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WEEKLY PUB

Copyright, 1912, by STREET & SMITH.

Issued Weekly. Entered as Second-class Matter at the New York Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 79-89 Seventh Ave., New York
O. G. Smith and G. C. Smith, Proprietors.

 

 

 

 

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(Postage Free.)
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No. 559. NEW YORK, January 27, 1912. Price Five Cents.

 

BUFFALO BILL AND THE BLUE MASKS;

Or, PAWNEE BILL’S QUEER PARD.

By the author of “BUFFALO BILL.”

CHAPTER f,
THE BUZZ SAW BRAVOS.

Two tall, fine-looking men in buckskin entered the
Queen of Hearts gambling‘ saloon, in Hallelujah City,
early in the evening. The place was run by a beautiful
woman named Louise Gray, better known as,Lady Lou,
or Gambler Lou. At this hour her establishment was
filled with gamblers and loungers, and now, when the
two men in buckskin appeared, one of the faro players

__ whispered to his neighbor :

“One of the buckskins is Buffalo Bill.”

“And the other is Pawnee Bill,” was the response.

“Hello!” exclaimed the first gambler. ‘“Here’s Bandbox
Bill, the Bravado in Broadcloth, the Unknown.”

A distinguished-looking man, wearing a black broad-
cloth suit, had entered. After greeting the two famous
scouts, the man in black at once proceeded to business.

He poked a revolver in the face of Sandwich Sam,

‘the leader of the notorious band of out gamblers known

as the Sandwich Squad. Then he whispered a word in
the leader’s ear. And forthwith Sandwich Sam showed
deep amazement and fright.

“Now get out of this saloon and out of this mining
town and out of this part of the country,” said Band-
box Bill, aloud.

And to the astonishment of all the onlookers, the tough-
est character in Hallelujah City slunk out of the saloon,
meek as a lamb.

Bandbox Bill then, in a flash, thrust his revolver into

the face of Sandwich Sam’s lieutenant, Long Ben, whis-
pered a word in his ear—and, a minute later, Long Ben
followed Sandwich Sam out into the night, going with-

* out a word of protest. |

Bandbox Bill was a new pard of Buffalo Bill and

 

  

Pawnee Bill. He was a mystery to all in that region,
even to the two scouts. He had revealed himself to
the scouts as a secret agent of the government; yet they
felt that he was something more than he represented him-
self to be. His secret was shared, too, by Texas Jack;
and by Surgeon Powell, of the United States army. But
no one in the community, outside of the four scouts,
knew that the man in black, commonly called Band-—
box Bill, was a government agent detailed to run down
and exterminate the various bands of outlaws that then
infested that particular mining district.

When the two famous scouts arrived in Hallelujah
City—themselves “on a special mission to run down a
gang of outlaws known as the Blue Masks of the Trails,
the name being derived from the fact that the bandits
wore blue masks when on their predatory expeditions—
they found that a gang of gamblers flourished in Halle-
lujah under the leadership of Sandwich Sam and Long
Ben.» Ostensibly the members. of this gang made their
money by mining, but Buffalo Bill and his pards knew
that their real business was that of winning money by
cheating at cards.

Hence the plan to rid the gang of their leaders, which
Bandbox Bill carried out so successfully on this particu-

lar evening, merely by whispering a few words first to

Sandwich Sam and then to Long Ben. Just what those
whispered words were, not even Buffalo Bill nor Paw-
nee Bill could guess. a

at”

Texas Jack and Surgeon Powell were present at the
time of the ludicrous, yet dramatic, exit of the leaders
of the gang. They were disguised, however—the sur-
geon as an Indian, and Texas Jack as an old trapper—
so no one in the saloon, not even Buffalo Bill or Paw-
nee Bill, had recognized them. They had disguised them-
 

 

 

selves in. Eider to secure Angormation concerning the
notorious Blue Masks, but had not expected to meet But

falo Bill or Pawnee Bill j in Hallelujah City.
Right after the exit of the two leaders of the gang,
Bindbos Bill himself left the saloon, without saying a

_ word to Buffalo Bill or Pawnee Bill as to where he meant
to go or what to do,

For some reason, he seemed to wish
to keep his movements a secret even from the scouts,
who had become his ardent friends and admirers,

Soon after the departure of Bandbox Bill, the two dis-
guised scouts, Texas Jack and Surgeon Powell, went to
bed in the room assigned to them in the tavern known

as Kate’s Kitchen,

Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill, however, went into the
the dining room of Kate’s Kitchen for a bite of supper.

_ The woman who conducted this eating place and tavern
was known as Lady Kate, her real name being Kate Fen-
wick, She was as beautiful as Lady Lou, who ran the
gambling saloon. Both women were, in many respects,
a deep mystery to the pee of their. respective estab-

lishments.

_ Meantime, the remaining members. of the Been
Squad, in the Queen of Hearts Saloon, realizing that
they. had been deserted by their leader and his right-hand

man, were in an ugly mood,

It was “pay night’ for the ‘gang, as Saad Sam
always paid his henchmen a certain. sum weekly to be
ready for his beck and call,

But as both Sandwich Sam and Long Ben had de-

camped without a word of explanation, their men were —
short, therefore, the sums which ee had expected to get

that night.

‘These men, eight in number, ved near together, as
their. leader had suggested. Their home was in the edge
of the camps, upon a ridge two miles from the tavern:

If they mined any, no one had discovered it: yet they
called themselves miners.

‘Their chief occupation was loafing about the saloons,
gambling, drinking

» master.

They were a dangerous lot to set loose in a community,
and were now in a fair humor to do mischief.

‘They slunk out of the abandoned Queen of ‘Hearts
Saloon, but went one by one.

Then they met outside, went to another drinking place,
and filled up with bad liquor, after which We procerdcd
to the cabin of their leader...

They sat down in a very ugly ad: Each: wee fot
the other to speak, and at last one of the gang, who an-
swered to the cheerful cognomen of Buzz Saw, said:

“Pardner, as our leaders hev desarted us, | claims ther
right o’ leadin’, for I has tarned up more toes than any
other man in this crowd. And more: Tare willin’ ter fight
right here now fer ther place o’ cap'n. Who are ther man
as is willin’ ter do ther same?” —

As Buzz Saw already had Chis en out his gun, not
another one dared move a muscle, fearing that it would
be looked upon as an effort to draw and contest the place
of captain, and so only silence followed the words of the
self-appointed, chief.

Then, too, nobody else just then’ wished to ‘take the

_ lead and ‘go wrong.

Buzz Saw seemed satisfied, as there was no opposition,
and pleased, too, so said:

Waal, thet settles it, as yer all agr ees, and I are cap! n

BILL ‘STORIES.

 

‘THE BUFFALO

, and obeying the commands of their

     
 

oO ther lay- -out, which I her eby christens as ther Buzz Saw

“Braves:
A hum Of. een fe this. name ran eycuad. the

cand and seeing the good. impression he was making,

Buzz Saw contintied :
“Now, pards, one man in Hallelujah has got the town

by the throat, and he are ther pilgrim thet this night druv.

two o’ our best pards out o’ the mines.

“I refers ter Bandbox Bill, who a all knows hev been
king bee long enough. .

‘He hev ‘nigh onto a dozen graves down in cher bone
garden all of hig makin’, and he hev before this druv
men out oO ther camps which didn’t go feet fust, but
skipped out o’ fear o’ him.

“Now, | says this hain’t squar’ o’ one man ter do, a
I. are. the one ter. say-no to his yes.

_ “Ts yer. with me, Bravos?”

A general assent was the response, and Buzz aie
‘intoxicated with bad rum and delight at his success mixed,
went of. 70 say: .

“Now, jest two miles from here are ther home 0 that
Unknown gent.
“We left him at the Saloon: and ef he hate gone:
et, we'll jist interview him on ther way. .

ORE he hev gone by, then he have skipped to his den
and so thar we goes, and ef his cabin catches fire and
burns down with him inside, then who is ter blame fer it?”

This was a startling suggestion, and it went far to ret
the gang.

_ But they were bent on mischief, nod Buzz. Saw soon
discovered that they would follow his lead.

“We kin find out by sneakin’ up to his stable. ef his
hosses is-thar, and ef so, then he are inside.

“Then we kin light a fire all around ther cabin, ane
hide, and ef he runs out drop him.

“Then we kin skip fer home and be in our leetle beds
ne afore dawn.

“Does yer foller me,. pards? il

He started down the trail leading from the cabin, and
in silence the men followed him.

Up the valley trail they went, and when near the home
of. Bandbox -Bill they halted while one of the number,
who had been an Indian fighter, crept forward to rec-
onnoiter and see, if the two horses of the Brayo in
Broadcloth were. in the little stable in the rear of. his cabin.

The Bravo was known to have two splendid animals.
If the hor ses were there, then.the master was at home.

The minutes passed slowly away to the anxious band,

_ while. they awaited their comrade’s return.

When half an hour had gone by and he did. not re-
turn they grew nervous, and Buzz Saw at last decided
that it was best for all of them to go forward at once..

. “We are seven ter. one, pards, so come on, and no
marcy is ter be shown Bandbox Billie
_ Then as silent and metciless as Indians, the Buzz

Saw Bravos pe on up the hill to do their deadly work.

CHAPTER I,
_ A. SUDDEN DISCOVERY,

Tie crowd of men who had decided upon such. a erutel
end for Bandbox Bill, felt a trifle nervous at the non-
return of the man who had gone to Teconnoiter: the
Bravo's premises,

Anjun Al, as he was called, not because. ue was an
Indian, but from the reason that he had been a drotler

 
 
   
  
   
  
   
    
  
 
   
  
 
 
   
    
  
  
  
    
  
   
   
  
 
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
   
 
 
 
   
    
  
  

  

     

 

 

er

eae

 

  

 
 

_ of redskins at one time, was known to be as cunning as
_a fox and as noiseless as a snake in his movements, hefice
much was expected of him from his comrades. :
Why had he not returned?
Had Buzz Saw requested another man to go, i was

 

pi: EEA IE OIA ALE DED

_ not one would have dared venture alone where he might
-meet the dreaded Bravo.

very close together.

Cautiously they advanced toward Abe cabin, following
the trail and regretting that the waning moon gave so
much light.

The pines on the spur concealed the cabin from their
view, but they knew just where it was, for several had
been near there before, though the Bravo had never en-
He couraged visitors, and ‘the interior of his home was un-
known tp the dwellers in and around Hallelujah City.

Still the place had been reconnoitered from a distance,
and it was known that the stable was immediately in the
_tear of the cabin and adjoining it.

The seven men, with murder in their hearts, there-
fore were glad to get across the open streteh of moon-
\ light and reach the sheltering pines.

; ' From there to the cabin was about two hundred ect,

~and the cliff, or overhanging spur, with the sheltering
trees, cast all in deep shadow.
A torrent falling over the rocks up the range was

 

the valley.

‘Otherwise not a sound broke the silence, and the soli-
tude and stillness became awful in their guilty hearts.

Nearer and nearer they approached. Buzz Saw was
forced to take the lead, as the others hung back and gave
him the place of honor with unanimous consent.

Just then he would have preferred to have some one
else be the leader; but having elected himself captain he
had to accept the ‘dangers of the position.

Nearer and nearer they crept until they were within

Ha

se CIC A ern

a few steps of the cabin door, which was sheltered along

the front by a shed roof.

Not a sound was heard, and the men halted.

The cracking of a revolver just then would have been
music to their ears.

They stood in silence, waiting for their leader to speak. :

- Buzz Saw knew that he must act, and at once.

Injun Al was not to be seen. ‘What had become of
him?

Had he proven traitor and was there a trap set for
them ?

Injun Al’s love of gold was well known, as also as
he. would commit any crime to get it.

~ Perhaps then he had decided that the Bravo onla” pay
him well to betray his comrades.
: This thought made Buzz Saw, break forth in a profuse
perspiration, and he dared not breathe his stspicion to
/the others.

At last he decided to advance boldly to the door, knock
and say that Lady, Lou had been shot and Lady Kate
wished to have the Bravo come at once to the tavern,
giving his name as Mustang Matt, the stableboy who
cared for the horses of the two women.

He whispered his plan to the others and bade them
‘take their positions with him, and all fire into the door
when it was opened by Bandbox Bill.

a

cy car

y
Y
:

 

 

 

- THE BUFFALO

well aware that he would have met with a flat refusal, for~ ;

VS So Buzz Saw wisely decided that all must go at once, .
7 and then he discovered that they were desirous of sticking :

heard, and the stream flowed swiftly by on its way to —

   

BILL STORIES.

This plan was agreed to as a good one, and the plotters
emoved forward. But suddenly they came to a halt.
- There, before their eyes, within reach of their hands,
was a human form.
It was also swinging slowly to and fro.
- The-men halted as though turned to stone, while from
the lips of Buzz Saw came the horrifying words:
“Pards, it are Injun Al, and he hev been hanged!”
_ The plotters were too dazed for a moment to move.
Then around each corner of the cabin resounded two
most appalling, deep-mouthed howls, and following them
came a series of wildest yells, as though a band of Sioux
were rushing into battle.
With answering yells of terror, Buzz Saw and his com-

-rades bounded away in flight, while around the corners of

the cabin sprang two enormous black dogs, baying loudly
and savagely, and following upon the track of the terri-
fied desperadoes. |

Down the steep trail they sped like mad, Buzz Saw
nobly keeping up his reputation as leader, and their speed
ee increased as the deep-mouthed dogs ran close be-

ind.

Like a human avalnche the men went down the moun-
tainside into the valley, and not until their legs weakened
beneath them did they check their flight. ~

The two dogs had halted on the ridge, but kept up
their loud baying. as though to urge the fugitives on.

As they slackened their pace, the men did not spake
for they could not.

They were panting like hard-run hounds, and nated
along as best they could, resting from their race for_life.

By a cross trail they at last reached the two large
cabins where they made their home, and up to then no

word had been spoken.

They were literally too full of fear for utterance, too
tired to talk.

- Then candles were lighted, for they seemed to want
platy of light. They all assembled in one cabin, the door
was locked. They threw themselves down upon benches
and gazed into each other’s faces.

Buzz Saw at last broke the silence, and his words met
with an affirmative response in the hearts of all.

He said:

“Pards, thet man are the devil!”

The spell broken, they all began to talk, and for a
moment no one under stood what .was said.

But order came when Buzz Saw asked:

“Did yer mind thet pack o’ black dogs, me re
“Was thar more’n two of” em ?”’ one asked.
“Yas, I seen a dozen.” a

“They was black wolves.”

“T thoughted they was b’ars.”  -

“They was as big as buffaloes.’

“Pards, Injun Al hed been lifted by a rope.”

Yas: he were dead.”

vl jist got one look inter his face as a streak (O.

moonlight fell onter it, and it jist said to me ter git.”

“Yas; and we all got.”

“We ‘followed ther cap’n,’ one said, with a sly look
at the crushed Buzz Saw. “Parcds; it were awtul. | |

Not until day dawned did the frightened plotters dare
lie down to seek rest, and not then until a jug of rum
had been drained to the dregs.

“Meantime, Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill, having eaten
supper at Kate’s Kitchen, decided to take a walk and view

the valley camps by night.

     

 
    
 

  

 

 

a THE BUPFALO

Their brains were busy coursing over the scenes of the —
night, and they wished to talk over their adventure.

“Well, Buffalo, what do you think now of the Bravo

a in Broadeloth: PP isked Pawnee Bill, as the two walked .

along the broad valley trail.

“T think he’s a little more man than any one I ever
saw before, and that is saying a great deal, Pawnee, when
I include you, Frank Powell, and Texas Jack.’

“Ves $ and Vil include one other—yourself, Cody, and
make the same remark, for he’s more man than I thought
was running around this country at large.”

On they walked, until Buffalo Bill asked:

.“Who do you think he is? Don’t you think he is some-
thing more than merely a secret agent of the govern-

ment?”

a>

“L give it up,’ said Pawnee.

“He seems to run Hallelujah City.”

“He does. What made Sandwich Sam get out so
fast when the Bravo gave him a countersign?”’

“Didn't he hump himself, Buffalo?”

“He did, and got white as a sheet, too.”

“The Unknown had him down fine, as he did Long
Ben also. Why, he just seemed to breathe upon them
and they wilted.”

“But will they let him drive them from the camps?”

“That depends upon how much sand they have got; but
there were two more strangers there to- night that I had
my eye on.’

“Who were they ?”

“That old white-haired fellow and his Injun side pard.”’

“Quick! down among these rocks, for yonder comes

a crowd, and if we avoid them we may save trouble.”

The two scouts dropped out of sight among a pile of
rocks upon the trail, and soon the crowd they had dis-
covered came along, halting not ten steps from them.

It is needless to say that they were Buzz Saw and his

comrades, and what the gang said was overheard,

Having decided to keep to the long trail up the valley,
to reach the home of Bandbox Bill, they passed on and
the scouts stepped out of their place of hiding and stood
in silence in the trail for a minute.

“Buffalo.”

‘Ves, 93

“They are going to make it warm for the Bravo.”

“I should think so, when they speak of setting his cabin
on fire and burning him up in it.”

“Can they do it?”

“Did you count them?”

“Eight.”

area! and did you know them: 2”

“Hadn’t that happiness, Buffalo.”

“They are the gang that were at the saloon to- might.”

“Right you are, and we must chip in, too.”

| es) and take this short cut to the Bravo's cabin and
warn him.”

“Somehow I have an idea that Bandbox Bill would
give those fiends a plone a but our aes is clear.”

Vee!

They were about to start upon ee way, by the shorter
cut up to the mountain spur, when the clatter of hoofs fell
upon their ears.

They halted, and as but one rider was coming, waited.

He soon came in aa and seeing von ee rein,

: while. he said:

though nothing has been disturbed.

   
  
   
    
   
 
   
  
  
    
    
  
    
  
 
 
   
  
 
  
   
 
  
  
   
   
  
    
  
  
  
 
 
   
     
   
   
   
   
  
  
  
  

BILL STORIES.
“Good evening, gentlemen.

“You are taking risks as strangers to be out alone to- |
night.”

“It is lucky we concluded to take a walk, Bandas Bill,
for we saw a party of eight men go by here just now
and overheard their conversation,” said Buffalo Bill.

“Plotting mischief, I suppose?”

‘Worse than mischief, for they took the main ot to

your cabin to burn it down, and you in it.”

“AR! 12 : x

“They were the backers of Sandwich Sam and Long
Hens

UNes, they wi do anything; but there is nothing to
dread now from either Sandwich Sam or Long Ben, for
they have left the valley.”

“You think so?”

nb eal sure ot it,
my guests.”

“We were just going to warn you, taking this short

But I must get on home to receive

cut, when we saw you coming.”

“You have my thanks, gentlemen.”

“And we will go with you now ae see you thr ough,”
said Pawnee Bill.

“I really dislike to give you SO much trouble, for I
believe I can master the situation.”

“The odds are too great, so ride on, we follow,”
said Buffalo Bill.

“Thank you, and come right on this trail, at a quick
pace, and it will bring you to my cabin half an hour
ahead of those fellows, who will have over a mile farther
to go. lw ‘ill ride on and get my allies ready, if you will
exXclise ie. ‘

Bandbox Bill rode on at a aie canter up the trail,
while Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill followed rapidly on
foot.

“Who the mischief are the allies he speaks of, Buffalo?”

“T don’t know; but guess we soon will.’

After a rapid walk of a mile they came to the cabin
and the Bravo in Broadcloth, now on foot, came for-
ward to meet them. I

At his heels trotted two huge black dogs, one of which
the scouts had seen at the time of their previous visits to
the Unknown’s cabin.

“Glad to welcome you, gentlemen. These are my
allies. You will find them friendly—to you.”

He pointed to his two giant dogs

! The dogs seemed friendly enough to the scouts, and
trotted at their heels as their master led the way up to

firmly

the cabin.

“I find some one has been here before me to-night,
My dogs were in
the cabin, and never give sign of their oe without
Iam around. See there!”

“Great Heaven! it is a man hanging blots your door !”
cried Buffalo Bill,

“Yes; to that large lib, as you see,’
reply.
- “Why did you hang him?” Buffalo Bill asked.

“I found him there where you see him now.’

elie is sll warm. ¢

Pawnee ,Bill caught hold of the man’s hands, which

was the cool

were pinioned to his side by a lariat.

“Come, gentlemen, we will go to the rear of the cabin,
and thence on top, for I have a little fort up oo and
when the visitors come we can | give: them a surprise.”

 

  

 
 

 

 

   

- The Bravo in Broadcloth led the way around the cabin
to the rear door, and thence up through a trap to the
roof, leaving the two a on duty below. —

CHAPTER IIL.
 BANDBOX BILL'S GUESTS.

That Bandbox Bill had killed the man whom they found
hanging before his cabin door both Pawnee Bill and Buf-
falo Bill felt assured.

-He had remarked that he found the man hanging there
when he arrived, that some one had been there before him,
and yet the body was still warm, the victim having been
‘dead but a very few minutes.

Why the Bravo had said what he did they could not
understand, for he certainly was amenable to no law,
and no one would hold him responsible there. _

It was another of his mysterious ways of acting, to deny
having killed the man, they decided.

When. they ascended by a ladder to the roof of the
cabin, they discovered that there was a dummy roof, a
false one.

From an outside view no one would suspect that a man

could find shelter on the roof; but once up there, and the —

cabin logs were seen to extend above the regular roof
so as to form a safe retreat and lookout.

From that position the cabin could be well defended,
. and the scouts could readily see how the intended assas-
sins who sought to set it afire could be shot dead from
above or held at bay, for the dogs were a perfect
protection from anything smaller than a cannon ball, and
the. Oye apeme cliff prevented an attack from that di-
rection.

The two dogs were placed where they could hear a low
command from their master, and then the three men took
“up their positions, armed for the fray.

“Tf I can frighten them off without firing a shot it will

be better and more effective, and | believe it can be done,”
said the’ Bravo, and the scouts wondered at his merci-
ful intention.

They were not a thinute too soon in gaining their posi-
tion, for they beheld the crowd of desperadoes coming
in a body.

voc Ng. they reached the sw inging form and halted in
horror, Bandbox Bill gave a low whine, and instantly the
two dogs broke forth in long, loud, dismal howls which
added to the terror of the gang.

Then the Bravo set the example by uttering a wile
unearthly yell, to which the scouts added their thrilling
war cries. And, as has been seen, away went the appalled
villains at breakneck speed down ‘the hill.

Had the desperadoes heard the laughter of the scouts
at their flight, they would have been mad enough to have
returned and fought it out.

The dogs were too well trained to disobey a command,

and Bandbox Bill had said:
“After them, brave dogs, but:don’t take hold!”

Pawnee Bill fairly shook with laughter, and the Bravo
said, as the dogs came trotting back:

“Tt was better than killing them, and there is but
one in that band I wish for game, and his time will come.’

“You had every right to kill them, Pard Bill, as they
came to take your life, yes, to burn you to death. :

“Oh, yes, Pawnee ‘Bill: but I never take life unless

dt is absolutely necessary, and ine did as well as bullets
in this case.’ :

   

“THE BUFFALO

 

‘BILL STORIES. - va 5

“Tt did belicr, I guess, for we could not have killed
them all, and they certainly were all nearly scared to
death. My! how they did go!” |
_ And Pawnee Bill again broke out in laughter.

“But what is to be done with that fellow?” . :

And Buffalo Bill Antes to the form of the dead des-
perado.

“TH bury him: over in the pines in the morning, but
will cut him down now.” —

The party descended from the roof.

The body of Injun Al was lowered and placed in the
stable, and then the Bravo unsaddled his horse, which he
had only had time to put. in his stall, after which he said:

“Now, gentlemen, though I have no idea that those fel-
lows. will return, | shall claim you as my guests to-
night.”

“Oh, no; it is not much of a walk back to the camps,
thank you, . said Buffalo Bill.

And, as Pawnee Bill also urged their return, the Bravo
said no more, but got out a flask of fine liquor and a box
of cigars, which he placed before his guests.

Then, as they sat for a while chatting, Pawnee Bill

asked:

“Do you expect to make your home here, pard?”

“For a while longer; until | accomplish a certain aim
I have in view,” and the Bravo spoke as though the ques-
tion had called up unpleasant memories.

“I fear those fellows will give you trouble,’ Buffalo
Bill suggested.

“No, I think not, for I will keep my eye upon them.”

“Can you tell us anything about the history of those
two remarkable women in the camp?” asked Pawnee Bill.

“All that I have heard, yes,’ and Bandbox Bill told
the story of the lives of Louise Gray and Kate Fenwick
from their coming to Hallelujah City, and added:

“Now they are remarkable women, and somehow I be-
lieve they were known to each other before them came
here:

“There is a cloud upon their lives in the past, of course ;
but here they are treated with marked fespect, and woe
be the man who would offer an insult to one of them,
for the miners consider them under their especial pro-
tection. They are both making money, the one with her
saloon and faro bank, the other with her tavern, and
some fine morning they will have disappeared from Halle-
lujah City as mysteriously as they came.” |

“By the way, pard, | have heard that Hallelujah City |
was the haunt of the band of outlaws know as the Blue

L Masks of the “I rails.’

“Yes, Pawnee Bill, I have heard the same, and per-
haps it is so; but to find who are the men will be the
difficult task for you to do.”

“For us to do?” ;

“Yes, for | know your mission here, pentane but
let us not speak of that. Try another glass of whisky
and a fresh cigar.’

The scouts were more than ever mystified, but had a
parting drink and a fresh cigar, when the Bravo called

_his horses out of the stable.

“T am fortunate in having two saddles, so ride into
the camps and simply turn the horses loose and they
will come home.”

“But some one may catch them.”

“If they do they are welcome to have them, and ride si
them if they can do so. Were I not here, you would —
find it no easy task to mount them; but like myself and
 

 

 

 

SHR)

[ 6 : |) TRE BUEPATO BILY STORIES.

: my Vlogs my horses are friendly. to you, ” and the Bravo

- in Broadcloth smiled. _
The scouts soon after ona’ cae rode away, and.

upon reaching the tavern they threw the reins over the
saddle horns, and the horses went off side by side at a
gallop.

“Buffalo, that man is more than ever a mystery to me.’

oo Yes, Pawnee Bill, we seem to have struck a land :
mystery,’ was Buffalo Bill’s reply, and then they sought ~-

their room just as the east began to ee gray with the
approach of dawn. | | :
hae 2 co a ee x *

_ When Sandwich Sam and Long Ben became allies, to
fly together from Hallelujah City at the command of a
man who held some mysterious control over, them, they
put spurs to their horses and dashed swiftly along the
_ mountain trail. But suddenly they caught sight of the

_ Bravo in Broadcloth seated like a black specter on his

horse by the roadside.

They had gotten to the trail that led up to the cabin -

of the Bravo, when Sandwich Sam suddenly drew rein.
“What are ther matter, pard?”’ ~
eione Ben...
“Vas. 99
“Do you intend to go through life a haunted man?” -
_ “T don’t adzactly catch on, Sam.”
“That man wields a power over ae as he does
over mer’
“Vas.”
“What hold he has over you I can only guess at from
my own standpoint, and you cae not inclined to tell me.”

“No, [ has nothing to say.”

“Well, you admit that he drives you out of Halle-

lujah?”

“As he does you, pard.”
, Granted” |

“Waal, what then?”

“Tf we go elsewhere and he comes, we must up stakes
and push On.

“Sart’in, ef he says so.’

“Well, say he will, en

“Ontil what?”

“He decides ter send us so far away that, we'll never

git back.”
“Lordy! (>?
“He can do it.”
“In your case?” :
“Ves. 99 j Lis
“And i in mine, too.”

Neither spoke more just then, but they sat ou their

horses, Sandwich Sam in deep thought and Long Ben
simply waiting for his companion to say more.

At last, aS he had expert Sandwich Sam again
spoke.

“Long Ben!”

“Aye! aye!”

“I do not intend to be haunted t wee life.”

“Does yer evil deeds trouble you?’

“They are of secondary consideration.”

“IT see ghosts sometimes myself.” :

“Well, what haunts me now is not a ghost, but a man,
and he is very much alive.”

“Bandbox Bill?”

 

 

“The same.’

'Yas> he a hauntin’ way about him.”
“We can end this if-we will”.

“Go slow, pard.” =
“No, I am fretted beyond pacurane, and I have de-

cided to act.”

“What will you do?”

“1 will act.

“Kall: ???

“Do you dare help me! 2”

“It’s between us two? /

“Yes. So .

“For life ?”

“Life for us, death to him.”

“T kinder hesitates.”

“And prefer to be haunted through life? ae
_“Thet are bad, too.”

“Are you with me?”

“What is your plan?”

“Well, we will go up the cafion to ne rear of his ey

and there leave our horses.”
“Well: ???

“We will take our. latiats with us, along itn our
weapons, for they are safer.” .
“How so?”
«We can rope him.”
ol see.
“Yes, we can fix him, for he will not come straight
home, Iam sure.
his coming, and then his life ends.”
“But suppose he takes the short cut and is there?”
“Then we will find some a to call him out.”
“Can it be done?”

“Ves, for you can whip his horses until he comes out
to see what is the matter, and I will be at the corner of
the cabin and pour rifle ‘shots into him; but I hope he

— will not get there before we do, for I would rather

rope him.”
“So would I; but I hates to raise hand agin’ him.”
“As I/do; but it’s between otirselves.”’
“Won't it make us suspicious 0’ each other?” »
“How so?”
“Won’t you want to kill me, or I get a hankerin’ tel
kill you, jist ter keep the secret in one heart, like?”
ONO, 1 sue no fear of that: Are you oh me?”
ot any
“For life or death?”
Ves.” :
“Take my hand.” .

They grasped hands and then, without another word,
rode slowly off the trail up toward the home of the
Bravo in Broadcloth.

They left their horses in a cafion half a mile away from
the cabin, and with their weapons and lassoes moved
cautiously up toward the home of the man upon whose

life they had determined to set the seal of death.

They were noiseless in their movements, and Sandwich
Sam whispered:

“He. fas come home, for I hears his horse in ther
stable.” im

“Yas; and thar he stands in front of his cabin.”
“By heeds you are right.
“Now throw your lariat'as I do mine!”

When we get in position we can await

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

THE. BUF FALO

‘CHAPT ER IV.
PIE LARIAT THROWERS, .
Both the desperadoes who had undertaken to free them-

in Broadcloth, were noted lasso throwers,

Sandwich Sam had gone into Mexico, when he first
had occasion to dodge justice, and Long Ben had passed
some time in Texas, and thus they had learned to handle
the rope, and were never known to ride out without their
lariats swung at their saddle horn. |

Now the two men stepped apart in the shadows, coiled
their lassoes, and were ready to throw them.

There stood their victim, tall, slender, and upright, his
gaze evidently striving to pierce the darkness down the
valley trail.

He was wholly unconscious of danger, and sconed to
feel that he was all alone.

\ “Now ! ed

With the word issuing om the lips af Bad wich Sam,
the two lariats went whirring through the air.

That of Long Ben fell first around the form of the
victim, and, hauled quickly taut, pinioned ,his arms to
his sides.

The noose of he lariat thrown by onde: Sam
caught around the man’s neck and was drawn taut in a
second and the victim dragged violently to the ground.

Then the other end, to which a stone had already been
attached, was thrown over the limb of a tree fifteen
feet from the ground and the form was dragged into
the air,

Making his lariat oe to the tree. cane Stas Sam
bade Long Ben do the same with his free end, and it
was tied to a post that upheld the shed across the cabin
i tront.

“Now we will see if we cannot fai some gold to save
- our consciences, Pard Ben,” said Sandwich Sam.:

But Long Ben stood in the attitude of one fistening,
and, bounding away, called out:

“Quick, for our lives! horsemen are coming this way! i

Sandwich Sam needed no second bidding, but sped
on after his companion up the cafion to where their
horses were, and, mounting in hot haste, they rode away
at breakneck speed, pushing sa into the mountains,
-anxious to avoid all trails.

They had done their deed, and. somehow they felt
the more haunted by the act than had- te victim re-
mained alive to dog their steps.

But this feeling neither dared betray to the other.

Had they not run off in their fright they would have
seen the “horsemen” of Long Ben’s eerie dwindle
down to one horse and rider.

He dashed up to the door of his cabin to draw rein

quickly. as he beheld that swaying form.

“Ah! there has been devilish work done here,” he said,
and dismounting he let his horse go into the stable and
then moved about like one who was at home. |

It was the Bravo in Broadcloth,

He met the scouts, treated them well, as has a. ‘seen,
_ and, after their departure, sat out in front. of his cabin

smoking a cigar, and buried in thought.

Soon the clatter of hoofs. reached. his ears, ee he arose ©

as his two riderless horses dashed up to his side. :
“Brave boys! you did your work well. I am happy in

having four such allies, dumb brutes as you are,’ and

he ae both dogs and both horses affectionate a

 

 

- from Mexico.

BILL STORIES. * 0

gs

Phen he removed the saddles, na estedine: his cabin,
was soon fast asleep, unmindful of the dawning day.
After several hours of slumber he arose and set to. work

. to prepare breakfast, to the great delight of the two dogs.
selves from a haunting foe, as they regarded the Bravo

This done with, ‘the horses were staked out in the
valley, and taking a pick and shovel the Bravo entered
the stable and raised the dead form of Tnjun Al to his
shoulder.

Without any effort he side down the hillside to a
little spot on the bank of the rivulet, and placed the

corpse upon the ground.

Then he stood ’ “regarding it. oe

“It is poor Indian Al, my spy, and he was coming to
warn me, I am sure. His form and mine are of a size,
and then he. always wore a black sombrero as I do,

while he kept his blanket coat buttoned close around

him, and was mistaken in the darkness for me. This
lariat is of Mexican make, and Sandwich Sam came here
The other is Texan, and Long Ben was
for some time in Texas. Now to pay Indian AL de
cently.”

He dug a grave, wrapped a blanket around the form,
and soon a new-made mound alone marked the resting
place of Injun Al. ae

Then the Bravo went back and cealied the position
of the lariat throwers when the fatal coil was cast..

Taking their trail with the cunning and skill of an, In-
dian, he followed it where their horses had been left,
while they went to the cabin on their deadly mission.

Then he returned to his cabin, and, mounting: his horse,

rode into Hallelujah City.

In- the edge of the camps was a small cabin, where
dwelt two redskin miners.

They were quiet men, spoke little Bache,
where they got a job, and troubled no one.

In the cabin door sat one of the Indians as the Bravo
rode up, and he rose politely and addressed. Bandbox Bill
in his native tongue.

Witere is Night Hyer’ asked the Bravo.

“Working in the Blue Mines,” was the ‘Tesponse, in the
Ute tongue.

“Go and find him, Panther Foot. Mount yout Toeses,
ready for a long trip, and come to my cabin.” —

“The chief has spoken,” replied Panther Foot,

oud

“Band-

box Bill rode away without another word.

An hour after, the two Indians, splendid specimens of
their race, rode up to the cabin of the Bravo. ey

He at once led them to the spot where Sandwich Sam
and Long Ben had.left their horses, and, after a few
words of instruction from the Bravo, they started | -off on
the trail of the two desperadoes.

During the afternoon of the day following the. scenes
at the saloon of the Queen of Hearts, Texas Jack and
Surgeon Powell, still wearing their disguises, took seats
upon the benches in front of Kate’s Kitchen, and were
soon after joined by Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill,

The face of the surgeon, not concealed by his long
hair and headdress, was so well stained to the hue of an
Indian that even the ee ae of the scout did not detect
the cheat.

As tor Texas Tack. i was well that his large :
hid his eyes, or the twinkle in them would have betrayed _
his joy at deceiving his friends.

flis mustache having been shaved off, sid his wig of

 
 

 

 

THE BUFFALO

ak

a white, kinky hair fone perfect, with his face also stained

and roughened with walnut juice, and his spectacles, a
bump on his back which looked natural, and his changed
walk, as completely disguised him as did the Indian tig Ol

the surgeon, and that neither Buffalo Bill nor Pawnee Bill

suspected the cheat, was evident.
“Strangers in Hallelujah City, Dard” oa Pawnee

Bill to Texas Jack. ro

“Yes, like you is, pard.”

_ “Going to remain long?”

1) Maybe, .camt tell: fer we may be planted heur, fer
bullets fly lively in these parts.”

“Yes; but you did not seem to have much fear of them
in the saloon last night when Bandbox Bill drove out the
two outlaws, and when we came mighty near having a
general row. You two joined in. and stood by us and

— Bandbox Bill in great shape.”

“Pard, Red Chief an’ me allus am with ther under dog

[in the fight. ee

Es

“You and your redskin friend seem to be fast-pards<’

“Ther best in ther world, an’ we has cause ter be,
fer we has been on many a trail together,”

Lou are 4 trapper, | take it?”
“T are trapper, scout, guide, and anything I kin git a
out of in a honest way, pard.”

“Think of mining about here now ?”

“Like as not, pard.

“Me and Red Chief is a- lookin’ around ter strike a good
trail.’

“Never come across the Blue Masks in your travels,
have you?”

“Waal, we came™putty nigh it, and but fer a leetle gal
in black clothes we might have run upon a snag.” .

“Ah! you have seen, then, the Woman in Black, as
they call hee me

“Waal, we got a warnin’ up in ther Shadow Valley
not ter go runnin’ round loose, as ther’ was Blue Masks
up thar, so we just lighted out in this direction.”

Who warned you?” “"

“We seen a gal on horseback, all rece up in Hack
same as ef her mammy were dead, and we laid out ter
catch her. But her horse were too flip fer our critturs,
though they do be fast, and she jist left us out o’ sight;
but when it were dark we seen a leetle advice writ on
a rock ter git, and we got.”

“Ah! and you know nothing of this woman:

one didn’t : stay ter be interdooced, but as she hinted
in that fire‘writin’ thet ther Blue Masks was anxious ter
git intimate with us, I concluded we'd go.”

)

“Did you ever hear of any one else thus warned by

this Woman in Black?’
“Waal, I heerd tell how Texas Jack, from Fort Lansing,

got a warnin’ thet saved his life.”

“Indeed! and do you know where her haunt is?”

“C’wdn’t tell yer any more than I knows adzactly whar
ee Blue Masks is, Maybe you knows, pard: ee

66 O. 93

“As yer and yer pard are government scouts, maybe
yer is a-lookin’ ter take ther trail o’ the Blue Masks?”

Pawnee Bill shook his head, and, as he and Buffalo
Bill walked off together, said:

“Buffalo, that old man is no fool.”

mo. l thought, Pawnee.”

“1 believe he and a Sioux chief are on some special :

tia
7 oinaD they are, for why they are here no one knows;

PIN AR te cormeng th ernie meee catenn itn ott mt eo
‘ FN

BILL STORIES,

bu they. chipped in last night in - great shape to help
Bandbox Bill out.”
“They did, and I wonder if he rows the
_ “T had not thought of that; but did you hear what
those fellows hinted about the "Bravo ?” oe
“You mean the gang in the hotel?”
“Ves, 99
“They said that some here had an idea that Bandbox

Bill was a spy for the Blue Masks, if not their chief.”

“Yes, for he was always on hand when an Overland
coach arrived and departed.”

“T would find it hard to believe.”

“As would I; but this is a strange country and a
stranger people, sO we must not be surprised at anything’
that turns up; but there arexthe fair gambler and our
hostess, so let us see if we can get any information from Z
them.”

There was a clump of cedars in one end of the old fort,
and here had been built a rustic arbor.

It was a favorite resort of the two women on pleasant
afternoons, and with some sewing in hand they were now
going there when the scouts joined them.

Texas Jack saw their act, and said:

“Pard Red Chief, we haven't got on our good looks,
so can’t expect to shine in ladies’ society4 but i see
those two dandy scouts.”

“IT see them, and our make-up leaves us out in “he
cold.”
“T wish we had known about the fair sex in Hallelujah.

I think we would have come as our natural selves,” Se

Jack, and, Surgeon Powell laughed. i

-In the meantime the ‘scouts had joined Lady Lou
and Lady Kate, and were invited to accompany them to.
the arbor.

“Lady Kate, I wish to ask you if you ever heard of
another woman in these wild regions other than your-
self and Lady Lou?” Buffalo Bill asked.

The two women exchanged. Blate and then Kate
Fenwick said: <

“Yes, | have had lady guests at the hotel, women who
have come to the mines in search of a runaway husband,

truant son, or a brother.”

“But they have never remained rere:

_ “We two have alone remained,” was the sad reply.

But Buffalo Bill wished to know more, so asked: f

‘Have you ever heard of a Woman in Black, one who
is seen on the trails always near the scenes of the a
Masks’ depredations ?”’
" “Yes, we have heard the strangest stories of her, ang ~~
I have ‘been anxious to meet her—perhaps I May some
day.

“Can you tell me anything Ob here:

“Only that she is said to be the chief of fe ‘Blue
Masks.” .

“Ah! I supposed Major Satan was chief of that Ae
law band?”

“Have you ever seen any one who knows aught of
Major Satan, who ever saw him, in fact?”

“Well, no.
“Then I lean to the idea that a woman is, and why
not, for Lou here is a gambler, and I the hostess of a
frontier tavern. Why might not another woman be still
bolder in the life she leads than we are?’

This question was unanswerable, and the shone were
both of the same opinion after an hour’s talk with the

 

 
 

 

 

ae 2 THE BUPFALO
strange women, that perhaps. they knew more of this
Woman in Black than they cared to admit.

“We have come to the right place, ee, Bill, to

find the trail of the Blue Masks.”
‘“So'I believe, Buffalo Bill,’ was the reply...

 CHePTeR
THE MAJOR’S ee

Fort Benning was the scene of the starting point of
Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill, upon their difficult and
perilous duty of hunting down the Blue Masks of the
. Urails, e

The fort was a large one, and a pleasant abiding place \
out upon the far frontier.

Some four hundred soldiers were stationed there, mostly —
of infantry, with a company of light artillery and one
of cavalry.

Colonel Roylston was an ideal soldier and commander,
and the headquarters circle was a pleasant one.

A dozen officers had their families with them, and the
most beautiful of all the maidens was Heloise Hembold,
the daughter of Major Howell Hembold of the cavalry.

The major was a quiet man of forty- five, with a stern
face and a reserved manner that at times seemed cold,

He had been a. dashing officer in early life, and had
married, when stationed upom the Texan frontier, a
Mexican lady.

Of this marriage nothing was known save that his wife
had died after a few years of wedded life, and her little
daughter had been sent to a distant relative to care for.

When she was thirteen years of age, Heloise had been
taken to the frontier to live with her father, and so
she had almost been brought up in a frontier fort.

‘The chaplain and the school teacher had been her in-
structors, as far as books were concerned; but the young
officers had taught her how to shoot, and since her baby-
hood she had been an expert rider.

The scouts taught her to throw a lariat, follow a trail,
and read Indian signs, and so, at eighteen, Miss Hem-
bold was considered “educated.”

She sung divinely, accompanying “herself upon the
guitar ; ohee sketched with rare skill, and danced with a-
grace’ that made “her an’ object of envy to awkward
maidens; with a faultless form and beautiful face she
had turned the head’ of every young soldier at the fort,
~ yes, and of some of the older ones, too.

Such-a thing as fear Heloise was unacquainted with,
amd remembering that her mother had been a Mexican,
she delighted in patterning her dress after the picturesque
costume of that country.

She always wore a sombrero, fringed with gold and
-embroidered, and a silk sash always encircled her slender
waist, while, when she went for a ride over the country,
she carried a small rifle at her saddle horn and a revolver
in, Wer (belt

The daring girl had had some very narrow y escapes from

Indians and outlaws, and only her own nerve and te.

speed of her horse had saved her,

To‘her father she was devoted, and he fairly idolized
her, she being the-only one who did not seem to stand in
-awe of the stern-faced soldier.

One afternoon, soon after the departure of Buffalo
Bill and Pawnee Bill from the fort, an invitation came
from a military post sixty miles away on the Overland,
: for the young ladies anda number of officers, to attend an

entertainment to es given in honor of the commandant’ S
birthday anniversary.

As the Overland coach was to go through on the day
before, the young ladies, with an officer’s wife as chaperon,
and eight in number, decided to ride through by stage,
the officers going on horseback with a small escort of
cavalry. .

In gay spirits the party started, Heloise, however,
sorry that she could not go on horseback, but could find

no girl companion who would dare make the long ride in ©

the saddle.

The coach had gotten a dozen miles from the fort when
a Pony Express messenger was seen coming like the wind
on the trail.

His horse fairly flew over the level stretch toward the
hill, which the coach was then ascending.

The fort was not on the direct Pony Express trail,
but when dispatches of importance were addressed there,
the riders were wont to go by and drop them, and the
arrival of one of these dashing young horsemen was an

event of importance to all.

Now the driver halted his. coach on the hill’ for all
to get out and see the flying pony rider as he approached.

Up the hill he came, his horse hardly slacking his pace.

as he mounted, and in a few moments more he ‘drew rein
suddenly at the group about the coach.

“Ts Captain Willis here?” he askéd, in his terse tones,
with the air.of one who did not wish to be detained.

“Lam Captain Willis?” said a handsome young officer, :

stepping forward.
“T carried dispatches to the fort, sir, and Colonel Royl l-
ston.asked me to bring this to you. Good day.
And the pony rider dashed on like the wind.
Captain Willis broke open the envelope and read:

“Caprain Wurr WILLIs.

“Sir: News has just come in that leads me to believe
a prowling band of redskins will follow your trail, after
you pass Oak Creek, so go into ambush with your men
and check them, while the coach keeps on.

“Tf after an hour's delay they do not appear, push on
after the coach, for I will send a detachment from the
fort to look after the Indians.

“T send this hastily by pony rider messenger. _-

“Royiston, Colonel Com’d’g.”

Captain Willis’ face wore a troubled look, as, he read
. the communication. But he said cheerily :

“Driver, you push on, for we will be detained on the
trail an hour, to see if there are not some redskins on our
tracks. But you, ladies, are in no danger.”

The stagecoach rolled on its way once more, leaving
the officers and the dozen cavalrymen to seek an am-
bush on the trail.
Heloise Hembold all of the ladies would have felt very

blue.

But she was the life of the party, as the coach i eles
on its way.

But when night came on, a shea seemed to fall

upon all, as, with the darkness, gloomy thoughts arose
of those dear to them and the dread that the remaining

of the officers behind meant far more than mee W iis.

had been willing to admit.

The weird shadows of the Overland Trail, the darkness
and the fact that duty had compelled their gallant escorts

temporarily to desert them, had its impression upon Mrs,

‘Deprived of their escort, but for.

BILL STORIES, | a

2

ee

 

 
   
   
 
  
  

 

 

 

 

  
  

 

   

 

 

   
  

_ Willis, the pretty young chaperon, as well as those under
her charge.

_ Then even Heloise Hembold felt the depression and
ceased to talk, and silence settled upon all.

Tt was a silence broken only by the rumbling of the

wheels, the clatter of the hoofs of the six horses, the

° ‘occasional crack of the whip, and now and then a word
_ from Driver Tom Todd to his team.
The trail had run into a wild part of the mountains,
and it certainly looked dark and dismal without, until
all could almost feel the solitude.

Occasionally the long-drawn-out howl of a wolf would
echo among the hills, or theyhoot of an owl, disturbed by

the passing coach, would startle the fair inmates of the

stage.

Suddenly the rapid clatter of hoofs was heard behind
the vehicle, and the driver called down:

“Vhey is a-comin’, ladies.”

A. shout of joy went up, and Tom Todd was himself

glad that the escort was coming, for he muttered to him-
elt:

“They was gay as monkeys at a circus afore sunset;
but, Lordy! since ther darkness hev come on they is as
dismal as mourners at a buryin’.
lot o’ pretty petticoats thet I ever druv afore.”

_ While the excitement of knowing the escort was re-
viving the spirits of all was at its height, Heloise Hembold
demurely remarked:

“Suppose they should not be the escort ?”

“Ah, Heloise, who else can they be?” cried one of the
girls.

“Blue Masks.”

The reply silenced the girls as if a shot had come into
their midst, and Tom Todd asked himself:

“What's up now? Lordy, but hain’t wimmens onnery
in ther way?”

As the girls did not hear the question, and there was no
one else to answer, Tom Todd answered it himself with:

“Yes, they be.”

In a few minutes,a stern voice called out, as three
horsemen appeared in sight:

“Is that the Fort Benning coach?”

are

“Halt, then, for | have orders from Colonel Royl-
ston.”

Tom Todd promptly drew rein and put on the brakes,

while half a dozen heads peered out of the window.

“Pardon, Miss Hembold, but I am Sergeant ace
and come with a message from your father.”

“Well, sergeant, what is it?” asked Heloise quietly.

“The major’s horse fell with him, miss, and broke his

_arm, and he begs you to return, for I have a horse for
you, and the colonel’s compliments, miss, and regrets
that he could not send a commissioned officer after you.”

_“T hope my father is not more seriously hurt, Sergeant
Merwin, than you allow me to know?” said Heloise, with
a calmness that surprised all,

“No, miss, it is only as I said, but he wishes you with
him.”

“TI will go at once, sergeant.”

“Here is your riding skirt, miss, and cap,”

Heloise to don, while Mrs. Willis asked:

“Sergeant, did you pass my husband, Captain: Willis
and his party On the trails :

“Yes, miss, they had. feared being overtaken a red-

7

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

They is ther dismalest

and the
sergeant passed the articles named into the coach for.

   

ne SO halted to ambush them; but Cinta Willis
told me to say they would soon be along, ae not to-

.WOLTY.”

“Thank you, sergeant.”

Then Heloise, with many regrets from all, and half a
decision to turn back, bade her friends good night and
stepped out of the stage, when the sergeant raised her
to her saddle.

“T hope you will not find it so bad as reported, Heloise,”
cried Mrs. Willis, and the young girl rode away, the
sergeant dropping back behind her, and his two men fol-
lowing close upon the heels of his horse.

And on rolled the coach once more, the party within.
now more gloomy than ever, for Heloise was loved even
by her rivals, and was always the life of an entertain-
ment.

So all felt the deepest sympathy for the young ae
while also they were anxious as the coach moved on and
the escort did not overtake them.

At last Mrs, Willis uy her head out of the window,
and called:

“Driver Vodd.!"

Ves, miss.)

“Tam Mrs. Willis.”

"Then its ana am to you—ma fai, AS. yOu 48 spliced,
while ther misses is not yet, though they i is hopin’ ter be,
fer thet are woman natur’.’

A burst of laughter greeted this homily from the box
on their sex, and Mrs. Willis, when she could command
utterance, said:

“I wished to beg you not to drive so fast, Mr. Todd,
as we are anxious to have the gentlemen overtake us.’

“Yes, miss, I means ma’am, it’s what all ther leddies
like, ter hev men folks arter overtakin’ ’em in ther

_ run through life.”

“You seem to know our sex pretty well, Mr. Todd?’

aE has hed cause ter, ma’am, bein’ as T was married
onst.<

“And is Mrs. Todd dead?”

“The Lord only. knows, ma’am, not givin’ you a short
answer.’

vA a lett you, then’.

“No, indeed ; I deserted her, ma’am, fer she were wuss
than a whole cage o’ cats when she got riled ‘The
escort is comin’, ma’am, for I hears ’em.’

A number ee musical voices broke forth in a ohear
at this news, and, soon after, up dashed sie Willis
and his party.

“It was a false alarm, I guess, for we saw no In-
dians, though I waited for two hours,’ said the captain.
“How sad it was for poor Heloise to go back, Wurt.’
“For Miss Heloise to go back?” asked Captain Willis.

“How and where ?”’
Mrs. Willis told what had occurred, and 2 his as
broke the words:

“My Heaven! no such man passed us. There has hee

foul play. Hold, driver! we/must not go a step. bone
now !” ae

 

ACHAPTER Vi.

AvEATR DESERTER,

The words of Captain Willis startled all; but he nd
reason for their utterance, which he hastened to explain.
In the first place, Major Hembold had taken his rifle
and gone for a gallop over the prairie just after the

PAAR NN

 
 

 

 

 

 

THE BUFFALO BILL "STORIES. : ae

eleva fe and ‘ a short cut had gained the hills ©

and come upon the party in waiting just before sunset.

-He heard with surprise the news the pony rider had ©

Beene and had waited with the officers until they felt

sure that no force from the fort would come that dar,

_ and then he had started on his return.

Captain Willis had wished to send an escort of four
men back with him, but he was an old plainsman, splen-
didly mounted, and had preferred to return alone.

So he had left the officers not an hour before, and yet
Heloise had been gone for half an hour, or more.

Then, too, no sergeant and two men had passed the
officers’ party, nor could they come from the fort Py any
other trail without a long ride round.

Further, Sergeant Merwin was known to be seriously .

ill-in the fort, having been laid up for a week.

When these facts were known, it became evident to all

that foul play had been carried on.
Mrs..Willis, when questioned, said that she knew Ser-
geant Merwin as a soldier at the fort, and supposed the

man to have been he, yet his voice had sounded differently,

as she remembered the tones of Merwin.

As the man had reported that Captain Willis had sent
word they would soon be along and not t6 worry, it was
proof that he was a fraud.

Then Tom Todd stated that he had noticed that the
other two men were not in full uniform, and that they

seemed to be watching for the coming of some one up thie

trail while Miss Hembold was getting ready.

“You must turn your coach around, Todd, and drive
back to the fort with all speed, and’ T will take the re-
sponsibility ~ with the Overland Company. Lieutenant
Ames, you go back with the coach, report to Colonel
Roylston and Major Hembold just what has occurred,
and I will wait here with the rest of the party, or rather
at the spot where Todd tells me those men went off with
Miss Hembold. Ride ahead with all speed, Ames, tak-
ing two men with you, and let the others follow with
the coach. When Colonel Roylston knows all, he will

- doubtless send a force here at once, ‘and if we can do noth-.

ing to-night we can be on the trail at the first dawn of
day. 33

Thus ordered, Lieutenant Ames went off at a run,
followed by two men, and Tom Todd turned to the right
about, muttering to himself something not very complhi-
mentary to the fair sex.

He drew rein at the spot oe he had halted for the.

- sergeant and his men, and then drove cn at a swift pace,
escorted by two lieutenants and a dozen cavalrymen.

The several other officers and half dozen soldiers re-
mained with Captain Willis, who was determined that no
time should be lost in following the trail of those who, he
now felt assured, had kidnaped the beautiful girl.

Tom Todd was a good driver, and, as he was oe

to say, “he could shut his eyes and drive the trail,
that the darkness did not trouble him in the ionic |

He sent the team bowling along at a great pace, and
though the coach often rocked like a ship at sea, those
within made no complaint.

‘They were too subdued, too anxious, to find fault.

Lieutenant Antes had gone ahead like ‘the wind, and he

-was known to be well mounted, as were also the two men

who accompanied him.

When the coach was within two miles of the fort, a
saw a body of horsemen approaching, and Tom ‘Todd
drew rein.

           

. again.

 

nate

It was Major Hembold and Captain Alf Taylor and

his gallant company of troopers.

In a few words all was told, and it became known that
no such letter as Captain Willis had received had been
sent from Captain Roylston. No pony rider had been
near the fort that day.

This proved a deep-laid plot to get possession of Heloise

Hembold, and with a heart full of vengeance Major
Hembold dashed on to join Captain Willis: at his post in

the mountains.
Captain Alfred Taylor had brought, with his twoscore
troopers, half a dozen of the best scouts at the fort, and

~ the force was equipped for a week’s march, quick as had

been their getting off after hearing the news from Lieu-
tenant Ames.

That gallant young officer, cone upon a fresh horse,
also returned with the troop, for he had a very warm place
in his heart for Heloise, and with the officers then with
Captain Willis there would be certainly a dashing party to
take the trail of the daring kidnapers of the beautiful girl.

Their horses were not spared, knowing that they would
have a rest while waiting for dawn, and they arrived at the
place to find Captain Willis had camped on the trail,

had his sentinels out and waiting for the reénforcements. |

A number of lanterns had been brought along, and,
these being lighted, each scout took one and the search
for the trail was begun.

The tracks of the three horses were soon found, and.

slowly the scouts moved off on the trail, the troopers
following slowly.

Thus a short distance was gone over when a brook was
reached and all further on was useless.
te camp until the dawn. :

The daylight was near at hand when the sound of hoofs

was heard, and a scout dashed in from the fort.

SO taey faq |

He brought a letter from Colonel Roylston, which read: :

“My Drar Hemsotp: I hasten to send you a note ad-
dressed to you, witich Mrs. Willis found pinned on the
cushion in Miss Heloise’s room.

‘Heaven grant: you. be successful,
more men, send for them. Yours,

and if you need
ROYLSTON.”’

The major grasped the letter, tore open the envelope,

which was addressed to him in his daughter’s handwrit- fe

ing, and read:

“My Dear Fatuer: What leads me to take the step
I now do, you must never know. But I go not to un-
happiness, I pledge you, nor will wrong act of mine cause
you to feel shame and sorrow.

“Do not attempt to follow me, for to find me wll be

impossible.
“More I cannot say, other than some day we may meet
Ever your devoted HEL OISE.”

The letter fell from the hand of the major, and, strong

man that he was, he sank unconscious into the- arms of
Captain Taylor. 2
* * x * * * 2

While the scouts were seated in front of Kate’s Kitchen,
enjoying the balmy air that swept up the valley, and the

grand scenery upon all sides, a horseman rode up to the
hotel, the animal and the rider showing that co had
pushed hard on the road.

Texas Jack and Surgeon Powell were not far away, and

both recognized the hor seman as a scout from Fort Ben- |

ning, so they drew near to see why he had come.

   

 
 

 

 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  

 

 

 
 
 
        

 

_ Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill also knew the man’s com- .

ing had something to do with them, for the former said:

“By Jovel it is Jack Crawford, and something has
gone wrong at the fort.”

_ The messenger was a fine- looking man, clad in buckskin,
wore his hair long, and his leggings were tucked into the
tops of his high cavalry boots.

_ He was well armed and mounted, and looked just what
he was, a skilled and daring scout of the plains.

“Well, Jack, glad to see you. Hope nothing is wrong
at the fort?”

“Well, yes, there is, but this letter will explain, and if
you wish any extra news I can give it to you soon as I
have looked after my horse, for we came through rapidly,
I assure you,’ And Jack Crawford led his horse around

to the stables, while Buffalo Bill ordered something for

the scout to eat.
Then he and Pawnee Bill went to the little arbor on
the fort, which Lady Lou and Kate Fenwick had deserted,
and sat down to read the letter.
It was from Captain Taylor and as follows:

_ “Fort Bennine, Noon, Thursday. a

i By Jove, Bill, Jack Craw ford has ridden hard, for
- this is dated noon on Thursday,” broke in Buffalo Bill.

“You bet he is a flyer, when he starts on an important
mission. But what says the letter?”

_. “My Dear Copy: I write in haste to place before you
just what has occurred here, and Jack Crawford, who
bears this to you, will bring back word of what you deem
best to be done. .
“An entertainment was given by the officers of military
post number ten, and the young ladies, under the care of

Captain and Mrs. Willis, started by stage to attend the ,

affair, accompanied by half a dozen officers and an escort
of cavalry.

“Of course Miss Heloise Hembold went along, and
when Tom Todd’s coach had reached the foothills, a pre-

tended pony rider overtook the party with a supposed

letter from Colonel Roylston, telling Captain Willis that
news had come in of a band of Sioux following the stage
trail, and to drop behind and ambush them, and help
would also be sent from the fort.
“Captain Willis obeyed, the coach went on, darkness
came, and three horsemen overtook it.
“One. professed to be Sergeant Merwin, who had been
sent after Miss Hembold.
“The major, he said, had been thrown from his horse
and had broken his arm, and wished her to return.
‘He had a led horse with side saddle, and more, Miss
Hembold’s riding skirt and hat.
“She went without suspicion, of course; but, soon after,
Captain Willis and his party overtook the stage, and the
' fraud was discovered.

“They had seen the major not long before, no sergeant
had passed them, and Merwin was laid up in hospital very
ie

“Willis acted promptly, dispatching Lieutenant Ames
back to the fort with news, sent coach on its return with
escort, and remained with few men at point where the kid-
naping had occurred.

“In the night Major Hemboid arrived, I going with my
troop, and we found the trail, but lost it at a stream, so
were compelled to remain until morning.

BILL STORIES.

 

THE BUFFALO

course, we put it down to Miss Heloise.

and cap of Miss Heloise, and search revealed the fact

tense curiosity in the matter myself.

‘on you, with brother officers, that you would find the

“Soon after note came by Courier Crawford from

    
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
 

colonel, stating that letter had been found in Miss Hem-
bold’s room addressed’ to her father.

“Here is what letter says, for | give you ‘full particu-
lars, so that you may not act blindly.”

Here followed, in lady’s handwriting, a coe of oo
letter left by Heloise.
Shen ‘Captain Taylor wrote:

“This, of course, decided us all in the opinion that Miss
Heloise had been kidnaped by her own sweet will.

“The pretended letter from Colonel Roylston to Willis,
about the Indians, was a most clever forgery, and written
on official paper.

“This, of course, was written beforehand, and, of

“The man claiming to be Sergeant Merwin had the skirt

that certain wearing apparel, jewelry, and other articles
had been taken by the fair deserter from her room, show-
ing a well-concocted plan of leaving.

“But who were those men?

“What aid had she from people in the fort?

“Who are those aiders and abettors of her going ?

“What has she gone for?

“Who has she gone with, and why did she leave? __

“These questions, remaining unanswered, have nearly
driven the ladies of the fort crazy, and [ confess to in-

“The blow nearly killed the poor major, and he insists
that his daughter was kidnaped, and did not go of her
own sweet will.

“He claims her letter to be a forgery, and, despite all
circumstantial evidence against her, vows that she is the
victim of a foul conspiracy.

“If there is a man, woman, or child in the fort who
agrees with him [ have yet to find that one.

“As to myself, women are to me a Chinese puzzle, and
I have quit betting upon what they will and will not do.

“Jack Crawford will tell you where the kidnaping was _
done, and that we followed the trail to Smoke Top, where
we lost it for good, and as this is not very far from the
sainted locality known as Glory Hallelujah City, where
you are now, | put the case, at Colonel Roylston’s com-
mand, into your hands.

“It is more importast than hunting Blue Masks and
its women, so go at it at once.

“TE you need my troop as a reserve at some point, send
word back by Courier Crawford, and I’ll be there.

“Whatever you need, send for, but find this fair de-
serter.

“The major is almost prostrated at the suspense, ‘and
to find she was dead, I believe,;would be a relief to him.

“Now, Bill, I staked last night five bets at big odds

girl, so go in and win.

“My regards to Pawnee, and tell him that I am glad
that you have so able an adviser in this matter.

“Write me what you think, and with my wish for
your success, Yours, TaAytor.””

CHAPTER VII. :
THE SCOUT’S LETTER, o

A settled gloom had fallen upon all in the fort, cy
It seemed as though death had taken a loved one from
the midst of the army family.

 
 

|
>
¢

 

7

Heloise Hembold, the idol of her father, the belle of
the frontier posts, beloved by her companions of her own
sex, and the pet of the soldiers, bat gone from their
midst.

She was the last one of whoin scl an ay would have

been dreamed.

She had plotted and planned so well, and she had
cartied out her daring escape grandly.

How had she accomplished it, was the wonder of all.

She had been so full of life, so joyous the while, and

yet she had been carrying in ‘her heart a secret which

had well-nigh broken her father’s heart.
People pitied him and shook their heads when he said
that the whole thing was a conspiracy, that his child had

not deserted him of her own will.

Of course it was felt. certain that she had some one
to aid her,

And more—there was a lover in the case.

But, who was this lover? .

People put on their thinking caps and recalled her past.

Of all the gallant officers from the various posts not
one could be pointed out as being the favorite of Heloise
Hembold.

Lovers she had by the score, and all were her friends,
young and old, married and single, but not one man could
boast of having won her love. ‘

To all she was the same.

Who, then, was the man for whom she had deserted
her father and her friends.

Then some of the ladies, in raking over the ashes of the
past, recalled that Major Hembold had once been away
for six months, sent on a eke duty up to the Columbia
River country.

At that time, when her father was away, a stranger
had come to the fort.

He was a young man, very attractive-looking, with
suave, winning manners, and the air of a well-bred gen-

* Heman

The ladies had all liked him, but not with the gentle-
men had he been popular.

He had come to see Heloise, having met her when at
boarding school in New York some years before.

If Heloise cared for him she failed to show it, though

ny were much together.

The stranger had proven himself no city-bred man, for
no more daring rider could be found at the fort, and in
the shooting matches the officers got up he had won the
prizes invariably.

Lieutenant Ames, a splendid swordsman, and jealous
of his attentions to Heloise, had challenged him to a
trial with rapiers, hoping to humiliate him, as he had said

that he handled a blade fairly well.

The result was unexpected to all, except the stranger,

who had been introduced by Heloise as Mr. Menlo Parke,
-of New York.

Now, Mr. Menlo Parke disarmed Lieutenant Ames with
an ease that astonished all, and with cutlass, broadsword,

and rapier bouts with other officers Me ‘serenely proved

himself the victor.

After a couple of months’ stay at the fort he departed,
but Heloise was joked about her lover for a while, and
then he was forgotten.

But when she so mysteriously disappeared it was re-
membered that the major, wpon his return from the Co-
lumbian country, and hearing of the visit of Menlo Parke,
had been very much worried, for some reason. ~

THE “BUFF iene?

 

BILL STORIES.

These things were raked up now, and it was decided
that Heloise, knowing the opposition of her father to
Menlo Parke, for reasons which the major kept wholly
to himself, had run off with that ay brilliant young gen-
tleman.

This being settled, it soon became as a decided tact,
and, of course, the major had all the sympathy, especially
as he was still so blind as to assert that his child had
been kidnaped, and that she was the object of a cruel
conspiracy.

To dissent from him in this opinion so aheered him
that all would virtually agree with his view of the case, —
and Colonel Roylston constantly kept scouting parties out
to try and discover some trace of the missing girl.

Thus days had gone by, and one afternoott a horse-
man was seen coming across the prairie at a slow canter.

“Tt is Courier Jack Crawford,” reported the signal look-

out, and all knew that he had been sent to find Buffalo

Bill and give him the news of the kidnaping o Heloise
Hembold.

He soon rode into ine fort his horse jaded and his own
appearance indicating that he had ridden far and hard.

All felt anxious to know what Buffalo Bill had to say
of the affair.

His judgment was well known, and his word was an
authority.

“Did you see Cody, Jack?” asked Captain hole as.
the scout dismounted.

TY G6, Si

“You found him at Hallelujah City 2

“I did, sir, and I have a letter here for you from him.”

“You have done splendidly, Crawford; but now seek
rest.”

And Captain Taylor took the letter and ha Colonel
Roylston’s quarters.

io have a letter from Cody, sir, so we ‘ll see what he
says.” 4
And opening the oar aue Captain Taylor read, aloud,
as follows:

“ “Kate's Kircuen, Hallelujah City, Tuesday, Noon.

“*My DEAR CAPTAIN TayzLor: It was a surprise, and a
painful one, to both Pawnee Bill and myself, to learn the
sad news from the fort, of Miss Hembold’s disappearance.
. “After reading your letter carefully, and having a
long talk with Jack Crawford, I came to the conclusion
that Major Hembold is right, that there is a conspiracy,
and that Miss Heloise has been kidnaped.

“In this opinion Pawnee Bill wholly concurs, and after
Jack had heard our reasoning out of the case, he be-
came convinced also that Miss Heloise did not voluntarily
leave her father and her friends.

“We will at once take the trail where it was left off,
and if we need aid will send to you, so please have a
couple of scouts go to a place which Crawford will in-
dicate, and await there for news from us.

“ ‘Two others had best be stationed halfway between the .
first couple’s camp and the fort, and Crawford will place
them, if he does:not remain himself, which he is anx-
ious to do.

““Tf you deem best, you might camp with a score of ©
your men within easy reach of the scout couriers, for
when I send for you, we will want you badly, and in a
hurry, too.
ce ‘Of course you know best what to do.

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
  

 

 

 

 

 
  
 
 

       

 

14 THE BUFFALO

: “Crawford will know about where to find us, when |

you are ready to move into position, and notify me.
“As to our work here, perhaps the kidnaping of Miss

.. Heloise will help us on amazingly.

“ ‘Perhaps it would be best not to let it be known that I
have an opinion that Miss Hembold was kidnaped, for
whoever is at the bottom of the plot certainly has strong
allies in the fort, and it might be well to let people think
the young lady has run off with some one, and her father

is content to let her go; only tell the major not to despair.

“With my compliments to the colonel,
, GN ours truly, BurFrato Bin.’ ”
When Captain Alfred Taylor finished reading the
scout’s letter, he saw a strange expression upon the face
of Colonel Roylston. — ge.
“Well, captain, how about Cody’s opinion?’ he said,
with a smile, : |
“7 have unbounded faith in Buffalo Bill, colonel, and
Pawnee Bill holds his idea, too.”
“Ves, and he says Jack Crawford was won over by their
reasoning, too.”
“Yes, colonel.”’
“They are three long-headed men, captain.” _
“They are indeed, sir.”
“Cody never jumps at a wrong conclusion, and there
is one more thing to be taken into consideration.”
OWihatlis that, “sir hr :
“Major Hembold, who should know more of the mo-
tives that prompted his daughter in leaving thar any one
else, and certainly have some reason for the belief in her
kidnaping, has never faltered in his assertion that it is
a conspiracy to capture her.”
“True, colonel; but suppose we have Jack Crawford
come here now and discover from him what prompts
Cody’s opinion?”
“It will be well, and the major, too, poor fellow.”
An orderly was at once sent to the quarters of Major
-Hembold, to request his presence at the colonel’s office,
and then told to go and tell Jack Crawford to also report
to the commandant.
In a short while Major Hembold, pale and haggard-
faced, entered and took the seat which Captain Taylor
placed for him. i
“Major Hembold, with my sanction Captain Taylor
wrote a letter to Buffalo Bill, who is absent on a special
duty, accompanied by Pawnee Bill. \
“Jack Crawford bore the letter, and Cody was told the
exact situation, taking your view of the affair and all.
“His reply Crawford has just returned with, and the
captain will read it to you, and then we will hear what
the courier has to say of the reason why Buffalo Bill and
Pawnee Bill adopt your idea that Miss Heloise was kid-
naped.” | cS
“They do believe so, do they?” cried the major ex-
citedly. . ee
“Yes; but here is the letter.” j
Captain Taylor read the letter over carefully, and then
Major Humbold said earnestly:
“Thank Heaven that it is so, and that my child did not
desert me.” .
Just then Jack Crawford reported, looking quite fresh
after a good meal and change of clothing,
Without telling him what Cody’s letter said, Colonel
Roylston asked:
“Well, Crawford, you found the scouts all right?”

BILL STORIES.

  

“Ole ee sir; and, with a pretty landlady and a lovely >

gambler queen, Hallelujah is not such a bad place, after

all,” said the Sy oe

as though he knew that officer understood the situation.
“What have the scouts done in their work ?”

“They are beginning, sir, at the right end of the trail, -

though it is slow work.”

“And what had they to say of Miss Hembold’s disap-

pearance?” me
“Buffalo Bill at once said, sir, that Major Hembold

‘was right, and Pawnee Bill soon joined him in this be-

lief. We talked it over together that night, and I came

round to their way of thinking.”

.

“What is Cody’s argument in defense of his belief that
Miss Hembold was kidnaped?”

“Well, sir, he urged that the letter, forging your writ-
ing, to Captain Willis was not the work of a young
lady. That Miss Heloise often rode off alone from the
fort, and had she wished to run away with any one it

“was easy erough to meet them then and get a night’s

start. He did not believe any strangers had been about
the fort: no men were missing, I told him, and so out-
siders had done-the work. It was'a bold plan, but it was
a successful one, and it had been made to look as though
she had gone voluntarily, so as to prevent pursuit. He
believed the letter left in Miss Hembold’s room was a
forgery, and, if addressed to her father and placed there
early in the afternoon before she went on the coach, how
strange an act, when he might have found it five minutes

after her departure and readily have overtaken the coach.

Buffalo Bill said that it would be well to keep an eye upon
the man and his wife who are the major’s servants, and
to compare every letter in the note left in her room with
her writing, as also the letter to Captain Willis, pre-
tending to be from the colonel. He also said that it might
be weil for the major to look over all that Miss Heloise
left behind her, and see if there were not many things
she would have taken had she been going away forever.
Again he said that perhaps Major Hembold would know
if there was any secret or particular reason why any one
~would seek to kidnap his daughter, for.if he did, this
would be the strongest clew by which to track the kid-
napers Oh!” and Jack Crawford sprang to the side
of Major Hembold, who had fallen back in his chair in
a dead faint, as though overcome by the last utterance of
the courier scout.

 

CHAPTER WATT
WON OVER.
The major soon rallied from his fainting turn, which

his loss of rest and grief had brought upon him, though

the words of Jack Crawford, as to Buffalo Bill’s view
of the case of his daughter’s disappearance, evidently
had something to do with it.

So thought Colonel Roylston and Captain Taylor,
though they said nothing at the time to show what their

' suspicions were.

The major said, after a moment: a

“I believe I am losing my grip, my nerve, for I. was
never weak this way before.”
~ “You have had much to disturb you, major; but I hope
now all will come well in the end, as I have unbounded
confidence in Cody,” said Colonel Roylston.

“As I have, sir, and he agrees with me that my poor.

ehild was kidnaped,” eagerly said the major.

scout, with a sly glance at Captain Taylor, —

  
 

 

 
 

bureau drawers.

 

 

_ THE BUFFALO

"Yes, sir,” said Courier Craw ont “Buffalo Bill aid

nee perhaps you would know if there. was any one who
had a motive in kidnaping Miss Heloise.’

The courier had spoken as though he had not known

_ that these very words before had caused. the major to
| faint.

But he looked innocently at him, as though expécting

an affirmative answer.

The colonel and Captain Taylor, however, had seen

a that Jack Crawford was probing, and yet ae said
nothing.

After a moment, Major Hembold remarked, ina low

tone?

“Crawford, Buffalo Bill aimed well when he said that

there must be some motive for my child being kidnaped,

and that I should know. There is a motive, and I do
know, but I wish this to go no further. The letters,
colonel, with your permission, we will now examine, after
I have gone to my daughter’s room and had a thorough
scarcmol Tiel,
With this, the major left headquarters, and half an

hour after returned.

Courier Crawford had gone to seek much-needed rest,
but Captain Taylor was still with the colonel, and they
had been closely examining the forged letter sent to Cap-
tain Willis.

“Colonel Royiston, I found my daughter’s keys in the
pocket of a dress she wore the day of her departure, and
they let me into her desk, bureau, and a trunk. A
small jewel case, with what she wished to wear at the
post entertainment, went with her and returned on the
coach in her box; but all her other jewelry, some im-

portant papers, letters, and about six hundred dollars

in bank notes were in a strong box locked in one of the
There is evidence that some one has
searched through her rooms, but nothing that was locked
was disttirbed. Now, here is the writing paper from her
desk, and envelopes and ink, and you will see, though leit

in her room, the note to me is in bluish ink, and not

written on a piece of paper or put in an envelope similar
to what she had. Again, by a close study of her hand-
writing, for here are a number of specimens of it, you
can see that this note is an imitation of it, and | would
say written by a man, Some one in this fort is a. spy,
and one of her kidnapers, and that one had means of
access to her rooms. Colonel Roylston, more than ever
am I convinced that my child never left of her own will,
and more, I will say this much in confidence to you and
to Captain Taylor:

“My child’s mother was a ‘Mexican, and were | qiline
to give her up to her kindred this day, she would be-
come an heiress, while more, without her consent, or
death, the next heirs after her would never be able to
touch’ one dollar of the inheritance, for it would go to
the church in Mexico. My child knew all this, and she
preferred to be an: American, to remain a poor girl, an
army officer’s daughter, than to go to Mexico and be-
come an heiress. Now you know why I dread that she
has been kidnaped, and bless that fellow Buffalo Di, who
saw the matter as it really is.’

The major’s manner had changed, his eyes had ae

ened, and he looked like a different man, now that he
bnew others believed as he did, and that Buffalo Bill had
taken the trail of the mystery to follow it to the end.

“T confess I am completely won over, Major Hembold.”

said Colonel Roylston earnestly.

 

   

Bill SLORIES. 15

“As 1 am, sir, and I congratulate you that Buffalo Bill
and Pawnee Bill have picked up an end of the trail,”
Captain Taylor rejoined.

“Ves but-we must help them out, so, Captain T aylor,
by to-morrow Crawford will be well rested, so take half
of your troop and go with him to a spot where you will be
within easy reach of Cody should he need you.’

“T will, sir, and I only wish we had Surgeon. Frank
Powell and Texas Jack, to aid the two Bills and Craw-
ford, for those five are worth a regiment of soldiers for
secret border work. In fact they are natural detectives.”

“They are indeed, Taylor; but we could not get Sur-
geon Powell and Texas Jacek for days, and so must give
them up.

“Now, major, use your.own will as to going with Cap-
tain Taylor, or not, or leaving the matter in his hands.

“T shall have Captain Willis go, and also Ames as aids
to Captain Taylor, for they have wise heads, and I know
that you wish them, captain.”

“Indeed I do, sir, and Major Heol being along as
my guest might ‘often give a valuable suggestion, knowing
the full situation as he does at both ends of the trails,”
responded the gallant captain..

“Then I will be ready to start at dawn, but pardon me
if I suggest the idea that it be reported that I take the
stage East, for to-morrow is coach day, and that Cap-
tain Taylor is supposed to go on a scouting expedition

‘to the Indian country, for then the spies that are here

will be thrown off their guard.”

“Major Hembold, you are yourself again,” said. the,
colonel cheerfully, and so the plan was arranged, both
the commandant and Captain Taylor being now firmly
convinced.-that Heloise Hembold had been kidnapéd. -

CHAPTER Ux.
A MIND READER.

v
fi

Tack Crawford was a man of iron frame and endur-
ance, and he had a horse very much like himself in that’
respect.

Having seen to the animal’s comfort after his arrival
at Kate’s Kitchen, in Hallelujah City, and given a man a

dollar to rub hae down for an hour and then feed him,

he had sought his own dinner and rest.

That night he and the scouts had had a long talk to-
gether, and the courier had gone for rest, while Buffalo
Bil had written his letter to Captain Taylor.

Pawnee Bill, an hour before dawn, had gone out and
given Jack’s horse a good feed and rubbing down, and
the cook had been paid to have a breakfast ready just at
daylight for the courier.

So Jack Crawford and his horse, perfectly rested, well
fed, and anxious for the trail, were on the way back to
the fort again before the stin looked over the mountain
range down into the valley in which lay Hallelujah City.

The scouts arose later, had breakfast, and, mounting
their horses, went off for a ride, to have a talk together
where they ‘would be wholly out of earshot of any one

_ else.

The news from the fort had distressed them.

They both liked Major Hembold immensely, and re-
membering the grief of Heloise, if in the power of lawless.
men, oy were anxious to go to her rescue, i

Told by Jack Crawford that all-at the fort he

_ Heloise to have run away, it would be a fine feather im

       

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16° THE BUFFALO
their sombreros to
to her father.
They were convinced in their own minds that she had
_been captured to be held for ransom, her kidnapers sup-
posing that a large sum would readily be paid for her
restoration.

prove to the contrary by restoring her

If such was the case, who but the Blue Masks of the |

Trails had been the plotters of the deed? :
_ The scouts were more than ever convinced that they
were right in their surmise that Hallelujah City was the
head center of the Blue Masks. ee
They were not so sure that the two mysterious women,
‘Kate Fenwick and Louise Gray, were not leagued with
the outlaws. ae
Then, too, they held a slight.suspicion against Band-
box Bill.

Another thing that bothered them was the presence

there just at that time of the old trapper and his Indian
pard, and those two worthies really seemed to be “shadow-
ing’ the scouts. y

That no time was to be lost was evident, so the two
Bills rode out for a talk, and to plan just how to begin
work to get back the missing girl.

They were riding along the valley, plotting and plan-
ning, when they came upon Bandbox Bill, mounted upon
one of his jet-black horses, and upon his way to the
tavern. a my

He looked as serene as a May morn and as handsome
as a picture, and raised his sombrero at meeting them, with
the courtly manner of a born cavalier.

“I was just going to Kate’s Kitchen to see you,” he
said, -

“Ts there any way in which I can serve you, sir?’ Buf-
falo Bill asked. ha

“Oh, no, thank you, only I expect to have to go away
for a few days, and not knowing how long you would re-
main in our country, I wished to say good-by and express
the hope of meeting you again some time.”

“The hope is mutual, | assure you, Bandbox Bill, but
I cannot tell,how long we will be here, for our move-
ments are uncertain.’ . :

“Any news from the fort of late?’ asked the Bravo
in Broadcloth, looking Buffalo Bill squarely in the eyes.

The scout felt his face flush in spite of himself, but
answered: .

_ “Well, yes; a lady friend of ours has run away from her .

father, we learned.”

“Miss Heloise Hembold ?” Da
_ Pawnee Bill uttered an oath in a low tone, and looked
at the Bravo in a way that plainly said: “How the deuce
did you know that?” oe

“Yes, it was Miss Hembold; but may I ask how you
knew ?” oe,

“I have been to Fort Benning, arid then I happen to get
considerable news floating around; but let me say to you
that the lady did not run away.”

“What!” Le

And both the scouts asked the
breath.

“T repeat it, Miss Hembold did not go of her own ac-

Re,

question in the same

cord, and_if you have decided to take the trail to find -

_ her, my advice to you is to go into the Valley of the
Shadow of Death and seek there the one known as the
Woman in Black. You will have to surprise her to get
within speaking distance, and, as you both throw a lariat
well, that might be a good way to catch her horse, once

two scouts.

BILL STORIES.

you have found out her haunts and trails. She may be

able to tell you of Miss Hembold. And more, let me
suggest that you find some hiding place for your horses,
and do not take them into the Shadow Valley with you,
for if so you will be tracked, while on foot you can hide
your trail. Besides, there is more in the Shadow Valley to
fear than you have any idea of, and I am not one to give
an idle warning.” A

The two scouts looked at the Bravo in wonder. »

He seemed to be a man who could read their thoughts,
and yet that stern, handsome face, with its large, sad,
deerlike eyes seemed as hard to read as though carved
in stone.

At last Pawnee Bill blurted out with:

“Who the deuce are you, man?”

The Bravo smiled, and, with no show of anger, re-

eer

sponded:

“Bandbox Bill, the Bravo in Broadcloth, sir, very much
at your service.” :

“And do you expect us to take your advice?”

“T expect you to do only that which your own good
sense prompts you to do. I am a mystery to you, I know,
as I am to others, though you know that I am, for one
thing, a secret agent of the government. I will prove now
by a prediction that I know a great deal of what is going
on around me, for you will go on the trail to find- Miss
Hembold, and, if brought to bay on the track, you will
find friends near of whom you little dream. You are
anxious to ‘hunt down the Blue Masks, to discover the
Woman in Black, and now to find Miss Hembold; so start
on the trail to accomplish all. Now permit me to add
that I knew you believed that I had hanged the man found
at my cabin the other night. On the contrary, I discovered
that he was a-friend of mine, and had been lassoed and
hanged ‘under the impression that it was I, while his
murderers, hearing the approach of my horse, fled. |
have their lariats, however, so knowsthem, and the trail
they took is shadowed, for I have doomed them to death.
But I detain you, so will say farewell, and add, we shall
meet again.”’

He raised his sombrero and rode away, leaving the two
Bills looking at each other in speechless amazement.

Pawnee Bill first found utterance, and what he said
was to the point:

“Buffalo, that fellow is the devil on horseback!”

CHAPTER X.
KNOWN AND STILL UNKNOWN.

_ There were two individuals at Kate’s Kitchen who were
by no means unobservant beholders of what was going on
about them. : a :
_ They had seen the arrival of Jack Crawford, whom
both knew, and they had seen him depart at early dawn.

These two were Surgeon Powell and Texas Jack.

They had a room in the rear wing of the hotel, and they
kept their eyes upon the fair landlady, Gambler Lou, and
the frequenters of the place. ae

But they were more particular in their. attention to the

|
i
4

They were determined that neither Buffalo Bill nor

Pawnee Bill should slip away without their knowing it. /

So close was their observance of the movements of

the two scouts that the latter began to feel that the old

trapper and the Sioux chief, as they believed them to be,
Le ‘ \ %

were watching them.

 

 

 

re

 
 

 

 

 

 

te

 

 

ee
i

_ There was another person, tod, whom the two, dis-

guised men were anxious to know more about, and that

vas the Bravo in Broadcloth.

_ They had discovered that the two men, over whom he |
held. some strange secret power, had really gone away

from Hallelujah City, left by the command of a man
who had shown himself their master. , :

The gang, too, of Sandwich Sam, who had accepted
Long Ben as a second leader, had been remarkably quiet

the next night in the saloon of the Queen of Hearts,

and this surely had some meaning in the minds of men

_who read every sign as did Surgeon Powell and Texas

Jack.

They could, of course, have made themselves known
to Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill, well knowing that the
scouts would only be too happy to have them as allies.

But they decided that they could aid them the more

by remaining unknown, and yet would be close on their

trail when they left the mining camps.

That Jack Crawford had brought important tidings
from the fort they were assured, and they were anxious
to know if anything had gone wrong. ~

When the two Bills rode away that morning, Surgeon
Powell from behind his blanket, which hung against the
window overlooking the stable yard, saw that they did not
depart on a trail, as they left their traps behind them.

Still, the disguised men must know which way they
were going, so they soon after mounted their horses and
rode out up the valley. : :

They saw from a distance the two scouts meet Bandbox
Bill and have a talk with him, and when he left them he
came directly toward the surgeon and Texas Jack.

“Well, my friend, you and your Indian pard are not
leaving Hallelujah City, certainly?” We

“No, Pard Stranger, we is jist a-knockin’ around a
leetle,”’ responded Texas Jack. eo

“Well, I feel a friendly interest in you both, from the

very plucky. manner in which you stepped to my side

against odds the other night, and I wish you well.”
“Thankee, pard; but I seen yer a-talkin’ to them two
fine scouts jist now. Be they goin’ away from Halle-
lujahr” oe
“T/think so; and it might be well for you to follow
their trail.” . ue ee
“Lordy, pard, we hain’t got nothin’ agin’ ’em.”
“No, but they are going to take a rather dangerous trip
up into the Shadow Valley country.”
‘Whew! whar thet Woman in Black hangs out?” |
“Yes, and as they may have a number of enemies,
some of whom might get behind them and do them harm,

it would be a good thing to have two such good friends

as you and Red Chief are, to keep just out of sight be-
hind them. You might camp on their frail, and be ready
to help them in time of need.” oe
Texas Jack gave a hasty glance at his companion, and
said cautiously: cas ‘
‘Ver seems ter think we is bosom pards o’ them two
ills,”’ oe
“Yes, I have got that idea, I confess.”
“FHain’t yer a leetle off ther trail, pard’”
“Tet us see if 1am. You came from Fort Lessing on
a secret mission.” Soa a :
“Who the mischief says we did?’
“1 do.” 2 : ie Lees S : Le
Wiel 02:

“You went fiocthe Shadow Valley country, and but

 

toward a cafion which cut the range in twain.

 

 

BILL. SVORIES. Ls ig
for the warning of the Woman in Black you would now
be dead men.”

\ Lordy!) .
“Vou came here to throw your enemies off your trail,
that you might get another chance to enter the Shadow
Valley, solve the mystery about the Woman in Black, and
algo get at the fact of who the chief of the Blue Masks
js, and how you can track him and his men to death.”

“Pard, yer is eddicated complete, or yer thinks so,’ —
and Texas Jack did not dare glance toward Surgeon
Powell, whose. face was as emotionless as marble, and
who appeared not to understand a word that was said.

“I know more,” was the quiet reply.

“Give it to us, pard.”

“T will merely say, Texas Jack, that the disguise of
yourself and Surgeon [frank Powell is complete.”

“You know us, then?” almost gasped the Texan, in his
amazement. oe

“1 dow’

“Then Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill have known us
all along and have told you,” Surgeon Powell said calmly.

‘Not so. They do not know you.” i

“Tt must be, for how could you do so?” y

“As I knew that you had left Fort Lessing, that you .
had gone into the Shadow Valley, and were warned of
danger by the Woman in Black—as I know that you
had better take my advice and follow the trail of your two
friends when they leave, still remaining unknown to them,
and not letting them suspect that you are following them.”

“But why should we follow them?”

“Because, Texas, Jack, as I said, you may be able
to keep bitter foes off their trail, And more. They
will lead you right to where you wish to go, into the
Shadow Valley, and four men are better than two, espe-
cially four such men as you are. Besides, you have
really had proof that the Woman in Black is friendly to
you. Shall I give you another good reason?”

“Have you another:

“Yes; the daughter of Major Hembold, of Fort Ben-
ning, has been kidnaped by Blue Masks, at least so it is
thought, and the two scouts are going to rescue her—
if they can.

“Then go we do, for J know the major and his beauti-
ful daughter well. But may I ask who you are, sir?”
and Surgeon Powell gazed fixedly into the face of the
mysterious man. :

“Bandbox Bill, the Bravo in Broadcloth, sir—until
you know me better. ae

“Good evening, gentlemen,” and the strangest of strange
men raised his sombrero and rode on his way, leaving
the amazed friends gazing after him, too much astonished
to utter a word.

\

CHAPTER XI.
SELE-RETRAYED.

A woman on horseback in a scene that was wild, deso-
late, and lonely in the extreme. 2
-A woman riding along a ridge, sheltered by a growth -
of pines, and yet pausing now and then to glance down
into the valley where two horsemen were visible coming

The woman was mounted upon a horse as black as ink,

“and her saddle, bridle, and trappings were of the same

somber hue. ae
_ Her form was elegant, her seat in the saddle perfect,

en

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 
 
  

 

 

a3 ‘THE BUFFALO

  

and” yet there was something weld about het appear-
ance.

Her habit was jet-black, her sombrero and gloves also,
while her face was as white as snow, and really seemed
to be whitened, so like a lily was her complexion.

Had not the face been of such ghastly hue and so
surrounded by black, it would have been beautiful; but
as it was, it’ looked like a face cut in marble, and about
the large eyes was a look that was weird.

Her age it was hard to tell, also on account of tie
coffinlike stirroundings of the face of white and black,
and she might be twenty, perhaps ten years older. —

Halting her horse by a low-spoken word, she leveled a
glass at the two horsemen, and said:

“Yes, they are strangers, and I must meet them, for,
once they pass into this cafion, it will be like Dante’s
Inferno—to leave all hope behind.”

So saying she turned away from the top of the ridge
and rode down a trail leading to the valley.

After a ride of a mile, perhaps, she entered the narrow
cafion, where were overhanging cliffs, huge bowlders, and
patches of timber.

It was a pass which a score of men could defend
against hundreds.

At length she halted behind a large bowlder which had
dashed down from the mountain above.

Upon the other side was another rock of equal size,
and the two stood like giant sentinels to guard the cation,
the pass between them being but twenty. feet wide.

There the woman sat upon her horse behind the rock
on the right, and so still was the animal and the rider
they appeared like an ebony statue.

Up the cafion: came the two men who had attracted
her attention, and they had in the lead a pack horse.

On they came, slowly and cautiously, and as they
reached the narrow pass between the two rocks, the

woman rode out before them.

Both men drew rein and dropped their hands upon
their revolvers.

But her right hand was raised, and weaponless, and
elie cried:

“Hold,.men! I mean you no harm!”

“Yer sprung yerself upon us kinder too sudden, miss,
and mighty nigh got a leetle lead, for which 1 are glad
ter say yer didn’t git a dose of, fer it are onhealthy medi-

cine. Hed we seen yer at night, it’s mighty nigh probable -

we'd hev lit out pretty peert, takin’ yer fer a ghost, which
yer don’t look onlike. Be yer the Woman in Black, o’
ther Shadow Valley, of whom we hes heerd so much?”

“Tam, and [ came to warn you not to enter the valley,
Lior your lives will be the forfeit. ‘There is death before
you,” was the impressive warning.

“Waal, thar is death ahind us; but why doesn't yer
want ts ter enter ther valley?”

“Because the Blue Masks never show mercy to an
honest man, and you would both be murdered and robbed.
Heed my warning and go back, for the Blue Mees may
come this way at any time.” :

“Hain’t you ther Woman in Black : Lf

“T am so called.”

“Well, we has heerd yer were a pard of ther Blue
Masks.”

“Unfortunately, yes; but I wish no life on my ands

that [can save. Will you go back?”

“Not adzactly, for we hain’t honest men, me and my
pard, both. This are my pard, ne Ben, and I be Sand-

 

 

wich Sam, late o’ Hallelujah City, and we is going te:

 

BILL STORIES.

  
  

jine ther Blue Masks, séein’ as how it are onhealthy tet
us back whar we come from.’

“My Heaven! TI have betrayed myself!” broke. frot
the woman’s lips in bitter accents of regret.

“Waal, it do seem so, and as we wants ter stand soli
with ther Blue Masks, we'll jist carry yer inter camp and
tell ’em how\ we saved ’em from bein’ roped in some
day by a woman as they had trust in, but who are a snake
in ther bosoms. You is our prisoner, miss!’ and the re-
volver of Sandwich Sam covered the woman’s heart, while
Long Ben spurred forward and grasped her hands with,
a grip she was powerless to shake off, had she tried to
do so.

That the Woman in Black was surely caught there was
no doubt.

The two men who had come tpon her in the cafion,
wiheeding the kindness which had prompted her warning
of danger, believing them to be honest miners out pros-
pecting, were determined to make use of this very act of
hers for their own advantage.

What would be done with hér they neither knew nor
cared, so that it gave them a standing with the outlaws
to report her act of treachery. J

Sandwich Sam and Long Ben, after their flight | from
the cabin of the Bravo, had decided upon casting their

 
 
   
   
 

lot with the Blue Masks.

They were thoroughly acquainted with the miners of
Hallelujah, and how much had been laid up in dust, and
they were anxious to get the outlaws to raid the place.

Saturday night they knew was the time of the greatest
debauch, and the miners were nearly all in an unft con-
dition for, resistance by twelve o’clock, so that a deter-
mined band of outlaws could sweep down upon the
valley under their guidance, raid the stores, hotel, saloons,
and cabins, and be far away before dawn.

The result would be a large sum in money, more in gold
dust, quantities of plunder, and many valuable horses.

Feeling that they had slain the Bravo, the two treacher-

ous desperadoes held no fear of others at the mining -

camps, and were anxious to curry favor with the outlaws
with whom they were to cast their lots.

They had reached the Shadow Valley, and were con- :
gratulating themselves upon the fact, when they came >

upon the Woman in Black.
Finding that she was in their power, the woman wisely

made no resistance, uttered no outcry, but was ready to _
_ accompany them, be their fate what it might.

. But suddenly from the cliff overhanging the cafion,
caine two dark coils, and settling over the heads of the
desperadoes they tightened around their necks and in-
stantly they were dragged from their saddles up into
the air.

Upon the aid were two horsemen who had thtcwa the
lariats, and their horses, standing near, had moved off at
a command and thus drawh the men into mid-air,

Then, down the lariat around the neck of Sandwich
Sam, the form of a man came hand under hand, the

horse on the cliff standing braced against the double.
weight. ;
He paid no attention to the Woman in Blacks, who
quickly rode away, but called out to his comrade on the |
cliff, who at once led the horse forward a dozen “steps,
and the form of Sandwich Sam was lowered | to. ‘the:

ground.

 

 

        
 

 

 

 

 

  
  
 

   

To securely bind his hands and feet was an instant’s
work, and then the same performance was gone through
with again with Long Ben. ge

The one who did his work so rapidly and well was an
Indian, Panther Foot.

With a strength that was surprising, Panther Foot then
raised the two desperadoes to their saddles and bound

them there, after which he led their horses and the pack —

animals down the cafion at a rapid pace.

The whole performance had not taken over ten min-
utes, for the Indian seemed anxious to get away from
the cafion.

At its mouth he was joined by Night Eye, his com-
rade, with their horses, and the two rode into a thick
growth of timber and halted upon the banks of a small
stream. :

Here the two desperadoes were brought around from

their severe choking, and they realized that they were the —

prisoners of two Indians whom they had often seen in
Hallelujah City.

It was some time before either of the desperadoes could
speak, for the lariats had drawn taut, and a few more
minutes of choking would have ended their lives; but at
last Sandwich Sam growled out:

“Say, Injun, what does this mean?”

“Don’t know,” was Panther Foot’s laconic response.

“Waal, yer’ll know ef I kin git my grip on yer.”

Sandwich Sam realized his mistake in the utterance
at once, for Panther Foot said something to Night Eye
in their own language, and the two got a lariat and far
We securely bound the hands of the desperadoes around
them. S
Then they were told to mount their horses, the In-
dians standing ready to aid them, having led the horses
up to a-bank to make it easier for them to get into th
saddle. ce

“No!” said Sandwich Sam firmly. ue

Panther Foot took out his knife, grasped the ear of
the desperado, and said: :

“Git on horse, or Panther Foot cut ear off.”

The desperado obeyed, for he saw that Long Ben had
quickly mounted before Night Eye could fasten onto his
ear.

Their feet were then bound securely under their horses,

with the pack animals in the center, tied together, alter

which the Indians mounted their ponies and moved off
on the trail they had come from Hallelujah City.

This startled the two desperadoes half out of their
wits, and they began to beg not to ‘be taken back to the
mines. > oe

Then they swore vigorously, threatened, and at last
tried to buy their freedom.

But all was useless. / .

“Ti’s because we hanged ther Bravo, pard,” groaned

Sandwich Sam. ‘
“Ves: ther miners sent these reds arter us, and we is ter

be hanged,” was the whining response.

CHAPTER XII.
DOOMED. -

The Indians camped with their prisoners just at sun-
Set, ‘

The camping place was well chosen, up in the head of -

a false cafion..

The spot was a pretty one, an acre in size, with a.

THE BUFFALO

 

BILL SEORIES “19

sod of velvety grass, some timber, and a rivulet trickling
down from the mountains. _

The prisoners were aided to dismount and then placed
near a fire, which one of the redskins soon had blazing
cheerily.

The other staked out the horses and then took pro- |

visions from the pack of the prisoners and their own
supply, along with some steaks of a deer they had killed

that afternoon. ‘
One atm of a prisoner was released at a time, so that

they might eat their supper, and while they did so the .
_ redskins sat before them with their revolvers in hand.

“Whar is yer ter take us, Panther?’ asked Sandwich
Sam, after he had finished his supper and was again
securely bound. :

‘ “To Ha-loo-jah Cit,” was the reply.

“What for?”

“Get kill, guess.” :

“Lordy! what hev we ever did to you?’

“No do nothin’; won’t do nothin’.”

“We'll give you all our money and traps if you will let
11s go.” y i y >

“Got ’em now.” . ae

“You intend to rob us then, you red sarpints ?”’

“Ves maybe: dead man don’t want gun, and money,
, yoe,;

and blanket.
“TInjun. live long time, want all.”
“Oh, you red cusses! Well, take ’em all and let us go.”
“No, keep bad man and all.”
“Tong Ben, does yer hear thet ?”’
“1 hears him.”
“What kin we do?”
“T’'m durned ef I knows, pard.”
“T guesses we hed jist as well begin ter repent
The two prisoners were soon after taken to their

39
.

blankets, and their feet were bound together by their
cautious captors. i
Then Panther Foot went away on foot, while Night

Eye rolled himself in his blanket and laid down not far
away.

“Thet varmint hain’t asleep, Long Ben.”

“What ef he were? We c’u'dn’t do nothin’.”

“Thet’s so,” and they soon sank to sleep.

For an hour or more they slumbered quietly, and then.

Sandwich Sam awoke with a yell that startled Long
Ben terribly, and caused Night Eye to spring to his feet.

“Oh, I seen him, I seen him!” —

“Seen who, yer fool?’

“Ther Bravo! ther Man in Broadcloth!
thar he is now!’ ;

And Long Ben, looking toward the fire, beheld the
tall form of the Man in Broadcloth standing by the
fire.

Night Eye laid down again in his blankets, while
Panther Foot was seen to be busy boiling some coffee.

“It are he, and no mistake.

“But does ghosts git hungry?” said Long Ben, his
eyes riveted upon the tall form.

See thar!

“Pard, thet hain’t no ghost! oh, no, we didn't do

our work well,” growled Sandwich Sam. L
The object of their conversation meanwhile calmly sat

down on a saddle and ate his supper.
It was the Bravo, that was certain, and he had come

into the camp with Panther Foot a few minutes before.
Night Eye had been on the alert, but seeing who it was

 
 
 
 
   
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
   
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
   
   
  
  
   
   

    
  
   
  

 
 
  

  
  
  

   

   
  

   
 
 

  
  
   

 

Nr

20° . o THE BUFFALO

had gone back to his slumber, until Sandwich Sam aroused
him with his yell of fright.

Having finished his supper, the Bravo spread his
blankets and sought rest, as did Panther Foot also, while
Night Eye arose and went down the cafion to stand
guard. ey
_ Neither of the desperadoes again slept.

Two hours passed, and the Bravo arose.

It was just midnight, he saw by looking at his watch,
and he gave a low whistle.

Panther Foot was at once upon his feet, and Night
Eye soon came in from his guard duty.

A word to the Indians and the two prisoners were
brought before him, and their arms unbound.

“Men, you see I am not dead, for. you lassoed and
hanged the wrong man. You know your doom, and I
give you your choice of the two deaths which are put
down for your punishment, as traitors, deserters, and at-
tempt to kill one of your brotherhood. One death is to
burn at the stake, and the other is to dig your own graves,
lie down in them, and take your own lives.”

“Mercy! oh, mercy!” cried Sandwich Sam, in a broken
voice, while Long Ben groaned in anguish of heart. —

_ “You well know that it is not for me to be merciful.
In your creed mercy is unknown. Which death would
you prefer?’

Groans only were the answer, and after a minute the
Bravo said:

“Yonder are two trees, and these Indians know their
duty, and will not flinch from doing it. Shall it be by
fire

“No, oh, no!” cried Sandwich Sam.

"For Heaven’s sake, no!” moaned Long Ben.

“Then you are to dig your own graves and take your
own lives. You brought upon your pack horse picks and
shovels. Begin your work within five minutes,” and the
Bravo took out his watch.

Down upon their knees sank the two men, groveling in
abject fright and appalled by the'doom before them. _

The two Indians stood upon either side, their rifles in
hand and ready.

In front, upright, merciless, stood the tall form of Band-
box Bill, the Bravo in Broadcloth.

Prayers, pleadings from the lips of the two men were
in vain, for the stern face before them was unmoved,
and at last came the words: ay

“Why cringe like cowards, when you know it is not
for me to be merciful? Be men, and die like men, not like
cringing curs.

“Your time is up! Begin your work of death!”

Suddenly two shots rang out and the two gamblers
fell dead. The brain of each had been pierced by a bullet.
The shots were fired by persons unseen, but Bandbox
Bill knew that the Blue Masks had punished the gamblers
for their treachery in hanging Injun Al, who was himself a
member of the Blue Masks’ gang.

* * * * * - _

The meeting of Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill with
_the Bravo set the two scouts to thinking.

He certainly appeared to be friendly to them.

He was going away, he had said. | le

Where, and for what purpose?

“It would be our chance, Pawnee Bill, to take his trail,

if we did not have to look for that poor young lady,
Miss Heloise.” — ao

{
\

 

BILL STORIES.

“You are right, Buffalo; but maybe by following his
trail it might lead us to where she is.” __

“Ah! you still cling to the idea that the Bravo is in

some way connected with the Blue Masks?” |
“Well, if he is not, what is he?” Te
“He is past finding out; but glance over your shoulder
and you will see that he is talking to that old trapper
and his Indian pard.” ie |
“You are right; but I wonder if they were dogging us ?”
“They keep a close eye on us, Bill.”
“They do, indeed; and I wonder why ?”’
“I cannot tell, I am sure; but who can they be?’
~ “Don’t know; maybe Blue Masks.”
“It may be; but they were on the side of the Bravo
the other night. |
“Somehow I feel as though I had met them both before,
and yet I cannot recall when and where.”
“Tf I really felt they were shadowing us, I would stop
and know just why.”
“The old fellow would look innocent, as he always

does, the redskin would put on the appearance of a

bronze statue, and what could we do?”

“Nothing, I suppose; but they are having quite a con-
fidential chat with the Bravo.”

The scouts continued their ride for a few miles, and
then returned to\the hotel.

They found the trapper and Red Chief already there,
looking as innocent as ever.

Lady Kate was in her little parlor, just after supper,
and Lady Lou was preparing to go into the saloon and
deal faro.

The scouts were asked to enter, and Buffalo Bill said:

“We have decided to go on a little prospecting tour,
Lady Kate, but hope to see you again, and wish to thank
you for your kindness to us and pay our score.”

“Are you going so soon?”

“We wish to be in the saddle by dawn.”

“Tam sorry to have you go, for it is a relief to have
some one around who is not lawless.”

“You ought not to remain among such a lawless lot,
neither of you.”

“Ah, me! perhaps not; but I am making money, and
hope to put it to good use some day, so put up with
much now for the sake of the future.”

“As I do; but this life will not last always,” Lady,
Lou said, in an absent kind of a way. 6

“Well, we leave you a good protector in the Bravo,

should you need one,” Buffalo. Bill suggested, as a means _

of getting them to say more of Bandbox Bill.
“We see little of him, as he is away often; but we have
no personal fears for ourselves, for lawless as these men

- are, they consider themselves individually our protectors.” —

“Yes, I have observed that; but is Bandbox Bill a miner,
Lady Kate?” ;

“Like himself, his affairs are unknown,” was the quiet
answer, and neither Buffalo Bill or Pawnee Bill could
detect in the faces of the women that they knew more
of the Bravo than they admitted.

Having paid their bills, the scouts asked that no men-
tion be made of their going away, and that night they
appeared in the saloon of the Queen of Hearts.

_Lady Kate was there as usual, and Lady Lou had her

?

place at the faro bank and was dealing.
_ A number of players were about the table.
Neither Texas Jack nor Surgeon Powell had been in the

saloon when the scouts entered, but they came in soon

    

  

  
 

 

  

Pawnee Bill whispered to Buffalo Bill:

“Our shadows were not long behind us. You slip out
quietly and go over to the hotel, and then return, and I
will see if you are followed.”

_ Buffalo Bill did so, watching his chance and oie
out when he thought he was unobserved.

When Pawnee Bill, who had stepped up to the faro
' table to play, for he was fond of. a game always, looked
again over where Texas Jack and Surgeon Powell had
been seated, he observed that the latter had gone.

In twenty minutes Buffalo Bill returned, and, stepping
to the side of Pawnee Bill, said:

“T saw nothing of them.” ,

“The red followed you, all the same—see, he has a
slipped back to his place.’

“That settles it then, they. are shadowing us, and. we
_had better say something to-night to Lady Lou, so they
can hear, of playing her for heavy stakes to-morrow
night.”

“Yes, it is a good idea,” and Pawnee Bill began to play,
and his bets were always large ones.

But he lost steadily, and after a while said, with a
laugh:

“You have my luck to-night, Lady Low; but to-morrow
night [ll break your bank.”

“Certainly, sir; but forewarned is forearmed, he
know.”

“Til try a game with some gentleman present, if I can
find one willing to play,’ and Pawnee Bill looked over
the crowd,

“I are thet gent every time, pard,” and Buzz Saw
stepped forward. “I hes ther dust, so go ahead.” And
they sat down to a table to play.

Buffalo Bill stood behind his friend, and he noticed
that the supposed Indian and old trapper took a posi-
tion near him, while the Buzz Saw gang filed behind their
comrade.

Pawnee Bill’s luck seemed to have left him, for he lost
steadily, and the bets were as high as a hundred dollars
upon the turn of a card.

Buffalo Bill knew Pawnee Bill’s nature was never to

give up while he had a dollar, so he wished to give him
a hint that their money might be needed, when up to
the table glided the Bravo.
“Pardon me, Mr. Pawnee, for interfering with your
game ; but how much have you lost to this man?”

“Are thet your business, Bandbox Bill?’ growled
Buzz Saw.

“It seems I am making it my Dasineds: Buzz Saw.
Will you answer my question, Pawnee Bill? -

“A trifle over eight hundred,” was the reply.

“Well, of course, Buzz Saw will save trouble by re-
turning you you money, for he has been putting “up

counterfeit bills.”

“T say it’s a :

But the hand oF the ‘Bravo droped upon the throat of

 

the man with a force that made his teeth rattle; ne he

said sternly :

“You received by the coach to-day a package of counter-
feit bills to pass off in the mines for good money, on
shares. Hand over the good money you wort to Pawnee
_ Bill, and give up the packages of counterfeits to me-

 

THE BUFFALO ~

after, and ook a seat near the faro table, apparently in-
i terested in the game.

Steady, gentlemen, | don’t draw on me, if you value your —

   

   

BE STONes

  
 
 

The last remark was addressed to the comrades

lives !””
“of Buzz Saw, who were threatening trouble. :
Ha_eb Gilt draw ef they wants ter, pard, for me and

Red Chief is with yer,” cried the stipposed trapper.
Pawnee Bill said:

“I am with you, sir, too, if they cause trouble; but
there is no mistake, you think, about this man’s money, for
it looks genuine: e

“Qh, yes, it looks genuine, but is counterfeit.

“You have your money back ?”

“Yes, thank you.’

“Now, , George Jessup, alias Buzz Sa, you are my
prisoner.”

“Your prisoner? You hain’t no power ter take me.
Show yer warrant!” yelled the desperado.

“Here it is, all in good order—come!”’

He flashed a revolver in the face of the man with one
hand, while with a dexterity that was marvelous he
slipped a pair of handcuffs on the wrists of his prisoner
with the other.

“Say, pards, I calls on you!” yelled Buzz Saw.

“So do I, not to interfere!” came the stern rejoinder,
and Buzz Saw was dragged out of the saloon, while
the crowd who would have followed shrank back under
the ringing command:

“Back; all of you!”

“Pard Buffalo.”

“Yes, Pawnee Bill.”

“Bandbox Bill shows another side to: his character.”

. “Yes; and one equally hard to comprehend; but disten
to those coyotes talk now.’

Buffalo Bill dane his words, for instantly Pawnee
Bill called out:

“Hold on, you cowardly coyotes, slandering a man
behind his back, for I will not tolerate it!”

The gang of Buzz Saw turned upon the speaker, but
not to act, for there stood Pawnee Bill smiling and
ready, with Buffalo Bill by his side, cool and unmoved,
on the two disguised friends silent, watchful, and ready

“chip in” if necessary.

"The quartet looked too dangerous, and the Buzz Saw
gang subsided.

The next morning a United States marshal appeared
in Hallelujah City, and formally arrested Buzz Saw for
passing counterfeit money. The marshal treated Band-
box Bill with the utmost deference, a circumstance which

And

convinced Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill that the Man

in Broadcloth was still a secret agent of the government.
An hour later, Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill were on

’ the trail, determined to rescue Heloise as speedily as pos-

sible. The scouts were firm in their belief that the beau-
tiful young girl had been kidnaped by the Blue Masks.
And as Bandbox Bill had hinted to them that the Blue
Masks would be found in Shadow Valley, they made
their way now toward the valley.

Bandbox Bill had said that the Blue Masks were in
camp at the entrance to Shadow Valley. The scouts had
learned, too, that some one had supplied them with an

abundance of whisky, and that the outlaws were reck-—

lessly indulging in a drunken debauch. If the scouts
pushed on during the night, the bandits could be taken by
surprise while all were in a drunken sleep. There was,
therefore, a possibility not only of capturing the entire
gang without ane a shot, but also of rescuing ao
Hembold.

f
    

   

    
  
   

 

  
   
  

 

eS

oa : '. THE BUFFALO

Accordingly, the four scouts put out the fire and at once
tode forward. Toward daylight they saw a little dis-
tance ahead signs of smoldering fires. ee
_ Just then a horseman rode up—a rider dressed in black,
and riding a black horse.

“Bandbox Bill!” exclaimed Buffalo Bill.

“Yes,” replied the Man in Black. “We must attack
the Blue Masks now, while all lie helplessly drunk. We

need not fire a single shot, if we make the charge now.”

The result was that, less than half an hour later,

sixteen members of the notorious Blue Masks gang were -

roped hand and foot, all lying helplessly on the ground,
prisoners in the hands of Buffalo Bill and his pards.

Heloise was found bound to a tree. She was imme-
diately freed.

Buffalo Bill told her of the note that was found in
her room at the fort. ?

“It was written by a young Mexican girl whom I em-
ployed as my maid,” the young woman said. “I know
I’m right in saying this, because now I recollect that the
Mexican girl had for some time acted suspiciously. She
was a spy in the pay of the Blue Masks, and it was she
who supplied the outlaws with information concerning
every movement made or contemplated at the fort.”

Pawnee Bill volunteered to act as courier to go to
the fort for a company of soldiers to act as guards to
take their prisoners thither. And he set out at once on
his mission. : a

Forty-eight hours later he returned with the. soldiers.
The next day Buffalo Bill’s party and the soldiers ar-—
rived at the fort with their sixteen prisoners.

Such was the end of the notorious gang of Blue Masks.

Bandbox Bill now bade Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill
farewell, saying that he would go “home.” *

“Home?” asked Buffalo Bill. ‘You mean your cabin,
near Hallelujah City?” “

VV eos"

“T wish we knew more about you, Pard Bandbox Bill,”
said Pawnee Bill. “We know you're all right, but you are
so darned mysterious. Who are you, anyway? And
what are your” 2

“The leader of the Blue Masks, for one thing,” was

the astounding reply. : ao
“What! You are the leader of the Blue Masks, known
as Major Satan?” ) A
“Exactly. I was obliged to join the Blue Masks in
order to exterminate them.”

Five minutes later, Bandbox Bill had ridden away from
the fort. :

dally,

“So am I,” responded Pawnee Bill. “He certainly is
the most remarkable man seen in the West for many
~a day.”

THE END.

“Buffalo Bill and the Valley Terrors; or, Pawnee Bill’s
Great Round-up,” will be the title of the extraordinary
tale of frontier life which will be printed in the next
issue of this weekly. A handcuffed prisoner is shipped
on the Overland stage as freight, and is passed from
driver to driver. “wo desperadoes are discovered in the
act of digging their own graves.. The mysterious Bravo
in Broadcloth again appears, this time to perform deeds
_ more daring than ever. Life in the retreat of a great

 

_ sorry to see-him go,” said Buffalo Bill thought-

BILL STORIES. ~ aS |

|

band of outlaws is described. A fair maid is held pris-

—oner and meets with a remarkable series of adventures.

The two famous scouts find themselves with their backs
to a wall.. The story is more than interesting. It is
No, 560, out February 3d. oe (

Ryak, of the ‘‘Soaring. Petrel.’’
‘By SEWARD W. HOPKINS.
(A TWO-PART STORY= PART [1:)

 

SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.
_ Thomas Dargen, an American, is mate on the schooner Soaring
Petrel, of which Billy Ryak, half English and half Malay, is
owner and master. The schooner, which is so old that its sea-
worthiness is doubtful, takes on a cargo of camphor at Macao,
and Dargen learns that, as a result of this, Ryak has doubled the
insurance on the vessel. After leaving Macao, bound for Singa-
pore, the Soaring Petrel sights a dismasted yacht. Ryak at first
declines to stop to give assistance. Dargen insists that a boat be
sent to the yacht, and sets out for it with four lascars. He finds
the yacht is the Emily, owned by Robert Wilson, who is aboard
with his daughter, Emily. Wilson, who is a wealthy tea mer-
chant, explains that while the captain and crew of the yacht were

getting water on an island, the yacht was blown to sea, dismasted, —

and so battered that it sprang a leak. Scarcely has this explana-
tion been made, when it becomes apparent that the Soaring Leirel,
keeping to its course, has left the party on the Emily to its fate.
Shortly afterward, the Soaring Petrel is seen to be in flames, and
the burning camphor spreads out over the séa. Ryak and his
crew put off to the Emily in boats. Upon boarding the yacht,
Ryak learns that Dargen has been made its captain. Dargen
charges Ryak with setting fire to the schooner in order to get
insurance. Several of the lascars then get into one of the boats
for the*purpose of towing the yacht out of the path of the burn-
ing camphor and schooner. Nie

CHAPTER IV.
CAPTAIN RYAK TAKES COMMAND.

Gabriel and his men returned to the yacht, and the two
boats were fastened aft. I now had men enough to keep

constantly at the pump, and gave the command of this

work to Gabriel.
Mr. Wilson, Emily, Captain Ryak, and I stood watch-
ing the burning schooner.
I felt a slight touch on my shoulder, and turned. The
little Japanese cook stood behind me. Waiting for a

good opportunity, I left the group. I found the little

Jap forward.
“Did you want to see me, Jeddiso?” I asked.
“Yes, | wanted to tell you how it happened. IT saw it.”
“Do you mean the fire?”
“The fire, yes. I was in the galley of the schooner,

and heard a noise. It was not usual for any one to be

there at night, and I looked: I saw the captain. Hie
lighted a match and set fire to the camphor.” oo

“But what I don’t understand is how he is the gainer

thereby. If he had as much camphor as he claimed, or

as we saw come aboard, he can’t make anything by this —
~AGHION:

“He had little camphor,” said the Jap. ‘We took on

camphor at Macao first, but that stuff he got from
Canton was not camphor. It was a gum they use there, _

but worth nothing. It burns—you see how it burns.”

“Then it was nothing but a dastardly plot ‘to burn —

the schoone# as | thought, and get the insurance.”
cs, Me Doreen ae ee
“Tam glad you told me this. But let me advise you

-

7A

 

    

 

ew

di

Est

formes ey eek Gel gy ed OS ed eee

 

 

 

 

     
  

to say doting about it to any one. else.

 

It may be. neces-
sary for you to testify when we get to Singapore, and if

Ryak knows what you have told me_he may attempt to.
I shall not permit him to get the insurance
} money if I can prevent it.
a long term of imprisonment.”

harm you.
This is a crime that calls for
“VT know,” said the Jap.
uy returned to the others.
“Dargen,

—well, I will let him explain.”

. 1 am the commander here,”’
icrew. We fled from a burning vessel, it is true.
before that my men saved this yacht.

entitled to the command now.
| Dargen, you will obey me, and give no orders except

said Ryak. “This is my
But
That means a
certain amount of salvage, and it also means that I am

So, if you please, Mr.

| when you are on your regular watch.”

| liberately placed the lives of his men in jeopardy to light.

“Obey yous. f éxclaimed unwisely. “A man who de-

| a fire, destroy his cargo, and obtain illegal insurance?’

are saying.

“That is not so. I do not think you know what you

However, permit me to say that as there are

no other sailors on board, and the owner of this yacht has

practically abandoned all efforts to sail her, but leaves it.
® with my crew, any refusal ol your part to obey My Or>

® ders will amount to mutiny.”

| son.

“That is what the captain said to me,” said Mr. Wil-

_“T do not claim to be much of a sea lawyer, but it

strikes me there is really something in his contention.”
“But, papa,’ said Miss Wilson, “you are the owner,

' and you gave the command to Mr. Dargen.”

| know what to do.

voiced as camphor.

“IT know I did,” said the yacht owner. “But now the
captain of this crew is aboard. .f am sure 1 do not
The yacht is a wreck and not worth
talking about. Nevertheless, if Captain Ryak’s men can
keep her. afloat. till we sight a ship, it is worth some-
thing. Captain Ryak has threatened that, unless he has
the command, he will order. the men to stop work, so I
don’t see what else we can do.”

‘The man spoke in evident distress.

“Did you make that threat, Ryak! fe asked. -

“Captain Ryak, if you please,” he replied.

“Well, Captain Ryak, permit me to say that 1 will not
take orders from you. That the first opportunity I get I
will have you placed under arrest. I know the nature
of the cargo you took from Canton, and which you in-
I know that you doubled your in-
surance, and I have a witness that you lighted that fire

yourself. You are a criminal of the worst kind known to

f maritime law, and I propose to denounce you.

it Mer,
Wilson wishes to leave the command with you, that is
his business. He is the owner of the yacht.”

“But what else can I do?” asked Wilson. “He is really

the employer of these men.”

I shrugged my shoulders and walked away in disgust.
The lascars, I knew, would obey Ryak, for upon his
will depended their pay upon arrival at Singapore. There
was no use arguing, and reason told me I had already

h said too‘much.,

 

) at the thought that there was nothing more to burn.

The night had by ne time advanced to a late hour,
and the schooner, which drifted slowly past us, was about.

pone. ihe black smoke which had accompanied the burn-

|] ing of the gum was eae and the flames were
# limited to a single long,

ean tongue that rose upward
with a vengeful hissing sound, as though it were enraged

‘THE BUFFALO )

  

Bu

said Mir. W ilson, “Captain Rua says that

 

STORIES. oe SO es

 

“Mr, Dargen,’ came a soft voice behind me, and 1
turned to find Miss Wilson.

The light of the single flame from the schooner fell
upon her face and hair. Her hair was a golden brown, »
and in the light of the flame it looked like a halo of gold.

“Did you wish to speak to me, Miss Wilson?’ I asked.

YY es. 1am quite stire papa is wrong in his decision,
and I am also sure he knows it. “But you see the diffi-
culty he is in. Captain Ryak said very plainly that unless
he was given the command he would order his ‘men to
stop work.”

“Yes, and they would undoubtedly hey him. Bue dt
this yacht was in good condition, and not a wreck, | would
cause him to be placed in irons. The man is a criminal. 4

“I know. Papa thinks as you do, that he burned his
schooner. But that fact alone shows what a dangerous
man he is, and how much better it may be to humor him.
I assure you papa and I appreciate what you have done.”

“I thank you, Miss Wilson. You, perhaps, do not un-
derstand the real conditions, and there is little time to ex- |
plain. If this yacht reaches a port, Ryak will put in a
big bill for salvage, for your father to pay. But Ryak
does not deserve a penny.’

ce know that, Mr. Dargen.
you.”

“TL would not accept anything. I merely did what I
thought was my duty. And when we reach port I shall
do my duty again.’

It really should go to.

“What duty is that?” asked the captain gruffly. He -
had walked toward us unnoticed. |
“My own duty—as my conscience dictates,’ I an-

swered.

“Oh!? snarled Ryak, as Miss Wilson placed a restrain-
ing hand on my arm. “You will? Well, I’ll tell you what
youll do now. You'll take a crew of ‘four and get out
in a boat and tow this hulk. It was done to escape the
fire, and now we can go on with it. We are headed
about right now to make the Natumas. We can't be
tar trom theres,

I could see the gleam of rage in Ryak’s eyes, and
quickly reached the conclusion that at this present junc-
ture discretion was the better part of valor. It was the
presence of Miss Wilson that determined me. Had there
been no woman on board the yacht, Ryak and I would
have come to a fight Tigh there.

“T will obey you, sir,” I said, and at once chose my crew.
The yacht rested easily above the water, and the.four men
I got into the largest boat were soon at work. I knew the
direction as well as Ryak, and he was no mean navigator.

I knew the group called the Natumas could not be far _

away. Some of these islands were inhabited and some
were not. Some were small and some were large. One I
knew was about three miles long, but this was not one of
the first we would meet.

The yacht began to move slowly forward, the power
of the long, broad oars giving the men a firm grip on the
water. For a time Ryak stood in the bow with Mr. Wil-
son and Emily, and then he turned to survey the work

of the men at the pump.

“Good night, Mr, Dargen,” called Miss Wilson. “Papa
and the captain are to make up a bed for me on deck, as
the water is not out ol the cabins.

“That is a good idea,” I called back.
fine, and you will not suffer. Sleep well and do not worty.
By the time you wake we shall have reached land.”

  

“Phe ht is,
   
 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

  
 
 

 

 

&

24 oe ae BUFFALO

oh truly hope so,” she replied. “And I wish you
were-
_ She broke off abruptly and turned away.
was one of my crew. He looked up at me, and I could see
a broad grin on his face.

“What’s the matter, Gabriel?” I asked.

“T work,” 1G said, and he bent to his oar with renewed
vigor.

“But you were smiling. What were you thinking
about ?”

“I think you get your salvage,” he said, with a chuckle,
atid went on rowing.

The night proved a long one, notwithstanding the fact

 

that it had been half spent before we started to tow the

wreck. Miss Wilson was provided with a bed made of
the coats of her father and the captain and some of the
men. From a deck locker they managed to find-a dry
blanket, and this covered her. Mr. Wilson lay on the
deck near her. :
The monotonous song of the lascars was the only

water pumped up from the hold. We gradually acquired
better speed, and after two hours’ work I relieved my
crew and took on another. But | did not relax my own
vigilance.
‘of the crew to sleep.

It was early dawn when | stood up to see. ne we
were.
shore not very far away, and turned the boat toward it?

“Land ahead!” I shouted to the captain.
one of the Natumas.”

yes, thats right.
age somehow.”

My call woke Miss Wilson and her father.

“Are we in sight of land?” she called.

“Yes, there it is,” I said. “See the white breaker?”

She: looked where I pointed, and nodded back to me.
Then we settled down to a long, hard pull, but this time
with a visible destination before us. I determined to have
our breakfast on that island.

Make the first one. We'll man-

CHAPTER:
DOOMED TO DEATH.

“This,” said Captain. Ryak, as we stepped from the
boat to the sandy shore of the island, “is Whylo.”
The island was, perhaps, a quarter of a mile long
arid a little less than that in width. It was rather heavily
wooded, and at the place where we landed Oyen no
signs of habitation.
“But what a desert!” said Miss Wilson.
that we are any better off.”
‘The island has one advantage,” I replied.
not need to be pumped out every day, and it can’t sink.”
“But how long will we have to stay ?”
Lo Utiaudepends, 1 said.

leant see

This is on the line, and we will probably sight vessels
which we can signal.
yacht ashore and patch it up.’

“That’s’ what we'll do, me said Ryak.
thing for the fun of it.”

“It seems to me,” said Mr. Wilson, ‘

a ain’t in this

‘that we are spend-

_ ing an unnecessary amount of time talking about getting —

away, when we have just arrived after a hard struggle.
For my part, I thank God that we have succeeded. The

+

BILL STORIES.

oe promises well, and I am not sure but iat Lam
)) . erattied to find no people here.
Gabriel do you say, Dargen?”’
mean all sorts that are dangerous—means that it will be
more difficult for us to leave.
living on these islands, you also find boats,
course, we have; but 1 doubt if we care to start for Singa-
pore in them.

Hongkong.”

picnic, or something of that nature, we could not have se-

lected a Detter place,
between the sea and the edge of the rich gras
were great lawns of vivid green, deep groves of sandal-
wood trees and mahogany, and the bamboo grew in pro-
fuse plenty. |

Ryak was up all night, and he pees none /

To my intense pleasure, I saw the outline of some.
several days if the captain insists 6M repairing the yacht.
“I think itis The first thing, then, is to prepare some kind of a‘de-
cent habitation for Miss Wilson.”

morning, and we’ve ample time to think of sleep. But
tides and storms do not accommodate themselves to our
convenience.
yacht ashore.
the leak is.’

not. anxious to have her saved. Our lives are the im-
portant consideration.”

on his face, and pointed a finger at Mr. Wilson. i

“You are the owner of this yacht.
lost your crew, and were sinking. I helped you out. My
crew came aboard, pumped out the yacht, and | assumed
command. The law gives mea certain reward called —
salvage, and 1 propose to have it.

I must take the yacht to a recognized port.
done—don’t worry about that.”

“But,” said Mr. Wilson, looking in a helpless way at
me, “I don’t admit ee you saved the yacht,
Mr, Dargen.”

“Mr, Dargen? The a it was! Ain’t I his captain?

Who sent him aboard you?
and the boat it came in?”

Te does.

“Tf conditions are favorable, it .
will not be long. There are two chances open for us.

Or, that failing, we can drag the _

e

s

 
 

 

  

I think it is safer. What

“Well, the absence of people—by which, of course, we

 

Where you find people,
Boats,. of

“Singapore |” said Mr. Wilson, “T) want to go ‘

“And you are wrong, anyway,’

Mr. Wilson laughed.
“And you are an English navigator,” he said.

The captain turned away, the conversation took other a
channels, and we began to study the island. .
sound I heard, except the incessant splashing of the _~

In truth, had we chosen a place for a pleasant outing, a

A broad beach of white sand: lay
s.<: Dhere

“T presume,” I said, “that we shall have to remain here

“Podon't agree with you, said Ryal Slt isteary

The important thing now is to drag that
We've got to examine her to see how big

“Why not leave the yacht? Pr’ said’ Mr, Wilson. 21 am

Captain Ryak stood with his feet wide apart, a grin

“Now, then, let us @nderctand each other,” he said.
You were wrecked,

But in-order to do. that
It will be

It Was

Who ue the crew

~Uhat aay be all true,'captain,” said) Mr. Wilson.

‘But, according to my judgment, it was Dargen who , a |
rescued us.
your schooner got afire.”’

“Did 1? Ill show you when we get to Singapore.”

You came to us yourself for succor after

Ryak turned away, and I meta look from Miss ve

son’s eyes that made me smile.

“You may smile. all you like, Mr. Dargen,” ae sand

softly, coming close to me, “but I don’t like that; man,
and I am sure he will do you some harm. e

Ret A ee

said. Ryak to me. ; @
“The absence of people makes it easier for us to Signal.
Any English navigator. knows this island is not inhabited.
That is, he knows it if it is Ue am not sure about —
it myself.” . ae q

 

 

 

    
 

    

 

oO

a9

    
 

 

      
  
      
_ and examined it critically.

 

  
 

    

TRE BUFF ALO

oor “hank you for your kind ernine: hut 1 am not
afraid of him. I will be on the lookout for any. treachery.”
Ryak, with the salvage of the yacht still uppermost in
his mind, ordered the crew to set about bringing her in.
The boat in which I had towed the yacht was on the

i. sands, and in this he went out with half a dozen men to

where the yacht lay rolling and filling again, for no one
was nqw.at the pump. He rowed around the sinking hull, '
Then, with a few curt orders,
he set his men to work.

Mr. Wilson, naturally, being the owner of the yacht,
and having been informed that he would have a bill to. pay,
remained, interested in the work of saving ee But
Emily and I walked away from the place. |
_ We strolled along the sand toward a small stream that
ran down from the mahogany forest. It was a pretty,
sparkling little stream, and I knelt to drink of it.

“T wish [ could do that,” said Miss Wilson.
was never much of a success drinking that way.” ‘

“Tf you wish a drink,” I said, “I can easily accommo-
date you. You had cups and ‘glasses on the. yacht?”

“Yes, but they are now under water.’

“Pll find them, And then we must see about getting
breakfast. I am hungry.”

“So am I—half starved,’ she said, laughing,
thought it would never do to say so.’

We retraced our steps and found Mr. Wilson assist-
ing the sailors to haul in the yacht. She was well keeled
over now, as they had got her on the sand.

“You will never get that yacht up that way,’ I said to
Captain Ryak. “This is low tide. Why not have her
_ pumped dry, then let the tide bring her up, and at low tide
we can. work on her?’’

“That seems a splendid idea,” said Mr. Wilson.

Ryak nodded. The yacht was now so close in that it
was a short swim to it, but I called to the lascars for a
boat. Gabriel was on board the wreck, and he at once
set out in the boat for me. a

“What do you want?” snarled Ryak. ’

“T want to get a cup for Miss Wilson.

“But I

She wishes a

drink of water.’

“Have you found the water?’
“Ves, There isa small stream. It is dolore and sweet.”
By this time Gabriel had reached me, and I stepped into
the boat.
“Ton’t go below decks,’ pleaded Miss Wilson. “The
water is too deep. You may be suffocated in there.”
| “Never fear,? 1 called back. “I can manage. We
want knives and forks and cups. We've got to eat, you
@ know.”
“Ves, I feel that way myself, 7 said Mr. Wilson.
don’t risk your lite.”
“His life? He couldn't lose it!” bawled Ryak, at which
I laughed.
I reached the yacht. She lay on the sand listed uel
to port. I boarded her on the starboard side, and crawled

“But

: | to the companionway. Peering down, I could see the
' ; water, but it did not reach to the deck. I had head room

enough so that I could wade around in the water. I
| descended the stairs. They led me to the main saloon,

ie and I stumbled through the mass of water, toward the >

f galley and closets. I saw from the little that was visible
4 that the yacht was well worth saving, and ae that
Ryak was building better than he knew. |

: ee down. there: °” T heard Ryak’s voice call sud-
denly.

€

   

“Batu.

 

BILL "STORIES.

eat

: “Water,” I shouted ee
“Can you get around?”
“Ves, but with difficulty.”
‘ “Does she fill as the tide comes in?”
“She will. There is just a bit of head room now.’

I heard him laugh, and thought he was ae

himself on the salvage. I reached the galley and found
the shelves of the closet. Feeling my way, I soon located
the dishes. I chose four plates, a corresponding number
of cups, and then tried to find the knives and forks.
This took some time, and when I found them I had all I

could successfully carry and make my way through the >

water to the companionway. I struggled through, but
was surprised to find the cabin darker than when I had
entered it. Reaching the dark companion stairway, I saw
that the hatch was down. I climbed up, and tried to
raise it. It was battened down and fastened.

I realized then what the laugh of Captain Ryak had
meant. I had been trapped, to drown.

CHAPTER VI.
THE CAPTOR BECOMES CAPTIVE.
For a moment I was too stupefied to think. Then I

splashed my way toward a small deadlight, but it was_

below the water line and I could not shout. I did raise
my voice to ,its utmost volume, and called to Mr. Wil-
son. But it was far from my hope that he could hear.

I knew, of course, why the captain had committed the
atrocious act. He knew that I would denounce him upon
reaching Singapore. To protect himself after committing
one crime, he had to commit another, and perhaps sev-
eral others, to prevent any tongue from speaking the
truth, 16 feared for Mr. Wilson and Emily. If Ryak
could commit murder with so little fear of detection, they,
knowing that his claim for salvage was unjustified, and
knowing that he had purposely fired his schooner, were in
just as much danger as I had been. And yet I could not
warnthem. |

I crept this way and that, but the battened hatch was
the only way out of the schooner, and that way was closed
tome. I kept shouting, but to no purpose.

I knew, of course, that after a time my prolonged ab-
sence would alarm Mr. Wilson and Emily. But this,
instead of encouraging me, only made my anxiety for
them greater. This would simply be a greater reason for
Ryak getting rid of them. What method the man would
use I could not conjecture, but I pictured all sorts of
cruelties. I saw the bleeding form of Mr. Wilson on
the ground. I saw Emily kneeling at his side and struck

from behind by the cowardly hand that had sent me to —

my doom. In my mind’s eye I saw all this, and it burned
my very soul. I realized that in Emily Wilson I had dis-
covered the one person who could have brought into my
life that sunshine it had always lacked. I knew she was
above me in social station.

merchant. But the schooner was burned, I had money
-saved,-and the world held as many possibilities for me as
for any one else. _

‘But of what use were all these fheuehts now?. I was
shut in a schooner already nearly full of water, and sure
to fill when the tide rose higher. I knew the tide was
now coming in. The water was gradually rising. It would
not take long—not more than an hour at most—for it to

get to the hatch. This, pee somewhat raised on- the

I was but first officer of
a trading schooner, she was the daughter of a rich tea’

   

|
 

 

 

   
   
 

    
  

 

 

 

 

Ue THE BUFFALO

i

coaming, made the space the most likely of all to give me
the longest breathing time.

Many a time had I’been in the sea and in danger of .

drowning; I had been at one time almost unconscious,
but it was in the open sea, and I had fallen in the dis-
charge of-my duties. I did not feel then as I did now,
coeped up in the yacht’s cabin, the victim of a desperate
erifainal’s hate.
Ryak had no reason to hate me. It was the fear of dis-
covery—iny being dangerous to him—that had led him to
seek to slay. me. |

The water continued to rise, and I climbed the compan-
_ 10n stairs and pressed my face up in the higher corner of
the hatchway. This, being on the starboard side, the side
that was out of water, gave me what air there was left
in the yacht. The pressure was terrific. I began to feel
dizzy, and a constant buzzing and ringing in my ears
warned me that the end was not far off.

How long I held myself in that position I cannot
even imagine.
only moments. Then suddenly I heard shouts and the
noise of some one on. deck. Then the throbbing of the
pump as the lascars got to work. a
_ I was dead, Captain Ryak thought. That is, from his
point of view, no human being could exist longer in that
- yacht. But: the pump had not worked two minutes before
I began to feel relief. The water went gradually down.

Then I began to think. Of course, if Mr. Wilson and ©

Emily were still alive, they would be told that I had fallen
while in the cabin and thus drowned. Ryak would be
the first to enter the cabin. This I felt to be an assured
fact, because it would be wise on his part to make the
discovery of my death, and by sending some one else he
- would run the risk of having me discovered alive. If he
found me alive, he could finish me. I knew he would do
this—if he got the chance. This I had no intention of
giving him.
I knew Ryak would come down that companionway
-.armed to the teeth. I had no weapons. If he saw me
I was at his mercy,
I had plenty of time to study the situation, for the
water did not fall rapidly, mous) the lascars. at the
_ pump worked incessantly.
_ One thing was certain: It would be. folly on my. part
to face the man, armed as I knew he was, and attempt to
defeat. him, lf I were to save my life, it must be done
‘more by strategy than by force.
1 waited, though, till the water in the hull was low

enough for me to walk without difficulty, and then I _
I now had more —
I could hear

left my vantage ground on the stairs.
head room than when I had come aboard.
_ the voice of the lascars on ae and the So noise
made by the pump.

Reaching the floor, I fad that behind the companion
stairs there was a small lavatory. This had a. eens
door, I opened that and went inside.

I now had a plan that was not so ach due to. my.

hard thinking as to fortuitous circumstances. | could

hide in there... Captain. Ryak would, of course, upon enter-

_ ing the yacht:and missing me, begin. ae search, -I could

fasten the lavatory door on tie inside, and that would
prevent his reaching me, #f he tried that. But I did not
expect him to try that at first.
I had come/for were in the galley, Therefore, not seeing

me in the main cabin, the natural thing for him to do |

would be to. go to the galley. This was situated far

And yet I could not call it hate exactly.

It seemed ages to me, but was probably

He knew that the things

    

BILL STORIES.

enough away for me to dart from the lavatory and climb y

the stairs to the deck. What to do then was difficult, to

determine, except that I had resolved that if it proved

to bea possibility I would make Ryak a prisoner in the
yacht.

I was startled by a sudden movement on the oan of
The ©

the yacht, and felt it turning toward an even keel.
pumps were taking so much water out of her that she
was rising. I heard shouts, and then the loud voice of
the captain bawling orders. Still the pump kept work-
ing. Then there seemed to be a movement of the yacht
forward, and I peered through the deadlight, now cleared
of water, and saw that the vessel was actually being hauled
toward land. But the land was farther away than it

had been, because the tide had risen.

‘The yacht was hauled in till she grounded again. a
could see nothing of Mr. Wilson or Emily, but “did see
three of the lascars and the little Jap squatting around

a fire, over which I could see something cooking on a
I knew they had been hunting, and that break- _

spit.
fast was being prepared.

Still the pump worked, but Ryak did not appear. Two

hours passed. The pump stopped. Now the tide 4

receding, and I knew the water would leave the yacht

high and dry. She had already grounded, and, losing
the support of the water that had surrounded her, she
leaned over. All this took time,

tically out of the water. At the same time the water
was practically out of the yacht.

Now was the time for Ryak to come, and I waited with.

hushed breath. Things happened almost too much as I
had wished. It was too good to be true. Ryak raised
the hatch. I heard him come down the stairs.
foot he stopped.
“Where the devil

 

His natural
course now would be to go to the galley to find me. I
waited a moment longer, and then cautiously and noise-
lessly slid back the door of the lavatory. Then like a
flash I darted out and up the companion, and before the
astonished lascars could even imagine what I was doing
the hatch was fastened so that all the power. Ryak could

_ put in his arms could never raise it. -
Gabriel was on the sloping deck. He looked at me in

a. queer way, but these lascars were seldom demon-
strative.

oY a: breathe i in the water?” he asked.

Wes® he thought he would drown me, but he didn’t,
I am boss now.”

“Well, you take this.
tiie,”

He held out toward me a great pistol that looked as

: dangerous as a Gatling gun. '

“Did you know ?” I asked,

“Only now,” he answered. “I guess the white man and
his girl—I guess them be dead now, too.” ~

Which remark, as may well be imagined, sent a thrill of

gee) through me,

CHATTER VIE
RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE,

It took the lascars some mintites to realize ‘what had
‘happened. They stared at me as though I was an appari-
No doubt Hees had ee q

tion, and to them I was.

me as dead,

It was three hours -
before the tide had gone down so that the yacht was prac-

At the

) ” he mend and I could hear ©
him moving around, looking for my corpse.

I think you like to have it some ©

 

ves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

     
         
   

 

 

 

 

 

    
 

 

 

      
    
    
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
   
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
   
   
 
 
   
 
  
 
  
 
   
 
 
   

 

| THE BUPPALO BILE STORIES. : 27,
. | } _ There were some among them, I knew, that under- dient you shall be fed. But you must tell me where Mr.
BA | stood English, though imperfectly. I spoke to Gabriel. Wilson and his daughter are.”
a Tell these men,” I said, “that I will shoot the first | A laugh—much like the laugh of a lunatic—came from
/ man who opens this hatch before I give the command.” him, and he left the window.
of | Gabriel repeated that in a tongue that was rather too I turned to Gabriel.
a | much for me, though I understood enough of it to know ‘Will the men stand by me?” I asked. a
that he was repeating my statement faithfully. “Ves,” he said. ‘The men will stand by you, sir. But
he ‘
ee Bc One of the crew, a tall, slim, dark fellow, spoke up.. the man and girl?” :
oe | Te says, said Gabriel, “‘that the men do not know “I am going to find them. What do you know?”
Hd why this is so. He says the captain is down there, and “Very little. I know they had spoken of finding a place
ed 1 to imprison him is mutiny. He fears the result when he for a camp, and they went inland. The captain followed.
co me ets to Singapore.” He came back alone.”’
if “This is not mutiny,” I replied. “Captain Ryak has Filled with a terror I could not conceal, I went as
committed a crime. He is not now on board the schooner __ rapidly as possible across the stretch of sand, and then ran
T for which he has the license. This is a yacht saved by toward the mahogany grove. I shouted several times,
oot the four of you and myself. Captain Ryak increased but received no answer. Arriving at the grove, I found
a4 a his insurance, and set fire to a cargo that was overin- that the stream at which I had drunk started in a rocky
oe voiced. You know as well as I do that that was a crime. region and ran for a distance of perhaps five hundred .
pl Then, because he knew I would report the fact and not feet through a deep ravine. Peering over this, I saw
ee permit him to collect that insurance, he tried to drown Mr. Wilson lying on the bank of the little stream, and
a mes in the yacht. That I am alive now is not due to any Emily sitting with his head in her lap. Without calling,
ag BS merey he showed me. I have made him a prisoner, and I sped to the mouth of the ravine and followed up the
oe 1 upon arriving at Singapore will make charges against him stream. Loe oe
: 1 that will send him to prison. Ask the men which one they — “Oh, Mr. Dargen!” she cried. “I thought you were
. @ prefer to side with.” drowned. What a terrible -thing has happened! I am
aoe By this time the Jap and the three other lascars, see- afraid papa will die.” nee . . -
aE ing that something unexpected was taking place, left the “No, I think not,” I said, stooping to examine him.
co are and came down the wet slope of sand. The entire “He is breathing normally. But he had a bad fall. How —
) crew were now around me, and Gabriel put the ques- did this happen?”
on tion. - t 8 — “T donot know. We were walking along, and papa was
1 § There were murmurs as if there was to be an argu- searching for a good place to make a tent house. You
ce ment. Then the little Japanese spoke up. know what that is—it is made by saplings laced together
es ct “It is true, my comrades,” he said. “I saw Captain at the top. It is a very good shelter when covered with
| )  Ryak set fire to the camphor. He had gum in the sacks bamboo. Well, I was gathering some flowers when 1]
_. §@ from Canton that was worth nothing, But it burned. heard papa cry out. I turned, and he had gone over the
an | Oh, it burned! Now, if Mr.Dargen says he is in com- edge. I found him here, and he has not spoken since.”
7 = mand I shall obey him. It is not that we shall be ac- “Tt was done by Ryak,” I said. “He tried to drown me.
) cused of mutiny for not obeying Captain Ryak. It is He undoubtedly did this. But your father will not die.
“ § that we shall, perhaps, be accused of burning the schooner We must get him out of this. You have brandy in the
- | with Captain Ryak.” wae yacht, I suppose?’
Gabriel repeated this. A buzz followed, and all eyes val eo.
: 9 were turned toward the cook. : - Mr. Wilson, though fairly tall, was not a heavy man.
“They ask if you saw this,” said Gabriel. With her steadying him, I carried him on my back till
( “T saw it. And he has tried to murder Mr. Dargen. the lascars saw me coming. Then willing hands relieved
tt] The other white man and his daughter—where are they? me of my burden. ie
© Shall we obey that man and be sent to an English prison?’ We tnade a place for him near the shore, and I went
i Gabriel repeated his reply. A shout went up that I again to the yacht. ; :
+ | knew meant loyalty to me. I left the deck, and walked § “Gabriel,” I said, “I must have some cognac from below.
- @ around the yacht. A shot rang out, and a deadlight I want some one to go down with me and prevent Ryak
: | was broken. I saw the face of Captain Ryak, perfectly from escaping or doing any harm.” oo
© @  demoniac in its expression, pressed against the jagged = “T_~will go,” said Gabriel.
cel | opening. “And I,” said the Japanese cook. a
oe 6| As he raised his pistol to fire again, I ducked, and got We lifted the hatch. I was about to step down when ©

below the broken deadlight. But he broke away the re- Ryak, with a roar like the bellow of a bull, came up the
é © maining pieces of glass, and I saw his hand come through companion. . cy
@ with the pistol. I fired and the ball from Gabriel’s pistol “I saw you! I saw you! You kill us all!” yelled the —
© went through his hand and his weapon dropped to the Japanese. “Now we take it out.” .

   
 

  

a ™ sand. . _ He seemed literally to fling himself upon the captain.
¥ A howl of pain and a string of curses came through “ There was a gleam—a flashing light—a groan—and Cap-
| i | the porthole. stain Ryak lay at the foot of the stairs—dead.
(+ IT knew he could not fire again, and went out where eh a %
oo f he could see me. ee ON
d “Captain Ryak,” I said, “you must certainly understand Mr. Wilson recovered, and his explanation of his ac-

   

ae

a now that you are at my mercy. You have brought this cident agreed with my theory. He had sustained no per-

entirely upon yourself. I have no desire to wreak venge- manent injury, and Emily had suffered no injury at all.
ance, but you shall not go unpunished. If you are obe- . We did fot try to repair the yacht, but kept a signal fly-

 
   
 

i

     
a

CERAM ci EOL

et i a A ALLOA T POEE

RE eRe SSR RES NR ae a

Na Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

man continued.

   

ing. This was answered in three days by the Thotmes

of the India line.

Captain Ryak was buried by the men of the ship who
tescued us, and the yacht was left where it lay.

“When we reached Singapore, Mr. Wilson made the
proper report of the matter, and then returned with Emily
to Hongkong, having exacted a promise that I would
follow as soon as I had finished some business I a to
attend to.

IT followed.

Tam now in charge of Mr. Wilson’s ships, and next
month Emily and I are to be married. And when a story
4g told, it is time to stop.

THE. END,

oe

THE SOMNOLENCE OF SOMERS.

By FRANK N. STRATTON.

99

 

“Ves, sir; th’ boss is gone,” explained the foreman of
Fielding’s ranch, as Somers stepped from the buckboard
and shook the dust from his clothes. “Him and th’ boys
is out after Sonora Jack’s gang of cattle rustlers—and
they’ ll fix ‘em this time. Powerful lot of trouble they’ve
give’ us th’ last two years. Mr. Fielding was mighty
sorry you didn’t get here in time to go. Thought mebbe
a man hunt would be somethin’ new for you—kind o’
brace you up.”

Somers mentally agreed that the hunting of men, though
rather strenuous for an invalid, might prove a novel and
exciting diversion from the monotonous purstit of dollars.

“You might possibly see th’ finish, though,” the fore-
“Tommy Evans just come in, bad hurt,
and, says th’ boys s’prised th’ gang up th’ Little Fork,
and got most of ’em. They’re chasin’ Sonora Jack his- |
self now, and think they’ll id him in. th’ Alta Pass—
right out yonder where you and Fielding killed th’ bear,
when you was here two years ago.
Tommy that if you was here, and wanted to try, you
might take th’ roan thoroughbred and gallop over ; he’s th’
only hoss left on th’ place that don’t buck.”

Somers’ eyes glistened.

“T’m pretty tired,’ he said; “but I'll stretch out and

rest for an hour, and then, if you’ll kindly bring the roan ©
It'll be a treat to back Dixie

around, I think Ill try it.
once more, even if I miss the finish.”

When Somers pulled himself up into the saddle, the
foreman delivered a parting admonition:

“Tf th’ trouble’s on when you reach th’ pass, better
not ride too close. Mr. Fielding wouldn’t have Dixie

- hurt for half th’ ranch. Wouldn’t ride him hisself for.
_ fear he might get crippled in th’ muss.”

There being no evidence of “‘trouble”—past,-present, or

prospective—when Somers reached the pass, he tethered

the roan securely up a little ravine and climbed to a point
where he could witness the approach of the chase—pro-
vided Sonora Jack had not disobligingly changed his
course.

After hours of fruitless vigil Somers ‘caught Higeae
nodding drowsily, roused himself determinedly, and
nodded again. Unacctustomed to a fiercer torridity than

that afforded by a New England climate, he was grad-
‘ually yielding to the soporific power of a Southern sun.

With each successive nod his chin sank a little lower, his
eyes blinked less resolutely, until the outlines of the foot-

hills melted and sank into the sheen of the distant desert,

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

Fielding sent word by ©

the dent turquoise sky bent low to ward off riotous
columns of reeling cactus, the mountain swayed as sooth-
ingly as the cradle of long ago, and Somers a and
dreamed.

He was in his State Street office, listening ip the
ticker, whose insistent clatter steadily ‘swelled fo a roar,
and as he hurried toward it to watch Amalgamated, the
machine burst with a mighty report—and Somers, start-
ing up, became dimly conscious of a limping mustang lop-
ing up the pass, carrying a long, lean man, whose face was
masked by a paste of sweat and alkali dust.

Slipping from the saddle of the panting beast, the man
glanced swiftly about, then clambered upward, straight to-

_ ward Somers, Winchester in hand. With clearing vision,

Somers saw beneath the masking dust a face that brought
a train of dear and dormant memories, and with an ex-
clamation of delight he sprang to his feet.

“Tubby!” he cried. “Tubby Haines! Is it really you?”

The lean man lowered the gun that had leaped to his
shoulder as Somers arose. _

“Somers! Bob Somers!’ he exclaimed, and scrambled
up to grasp the outstretched hand.

He dropped wearily upon a bowlder, wiped his dripping
face with the sleeve of a flannel shirt, and stared into
Somers’ face, amazement and delight shining i in his keen
eyes.

“Good old Scrappy Somers,” he murmured. “I can't
quite realize that you're “way out here, thousands of
miles from home.”

“Visiting Hal Fielding,’ explained Somers. “You
know Fielding, of course ; everybody around here does.”

“ve had occasional dealings with him—and got the
worst of it,’ Haines answered carelessly, fingering the
gun at his knee and glancing eastward.

“T’ve heard that he’s pretty shrewd,’ said Somers,

“Too keen for me,” remarked Haines. “It takes a
mighty good man to get ahead of him—and stay ahead.”

“Then you're in the cattle business, too?’ queried
Somers.

“Tn a desultory sort of way. Just now I’m thinking
of | getting out of it; it’s too wearing; keeps me too much
on the jump.”

Somers chuckled, and patted the lean man’s broad shoul-
ders jaffectionately.

“Same old Tubby!’ he said.

things easy. I never could understand why the boys

dubbed you Tubby, when ‘Sleepy’ or ‘Lazy’ would have

been so much ‘more appropriate.”

“Called me Tubby because I was lean. Just as they

‘named you ‘Scrappy’ because you never would fight,’

the other observed.

‘ “Why should I fight,’ laughed Somers,

such a valiant champion in you?”
“Well, you needed a champion,”

kindly gleam in his eyes. “You were about as puny

as they made ’em; and fighting was fun for me—then.”

“when I had

“Remember the ‘time you licked Bully Dormer?” asked _
“Ah, but. that was a fight |

Somers, with a musing smile.
—and a licking.”

“The licking he got wasn’t in it with the one ai ‘Mac:

Stinger gave me that evening,” remarked Haines, grin-
ning.) “Geer Scrappy!) 1 can feel that birch yet. t
reckon old Mac’s dead now.’

“Died in the harness.
Gallia.’
wallop you? I often joke her about it yet.”

 

“Always wanted to take

 

said Haines, with a

His last words were ‘Ohnia.
Remember how Anne used to cry whenever hed.

      
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
   
   
 
 
   
  
 
  
 
 
  

i
14

 

 

  
 
  
 
 
   
 
  
  
 

_ Somers’ hand.

 

Didn’t you see

kh wistful look sprang to the lean man’s eyes : he shot _
a quick glance at Somers, then gazed dreamily up the
pass.

“Is she at Fielding’s, too, Bob?” he asked softly.

“No. | wanted her to come, but she feared the little
fellows couldn’t stand the long trip. ”

_ The crippled mustang below them whinnied expectantly.
Haines turned his face eastward. Among the foothills
rose a cloud of dust that lengthened westward despite
the eastward breeze. Haines rose to his feet and took

“Good-by, Bob,” he said.

“You're not going!’’ exclaimed Somers. “Why, we've

5 3)

only just begun to talk; and I want you to come

 

“I’m not going,” Haines interrupted, with an odd smile. |
“Not for an hour or so yet. But you are—unless you.
want to reverse the old order of things and fight my

battle.”

He dropped to one knee behind the rocks, picked up the
Winchester, and passed a hand over the belt of murder-
ous cartridges. The thud of pounding hoofs arose faintly
from the hills below. A horrible suspicion numbed
Somers’ brain. 4

“Tubby!” he gasped. “Dear old Jack! you aren’t——”

The Jean man looked up into the pallid face, nodded,
and smiled grimly. :

“Bob,’ he said slowly, “when you see Anne again,

I want you to tell her that I remembered her—to the

last. Will you?”

“Jack,” Somers cried, “they’re more than a mile away
yet; there’s time for you to escape.”

“Not on that crippled mustang. They got fresh mounts
at Zell’s station. No ordinary horse could save me now,
else I'd have asked you for yours long ago.” -

He balanced the Winchester in his hands, and turned
his rigid face away toward the mouth of the pass.

“They'd overtake me west of the pass, in the open,” he
continued. “I prefer to finish the business here. I'll get
more of them—before they get me—than in a running
fight.”

“But if you had Fielding’s roa

Sonora Jack looked up impatiently.

“Ves—if I had—but I haven’t. Get out now, Bob; you
mustn’t be caught with me.” . |

“Tack,” Somers almost screamed, “the roan isn’t a hun-
dred yards away—up that ravine—saddled and bridled,
and fresh as a rose!’

He had seized Haines by the collar, and was tugging
to help him to his feet. '

“Hurry, for Heaven’s sake!” he cried, as Haines raced

ae

 

_ madly toward the ravine, and the echoes of galloping hoofs

rang sharply up the pass. i
Slowly he staggered downward to the trail as Fielding,

grim, grimy, and perspiring, dashed up at the head of a
_ dozen cowboys. Le

“Glad to see you again, old boy,” shouted Fielding, as
he sprang from the saddle. ‘‘You’re in time; we've got
him treed. Which way did he go?”

“Who?” asked Somers drowsily, rubbing his eyes.

‘Who? Why, th’ fellow that rode that mustang!

‘ 39

 

He stopped short, stared, wide-eyed, up the pass, and

‘tipped out an oath. On a distant ledge, where the trail
wound around the face of a cliff, a tall man on a gal->

loping roan was jauntily waving a sombrero toward ther.
“Sonora Jack—and my roan!” roared Fielding.

   

THE BUFFALO.

hear that, boys?

 
      

 

BILL STORIES. 29

“l—] believe 1e4S,7 stammered Somers, blinking stupidly.

“The rascal must have stolen him while I was asleep.

py

 

Never mind, Hal; [ll pay ; ;

“While you was asleep!” Fielding bellowed. “Did you
Asleep! Asleep!”

He climbed back slowly into the saddle and turned
his tired horse’s head eastward.

“Back home, boys,’ he said wearily, with a disgusted
glance at the blinking Somers. “It’s all off. Maybe
Providence créated greasers, sheepmen, and tenderfeet.”’

WHO WAS GEORGE BRYSON?

By W. BERT FOSTER.

 

 

SVNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.

The narrator of this story, upon leaving a Broadway surface
car at Union Square, suddenly discovers that he has lost all
knowledge of his identity. In one of his pockets he-finds a wallet
containing twenty dollars and some visiting cards with the name
of “George Bryson’ engraved upon them. Taking a room at a
hotel, he searches his garments for further clews to his identity.
These garments consist, in part, of steel-gray vest and-trousers,
apparently new, a well-worn black coat and a soft, new hat. The
young man finds a receipt for a box at the Monadnock Safe De-

posit Company, a key, and a fragment of a letter which reads:
“Bring the ten thousand in notes to the dock when I land from

3

the San Logo on September 18. Don’t fail me. [f you do—~
In the box at the safe-deposit company he finds a package con-
taining ten thousand dollars, and securities worth more than
a hundred thousand dollars. Uncertain what to do, he places the
money in one of his pockets and goes to the Grand Central Sta-
tion, where he rescues a beautiful young woman who is about to
be run over by a switch locomotive. When he gives his card to
the young woman, she and an elderly woman who is with her
read the name with expressions of amazement. In a newspaper
he reads of a man who is being treated for loss of memory in
one of the hospitals, and he becomes interested in the case which
is so like his own. He visits the various Brysons whose names
appear in the city directory. The widow of a Bryson tells him
she has a stepson named George, and conveys the impression
that he is a scapegrace. The narrator meets Amy, the girl he
rescued. She tells him her father is looking for a George Bry-
son, but that he is not the one. Bankley, a detective, seeking
George Bryson, decides he is not the person he wants, but asks
him if he knows Colonel Parrott. .When the San Logo docks
Colonel Parrott lands, but the narrator does not know it until
Parrott has disappeared. The narrator is at breakfast when he

is touched on the shoulder by a man who introduces himself as

Professor Woodmansie. The stranger recognizes him as one of
several men who were called from the audience to be hypnotized |
on a stage where the professor was giving an exhibition at Coney
Island on the preceding Sunday night. Woodmansie also says
that one of the men hypnotized was brought out of his trance
with considerable difficulty and then found that one of the other
fellows had gone off with his coat, which contained his wallet and
other articles. Woodmansie and the narrator start for Coney
Island to find the man who lost the coat. There Woodmansie
disappears. The narrator, after a vain search for Woodmansie,
as well as the man he went down there to find, takes a car for
Manhattan. The car is derailed, and, falling from a bridge, hurls
the passengers to a bank. Here several thugs attempt to rob the
narrator, who is rescued by a strange young man. The stranger
has a rib broken, and the narrator takes him to his hotel room, —
He receives a note requesting him to call at a certain hotel, Here
he meets Colonel Parrott, who, after a struggle, binds him to a
chair.
CHAPTER. XIV.
: THE CLUTCH. OF DEATH: 7

With a brutal disregard for the agony he was causing _
me, Colonel Parrott threw me upon the bed. A third
towel bound my feet, and there I lay, on my side, as
helpless as an Egyptian mummy. :

It was quite dark in the room by now, for my story

had occupied considerable time in the telling. I could

FRAN
 

 

 
   
  

   
   
  
 

30 - ‘THE ‘BUFFALO
see the man moving about swiftly, and he seemed to be
preparing for departure.
Finally he came to me, ripped open my coat, and re-
moved the wallet and packet of thousand-dollar notes. I
saw him examine these eagerly, and the smile upon his
face was not nice to see. Se
He was a desperate man, I now knew, and the outer
appearance of respectability he bore was merely a sham.
- | had made a terrible mistake in coming here to see him
and telling him my story. He was not the rightful pos-
sessor of the contents of that safety-deposit box. And
with the receipt and key in his possession, he might be
able to walk in there and clean out the box in the morn-
ing

and the latter had robbed him, he was further from re-
covering his property now than he ever had been. This
Colonel Parrott was Bryson’s confederate, and I had,
unwittingly, played right into his hands.

I could only groan in my ‘mental as well as physical
agony. He heard me, came back to the bed, and, with
perfectly wooden composure, cut a piece from the towel
over my nostrils so that I might breathe with more free-
dom. oe

In doing this he scratched my face with the knife
so that the blood ran; but he paid no attention. His
eyes glittered, and there was a set, determined look upon
his face that made me shudder. He was a man, I saw,
who would go to any lengths to compass his ends.

A moment longer he remained, assuring himself that I
was tightly bound. Then he slipped out of the door and
I heard the key turn in the lock. I was a prisoner and

was helpless. /
~ Thad gone through this week of mental agony for
nothing. I had learned nothing regarding my own true
self. And now I had lost the valuables which fate had
so strangely placed in my care.

There was really only one thing clear to my burdened
mind. I had been fooled—sadly so; and the experience
would probably cost me dearly. a6:

Sooner or later 1 should meet the rightful owner of
the bonds and the money, and he would demand an ac-
counting of me.

I struggled vainly to free myself, but Colonel Parrott
had done his work too well. The towels stretched but
slowly. I was in agony of body as well as of mind.

Hours passed while I lay there. I was pretty sure that _

nobody would enter the room until morning. Probably
the colonel had slipped out of the hotel without being ob-
served, and none of the hotel people would trouble the
room until the chambermaid began her daily round the
next day.

I probably should not escape in time to reach the Mon-
adnock Company’s place and head the rascal off. If he
got to the box as easily as I had, he would clean it out and
leave the city before I could give the alarm.

And while I lay there, thinking these thoughts and al-
most beside myself with the strain of my condition, my

dulled hearing suddenly became conscious of a noise in .

the hotel below. It was well into the evening now, and I

. did not understand what the disturbance could be at so

late an hour.

I heard running to and fro, loud voices, and suddenly
a gong began to ring downstairs. I endeavored to sit up
in the bed, but to little purpose. The room was black as
_ Erebus, but hearing was not my only sense now aroused.

     
 

+

If Miss Amy’s father had employed George Bryson,

  

BILL STORIES, © 7 2

From somewhere the rapidly growing smell of, smoke
penetrated the bedroom. I heard somebody running
through the hall and beating here and there upon a door.
Then came the sharp, fear-compelling cry of “Fire! fire!”
It was an awful shock to me. I was tied down, while
the hotel was ablaze below. The peril paralyzed me _
for a moment. : Lays as

Then I began to madly struggle with my bonds. My
attempts before were not spurred by fear of bodily harm. |
I had only desired to save those bonds from Parrott.
Now, the possibility of a violent—an awful—death drove
me to work at the bonds like a madman.

That the skin on my wrists was abrazed, that my arms
felt as though they were being dislocated, did not stop
me. I worked on, groaning, crying behind the muffle of

that towel, praying in my heart for strength to burst the

bonds which held me. io

I heard the firemen arrive before the hotel. The swish
of the water against the building was in my ears, and so.
likewise was the roaring of the flames. The smoke hung
like a pall above me, although as yet I saw no flame.

At last I tore one arm free. With the towel still hang-
ing to my other wrist, I sought to spring, from the bed,
forgetting my bound ankles. Down I went with a crash
and rolled over and over upon the floor.

My senses nearly left me, but I struggled into a-sit-
ting posture, tearing at the towel which held my ankles
secure. The flames crackled in the hallway. Suddenly a
tongue of fire shot through the crack of the door, and its

light danced fantastically upon walls and ceiling.

I would have screamed aloud, but the muffling towel
forbade. In a moment the edges of the door were all
afire, and then the room was brilliantly lighted, despite
the pall of ‘smoke,

At last I got my feet free, and leaped up. I staggered, ©
for the circulation had-been retarded in my veins by the
tightness of my bonds, and I could scarce stand for a
moment. But I got to the nearest window.

Tearing aside the curtains, J] flung up the sash. In-
stantly the draft sucked the flames into my room, and the
heat scorched my back as I stood there trying to see out
into the street. |

I must have made a terrible picture, with the towel over
my face and the light of the flames behind me. In the
street I could see the firemen running to and fro, and
from the windows below and on a level with mine, the
red flames of fire leaped forth, making it well-nigh im-
possible to raise a ladder against the building.

I was seen, and a shout of encouragement reached my
ears. I saw a gang of firemen running with a life net as:
I scrambled out upon the sill.

They reached a spot directly below me, but I should
have dropped whether they were there or not.

The hungry flames were already licking my hands.

The sensation of falling was awful. Then I landed on
my feet, tumbling backward into the net. There was a
flash of lurid flame, in the light of which I saw the smoky,
white-eyed faces of the firemen. Then the light went
out and consciousness went with it, sas

CHAPTER XV.
THE QUESTION ANSWERED.

If I hadn’t been so light in my head, and my arm had
not pained me so badly, I should*have felt pretty well
when I awoke that morning. Just as Doctor Wether-

Rea

 

 

 

 

 

 
   
  
 
  

“a deeper voice.

 

 

 

_ I managed to blurt out:

a nurse,.

But when I sought to roll over and stretch myself, I

a. caught by a pain that brought a groan to my lips.
Something was the matter with my arm, and»I was ©
_ startled to find it swathed in bandages and splints.

 

“By George!” I muttered. “What has happened to me

overnight?”

“He is moving, sir,” said a strange voice beside. me,
and I opened my eyes wide to see a. young woman, in
a black dress and white cap and apron bending over me.

Say! it was a shock, and no mistake.

hOPnink 1 can ask him: a few questions now: fe ea
“This is a pretty important case.’

But I was trying to stifle a desire to ask the usual query

‘of the astounded individual who awakes to. strange sur-

Instead of asking ‘ ‘Where am-1?’ however,
‘What in the dickens has hap-

roundings.

pened to my arm?’
“It’s broken,” said the woman, a 1 ae she must be
_ This was a hospital bed I lay upon.

“By George!’ ’ I muttered; “the car must have, been

wrecked. een cise hurt: 2”

: Ne? 25 ;
. “He seems sane oun? oad the deeper voice again.
I looked in the direction of the sound. There was a
square-jawed man, keen of eye, and: with an authorita-

tive manner.

“Perhaps you can ask him,” said the aurse > slowly,

NS Burt. the’. doctor doesn’t wish hin excited.”

“What is your name, yeune man ??> he asked, _ sitting
down beside me.
“Harvey Collins.

i Eelbae | in Albany. I guess you'd

better send a wire for me,,letting the folks know that I am.

all right. What happened to that car, anyway ?”
“To the car?’ repeated the fellow, in a puzzled man-

oo “Why, you crapped into the net and the shock

rather knocked you out.”

“What are-you hitane about ?” I aed. “You've got
me mixed with some other fellow. I was in a car going
up Broadway—by George!” I broke off abruptly, remem-
bering the exciting adventure that happened to me over-
night. “Was that wallet safe in my pocket, nurse?”

‘What wallet, sir?’ she asked, but the man ponies her
with a gesture.

* “You don’t mean to say avitiae happened to it, do
your? I gasped. “Why, there was near four ‘hundred

- dollars in it, and the key and receipt to the safety-deposit

box. I was just going up Phere to the Monadnock of-

fices when this happened.”

‘The nurse uttered a wondering en

ol sdess. you are a little mixed, young man,
stranger, “What was this wallet and money ?
came you by it?”

“Why, that confounded mesmerist. ant night caught:
me napping and made a fool of me, along with a lot of
other- fellows, in his performance. I had no business to go
into the show, anyway, but. I was aonely and mess | were
some decent people there.

“Where was this?” he asked.

“Why, at Coney. You see, I am visiting here in ey
York. As I told you, I belong i in Albany. They rather
ran me out of the town,” and | laughed weakly, remember-
ing how, old Doctor. Witherbee threatened me with brain
fever and | half a dozen olen: terrible eeourecs at - ad

3)

said the
How

 

THE ‘BUFFALO

' bee had declared, a change of scene and coating fod :
to occupy my mind was doing me a world of good.

twenty-first?

   

   

BILL. Stones, ey 3r

not bake: a ras vacation, Well, I had been take: over- |
doing it at the office for a year. A good .deal of the
responsibility had fallen on me, young as | was, after
father died. =.

“Yes, you went into ae show at Coney,” pursued the
inquisitive stranger. “What followed?”

“Why, when I found myself on the stage, after he had
brought me out of the trance, | was playing leapfrog
with a lot of other great, hulking chaps, to the delight
of the spectators. We were all in our shirt sleeves, and —
-you can bet I grabbed what | thought was my ey and
got out in a hurry,”

“Ves ee ¢

“And it wasn't my coat; J Lonoke. “I never found
it out till 1 got back to the hotel in Brooklyn, The co; at
belonged to a fellow named Bryson—or so the cards

said in his pocketbook. There was a receipt for box ten

thousand and seventy at the Monadnock Safety Deposit

‘Company, and the key. So I thought I would go there

and deliver up the stuff, believing I should be more likely
to hear of Bryson. through the safety- deposit people than
by going back to Coney Island.’

Cee f don’t suppose you remember anything that’s

happened since, Mr. Collins?” asked the ne
“Since what? Since the accident to the carr /

_ "There was no accident to the car,” he said, watching

me closely.. “You jumped from a window of the Hotel

Beacon into a fire-net and broke your arm, You came

near breaking your neck.”

“What do you mean?” I gasped.

“When were you at the mesmerist.show at eee r

. “Last night,” I declared, feeling the perspiration start
upon me. ae

“Not much, young man!” .

r’ What day is this Po leried:

“Tt is Monday.

i Ehat’s Fone then,” I said, with more calmness. “Tt
was Sunday evening T went to Coney and stumbled into
the show where I exchanged coats with this George Bry-
son -

 

“To- day is Monday, September twenty- -first,” he said,
. | repeated it after hin,
Gradually the truth dawned upon me. eae
Watt | yelled” site ap in bed.” abe
- Nonsense, man! it is only ie fourteenth
of the month.”

“You seem to have lost a week,” he said coolly, and
then I dropped back on the pillow and es ee
dead away !.

It has all come back to me now. Partly because much
of the happenings of that week were explained to mae so
fully by a most charming informant, perhaps, I have
gradually been able to recall almost every detail of my. ex-
perience, from the shock I received in the Broadway
car until I fell-into the fire net at the Siesta ies which
destroyed the Beacon Hotel...

- The hospital physicians were. very. vaieh ireeed in
my ‘ase, particularly so as it followed so. closely that
other case of amnesia which had been attracting atten-
‘tion incthe newspapers for weeks. But in my case the
blood clot which had clogged the brain had been much
smailer and had moved on promptly.

They. scout the idea that the mesmerist cane. have
had eoything 4 to do with any state of mind cn the

 
  

  
 

 

 

 

 

eo THE- BUFFALO
week I masqueraded as George Bryson. Even Bryson
himself declares I was in no trance when he met me. —

For, strange as it appears, while I was searching for
him, I met him unwittingly. :

But everything in its proper order, and 1 may as well
go back to the Sunday evening when Colonel Parrott
locked me up in the hotel bedroom and escaped with the
ten thousand dollars and the safety-deposit receipt and
key.

tive, had recovered sufficiently to hold some communica-
tion with his employer, Mr. Horace Gillete.

Bankley had seen me at the office of the P. & B, Line
when I was inquiring for the San Logo, and after my
disclaiming any knowldege of the George Bryson he was
after, he thought this strange; for he, too, knew that Colo-
nel Robert Parrott was to return to the States on that
steamer. : “ :

This information hastened Mr. Gillete and his daughter
—who had accompanied him to the hospital—to my
hotel. The clerk sent the old gentleman to my room with
the bell boy, and when Mr. Gillete walked in on my
new friend, Hopkins, there was immense astonishment on
both sides, I can assure you.

The old man kicked up a terrible shindy, for he is
quite as choleric as I thought him when I saw him that
evening in the box at the theater. But Miss Amy has a
wonderful control over him.

She saved Hopkins from arrest, but nothing would
satisfy the old gentleman but the sending for a private
detective to. watch the young fellow. He did not half be-
lieve my new friend’s story, you see. ~

And there was some reason for his disbelief, Henry

Hopkins ‘being no less a person than George Bryson. I>

haven’t put an exclamation after that statement, for, of
course, it doesn’t surprise anybody but me.

I was dumfounded when it was explained to me. Bry-
son had shaved his mustache off and was leaving for the
West, having lost all hope of ever getting his coat and
valuables back, when we were literally “thrown together’
at the Coney Island creek.

He had been afraid to go to the safety-deposit vaults
after the loss of his coat, for there was much on that
young man’s conscience. I can’t help liking the fellow;
yet, between you and me, I think him a marvelously gull-
ible individual. i

Still, Colonel Parrott is one of the slickest men who
ever lived by his wits, Bankley tells me. Parrott is half
brother to Mr. Horace Gillete, and was always the black.
sheep of the family. The colonel’s wife, now long since
in her grave of a broken heart, was young George Bry-
son’s aunt—his father’s sister. Colonel Parrott was
George’s godfather, and always kept in touch with the
_ boy. he

Bryson acted as Mr. Gillete’s secretary for a year after
his own-father died, living with his stepmother the while.

Well, Colonel Parrott got the young fellow’s ear and
filled him up nicely with a story about Mr. Gillete cheat-
ing him out of his—the colonel’s—share of their father’s
estate. More than a hundred and fifty thousand dollars,
so he claimed, had been diverted by Horace Gillete from.
the colonel’s pocket.

‘Bryson believed the story. Gillete is a hard man to
work for, and the young fellow had no love for him.
Early in the summer he was sent by Gillete to place the one

XN

That very day, at another hospital, Bankley, the detec- .

/’erime !

BILL STORIES.

hundred and twenty thousand dollars’. worth of bonds in |
safety deposit, and to make a special deposit of the packet
of ten thousand dollars in a savings bank, where Mr.
Gillete already had an account. ; oO :

What did Bryson do but deposit the ae business in

another safety-deposit place, under his own name, and A

write Colonel Parrot all about it. He thought he would ©
be giving the colonel a chance to regain his rightful prop-
erty—or a part of it—and that as Gillete had stolen more.
than this sum from his half brother, Bryson’s diverting
it back to its rightful owner would be, at least, no moral

Parrott had a great influence over Bryson. ©

The Gilletes were away for the summer, and when they
returned George Bryson had disappeared. ©

But the young man had had plenty of time to think over
the matter before Parrott arrived from Bluefields, and
Bryson declares now that he intended making the colonel
provehis claim to the money before he gave it up to
him.

However that may be, Gillete has forgiven him, and
he has gone to work for a firm downtown, the whole
matter being hushed up.

But the detective whom Gillete hired to watch Bryson
in my room at the Broadway hotel found Colonel Par-
rott’s note to me anent the newspaper personal, Bryson
recognized the writing, and the detective made tracks for
the Beacon House.

He was in time to see my sensational drop from the win-
dow, and he followed me to the hospital, remaining by my
bed all night until I recovered consciousness. Then the in-
formation I gave him enabled him to send a couple of men
to the Monadnock vaults and arrest Colonel Parrott when
he appeared there at the hour of the opening of the bank.
He had planned to clean out the safety-deposit box and
escape from the country.

There is one person whom I know will never look upon
me with friendly eyes. That is Miss Amy’s aunt. She
considers me an interloper and not quite—er—proper.
You see, my introduction to her niece was such—er—bad
form!

Her opinion troubles me very little, however. I am
assured by Amy herself—h’m, well! that is a personal
matter between us two, and is really none of the reader's
business. We are both pretty young yet. So—l’ll say
nothing about it! .

THE END.
nner eon CI nen

WILLING TO HUMOR HER. ee

Country people often have strange experiences when
they come to the city, but it is doubtful if they are any
stranger than those of urbans who go to places which are
“trooly rural.” A New York woman recently decided to
spend the week-end at a picturesque and secluded little
country spot out on Long Island. It was a neat little
rustic hotel where she elected to stop, and at the supper
table she discoursed glowingly to the buxom landlady on
the delight that real country butter and real new-laid
eggs gave to a jaded New Yorker.

Her faith in country produce was destined, however,
to be rudely shaken, for on coming down to breakfast next
morning she was greatly shocked to overhear the good
landlady say to her spouse:

“The lady from the city’s mighty keen on fresh eggs.
John. Run and get half a dozen from the grocer’s, while
I go out in the yard and cackle,”

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

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.

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.

the actual habits and life of this great man, as by reading the BUFFALO. BIL SEORIES:

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 ox postage-sfamps.

We give herewith a list of all of the back numbers in print.

319—Buffalo
321—Butffalo
324—Buffalo
325—Buftfalo
326—Buffalo
327—Burffalo
328—Buftalo
329—Buffalo
330—Buffalo
331—Buffalo
332—Buffalo
333—Buffalo
334—Buffalo
335—Buffalo
336—Buffalo
337—Butfalo
338—Buitfalo
339—Buffalo
340—Buffalo
341—Butftalo
342—Buffalo
343—Buffalo
344—Buffalo
345—Buffalo
346—Butffalo
348—Buffalo
349—Buffalo
350—Buffalo
351—Buffalo
352—Buftalo
353—Burffalo
3854—Buffalo
355—Buffalo
356—Buffalo
357—Butftalo
358—Buffalo
359—Buffalo
360—Buffalo
362—Buffalo
363—Buffalo
364—Buffalo
366—Buffalo
367—Butffalo
368—Buffalo
369—Buffalo
370—Butffalo
371—Buffalo
372— Buffalo
3874—Buffalo
375—Buffalo
377—Buftalo
378—Buffalo
379—Buffalo
3880—Buftalo
381—Buffalo
382—Buffalo
383—Buffalo
384—Buffalo
385—Buffalo
386—Buffalo
387—Butffalo
388—Buffalo
389—Buftalo
390—Buffalo
391—Butftalo
392—Buffalo
393—Buffalo
394—Buffalo
395—Buffalo
396—Buftalo
3897—Butftalo
398—Bufftalo
399—Butffalo
400—Buffalo
401—Buffalo

Bills “Mazeppa Ride... 25... -
TBS Gays. S ya Soll Clutem cme spet en oie
Bill’s Gold Hunters.........
Teh Tha UG! IMGESCO 5 6 oo 0 066 0 0
Bill’s Message from the Dead
Bill and the Wolf-master.... 5
Bills Elying Wonder....-...
Bris eiddenm Golders se. sae
IBIS Outlay Areils 5 ob 66055
Bill and the Indian Queen... 5
Bill and the Mad Marauder..
Bllgsilice misauigniea Gener cs ie
Bill and the Robber Elk.....
ese G HO Sits IO anCemmercr cts o: otc)
BINS HRCACe{DLDCr aero eo
Bill’s Red Nemesis..........
Bill’s Enchanted Mesa......
Bill in the Desert of Death.. 5
JEMNPS IPS Sipkeevicn 5 46 do 6 60 6
Bill on Detached Duty..... .
Tess Ngee IMIAVSREOIAYZ os '6 6 0 6 oo 0
IBS SUL RISC me atuyeia. ore eis
IBIS RG TRea te BuiGden age fies 55s
AS eSe aVaiuelen Murcer eeusieiers ees
Biles Ordeal: Ot eine wis ie <.
BUsmCasket ot IeAatl sie. «cn.
BANTISENS Key sO nce selene ers
Bille POteml ae Sees.
TBSP) TRIER: IDIBUEE. 6 6 65 a6
BUCO Celis ek ae. eines 5
Bill and the Broncho Buster.
Bill’s Great Round-up....... 5
BINGS Bled gece a ge sere woke
PS TMES COW Oe eat gene e cs
Bill and the Hmigrants.....
Bill Among the Pueblos.....
Bill’s Four-footed Pards.....
IB UUS ROUGE Orca. oreee re sere 5
TSUDA Eni cab Oia Gen a oman oes 5
BIRECE OUCH ener cra re Sy
Bills Waif of the Plains....
Bill Among the Mormons....
BTS eASSISt am Cele cee
Bills Rattlesnake Trail.....
Bill and the Slave-dealers...
IBCs Siro nou Anes sate
Biles Garl seandyn es occ se.
Bills) iron Bracelets. 2... - = -
Bills; Jade sAmulet. . 69.4.)
BRS) Micros Cemsle aryl cain saat eres cis
BUMS BMG ser Of whee i oe
BUS USB O WAG nee ie ss Pest ea tec.
BS a ane Sureake acces Ge
BUMS PMI Citiehreiec cesses elele te
BINS Cleaneaupe eee trot. we
BT SUES Oona ase eae canoes
Bille Overboard= vw... ee cee
Bill’s Ring

BGS Biss Comba ches a
lianas alam salen aia.
BUS) AG Sandee ee es ne
Bill’s Desperate Plight......
Bill’s Fearless Stand........
Bill and the Yelping Crew...
Bill’s Guiding Hand

Bills; Queers Ouest. 45 oe
Bill’s Prize “Get-away’.....
Bill’s Hurricane Hustle.....
BES UStareBlaye ce sen oe ce. 5
Bill’s Bluff

BIMS AMrackerst 5 ieha circ = eae
UES Ute ean sm
Bill and the Bravo...... eeu
LEU Ebel wis QUENKERS SocGooco &
Bill’s Package of Death..... 5

 

402—Buffalo
4038—Buffalo
404—Buffalo
405—Buffalo
406—Buffalo
407—Butftalo
408—Buffalo
409—Buffalo
410—Buffalo
411—Buffalo
412—Buffalo
413—Buffalo
414—Butffalo
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
430—Buffalo
431—Buffalo
432—Buffalo
433—Buffalo
434—Buffalo
435—Buffalo
436—Buffalo
437—Buffalo
438—Buffalo
439—Buffalo
440—Buffalo
441—Buffalo
442—Buffalo
443—Buffalo
444-_Buffalo
445—Buffalo
446—Buffalo
447—Buffalo
448—Buffalo
449—Buffalo
450—Buffalo
451—Buffalo

Bills Dreasure Cache... 4. -:

BUGS alive tema Wie is ae re 5

Bill and the Trouble Hunter.

Bill and the Rope Wizard... 5

BIS M AVES als were oe ce cereals
Bill Among the Cheyennes..
Bill Besieged

Bill and the Red Hand.....
Bill’s Tree-trunk Drift......

Billvand thes Spectere. 44-1. 5

Bill and the Red Feathers...

BAM Senos Stroker save 5

Bill, the Desert Cyclone.....
Bill’s Cumbres Scouts.......
Bill and the Man-wolf......
Bill and His Winged Pard...

Bill at; Babylon Bar......-. 5

JENS bom AUBIN 6s 56 66 50 5
BIUllse Steele Anime war dear.) ci
BillsyAztec.Gwuidevencu. «oc
Te ana Witter ehiicetiver. ce
Bilin the Aztec Citys: seve
Bill’s Balloon HWseape.......
Bill and the Guerrillas......
BES R IS ORG ey MVVAalIon si ye ecules
Biles Miexdeamy Masel mise.

Bill and the Gamecock...... a

Bill and the Cheyenne Raiders
Bill’s Whirlwind Finish.....
Bills Santa Fe Secret......

Biulleande the wtaoseMercor. 1.20)

Bills Bracelet of Gold......
Bill and the Border Baron..
Bill at Salt River Ranch....
Bill’s Panhandle Man-hunt..
Bill at Blossom Range......

Bilan: {um peis NOC a oe. 5

TBHP: INA! SOO Os 66o00d006
1B HE CHCBUAN IEE GG ooo Go od
Bills) Winning Hand: 2.20. -
1BNPS Chinen: (Cleuiins % 4.6 6:4%5.6 0/6
Billie Comnadesenr iene) cr
Bill in the Bad Lands.......
Bill and the Boy Bugler.....
Bill and the Heathen Chinee.
Bill and the Chink War.....
Bill’s) Chinese’ Chase... .: .. .

Bills Secret Message....... 5

Bill and the Horde of Her-

mosa

45 2—Buffalo
453—Buffalo
454—Buffalo
455—Buffalo
456—Buffalo
457—Buffalo
458—Buffalo
459—Buffalo
460—Buffalo
461—Buffalo
462—Buftfalo
463—Buffalo
464—Buffalo
465—Buffalo
466—Buffalo
467-—Buffalo
468—Ruffalo
469—Buffalo
470—Buffalo
471—Buffalo
472—Buffalo
473—Buffalo
474—Buffalo
475—Buffalo
476—Buffalo

Bill’s Lonesome Trail.......
ee ©UWAI Vee cere cesses seeks
issu thn IDCACNVOOEls oo cagocons
Bills First
Bill and Old Moonlight.....

Bil Rep al deere ey chores 5

MMMRONDIO Ks 6 46 o'6G an on
SaSelateaWNINS CeIn eters
INGWws bard: oo cence:
Bulls “Winged Victory”. 2...
Bill’s Pieces-of-eight........
Bill and the Hight Vaqueros.
Biles Wmiluckys ISleSta ace. «
sls ARNE (CWO > oooos 4 ee
Bill and the Apache Totem..
Bill’s Golden Wonder.......
See Stay ve N oar enews ce
Bill and the Hatchet Boys..
Bill and the Mining Shark..
Bill and the Cattle Barons..
IBMIRPS) 1byoynyer OCIS oo ococa000
Bill, the Peacemaker.......
Bill’’s Promise to Pay.......
Bill’s Diamond Hitch.......
Bill and the Wheel of Fate.

Bill’s
Bill’s
Bill’s

ANTE ier Norns ee ees 5

 

477—Butffalo
478— Buffalo
479—Buffalo
481—Buffalo
482—-Buffalo
483—Buffalo
484—Buftalo
485—Buffalo
486—Buffalo
487—Butffalo
488—Buffalo
489—Buffalo
490—Buffalo
492—Buffalo
493—Buftalo
494—_Buffalo
495—Buftalo

ers
496—Buffalo
497—Butffalo
498—Buffalo
499—Buffalo
500—Buftalo
501—Buffalo
502—Buffalo
503—Buffalo
504—Buffalo
505 suffalo
506—Buffalo
507—Butftfalo
508—Buffalo
509—Buffalo
510—Butffalo
511—Buffalo
512—Buffalo
513—Buffalo
514—-Buffalo
515—Buffalo
516—Buffalo
517—Buffalo
518—Buffalo
519—Buffalo
520—Butffalo

man
521—Buffalo
522—Buffalo
523—Buffalo
524—Buffalo
525—Buffalo
526—Buffalo
527—Buffalo
528—Buffalo
529—Buffalo
530—Buftfalo
531—Buffalo
532—Buffalo
533—Buffalo
534—Buffalo
535—Buffalo
536—Buffalo
537—Buftalo
538—Buffalo
539—Butffalo
540—Buffalo
541—Buffalo
542—Buffalo
543—Buffalo
544—Buffalo
545—Buffalo
546—Butffalo
547—Buffalo
548—Buffalo
549—Buffalo
550—Buffalo
551—Buffalo

These stories have been read exclusively in this

In no manner can you become so thoroughly acquainted with

Bill and the Pool of Mystery 2

Bill and the Deserter.......
Bill’s Island in the Air......
Sy) te an AUT es ie orients.
Bide S Res ttrae sare ss wir aiet Mcnede
Bill and the Ponca Raiders.
Bill’s Boldest Stroke.......
BS NAA ee eee trees 3
BSB IOCKACeC Recker...
Bill and the Gilded Clique...
Bill and Perdita Reyes.....

IBWNL BNC! WS IBCOMNEIHSs co obo dD

Bill Callstay elaltew cece nce:
BUTTS as ee a ee ras
er Bue Carmen JON NO. 655606
Bill’s

HATA Se tnres Bieeaiere ceny wets 5

Bill and the Red Horse Hunt- m

Bills Dangerous Duty......

5
Bill and the Chief's Daughter 5

Bay ebiman a VViClISep ns a.
Bill and the Men of Mendon.
Bill at Rainbow’s End......
Bill and the Russian Plot...
Bis sve diate meleenines is cts
BSR One le lg Snare crete eer

Cereal ope eCeyaeeeeean aces 5

Bill on the Upper Missouri..
IBIS Cleony NEOUS S 6 Ao Oooo d6
JES Ojon Cesc ce ocbosbs
BSpawWaveheartiteyers trie
Bills Noman MOS. 3.05 1-0.
BulisM Battle CRyieva ce anc. s
Bill’s Fight for the Right...
BIL BAT DeCUC Haste ciao catnete
Bill and the Red Renegade...
Bill and the Apache Kid....
Bill at the Copper Barriers.
Bill’s
Bill and Chief Hawkchee....
Bill and the Indian Girl....
Bill Across the Rio Grande..

IPBICHUMC IPOs 5 660066 5

Bill and the Headless Horse- _

Billist @leanwoswieeOr 1a ce.

Bil’s Handful of Pearls....
Bills Rue DlOM OCS ae 5
BiIMSeNaAOSM Noten ee 5
Bill ard the Pawnee Prophet
2
5D

Bill and Old Wanderoo......
Bills) Merty. Winns sees
Sl eral an Giolla omnes
Bill at Lone Tree Gap:.....
Bills. Wiel cot eat inte wes
Bill at Cimaroon is dag. cnn.
Bill and the Sluice Robber...
BP OnwbOsty Kiveias eae ee
Billo? ahunaderbolitees =r. see
Billese Sioux © Gussie ses.
Be Sioux MRaGkeR ese eee
Bill and the Talking Statue..
Bill’s' Medicine Prail........
Bill and the Knife Wizard...
Bill and the Red Bedouins. .
Bill and the Prairie Corsairs
Biles) Scarlet, ick-wps. 3. «1
Bill’s Mental Magic......
Bill and the Lost Indian.
Bill’s Conquest

Bill’s Waif of the West.....
Bills Jugsle With Mate. .-.<-
Bd andihem acl kn ercrenen

Bill and the Klan of Kan... 5

Bill and the Sorceress......
Bill in the Ute Outbreak....

TOT OU OUOT OU OT OT OLOTOTOVOUOUS

o
5
5

Tf you want any back numbers of our weeklies and cannot procure them from your newsdealer, they can be obtained direct

from this office.

Postage-stamps taken the same as money.

STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS, 79-89 SEVENTH AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY

eee