the smoke that rose in such
dense masses beyond the barricade, the scout climbed
the rocks, rushing in frantic and perilous pursuit.

At the same time he called to Nomad to follow him,
warning him to guard against traps.

Then he plunged on through the smoke, with bullets
cutting the air round him.

But he could go only a short distance; beyond the
cavern entrance and the rolling smoke were.the Indians.

Nomad bumped into him, as fre stopped.

“Ther gal, Buffler?”

“The villain got out of the cave with her. I ee to

have shot him, when I took the money from him.”

“Ther money, Buffler ?” :

The scout moved to one of the walls, to lessen the
danger of bullets.

“T reckon we'll be killed, if we stay here,” he heard
Meek say, and thus knew that Meek had followed No-
mad; so that no one oe the Red Death was left in the
cave,

“What'll we do, Buffer?” Nomad hea with a wail

in his voice. “Ther gal’s gone!”

A voice shouted from beyond the entrance, behind the

veil; of smoke:

“Cody, surrender that money and you can have the
girl. I’m’ ready to open up negotiations, if you are.”
It was the voice of Slocum.

As if it had summoned him, a form rushed past the

scout—the form of the Red Death, disappearing at the
outer entrance with a yell louder than the &creeching of

the Indians.

The Red Death, Slocum, and the girl were gone, into
the midst of the Indians, who, under the leadership of
Wolf Thompson, the notorious renegade, were blood-

' thirstily resolved on the slaughter of the white men who

were now left in the cave.

Bill, GLORIES.
CHAPTER XT

JENNIE DANBY’S EXPERIENCE.

Borne thus into the midst of the Indians, dee Dan-.

by’ s position could not have been much worse. 3

' The thing had happened with such suddenness that fe
brain whirled. -It was incomprehensible. A minute
before, she had been within the cavern; then she had

been caught up, hurled over the barricade, caught up
again; and now round her were painted and feathered

_redskins, leaping and yelling, and firing their weapons at
the opening of the cave.

- She swayed with weakness, and would have fallen to
the ground, if Slocum had not upheld her.

_A man appeared before her, the man who had de-

clared himself to Buffalo Bill to be her promised hus-

band.
She knew him. :
“Ah!” he said, as he stood before her.
the Beast, eh? . You and Slocum?

soon to marry. I-suppose you're glad to see me?”

He chucked her under the chin in a way to make her
shudder.

She had no reply to make to Wolf T Thompse S bee
talities of speech. :

So weak that she could no longer stand, she sank to
the ground, trembling. :

Some of the Indians came round her, peering and

erimacing; but they did not molest her, being afraid

of Thompson.

She knew that they belcaeed | to a band of desperado

Shoshones, who followed the war-path and the raiding

trail under the renegade, and did his cruel bidding in

all things.

Thompson turned to her again, but was addressed by
Slocum.

“E had}te risk my life to set out ot there,’ Slocum
declared. “I brought the girl to save me from the bul-
lets, and also to try to save that money.”

“That money?” said Thompson: | |

“Just so; Cody held me up and took it from me. May-
be we can trade her for it. I’m going to try.”

He was not wounded, but he was panting heavily, and
was tremendously excited.

A moment later he was shouting to Buffalo Bill, try-
ing to negotiate the girl’s exchange for the money.

Wolf Thompson stood by her, watching her with in- ne

terest.

They were out of range of any bullets coming from
the cavern, and the yelling and shouting of his redskin
followers seemed of less interest to Thompson now than
tie pretty face of this. girl, even es it was pale
with fright.

 

“Beauty and .
But maybe you'll
“look witk favor on me, as I’m posing as the man you're _

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BUFFALO. BILL STORIES. a 25

“Won't you please return me to. my friends?’ she
begged of him. .
™ “Such a pretty girl a as ee “That would be to treat
1 myself cruelly. ” op couldn't think of i

urged,

“Yes,and sent the dogs of the law in chase of me
afterward. Or, didn’t he do that?” _

“He didn’t. But you came back and Feber va of
a lot of gold dust, after he had taken you in, cared for
you when you were wounded, and had fed and waited on
— you.”
| “We had happy times, then,” he said. “I remember

that I enjoyed making love to you a whole lot. You
mh haven’t forgotten 1b 2

 

 

  
  
 
 
 
  
 
   

she
These

“T didn’t know you were Wolf Thompson then,”
urged. “Please, please, won’t you let me go?
Indians frighten me.
something horrible.

ta

Please let me go!

“you treat. ’em right,” he declared, with a laugh. “Come
don’t you think I’m handsome enough for you? Or
_ would you rather we trade you for the money that Cody
took from my friend Slocum? Slocum’s trying to get it
back, by offering you in exchange. You'd be willing
to that ?”

“Anything, to nt out of

 

“Out of my pleasant company, eh?” he said, when
she hesitated.

“Yes, and away from these iene Indians.
money is it?”

What

“The money your beloved eihey tried to send away
by express, for your benefit. We heard about it, and
laid for it, and scooped it in, though it didn’t come into
our hands in just the manner we had expected. You
see, we expected to hold up the stage and take it from
the driver that way, for we’d learned that he was to
carry it. Well, that snowslide came, which shot Buffalo
Bill down on the stage, and Slocum and another, who
were posing as passengers, and expected to help in the
thing when the right time came, sloped with the cash,
thinking that was their opportunity. But why am I
@, telling you this? Perhaps because I think it will cause

4 you to agree to sell yourself back for the money. Would
7 you like me for a husband better than to have the
\ money ?””

She could hardly suppress a scream of fear.
“Well, I might be better-looking than I am, theden
“+1’m told I’m not hideous even now; I think [’m as good
looking as that lover of yours, Luke Crofton.
beauty of his manly face made me think I’d like to
! pretend to be him for a little while, and I did. It’s nice to
@, profess to be the handsome lover of a handsome woman
@ for a while, even when you know you aren't, and it’s

AU ae Ok AU Une Uta el ent aria el Geena La

“Father was : kind to you that time, “you know !” she

I know theyll murder me, or do

“They're so tame that they’ll eat out of your hand, if

The

laughable to have people believe your. sugary story... But
let that pass. Would you rather we should have that
money. we've worked so hard to get, or that I ee
have you?” NONE

‘She might have answered, but that she heard. Siaedin
shouting to the people in the cave, announcing his ae
osition.

“Would you like to walk up hess and name: ue same
proposal to them?” Wolf Thompson asked her.

“Yes, yes,” she agreed desperately ;
this.’’ Ce

“Sorry that I seem no more attractive than that,.
he declared, with a grin and a shrug; but we'll trade you,
if they’re willing. Otherwise, we'll smoke ‘em out of
that cave, or burn ’em in there, and carry you away
into the mountains, to become the bride of a good-look-
ing man like me. You'd like to live in an Indian teepee
with me?’ .

It seemed to please him to say these ines a

“Let me speak to’ them, please!” she begged. “Tf
they . nae any money, I know they'll give it to wie to-
free me.

“Come along then,” he Ane and he waived fe aden
aside.

“anything but

Her limbs tottered under her, as she ne to get ¢ on
her feet and walk at his side, and he caught her ae the
arm and supported her.

 

CHAPTER XIIT
NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

Slocum was not far from the cavern entrance, his
wiry, muscular figure concealed behind a rock, as he
shouted to the men in the cave.

Now and then he peered forth, but cautiously, for he.
feared a bullet.

“What d’ye say to that offer?” he was demanding, as
Wolf  borapsoe arrived, supporting the trembling girl.
“The girl’s cS and you can have her if you'll ae up
that money.’ ‘

“Don't be in too big a hurry about it,” ’ urged Thomp-
son as he camé up behind the rock. “We'll have ’em in
a tight place soon, and then we can do as we please.” ©

The girl cad out to the men in the cave, oo :
she heard that: :

“Treachery! |
treachery !”

Wolf Thompson swung his arm around and Seimei
her brutally to the ground.

Slocum drew his revolver.

Be on your guard! They're planning

Furiously in a rage, he

lifted it, threatening to shoot her.

“Shoot, you brute!’ she said.
Death is better than this.”

“What did you mean by thal 2” Wolf Thompson de-
manded, his voice shaking with anger.

“L don’t feat oe

 
 

Pape mete cont ermal aptemnemtarean terme tke
Atay et hit mtn Sete

 

THE BUFFALO

She shrank away from him, expecting another kick.
“That was a fool break!” he declared.
that you're in our power? ‘That we can do as we please
with you? What if I turn you over to the tender mercies
of my. redskins?”

“You big brute, it would be just like you!” she cried.

Her voice broke, and there were tears in her eyes, but
her courage was superb. —

Thompson turned away with an oath.

Silence had followed in the cave.

Slocum was looking at Thompson, as if to ask him
what he meant by his statement of a minute before.

“Do you know

Then the voice of Buffalo Bill was heard, in warning |

to the white miscreants outside:
“Remember, that if Miss Danby is injured, we’ll trail
to death the men who did it!” ¢

Wolf Thompson laughed in contemptuous defiance.

“T reckon, Cody,” he shouted back, “that you'll get
yourself out of the sling you’re in before you do much
vengeance “work.”

Slocum tuned up again.

“How is it, Cody,” he asked anxiously; “are you ready
to trade the girl for that money? We’ve got to know
mighty quick, or the deal is off. These redskins out here
are getting mighty uneasy, and we can’t hold ’em back
long.”

Within the cave, the men there were in a Guandy,
Their anxiety for the safety of the girl was deep.
théy could have been sure that the return to Slocum of
the money would secure her release they would have
been willing to make it. But since her warning they
were at a loss what to do. They knew that the rascals
outside were not to be trusted.

Suddenly Nomad jumped nervously up ftom behind
the barricade, waving his arms.

“Giee-ory!” he whispered: “Ole Nebby is right out
thar! Thar’s thet ole hoss, shore as shootin’.”

On the impulse of the moment, as if he hardly knew
what he was doing, he put his fingers to his lips and
sent out a shrill whistle; the call that the old horse knew
so well.

The effect was instantaneous and startling.

Nebuchadnezzar gave a squeal, lowered his
launched out with his heels, and, breaking away from
the Indian that held him, proceeded to create a first-class
panic.

A couple of redskins who got in his way and tried to
stop him he ran down, kicking at them as they fell; and
when Slocum, jumping out, tried to. catch him by the
bridle, the old horse showed his teeth with a snap of
rage.

The next instant Slocum was flying through the air,

for Nebuchadnezzar had caught him by the coat and

literally lifted him from the ground, hurling him down
and trying to trample the life out of him.

iia sigs ap cote eaten ba hd at ae ao

si daa de ieee behead Fae iets tickers aah ac

Lt

head, .

Bud STORIES.

Nomad whistled the second time, rendering the horse :
even more frantic to get to the side of his master:

Then the old trapper began to yell: eu

“Good hoss! Waugh! you ole skeeziks! Lam ther
life out’n them! Make hash and mince-meat out’n ‘em!
Waugh! Thet’s right! oe hyar we air, watt ter
embrace ye. Come a-jumpin ay

The old horse was “coming a-jumping.”

He put the redskins behind him, leaped the smolder-
ing fire, and footed it into the entrance to the cave.

The thing was done so quickly, and the redskins were
so astonished, they did not even fire on him until he had
passed in. Then they opened with their guns, making a
terrific noise at the same time with their frantic yells.. —

A number of them started pell-mell, as if they would
rush into, the cave and capture the horse even there; but
rifle-shots from the barricade drove them back.

“Hyar I am!” Nomad squalled through the smoke
to the horse.

‘Guided by the call, Nebuchadnezzar leaped the barri-

cade like a hunter, coming down by the men who were...

crouching behind it.

His ears were flattened, his eyes were rolling, his
greenish teeth clicked and snapped, and pugnacity and
defiance were written on every hair of his homely old
body.

Nomad flung his arms ond the old freee neck,
being dragged on as Nebby dashed past into the cave;
but Nebby came to an abrupt stop when he realized who
it was had him.

Outside there was a terrific din, the Indians again
shooting into the cave and yelling like fiends.

But the narrow entrance and the barricade kept their
bullets from doing injury, and.as for'the crazy yells the
men in the cavern cared little enough for them.

Nomad came back, leading Nebby.

The old man was bent half-double with hilarious but
‘silent laughter. a

“This hyar ole critter
I didn't know whether he could
come, when I whistled ter him, and I done it ’most ’fore
I knowed it, too; but ther knowin’ beast jes’ piled red-
skins whichever way, and come b’ilin’. Hope ter, ther
Great Rockies he kilt some of ’em.”

He patted the shaggy head.

Nebby was breathing heavily, and was still nervous
and excited, his eyes rolling and his nostrils wide ex-_
_ tended. : :

“And yer know how he does hate Injuns, Buffer;
never war another sech hos¢ fer despisin’ em! Jes’ ther
smell o’ a redskin makes him sick ter his stummick. I
reckon he nighabout died whilst he war in their socierty,
Waugh!”

He laughed gleefully, and patted We shag cay head

“Wa veh!” he said jubilantly.
is shore a wonder.

again.

 

 

 
=

7

Se

 

 

 

 

 

 

ST eget

“Buffer,” he went on,

way ’twould be the greatest RVeE 8
Old Nomad’s comment and cachinations - were broken

' short off, and in a manner most unexpected.

re, Rifle- shots sounded in the cave, together with Indian.
yells, and a rush of moccasined feet.

Several Indians had penetrated the cavern, and - now
were tr ying to take the white men by the rear.

Buffalo Bill felt a stinging sensation in his left arm,
showing that a bullet had struck him. |

But his revolver began to rattle, hurling lead into the
faces of the sneaking redskins.

~Nebby jumped in a manner to show that he had been

hit.

Nevertheless, the three men met this insidious attack

with a quickness and desperation that broke it, and the

y yindians vanished, leaving two dead on the floor.

ee

The smoke of the rifle and revolver-shots, added to
the smoke rolling in from the fire, made it almost im-
possible to see anything, but it was the smoke that saved
them, as the Indians had not been able to see through
it, :

With a slap of his hand, Nomad turned Nebby back
into the cave, and dropped to the floor behind the bar-
ricade, for now a wilder yelling than before sounded
outside ;
were coming with a rush through the smoke to the at-
tack.

“Watch the cave!” Buffalo Bill shouted to Meek.

He turned to face the entrance, training his rifle
through the smoke and shooting at the howling red-
skins. : x

‘When he had emptied the magazine of the rifle, he
blazed away with his revolvers.

Nomad was also using his revolvers.

Some of the Indians advanced through the smoke
until their painted faces and flying feathers could be

seen, but the fierce fire of the barricade defenders checked

them, and they seemed to melt away, disappearing as if
by magic.

Joe Meek was groaning from a hulier wound in his
shoulder. Nevertheless, he had faithfully guarded the
a where the Indians had appeared from within the
“Cave. f

The scout iclt blood dripping through the sleeve of -
his coat.

“I got a gentle reminder, too, ” he ee

He saw that for a moment the redskins had been re-.
pulsed. So he, too, took off his coat, rolled up his shirt
sleeve, and looked at the bullet wound in his arm.

It was not a severe wound, but it was bleeding badly.
“Tl have your ee, Nomad,” he said quietly.

tole

en we could jes’ whistle ter
1 thet gal and have her come ee in hyar in _ ther same

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

struck also, and Joe Meek: howled out that he had been

and it was apparent that the redskins there ‘

thing that puzzles me,

Nomad came to his aid, and a tourniquet was applied,

and the wound bandaged with a piece of the shirt sleeve.
The yelling and shooting of the Indians had tem-

porarily ceased.

“Now, we'll see what we can do for you, Meek,” ye the

scout said, and forthwith the wounded shoulder. of the.

stage-driver received attention. ;

“Thet ole hoss got shot up a bit, ee A ne way
he jumped,” said Nomad; “but he’s used ‘ter eee I
guess kin stand it, so long’s ’taint very serious.” :

He whistled again, and Nebuchadnezzar came qiGuite
to the barricade.

There was a bullet wound in his hip, from which the
blood flowed, but it was a slight matter, and nothing was
done for it. ee

“Nebby,” said Nomad icy. “ver has run outer
ther fryin’-pan inter ther fire, I reckon a ee ye
might think so, jedgin’ by ther amount o’ smoke we're
all swallerin’. Ef you don’t like it, go back a bit, and
stand guard, so’s them reds can’t git onto us ag’in.”

It was the smoke that drove old Nebuchadnezzar back,
yet his fond master called attention to his act, and de-
clared that it was a case of supreme horse intelligence,
and that he retreated because he understood every wotd
that had been said to him.

As the Indians had grown quiet, the scouts ane the
stage-driver began to suspect that they were up to some
other deviltry.

“Too bad about ther gal!” said Nomad.
how we're ever ter git her.”

“How we're to get out o’ here with our lives. is the
” grunted Meek, groaning with the

“TL dunno

pain of his shoulder.

“How those. Indians got into fie cave is the thing
that troubles me,” said Buffalo Bill. “There’s a hole
back there, and others will come in by it.”

"Youre tight, Buiter, said Nomad “You recklects,
thet Slocum appeared suddenly, so ye said, and he didn’t
come in by the front way. He didn’t seem ter know
thet ther Injuns war out in front.
he come by some back way of which he had knowledge.
In course he warn’t goin’ ter show ye whar thet back

way is, when he went back to p’int out them holes in —

ther roof.

“Waal, thet’s ther way them Injuns got in,
he ‘did, And Uni suessin’ that they’ve been crawlin’
round ther mounting, while these hyar reds in front kep’
us busy; and the reds in front knowed it and sent ’em.
Ef their courage had been ekel to their injeenuity, they'd
shore got our ha’r. But a red can’t stand rifle-bullets
hurled thick at him, and when ey comes fer him he
drops outer sight jes like a gopher.”

‘Buffalo Bill did not doubt that the old man’s ee

~ nation gave the true solution of the unexpected attack

made by the Indians from the rear.

Which shows thet

same’s

   
         
       
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
    
    
   
  
  
   
   
 
  
   
  
    
  
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
  
 
   
   
  
    
      
        
THE BUPPALO

CHAPTER XIV.
As Dick SS Ee RYAN Gi ke FIGHT.

The long silence that followed the Indian attack made
Buffalo Bill sure that even greater peril was in store
for himself and his companions.

‘Their position was peculiarly trying, choked and
blinded as they were by the smoke that still drifted in
from the burning stuff at the mouth of the cave.

As they lay hugging the ground behind the barricade,
hey talked in low tones, when coughing did not’ so in-
terfere that. talking was painful.

The situation of the girl distressed them.

- They could not aid her now, and if the redskins re-
treated with her, it was not certain that she could ever
‘be rescued.

They. did not forget the danger that might come to
them from the cave, and they watched in that direction
as much as in front.

“It might be the best thing for us to do,” said the
‘scout, ‘“‘to try to find that hole where the Indians and
Slocum got in, and see if we can’t get out at it.’

“We might hunt a week, and not find it,” said Meek.
“These caves are. funny things that way. I was in one
onc’t that branched in a dozen directions, and | got lost
in it, and like to have never got out.”

The darkness of the cavern some distance back from
the entrance was intense, so that without good torches
the chance of discovering the hole was poor.

“T imagine thet hole’s a little “un,” remarked Nomad,

“and-ther objection I'd have ter goin’ out by it air thet
I couldn’t take ole Nebby wi’ me. I don’t want him
ter fall inter ther clutches of them red. varmints ag’in.
He do hate Injuns. Waugh!” -

So. long. a time passed that they began to feel that
the Indians might have departed with the girl, and the
fear, of that made them anxious and restless.

“li this holds much’ longer,”<said the scout, “Ill he
tempted to creep out there and see what it means.”

“And git a bullet in yer, Buffler. “Ware of Injuns
when they keeps still. It’s Injun nature ter holler like all
git out, and when they ain’t doin’ it, it’s safe ter say
they’re plannin’ devilment.”

The “devilment” plan was revealed soon after, though
‘it really was nothing new, being but a repetition on a
larger and more desperate scale of the rushing-tactics
of some time before.

A roar of rifles came from within the cavern, mingled
with Indian yells, showing that again the Indians were
to try to make a successful surprise and charge from
that direction.

At the same time, and as if this were the signal, loud
yelling broke from the Indians out in where there

“was a renewal of the rifle-fire.

The Indians who had gained access to the cavern from

the rear and joined those already in it, made a wild rush,

Bi STORIES, es @
appeatine through the smoke wie had belched from
their guns.

Those out in front came dashing in ae force into
the cavern entrance and toward the barricade, ae
their guns at the barricade as they came.

Buffalo Bill shouted a word of encouragement to his:
companions, and opened with his rifle on the Indians
who were charging into the front entrance.

He had by his side three loaded repeating-rifles, that
he had found on the walls of the cavern, and his two:
revolvers, fully loaded, also laid beside him, together
with a heap of cartridges.

Nomad had two revolvers, in addition to his rifle; and
Joe Meek was armed with a rifle and revolvers.

Fortunately, the cavern, had been found to be well
stocked with arms and ammunition. ae
Nomad turned his weapons on the Indians charging
through the smoke at the entrance, while Joe Meek
opened on those within the cave.

The ringing cheer of the scout rose amid the dim 08.4~

cracking guns and redskin yells.

~The smoke was. so blinding that he could hardly see to
aim, but it was not easy to miss, when the redskins came
on in such a compact body. :

Indians were seen to. drep as they ran..toward ‘the
barricade, and Meek shot down some of those who came
from the other direction.

But the invaders of the cave seemed to be wrought to
unusual courage, no doubt because they were led by
white men; and the fall of their comrades did not oe
them this time. ee ee

Those in front came seh up to the barricade through
the smoke, and some even tried to climb it.

Buffalo Bill and Nomad no longer sought protection

.behind the barricade. They leaped to their feet and
poured their deadly fire into the Indians at close quarters. , |

‘Nomad gave a sudden wild yell, and’ slipped to tine

_ ground, as if he had been killed.

Behind the scout Joe Meek was now swinging his
clubbed rifle, trying there to stay the redskin rush.

A hurled tomahawk cut into Buffalo Bill’s shoulder,
causing him to drop the revolver held in his left hand.

Yet he yelled again, as if in defiance, and continued to »
shoot at the redskins who were trying | to scale the barri-
cade.

But he saw that the fight had gone against him and
his friends.

Nomad was down, and he, himself, was wounded. Ag
Indians could not be held back.

“Heaven help the girl!’ was his thought, as he felt that
the end had come for himself and a defenders of the
cavern,

But while affairs were at this desperate pass, sounds °
of loud as came from beyond the entrance, ‘to-
gether with the “pop, pop” of rifles,

‘ Pa ec ccs Urs sialiasteoenes Wrah
RnOp minmNEn RL SS se

 
 

 

   
   

   

The cheering was from the throats of white men.

It stopped the Indian rush.

Some of the Indians near the outer end were running

i away, and a/ ‘thrill of panicky fright went through the

| a whole crowding mass in the entrance. ~

—) A ringing cheer from the scout rang out, in answer
to those cheers from the outside.

a “Stand up to ’em, Meek!” he yelled.

'@ =©Help has come!” -

a His voice reached the old trapper, who had been lying

like one dead at the foot of the barricade, and it

seemed to galvanize him into life. — cp

He sprang up, lifting his revolver.

“Waugh!” he yelled. |
“His head was bloody, and the blood had run down and
streaked his face. At the moment he seemed a fury
rdther than a man,.as he rushed at the barricade and
began to climb it. He was at the moment a madman, not
knowing what heswas doing, and perfectly“indifferent to
_ death.

The Indians were giving way.

The yells of the white men outside rose louder.

The redskins broke into a wild and disordered retreat,
throwing aside their weapons, that they might run
_ Aaster.

Those within the cavern had also been attacked by
the panic, and they slunk away into the darkness of the
‘ cave.

The break in the wild Indian ee had not come a
moment too soon, however. Joe Meek lay on his back,
with a bullet in his head, and had been put out of the
fighting.

Buffalo Bill, seeing old Nomad go over the barricade,
followed him.

It seemed now that the scout and the old ae were
driving the redskins before them, though that was not so,
as the latter were merely retreating in a panicky rush. ,

The yelling and ue rifle-fire outside rose louder and
louder.

Dead Indians lined the cavern entrance, and when the
scout and Nomad reached the outside, where the Indians
were flying in all directions, Indian bodies were heaped
as in a charnel-house.

A ‘strong ‘force of white men were now seen by the
+ scout, white men who were mounted, and who rode after
the redskins, pistoling them without mercy..

“Hold “ent!

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XV.

CONCLUSION.

 

 

 

 

 

 

| he saw Wolf Thompson trying to ride away, having
@ thrown Jennie Danby to the saddle in front gf him. She
was screaming, and trying to hurl herself headlong out
| of his arms.

 

 

 

 

  

THe PUBEALO: BILL STORIES.

As Buffalo Bill came thus out of the cavern entrance:

The scout half-lifted his rifle, to shoot the miscreant,
when he saw a mounted man spurring on Thompson,
shouting to him.

Thompson flung back a cry of eas and dug his

_ spurs deeper.

The horseman shouted again, and then fired.
Thompson dropped from the saddle, the girl falling
with him, and a horse a ee ridden dashed wildly

_away.

The scout now saw the man spring out of his saddle,
and, rushing on Thompson, catch up the girl.

The fight was ending, the Indians being scattered and
in full flight.

Nomad’s old horse had leaped the barricade and
followed him out of the cave; and Buffalo Bill heard the
trapper vell as he caught the horse and climbed heavily
into the saddle.

“Waugh! Rub’’em out like a grease spot,’ he was
heard to howl, as he dashed after the retreating red-
skins,

For a moment or two the young horseman who had
shot Thompson out of his saddle was invisible to the
scout; then he saw him again, ‘supporting the girl, who
stood erect, now, weak and reeling, but apparently not
seriously hurt.

A man ran along close by the scout.

_ The fellow was Slocum.

“Halt!” the scout yelled, leaping after hira,

Slocum turned and threw up his revolver, firing almost
pointblank. . ?

The bullet whistled past the scout’s head, and then the
two men came together.

The fight was short, and when it ended Slocum lay
unconscious on the ground.

The sharp battle was about over, and Buffalo Bill

began to wonder who the white men were who so

opportunely had-come to the aid of himself and his im-
periled companions.

As for the young horseman with the girl, he rightly
euessed that he was Luke Crofton, the gprl’ s lover and
promised husband.

“Luck was with me,” said Luke Crofton, explaining
to Buffalo Bill, “and that’s how it came about. One of
the stage-passengers told me of Miss Danby’s abduction,
and I struck the trail, being helped by the fact that you
were ahead of me, for I could follow your footsteps when
I could see no others.

“And that’s how it happened. Two miles below here
I fell in with this company of miners and bordermen, and
asked their aid, which they were only too glad to give.
We pushed along, and soon heard the sounds of guns.
After that we rode for all we were worth, over the
slippery hill, and came down here just in the nick of
time, it seems.’
THE BUPFALO

28

He glanced about,

“And now, Cody, if as te willing, we'll hear what

this scoundrel has to say.’
' The “scoundrel” was Slocum, who had been captured
by Buffalo Bill.

Wolf Thompson and the Red Death were among the
dead.

Slocum, bound, was brought forward, ice
and defiant.

The bordermen and miners who had rendered such
gallant service were grouped about, with the exception
of some who were still in pursuit of the retreating red-
skins.

The girl, weak and wan, sat on the ground, near Luke
Crofton. ;

Nomad sat close by on his ey horse, his head
wound round with a bloody bandage.

Blood stains showed, also, on the clothing of the a
scout, for he had been twice wounded; and Joe Meek had
on his head a bandage as bloody as that worn by the old
trapper.

Slocum came before the scout, his sullen and hostile
air dropping away from him when he saw the ominous
looks of the men gathered there and heard some of their
comments. Baa

“Slocum,” said the scout, “we know some things, but
we'd like further information.

“We know that you and the miscreant called the Red
Death, and also Wolf Thompson, ‘the notorious renegade,
were members of a band of road-agents and outlaws, and
that Thompson was the renegade leader of that band
of Snake River Shoshones.

“We know, too, that you planned to rob the stage-
driver of the express money he carried; money which we
are sure is the property of Miss Danby. You were in the
stage, and you and another fellow went through the
driver as he lay asleep, and then got away with the
money. Likely you can add to this information?’

, “What is it you want?’ said Slocum. “I ain’t admittin’
all that stuff, you know.”

| “It will probably go easier with you, Slocum, if you
don't lie!”

| What is it you want?’ said Slocnie pale as death.

“Well, we have a curiosity to know how the Red
Death happened to be in this section?”

Slocum hesitated.

“It will go easier with me, if I tell what I know?”

“T feel sure that it will, Slocum.”

“Well, he come here, because the section of country he
had been working got too hot for him, and he thought
he’d better get out of it for a time.”

“He was crazy?”

“I didn’t know it until I come on him there in the
cave. Ves, reckon. hecwas crazy; Ned been actin,
ance I’d noticed, and was then clean off his nut. You

BILL STORIES.

noticed him playing cards there, and thinking that he
was playing cards with me?”

“Vou don’t know what made him crazy?”

“He was shot in the head, in a raid, a few months ago,

and it might have been that; I think it was, myself.”

“How did he happen to have that money?”

Slocum hesitated again.

“IT gave it to him.’

_“T supposed so; but why?’

ewelt, 1 howent you was crowding me, and when I
met him, sort of by chance, I thought it would be safer
if he took it, and went another way. So I handed it over
to him, and we were to meet in this cave.”

“You don’t know why he abducted Miss ae e

Slocum glanced at the girl uneasily.

“Only as I guess it, and from something he said. I
he believed she had more money; or that he could
git a ransom by carrying her off; and so, happening on
the camp of your friend. there, he did that. Though I
think he wouldn’t have, if he hadn’t been crazy.”

“You didn’t know that Wolf Thompson and his Indians
were out in front of the cave?”

“T knew they were close by, but didn’t know they
were there. He was with you when the redskins at-
tacked, and then he joined ’em. That’s what he told me.”

“I suppose the red clothing worn by the man called
the Red Death was just a freak, or for effect?”

“I’m guessing he wore it because all the time he was
half-crazy ; that’s my opinion now.”

The scout turned to Crofton.

“As for your question, as\ to why the Red Death wore
those moccasins, I judge it was to disguise his steps, and

think

that for the same reason he toed in as he walked, to make —

any one who saw the tracks think they had been made
by an Indian.’

Slocum regarded the scout uneasily.

“And what do I get for telling all I know?” he naked.
“You going to release me?”

“Slocum, we can’t, do that. We'll have to take you
before the nearest judge, for trial. But I promise to say
to him that you gave us this information, and that we >
promised to ask him to take that into consideration.”

Slocum uttered a cry.

“And that means no less than oy years for me!”

“Slocum,” was the scout’s answer, “you may be thank-
ful if you are not sent up for life, or even hanged.”

“Waugh!” cried old Nomad, “and that’s no lie.”

The scout carried out his promise to Slocum; but it did
not save him. Fifteen years in the penitentiary was the

‘ sentence Slocum received, and he richly deserved it.

THE END.

Next week’s issue, No. 317, is entitled “Buffalo Bill’s
Redskin Rovers; or, Old Nick Nomad’s Wolf Trick.”

 

 
 

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on the wide prairies of the West.
. Boys, if you want tales of the West that are
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THE

The Night

HERE ARE

| 288—Buffalo Bill’s Dance of Death; or,
» Hawks of Snake River.
289—Buffalo Bill and the Creeping Terror;
Black Spider of the Shoshones.
290—Buffalo Bill and the Brand of Cain; or, The Wan-
dering Jew of the Plains.
_291—Buffalo Bill and the Mad Millionaire;
Redskin Rovers.
292—Buffalo Bill’s Medicine-lodge;
Queen of the Kickapoos.
293—Buffalo. Bill in’ Peril; or, The Red Amazons of
the Niobrarah.
294—Buffalo Bill’s Strange Pard; or, Wolfer ne on
the War-path.
295—Buftalo Bill in the Death Desert; or, The Worship
of the Phantom Flower.

ot, Lhe

or, ine

or, “The “White

296—Butfalo Bill in No Man’s Land; or, The Sky-mir-

ror or the’ Panhandle. |.
2907—Buffalo Bill’s Border Ruffians;
Game of Panther Pete.
208—Buffalo Bill’s Black Eagles; or, ‘The Snake-master
from Timbuctoo. .
: 299—Buffalo Bill’s Desperate Dozen; or, The. Raiders of
Round-Robin Ranch.
or, The Scalp-hunter of the

or, The Bak

Niobrarah.

301—Buffalo Bill’s Ice Chase; or, The Trail of the Black
Rifle.

-302—Buffalo: Bill and the Boy Bugler; or, The White
Flower of Fetterman Prairie.

' 303—Buffalo Bill and the White Specter; or, The Mys-
terious Medicine-man of Spirit Lake.

 

LATEST TITLES:

304—Buffalo Bill’s Death Defiance; or, The Bad Men of
Timber Bar.

305—Buftalo Bill and the Barge Bandits; or, The Demon
of Wolf River Cafion.

306—Buffalo Bill, the Desert Hotspur; or, Pizen Jane, of
Cinnabar.

307—Buffalo Bill’s Wild Range Riders; or, The Venge-
ance of Crazy Snake. |

308—Buffalo Bill’s Whirlwind Chase; or, The Mustang .
Catchers, of Bitter: Water.

309—Buffalo Bill’s Red Retribution; or, The Raid of the
Dancing Dervishes.

310—Buffalo Bill Haunted; or, The White Witch of the
Niobrara.

3i11—Buffalo Bills Fight for Life; or, Caught in the
Cave of Lions,

312—Buffalo Bill’s Death Jump; or, The ea talas, Last
Stand,

313—Buffalo Bill and the Pit of Horror; or, The White
Queen of Paradise Valley.

314—Buffalo Bill in the Jaws of Death; or, The Strange

_ Sacrifice of Uncapah.

315—Buffalo Bill’s Aztec Runners; or, The Hate of the
Gilded Mexican.

316—Buffalo Bill’s Dance with Death; or, Peril on the

Golconda Gold Trail.

317—Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Rovers; or,
Nomad’s Wolf Trick.

318—Buffalo Bill’s Fiery Eye;
Last Battle.

319—Buffalo Bill’s Mazeppa Ride; or, The Robber
League of the Panhandle. :

Old Nick

ot, Red Thunderbolt’s

If you want any back numbers of our libraries and cannot procure them from your news-

dealers, they can be obtained from this office direct.

Postage stamps taken the same as money. ”

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 7 9 Seventh Avenue, NEW YORK CITY.

 
May Be
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Sel

How the Early
_ Numbers of the

 

O the boys who take interest in the adventures of Frank Merriwell and want to
tread everything that was written about him, we desire to say that numbers 1 to
325 of the Tip "Top Weekly containing his early adventures are entirely out of
stock and will not be reprinted. ‘These numbers, however, were published in the
. Medal Library beginning with No. 150 which is entitled “F rank Merriwell’s School-
days.” We give herewith a complete list of all the Merriwell stories that have been
_ published in book form up to the time of writing.
We will send a complete catalogue of the Medal Library, which is just fall of :
_ good things for oe on receipt of a “one-cent stamp.to cover oe

 

 

 

MEDAL LIBRARY AT 10c.
328—F rank Merriwell’s Prosperity.

MEDAL LIBRARY AT 10c.
~150—Frank Merriwell’s Schooldays.

167—Frank
178—Frank
184—Frank
189—F rank
193—Frank
-I97—Frank
201I—F rank
205—Frank
209—F rank
213—Frank
217—Frank
225—Frank
229—F rank
233—Frank
237—Frank
240—F rank
244—Frank
247—F rank
251—F rank
254—Frank
258—Frank
262—Frank
267—F rank
271—F rank
276—Frank
280—F rank
284—F rank
288— Frank
292—Frank
296—Frank
300—Frank
304—F rank
3208—Frank
312—Frank

Merriwell’s Chums.
Merriwell’s Foes.
Merriwell’s Trip West.
Merriwell Down South.
Merriwell’s Bravery. |
Merriwell’s Hunting Tour.
Merriwell in Europe.
Merriwell at Yale. \
Merriwell’s Sports Afield.
Merriwell’s Races.
Merriwell’s Bicycle Tour.
Merriwell’s Courage.
Merriwell’s Daring.
Merriwell’s Athletes.
Merriwell’s Skill\
Merriwell’s Champions.
Merriwell’s Return to Yale.
Merriwell’s Secret.
Merriwell’s Danger.
Merriwell’s Loyalty.
Merriwell in Camp.
Merriwell’s Vacation.
Merriwell’s Cruise.
Merriwell’s Chase.
Merriwell in Maine.
Merriwell’s Struggle.
Merriwell’s First Job.
Merriwell’s Opportunity.
Merriwell’s Hard Luck.
Merriwell’s Protégé.
Merriwell on the Road.
Merriwell’s Own Company.
Merriwell’s Fame.
Merriwell’s College Chums.

332—Frank
336-—F frank
340—F rank
344—F rank
348—Frank
352—F rank
350—Frank
359—F rank
362—Frank
365—Frank

3608—Frank

371—F rank
374—F rank
377—F rank

Merriwell’s Stage Hit.
Merriwell’s Great Scheme.
Merriwell in England.
Merriwell on the Boulevards.
Merriwell’s Duel.

Merriwell’s Double Shot.
Merriwell’s Baseball Victories.
Merriwell’s Confidence.
Merriwell’s Auto.

Merriwell’s Fun.

Merriwell’s Generosity.
Merriwell’s Tricks.
Merriwell’s Temptation.
Merriwell on Top.

NEW MEDAL LIBRARY AT 15c.

380—Frank
383—F rank
386—F rank
389-—F rank
392—F rank
395—Frank

-3908—Frank

401—Frank
404—Frank
407—Frank
410—F rank

INCREASED SIZE

Merriwell’s Luck.
Merriwell’s Mascot.
Merriwell’s Reward.
Merriwell’s Phantom.
Merriwell’s Faith.
Merriwell’s Victories.
Merriwell’s Iron Nerve.
Merriwell in Kentucky.
Merriwell’s Power.
Merriwell’s Shrewdness.
Merriwell’s Set-back.

Published About May 27th

413—Frank

Merriwell’s Search.

Published About June 17th

416—Frank

Merriwell’s Club.

Published About July 8th

41g—Frank Merriwell’s Trust.
’ Published About July 29th
422—-Frank Merriwell’s False Friend.

. 316—Frank Merriwell’s Problem.
320—Frank Merriwell’s Fortune.
324—Frank Merriwell’s New Comedian.

 

 

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Diamond Dick and his son, Bertie, are true men of. the Western

lains.

They are noble-hearted fellows who don’t impose on the weaker

lan and who don’t let anyone else do it if they can help it.
You ought to read how they clean up a mining camp of the dis-

onest gamblers and other ele who usually

miners.

ne on the uneducated

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HERE ARE THE

525—Diamond Dick. s Night Watch; or, The Pretty Girl
of Falling Rock.
6—Diamond Dick’s Three To One; or, Backed By
Uncle Sam.
§27—Diamond Dick’s Golden Quest; or, ‘The Secret of
Snake River.
528—Diamond Dick’s Long Leap; or,
Against a Giant.
5290—Diamond Dick’s Heiress
Through the Big Divide. — .
530—Diamond Dick at the Throttle;
Headlight of Hoodoo Pass.
531—Diamond Dick’s Hobo. Tra:h; -or,
the Long Blue Scar.
532—Diamond Dick’s Black Sign; or, A Strange Battle
with a Dead Man...
533-—Diamond Dick’s Queer Rebuke; or, Giving a Les-
% son to a “Bad Man.”
534—Diamond Dick’s Night Ride; or, cee Worth of a
Thoroughbred Pard.
' 53 5—Diamond Dick on an Indian Trail; or, The Venge-
ance of a Navaho.
| 530—Diamond Dick in Arizona:
Sport of Grand Cafion.
537—-Diamond Dick Over the Rio Grande: or, A Hunt
for a Girl Through Mexico.
338—Diamond Dick’s Shower of Gold; or, The Princess
of the Montezumas.
»539—Diamond Dick Below the Line; or, An American
_ Against Bie Odds.
40—Diamond Dick on Shipboard; or, Blocking a Slick
Game.
41—Diamond Dick’s Wide Loop ; or, Rove Five at
One Throw.

Single-handed

Hun) or, A Wash
or, The Ghostly

The Man with

or, Lhe Foolhardy

 

LATEST TITLES:

'342—Diamond Dick’s Royal Foe; or, The Strange ‘Pas-
sage of the Santa Crus.

&43-_Dianiond Dick's, College Scrap; or, A Battle For
His Alma Mater.

544—Diamond Dick in the Deep Snows;
Call on the Yukon.

545—Diamond Dick’s Merciless Tratl; or,
cals of White Horse-

540—Diamond Dick's Steel Heart;
of the Sierras.

547—Diamond Dick’s Inferno;
Great Black Tunnel.

548—Diamond Dick’s Bad Smash;

“tor at Yuba Pasa:

549-——Diamond Dick’s Deadly Snowball; or, Tooth and
Nail on Black Butte.

550—Diamond Dick, Editor;
Lame Dog.

551—Diamond Dick’s Stand- off ;
Spooks on Hallowe'en.

552—Diamond Dick’s Hoodlum Trail; or, Hot Politics at
Lame Dog. .

553—Diamond Dick’ s Queer Hold-up; or, The Blonde
Innocent from Deadwood.

554—Diamond Dick on Guard; or, The Treasure Train
ot Vallejo...

555—Diamond Dele $ Easy Win; or, A Deal with Three

, Bad Men.
556—Diamond Dick’s Indian Ally; or, The Serpent Trail
> of the Apache.

557—-Diamond Dick’s Giant Swing; or, ‘The Demon
Horse of Black River.

558—Diamond Dick’s Dynamite Victory; or, The Anar-
ehist Plot at Pocomo,

ot, A Close
The Two Ras-
or, ‘The: Fire Train
» Phe Madman of the

or, he New Opera-

Ot Ay Rating Surprise for

MN Battle with

or,

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E onal so many Hindieds of really excellent letters om readers of the Rough Rider
V7 Weekly in response to our first offer of gold dollars, that the Committee awarding the
twenty leading prizes had considerable difficulty in carrying out their work; which, how-

ever, was finally done, the names printed, and the rewards sent forward. From time to time we
shall print in our Chat Columns all these letters entering into the competition. And we also hope

that every “Fr, participated in the first contest will decide to take advantage of our second « tif

great offer. ‘Tell us what, in your mind, a cracking good story of

RANCH AND RANGE LIFE

should be, and whether these cone by Mr. Ned Taylor fill the bill. We believe they

stand in a class by themselves; and from many a Western cattle State we daily receive letters
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OUR COWBOY AUTHOR

which letters are written by those entirely Cater ith ile oni prairie ranches, and who would
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UFFALO BILL STORIES

 

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Buffalo Bill wins his way into the heart of every
one who reads the strong stories of stirring adventure on
the wide prairies of the West published in this weekly.

Boys, if you want tales of the West that arc
drawn 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

 

 

HERE ARE THE LATEST ‘TITLES:

324—Buffalo Bill’s Gold Hunters;
Skull and Cross-bones.

325—Buffalo Bill in Old Mexico; or, The Red Priests
of Zataclin.

326—Buffalo Bill’s Message From the Dead; or, The
Mystery of the Dagger of Gold.

327—Buffalo Bill and the Wolf-master;

Dogs of the Hills.

328—Buffalo Bill's Flying Wonder; or, Zamba, the King
of Fire.

3290—Buffalo Bill’s- Hidden Gold; or, The Ruse of the
Red Serpent.

330—Buffalo Bill’s Outlaw Trail; or, The Mystery of the
Teton Basin.

331—Buffalo Bill and the Taian Queen; or, The Ghost
Flower’s Mission.

332—Buffalo Bill and the Mad Marauder;
For a Foe.

333—Buffalo Bill’s Ice Barricade; or, The Red and
White Renegades of Powder River.

334—Buffalo Bill and the Robber Elk; or, The Mail

_. Seekersyot, the FRange.

335—-Buffalo Bill’s Ghost Dance; or, The Thrall of the

Lichtning That Strikes.

or, the Clan of the

or, The Wild

or, A Kang

336—Buffalo Bill’s Peace Pipe; or, The Casket of Mys- :

tery,
337—Buffalo Bill’s Red Nemesis; or, The White Captive
of the Sioux.
338—Buffalo Bill’s Enchanted Mesa; or, The Lost Prin-
cess of the Moquis.
339—Buffalo Bill in the Desert of Death; or,
Secret of the Jasper Joss.

The

 

340—Buffalo Bill’s Pay Streak;
Trouble for the ’Paches.

341—Buffalo Bill on Detached Duty; or, The Break «
the Bad Ax Trail.

342—Buffalo Bill’s Army Mystery; or, The Roneanh
Catamount Puzzle.

343—Buffalo Bill’s Surprise Party;.or, The Red Raider
of the Picketwire.

344—Buffalo Bill’s Great Ride;
Handsome Elk. ~

345—Buffalo Bill’s Water Trail;
Fort Totten. .

346—Buffalo Bill’s Ordeal of Fire;
Coteaus.

347—Buffalo Bill Among the Man-Eaters; or, The My
tery of Tiburon Island.

348—Buffalo Bill’s Casket of Pearls; or, The Lost Trea
ure of the Montezumas.

349—Buffalo Bill’s Sky Pilot; or, The Fiesta Tangle.

350—Buffalo Bill’s “Totem”; or, The Mystic Symbol |
the Yaquis. :

351—Buffalo Bill’s Flat-boat Drift: or, Taming the Mi
sissippi Tigers.

or, Av Box: Hull

or, The Capture |
or, The Still Hunt |

or, Prapped in t

352—Buffalo Bill on Deck; or, The Sianve Pilot of th: }

River Belle.
353—Buffalo Bill and the Bronco Buster ; or, The Rai
of Wolf Fang.
354—Buffalo Bill’s Great Round-up; or, Trailing th
Red Cattle-rustlers.
355—Buffalo Bill’s Pledge;

or, The Vultures of th
Narrow Path. :

If you want any back numbers of this publication and cannot procure them from your news

dealer, they can be obtained from this office direct.

Postage stamps taken the same as money.

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79 Seventh Avenue, NEW YORK CITY