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Copyright, 1914, by STREET & SMITH.

 

 

Far West Life af

 

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No. 83. NEW YORK, April 11, 1914. Price Five Cents.

 

BUFFALO BILL’S SECRET. FOE:

Or, THE WIZARD OF WINDY GULCH.

By the author of “‘BUFFALO BILL.”’

CHAPTER I.
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.

Down a narrow, wind-swept cafion which separated
two buttes of the desert madly dashed an Indian pony

bearing upon its back the bound body of a tall and mus-
cular man.

The time was late forenoon, and the heat
was intense. The air was filled with flying sand, and the
man, who had his senses, had long since shut his eyes to
keep from being blinded. Suddenly the pony stepped into
a badger hole and fell to the ground with a broken leg
and a dislocated shoulder. The man bound to the ani-
mal’s back tried to free himself from his bonds,. but the
effort was vain. The bonds were made of stout strips of

aes and had been put on by an expert at the business.

The ‘pony, after ineffectual struggles to’ proceed on

three feet, lay down and began to whinny piteously. In -
| this position, all of one side of the man touched the
f ground. His face was upturned to the blazing sun, and

the cords were drawn so tightly about his neck that he

found it impossible to turn his head. . His wrists were
tied together and strapped to his sides, and his-legs were

almost bound with leather thongs, while other thongs,
reénforced by several riatas, secured him to the pony.
The tightness of the bonds had swollen. the flesh, and the
man suffered horribly.

shot, and he breathed with difficulty.

__ The cafion was bare of trees or brush, and the reflected |
héat from the bare sides of the buttes and the stretch of

sand between them added to the horror of the man’s situ-
ation. He was utterly without hope. The cafion was

many miles from the main trail across the desert, and no.
,human being, he despairingly told hintself, would ever

&

His throat wav, parched, his eyes,
opened after the accident to the animal, were blood-

_ think of making a habitation in this desolate, sum-cursed

spot.
The pony did not try to again get to its feet, but it
twisted and rolled, and more than once, as he felt his -

body crush into the sand with the weight of the animal
upon him, the man skirted the edge of death.

He could not speak; his mouthi was too dry, his lips |
were too swollen for that; but his eyes talked, and this —
is what they said: “You poor, poor pony! You have
brought me here to die, and die horribly, but you are not
to blame.”

The pony, as if it had Updeedooe all that the sympa- —

thetic eyes. said, turned its head away. to snort and make

vain attempt to arise to its feet.
the animal.

Something had alarmed
What was it? The man tried to look, but:

his position was such that he could see but on one side.

of him. There. was nothing there but the bare gray
sloping butte and the shimmering expanse of sand.

A series of shrill, crackling yelps proceeding from the
other side explained the fear that was agitating the pony.
A band of coyotes, the wolves of the prairie and the
desert, were approaching. Presently two of the coyotes,
large, gaunt beasts, with lolling tongues, cautiously ap-
proached the pony.

The man essayed to shout, and the sound. he dite SO

-startled the coyotes that they quickly slunk away. But

they did not go far. After a few minutes’ wait they
again approached their prey. The pony, in an access of ,
terror, got to its feet and made a step forward, only to
fall again. As it went down, the coyotes leaped upon
it, and then began a scene that was one frightful riot of
blood.

The main assault was made on the pony’s breast and -

neck. The man lay with his head upon the animal’s rump

 
NEW. BUFFALO

Amid the cries, yelps,

and his feet against the neck.
frantic struggles, snapping of savage teeth, and in an
atmosphere made sickening by the smell of blood and the
fetid breath of the wolves, he found that his feet were

no longer bound to the pony’s body. The coyotes had
bitten through the leathers in their efforts to get at the
&esh of their victim. A wild hope suddenly sprang up in
tne man’s breast. Perhaps he might regain the use of his
limbs, be entirely free of his bonds before the coyotes,
having had their fill of horseflesh, should turn their
savage attention to him. : ag
Before long some of the coyotes moved from the neck
and shoulders of their victim and began to bite and

mangle the flesh of the thigh. Soon what the man had .

anxiously looked for came to pass. The leathers holding
his head were severed, and, these being a part: of the
system which held the middle of his body, became loos-
ened and permitted such a play of muscle that the riata
fastenings fell apart, and the man was freed from en-
forced contact with the body of the pony. But his wrists
and ankles were still bound together, and, until he had
regained the use of his hands and legs, he could net hope
to escape the fate that. had befallen the disabled animal.
He rolled over and over until he ‘was several yards oe
the yelping, blood-crazed beasts

-Now: he lifted his wrists to his mouth and bit at the
leathers with savage desperation. And, as he bit, he
tugged and tugged. At, last the leather gave way, and,
with hands Free, he began with feverish earnestness. to
untie the knots of the cords about his ankles. “When the
work had been successfully accomplished, the man stag-
gered to his feet, only to fall. down ‘again. ~ Suddenly he
remembered that only his weapons had’ been taken from
him by the fiend who. had doomed him to a horrible death.
In his breast pocket” was a flask ‘of whisky. ‘He was
not what is called a _ drinking man, but he kept the flask
about ° him for emergencies. An emergency, had now
arisen, and the spirit fulfilled the purpose for which it
was used. It took away the thirst, it put new life into
the man’s veins, and, after a few swallows, he again “got
to his feet, this time to stay there.

A. coyote, perched upon. the. body of. he pony, “turned
its head and looked at the man. The beast’s jaws were.
dripping with. blood, and its small eyes scintillated with
ferocity. The man stepped backward, and then cast a look
about for.a stick orva stone. His eyes fell on a stone,
and he was stooping to get it when the coyote sprang upon
him. Bah al CO ee
But, if the savage animal’s “movement was quick, so
was the movement of the man, Straightening up in a
flash, he-caught the coyote by the throat, and with one

powerful swing and twist snapped the bones of the neck...

As he did this, the whole pack attacked him. And now
ensued a battle royal. With neither pistol nor knife, he
stood one man against two score ravenous wolves, and
fought with the desperate valor of a knight of old. Using
the dead coyote as a club, he repelled the upward leaps

for his throat, and, like a windmill in action during a

hurricane, he laid about him until the ground was lit-
tered with ‘disabled wolves.

There was a tnoment’s respite, and then the coyotes ad-
vanced for another attack.

were close upon him, and he was calling up all his strength
for what he felt must be the final struggle, when a shout.
of encouragement reached his ears,

Quickly following

 

 

‘The yelping, snarling crew

BILL WEEKLY.

 

the shout came the report of a pistol. The coyotes’ ears
pricked up at the sound, then dropped instantly. They
stopped in their onward course, and when a second shot

was fired, and one of their number fell dead, their cour-
age evaporated and they scudded ftom the spot and.

passed out of sight in one of the many depressions along
the face of one of the buttes.

It was a horseman who had come to the rescue of the
man who had so gallantly fought the wolves. He rode up,
laughing hilariously. The man looked at him, and was
both amused and astonished. The rescuer was of middle
age, but no larger than a ten-year-old boy. He had an
immense head covered with curly, black hair, and a face
that would have stopped a clock. The eyes were gimlet
holes, the nose a knotty protuberance as wide as it was
long, and the mouth an immense gash. There was but
a suggestion of a chin, and a thick, overhanging lip had
the same relation to it as a shelf to the incline of the
bracket that supports it. The neck was thick and short,
and rested ona slight, supple body. Long arfis, that
almost reached to the ground, hung like flaits Wi his
narrow shoulders.

In ‘spite of the dwarf’s ugliness, the impression made
upon the man in buckskin was a favorable one. The

» laugh was expressive of good nature, and there was ‘both

good natute and sympathy in the smile with which he
gteeted the person ‘whose life he had probably saved. ~
“Must ha’ worried ye a bit, didn’t they? Waal, they
aire treacherous cusses.’ Kain’t bet. on ’em ter be cowards
all ther time. Hurt any?”
“Nothing to speak of. Got a little bite in “my a
der, but I reckon the buckskin absorbed most of the

poison of the teeth. %

“Lemme see.’ The dwarf dismounted, and the: man

stooped so that the wound might be examined.

In order to permit -a proper inspection, the buckskin
garment was removed, and, when the dwarf had an-
nounced that the teeth had not penetrated deeply, he pro-
ceeded to dress the wound, proper medicaments. being

found in a leather medicine case, which the ‘tittle ‘man

took from the breast pocket of his buckskin jacket.

“Are you a doctor?” asked the subject of this applica-
tion.

“No an’ yes. I sarved fer a year under a horse doctor,
an’ what he knowed I Varned-. What’s good fer horses
is shore good fer humans. I hev fixed ye seguro, bet yer
surcingle.” Me \

“For which, as well as ne your coming up in the nick
of time, I wish-to thank you.
me places me forever: in your. debt.”

The earnestness of the tone caused thé divas to blush.
He looked into the man’s handsome face, and saw: that it

‘betokened a brave, honest. character.

“Don’t mention it,” he said, with an assumption of in-
difference. “I just happened erlong, an’ that’s all thar is
of it. An’ now tell me: What aire ye doin’ hyer? Must
ha’ come on that pony, eh?”

“Yes. The pony broke his leg, and the wolves attacked
him. At that time I was on the pony’ $ back, tied hard and
fast?”

The dwarfs little eyes blinked furiously. “Some one
hev been tryin’ ter put ye out 0’ business, I reckon.”

“Tt tell you the story after we have struck a spot
By the: Way, oe bs any

where there is some shade.
water in that canteen of yours: a

What you have- done for

  

       

 

  
 

 

NEW BUFFALO

“Sure,” replied the dwarf hastily. “I orter trotted it
out afore. Take a big pull. Thar’s lots more whar that

-kem from.” es

After the man had taken a drink, the dwarf took his
pony by bridle and led the way to the gulch, out of which

the coyotes had come. The trail followed the bed of the :

gulch, and, after traveling half a mile, they came to a
clump of mesquite bushes, and the guide stopped.
“Thar’s a cave on t’other side o’ them bushes?” he said.

“In that we'll find shade an’ coolness.”
The pony was secured, and the dwarf pushed through _

the bushes and entered a small cave, the man following.
After the man had been furnished with meat and drink,
the dwarf produced cigars, and said: “Now I reckon
ye kin talk with some comfort.”

“Yes, and it’s the first comfort I have experienced since
early this morning. My story is a strange one. Before I
begin, let me ask your name.”

“Thomas Harryman. Never use ity though. My friends
an’ my enemies call me Tadpole Tom, so call me Tad-
pole, an’ yell please me.”

“All right, for I am sure we are going to be great

friends. My name is Cody, William F. Cody.”

“Buffler Bill!” the dwarf gasped. “Buf-fa-ler Bil”

“The same,” replied the king of scouts, regarding the
dwarf in amazement. “You are startled. What’s the
matter?”

“Matter? Nothin’, -nothin’,’ said the dwarf, as he

‘buried his face in his hands.

Buffalo Bill was puzzled over the little fellow’s queer
demeanor. :
“IT must know why you are acting so strangely before

I begin my story,” he said.

The dwarf drew a deep breath and looked up. He
spoke hesitatingly. “I would like ter hear ther yarn afore
I open up. I hope yell oblige me, for a heap depends
upon ther story of yer adventures.”

Buffalo Bill considered a while. “Very well,” he said,
at last, “I’ll favor you. If I did not believe you to be a
square fellow, I wouldn’t speak.”

“I’m s’archin’ fer ther truth,” was the sober reply.

“Then I'll assist you in getting it.”

CHAPTER IL.
THE CAVE OF MYSTERY.

“Two days ago I crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico,
having partly accomplished the work of dispersing a band
of Chiricahua Apaches, for many months the pest of the
border. Their chief, Whistling Raven, succeeded in elud-
ing pursuit, but the Texan rangers, with whom I was as=
sociated, assured me that he would be taken care of,
should he ever show himself on this side of the river. I
left the rangers at the crossing, and alone started across
the desert for Fort Winthrop. Whennight fell, I camped
on a hilly oasis, about thirty miles to the south. It was
in-a wooded. ravine, and I saw no sign of human being
when I selected it. ;

“Some time after midnight, while I was sleeping soundly,
I was set upon by a small band of Apaches, led by
Whistling Raven. I was bound hand and foot, and early
this morning was secured to the back of a wild Indian
pony, and the animal was cockle-burred and turned loose
on the desert. But, before this inhuman move was taken,
Whistling Raven, who speaks English, said to me: ‘Buffalo

oy

BILL WEEKLY. ee

Bill, I am not doing this because I hate you and desire
to inflict the most cruel punishment that I’ can think of
upon you, but to satisfy the wish of one who is, and has
been for years, your remorseless enemy. He it was who
told me where you might be found. He it was who sug-
gested that you be strapped to the back of a pony and
sent forth to die a horrible death on the desert.’

“This statement surprised me greatly. Who could this
enemy be? I asked the question, and Whistling Raven
refused to satisfy my curiosity. All he would say was
that my enemy was a white man, and, that I had once
done him a mortal injury. Now, all the injury 1 have
ever done has had as sufferers those who have deserved
all they got, to wit, the criminals of the border, and
the savages who have gone forth to slay. So I could
only conclude that my enemy belonged tothe criminal —
element, and that he was taking revenge for some pun-
ishment that had been righteously inflicted upon him.
But, try as I would, I could not guess the identity of
the man.

“The ride over the desert was one long agony, and
when the pony reached the cafion below, and the accident
occurred, I gave up hope. You know the rest.”

‘Did you-—” The dwarf got thus far with a ques-

tion and then stopped.

“What were yot' going to say?” asked the king of
scouts.

“Nothin’, nothin’ of consequence,” replied Tadpole.

“I don’t like mysteries,” continued Buffalo Bill sternly.
“I owe you a great deal. I had taken a liking to you,
and I had hoped that there might be frankness between
us. Has the mention of my name changed your feel-
ings toward me? In a word, now that you know who
I am, are you a friend or an enemy?”

Tadpole Tom, thus pushed to the wall, looked the scout
fulf in the face. His voice was steady as he replied:
“Neither. For the present, I must occupy a neutral posi-
tion. Were you other than Buffalo Bill, I could say now,
and say it heartily, ‘I am your friend.’ ”

“This is a queer state of affairs,” said the scout, as he
scratched his head. “It can’t be,” he added suddenly,
“that you are a friend of the mysterious person who seeks
my death?”

The dwarf was about to answer, when some one called
from without:

“Tom, are you there?”
treble.

“Ves,” was the quick reply. “Shall I come out?”

“No, Vil come in.” :

The bushes were parted, and a trembling ,old man
stepped into the cave. His face was of the color of
ashes, and his hair and beard were as white as snow.
The only features that did not suggest age were the eyes.
They were dark, brilliant, piercing.

The voice was a quavering

“Who

“E see you are not alone,” he said, in surprise.
is this gentleman ?” ,

Tadpole Tom answered instantly: “He is an old friend
of mine, and his name.is Johnson. He lives in Santa Fe,
and was a scout for the government until he got into a
row with an officer. Then he was bounced, an’ fer a.
month he hev been shiftin’ fer himself. He thinks of
strikin’ out fer Mexico,” continued the dwarf, with an
even countenance. “Hasn’t any sorter use fer Arizona.
Knows ther Yaquis, an’ may settle among ’em.”

The king of scouts, believing that, in spite of the

 
 

a NEW BUFFALO

dwarf’s assertion of neutrality, the little fellow was
showing friendship by his deception, concluded not to dis-
abuse the old man’s mind of the false impression it had
received.

“For Mexico?” repeated the old man. “If he does he
may meet with a friend of mine. He’s the brother of the
chief of one of the Yaqui villages. His name is Whistling
Raven.”

Buffalo Bill could ‘hardly repress a start. The dwarf
looked at him warningly. “I have heard of him,” he said,
trying to speak with composure. “But—he is an Apache.
How is-it that his brother is a ruler among the Yaquis,
a nation that has nothing in common with the Apaches?
But, perhaps, I am mistaken. Whistling Rayen may not
be a member of the nation which he now represents.”

“The Raven and his brother are both Apaches,” returned
the old man suavely. ‘Jumping Jaguar, the brother, was
taken prisoner by the Yaquis when he was a child. He
was adopted by the chief, and when he grew up he mar-
ried a Yaqui squaw. Last year he was chosen chief.
Speaking of Whistling Raven reminds me of something.
Do you know, or have you ever met, Buffalo Bill?”

“T_T have met him,” Cody said.

"What do you think of him? I have a reason for ask-
ing the question. My control has given me a sketch of
Buffalo Bill’s character, and has warned me to beware
of him should he ever cross my path. It may be that my
control is an evil spirit. You look like a good man.
Perhaps your opinion may not coincide with what has
come to me from the other world.” "

The king of scouts wondered greatly. What manner
of man was this, and into what kind of a nest had he
fallen, Was the old man a harmless lunatic, or was he
—the scout did not speculate further, for the old man,
continuing nervously, said: “I will withdraw my question.
It need not be answered until you have learned what my
control would have me believe. Tom, conduct Mr. John-
son to the Grotto of Shades. I will follow presently.”

When the scout and his guide were outside, Buffalo Bill
said: “Who is that old man? And what is he doing
here in this forsaken spot?”

“Fle is my master,” was the sober reply. “His name
no one knows, The Indians look upon him as-a superior
being, one who has control of the forces of earth an’

air, an’ who has intercourse with the dead. The iew
white people mae know of him call him ther Wizard of
Windy Gulch’

“This is Windy Gulch, is it?”

“Ves, an’ thar’s another an’ a larger cave a short distance
up ther gulch, Ther old man wants ter rig up a séance, |
reckon.”

They were near the other cave when Buffalo Bill
stopped. “I refuse to go any farther,” he said resolutely,
“until you have satisfied.me as to your intentions. You
have said you were neutral, and yet you have acted other-
wise. I must persist in regarding you as a friend. Now
tell me, is the wizard the foe of Buffalo Bill?”

“J don’t know, an’ it was because I was in doubt on
ther pint that I saddled ye with ther name o’ Johnson.
Better wait an’ find out fer yourself.”

“If I can convince you that I am an honest man, will
you stand by me in case I need assistance?”

“I will not lift my hand agin’ ye,”

reply.
“Why can’t you come out and tell me what’s in your

was the evasive

. peared:

 

BILL WEEKLY.
mind?’ What sort of a combination have I run up
against?”

“Maybe ye'll diskiver afore long what ye aire so anxious
ter know.”

“I am unarmed,” continued the scout, now both vexed
and angry. “You have two pistols. Lend me one.”

“Hanged ef I don’t,” Tadpole replied, and, so saying,
he handed one of his revolvers to the king of scouts,

“Thank you,” said the recipient quitly, “Now I know
how you stand. I'll take in the cave.”

In a lateral gash of the hill a few yards from the in-
tersection with the gulch was the entrance to the larger
caye. There were trees about it, and on one side was a
spring of clear, sparkling water.

As the scout and his guide were about to mater the

‘cave, the sound of a woman’s voice reached their ears.

The voice, a clear soprano, evidenced the training of a
good school.

Buffalo Bill showed his amazement in the look which
he bestowed upon Tadpole Tom. “That's ther old man’s
darter,” the dwarf explained. “She runs ther shebang.”

They went into the main chamber of the cave. It was
about twenty feet square, and contained several willow
chairs and a couch of skins.

“Thar aire two rooms beyond,” said Tadpole Tom.
“Ther fust is ther grotter, whar ther old man does his
hanky-panky business, and ther room at ther back of it
is ther darter’s boodwor an’ sleepin’-apartment.”

In the grotto Buffalo Bill sat down and waited for
the appearance of the wizard.

The dwarf did not remain in the grotto. He went to
the rear room, and Buffalo Bill could hear him in con-
versation with the old man’s daughter. Soon she ap-
She was not over twenty years of age, and as
pretty as a picture. Small, slight, gowned as if she had
just stepped out of her dressing room in a metropolis, with
bearing graceful and proud, she seemed so strangely out
of keeping with her surroundings that Buffalo Bill’s won-
der grew deeper.

Fixing her ravishing brown eyes upon the Scat, she
said sweetly: “Yours should be golden fortune, sir.”

“I did not come here to have my fortune told,”
the Indian fighter. “It was to hear something that your
father wishes me to hear.”

“Oh, my father.” She laughed merrily. “He’s such a
queer person.” She patted the golden hair upon her tem-
ple, and then, with a peculiar smile, took a seat near the
door,

said

The walls and ceiling of the grotto were draped in
somber black, and the furniture consisted of a deal table
and three chairs. The table was covered with black cloth,
and upon it was a glass globe resting upon a small tripod.

“VIL go out an’ see what is keepin’ ther old man,” said
Tadpole Tom, after the conversation had lasted some ten
minutes,

The conversation had taken in general subjects. The
girl had shown no curiosity regarding the history or ob-
jects in life of the tall, handsome visitor, and had talked
mainly of the social pleasures of New Orleans, which
she said had been her home for many years.

After the dwarf’s departure, she grew confidential.
| “I am only here on a visit,’ she said. “My father met
with business reverses. some time ago, and insisted upon
leaving New Orleans and going to some place where
men do not congregate. He is a scientist, and has been

 

 

 

 

 

 
NEW BUFFALC

a student of the occult for many years. He possesses
wonderful powers. Rightly has he been called a wizard.”

“Is he a spiritualist?” asked the scout.

“Ves, and I have been his assistant.”

“In what respect, if I may ask?”

“He says that I am a medium, and that his control, an
Indian princess, will speak better through my medium-
ship than through other methods of communication.
I haven’t acted as assistant for a long time. I am glad
of the respite, for every trance leaves me a sick woman.”

At this juncture the wizard entered. There was a
broad smile on his face. For some reason why he could
not explain, Buffalo Bill did not like that smile.

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting,” he apologetically
said. “I thought your horse might have strayed away,
and I went down the gulch to look for it.”

The king of scouts experienced a chill. Had the wizard
seen the half-eaten body of the pony in the cafion? And
if he had seen the body, what construction had he placed
upon the sight?
' *T. went as far as the cafion,” the wizard continued,
“and looked up and down it, but saw nothing in the ani-
mal line except a pack of coyotes gathering about some
object on the sand. I wonder what it was?”

“It was my horse,” said Buffalo Bill bluntly, and now
determined to force matters to an issue. “I was on my
way to see Tadpole Tom when my horse stepped in a
badger hole, broke his leg, and was set upon by the
coyotes. I could do nothing to save the animal, though |
managed to kill one or two of the beasts before I left
the spot.”

Tadpole Tom nodded his head. The bluff that the
scout was making appeared to please him, and the ex-

planation seemed to satisfy the wizard, for he said nothing
when Buffalo Bill had concluded. '

But the daughter had something to say. She had lis-
tened to the talk about the disabled pony and the coyotes,
and more than once had shot a keen look at Buffalo
Bill. He had noticed the look, and was on his guard
when she spoke.

“You must have had other adventures before you
reached the cafion?’’ she observed quietly.

“Nothing to speak of,” he modestly replied.

_ “TI inferred that you had’ had trouble,” she coolly went
on, “because I perceive that. you have but one weapon, a
pistol. You are the first frontiersman I have met who
did not carry a rifle and a knife.” :

The old man, who had been fondling the glass globe,
here broke in before Buffalo Bill could reply.

“The last time I was in Santa Fe,” he said, “Il saw a
mountaineer in a poker game stake his rifle and his pis-
tols against the money of the other fellow. He was
down to cases. He lost, and that night he held up a
teamster, secured a revolver, and took to the hills. Per-
haps our friend here may have struck hard luck and——”

“You are right,’ interrupted the king of scouts, who
now cared not what kind of a play he made. “I have
been in hard luck. But I am going to try a new deck and
see if my luck won’t change.”

“Good plan” said the wizard. Then he addressed the
girl commandingly: “Stella, come here!”

The command was obeyed. The girl drew her chair
up to the table and placed her hands in those of her
father. After some muttering, a few passes, and the usual

3° BILL

But:

your opinion of his character?” 4

 

WEEKLY. 3 :

hypnotic preliminaries, the girl’s head drvened | to a
breast. Then the wizard spoke.

“Who and what is Buffalo Bill?” he asked.

"A trickster, a robber, and a murderer.”

‘The king of scouts’ face reddened with wrath. He
would have spoken had he not caught the eye of Tad-
pole Tom. The eye said: “Don’t.”

“What has he done to deserve the character which you
have given him?”

“I cannot tell you, because there is one here beside me
who. says that an explanation might defeat the ends of
justice?” ‘

“Who is that one? A man or a woman?”

“Tt is a woman, or, rather, the ghost of one.”

“A woman who was wronged by Buffalo Bill?”

“Yes.”

“Say, professor, this is simply rot,” the king of scouts
burst in, regardiess of the head-shaking of Tadpole Tom.
‘T know Buffalo Bill, and I give you my word he is
neither a trickster, a robber; nor a murderer. He never
wronged any one. Your control is a fraud.”

The wizard showed no offense at this interruption. On
the contrary, he looked pleased.

“That is what 1 wanted,” he sai, “‘an ‘expression of
your opinion. I was afraid that my control had been de-
ceiving me.” 4

“You bet she has been deceiving you,” quickly returned
the king of scouts. “And now F-would like to ask you a
question. Why do you take such an interest in Buffalo
Bill? What is he to you or yours?” -

“Nothing whatever. An acquaintance, one who has done
me several good turns, asked me to use my occult faculty
in getting at the truth regarding this famous scout and
fighter. I do not know his object.”

“His name? What is it?”

“Why are you, who are not Buffalo Bill, so anxious to
pry into matters concerning him?”

‘“T.am his friend,” replied the king of scouts.

“fis friend, are you?” It was Stella who spoke. She
had come out of her trance, and her face was pale and
her eyes had dark shadows under them. “And what is

“There is no need to repeat it,” put in the wizard,
with a frowning face. “It is all complimentary.” As he
said this, he turned his back, and the next instant Buf-
falo Bill’s chair slid from under him and the heavy
cloth ceiling of the grotto fell upon and enveloped him.

Before he made a struggle to get from under the in-
cubus, strong hands grasped the cloth about his throat.
Other hands, the hands of a man, rendered assistance in
reducing him to utter submission.

After he had been bound the cloth about his face was
cut away, so that he could breathe freely. He looked
about the grotto. The girl had gone. The wizard and
Tadpole Tom stood over him. —

“You have betrayed me, you scoundrel,” the trapped
scout hissed, as he fixed his wrathful eyes on the dwarf.

“Don’t ye get excited,” was the cool response. “Thar
ain’t any call fer it.”

ma CHAPTER IL.

FROM ONE DANGER TO ANOTHER.

sey

i. uit never to have entered this cave,” Buffalo Bill
said, more to himself than to the two men who were look-
ing at him. “If I had knocked down the dwarf, ran back,

 
 

6 | NEW BUFFALO

stolen his horse, and rode out of the gulch, I would have
done a sensible thing.”

“You would have done a very foolish thing,” replied
the wizard. “I knew you wherf I saw you down at Tom’s
‘cave, and if you had tried to leave the gulch in the
manner you have stated, you would have been shot dead.
I was ready for just such a move, and I would have
potted you beyond the shadow ef a doubt.”

“Who are you?” interrogated the scout. “My enemy,
the man who hired Whistling Raven to put me on that
pony’s back?”

“T am not the man,”
the ring of truth in the tone.
strument of justice.”

“Tustice!” sneered the prisoner.
believe I am a bad man?”

“T believe you deserve punishment of the most har-
rowing description,” returned the wizard calmly. “It is
no use for you to ask questions. I won’t answer them.”

“You can at least inform me what you intend to do
with me.”

“T can’t even do that. I must first get my instructions.”

The two men went out, and the king of scouts was
alone. Half an hour passed, and then from the front
chamber of the ave came a deep baritone in cold, merci-
less speech:

“William F. Cody, you have taken the first degree, and
you are still alive. The hour is approaching when you
shall be given initiation into the frightful mysteries of
the second degree. You may live through it. My hope
is that you may, for I want you to suffer as no man ever
suffered before. There are other degrees, and from all
you cannot escape with life. My decree is that you shall
die, but death must come slowly. You have committed
a terrible crime, and ordinary punishment will not suffice.
If I had desired your immediate death, I would never
have had you placed on the back of that pony. I knew
there was a chance for you to escape, but I knew at the
same time that before you escaped you would have to
undergo an experience that vous harrow your soul. An-
other experience awaits you.”

The voice ceased, and Buffalo Bill, torn. by curiosity,
called out: “Drop this mystery. Who are you?”

There was a Mephistophelian laugh, and then the an-
swer: “I am a man whom you have never seen.”

“Come in and let me look upon you so that I may get
acquainted with the biggest scoundrel that ever went un-
hung?”

“T believe I will oblige you?” was the cool reply, and
into the grotto stepped a young man of about thirty, with
coal-black hair, long, black mustache, eyes deep-set and
piercing, an aquiline nose, and high, narrow forehead.

There was a sinister smile on his face as he sat down
by the table and looked at the victim on the floor.

“How do you like my looks?” he asked.

“You look like the devil,’ was the quiet answer.

“You are complimentary. Satan is a very interesting
character. He is rather cunning, I have been informed.”

was the response, and there was
“T am but an humble in-

“T like that! Do you

“How long have you been doing the wizard business?”
questioned the scout, with a sneer on his face.

The villain started.
play, have you?”

“Your eyes gave you away. Besides, you are a bad

actor. I knew all the time it was no old man who was
doing the wizard act.”

“So you have spotted my double |

BILL WEEKLY.

“T did not care whether you penetrated my disguise, or
whether you took me for what I represented myself to
be,” returned the young man nonchalantly. “I had you in
the door, and that’s all I wanted. But life is a little dull
in these diggings, and so I thought I would have a little
fun with you before putting on the screws.”

“I suppose your wife was in on your game of fun?”

“My Vitel. lifting his eyebrows. “I wish I could say
she was.”

“And, as you can ’t, will you tell me who she is?”

“Interested in her, are yout Well, she is a daisy, and
if she hears me I’ don’t care.”

“T do hear you,” spoke the subject of his remark as she

me into the grotto, “and I would thank you to keep
your compliments to yourself.”

The young man’s face utrned a deep-red. He muttered
something and then marched out of the grotto.

The girl waited until she was sure the man had left the
cave, and then she surprised Buffalo Bill by saying: “I
am not your enemy. a not dismayed. I will spoil that
fiend’s plan if I can,

She turned to leave, but he stopped her.

“Why can’t you release me?” he whispered. “I am not

- afraid to tackle the young devil and his imp, Tadpole

Tom, with or without weapons.”

‘She bit her lip, then stamped her foot
later Tadpole Tom came into the grotto.
frown on Stella’s face and smiled.

“Better take a spin in the open air, hadn’t ye?” he said,
with a grin,

The girl tossed her pretty head and walked out.

Tadpole Tom’s eyes followed her, and there was strong
disapproval in their expression. “She means well,” he.
said to Buffalo Bill, “but she has been wrongly advised.”

“By the man who is my deadly enemy?”

“No, by. the agent of ther man who has it in fer ye.”

“By which you would have me infer that the agent is
the fellow who was here a few minutes ago?”

“Sure.”

“And how do you stand? I must confess that you are
a puzzle. You have stood by me, and you have stood
against me. Isn’t it about time for you to leave your
position on the fence, and take a decided stand ?”

“I can’t do anything that would displease her,’ was
the troubled answer.

“Does she desire my death?”

“I don’t think she does, but she is engaged ter be mar-
ried to ther man who aims ter do ye up.”

“See here, Tom,” said Buffalo Bill earnestly, “you are
wise. to some things, but you are in the dark as to others.
This girl, whose wishes you do not wish to run counter
to, told me that she is my friend and that she would
spoil the plan of my enemy’s agent if she could. Why
can’t you help her? And what is to prevent you from
releasing me now? Don’t you think that we three—my-
self, the girl, and you—are not able to cope with one man?
Why, I could handle half a dozen such fellows myself.”

Tadpole Tom did not answer at once.
the cave and remained several minutes. When he returned
he said: “We can have half an hour to ourselves. I am
goin’ ter tell ye something, an’ if ye can smooth away some
of ther rough places in my sry, I may get in an’ do
somethin’ fer ye.”

It is needless to say that the king of scouts was all at-
tention at once,

A “moment
He noticed the

He went out of

 

 
 

 

NEW. BUFFALO
“That girl’s father saved my life,’ began the dwarf,
“an’ when he died 1 found my self. saddled with. ther

promise ter stay by her until she got married. Two years

ago she got acquainted with a feller over in Mobile whar
she war visitin’: I wasn’t ‘with her then, bein’ down with
yeller jack in N’Orleans.

“T pulled outer ther fever game by ther skin of my.

teeth an’ war convalescin’ when she came back. Nater-
ally, she told me "bout ther young man. He had gone ter
Arizona on some hefty business, an’ they war ter be mar-
ried arter he had transacted it. 1 wanted ter know all
about ther feller, an’ she said he war a planter an’ ther
nicest gentleman she had ever met.

“As | wanted ter know more about him I asked her what
business had sent him ter Arizona. She wouldn't tell
fer a while, acted kinder queer about it, but finally,
knowin’ she could trust me, she said he war lookin’ fer a
man who had done him a fearful wrong. The man’s name
war William F. Cody.”

“Here is this mystery ate growled the king of
scouts. “What does this enemy of mine charge me with?’

“That’s what I asked Stella Bayne, an’ she told me.
She said that--you had murdered a woman who was
related in some way to the man she had become engaged
to. Not only that, eae vor na eee a corns that be-
longed to*ther: woman.”

“May I ask who: ee was that he praedered: ads sata: thie
ine of scouts, a gleam of: amusement in Ci aye ee

‘Fer name war Adah Lafarge.”

“Oh, I begin to see.’ The scout at GG fi doh the
clew to the mystery.- iia was the aera fear he
asked. quietly:

“Miss Lafarge had been. eee “yatte some” uiaate

jewels, an Indian chief doin’ ther presefitin’, an’ ‘you, ia I

war told, got on her trail, killed her, an’ stole ther gems.’
Buffalo Bill-smiled. “Now- that you pave seen me, do
you. believe that yarn?” >
Tadpole Tom-answered deoaade ; “No, a don! 1? A sa
“IT am glad you have said that,” responded Buffalo Bill,
“without waiting for me to give my side of the affair.
Here it is: -Adah Lafarge, a beautiful adventuress, went
to-the village of the Zuni-Mohaves, ingratiated herself
with the handsome, unsophisticated chief; and induced him
to rob the cave of gems and elope with her. He was
deserted after he had been with her but: a day. or two,
and the woman, with the gems,-worth hundreds of thou-
sands: of dollars, pushed on. over ‘the:.mountains to meet
her lover, one Brazos Jake, a half-breed outlaw, who

- was. waiting for her, the pOpbELY hanes been ee

planned. by. them weeks before.”

. The pursuit. by the king of scouts: a the. sieanae: ad-
ventures that he-met with have been. detailed in another
number of this weekly.*

- Concluding his story, Buffalo Bill said: “T recovered

he the stolen gems, and they were returned to the cave
If you doubt me, go to:

from which they were stolen.
the village of the Zuni-Mohaves, and you will learn that
I have spoken.the truth. As for the thief, she was killed,
but not by me. A tomahawk, thrown by an Indian ally
of hers, missed its mark and clove her skull. The proof
‘of this statement may also be obtained in the village of
which I have spoken. So you see, I have committed no
murder, and I have not stolen property belonging to Adah
Lafarge.”

2 pean Bk wud

*See “Buffalo Bill’s Desperate Mission,” No. 78:

 

  

“BILL WEEKLY.

   

    

23

"I believe ye,” said Tadpole Tom impulsively. “I shore
see it all, now. This Craven Starr, that’s ther -feller’s
name, has put up a yarn ter deceive Miss Stella, all ther
time knowin’ that ye did right. But right ain’t a-stickin’
in his craw ter make him easy on yer. No, he’s got it in
fer ye because ye war responsible fer ther woman's death
an’ also responsible fer ther rekivery of ther jewels. I
am goin’ ter tell ther gal all about it, an’ then you'll be all
right.”

“T would rather be all right before you tell her,” ld
Buffalo Bill. “Release me and we will go to her.”

“AN right.; I'll catch fits fer interferin’, maybe, but I
don’t care. Right’s right, an’ that settles it.”

He squatted by the side of the prisoner and had begun
the work of release, when the man who had posed as the
wizard softly entered the grotto. As his eyes took in
the scene, he sprang forward and dealt the dwarf a. power-
ful blow under the ear. Tadpole Tom fell backward and
did not move. After possessing himself of the weapons
that the dwarf catried on his PSony he coolly ee
the prostrate scout:

“You are a pretty slick one, and it’s lucky I eitepected
‘what was going on.> I told Stella-that she was a fool
for taking Tom along with her, oF now. she’ ik know:-it.
Gave things away; didn’t he?”.

Buffalo Bill did not answer. oe pie nae
-“Well, it doésn’t matter what he told you. Hé is not
on the inside, and so could: not tell you everything.”:

- “Phar -is:one thing I can say now,” said. Tadpole Tom,
as he raised his head from the ground; “‘an’ that is: this:
Ye have been -tryin’. ter make me think ye war an agent.
Now I:know better.- Ye aire ther -main cai an’ a
‘name ain’t Patterson,:fer it’s Starr.” :

+ Pheyouns man showed iis teeth.) cine oS

-"So” he hissed; “you-area-traitor. ~ Well, if it ~wili- do
you atty-good to know, Elt-acknowledge that my name’ is
Starr, Craven Starr. - But 1 am not”-he’ paused-and bit
his lip, for Stella Bayne had come in me was hae
at him: with warning. eyes. Ty ett iam, ie ate

‘Release that mam!’ she commanded.
harsh, insistent. ;

Craven Starr obeyed, and Buffalo Bill, tooking ae: him,
saw that he was smiling.

The cords were removed- and: the: ‘teint of scouts.-arose,
stretched himself, and then, stooping, lifted Tadpole ‘Fom
to: his feet. -* co are gre wake “ates che ie ““Phis .
no place: fee you.”

“You may do as oy please, Tom,”
ferently..

The dwarf’s lips. iis as a eenied
here until I have done my duty.”

-Now, Mr. Cody,” turning to
gently, “I would advise you
to leave this gulch at once. I will see that you are not
followed and molested by Mr. Starr. Tom, go ae my
room and stay there until I call you.” ari

Whit che was out of sight, the girl spoke to Starr.

“You made one mistake when you allowéd me to tome
here,” she said coldly. “You did not figure on the ap-
pearance in this gulch of the man yout were. pursuing.
Now that I have seen him, I HOW, that. you have lied
to me. , Henceforth we are strangers.” aah :

She dappee up to him and snatched a pistol Feom his
belt and handed: the-weapon to Buffalo Bill. “

“I could not let you go,” she said, “without means of

sa liede: tone was

said the girl indif-

i shat bugs

“Very well, suit yourself.
Buffalo Bill and speaking
Q X 7
, ‘ : Se

protection. Down felon the -other ave | you wt find
Tom’s horse. Take it and ride away.” i

“And leave-you here at. the mec. oe ee aaa
cried. the king of scouts, in hot disapproval. “Not much.
PIL stay with you until Mr. Craven Starr has been put
into a position that will. make it. Evel for him to
hurt anybody.”

“T am obliged to you” - was the quiet: cay “but. Ido
not fear him. Tom will protect me.. And—I do not wish

_to have him punished. Go, and have no fears on my ac-
count.” Ee

“Yes, go,” said the voice of Tadpole. Tom from the
door of the boudoir, “she’s all right,”

And out of the cave of mystery, puzzled, dissatenel
and angry, walked the king of scouts. He reached the
lower cave, and, looking below him, saw nothing but. the
bare sides of the gulch and the sands opening into the
cafion.

“That horse she aeOke of must have wandered away,”
he thought. ;

Just then a score of Indians appeared at the mouth of
the gulch.
hiding place.

The cave was not to be thought of, for the Indians,
if they rode up the gulch, as they probably would if they
were.commanded by Whistling Raven, would likely stop
and enter- the cave. There was a narrow trail across the
gulch. It led upward and was .bordered by. mesquite
bushes. By taking it, the scout was able to. reach. the

cafion in the rear of the Indians, and here he was both.

surprised. and pleased to. see Tadpole Tom’s horse ree
in the sand.

CHAPTER IV;
BUFFALO BILL, S REPRISAL.

The horse.1 was a fough mustang, and Buffalo Bill sized
him up for a fast stepper and a stayer. Attached by a
leather string to the horn of the saddle was a canteen.
Unserewing the mouth cover, the scout found that the
canteen was filled. with clear, cold water.

“That's good,” he said to himself. “Now I’ wonder. if
there is any grub in the bag under the canteen.” The
bag was opened, and the contents. found to consist of
jerked beef, hardtack, and dried figs.

He mounted and rode northward. While passing the
- mouth of the gulch he saw Tadpole running toward the
cafion. When the dwarf beheld the king of scouts, he
waved ie hands and shouted. “Stop! xe got eine
for you.” .. ;

Buffalo Bill reined up. Tadpole . Tom was soon at the’
side of the mustang. “Stella said I might find you
down here if I hurried. Whistling Raven is at the cave,
an’ he said something that made Stella want to get quick
word to-you. One of ther Injuns with Raven is a Yaqui,
_an’ this Yaqui, who is Whistling Raven’s brother’s brother-
in-law, told ther Raven that ther Yaquis have got a white:
prisoner that they’re shore goin’ ter burn at ther stake as
soon as ther Feast of ther Minneba comes on, an’ that’s

next month. The name of ther white man is Pawnee Bill.” -

“Pawnee Bill?” ejaculated the scout, in strong amaze-
ment.

“Same hombre, He went down inter ther Yaqui coun-
try to find a cousin of hisn, an’ got inter a row with
some Yaquis who objected to his ridin’ through their

   

Jands.

Buffalo Bill saw them and looked about for a

   

N EW BUFFALO ' ‘BILL WEEKLY.

Thar war some bloodlettin’, an’ Pawnee Bill war
overpowered an’ taken to ther main village.” —

“Had. your mistress any advice to give me”

- “No. She’ said as-how IT was to tell ae this ° an’ let ye
do as ye pleased.”:

“And it pleases me to turn about and ace tke oS wind
for Mexico.” A :

There. was-a pause. - :

“Did this man Starr heat Miss Bayne when ‘she re-
quested you to run down and see me?” asked Cody.

“No. He war lyin’ down in ther grotto fast asleep.
He’s an opie fiend, an’ he hit ther dope just after ye
left ther cave.’

A week’s travel without adventure brought Cody into
the hilly country beyond Chihuahua. One night: while
encamped on the. banks of a small stream, Tadpole Tom
rode up. oo

“Knew I’d find ye,” said he, as they shook hands, “fer
ye left a clear trail. Wanted ter come, and Miss Stella
consented arter aes got some pointers from Whistling
Raven.” a

“T’'m awfully glad to see you, Tom, pointers or no
pointers,’ replied Buffalo Bill, with a smile of pleasure.

The dwarf’s oe eee and his: eo ‘oad on
with joy.

“Thar aire Yaquis an’ Vues “ tie said, “an? ‘some of
‘em aire easy ter git along with s’ long’s ye treat ’em
right. But thar aire others who aire as savage as ther
’Paches. Pawnee Bill was cotched. by ther savage crowd,
an’ it’s ter tell you this an’ also whar he is bein’ kept
that I’m hyer ter-night.”

“Anything- more?” asked the king of scouts, as the
dwarf paused and looked thoughtfully at the ground.

“Nothin? that Miss Stella told me, but I diskivered
somethin’ ter-day that I don’t like a little bit. I knows
when I’m bein’ follered, an’ if I warn’t follered ter-day
then my sense works is shore outer kilter.”

“Who followed you? Do you know?”

“Not for sure, but I knows this, though: Thar war
two of ’em, an Indian an’ a white man. They tried ter
keep outer my sight, but arter I got onto ’em I played
fox, an’ it warn’t long afore they got a leetle keerless.”

“A white man and an Indian,” repeated Buffalo Bill
musingly. “Might they not have been Whistling Raven
and Cravén Starr?”

“That's what I been a-thinkin’,’ returned Tadpole Tom,
with a sober expression.

“We are in an exposed position here,” said Cody. “If
we are being followed, we had better be moving. It is
not very dark, and the trail is plain. We must make Sev-
eral miles before we stop for the night.”

After they had eaten a frugal supper, the scout and
his companion rode on. Before long, the trail took them
into one of the “wildest sections of the Sierra Madre
Mountains. Less than a day’s travel would bring them
into the Yaqui country.

At times the progress was very slow, and Buffalo Bill,
who had provided himself with a machete, the heavy,
sword-bladed knife used by the Mexicans to cut their
way through thickets, was obliged to use it to render passa-
ble the way before them.

Just before midnight they came to a bridge of vines
which crossed a chasm through which tumbled a fierce
mountain stream. It was: serviceable for man or beast

 
 

' villain shrugged his shoulders.

' ideas.

NEW BUFFALO

and was crossed in safety, the animals belts accusiomed
to such primitive contrivances.

Arrived at the other side of the bridge, Buffalo Bill
said: “Here is the place to camp. The enemy must cross
that bridge. to keep up the purentt and that circumstance
will put them in our power.”

There were plenty of oo hiding places, and the two
friends watched and waited until dayhient. But no enemy
appeared.

After breakfast, ‘the. king of the scouts announced his
intention to go back on the trail and: make an investiga-
ton %

“T want to make sure,” said he, “that we are being
pursued by enemies. -It may be possible for me to learn
what plot, if any, has been hatched against me. IT will go
on foot, and if, as I suspect, Whistling Raven and
Craven Starr are not far away, I shall not be gone long.”

Buffalo Bill-went swiftly along the trail, and less than
a mile from the bridge his ven@ure was rewarded by the
sight of. Whistling. Raven, Craven Starr, and five Indian
braves. The party had PS ina ney and breakfast
was just over.

It was a time for conversation, and iptecentty Starr
said : “Don’t. forget what I told you about Tom. He
has forfeited his right - live. Kill him outright, and

~ leave Buffalo Bill to me.’

Whistling. Raven. grunted. “Why not kill Buffalo Bilt?
Too.much fool-play. Child do better.”

“T reckon you are right, Raven,” replied: Staer, Shutct
am. not running this circus. The real Wizard of Windy
Gulch is the boss. I am sorry you did not: meet him.”

“I did meet him. He talked with Whistling Raven in
the cave of Tadpole Tom. He said many things. He.
took the Raven for a blinking papoose. Let it be. so.
Whistling Raven no care.”

Starr laughed. “That means that as Jong as you get
paid for your work rt does not matter what kind of a
fool your employer is.” —

The Indian nodded his head. He puffed at his pipe
a few moments and then continued: “But why so much
fool work? Wizard hate Buffalo Bill. Why not kill
Hime quick too

“Til tell you why. ‘The wizard is a peculiar individual.
The fact that he keeps in the background shows it. Why
not come out in the open and fight like a man?” The
“Because the wizard has
read books-and has filled his head with a lot of cranky
He has made up his mind to punish Buffalo Bill
in such a way .that when death comes, it. will come. as the
afterclap of something that. will. make: ‘the. victim/s -soul
sizzle. He aims to -put Bill through a course .of: devilish

‘sprouts before shutting his wind off for good, and: all.

“Buffalo Bill is a great and wise warrior. The spirit
that has protected him may be more powerful than the
spirit that controls the Wizard of Windy Gulch.”

“Wait until we get him into the Yaqui country and |
“you will see that his spirit will be out er a job:

How
quickly he bit at that Pawnee Bill yarn,”

The listening scout would . have. can ‘strong baie
had it been safe for him to open his mouth. So he had
been fooled. to the limit.
for. further revelations.

“J knew that he would go Geo fee and water for.
Pawnee Bill,” the villain went on coolly. “They are old

pards, and each has saved the other’s life I don’t know

‘ time befere-I got acquainted..with her father...
-.ther- half-sister-war Adah Lafarge.”

In.shame and anger he waited

BILL WEEKLY. | 9
how many times. Lucky I thought of Pawnee Bill when
I was talking with the wizard and wondering what kind
of a snap we could work to get Buffalo BY into Mexico.
And it was the frozen truth about Pawnee Bill’s trouble
with the Yaquis. The part that wasn’t truth was the
capture and the proposed burning at the stake. Pawnee
Bill came off first in his scrap with the Indians, and the
last I heard of him he was hiking for Durango.”

The talk soon ended, and preparations were made for
continuing the journey.

Buffalo Bill, satisfied as to the intentions of ine ene- —
mies and puzzled over the identity of the fiend, who,
according to Starr’s statement, was the real Wizard of
Windy: Gulch, hurried’ back to the’ ene where he had
left Tadpole Tom.

The story. he told had a depressing effect upon the.
dwarf.

“So I am to be killed, am I? J don’t know anything
about this other wizard. I never saw but one.”

“Are you sure that the person who played wizard for
my benefit is the one who had played it before that?”

oe ‘dress was ther same, an’ ther voice was ther
same.” Wine

“How about the build, the height: ca

Tadpole Tom considered this point. _ Buffalo Bill; watch-
ing the expression of his face, saw the signs of pain.
The answer to the'last question came with difficulty : a

“Thar—was—a - difference, Mr. Cody. I’d rather not.
say anything more,’

“There is no need,”
“I know what you think, You have»been deceived.
blow is a hard one, but you will recover from it.”

“I don’t believe she ordered my death,” the dwarf said,
with trembling lips and moist. eyes: “She is a queer girl,
but she has always been my friend.” __

“No more do I, Tom,” replied Buffalo Bill warmly.
“This man Starr hates you because: you tried to help’ me.
Admitting, as-we must, that the Wizard of Windy Gulch’
is Stella Bayne, and that. she is my enemy, the enemy
who. has planned to torture and then kill me for a crime
I’ never committed, still there exists no reason why she
should wish you-out of the way.” And now I want to
ask-wou a question: Did you give Miss Bayne my” ver-
sion of the Adah Lafarge matter?’ :

“No. I shore would have done so if-I Hida thought"
she’d concluded. to stand yer friend: . Now, I wish I had,
fer I’m satisfied she doesn’t: know ther truth.” - MT

“What relation- does: she? Pe to: the dcr soma te
Have you, any: idea?” x

“She had a half-sister who left New Orlow: some -
Maybe

poaentes the king of scouts gently.
The

Conversation came to an end, for in the near distance
could be heard the sound of horses’ hoofs.

Buffalo Bill left his. hiding place close to the bridge,
and, crawling to the brink of the chasm, looked down.
He had before this made an inspection of the land at
the end of the bridge, and had seen a hole im the bank
just below the point where the vines were secured. This
hole was not more than séven’ feet from the surface of
the ground, and was partly screened by bushes.

After giving some instructions to Tadpole Tom, the
scout lowered himself to the hole, and, crouching behind

. the bushes, waited for the approach of the enemy.

Craven Starr was the first to arrive at the bridge, In-

 
 

oe

‘stead ‘of attempting the wis sere he aoe and’ ane to
Whistling -Raven.. q ;
“This bridge may be ai right,” ae said, “but tT am not
going to’ allow :-my. pony to’ nuit foot upon 5 until some
of the Indians have gone’ over gs) y

The Apache chief spoke: tothe. ave Indians, ee they
at once aiee to.cross in sineté file.

“You ‘see,’
bridge is strong enough to hold the five.”

At this moment Tadpole,.in moving. a little closer to
the bridge.so as to get a better view of: what was going
on, made such a noise that. the attention of Whistling
Raven was directed toward’ the thicket. that concealed
him. Instantly his rifle was at his shoulder, and 2 a bullet
sped across the chasm.

The five. Indians were. sien more . hah halfway over
the bridge.

 

A scream of agony followed the report of the rifle.
He heard the .

Buffalo Bill was then out of the hole.
scream, and a savage light flashed from his eyes.
Standing. under the bridge, he reached upward. with
his machete, cut the vines, and the bridge fell.

CHAPTER V.
AN ADVENTURE AND A SURPRISE,

The five Indians fell with the bridge, and as ‘their
bodies shot downward to be crushed on the rocks sev-
enty-five feet below, Buffalo Bill began to climb up the
bank. ‘He was seen by both Whistling Raven and Craven
Starr, and the Indian chief had made ready to fire at the
scout, when a rifle cracked just above Buffalo Bill’s head,
and the Indian spun around and then toppled into the

abyss.

Craven Starr, startled by the shot, quickly gave evidence
that his given name fitted his character. Without firing
at Buffalo Bill, he fled for cover.

Hurrying to the cover which he had occupied before
his descent to the hole, Cody was delighted to find Tad-
pole Tom alive and unharmed.

They moved to another spot for better protection
against a possible rifle attack by Craven Starr, and there
coolly considered their situation.

_"This Yaqui business is off,” said. Buffalo Bill. “We
must manage somehow to get to the other side of that
chasm, and then hunt Mr. Craven Starr.”

“He'll strike out fer ther north—fer Windy Gulch.” |

“No, he won’t, Tom. He’s down here to kill you, and
work some. satanic job on me. He'll not go back to
Stella Bayne with the story of failure. Craven Starr
is in love with the girl. She has said that she will not
marry him until he has carried out her wishes in regard
to me. He is a coward, and; therefore, I do not expect
to meet him in a fair fight. His Indian tools are gone,
but he can find others in this country. Til bet he knows
where to look for them, and while we are trying to
beat that chasm, he will be hiking for assistance.”

“We'll have ter go up ther mounting an’ git above ther

water,” said Tadpole Tom.
“Maybe not, It ‘may be possible to put he cides back
in place, We'll wait a while; long enough to give Starr:

a chance to. make himself-scarce,.and then I’ll investigate.”

Ten minutes passed, and while the king of ‘scouts “was
occupied about his mustang, Tadpole Tom, without -say-

* said Whistling Raven. rontenipiipusty,: “the oat

Yall right, my” boy.

to

cS

xy

ms

> :

tc
see —

tr

5 es

=

es)

fj

§

i

: apldly ip to the: brink of the chess ig ica ‘le aor
minute in as view from the other ite, te surned

   

a know a y you went out there": ak said. “You did
‘ ; to make sute of the situation, ‘to protect ‘me.°* Now
"you know that I. can venture out. with safety. Yow are
IT have had © many. pards, : but: none
‘truer that{ you. Come, help me with this reata business.
‘I want your rope as well as mine. If the’ thing is possible,
Iam going to lower myself. down the chasm and: recover
the loose end of the bridge.” ae

- An’ ye can do it... When I saudhted down the gap
just now, I seen that ther end ye cut war eaught on a
jagged rock ’bout three-quarters of ther way down.”

“Good! The combined reatas will give over a fifty-foot

reach, ae a are eitong enough to hold a heavier ‘man
than J am,’
- It was not long before the king of scouts ctood on the
point where the end of the bridge had been, and, after
securing one of the reata ropes to the trunk of a tree
that grew near the brink, he adjusted the other end under
his arms in a knot-loop, and then, with his hands grasp-
ing the rope where it touched the edge of the chasm,
began to slide slowly downward. At last his feet touched
the severed end of the bridge of vines. -It had, as the
dwarf had stated, caught on the long, sharp end of a rock
which projected from the side of the chasm, Twenty iter
below, the watet bubbled and foamed.

Buffalo Bill slid to the end of the rope, and, ‘planting
his feet against the bank, reached down and grasped
the thick, knotted vine work of the bridge. It was heavier
than he had anticipated, and it was all he could do to lift
the end up to his waist.

Buffalo Bill pulled at the sagging: weight of the bridge,
and shook his head. “T’ve bitten off more than I can
chew,” he said to himself, in angry disappointment. “Drat
it, but I hate to acknowledge myself beaten! -I won’t give
it up yet. There must be some way to surmount the dif-
ficulty,”

“Aire ye goin’ ter give it up?” questioned the aware

The king of scouts quickly replied: “No! let me think
a while.” He did think, and at last a plan of raising the
bridge occurred to him, “I’ve got it, Tom!” he shouted
in triumph. “We will use vines. Take my machete and cut
the longest and stoutest vines you can find, Make triple
strands, knot them securely together, and, when you have

_ got a rope long enough to reach me and allow tying-length
at the top, fasten the top end to that tree and lower the
slack to me.’

-It took Tadpole Tom about half an hour to execute the
commission that had been intrusted to him.

When the rope of vines was lowered, the king of scouts
expressed his satisfaction. It was strong enough for. the
purpose, and wher the end had been attached securely to
the end of the bridge, Buffalo Bill unfastenéd the: vines
from his person, and then ascended to the top.

They ‘set at work to raise the bridge. Buffalo Bill went
in front, and as’ he pulled on- the rope,’ Tadpole Tom
‘would wind the slack. around the tree. It was a hard
pull, and took all the strepgth that the. ‘king of scouts
could muster. But after many rests, the end of the bridge

 

fa Se tO A gk ek

bot.

“th QO FA A
 

 

~ half a dozen will satisfy him. But no matter,

 

reached the top of the hen ait was a fast 4 oO the

tree, the rope of vines which had raised: it being “used

in the fastening. #2 of
The forenoon was now about half spent, anc yaiter

crossing the bridge on their horses, the scout and his

diminutive partner rode rapidly. ging the trailinr pi 10

of Craven Starr. rs
When they started out, Tadpole Tom asked: “Whar do

ye expect ter meet up with Starr?”~

 
 

 

“The nearest village is.Los Huecos, and for years it
has been the haunt of outlaws. In fact, the outlaws run
the place.
haye heard that they are hand in glove with the des-
peradoes. Starr must know the reputation of Los Huecos,
and it is my opinion that he will ride to the village, pick
up a crew of cutthroats, and then start to round me up.
I think he will figure that I have,gone upstream to the
summit, and that I will make for the road leading to San
Rosa.”

“Tt ain’t yer idee ter ride on ter Los Huecos, is it?”

“No. I gave the place the go-by when I was coming

from Chihuahua, and I have no desire to pass through

it now. We must cut through the woods and try to
strike Starr and his outfit somewhere between Los Huecos
and the summit.”

“Supposin’ he’s got a dozen desperadoes along with him,
what then?”

“T don’t think he will take so many. My idea is that
” added the
scout grimly, “whether the number be six or twelve, |
am going to get him. This persecution business must
stop, and stop it shall before 1 am ready to report at Fort
Winthrop.”

“T’m with ye, Buffler,” was the quick response of Tad‘
pole Tom. “I owe Craven Starr one, an’ Pd like ter git
a chance ter pay it.” _

Buffalo Bill scanned the country as ey rode along,
and near the noon hour, when they had reached a gap
in the hills which led upward and eastward, he said:
“We will try that gap. It will take us to a point two
or three_miles below the summit. The traveling will be
difficult, for we have but one machete, but we may make
the trip in time to overhaul our man.” :

Before starting to cut their way through the vines and
bushes that filled the gap, they refreshed themselves from
the contents of their wallets. They sat by the side of a
cool spring, and, after eating, filled their pipes, and Aor
ten minutes smoked in silence.

Then Buffalo Bill knocked the ashes feata his pipe and

said: “I have been thinking about Windy Gulch, Tom,
and I have struck another puzzle. You came away, leav-
ing Stella Bayne without a protector. Craven Starr wants
to marry her, and we know that he is a double-dyed
scoundrel. Doesn’t it look to you as strange that she
should consent to your departure, knowing that she would
be left alone with a villain of the deepest dye? With a
man she has been holding at arm’s length ever since she

left Louisiana?”

“Craven Starr is afraid of her. An’ sheain’t a mite
afraid of him. I know what I’m talkin’ about. She ain’t
afraid of anything. Bersides, he wants ter git her money.
He can’t git it if he don’t marry her, an’ he knows. he’s
gotter walk a chalk line till she’s ready ter mosey up ter
ther altar with him.”

NEW BUFRALO

There are rurales. there, to be sure, but 1

    

    

‘se : a 2
as ; f

BILL WEEKLY.

é é

“I-see. And I suppose she will stay at the cave until
he returns, or some word from him or concerning him
reaches ‘er?’

“That’s the idee. An’ mebbe we'll take ther word.”

No more-was said, and soon the two friends were
working through the thickest of the gap.

Buffalo Bill was cutting vines near a tall tree, when a
rustling in the branches caused him to stop in his labors
and:leok up. Too late to save himself, for at the mo-
ment his eyes were raised a heavy body struck him in
the chest, and he was flung violently to the ground.

Tadpole Tom was a witness to the assault, and hurried
up to Buffalo Bill’s assistance.. He saw his friend in the
clutches of a cougar, one of the largest he had ever seen,
and, ‘without a thought of the consequences to himself,
jumped upon the savage animal’s back and began to jab
with a knife.

The cougar, held from sinking his teeth in Buffalo
Bill’s flesh by the scout’s desperate throat grip, wrenched
himself loose, shook off the dwarf, and in a moment more
would have flung himself on the little fellow if a rifle
bullet had not entered his brain.

Buffalo Bill got to his feet just as the rescuer came
into. view. One look at the tall form, and the king of
scouts threw up his sombrero and gave utterance to a shout
of joy.

“Pawnee Bill, by the great horn spoon!”

“ll be derned,’ exclaimed the hero of a
fights, “1 at ainf°my. old pard! Put it there,’

And, with hands clasped, the*two champion spirits of
the West gazed affectionately at each other.

“T heard the noise in the thicket,’ Pawnee Bill ex-
plained, “and thought I’d investigate. But I no more ex-
pected to find you, Cody, “than the high-muck-a-muck of
Linkum Vitey. What in the name of General Jackson are
you doing in the Sierra Madre country?”

it

hundred

“Let me make you acquainted with the whitest little
man in seventeen States, and then Tl do the explaining.

‘Shake hands with Tadpole Tom.”

The hands met; the clasp was warm, so warm, in fact,
that Pawnee Bill’s face wore an expression of pain when
the hands were unclasped. -

The three men sat down on the ground,
of scouts told his strange story.

At the conclusion, Pawnee Bill
good description of this Bayne woman.
in my head.”

The description was furnished. Pawnee Bill nodded his
head. :

“Same shemale,” he remarked.
hours ago in Los Huecos.”

and the king

said: “Give me a
Pve got an idea

“IT saw her not two

CHAPTER VI.
THE ASSASSIN’S SHOT.

The announcement that Stella. Bayne was in Los Hue-
cos was a great surprise to the king’ of scouts.

“Was she alone?” he asked.

“She was when I first saw her,” replied Pawnee Bill,
“but just before I left the village, a fellow joined her,
and they had a wordy scrapping match. I didn’t hear
all that was said, but I gathered she was as mad as.a
hornet because the fellow failed in something she had
asked him to do.”
“Was the newcomer a white man?”
ee ae NEW BUFFALO

 

» “Sure! A dandified, black-mustached | galoot, oe a
bad eye and a high forehead.”

“Did either of them notice you?”

“No; neither of em saw me. There is no hotel in the
place, but there is a sort of store in a two-story: adobe,
and they let rooms in the upper part. Back stairs from
the second story Jead to a patio, and from the’ patio a
gate will let you onto a plaza. I was in a back room,
looking toward the plaza, when the girl rode up and halted
at the gate. She dismounted, went into the patio, and sat
down on a bench. Half an hour passed, and then the
man appeared. After they left to go down the street, I
settled with the tendero and rode out of town. Where the
pair were then I don’t know. Out of sight somewhere in
the village, I reckon.”

‘“They had gone to drum up a gang to come after me,”
said Buffalo Bill. “Plenty of material there from which
to make a selection.”

“{ think they will have trouble in finding many men,”
returned Pawnee Bill. “The village is well-nigh deserted.
Last week the whole raft of outlaws. started on a long
raid over Durango way. Going to attack a mine owned
by ‘Americans. After the band left, three or four hard
customers from Arizona hit the place. They: are there
now, and maybe they’d take the job of trying to do you
up. Shanky Simpson is one of them. Remember him?”

“Yes; and he remembers me,” replied the king of
scouts, with a hard smile. “I was the means of making
him serve five years in the Territorial prison. He is
a bad egg) and it won’t take much inducement to get
him to start after me.” There was a pause, and then
Buffalo Bill continued: “I heard that you were over in
the Yaqui country, Pawnee Bill, and that, after a little
misunderstanding with the Indians, you left for Durango.
What has brought you here? Going back to the Yaquis?”

“You've struck it. I am going to do what I failed
to do a few weeks ago. I went into the Yaqui section
to rescue a cousin of mine, John Davie, who is a pris-
oner among the Indians. He is a mining prospector,
and, while doing placer work on the Yaqui River, was
captured by one of the wild bands of redskins and taken
to a mountain village.
might as well be dead, for the Yaquis intend to hold
him as long as he is able to. work. You see, these In-
dians are in the mining business themselves, but they lack
the intelligence and the scientific knowledge that Davie
possesses. So they use him to find gold for them and
superintend the digging.

“T tried to get to that village, and was within a mile
of it when a gang of Yaquis jumped me. We had a
little mix-up, and I didn’t get the worst of it, though
I was obliged to retreat and lay up a while for repairs. I
am over here,” the tall scout went on, “because I want to
come upon the village from a new direction. It is not
more than thirty miles from the bridge below here.”

“See here, Pawnee Bill,” said the king of scouts, after

a moment's consideration, “help me out in this matter I
am engaged upon, and then I will stand in with you on
your Yaqui racket. What do you say?”

“Say? I say yes, of course.”

Pawnee Bill had a machete, and the journey up the
gap proceeded with less difficulty than before his. ap-
pearance.

In the early part of the afternoon the three friends
rode out of the gap, and, after crossing a thickly wooded

 

His life is not in danger, but he’

   

BILL WEEKLY.

   
 

mesa, found the trail leading from the plains to the sum-
mit. -Selecting a good hiding place within view of the
trail, they dismounted and waited for the appearance of
the enemy.

As the moments passed,
showed in the countenance of Tadpole Tom.
spoke.

“Buffler,” he said earnestly, “I want to ask a favor.
Be easy with Miss Stella. Starr is ther one ye want ter
lay out.”

“You didn’t think I intended to shoot her, did you?”
replied the king of scouts, in pained surprise. “If she
shall prove amenable to reason, if the facts in the Lafarge
case’ shall open her eyes, then I will let her depart to sin
no more.”

The dwarf exhibited great relief at this promise. “I
—I like ther girl,” he said, “an’ I’d hate ter see her
abused.”

Pawnee Bill looked queerly at the little man as he ut-
tered these words. Later he took oceasion to whisper to
Buffalo Bill: “Tadpole Tom has more than a sneaking
affection for this woman. He’s in love with her.”

About the middle of the afternoon the sound of voices
reached the ears of the hidden trio. Presently a woman’s
laugh was heard.

“That’s Stella,” whispered Tadpole Tom, who was now
pale and trembling. “I’m goin’ ter look out fer her. Any
objection ?”

symptoms of uneasiness
At last he

“None in the world, if you are able to do it,” replied

Buffalo Bill.

There were six persons in the party which shortly rode
ap the hill to the outskirts of the mesa. Craven Starr
and Stella Bayne were in front. Behind them came three
evil-faced Mexicans and a tall, rawboned American. His
low forehead, small, greenish eyes, flat nose, and thick
lips betrayed the ruffan and the brute. This was Shanky
Simpson.

The program of the attack had been arranged by the
king of scouts. The six riders were within twenty feet
of the place of concealment, when the three friends sprang
into the trail. Each was armed with a rifle, and each
rifle was cocked and pointed as Buffalo Bill issued the
command: “Drop your guns and throw up your hands!
We've got you foul.”

The riders came to a quick halt, and abject fear was
written upon the faces of two of the party. The two were -
Craven Starr and Shanky Simpson. Stella Bayne showed
amazement, but not alarm. She was;about to speak, when
Simpson, impelled by desperation, sriatched a pistol from
his belt and fired at the head of Buffalo Bill, But the
bullet never reached its mark. The king of scouts saw
the murderous motion, and ducked just in time. The

“next instant Pawnee Bill’s rifle cracked, and Shanky Simp-

son fell from his horse and struck the ground a dead

‘man,

The firing of the shot was the signal for the Mexi-
cans to act, and the fight was soon on in earnest. Craven
Starr, paralyzed with fear, turned his horse and was

_ about to ride off, when a bullet from Tadpole Tom’s rifle

pierced his shoulder and brought a scream from his lips
that could have been heard a mile away. His horse gave
a jump at the same moment and unseated his rider. As
Starr went down, the dwarf, disregarding the rain of
bullets about him, ran to Stella Bayne and lifted her to the

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
  

 

 

 

   

deep earnestness.

' some time.
narrow escapes, and I never kick at what comes, if it-

- assassin is dead.

ground. She did not repulse him, though she oe at

_ him strangely.

Hurrying into the bnchest ‘-he-found-a sate awe for her,
and then went back to the trail.

While Tadpole Tom was occupied with the girl, Buf-
falo Bill and Pawnee Bill were having an easy time of it.
The three Mexicans were poor shots, and in their fright
their marksmanship showed to no advantage. One of
them, more daring than his companions, leaped to the
ground after he had fired one shot and pretended to be
mortally wounded. Watching his chance after his com-
panions had been killed, he raised his revolver and took
aim at the king of scouts. Coincident with this action
a bullet from an unknown source grazed the skull of
Pawnee Bill. The shock took away his senses and he stag-
gered forward, and then fell over the body of one of the
Mexicans he had slain.

The fall of the tall scout brought a cry of exultation
from Craven’ Starr, and, crawling on his hands and
knees, he essayed to reach the cover of the bushes.

He was near them, when. Tadpole Tom came into the
trail. The two men looked at each other with eyes of
murderous hate; and then the dwarf, with a quick move-
ment, brought his rifle to bear and shot Starr dead.

Buffalo Bill, who had been engaged in tying up the
Mexican who had shot the revolver, but failed to score,
raised his eyes as Tadpole Tom fired, and, noting the
expression on the dwarf’s face, shook his head.

“T am afraid you didn’t give him a show, Tom,”
reprovingly.

“I gave him alt ther show he deserved,” growled the
dwarf,

Pawnee Bill was trying to get to his feet as these words
were spoken. His senses had returned, and he had heard
what Buffalo Bill had said.

“IT am not mourning the scoundrel’s death,” was his
remark. “He tried to put my light out a minute ago.”

“Are you sure of that?” questioned Buffalo Bill.

“JT didn’t see him, but who else could have fired the
shot ?”,

“It sounded to me like a pistol shot,” said the king of
scouts; “and Starr’s pistols have not left his belt. By
the way,” he continued, “where is Miss Bayne?”

“Tn ther bushes,” replied Tadpole Tom.
outer ther shootin’ zone as quick as I could.”

he said

"E @ot her

The Mexican who had come out of the fight with whole
skin turned his eyes on the dwarf, and said: “You looka
like pooty good hombre. ‘Gimme cigarette.”

Tadpole Tom, with a smile, went. to the prisoner, stooped,
and lighted a cigarette. After inserting it into the Mexi-
can’s mouth, he arose, and, rene Pawnee Bill, put
out his hand.

“IT am glad ye played safe with that bullet,” he said, in

sailed’ up ther flume.”

Pawnee Bill took the outstretched hand and held it for
“My boy,” he replied; “I have had many

comes in a fair way. But it always gravels me when I
set myself up as a.mark for an assassin. I hope the
If he isn’t, or if she isn’t, then there’s
to be a reckoning in the future.”

Tadpole Tom scowled.
hope ye don’t think Stella Bayne fired at ye?”

NEW BUF FALO

  

BL Wweemiy

“A quarter of an inch, an’ ye’d have

He drew back his hand. “I

 

    

“Fetch her out, and Jet’s see what she has to say for
herself,” returned Pawnee Bill coldly.

The dwarf hurried away, his face Srere, his mnind
filled with gloomy thoughts.

He was gone a few moments, and returned with @ sour
expression on his face.

“She’s skipped,” was his announcement, “an’ by this time
is halfway to Los Huecos. All ther hosses went ‘lopin’
back that way when ther nate left ther saddles, an’ she
could easy pick up one of ’em.’

“We must go in pursuit,”
“That woman must not escape us.
with her yet.”

“No, no,” pleaded the dwarf. “Ye two stay here. Let
me go alone. If she sees me without ye she will stop,
but if she sees Buffalo Bill, she'll ride like the wind to
get away. I can mduce her ter come back; I know I
can. She'll listen ter me, an’ when I tell her what I orter
told her afore, that Adah Lafarge warn’t murdered, an’
that ther warn’t no. robbery, shell wanter come back.
Lemme go alone, won’t ye?”

The king of scouts saw the force of the dwarf’s argu-
ment. “Go on, then,’ he said.’ “We will give you two
hours. If you are not back by that time, we will ride
down the hill for Los Huecos.”

The scouts did not stay long at the place where the
fight had taken place. They rode down the trail half
a mile, and on a level spot near the bank of a small
stream dismounted, amd employed the time of waiting in
smoking and- talking. The Mexican prisoner was tied
to a tree a short distance from where they sat. He was
doubly bound, and the scouts had no fear that he would
get away.

said Buffalo Bill promptly.
I haven't had my talk

An hour after Tadpole Tom’s departure, Pawnee Biil
was stretched out on the ground, snoring peacefully, and
Buffalo Bill was fighting bravely against the heavy
drowsiness that had fallen upon him.

His head was nodding, when a stir in the bushes close
by caused him to raise his head quickly. As he did so
the Mexican he had left bound to the tree brushed by
him, ‘and, with an ugly looking knife in his hand, sprang
upon Pawnee Bill.

At the instant when the knife was about to descend, a
shot was fired, and the Mexican dropped dead upon the
form of the man he had been about to slay. The shot
was not fired by Buffalo Bill, but by Stella Bayne.

CHAPTER: Vit
THE FRIGHTFUL THIRD DEGREE.

Pawnee Bill pushed away the body of the Mexican and’
sat up. He stared at Stella Bayne in bewilderment.

“Did you shoot?’ he asked.

“Yes,” was the reply, given in a steady voice, though
her breast was heaving and her face was pale.

“Then all I can say is that you are a thoroughbred.
Hereafter I am yours truly to command.”

Stella Bayne smiled. The warm color came to her
cheeks, and she never looked more beautiful. “And what
does Mr. Cody think?’ was her question, as she Sy
her luminous eyes on the scout.

“I think,” responded the scout slowly, “that now is the
time for an explanation. But first, I would ask: Where
did you leave Tadpole Tom?” .

     

   
 

a "NEW BUFFALO

“T have not seen him since he léft you to ride down -

the trail.” ;

“You haven’t? Then, what brought you here?”

“My feet,” she replied, with a laugh. “I have -not
been away from these woods since the fight.”

“You didn’t ride away on a horse?” Buffalo Bill’s
astonishment was profound.

“IT did not. I moved from the spot Tom found for me,
but I did not go far.”

She composedly seated herself on a rock, and waited
for further questions.

“Who untied the Mexican?” asked Py Aes Bill.

“IT do not know. I suppose he untied himself. The
first 1 saw of him, he was stealing up to you with knife
in hand.”

“He did not untie himself,” insisted Buffalo Bill.

“IT reckon you're right,” said Pawnee Bill. “He was
untied by an enemy of mine, and that enemy gave the
order that I should be killed. That proposition is as
plain as can be, for if the villain hadn’t had instructions,
he would have carved Cody before he paid his attention
to me. He had to pass Cody to get to me, and, though
he had a good chance to use his cleaver on my partner,
he never took advantage of it. Who is this enemy?
Why, the person who oe to puta bullet, into me up on
the edge of the mesa.’

Stella Bayne’s face took on a sober expression. She
cast her eyes to the ground. Buffalo Bill, watching. her,
shook his head sadly

Cone ia not be the enemy who has planned to tor-
ture me,” he thought, “but she knows who that enemy
‘is, and is keeping silent about him.”

As she looked up and met his gaze, his face hardened.
“Miss Bayne,’ he said calmly, “I am a blunt man, and
I may as well tell you that before you appeared you
were under suspicion. We both thought that you fired
the shot which came within an ace of killing Pawnee Bill.
We now believe that you are innocent of that attempt at
murder. Your recent act has shown that you do not
desire the death of my friend here. But there are other
matters in which you are concerned, and if you can
explain your part in them to my satisfaction, I shall be
more than pleased.”

While the king of scouts was speaking, the girl’s face
grew pale. “I see that you suspect me of double-dealing,”
she responded, in a low voice, and without looking at him.

“T suspect, or rather I have suspected,.that you are the
enemy who has been so relentlessly purstiing me. Tell me,
. prove to me that I am mistaken.”

: He spoke with such feeling that the girl’s composure
returned. Her eyes were shining with gladness as she
said: “You are mistaken; but I can scarcely blame you
for thinking ill of me. I have been most peculiarly placed.
I could not tell you what I knew. I could only give you
‘aid whenever it was in my power so to do. I am not
your enemy. I have said so before, and you believed me.
I want you to believe me now.

“I don’t want you to accept_my bare word. I will prove
to you that I am your friend. I tried to save you when
you were in the cave at Windy Gulch. If you had gone
north, as I wished, you would have been saved the ex-
periences you have met with in Mexico.”

Buffalo Bul. “You ‘say you

Why, then, did you send Tad-

“Qne moment,” put in
wanted me to go north.

“Then let me tell you something more. _
. Starr to find Tom and bring him back. After he had

 

BILL WEEKLY.

pole Tom to me with the story of Pawnee Bill’s captivity
in Mexico?”

“I send Tadpole Tom to tell you that?’ she said, in
a tone of utter astonishment. “Why, I never knew that
Tom‘had gone to find you until Craven Starr told me!”

“That explains everything,” Cody said. “Go ahead.”

Stella Bayne gave the spegeer. a grateful glance. But
her voice was cold when she again addressed the king
of scouts.

“You are not convinced, Mr. Cody,’ she dad.
IT sent out Craven

gone I became troubled over the situation. I knew that
Starr hated Tom, and.I knew he hated you because I
took an interest in you. He is of a very jealous disposi-
tion.”

“Is?” repeated Buffalo Bill.
is dead ?”
“Dead!” She drew a deep breath. “I am not sorry.”

“Tadpole Tom killed him,” said Pawnee Bill. > _

Now her face hardened. An ominous light eleamed in
her eyes.

Buffalo Bill again found himself occupied with a puzzle.

“Tom- should have minded his own business,” she
snapped. “I cared nothing for Craven Starr, ae Tom had
no right to kill him.”

“Not when Starr had planned to kill Tom?” said the
king of scouts. “I heard Starr tell Whistling Raven that
Tom must be killed. [ told the dwarf what I had heard,
and I reckon he felt ugly about it.”

“That puts a different complexion on the matter,’ she
said.

“Miss Bayne,” said Cody, “this is a very serious affair.
I am experiencing difficulty in getting at the truth. Your
last statement tends to throw suspicion upon Tadpole
Tom.”

“Didn’t you know that he

“T said that Tom was not sent to you by me, but it
may be that he was sent by Craven “Starr, and that Starr
told him that I wanted him to go to you with the Pawnee
Bill story. And it may be in telling you about the mat-
ter Tom may have either ignored or forgotten the part
Starr played, and have stated what he believed to be the
truth—that I sent him to you.”

“Tt may be as you say,” admitted Buffalo Bill.

“I hope that is the true explanation of his conduct,”
she went on. “But let that matter rest for the present.
I know that a short time after Craven Starr had gone
in pursuit of Tom, I became alarmed. I distrusted Mr.
Starr. I began to fear that harm would come to Tom,
as well as to you, Mr. Cody. So I saddled my pony and
rode for Mexico, At Los Huecos I was. fortunate in
meeting Starr. He was alone. He said he had come up
with Tom, and that the dwarf had not only refused to
turn back, but had fired at him.”

She paused a moment, and Buffalo Bill asked: “Didn't
you know that Starr took with him Whistling Raven and
his braves?”

“No; the Indians had been gone from the gulch more
than an hour before Starr set out. I supposed that the
Raven and his braves had gone’to the north.”

' “Go on,” said the king of scouts curtly.

“I upbraided Starr for his failure,” the girl continued,
“and accused him of speaking to Tom in such a way as
to prevent an amicable understanding between them. Soon
after this we went out to hire an escort to the Yaqui coun-

®

 

 
    

 

 

 

 

king of* scouts: remarked.

can we had taken prisoner, and who lies there dead?

- dwarf with his revolver, he said sternly:

Practicing a holdup ?”

_dwarf’s weapons, and then said to Pawnee Bill:

leave,
Yaqui country. After he had gone, Tadpole Tom became

NEW-

try, for I had made up my mind to find you and Tom be-
fore another day. Starr found some men, and we’set out.
I assure you, Mr. Cody, that I had no idea that Starr in-
"tended: ) ‘use the 3 men . had hired | for any murderous
purpose.”

“There is one dane that has not been cited ” the

- “Whose was the hand- that
pressed the trigger of the pistol: that was aimed at
Pawnee Bill’s head, and that afterward released the Mexi-
"077

“Tadpole Tom,” said Pawnee Bill Abies beat “Tt couldn't
have been anybody else.”
“What do ye say?”
~The speaker was the dwarf. He had stolen up so
softly that not one of the trio had heard him.
Pawnee Bill was on his feet instantly. Covering the
“The jig is up,
you villain. Elevate your bread hooks, or ae \ Fay you
alongside that Mexican you let loose to kill me.’

Tadpole Tom threw up his hands. As he did 50, a
horseman rode tip and halted. When he saw Buffalo
Bill, he joyfully exclaimed: “Hello, sisal What are
you doing in Mexico?”

The king of ,scouts greeted the newcomer warmly.
“That you, Martin? Haven't seen you for an age.
have you been keeping yourself?”

“Down Zacatecas way. But what are you up to here?

Buffalo Bill, with a nod to Tadpole Tom, removed the
“Lower
your gun, old man. I'll see that he doesn’t get away.”

The order was obeyed, and the king of scouts turned

“to the newcomer, a grizzled, honest-faced miner, and ex-
plained the situation. —

\ “You are off your base,” remarked the miner. ‘“Tad-
pole Tom has been with me for over'an hour. -I1 met
him several miles down the trail. He, was ne for Los
Huecos, eee for a woman.’

a S'Hor me:
pole Tom more than one glance had passed. - :
““Then that settles one thing,’ admitted Pawnee Bill.
“He couldn’t have released the Mexican.”

“Released ther Mexican,” repeated the dwarf, with a look
of bewilderment. “What has happened, and what aire ye
suspectin’ of me?” In sorrowful reproach, his’ eyes sought
Buffalo Bill’s face.

The king of scouts answered frankly and earnestly :
“Tam not suspecting you of anything. I believe you are
true blue. But Miss Bayne has said things that have
made Pawnee Bill put you on his black list.”

“What did she say?” His voice was shaky.

The -girl spoke up quickly: “I never accused” you ot

anything. I only said that I never sent you after Mr.
Cody. I-suppose Craven Starr told you that I wanted you
to go oe

Yes, yes,” he said, “that war ther way of it.”
“Are you satisfied?” asked ae girl...
of malice in her tone.
Buffalo Bill smiled. “Yes, 1 am satisfied,” he said.
‘i Martin, the miner, was im a ‘hurry, and soon took his
He was on his way to some mines bordering the

There was a tinge

gloomily silent. In marked contrast to his attitude was

BUFFALO

‘that of the girl.

- she asserted, “that was the way of it.

Where

’ put in Stella Bayne, betureen whom wad Tad-

bridge of vines,

ML WHERE 0 as

She was all smiles, and sere not to
have a care on her mind.
Without being asked for an opinion, she sid’ she be-

-- lieved that the shot fired at Pawnee Bill after the fight on

the mesa catne from a pistol in the hands. ef. Craven
Starr. ‘He -was lying near one of: the Mexicans who
had been killed,” she said, “and he probably saw the dead

“man’s revolver lying on the ground -within reach, and,

taking it up, fired at the man nearest to him, As for the

- “Mexican that I killed, I believe he liberated himself.” She

went to the tree about which the Mexican had been bound,
and, picking up the cords, came back with them. Ves?
The cords: are not
cut. They are untied. Now, if a friend had come to his
assistance, a knife would have been used, as a matter of
course.”

She answered a question in Pawnee Bill’s eyes, saying :

“7 think I can explain why the Mexican on the ground

there wanted to kill you. In the fight on the mesa, you
shot and killed the leader of the men I hired in Los
Huecos. He was probably a close friend of the Mexican.
who escaped death. When this Mexican freed himself
from his bonds, the sole thought was to kill you. Isn’t
that explanation plausible?”

“Sure,” said Pawnee Bill, looking at her in admiration.

‘What’s your opinion?” asked the king ef scouts, with
his eyes on Tadpole Tom.

“My opinion?” He seemed dazed. “I—I haven't any.”

“Here is the whole business in a nutshell,” said Pawnee
Bill confidently. “Btiffalo Bill’s enemy was Craven Starr.
His only confederates were the Indians and the outlaws.
They are all dead. And now what? We will go on to
Los Huecos, leave Miss Bayne and Tom there, and then
you and I, Cody, will proceed to the Yaqui country and
scheme out some way to rescue my cousin.”

ae hat program suits me,” responded Buffalo Bill. _

Tadpole Tom made no objection. Neither did Stella
Bayne.

That night the four rested in Los Huecos, and the
next morning the two scouts parted with Tadpole Tom
and. his mistress.

“It’s a queer world,” returned Buffalo Bill.

The scouts met with no adventures on their way to the
By hard riding they made the journey
in one day, and camped some distance from the trail.

About midnight Buffalo Bill, who was wideawake, heard
the sound of a horse’s hoofs. Some one was galloping
along the trail, going not in the direction of Los Huecos,
but toward the Yaqui country. He listened for an hour,
but heard no other sounds.

In the morning he mentioned the occurrence to Pawnee
Bill.

“Some traveler, probably,” said the tall scout.

Buffalo Bill did not pursue the subject, but his ex-
pression was serious as he moved about preparing break-
fast.

Late in the afternoon, the scouts were high up on one
of the loftiest mountains of the Sierra Madre range. The
trail ran perilously close to a rocky precipice. Looking
over it, one could see, a thousand feet below, a turbulent
branch of the’ Yaqui River. The. descent for more than
half the way was almost vertical,

It was near this precipice, in a sheltered nook among
the rocks and in ‘the shade of two immense magueys,
which grow on the highlands as well as on the lowlands

  
 

16  ' NEW BUFFALO

of Mexico, that the king of scouts and’ Pawnee. Bill con-
cluded to rest for the night.” There was snow on the
peaks above them, and the air was cool and bracing.

Buffalo Bill had the late watch. It was close upon day-
light, and he was thoughtfully pacing up and down the
small space. within the rocky inclosure, when suspicious
noises outside were heard.

He roused Pawnee Bill; and, in a whisper,. ade “It
looks as if we were in for it. There ole ie moving
all about us.’

They grasped fieis rifles, and, cae down behind the
rocks, waited for what was to come. Suddenly the
great branches of one of the magueys began to shake.
Looking up, Buffalo Bill thought he could discern a dark
figure clinging to the body of the tree.

He was debating whether or not to fire, when a heavy
stone struck him in the chest. The next instant Pawnee
Bill fired, and a chorus of savage yells answered the shot.

What happened during the ensuing five minutes was of
the most exciting description. Two score of Yaquis
bounded over the rocks and engaged in a hand-to-hand
fight with Buffalo Bill and his intrepid partner. No shots
were fired by the Indians, but with knives and ‘clubs they
assailed the dauntless pair, and at last, by sheer force of
numbers, gained the victory. ee

But it was a. dearly bought « one. . Six of the attacking
party lay dead in the inclosure, and rhPee others were
badly wounded.

Daylight found the two scouts" with tear’ fds, but.
with aching bodies. They had been bound hand and foot.
Pawnee Bill had been left in the inclosure among the dead
and: wounded, but Buffalo Bill had been brought out of the
inclosure to a narrow shelf overlooking the precipice.

For half an hour the Indians were engaged in twisting

and knotting vines which they had brought with them to ~

the mountain. After a heavy, twisted rope over sixty
feet in length had been made, two of the Indians ap-
proached Buffalo Bill and began to wind one end of the
rope about his body.

“What are you going to do with mee he asked, in
Spanish.

“Buffalo Bill will become bait for the Galtareee
Indian pointed to a deep gulf beyond the shelf.

He asked no more questions, but closed his eyes and
tried to still the awful feeling that was creeping over him.
His eyes did not open as the Indian lowered him over
the gulf. At last their work was ended, and Buffalo Bill,

The

suspended. in the air over fifty feet from the top of the.

precipice, his arms bound to his sides, and with stout
vines over the cords, realized that he was nearer death
than he had ever been before.

The ‘Indians remained on tie brow of the precipice a
short time, and then departed, taking with ae asa ‘pris-
oner, Pawnee Bill.

An hour. assed. and Buffalo Bill, who was becoming
very uncomfortable, heard a voice calling him from above.
The voice was cracked and wheezy, and resembled that of
the villain who had personated the Wizard of Windy
Gulch.

The king of scouts raised his eyes, ae saw bending
oved the shelf an old man with long, white whiskers.

“At last, at- last, William F, Cody, you are where I
have long wanted you.”

BILI-

WEEKLY. :

“GHAPTER VIIL:
‘oUt OF THE JAWS OF DEATH, |
The king of scouts made no NS the satanic speech
of his enemy.

“All this was. prepared pee ago,” he voice went

on, “and I had more than one device: for luring you to

this part of Mexico. I have long known the capabilities
of this precipice. Do you know what it is called? The
Gulf of Death. .There is a tree across the gulf. Do you
see the vultures in it? They are watching you.”

With these words, the wizard left the precipice.

Two hours passed, and Buffalo Bill began to suffer ter-
ribly. He was watching the vultures, now circling above
him, with partly glazed eyes, when he felt a tug at the
rope which held him. He looked up with heart. of hope,
and then gave a cry of joy. Pulling at the rope was Tad-
pole Tom.

The dwarf heard the cry of the scout, faint as it was,
and at once shouted. “Brace up, Buffler ; ye aire comin’ up
soon.” : es

He left the shelf, was gone a few minutes, and re-
turned with two Mexicans. The three men were able to
do. what was required, and. in a short time the king of
scouts was drawn to the shelf and lifted. fo a-place of
safety.

After his bonds had been Peebed he was 5 given. a Eoenk
of water. But it was some time before he was able to
walk without staggering,

What he said to Tadpole Tom caused the dwarf to.

blush like a schoolgirl.

“I got here as goon as I could,” he little Play: ne
“Night afore last’ it s’picioned ye war_in danger over this
way; an’ I set out ter warf ye ’thout waitin’ fer breakfast
in ther, mornin’,”

“What made you suspect I was in danger ??—giving the
dwarf a curious look.

Tadpole Tom hung his head.
said.

“Then Til tell you, Tom. The lid is off now, and I
can. speak. You knew that Stella Bayne had gone this
way; and you knew, also, that she had evil designs
against me. Don’t shake your head, for I know that
she is the Wizard of Windy Gulch. I talked with her,
or, rather, she talked to me, about an hour ago. She was
made up as the wizard, but I recognized her voice and
her gestures. She is the enemy who invented the several
degrees of torture from which I have escaped alive.”

The ae of scouts looked

“T don’t like ter tell ye,” he

Tadpole Tom began to cry.
at him compassionately.

After he had wiped his eyes, dwarf gaid: ‘Tt dan t
tell ye that ye lie, fer ye don’t. She is ther wizard, though
I didn’t know it until we got’ter Los Huecos an’ were
in ther room in ther adobe we’d engaged fer ther night.
An’ she’s somethin’ else. She’s my wife.”

The two Mexicans were not within hearing. After free-
ing Buffalo Bill, they had gone to the shade of a maguey,
and stretched themselves out for a ‘smoke. - Therefore,
they didn’t know what called forth the scout’s ejaculation
of amazement.

“Your wife?” he repeated. “I never thought of. that.”

“I know ye didn’t, an’ I didn’t tell ye, fer she wanted
ter keep ther relationship secret. Ashamed of me, that’s
ther reason. I\had some money, an’ ] married her when
she was sick an’ penniless. I knowed she didn’t keer

a5

 

 

 

= aa ——
oa Pi GEO

 
 

 

 

 

 

-had ‘done.

NEW . BUFFALO :

fer me, but I wanted her, an’. I thought if I treated her-

right she’d come ter like me well enough arter a while.”

Buffalo Bill, knowing that there was an interesting story
coming, took the dwarf by the arm and led him to the
shade of the other maguey.

When they had seated themselves, he said: eae Toin,
tell me everything you know. _ You can trust me.
be just.” he

“T’m goin’ ter trust ye. I have ter. “well, ther story I
toid ye back by ther bridge was some parts true. Her
father did save my life, an’ I promised ther old man to
look out fer her when he’d gone. Ther best way ter do
that, so I figgered, war ter- marry her. She was an
actress fer a while, an’ blew in a big wad o’ money one
way an’ another.
she was up agin’ it, bein’ sick an’ broke, she took me fer
better.or wuss. Whar she found out about you an’ that
half-sister o’ hern I dunno. Anyhow, she found out, an’
made up her mind ter make ye sweat. She’s got. a b’ilin’
temper, though she don’t look it, an’ as she thought ther
world an’ all of that sister—she’d been an actress, too—
she got hotter an’ hotter as she roominated on what ye
She told me last*night, when I made her open
up an’ spit out ther- truth, that.she was told that you
killed- Adah with yer own harid, an’ she wouldn’t believe
me when I told her different. She said you war a liar,
an’ she-could prove: it.

“But I’m gettin’ ahead of my story.
ter come ter Arizona ter find an’ hey a reckonin’: with
Buffler- Bill. She said thar war ter be no killin’; but she
méant ter make ye suffer a bit, besides forcin’ ye ter fork
over ther gems ye stole from Adah. .1 was glad ter come
along, fer I aimed ter keep her straight on that promise

We left N’Orleans

of ‘hern. No killin’ in mine. At-El Paso we met Starr,
a planter’s son, who had been an actor, an’ arterward a
gambler. I never liked ther cuss, an’ I- knew he didn’t
like me. He’d been sweet on Stella, but she wouldn’t

marry him because he hadn’t any money. He wanted
ter come along, an’ ‘arter he an’ Stella had had a long,
secret chinnin’ match, she told me that he was comin’
with us as her agent. He knew ther country, an’ could
hurry up matters. I war a fool not ter kick, fer now I
know that he wanted the chance ter git me-out of ther
way, so he’d have Stella all ter himself. I never knowed
who war ther wizard until Stella told me in Los Huecos,
I s’picioned she might be the player arter I had that talk
with ye by ther bridge, but I warn’t sure until she owned
up =to it.

“An’ another thing: I never thought she’d go back on
her promise not ter have ye killed until arter we had that
scrap on ther mesa. She sent me to find ye arter ye left
Windy Gulch, an’ she gave me that yarn about Pawnee
Bili. I know I went back on that aire statement when she’d
got in a-hole durin’ ther talk with ye arter she’d shot ther

Mexican that tried ter kill Pawnee Bill, but 1 did that ter
save her.”

“] don't. blame. you,; Tom,’
patted the dwarf on the’ back.

“T asked when we were a-confabbin’: at Los Huecos, if
she had any more evil designs against you. But she would
not answer me. Then 1 made up my mind that ye warn’t
yet out o’ danger. Ther talk at Los Huecos lasted till
midnight, an’ when I woke up about four in ther mornin’
I war tied fast ter the bed an.she war gone. I war gagged,
too, an’ I war a-wonderin’ how she done it, when I noticed

said Bufalo Bill, as he
“The lie was justifiable.”

i will-

I had some money, an’ when she knew

i

BILL WEEKLY.

Ly

a queer taste. in:my mouth. I had been doped. We had a
drink-+she. went downstairs fer it—just afore I turnéd_ in.
It war strang enough ter keep me dead ter ther. world
while she put ther.crimps onter me, but not strong enough
ter keep me asleep. all night.

“I had a hard.time. gittin’ loose, but finally I got shet
of the cords, an’ then I found a horse an’ rode fer keeps.
This forenoon I met ther two Mexicans and hired ’em ter
come along with me.. They’ve been rurales, an’ aire pretty
decent fellows. As soon as I saw ther log an’ ther rope
of vines, I got wise to ther game.”

“What made you tell me that Stella had promised. to
marry Starr? 2”

“IT had ‘ter say somethin’, bein’ as ‘I couldn’t tell ther
truth,” the dwarf answered. “I war ina tangled sitiwa-
tion when I told that lie. I war hopin’ that Stella would
pan out all right, an’ so it didn’t matter much what I
said, s’long’s I went easy with her.”

“Your lies,” returned’ Buffalo Bill, with a smile, “have
not hurt any one. As for your deeds, put it there, my
Bey I am proud to have you as a friend.”

“Tll be glad when Pawnee Biil comes round to your
way o’ thinkin’,”’ said the dwart.
raise Bill is all right. All right, as regards justice
to you,” said Cody, “but he may not be all right in a ‘per--
sonal sense. He is a prisoner among the Yaquis. - You
and [ must get him out of their hands if we can, and we

must not lose any time about it, either.”

The king of scouts was on his feet, and there was grim
determination in his: expression. Ua

“Don’t. be ina rush, Buffer,” said Tadpole Tom ek
“Yer friend is-in no danger. Stella will protect him. She
has saved his life once an’ ie kin do-it ag’in, specially
when she is runnin’ ther game.”

“You think she likes Pawnee Bill, do you! Ne

“T knows it. She told me he was a bird, and that she'd
like ter cage him an’ make a pet of him. When she shot
at him she hadn’t had a good look at him.”

“I didn’t ask you to tell me who fired that shot at
Pawnee Bill, because it was not necessary. But what
changed her mind about him? [| suppose she fired the
shot to get him out of the way because he was with me,
and in handling me she wanted no interference.”

“That’s right, Buffler. She spied on you and Pawnee Bill
after you two left ther mesa and went down ther trail ter
wait fer me. She heard what you both said, and she
got stuck on Pawnee Bill. In course, she freed ther Mex-
ican, but she had no idee that he would make a sneak
an’ try ter stick a knife in yer pardner. She was up to a
ew game then. She war a-aimin’ ter git on ther soft
side of Pawnee Bill so in case ye suspicioned her she could

“eall on Pawnee Bill ter stand up fer her.”

“And he did stand up for her, Tom. Her beauty wad
her eloquence broke down his guard. But where is he?”

“Not ten miles from hyer. He’s a prisoner, in course,
but he’ll be let loose as soon as Stella’s sartin that ye aire
a dead one. Now my idee is ter stay right hyer an’ wait
fer Steila ter come back. When she does, I'll take keer
of her, an’ then we'll look up Pawnee Bill.”

“You'll take caré of her? What de you intend to do?”

The dwarf shut his lips tightly. He had the same look
in his eyes when he shot Craven Starr.

“I don’t like the expression of your face,” Cody said.

“Do ye want me ter meet her with open arms?” the
dwarf vehemently replied. “Am I a. dog ter stand what

 
     

    

 
   
 
 

Not on yer life. I’m done with her, “cept
She’s lied‘ter me, she’s done

 T have stood ?:
so far as dealin’ jedgment.

murder an’ wuss, she’s plottin’ ter git rid o’ me now, an’. °

she’s killed every spark of affection I ever felt fer her. Ye
leave her ter me. I’m het jedge. Pm the hombre she’s
got ter settle with.”
~~ He was in a fury when he ceased. speaking. The King
of scouts looked at him sadly.

oO oO ought to _ Perey “tat she is a ‘woman,’ Wh
said.

The dwarf was about to make a ‘ oy when two

horsemen rode up the’ trail from the west. :
‘One of them was Pawnee Bill...

CHAPTER Ix
THE GULF OF DEATH.

The king of scouts, followed by Tadpole Tom, ee the
shelter of the maguey and rushed out to meet the riders.

Pawnee Bill’s countenance shone with joy. when he sav
his. old .comrade. . “I was afraid you had gone under,
Cody,” he said. Then he looked at the dwarf.. “I reckon
you had a finger in getting my pard out of his scrape.
That being.so, and several other things being so, it’s
up to me to tender an apology. i didn’t size you up right
yesterday, Tom. Must have had sand in my eyes. I
have got a cinch on the situation now, and I want ia
say that you are a thoroughbred. .

Tadpole Tom’s ugly face beamed. with. pleasure. Ee
put out his hand, and Pawnee Bill took it in a grasp that
left no doubt of his earnestness . and sincerity.

The tall. scout’s companion, a short, thick-set American
with a prepossessing countenance, was now introduced.

said Pawnee Bill, “is my cousin, John

hts gentleman,”
-He escaped a while

Davie. I have spoken of him before.
ago from the Yaquis.”

“Same time you escaped?” Med Buffalo Bill.

“No. Let’s. go over to the shade and Ill unload my
budget.” The horsemen dismounted, and, when all four
were seated under the maguey, Pawnee Bill said: “Before
I start in I want to know Wie happened to: you, Cody,
after the Indians took me away.”

The tale was told. Pawnee Bill towed no surprise. at
the revelation of the wickedness. of the woman whose
cause he had championed the day before.

“She told me enough to give me an idea of what she’d
dished up for you,” he said. “I want to kick aayoekt when
I think how she se the wool over my eyes.’

“Whar is she now, ’ questioned Tadpole Tom, quickly
and harshly.

ied don't now,” IS Pawnee Bill,

“Go on with your story,” said Buffalo Bill, at the same.

time shaking his head at Tadpole Tom.

‘It’s not long, and it’s not very exciting.. I was taken
to an Indian camp about a dozen miles from here. When
we had gone half the distance, an old man shot out of
a thicket and commanded my captors to halt and put me
down.
obeyed the command without a murmur.
that the old man was the boss.

‘That showed

a “As I rested on the ground: with my wrists and ankles
‘tied, the old man came up and sat down by my side.
‘You are an interesting old party, says Le “What may
your game be?’

4B NEW BUFFALO. BILL WEEKLY.

you, Cody, if

“morrow.

There were seven Indians with me, and they

+The old ‘man ener: and it “was the Taugh of a
“woman: ©

“Holy smoke! says - 1, my ‘eyes almost starting out ud

my head. ‘You ain't a man, then?’ ~°
Not tf I know sell, was the fale 1 ain ‘Stella
Mattie? 60: ,

“Ryven then I did not' suspect her of having a hand in the
doings that laid you and me out, Cody. But her next
words made the scales drop from my eyes,

‘Tt hate Buffalo Bill,’ she said, ‘but 1 like you: T hope

“you won't cease to be my friend now that I have told
‘you this?’

Of course, 1 couldn’t do otherwise than tell
her that Buffalo Bill could go to the dey il, ana ree she was
the entrancing personality to tie to.”

~The king of scouts winked at John Davie.’

“No,” continued Pawnee Bill, with a grin, “I was fool
enough to call her down. I told her that she was a devil,
and that she might go to—Beelzebub, where she ‘belonged,
before I would take a centavos worth of stock itr her or
her schemes.

“She got mighty huffy at my words—I said more, ‘but
T won’t repeat all I said—and all the devil in her popped
out. She admitted that she had fooled me and that she
was the enemy that had been pursuing you, Cody. * ‘And,’
she hissed, ‘you'll never see your friend again. hs this
time to-morrow he will be food for the vultures.”

“Having relieved herself, she sat for a while with her
chin between her hands. About that time 1 did a little
responsible ene I sure would have no chance to help
f 1 kept up my high-horse attitude. 1 deter-
mined to play fox. Pretty soon I sighed, and when she
turned her eyes on me I gave her a look that made her
blush with joy. 1 apologized for speaking roughly to her,
and promised to bé good-in future and take her and any-
thing else that might be coming to me, she—what do you
think she did? She threw her arms about my neck and
kissed me. After she kissed me she spoke to the Indian
who was bossing the party, and pretty soon I was taken
up and we moved on. Stella Bayne did not go’ with us.
She stayed behind, and her last words to me were: “You
will be treated. well, and I will come and release you to-
399

“So ye owe: yer freedom ter her, do ye?" hoaraely in-
quired Tadpole Tom.

“No, I don’t. I owe. it to my own ingenuity. The In-
dians took me to the camp, and, after: I-had been put un-
der cover in’a shack’ made of vines,-'the boss. Indian
loosened my bonds. But he didn’t take away the guards.
There were four of them, and two stayed-in the shack
with me. 1 had been wounded in the scuffle in that rock
pen beyond us, and the Indians dressed the wounds, cuts
mostly, and none of them deep ones, and then gave me
something to eat.

“Before I went into the Yaqui country to look for Ni
here, 1 had picked up a smattering -of the language
While the Indians were feeding me I used my knowled; ge
in telling them that I was going to marry the woman who
had appeared on the trail as the old man. I lauded her to

she skies, and said if | had known three hours before what |

I did then, 1 would never have backed up Buffalo Bill Hy
“Such talk wouldn’t’ have gone with an Apache, but
these Yaquis are unsophis sticated redskins, and I fooled
‘em to the limit. It wasn’t long before my hands were
free and I wa8 sitting up. smoking the pipe of peace with
my two guards.

The one nearest to me had a knife in his’

sis

BP

   

 

 

 

  
  
    
   
 
 
   
  
   
   
  
  
   
  
    
   
   
    
   
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
 

   

eee Sea .

 

pe

belt—he had on a cowboy suit—and, watching my chance, I
snatched it, cut the leathers about my ankles, and had the
Indian stretched on the floor from a whack on the head
before he could say ‘Jack Robinson.’

“The other Indian was near the door looking out, and
he wasn’t onto my game until he heard the other Indian
fall. Then we had it for about half a minute. Of course,
we made a noise, and the two Indians outside heard it and
came rushing in. :

“As they got inside, I was through with my man and
had a stone bowl in my hand. I had been eating olla
podrida out of it but a few minutes before. I let it go,
and it struck one of the redskins in the jaw. He tum-
bled over, and the other dodged as I made a dash at
him. I believe he fired at me, seems to me I heard a
shot, but I wasn’t hurt. He was, and soon I was out-
side the shack and on a pony. Up the trail a mile I met
Davie, who had managed to escape the night before from
the village. It is but a few miles from the camp to which
I had been taken. He had swiped a pony, and we rode
up here as fast as we could.”

“As you didn’t’ meet Stella Bayne on the way,” said
Buffalo Bill, “I must conclude that she went toward the
east after leaving the shelf a little over an hour ago.”

“You have struck it, I reckon,’ responded Pawnee Bill,
“and as we can’t be seen from the trail, we might as
well stay where we are and wait for her.”

“T am not going to stay,’ announced Ta idpole Tom, in
savage determination. “I am going down ter meet her.”

“No, you are not,” returned Buffalo Bill sharply.. “Be
reasonable, She has committed many crimes, and should
be punished. We will arrest her and let the law take its
course.” a

John Davie, who had been looking toward the trail,
turned quick at Cody’s last words and said: “Some one
is coming.”

Buffalo Bill, after giving Pawnee Bill a meaning look,
crawled forward so as to get a full view of the trail.

He could hear the sound of hoofs, and presently there
rode from the east toward the shelf overlooking the gulf
the Wizard of Windy Gulch.

Still disguised as the old man, the wicked woman came
on until her eyes took in the evidence of the escape of
Buffalo Bill. :

The log, which had projected over the shelf, had been
drawn away, and there near the shelf were the ropes of
vines that had held the victim of her hellish hate.

She reined up her pony and looked about her, an ex-

pression of wild terror on her face.

A voice startled her. It was that of Tadpole Tom, her
husband.
in the grasp of Pawnee Biil.

She knew its import, and, with a cry like that of a fright-
crazed animal, turned and would have ridden away if
Buffalo Bill,-armed with a rifle he had taken from the
hands of one of the Mexicans, had not fired. The bullet
struck the pony in a vital part, and the animal dropped.

Stella Bayne was on her feet as the king of scouts,
John Davie, and the Mexicans rushed to. the trail.

Disregarding the command to stay where she was, she
fired a pistol shot at Buffalo Bill and then sprang ‘into
the brush. |

The king of scouts, who had dodged the bullet, gave a
few hurried instructions to Davie and the Mexicans,

NEW BUFFALO

“Let me go,” it said.--The dwarf was struggling .

   

     

BLL ae (19
and then ran for the spot that marked . the point of the
womian’s disappearance. —

The Mexicans ran down the trail along ae the woman ©
had come, while Davie hurried past the magueys to
parallel the course that Buffalo Bill had probably taken. -

After the four men had gone, Pawnee Bill released his
grip on Tadpole Tom. “I reckon you can’t make a mess
of this business now, my boy,” he said shortly. “Buffalo
Bill will get her, and, as your guns are in my possession,
there wone be any chance for yon to cut up any nasty
capers.”

A scream in the bushes not far from where Pawnee
Bill and Tadpole Tom sat brought the two men to their
feet.

Pawnee Bill rushed out,’ and, Aide the trail clear,
turned and)ran into the brush.

Tadpole pom by the maguey.

A few minutes passed and his quick ear caught the
sound of a movement in.a thicket beyond the rocky in-
closure that had been the scene of the fight between Buf-
falo Bill, Pawnee Bill, and the Yaquis.

He flattened himself on the ground and waited, a de-
moniac smile on his ugly face.

There was.silence for a short time, and then soltowed
a rustling of branches and the sigh of a human being.

Just then Buffalo Bill stepped into the trail at a point
not twenty feet from the spot where Tadpole Tom lay.
The dwarf saw him, and, crawling forward a few paces,
partly raised himself, and, catching Buffalo Bill’s eye,
pointed to the west.

The king of scouts nodded his head and started on a
run along the trail which led to the Yaqui country.

The dwarf suppressed a chuckle, and drew back to
cover,

A minute later, Stella Bayne, breathing heavily, her
cheeks flushed, and with the look of a hunted deer in her
eyes, stepped into the rocky inclosure.

Tadpole Tom heard the sound of her short, labored
breathing, crawled past the maguey and showed his head
over one of the rocks that formed the inclosure. The
woman saw him, and would have shrieked if he had not
placed a finger upon his lips.

Terror now gave way to wonderment. She stood stock-
still and waited for him to speak.

He held up his hands. “I am unarmed. Give me your
pistol,” he whispered.

She hesitated. She could make@nothing out of the ex-
pression of his face.

“Come,” he commanded. “Time is precious. If I am
ter save ye, I must be quick about it.”

“You won’t hurt me?” she falteringly asked.

“T will do what is right by you. I have allers done that,
haven’t 1?”

This was not the answer she wanted. Her suspicions
were aroused. She eas as if she intended to take to
the brush again.

As she did so, Tadpole Tom leaped over the rock and
seized her arm before she could use the revolver.

“You fool!” he hissed. -“Don’t ye know that I am boss.
Ye’re my wife, ain’t ye?”

“Yes,” she tremblingly oc. for he was. holding
her arms in a vise. She knew their power, and knew

also that if he meant her harm she would be Pen cree
to defend herself.

  
20 NEW BUFFALO

Her mind oppressed by horrible doubts ae pleaded
with him.

“You don’t mean to kill me, do you, Tom? i will not
_ bother Buffalo Bill any more if you will promise to let me
live. You will, won't you?”

For answer the dwarf dragged her out of the in-
closure.

A look of fierce satisfaction shone in his eyes as he saw
that the trail was deserted. All the members of his
party were still in the brush on a wild-goose chase.

He dragged her to the trail.

“What are you going to do?” she shrieked, and tried to
fight herself loose from his grasp.. As, well might she
have tried to release herself from the grasp of a giant.

Hie took her in his arms, and, holding her slight body
against his breast with a force that drove away all her
breath, hurried to the brow of the precipice. \

Divining his awful intention, she screamed with all the
force she could muster. The shriek she had uttered shortly
_ before had beem heard by the searchers, and when she
again opened her mouth to voice her terror and despair,
_) Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill, John Davie, and the two Mexi-

cans came running from different directions for the trail.

The dwarf, with his screaming burden, was near the
chasm. One last, piteous appeal the wicked woman made.

“Tom,” she cried, her bloodshot eyes trying to hold his
attention, “‘you loved me once. You told my father you
would look out for me. Tom,” as he refused to look into
her face, “I-—-I can’t die as I am.”

“Yer can’t,’ he yelled in her ear. “Well, ye’ve got
ter. Ye say I loved ye once. So I did. An’ I love ye
now. I love ye so well that I’m goin’ ter stop ye from
doin’ any more devil’s work.”

He stood on the edge of the precipice. Below yawned
the Gulf of Death. A shout from behind him made him
turn his head. (

“Tom!” shouted Buffalo Bill.
you crazy ?”

“Come back here. Are
The king of scouts would have taken desperate meas-
ures to save the woman—he would have used his rifle
——but the opportunity was denied him. But as he spoke
he rushed forward. Pawnee Bill followed close behind.

Buffalo Bill’s words had no effect. Tadpole Tom tore
the woman’s arms from his body—she had clutched him
frantically by the shoulders—and, lifting her andve his
head, flung her down the gulf.

One shriek burst from her lips, and then all was still.

Facing the two scouts who were now within a few
feet of him, the dwarf took off his sombrero and made
a low bow. His eyes were rolling wildly, and foam was
dripping from his thick lips.

“Down! down! in ther gulch, whar we'll be tergether,”
he shouted hoarsely as he leaped over the precipice.

The horror-stricken scouts looked at each other, but not
a word was said.

They walked back to the maguey and sat down. Buf-
falo Bill mopped the cold perspiration from his face, sigh-
ing deeply as he did so.

“Y’m sorry, sorry as can be,” he said.

“For the woman?”

“No, for Tadpole Tom.
fellow if he had had a chance. That woman drove him
insane. He was crazy when he threw her over the
precipice.”

He would have been a: fine

BILL WEEKLY.

“You are right, and.I reckon the Lord will deal gently
with him.” . e

* * * * * * *

But a short stay was made on the mountain. In Los
Huecos the three Americans parted’ with the Mexicans.
The latter sold their rifles and revolvers to the two
scouts, and now, fully armed, Buffalo Bill and Pawnee
Bill, with John Davie as companion, rode out of. sary
into Arizona.

For a part of the journey from the Gulf of Death to
Los Huecos the king of scouts rode behind Pawnee Bill,

“but near the scene of the fight with the Mexican outlaws

he came upon a stray pony, one that had been ridden by
Shanky Simpson. ‘This animal Buffalo Bill appropriated,
and it proved to be as serviceable as the one he had lost.

A stop was made at Windy Gulch. :

In Tadpole Tom’s cave were found letters and docu-
ments of value. These, with the dwarf’s personal effects,
were forwarded to the address of an attorney in New
Orleans. The address had been found on the outside of
an envelope. The letter which the envelope inclosed re-
lated to business. It stated among other things that,
Thomas Harryman’s one-hundred-thousand-dollar invest-
ment in certain railway securities was paying an increased
rate of interest.

In the larger cave no letters or papers of importance
were discovered. The personal belongings of Stella Har-
ryman were not disturbed.

There was one thing more to be done, and Buffalo Bill
took a fierce pleasure in having it done. This was the
destruction of the rattlesnakes in the den overlooking the
cafion. A large fire was built over the den, and when the
logs were blazing they were shoved down upon the rattlers.
Below, at the foot of the cliff that Buffalo Bill had so
precipitately descended, stood Pawnee Bill and John Davie,
and, as the snakes not killed by the flames came tumbling
down the cliff, they were met by the two cousins and
quickly dispatched. _

Buffalo Bill from above took care that not a live rattler .
remained in the den.

This work done, the journey to Fort Winthrop was re-
sumed,

Arrived there, Buffalo Bill had a most tigi re-
port to make.

Whistling Raven’s gang had been wiped out, «and
Shanky Simpson, long an eyesore in southern Arizona,
had met his deserts.

Pawnee Bill and Davie had business in Colorado, and
they parted with the king of scouts after a couple of.
days’ stay at the fort.

As the tall scout shook hands with his old comrade
and said good-by, he began to shake his head.

“What's the matter, Pawnee Bill?” inquired Buffalo Bill.
“Our parting will be but a short one. I am going into.
Colorado myself next month.”

“I wasn’t thinking of you, Cody,” was the reply.
woman came suddenly into my mind.”
“What if she did? Why should you shake your head ?”

“She kissed me. I wish she hadn’t.”

“That

THE END.

Next week’s issue, No. 84, out April 18th, will contain
another story of Western life, entitled “Buffalo Bill’s
Master Stroke; or, The Specter of Death Valley.”

 
 

NEW BUFFALO.

MARION AND HIS MEN.
By JOHN DE MORGAN.
CHAPTER XXXII.

TRUE, GREATNESS,.

Day after day Marion and his men so_ thoroughly
harassed the enemy that Lord Cornwallis was put to his
wits’ end to circumvent the Americans.

“He is a regular Swamp Fox,” said Cornwallis,
would like to know more of him.”

The British officer was destined.to know more of Marion
before long.

So many prisoners had been taken by Marion that ‘Corn-
wallis was getting shorthanded.

He accordingly arranged for an exchange, and, as
Marion’s commission entitled him to treat for the ex-
change of all prisoners taken from the mountains to the
sea, he had an opportunity of recruiting his ranks, as well
as getting rid of a number of noncombatants who had
to be fed.

The arrival of a flag of truce from Lord Cornwallis was
a momentous event to the patriot’s army.

The usual formalities were observed.

The bearer was blindfolded, and conducted to Marion’s
presenice.

When the bandage was removed the British officer saw
the redoubtable Swamp Fox.

Instead of a stout, tall, sturdy warrior in bright-colored
regimentals, he told his colonel that he had seen “a
swarthy, smoke-dried little man, with scarce enough of
threadbare homespun to cover his nakedness.”

“Zounds, sir, it was assumed to deceive you! Or, per-
haps, this fellow likes to be singular. His men, what of
them? ‘Were they, too, as eccentric?”

“The soldiers were just a handful of sunburned, yellow-
legged militiamen, some roasting potatoes and some asleep,
with their black firelocks and powderhorns ying by them
on the logs.”

“And these are the men who are so invincible!”
claimed the colonel.

When Marion had read the messenger’s letter he speedily
arranged for the exchange to be made.

The Englishman was about to leave.

“Qh, no!” said Marion, “this is about our hour for
dining, and I hope, sir, that you will give us the pleasure
of your company to dinner.”

At the mention of the word dinner the Englishman’s
mouth watered, for he was hungry.

Vand) 1

exX-

His comrades had been placed on short rations, and he
thought, as did many, that the patriots were living on the
fat of the land.

But when he looked round he could see nothing but
the potatoes which the men were roasting.

No pot or pan, Dutch oven, or any cooking utensils
whatever.

But he accepted the invitation, for he was hungry.

“Come, Tom,” said the general to one of the men,
have a guest to dinner to-day. Let us have it soon.’

“we

Tom was not long in preparing dinner, for it consisted
only of a heap of sweet potatoes, that were very snugly
roasting under the embers.

Tom, with his pine-stick poker deftly released the po-

-and’ Marion.

BILL. WEEKLY. 21
tatoes from the ashes, pinching them to see if they were
sufficiently roasted.

Then he cleansed them of the ashes, by blowing them,

and if that. was not sufficient he brushed the one with

the sleeve of his ragged cotton shirt.
The largest and finest potatoes he placed on a piece
of bark and put on a tree stump between the English officer
The redcoat involuntarily
sighed. f
“I fear, sir, that this is not as good a dinner as you are
in the habit of eating, but it is the best I have to offer.”
The officer bowed and took up one of the potatoes and
tried to eat it, as though it were a great dainty; but with-

nes at the dinner and

-out salt or butter it did not taste good to him.

Hungry as he undoubtedly was, the dry potato was too
much for him, and he laid it down, his face becoming as
bright as his coat. i

“IT was just thinking,” he said, “how long our men would
stand this kind of fare if the government offered it.’’

“T suppose it is not equal to your usual style of dining?” .
said Marion.

“No, by Jove! We are on short rations now, but we do —
get meat and often soup, and somethimes the boys get
plum duff as a dessert. But this is only an accident.”

“An accident?”

“Ves a lenten dinner, or, as we say in England, a ban-
yan. You do not always live like this?”

“No, generally worse,” answered the general, “for often
we do not get enough even of potatoes.”

“Great Jupiter!” exclaimed the Englishman. “But per-
haps, as we say, ‘what you lose in meal you gain in malt’;
in“ other words, though half starved, you draw noble
pay.”

“Not a cent, sir,’ replied Marion.

“By Jove! how do you stand aa

“Tt is a matter.of principle, sir.”

“Principle be hanged! Do you think Ke George could
get men to do all the, fighting and not draw any pay, and
get nothing to eat but potatoes? I'll be hanged if he
could !” i

It was then that Marion showed his true greatness.

His swarthy face lighted up as the Englishman had not
seen it before.

“Why, sir,” answered Marion, “the heart is all. it
King George possessed your hearts, you would fight cheer-
fully even on a potato diet.”

“No, no, General Marion, that I must deny!’

“When a man is interested he will do and/suffer any-
thing. Many a youth would think it hard to be inden-
tured at a trade for fourteen years. But let him be over
head and ears in love with such a beauteous sweetheart
as Rachel, and he will think no more of fourteen years’
servitude than did Jacob. That is just my case. 1 am
in love.”

. “You in love, general?” asked the Englishman.

“Yes, I am in love, and I have the most beautiful sweet-
heart; her name is Liberty.

“Be that beauteous nymph my companion, and thee
wilds and woods have charms beyond: London or Paris
in slavery.

“NG! a Cenk:

“To have no proud monarch driving over me with his
gilt coaches; nor his host of excise men and taxgatherers
insulting and robbing me; but to be my Own master, my

A

 
 

  

H2Qe

NEW BUFFALO

own prince and sovereign, gloriously preserving my na-
tional dignity, and pursuing my true happiness; planting
my vineyards and eating the luscious fruits, sowing my
fields and reaping the golden grain; and seeing millions
of brothers all around me, equally free and happy as my-
self. This, sir, is what I long and fight for.”

The English officer had but seldom listened to such
eloquence, simple yet grand, earnest, and persuasive.

“As a man and a Briton, I must say your picture is a
happy one.”

“Happy!” quoth Marion; “yes, happy, indeed! And I
would rather fight for such blessings’ for my country, and
feed on roots, than keep aloof, though wallowing in all
the luxuries a Solomon could bestow.

“Now, sir, | walk the soil that gave me birth, and exult
in the thought that I am not unworthy of it.

yp

“IT look upon these venerable trees around me, and feel
that I do not dishonor them. I think of my sacred rights,
and I rejoice that I have not basely deserted them.

“And when I look forward, sir, to the long ages of
posterity, I glory in the thought that I am fighting their
battles. ‘

“The children of distant generations may never hear
my name, but still it gladdens my heart to think that |
am now contending for their freedom, and all its countless
blessings.”

The Englishman put out his hand.

“We are enemies,” said he, “but as a man I acknowledge
you-are- right, and I a to God my country would let
you go your own way.”

“It will, sir, and before fone. A day will come—I see
it through the mists—when England will honor us for
this struggle, and when Englishmen will bow before the
name of our great general, George Washington.”

“T am afraid not.
a prisoner.”

“A prisoner !”

“T have heard so.”

“What of that, sir? What of that?’

“It will be the deathblow to your revolution.”

“Ah, no, sir; don’t deceive yourself. The cause of
liberty does not depend on any one man. Washington
may die, and a dozen will spring up to take his place.”

The Englishman bade Marion adieu.

When he met his colonel he was looking sad.

‘What is the matter?” asked Colonel Watson.
man, you look serious.”

“I have cause, sir,’ he replied, “to look serious.”

“What! has General Marion refused to treat?”

“No, sir.”

“What, then? Has Washington escaped, and defeated
Sir Henry Clinton, and broken up our army?”

“Worse than that, sir.”

“Zounds! What could be worse?”

~Even now [ fear that Washington is

“Zounds !

Why, sir, I have seen an American general and his

officers, without pay, and almost without clothes, living
on roots and drinking water; and all for liberty! What
chance have we against such men?”

“You talk treason, sir; beware!”

“Not treason, but sense.”

And the young officer never rested until he had thrown
up his commission and left the British service.

When the clouds of war had blown over he told Marion
that he could never again live under a monarchy.

  

BILL WEEKLY.

  

He bought an estate in Ca irolina, and married an Amer-
ican.

Several of his descendants have at times distinguished
themselves, and more than one has occupied the guber-
natorial chair.

The seed sown by General Marion fell on good ground
and bore most excellent fruit.

CHAPTER XXXII.
HOW THE BRITISH WERE OUTGENERALED.

Marion did not wait for the exchange of prisoners to
be effected. :

He left Colonel Horry to attend to that business, and
pushed forward in pursuit of a detachment of British who
were marching up Black River toward Camden.

The advance, consisting of bright fellows under com-
mand of young Sumpter, came up with them and instantly
began to skirmish with the enemy, of whom “they killed
nine and wounded several more.

A few on both sides were taken prisoners.

Marion called off his troops, meaning to engage the
enemy in the morning.

But he was disappointed, for. the British hoa struck
their tents and pushed off in silence before daybreak.

The order was given to pursue, but the result was far
different from that anticipated. -

Marion called to see an old lady whose friendship for
the cause of liberty, and for himself personally, was well
known.

“At another time I should have been glad to see you,”
she said; Ps now | wish, Francis Marion, that you had
not come.”

“T thought my welcome would never vee out.”

“Neither has it; but come this way.”

The old lady led the general into the great kitchen and
dining rooms.

The floors were covered with wounded soldiers, several
being Marion’s own men, and in attendance was an Eng-
lish surgeon.

“Major ay ordered it,” she said, “and paid for
their keep until they were well enough to leave.”

“Who is Majér Muckleworth?” asked Marion.

“The English officer in command. He came here with
all his men, and had breakfast yesterday. Last night he
brought the wounded here, and see’—the old lady pulled
a handful of golden coins from her pocket—“he gave me
all these. [ told him I was. his prisoner, but he an-
swered, ‘No, my good woman, I do not make war on
widows. He is a good man, and said the Americans
were to be as well cared for as the English.”

Marion thought over this Christian act, and exclaimed
to Captain Alston:

“I feel that I am going to fight my own brother.”

When he overtook the British his men began firing.
The enemy was entirely in his power, but for once
Marion’s heart was’ not in his work.

“Stop firing!”

Waving a white flag, he approached ihe British officer,

“Major Muckleworth?”

“Yes; are you General Marion?”

ST am.”

“I am pleased to see you. Have you come to ask me
to surrender? You must know, sir, that Major Muckle-
worth never surrenders.”

 
 

   

     

“Major, | have come to thank you for your Christian
conduct down at the farm. You area PDrorner ae t cafi-
not ‘fight you; good’ day!”

‘The enemies shook hands: Marion’s men marthed away,
and for once the redoubtable Swamp Eon stayed his hand
when victory was within reach.

“Tf all the English were like you,
Americans like Marion, there would be no war,’
English officer’s aid.”

“You are right, Smith ; but, Bag.
their manhood when engaged in war.”

Although Marion refused: to capture or fight Major
Muckleworth, he was not going to retire from ane war.

The Tories were getting desperate. : fe

- Colonel ‘Tarleton declared that nothing but: hirhing ‘down
every farmhouse would ‘cause. the: people to. relinguien the
fight. : ae
~ Major Weymies a emphatically oe that every
woman’s throat should be cut and* every child bayoneted,
or England would have no peace. RON eas

“Ha! ha! ha! r laughed Major Will Cunningham; “and
then what will you do? You could not exist without
pretty girls.”

“*T would import them.”

And the Tories, fired by such creatures as Lord North
had sent out to America wearing officers’ uniforms, carried
on a guerrilla watiare against their own people with re-
morseless Vigor. _

But. Marion was ready to fight them with Heit own
weapons.

Marion established a system of scouts which gave Li
absolute knowledge of all that was transpiring.

ap and ‘atl the
’ said the

few. men remember

He had a number of young men, who were accustomed
to hunting, and, therefore, daring riders, and these he sta-
tioned in the neighborhood of those places where the
British and Tories were likely to congregate.

These young men were instructed to find out by any
means within their reach the intended movement of the
British, 4

They then mounted and pushed off at full speed to the
nearest of a chain of posts established at short and con-
venient distances, with fleet horses ready saddled and
bridled, to bear the intelligence with equal speed, the first
to the-second, the second to the third, and so on, until
General Marion was reached.

Exasperated almost beyond endurance, Lord Chewwallis

determined to surprise Marion at the old place of retreat,
Snow’s. Island, and thus to break him up oe and
perhaps destroy him.

-To this end he selected Colonels Doyle and Watson,
and commissioned them to effectually destroy the Swamp
Fox, un i ut
He gave them a heavy force of cavalry: and infantry,
and bade them seize and ‘hold the lower bridge: over the
Black River, and thereby imprison Marion and his men.

The American scouts frustrated this maneuver. ~~

Marion knew in time of the intended move.

At the head of his force of mounted’ riflemen, now in-
creased to a hundred and forty, he pushed asewart ito the
bridge and crossed it.

Quietly but quickly the bridge was’ destroyed, and
Marion’s mew hidden in the swamp to await the approach
of the British,

 

New BOFPALO ict wer 8

“In: ‘a short time ‘Watson's troops arrived and. ‘camped
On the hill, just beyond the swamp,

So thoroughly unapprehensive of Saar were . “they
that two of the soldiers went down to the. river for water.

Instantly * two shots . left two. guns, held by. two. of
Marion’s sharpshooters, and the Englishmen fell. —

One was dead, the other badly wounded, but ‘he shouted
and cried for help so loudly that several of his country-
inén went to his assistance; but as soon as. they were
within range Marion's men used them as targets ‘and
none escaped.

Colonel ‘Watson sent a “messenger, with a flag of truce,
to Marion.

“Why, sir,” said the ‘English officer, “ot must com-
mand a-horde of savages, who delight in nothing but. amur-
der. 1 can’t cross a swamp or a bridge, but I] am “way-
laid and shot at as if I were a-mad dog. Evet my sentries
are fired ati and killed on their’ posts:’ Why; my God,
sir, this is not the way Christians ought to fight!”

Marion listened patiently, and with wonderful calmness
replied that he was sorry that his mode. of. fighting was
so unchristian: “but, sir,’ said he, “from what I know of
them, British officers should be the Jast men on ahi ‘to
preach about honor. and humanity.”

eCity tt se oy yas

“I repeat, and I watt prove it. For men to come three
thousand miles to plunder and hang an innocent people,
and then to tell that people how they ought to fight, be-
trays an ignorance and impudence which 1 fain. Ania
hope had no parallel in the history of man,’ ed

Raising his voice a: little, his eyes flashing with pas-
sionate patriotism, he continued:

‘For my part, I always believed, and still believe, | that
I shall be doing God and my country good service by.
surprising and killing such men, while they continue such
diabolital watfare, as I would the wolves and panthers
of the forest,”

That ended the conversation,

Colonel Watson had the alternative of retreating or sur-
rendering.

He score the former, though he lost nearly half his
men.

He eas ede to Cornwallis ae Marios. had out-
generaled him.

“Why, general,” he peta ited, “this Marion want feht
like any one else; his men won't sleep ’and fight like gen-
tlemen; but, like savages, they are eternally firing and
whooping round at night as well as day, and one expects
that every tree hides one of Marion’s men.”

CHAPTER. XXXIV.
TRIUMPH OF LIBERTY.
Such a system of warfare was tiring, and some. ‘of
Marion’s men got weary. A few desertions took place, ae
the majority remained true.

Horry eloquently harangued them, and, while. he ad-
mitted that they were almost naked, half starved, atid

“never likely to get any remuneration for their services,

still they must remember they were fighting for liberty.

But even Horry’s eloquence would not have been ‘suffi:
cient to hold the weary troopers who composed Marion’s
ragged regiment together, had it not been for the incessant
cruelty practiced by the British.

Sah soap ta da ai ARI Sant ie ti. het

  
   
24 NEW BUFFALO
Adam Cusac, of Williamsburg, was surprised in his own
house by Major Weymies, who tore him away from his
shrieking wife and children, and, after the insult of a sham
irial, had him condemned and hung.

Then there were the two boys,
Dinkins.

_ They were pursued and captured in the house of a
Whig friend near the hills at Santee.

Their captors hurried them to Lord Rawdon, who or-
dered them to be “knocked into irons,” as he expressed it.

On halting for breakfast, Rawdon ordered Gales to be
“tucked up to a tree,” where he was strangled as ‘though
he had been a mad dog.

Some of the Tories interposed a ad the life of
Sam Dinkins.

Colonel Lee’s little bugler, a vehild whose tender years
ought to have protected him, and who was TOPCO aay
‘was cruelly murdered.

A countryman had brought some: news. of the British,
and was afraid of being captured, as his horse was worn
out and exhausted.

Lee told him to.take the bugler’s horse, as, even if the
ale was captured, no one would hurt him.

He knew not the British.

Kit Gales and Sam

Tarleton’s men captured the child, aaa, in spite of his

tender age, they stuck their cruel swords into his face
and arms, which they pashed with eS so ee he oo
the next day.

Then news came to Marion's cane bat ‘the murder of:

young. McCoy.

Captain McCoy—his ihe wae. one of me rst to fake
. the sword in defense of liberty.

When. he. went into the field, his son, ae only fifteen
years old, accompanied. him, |

Being well acquainted: with the river, Captain McCoy
was enabled to intercept-the eee Br boats, and
often killed the crews.

Once the British bonimiaaden Ca ceat Beouie dispatched
a captain and fifty men to. destroy McCoy.

“Don’t spare him or any of his follower es
kills him is sure of promotion.”. _.

But McCoy kept a sharp lookout and Killed the es
and twenty. of his men.

But the gallant American was acleaed a last ;
pierced his breast, and he fell on the field of battle.

away from the Tories.

In an expedition against Colonel Brown Contain Clabes

who had assumed the command. of McCoy’s regiment,
was wounded and taken ‘prisoner, pee ie youre
McCoy.

Hearing of. her son’s misfortune, Mrs. “MeCoy hastened e

to see him.

She arrived just in fine. to. meet ibe with Colonel

Brown and a guard carrying him out to execution.

She wept bitterly, but the English officer was unmoved.

Young McCoy was cool in the presence of death.

“Do not weep, mother, dear!” he said. “In the course
_ of nature we should have. to part some time. ._My father
was like a lion battling for his country; as a young lion
I fought by his side, and often, when the battle was over;
did he. embrace me and call me his. boy, his brave boy!

_ He has gone before, I now follow him, leaving you to .
have the joy of knowing that your mipeat, and son have

. both died ee for liberty ! y

oe man W ne,

«bullet
His -
son continued the fight, and turned the a of VERORY a

BILL WEEKLY.

Mrs. } McCoy fell on her knees and pleaded for her son,
but Colonel Brown pushed her on one side and ordered
the execution to proceed.

The brave boy was hanged in front of his mother’ S eyes,
and with savage malignity Brown suffered some Indians
who were attached to his command to strike their toma-
hawks into the boy’s forehead, that forehead on which
the heart-broken mother had so often impressed loving
kisses. eee

Cornwallis had acted the part of a dastard all the way
through, and one act especially will ever be recorded
against him. ‘

He issued a proclamation in which he declared Carolina
was. subjugated, and that only a small handful of men
opposed the king’s authority.

He wished to be merciful and just, therefore he desired
the people to sign an instrument of neutrality.

To alk who did sign he guaranteed protection. both for
their lives and property.

When he had obtained the signatures, he laughed loudly
and a demoniac resolve found lodgment in his mind. _

Marion had ‘been joined by Colonel Lee, and George-
town was threatened. i

Cornwallis called on all who had signed the deciietion
of neutrality to shoulder their muskets and report for
active duty. \ f

‘Any. who refused would be ‘branded as ‘traitors, their
property confiscated, and their lives endangered. :

Colonel Haynes, one of the signers, refused to report.

‘He had fought on the side of the patriots” until the
-army had been captured at Charleston, then he retired to
his farm.

He signed the declaration of neutrality, but when nee
wallis construed it fo mean submission to the English
crown, Haynes rebelled.

He was heavily ironed, and tortured.

His wife died while:-he was in jail, and his children were
turned out of the house, to die by the wayside. -

When his sufferings brought him ae to death,
was taken out and hanged.

His eldest son, a bright -boy of thirteen; had suffered
such anguish of mind during his father’ s incarceration’ they es
he became insane. —

How differently did Marion wet!

With-the aid of: Colonel.: Lee, “he swooped | down - on :
Georgetown, and compelled the British to’ ‘surrender. a

Colonel Campbell, = commandant, was made prisoner
in his bed.

Adjutant Crookshanks, Major. Lewin, and whee -officers

che

> were An ain at a tavern Pelongitig to a ‘most: Tespectable

family. ee ; eee
The. din and atten of: the soldiers posed them, and

_ Irwin, seeing young Sumpter in. the room, raised: ‘his pistol cate

and fired, but beyond breaking a mirfor, the shot did no

. damage.

He’ was about firing a second time, when a bayonet
thrust sent him to that world where war is ‘unknown. ee
Adjutant Crookshanks. would: have shared the same fate
had not the daughter of the house, to whom he was en :

. gaged, rushed into the room, and, th:

about her-lovér, cried to the Riis to save him for
‘her sake. ie een

As she stood there in her night clothes, hee long hair

hanging to her waist, her eyes filled with tears, who could
resist her piteous prayer:

 
   

ee oh “save Me Cronishouke!?. i
The major turned to Captain Sumpter... ey
“T am your prisoner, sir;. there is my sword.” ° >.
“Marion entered the. room and at-once paroled the major.

“Comfort that. dear girl, majors she saved Ur life:and
gave you liberty.” _

From. the fall of Georgetown, the career of Marion and
his men was one long- continued triumph.

Cornwallis saw his army. decimated, and the, Americans
victorious.

‘Colonel Ferguson, with fouitoen hundred British sol-
diers, was sent into the western part of the State, but the
Americans were ready, and at King’s Mountain met the
British. ae

In forty minutes Ferguson was slain, and the whole
of his men killed, wounded, or taken prisoners.

Cornwallis cursed the patriots, and tried to’ avenge his
loss by an engagement with General Morgan.

Colonel Tarleton had thirteen hundred men, while Mor-
gan could only rely on four hundred.

Contrary to all expectation, the brave patriots rotited
Tarleton’s troops and killed or captured nearly thé whole
of them.

Cornwallis took the field and pursued the victorious

Morgan, but a sudden storm came up, and the river.

became so swollen that for several hours he was. unable
to cross.

When he did, he ‘found Marion and Lee ready for. ili:
and one-third of his army fell before the prowess of the
small force commanded by.the Swamp Fox.

Tt“was now Cornwallis who fled.

He was. pursued by the Americans, but he outran | Gen.
and arrived at Wilmington safely.

Colonel Pyles, with four hundred Tories, set out to
join him.

On their way, they fell in with Colonel Lee.

Mistaking the patriots for. Tories, ie waved his hat

and shouted:

“God save the king!”

Lee’s men continued their march until the two fare
mitigled.

Then the mistake was discovered, and three hundred
Tories were made to bite the dust.

The other hundred met with even a worse fate, for
they fled to G olonel tee oe were taken for Marion’s
men.

Before ‘thes could explain, their own people set ypon
them, and only four were left alive.

Carolina was free.

From the north to the south it was peaeibed that but
for the Swamp Fox and his ragged regiment, the. British

could. have held the States of North and South. Carolina,’

and perhaps, with them as a basis, have defeated Wash-
ington. :
Marion’s men deserve to be honored by the memory of

| people throughout the ages.

They suffered more. hen pen can. Aecoribe, ae were
stead fast to ‘the. last.

When peace. _perched upon the Glee of te United
States, General Marion retired to his- plantation and took

to himself a wife, with whom he lively paeeny for twelve

years, when death claimed him.(
Captain Sumpter - -married Marie Olcott and bequeathed

| to his children a name which w rill never be forgotten by.
| Carolinians.

NEW BUF F ALO

      
 

BILL WEEKLY.

   

“Out true: story of devine ‘deeds is ended:
- We: have ‘show how, in the final ‘scenes ‘of the ee
revolution, a little band of twenty ragged, half- starved men
and boys bid. defiance to the might and power of England,
and came off victorious. ae
We who live in the maturity of the republic can scarcely
realize how our forefathers: suffered and fought and bled
to beqtieath to us so glorious a heritage.
_ Let us never forget them. :
Eternal honor be theirs, and, though similar opportuni-
ties may never arise, let us each and all pledge ourselves
in Marion’s name, that we will ne as he did, for our
country’s honor and liberty.

THE END.

 

THE PARRICIDE’S DOOM.

By JACK LINTON.

My father lived near the rolling waters of the Ponob-
scot, and was a well-to-do farmer, cultivating his land
on the most improved system—success could but crown
his. efforts. I was an only son, and from my youth pos-
sessed a wild, uncontrollable temper, which could are
no. restraint, and: when eighteen years had sped away, i
an altercation with my only sister, I dealt her a blow ssi
laid her senseless at my: feet.. My father was called, and
bringing his heavy ox-goad, laid it over my shoulders no
more than I deserved, yet I took a solemn oath that it
was the last day I would spend at home, and at some
future day 1 would be revenged. I ran away to sea.
For eight years those parents heard not a word from their
erring son. I visited many foreign climes; and- time,
with its softening influences, made me yearn to visit the
scenes of my youth—those days of halcyon enjoyment,
in which were. treasured up all I held dear on earth. I
wended my way, like the prodigal son, repentant to my
father’s house. My parents received me with every
demonstration of joy, and all passed lovely as a marriage
scene, until, one fatal evening, I went with my parents
to a husking frolic given by one of the neighbors. who
resided about one mile off. The flowing bowl—accursed .
be its pernicious effects—passed briskly around, and by
the time our work had been completed, and the great pile -
of corn stripped of its covering, the solemn hour of mid-_
night had been uttered by the angel of time.

“My father had partaken so deeply of “Blue ruin’ that _
I was obliged to support him on his way home, although
my brain seemed on fire. When we had got about half-
way home, we came to a crossroad which father insisted
was the right path, and no reasoning on my part could
make him admit that he was wrong, and, struggling ‘to

-free himself, he dealt me a violent blow in the face.’ This)

in my. present mood, could not fail of rousing the latent
spark of revenge. ae
“‘Old man, you will not ‘Gnd the oy to deal with, but

the man—able to return: blow for blow,’ upon which 1_
struck my poor, old, drunken father a blow with my fist, —

sufficient to have felled an ox; and in the wild frenzy
of the moment, I grasped a large stone, and hurled it —
with all my strength. It hit him full on the head. 1!
paused for a moment. Remorse seized me. I rushed to
his side. I felt of his head. Oh, horrors! his skull was
crushed, and gave forth a grating sound that fell on my
7 TeVer

26 NEW BUFEFAL
ears like whispers from the unseen world, and a voice
seemed to pierce to my very ao saying: ‘He is your
father !’

“IL sat by the stiffening corpse for a long wile At
length a feeling of terror seized me, and I thought of a
way to shield me from suspicion. I took him in my. arms
and carried him to the foot of a towering precipice, which
rose near the highway. I laid him among the jagged
rocks, and wended my way. to the home of my youth. My
mother went home some time prior to father and my-
self. I crept up noiselessly to my room, but not to sleep.
Oh, no! the brand of Cain seemed burning upon my
brow. In the morning my mother came up softly to my
room, and inquired for my father. I seemed to be greatly

- surprised and alarmed at his nonappearance, and told her

that I wished to get home, and had outwalked him, but
supposed he would soon come. I flew almost to the neigh-
bors, and requested their assistance to search for my
father, who, in the. course of the forenoon, was found
at the foot of the precipice with his skull stove in. No
suspicion rested on me, and the old man was laid to rest
quietly in the. churchyard. . Since that awful night I have
felt .a moment of comfort. A worm. seems .con-
stantly gnawing at my very heartstrings. In. my. night
dreams he visits me, and sometimes when I am awake he
stands by. my side.”... _ et aa
cab BE eROvVE econ | carne “from ‘the lips. of -my old
chum. on board the whale ship Pacific, and 1. felt in chill
of horror as 1.gazed upon his wasted -form and the look

of agony impressed. on every lineament of his coun-
tenance. The full moon, that had. been. sending down
its flood of. silvery light, became. dimmed, and casting
our. eyes to windward, a dark mass. of. clouds could- be
seen ,rising up. in silent grandeur. This indicated’ one:of
those dreadful squalls that come down over the sea in the
vicinity of Cape Horn, and. preparations were. at once
made fo meet it- .The royals” and topgallant: sails. were
furled, the courses hauled up,-the tepsails clewed. down
upon the caps, and the reef sticks hauled out.
-: Before these ‘precautionary measures.. could = be “gone
through with, the dark thundercloud’ had °spread. itself
over the sky, and lurid flashes of lightning lit up the scene
with awful sublimity, while the thunder seemed to fall

down instead of rumbling away in the distance. Soon a
moving sheet of foam. swept along, one ne Fearing of
the tempest could be heard: Nee

- “Now mind your helm, my: lad,’ said our captain: in a
clear and-distinect voice, to the helmsman who had just
relieved Judson, the parricide. « ned her’ fine before
the: wind” - ORG

The coming squall struck our noble ip on the star-

board side.

“Starboard your helm! Hard a starboard! ” shouted the
captain.

“Hard a serio. sir!” said. he man. at: thus wheel,
and. the. ship responded to the helm, ‘and went booming
along before the tempest, that blew like a hurricane. .

The rain fell in torrents, and that,. combined: with Me
roaring: of the waves, the shrieking of the wind :through
the cordage, the dazzling brilliancy of the chain light-
ning—which seemed to play around the masts—and

deafening peals of. thunder, rendered the scene abso--

lutely :terrific. The thrilling: life-yarn. of: my ‘shipmate,
with the accompanying horrors of the guilty parricide,

BILE WEERLY,

was for a while drivén from my mind by the danger of
our position.

As the first wild frenzy of the tempest ‘hed swept away,
a strange and unearthly scream rose above the din of the
elements, as if uttered by a weird spirit of the storm.

Tt: said:

“My father calis me—my poor, dear father! I struck

the fatal blow! Forgive! I come—I come!”

Then came a dreadful yell—which haunted me in my
dreams for years. The insane Judson sprang on the
quarter rail, and before any of us could reach his side he
sprang into the foaming, billowy Atlantic. No human
arm could save him. He arose on a foam-crested wave,
and with his body half out of the water he uttered an-
other agonizing shriek, and then disappeared forever.

The young man had brooded over the awful deed until
reason was dethroned, and he ended his life of mental.
horror by seli-murder.

Will that mother, in her home, on the banks of the roll-
ing Penobscot, learn the fate of that only son? The
waters of old ocean. will keep their secrets till Heaven
shall ¢ommand the dead to come forth. Then, oh! what
untold mysteries will be ‘unfolded—of loved’ ones struck
down by the ruthless hand of an assassin. |

Then, . old: ocean, roll on, and sigh a requiem “over “the
millions that lie entombed far down, on _the. coral bed.

TOO. MUCH FOR THE LAWYER,

uA well-known preacher while. ‘traveling. upon. . _horse-
back fell-in with two. lawyers, who, taking. place on -either
side of him, began to quiz him. ‘They asked him if. he
was a man of liberal education.

“Sufficiently,” he said, “to. get.

They. inquired if he wrote his sermons.
the negative: ak
“But. do you “not. sometimes make ‘mistakes—for ‘in-
stance, in “quoting Seripture soi i
“Perhaps _ so, sometimes, but not often.”

“When you. find you have made a mistake, do you. not
correct it?”

“Not always.

about the Count
He. replied. in

if it involves nothing essential, 7 let it
pass.. The other day I tried to repeat the. passage. “where
it says, ‘The devil is a liar, and. the father of them/
I got it, ‘The devil is a lawyer, and the father. of them;
but I hardly thought it necessary. to rectify | so unimpor-
tant. an error.’

By this time one of the: young sprigs” was ‘prompted to
remark to the other that he hardly knew whether. the
fellow was knave or ‘fool. The. preacher glanced. mean- °
ingly on either hand, and replied :

“Perhaps between the two.”
The young gentlemen by this time. thought it best | to
leave the preacher to his own meditations.

SCOTCH RIVALRY.

Clase and: Edinburgh are, in the “popular”. ed. re-
garded. as. rivals Setnaly, Stiles each  other—Glas-
gow’s: sneering at ones “genteel; ride” and Edin-
burgh sneering. at Glasgow’s “commercial taint” and her
smoky, sunless atmosphere.. Princes’ Street is regarded
by many traveled people as. the finest street in- the world,
but it was a Glasgow man who called it “only -hauf: a
street,” because the buildings are all on one side.) <>

 
 
    
  

w
*
‘

   

 

NEW BUFFALO BILL WEEKLY. ee 27

THE NEWS OF THE WORLD. °

 

Pet Dog, Twenty-two Years Old, Waits for Dead Master.

Sadie Tom Taylor, twenty-two years old, feeble and
heartsick, is eking out a mournful existence, awaiting the

return of her benefactor, who has been in his grave for

nearly a year. Unable to utter one word of reproach over
her neglect, deaf to human utterances of condolence, and
the charge of a charitably inclined neighbor, she main-
tains a watch of solitude and dumb misery at the de-
serted home at Memphis, Tenn, She does not know that
he for whom she keeps a constant vigil is beyond mortal
aid, for Sadie Tom is a black-and-tan dog.

Sadie —Tom was the pet of Tom C. Taylor, former
deputy in the office of the county trustee.

For years, day in and day out, month in and month
out, she met her master with a wag of her tail and a joy
bark each evening at five o’clock. A year ago, Taylor
died, and his wife moved away, but the dog stayed. :

Every day since Sadie Tom has walked to meet her
master, and every night she has maintained guard at the
old Taylor home, with ears awaiting the sound of her
master’s homecoming.

Steals from Death Chamber.

Dossie Horton, a negro, has gained considerable fame
in North Carolina, by breaking into the penitentiary and
stealing a raincoat from the room containing the electric
chair. However, he was captured on making his exit from
the building.

e

Live Sporting Notes.

When Charles W. Murphy, of the Chicago Cubs, dis-
missed Johnny Evers as manager, he reversed an opinion
expressed when he let Frank Chance out. When the latter
was released, Murphy declared a playing manager was the
only sort of leader he would’ ever have. Now he de-
fends Hank O’Day by saying a bench manager is the only
successful kind.

Jack White’s defeat at the hands of Matty McCue, of
Racine, Wis., caused the cancellation of White’s bout in
Milwaukee with Johnny Kilbane, featherweight champion.

Hank O’Day, new manager of the Chicago Cubs, has
not proved his worth as a manager yet. He was released
by Cincinnati because he could not get along with his
players.

The New York boxing commission has prohibited the
old custom of introducing boxers at the ringside. Only the
participants in the boxing card will be introduced to the
spectators.

Joe Rivers called off his bout with Leach Cross,
scheduled for this month, and the dentist-boxer has re-
turned East. Rivers has been severely censured on the
coast for backing out of the match.

Joe Jackson, chief slugger of the Cleveland ball team,
declares Crawford was more valuable to Detroit than the
great Ty Cobb last season, and produces figures to prove
it. Cobb received twice as much salary as Crawford.
Cobb hit .390; Crawford .316; Cobb played in 122 games,

Crawford in 163; Cobb batted 428 times, Crawford 610;

Cobb scored 70 runs, Crawford 78; Cobb made 167 hits,
Crawford 193, and Cobb batted in 65 runners, Craw-
ford go.

- ness to be handled from one national office.

Miss Myrtle Young, an actress of Gloucester, N. J.,
has announced her engagement to marry Eddie Mc-
Goorty, the middleweight fighter, who is now in Australia.

Nap Lajoie, the famous second baseman of the Cleve-
land team, ranks Hans Wagner as the greatest short-
stop, with Turner, of Cleveland, second.

Although Jimmy Clabby, the Hammond, Ind., middle-
weight, easily outboxed “Sailor” Petrosky and won a de- ©
cision, he was a disappointment to the critical Los Angeles .
fans, because he did not show that he had a good wallop.
He hit Petrosky at will, but could not floor the Westerner.

Samuel Cady, an attorney of Green Bay, Wis., has re-
ceived his varsity “W,” after waiting for twelve years.
He was a member of Wisconsin’s first rowing crew, a
score of years ago. The college only recently decided to
give insignias to old athletic stars.

Tom Hughes, the old Washington American League
pitcher, who tried to land a job as an umpire, will pitch
for the Los Angeles team.

~~

Boy Scouts Growing; More Leadets Needed.

The activities of the Boy Scouts have become so ex-
tensive that it is virtually impossible for all of the busi-
This fact
was brought out at the convention of Boy Scouts of
America, at Washington, D. C.

Plans were discussed for the decentralization of the
organization with eight fields or districts, each with a main
office to conduct the work now done by the national of-
fices.

A plea also has been made for more men to lead the
Boy Scouts. It is said many companies have been dis-

banded and disrupted because there was no one to teach

them. :

Eighteen Washington Scouts will be given a European
trip to demonstrate to Scouts of the Old World what the
Boy Scouts of America are doing.

Heats Death Fight’ Ovet Telephone.

Through the quick wit of a telephone girl, the murder
of Harry Edwards, night clerk in the Wells Fargo Express
Company’s office, at Corning, N. Y., was discovered, and
his alleged slayer, David Dunn, a nineteen-year-old boy,
formerly employed by the company, was arrested shortly
afterward. It is entirely probable that had the police been
as prompt to investigate as the girl was to impart to them
her suspicion that something was wrong in the express
office, the tragedy might have been prevented.

Miss Carrie Niles was on night duty at central when
a call came over the express-office line. Failing to get a
response to her requests for a number, she listened and
heard sounds that led her to communicate with police
headquarters. When a policeman finally went there, he
found Edwards dead on the floor beside the safe, which
bore marks showing that an attempt had been made to
open it. A trail of bloody footprints led out of the
office. ¢
Then headquarters got very busy, indeed. A  blood-

\hound was brought to the scene and took up the trail, but

speedily lost it. Inquiries then elicited information that
oe a NEW BUFFALO

‘

young Dunn had been hanging about the express office.

He was found at his home, and at first denied any knowl-
edge of the crime, but when a search revealed his blood-
stained shoes and clothing, and a revolver hidden under.

his mattress, he broke down and confessed, according to
the police.

Dunn, they said, explained that he had told a hard-luck
story to induce Edwards to let him sleep in the office.
During the night a shipment of $10,900 in currency had ar-
rived and been duly placed in the safe. Presently the clerk
dozed, and the boy, believing him sound asleep, tried to
open the safe. Edwards, however, awoke on the instant.
A fierce fight ensued, and Dunn succeeded in drawing his
revolver and shooting him. It must have been during the
struggle that the clerk managed to get the telephone re-
ceiver off the hook in an effort to summon assistance.

After assuring himself that Edwards was dead, Dunn
renewed his attempts to open the safe. It would appear
that the police used the telephone to the office after Miss
Niles had given the alarm, for the boy’s alleged confession
mentions that he was interrupted twice in his work by
‘calls from headquarters, which he answered, to allay suspi-
cion.

When he was arraigned on a charge of murder in the
first degree, the prisoner waived examination, and was
held without bail for the grand jury.

Speech on Grain of Wheat.

Perhaps the greatest feat of microscopic engraving was
accomplished by a farmer in Alberta, Canada, who pre-
pared an address of welcome to the Duke of Connaught.
The address was inscribed on a grain of wheat, and con-
tained no fewer than 3oo letters. So fine was the let-
tering that a microscope was necessary to read the in-
Sepeen,

es Fire Engine Fights its Own Blaze.

After nobly plowing through four-foot snowdrifts to two
alarms, at Hartford, Conn., recently, fire engine No, 1,
which has lately been equipped with one of the new-
fangled tractors, caught fire while answering an alarm for
a small blaze, and was seriously damaged.

A crowd gathered on Main Street to witness the novel
spectacle of a fire engine on fire, and snow and chemicals
were used in a vain attempt to quench the flames which
-enveloped the middle of the apparatus.

Finally a jet of high-pressure steam from’ he boiler
was used effectually.

Washington Relics Have Traveled Far.

Now that the legislature of Virginia, following the sug~-
gestion of the Daughters of the American Revolution, has
formally made request upon J. P. Morgan, junior, of New
York, for the return to Fairfax County of the will of
Martha Washington, great interest has been taken in the
existing relics of the Washingtons,

The will of Martha Washington was stolen from Fair-
fax courthouse during the war, and has since, by purchase,
become a part of the Morgan collection. Like many other
famous relics of the Washingtons, this will has traveled
far from home, and the action on the part of the Virginia
legislature may have many interesting results,

In many quarters of the country there are scattering
mementos of the first president and his beloved wife, Al-
though the fact is but little known, Chicago, for instance,

BILL WEEKLY. ’

\

is the home of many relics of George and Martha Wash-

4

ington.

Most noteworthy oe these, perhaps, is the collection of
Mrs. George S. Woodward, which is regarded as one of
the finest private collections of Washington mementos in
the United States.

The Woodward collection originated with Betsy Billings

Curtis, great-grandmother of Mr. Woodward, to whom the

various treasures were given by Martha Washington as
keepsakes.

The original gift was the result of a long intimacy ex-
isting between the Washington and Curtis families, and it
was made at a time when General and Martha Wash-
ington were guests at the Curtis home in Boston.

From generation to generation, the keepsakes have been
handed down in the Curtis family, until they came into
the possession of Mrs. Woodward. The collection con-

sists of many treasures of both intrinsic and historic value’

Probably the most interesting souvenir is a pocket comb
of tortoise shell, with a chased pearl handle, which was
always carried and used by General Washington. Of
equal historic value is Cowper’s poem,
first page of which is the bookplate of George Washin-
ton, consisting of his coat of arms and the legend, “Ex-
cits acta probat”’—‘“Actions are tested by their results.”
Directly beneath the bookplate appears the signature | of
Washington.

Another volume, “The Vicar of Wakefield,” was given’

by General Washington to the mother of Betsy Curtis,
and by her in turn to her daughter. It is the fourth edi-
tion, volume 1, Dublin, 1767, and bears the following in-
Scription: “Betsy Billings Curtis’ hook, given her by, her
honored and best of mammas, 1797.”

Directly associated with Martha Washington are sev-
eral mementos of the Woodward collection. Of these
not the least interesting are two spindles and a spool reel
used by Martha Washington, and a perfume bottle and
leather case, also the property of Mrs, Washington.

Of the other souvenirs, the following are of excep-
tional interest: A thimble and spool of sewing silk, em-
broidery done on fine linen, and a piece of white lace made
by Martha Washington. Of interest to the housewives
of to-day is Mrs. Washington’s recipe for mince pie, given
originally to Mrs. Elisha Tickner. The recipe follows:

Six pounds of lean beef, three pounds of suet, chopped
fine; three pounds of apples, six pounds of currants, two
quarts of red wine or cider; a little sugar, salt, spices, and
brandy to taste.

Mrs. Woodward’s daughter, Mrs. P. M. Chamberlain, is
also the owner of many interesting Washington relics. Of
these probably the most noteworthy is a miniature of Gen-
eral Washington, the original of which was one of three
enameled on copper.

from one of his ancestors. Other mementos in Mrs.

Chamberlain’s collection are a mahogany sewing table of ©
colonial style, a small mirror with drawers, and a colonial |

rocking-chair,

Of the Washington period, there are several interest-
ing souvenirs in the possession of Mrs. David S. Wegg,
Most important of these is a mahogany bed, the property

of General Washington, and a constitution mirror—made |
in commemoration of the Revolution. In this collection is
also a cannon ball found in the Detroit River—a souvenir

of the war of 1750 to 1760.
Le Verne W. Noyes is the possessor of a copy of £ Cite

 

“Task. ion ihe

It was a gift of Mr. Chamberlain.

gh tA > hana = ae
 

   

  

bert Stuart’s unfinished portrait of Washington, while
Mrs. Robert H. Wiles is the owner of several Wesete:
ton mementos of historical value. —.

Mrs. Simeon C. Colton, of Wilnietic, : a suburb of. Chi-
ae ‘owns an exceptionally valuable Washington treas-

It is a solid-mahogany bureau, used by General Wash-
ton in his headquarters at Morristown, N. J., and is
preserved to-day practically untarnished.

Probably the rarest and most valuable Washingtonian
treasures are those belonging to Charles F. Gunther,
which include several original paintings by Stuart and
others, as well as numerous souvenirs of historical and
intrinsic value. Of these, the Stuart paintings are, per-
haps, the most noteworthy, being among the most. valuable
art works in the United States.

In the possession of the Chicago Historical Society are
| numerous mementos of the Washingtonian period, many
@ of which are of great value. In this collection are seventy-
™ sfive plates on screens—portraits of Washington, his Mount
- Vernon home, and prominent persons of Revolutionary
War times, as well as many scenes connected with the
struggle for independence. Other relics are a Betsy Zane
spinning wheel, early picture of Mount Vernon, a fac-
simile of the Declaration of Independence, two portraits
of Washington and one of Martha Washington, the frame
@ containing signatures of the presidents from the manu-
| script room, George and Martha Washington (engravings
by Sartain), Washington intreducing Lafayette to his
mother (an etching), portrait and manuscript of Lafayette,
rare engraving of General Charles Lee, copies of the Bos-
ton Gazette and Country Journal of March 12, 1770, con-
taining an account of the Boston massacre; Washington
letters, including the “Official letters to the Honorable
American Congress, written during the war between the
United States and Great Britain by His Excellency George
Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental
Forces, tow President of the United States, 1796.”

The most notable memento, however, in the historical
society collection is Washington’s razor and cane, upon
which appear the initials “G. W.” Interesting, also, are a
number of medals, among which are the following: A
bronze medal to commemorate the inauguration of George
Washington as first President of the United States, at
New York, April 30, 1780, issued April 30, 1889, by a
committee on celebration, New York; centennial of the
Constitution, 1887; Washington and Independence, 1782;
' a head of Washington of early coinage, and seven other
_ medals bearing the head of the first president.

 

 

 

 

 
  
 
 
 
 
  

7 Forty-two Years in Prison.’
‘We —sCéFforty-two years of prison life for various crimes com-
f mitted in eight States did not suffice to make W: M. Con-
| lin, aged sixty-five, of Jamesville, Wis. an honest man.
| He has begin in the State prison at Waupun, Wis., a three-
Wy oyear term for breaking into the home of Reverend Henry
1 Willmann.

| Judge Maxfield imposed the maximum Sentence on Con-
| lin, who said he committed the crimes to get something to
eat. Two hours after he had entered the preacher’s
| house, where he took two coats, he gave himself up to
the police.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicago Federals’ Expense $125,000.
_ That the newly organized Federal League, which has
| placed bali clubs in several major, American Association,

 

 

 

 

 

NEW BUFFALO

 

BILL WEERLY.

29

  
 
   

and aul tious cities, for the purpose of play-
ing in opposition to the teams of those’ leagues, really
presents a strong front, and is a genuine barrier to the so-
called baseball trust, is best shown by the financial back-
ing of the various clubs in the new circuit.

Tt has been no secret that all of the clubs are con-
trolled by millionaires or near-millionaires, but until re-
cently it was not known how much money these wealthy
promoters were willing to risk in the uncertainties of base-
ball. According to a conservative estimate, the Chicago
Federal League club has spent $125,000 already, and is yet
to build a modern ball park, for which plans have been
drawn. The owners expect their outlay to reach $250,000
before the first game of the season is played.

Of the eighth of a million dollars already spent, Sahel
has been given as advance salaries and bonuses to players
who “jumped” to the Federals from leagues in organized
baseball, which held them under the “reserve clause’—a
provision giving the clab owners an option on the over $s
service from year to year.

This money was distributed as sith’

Joe Tinker, $10,000; three players whose names have not

heen announced, $15,000; Rollie Zeider, of New’ York

Americans, $1,500; Claude Hendrix, of Pittsburgh, $5,000;
Frank Owens, of Washington and Minneapolis, $2,500;
Ad Brennan, of ‘Philadelphia Nationals, $500; William
Killifer, of Philadelphia Nationals, who jumped back to
Philadelphia, $500; Alex Zwilling, from St. Joseph, Mo.,
$500; Al Wickland, of Cincinnati, $2,000; Jackson, from
Portland, Ore., $300; Westerzil, from St. Joseph, Mo.,
$500; Jim McGuire, from Chicago Federals of last year,

$300 ; Coles, from Elmira, N. Y., $1,000.

This expenditure of almost $40,000 by the Chicago Fed-
erals to players alone, is a fair estimate of the amount the
other seven clubs have advanced for the same purpose.
However, the Chicago club’s other expenses have amounted
to a great deal more than that of the others.

The Federal League also has a trust fund of $200,000
in an Indianapolis bank, each of the eight clubs having been
assessed $25,000, This money cannot be touched until the
last half of the season, and then only to help weak clubs,
or to pay the salaries of players.

The new league was never given a better boost than
when Charles W. Murphy, owner of the Chicago Nationals,
relieved John Evers as manager of the Cubs, and ap-
pointed Henry O’Day, former umpire, and manager of the
Cincinnati team. Evers had a five-year contract with
Murphy, and had not been notified of his dismissal before
the public announcement was made.

The firing of Evers, who made a good showing with a
poor team last year, following, as it did, the dismissal of
Frank Chance, the great leader, fifteen months ago, not
only caused great indignation in Chicago, but also in all
baseball circles. Hundreds of fans signed pledges to
boycott the Cubs this season, and to support the Federal
and American League teams. The National and Amer-
ican League clubs started secret proceedings, which ended
in the retirement of Charles W. Murphy from organized
baseball.

Following the announcement of Evers’ dismissal as
manager, Murphy announced the trade of the former
manager to Boston for Pitcher Perdue and Second Base-
man Sweeney. However, the National League directors
refused to ratify the trade, awarded Evers to Boston, and,
it is said, will compel Murphy to pay Evers several
oO . NEW BUFFALO
thousand dollars damages. Murphy declares he will go
~to court to protect his rights.

Evers was satisfied with the terms Boston made to him,
although he preferred playing with the Chicago or New
York Americans. He refused to consider Federal League
offers.

The Federal League also made headway when it pro-
cured a ball park and financial backing in Brooklyn, with
the intention of transferring the Toronto club there. How-

ever, this gain was offset in a way, by the announcement -

of the Baseball Players’ Fraternity, which has a member-
ship of virtually every major league, American Associa-
tion, and International League player, that all men under
contract or held by the reserve clause to organized base-
ball, would be suspended, if they jumped to the Federals.
Baseball in the major-league cities is in a chaotic con-
dition. It is almost a certainty that the courts will be re-
quired to settle some of the disputes and entanglements.

Dead Hen Beats Brownsville.

For one year Brownsville held the distinction of being

the cleanest town in Texas, but it lost the title this year,
because a chicken which died overnight was thrown into
an alley by its thoughtless owner, and was seen the next
morning by the inspectors. Brownsville came within three-
sixteenths of one per cent of winning, at that; Bonham
beating it by the narrow margin.

Breaks Record in Number of Teams.

/Xozey Dolan, who will play with the St. Louis Nationals
“his summer, holds a record for playing with different
teams. First he played with the New York Americans.
Then -he moved about as follows: Denver, New York
Americans, Rochester, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St.
Louis—seven moves in all.

Smallpox Victims in Parade.

When ten smallpox patients were brought to Win-
chester, Ky., to be taken to the pesthouse, they were not
too ill to be funny. They formed a parade through the
city from Remick Station. One of them carried a “small-
pox” banner. The parade had the right of way in all the
streets. -

Girl in Prison Battle Declines Stage Offers. .
- Miss Mary Foster, the stenographer in the office of
Warden Dick at the Oklahoma State penitentiary, who was
used as an unwilling shield by escaping convicts, is not
going on the stage, thotgh she has been offered several
contracts in vaudeville, and several to pose for moving

pictures reproducing the escape of the three convicts and

their subsequent death.

Miss Foster was in a hospital until recently, ill from
her experience. Before she returns to her work in the
prison, she is going to her home at Trenton, Mo., to stay
several weeks.

Dinner Poor, He Sues for $15,000.

The Kansas supreme court must decide how much a
boiled-beef dinner that makes a man ill damages him.
The district court of Smith County said the damage is
$1,000. J. D. Manlone, the man who was. ill, says it is
$15,000. Henry D. Jones and his wife say it doesn’t dam-
age him at all.

Jones family, at Topeka, Kan. One Saturday Mr. and

Manlone was the “hired hand” for the

itty WEEKLY.

Mrs. Jones went to Smith Canter and porehaned os piece
of boiling beef. The meat was cooked and served the
next day. Manlone says it caused him terrible pains. The
Smith County court allowed him $1,000, and the case

now is submitted to the supreme court.

Bandit Castiflo Made Prisoner by Americans.

Maximo Castillo, the Mexican bandit, charged with re-
sponsibility for the Cumbre tunnel disaster, in which sev-
enteen Americans and forty-one others lost their lives,
was captured near Hachita, N. M., by American troops.

This information was conveyed to General Hugh L.
Scott, commandant at Fort Bliss, in an official telegram
from Captain White, Ninth United States Cavalry.

With the bandit were six of his followers.

Castillo, to Avoid a range of mountains ‘on the Mex-—

ican side, made a detour which brought him into Amer-

ican. territory. Captain White was on the watch, having
received information that the bandit was in the vicinity.

Whether the prisoner ‘shall be surrendered to the rebels
is a legal question which remains to be settled. If this is
done, there is no doubt that he will be executed. He is
not charged with any crime on this side.

Seeks Jim Crow Law for Nation.

J. Harvey Maxey, speaker of the lower house of the
Oklahoma legislature, who is seeking the Democratic nom-
ination for Congress in the second district, says that the
chief feature of his campaign platform is a demand for
a national Jim Crow, or separate railroad coach, law for
negroes and whites. :

Equipment of Entire Army Sold to Rancher.

Joseph. C. Miller, an Oklahoma ranchman, probably is -
the only person who ever purchased the entire equipment
of a defeated army. Miller bought all the live stock,
blankets, saddles, bridles, rifles, sabers, and odds and ends
of the Mexican army, which was driven across the United
States line by General Villa, the ‘revolutionist leader, in
the battle of Ojinaga,

When he turned the money over to Fernando Serrano,
Mexican consul at Marfa, Texas, Miller received about
2,000 horses and mules, 3,500 rifles, 500 pistols, some can-
non, sabers, and other things. The equipment is being
shipped to the Miller ranch. It is declared the ranchman
will make big money on the investment.

Underground Lake Found in Ozarks,

Exploration of Marble Cave, near Bronson, Mo., indi-
cates that it is of the same proportions. as the-famous
Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. A great lake has been ex- .
plored in the cave by the owner, E. M. Lynch, his daugh-
ters, Professor Hall, of Springfield, Mo., and others.

Off and on all winter, the exploring party has been at
work in the cave, looking out new points of interest,
climbing into new grottoes, exploring new passages and
corridors, many of which seem to have no ending. It
now takes a full three days to make a trip through that
part of this geological wonder of the Ozarks that has
been investigated. The owner thinks it will take a life-

- time to fully explore the cave to its utmost ends, as many

passages open up that human feet have never trodden in,
with great stalactites hanging from the roofs in fantastic
shapes. Many of the big rooms filled with this under-
ground formation, which is onyx, formed by dips, take

 

 
 

-_

 

i
i

 

NEW BUFFALO

)

| on the shapes of mountain ranges and the weird archi-

tecture of the castles on the Rhine, with battlements.
There are throne rooms and fairy castles, with rocks of
various hues and shades where water drips continually,
and sparkles like diamonds in the dim glare of the light.
The big lake which has lately been discovered in the
cave, deep down in the bowels of the earth, in the very
bottom of the big opening, was located while the party
was exploring the underground river which runs through
one of the main corridors, This river had never been fully
explored until Lynch and his daughters took up the
work of exploration this winter. In many respects this
river resembles a surface stream. It flows over a rock
bottom, and has a swift current. Instead of the banks
being green clad, however, they’ are overhanging ledges of
rocks in every conceivable fantastic shape. Sometimes
the roof over the river is high, and sometimes’ low, so
low one has to stoop in making his way along the ledges.
It is not wide, and if it were a surface stream, it would
not be classed as a river, but as a creek. It varies in
width from twenty to forty feet. In many places it is
shallow and full of shoals, over which the water dashes,
throwing a white spray in the air. In other places, large
pools have formed that flow slowly and are of great depth,
in which are many fish native to this section of the
country, which are all blind, as in the Mammoth Cave
of Kentteky. White salamanders, a species. of. the lizard
family, crawl along the.slimy ledges; These creatures ard
native only to this cave,.the only ones ever being discov-
ered having been found there. Like the fish in the river,
they are also blind: In the grottoes.in ‘many places in the:
winter, great colonies of bats take up hibernating quarters,
and. thousands upon thousands of these little’ half-bird-
half-animal- creatures: cling: to the: roof and walls, layer
upon. layer, forming immense brown, hairy mats. When
disturbed, they, squeal like rats or mice, except in a much’
shriller, -squeakier tone. Sometimes hundreds. of them.
will turn. loose and fly.up and down. the corridors, and -
when. thic. happens, there is some lively dodging done. .
The lake was discovered at the foot of a sloping water-
fallin the river, which descends at a sharp angle for -sev-
eral hundred. feet, the water dashing over the broken
ledges which form the bottom of the river at that place
with the roar of. a. milldam, echoing and reéchoing through -
a hundred subterranean: passages. Reais

Engineets Get Iowa Bridges.

The Reverend C. F. Elliott, pastor of the Unitarian
Church at Keokuk, Iowa, is authority for the statement
that 110 of the young women of Keokuk have become the
wives of engineers and experts who were at Keokuk with
Engineer’ Hugh Cooper, in his Mississippi River dam-
building niet : nas m

President ue ‘Valuable Friend.

In the death of Augustus Octavius Bacon, United States
senator from Georgia, President Wilson has lost one of
his best friends, and jis chief adviser on the Mexican
situation and. policies. His position as chairman of the

foreign relations committee brought about frequent con- |

ferences with the president.
Although Senator Bacon had been ill for some time,

his death, caused by a blood clot on the heart, came un-

expectedly. William J. Stone, of Missouri, probably will

sete him as chairman of ‘the foreign relations comimit-

BILL WEEKLY, . 3t
tee. Mr. Bacon was the first United States senator chosen
by the direct vote of the people under the seventeenth
constitutional amendment.

After thirty-three years in “public lite, ‘Senator Boca
died practically. a poor man. His. old Southern home in
Macon, and his carefully selected library, are the only
salient earthly possessions left by the soldier, _ Statesman,
and patriot. -

Thrown One apne and Seveniplivs Feet, t, Yet l Lives,

Despite the fact that he was catapulted over the en-
circling row ‘of seats, all of which were filled, for a
distance of more than. 75 feet, at. a motordrome here,
Walter Perch, a rider, is able to be about. His front
wheel became entangled with the rear wheel of another.
bicycle, causing the accident.

Six Dog Babies Are Batted.

Because a blooded English setter, bought by Eugene
Simpson, of Portland, Ore., at Nanaime, B. C., gave birth
to six puppies while en route to Portland, the animal and
her family have been held by Seattle ‘customs officials, “ac-
cording to information received by Mr. Simpson.

A manifest accompanying the dog called for “one Eng-
lish setter dog,” and the customs men ‘declared they could’
not pass seven dogs on it, even if six of them were day-
old’ babies. “Simpson ‘may have to appeal to Washington
to get his canine family.

Girl Cripple’s Dteam of Walking is Truth.

After being’ compelled to use crutches for fourteen
months, Miss’ Helen’ Scott; fourteen’ years old, dreamed
that she could walk alone. The next motning,; when ‘she
awoke, she was standing in ‘the middle of the room, and
her crutches wefe leanitig against the side of the bed.

The reliance that came to her in the dream” Loaamied,
and day by day strength returned to the unaccustomed
muscles. Now shevis ‘entirely well, and “has returned to
school, -Before the dream, she would. oe no. Fausilba
to walls without the aid of the ea inal an

Bs plore: Ship: Lost in srehic.

‘Letters just received from Vilbjalmur Stefansson, dis:
coverer of the blond Eskimos, and Bert McConnell, me-
teorologist of Stefansson’s latest expedition to the Far
North, reveal the reason for the separation of Stefans-
son and other members of the party. from the exploring
vessel, the Karluk.

McConnell’s letter, dated’ October ‘19, was posted. at
Point Barrow, Alaska, November 1. It reads as follows: -

“Mr. Stefansson, Jenness, Wilkins, and myself, with two
Eskimos, went ashore at the mouth of the Colville to
hunt caribou. We got ashore after being marooned on
one of the Jones Islands for several days, but in the mean-
time a northeaster blew up, and loosened the ice that held
us all summer. We had provisions for ten days, and man-
aged to kill a seal or two, some ducks, loons, gulls, et
cetera, so we lived very well... Forgot’ to say that we
started for the ship on September 20 with two dog teams
of six dogs each, and arrived « on ‘the mainland at ‘Beechey
Point on September 28. _

“Mr. Stefansson went out for caribou two or three
times, once with a dog team and two Eskimos, but did”
fot get any. He saw one at dusk one day, but was about
ten niles from camp, and. did not go. after him. We.

 
32 NEW. BUFFALO
were stormbound for one day, and spent the time in dry-
ing out our sleeping bags and the skins that are put under
them. :

_. “Anyway, Stefansson decided to head for Point Barrow
after being certain that the Karluk had gotten clear of the

ice and gone either east or west, while we were marooned

on the second island. We kept a shafp lookout to sea, and
one day thought we saw a ship backing in and out of
the ice. Mr. Stefansson watched it for several hours;

then I relieved him, and watched. for two hours. I

thought sure it was a ship, and she seemed to be heading

for shore, but we finally lost sight of her.

“On October 2 we headed for Point Barrow, as we had
enough dog feed to last four days. We never hurried on
the entire trip, and arrived on October 12. Mr. Brower,
trader, took us in, and we are very comfortable now.

“The Karluk was sighted off Point Tangent by an old
Eskimo who had a*spyglass, and who said he was near
enough to see her ropes. She was drifting west, and no
smoke was issuing from her funnel or galley. There is no
reason.for doubting the old man’s word, as he knows the
Karluk, and has no reason for lying. An

“A few days later a schooner was seen off Point Bar-
_ row, and some who saw her say she was the old Karluk.
“At any rate; the boat is adrift somewhere, and nothing

remains to be done except to join the Alaska and the Mary

Sachs. They are at Collinson’s Point, hauled out for the

winter and in good shape. o
“I am not of the pessimistic order, but if I ever see the

Kadrluk again, | shall be very much surprised. I do not

fear so much for the people on the Karluk, as they have

two Eskimos, one of them an exceptionally good hunter,
twenty-five dogs, six or eight sledges, and Captain Bart-

_lett.. Mr. Murray has a good head, Mamen and Mr. Had-
ley know dogs, Doctor Mackay can be counted on, and, if
it comes to a show-down, they ought to get out of their

predicament in good shape. .

“Our personal losses, compared with the losses of Mr.

Stefansson and the expedition, are nothing. There is
nothing we can do except join the Southern party, -
(Signed) “Bert M’CoNNELL.”

Stefanson started from Victoria, B. C,, on June 17 fast,
his expedition being financed by the Canadian govern-
ment. It was his object to be the first explorer to sail
far out into the unknown region of the Arctic Ocean, and
there discover the mythical “Crocker Land.”

: Boy Shipped as Live Stock.
--A boy crated and shipped as live stock was the discov-
ery. nade by a veterinary at Lincoln, Neb., when he was.
called upon to inspect a carload of. goods billed from
Bert Rand, Neb. to Burke, S. D.. The waybill on the

A By i 2
o i Bae
c é
e, es

I offer a genuine
edy for tobacco or snu:
pleasant, strengthening.

chewing tobacco or snu

gas, belching,

blood, hea:

rs, pipe,
¢ Tobacco is
poisonous and seriously Injures the
health in several ways, causing such disor-
ders as nervous dyspepsia, sleeplessness,
awing or other uncomfort-
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‘and many other disorders, Nervous breakdown, weakened intellect and-
INSANITY are often attributed to tobacco habit by eminent medical men.
EDWARD J. WOODS, 534 Sixth &Ayv., 2309 F

BILL WEEKLY.

‘

shipment included household goods and “one hog, value
released at $10.” eS Me

A careful search revealed a boy curled up in a corner’
of the car. By billing the car as part live stock, the ship-
per is allowed the low rate on the household goods, and
in the absence of a hog, the boy was sent as a substitute.

Chief Sam’s Project Has Negroes Guessing.

Chief Alfred Sam’s project to take the negroes to Africa
and to give them land to till and the freedom of self-
government, continues to cause excitement and wonder,
not only among those who have given him the $25 fee, but
also those who have read of the plan.

Conflicting stories regarding the sincerity of the African
chieftain, who claims he rules the people of Akim, one of
the tribes of Ashantee, on the west coast of Africa, con-
tinue to be circulated.

J. E, Barnes, formerly Liberian minister of the public
works, says:

“With the exception of the Republic of Liberia, which
is a sovereign black state, no other part of thaf con-
‘tinent is open to immigration of colored folk, because the
country has been divided up by European governments,
and they do not allow emigrants to go there.” ;

‘“Qne of Chief Sam’s followers replies: “We looked
into the reliability of Chief Sam before we agreed to
go back to Africa with him. His company is capitalized
for one million dollars, and 6,300 negro men and women
in the United States have taken shares, and will go back
to Africa as soon as the chief’s affairs are in réadiness.
He has set aside a plot of ground sixty-four acres square
for the use of American negroes.”

Chief Sam’s vessel, which he claims his company has
purchased, formerly was the Curityba, but will be re-
christened the Liberia. It is at one of the docks in New -
York. Chief Sam’s first proposition was that each negro
‘would be given sixty-four acres of African soil. Now it is
rumored that sixty-four acres must do for all who return

to the “Gold Coast.”

 

 

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New Buffalo Bill

fSSUED
EV ER Y
‘TUESDAY

Weekly

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.

voted to be masterpieces of Western adventure fiction.
Buffalo Bill is more popular to-day than he ever was, and, consequently, everybody ought to know all there is

to know about him.

great man, as by reading the New Buffalo Bill Weekly.

We give herewith a list of some of the back numbers in print.

These stories have been read exclusively in this weekly for many years, and are

In no manner can you become so thoroughly acquainted with the actual habits and life of this

You can have your news dealer order them or

they will be sent direct by the publishers to any address upon receipt of the price in money or postage stamps.

452—Buffalo Bill’s Lonesome Trail.
453—Buffalo Bill’s Quarry.
454—Buffalo Bill in Deadwood.
455—Buffalo Bill’s First Aid.
456—Buffalo Bill and Old Moonlight,
457—Buffalo Bill Repaid.
458—Buffalo Bill’s Throwback.
459—Buffalo Bill’s “Sight Unseen.”
460—Buffalo Bill’s New Pard.
461—Buffalo Bill’s “‘Winged Victory.”
462—Buffalo Bill’s Pieces-of-eight.
463—Buffalo Bill and the Hight Vaqueros.
464—Buffalo Bill’s Unlucky Siesta.
465—Buffalo Bill’’s Apache Clue.
466—Buffalo Bill and the Apache Totem.
467—Buffalo Bill’s Golden Wonder.
468—Buffalo Bill’s Fiesta Night.
469—Buffalo Bill and the Hatchet Boys.
470—Buffalo Bill and the Mining Shark.
471—-Buffalo Bill and the Cattle Barons.
472—Buffalo Bill’s Long Odds.
473—Buffalo Bill, the Peacemaker.
474—-Buffalo Bill’s Promise to Pay.
475—Buffalo Bill’s Diamond Hitch.
476—Buffalo Bill and the Wheel of Fate.
477—Buffalo Bill and the Pool of Mystery.
481—Buffalo Bill’s Ultimatum.
482—Buffalo Bill’s Test.
483—Buffalo Bill and the Ponca Raiders.
485—Buffalo Bill’s Enigma.
486—Buffalo Bill’s Blockade.
487—Buffalo Bill and the Gilded Clique.
489—Buffalo Bill and the Boomers.
490—Buffalo Bill Calls a Halt.
492—Buffalo Bill’s O. K.
494—Buffalo Bill’s Transfer.
495—Buffalo Bill and the Red Horse
Hunters.
498—Buffalo Bill at Tinaja Wells.
499—Buffalo Bill and the Men of Mendon.
500—Buffalo Bill at Rainbow’s End.
501—Buffalo Bill and the Russian Plot.
502—Buffalo Bill’s Red Triangle.
503—Buffalo Bill’s Royal Flush.
504—Buffalo Bill’s Tramp Pard.
506—Buffalo Bill’s Crow Scouts.
507—Buffalo Bill’s Opium Case.
508—Buffalo Bill’s Witchcraft.
509—Buffalo Bill’s Mountain Foes.
510—Buffalo Bill’s Battle Cry.
511—Buffalo Bill’s Fight for the Right.
512—Buffalo Bill’s Barbecue.
513—Buffalo Bill and the Red Renegade.
514—Buffalo Bill and the Apache Kid.
515—Buffalo Bill and the Copper Barriers.
516—Buffalo Bill’s Pacific Power.
517—Buffalo Bill and Chief Hawkchee.
518—Buffalo Bill and the Indian Girl.
519—Buffalo Bill Across the Rio Grande.
520—Buffalo Bill and the Headless Horse-

man.
521—Buffalo Bill’s Clean Sweep.
522—Buffalo Bill’s Handful of Pearls.
523—Buffalo Bill’s Pueblo Foes.
525—Buffalo Bill and the Pawnee Prophet.
526—Buffalo Bill and Old Wanderoo.
527—Buffalo Bill’s Merry War.
528—Buffalo Bill and Grizzly Dan.
529—Buffalo Bill at Lone Tree Gap.
530—Buffalo Bill’s Trail of Death.
531—Buffalo Bill at Cimaroon Bar.
532—Buffalo Bill and the Sluice Robber.
533—Buffalo Bill on Lost River.
534—Buffalo Bill’s Thunderbolt.
535—Buffalo Bill’s Sioux Circus.
536—Buffalo Bill’s Sioux Tackle.
537—Buffalo Bill and the Talking Statue.

PRICE, FIVE CENTS PER COPY.

dealer, they can be obtained direct from this office.

53&8—Buffalo Bill’s Medicine Trail.
539—Buffalo Bill and the Knife Wizard.
540—Buffalo Bill and the Red Bedouins.
541—Buffalo Bill and the Prairie Corsairs.
542—Buffalo Bill’s Scarlet Pick-up.
543—Buffalo Bill’s Mental Magic.
544—Buffalo Bill and the Lost Indian.
545—Buffalo Bill’s Conquest.
546—Buffalo Bill’s Waif of the West.
547—Buffalo Bill’s Juggle With Fate.
548—Buffalo Bill and the Basilisk.
549—Buffalo Bill and the Klan of Kan.
550—Buffalo Bill and the Sorceress.
551—Buffalo Bill in the Ute Outbreak.
°52—Buffalo Bill and the Border Belle.
—Buffalo Bill’s Lost Trail.
554—Buffalo Bill’s Clever Capture.
55—Buffalo Bill and the White Chief.
556—Buffalo Bill and the Gambler.
557—Buffalo Bill and the Black Parson.
558—Buffalo Bill and the Toll Takers.
559—Buffalo Bill and the Blue Masks.
560—Buffalo Bill and the Valley Terrors.
561—Buffalo Bill and the Ranchero King.
562—Buffalo Bill and the Affair of Honor.
563—Buffalo Bill and the Ranger Robbers.
564—Buffalo Bill’s Blizzard Pards.
565—Buffalo Bill’s Indian Allies.
566—Buffalo Bill Snowbound.
567—Buffalo Bill’s Chivalry.
568—Buffalo Bill on the Mexican Border.
569—Buffalo Bill and the Conspirator Cap-

tain.
570—Buffalo Bill and the Mysterious
Ranchero.
571—Buffalo Bill on the Salt Lake Trail.
pe uaa Bill and the Overland Out-
aws.
573—Buffalo Bill and the Boy Regulators.
574—Buffalo Bill and the Red Buzzards.
575—Buffalo Bill and the Red Butterfly.
576—Buffalo Bill and the Valley Vigi-
lantes.
577—Buffalo Bill and the Silk Lasso.
578—Buffalo Bill and the Gold Boomers.
579—Buffalo Bill in Lost Valley.
580—Buffalo Bill and the Apache Dwarfs.
581—Buffalo Bill and the Red Rattlers.
582—Buffalo Bill’s Outlaw Allies.
583—Buffalo Bill’s Queer Pard.
584—Buffalo Bill’s Strange Prisoner.
585—Buffalo Bill’s Daring Drover.
586—Buffalo Bill’s Young Trailer.
587—Buffalo Bill and the War Hawk.
588—Buffalo Bill’s Strange Pursuit.
589—Buffalo Bill’s Death Trap.
590—Buffalo Bill’s Hard Chase.
591—Buffalo Bill in the Black Hills.

NEW SERIES
New Buffalo Bill Weekly

1—Buffalo Bill’s Blind Lead.
2—Buffalo Bill’s Bold Work.
38—Buffalo Bill Besieged.
4—Buffalo Bill Turns the Tables.
5—Buffalo Bill at Bay.
6—Buffalo Bill’s Defense.
(—Buffalo Bill and the Amazon.
8—Buffalo Bill’s Escape.
9—Buffalo Bill’s Blockhouse.
10—Buffalo Bill’s Cafion Cache.
11—Buffalo Bill’s Dead Drop.
12—Buffalo Bill’s Government Mission.
13—Buffalo Bill’s Blindfold Duel.
14—Buffalo Bill’s Mexican Feud.

15—Buffalo Bill’s Still Hunt.
16—Buffalo Bill’s Fiercest Fight.
17—Butffalo Bill’s Navaho Ally.
18—Buffalo Bill’s Best Shot.
19—Butffalo Bill’s Girl Pard.
20—Buffalo Bill’s Hagle Eye.
21—Buffalo Bill’s Arizona Alliance.
22—Buffalo Bill’s Mexican Adventure.
23—-Buffalo Bill After the Bandits.
24—-Buffalo Bill’s Red Trailer.
25—-Buffalo Bill. in the Hole in the Wall.
26—Buffalo Bill and the Bandit in Armor.
27—-Buffalo Bill and the Masked Mystery.
28—Buffalo Bill in the Valley of Death.
29—Buftfalo Bill’s Great Knife Duel.
80—Buffalo Bill in the Nick of Time.
31—Buffalo Bill’s Sacrifice.
32—Buffalo Bill’s Frisco Feud.
33—Buffalo Bill’s Diamond Hunt.
34—Buffalo Bill’s Avenging Hand.
35—Buffalo Bill at War With the Danites.
386—Buffalo Bill’s Deadshot Pard.
387—Buffalo Bill and the Death Brother-
hood.

388—Buffalo Bill’s Fiery Trail.
39—Buffalo Bill’s Sioux Foes.
40—Buffalo Bill’s Cold Trail.
41—Buffalo Bill’s Iron Fist.
42—Buffalo Bill’s Race With Fire.
43—Buffalo Bill’s Florida Foes.
44—Buffalo Bill’s Grim Climb.
45—Buffalo Bill’s Red Enemy.
46—Buffalo Bill on a Traitor’s Track.
47—Buffalo Bill’s Terrible Odds.
48—Buffalo Bill’s Air Voyage.
49—Buffalo Bill’s Death Thrust.
50—Buffalo Bill’s Kiowa Foe.
51—Buffalo Bill’s Terrible Throw.
52—Buffalo Bill’s Wyoming Trail.
53—Buffalo Bill’s Dakota Peril.
54—Buffalo Bill’s Tomahawk Duel.
55—Buffalo Bill’s Apache Round-up.
56—Buffalo Bill’s El Paso Pard.
57—Buffalo Bill’s Rio Grande Feud.
58—Buffalo Bill in Tight Quarters.
59—Buffalo Bill’s Daring Rescue.
60—Buffalo Bill at the Torture Stake.
61—Buffalo Bill’s Treasure Train.
62—Buffalo Bill Among the Blackfeet.
63—Buffalo Bill’s Border Beagles.
64—Buffalo Bill and the Bandits in Black.
65—Buffalo Bill on the Deadwood Trail.
66—Buffalo Bill in the Cafion of Death.
67—Burffalo Bill and Billy, the Kid.
68—Buffalo Bill and the Robber Ranch.
69—Buffalo Bill in the Land of Wonders.
(0—Buffalo Bill and the Traitor Soldier.
71—Buffalo Bill’s Dusky Trailers.
72—RBuffalo Bill’s Diamond Mine.
73—Buffalo Bill and the Pawnee Serpent.
(4—Buffalo Bill’s Scarlet Hand.
75—Buffalo Bill Running the Gantlet.
76—Buffalo Bill’s Leap in the Dark.
77—Buffalo Bill’s Daring Plunge.
78—Buffalo Bill’s Desperate Mission.
79—Buffalo Bill’s Ghost Raid.
80—Buffalo Bill’s Traitor Guide.
81i—Butffalo Bill’s Camp Fires.

Dated April 4th, 1914.
82—Buffalo Bill Up a Stump.

Dated April 11th, 1914.
83—Buffalo Bill’s Secret Foe.

Dated April 18th, 1914.
84—Buffalo Bill’s Master Stroke.

Dated April 25th, 1914.
85—Buffalo Bill and the Masked Mystery.

If you want any back numbers of our weeklies and cannot procure them from your news
Postage stamps taken the same as money.

STREET & SMITH. Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Ave., New York City