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DEVOTED TO BORDER LIFE

 

Issued Weekly. By subscription $2.50 per year.
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1908, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, DEC,

Eintered as Second-class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMitH, 79-89 Seventh Ave., NV. y,

 

_ over the world as the king of scouts.

Ce

me Beware of Wild West imitations of the Buffalo Bill Stories. They are about fictitious characters. The Buffalo
Bill weekly i is the only weekly containing the adventures of Buffalo Bill, (Col. W. F. ee who is known all

 

No. 353.

NEW YORK, February 15, 1908.

Price Five Cents.

 

 

uffalo Bill and the Bronco-buster;

THE RAID OF WOLFE FANG.

 

_ By the author of “BUFFALO BILL.”

 

‘CHAPTER I.

& ‘3 re si ay <2
- THE GRAY WOLF’S WARNING.

 

Imagine a goodly promontory, forest-covered for the
with

guich" leading down upon the west to the

Ans
most part to the very verge of its abrupt descent,
but a-singl-

base of the height. [his promontory jutted boldly out

. into a sea of buffalo-grass, and the season was spring,

when the grass is green and all nature smiled.:

A. scant half-hundred riders, round-shouldered with
e fatigue, in faded blue uniforms, the yellow stripes down
{ their trousers legs more than anything else declaring
them Uncle Sam’s cavalry, were riding along the trail
toward the descent into the gulch,
_ The troop was on “regular business.” In other words,
a band of redskin wards of the beneficent White Father
fat Washington had broken loose from the reservation

teepees with the call of the tree-frog, had raided a ranch

 

of the Yellowstone and Little Missouri Rivers.

or two, done a little killing, run off a few head of eattle
and horses, and must now be rounded up and taken

-horhe again.

The scene was the peninsula formed by the junction
The cav-.
alry were hoping to soon head off the reds and turn
them back. |

It had been a hard, ‘swift march, a ride of over four
hundred miles, with no halt above four hours, and at
ten o’clock in the forenoon half the horses were fagged,
The
lean and lame mounts picked their way over the rough |

and many of the men were asleep in their saddles.

ground without a hand to guide them. :
Captaim Caverly had planned to reach the spot where
the fleeing Indians would make their way across the

Little Missouri a day or two ahead of them. Such a

wilderness as this was almost as trackless as the sea itself,

 
2 / | BUPPALO BILL STORIES.

save that where the broad and deep streams intervened,
tose who wished to cross must come to the regular
fords, And fording-places were not so plentiful along
the length of the Little Missouri.

The captain of the troop—even the guides and the
scout who rode beside the leader—believed that the
heading-off process had been accomplished. It was ten
in the forenoon, and it was not far from two miles déwn
the slope to the verge of the swift-flowing river.

The captain raised, his hand, and the head of the
column halted for the reat to close up. In this “hike”
the line had strung out for a mile or more, owing to
the difference in the gait of the horses.

The gulch down which they were about to descend.

offered a natural highway—a grassy road perhaps twenty
feet wide, twisting and turning among the dense thickets.
“You know this gorge, Cody?’ queried Captain Cav-
érly of the handsome scout, who rode a better charger
than even his own mount.
“I’ve been through it once, Cap,” was the reply, as
the speaker removed his military hat and allowed the

morning breeze to fan his bronzed forehead,

His hair hung upon the collar of his hunting-coat, His

eyes were keen and unswerving in their glance. He

knew the West—even this wilderness—as few white men

ever knew it.
“‘What’s.ahead of us, then?” asked the officer.
“Why, the river.”

.. “Between us and the Little Missouri, I mean?”

“Half a mile down the gulch is a creek. It’s shallow,

but forty feet across. Easy ford. Half a mile farther
On, OF S0,/is a second. creek—narrow, ten-foot banks.
Ideal place for an ambush.” __

“We might lie in there and catch Wolf Fang and his
gang,’ said Caverly reflectively. ,

“Tt would be a good place,” admitted the scout quietly.

All the while his eyes were s¢rutinizing the scene. He
_gazed down the grassy road as far as he could see, No
man knew what lay beyond that first turn.

‘The halt to close up had been a precautionary measure;
but nobody dreamed of danger ahead. If the hostiles had
not turned back, or changed their «course, they should
still be forty or-fifty miles away, and behind: the troop
Orvcavalry. 0

“The ‘stragglers had come up, and the sleepy troops
braced’ up under the eyes of the officers: The bugler

put his instrument to his lips. In -another second the
call “Forward!” would have been sounded.

Suddenly Cody, the scout, emitted an exclamation; and
held up his hand. Although the captain had motioned
the bugler to call, the latter saw the scout’s action, and
held his breath. 2

“Halt! exclaimed’ Captain Caverly. Then to the
scout he said: er

“What’s the matter, man?”

“Listen!” commanded the long-haired frontiersman.

From, below came the rapid pounding of light hoofs
over the sward. In another moment a deer came tun-
ning up the grassy lane at full speed, and was within
ten feet of the captain’s horse, when it wheeled to the
right and vanished into the thicket.

“Humph! Only a deer, Buffalo Bill,” remarked Cav-
erly.

“Wait,” advised the unshaken Cody. a

Darting up the lane, next came a dog-fox, *unning

swiftly, but looking behind. He was under the feet of

a dozen horses before he realized these human enemies
were about him. Then he sprang into the thicket.

A second deer followed on the keen jump, and then |

three or four rabbits.
ness had surely been startled.

frightened black bear sounded off in the brush, too.

“What's all this about, Buffalo Bill hf equeried SC av-
erly, at last convinced that something untoward: was
approaching. 7

“Ambush,” declared the scout succinctly.

1?

- “Nonsense!” cried the officer.

“Ambush, I tell you. Nothing else would have started _

those critters.”

“But those Injuns are behind us, Cody.” |

“That Wolf Fang is as sharp a Ute as ever I saw,’
grunted the scout, dismounting,

“But look at the route we’ve come!”

peli?

“And the speed, too.”

“Well?”

“And that confounded Wolf Fang has the
and children with him.”

“But they’ve loads of ponies. They couldn’t tire out
that herd they picked up from the Cormorant Ranchi
alone. I tell you there’s an ambush ahead, captain. If
not of Wolf Fang’s tribe, then of some other red devils.
Look there {’”: :

 

 

The wild creatures of the wilder- |
The “woof! woof!” of a -

squaws

 
    

 

 

 

 

 

  
   
   
 
   
   

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139

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A big gray wolf rounded the turn a hundred feet away.
coming at full speed. The hair on his back stood up, his
tail almost dragged, and it was easy to see that he had
been disturbed and was put out about it.

Indeed, he was frightened, too, and it takes some-
thingfof moment to frighten one of these gaunt, old,
male timber-wolves. They're as savage as catamounts.

But Mr. Wolf stopped short when he saw the soldiers
grouped at the top of the gulch. He looked first ‘at them,
then behind him. His teeth were bared in a savage snarl.
He seemed to hesitate. :

But then, in his wolfish mind, he evidently decided
that the peril in front was not so great as the danger
behind. He dodged into the brush and circled around
the troop of cavalry.

“That wolf knows his business, Cap,” said Buffalo
Bill quietly.

“You really believe the Indians have got ahead of us,

as ome redskins are ahead of us—yes.
bits, wolf—all tell the same story. Man has frightened
them. Not one man, but a large party of men.

“T doubt not the gorge is filled with the red devils.

Deer, fox, rab-

That place where I suggested an ambush is perhaps

already occupied by those who would entrap us. My

suggestion, Cap, is that we look into it carefully.”

“That means that you'll go ahead and spy out the
ground, I suppose?” queried Captain Caverly.

“I think so—with your permission.”

“How many troopers do you want?”

“None. Their accouterments make too much noise.
This is a case where the utmost caution must be exer
But

don’t let the horses get far from the men, and warn all

cised. Let the men rest. Make coffee if you like.

hands to keep their weapons within reach.
are here they may be watching us from the tree-tops

even now.”

CHAPTER II.
WOLF FANG’S BAND.

Wolf Fang, the Ute war-chief, was one of the wick-

edest redskins that the United States Government ever

“The

was quite untrue is

had to contend witle That. the old expression,
only good Indian is a dead Indian,”

admitted; but neither were the Indians the misunderstood

-

THE BUFEALO BILL SIORIES.

If the Injuns .

A 2 OO —— oom Tigi sees
PAPE ND a ee rata iS, es aie Ws, EE tht A AAA BI AR Aan

 

“and sured people that some of our pane would —

have us believe.
Wolf Fang had beeri-educated in whe men’s schools, _
and had béen patronized and put forward by those in-

terested in his advancement as a young man.

Suddenly, however, he threw off the white man’s
dress, refused to obey the white man’s law, refused to
work as white men worked, and, taking command of
the remnant of his clan or tribe, led them off the Ute
reservation and declared war against the pony-soldiers
and the ‘“‘walk-a-heaps’’—the infantry. : |

The first breath of spring had urged Wolf Fang and
his people to this rash step. The winter had been a
hard one, the smaller streams were not yet free of ice,
and the peaks were still snow-capped. It was not im-
possible that a freeze would yet blight the foolish buds
and green things that had ventured forth.

The red horde had been two days gone, however,
before the fort was notified. Two hundred braves they
were, with women, children, and old men. In all there
and they had

stolen a small herd of cattle, and more than three hun-

were nearly five hundred in the band;

dred ponies in a week. The commander of the fort

could spare but fifty men to go with Captain Caverly.
But-in addition he sent Buffalo Bill—in himself worth
a troop of bluecoats—to\scout for the expedition. And
Caverly knew enough to accept Buffalo Bill’s advice
and follow it: . ‘

In this case it was well he did. Wolf Fang was a born
general. He had outmatched the whites, had suspected
their intention of heading him off, and had reached the

“river first,

The reds had reached the creek with the steep banks
dt sunrise, and Wolf Fang had spread his net with con-
stimmate art. The lower end of the grassy avenue was
closed by felling several trees across the way. When
the pony-soldiers should be in the trap, it was proposed
to fell other timber at the upper end of the gulch, and
so hold the half-hundred whites enmeshed until all could
be killed.

Every opening in the eidecbrich had been closed with
thorns. The trap would have been complete had Caverly
and his troop ridden into the lane.

Almost two hundred warriors were in hiding behind
the bushes and along the creek banks, ready to. thrust
out their rifles and fire, at the signal from Wolf Fang.
Perched in the trees along the way were half a hundred
Se er aR eR Sa Ee See

a

boys armed with bows and arrows. Hidden away under
ie banks of the creek were a hundred of more squaws,
armed with hatchets, knives, and clubs.

Wolf Fang had planned not a battle, but a massacre!
No mercy was to be shown—not a prisoner taken.
- Scouts had observed the approach of the white soldiers

and reported. When, the column reached the head of .
the lane the eager squaws and impulsive boys could ©

scarcely be controlled.

_ . Indeed, they could not be controlled properly.. It was

because of them that Wolf Fang’s scheme went astray.
_ In. moving about and whispering, the squaws and children

disturbed the wild animals from their retreats, and thus

sent the whites a warning which Buffalo Bill was not
siow to read.
The scout left nothing to chance, however, no loophole

for mistake.

: and in waiting ; but he wished to know their position and’

numbers.

Leaving the troops apparetttly making their morning
coffee, Buffalo Bill climbed the side of the gorge and
flanked the waiting Indians. From a position he finally
obtained he saw a goodly part of Wolf Fang’s battle-
line. It was made plain to him just the nature of the

trap the foxy red had laid.

“Fifty men will never be able to round up these red-
skins--not while the crafty Wolf Fang is their leader,”
was the thought that smote the scout as he gazed upon
the splendid formation of the young chief's people.

“There’s fight in that fellow. He’s learned some things
about white warfare that are going to trouble us. Why,
we'd need half a thousand troops, instead of half a hun-
dred, to bring the critters in.”

Buftalo Bill well knew that there were not that number

of white troops within as many miles. Wolf Fang’s band’

of Utes might run wild until the winter unless strategy
was used.

_And what strategy? That was simple! Wolf Fang
was the head and front of the rebellion. Remove him
_and the tribe would sue for peace in a hurry.
The Indians, like the weak and remnant races all over
the globe, were always living in the expectation of some
godlike leader to come and show them the way to drive
back the whites and regain their former possessions.

__ Every chief, who rose up and, for notoriety or because
he was half “loco,” declared himself the hoped-for leader,
could find plenty of followers. The first promise such
op man made was that “the buffalo would return.”

He was confident that the reds were there,

"

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

So, in the spring, when the poet declares “the young
man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love,” the red man’s
fancy turned to the thought of plentiful buffalo kills.
The tribes were eager to break bounds when the snow
began to melt.

“If I could get my rope over that blamed Wolf Pang,”
muttered Buffalo Bill, as he watched the fantastic figure
of the young chief in question, flitting from tree to tree,
trying to keep his warriors patient until the white troops
should appear.

“By thunder! Poke Carew, of the Cormorant, would
be just the lad for such a job. Ha!’

A big idea had suddenly leaped to life in the shrewd
scout’s brain. He chewed the cud of reflection for some

minutes, and then, turning his back on the ambushed

Indians, he climbed the point of the promontory, from

which, as he well knew, he could look straight down
on the encampment of Captain Caverly and his men.
As he climbed the height, he crossed many little gullies
where the snow still lay; and the wind blew keenly When.
he came out upon the clearing at the summit of the

bluff.
He was hidden from the Indians here by the thick

forest below; but he could be seen by the troops. Below
in the river valley the grass was green, and it looked
really springlike; but up there it was wintry enough.
Buffalo Bill took the direction of the sun, removed his
hat, and waved it as a signal to the troops, and then,
with a small, round looking-glass, flashed a message to

Captain Caverly. When it was repeated back to him

by similar flashes by one of the captain’s understrappers, -/

the scout was satisfied. ne

Waving his hat again to signify his departure, the
scout turned his back on both the troops and the Indians,
and descended the steep face of the bluff by a path
which a horse could not have followed.

The message Cody had flashed to the troops sent them
off on a flank movement. The savages waited for half
an hour, licking their lips in anticipation of the blood-
feast that they believed was about to be theirs.

At length even Wolf Fang himself could keep them
quiet no longer. A scout stole out, and soon came back
on the run, with the news that the pony-soldiers had out-
witted them. |

They had gone around and would be at the river-ford
before the redskins if the latter did not hurry. The
Great Spirit had told the pony-soldiers of the ambush, |
and they had esgaped. ‘ |

 
 
  

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: " _ Bitter were the words and black the scowls of his

warriors for Wolf Fang. His promises had come to
naught in this case at least. The reds retreated, and so:
disheartened that in the skirmish they had with Captain
Cayerly’s troops at the ford, they did not acquit them-
selves with any boldness, and were driven helter-skelter
across the Little Missouri onto the lonesome plains be-

yond.

j

CHAPTER III.
POKE CAREW ON THE WAR-PATH.

The Cormorant Ranch’ was one of the largest on that
range. It was one of the biggest in the West of that
day, too, and was established long before ranches began
to be known by the slang name of their several brands.

Of all the herdsmen—cow-punchers and horse-wran-
glers—on the Cormorant Ranch, Poke Carew was the
chief.

Poke loved “redeye” too well to be saddled with re-

He wasn’t foreman; he wasn’t even camp boss,

sponsibilty, and he was neither to “hold nor to bind”

when his temper was roused. But he was the best roper

on the range, daring as the devil, and a keen shot.
Buffalo Bill knew Poke well. Poke’s best herding-

pony had been sacrificed the week before when Wolf

Fang’s band had swooped down upon two of the cow-

camps. And Poke had sworn vengeance on all redskins
for that season. ° |

“Tl make a hair lariat before next round-up, an’
‘twon't be of hosshair, nuther!’ Poke had announced.
“Tl git hunks on that there painted pony, or else some
Injun will decorate his lodge with my scalp. Huh! wot
gits my goat is that they picked out that pertic’lar pony,
right at the openin’ of the season. Now I gotter rustle
another off’n the range, an’ bust him. It shore does
make me fretful!” :

Had the season not already opened on the Cormorant

range, Poke would certainly have accompanied the troops:

on the chase after Wolf Fang’s band, just to get satis-
faction.

~The scheme that had so suddenly been evolved in Buf-
falo Bill’s mind, however, led that scout to believe that,
busy as affairs were on the Cormorant range, he could
obtain Poke Carew’s assistance. A reckless and perilous

play naturally appealed to Poke, and this that Buffalo |

Bill had in mind was daring enough in all good con-

- science, »

  

Benin ism a Stk mt ati Sc ca by ast rap ances Semen a pesaned G mcesAcAey Spee myn

THE, BUPETFALO BILE STORIES,

While Captain Caverly was flanking the Indian band,
and Wolf Fang and his people were unhappily waiting
for the pony-soldiers to fall into their trap—which they
never did—Buffalo Bill reached the river-level, skirted
the bluff, came upon the herd of Indian ponies and stolen
horse-flesh, selected a likely animal, and, before the In-
dians poured out of the gorge to make tracks for the
tiver-ford, he was miles away, bareback and flying on
the stolen pony. "

He crossed the ford before Caverly’s troopers came
in sight, and left the sound of the subsequent skirmish
behind him. -He rode all that day, and came into the foot-
hills where lay the Cormorant rangs.

Several bands of winter-poor cattle were grazing in
the coulées where the grass had begun to spring; from
a stray party of herdsmen he learned that the bulk of
the Cormorant outfit was rustling horses out of the wild
Others besides

Poke Carew needed ponies for the coming season.

bands that roamed the upper range.

Some years before there had strayed from the Cor-
morant corrals into the hills a small band of brood-mares.
After a few springs had come and gone a goodly band
of wild ponies appeared in the foot-hills, and with them
was stock easily recognized as descending from the run-
away mares,

By all the laws of the range, these ponies belonged
to the Cormorant folk—if they could catch them. Once
or twice a party of cowboys had essayed the attempt;
but the fruit of their:labors had been only the slowest
and poorest of the band. The others were as fleet as deer,
and as sure-footed among the rocks as goats.

It was reported to Buffalo Bill now, however, that
something of an attempt was being made to rustle the
wild bands,
Poke Carew in earnest. He had set’his heart on a partic-
ular stud that led the biggest band, and he had sworn
to bring in that horse and “bust” him.

“That there blue roan critter is goin’ ter be my hoss

The ranch needed ponies. Especially was

or my meat!” Poke  d said, and he was off now, de-
termined to make good his claim to the leader of the
wild herd. |

‘Buffalo Bill learned in which direction Poke had gone,
exchanged his mount for a fresh pony and a saddle, and
kept on after the cowboy. - :

The promise of the morning was a fallacy. The deeper
the scout got into the foot-hills the more threatening be-
came the weather. There was a storm brewing, and the

chill in the air quite put the thoughts of spring to flight.

 

  
  

 

 
 
 

wath: Hun:

    
 
 
 
   
   
 

6 : ‘THE BUFFALO

    

~ clouds was snow in plenty. There is often a final blizzard
when spring is on the very point of flaunting her new
. gown across the land. The snow doesn’t stay long after
such a whirl, but the storm itself is severe while it lasts.

Buffalo Bill hoped that the threatening aspect of the
weather. would aid him in corraling Poke Carew and
_ getting the reckless cowboy to give up horse- rustling for

the present. Indeed, there was quite a flurry of snow-

flakes in the air when the scout came up with the cham-

- pion bronco-buster of Cormorant range.
That was

one reason why he was so particular about his mounts.

Poke was a big fellow—meaty and massive.

Every pony in the corral couldn’t ‘carry Poke for six
or eight hours at a steady lope, herding cattle, and not
“suffer. :

The bronco-buster was all alone, as far as human com-
panionship went, and he had two scrubby little animals
He had made camp in a well-sheltered coulée,
and evidently proposed to remain the night there:

“Great cats!” ejaculated Poke, when the scout rode in.
“Hev yer et up that thar Wolf Fang, hide, horns, an’
taller?” Le

“Not yet.” ie

“T reckon’d thar’d be sethie left fer me ter do later,”
rejoined Poke grimly. “I’m goin’ ter git my fill of Injun
steak this summer, you betcher !’’

“T'll give you a chance to put in a lick night now.’

“Naw, Gant do it.”

“Why not?”

“Busy.”

‘Nonsense, Poke! I got a<scheme that'll please you

a whole lot,’ declared the scout.

\Don'ttell it to me.”

“Why not?”

“*Cause me an’ th’ boss is havin’ it hot an’ heavy as it
is. He says I'd oughter be ter work; but I got ter git
that blue roan an’ bust him. 1 had me eye on th’ critter
fer two seasons; now I jest nacherly got ter have him,
fer th’ only decent hoss I’ had has been rustled by them
condemned Injuns.”

“Come on and get square with Wolf Fang,” suggested

Buffalo Bill.
“Don’t tempt me.”

“T need your help, Poke. T’ve ridden fifty miles to
get you. And I don’t intend going back without you.”

(“Back where?”

   

 

_ Clouds piled up over the mountain peaks, and in those

hear me, Buffalo?”

  

  

BILE STORIES.

“To the Little Missouri crossing.”
“Huh! What’s the game?”
“That gang of reds have got to be rounded up—and
before they do further harm, too.”

“That's old Ginger Whiskers’ biz, not mine,” remarked
Poke, referring thus irreverently to the colonel in com-
mand of the fort.

“It ought to be partly the business of you cow-punch-

9

ers. :

“Ugh—huh ?”

ot ‘you want to keep out of Injun fights, you’d ought
to be willing to do your part now.”

“Get thee behind me, Satan!” drawled Poke.

“You're wasting your time hunting for ponies this
weather,” advised Buffalo Bill, as the snow continued to
sift down and they cowered in the lee of a boulder.

“Don’t you believe it, Buffalo.”

e there ll bea oe of feet of snow here in the hills

to- POET OW mo rning.”’

“And there’s more’n that up yonder already,” and Poke

grinned, pointing over his shoulder with a grimy thumb. °

‘Where the wild horses are?”

“A hat’s it, pardner.”’

“Have you located them?”

*“Betcher _ life,
Sandstone Cafion. Know that spot ?”

oT HO. © / =

"T drove ’em in there thig A. M. She ain't half a

ae.

They’re corralled in the drifts up in

mile erway, yer know.

“That’s right!” exclaimed Buffalo Bill.
of that cafion isn’t far beyond this.spot.”

“The mouth

“Betcher! An’ if yer recommember, that.thar cafion
ain't got no exit ’ceptin’ th’ way yer go in.- Shore!

3 Them hosses is corralled for the night, an’ they won't

find it out till th’ snow has drifted in wa an’ made
"em secure.

“Oh, me an’ that thar blue roan hoss air goin’ to be

lovin’ friends an’ companions inside of a week. Yer

\
“But I have my

39

UT wear you, remarked the scout.

doubts. eo f
“Come on! You “io6 overnight with me—”

“You don’t reckon I’m goin’ to move in this era.

do you?” demanded Cody dryly.

“Well, that’s so, too! Shore!- But F-tell yer. © Yer
stop over an’ see me rope that blue. abomination ter-
morrer, ai’ I'll rope him out an’ leave him ter starve good

  

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aa plenty while I run off with you an’ attend this here

roan,’

ssuit,

Bn aceite . . —— Ss
sidan i sot Agoda j t a ete isl dey aa
ee tt RAMI Heli somite sens S aann al Ei | SOARES

little Injun party yer was speakin’ of. How’s that strike

‘yer, Buffalo?”

“It’s a bargain,’ agreed Buffalo Bill, and they ate

supper and turned in to sleep on it, with their feet to
‘the blazé against the boulder.

CHAPTER IV,
THE BLUE ROAN.

Knowing the stubbornness of Poke Carew, the scout
had agreed to wait a few hours before returning to the

-tenegade tribe which he was desirous of rounding up.
He believed that the snow in the hills would make horse-

roping impossible, and that Poke would see this in the
morning, and yield gracefully.
' He did not realize, however, how very desirous Poke

was of obtaining possession of the dark gray, or “blue

9.

stallion that led the band of wild ponies.

See . In the morning the snow was still falling, and there

was a sharp wind which shifted the drifts in snakelike
coils through the little valley. ?
“Think you can get into Sandstone Cafion this morn-

_ ing, Poke?’’.demanded the scout, smiling.
And, great cats!.if I.

“I’m going to have a try at it.
can’t git in, them hosses shore can’t git out.”
- Despite Buffalo Bill’s discouraging remarks, Poke was

eager to set out, and-they broke camp soon after dawn.

_ They toiled across the coulée and up the ledges of the

foot-hills for two hours.

Some of the hogbacks were swept barren of the snow,

“and here and there boulders thrust their scarred heads
through the drifts.

On they. waded until at last their ponies’ ‘ee dtigeed
wearily through the drifts and they came upon a run of

red-cliffs. The entrance into this cafion, or valley, had

been badly blocked. No creature had gone in or out of
it for hours until they had come, that was sure.

“This here’s Sandstone,” remarked Poke.

“You're right,” admitted Buffalo Bill. “Ard now

_ that you’ve got us here, where’s your horses?”

“Thar! Great cats! D’ye see ‘em ?”

‘The falling snow had hidden them at first; but now

the scout beheld the object of the cow- puncher's pur-

“Far>up the: vane ‘looking to be about the size of

ae were the wild ponies, their backs humped, heads

 

  
 
  

 

in a con-

hanging between their. forefeet, “dumping”
fined notch where they had little more than treadmill
room,

“And what are those others there?’ queried the scout
doubtfully, pomting to another moving group on the
white plain.

Poke-stared for a minute, then suddenly tore off ‘his

blue goggles and seized Buffalo Bill’s field-glass. He
looked long and earnestly across the glaring white plain.
“That gets my goat!’ he muttered. “Them’s wolves.”
“Well, I guess we can stand them off,” aaa the
scout.
“They-ain't arter us,”
“Think not?”

“Ain’t nosed us, even, Buffalo. Don’t yer see?) Them

replied Poke.

varmints air a-makin’ tracks for them hosses!’

“Then you'll not get your blue roan—or any other. —

The wolves will have ’em at their mercy.”

“That may be! that may be!” gtunted Poke,
at first.”
' He pulled in his belt and prepared to start on.

“But not

“Not going to pursue them farther, are you?’
Buffalo!”
“The wolves will have the last one down before we

“T shore am,

get within a mile of the spot.”

“Never saw them wild hosses fight, did yer?”

“Not these particular wild horses.” :

“An’ that blue roan’s a devil!”

‘My money’s on the wolves.”

Poke grinned, ©

“All right.
yer git a fair run fer yer’money, Birffalo.”

i “aig RRs Ccaate evieemnanaserssrene dap athe 6 peer ma

THE: BUPFALO. BIL? STORIES. | a

  
 
 

But yer might as well come on an’ see if

It was noon before the two men came within good eye-

reaching distance of the scene. By that time a dozen

bands of wolves had trailed down into the cafion. They

wolves to every bunch of half-dozen ponies.

It was a great battle in progress.
bunched for defense under the overhanging: cliffs, where
they had beaten a more or less level eke in the
snow during the night. oe

Lean and gaunt as greyhounds, with every rib show-
ing after the privation of the long winter, they were put-
ting up a stiff fight against overwhelming odds.: In the

‘case of such a band of ponies, only the most hardy sur-

. The hungry range is no place
And, save the big, dark

vive the cold months.
for weaklings during the winter.

had corralled the ponies, and there were a half-hundred —

The ponies were |

  
 

  

8 THE BUREALO

roan on whom Poke had set covetous-eyes, none of these
ponies seemed to have fared well on a diet of chaparral
brush. They were in no-apparent condition to put up a
dasting Aphis: 9 412 ‘

 Dhe two. men were near enough—and that without
rousing the attention of either horses or wolves—to see
the roan perfectly. He was a beautiful creatiire—arched
neck, small, supple legs, a good barrel, and a sweeping
mane and tail. Wild horses—especially those strayed
from thé ranch corrals, or born of such strayed stock—
-are usually pretty scrubby-looking creatures; but not so
the blue roan. He was as handsome asa thoroughbred,
‘his action was beautiful to see, and his pluck in fighting

the ravenous wolves was ae

Two. or: three of the ponies had apparently been —

dragged down by the wolves, but in some way had
cleared themselves again, or else the stallion had rescued
them. They were cut abotit the flank, neck, and withers,

and their, sides streaked with blood. But the blue roan
did not show a mark.

The big stallion was making a fight beautiful to see.
The wolf-pack surged to and fro like a crowd of hounds

worrying a boar. They sought to fling themselves in

a body upon first one, then another, of the mares, and in |

doing. so rushed hither and yon, trying to separate the
victim from its mates. Once the whole pack managed to
launch itself upon a single victim, there would be an end

to that pony.

But the wisdom cf the blue roan kept the wolves
at bay. He would not let them combine against a single
victim.. His eyes were apparently turned in all directions
at once, and his charges, made with lightning speed
and a calculation which simply defied wolf tactics, bade
fair, if the magnificent fellow held out, to give the pony
band the victory.

Again and again the watchers saw the roan hurl him-
self at his foes, striking right and left in the midst of
the slobbering pack, and flinging heel strokes. that defied
the eye to follow. At every such rush some harm. was
done the wolves. One or more were sure to be knocked
over, and if the roan could deliver a telling blow, or get
his teeth in a wounded wolf, he was sure to finish it there

and then.

If his drumming hoofs dened squarely, the aalt hit
went over with a crushed skull or a broken spine, and
was completely put out of the fight.

_ Occasionally when a big leader would go down under

 

 

Bie STORIES.

the flying hoofs of the stallion, several of the jealous

dog-wolves would pitch: upon the injured one -and finish
what the horse began. . But the pack. was too- hungry. to
continue old feuds at this time. And they were so much
interested in the horses that they did not observe the
two men. a \

“We've shore got ’em, Buffalo!” exclaimed Poke, in
vast delight.

“Humph!”

“Why, man! they can’t git away.”

“Looks like they couldn’t;” admitted Cody.

“Then what yer talkin’ so doubtful for? Ain't we got
Sein Ph ee

“It seems that the wolves have the first mortgage on
them, Poke.”

“See that thar roan

Apolyon rolled inter one?

Ain’t he Beelzebub an’ Prince
Why, them wolves won't
never haul him down.” |
“They'll starve the bunch out,. then.”
“Say! wot’'ll we be doin’ ?” :
4 Do you reckon to venture into that bunch?”
“Vm game if you be, Buffalo.”
“I suppose we could scare the wolves away.”
“Tf we kin git near enough, you'd say?”
“No use trying to shoot them from here.”
“Right yer be; Buffalo.”
“And if we move much nearer they! Il get wind of us
and scatter, Then they'll get us and the horses both in
that notch and besiege us.’

“What we wanter do is ter throw a scare inter ’em
right from ther start,” declared the-cowboy. :

“How are you goin’ to do that?”

“lt we come down on ‘em sudden, an’ begin to shoot,
an’ knock several of em over, they at hike out for the

horizon—you betcher lite!
“But tell me, Poke, how are we going to get over this

white waste without being seen? us a wonder to me

they haven't spotted us before now,’

They were crouched behind a clump of low trees, and
the snow had ceased falling. If they stood upright it did

seem as though their presence must be observed by the :

snarling, leaping wolves.

“If yer. game ter foller me, I'll eho yea ‘trick yer

ain't never seed before, Buffalo,” declared the big cow-
boy. :

“Tm always ailing to learn. | something new—if it’s
useful,” returned Buffalo Bill.

’

     

 

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jumper.

there were a series of heavy drifts.

 “This’ll be useful,” grinned Poke. “It’s so blamed
useful that it’s goin’ ter give us the vict’ry over them

wolves, ‘and put that thar blue roan into our hands
B - b’sides.

Come on, man, an’ foller yer Uncle Poke!”

g’
f

 

e

‘CHAPTER V..
: UNDER “DH ESN OO Wie

The big cowboy’s move was certainly: startling. And

- it was several moments before Buffalo Bill realized what

he was about to attempt.

Poke tightened his belt, fastened his chaps more se-
curely, and tied his neckerchief outside the collar of his
This was evidently to keep the snow from get-
ting in between his neck and his clothing, His long
riding-gauntlets would keep the stuff out of his sleeves.

Having made these preparations, ,he burrowed under

the crust of the drift, having first got the direction right

in his mind. Between them and the scene of the fight

They could have
walked on top of most of them, because of their crust;

_ but underneath the snow was powdery.

Poke burrowed like a rabbit—or like a willow-grouse.
He was completely out of sight in a few seconds, and
his muffled voice called to Buffalo Bill to “Come on!”

“Well, old hoss!” ejaculated the scout, “if you can
stand that game, J can. Especially as you lead the way.”

The scout dove under the drift also and followed in
the path Poke had begun. He was dressed quite as well

for such work as was his companion, and Poke had the

_ heavy end of the job, anyway.

_ New England people used to tell of snow-storms

wherein the drifts came up to the second-story windows _

of the farm-houses, and from January 1 till February 15

one might reach one’s oe and sheds through a snow-
tunnel.

- But we in the feet never saw such snow-banks as a
good, healthy Western blizzard produces. There were
ten-foot drifts on the level in some valleys. Between
the spot where Buffalo Bill and the cowboy had spied
‘upon ‘the fighting herds of ponies and wolves, and that

particular spot where the fight was taking place, lay a

quarter of a mile‘ef vast drifts, filling hollows and gul-

lies until the entire expanse looked like a level plain. |
Under the frowning red cliff the ponies had trampled

a hard beach | upon the edge of the sea of snow. But

nowhere else did the crust appear ‘broken.

se heielhiansvitaniiidbsi pl sess acne mii pyaar asain gilbert

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

 

Wolves are the redskins of the animal tribe;

“The wolves _

 

 

 

a SR i a i chil

 

a

were light enough to run on the surface without break-
ing through. - :

As Revie stated, the men might have Pecaehe
the scene of battle over the crust, too; but this would
have disturbed the opponents. They wished to surprise
the wolves and frighten them by a sudden onslaught.
if a pack
loses a goodly number right at the start, the remainder
take to their heels and flee. .

Poke Carew’s way of approaching the battle-ground
yet Buffalo Bill might not have
The cowboy, at least, was willing

was not wholly novel}
thought of doing it.
to go through almost any privation and danger to get. his
lariat-over the neck of the leader of the pony. herd.
Buffalo Bill was not carried away with the cow-
puncher’s enthusiasm ; ‘but he could not back out of the
fray. Poke had agreed to accompany him on an entirely
different kind of a round-up after a try for the blue —
roan; and the scout needed the cowboy’s assistance, and
was willing‘so pay for it. | ;
He paid now—in advance. And he hadn’t the worst

of the work, either. Poke burrowed through the. snow,

scrambling it out of the way with his hands, and packing

it beside him, while he kept with perfect judgment ie
beneath the crust. ofthe drift,

It was quite marvelous how the big fellow inade his
If he had left the roof too thick, it would have
if he had bur-

rowed too near the surface, the crust would have cracked

tunnel,

tumbled in on them of its own weight;

and their approach} been noted by either the wolves or
the ponies—perhaps by both.

As for breathing, snow is always porous. An Indian,
or an old plainsman, will roll himself in his blanket when
a blizzard comes up, and allow himself to be .snowed
undér, and snowed over, sometimes to the depth of sev-
eral feet, : There is: no danger, saving when a snow-
slide occurs; then the drift might become so packed that
the sleeper would be unable to dig himself out of the
frozen mass. .

No danger attended the present attempt of Poke and
Buffalo Bill;

tions they had made, oe a snow oes sift in under

only unpleasantness. Despite the prepara-

their garments.
During their subterranean journey they had no means

of knowing how the fight between the -horses and the

wolves was progressing. They could hear nothing under

the snow—not even the sharp yaps of the wolves or the

challenging screams of the ponies.

  

  
 
  

 

 
 
     
 

.. heofs,

   

  

THE BUFFALO

LO

could. see that the top of the tunnel was lighter than
the sides, and so knew that Poke was not burrowing too
deeply.

The big cowboy. ee ‘rapidly, and it was necessary
for Buffalo Bill to keep up. They fairly swam under the
snow-crust, and, in twenty minutes or half an hour, Poke
grunted a word that the scout understood. It was the
leader's jutlgment that they had arrived near enough to
Buffalo

Bill. did not gainsay this, and when Poke leaped up,

the wolves to do some execution with their guns.

breaking the crust and standing waist-deep in the snow,
the scout followed suit. '

_.Poke’s figuring had been exact. They were within
easy pistol-range of the yapping and fighting wolves.

The men jerked- out. their weapons, not at all injured
by: the snow,.and while the frightened and yelling pack
fled along the edges of the ledge under the red cliffs, the
' four guns spat smoke and destruction. Wheh the cylin-
ders were empty the snow-banks were strewn with gray
carcasses and blotches of carmine. The wild ponies, at
ihe first alarm of human presence, had bunched in the
extreme corner of the stamped plateau, their hair on end,
their eyes wildly glaring, and the notch was filled with

their shrill snorts of defiance.

“That blue roan is sure my hoss this time, Buffalo!”
chortled the jubilant Poke.
bet ?” :

“Makin’ any odds on the

“I might, Poke, ] might—if I was a betting man,”
turned the scout.

Tes

“Come on! Use that hosshair rope I give yer, an’ stop

2.99

croakin’,” demanded the cowboy, with some diseust.

He led the way out upon the hard-stamped plateau that
the horses had made in the snow. All around it, saving
on the cliff side, the snow towered, in places over a
It really looked, as Poke said, as though

the ponies were helplessly corralled, and the matter. of

man’s head.

capturing the blue roan was only a question of patience.
f

Once the wolves were beyond range the cow-man was
unable to restrain his eagerness. Whirling his lariat, he
led the way into the middle of the battle-ground,

Had the ponies realized their own strength and weight,
they might haye charged down upon the two men in a
solid phalanx and crushed them to pulp under their hard
‘But the ponies, as a body, were terribly fright-
ened.

Within this small enclosure the wild ponies circled,

    
  

Occasionally, when Buffalo Bill cleared his eyes, he

 

BILL. STORIES.

   
  
 

using their last strength in a dizzy whirl. which carried :
them, likes the spokes of a spinning wheel, round and a
round their tormentors. But. only -one of their number
held the attention of the cow-man and his volunteer as- I
sistant. . This was the big roan stallion, and again and tr
again Poke and Buffalo Bill threw. their ropes, hoping Ff
to entangle him between them.
It was, a strenuous job, and Buffalo Bill became as
excited. as his companion in the chase. It was the wit
and strength of the two men against the agility and en- oC :
durance of the single pony—and it was a pretty battle! » ¢
fe I
: : C
cea a Vi. :
PRIDE HAS A FALL, t
AS Buffalo Bill and Poke. the cowboy, stood in the c
center of this confined circle, and beheld the wild ponies f
plunging madly about them, they were impressed by the :
wonderful endurance, intelligence, and grace displayed:-by § a
the herd. — , t
Leading all was the big roan stallion. Steam parked a; t
_from his nostrils, he tossed his head, and whinnied de- | Z
fiance to the men, and he displayed almost human intelli- I
gence in avoiding the hissing, coiling: riatas.
Throw after throw the cowboy and the.scout made at B. ~
him, and all in vain. The roan seemed to be possessed t
of preternatural powers, and dodged like a wheeling t
hawk, carrying his head between his legs. This maneu- |
ver saved his neck every time. Instead of encircling his — | hi
head and falling around his neck, the noose was flung
across his shoulders and slid harmlessly off, ee
“Great cats!” bawled Poke Carew. “Th’ Old Boy him- et
self is in that pesky critter.” eas gc
“Fe isn’t showing any great fondness to be straddled
by you, Poke,” chuckled Buffalo Bill. Lea in t
Day, you O
The cow-puncher’s dicate knew no. bounds. He e
gritted his teeth and made fling after fling at the circling | b
roan. And every time the creature escaped. They might ee
have roped every other pony in the bunch; but the stal-
lion seemed invulnerable, ee
But finally Poke’s rope fell upon his dines The t]
roan, snorted, leaped straight for the drift shot ie aed :
them in, and began to surmount the .snow-piles, leap .
after leap, sinking belly-deep at each jump, but proving n

   

beyond doubt that he had not remained in the corral 3
   
 

he

the

by ££
ae

fed
de-
lh-

at
sed

eu-
his
Ing

led

   

   

 

Such an exhibition of muscle and force neither Poke
nor the scout had ever beheld. They were, for the mo-
ment, stricken dumb by the sight, and stood watching the

roan. ‘Then Poke “came to life.”

“Great cats!” he yelled. “The critter’s gittin’ away.”

“Looks something like it!” admitted his companion.

Why, he knows we don’t care a tinker’s curse for
these here scrub ponies, an’ that we're arter him! Gee!
Come on, Cody! I ain’t lost him yerk:

With this yell Poke followed the lunging horse, taking
his course along the beaten ledge which the ponies had.
occupied all night.
almost solid footing. In a few seconds he had over-
hauled the plunging pony and made his cast. The roan
did not see it coming this time, for Poke was behind him.

At last the noose fell fairly over his head.

Each man had his lariat fastened about his waist.

. Under the circumstances, as all the advantage was with

them, it would seem that their own weight must hold
the blue roan down. Buffalo Bill followed: along the path
at top speed, hoping to get a successful cast at the horse
likewise.

- But the surprises of the hour were not complete yet.
The blue roan minded Poke Carew’s weight no more
than he would a child’s. When the rope straightened out

the horse did not halt in his plunges for an instant.

He kept on through the drifts—and Poke kept on with
him!

At the first wrench it was as though the cow-man had

“been tackled in a football rush. He went headlong into

tite drift. And did he stop? Not so that it was per-
ceptible to the naked eye.

He was as tightly fastened to one a of the rope as

the roan pony was to the other end. The animal made ~

off across the drifts, occasionally finding the crust heavy
enough to bear him; but every few yards he would sink
belly-deep, and it would take several seconds to extricate
himself, ae \

When these hold-ups occurred Buffalo Bill could see—
and likewise hear—Poke trying to untangle himself from
the drifts and the rope; but he was balled badly by both.
Before he could get free, off the pony would start again,
_and the cowboy would either shoot through, or over, the
“next drift with a velocity that. oe made his head
swim,

THE BUEFALO

from compulsion, but to protect the weaker ponies from_
the onslaught of both the wolves and the men. |

This gave him the advantage of »

NAN i 4 ie Lee Ne te A yur a i pin srccbonnarii aL,
* : ; ae a ~- ik

BILL STORIES. | at

   

There was a deep sink in the middle of the valley.
This was what gave it the name of “cafion.”’ A frozen
creek was at the bottom, and the walls of this sink were
as steep as the cliffs which surrounded the valley itself.

Nothing balked
him, and occasionally he would rush down a frozen drift,
and Poke’s body would shoot out from the top, hurtle
through the air, and land ahead of him with a thud that

awoke the echoes of the valley.

The roan made for this steep place.

Such gyrations on the part of the helpless hor
usually frightened the roan so that he darted away on
another tangent. These turns made it impossible for
Buffalo Bill to overtake the pair at first. And the scout
was worried about Poke, too. It looked sometimes as
though the wild horse was merely jerking a bag of bones
at the end of the lariat. It didn’t seem as though any
live man could stand’ such treatment as the cowboy was
receiving, .

For, after that first explosive testimony to his surprise,
Poke never uttered a word. He kept right on moving=~
when the pony went ahead; but his opinion of the pro-
ceedings was hidden in his own bosom.

At the brink of the “sink” Buffalo Bill hoped the couple
would be stayed. But the roan had no idea of allowing
Buffalo Bull to catch G Ve the procession if he could
bei it

He dove over the verge of the helen a good deal like
a fish-hawk making a swoop after the jumping trout. He
gathered his four little feet up under him and launched
himself like a bird flying. It was a wonderful leap.

And as he flew through the air, Poke bounded after
him,..hitting the high places only, and followed by a
miniature slide that, eathering force and bulk as it went,
threatened to bury horse oO man. both at thé bottom
of the descent.

* Poke was jerked after the wild horse a good deal like
a tin can tied to a dog’s tail. And when the roan finally
crashed through the crust; of a cone of snow at the bot-
tom, being mired completely for a few moments, the im-
petuous Poke went over him and lay breathless beyond.
He was so exhausted, indeed, that he did not seek to
Buffalo Bill

was quite sure, when he reached the summit of the sharp

untangle himself when he had the chance.

descent, that both horse and cowboy were killed.

The roan began ta struggle mightily after a moment,
however. Buffalo Bill looked about him, saw the broken
stub of a tree in the cliff side, and took a lasting hitch _

     
Dl | THE BUPPALO

 

   

around it with his lariat. Then he cast the noose, which
fell nicely over the wild pony’s head as he rose up from
the snow-drift.

““Mebbe

you can yank a man after you, but you'll have trouble

“There, consarn ye!” exclaimed the scout.

starting that stump.”

The tree was either too hard and fast in the frozen soil,

or the roan was now exhausted. After a tug or two, he
stood, shiyering, his eye still wild and glaring, but unable

to release himself, 4

About this time Poke came to the discovery that he
was still a live man, and that it behooved him to get un-
_ tangled. He sat up, released himself from the rope, and
staggered to his feet. _

“Great cats i? gasped the cow-puncher, when his head
stopped whirling, and he could clearly make out Buffalo
Bill standing on the hill above him. “I’m pesky glad I
didn’t buy no round-trip ticket! I'll walk back, if yer

(7?

ain’t no objection!

CHAPTER VIL
BUSTING’ THE ROAN.

The peril through which he had passed served to move
Poke Carew not the slightest. Men becomé so used to
running the gamut of danger in the wilds that little re-

mark is expected when one has a hairbreadth escape.

Buffalo Bill had really not expected to hear the cow-
puncher’s voice again. That he proved only to have been
knocked breathless by the gyrations of the pony brought
forth no comnient from the scout. He immediately gave
his aid in tightening the bonds of the stallion which had

led the wild pony band.

Poke carried his lariat out to another tree in a differ-
ent direction from the stalled pony, and there they had
him helpless. He could not bring his full strength to

_ bear upon either rope.

They camped right there and made a hot meal. Poke

admitted feeling “a bit strained,’ so Buffalo Bill went
back alone for the horses. It was moonlight when they
got the roan out of the drift, and by keeping short, taut
lines on him, passing around his neck and hitched to the
pommels of their saddles, the cow-puncher. and the scout

dragged the wild horse forth from Sandstone Cason.

‘More than twenty-four hours had been used in this

The wild one had to be

chase of Poke’s new mount.

 

 

 

BILL SPORLES,

broken at once, ae and Buffalo Bill chafed under ne
delay. .

When they got back to the warmer side of the hills,
the weather had changed, the grass appeared in patches
again, freshened by the moisture from the snow, and
a warm wind was blowing up from the deserts of the
south. Perhaps this was the last of winter’s storms.

The roan was staked out while the men rested; but
Poke did not propose that the wild pony should obtain
much rest. He roped one of the roan’s forefeet, drew
it up to his belly so that if he reared he would fall over,
and then proceeded to buckle the heavy Mexican saddle
upon the snorting, squealing horse.

This was no job for a weakling. The/blue roan was as
wicked as the devil, and, although it had never felt whip,
spur, or galling quirt in his life, he seemed to understand
that what was going forward meant his complete sub-
jection to the will of man.

Twice he plunged forward on his nose and rolled head-

long on the turf. But he could not break away. When

he pulled at the riatas too hard he was choked, and finally

he stood and bore the indignity of being cinched. And

: he was cinched well.

He buckled on the Mex-
ican saddle as though he expected it to stay there for-
ever. Then he went at the roan’s head and forced the
bit into his mouth. This was accomplished with con-
siderable danger as well as trouble.

Poke left nothing to chance.

Had the pony been
able to seize the cowboy he would have bitten him to
death. i

“Never you mind; we'll sure be a lovin’ couple inside
of a week,” declared Poke, ,

fore. They’re like wimmin.

“T’ve seed these fellers be-

 

they overrides ye; but show ’em you're boss
there, Beauty !”

Whoa

“Beauty” rose up and tried to paw holes in the at-
mosphere just then, and Poke’s philosophical remark was
spoiled.

Buffalo Bill stood by, highly -entertained—if one can
be said to be entertained when he is viewing a: catch-as-
catch-can wrestle that may result in the human antagonist
getting his neck broken.

Poke, however, was on his mettle. He was, fhe ant
pion bronco-buster of the Cormorant range, and he had

his reputation to keep untarnished,

He got a grip at last, short up on the bridle, and like-
wise on the roan’s nigh ear with the same hand. Grab-

at
2

       

If ‘yer too easy with ’em,

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_mal-de-mer, as the Parley-voos call it,”

' mind to unseat his rider.

breaking is no ladylike art.

bing the saddle-pommel he vaulted off the ground, and, as
the roan bucked, Poke straddled him and “found his
seat.” His feet caught the stirrups and he shifted his
bridle-hold and brought down the quirt across the mus-

tang’s flank.

Thé¢ animal bucked again and squealed most Oe

4 _ It was the first time he had ever felt the cut of the lash,

and it made him wild. Luckily he was still staked out
with the two riatas, and they held in spite of his plunges.

Poke was like a burr when once seated. Any horse
would have to get down and roll to break his leg-grip.
But it was some minutes before the cowboy considered it
advisable to have the lariats cast off.

“T wanter git used ter his motion so’s not ter have th’
explained Poke.
“This is sure a nice rockin’-hoss for a child ter ride—
ain’t it? Whoo—hup! Whar yer gwine, Beauty?”

The roan tried about all the tactics known to the equine
He stood on his forefeet and
kicked heavenward ; then he rose on his hind legs and

_ seemed about to fall over backward. He snorted and

plunged, and kicked and whinnied, and otherwise showed
his objection to being straddled by mere man.

Poke was finally satisfied that he could stick to the sad-
dle, and that the: roan was in a condition of mind and
body to stand a run.

‘Cast loose, Cody, and then stand from under!’ yelled
the reckless cowboy.

There was no stich thing as getting the lariat nooses
off the pony; but Buffalo Bill ran to first one stub and
then the other, and cast loose the hitch. The roan felt
that he was. partially free, at least. With a wild snort he

started straight” ‘away across the plain, leaping like a»

frightened kangaroo, the two lariats whipping in the wind
behind him, occasionally touching him up on the rump,
and Poke working overtime with the quirt.

The roan had started to run away. The lash forced
him to gallop. faster and faster. Soon he was all a-froth,
his limbs were shaking, his nostrils and lips dripped
blood, and his sides weré roweled unmercifully.

It was dreadful torture for the poor beast. Horse-
A wild horse has been

broken by kindness ; but Poke Carew did not have a year

or two to*waste in the occupation.

First of all the animal must learn that he has a master, i

Be master is sufficient; he must obey a will besides
his own,

He may still be unridable by every other cow-

THE BUFFALO

ipo cece apa hha:

Be <i lla ilighduaRRi lp epimsasiesch peu shy ag MARE AP oth re i a ne SN a ln RT am ath ae ea ate :
a pe a a eee Reg OLR Yoweri tee oT a Sr a tat a ela le A east
iy ; ; a a eee ae

  
  

     
 

BILL, SLORIES.

 

puncher on the range; but he must learn that Poke
Carew could overmaster him,

And the poor creature learned that fact a
during the next few hours. It was bone-labor and sheer
endurance that accomplished it. The man could stand
more abuse than the horse. That afternoon the cowboy
and Buffalo Bill started for. the_lower plains, the con-
quered roan traveling between their horses, roped to each,
and with head hanging.

But from that moment—or from the moment that the
roan gave up—Poke treated him with nothing but kind-
ness. He never passed him without a pat and some lit-
tle attention. He fed him hard bread and sugar from
his “war-bag.” Poke Carew knew horse nature thor-
oughly, and it looked as though, as he had boasted, he

and the roan would be a loving couple before many days.

 

CHAPTER VIII.
“RING AROUND THE ROSY.”

The renegade Utes, under Wolf Fang, the half-civi-
lized chief, had created sad havoc the length and breadth
Although they had left their
winter camp but the fortnight before, they had raided

of the Cormorant range.

extensively, and several ranches had been fired, and the
people murdered.

Captain Caverly’s forces were quite unable to cope in
a pitched battle with the reds; but the troopers harassed —
Wolf Fang and his band: and the Indians had been
thoroughly frightened by the wonderful escape of the
whites from ambush near the Little Missouri ford.

The braves hesitated now to follow Wolf Fang. They
had believed in him at first; but at the first opportunity
to meet the pony-soldiers of the Great Father at W asi
ington, their leader’s plans had’ fallen through.

When the ambush had been ready, and the Indians
were panting for the fray, the troopers had been mys-
teriously warned of their danger, had gone around the
ambuscade, and had attacked the reds with much slaugh-
ter on the flank. |

In the several days that had elapsed since this skirmish,
the reds had continued to sullenly retire, harassed con-

_tinually by the troops, afraid to give battle squarely, and

unable to surround and crush Captain Caverly’s small

command. |
Buffalo Bill had left the command, as we have seen,

and had apparently been more interested in the capture

  
14 a THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

of a wild. pony eet the range than in the putting down of
Wolf Fang’s rebellion. 3
ever, and now ‘that Poke Carew, the cowboy, had caught
and “busted” the blue roan stallion, the two set about
the work that Buffalo Bill had in view, and which he
had interested Poke in from the start. :
Before he went back to the Cormorant Ranch in tri-

umph with DNs. roan, Poke had agreed to accompany Buf-

falo Bill on a raid which few men saving Poke and the
famous scout himself would have’ cared to undertake.
The scout knew well enough that the Indians were
already shaky. Their belief in Wolf Fang was slipping
away. And, at the best, remove him from the party, and
the reds would quickly plead for peace. Wolf Fang was
‘really quite a strategist ; Cody’ feared that he might ar-
range some campaign of conquest that would spell suc-
cess and inspire his followers with belief in his ability
again.
determined, to get him under control.

In other words, Buffalo Bill had made up his mind to.

capture Wolf Fang himself—to kidnap him out of the
very midst of his followers! It was a scheme worthy of
the scout’s daring brain; and in Poke Carew, the bronco-
_ buster, he had just the reckless spirit to aid in the task.
Once down in the lower plains, where spring had
placed its undeniable stamp upon all nature, the scout
and the bronco-buster soon struck the trail of Wolf
_Fang’s band.

Small parties of the young braves had scoured some
neighborhoods, and, although two or three bands had
been rounded up © a Caverly’ s men, the Indians
‘continued ‘ “sassy...”

This fact was proven to Buffalo Bill and his comrade
the very day they struck the low range of foot-hills. No
news being good news, they jogged along without much
expectation of sighting the hostiles.
ever, a group of dark, moving figures appeared on the
distant horizon-line.

“Bet that’s a bunch of cows from the home ranch,”
declared Poké, eying the moving objects; “‘an’ they’re
“at a swinging gait, too. What’s up, I wonder?”

oo URS 2 bunch of cattle, all right,” ey Buffalo Bill,
unslinging his field-glasses.

“That’s what I said.” mt

“But they're not being driven by your men, Poke.”

“Ugh-huh?” queried the cowboy.

“No,” replied Buffalo Bill decidedly.
thought.” > —

er hats what 1

He had an object in mind, how-_

. Before Wolf Fang could do this, the scout had |

At midday, how-—

topped boulders.

“Hello, old hoss!

cowboy.

“Take a squint,” observed the scout, Base: over his
glasses.

Poke grabbed them and did as he was told.
minute he gave utterance to an angry yell.

In a

“Them’s Injuns!” he cried. “/an’ they’ve rustled more
Cormorant cattle, I'll be bound !” a

“Safe bet, Poke.” -

“Great cats! if I didn’t have this here roan hoss——”

“What would you do?”

“T’d like to meet up with ’em—by ginger, I would!’
- Buffalo Bill had returned to his scrutiny of the moving
specks again.

“Don’t worry, Poke,” he advised,

- “Alen?”

“You haven’t got to lose any sleep over it.”

“Over what, old hoss?” demanded the cow-puncher.
“You're not gaing to miss your friends, the reds.
They’re coming this way—at least, a couple of dozen of

: BO treed
them-are.”

“Yer don’t mean it, Buffalo?”

“T do, indeed!” assured the scout, closing his glasses
and glancing around the vicinity.

“Seen us, heh?’

“Looks like it.”

“We better dig out ?”.

“Thought you wanted to meet ’em?”

“That was jest plain, ornery bluff,” admitted Poke,
grinning. “I allus kalkerlate ter use strategy with reds.”
We haven't.
remarked Buffalo Bill coolly.

“All right, . Jest

The scout never traveled by daylight without seeing
the defensive positions along his route.

“They've got fresh horses. _No use run-

ning,”

Jest as you say, Buffalo.’

He had already,
before the redskins appeared, picked out one or two

places in sight which promised better shelter in a fight 9

against odds than the open plain.

On a-hillock a mile or so away were three round-

in that direction and whipped up his-mount. or
“Think we can do anya to them Hon; there ?’

queried Poke.
“Looks like there would be a hollow up there, er:

haps big enough to shelter the horses and us, too. We'll
take a look at it.”

What’s eatin’ yer?’ demanded the |

 

 

 

 

ee

Without further word the scout pointed _

 

 

 

     

    
  

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. The blue roan was forced on between their mounts,
and in a short time they surmounted the slope and stopped
-at the. summit, As. Buffalo Bill suspected, there was an
eons buffalo-wallow between the three boulders.

In the old days when the buffalo herds were so plentiful
on the plains, this would have been an excellent sentinel-
post for the guardian bulls of the herd. The rocks
offered obstacles for them to rub against, and the males
had wallowed there between the three rocks until a sink
four feet or more deep had been made. This was now
| sod-covered, of course, and was like a miniature fort, or
| breastworks.

- ‘Well, well,’ said Poke, taking the matter as coolly
“This looks good to
Reckon I'll drop.in.an’ hang up my hat.”

as though he were on a picnic.
“Glad you like it,’ grunted the scout, who, although
he did not know fear, realized that they were likely to

‘be in-a very hot corner when the Indians reached them.
| _ “How many of ’em are they, did you say?”

1 twenty and more. They have separated
‘som the’ cattle,

enough to herd the cows while they round us up.”

: Buffalo Bill had climbed to the top of one of the
boulders, and thus reported. There was no use in trying
.to hide.
they had seen their run for shelter. .
( The Indians were now less than a mile away, and were
‘tearing toward the hillock, their horses showing every
Buffalo Bill recognized the
head-dresses of the Utes, and knew that they must be
a part of Wolf Fang’s band.

a
appearance of freshness,

' “They'll have a-sweet time of it nailing us, Buffalo,”
declared Poke cheerfully.

a “No use boasting, This bunch mean business. Twelve
to one is rather bigger odds than I’m used to tackling.”
“Great cats! Ain’t one white man as good as a dozen
of these ornery reds?’
“And we with nothing bigger than Colts to play with?”
growled Buffalo Bill, for neither he nor Poke had a
rifle.

Ks <My little, old Colts against every bum gun they’ve
got! An’ Injun can’t shoot straight, anyway !”
oe That may. be:
‘into range of our pistols.”
bane owe 1?

even if me can’t (abn straight, if they send the

But they can reach us without getting

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

-some of their blamed hides?” complained Poke.

Evidently they have left

The reds knew that they were white men, and

barrel of his Colt revolver.

bullets this way thick enough, some of them are likely
to hit. alee
“Well, that might be, fae ‘But don't cry. about it fae

falo,’ gibed Poke, who coed be serious, even in the

face of such danger as now confronted him,

There were, as’ Buffalo Bill had counted, over a. score
of the savages. They swept up the slope on their ponies,
yelling like fiends, tossing their war spears, and occa-
sionally shooting with the old-fashioned rifles with which
most of them were armed. That the redskin is seldom
a good shot with a gun is a notorious fact; but the ping
of the bullets on the rocks was not an encouraging sound.

The reds were not looking to come too near, however.
Although the whites withheld their fire, the enemy did
not come within pistol-range at first. They circled
around, and, lying low on their'ponies’ necks, rode furi-
ously about the hillock, making the summit where Buffalo
Bill and Poke Carew were hiding the center of the ring.

“Why don’t they come up where a feller can puncture
“This
playin’ ‘ring around the rosy’ ain’t no way to fight. Great
cats! ain't the pesky beggars got pluck enough to come
ter close quarters?”

“IT wouldn’t mind if they kept this up as long as they’re
around here,”

“Huh!

“Ah!” exclaimed the scout, after a moment.

responded Buffalo Bill calmly.

I want action; I do!”
“Vou

are going to get it—all you want of it, I fancy! Look

out for them, Poke!”
As he spoke the Indians, with shriller whoops, made
a rush up the hill from all points of the compass at

once,

CHAPTER IX.
HOT WORK.

The war-whoops of the Indians were wild enough to
make the blood of a tenderfoot run cold.

But Poke was an old Indian-fighter; and, besides, the
bronco-buster would have fought a bag of wildcats as
cheerfully as he ate his dinner.

As coolly as Buffalo Bill himself, the cowboy lay there
on the side of the hollow and sighted over the blunt
Each man had two of the
Both
men, within proper distance, could hit the edge of a silver

weapons, and each gun held six deadly bullets.

  

   
   
    
   

quarter—and_ that is . marvelous gona let it be known,
for the barrel of a revolver will usually tremble a bit.
The besieged held their fire while the redskins raced

their ponies up the hillock, converging from every side,

and evidently expecting to charge and override the
_ whites. ae :
Buffalo Bill’s eye was no more true for distances than
his companion’s. Almost instantly, and in unison, the
four guns began to bark. The forty-five-caliber bullets
did telling execution as the ponies carried their red mas-
, ters nearer. Two of the horses rolled on the sward, and
thregother 1 riders pitched over backward and rolled dead

i from their horses’ backs.

Again and again the four guns blazed forth, and al-
“most every bullet was embedded in either horse- -flesh or
human flesh, The savdges could not stand an an on-
slaught. W hen within but a few yards of the top of the
hillock, their ponies swerved, and all fled helter-skelter

from the vicinity of the three boulders.

SAC that, Poke leaped up with q yell and emptied his
. revolvers at their retreating forms, The hillside was a
sight to see! Four horses were down and six warriors
-were either dead or unable to crawl off the field of

battle.

‘The rout: of the Indians was, for the moment, com-
plete. Poke was for rushing out and finishing the sorely
wounded; but Buffalo Bill stopped him.
“No use; they're coming back!” he said.
It was a fact. The Hconoaed Indians almost i imme-
diately returned to the ch large,
. “Load up!’ cried the scout, ‘hades his action to the
“word. : |
: But the savages did not come far into range. They
were only collecting the wounded, Two would ride past
the prostrate man, who would put up his hands, and the
riders , seized the

wounded brother and bore hid out of the zone of danger.

leaning from their ponies’ backs,
_ Buffalo Bill picked off two. more, however, while this
was being done.. But Poke’s pistols were unaccountably
silent. a

“What the dakeus is he matter Suh you, Poke? ?” de-
-manded.the scout, in surprise.

_ “Heh?” granted the cowboy, his voice oddly strained,

“Why don’t ay ce up and shoot?” demanded the

scout again.

“I say, pard, nev ye got another ca’tridge?” drawled

1a oc ‘THE BUFFALO BIL.

‘that for?’

over.

STORIES.

Poke.
last one out o’ my belt!
The cowboy spoke as, though his discovery ‘was the

elm blest if that thar i didn't 2 Du wk ey’ry

simplest in the world, and of mighty little. iniportance.
But Buffalo Bill realized instantly that this Se eht
might mean death to them both.

He ‘could supply Poke with a share of his own car-
tridges, and they would fit Poke’s guns all right; but he
was not too well supplied himself.

“Vou reckless chump!” he exclaimed, when. he had
recovered his breath. ‘“‘What did you want to go and do

“That's it! drawled Poke. “I de-

serve it—I shore do!”

Chuck it into me!”

“And you just discovered your loss oe

“That's right!’ | :

“Well, you are the most careless galoot I ever ran
up against.” |
admitted the other.
“You

;

“That’s me, Buffalo—that’s me,”
“Hang that blue roan, anyway !’’ snarled Cody.
_ didn’t have to have him!”
-“Waal—I got him!”
And Poke said this with some apparent satisfaction.
“Here! Load up!” commanded Buffalo Bill, passing
him a handful of cartridges. “But don't you throw one

away. We've got to make ’em last.”

“Better cut ‘em,in ha’f so’s to make ‘em last longer, .

hadn't [?” grinned the reckless bronco-buster.

But Buffalo Bill had no retort for’ this. Besides, the
Indians reformed, rode. nearer, and began to take long
shots at the whites -on the hilltop. They seemed to have
discovered that the latter had only pistols and could npi
shoot far. They did not risk their own precious carcasses

within range for a while.

But the very fact that the whites did not reply to them
gave the scoundrels-confidence. They rode nearer, and
some stray bullet was almost sure to do damage on the
lilop. 3) 2s | ;

Poke had his cap 5 hoe away, and Buffalo Bill got two

bullets through his clothes. Suddenly one of the horses

—the one Cody had ridden—squealed loudly and keeled | | .

An Indian bullet had found its vitals! wr

“Keep on like that and we'll all walk back!” growle d
Poke Nr Be. oe
“Tf we walk at all;” responded the scout.
touched your roan, Carew.”
' The wild pony nets with sudden. rage ak began

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heavy piece of horse-furniture into the air.

to kick about him. A stray bullet had creased him along

“view of the Indians.

 

 

the side, and the red-hot “feel” of the bullet enraged the
rean beyond measure.

His. plunges fairly dragged the dead horse to which
he was hitched, as well as to the live one remaining.

The latter began to squeal and plunge, too. But the

‘blue roan went perfectly mad! It was another paroxysm

of his rage at being quelled by the bronco-buster. That
burning sensation along his hide was as bad as a brand-
ing-iron—something that the roan had yet to feel and
realize.

“They'll both be off in a moment!’ exclaimed Buffalo
Bill, and he sprang up, running the risk of the bullets
himself, and ran to the head of the nearest horse.

This chanced to be, the At the mo-
ment the wild pony snapped the lariat which attached
him to this living creature, and the rebound sent both
the horse and Buffalo Bill to earth.

_ Therefore the scout became only an onlooker—and a
much perturbed one—in the scene that followed,

Poke had already run toward the roan; but the shock
of the broken rope only cast the beast to its knees; it

“tame” animal.

was up and sprang forward again, bringing up’ with a
terrific shock at the end of the other lariat.
This rope did not part. But in falling dead, the first
horse had broken its saddle-girth. Now the roan fairly
“yanked” the heavy saddle off the dead pony, and, feel-
ing himself comparatively free at last, sprang forward
again. : ;
It was just at this moment that Poke caught him. The
béast was not saddled, but the extra bridle Poke had
brought with him was still in place. The bronco-buster
did not hesitate a second, but flung himself upon the
bare back of the wild stallion and grabbed the bridle.
~ His phenomenal strength and knowledge of the man-
agement of horses might have aided Poke in quelling the
mad creature—or, at least, in throwing him, had it not
been for an untoward incident just at this juncture.
| The roan had sprung forward, feeling merely the

weight of ‘the saddle behind him; but Poke’s first mighty

- tug at the reins had brought him up short.

They were upon the verge of the round sink, in plain
The roan was on its hind legs—

almost ane On its haunches, in fact.

But the jerk given to the released saddle yanked that
It was flung
forward and slammed against the hinder parts of the
wild pony. :

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

There was no stopping the roan then. He forgot that

he had been mastered once by this “two-legged thing”
that straddled him. Fear rode him harder than did the
broneo-buster, and with a leap and a bound he went over
the ridge and straight down the slope wee the. startled
bunch of savages.

Buffalo Bill and the remaining horse became untangled,
The
scout had presence of mind enough to hold the frightened

and both rose to their feet at about this moment.

mount; but he could do nothing to retard the runaway
of the blue roan, of Poke, and of the bounding saddle.

The sight of those three careening down the fill,

straight at the bunched Indians, was something that Buf-

falo Bill would not soon forget. And the principal point
in his memory was that the cowboy was involuntarily
charging the savages, quite unarmed!

Poke hadn't charged his guns with the cartridges vhs
scout had handed him. Indeed, both his pistols lay where
he had dropped them on the ground.

With a shout of alarm the scout sprang astride the re-
maining horse, gathered up the reins, and urged him
To the Indians it looked like a

deliberate sortie on the part of the two white men. It

after the charging roan.

was the act of insane men, and the startling incident for

the moment paralyzed the redskins!

MS

CHAP ERIC OS:
THE BLUE ROAN’S SNAKE-DANCE.

One of their
to harm the

Indians are nothing if not superstitious.
inbred beliefs is that it is “bad medicine”
insane. The actions of these whites from tthe start had
puzzled the Utes.

The deadly certainty of their pistol-shots when the red-
skins rode in range had appalled the latter ; now the ap-
parent attempt of the two to ride down eight times their
number actually started a panic in the ranks oF the
reds.

Poke, on the wild pony, came down the hill, the saddle
bounding after them, and the cowboy yelling at the top
of his voice and lashing his mount with the quirt that
Behind him tore’ Buffalo Bill,
seemingly quite as determined to make havoc of his life.

hung from his wrist.

~Some of the Utes suddenly recognized the scout as
‘Tong Hair,” their deadly and much-feared enemy. The
appearance of the famous scout gave the Indians the
surprise of their lives,

   
   
    

   

\

(i

     
 

18 THE:.BUFFALO HILE- STORIES.

Believing Poke Carew, the cowboy, insane, they with-
held their fire; now Buffalo Bill’s presence on the hillock
made the bullets from the redskins’ guns, when they
were discharged, fly wild.

Neither of the whites were hit—nor their mounts.
The next moment they were:in the midst of the Indians,
and Long Hair had:shot two of the savages dead, while
the maddened roan, to which Poke clung, bowled over
an Indian pony and its rider, and trampled viciously
on: both

Meanwhile the band of cattle that had been rustled
by the reds had come up more slowly. Some half-dozen
of the young: men herded the band, but they had been
more interested in the skirmish go ing on at the knoll
than in watching their charges.

Poke pointed to the cattle and-yelled to Buffalo Bill.
The latter understood; and he stuck spurs into his mount
and followed after the reckless Carew and the “¥oan
pony.

In half a minute they were among the half-wild cattle.
The surprise of the ponies’ rush, and the wild yelling of
Poke, set the steers by the ears in a moment.

Snorting and bellowing, the cattle started on a dead
run for the river. They. were stampeded instantly, and

he Indians trailing behind could do nothir ng with them
Their ponies were not trained to turn and guard the
Savage steers,

But Poke and the scout got through the herd, and
kept it between them and the reds

wonderful advantage. Their mounts—especially the blue

roan—had regained their ee during the ficht on the

ant
hilltop, and were quite as fresh now as the Indians’

ponies.

When he could, Poke halted, Buffalo Bill held the

roan, the cowboy drew in the half-battered saddle; and

it was strapped securely onto the wild pony’s back. The
p

roan had had punishment enough, anyway, and he be-
haved very decently after that:

When the steers reached the river. they plunged down
the high bank and were piled up in the shallow water,

half of them being drowned or injured. Meanwhile the

Their escape. from the.redskins had been. almost
uous; but so used were these men to danger and

74> eS Se tintan ancl -} S
hardship that they merely congratulated each other with

,

minute later Poke was complaining of his ill-luck
cause he had left his guns behind on the hillock.

They were in no condition to go back after the wei
ons, however, as Buffalo Bill grimly pointed Out,
deed, they kept on without rest until they chanced
come upon a strong camp of the cow-men where
bronco-buster got a new saddle, a pair of guns, ‘anc
new supply of cartridges.

The other cow-men were loud in their praises becat
Poke Carew had made good his promise and secured :
roan leader of the wild pony herd; but the bronco-bus
paid little attention to this, He was thoroughly imbt
with the idea of following out. Buffalo Bill’s plan
a capture of a more momentous nature than 1 that
Beauty, as he called the roan.

The attack of the rédskins had made Poke even m
eager to “get hunks” with them. The score was gett}
big, and he wanted to settle it. To kidnap the Ute lead
Wolf Fang, would quite suit Poke’s bill.

Buffalo Bill obtained another mount from this can
But Poke stuck to Beauty. The wild stallion need
work—and punishment. He got both from Poke. Ho
ever, the stallion began to whinny after his master, a
would nose about his pockets for hardtack and sug
instead of striving to bite him when he came near.

They went on, riding east and south, and marking 1
passage at several points of both the Utes in their m
nd Captain Caverly’s handful of troopers.
Indians were encamped, it was reported, near the ba

est
oO
Oo
a
©

of the Little Missouri at a place known as Peterso
Lick. It was a salt flat which became a swamp wk
the waters were very high, but was naturally defenc
by an impenetrable oak-scrub on one side and a cz
of rocks at either end which could be guarded by a hat
ful of braves. The river was too deep and too swift
this point to encourage any enemy to attack from tl
side.

Buffalo Bill and his companion kept on down
other side of the great river, however, for the Way Vv
free of Indians, they having some distaste for that bz
where the troopers had already trounced them two
three times,

The white scout and his cowboy companion did
meet any of the soldiers. He had arranged with Capt
Caverly to be absent during the entire campaign, if n
be. But the astute scout hoped to report—and with 1
expectedly good news—to the cavalry commander bef

many days had elapsed.

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

pony came out on the run.

 

 

 

did BUPFALO BILL STORIES. : 19

The two scouts camped on the night after leaving the

cow-camp in a hollow, part of which was an enclosed

‘rocky glen, where a little verdant grass grew, and where

the wild pony could be safely picketed. The horse Buf-
falo Bill rode could be trusted to remain near its master.
~The halt was made some time before sundown, as they
had traveled far, being on the hoof since three o'clock
in the morning. While supper was in progress there
was suddenly an eruption of sound from the natural
corral where the horses were confined, and the tame
Buffalo Bill caught and hob-
bled it; but Poke ran to see what was happening to
Beauty.

The wild stallion’s screams of rage rang clarionlike

through the glen, and with this and the crashing of

bushes, was a strange whirring sound that was not at

once understood by either Poke or the scout, who soon

followed him.

When they came into view of the proceedings going
on within the glen, they were aware instantly of the
nature of this peculiar sound. In the center of the
glade was the big stallion jumping: up and down, stamp-
ing, kicking, leaping now and then high from the ground,
and generally acting in a most demented manner.

a9
!

“Great cats!” ejaculated Poke. “That-hoss has plumb

gone loco!” ae

“Not a bit ef it!” cried Buffalo Bill, book at that,
will your” ,

“Great snakes!” exclaimed the cowboy, varying his
expression of astonishment for once.

And snakes they were—a dozen or more of them!
Their rattling was the strange noise that had puzzled
the men at first. o

a

The stallion was animated by the most intense rage.

He was trampling the snakes to death, and charged them

with a fury, yet with a caution, that was marvelous to
pehold. oe \ |

Several of the rattlers were already dead—cut to
pieces by his sharp. hoofs. The’ others were hissing

Baran

venomously and coiling over the ground a

   

“though

stirred by a pole. The horse wag not in the least afraid ©

of them, but he manifested a most vicious desire to
mangle and kill the reptiles.

~ He would rush at them as they lay coiled, and leap
into the air as they struck at him. Then his forefeet
would come down, playing a devil’s tattoo upon their
bodies, and the snakes would be cut asunder almost im-
mediately. All this without gne of the snakes getting in
a single deadly stroke.

As the stallion mangled one big fellow another snake
sprang at his nose. The stallion leaped Becle and then
seized it in his strong teeth, crunched it once, and then
dropped the writhing pieces to the ground!

Again and again the pony charged the nest of rat-
tlers, and not until every one was dead did he desist and
trot, whinnying with triumph, around the glen.

“Great cats!” repeated Poke. “I ain’t goin’ to be

“afraid of no redeye while that air stallion air in my

possession. ‘Cause why? If I see snakes, he’s bound to
kill em! :

“Talk erbout a snake-dance! Ain’t that-the purtiest
snake-dance yer ever see, Buffalo? Why, I wouldn't tike
his weight in Injun sculps for that thar pony!”

Nevertheless, both men thought the rocky corral rather
a dangerous place for the horses, and tethered them near
the fire affer supper. There were, as Poke himself ad-
‘mitted, more dangerous “‘varmints’ even than rattle-
snakes in this river bottom.

They did not fear Indians, however, for Buffalo Bill

had “back-tracked” before they made this camp, and

had seen no signs of the redskins on this side of the

river. There were other savage enemies in the jungle

along the river, nevertheless.

CHAPTER XI.
(AINA GEE VISITOR.

With all their feeling of confidence, however, Buffalo
Bill did #08 advise both sleeping at once. yNo need of
courting peril, he said, although Poke grumbled a good
deal at the idea of keeping watch.

“Oh, go to sleep and be assured of your beauty,” phe

served the scout, with grim sarcasm, for the cowboy was

 
 

20

 

a notably homely individual. “I'll stand first watch. I'll
wake you at midnight.” :

The camp was not disturbed, although the horses
were frequently restless. Buffalo Bill could not wholly
understand this latter, and twice before-he awoke his
companion he made a quiet circle of the encampment.
He heard no sound of human marauder, that was sure.
As fot the wild denizens of the forest, many of them
know how to step so lightly that man’s ear cannot distin-
guish the sound.

The

wind makes the tree-branches whisper together, and ani-

There is always'a rusia | in the forest at night.

mals small and great are at large during the hours of
darkness. The scout could distinguish many of these
prowling creatures by their faint cries; what should
cause the horses so much disturbance, however, he could
not learn.

He mentioned this puzzling thing to Poke when he
awoke the cowboy about midnight.

“There’s something around the camp; but what or who
said Buffalo Bill, as the
big fellow yawned and rolled out of his blanket. :

. “Aw, shucks!

“Well,

33

it is £ can’t make out, Poke,”

Ain't you seein’ goblins?”
perhaps I am. I'd like to get’ a shot at a
goblin,” returned Buffalo Bill grimly.
“Them’s ha’mless beasts, I’ve hearn tell. Only show
up to kids at night. You need sleep, sonny.”

Showing that ‘Poke took mighty little stock in the
warning the scout had given him. Buffalo Bill believed

_ that the cowboy would honestly keep his watch, however,
and as he was dog-tired himself, he dropped to sleep al-
most instantly.

Now, Poke’s weakness has been pointed out before.
Unknown to Buffalo Bill, the cowboy had secured a little
“bug-juice’” at the cow-camp the day before, and he was
hiding it in his saddle-bag. He reached for it now and
finished the flask—as an “eye-opener.”

Spirits are not a good thing to wake up on, however.

He immediately grew drowsy, and slumped down by a

big tree, half-awake only, and nodded for half an hour —

_—hot really napping, but far from being as wide-awake

as a sentinel should be. ~

   

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

The various rustlings in the forest did not mean as
He had
not the trained ear which Buffalo Bill had acquired dur-

much to Poke Carew as they had to the scout.

ing long years spent on the plains and in the forests of -
the frontier territories.

Drowsily he realized that there seemed more sound
But Poke did

not arouse to this fact—not really—for some time.

and movement in the woods than usual.

The

The horses were

Suddenly, however, he started up, broad-awake.
character of the noises had changed!
stepping about quickly, going, so far as he could judge,
quite to the end of their tethers, and then stamping

around in a sémicircle at the end of the ropes. Beauty

whinnied softly.

“Shut up, yer onery critter!” commanded Poke, un-
der his breath.

??

sir !

“There ain't nawthin’ out thar—no, |

Saying this, however, did not remove the cause of”
the ponies’ uneasiness. Soon they began to stamp louder
and to prance more energetically. They were surely dis-
turbed by some approaching peril—or by something that
was unfamiliar to them. Even Poke began to believe that
there must be neighbors for whose coming it might be

prudent to prepare.

_.He reached for his guns. There was a lot of satis-
faction in the “feel” of them—and in the knowledge that
ney were loaded. oe Poke hesitated to awake Buffalo
Bill.

“The cuss will give me the happy hoot, sure as shoot-
in ly

muttered the cow-puncher. ‘He'll ‘smell redeye

an’ tell me I’ve been dreamin’.”

He rose to his feet and listened intently. No sound
could he distinguish that explained the puzzle; yet he
heard plenty of noises in the night.

Suddenly Poke’s full attention became centered in two
glistening points in the darkness, some. feet a.
ground. Their appearance was startling, yet he ©
for an instant, understand what those unwaveri
could be!

But the next moment a long, hollow screech rent the a

greater silence, and every soft sound of the night was

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quelled by it. The small creatures of the wood quailed

B and smothered their own noises when this fearful yell

broke loose!

“Great cats! Riete’s yer bugger! there’s yer goblin,
Buffalo!” bawled Poke, and let drive with both his guns
at the glowing balls.

But his own gun discharges were only coincident with
The scout had

been awakened even before the screech of the panther—

the explosions of Buffalo Bill’s weapons.

for those glowing balls were not sparks of fire, but were
the glistening orbs of a big cat.

At the moment of these several explosions, the balls
of fire leaped upward and outward, and a second scream
rent the night. The ponies snorted and plunged in ter-
ror; but in the blackness of the night sounded the thud
of the body. The panther had fallen short in its leap
from the tree-branch.

Poke, highly excited, would have fired again, but the
A wild bullet might

do some damage to the horses, for it was the ponies that

scout seized him and forbade it.

the panther had set his mind upon.

_ Buffalo Bill flung more fuel on the dull camp-fire,

and in a few moments the flames sprang up and lit the

camping-place all about.
“Stand out of the light, Poke.

advised Cody..

“Gosh! they won’t be panther-cats,”’

“Mebbe worse.”

“J sha’n’t be no more scare’t, whatever, or whoever,

“That yell sounded like

the crack o’ doom had bust wide open!’

We might have other
visitors,”

growled Poke.

they be,’.declared the cowboy.

They had made so much noise, and stirred up so bril-
liant a blaze at this point that Buffalo Bill decided they
would’ be wise. to move on at once. This was much

against Poke’s desire; but the scout overruled him.

At daybreak they were well down the river and near-
ing the salt lands, where the Utes were encamped.
There, almost in sight of the teepees of the runaways,
the final plans for as perilous a scheme as Buffalo Bill

had ever attempted were arranged.

Two men, ‘against near half a thousand redskins—

ie BF IA LO

   

-young men, and “no love lost,”

 

BEB

am
eG:

  

21

men, women, and children, were arranging to befool

them all and carry off their leader.

 

CHAPTER XIL
CAE RED WAR-CHIEF,

The Utes who had followed Wolf Fang from the
reservation, and participated in Uae pai thus far, although
all rising from the same tribal roof, consisted of as widely
scattered families as did the children of Israel when they
followed Moses from the Land of Goshen.

There was little to weld them together. There was
dissatisfaction among the warriors, quarreling among the
as the saying goes, be-
tween the squaws. Wolf Fang, as a war-chief, was hay-

ing no downy bed of ease!

Their skirmishes with the white soldiers had resulted |

in some loss and no gain whatsoever. Their cattle raids
had been productive of beef and a few ponies; but the
buffalo that were to come back and dot the plains as
And the

small body of Caverly’s troops seemed to have hemmed

they had in the old days, did not materialize.

them into this flat where, unless raiding was easy, they
would starve, despite the approach of warm weather.
Since the failure of the ambush, although there had
been no defections from his ranks, Wolf Fang had gained
no recruits. Both the Utes and Cheyennes were eager

enough to cut loose from their reservations and escape

the surveillance of the troops; but in the trite phrase of

the present day, Wolf Fang had to “make BOeee before
more joined his standard.

Wolf Fang was little more than a perky boy, after all.

He had a reckless courage, and was as treacherous as a |

copperhead. He was a fine-looking warrior, too, haa had
dignity. enough to preside at a big powwow.

Buffalo Bill’s intention, therefore, was to take ‘this
proud brave down several pegs—belittle him in the eyes
of his Way uns followers, make him ridiculous, if possi-
ble, and. so break up the whole rebellion,

Wolf Fang took heart of chance, however, when it ran

through the camp like a prairie-fire that some great

Cheyenne chief was approaching and demanded speech /

with the war-chief of the. Utes.

 

    

   
  
 
   
   
  
  
   
  
   
   
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
   
  
  
  
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
     
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
  

22 «THE BUFFALO

The scouts had first beheld the Cheyenne approaching
—a magnificent-looking and wonderfully defeathered
warrior—the tail of his war-bonnet nearly touched the
ground, although he sat upon the back of a tall pony—
and they sent a runner in to warn Wolf Fang of the
coming of the stranger.

The
‘He

refused to enter the camp; he threatened the sentinel

A second message quickly followed the first.

Cheyenne did not signify that he came in peace.

Utes to keep their distance; and he bore besides a horse

laden with goods, a prisoner—a white man!

Wolf Fang. He understood that the Cheyenne signified

warrior and chief must be slow to appear.

Indeed, Wolf Fang sent one of his retainers to ask

shouting-distance of the Cheyenne warrior. They talked

partly by gutturals, partly by signs, in which language

the Cheyenne seemed most adept.

had come upon a most delicate errand. He must be both
a courageous and a great chief among his own people,
for he had taken this novel and bold way of going about
his business.

Alone he had approached: the Ute encampment, and
he . de-
Wolf Fang

had a sister who was rather a pretty squaw ; she had been

mstead of speaking softly and being humble,
manded of Wolf Fang a gift—a great cift,

at the reservation school, but was as untamed as her
brother, and was now with him in the renegade camp.
The strange Cheyenne declared that he had beheld the

He had brought
presents for Wolf Fang and for his family. ao above

squaw and wanted her for his own.

all, he had brought a Des alone, was worth

the ransom of all the squaws in the Ute nation!
This created much trouble in the Ute ambassador’s
breast. He could not see the white prisoner very well.

She man walked: Les his captor’s horse,e with his

The ews brought every Ute, man, woman, and child, -

his desire to speak with Wolf Fang; therefore that great

the Cheyenne what his visit meant and what he wanted.

The curious Ute was only allowed to approach within |

The Ute ambassador soon made out that the Cheyenne.

BL STORIES,

to the edge of the encampment—that is, everybody but —

hands tied behind him, and a rope about his neck. Who
could this. captive: ber:

The Cheyenne chief made no explanation at the mo-
ment. He proceeded to reiterate his demand, for an. in-
dian is nothing if not ornate and flowery when. speak-

ing his own tongue. He ended by declaring that if

Wolf Fang would not give his sister up, and accept the .

ransom of the pony and presents, and the captive likewise,
he, the Cheyenne, challenged Wolf Fang to come outside
‘the camp and meet him in single combat for the girl!

The challenge was not unusual; yet the boldness with
which the Cheyenne made his demand caused the Utes
to believe that he must be a very great man indeed, or
that he had strong reserves hidden somewhere behind
him, In the first place, if this white captive was so
valuable a person, how had the Cheyenne captured him
alone? :

“Who is the captive?’ demanded Wolf Fang, speaking
to gain time, and back went his ambassador to ask this
question.

In five minutes he rade back like a whirlwind; as he
passed through the crowd of Utes he said something
that started a buzzing all down the line. The words

amazed and electrified the Indians.

At the door of Wolf Fang’s lodge the messenger,

flung himself from his pony.

“He says, chief, that the prisoner is none other than
Long Hair, the paleface scout.”

‘Long Hair!” ejaculated Wolf Fang, unable to con-
trol himself at the news.

“Tong Hair, chief.” , Noe

Now, Wolf Fang knew Buffalo Bill well. “He the In-
dians called Long Hair, and Wolf Fang feared him as
something more than human. «He rose up in anger. ©
“The Cheyenne is two-tongued. He lies. He is not

to be trusted. It is a trick. Long Hair would not be-

come captive to one Cheyenne—nor to half the miserable”

tribe!”

“Chiefy T have seen,” declared the messenger firmly.
eS “You have seen the prisoner ??’’

“T have seen him.”

“And he tooks like Long Hair?”

 

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“He-is Long ‘Hair.

have slept by his fire and eaten of his meat.

-I know. the: paleface scout. I
I know
hin, ? oe

“Then it is some trick!” cried Wolf Fang.

“Would the great Long Hair willingly humble him-
self before a dog of a Cheyenne?” demanded the messen-
ger. “He stands there bound and with a cloth tied
He is led at

He is a captive,’

across his face to keep dumb his tongue.
the tail of the Cheyenne’s pony.

“T will see this wonderful thing myself!” declared
Wolf Fang, and, seizing his arms, including the feathired
spear he carried in battle,
pony, and rode out of the camp.

After passing through the thicket he arrived upon the
plain and saw the Cheyenne warrior some half a mile
away from the Ute lines.. He was a big: warrior, in-
deed, highly painted, with a wonderful head-dress,’ carry-
ing battle-ax and spear, and riding a great roan pony
that seemed scarcely tamed,

Behind him stood patiently a horse which seemed to
From the
To his other

be heavily laden with skins and other goods.
Cheyenne’s right wrist dangled a quirt.

wrist was tied a hide thong which was noosed about the

neck of the prisoner whom Wolf Fang could not believe

was Buffalo Bill, the great paleface scout.

This prisoner, whoever he was, seemed in a desperate
He hobbled when he walked, his hands were

tied behind him, he was gagged, and he scarcely raised

condition.

his eyes from the grass of the plain as the restive move-
ments of the roan pony made him stumble about after
his proud captor. 7

Wolf Fang rode forward swiftly; but when he came
a certain number of rods. from the Cheyenne, the latter
raised his hand and forbade him, with a gesture, to ad-
vance farther. ,

“Does the great Wolf Fang come in peace, or war?’

demanded the stranger.

“He comes to inquire of his brother, the Cheyenne,
whether it be true or not that the captive is the white
chief, Long Hair?” .

“It is Long Hair. The Cheyennes learned that the

Utes feared the paleface, so he is brought here as a pres-

THE BUFFALO BILL ‘STORIRFE.

he leaped astride his best

ent to the Utes,” declared the Cheyenne; with sarcasm.
He had »

The Cheyenne seemed to

Wolf Fang swallowed this with bad grace.
no immediate reply to make..
jerk the thong attached to his prisoner, his roan. leaped
sideways; and the white man was revealed.

Despite the disfiguring cloth over his mouth, the dust
and filth in his hair and on his face and clothing, it was
surely Long Hair, the paleface scout! Wolf Fang was

amazed. He was cowed, too. This Cheyenne must in-
deed be a great chief...

Yet, on the other hand, the Ute chief was proud.
It meant something to him for a great chief like this
It would
And
to have in his possession, and: torture, the creat. Long
Hair

Wolf Fang’s eyes sHapped. His ee glowed warm

Cheyenne to demand his sister in marriage.

increase his own personal popularity immensely.

 

within oe But he was Bonen. He would make sure
that there was no trick intended before he entered into »

any relation with the unknown Cheyenne.

CHAPTER X11Tf,
: DARING EXPLOIT.
Wolf Fang recovered his dignity and’ put his words
slowly to the Cheyenne. —
“What does my brother, the Cheyenne warrior, wish ?”
he demanded, using his hand and voice both in asking
the question. | | 7
Indians are wonderfully. adept at ee sign- jangtaee’
And, although each tribe has its own verbal dialect, they
ean easily dommunjticdte in signs, although the two so
communicating may never have seen each other before,
and. their tribes may be as widely separated as the dis-
tance between the Cidadan border ‘and the Mexican
frontier! an
“By the mouth of, your own messenger I have told
“T have

you, Wolf Fang,” replied the big Cheyenne.

looked upon the sister of Wolf Fang. She is. a’ good

.squaw, and I have brought her worth in exchange for

her,’ and he waved a lofty hand at the captive Buffalo

Bill and the heaped-up saddle of the extra pony.

  

   
   

24 | THE BUFFALO

“Will the Cheyenne warrior come within the camp of
his brothers, the Utes, ‘and discuss the matter bee the
old men and the wise?”

MThis is 2 time of war, “Wolf Fang,’ returned the
Cheyenne quitkly. ‘There is no need of discussion,
What is one woman at such a time?” and he said it
scornfully. “Will it please Wolf Fang to accept the
presents I have brought him, or will he fight for the
young squaw, his sister?”

The Ute chief was shrewd, but he was swelled up with
pee too. He must make some display before his war-
rors, oF

ch would please Wolf Fang much to fight. with his
Cheyenne brother,”
safety cf his Doyle he must not. Besides, he would be
| There is no Hatchet
And

Wolf Fang’s people lap their lips like dogs for the cap-

friendly with the Cheyenne nation, ‘
dug up between the Utes and the Cheyennes.
tive Long Hair that the Cheyenne offers. Let my
Cheyenne brother drive the poity and lead the paleface
iio: the camp, and the maiden is his.”

_ The, Cheyenne does the Ute too much honor in ta-
king the young squaw at all,” declared the stranger
ciiere Here

Bring forth the squaw, Wolf Fang, and bring her alone

haughtily. is the ransom, it remains.

—yourself.. Then we may fairly exchange.
ride your way and I ride mine—with the squaw.”

Wolf Fang demurred a little, but the Cheyenne was
obdurate,

“What does the Ute fear?” snarled the Cheyenne.
“Am I not alone? Has Wolf-Fang not his whole tribe

behind him? Is there shelter in view for my people? I

will gladly fight Wolf Fang for the squaw, and so save _

the ransom.” :

| This was said so arrogantly that the Ute chief was
angered indeed, but he had: everything to lose and ‘noth-
He ‘doubted

befeathered chieftain,

ing to gain by fighting with the Cheyenne.
his own ability to whip the big,
and although Wolf Fang was no physical coward, he

‘saw no good in seeking the happy hunting-grounds over

the matter of a squaw, more or less!

 

 

, might have on his. pony.

he declared unctuously. “But for the.

You shall

  

BILL STORIES.

‘Besides, here was an opportunity not to be overlooked
of popularizing himself with his people by putting Long
Hair, the white scout, to the torture.
must, indeed, consider Long Hair of less importance
than did the Utes. Perhaps the Cheyennes did not know
the great scout so well as Wolf Fang did. .

Wolf Fang coveted Long Hair as a prisoner more than

he did any skins and tawdry presents that the Cheyenne

He hesitated no longer. He

was about to signify, indeed, that he would bring out

the squaw and accept the Cheyenne’s terms, when sud- —

denly something happened which changed the entire com-
plection of the occasion. :
The half-wild blue roan which the strange chief rode

began to buck. The chief rode like a centaur, but the

bucking of the roan certainly stirred things up somé!.

One thing it did was to make the Indian drop the |

thong by which he had been leading Buffalo Bill. The

white scout seemed to be transformed on the instant.

| His humble apearance disappeared. He seemed to
put forth a mighty effort and burst the bonds that held

his wrists! In a'moment he cast off the cloth about his

face and from behind his former captor leaped squarely |

upon the rump of the plunging roan!
~In some fashion the ‘Cheyenne had fastened Buffalo

Bill's own guns around his waist. The white man drew

_ them and fired two shots deliberately into his former

captor’s back—so cet that the leather. shirt of. the
Cheyenne smoked !

‘The befeathered chief flung up his hands, screeched
Buffalo Bill, in

little ‘more than sixty seconds, seemed master of the sit-

his death-yell, and toppled off the roan.

uation! :

aLATE, change had: come so:suddenly—the attack was so
overpowering—that Wolf Fang had been held dumb
and motionless!
of recovering the white prisoner. Doubly was this to be
desired. now,: forthe Cheyenne was dead, in no: way

able to demand the exchange of the squaw for the white

man, and an Indian is always on the lookout to get some-

thing for: ‘nothing! t

The Cheyenne °

 

But he suddenly-awoke to the necessity

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Wolf Fang’s presence of mind was with him on this
occasion. He set. spurs to his pony. and rode swiftly
down upon the scene of battle.

The crowd of Utes behind him at the edge of the
thicket were unable to give aid at once. Several of the
young braves started to run swiftly after their ce
but many went back to the camp for their ponies.

And once back at their camp, they discovered a party
| There

were at least twenty troopers, and they seemed about to

of white soldiers on the farther bank of the river.

swim their horses over to the almost deserted village of

the runaway savages ! oo)
Captain Caverly had done something which was Ln

He had

reetly in refutation of the rules of the army.
divided his forces in the face of an enemy that outnum-

 bered his own band.

A few months later the unfortunate Custer was a

* suffer death and disaster for doing this very thing.

But the act of Captain Caverly served to throw the
Only a few of them rah to help
And when Wolf

Fang reached the scene of the struggle between the erst-

Utes into confusion.

their chief capture the white man.

while captive scout and the Cheyenne chief, he ‘was served

with a surprise that completely floored him.

‘His own pony was a mettlesome beast, but it was noth-
ing to the spirited roan that the Cheyenne had ridden,
and which Buffalo Bill now bestrode.

to be having the time of his life in managing the beast.

‘The scout seemed

Wolf Fang soon saw that the roan’s bridle -was still
in the grasp of the apparently lifeléss Cheyenne lying on
the plain!

The Ute desired to recapture Buffalo Bill without
killing him. He did not seek to drive his spear into
the white man; but he swung the battle-club, or ax, about
his head, and charged the white man and the mettlesome
roan.

~-Suddenly Buffalo Bill tesded from the pony’s Baek.
He landed upright on his feet, and stood, with a pistol
in either hand, waiting for the onslaught of the chief of
the renegade Utes.

The Ute chief saw his. danger and flung himself over

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. — 25

the grass.

upon thé farther side of his pony. Buffalo Bill’s Colts

Dee cc csr

 

spit a pair of bullets that hissed over the ridge of the

running. pony’s backbone. Wolf Fang circled around
him at a desperate pace, desirous of taking the white
man pene single- -handed, oe cautious in He ex-
treme, 7

In his race around he finally displayed ft to ‘the
big Cheyenne, who, all this time, had lain motionless on
But the supposed chief of a rival nation
“came to life’ with a suddenness that utterly bewildered
Wolf Fang. |

With a yell, the feathered head-dress was tossed
aside, the big fellow sat up, puted a pair of Colts him-
self, and in the broadest of broad range language told
Wolf Fang what he thought him.

Meanwhile the masquerading Poke. Carew’s guns

popped. Wolf Fang’s own right arm was punctured

above the elbow, and his pony tumbled to his knees.
“Ketch the critter, Buffalo !” yelled the cowboy, and
he sprang up and made for the struggling pair, dragging
the blue roan behind him at the end of the bridle.
Wolf Fang was held by the rolling pony. His leg as
well as his arm was hurt. In a moment they had him

up, he was placed astride the roan, Poke leaped up be-

hind, and the noble stallion was forced to carry double

as they raced across the plain.

Buffalo Bill dumped the package of old skins off the
back of the spare pony, mounted into the saddle, and ©
amid a fusillade of shots from the breathless Indians
who had started for the scene afoot, rode away after
Poke and their Ute captive.

The shots behind in the camp eed the pursuers-
of the white men that something of moment was hap-
pening. - Indeed, Captain Caverly’s men were doing good
work there, drawing the attention of the Indians ‘away
from the scout and his companion at just the right mo-

©

ment. ay
But the.

Utes were quickly awake to the inferior force pitted

It gave the two, with their captive, a start.

against them, and, leaving twoscore boys and squaws
to guard the camp, everybody else mounted to pursue
the men who had so completely befooled them, and who

had run away with their leader, Wolf Fang.

  

  
 
 

Na
ie ™ ~

26 ‘THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES,

CHAPTER XIV.

‘AHEAD OF THE GAME.

- Buffalo Bill had been able to make no plans with —

Captain Caverly regarding a junction with his fifty troop-
‘ers. On their way down to the Indian encampment,
where this gteat piece of strategy had been “pulled off,”
the cout had met a half-breed whom he knew he could
trust, and had sent a letter to the captain which ‘had re-
~ sulted in the manifestation of some of the troopers across
the river from the Ute encampment.
This had been most timely. It was an hour before the
conftsed Utes realized that the few pony-soldiers across
“the wide stream were only bluffing, and were not the

advance-guard of a larger force bent upon their imme-

_ diate capture.

Some of the older braves then recognized the whole

plot as a scheme of the wily Long Hair to get posses- |

With-
out Wolf Fang—doubtful as they had begun to be of his

sion of Wolf Fang. Their leader was captured.

powers—what exctise could they offer the government

for their raiding off the reservation?
These old bucks were keen-witted. They always de-

The Indian Com-

mission would be easy on them, and beef rations would

sired some scapegoat for their sins.

be renewed, if they could prove that they had been led

-astray by Wolf Fang.

Therefore, there was a great hue and cry out for
Buffalo Bill, his comrade the cow-puncher, and the cap-
tured chieftain. Most of the able-bodied braves set out

to follow the trail of the two whites and their prisoner.

Buffalo Bill and Poke had crossed the river by swim-

ming their horses during the night before.
knew the country well, and he had a hide-out near the
river-bank. In such places he usually kept provisions,
ammunition, and often blankets and articles which might
aid him in disguising himself. Knowing..Indian ways
and Indian methods’ so:well, Buffalo Bill was aile: to
dress like a member of any tribe which then roamed
the West. And it was no trick at all to fix Poke Ca-
rew up so that he looked. like a big Cheyenne chief.

Poke entered into the game with great gusto, too.

out!

durance, even with a double load, was phenomenal.

The scout

- He was hungry for trouble with the reds after the way
- ‘he had been treated by them.

He had seen the Cor-
morant steers drown in the Little Missouri, ‘when he
and Buffalo Bill escaped the raiders, with profane re-
eret. Now to fool the Utes and capture their chieftain
was the height of his desire.

Hevdid- tot object even when, in the enthtsiasm of the
moment, Buffalo. Bill really scorched the back of his

shirt and the flesh beneath. Two bullets had been drawn

from the scout’s cartridges, but the powder had set fire

to the supposed Cheyenne’s feathers, and only by rolling

on the ground after he had fallen did Poke put the flames

‘

Once astride the blue roan again, with Wolf Fang
before ‘him, wounded and scared, Poke forgot all his
pain and discomfort. .

1?

“Great cats! Git a move on yer, Beauty!

whirling his quirt. “Show yer heels!’ And you,” giving
W olf Fang a punch in the back with the butt of his quirt,
“try to git funny with me and I'll carve yeh into little

strips an’ make jerked beef of yer!” ui

Wolf Fang had studied | the white man’s ae long
enough to understand fy what was - said to him. He
might not have been so much afraid of the boastful

bronco- buster ;

alongside on his pony, he was well aware that caution

would be his only salvation. He attended strictly to his

_ own business just) then.

The little cavalcade fled Hike We wind over he plains
for some tiles. The blue roan was fresh, and his en-
But
at last he began to labor, and Buffalo Bill led the way

into a coulee and commanded a elt.

The plain hod been rolling, and they had tone since

lost sight of the Utes. But they were well aware that

pursuit would be kept up, and that their own trail was.

plainly visible.

“Where: dp. you reckon Captais Caverly is now, Buf- |

falo?” queried Poke, beginning to be anxious as he saw
q g
how winded: his: handsome roan was. -

“Couldn’t: say. .We may be running away from him

whe yelled),

but when he saw Buffalo Bill range .

 

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THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. ay

instead of toward him. Besides,’ Buffalo Bill whispered
so that Wolf Fang could not hear, “I don’t want to lead
that bunch of reds behind us into Caverly’s camp. They
might wipe out the whole command!” |

“Yer right, Buffalo.”

“And if they catch us a

“They Il wipe us out,’ finished Poke grimly.

 

“Correct!

“Nice prospect, pard!”

“Well, we don’t propose to get caught.”
“Good to say, but not easy to do,” was Poke’s short
comment.

“Never say die, Poke—only to the other fellow,’ ob-
served the scout grimly.

An’ | got me doubts whether it’s safe ter say it
then,” grumbled the bronco-buster. :
, Youre a regular croaker. ”
| “But Beauty, here, is givin’ out,’ declared Poke.

“T see the stallion is some winded.”

“He’s a good hoss,” drawled Poke, “but, great cats!
he ain’t no elephant!” :

“And now, if you’re ready, we'll move on. Sponge
out the roan’s nostrils, and we'll try again,” oy Cody.

“He'll be foundered in a short time, Buffalo.”

“Tf he carries you alone?” queried the scout, smiling.

“But, great cats! that other cayuse can’t carry two
mile double!” cried. Poke.

“Nor?

“You know right well it can’t. It's only a scrub, at
best.” : :

“Ve Can carry our friend, here, Wolf Fahg, can’t it?”

“Why—sure. But you weigh as much as he does. If

33

 

you ride with me

“I’m not going to ride,” interrupted Cody shortly.

Poke looked aghast.

“Say ! yer ain't goin’ to leave me to go on with this
red lobster an’ you stand off his mates single-handed?
By thunder! I won’t stand ter see it!” :

“Well, you won’t have to,” laughed Cody.

“What, then?”

“Vou will see. There is a scheme worth two of that.

First we'll proceed to strap Wolf Fang to my horse.”

g

se a pe pen ttle i: Linder eel is aera

’ The sullen chief made no attempt to retard them. He
knew better. They set him astride the horse Buffalo Bill
had ridden, and passed a strap from ankle to ankle un-
derneath the pony’s belly. This’ would be hard on Wolf
Fang if the horse fell, for he could not release himself.
But the whites were not any too tender with regard to
him.

Then Buffalo Bill told Poke to mount the roan and
With one hand lashed to Poke’s

wrist and the other resting on the pommel of the sec-

bring him alongside.

ond beast’s saddle, Buffalo Bill ran between the horses.

“Rather, he strode between them, leaping to keep up
with them, passing over a dozen feet or more at each
stride, and bearing his weight equally on the two
mounts. | -

Thus the roan-and the other horse divided the third
man’s weight between them. Besides, Buffalo Bill was
vigorous enough to put some strength into the work him-
self. They journeyed almost as fast. as they. harowrhen
first they ran from the Ute encampment with the «
oner. | <

As they mounted the first ridge in their renewed
flight *hev ‘cooked back and, over the rolling prairie, saw
the bune’> ot Mites in pursuit. They had not halted for
rest. ‘lhey were within three ‘miles, or nearer. Some
of their ponies were good ones, and it looked as though
the whites and their prisoner must surely be caught be-
fore nightfall.

This expectation did not retard the pace of Poke and
Buffalo Bill, however. The latter; sweat streaming from
his limbs, his chest tight with the effort of breathing,
leaped on between the running horses at a pace which was
little short of phenomenal!

Let any man try this feat—no matter what his quali-
ties as an athlete may be—and he will find that every

atom of his anatomy is strained by the effort. Before

* long the scout could not keep from hanging almost a

dead weight on the two horses. His leg action was
merely mechanical. Sometimes he stumbled and the
horses dragged him over the ground for yards before

he could regain an upright posture again.

 
  

 

THE BUFFALO

hes no word of complaint passed his lips.
redskin tied to the horse could have shown no more
stoicism than did the scout. Doggedly he clung to the
saddle-pommel, and occasionally panted out a command

to Poke to force the horses on.

On and on they ran, until the blood surging in his

eats seemed a deafening chorus—like the pounding of.

breakers on a sea-beach. He was blinded, too, by the
sweat in his eyes, and every breath he drew seemed to
split his chest, around which some fiend had battened

hoops of steel.

On, on they ran, his booted feet catching in the clods
and dragging—it seemed to his clouded mind—for long
minutes at a time. His mind wandered, too. He forgot
that this was an act of his own volition, but began to
believe that Poke and the redskin were tormenting him

in this horrible way.

The horses seemed to plunge more and more. They

were running farther apart. He could not let go of the
saddle-pommel, and the cowboy would not cast loose his
other wrist. He was being drawn in two by the awful

strain! His arms would surely be wrenched from their

sockets !

And now he realized that darkness had swept over

him: Not alone was he blinded by the trickle of sweat '

into his eyes, which stung his eyeballs maddeningly, but

a great blanket of darkness wrapped him about!

The earth and’ the sky had disappeared! It seemed
as though they were passing through a tunnel of fathom-

less blackness, He was falling into a pit of gloom!

And then suddenly he lost consciousness altogether—
for a moment. When he struggled back to life, it
seemed as though ages had passed; but thé had only just
fallen on the sod a few is before between the two

panting horses.

“Stand where yer be, yer varmint!” Poke Carew was
saying to the captured redskin. “If yer move, or open
yer yap, Pu kill yer! I reckon we’ve finished poor Cody _
as it is. Le’s see! Whoa, Beauty ! !” and the big fellow
leaped off the roan,

Dusk had fallen, and Buffalo Bill, his senses struggling

BILL STORIES.

 

The grim

the overarching branches of the trees made it'the darker.
“Great cats, Cody! Be you alive?” demandéd Poke,
seeing his comrade gasping atid his eyes open.

It was some moments before Buffalo Bill could utter

an intelligible reply. Then he whispered that they must

push on farther into the fomeah

“You bet, pard!” rejoined Poke.
the runnin’ myself now.”

He lifted Buffalo Bill upon the roan’s back, and almost
held him there while he walked between the two horses.
But the scout recovered from his exhaustion rapidly. He
soon took charge again of the advance.

They had escaped the Utes for the time being. The
Indians would not follow them fat in the forest, and while
it was night. Indians do not love the darkness, when

spirits travel! a

A
When the horses were completely played out it was

neat midnight, and there they camped for four hours.
Pushing on before it was dawn, they reached a creek and
hid their trail for some miles by wading in its bed.

Then out into the forest they plunged again, and after

_ miles of slow but steady travel came out upon another

part of the Cormorant range, having circled around for
nearly fifty miles to reach it.

By great good fortune they fell in with another camp
of cow-men and obtained reenforcements to guard the
captured Indian chief, and fresh horses. A day later
they rejoined Captain Caverly’s command, and Buffalo
Bill was sent back to the fort with Wolf Fang, while the
troopers waited for reenforcements to help thém round
up the raiding Utes and drive them back to their res-
As they had lost their war- chief and leader,

it was believed that this matter would be easily accom-

ervation.

plished.

Poke Carew, the bronco-buster, and his blue roan

stallion, returned to his work on the range, his lust for

making trouble for the redskins temporarily satisfied.
THE END.

The next number (354) will be “Buffalo Bill’s Great

_ Kound-up; or, Trailing the Red Cattle Rustlers,”

%

beak to him, saw that they had reached a thick wood, and

“But Tl do some of

 

 

       
 

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' “PRE BUPFALO

 

 

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NEW YORK, February 15, 1908.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AROUND THE CAMP FIRE.

SHERLOCK HOLMES UNDER A RED SKIN.

The Indian on a raid pays little attention to his front. He
knows that his weakness is in his trail, and he always care-
fully guards the rear of his march. His knowledge of his
own ability to find the trail of his enemy makes him afraid
of the discovery of that left by himself.

Reference is still made to the “Cheyenne raid,” which
took place in Kansas in 1878. This memorable event. was
not a raid in the true sense of thé word. The northern
Cheyennes had been rounded up and transported to the Tn-
dian Territory, where they were held on a reservation, much
against their wills. Wild Hog, one of the most famous
chiefs of the tribe, led the tribe in an effort to break away
from the reservation and return to the old‘home. One hun-
dred-and twenty men, with all their women and children,
left Fort Reno, fought.their way through one line of troops
and evaded and outran two other lines. They traveled 300
miles in ten days, but so expert was their chief that they
left scarcely a mark to show where they went over the
prairie. They marched in open order, covering a belt from
three to eight miles wide, and left a trail so slight on the
hard prairie that the most expert trailers among the troops
were unable to trace them.

The fourth line of troops turned the Indians, after a battle
in which Colonel Lewis was killed, and then Wild Hog
turned toward the settled part of Kansas to get fresh mounts.
After this raid the band fled to the sand-hills, where it

“secreted itself near water-holes known to the Indians alone.

Among the trailers at the fort was a Pawnee Indian. He
was put to work to solve the problem. He followed steadily
after the fleeing band, and where the trail was lost he
utilized his knowledge of landmarks, never hesitating for a
miniite, and ran the band to its hiding-place after every
other scout and trailer had given the task up as being one
impossible of completion.

The most remarkable bit of individual trailing’ was that

BILL STORIES. 29
which preceded the finding of a little girl in the Gunnison
Valley, in Colorado. A little girl 4 years old wandered away
from a cabin on Tumiche Creek and was not missed for
several hours. Apparently no trace of her was left, and the
distracted father rode to the nearest settlement for help.
Hundreds of white men of the valley turned out, and
searched all day without finding a sign of the little one.
Finally it’ was suggested that Ute trailers at a camp some
twenty miles. away be sent for, and this was done. The
Indians got on the ground twenty-four hours after the child
was. missed, and then the whole country had been so traruped
over by the white searchers that all hope of finding a trail
was seemingly lost.

Three Indians, stimulated by hope of a big reward which
was offered, went to work, and before night they found the
child, unhurt but almost dead from fright and exposure.
They did their work in a most systematic manner, covered
the ground thoroughly, and soon found the direction taken.
Then began an ideal bit of trailing. ‘Foot by foot they went
over the ground, noting a broken twig here, an overturned
stone there, or a small impression on the damp earth. Some-
times they would go for a mile without finding a single
thing to indicate that the child had passed that way, and
then they would find the impression of a little bare foot in
a patch of wet earth. J ;

The child was found eight miles from home, and hid so
closely when the Indians approached her that they passed
her and were almost at fault. They had to double back
several times before they espied her hidden under a fallen
tree. 1 was reminded of the work of an old and conscien-:
tious pointer when he is following the trail of a scattered
covey of quail by the manner in which these Utes followed
the child through eight miles of trackless mountain covered
with underbrush.

The old story of the man who described a lost camel so
accurately that he came near being jailed for having stolen
it finds its parallel in the Apache country, where an Indian
boy so accurately described a horse and rider that the
soldiers who were after the deserter took the boy into cus-
tody for having murdered the man and secreted the horse.
But for the fact that the boy offered to guide them to the
real thief he would have been shot. The horse had been
stolen by a deserter, who was trying to make his way out
of the country. A squad of cavalry was sent after him, but
had missed his trail, and meeting an Apache boy they asked
him if he had seen a man on a horse go by that way.
He asked if it was a sorrel horse, lame in the right hind
leg and ridden by a tall man who belonged to the army.
On being answered in the affirmative, he said he had not
seen the man or the horse.

This made the sergeant in command angry, and he or-
dered the arrest of the boy for killing the man and stealing
the horse. The boy protested his innocence and told how
the knew the horse was a sorrel and that he was lame. He
showed where the horse had rubbed against a tree and had
left some sorrel hairs. He pointed to where the animal had
crossed a muddy place and showed that the impressions
made by the right hind foot were not so heavy as those left
by the other feet. He showed another place where the man
had got down off the horse, leaving the mark of his heavy

  

   
 

39 THE BUFFALO
army boot on the soil, and showed where he had reached up
and broken off the limb of a tree at a height which could
have been reached only by a tall man. The soldiers were

“unconvinced, and the boy offered to trail the man and find
him if he were released and paid for his services. This was
agreed to, and he led them to the deserter, who had been

~compelled to stop and rest on account of the lameness of his
horse.

In the West every ranchman must'be a trailer to a certain
extent if he expects to keep his stock. He must be able to
pick out the tracks left by his own straying animals among
the hundreds and maybe thousands of others which roam
over the country. The result that follows is that the ranch-
men learn to do what the Indian has been compelled to do
from his childhood, and watch for imprints on the earth,
changed positions of stones, and broken and bent sticks and
grass.

ce COR oe

THE VANISHING REDSKIN.

I have traveled a great deal in Canada, says an English
writer, especially in the eastern patts, and the first time I
saw a red Indian I experienced a dreadful shock—of dis-
appointment. It was in Toronto. The man was undersized,
and walked with a shuffling gait. He was dressed—I hardly
like to tell you—in a faded old frock coat and a top-hat, with
baggy, striped trousers.and brown boots, and he was selling
grass, hand-made articles, such as mats for teapots, little
work-baskets, and needle-cases.

I went up close and looked at him, and he turned up a
weak and half-tipsy face into mine, and gazed at me out
of rather bleary eyes, and asked me, in his broken English,
if I would buy a mat or a needle-case. It was a pathetic
sight, and all day I\was haunted by the apparition, and kept
thinking of the tall, strong, eagle-eyed men who only a few
years before had the scent of a fox and the speed of a deer
and the endurance and courage of a wolf. It was, as I said,
a great shock!

<titt) op.
=— oo

pe
oe

INDIAN SUPERSTITION.

BY JOSEPH E. BADGER, JR.

 

 

“Heaven help us now!” exclaimed the younger man,
as a light bark canoe shot out from the left bank and
rapidly neared the. middle of the river, with the evident
intention of intercepting the fugitives.
that settles it.” :

“Mebbe not. It’s a poor mountain-man who squeals
ez soon ez he sees the flash o’ burnin’ powder, ’thout
waitin’ fer the lead. Stiddy now, hold her stiddy,” mut-
tered the other. :
_ A narrow, swiftly flowing river. Upon the right hand
a’ high shore, rocky, barren, forbidding; upon the other
an occasional hill, through which the turbid .stream ap-
peared to have cut its way in ages long gone by, and be-
_ tween these hills long stretches of swamp ground, but
little elevated above the river’s level, bearing evidence
that, during the rainy season, these swamps were regu-

larly inundated. ae

“We are lost, |

‘bottom of the canoe, and caught up one of the rifles that
oe

BILL STORIES.

Four canoes were swiftly darting down the rapid cur-¥§ jay at

rent of the narrow river, foremost of which contained
two men, one tall, young, handsonie, and of athletic,
symmetrical figure; the other short in stature, old, gray-
haired, and bearded, slight in build, but wiry as a rat-
terrier. :

Their names were respectively Ralph Gardette and
“Sonora Ben’’—the latter a name that is still mentioned
through the Valley of Taos and among the mountain

recesses as the first man—among white men, at least— ff
who set eyes upon the wonderful “Gold Mountain” so

jealously guarded by the Apaches. It was Sonora Ben

who, years after, guided a band of hardy, daring men in

quest of this fabulous treasure, and the sorést blow the
old man ever received in his life was when the Gold
Mountain, whose dazzling glitter had lured so many
mortals to a desert grave, proved to be nothing more
than selenite-covered stone.

The other canoes, three in number, were in hot pursuit
of the gold-seekers. Each canoe contained from six to
eight Indians of the club Apache tribe, who, in their
eagerness to capture’ the fugitives, had overloaded their
barks, and the dead weight they carried—since the ca-
noes were only intended for five occupants—placed the
rivals nearly. upon a par. oe

Sénora Bett was the equal of any savage with the
paddle in strength as in skill, while the frail craft almost
leaped over the water at every motion of the young
giant’s paddle. rs

For nearly an hour the race had continued, with little
change in their relative positions, and the fugitives began
to believe that they might hold their own until the friend-
ly shades of night should descend upon the earth, under
cover of which they could easily. give their inveterate
enemies the slip...

But now this hope was abruptly dashed. A canoe con-
taining four well-armed warriors suddenly shot out from

the left bank, heading diagonally down-stream and to- —

ward the opposite shore, endeavoring to cut off the fugi-
tives. It was a close calculation; the winner “could not
pass the intersecting point a dozen feet in advance of the
other. Z

“Keep straight ahead, boyee,’ muttered Sonora Ben
to Gardette. “Do your level best; but, mind, we don’t

~ want to git thar ahead ©’ the varmints. Ef we kin sock

it to em in the side, I reckon we'll pull through this diffi-
kilty all hunky yit.” . nes
“You mean fight, then?’ asked Gardette.

“Wi the varmints in front, yes. It’s our ony show, |

They’re too fresh for us to out-paddle ’em ip-a lon

stretch, but ef we kin han’le these, I reckon we're gooc ¢

for them ahind.”

‘No more words were spoken, both men bent to their
paddles with all their strength and skill, and the two
canoes swiftly moved toward each other. Already’ the
bow-Indian was preparing his stout horn-bow, while
shrill, exultant yells arose from the savages in the rear,.
who evidently believed their long chase was about to end

successfully.

“Yelp on, ye onmannerly reptiles!” grimly muttered
Sonora Ben; “‘mebbe ye'll change yer tune soon. Thar,
Ralph, you kin manidge it now. Send the bark as nigh
the center o’ ther outfit as ye kin.
gittin’ out o’ the way too soon.” |
As he spoke, the veteran dropped his paddle into the

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lay at his feet.
aim. With a shrill shriek of mortal agony, the savage
bowman dropped his weapon and fell heavily backward
against his comrade, and before the we echoes died
away, almost ere the Apaches could realize what had hap-
pened, a second rifle spoke, and the steersman sank life-
less across the thwarts, his body half-inside, half-drag-
ging in the water, almost upsetting the sane:

“Now, we've got ’em—sock it to ’em, lad!” ‘yelled
Sonora Ben, as he grasped his paddle.

But before he could make a stroke, Gardette sent the
canoe with resistless force fairly against the side of the
bark craft before them, crushing in its frail ribs like pa-
per and reeds. Once—twice : the .heavy ashen» paddle
rose and fell with the certainty and power of a trip-ham-
mer, and two Apaches sank beneath the turbid ‘waters,
leaving a ghastly crimsoned’ wave behind them. And
then the fugitives’ canoe floated clear of the wreck, leav-

. ing the dead in their watery grave.

“Whoop-oop! slicker’n grease!” And the old trapper
laughed loud and recklessly over their signal success.
For a few moments the Apaches were thrown into

confusion, and seemed dismayed by this sudden and.

deadly blow: but then, with renewed vigor, they bent
to their paddles and dashed on, as the fugitives disap-
peared around an abrupt curve in the stream. The
bleod of their brethren called loudly for vengeance. The
palefaces must die!

“I reckon we’ve gone about far enough, old man,” sud-
denly observed Gardette, with a sickly smile. “We sank
the varmints’ canoe, but its stove our own. Look at the
water gushing in!” as

“Yonder’s a crick—see the cl’ar water.. Turn into it;
the varmints can’s see us now. Mebbe they’ll think we
tuck to t’other side,” hurriedly replied Sonora Ben, turn-
ing the canoe.

Just in time to escape observation, the canoe glided
through the leafy screen,. After progressing thus for a
few yards, they found themselves in the mouth of what
appeared to be a considerable cave. They interchanged
a glance of blank dismay. ‘They had not counted upon
this. They had entered a trap from which there seemed
no escape, and discovered my could only sell their lives
as dearly as possible,

“Never mind, we'll make it hot fer them, anyhow.”
muttered Sonora Ben, as he leaped from the canoe, now
half-full of water. ‘Ketch hold; empty it out, an’ then
kerry it inside. No use in leavin’ onnecessary sign.”

-The.canoe was emptied and carried back into the cave.
Then the-trappers reloaded their rifles, which was scarce-
ly accomplished, when a loud yell from without, exultant
and bloodthirsty, announced that the keen-eyed Apaches
had detected some trace of their passage through the
leafy screen, eae a bent or broken twig.

“They’re comin’; sock it to ’em, lad: Ef we must go
under, le’s do it in. style,’ muttered the scout, gti

~~down with ready rifle in a shaded corner.

A canoe dashed through the leafy screen, and half a
dozen Apaches sprang upon the rock entrance. Two
tifle-shots filled. the cavern as with thunder, and‘two more
lives were added to the price demanded by the gold-
hunters, and, drawing. their knives, they awaited the on-
set in stern defiance.

But it came not. The Apaches did not seem to “heed
the groans and: convulsive writhings of their death-
stricken comrades.

DAE BUPPALO

  

Thought itself was not quicker than his ©

One of their number utteréd a pe-* gold-seekers who had sallied forth \six months before.’

 

BILL STORIES.

31

   

culiar cry, and pointéd to the rock wall at his side.
Apaches crossed their arms and bowed ‘their heads, as
though doirig homage to some revered object; and then,
as the other canoes canis up, attracted by the firing, their
occupants went through similar motions, after which
they lifted up their fallen comrades, reentered their ca-
noes, and slowly paddled away, paying no attention what-
ever to the gold-seekers, who were scarce twenty rods
away.

The white men were lost in amazement. What- could
be the meaning of this strange change? Yet, half-be-
lieving it some “deep ruse, Hey “lost no time in recharging
their “Tifles,

Then Sonora Ben glided. cautiously forward, gazed
upon the rock, and then returned to Gardette.

“You kin come out, Ralph. The varmints won’t tetch
us ez long ez we stay inside this. hole. We're ez. safe
from them ez though we was in St. Louey. itself,” he
chuckled.

“Dut dy don't. dered” hesitated Gardette.

“You see them marks cut in the rock?. Them things
mean. this hole. is sacred. ‘Cause. why—it’s a Injun
berryin'-place.

Among the superstitions of the Apaches is this; They
believe their burial- -places are guarded by the Great
Spirit, who forbids them to enter one with any other pur-
pose than to deposit their dead. It is a part of their re-
ligion, and no consideration will induce an ee to
break this law knowingly. :

“Then you think they’ve given up the ieee ”.

“No, I don’t, fer I know better... They'll watch fer
us outside ontil they ketch us, or ontil they know we’ve
starved to death; but we’re safe ez long ez we stay inside
hyar.”

“Perhaps there's another outlet,”

“We'll build a fire an’ hev a look,”
nora Ben.

There was enough dry sticks in the cave for:this pur-
pose, and the fire was soon burning brightly: Then, with
torches, the gold-seekers began to explore the cavern.

After following a winding passage for some distance,
they came upon another-apartment, in which were long
rows of ghastly figures, sitting with their feet down be-
neath them.’ Either the pure air had preserved them
from decay, or else the art of embalming was known to
the Apaches. There were bones of horses, stone heads
of arrows and lances, and a number of metal images that
shone dully in the torch- Tight

“Hyar’s enough gold to “make us rich for life,” said
Sonora: Ben solemnly, a as he let one of the ees fall.
“Ef we could on’y git out——” .

“There’s a strong draft—see the torches, flare,”
tered Gardette excitedly.

“Then thar’s esd hole. You gether up hak you
kin kerry, while I hunt. fer the openin’,” nay a4
Sonora Ben, his eyes glistening.

His search was successiul.. The opening was round,
and, heavily loaded with the pure gold images, the ad-
venturers stealthily left the Indian burial-place.:.. This
opening was on the opposite side of the ridge from: that
where the Apaches were watching for them, and: the
trappers were not pursued. The next night: ‘they: suc-
ceeded in stealing two horses from an. Apache village,
and finally reached Fernandez, in Taos Valley, New
Mexico, the ‘sole survivors of the unfortunate party of

suggested Gardette.
coolly. replied So-

‘mut.

  

 

nee:

  
 
 

 

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315—Buffalo Bill’s Aztec Runners; or, The Hate ofxthe
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316—Buffalo Bill’s Dance with Death;
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317—Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Rovers; or, Old
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318—Buffalo Bill’s Fiery Eye;
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319—Buffalo Bill’s Mazeppa Ride; or,
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320—Buffalo Bill in the Land of Spirits; or, The Witch

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331—Buffalo Bill and the Indian Queen; or, The G
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