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DEVOTED TO BORDER LIFE

 

Issued Weeki. Entered as Second-class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 79-89 Seventh Ave., N.Y.

Copyright, 1911, by STREET & SMITH.

O. G. Smith and G. C. Smith, Proprietors.

 

TERMS TO BUFFALO BILL STORIES MAIL SUBSCRIBERS.
(Postage Free.)
Single Copies or BackNumbers, 5c.. Each.

 

 

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é a
No. 538. Price Five Cents.

 

NEW YORK, September 2, 1911.

BUFFALO BILL'S MEDICINE TRAIL:

OR,

Pawnee Bill,

King of the Rope.

™

 

By the author of “BUFFALO BILL.”

 

CHAPTER I.
RAMON CORRAL.

The dull booming of Indian drums reverberated in
the hills. .

“Ee-yah! Ai-ee-yah—yah-h !” ;

The song of the Indian dancers rose slow, monsto-
nous, emphasized with indescribable grunts.

The scene was a small valley ringed round with fire-
scarred peaks. The dancers were.a dozen in number,
barbarically painted and feathered. At one side, on
the ground, sat the drum beaters, hammering the
drums with their knuckles; and beside them squatted
Blue Moon, leader of the Tali Indians since the dis-
comfiture and disgrace of the medicine man, . Ne-
_komis.

“The Talis must grow strong of heart,’ said Blue
Moon, as if speaking to himself; for indeed he could
not have been heard above the.din of the drums and
that chanting-song of the dancers. “They have been
a weakling race; but now they must become warriors.
For the white men are coming to drive them out and
take them to the far-away prison pens, where they
will die like the eagle that is captured on the hills.

 

 

Nekomis, hiding for his life.

    

ae ett Pkt EI Be RS Se

They have been slaves, through the falsehoods of Ne-
komis; now they must be men and warriors!”

“AI- “ee-yah! Too-it-pah—yah-h—ah! Ee-yah—
ah-h! Hoa-is-tee-pah! Yah—ah! Sho-ni—kee—
wah—iss-tik-wee! Ai-ee-yah!”,

“Listen! The Talis are men! Yes! Listen again!
Strong men.are we! Hear!
the lightning that strikes. Listen!”

So ran the words of the song, in the Tali dialect.

The dance was a grotesque and slow hop, with
pauses; the body stooped forward. Round and round
they went, in single file, now and then striking their
hands together.

Somewhere, skulking in the hills, was ae disgraced
A. year before he had
been the all-powerful medicine man of the Talis, whose
word was law; for he was supposed to have received

the approval of the hill spirits.

Buffalo Bill had laid his pretenses bare, and he was
now hiding from the Indians he had deceived ag en-
slaved.

It is a long story; but the substance can be ie into.
a few short paragraphs.

0 ee ae
me RE ne hee

  

A et ‘
RO SaaS DS ctl ith fi i
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We are the thunder and

   

     
 

2 : | THE BUFFALO

In the San Felipe foothills of northern Mexico was
an immensely rich gold mine, far from the paths of
civilization; though the distance to the Gulf of Lower
California was not great.
claimed all undiscovered mines and minerals; hence
it claimed this, though all the knowledge the Diaz ad-
ministration had of it had come in the nature of
rumors.

A set of outlaws under Miguel, the Red, had taken
possession of the mine and were working it, shipping
the rich ore stealthily by a schooner to a smelter in
California. The mine labor was being done by the
Tali Indians, who were held in subjection by Nekomis,
their medicine man, through fraud. He had set up a
statue that talked, as the Talis believed, and gave to
them the commands of the gods and of the hill spirits.

To disobey the hill spirits and gods was unthink-
able; so when by the mouth of this statue the Talis
were commanded to do the labor and drudgery of the
mine, they obeyed.

Nekomis was in the pay of Red Miguel ; the Tali
laborers toiled in the mine without pay. How Nekomis
had come under the sway of the outlaw leader the Talis
did not even know.

But one day Buffalo Bill came to the San Felipe hills

and the mine, to rescue a young man and a young

woman held for ransom by Red Miguel; and the great’

scout’s rope, thrown round the neck of the talking
statue, had jerked it down and broken it, and revealed
within it an Indian who had been doing the talking—
an Indian who was a confederate of the crafty Ne-
komis.*

‘Buffalo Bill and his party had gone away after that.
Then the outraged and undeceived Talis had slain
the man who had been inside the statue; and would
have slain Nekomis if he had not fled. For him they
were still hunting, though many moons had gone by.

Blue Moon, watching the dancers, beat his, hands
together approvingly as he heard their words. It was
the old Tali war song, and he had not heard it in
many a day. The Talis were men again, no longer
slaves, and their old fighting spirit having returned to

them he felt that they would be able to resist with

guns the white men who were said to be hastening to
slay them.

“Ai-ee-yah! ‘Too-it-pah—yah- -h—ah!”

“Listen! The Talis are men!” they sang, with a
Setunt afterMhe “men.” “The Talis are men!

“Tt is good!’ whispered Blue Moon, nodding. “It
is very good! When the Tall Wolf comes he shall
see truly that the Talis are men. I have thirty war-
riors like these—thirty who have felt the sting, of the
slave work of the mine—and when they meet the
white men, who are coming.to imprison them, the hills
will drip with blood.”

At the end of another ten minutes Blue ean who
had been watching the hills, rose with his blanket
draped picturesquely round him: a white man had come

 

. *Read No. 537: “Buffalo Bill and the Talking Statue.”

SPN ee ee ee ee ke ee em

The Mexican government

BILL STORIES.

in sight, and was desrenging the hill on ns right, where

Re Re ™

the trail lay.

In complexion the white man was very dark; the
sun and wind of the far Southwest had given him a
hue of tan that made his face not unlike that of an
Indian. He was supposed to be a Mexican. To the
Talis he was known as the Tall Wolf; the Mexicans
knew him as Roman Corral.

He had recently worn a beard, but had shaved it
off, and left his chin and lip a ghastly white; but he
had concealed this by the deft application of a stain
that made the color of the skin uniform.

An exclamation from Blue Moon brought the hop-
ping dancers to a full stop and stilled the hammering
drums.

“The Tall Wolf comes!” he announced.

The painted dancers, with the drum beaters stand-
ing now beside them, stared at the Tall Wolf. They
had known him well, but never as he appeared now.

“It is not the Tall Wolf,” said one, voicing the gen-
eral opinion.

Blue Moon, though he also had noted the change,
was sure that the white man was Tall Wolf.

Dropping to the rocks at one side of the small space,
where the dancing had been done, the Indians sat im-
movably. Their sparkling black eyes, whose expres-
sions they could not well control, alone showed how

lively was their interest.

“Ts it Tall Wolf?” asked Blue Moon, staring into
the face of the man.

“It is Tall Wolf,” was the answer.

“His face is changed.”

“But it has not turned against my friends and
brothers, the Talis.’’

“The black hair that covered it is gone.”

“"Tall Wolf has made his face like that of a Tali.”

“That his friends may not know him when they
meet him?”

“That he may be one with the Talis,” said ihe white
man smoothly, using the Tali tongue nearly as well
as Blue Moon. “The Talis are men!”

‘“Men; and ready to fight!” said Blue Moon, his eyes
flashing.

“Far off in the hills I heard the drums; and when
I drew near I heard the song of the dancers, which said
that the Talis are men and warriors.- It is good. If
they are not men and warriors they will not long be
anything.”

“The Tall Wolf has long been the friend of the
Talis. He brought us news when the Ixlits threat-
ened us. He sent to us a runner when the Azatlins
caine over the mountain, and we should have been
destroyed otherwise. Last week he sent another run-
ner, telling us that the Black Fox in Mexico City was
sending the white men with guns, who will take us to
the prison pens, and the runner said, then, that soon
the Tall Wolf would come to us himself, with more
news. And we were to be ready. The Tall Wolf has
come, as he said.”

Ramon Corral listened to this praise oh the air of

 

 

 

 
 

 

THE BUFFALO

a man who feels that it is deserved. Yet to have
done an unselfish thing would have been beyond him.
“Blue Moon has well said,”’ he declared. “Talk Wolf

has ever been the friend of the Talis.”

_“And the men with guns are coming?”
~ “They are coming, but for the present they have
been delayed. Tall Wolf threw a fright into them at

' the river called Hispaniola; he set fire to the hills

there, and the men with guns were near being baked
alive in it; so they fled backward toward Mexico City.
They lost many of their guns, and much food and
clothing. So they cannot be here soon.’

Blue Moon clapped his hands.

“Hear!” he shouted.

The grave-faced Indians nodded their heads.

“But there is even a greater danger,” said Tall Wolf,
dampening instantly the enthusiasm of the Tali braves.

What can be worse than the men with the guns?”

“The gray eyes from. north of the line,” said Tall
Wolf. |

“The Americanos! They are cone?

“They are here—some of them! ie

“Let my brother speak. on,” invited Blue Moon,
catching his breath.

“My brother remembers the gray eye that the North-

--ern Indians call Pa-e-has-ka, and the white men call

Buffalo Bill?”

Blue Moon bowed his head.

“Ai”? he said; “and Pa-e-has-ka, as, Tall Wolf
knows, has been here; but many moons ago. He it
was who threw down the lying image, and because of
him Lame Foot died by a Tali knife, and Nekomis has
become a fugitive, who will be killed:as soon as he is
found.”

“When Pa-e-has-ka broke ee image it was not be-

~ cause he was. a friend of the Talis; it was because the

Talis were assisting and working for Miguel, the Red,
and Miguel, the Red, held captive the young woman
and the young man. Blue Moon remembers?”

“Ai, Blue Moon remembers.”

“‘Pa-e-has-ka is not the friend of the Talis; not the
friend of any Indians.”

“But I havé been told that the name means Friend
of the Indians.”

“Blue Moon has seen the poison spotted snake that
looks like the harmless culebra?”

“Who has not? Once I picked one up, thinking it

the harmless one, and it bit me.”

He showed a scar on his wrist. :

“Pa-e-has-ka is the poison-spotted snake that re-
sembles the harmless culebra.”

“Let my brother explain.”

“He struck the bandits who had enslaved the Talis.
Now he is coming to strike the Talis themselves, be-
cause they were with the bandits.”

“Let my brother: say on.’

“Blue Moon knows where the Cross Timbers lie, to
the southwest? There is the copper mine of El Toro.”

“Many Talis live there.
mies, are also near there.”

TB,

Se nena a kaikieath catattis ee a CE AO lM Mi aM te iM OF IRIS A Be tt AE Are ere tet ecaeece eae OR Oe ee eS Riri

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But the El Toros, our ene-—

 

BILL STORIES. | 8

“Pa-e-has-ka has sent men to the Cross Timbers, and
they are rousing the El Toros to move against the ©
‘Falis.”

“He has sent Americanos?”

“Ai. And now he is coming himself to the El Torés,
to stir them to hatred against the Talis.”

An expression of rage crossed the face of Blue
Moon, and the squatting Indians grunted anger.

“If Pa-e-has-ka has done this,” said Blue Moon,
“then Pa-e-has-ka dies.”’

“The Talis are not afraid of the Americanos who
follow Pa-e-has-ka?”’ suggested the crafty outlaw.
“If they fear him, now is the time for them to go into
hiding; but if they fear him not, let them move north-
ward to the White Cross Springs, and slay him there.
as he seeks to. go southward.”

He looked into the face of Blue Moon, then turned
and looked at the squatting Talis sitting on their heels
near by.

OTS show that Tall Wolf is a man of his word, and
a friend of the Talis,’ he added, “Tall Wolf will go
with the Talis.’’

“Blue Moon will let Tall Wolf lead him and his
braves against the Americanos; there shall not one of
them be left alive. We will strike Pa-e-has-ka at the
White Cross Springs.”

“Tt is well,” said Ramon Corral. ‘The Talis have
become brave men, as I had heard; they are no longer
the cringing slaves they were a year ago. They do
not intend to be destroyed by the false-faced Pa-e- ~
has-ka and his murderous Americanos, and they will
not be taken to the prison pens in Mexico, City... Ai,
the Talis are indeed | again men.’ Tall Wolf delights in
leading men.’

“It was the cowardly Nekomis who made the Talis-
slaves,” urged Blue Moon, puffed up by this praise.

A yell sounded in the hills.

As the white man and the Indians jumped to their
feet, a band of Talis appeared there, with a prisoner
in their midst, a Tali.

“It is Nekomis,’ said Blue Moon. ‘They have
found him in his nest in the hills, and now he dies!”

“The Talis are men!’ repeated Corral, with ap-

_proval. “When they know their foes they will destroy
them, even though the foes should be Talis. Ai, the
Talis have become men indeed.” - ;

CHAPTER Ut.

LHEY MESSAGE:

Seated at ease under the shade of the pepper tree,
before the adobe which for a time Buffalo’ Bill was ©
occupying in Truxillo, Pawnee Bill pitied contentedly
at his cigar.

He was plaiting a quirt, and at ahs same time, out
of sheer enjoyment, he was singing snatchéS of a song,
when Buffalo Bill appeared in the door before him.

“Seems like living again, necarnis,’” he said.” “But

%

wo i nn ite at ek pee ice oA ¥ ont i

 
Nor

 

this dull routine wouldn’t suit the baron, eh?
Nomad.”
“Nor you, if it lasted long,” said the scout.

“No news from the insurrectos?”’ questioned Paw-.

nee. “I noticed that the mail carrier dropped some let-
ters into your hands this morning. The only thing I
drew was a Mexican newspaper, and all I got out of
it was that the editor seemed to have gone to sleep
or off on a vacation. There was nothing in it.”

“Nothing about the insurrection in any of my mail,”
said the scout.

“The revolution business is too hot for this warm
weather, and they have probably crawled off to take a
siesta. I feel like taking one myself,” he added.

The noted scout, standing in the door, pulled the
brim of his Stetson down over his eyes to cut out the
sun glare, and looked off down the trail.

“Hello!” he said. “Somebody coming, and in a
hurry.”

Pawnee arose, slipped the quirt into his pocket, and
sauntered over to the door.

“Right-o. Riding like some one was chasing him,”

In the adobe houses scattered along irregular streets
a stir of excitement was manifested, indicating that
the occupants of the houses had also sighted the horse-
man.

“lf this was in Uncle Sam’s dominions now,” said
Pawnee, “I'd venture that was a pony-express rider
‘with a special message for you; but down here!’

“A rurale, by his clothing,” commented the scout.

“Once more right-o. Your eyes are keen.”

In a few minutes it could be seen clearly that the
rider was in the uniform of the Mexican rurales.

When he drew into the little town he came straight
on to the adobe of the scout, where he stopped.

“The American sefior, Buffalo Bill?” he asked.

Buffalo Bill stepped forward.

“Tm called that,” he answered.

“Then I have here something for you of much
importance.”’

The rurale dropped to the ground, felt in his pockets,
and brought out a flat package.

“From the commander of Hs rurales at Punta
-Gorda.”’

With his pocketknife Buffalo Bill cut the cord that
was round the package, and took out a sheet of paper.

When he read what was on it he was given a great
and unpleasant surprise:

. “This is to notify the American sefior, called Buf-
talo Bill, who is now at Truxillo, that several of his
friends are at the place called El Toro, in the south-
ern Cross Timbers, and are ill with smallpox, The
names that have been brought to me are that of a Ger-
man, difficult to spell, but which I make out to be
Schnitzenhauser, together with these English names:
Ralph Pierpont, Harvey Brice and wife, and an Indian
who is called Little Cayuse. None of my rurales will

go there, because they fear the disease, and it is dis-
The El Toro Indians, it is said, have fled through

tant.

 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

 

   

    

 

 

     

 

fear, and the Americans are in a sad state.
way the information has reached me.. The American
sefior will know what is best to do. But I may sug-
gest that, as he has written authority from the Mexi-
can government .to penetrate into any part of that wil-
derness, it may be well for him to organize a small
party and go to the help of his friends. In saying this
I do not want to seem to do more than suggest it.
But perhaps he and his friends will also not care to
go lest they be smitten with the disease. I am sending

this by a swift rider, one of my best men, Ignace .

Pavlon. At the present time it is all I can do.
“With best wishes for the health of the American
sefior, [ am PaBLo VITTORO,
‘Lieutenant of Rurales.”’

“News of importance, necarnis?”’ questioned Paw-
nee Bill.

“Read that,” said the scout, and gave him the let-
ter.

He began to question the rider.

“The information was brought by a Mexican who
lived in the Cross Timbers and had fled out of them
through fear of smallpox,’ Ignace Pavlon explained.
“But as I did nbdt see him, I know no more than that.
He had the names on a slip of paper; and they had
been written down by one of the Americans, who was
not at the time ill of the disease.”’

“I wish you had brought that writing to me, too,’
said the scout anxiously.

“Tt would but have repeated the names as they are
on the paper I brought,” said Pavlon.

“But by consulting the writing I could have de-
termined which one of my friends is still on his feet,”
said the scout.

“By this time none are, in my opinion,’

“af they live they do well.’

Pawnee Bill had blown a sharp whistle of surprise.

“Rather startling, eh?’ Buffalo Bill said.

“Astounding. With the exception of Schnitz and
Little Cayuse, all ought to be in New York, according
to our latest information. And even’ the Piute and
the baron weren't expected to penetrate+o El Toro.”

Buffalo Bill drew a notebook and pencil and scrib-
bled a few words.

“Give this to your commander, Pablo Vittoro, with
niy thanks and compliments. In it I assure him of
my high appreciation of his kindness.”

“And you will go to El Toro to help your friends?”

Buffalo Bill, about to turn to Pawnee, shot the
rurale a look.

“It is our duty,” he said evasively.

Then he added, in his former manner:

_ “But you are weary, sefior, with your hard ride, and
your horse, like yourself, needs rest. .Will you not stay

with us overnight? And the horse will be put in the
stable.”

He called to a Mexican boy.
‘Matio, put the gentleman’s horse in the stable, and

* said Pavlon;

  

This is the’

     

 

  
  
  
  

 

  

 
[=

t-

nd

‘he

nd

 

Fan T ty

 

it is a small place.

 

 

oe BUPPALO

feed and water him; but not too much feed at first, and

very little water.”

He clapped his hands, and another servant came to
the door.

“In the patio, Pedro, set the small mahogany table,
with wine and food for the gentleman, and cigars; and
do it in haste, for he is weary.’

Pedro disappeared with agile feet.

Buffalo Bill brought out a chair and set it with
others under the pepper tree for his guest.

“In five minutes the food and wine will be ready
in the patio. In the meanwhile rest here, Sefior Pay-
lon.”

Again he questioned the Hessuee bearer, when they
were seated.

The chief thing the scout got, by way of informa-
tion, was, that Pavlon knew nothing more than the

‘ message itself declared, but was exceedingly curious

to learn if the scout intended to set out for El TYoro,
and when he would probably start.

“That I cannot tell,” said the scout, putting him
off. “We must get a doctor—none is here in Truxillo;
And we must fit out a pack train,
and perhaps hire an escort. ‘It will take time. We
cannot go to-day, certainly.”

“Certainly not to-day,” said Pavlon; “but perhaps
to-morrow? And I have been told that the sefior is
so skillful he needs to take no doctor with him.”

“I am flattered by the reports of my friends, but
indeed I should not like to set forth without having
with me a good doctor.”

“One is in Cajon, which is but a league or so away,’
Pavlon suggested. “A messenger could secure him
to-day, and to-morrow the sefior could begin his jour-
ney.”’

“That is a good suggestion.
Orit,”

In the patio Pavlon did full ae to the food ane
drink placed before him; smoked three strong cigars;

I think 1  shalk act

_ then curled up on a cot and slept four hours.

When he awoke he ordered his HOES made ready
and promptly rode away.

“To-morrow the American sefior will start, eh?” he
said, as he himself set off.

But long before that time, even while Ignace Pay-
lon was enjoying his siesta, Buffalo Bill and Pawnee
had found opportunity for a serious talk concerning
the message.

And, unknown to Pavlon, they had sent a rider

to Cajon with a telegraphic message, oe to a

eettain law firm in New York.
That message read:

“Inform me immediately if Ralph Pierpont and Har-
vey Brice and his wife are in New York, or in Mexico.
Highly important. Wi Copy

The answer came that night, after Pavlon had rid-
den away. It may be said here that Pavlon, in riding
away, went with the idea that the messenger who, he

BILL) STORIES. : 5

had learned, had been sent to Cajon, was a messenger
to the doctor there.

“Pierpont and Brice and wife left New York two
months ago for the San Felipe gold mine, near the
Gulf of California, in Mexico.

“NAGEL & BROWNE.”

The name signed was that of the law firm to whom
Buffalo Bill had sent his telegram.

Pawnee Bill whistled his surprise again when that
message from New York was received.

“Well, I didn’t believe it, necarnis; but there it is!
Our suspicion hadn’t a leg to: stand on, after all,’ he
said. ““We thought we detected a trap in that message
from the commander ‘of the rurales, as we were sure
that Pierpont and his daughter and Harvey Brice were
in New York. That San Felipe gold mine called them
so strongly they had to go down and take a look at
it. Just how they connected with the baron and Lit-
tle Cayuse is something we've still to find out; but it
begins to look now that all of them are down at El
Toro, and have smallpox. It’s a pretty kettle of fish.”

“The baron, you know, took Little Cayuse and set
out with the idea of getting a line on the present loca-
tion of Ramon Corral,” said the scout as a reminder;
“that might have taken them over to the San Felipe
foothills, where we were about a year ago.”’

“True enough! The baron is reckless, and if he
thought he had struck a trail he would stick to it
in spite of the danger, and the Piute would stay right
with him till the end, no matter where that end lay. I
had my doubts, you know, about the wisdom of letting
Schnitzenhauser set out on that quest.”

“Fle wanted to go.”

“Children ery for candy, necarnis, but they don’t
always get it. He was dying of the dullness and
stupidity of the place where we were then, and I know
that is why you let him go; the baron thinks that if he
doesn’t encounter a certain amount of excitement every
fifteen minutes life is simply a desert and not worth
while.”

“Well, say that Little Cayuse and the faren got over
into the San Felipe foothills, and that they there fell in
with Pierpont and his daughter and eonrens what
would take them to El Toro?’

Pawnee Bill rubbed his nose reflectively.

“Pierpont is a born speculator, who would chase a
prospective gold mine from home to Halifax. It

-was thelure of the San Felipe gold mine, now the

property of the Mexican government, which he prob-
ably thought of buying or leasing, that took him down’
to San Felipe, of course.’
Buffalo Bill smote his knee a resounding whack.
“That El Toro.copper!’ he exclaimed. “There is
a copper mine at El Toro.”

“There is your explanation, then, necarnis. When
they got to San Felipe and had looked that over, they

heard of the El Toro copper mine, and had to set out to

see it. Schnitz and Little Cayuse came meandering

 

 
 

6 | —. THE BUFFALO

along about that time. They’re acquainted with Brice
and with his wife.”

“Yes, that’s right. Having helped sus to rescue
Brice and his wife from Red Miguel's bandits out
there; they would be willing to act as guides for them.
I guess, pard, that explains it.”

“It’s sure the milk in the coconut, necarnis.
there,” continued Pawnee,
and got it themselves. And,now

He smoked up and stared thoughtfully at the wall.

“Well,” he said abruptly, ‘our suspicions vanish into
thin air. The message was the real goods. And, of
course, we've got to-go. Might as well have ‘satisfied
poor Pavlon’s juvenile curiosity, and-told him -we
would start to-morrow; for that is what we'll do.”

eM ee: 39

The scout drew up to the desk that held writing
materials, and wrote another message to the New
York law firm, in which he announced his intention
of starting the following day, or sooner if he could, for
the Mexican Cross Timbers, where Pierpont and his
party were reported to be ill with smallpox.

That will set some of the goldbugs tumbling in
Wall Street!” remarked Pawnee, when he read what
the scout had written.

That evening the message was sent off to Cajon.

The scout had begun his preparations.

“We'll start at sunrise,” he said.

“What about a doctor?” Pawnee inquired.

“T've learned that the one at Cajon is an ignorant
Mexican, that I wouldn't trustgto doctor a horse; so
well go without one. We'll take medicines, and every-
thing necessary that we can pack, and when we Bet
there we'll do the best, we can, Ican’t right now plan it
out m any other way.’

‘“There’s a medical work or two in the. padre’s
library,” said Pawnee. “I'll go over there to-night,
and if there’s anything on smallpox I’ll see what it 1s.”

The padre’s library had/a good many medical books,
he found, and he read until his eyes burned and the
amp was exhausted.

Snapping his watch open, he looked at the time.

“Two o’clock,” he said, “‘and at five we start.
I'd better turn in for a few winks.”

At daylight the scouts were on the high trail lead-
ing south from Truxillo. D

They had, besides their horses, two pack coe well
laden, and were also heeled as to weapons, for the
region they were pointing for was notorious as being
the home of outlaws, none of whom was worse than
the mysterious and dreaded bandit called Ramon Cor-
rel ‘

Down
“they ran into smallpox

99

 

 

CHAPTER III.
: THE MESSAGE OF OLD NOMAD.

While Buffalo Bill and Pawneé Bill were at Truxillo
old Nick Nomad, their trapper pard, was at the little
mud hamlet of Cordovan, a day's ride distant.

Guess-

His ?

BILE. STORIES. « | -

duty, like theirs, was to watch the border, to prevent

gun running into Mexico by American adventurers.

But for two months the insurrectos had been quiet
—Nomad said they were “dead in the shell;” so for
him and others there had been nothing doing.

Unable to endure the monotony longer, the border-
man had thtown saddle and bridle on his horse, Hide-
rack, and set out for Truxillo.

“T can have a tork wi’ Buffler an’ Pe uel, and
-mebbyso git some news o’ ther baron an’ Little Cayuse.
The Dutchman an’ ther Piute cert’inly played in luck,
when Buffler let em p’int out south’ard ter look fer
recent tracks of Ramon Corral; whatever hez happened
to ’em, they've been priverleged ter move round, an’
didn’t have ter jest set, like an ol’ hen tryin’ ter hatch
aigs.

a kicked Hide-rack along the trail, and felt better
because he was moving.

“Give ther baron er chainst, an’ he'll stir things up,
you bet, Never seen er man like ther baron fer thet.
Et’s jest bercuz he cain’t rest quiet nowhar. . Et gits
inter ther blood, after,er man hez been on ther trail
‘long’s we has. Ef I’ve got ter sleep fer a week stiddy
wi’ er roof over my head seems like I bergins ter
smother. Whoosh! Et feels plum’ good ter git out
hyar whar yer kin smell the pines on ther mountains
and have the wind eatin’ inter yer face. Whoosh!
Et’s ontc’t more like ‘livin’ !”’

But suddenly the borderman drew in on the reins
of his horse.

“Some one in ther trail! -Wangh! Jest when I
thort shore I war goin’ ter have ther pleasure o’ meetin’
‘up wi a road agent, er ther like, et turns out ter be
et woman! Blame purty piece er caliker, though.’’”

Sight of a.handsome yoting woman on the spirited
horse who seemed to’ be barring the trail made old
Nomad wish to turn out of it, though she was so un-
deniably good-looking; yet he held steadily on.

It was so plain that she wished’ to speak to him,
that as he drew up he pales off his heavy cap and
stopped his horse.

She was young, dark- yee with a clear, dark com-
plexion, the cheeks ona e a pink flush like rose
petals.

It did not escape the borderman’s attention that a
carbine was tied across the saddle cantle, a revolver
rested in.the holster, a cartridge belt zoned her waist,
and her shapely hands were covered with heavy. leather
gauntlets.

The dark eyes flickered over him and his horse as
it they took, at a glance, the measure of the animal and

< Ais rider.

“You are Mr. Nicholas Nomad2” she said,
voice that was decidedly pleasant to hear. ,

Nomad would have told you that he was “never er
ladies’ man;” yet the young woman’s voice, as well as
her beauty, quite captivated him.

Dts er cognomen I answers ter,” he admitted; “‘yit
seldom in jest thet shape; more gin’rally et is, s Nick

 

 

 
 

 

 

Se a a epee ee ARS LEP RRC Re RE oe

THE BUFFALO
Nomad.” He laughed “Sometimes et is ‘Thet ol’
fool, Nomad.”

“T thought I wasn’t mistaken,” she said. “Though
I never met you, I have had such good descriptions of
you that I was sure I wasnt mistaken. Mr. Nomad, I
have a message for you.”

Slipping off the gauntlet, she put her right hand
into her bosom, and drew out an envelope.

Nomad’s thought was that something had happened
to “Buffler ;’ so he caught his breath, as he took the
envelope and opened it.

It was a message written in Spanish, addressed to
Senior. Nicholas Nomad.

Even in English, old Nomad’s education was of
the scrappiest; but when it came to Spanish, though
he could speak it like a native—that is, like a, Mexi-
can—to read Spanish writing was another matter.

He wrinkled: his face over it, dug his knuckles into
his eyes, and looked again. Some of the words he could

32

-, make out, and he got enough of them to give him a

line on what the letter held.

“Down in El Toro,’ he said. “Ez I makes this
hyar out, young lady, some er my friends has had bad
happen chances, down thet way.”

“They are ill with smallpox,” she said.

“Waugh! Smallpox. Thet’s wuss an’ more of et.
Ef you'll be so kind as ter spell et all out straight ter
me I’ll be obleeged. Trouble is, lady, I chainced ter
leave my readin’ glasses back in my shanty, an’. thet
kinda ties up my readin’ faculties, so’s I don’t git on
well, and then ther stuff et is Spanish.”

She read the note to him in her mellifluous voice.

Except that the wording was somewhat different,
it was identical with the letter the rurale had brought
to Buffalo Bill at Truxillo; with this addition: It
stated that Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill were at El
Toro. It was a very material difference, as can be
“Seen,

“Waugh!” Nomad breathed, when she concluded.
“Down in thet pirate country. I don’t reckon thar
can be any mistake about this, young lady?”

“I can only give you the information that it con-
tains; personally I know nothing about it. But I am
a cousin of Mrs. Brice, and i

“Mebbyso, then,” he said, when she stopped abruptly,

 

“yell kindly eloocidate ter me ther ia of their bein’ .

: down thar?”

“They went with Mr. Pierpont, to view the gold
mine ‘in the San Felipe foothills; then went on from
there to see the copper deposits at El Toro. I came
down here, instead, and have been stopping at Jaurez.
You know ‘where that is?”

“Shore thing.”

“TI have some friends at Jaurez; and I was to pay
them a visit while Mr. Pierpont and his party were
down in the Southwest. They were to come through,
overland, to Jaurez; then we were to return to New
York together.” _

“Plain ernough,”

said Nomad.
whe oT Ga oa

 

“Only I don’t see

BILL STORIES. | 8

“Some of your friends were down there, and Mr.
Cody and Mr. Lillie joined them recently; that is the
way I heard it. The news was brought to Jaurez two
days ago. When I heard it I was told that you were
stationed at Cordovan. So I tried to get some one
to bring this letter to you; it was addressed to you,
but was brought from the interior to Jaurez by an
Indian runner. No one would go. They were afraid
of the insurrectos, so I came myself.”

. Nomad took the letter and looked it over again.

“Et’s a quar thing thet Buffler an’ Pawnee should
cut out from Truxillo wi’out sendin’ me word. But
I reckon et war a hurry call, and they didn’t find time.
Or p'raps they thought I ought to stay thar in Cordo-
van an’ continner ter watch out fer gun runnin’ ;-and
they knowed in reason I wouldn’t ef I found out they
had piked hasty i ther south. Et must be ther i
Olt.

“And I suppose you'll be going south right now
VourTselte

“Waal, I will. This is tage kind o’ news thet will
make me sling ther irons inter Hide-rack and hit only
ther high places. Et’s'a good five days’ journey down
to thet El Toro country.”

' A’ slight flush stained the clear pink of her cheeks.

“Then, she said, ‘I shall make my request. I was
afraid you wouldn't go,

Nomad looked at her doubtfully.

Eh ey

“T want to go with you.”

“What is thet?”

“Td like to go with you.”

“Waal, et ain’t prezackly er trip thet a lady c’d
make,’ he objected. “Yer see, thar’s road agents. an’
Injuns an’ precipices an’ mean hills ter climb uh

“T shouldn’t mind any of them.”

“Ye wouldn't!’

“T assure you I wouldn’t.”

“Bersides,’ he added, as if this were the final word,
“thar’s ther ‘smallpox. _They’ve got et down thar,
this letter says. Ef you should go you'd git et,. too,
likely. Then ye’d have er time of et, and yer beauty
would be sp’iled, and

“That's why I want to go.”

“To git smallpox?”

“No; certainly, not—I’d simply have to risk that.
But, don’t you see, they will need nursing down there,
and they have no one; I want to go to help them.”

“Er waugh! Waal, thet’s ernother way er lookin’)
at et.’

“It’s the only way to look at it. I had made up my
mind to ask this favor when I set out alone to bring.
this letter to you. And you'll admit that I have some
courage, or I wouldn’t have done that.”

“Yer grit is shore only ekaled by yer handsome ap-
pearance,” he admitted gallantly.

“Then I may go? That’s good of you.”

“Still——”

“Don’t hesitate again, please.

 

@

 

Iam going.”

 
 

Coes THE: BUPPALO

Nomad shook his ptizzled head, while he folded the
letter and put it in his pocket. |

Then he recalled the fact that he had not learned
the name of the young lady.

“Yer handle ain't passed my way yit, I believe.
thet I sh’d meption et, but x

“You mean my name.’

‘Yen,

“Nita Lobo.”

“Ther front part of et ez purty as ye aire; but Nes
t’ other He shook his ‘head.

“You don’t tke it? That's too bad, you know ; for,
you see, I am not responsible for my name.’

“Certin not,’ he admitted. “Still, Lobo is mighty
good Spanjsh fer wolf.”

“And Nomad means a wanderer.
if that can be your real name.”

“Anyhow,” he said, “I hope thet your name. don't
fit yer character same’s my name does mine; seems
lack I ain’t done nothin’ but wander an’ meander an’
trail round sense ever I can remember. An’ hydr this
calls fer more of et. Waal, fore I set out ter-day, I
was hammerin’ myself bercuz thet town war so dead
quiet, an’ I had nothin’ ter do. Looks like now I’m
. goin’ ter have er heap plenty.” .

“So. you say I may go with your”

The borderman hesitated again.

wT ain't: goin to Sayethat ye can.
wouldn't be right. You'd git smallpox, er mebby wuss
things would happen. I cain’t be reesponsible fer ye
in thet line. I’m expectin’ hard work, an’ maybe er
lot of danger. No, miss—sorry ter say et—but jest
now I has got ter say no.’

She shrupeed her shapely shoulders.

“What if I follow you? Just a little way behind,
you know!”

“Don’t do et—don’t try et.”

“You wouldn’t desert me?”

“Miss, I'd have to.”

His cap was still off, and he ran his hands eo
his tangled, silvering hair.

“Tell ye what I'll do—and et is ther proper thing;
I’ll escort ye back to Jaurez. Thet won’t be so much
outer my way. Then I can ride on over ter Truxillo,
an’ mebbyso git a line on some facts I'd like ter know
erbout why Buffler an’ Pawnee desarted me—fer thet
is what they did on this ’casion.”

The droop of her eyes showed that for a moment
she was in a brown ave

“No,X she declared, “I can let you do that; it one
delay you; you must go right on south without stop-
ping. Ill return alone to Jaurez.. Of course you un-
derstand how anxious I am about my friends who are
in trouble at El Toro. J could be of service to them,
if I could go with you.”

Nomad still hesitated; it hurt him to feel that he
could not accede to the wishes of this woman.

“It is so important that you should reach El Toro
as soon as possible,” she added, “that if you say you

Not

 

 

I have wondered

Boe, Pi es Dic MO a OF F Meek Se AE TER a Ath” Gah ail

P’intedly, et -

SO LAM EN Be Re

BILL STORIES

will ride right through, I'll fake that report to my»

friends in Jaurez, and be glad to.”

“T won't let no grass ao) under my feet, . Nomad

promised.

“Then I can feel that I’ve done all that is humanly~

possible for me to do.” She put out her gauntleted
hand. “Good-by, Mr. Nomad,” she said, with a pe-
culiar inflection, that was not lost on his sensitive ear.

“God be with ye,’ he responded, as he gripped her
‘small hand in his horny palm; “‘thet’s ther meanin’ o’
them words! God be with ye—on er dangerous trail.”

A queer expression struck across her flushing face.

Thinking of it later, old Nomad wondered if it was
an expression of regret.

 

CHAPTER IV.

INSISTENT NITA LOBO.,

The old borderman drove Hide-rack no more than
an hour on the dim trail leading over the hills toward
distant El Toro before he drew rein. He had been
troubled all the while.

“Promises is like pie crust,” he muttered, “made ter
be broken. Et’s an old sayin’. Thet black-eyed han’-
some gal plum’ bewitched me inter givin’ ther promise,
and now ole Common Sense is spurrin’ me ter break
et. I reckon as how Common Sense is bound ter win
ther game.”’

He took off his cap, and, as when in her presence,

_scratched through his iron-gray hair in puzzled fashion.

“Seems like er fool trick fer me, ole Nomad, ter go
traipsin’ off to El Toro without stoppin’ ter invester-
gate; when et is five days bad travelin’ to El Toro, an’
less’n a day would take me ter Truxillo. She war on-
common purty, an’ she looked plum’ truthful. So,
what’s ter be did?”

He pulled Hide-rack round as the final result; od,
finding the spur of the trail that led to Truxillo, he
took that. To make up for the delay, and because, now
that he had let his imagination loose, he. began to feel
that something was wrong, he rammed the irons into
Hide-rack with such fervor that Truxillo was oo
shortly after nightfall.

Throwing himself out of the saddle before the adobe
that had housed ,Buffalo Bill and Pawnee, he strode
up to the door and hammered on it.

“Hello !" he said to the sleepy-eyed peon who ap-
peared. “I has come inkwirin’ fer Buffler.”’

He changed to Mexican, when the peon stared.

“Ah, éhe Sefior Cody! it is more than a day now
that he has been gone.’

“Then the thing I heard was true!” exclaimed the
borderman, sticking to Mexican. “I had word that
he Hee set out with Major Lillie for El Toro. Is that
true?

“It is true, sefior ; they departed but yesterday morn-
ing in a hurry. ‘They had received a message

“Er waugh!’ Nomad ripped out, dropping ra into

 

a
OP a ee et te eee SRA the, Me ac Rn, Al JO), hg i afl

46

x 2h Oo
. \

1)

me es

 

 

 
Ay

Aas

Nw Ay
Stir

99

Av
e

a ea Oe

 

way ter my shaky fears!

 

THE BUFFALO

his characteristic speech. "SO ’m er mutton-headed
fool, arter all! But still

Once more he scratched his head. Then te dug out
the letter he had received, and by the light coming
from the doorway he read it over. Having been told
its contents by the girl he could now read it 8h
readily.

“Something quar erbout thet, too!’ He frowned
at the paper. “This hyar makes out thet they aire at
El Toro; while ef they only set out yisterday mornin’
they ain’t more’n got good started. Er waugh-h sd

He turned to the peon.” :

“You heerd what war in ther message thet they

ot! cd
c “Some Americans are ill there, I heard. They Poe
smallpox. Is it not terrible, sefior?”

“Et is. But ye needn’t wrap yer arms round yer

 

self and shiver like er wet frawg; you cain’t ketch et>

frum thar to hyar!”’
He held out the message which the young woman

- had given him.

“Can you. read ee he demanded in Mexican.

Alas, sefior ; no.’

“Likely nobuddy kin read nothin’, in this dirt-eatin’
hamlet,’ Nomad growled; “I wonders thet Buffler and
Pawnee c’d stand et to stay hyar! Waal, I’m off.”

He gave Hide-rack a bountiful feed, however, be-
fore he started, ate a bite himself, and contrived to
catch. “forty winks” of sleep. The moon was in the
sky, and the time.was approaching midnight before he
was again in the El Toro. trail.

““Lost nigh a day’s time,” he grumbled, “by givin’
I mout knowed thet no
woman ez good-lookin’ would be tryin’ ter double
cross an ole man like me. Still, et is quar—dquarest
ever—thet ther letter should so p’intedly say thet
Buffler is in El Toro. Looks abgut like et mout er
been writ by somebody that didn't connect with all
ther facts, ef no deceivin’ game warn’t bein’ played.
Waal, when I gits thar Pll know how ’tis.”’

He continued to turn it over in his mind.

ud m some mixed,” he mumbled; “but, anyway, oo
oe

, He drove Hide- tack. on with increased speed.

Shortly before daybreak old Nomad camped. Hide-
rack needed rest, if the borderman did not; and needed
a chance and time to crop the grass. So Nomad turned
the horse on the grass and rolled himself in his blanket.
He was asleep as soon as he had lain down.

But at daybreak he came out of the blanket.

“Tnstead 6’ hardtack and jerked beef,” he muttered,

ok ll kindle er fire and cook sftthin’ thet’ll taste better.”

On the nearest knoll was sagebrush, with dead roots
sticking out of the impoverished soil; and he climbed
up to get them.

As he turned to descend, with his arms filled with
the fuel, he saw something moving below him.

Dropping the roots, he climbed to the top of the fat

for a better look.

“Great jumpin’ sandhills!” he gasped. “Ef “tain’t
es

yi p x >

~ be thet pleases her.

BILL STORIES. 9

Nita Lobo then I’m shore a wolf myself!
she be doin’ way down hyar?”

~ Shading his eyes with his hand, he looked Reacaly
and long.

“Follerin’ my frail, b’ ginger! But which, sense et
is ther main trail, I spose she’s got er right ter, ef so
But—she war goin’ back ter
Jaurez—so shé said! Looks plum’ like she has pot-
tered down hyar ter see ef I did come on this way er

not. But thet is nothin’ short o’ reedic’lous as aw

idee.”

Still, it stuck to him as he went back, and, having
gathered up his armful of dry roots, went on down
the hill.

The girl was less than half a mile away iy this
time.

Without appearing to pay any attention to her,
Nomad watched her as he kindled his fire and began
preparations for his breakfast. When the smoke of
the fire sprang up she became for the first time aware
that he was-there, apparently; she drew rem, and sat
looking at the floating smoke.

After a minute of hesitation she came on; when she
rode up she was smiling.

“What a joke!” she cried.

Nomad stood up, looking at her somewhat stupidly.

is ete he erunted

“I thought you were far ahead of me.”

rAm I thought you war shore in Jaurez.”

Drawing rein, she sat looking down at him.

“Aren't you going to help me down?” she asked,
smiling at him.

Nomad came forward stiffly and assisted her to the-

ground.

“Now what?” he said, somewhat gruffly.

“You don’t seem in a good temper this morning, Mr.
Nomad.”

“Aw, I don’t! Mebbyso I has got reasons.”

“You're not pleased. to see me here.”

“I won't put et thet way, Miss Lobo—b’ginger I
‘don’t like thet name !—I won't put et thet way; I'll jes’
say thet I’m sorter, kinda mixed.” ’

“T can untangle you.”

“Ef you'll be so kind,” he said.

“T followed you.”

“Waugh! 22

“T saw you didn’t mean to let me go with you, so
I concluded to go anyway.”

“You're a reckless young lady.”
“Perhaps so. But my friends at El Toro need me—

need some one; so | resolved to go, whether it met™

your approval or not. But I hope we shan’t have to
be enemies on account of it.”

Nomad pointed to the stone on which he had been
Sitting. ‘

“Set down,’ he invited. “T’llook after yer hoss,
and you ‘ll want suthin’ ter eat, maybe. I reckon you
still ain’t believin’ me, when 1 said this war a dan-
gerous trail.”

What kin

PEN RA ai ea ence eae Sener

 
THE BUFFALO

~ He shuffled off with the horse and hobbled it by
Hide-rack ; then returned to the fire.

“Tl put some more worter in thet ole coffeepot,”’
he remarked, “and some more meat in thet fryin’ pan;
enough fer two.”

“So you're going to be kind about it, and let me go
on with your” : :

“Cain’t help et, can I?” He tried to laugh.

Crouched on the stone by the leaping fire, with the
dark hill for a background, the red sun of morning
shining on her, she made a pleasant picture, even for
eyes as old as Nomad’s. She wore a short riding
skirt of blue, a round blue hat, and the leather gaunt-
léts already mentioned; and still round her waist was
the fluted cartridge belt. There was a knife thrust
through it, he observed; but her carbine and revolver
were on the saddle. ‘ :

“Fer a woman, ye look plum’ warlike,’’ he declared,
trying to smile, though he was still very much per-
turbed,

“That's a compliment? Thank you, then.’

“You ain't never been out in er mounting wilder-
ness. like this ?”

“Never. So I think I shall enjoy it.”

“Waal,” he said slowly, “p’raps so—I’m hopin’ so.”

“Why did you go back to Truxillo?”’ she surprised
him by asking, as they ate breakfast together. ‘‘Was it
because you distrusted me?”

Nomad stared at her.

“However did you connect up with thet informa-
tion?” he demanded.

“A little bird told me.” |

“T allow thet parrot war yerself,’”’ he said bluntly;
“I allow thet you saw whar ther hoofs of ole Hide-
rack cut in from thet side trail leadin’ off ter Truxillo.
Ef'so be WF

He shot her a suspicious glance.

“Yes?” she said, pouring coffee into her collapsible

drinking cup.

“Ef so be, then,” he declared, “you know er thing .

er two—you shore knows the look of ther hoofmark
oa shod hoss; an’ war able ter recklect what kinda
marks Hide-rack made over whar fust off I met ye.”

“Then what?” she asked, studying the coffee she
had poured. .

“Waal, I s’pose et is all right; but et’s ther fust time
I ever war made akwainted wi’ ther fact thet in ther
schools o’ New York they set forth sech intellectooal
courses o’ study.”

She laughed and tried the coffee.

“Perhaps I didn’t tell you that I took a course of
study once down here in Mexico—under a Mexican
caballero.”’

“No, ye didn’t.”

“T camped out last night on the side of the mountain
where that trail from Truxillo joins this main trail.
I won't fool you any longer. Along in the night you
passed, and that woke me; and I saw you in the
moonlight. So’+—she finished the coffee—‘‘I don’t

BILL STORIES.

know so much about hoofmarks as you thought, after
all.’? Chee ;

“Waugh !”

“Isn’t that satisfactory.”

“Shouldn’t think thet you'd like ter camp out thet
way alone, bein’ a woman.”

“T have good blankets in that roll behind my sad-
dle—if that is what you mean; I was comfortable
enough.” |
‘An’ ther kyotes didn’t skeer ye?”

“I heard none.”

‘Waal,’ he said, hesitating, “I can say this—I like
pluck, in man er woman; and you has shore got et.’’

“And you will let me go on with you, without ob-
jecting?”’ :

“T reckon I has got to,’ he grinned. “I reckon I
ought ter be plum’ excited over ther idee, tew, o’ havin’
sech good comp’ny.”’

He proceeded to get up the horses: when they had
finished; and she watched him. Turning to look at
her, he fancied that she had a strange and mournful
smile.

“Waal, anyhow,’ he muttered, “she’s gritty, an’ |
Shore cain’t let her go on alone. She’s detarmined ter
go, an’ she needs some un ter look out fer her. Goin’
ter be war tork, mebbyso, ’fore we git through; which
troubles me ter think erbout. I’m wishing she had
stayed in Jaurez. I reckon thet new wife of Harvey
Brice ought ter be proud ter own a cousin who will
take sech resks to git to her, so’s she can help in this
hyar time of trouble.”

He mumbled all the arguments over, pro and con, as
he brought up the horses.

He had decided to permit Nita Lobo to go on with
him, but he was not satisfied with his act, nor entirely
satisfied with the girl herself.

CHAPTER: V,
THE YANKEE.

A thing as queer happened to Buffalo Bill and Paw-
nee as they pressed on over the wild trail en route
to El Toro. Also, there were in it some points of re-
semblance.

A series of Indian yells arose, clamorous as the out-
burst of a band of coyotes,

Kieyis said Pawnee, and slipped the loop of his
rifle off his shoulders, then balanced the weapon in his
hand, ready for use.

Buffalo Bill also got,his rifle ready, and eased the

revolvers that rested against his thighs.
Indians chasing something,” he said.

“And that something is certainly human, from the
tone of that screeching.”

“No doubt of that, pard,”

A clattering of hoofs sounded. Round a bend in
the trail came a horseman riding at top speed—a white
man, tall and angular. He rode stiffly, and the tail of

 
   
    
     

—_

NE a ee eee

  
      
        
   
         
     
       
  
   
  
  
 
 
 
    
  
   
  
    
  
 
 
 
 
     
  
   
   
  
  
   
    
 
   
       
    
         

 

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ane

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a long linen duster flapped out in the wind like a signal
of distress behind him.

Half a dozen Indians, riding Mexican mustangs of
a size’so small that by comparison the riders seemed
giants, came into view, also, behind the horseman.

“When it comes to white against the red I lay my
money on the white without investigating,”
Pawnee Bill.

His rifle barked, and the dust of the bullet was seen

in the trail, right before the Indian who led.

Buffalo Bill sent another shot, and the Indians be-
gan to pull back on their hackamores.

By this time the white man was at hand, his heels
pounding the sides of his rawboned horse, his elbows
pumping the air like the wings of a bird.

“Whoa!” he bellowed, ‘pulling in; “whoa, consarn

ale

The rawboned animal came to a stop so suddenly
that the rider nearly went over its head.

Before giving the man ia close look, Pawnee Bill
sent three or four bullets, aiming them high, and had
the satisfaction of seeing the redskins wheel their mus-
tangs and get back out of sight.

The man had by that time dropped to the ground.

He was a rawboned Yankee, wearing a billy-goat

, beard. At the moment, though, his staring blue eyes,

“that seemed popping out of his head, were the most
noticeable feature of his homely face-

“T swan tew man!” he ejaculated, as he tried to get
his breath. “I thought fer a spell the heathen had
me!’

“They were calling your name rather loud,” re-
marked Pawnee.

“Tt’s a mercy that yeou men was here, all- tight
Still, I was doin’ some tall ridin’, naow, you noticed.”

“T think we had better get’ back a little,’ urged the
scout. “Do you know who those redskins were--any-
thing about them?”

“T know ez much as I want tew know. They come

~at me jest like wild cats, raound the bend there; and

I kited. Then they begun to yell like all git-aout, and
shot arrows at me. One went through my hat.”

He pulled it off—a very disreputable piece of head-
wear—and proudly exhibited a hole in the crown. ”
- They were moving back with their horses, putting a
rocky shoulder of the hill between them and the In-
dians.

“T think I'd better scatter out, pard,” said Pawnee,

“while you entertain our friend; otherwise, those ki-yis

may try to sneak on us.’

The scout nodded as Pawnee, with rifle dropped into
the hollow of his arm, left the trail, off on the right,
and began to work his way along under cover of some

s bushes,

“It’s a surprise to us,” remarked the scout, “to en-
counter any white man in this region.” |

“IT want tew know! Well, it’s ruther a surprise to
me to meet you two men; a pleasant surprise, under
the circumstances. I was travelin’ south, and those

heathens seemed to be travelin’ north, and that’s how

“ORR ES

Ba oaks raat

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

declared”

My @, Se, Hy Giessen eae nee LAO KAR Om Oe

we met, I reckon.
fer me, jest because it is their way.

Or they may've seen me and come
I’ain’'t never had

much experience with Indians, but if them painted

heathens aire samples I don’t want ter accumulate any,
nuther.”

“From the slight. view we had of them we think
they are Talis. But they belong rather to the west and
south of this. They used to be warlike, and made a
good deal of trouble, until they came under the in-
fluence of certain bandits and were made to work in a
mine; that took the spirit out of them.”

me allaow they’ve sent for it again, and it has come,’
avowed the Yankee.

“Beg pardon,’ he added, a second later, “‘but I rilly
don’t know what yer name is, and that of your friend;
introductions might be in order, yeou know—under
the circumstances.’

“My name is Cody,” said the scout, “but I’m perhaps
better known as Buffalo Bill. My friend is Major Lil-
lie—known to fame and the newspapers as Pawnee
Bill.’ He smiled.

“T want tew know?’

PY our name might be in order eae the cir- ,

cumstances.”

“Me? Everbody oe me, or has heard of me;
fm Adam.” =.

“Last name, or first name?”

eT Pat s all of it; Jesh Adam,”

“Perhaps you will be willing to tell me atk you
are doing down here.’

The stranger laughed—a “ha! ha!” that rolled out
queerly.

“Waal, I vuth, that’s queer naow,” he declared; “‘fe
I was jest goin’ tew ask yeou that question. What be
yeou a.doin’ here, ef yeou don’ttobject to answerin’ ?”’

“We were heading for El. Toro.”

“Tvum! So was I.”

. “What did you expect to find there?” demanded the
scout, beginning to study the face of the Yankee more
closely.

“Land sakes—it’s’ jest what I was goin’ tew ask
yeou! What be yeou goin’ down there fur?”

Buffalo Bill frowned slightly.

“Answer my questions or not,’
suits you.’

The Yankee cackled again.

‘ “Oh, |. don't mind tellin’, on my-part; I ain't got
nuthin’ tew conceal. Truth ‘is, stranger,’ he admitted
slowly, with a glance round as if he imparted a secret,

‘A’m goin’ down there tew find the Garden of Eden.”

Buffalo Bill stared.

“Think you will find it?”

“T dunno; last news I had directed me to look there.
So [’m goin’ tew look.”

“Do I get your idea—that you are really looking
for the Garden of Eden, or just a land of flowers and
all that?”

“Rilly the Garden of Eden. Last news said it s Ce a
there.”

“And you got ie news from where?”

he said, “just as it

 

 

 

  

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PPR MISE MR DRM MAM Me MN OD A em me

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7

ra : THE BUFFALO

The Yankee tapped his breast.

“Right in here,’ he said; “it’s inspiration. You’ve
read of me—in the Bible. Fust man, yeou know!
Why, rilly, come tew think of it, yeou must be re-
lated tew mes”. .

“Crazy as a water bug,” thought Buffalo Bill.

“So,” the man went on, “as yeou’re goin’ on down

to El Toro, an’ I am h’istin’ myself in the same direc-
tion, ther ain’t no good reason, ez I can see, why we
can’t jine forces, and jest go right on together. That -
is,” he added, stooping and peering out into the trail,

“1f them pesky red heathens don’t think that they’ve

got a call to interfere.”

“You didn’t expect to encounter Indians?”
“Gad hook, no! Id ’a’ looked fer some other way

of gittin’ daown there, if I had.”

He stooped and peered again.
“I had to go down, ye know. Ever sense I was

turned out o’ that garden I’ve been tryin’ tew find it —
again.” mi

“Lots of men,’ said the scout, and he did not smile

now, “lose the Road to Happiness and fail ever to find

it again.’

“Don’t I know it—don’t I know it?” He bobbed

his head so hard that his billy-goat beard snapped like a

flag of distress, )
“I wonder,’ he added, “if that partner of yourn

ain't goin’ tew run into trouble out there? There was
a snake in the Garden, ye know; and I s’pose it’s
natural tew firid bad spirits hanging round on the out-

skirts of it. Indians aire bad spirits, if they ever was

any in this world. Say, did yeou hear ’em yell?”

Pawnee Bill came back as silently as he had de-

parted.

“They're out there,”’ he reported, “beyond the bend;

but they aren't showing any tumultuous signs of want-
ing to rush on our rifles.’’

He looked at the tall Yankee.
“My friend Adam,” said the scout quietly, with a

grave face; “he says he is down here searching for
the Garden of Eden.”

The hand that Pawnee had clasped dropped out of

his, so astounding was the statement.

“Eh? Did I get that, necarnis?”
“That's right,” said the Yankee, wagging his billy-

goat whiskers again; “‘ye got it, if your hearin’ is
good. And the fact that I’ve met ye and am goin’ on
with ye makes it sure that the heathen won't git me,
and that Ill find it.”

“The Biblical Garden of Eden—that’s what{ you

mean?’ Pawnee asked, a bit bewildered.

“IT never heard of another. Yes, that’s the one.

And this time I’ve a feelin’ that I’m goin’ tew find it.”
He thumped his breast.

“What kind of a proposition is it that we’re stacked

' up against?’ Pawnee Bill asked, as soon as he found
a chance for a word with Buffalo Bill.

“You see for yourself.”
“Bats in his belfry, eh?’
“It’s the only conclusion—unless a

 

ue

BILL STORIES.

“What?”

“He has a card up his sleeve.”’

Pawnee Bill questioned the Yankee after that, watch-
ing him the while. But if the man was playing a game,
all that Pawnee could make out was that he was
shrewd, very.

For an hour the scouts, with the Yankee, remained
in concealment, their animals also under cover; but
no attack came from the Indians.

 

CHAPTER Vi
THE YANKEE PUZZLE.

Indications that the Talis lingered in the trail be-
yond kept Buffalo Bill from advancing at once.

Finding them still there, after he had made’ another
prospecting trip, he decided to camp in the trail for
the night.

It did not please the Yankee.

“I vum,” he cried, “yeou’re ’fraider of the heathen
than I be! It’s because your hearts ain’t right. Go
right along an’ the Lord will pertect ye. Yeou recklect
them Scripture words: ‘One shall chase a thousand,
and two shall put ten thousand to flight,’ Samson he
went forth with the jawbone of an ass and smote the
Philistines hip and thigh; yeou’ve read abaout it, and
you 39

“We've got the jawbone of an ass in the camp, all
right,” muttered Pawnee, turning to Buffalo Bill, with-
out hearing the rest of the Yankee’s grumbling sen-
tence.

The scout, who was attending to the needs of Bear
Paw, his horse, looked at the Yankee with a penetrat-
ing eye,

“He puzzles you?” said Pawnee.

. am wondering if he is the loony that he seems
to Hey

Pawnee flung the Yankee a questioning remark:

“A while ago, when you bolted into view here, you
didn't appear to be as much of a hero as now; how is
that? Why didn’t you turn round and smite the
Philistines hip and thigh, instead of making tracks like
a scared cat?”

“Every man has backslidin’ times,” said the Yan-
kee, unabashed, “and mine happened along about that
time. I hadn't got well used tew Indian yells and
singin’ arrows.”

“You will probably get used to them, if you remain
with us.”

“1 ruther expect tew. I’m goin’ tew stay by ye.
But I can't help thinkin’ that if we could hurry on this
evenin’ we'd git to that Garden of Eden quicker. So
it grinds me tew camp daown an’ waste a whole night
here. I hope yeou understand me.” :

“I'm blest if I do,” Pawnee muttered.

Pawnee Bill stood guard the first half of the night,
while Buffalo Bill slept. The Yankee was supposed to
be sleeping, too; but Pawnee discovered that he rolled
restlessly, and now and then got up and walked about.

 

 

 

 

   
  

ch-
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IT

1

 

  

“Tf you will stick to your blanket and get some
sleep,’ Pawnee advised, “it will be better for you.”

“I keep hearin’ that voice in here,” said the Yankee,
tapping his bosom; “that voice urgin’ me tew hasten
on tew the Garden of Eden,” Bad

“You will reach it as quickly,” Pawnee urged, “by
taking rest/and sleep when you can get it.”

During the latter half of the night, when Buffalo
Bill stood guard over the trail camp, the Yankee ex-

hibited the same restlessness, rising at times and roam-

~ ing round.

 

on in my camp.

The scout, like Pawnee, advised him to stick to his
blanket.

Shortly before ‘morning, when that darkest hour
before dawn held sway, Buffalo Bill discovered that’
the Yankee was missing. The blanket roll seemed still
to contain him—it was bunched into a heap—but the
Yankee had slipped out of it,

But the Yankee came back in half an hour, slipping
into the camp as softly as he departed. He tried to
get into his blanket without being seen by the scout,
but failed; the scout was standing close beside him
and spoke, apparently to the Yankee’s surprise.

vl vum,” he said, ‘‘yeou dew move raound pesky sly
an’ spry! "

“No more than you do,” the scout returned.

The Yankee sat up with his blanket round him.

“Why did you leave the camp a while ago?” the
scout asked.

“B’jing, I didn’t think yeou noticed that!” was ad-
mitted. “Yeou've got eyes like a cat, ain't ye?”

“When I’m on guard I usually know what is going
Why did you ledve it?”

“Waal, naow, I'll jest explain that. Ye see, when-
ever I lay my head on the ground here I can hear them
Indians—Philistines, I mean; seems like I can, any-
haow. If I ain't been mistook, they've been pryin’
raound here all night. So I thought I'd jest run aout
and take a look, to see if I was ce abaout it,”’

“You didn’t see any?”

“No, I didn’t. And I can’t hear ’ em, only when I
lay my ear agin’ the graound.” :

Going to the other side of the camp, the scout tested
this by laying his ear to the ground; but he heard noth-.
ing

“That fellow will bear watching,”
sion.

In the morning the Talis had apparently departed,
so the scout and Pawnee broke camp, and took again
their way southward, but moving slowly and with ‘ex-
treme caution.

The Yankee was voluble and erratic.

At the approach of evening Talis were again ‘dis-
covered. Seemingly they had all day silently tefredted
ahead of the small party, in the hope that in some nar-
row pass they could make a successful attack.

A second night the scouts camped in the trail, with
their animals on picket ropes on the grass beside it; and,
as before, Pawnee Bill took the first watch.

- To all appearances the Yankee slept soundly through

v7

was his conclu-

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

Me dissent aie La am Ahan aA ie Rha che atime elite Lath PNM A See NG NW HR iek Si UNC a a sla ON ORE GN Cm UNA

the first-half of the night. But when Buffalo Bill
stood guard and morning was approaching, he saw the
tall igure roll softly out of the blanket and as softly
roll out of the camp.

As soon as the Yankee had disappeared Buffalo Bill.
woke Pawnee and informed him.

“Stay by the camp while I follow him,” he. whis-
pered.
‘Necarnis, I’m on the job,’ answered Pawnee;

“make a hurry hustle, so that he can’t get too far ahead
‘of you.’

The great scout flitted after the Yankee silent as a
shadow, while Pawnee Bill began to walk the beat in
the camp.

Apparently the Yankee, after prowling about out-
side, went round the camp, and came in at the other
end.

Buffalo Bill came back. at ee that time. |
“Lillie,” he began, then stopped; for he saw the
Yankee, who had also entered:

“You were out of the camp again,
stepping up to him.

The Yankee gave his billy-goat beard a tug, as it
seemed in the darkness; then laughed.

“Gin'ral restlessness,” he explained,
abaout that Garden of Eden.”

The scout struck a match, making the pretense that
he wanted to light a cigar. He did light the cigar, and
at the same time flashed the illuminatiof of the match
in the face of the Yankee.

He thought he caught a queer gleam in the Yankee’s
dark eyes, “and a sarcastic, yet pang, look on the
homely face.

“Ruther resky tew do that,’ the Yankee objected.
“If some.o’ them Philistines should happen tew see ye
they might slam arrows into us, yeou know. And,”
he added slowly, “if yeou go. round with that cigyar
showin’ a red coal o’ fire in the night, ’twould be a
signal fer danger; same as flaggin’ it tew come yeour
way, seems tew me.”

The seout was on the point of boldly denouncing
the Yankee as an impostor at least, but checked the
words. He had no proof-—as yet; nothing but sus-
picions, and they were of the vaguest character.

“Adam” rolled in his blanket, as the scout walked
over for a talk with Pawnee.

“T was listening to your talk with that specimen,”
said Pawnee. ‘What do you make of him?’

‘A lunatic, or a secret enemy.”

“Maybe both. Your idea was that he might be slip-
pin out to meet some one beyond the camp?’

“But I found no proof of it. Still, Iam sure that
those Talis are again hanging round to-night. I heard
a rustling in the bushes, and I thought I heard voices.
But as the Yankee was coming into the camp on this
side at the same time, he couldn't have been talking
with any of them.”

“It’s a queer thing that they hang round and fail
to make an attack. We have evidence that they pre-

99

said the scout, :

‘an’ thinkin’

ceded us by day in the trail, and play snake round us —

  

ere

    
 

  
 

14 THE BUFFALO
4

at night. And I thought you were going to get evi-

‘dence that the Vatikée visited them and talked with

them.”

“Which would have proved him a renegade of the
blackest character; planning to deliver us into the hands
of Indian devils who are too cowardly to attack us
boldly iY

=] aon forget,’ added Pawnee, “that when we first
saw him he was running away from these same ki-yis.”’

“That might have been a ruse to throw us off our
guard—make us sure that he could not be in with
them; I’ve thought of that, too.”

“Well, all we can do, necarnis, is to watch oo un-
less we kick him out of the camp. And, of course,’ he
added, “so long as we have nothing but wild guesses
to back that action, we couldn’t; it would throw him
into the jhands of the Talis, if they are his foes as well
as ours.’

DiS Cea te

out.”
Pawnee preferred to stand it out with him.
But it passed uneventfully.

’ said the scout, “and I’ll stand my watch

e

 

CHAPTER VIL
THE: PUZZLE:. CONTINUES,

Traveling atetop speed, in spite of the fact that the
dark-eyed young woman rode with him, old Nomad
covered the trail so rapidly that he hit Buffalo Bill’s
camp this same morning, shortly after daybreak.

“Hooroar!” he yelled, as he sighted it. “You've
been buckin’, Hide-rack, ‘cause I has been slingin’ the
irons inter ye and didn’t give ye enough eatin’ time;
but now ye see ther result. Buffler ferever! Hooroar!
Yit——”

An Indian, crouched behind a rock, shot an arrow.
at him, and slid out of sight.

“Still,” said the trapper, taking a’snap shot with his
pistol at the vanishing redskin, “et is a cur’us wonder
thet Buffler and Pawnee sh’d be hyar, er even hyar-

abouts, when they ought ter be down at El Toro
buckin’ smallpox. This is er deescrepancy thet needs
ter-——”’ :

He was flinging his comments to the young woman
who rode strenuously at his side, and who ducked
and dodged when an arrow sang at them out of the
rocks beside the trail.

Buffalo Bill and Pawnee were even more astonished
by the coming of the old trapper and the young woman.
They didn’t know who the woman was, and Nomad,

according to their latest information, was, or had been,

at Cordovan, guarding the border there against gun
runners.

“Hooroar!” the borderman yelled again, jumping
from his saddle and running upon the scouts with both
hands extended. “Corraled in yere by Injuns, aire ye?
and me bustin’ right through ’em, when I didn’t know
they war thar! Still, et ain’t whar I looked ter see
ye, not by a long shot. Buffler, Pawnee, this hyar is

A Be the A Ka the fe Hae ah

BO AR Mt A POA ot en A te
ae ry ea duti i Tee eee Sat Maatiay chat hen
PG etic clan naar NON Reiter e Wr an Gat si A

“of bordermen.”

 

re fits situs Ae ett tM tata
a fees

BILL: STORIES. )

Miss Nita Lobo—which I don’t like ther Lobo part
of et—ther neatest, trimmest young ‘oman [has trav-
eled with in many er day. Allus cheerful, no marter;

allus ready ter eat hardtack, when she cain’t have corn ~

pone an’ biscuit; allus ready ter ride all day an’ all
night, ef so be I thinks I has got ter git right along;
allus ez purty, too, as ye see her right this minute. As
to her story, I'll tell et later; but this hyar will do
fer er knock-down.”

“Where dew I come in at?” asked Adam, as this sif-
gular introduction was being acknowledged.

He came forth at the side of the trail.

Nomad flung the tall Yankee a glance, and appar-
ently did not approve of him.

“Whyever——’

But he stopped right there.

“You go on with yer handshakin’: and gittin’
akwainted,” he said, “while I jest drap back in ther
trail and see what has bercome of them ki-yis what
war throwin’ arrers at me. Seems ter me ye’re kinda
keerless, with them reds round ye.”

The tall Yankee followed him with his eyes.

“Who is that?’ he said.

“That, answered Pawnee, “as Nick Nomad, king

é

SOR is

“The more you know him, the better: you like him;
and the better you know him, the more you like him.”

ewes, lthoueht: so.”

He extended his hand to the young woman.

“T was willing to ride 4s hard as I could,” she said,
“because I am so extremely anxious to reach El Toro,
and be of service to my friends there. Their condition
must be terrible.”

“Lookin’ fer the Garden of Eden, too,” said the
tall Yankee. -““Too bad, fer all of us, that them pesky
Philistines is in the way.”

_. He began to tell her of his search for the Garden
of Eden.

“T know now it’s at El Toro,” he declared, beating
his breast ; “and I want tew git there jest as quick’s I
can.’

She turned away, but he followed her, and con-
tinued to talk of the Garden of Eden. _

Nomad came back, his face shining with the delight
he felt because he had met his old pards of the trail.

said.

“Queer that you didn’t see any ki-yis?” said Paw-
nee. “Well, we've found them an odd bunch of
thieves, take them by and large.”

“Not thet,” said Nomad. “Et is this: Whyever, ef
you an’ Buffler aire down with smallpox at El Toro, can
ye be hyar, sound and well 2”

“You heard. that?” said Pawnee, with a start.

vEt war in ther letter thet she brought ine;
et 18.

He drew it out.

“Odd enough,’ said Pawnee, when he had read it.
“T didn’t waht her ter hit ther trail with me,” said

Hyar

  

SiR AR Hott de RO A bean gh
aaa IE ai i Ue atl er

“Queer thing, and I’d like ter understand et,” he

 

Deo \ 8 ell

 

 
   

 

plannin’ any Injun tricks

‘more days ought tew put us there, don’t yeou?”

 

Nomad, “but she would; she hung back, pertending ter
return to Jaurez, and then connected up with me, at a
pint whar I jest natcherly couldn’t set her adrift, on
account o’ ther dangers. Yit I must say, sense thet
time she has been a dead-game young woman. An’
purty! You has sized up ther extent o her beauty,
Pawnee?”

“A handsome young woman.
Mexican, or part Mexican.”

“Don’t make no diff’rence ef she is Injun, she’s a
han’some piece er caliker; my eyes ain’t too old ter see
thet But, Pawnee, take et ail round, this hull thing
is a quar piece 0’ biz. Now, this critter thet is with

our”

“We collected him in ie same way—when we didn’t
want him,”

Pawnee explained briefly, and told also of the sus-
picious things noticed.

“Only two kinds o’ men,” said Nomad, “would be
huntin’ fer ther Gyarden of Eden: A lunytic what
believed in et, and a man what war bluffin’ through a
game, with cyards and bowie knives up his sleeve.

But I think she is

Waugh!  Thet is ther truth.”

The Talis who had been hanging round the camp,
and had proved their presence by sending arrows at old
Nomad, disappeared as quietly as before. Apparently,
again they had gone on down the EI Toro trail.

The old borderman insisted on going ahead, to ‘‘cl’ar
the way.”

“Injuns don’t trouble me none,’ he argued, “fer
yer see, I has fit ‘em, trailed “em, camped with ‘em,
and even lived with ’em. So I know ’em frum ther

grass roots up. An’ ef these hyar snoopin’ Talis aire
2) ;

 

He had pointed the nose of old Hide-rack into the
trail, and rode off, kicking the flanks of the horse,
while his keen ‘eyes searched the land ahead of him.
Across his saddle before him rested his rifle, gripped
in his sinewy hand.

But he found no Talis.

When the journey Eb Toroward was taken up, the
girl dropped in beside the Yankee. This was a matter
of course. For the party rode two and two, ihe the

scouts ahead; following old Nomad.

What they discoursed about neither Pawnee nor Buf-
falo Bill knew, but now and then the Yankee was heard
to say something about the Garden of Eden.

At the noon camp the girl and the Yankee kept
apart, as if the ride of the morning had been distaste-
ful and they desired no further intimacy of that sort,
when it could be avoided. But the Yankee helped

cher to mount to her saddle, as Pawnee was about to

offer his services, and Pawnee caught this remark:
“They’re good men!’ This was said by the girl.
The reply of the man seemed to be something about
the Garden of Eden.
“ADU he \satd, as. it suddenly observing Pawnee.
“We've been makin’ good time. I cal’late a couple

THE BUFFALO

    

Ss sLadeidteceasepe seine lease odes ee

RU STORIES 15

“You've been over this route before?” said Pawnee.

“Never !?

“Nor have we. But some information we received
at starting makes us. believe that we are coming now
to some mighty rough going.”

The Yankee cackled his peculiar laugh.

‘Jordan is a hard road to travel. But yeou can’t
expect the approaches tew the Garden of Eden to be -
easy, Can ye, naow?”’ |

The girl flushed under Pawnee’ S gaze.

“If we could all-be as sure,’ she said, “of reaching
the Garden of Eden some time as our friend is!”

“All ye have tew do is jest tew keep a-goin’,” de-
clared the Yankee. ‘‘Every road has got tew have an
endin’, no matter haow long it is.” ns

“You seem to be a philosopher, at any rate,” said
Pawnee, rather at a loss for an answer.

“T want tew know!”

~The Yankee laughed again, and somehow that laugh
cut along Pawnee’s nerves.

When the evening camp was made, the girl and
the Yankee dropped down on a stone together at one
side of the camp, and apparently continued a conver-
sation that had been begun on the trail They had been
heard talking in tones that had seemed serious, and
this was a continuance of it.

At last the girl arose, giving her dress an angry
shake,

Her eyes were bright as she came over to the fire
that Pawnee Bill was kindling.

“He annoys you, does he?’ said Pawnee. “I admit
that at times the things he says, and his laugh, are
rather irritating; though, when you analyze them and
your own feelings, always there seems to be no good
ground for it.”

“Yes,” she admitted, as if drawing her thoughts
back from a distance, “he does irritate me at times,
just as he does you.’

“But if he is insane!"

“Yes, of course,’ she agreed; “if the man is insane,
anything he says or does ought to be forgiven.”

“But is he insane?” Pawnee asked.

She stared at him.

“What do you think?”

“Tm going to be charitable, and give him the bene-

“Alok the deabe

After the evening meal, while the night thickened
over the camp, she sat apart again, talking with the
Yankee; apparently, if judged only by what could be
seen, she was trying to discover for herself whether
the Yankee was insane or was a fraud.

This night Nomad stood guard the first half.

The second watch was taken by Pawnee, and he was
sure that the Yankee was asleep at the time.

Throughout the night Pawnee kept his eyes more or
less on the nonce form of the Yankee. The Talis
made no demonstration, and the night was one of
‘quiet.

In the morning the Yankee was still in his blanket.
“6 THE BUFFALO

He roused up and asked a question, as Pawnee, walk-
_ ing his beat, passed him.

But when full day had dawned, and the time came
for all to rise, it was found that the girl was gone.

“Waugh!” rumbled Nomad, when the news was
borne to him, “I brought her hyar, and Ee
stood up and looked round. ‘Waal,’ he added, “I
“reckon she'll be hyar in er minute.”

But the girl did not return.

 

 

CHAPTER VIII.
THE MYSTERIOUS YANKEE.

When a search for Nita Lobo was unfruitful, Buf-
falo Bill and his friends were not only puzzled, but
somewhat at a loss to know what to do. They feared
that she had wandered out of the camp and fallen into

BILL STORIES 4
“This hyar Gyarden of Eden lunytic seems ter be
a reg’lar tinhorn,’”’ grumbled the borderman.
“A renegade white man, which is worse,” said the
scout.

“Ef he comes back I sets my fingers into his neck!” —

“We'll see what he says, or does—if he comes back.”’

“Say he is a fraud and a renegade, do you savvy
his game, necarnis?’’ asked Pawnee.

“He intends to betray us into the hands of the Talis
—that’s all I can make of it now. My judgment is
that they’re too cowardly to make a bold attack; but
are crazy to get at us; and he has joined us for the
purpose of helping them, when the chance comes.”

“And he thinks it has come now?”

“Perhaps. We'll see as to that.”

“Thet gal bein’ named Lobo!” said Nomad, who had
long worried over that. ‘Does et mean anything?”

“No more than it means a man is crtel and sneak-

.the hands of the Talis, though throughout the night no Ning because his name happens to be Wolf, Still——”

Talis had been heard.

Apparently as anxious as any one was the Yankee.

“She's in the hands of the Philistines,” he said.

He insisted on making another search, and went out
of the camp alone, refusing to be dissuaded.

He came back as the horses were being made ready
for the trail.

“Didn’t see her, and seen no Philistines,’ he re-
potted... .

- There were still no Talis in evidence as they took
up the trail that morning. Nor were any seen through-
~out the day.

That night Pawnee Bill courted the embrace of the
blankets and dewy-eyed slumber; for he was tired out,
and Buffalo Bill, with the borderman, took all the
guard work,

Twice during his hours of watching the scout slipped
out of the camp and prowled round it in silence, under
the belief that he had heard Indian voices near, and
had even heard men crawling.

When he came back the second time he found that
the blankets of the Yankee were empty. a

Promptly he went out again; but not until he had
roused old Nomad and left him watching in the dark-
ness.

This time Buffalo Bill had better luck than before.
He located a low grumble of voices. Creeping in that
direction, though he saw nothing, he heard the voice
of the Yankee, and then the voice of a Tali Indian.

“He has found the Garden of Eden here,” thought
the scout, “‘and it is inhabited by redskins.”

He crawled closer, and though the voices rose
clearer, so that he was sure he was not mistaken, he
still could not make out what was said; it was in Talli,
and a difficult language to him, familiar as he was with
so many Indian dialects. _ )

“Plotting with the Talis for the capture of the
camp,” was his conclusion, as he crawled back into it.
“T’ve got to awaken Pawnee.”

He roused Pawnee, and informed him, with Nomad,
of the nature of his discovery.

 

9.299

“Waal, et has got me ter millin’. !

“I’ve been thinking, as we talked here,’” said the
scout. “I was standing guard, you know, and you
two were asleep, or supposed to be. So now if you will
drop back into your blankets I will go over by that
rock and sit down there. I'll make a pretense that I
am sleepy. We'll see if ahything happens.”

He slipped away, and the two men rolled in their
blankets; but they were very wide awake, with hands
clutching revolvers. “

Ten minutes later the Yankee came softly into the
camp. In the darkness he could hardly be seen; and
the fact that he made not a sound in stepping told that
he had removed his shoes.

Slowly and silently he passed close by the forms in
the blankets, bent with a jerk, heard the snores they
sent up, and passed on, in ‘the direction of the rock

where the scout sat now with his Stetson shading his
face,

The Yankee paused before the scout, ducked as if
he listened; then straightened and slipped off again.

When once more he came in sight four or five In-
dians were with him. They were crawling, while he
slipped along in a stooping position. First they came
toward" Buffalo Bill, apparently for the purpose of

'

making sure of him.

The scout waited until the Yankee and the redskins
were right in front of him. Then the revolver he held
went off with a startling report, and he jumped like a
tiger at the throat of the Yankee.

Nomad and Pawnee Bill threw aside their blankets
and came to their feet. As they did so, they saw the
Indians scudding into the gloom, and saw Buffalo Bill
drop on his face, then the Yankee gave a leap right
over him, and faded.

When Pawnee Bill and ihe borderman reached the

_scout’s side they found that he had been knocked down

and rendered unconsciotis by a blow on the head.
As the Indians and the Yankee were gone, they did

not try to follow them; but while Pawnee gave his

f

   

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

   
   
 
   
   
   
  
 
 

 

  

 
 

 

 

   

ing a sneak on me, right behind the Yankee.

THE BUFFALO

atterition to the scout,, Nomad hustled to the horses,
that for security had been held in the camp that night.
The report of the revolver had set the animals jiump-

ing, but the voice of Nomad quieted them. Seeing that

they were still safe, the borderman ran over to the side
of Pawnee.

“Thet war a raw deal of a play,” he grunted.
Buffler-——”’

“Right side up with care, yet,’ said the scout, try-
ing to stagger to his feet, supported by the arm of
Pawnee Bill. :

“Tt was a razzle-dazzle of a
hurt much, necarnis.”’

“Not hurt at all,’ declared the scout, leaning against
the rock. . | :

“Just as well as ever, with your head dented in, and
blood all over your face; yes, you sure look it! Here,
take a nip of this.”

Pawnee drew his flask and held it up, and the scout
put it to his lips.

‘“Ther wine o’ life, when a feller needs et,” cont
mented Nomad; ‘‘and ther wust kinda foolish water,
when he don’t. However did thet tinhorn do et, any-
how ?”’

“T was too sure of him,” said the scout; “that is the
way I explain it. I fired my pistol to scare the Talis;
there were five of them, I think, and they were mak-
Then
I jumped at him, and he—was too quick for me, so I
got the butt of his revolver right there’ —he put up his
hand—‘‘and down I went.”

“Waugh!” Nomad breathed.
—the A-one liar—the——”

“As I’m all right now, Nomad,” said the scout, “just
bottle your words, and get onto the job of watching;
those rascals might pull their courage together and
come back. There are more than five Talis round this
camp.”

“It’s a strange deal,” said Pawnee, when Nomad
had started to obey; “if they wanted to kill us, they
might have done it by shooting into us, either by day
or night.”

ole

 

Hope you aren't

“Ther pizen whelp

“They seem to be armed only with bows and ar- —
rows—tighty poor weapons for warfare, you'll agree;

though that they have knives I had ocular demonstra-
tion a while ago. Ata guess, I should say, though, that
they don’t want us dead, but alive.” .

From the Yankee, Pawnee’s thoughts bounded to_ |
the north by precipitous and rocky hills.

the_girl.
“Nita Lobo?” he said. “Did her disappearance have
anything to do with this attempt against the camp?’

“Just how? That blow on the head has woolgath-
ered me, you see; so if I don’t follow you——”

“Tt came to me merely as a suggestion, necarnis,”
said Pawnee, as he emptied his canteen on the scout’s
wound, and tried to bathe it, “that she might have had
a hand in it this way: The Indians hadn’t been seen
or heard for a long time, you recall. ‘Now, could she
have been sent out by this searcher for the Garden of
Eden, ‘for the sole purpose of getting them to come

 

  

Bilin STORIES.

back and make this effort against us, after they had
become discouraged and had departed? It’s a wild
throw of the guess lariat, probably.”

“T don’t know,” said the scout; “my head is fuddled,
and I can’t think clearly right now. But there is no
longer any doubt that this Yankee was a pretender
and a renegade, in with the Talis; and. that for someé
reason the Talis want to capture us alive.”

“And if you hadn’t been wide awake and right on
the jab to-night, I guess they’d have done it.”

He washed the wound, then tied a handkerchief over
it as a bandage.

Buffalo Bill put on his Stetson, over the handker-
chief.

“Tm all right again, or I will be in a minute or so.”

“The tinhorn an’ the ki-yis have hit the ghost trail,”
said Nomad; “gone without er sound! Slidin’ shad-
ders would er made a busier noise than they «did.
Waal,.wHat next?” y

“Nothing, until morning,” said the scout.

“Tm hoping wow, remarked Pawnee, “that the
Talis have been given such a fright that they will keep
out of our way, and we'll have a clear trail down to
ET Toro,’

“The thing that is beginning to worry me,” the scout
admitted, “is a fear that when we get to El Toro we
shalf find that all along we have been against.a frame-
up.

“Necarnis, it looks it,’ declared Pawnee. “Take
everything, from the start until right now—the mes-
sages, Nita Lobo, the Yankee, the sneaking Talis; I’m

‘ thinking that when we do butt into the ranch at El

Toro we'll ram into a stixprise that will lay these lit-
tle incidents away in moth balls, and make us forget
they ever happened.”
“Still feelin’ weak, ain’t ye, Buffler?’’ said Nomad.
“Like the morning after the night before,” the scout
admitted. “But Pll be ready for the trail, when the
times comes for it.” > is

 

CHAPTER 1X;
THE WORK OF THE ROPE KING. re

The trail that up to this time had been reasonably
plain, though occasionally it scattered and took on the
characteristics of a game trail, ended, a few miles be-
yond, in a valley that was bounded on every side but

When they had spent hours in a vain effort to find
a way southward, they decided to leave their animals
in the valley, in spite of the risk, and pack the medi- .

—cines and supplies on their backs.

The bridles, saddles, and all the other things they
could not take, or did not need, they cached.

Pawnee Bill’s unequaled ability with the rope came
in handy now. They had ropes in plenty, and at times
had need of them all, for there were places, in the
tortuous cafions, when rope bridges, in effect, had to be
constructed. ;

   
 
 

18 THE BUFFALO
It was interesting to watch Pawnee Bill : at this kind
of work.

Selecting a finger of rock on the other side of the
cafion, he would throw a noose over it and tighten it
with a jerk, then fasten the free end on his side. After
that he would rig a sort of block-and-tackle arrange-
ment by which the medicine cases and supplies could
be “ferried” across; this, of course, after he had
crossed over himself, which he did by “‘walking” the
main rope with his hands.

Buffalo Bill and the borderman came after that.

Now and then the precipice path they followed would
end at a blank wall of rock, so that they had their
choice of climbing over it, or turning back.

There was seldom hesitation on Pawnee’s part.
After estimating the height of the wall, he picked out

some point on it that projected more or'less, and -

landed a noose over it, then climbed the rope like an
acrobat or a sailor.

Buffalo Bill could climb with equal skill, but to save
the strength of the borderman, who was, because of his
increasing years, not as’ “soople” as once upon a time,
Pawnee often made a rope ladder, and let it down for
him.

From the top of the wall a rope would be slid down,
and they would descend by that. «

Once. only did Pawnee lose a rope, that he had to

leave hanging on the wall; the others he was able to .

snap off the high projections by running little wave rip-
ples up the rope, which, gaining in force, “hopped” the
noose off.

The ingenious manner in which he conquered rock »

and rope difficulties that day proved his worthiness to
be called: the king of the rope.

Half the day was spent in work of this kind, when
an unexpected capture was made of a Tali Indian.

A rope had been thrown across a cafion; some of the
packs had been sent over, and Buffalo Bill, with No-
mad, had crossed; this time leaving Pawnee on the
starting side of the cafion.

Pawnee began to cross when Buffalo Bill and No-
mad had gone on a few yards to inspect the way.

Pawnee was swinging along with his hands, halfway.

across, when he was startled by seeing a Tali Indian
appear suddenly at the opposite end oF the rope, and
stoop to cut it with his knife. |

Thus caught on the rope that bridged tie cafion,
Pawnee Bill’s famous Price knife came out of his belt
and flashed at the weapon of the red rope: cutter.

It struck the knife hand of the Tali.

At the same moment Buffalo Bill, who had turned
back, came dashing on the redskin, and before the lat-
ter could wriggle away the scout had nailed him.

Pawnee swung on, whooping his delight, and landed.
Buffalo Bill had thrown the redskin backward, and was
camped on him.

Seeing that the odds were sehne him, the Tali
ceased to struggle, ee. when he had to, with

Indian stoicismm.

     

 

    

 

BILL STORIES, |

Nomad came running,on the scene, drawn by P aN
nee’s war whoops.

“Gr-reat catypillars te
find ther speciment ?”’

“He was cutting the rope,” said Pawnee.

The Tali cfouched against a rock, when the scout re-
leased him, and looked at his slashed hand, from which
blood dropped.

“I let him off easy,” said Pawnee, gathering up his
knife; “the way he was trying to serve me, ‘twould
have served him right if I had given him the weapon
straight.”

He repressed a shudder as he glanced into the cafion,
and thought of the rocks which would have impaled
him if the rope had been cut away by the Tali.

“Search him, Nomad,” said the scout; “then we'll
see if he can understand us.’

The search brought up an odd assortment of worth-
less things stowed miscellaneously and held in place

he screeched. “Whar'd. ye

3)

_ by strings, together with a small sheet of paper, writ-

ten over in Spanish

“He was a message bearer,” said Pawnee, “crossing
the mountains, and butted into this thing through pure
meanness, because he thought he saw a chance to dish
me. What does it say, necarnis?”’

Buffalo Bill gave this translation:

“I refuse to go further in this matter of trying to
carry out your plan against Buffalo Bill and his friends.
I find that I am still a woman, and cannot do it. For
that reason I left their party. Finding this Tali in
the trail, I am sending this message to you by his hand.
As for me, you will not see me again.

“Nita Lozo.”’

“Yah!” snarled the trapper. “Blamed ef it don’t
sound like a letter from thet gal to old Adam! Aire
we gittin’ warm ter somethin’, er no?”

Pawnee Bill blew out an expressive whistle of aston-
ishment.

“Oh, snakes!’ added the borderman. “T don’t like
ter think thet the han’some young ’oman what I took a
likin’ ter so well can be mixed up ina game aginst us,
with thet pizen Yankee. Cain’ t ye make some other
meanin’ out er thet letter, one 0’ ye?” °

Buffalo Bill turned to the Tali, who sat crouched
against the rock, his staring black: eyes filled with the
fear he tried hard to conceal.

“Where did you get this?” said the scout, holding up

_ the letter.

The Tali’s stare continued,

The scout repeated it in Spanish.

‘Then he tried the few words of Tali that he knew,
and after that other Indian dialects.

Only when the scout resorted to signs did a gleam
of understanding cross the Tali’s face.

The Tali then made answering signs to show that the
one who had given him the letter Was a woman: He
swung his hands round, indicating a skirt round his
feet; made a curving motion with his right hand, from

TP are ee teat to Pe aU Ne Aue Lo tae Shai Begin sten Sh ak aE TOMES NIA A yo ie diag paki is: ane teas BAe bes Seebe onloat Waa Dalim span abt ay Md Aiea ede ge baat baat Pak
Sad Sa ore Bi cass PR a AL Ve a all Ao ears lc er OD ches 0 oe eae pe ANA Li OE SLR oF i ln apse te isa)

 

 
 

 

THE BUFFALO

his head down his back, indicating long hair; pointed
to his face, then to the scout’s, to signify that the
woman's face was white—she was not an Indian
woman; then clucked out Tali words, which the scout
said was a declaration that she was a daughter of Lobo;
and she had sent-him, he sgid as oe as he could, wit
that message to Lobo.

“Where is Lobo?” demanded the scout, i signs and
words.

The Tali did not know; Lobo had been near ‘re-
cently, but the Tali had been heading for Lobo’s head-
quarters.

He indicated the distance, by laying his head on his
arm, and closing his eyes, to indicate one a then
repeating it to denote another sleep.

“Two sleeps to the south,” said the scout, ee the
Fali nodded the direction.

“Jest erbout ther.distance to El Toro, ef we has
figgered thet out right,’ observed Nomad.

“The Talis had some horses—we saw signs of that +

in the trail; what did they do with their horses?”
queried the scout.

The actions of the Tali, in trying to answer this,
were interesting to watch. Three times the scout had
him repeat them.

“Oh!” he said. “I think he means that there is a
hole out of that valley where we were forced to leave
our horses!’

You better ask, him thet over erg’in,”’ said the bor-
derman. ‘‘We don’t want ter make no mistake. Ef I
has ter climb back ter thet valley_frum hyar, I wants
ther goods fer et when I git thar. Rastlin’ ropes across
precerpices mebbyso is_all right fer an expert like what
Pawnee is; but fer er man 0’ my y ‘ars an in-deescri-
tion—waal, et is plum’ diff’rent.”

Buffalo Bill asked the Tali again.

“That's alt 1 make out of it,” said the stout, when
the Tali had again tied himself into bow knots, to de-
note a twisting trail, and almost swallowed his fingers
to indicate horses going into a hole.

‘The same over here,” said Pawnee; “that’s what he
means. But we couldn’t find any hole leading out of
that valley.”

ih oy were going ahead,” the scout contrived to say
to the Tali; “and you can guide us on in the way you
were going, sO that by and by we shall reach the place
where Lobo is.’

“I was going to the valley where the hole is—not
south,” said the Tali, in his sign language. “I could
get to the Tall Wolf that way before I could by cross-
ing the terrible mountains.”

It took him fifteen minutes to-say this. And as a
study in sign language it was interesting. The Tall
Wolf, or Tall Lobo, he “spelled out” by making the
universal Indian. -sign for wolf, then lifting his hands
high and higher until he was stretching them over his
head.

“D' yer ketch .on ter thet, Buffler 2” said Nomad.\
“This hyar Lobo is some tall, you Il notice, ’cordin’
ter ther Tali. We has likewise an’ sim’lar had a very,

be CB RAPER Re IR RR a

BILE STORIES, 19
tall critter “mongst us recent, which his name was
Adam, you'll recomember. Et bergins ter look as ef
thet tinhorn ombray war erbout all ther mean things
ye can think of. Still, [ am holdin’ back frum statin’
positive opinions, on account o’ Miss Nita Lobo. Why-
ever she wore a name sim’ lar——”

He coughed and stared.
¢« ay, Buffler—I don’t want ter express et; but c’d
et be posserble thet Nita Lobo war kin ter this Tall
Wolf—mebbyso_ his darter? I don’t want ter ex-
press et!”

' Buffalo Bill bored for information along that line,
but without success; there were limits to the sign lan-
guage, as he and the Tali knew it.

When they had pumped the redskin dry they held a
council of war,

After it ended, Pawnee Bill took his ropes and ex-
plored the onward way for a hour or so.

“Thecafions and precipices get worse and worse,” he
reported, when he returned.

They decided to back-track.

When they reached the valley again the day was
done. Nevertheless, they made the Tali show them the
hole which he had indicated.

Straight ahead of him the Tali walked to the other
end of the valley. ‘There he stopped, studied the face...
of the cliff before him in the fading light, and walked
on again.

“Goin’ ter butt his head inter ther cliff,” said Nomad.

The Tali stopped again, where three close-set, wide-
spreading dwarf cedars spread along a cleft near the
wall; the floor of rock up to that point having been
bare granite, though in the cleft was enough soil to
support the growth of the cedars.

Stepping, behind the cedars the Tali disappeared for
a moment.

When he reappeared he was beckoning.

Following him behind the cedars they saw, as oa
thought, merely the rock wall.

But when the Tali struck a small section of it near
the ground with his knuckles it swayed, and they dis-
covered that pasted against the stone was a sheet made
of buckskin that had been dyed to the color of the rock,
and this buckskin sheet was a door.

The Tali swung it aside, and before them was a.
hole; not dark, as they had expected it to be, but with
as much light seen through it, on the other side, as
where they stood.

When they had-passed through this cleverly made
and hidden door, they found that the rock wall there
was but an inch or two thick—a mere sheet of granite;
that it had been perforated by the Indians, and then
this door had been set in to conceal it.

Straight ahead, dimly discernible, was a. plain trail,
leading along the base of a-high rock wall.

“Waugh!” Nomad exclaimed, in admiration of the
ingenuity of the Talis. Et shore took a hair- -trigger
intellect ter put er job o’ thet kind through. Jumpin’
sandhills! Looks now as ef we ain’t goin’ ter have

 
 

THE BUPREATO

nothin’ but clean and straightaway sailin’ henceiorn
and ferevermore. Halleluyer!”

So eager were they to take advantage of the way
thus opened, that as soon as they-had eaten supper they
got up their animals and set forth along the hillside
trail. They were tired almost to the point of exhaus-
tion by the incessant work and climbing they had done;
but the thought that they could now make decent speed
stirred them to this final effort. .

At midnight they stopped, fagged out, and made
their night camp in the trail.

Nomad stood guard for the first two hours,

But the old man could not keep his eyes open.

Falling asleep, he slept like a log till morning; and
as he, of course, failed to arouse the others, they slept
in the same dead manner, until the sunlight of the new
day struck them and brought them back to conscious-
ness,

Nomad’s chagrin was then great.

The Tali had made his escape. He had been afraid
to take anything—so horses, guns, ammunition, and
supplies, including the medicine packs, had not been
touched; he had simply lifted his feet and stolen away
with the stealth of a fox.
* “Waugh!” Nomad bellowed. “Somebody rig er
kickin’ machine quick, an’ git busy with me!” |

 

CHAPTER X,
ENTER SCHNITZEN HAUSER,

There was no grass in the trail here for the horses,
and no water; the whole country had begun to take on
even more of a desert look than any yet passed over,
so the scout and‘his pards were anxious to push on,

By nine o’clock they had reached much lower levels,
where they found a half-dried-up water hole, mud-oozy
round the edges, but with grass about it.

Beyond this the land stretched on in sandy levels
that had a desert appearance. Viewing it with critical
eyes, the scout and his friends confessed that they did
not like it. Yet the trail they had been following en-
tered this waste. A half mile out from the foot of the
hills, when they prospected to see what lay there, they
found a continuation of pony tracks; but they had
grown fainter, and the sand had sifted | in so that the
most of them were covered.

“A mile out, there will be no trail,” said the scout.

Dancing sand spirals, set in motion by cross winds,
waltzed in weird fashion still farther out, and no green
tree nor shrub could be seen, but only cacti and desert
weeds here and there, the weeds set in depressions, the
cacti defying the worst that the heat and the sand
could. do.

““A' bad outlook for the horses, necarnis,”’ declared
Pawnee. “Still, horses have passed through here, and
what other horses can do ours can. We can fll our
water bottles and make a try of it. I guess we’ ve got
to—nothing is to be gained by stopping here.”

But they did not start until the horses were well

BIDL STORIES.

rested and had filled themselves with the grass that

grew luxuriantly round the water hole. 7

They would have delayed even longer, but for an
unforeseen occurrence.

Nomad caught sight of a human head on top of a
low -hill behind him, and, though it was at once with-
drawn, he caught up his rifle and sent a bullet at the
rock where it had been for a moment only visible.

The result of that shot was about the most aston-
ishing thing that had ever come within the ken of the
old borderman’s experience.

A man came rolling down the slope of the hill like
a ball. Apparently the shot, causing him to jump, had
also made him slip, where the soil was but sliding sand;
and, having lost his foothold, he could not regain it,
and so came rolling helplessly down,

Though he was whirling like a top, they saw at
once, by his clothing, that he was not an Indian,

suddenly Nomad yelped:

“Spinnin’ comets! Et’s ther re

So it was.

Having rolled to the bottom of the hill, hia momen-

tum being exhausted, he began to pull himself together, ©

as the three men from the camp rushed to meet him.

The baron had clung valiantly to his rifle. Now he
leaped up and swung it round him; they said after-
ward that, as he did so, his eyes were shut. .

“Go ‘way!’ he yelled. ‘“Kvit idt! Oof you try to
timmyhawk me I vill make sissage meadt oudt oof you.
Standt pack pehint yourselluts, you retskin

“Whoa, Nebuchadnezzar "’’ Nomad bellowed at him.
“Stop turnin’ round so fast, an’ look at yerself onc’t.”

The baron stopped.

“Yiminy Ghristmas!” he said. “Idt iss nit—idt iss
Nomadt.”’ et

“You must be dizzy-headed by now, baron,’ Nomad
observed dryly. “Whatever did ye think you war
doin’, anyhow ?”

“Tdt iss also-o Cody unt Bawnee!” gasped the baron,
as if he could not believe his eyes.

“Sure thing, Schnitz!” cried Pawnee, stepping for-
ward with outstretched hand,

“And the sight of no one could be more welcome,”’
added Buffalo Bill, also advancing.

“Budt meppyso J am treaming sveet treams,” the
baron objected. ‘‘Aber I am not, idt iss der Hapbines
oof my lifetimes.”

“You're all right, baron,” said Pawnee, wringing the
German’s pudgy hand. “But [must say that your way
of entering camp was a bit spectacular.”

The baron shook hands gravely.

“Now vare iss der Inchun?” he said, when he had
concluded all round,

“Which one?” asked Buffalo Bill. “Little Cayuse:

 

Seeing you here, makes me hope that he is somewhere

near.

“Yaw, he iss a nearness, but I tond’t iow vare,’
the baron admitted, “Budt I am sbeaking oof der

Inchun vot haf shoodt adt me.”

 

   

pam 2 of

eS") pet eh ln

  
   

 

  

“Waugh, baron,”’
barkin’ myself.”’

Vow.

“Didn't you. rec’nize ther crack 0’ this ole rifle?”

“Your. Vhy vouldt you be shoodting at me a

' “Waal, I thought you war an Injun.”

“Himmel! Dhen dare vos two Inchuns!”

He pulled himself together again and laughed.

"1 smell der schmokes oof your camp fire,” he ex-
plained, “unt so I climb py der tob oof der hill yedt,
and try to look a leedle town here. Unt der nexdt ting
vot is habbening, a pullet comes flying py der site oof
my headt, and vhen | choomp oop, so dot der nexdt
vun he tond’t git me, I slib my. feedt. Unt—I am
here,”

“Where is Little Cayuse?” ae the scout,
how do you happen to be here?’

“He iss vere he iss—budt I tond’t know; unt as for
der odder kvestion, ve are here pecause ve haf run
avay from vare ve vos perfore ve come by dhis blace.”

cried Nomad;

“And

He got his breath again and walked slowly over to

the fire, pelted with questions at every step.

“Yoost gif me time to gidt my t’ inking eap on,” he
urged; “my headt iss.going roundt yedt.”

He sat down as solemnly, looked about, and took in
the surroundings of the camp; then he pulled out his
pipe, which came out in sections, for it was a long-
stemmed German affair manufactured 1 in the old coun-
try.

“T vas afraidt at der fairst dot he iss proke,’ he.

said.

He jointed the stem and filled the big bowl with to-
bacco. Not until the pipe was going would he say
anything more, no matter how great the impatience of
those who viewed his slow movements with dismay.

“Idt iss goot to dake der tizziness oudt oof der
headt,” he urged; “so I haf to. make der smoke fairst.”

When he had taken a dozen whiffs, with all the
solemnity of an Indian pulling at the peace pipe, he con-
descended to ask questions, and to talk.

“You are here for vot?’’

“Waal, fer one thing, we aire hyar huntin’ fer you,”
said Nomad. “You ain’t had no smallpox?”

“Vhy vouldt I haf him?”

“Waal, ef thet ain’t a fool question; you'd have et
bercuz ye couldn’t git erway from et,”

“Idt iss a surbrise py me dot you are here,” said the
baron. “Liddle Cayuse unt me ve are setting oudt to
go ofer der moundains to findt you, unt pring you der
news.’

“Hand et over, then!”

The baron refused to be hurried.

“You rememper Harfey Brice,” he said, “unt der
young voman he haf marriedt; der young voman vot ve
rescooded from der pandits?’ '

“T reckon we know all about et, baron, interrupted
the impatient bordermian. “They aire down wi’ small-
pox, at El Toro, an’ Mrs. Brice’s paw he is also down
wi’ smallpox, at El Toro. Jest cut out ther things thet
we know, an’ hustle along,’’

a9

THE: BUFFALO BILE STORIES,

“T done thet leetle

iss nodt so far as idt vos—nein!

    

 

 

The baron stared at him.
“Vot are you sbeakin’ mit by your moudth?”

“Oh, snakes!
nuthin’ ?”’ ee

“So far as I am knowing idt,” said the baron, “dare
iss been no smallbox unt no measles unt no shicken
box unt no whoobin’ cough unt e

“Waugh! What has ther’ been, then? Git down to
brass tacks?”

“Dare has peen Inchuns,”

© Thet all?”

“Aind’t idt enough? Ve are coobed py der Inchuns
oop in der mine house by El Toro yedt, Ve cand’t git
oudt, unt oof ve couldt, ve couldt nodt dake der vim-
mins py der moundains ofer, mit Inchuns hanging
roundt. Unt der eadting idt iss gedt short, unt der
vater idt iss get shorter, unt pooty soon ve are all going
to be deadt mens togedder. So me unt Liddle Cayuse
make der sneak, in der nighdt, unt ve sdart by der
moundains ofer, to findt Puffalo Pill unt you unt Baw-
nee, unt vatefer odder vellers ve can gidt, to come to
ower rescue. Yaw!’

The stem of his pipe went back into his mouth, and
he began to puff again,

- “Dot iss der whole sdory.”’
-“And there was no smallpox?” said Pawnee.

“Anoddér grazy asylum heardt from! Vot iss der
meanness oof so mooch smallbox?”’

“That is the way the news came to us; that Harvey
Brice and his wife, with her father, Mr. Pierpont, to-
gether with you and Little Cayuse, were at El Toro, all

Cain’t ye ever git ter no pint, ner

 

down with smallpox. So we set out with all the medi-

cines we could lay our hands on, and have been travel-
ing for El Toro as fast as we could.”

“So-0 ?”?

He stared owlishly, and sucked at his pipe again.

“So idt vos a luckyness dot Nomadt shoodt at me
on dop off der hill, unt dot I tidn’t preak my necks
gitting town here. Neidher oof us tond’t haf to trafel
so far now as der odder veller—aind’t idt so? El Toro
Unt ve can gidt
dare——’’

“How soon?” said the scout, when the baron hesi-
tated.

“Two tays, I am oxbecting.”

“And we shall have to go through this desert ?”

“Yaw; El Toro ss by der odder site.”

Buffalo Bill stood up and fired his rifle into the air.

“Vot iss?” said the German, staring.

“If Little Cayuse hears that it ought to draw him
here.’

Within ten minutes the feather and headband of the
Piute were seen at the top of the hill, where he had
stopped to reconnoiter.

When they shouted to him he came sliding down,
and was soon in their midst,

The inquisitorial pump being applied, the Piute
yielded information similar to that doled out by the
baron.

Already they had learned what was before surmised,

  
22 Jo Fae BUERALO

that. the Piute and the German had encountered the
Brices and Pierpont in the San Felipe foothills, where
Pierpont’s party had gone to inspect the San Felipe
gold mine, and that then they had become guides for
the party down to El Toro. :

Qn the way to El Toro the party had been attacked
by Indians, who were apparently of the tribe that had
worked as slaves in the gold mine, and they had driven
the redskins off with, difficulty. These Indians were
led by a white man, and that fact had seemed to make
them brave. ae

There had been a running fight, after that, until El
Toro was reached; then the Indians had cooped them
up in the mine building, and still surrounded it.

When matters became so desperate they could be en-
dured no longer, Little Cayuse and the baron had vol-
unteered to go through the lines of the Indians and
~ secure help. : » >

But they had been pursued, and more than once at-
tempts had been made to assassinate them.

Little Cayuse’s explorations, while the baron crept
round on the hilltops, was to locate their foes, before
proceeding farther.

‘The thing that tangles my rope,” commented Paw-
nee Bill, “is the singularity of those messages. Would
enemies send those messages, asking us to rush down.
here to rescue our friends?” ae

“Yes; for they were lying messages. The small-
pox scare was thrown into them,” said the scout, “to
make certain that we would answer the call.”

“And their purpose was to lead us into a trap?”

“Nothing else.”

“This white man, then, who led the Talis, must be
the moving spirit, and. I wish we knew who he is.”

“Ther Yankee,” said Nomad.

“And the girl, Nita Lobo?”

“His darter.”

“You may be right, Nomad.”

“T know et,” the borderman declared.

 

CHAPTER Xt!
DHE, SAN De S10 RM.

. Sure now that the desert trail offered the means of

getting down to the copper mine at El Toro; they en-
tered it without hesitation, and pushed the horses hard
the remainder of the day.

That night they made a dry camp and gave the
horses nearly all the ,water brought in the water hot-
tles. For feed, the horses had only a little oats, saved
up for a time like this. |

They expected to get out of the desert by noon, bas-
ing this on information furnished by the Piute and
the baron. :

So they made an early start, being inthe saddle be-
fore daybreak. :

The sun came_up red as a copper ball out of the

 

ented as gia Oa gate os amend elas RRR gree aac a ee

¢

BILL STORIES.

sandy, waste. For an hour afterward the air was still
—so Still that no breath of it could be felt. The blue
haze shrouding the distance lifted, and they saw peaks
and hills.

Then the tricky mirage, of the kind that hovers over
the plains and the dry lands of the Southwest, aid its
mystery-working finger on the desert, and strange
things began to occur.

Blue lakes came, then disappeared; blue rivers drew
their ribbony curves across the distance; all were, with-
out a doubt, streaks and strips of the blue sky reflected
on the quiet, mirroring air strata lying over the sand.

Sometimes, as the blue areas changed, the weeds that
grew in the alkaline hollows took on the appearance
of slender trees, and seemed to bend and shake in the
wind; often the trunks had sharp angles, like the ap-
parent bend seen when a stick is thrust into placid
water—a bend at the point of contact with the water.

These things, however, were too familiar to the ex-

-perienced bordermen to elicit a second glance, or draw

forth comment.

But when, at the base of one of the peaks, the hazi-
ness seemed to clear away, like the evaporation of
breath blown on a mirror, they beheld there something
which made them gasp and draw rein.

How far the distance was they could not tell, nor if
the scene, apparently there, was at that spot, or far
from it. But they saw the girl, Nita Lobo, as clearly
as if she had not been half a mile away and saw her
attacked by a tall man.

He rushed upon her from some hiding. place, caught
her by the shoulder, threw her down, then.seemed to
be beating her.

“Waugh!” gulped Nomad. “Er waugh-h!”

_ He bent forward in his saddle, sputtering and fum-
ing. /

“Does yer see et, Buffler?”’

All saw it.

Even while the apparent castigation was being given
the mirrorlike spot disappeared. $

“Great snakes! That shore stirs up thy pizen.”

Nomad drove the spurs into Hide-rack.

“No use to race the lungs out of your horse,” said
Buffalo Bill. “We don’t know where that was, nor
how far-off,’ i. ae

Nomad pulled in unwillingly.

“Right ye aire, Buffler!
saw. War thet the Yankee, w’arin’ diff’rent clo’es?”

“If that was the Yankee,’ said Pawrtee, “what we
saw seems to bear out our idea that she was assisting
him in deceiving us, and then weakened, and deserted
him. He met her, and, in fiendish fashion, he punished

her’ :

Nomad turned to the baron, who was walking beside
Hide-rack—they took turns at riding.

“Schnitz,” he said, “you had er good look at thet
wolf who war beatin’ the gal ee

  

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“Yaw, I pedt you. Vhen I seen him again he vill
know me. Yedt I couldn’t make oudt his face.”

“You has also seen ther white man thet led ther
Talis when they attacked ye.”

“Nit. Ve ditn’t seen him goot.”

“What [’m gittin’ at is—did thet critter look like
thet white man?”

“Vot I seen oof dot white man idt vos in der dark-
ness—yoost a liddle I seen him; unt he had no Inchun
var baint, mit, fedders.”

“Then, how did ye know thet he war er white man?”
howled the borderman. “Ther inacc’racy o’ yer mis-
information is so plum’ "

“By his woice,” replied the baron placidly. “Unt
lader he sent in a note by der El Toro mine, saying dot
ve shouldt surrenter, or he vouldt shoodt all oof us,
Dot note vos wridden by a vhite man in der Spanish
lankwitch; budt idt iss signed by an Inchun name ; it
vos Dall Volf. a

“Tall Wolf. Thet don’t chin nothin’,”’

“Meppyso idt oxblains dot der Dall Volf iss der dall
Yankee. Pooty soon ve are going to findt oudt.”’

 

But they were not to know about that as soon as

they anticipated or hoped for.

With the quick passing of the miragy condition, the

slumbering winds awoke and the dancing sand shapes
began again their waltzing movements over the sandy

plains,

Increasing minute by minute, the wind changed, until
it was blowing a gale, that had an icy sting, as if some-
where hailstorms were. in motion; the dust became
blinding. 7

“There were hills off on the right, necarnis,” said
Pawnee, shouting through the roar of the sudden
storm; ““we saw some there when the mirages were on.
As we can’t stand this we'd better move toward them,
don’t you think?”

As the wind was blowing toward the hills mentioned,
that helped materially when they turned their backs on
it and rode through the oe dust ‘hes seeking
shelter.

They bumped into the hills at the end of half an hour
of brisk riding when they could hardly see, SO thick the
dust had grown.

Feeling along them, they sought for some cranny
into which they could burrow with their horses.

After a time they found one that seemed to answer
their need; it thrust a rocky shoulder toward the desert,
and when they were behind that the wind was in a
measure shut out, though the sand, taken high into the
air, was tained down on them, and the dust was still
suffocating,

Having thrown handkerchiefs over their faces, the
riders were suffering less than the animals.

“We can get farther back, necarnis,” said Pawnee,
after a few minutes of exploration.

They burrowed farther, and found’ a hole that

seemed to be ine, mouth ae a cavern. of considerable
tn

THE BUFFALO

   

 

Bild), STORIES. , 23

 

size; their horses could enter it, and they were safe
from the worst of the storm.
. Nomad set out with Little Cayuse to explore the
cave, and came back soon.

“Quar things back in thar, Buffler,”’

he reported.
“Whiskizoos?” said. Pawnee. “You see them, you
know, whenever it gets dark.”

Noticing Little Cayuse edging along as if he had
serious intentions of bolting from the cave, Pawnee
Bill stopped him; then saw that the Piute was in a
panic of fright...

“What's the trouble back there, Cayuse?” ‘Buffalo
Bill demanded. Ps
The Piute backed against the wall, but did not an-

swer.

Pater N omad explained, ‘we went back thar ex-
ploratin’; ye know. Then we heerd Injuns talkin’, we
thought. After thet we seen eyes shinin’ in ther dark.
Now I has seen Injun eyes; yit never a one thet would
shine in ther dark like the green eyes of a cat. And I
has heerd Injun voices; yet them voices didn’t come
frum critters thet had eyes which would shine green in
ther dark. It is thet what has throwed ther skeer inter
ther Piute.”

When the scout, Pawnee, and the. ee accom-
panied Nomad and Little Cayuse to the point where the
voices had been heard and the fiery green eyes seen,
nothing was discovered.”

“They has fled furder back inter ther cave,’
Nomad. ‘Otherwise a

“Oddervise vot?’ demanded the baron.

“Waal, I’m goin’ ter let some er you wise guys say
what; not fer me no more! You jest makes fun when
I expresses opinions thet ain’t like yer own. I has
noticed thet et is a turn o’.mind harbored by some
men—ter stick ter their own notions, and make sport
o~ fellers that happens ter differ.’’

With the possibility that Indians had taken refuge
in the cavern from the fury of the storm, no one had
a desire to push investigations; so they returned to the
point where the horses remained.

An hour later, when the storm seemed lessening, a
band of deer, or elk, heading for the desert, dashed
upon them as they crouched in the darkness.

“There is the explanation of your mystery, Nomad,”
said Pawnee, with a laugh, as he jumped to one side to
let the animals struggle by.

But even as he said it, the charging creatures seemed
to utter Indian yells, and a flight of arrows fell in the
midst of the scout’s party.

In another moment the cavern was clear.

“Er waugh!’ Nomad was whooping.
match, somebody.”’

Matches were struck.

An atrow had gone through the borderman’s coat,
and another had cut into the baron’s shoe leather. But
no one had been hurt.

“Cur’us-lookin’ arrers,”’

said

 

“Strike er

said Nomad, inspecting the

  

gai)

    
Se ee ana enrere ——
Se SS Tey

 

  
  

   

one that had come so near perforating him. “Tah, I
guess. Fiery-eyed animiles shootin’ Tali arrers is goin’
some.’

He was still commenting, when there,came a quick
rustle of footsteps, and in the darkness a form brushed
past him. :

It was as much an act of instinet as anything else
which caused the foot of the borderman to shoot out.
But it tumbled the form to the ground.

“Fiery-eyed elk, er a whiskizoo, er what; I has got
ye!” he gritted, dropping down.

Then he yelled, in a scared tone:

“Waugh! This whatever-et-is animile is w’arin’ er
dress. Strike a match, won’t ye, somebody, quick!”

Buffalo Bill flared a match, as Pawnee hastened to
the borderman’s assistance.

The flame fell on the white and frightened face of
Nita Lobo.

Nomad tumbled backward as if he had seen a ghost,
and for the moment no doubt that was what he
thought.

But Pawnee Bill’s hand had clutched her garments.
Still, it was needless, as she made no struggle.

“Bring up that torch we have been saving, Pawnee, ’
the scout requested, as the match burned toward ex-
tinction. :

It was a kerosene eel saved for emergencies.
Pawnee got it out of his saddlé pack and lighted it.

The girl was by this time recovering her wits.

“Tf you will release me, a she said, in a voice that
trembled, “I'll go on now.’

Nomad, panting heavily, goggled at her.

| Whyever

Words failed him. :

“Really, I'd like to go on now,” she said.

But they thought the sand storm outside was no place
for her.. Above all, they wanted enlightenment. So in-
stead of letting her go on they BS her with ques-
tions.

“Those animals were elk,” she said, “with Indians
on their backs—Tali Indians; there is a tribe of Talis
south of here, and some of the warriors have trained
a few elk and use them for riding, just as you do
horses. ‘The Talis came in here to escape the sand
storm. I was in here for the same purpose.

“The source of my,information I refuse to explain,”
she continued, when questioned further. “It isn’t ma-
terial that you should know it. Of course, ’m aware
that you have all sorts of wild opinions about me, since
I_left your party without stopping to explain why I
did it. I don’t care to explain.” ~
_ They informed her of the view given by the mirage.

That astonished her, and flushed her face. For a
moment it seemed that she was about to make some
sweeping disclosures, but after hesitating she again re-
_ fused to explain.

Buffalo Bill played what he hoped would be a trump,
when he brought out the letter she had written and sent
off by a Tali messenger.

 

bP

 

JHE BUPEALO

ROS tana we

BILL STORIES.

  

She stared at it by the light of the torch as if dazed.

“You say you found this on a Tali Indian you cap-
tured?”

They acquainted her with all the circumstances.

‘‘Again I refuse to explain,’ she said; but there were
tears in Her eyes. —

_ Asked again about the Talis who had been in ‘the
cave, she repeated her declarations, but added that she
thought none remained in the cave.

A search of the passages with the torch teed
none.

When her determination to tell nothing~cotld not
be broken down, the scout repeated his declarations
that they had for her only the kindest, feelings, and
added that if now she desired to go on with them, they
would aid her all they could.

“T can see,” she said, “that you think I am trying
to join some one in E] Tore.”

But she remained in the cavern through the night,
while the sand storm raved out its strength, and was
grateful for the food they gave her. She was losing
her beauty—-her face had sharpened, her eyes were
brighter, and it was clear that she Hag cease
mental suffering as, well as physical.

She went on with them the next day, riding her
own horse, which had been in the-cave with‘ her.

The sand storm had wiped out the desert trail. But
the unerring instinct of Little Cayuse for direction en-
abled him to guide the party.

« ‘The, El Toro hills were entered, when thé animals
were at the point of exhaustion, that afternoon.

Here was water and grass, with wood for fires; and
“in the hills game abounded. Here, too, were ae trou-
blesome Talis.

Beyond the hills, on the southern slope, was the: El
‘Toro copper mine, which the scout and his pards were
so anxious to reach. But they could not go on until
their horses were somewhat rested. :

The girl showed unusual restlessness when the camp
was pitched in the El Toro foothills,

Finally she began to talk with old Nomad.

“You have been in this part of the country before?”
she asked.

“Round an’ erbout et,” he said; “I ain’t never been
right through this belt.’

“There is a trail, I believe,” she said, “leading from
the El Toro copper mine down to the coast?”

“T’m told thar i is; I ain’t never seen et.”

She had him een it to her, as it had been de-

scribed to him, and to indicate where it probably left
the hills.

Nomad answered everything cheerfully and will-
ingly. Though Nita Lobo puzzled him, and excited his
distrust, yet he liked her. She had courage of a high

order, and was able to rough it in a manner to ap
tivate him.

The morning after, when the horses were made
ready for the onward march, and old Nomad. gallantly,

  

       

eet (OQ. a ek et A ee

vo
 

   

assisted her to her saddle, Nita Lobo reached down her
hand. ™~

“Good-by,. Mr. Noman”? Ge said; “you have been
awtiully kind to me,-when you had no reason to be, and
I’m not going to forget it. The others have been kind,
too, but I seem to know you better, because we were
together longer.”

“Whyever aire ye sayin. good-by at this time?’ he
asked. “Fer yer pleasant words Pm thankin’ ye, as
any one would; but e
_ “Tm saying ee by because I don’t expect to see
you again. I’m going to leave the party here and take
that trail to the coast you were so good as to tell me
all about last evening. Don’t ask me why, for I can’t
tell you. But I do not want to go any farther.”

The borderman flushed and stared.

“On thet trail,’ he objected, “thar may be Injuns,
and men what aire mebbyso wuss; so o’ course this
hyar notion is jest too foolish.”

When she refused to change her mind he called cut
to Buffalo Bill that Miss Lobo was ee of desert-
ing.

“Good-by!”” she said, as Buffalo Bill came toward
her.

 

She seemed to fear that he might by force prevent .

her from carrying out her intention; so instead of
greeting him at closer quarters, she pulled her horse
round and cantered away.

“Good-by, everybody !” she called, and Kissed the tips
of her fingers to them.

 

CHAP FER: XII.
g AT. EL TORO.

They did not follow her. |
Their horses were not in good condition, was one
reason; another was they did not care to force her to

accompany them. The chief reason, however, was the-

need of hurrying on.to the relief of their friends cooped
up by Talis in the mine building.

They succeeded in crossing the rough hill trail that.

day.

As they descended, in the late afternoon, they. saw
the mine building still stood intact; but whether it
was occupied and Talis lay in stealth round it, they
could not then determine.

When they got down to the vicinity of the mine night

had come, and evidence of the presence of Talis be-_

gan to accumulate.. Signal smoke had been seen, and
with the coming of darkness a signal fire blazed on one
hill, and was answered by a winking fire on another.
Stumbling on in the darkness, they ran into a Tali

guard.

He was armed with a musket, which he shot off as
he turned and fled.

Tali yells followed in sufficient volume to show that
a strong force of Tali braves was encamped between
them and the house at the mine. -

os

THE BUFFALO

 

 

 

BILL” STORIES.
The horses were retired, in charge of the baron,
who grumbled mightily because this seemed to put him
out of it.
While the other members of the are waited in the
trail, Little Cayuse was sent, forward to investigate.
He came back shortly with a report.
“Heap many Talis out front,’ he said; “make um

powwow.’

He could not understand what they were saying, but
the guard, on falling back, had apparently reported the
approach of enemies, and the Talis were getting ready
to fight.

“White man chief,” he reported, and this, coming
last, was the most interesting of all.

“Did you get a look at that ae man?’ the scout
asked.

Ae a :

“Describe him. I suppose there is a camp fire, or-
lodge fire.” y

“Small fire,” said the Piute;
fire, and tall.”

“Waugh!” snarled Nomad; “mebbyso ther Yankee.
How war this critter dressed as to clo’es?”

“Tali war paint and plumes,’ said Little Cayuse.

“Deescriptive ernough, yit it don’t put us on.’ But ©
thet Yankee would look plum’ funnier’n a circus clown,
rig him out thet way. Ye heard him talkin’, is ther
way ye knowed he war white, instead of Injun, then
mebby from his voice you could tell who he war?”

““All same white man that lead Talis before.”’

“You mean ther time when you and ther baron broke
through and come huntin’ fer us? This is ther crit-

“white man stoop by

ter who war in charge then?”

CAI 39

“T vote, necarnis, that we push on as ee as possible,
and then be ready to jump through, and get to the
house, or make a fight, just as seems then advisable,”
said Pawnee Bill. “But if we do that we'll have to
bring up the baron and abandon the animals; we can’t
leave Schnitz to run the risk of being killed out here.

“Guide us first, Cayuse, to the place where you saw
and heard those things,” the scout ordered; “then we
can, perhaps, tell what is best for us to do.”

But while they had been listening to the Piute’s re-
port, and discussing plans, the white man who led the
Talis had been moving with them. He had scouts, out,
after the frightened trail guard came in, and they had
cleverly located the talking white men.

So that, when the scout’s small force advanced, they
were suddenly attacked. A flight of arrows went over
their heads; then the darkness rained Indians down on
them—Indians who came screeching like demons.

The only thing that saved the scout and his friends
was that when, following the ineffective arrow flight,
the Indians rushed, they found no one in the trail; the
four men who had been there had slipped to one side,
where they lay flat, and the darkness hid them.

ne Indians, suspecting something of the kind, drew

    

 
 

 

 

a close cordon of warriors to the right and left, and
began to beat through the undergrowth, moving back
in the direction of the mine.

“Buffler, this hyar ain’t goin’ accordin’ ter ther way
we stacked ther kyards,’ Nomad grumbled; ‘“‘we’re
bein’ driv’ toward ther mine, and. aire leavin’ ther
‘baron. Desartin’ of a pard ain't never in my calc'la-
tions.”

The Indians seemed to hear even his husky grumble,
and arrows came threshing round him.

“Choke a your objections for the moment,” said
the scout; “we've got to make a crawl pronto, if we
don't want the Talis to get our hair.”

“Pronto it is,’ said Pawnee, crawling at the heels of
the scout. ‘“This seems to be taking us straight to the
El Toro mine, and I have a vivid recollection that
is where we have longed to be.”

“But not without Schnitz!’’ Nomad objected. “Oh,
snakes! ‘Thar’s more arrers. One scratched my arm
then; hope the dratted thing ain’t pizen.”

The movement of the concealed Talis was like that
of game beaters trying to flush pheasants; they struck
the bushes, even kicked into them, holding their arrows
on the bowstrings ready for a shot if a form scudded
into sight.

Steadily the three white men and the Piute were
driven in toward the mine, until they began to think
a trap lay there, and they were being crowded into it.

“These Talis have shore got more fightin’ teeth
than any we has seen yit,” said Nomad; “hyartofore
I ain’t been thinkin’ much of Talis when et come ter
fightin’, Ef these aire like ther ones we seen workin’
in thet San Felipe gold mine, they wouldn't have. so

F229.

much clear sand as they’re now showin’. s

“They are under a white man ; ; that's 1 to be borne 6

in mind,” u
Off on the right, but still in the general aien

of the mine, Indian drums began to boom; then In+

dian voices were heard, as if drum beaters and singers

desired to cheer on the warriors who were aye | to

capture the daring white men: —

“The Talis are men! Listen! ‘The Talis are the
thunder and the lightning that strikes! The Talis are
men!’

Behind the fet moving ee men and the
Piute it was clear that in numbers the Talis were thick-
ening; and now from more than a score of Indian

throats war whoops burst, answering the song that
had reached them.

 

THE BUFFALO

BILL STORIES.

 

' Pawnee Bill was struck by an arrow, that made a
flesh wound in his arm; Nomad received another arrow
—but it did no greater damage than the first; and
Little Cayuse cried out, when a feathered oo
whistled through his hair.

“We has got ter make a stand, Buffler, and give ‘em
ther cold lead,” Nomad whispered; “we'll be as full 0’
arrers as pincushions aire o’ pins purty soon, other-
wise. And I dunno

His words, and the Talis war whoops, were broken
into by a ringing cheer. It was sent by white men,
and came from the front.

Buffalo Bill sprang to his feet.

 

“We'll unite with them,” he said; “then make a finish

fight of it, if we have to.”

A mad dash through the darkness of thirty or forty
yards followed. As they ran they yelled out to the
white men to keep from being shot down by them.

‘And from the rear came more war whoops, and flights

of arrows, with the crashing of a few muskets.
“Who comes?’’ was called.
“Cody and comp’ny!’”’ Nomad yelled back.
“Right this way; we hoped so!”
A gate stood open, in a high wall. In it, dimly out-
lined, were two men and a woman. ;
“Cody and company are certainly welcome,” sounded
in the» familiar voice of Harvey Brice: Eiistie

-through.” ¢

His revolver arm swung upward, and he fired.

Jumping back as they passed inside, he closed the
gate witha swinging bang; and dropped a bolt in
place.

Futilely, a shower of arrows rained against the
gate.

er barca !’ said Nomad. “He’s out thar! Buf-
fler, I’m slidin’ ter ther help o’ ther baron; open the
gate thar, Brice.”

Brice refused to open the gate.

“It’s a miracle that you got through yourselves,”
he said; “and if you go back there you'll lose yout life,
Nomad; so I'can’t let you. I suppose you know who
is in command of those redskins? It’s Ramon Cor-
tal

The name held a world of meaning.

He was the brainy and notorious outlaw for whom
the Mexican government had offered rewards in vain.
Buffalo Bill-had captured him near the San ge ehpe
mine, but had not been able to hold him.

“Fe has tried to id ts out, starve us out, , and j in

*

 

 

  

    
 

bed TNH re

Aa — Th

As Cn =~ Ara, — >

L
(ay EES GS

  
 

   

 

     

 

every way has tried to destroy us,” said Brice, “since
| we have been in here; and his redskins—these Talis
' -—cooped us up here on the very day of arrival; after

they had failed to induce us by treachery to sur-_

render.

“And it is because we are friends of Buffalo Bill.
He has sworn to have the life of every friend of his;
and the scout himself, and those close to him, he has
sworn to capture, and give to the Talis for torture.
It’s an excellent program, from his standpoint. I’m
sorry for the baron,” Brice added; “but really, No-

_ mad, there is no sense in your trying to go to his aid,

and getting yourself killed.’ :

Though this was an argument that satisfied Brice, it
did not satisfy Buffalo Bill and his friends. The
baron had gone back under orders. He was in dan-
ger because he had obeyed. And, apparently, le-had
been abandoned. Hence, agreeing with Nomad in their
determination to aid the baron, they began to talk of
a plan.

Harvey Brice and his wife, with he father, Ralph
Pierpont, had so far stood the Tali siege well.
Though they had believed that the Piute and the
baron would get through, and that Buffalo Bill would
_ bring a rescue party, they were astonished that the
party had arrived so soon.

A brief explanation cleared this up for them.

While they were stillstalking, a confused sound of

fighting arose outside the gate.
Then the voice of the baron was flung up there in
a wild bellow:

“Hellup! Hellup!’

 

CHAPTER XIIT.
THE CAPTURE OF RAMON CORRAL,

Brice lifted the bolt of the door, and flume the
door open. :

Two figures were struggling on the ground. One
was the baron; that could be told by his heavy voice;
the other was, apparently, an Indian.

Buffalo Bill flung himself on the man with whom
the baron fought, and snaked him through the open
gate. Brice closed the gate, and dropped the bolt again,

as a mass of Talis dashed up; the gate was literally

flung in their faces.
Pierpont snatchetl up a lanters and flashed its light

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

  

der groundt.

 

Releasing him and pushing him against the wall,
the scout jumped back, and drew a revolver. The In-
dian leaped on the bolt, and was se to Wit ir,
but Nomad nailed him.

The arm of the “Indian” shot up, witha revolver
clasped in the hand.

“Whatever happens,” he yelled, “I get you!”

He-dropped the revolver muzzle toward the scout’s
breast.

The scout ducked as the revolver shot a stream of
fire at him, and hurled his revolver. The man evaded
it,, tried to shoot again; when the rope of Pawnee
Bill, descending on him, clutched him round the neck,
and flung him sprawling.

“The latest and best trick of the rope king,” said
the scout, as Pawnee followed this up by winding a
coil of the rope round the body of the man in a Nar to
fasten his legs and arms.

“And my guess is,’ the scout added, “that we have
here Ramon Corral!” —

“Fairst,”’ said the German, Struggling to wedge in
his explanation, “he haf got me, unt I haf got him;
unt afder dot idt vos bot’ oof us on der ground to-
gedder fighdting like vild kittens.” |

Nomad wanted to hear this, and more; but he had
flung himself on the painted figure and was “lifting”
the weapons of the apparent Indian.

“Ernough hardware ter start er gun store,” he chir-
ruped, as he pitched a miscellaneous assortment of re-
volvers and knives out on the ground. “And now
ter hear’ ther baron.’

“I haf saidt idt,” said the baron, fumbling for his
pipe; a thing he did mechanically, in his excitement.
“Vhen I hear der shoodting unt der Inchuns making
SO mooch oof a noisiness, I leaf der caballos unt
make a sneak to see vot iss. Dot prought me der
door py. Unt kneeling py idt vos dhts veller, vot
Gody say iss nodt an Inchun. .So I choomp on him;
dhen he choomp on me; unt ve make a mixitigs on
Unt aftervardst—vale, you knowed
him!’

Jointing his pipe, he began to stuff tobac¢¢o into the
big bowl.

vAs tor der foe dere ain't eeny oof dhem
vort’ as mooch as my Toofer muel; unt I oxpose I
haf losdt him now yedt.”

Little Cayuse brought up a basin of water,

“Heap fine, Pa-e-has-ka,” he said; “take um paint, -

~ on the face of an Indian, now struggling in the arms ™ off!”

of the scout and trying to get to his feet.

Nomad dashed a handful in the man’s face.
    

 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
   
  
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
   
 

 

28 THE BUFFALO

 

    

39 ee

“Water is a precious article here,’ said Brice; ‘“‘so
go slow with that.”

But Nomad had already followed up his movement
by scrubbing the face of the painted man.

“Ramon Corral!” cried the scout. :

Pawnee had been busy with the rope; now he pushed

Corral against the wall, and told him to sit up.

“You're Ramon Corral,’’ said the scout.

“An’ a sight ye be,” said Nomad; “‘wi’ yer face
half covered yit with paint, and that yard o’ eagle
feathers in yer war bonnet; you're some of a Tali, 1
take et.” '

The dark face of Ramon Corral, shining with water,
was wrinkled in a scowl of fear.

“It doesn’t matter whether you say you are Corral,
or deny it,” said Pawnee Bill;
have had a meeting before this, and we haven't for-
gotten how you look.”

“You don’t want to talk?” said Dierhbnt seeing that
Corral was likely to be stubborn: “Well, if you'll call
off your Indians out there, perhaps we can come to
some arrangement.”

“The only arrangement that I can consent to,” de-
clared the scout, ‘‘can’t include the release of this mur-
dering scoundrel.’’

“You can’t scare me!’ said Corral; though his dark,
half-painted face showed yellowish now under the
light.

He upheld this declaration by stubbornly refusing to
answer their questions. He would explain nothing.

Nomad, having turned from Corral, when the latter
refused to talk, was exploring along the gate and the
wall, when he thought he saw the earth moving be-
neath the wall, by the gate. |

It resulted in the discovery that a hole had been
mined there, on the outside, and that Indians were
working in it.

This suggested an explanation of why Gared had
been so close to the gate when the peor came. along.

and ran into him.

Revolver bullets fired into the moving earth stopped
the work of the burrowing redskins; and a watch
was set there, to see that they did not return to it.

- Twice during the night the Talis charged the gate,

exhibiting a courage that was astonishing, in view of

the fact that a number of them had not so long before
been spiritless toilers in the San Felipe mine.

But with the coming of daylight they desisted from
their furious efforts to capture the inclosed building.

‘BILL STORIES.

“remember that we

 

    

Shortly after sunrise, however, they came into, view
again.

Once more they were yelling, and once more arrows
whistled in the air. |

Nomad was guarding the gate; and he flung it wide |
open; for in front of the Indians oe the young
woman—Nita Lobo.

Right inside,’ he shouted to her, “and et don’t cost
ye nothin’ !”

She dashed through and he closed and bolted the
gate.

Arrows pattered on it; then all was still, and the
Talis had again apparently vanished.

“T eouldn’t find that trail Mr. Nomad told me
about,” she explained; “so I couldn't do anything but
come here. He told me the location of this house, and
I knew you would reach it. As I came up to it, I
thought no Indians were here, but when one of them
jumped out of the bushes and caught my horse, I saw
others; then I leaped down and ran for the gate.”

The sharp running and the excitement had made her
nearly breathless.

They gathered round her, congratulating her, asking
questions, too, as well as praising her courage. Mrs.
Harvey Brice drew her into the house.

Womanly sympathy and confidence could do no
more than had been done before, however, in winning
from Nita Lobo any statement that a clear up the
mystery that had surrounded her.

CHAPTER XIV.
CO NCLUSION,

The Talis having apparently disappeared in the
morning, Buffalo Bill and Pawnee passed out at the
gate, for the purpose of looking for the horses. It

was thought barely possible the animals had not been

located and taken off by the Indians.

It was a vain hope. The horses were gone.

They were returning, rather dispirited by this, for
they valued the animals highly, when they beheld the
feathered head of an Indian, between themselves and
the gate. | ;

“One of the ki-yis is still lingering,’ said the scout.

Another head became visible, beside that of the
Indian.

“Deserted Jericho!” Pawnee whispered. “There is

?

our Yankee with him!
The heads disappeared.

   

 

 
 

 

 

      

yee THE BUFFALO

“They are moving toward the gate,’ said Buffalo
Bill. ‘Can’t we rake them in?”

“T'm game to try it. 1 want to set my fingers on the
neck of that rascally Yankee.”

. They crept on cautiously, yet so rapidly that they

came up behind the white mar and the Talis in a little

while.
Two ropes whisked out.

_ Never were men more amazed than the Yankee and
the Indian when the nooses dropped over their heads
and the jerking of the ropes threw them down.

Before they could rise, Pawnee and Buffalo Bill were
upon them, and they lay helpless under the muzzles of
threatening revolvers.

“Waal, it’s yeou!” Us the Mantes when he
saw the scouts.

He sat up and began to loosen the noose round his
throat.

The scared Tali lay on the ground.
white was in his hand.

Something
“Better drop that little eccentricity of speech,” said
Buffalo Bill to the Yankee. “It don’t go now.’

“T snum, yeou're inclined to be pesky,’ the Yan-
kee snarled. “But jest a word can explain what I
was doin’.”

“You were sneaking on the gate with this Tali for '

some underhanded purpose,” said the scout.

“There yeou’'re wrong!” the Yankee protested. ‘‘T
can prove it, if yeou will jest look at the white flag
he is holdin’.”

They saw that the Tali clutched a strip of white
buckskin.

“Tt was a flag of truce I was convoyin’ to ye,’ said
the Yankee. “I fell in with the Talis a while back.
They know that yeou’ve got their leader, Ramon Cor-
tal; they call him the Tall Wolf. So they was willin’
tew send in a flag of truce. And yeou have violated
that flag of truce right naow by jumpin’ on us as we
was bringin’ it!’

“T think we'll take you and this Tali inside and-let
you do your talking in there,” said the scout.

“That’s a clear violation of a flag o’ truce!’ protested
the Yankee. ‘“Yeou ain’t got no right tew do a thing
like that to men ve come to ye under a flag of
truce.”

“Then you also was a bearer of this flag of truce?’

“T was convoyin’ this Indian; that’s all. I am ac-
quainted with ye; and I thought I could do it, and git
inside with ye, in that way; and yeou could send back

&

 

BIEL: STORIES. 29
yer answer then by the Injun; what he wants is to sur-
render the horses, if yeou will surrender Corral.”

“Tow do you happen to know so much Can you ~
speak their language?”

“I met one that could talk English ‘most as good
as I can.”

_In spite of his protests they took him and the Indian
through the gate and into the house.

Even after that the Yankee puzzled them. He
began to talk once more of the Garden of Eden, and
of his plans for finding it. He said this house could
not be the Garden, for it was not a house. When
his rambling became incoherent they stopped trying —
to get anything out of him, and turned to the Tali.

Fortunately, the Talis had chosen for their mes-
senger a warrior who was somewhat familiar with
Spanish; so that the scout and his friends had no
trouble in talking with him.

He had been sent to confer, under the white flag,
for the return of Roman Corral. The Talis prom-
ised for the release of Corral an abandonment of their
campaign against the white men.

The Tali also declared that the man who called him-
self Adam was a very great friend of the Talis.

“You hear that!” said the scout to the Yankee.

eee : my friend,” he said;
they know me.’

“Tf this man is a friend of the Talis, I will do this,”
said the scout to the messenger; “‘we will let you go,
and you can say this to your friends outside: We
will release this man for the return of our animals.
But that is all we will do.”

Nomad grumbled; but the thought of oe Hide-
rack again reconciled him.

“Thet feller is er skunk, and I don’t like ter see him
git erway until we has at least found out who and
what he is,’ he declared.

The Tali messenger departed with the word sent by
the scout.

“that is; when

He was gone an hour.

During that time distant drum beating was heard,
which seemed to indicate that the Talis had called a
council, to consider the proposition.

When the Tali returned he not only carried the white
‘flag, but he had the horses, strung together by hacka-
mores roped to a lariat.

The Yankee became suddenly interested.

“T’m willin’ tew go,” he said, “sense you are provin’

so unfriendly. But I tell yeou now that I’m a friend

  

 
 

  

30 : THE BUFFALO

of the Talis simply because I’m a friend of all men.
Yeou see, being that I am Adam, all men are my
descendants, even Injuns; and I have got Ao conduct
myself accordin’.”
“You might as well drop that!” said the scout.
“Adam, that’s right; we’re on!’ Pawnee added.

Adam departed with the Tali; and the horses, left
beside the gate, were brought in.

The Tali had made another demand, however, for
the release of Ramon Corral; he had repeated, that if’
Corral was surrendered to them the Indians would de-
part.

“How long could we trust them to keep their word,”
said the scout, “if Ramon Corral were with them, to
urge them to again attack us? Not five minutes.”

It was clear, however, that without dangerous fight-
ing they could not get through with their prisoner,
Ramon Corral, until the Talis were worn out with
long watching.

Considering the low condition of the larder at the
El Toro mine, a long stay there was impossible.

But the Gordian knot was cut that night—cut by
Nita Lobo.

Ramon Corral was a man in a thousand, when it
came to ingenuity; so, though within the house and
protected by the wall, he had been watched.

Nomad was on guard; for none was more reliable
in work of that kind.

It had pleased the borderman that Nita’ Lobo had
returned. He liked her. Some things connected with
her various adventures still puzzled him; but he be-
lieved that whatever she had done, or was, she was
not* wholly to blame.

He tried to get some sort of confession out of her
that evening, and that she might be more in a humor
for revelations, he took supper with her. It was what
he called a “little snack,” and consisted of some food
and coffee which she brought out to him by the gate,
and ate with him there. oe =

She told. him many things that interested him.

She admitted she had a-slight admixture of Indian
blood. But in Mexico that is a thing so common as
not to attract comment. She had been schooled for
a while, she said, by certain convent sisters, down at
San Pasquale, near the coast—not a great distance
from the El Toro’ mine and the Mexican Cross Tim-
bers.

She had béen for a year or so in San Francisco,
end had spent a year in the City of Mexico; but she had

 

 

pee eae 4th Aaa ile 5 ht NB. Sih ony. ft

 

Nite bape tans mnann

 

NON apie,

arc wet cementite am pha im ik Bese pes ot 2s gat
a > tea pee : i nat ci i Bie SS a aes Be

BILL STORIES... é

spent many more years, apparently, in the mountains,
in camping, and in the saddle; had, in truth, led a sort
of gypsy life, wandering here and there. —

As to how this had been done she was reticent; she
gave a few broad hints and general statements, say-
ing that some time she hoped she’could tell Nomad
more, : \

That night the borderman slept like a dead man. _

When he awoke in the morning he was in a fuddled
condition; in fact, he did not awake until Buffalo Bill

aroused him. 5

“Have you been drugged?’ said the scout, a sudden -

suspicion darting into his mind.

As Nomad started up a slip of writing dropped to

the ground.
Buffalo Bill read it.

It was from Nita Lobo, and was addressed to the
borderman:

%

“My Dear Mr. Noman: You are so good and so

kind that I have hated to do what‘I did; but it was
the only way. When you read this I will be so far
away that none of you can overtake me. Probably
I shall never see you again, but I hope that you will
still have a few kind thoughts for me. I told you
something about myself; and here I tell a little more:
My name is not Nita Lobo, but Nita Corral, and I
am the daughter of Ramon Corral. Don’t be shocked
when you read this. He has been very badly treated
by the officers of the law, and has a great hatred
against Buffalo Bill. He thinks his life and liberty
are in peril so long as Buffalo Bill and Buffalo Bilt’s
friends live. “He has told me so, and I know it is so.
He Knows the Talis well; in fact he has been kind
to them, and helped them many times. One thing
I did not tell you is that I myself have lived for
months with the Talis. Of course I wanted to assist
my father; but when I started in to help him I did not
understand fully what he meant to do. I really thought
that you and Buffalo Bill and the others were the very
kind of men my father had said; and I have found
out different. His designs against you were very bad,
and I had agreed to help him. So we made up the

messages, .A messenger disguised as a rurale took one;

and I took the other. At that’time Mr. Brice and
those with him were not at El Toro. But father knew
they were in the country,~and he intended to have
the Talis strike them; and then, when you had come.
to this place, he meant to have the Talis strike you.
But that is all oyer now, so far as I am concerned.
He fell into your hands; and if you hold-him I know.
that he will be hanged. That is a terrible thing—
no matter what he has done—a terrible thing for me
to contemplate. So I have released him, and he is
going with me far from here. I shall use. means to
induce him to let you alone. As for that Yankee—

‘Z do not like him. I was sorry he came and polled ©

         

  

 

 

 
   

a YX SOOT ee ot

, ~~ ee

Sica

 
 
 

 

you. Father thinks he is a clever man, and he was
trying to help father; but I think he is a bungler.
But Iam glad you let him go. He is one of father’s
friends—an American, who had to leave the States
some years ago, and has been down in this’ country
much of the time since. I have heard that he was
called Kansas Charley. So, good-by, Mr, Nomad—
good, kind Mr. Nomad, and say good-by to the others.
for me. I feel sure that I shall never see you again.
“Nira CORRAL.’

The old borderman was stupefied with astonishment,
before the scout had finished reading this letter,
“Drugged!” he said. “Thet han’some gal drugged
me! And she is ther darter
‘But he recovered quickly.
“No marter,’ he said, when all were discussing it,
“thet young ‘oman ain't half as much ter blame as
et looks; ye’ve got to recklect what kind 0’ blood she
has got, and her ejication, and all. And you've got
ter recklect thet when et come right down to obeyin’

 

Corral, she didn’t do et; she flunked, and showed thet .

she had a good heart, in spite of who her dad is.”’

The letter and the escape of the girl and Corral
were sources of amazement to every one. |

“Kansas Charley,” said the scout; “you know who
he is, Pawnee?’

“The man who robbed the U. P: express car at
White Springs, five years ago, and killed the messen-

ger. There was a big reward out for him.”
~ “He was no Yankee, though,” said the scout; “Kan-
sas Charley was a Western road agent and confidence
man. Why, you remember, Pawnee, the time he
went into the faro bank at Golden?”

“T ouess yes; every man in the West at that time
will recollect that.’

“And down in Dodge; there he fleeced old Monk-
ton, the cattle king, out of the roll that he had brought
back from Kansas City for the ay of his cattle.”

“How mooch,” said the baron, “iss der revard dot
iss offered for dhis Kansas Sharley?”

“About twenty thousand dollars, isnt it, Cody?”
said the scout.

“Vale, vhen you go back by der vay you tidn’t come
—yhich iss down by der coast—I am going to sday
by dhese hills in and collect dot revard.”

But the baron changed his mind before the time
for departure came round.

How Nita Corral induced her bandit father to give
over his attempt against the scouts was. not known,

Nomad suggested that she drugged him, as she had
shown her ability in that line, and the Indians car-
ried Corral off while he was drugged. It seemed im-

THE BUFFALO.

   
   
 

      

BILL STORIES 31
probable; but where one guess was as good as an-
other, that went as well as the next.

Anyway, the Talis vanished; they were not seen
round the mine after the night of the oo of Ramon
Corral.

The Yankee had vanished, too, along with the
Talis.

Bulalo Bill had, however, accomplished his mission ;
which was to rescue the party cooped up at El Tcro.
It is true, the condition of affairs there was not as it
had been pictured in the messages which had started
him and his friends off on that wild mountain trail;
still it was serious, and if he had not arrived it would
have been a fatal condition for those ringed in there
by the Talis.

The mountain trail by te the scout and his pards
had come to El Toro was entirely too rough for a re-
turn over it, when another way was open from the
mine down to the coast of the gulf.

There they found a vessel, and that took them up
to the head of the gulf, where they found transporta-
tion back into the land of white men and civiliza-
tion.

Pierpont concluded that after all he did not care
to buy either a gold mine or a copper mine in regions

- so remote and sg danger filled; in which conclusion

he was wise.
THE END.

“Buffalo Bill and the Knife Wizard; or, Pawnee
Bill's Great Exhibition,’ is the title of the thrilling
story which will appear in the next issue, In this will
be described a series of remarkable adventures through
which the famous scout and his friends passed in
Mexico. It is a story which will make the heart of a
reader beat quickly as he sees snare after snare spread
for popular heroes of the frontier in the course of their
efforts to round up a band of desperate outlaws and
their Tali Indian allies. Tt i is No. 539, and will be out
on September oth.

 

 

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catalogues and offer. Wrste
MEAD CY

CLE CO,

  

 
  

 

 

   
    
   
  
   
   
 
   
  
  
  
   
   
   
 

The most peas publication for boys.
this weekly. “High art colored covers.

ta Insight; or, The Brand Blotter of the

ato.

780—Frank Merriwell’s Guile; or, The Queen of the Matadors.

781—Frank Merriwell’s Campaign; or, Fighting the System.

782—Frank Merriwell in the National Forest; or, Outwitting the
Timber Thieves.

783—Frank Merriwell’s Tenacity ; or, The Mystery of the Famous
Scientist.

784—Dick Merriwell’s Self-Sacrifice; or, The Man Who Could

Jump.

785—Dick Merriwell’s Close Shave; or, The Man With a Grouch.

780—Dick Merriwell’s Perception; or, The Brains of the Varsity.

787——Dick Merriwell’s Mysterious Disappearance; or, The Game
in the Balance. : |

788—Dick Merriwell’s Detective Work; or, The Case of the
Varsity Shortstop. \

(ies Merriwell’s Proof; or, The°Problem of the Stubborn

rew Man

790— Dick Meraa is Brain Work; or, The Frustration of the
Sneaky Tutor.

791—Dick Merriwell’s Oucer Case; a The Lure of the Ruby.

“TIP TOP WEE!

The adventures of Frank and Dick Merriwell can be had only in
Thirty-two pages.

 

  

 

[LY

Price, 5 cents. © 7
ae Merriwell, Navigator; or, The Adventure on the
ound.
ae Fellowship; or, The Man with the Wrong
ea

794—Dick Merriwell’s Fun; or, Buckhart as a Reformer.

795—Dick SNe Commencement ; of, The Last Week. at
Yale

796—Dick Merriwell at Montauk Point; or, The Terror of the

Air
797—Dick Merriwell,
Valley Mine.
798—Dick Merriwell’s Decision; or, The Sacrifice of a Principle.
799—Dick Merriwell on the Great Lakes; or, The Smugglers of
the Inland Seas.

Mediator; or, The Strike at the Plum

 800-—Dick Merriwell Caught Napping; or, The Rube that Could

Pitch.

Sor-—Dick Merriwell in the Copper Country; or, The Search for
a Lost Mine.

802—Dick Merriwell Strapped; or, The Adventure of the Es-
caped Convicts.

803—Dick Merriwell’s Coolness; or, At the Nevada Gold Fields.

 

    
 
   
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
   
  
   
   
  

_ Whe best detective stories on earth.
covers. Thirty-two big pages. Price, 5 cents.
738—A pies ae a Plot; or, Nick Carter Foils a Master

cee Dead Accomplice ; or, Nick Carter Finds an Untsual
ew

740—A Mysterious Robber; or, Nick Garter’s Counterplot.
fie Green Scarab; or, Nick Carter’s Beautiful Mystery.

Contest.

743—A Shot in the Dark; or, Nick Carter’s Midnight Adventure.

744—The Seven Schemers} or, Nick Carter Foils a Splendid Plot.

745—The Hidden Crime; or, Nick Carter’s Telephone Clew.

4 740—The Secret Entrance; or, Nick Carter. and the Child

Stealers.

747—LThe Cavern Mystery; or, Nick Carter’s Puzzle of the
Leather Bag.

748—The Disappearing Fortune; or, Nick Cance Ss Fish Line Clew.

749—A Voice from the Past; or, Nick Carter’s Phonograph Trap.

750—The Search for Xonia; or, Nick Carter’s International Case.

751—The Crime of a Century; or, Nick Carter ao the Chief of
Conspirators.

Nick Carter’s exploits are read the world over.

742—The Strangest Case on Record; or, Nick Carter’s Guessing

 

NICK CARTER WEEKLY

High art colored

752—The Spider’s Web; or, Nick Carter’s Coney Island Case.

753—The Man With a Crutch; or, Nick Carter on the Trail of
Dickie Ducie. ss

754—The Rajah’s Regalia; or, Nick Carter and the Fallon Twins. :

755+-Saved from Death; or, Nick Carter’s Service.

750—The Man Inside; or, Nick Carter’s Final Move.

me a Vengeance; or, Nick Carter and the Mystic Mes-

7s8—The Becone of Fxili; or, Nick Carter on Death’s Trail.
759—The Antique Vial; or, Nick Carter’s Curious Mystery.
760—The House_of Slumber ; or, Nick Carter’s Work of a Day.
761—A Double Identity; or,, Nick Carter and the Inspector.
762—“The Mocker’s” Stratagem; or, Nick Carter’s Smartest Ad-
versary.

763—The Man that Came Back; or, Nick Carter’s Finish Fight.
764—The Tracks in the Snow; or, Nick Carter’s Strange Clew.
765—The Babbington Case; or, Nick Carter’s Puzzling Question.
766—Masters of Millions; or, Nick Carter’s Prophetic Statement.
767—The Blue Stain; or, Nick Carter's Misleading Clews.

For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price,
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STREET & _SMITH, Publishers, 78-89 Seventh Avenue, New York

 

 

 

IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS

  

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of our Weeklies and cannot procure them from your newsdealer, they can be
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TIP TOP WEEKLY,
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BUFFALO BILL STORIES, “

 

 

e@eeeeoecveeseeoseee eseerexvneeveenee ees eeeee eoeeeee eeeee

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Siec ecu e@eeeeon Pe OLS cause ea COO was ee Nee ek ees cekOL

Enclosed please find. Se eG tee v acu, 1 Pe cbente for iphich send mes

\

WINGS oe ee ee a See veces heuer

eeeeoeereeeeeese ee ee eee ee

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So

PNG as ad sa, oes una ns cst catreet eoreee eevee eereee <b pues ecco meGtly eseoee EERO acess bbe suck CERO ce

 
 

 

 
 

 

BUFFALO BILL STORIES

 

 

ISSUED EVERY TUESDAY

BEAUTIFUL COLORED

COVERS

 

 

There is no need of our telling American readers how interesting the stories of the adventures

of Buffalo Bill, as scout and plainsman, really are.

These stories have been read exclusively in this

weekly for many years, and are voted to be masterpieces dealing with Western adventure.
Buffalo Bill is more popular to-day than he ever was, and, consequently, everybody ought to

know all there is to know about him.

In no manner can you become so thoroughly acquainted with

the actual habits and life of this great man, as by reading the BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

You can have your news-dealer
order them or they will be sent direct by the publishers to any address upon receipt of the price in
money or postage-sfampbs.

We give herewith a list of all of the back numbers in print.

292—Buffalo
293—Buffalo
298—Buffalo
299—Buffalo
305—Buffalo
306—Buftalo
808—Butffalo
309— Buffalo
312—Buffalo
314—Buffalo
3815—Buffalo
316—Buffalo
319—Buffalo
321—Buffalo
324—Buffalo
325—Buffalo
326—Buffalo
327—Buffalo
328—Buffalo
329—Butffalo
330—Buffalo
331—Buffalo
332— Buffalo
333—-Buffalo
334—Buffalo
335—Buffalo
336—Buffalo
337—Buffalo
338—-Bulftalo
339—Buftalo
340—Butffalo
341—Butffalo
342—Buffalo
343—Buffalo
3844—Buffalo
345—Buffalo
346—Buffalo
348—Buffalo
349—Buffalo
350—Buffalo
351—Buffalo
352—Buffalo
353—Buffalo
354—Buffalo
355—Buftalo
356—Buffalo
357—Buffalo
358—Buffalo
359—Buffalo
360—Buffalo
362—Buffalo
363—Buffalo
364—Buffalo
366—Buffalo I
367—Buffalo
3868—Buffalo
369 alo
370—Buffalo
371—Buffalo
372—Buffalo
374—Buffalo
375—Buffalo
377—Buffalo
378—Buffalo
379-—Buffalo
880—Buffalo
381—Buffalo
382—Buffalo
383—Buffalo
384—Buffalo
385—Buffalo
' 886—Buffalo
387—Buffalo
3888—Buffalo
889—Butfalo

Bill’s Medicine-lodge........
Bill eR erie ahaa ey eraie
BUS Black Wages ca) sia.
Bill’s Desperate Dozen.......
Bill and the Barge Bandits...
Bill, the Desert Hotspur....
Bill’s Whirlwind Chase......
Bill’s Red Retribution.......
Bills Death jump. se Se
Bill in the Jaws of Death....
Bill’’s Aztec Runners........
Bill’s Dance with Death.....
Bill’s Mazeppa Ride........
Bilis] Gypsy Bandas cjais/oeuscs
Bills: Gold Elunters os se.
Billine Old Mexicos 22)5 a2 752
Bill’s Message from the Dead
Bill and the Wolf-master....
Bill’s Flying Wonder........
Bills Hidden’ Gold. oi eics
Bills Outlaw) DEaleucn ose
Bill and the Indian Queen...
Bill and the Mad Marauder..
Billsilice  Barncade. erica
Bill and the Robber Elk.....
Bill’s Ghost Dance..........
Bills Peace-pipew: sacs 5) 5
Bill’s Red Nemesis..........
Bill’s Enchanted Mesa...... 5
Bill in the Desert of Death..
Bill's) Pay. Streak cc ee a.
Bill on Detached Duty......
Bills Arm My sternycce
Bills “Surprise; Party... 2%
Bilis Great Riders sys oe ae
Bills Water Draths occas sve.
Bill’s Ordeal of Fire........
Bill's; Casket of) Pearse co:
Bulli Skiy: sPilots 28 sure ser.
BES oP OLCIZciac cicnoiecuienaienes 5
Bills; Mlat-boat Dritt sc 20 cis
Bill OneDecene sie aa ein ale
Bill and the Broncho Buster.
Bill’s Great Round-up.......
Billige Pledge tiie cron una
BIS (COW DOv, andes oases
Bill and the Emigrants.....
Bill Among the Pueblos.....
Bill’s Four-footed Pards.....
IBTLS OPLOLES EM aureus cuir
Bills GR1CK-Uperccveseteie curs cccie's
Bil Sc Questia we ciecimsa oeis
Bill’s Waif of the Plains....

Bill Among the Mormons.

3ill’s Assistance. Bee
Bill’s Rattlesnake Trail. Rar eibeR
Bill and the Slave-dealers.
BilliseStrong Arnis. cee cece
Bills’ Girl Pardes ce ao ho
Bill's cLron Bracelets cc. s/s 4.
Bus? JadevsAmulew. = ¢ oo. 5
BINS Maeve Mamiats os cs ce
Bilks Bridvevobl sBire. .: cs 45.’
BiLS, BOWIC RE eee ete oe ute
DBS Cem ay -SUnedk sain aco terres 5
BT SoM aor e cos anche at eter
Billie (Cleanups oe vee nee
BITES IR USC ia ste eek sr cieccaene
BilsOverboard views cn an sons
BS CRIN 0. Boe ree eee ts 5
Bis Bie; Contracts. yu. 5
Bill and Calamity Jane...:. 5
Bill’s Kid Pard
Bill’s Desperate Plight...... 5
Bill’s Fearless Stand........ 5

CLOT OULOT OT OT OUOT OTONOTONOLOUOUVOUOUOUOTOUOT

OVO

 

390—Buffalo
391—Buffalo
392—Butffalo
3938—Buffalo
394—Buffalo
395—Buffalo
396—Buffalo
3897—Buffalo
398—Buffalo
399—Buffalo
400—Buffalo
401—Buffalo
402—Buffalo
403—Buffalo
404—- Buffalo
405—Buffalo
406—Buffalo
407—Buffalo
408—Buffalo
409—Buffalo
410—Buffalo
411—Buffalo
412—-Buffalo
413—Buffalo
414—Buffalo
415—Buffalo
416—Buffalo
417—Buffalo
418—Buffalo
419—Buffalo
421—-Buffalo
422—Buffalo
423—Buffalo
424—Buffalo
425—Buffalo
426—Buffalo
427—Buffalo
428—Buffalo
429—Buffalo
4380—Butffalo
431—Buffalo
432—Buffalo
433—Buffalo
434—Buffalo
435—Buffaio
436—Buffalo
437—Buffalo
438—Buffalo
439—Buffalo
440—Buffalo
441—Buffalo
442—Buffalo
443—Buffalo
444—_Buffalo
445—Buftalo
446—Buffalo
447—Buffalo
448—Buffalo
449—Buffalo
450—Buffalo
451—Buffalo

Bill and the Yelping Crew... 5
Bill’s Guiding Hand 5
Bills. Queer Quest. ive: D
Bill’s Prize ‘“Get-away”’
Bill’s Hurricane Hustle.....
Bills Stan selayia. vets ietscuers
BTSs te Blur fie sees ei ecw one
Bills |Prackers yea ce
Bills PO ureh eaeardetecrisu sie:
Bill and the Bravo
Bul and: the Quakers apse
Bill’’s Package of Death.....
Bills Treasure Cache.......
Bill se Privaver. Wal sissrpe car
Bill and ‘the Trouble Hunter.
Bill and the Rope Wizard...
BILE SOSA ete satalete ene eens
Bill Among the Cheyennes..
Bill Besieged
Bill and the Red Hand.....
Bill’s Tree-trunk Drift......
Billvand the, Spectercacs sei...
Bill and the Red Feathers..
Billig; IS Strok Cis weiss
3ill, the Desert Cyclone.....
Bill's Cumbres Scouts... 2...
Bill and the Man-wolf......
3ill and His Winged Pard...
Bi ate BapylOM, alias on: ass
BUNS TOM ASI haces ses) cue es
Bill’s: Steel Arm Pard.......
Bis Aztec Guides ssn cat
Bill and Little Firefly......
Bill: thesAztec; Citys se.
Bills sBalloon HScape sos.
Bill and the Guerrillas......
BilleseB onder Wats ts
Bill’s Mexican Mix-up.......
Bill and the Gamecock...... 5
Bill and the Cheyenne Raiders
Bills Whirlwind Finish..... 5
Bills Santa he: Secrets vis:
Bill and the Taos Terror. f
Bills Bracelet of (Golden.
Bill and the Border Baron..
Bill-at Salt: River- Ranch...
Bill’s Panhandle Man-hunt..
Bill “at; Blossom, Range. ..% a.
Bill and Juniper Joe...
Bi Se WIM SCOOM ms sre. vacy or
Billvatv Clearwakereiicts2a aie:
Bills Winnings Handeg 2 00 so..
Wullss7.@ imehm Glenna wrens
BUS (COMBA eS eG aia wea.
sil) in the Bad Mandsisa: s...
Bill and the Boy Bugler.....
Bill and the Heathen Chinee.
Bill and the Chink War.....
Bills; Chineses Chasen. vec...
Bill’s Secret Message....... :
Bill and: the ronde! ot Eer=.

NOAM CUOUCTOUST OVO

LOTTO OUOTO

o

SCLOLOTOLOTOUON

mosa

452—Buffalo
53—Butffalo
—Buffalo
455—Buffalo
456—Buffalo
457—Buffalo
458—Buffalo
459—Buffalo
460—Buffalo
461—Buffalo
462—Buffalo
463—Buffalo
464— Buffalo

Bill’s Lonesome Trail.......
IBULE Sis QU AEs s suie see iracs seas
Billin: Deadwood sis. i755 :
RUNS e Bars ATO ee tae sien:
Rill and Old Moonlight.....
BUM Re Dale neice Gitee yess
Bilis snow aG Ker sestent ce oe
Bills Sight Unseen... 6.5
BANGING WairbanGien: cere resis ties :
Bills Waneed: Vactory> .. 2...
Bill’s Pieces-of-eight........ a
Bill and the Eight Vaqueros. 5
Bills; sUnlucky Siesta... 5

 

' 465-—Buffalo

466—Butffalo
467-—Buffalo
468—Butffalo
469—Buffalo
470—Buftalo
471—Buffalo
472—Buffalo
473—Buffalo
474—Buffalo
475—Buffalo
476—Buffalo
477—Butffalo
478—Buffalo
479—Buffalo
481—Buffalo
482—Buffalo
483—Butffalo
484—Buffalo
485—Buffalo
486—Buftfalo
487—Buffalo
488—Buffalo
489—Buffalo
490—Buffalo
492—Buffalo
493—Buffalo
494—Buffalo
495—Buftalo
ers
496—Buffalo
497—Butffalo
498—Buffalo
499—Buffalo
500—Buffalo
501—Buffalo
502 —Buffalo
5083—Buffalo
504—Buffalo
505—Buffalo
506—Butffalo
507—Buftalo
508—Buffalo
509—Buffalo
510—Buffalo
511—Buffalo
512—Buffalo
513—Buftalo
514—-Buffalo
515—Buffalo
516—Buffalo
517—Butffalo
518—Buffalo
519—Buffalo
520—Buftalo
man
521—Buffalo
522-—Buffalo
523—Buffalo
524—Buffalo
525—Buffalo
526—Buffalo
527—Buffalo
528—Buffalo
529—Buffalo
Povere uffalo
—Buffalo
32—Buffalo
383—Buffalo
Day Buffalo

ey 36 Butt rlo
537—Buttalo
5: 38—Buffalo

539—Buffalo

Bills; Apache: Chiegr cise st. ss
Bill and the Apache Totem..
Bill’s Golden Wonder

Bills sWiesta a Nights sos.
Bill and the Hatchet Boys..
Bill and the Mining Shark..
Bill and the Cattle Barons..
BUS Vong Oddsinise weenie.
Bill, the Peacemaker.......
Bill si Promisenton Pave ane. i
Bill's Diamond: Hiteh ya. .3.
Bill and the Wheel of Fate.
Bill and the Pool of Mystery 5
Bill and the Deserter....... y
Bris Tsland ins the Aan 624
Bilis VO] time pum wesc:
BT SaNe Sits ier conanmananticamt ey
Bill and the Ponca Raiders.
Bill's; Boldest: (Strokes 3.22
Bill Si Mm toma cei aceon
Bille BIOCKAME sein ete
Bill and the Gilded Clique...
Bill and Perdita Reyes..... ‘
Bill and the Boomers....... a
Bille@atis vay Pali wane ine
PRLS OG escent sameeren se
Billvat Canon Diablowsi. ..
Bis Rransien ace cimus cer: 5
Bill and the Red Horse Hunt- a

Bil’s Dangerous Duty......
Bill and the Chief’s Daughter
Billeag: Minaya: Wellsiiy 2 gine
Bill and the Men of Mendon.
Bill at Rainbow’s End.......
Bill and the Russian Plot...
SITES RCOi sei INO ae eae noises
Bills ROyad SR US hie. ce le
Bills bream pear dings ecw
Bill on the Upper Missouri. .
Brlliss Crow. SCOUUSS ss Gils os
Bills: Opn OAses ise
PLUS iy WCC Craihe secnod ni we
Bills; Mountain: Woes... 2 ee.
Bulls Batclerv@ryn i tea eek
Bill’s Fight for the Right.

Bills Barbectlo. (oo ae
Bill’'and the Red Renegade.

Bill and the Apache Kid....
Bill at the Copper Barriers.
Bilis i sPacine my WOweLr vents
Bill and Chief Hawkchee....
Bill and the Indian Girl....
Bill Across the Rio Grande. .
Bill and the Headless Horse-

(OLOLovo

UH OOOO SUOT OL SVOUONOUM OT STOUT OOO

ae
oS

CCST

Bill’s Clean Sweep.........
Bill’s Handful of Pearls....
Bulls PU plo UH OCS ists). ee
BUUS Ma oseIPOteM yee asi
Bill and the Pawnee Prophet
Bill and Old Wanderoo......
BTS eMier nyo Wats. cS cacti.
Bill and Grizzly Dan... . >.
Bill at Lone Tree Gap......
Bilis inal ote Death era
Bilvac Cimanroon Bar, cae...
Bill and the Sluice Robber...
St On MOSbHRAV ER: Heo mcetacT
BLES Minunderbolite, sacs. 5
BLS Sioux Cincuseis cc wee ee
Bilis Sioux Packie ec.
Bilt and the Talking Statue. .
BilsMedicine @railyo..
Bill and the Knife Wizard.

LHUAO

If you want any back numbers of our weeklies and cannot procure them from your newsdealer, they can be obtained disect

from this office.

Postage-stamps taken the same as money.

STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS, 79-89 SEVENTH AVENUE,

NEW YORK CITY |

a ae

I cs consis iia