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diff --git a/old/63568-0.txt b/old/63568-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f2658f6..0000000 --- a/old/63568-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10926 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Buffalo Bill's Best Bet, by Colonel Prentiss -Ingraham - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this ebook. - -Title: Buffalo Bill's Best Bet - -Author: Colonel Prentiss Ingraham - -Release Date: October 28, 2020 [EBook #63568] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: David Edwards, Susan Carr and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BUFFALO BILL'S BEST BET *** - - - - - Buffalo Bill’s Best Bet - - OR, - - A SURE THING WELL WON - - BY - - Colonel Prentiss Ingraham - - Author of the celebrated “Buffalo Bill” stories published in the - BORDER STORIES. For other titles see catalogue. - - [Illustration: (Colophon)] - - - STREET & SMITH CORPORATION - PUBLISHERS - 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York - - - - - +----------------------------------+ - | | - | Copyright, 1914 | - | By STREET & SMITH | - | ----- | - | Buffalo Bill’s Best Bet | - | | - +----------------------------------+ - - - (Printed in the United States of America) - - All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign - languages, including the Scandinavian. - - - - - CONTENTS - - PAGE - IN APPRECIATION OF WILLIAM F. CODY 1 - I. TEMPTED. 5 - II. A DOUBLE REWARD FOR LIFE. 9 - III. THE FORFEIT. 13 - IV. A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE. 21 - V. BUFFALO BILL’S BET. 23 - VI. OLD NEGOTIATE’S WARNING. 30 - VII. BUFFALO BILL’S CHARGE. 35 - VIII. A VILLAIN SURPRISED. 40 - IX. THE AMBUSH. 46 - X. A MYSTERY. 52 - XI. THE HEART OF A WOMAN. 59 - XII. BUFFALO BILL RECEIVES A LETTER. 63 - XIII. PARSON BRISTOW HOLDS TRUMPS. 66 - XIV. CLOSE QUARTERS. 71 - XV. MARY HALE. 74 - XVI. BETWEEN TWO FIRES. 80 - XVII. A FOE’S GRATITUDE. 84 - XVIII. PARSON MILLER VISITS THE JUDGE. 88 - XIX. MERCILESS. 95 - XX. THE FLIGHT. 99 - XXI. AN UNEXPECTED HALT. 104 - XXII. THE RED RIGHT HAND. 107 - XXIII. A STARTLING APPARITION. 110 - XXIV. AN UNEXPECTED SIGHT. 112 - XXV. AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER. 119 - XXVI. AN OLD FRIEND AND NEW FACES. 126 - XXVII. THE TWO STRONGHOLDS. 132 - XXVIII. THE WHITE AND RED CHIEFS. 135 - XXIX. KANSAS KING, THE OUTLAW. 143 - XXX. PEARL’S WARNING. 151 - XXXI. BAD BURKE’S TREACHERY. 158 - XXXII. THE SPECTER OF THE VALLEY. 162 - XXXIII. TICKLISH WORK. 172 - XXXIV. THE MEETING IN THE CAÑON. 183 - XXXV. THE ANSWERED CRY. 187 - XXXVI. UNCLE SAM’S BOYS. 191 - XXXVII. THE FAIRY GLEN. 196 - XXXVIII. THE WAR CRY. 199 - XXXIX. THE MYSTERY SOLVED. 204 - XL. TWO WEDDINGS. 211 - XLI. THE BRANDED BROTHERHOOD. 214 - XLII. THE RESCUE. 221 - XLIII. A TRAITOR IN CAMP. 227 - XLIV. RUNNING THE GANTLET. 234 - XLV. A WARNING AND A RAID. 239 - XLVI. TREACHERY. 245 - XLVII. IN THE CAMP. 253 - XLVIII. IN THE NICK OF TIME. 261 - XLIX. AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY. 267 - L. PLOTTING MISCHIEF. 274 - LI. CAPTURING THE SENTINEL. 280 - LII. BUFFALO BILL’S DARING. 286 - LIII. BUFFALO BILL’S DEFENSE. 298 - LIV. THE BATTLE WITH THE BROTHERHOOD. 304 - LV. A STARTLING REVELATION. 311 - LVI. THE RETURN TO RIVERSIDE. 319 - - - - - IN APPRECIATION OF WILLIAM F. CODY - - (BUFFALO BILL). - - -It is now some generations since Josh Billings, Ned Buntline, and -Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, intimate friends of Colonel William F. Cody, -used to forgather in the office of Francis S. Smith, then proprietor -of the _New York Weekly_. It was a dingy little office on Rose Street, -New York, but the breath of the great outdoors stirred there when these -old-timers got together. As a result of these conversations, Colonel -Ingraham and Ned Buntline began to write of the adventures of Buffalo -Bill for Street & Smith. - -Colonel Cody was born in Scott County, Iowa, February 26, 1846. Before -he had reached his teens, his father, Isaac Cody, with his mother and -two sisters, migrated to Kansas, which at that time was little more -than a wilderness. - -When the elder Cody was killed shortly afterward in the Kansas “Border -War,” young Bill assumed the difficult rôle of family breadwinner. -During 1860, and until the outbreak of the Civil War, Cody lived the -arduous life of a pony-express rider. Cody volunteered his services as -government scout and guide and served throughout the Civil War with -Generals McNeil and A. J. Smith. He was a distinguished member of the -Seventh Kansas Cavalry. - -During the Civil War, while riding through the streets of St. Louis, -Cody rescued a frightened schoolgirl from a band of annoyers. In true -romantic style, Cody and Louisa Federci, the girl, were married March -6, 1866. - -In 1867 Cody was employed to furnish a specified amount of buffalo meat -to the construction men at work on the Kansas Pacific Railroad. It was -in this period that he received the sobriquet “Buffalo Bill.” - -In 1868 and for four years thereafter Colonel Cody served as scout -and guide in campaigns against the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians. It was -General Sheridan who conferred on Cody the honor of chief of scouts of -the command. - -After completing a period of service in the Nebraska legislature, Cody -joined the Fifth Cavalry in 1876, and was again appointed chief of -scouts. - -Colonel Cody’s fame had reached the East long before, and a great -many New Yorkers went out to see him and join in his buffalo hunts, -including such men as August Belmont, James Gordon Bennett, Anson -Stager, and J. G. Heckscher. In entertaining these visitors at Fort -McPherson, Cody was accustomed to arrange wild-West exhibitions. In -return his friends invited him to visit New York It was upon seeing his -first play in the metropolis that Cody conceived the idea of going into -the show business. - -Assisted by Ned Buntline, novelist, and Colonel Ingraham, he started -his “Wild West” show, which later developed and expanded into “A -Congress of the Rough Riders of the World,” first presented at Omaha, -Nebraska. In time it became a familiar yearly entertainment in the -great cities of this country and Europe. Many famous personages -attended the performances, and became his warm friends, including Mr. -Gladstone, the Marquis of Lorne, King Edward, Queen Victoria, and the -Prince of Wales, now King of England. - -At the outbreak of the Sioux, in 1890 and 1891, Colonel Cody served -at the head of the Nebraska National Guard. In 1895 Cody took up the -development of Wyoming Valley by introducing irrigation. Not long -afterward he became judge advocate general of the Wyoming National -Guard. - -Colonel Cody (Buffalo Bill) died in Denver, Colorado, on January -10, 1917. His legacy to a grateful world was a large share in -the development of the West, and a multitude of achievements in -horsemanship, marksmanship, and endurance that will live for ages. -His life will continue to be a leading example of the manliness, -courage, and devotion to duty that belonged to a picturesque phase -of American life now passed, like the great patriot whose career it -typified, into the Great Beyond. - - - - - BUFFALO BILL’S BEST BET. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - TEMPTED. - - -“One thousand dollars for my life.” - -“You holds it cheap, pard.” - -“It is all I have with me.” - -“Guess not, fer men say as how you hes dimints ’bout yer clothes, ef -yer goes broke with gold dust.” - -“I have diamonds with me; two splendid ones, and you shall have your -choice if you aid me.” - -“And the thousand dollars, too, pard?” - -“Yes.” - -“Say both dimints and nine hundred dollars, an’ I’ll aid yer, an’ -yer’ll then hev a hundred dollars to speckilate on, an’ yer is a born -gambler, men say, so won’t go broke long.” - -The speakers were standing in the shadow of a large tree. The scene -around them was picturesque in the extreme, for the open prairie -stretched upon the one hand, with twoscore horses lariated out to feed -upon the rich grass, and upon the other was a grove of timber, now -illuminated by a dozen camp fires, around which sat a dashing, reckless -set of men, smoking and talking over the dangers they had known. - -The bivouac in the woods, with the red glare of the fires, the horses -picketed upon the prairie, and the silvery light of the moon casting a -halo over all, made up a scene for the brush of an artist. - -But the two men standing in the shadow of the tree that stood alone, -as it were, a few yards out of the grove, cared not for the scene of -beauty before them. - -Their eyes were bent on each other, and their thoughts were bent on -some stern purpose. One was a prisoner, the other his guard. - -The prisoner was none other than Kent King, known as the Gambler Guide, -whom the Texas herders had taken prisoner, and were carrying with them -to the Lone Star State, where the doom of death awaited him for crimes -committed in the past. - -Now, as he stood by the side of the man, who was that night his guard, -and who was known as Poker Dick, the glare of the firelight on the one -side and the radiance of the moonlight upon the other showed that he -was securely bound hand and foot. - -A bivouac or two more and the Revolver Riders, as the band of herders -were called, would be in Santa Fe, toward which gay place they were -destined, that they might pass a week or two there in spending their -money, gambling and catering to their enjoyment in various ways. - -Once in Santa Fe, Kent King knew that he was doomed, for, thence down -into Texas the herders would doubtless go in company with trains, and -all chances of escape would be cut off forever from him; or, perhaps, -the Texans, in the height of their revels in the town, might take upon -themselves to hang him, and try him for his crimes afterward. - -A man of indomitable will and undisputed courage, he would meet death -bravely, looking it squarely in the face, come when or how it might. - -But, possessed of a fascination of manner that made him a dangerous -friend to women, a talent for card playing that kept his pockets always -full of gold, and a love of life that was as strong as his disregard -for the lives of others, he was determined to make a bold attempt to -escape. - -To do so by physical force and daring he knew was impossible among the -men who held him prisoner, and he therefore must use strategy. - -“You look blue to-night, pard,” Kent King had said to Poker Dick in his -pleasant way, after the other herders had assembled around the camp -fires. - -“I is blue,” was the answer. - -“Why, I should think you would be happy, as we will soon reach Santa -Fe, where you expect a good time, and after that you are going back -home.” - -“Home is what makes me blue, pard. I hes lost to ther boys all I got -fer my leetle drove o’ hoof critters, an’ I’m going back to ther old -folks without a dollar, unless I kin win some dust in Santa Fe.” - -“I have some money with me,” said the prisoner. - -“Guess yer will keep it, too.” - -“Not if you want it.” - -“Pard, I isn’t ther man ter take gold from a corpse, fer yer is leetle -more, seein’ as how yer’ll be h’isted soon as we reach Texas.” - -“That is just what I wish to avoid. I have gold with me, and if by any -chance I could escape, why, then, you wouldn’t have to go back poor.” - -The guard started and turned pale, for the wily tempter had touched his -sordid nature. - -“Well, Poker Dick, what say you? I have gold and you have none.” - -“What will yer give me, pard, fer ter drop off to sleep an’ let yer -skip?” asked Poker Dick, in a whisper. - -Then came the answer that opens this story: - -“One thousand dollars for my life.” - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - A DOUBLE REWARD FOR LIFE. - - -To the prisoner and his guard the time dragged wearily along, and the -song and laughter from around the camp fires grated harshly upon their -ears. - -The guard, although knowing that nine hundred dollars, with diamonds -worth five times that sum, would soon be his, was in no more cheerful -mood than when he had been moneyless, for his heart told him that he -was about to betray his comrades, and set free a man whose mission on -earth seemed to be to kill and to bring unhappiness, and against whom -he knew his captain had some bitter feud. - -One by one the Texans wrapped themselves in their blankets and sank to -sleep. Gradually the fires burned down, and only the moonlight lit up -the scene, still picturesque in its silence. - -“Well, are you ready to keep your word?” asked Kent King, in a low -tone, raising himself on his elbow, for he was lying down upon his -blanket. - -“Yas, I hes promised, an’ I’ll keep my word; but I hes ter take some -punishment fer it.” - -“Your conscience! Bah! What right have such men as you with -conscience?” sneered Kent King. - -“I hes no right ter it, fer it don’t keep me from doin’ wrong, only -makes me sick at heart.” - -“You are a fool, Poker Dick; lie down and go to sleep; the boys know -you have played cards late each night, and you were overcome with -sleep; see here, you need not free my hands, for my sharp teeth have -gnawed the thongs, and I can easily untie those around my ankles.” - -Kent King held up his hands and the rawhide ropes fell off. - -“You is a very devil,” said Poker Dick. “Ef I hadn’t promised ter let -yer go, guess I might hev dropped ter sleep an’ felt yer knife atween -my ribs; but yer hes awful sharp teeth.” - -“And they are my own, not bought, pard; now where is my horse?” - -“The last one on ther pararer, thar.” - -“And my saddle and arms?” - -“Lie yonder ag’in thet stump; now whar is my dollars an’ my dimints?” - -Kent King ceased untying the thongs around his ankles, and unbuckled a -belt from about his waist, which was heavy with gold. - -“Here is the dust; but I want one hundred dollars to stake me for a -game in Santa Fe.” - -“Cusses! Yer isn’t goin’ thar, be yer?” - -“I am; there’s no better place in the world to gamble, and there I go.” - -“But we goes thar.” - -“What care I? Free, I am on equal terms with Captain Dash, your leader.” - -“Better not gamble on that, pard, as ther capt’in is ther boss.” - -“I do not fear him, and to Santa Fe I go, though you may not see me -there. Here is the money.” - -“All right, pard; now ther dimints.” - -“They are here in this little pocket in the belt--see?” - -“I see, an’ I is obleeged; now thar lies yer saddle, an’ yer rifle is -tied to it, with yer pistols, tho’ they isn’t loaded.” - -“You will give me ammunition, of course?” - -“Yer ammunition is in yer saddle pockets.” - -“Good! bring the saddle and bridle here, and then I will start.” - -The guard thrust the bag of gold into the bosom of his shirt, walked to -the edge of the grove and took up the saddle, and returned to where the -gambler stood. - -“Yes, here are my pistols, and--take that!” - -Down upon the head of the guard as quick as the lightning’s flash fell -the barrel of the revolver, and, with a low moan, the man fell in his -tracks. - -“Now the gold and diamonds are mine! Ha! Who is that?” - -Kent King glanced over to one of the camp fires, where a man had -suddenly raised himself to his feet and stood brightening up the coals -as though he were cold. - -Hastily Kent King thrust his hands into the pockets of the guard, and, -not finding the bag of gold, uttered a bitter oath. - -“Curse him! What did he do with it? But I have no time to lose, for -life is dearer than mines of gold to me.” - -Quickly picking up his saddle, and keeping the tree between himself and -the man standing at the fire, he ran swiftly out upon the prairie and -soon stood by the side of his splendid horse. - -“Ah! my brave old Mephisto, again I will be on your back with free -hands to strike back at my foes, and then I fear not even Captain Dash -and his band.” - -The saddle was quickly thrown on and securely girthed, the bridle -followed next, and then the lariat pin was drawn up and the rope coiled. - -With a bound the gambler was upon the back of his horse, which bounded -away like an arrow from a bow, just as a loud shout was raised in the -camp, and thirty Texans sprang to their feet in alarm. - -“The prisoner! the gambler! there he goes!” cried a ringing voice. - -It was the man who had arisen at the fire, and who, seeing the moving, -crouching form, had approached the tree to find Poker Dick lying as -though dead, and the prisoner free and mounting his horse fifty yards -away. - -“To horse! a thousand dollars to the man who takes him dead or alive,” -cried Captain Dash, in ringing tones. - -Two minutes after he sped away in pursuit, and behind him came a score -of his men. Far out on the moonlit prairie was seen the dark form of -Mephisto and his daring rider flying like the wind, for life lay ahead -of them, and death was hard on their track. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - THE FORFEIT. - - -“Pards, it’s no use; thet horse o’ his are a goer from Goersville, an’ -he jist kept right ahead o’ ther cap’n’s mare,” said Prairie Pete, -riding back into the timber, after half an hour’s chase of the fugitive -gambler. - -“Lady ain’t in good trim, Pete, jist now, as yer know she’s a leetle -lame; ef not, she’d hev overtook ther My-fist-toe, as that gambler -calt his animile,” answered a Texan, who had also just returned and -dismounted. - -“Did he kill Poker Dick?” asked a third, riding up. - -“No; I guesses it were better of he had, though,” responded a young -giant, with blond hair falling to his waist. - -All looked at the speaker, who was known as Seven-foot Harry, on -account of his great height. He shrugged his shoulders knowingly and -made no reply. A moment after Captain Dash rode up, his brow stern, and -his gaunt-bodied racing mare limping badly. - -“The pace was too fast for Lady, boys, lame as she is, so he escaped; -but only for a time.” - -There was something in the tone of the leader which told his men that -Kent King would find a dangerous man upon his trail in Captain Dash, -who seemed determined to track him to the bitter end. - -In his fancy dress, half buckskin, half Mexican. Captain Dash looked -exceedingly handsome, for his face was flushed with his rapid ride; -but the beauty of his expressive mouth was marred by the stern look -resting upon it, while in his dark-blue eyes dwelt a light that was -almost cruel. - -“Captain, Ben Tabor wanted me ter say that he would like ter see yer, -when yer returned,” said Seven-foot Harry. - -“Where is Tabor?” - -“Over in ther woods yonder, nursin’ Poker Dick.” - -“Ah, Poker Dick was on guard when Kent King escaped! Was he hurt?” - -“Suthin’ ails him, cap’n, as I’ll show yer,” and Seven-foot Harry led -the way to where a camp fire had been made some distance off from the -others. - -Pacing to and fro before the burning logs was Ben Tabor, a frank-faced -young Texan, who now wore a troubled look that ill became him. -Before the fire was a prostrate form, rolled in his blankets, and as -motionless as though dead. - -“Well, Tabor, is that Poker Dick, and is he hurt?” asked Captain Dash, -as he walked up to the two men. - -“That is Poker Dick, captain, and he’s hurt,” was the quiet response. - -“I was angry with him for allowing the gambler to escape, but I’ll -forgive him now, for----” - -“Pard, don’t yer say nuthin’ kind ter me, or it’ll break my heart, -tough as it are.” - -The form arose from the blanket, and the blood-besmeared face of Poker -Dick was turned full upon his chief, a slight gash in the forehead -showing where Kent King had struck him with his pistol, the blow -momentarily stunning him. - -“Why, Dick, old fellow, I don’t want to blame you, so tell me how it -was,” and Captain Dash rested his hand kindly on the shoulder of Poker -Dick. - -But the man drew back quickly and said, in trembling tones: - -“Don’t tech me, cap’n, don’t tech me, fer I is awful wicked.” - -“The blow has turned your mind----” - -“No, cap’n, my mind ain’t hurt, but my heart are. Tell him, Ben, for I -hesn’t ther power, an’ ther words would choke me.” - -Impressed with the strange manner of Poker Dick, Captain Dash turned to -Ben Tabor. - -“I hate to tell, too, Dick,” said Tabor, “but I cannot help it. Captain -Dash, I was the first one to get to Dick, and finding him senseless, I -remained, while the other boys went in chase of King.” - -“You did right, as you saw that he was wounded,” was the captain’s -response. - -“I only wish some one else had been in my place, for they would have to -tell what I found.” - -“And what was it, Ben?” asked the captain. - -Before he got a reply Poker Dick spoke up: - -“Cap’n, Ben hes a heart like a woman an’ don’t want to tell on his old -pard Dick, so I’ll spit the story out myself, an’ I’ll feel better, for -it gives me a awful bad taste in my mouth an’ pain in my heart. - -“Yer see, cap’n, I was guard ter-night. Lately ther boys hes won all my -dust from me, an’ I got low-spirited; an’ thet devil, Kent King, told -me he’d give me a belt o’ gold an’ some dimints’ ef I’d----” - -“By Heaven! You turned traitor and accepted his bribe?” cried Captain -Dash, in angry tones. - -“Jist so; you hes cut ther story down to ther kernel darn quick, -cap’n. He give me nine hundred dollars in gold slugs, an’ two dimints -as was worth five times thet much. Ben hes ’em. He found ’em on me. -Knowin’ as I was dead broke afore, he sighted my leetle game, knowed I -were a darn rascal, and played ther trump on me, an’ here I is.” - -“And thet blow on your head, sir?” the captain asked. - -“Thet were a keepsake, given me as a partin’ present from Kent King. -Arter he hed gi’n me his gold an’ dimints, an’ I fotched him his -saddle, he jist tapped me on ther head, ter get back his wealth, I -reckon. But ther boys must hev crowded him too fast.” - -“And you found this belt of gold upon him, Tabor?” - -“Yes, Captain Dash; and seeing it in my hand when he came to, Poker -Dick told me all.” - -“You know the forfeit for one of our band to become a traitor, sir?” -and Captain Dash turned sternly upon the prisoner. - -“I does, cap’n; it are death,” was the firm reply. - -“Dick, never would I have suspected you of such an act. Your temptation -was great; but you have set free a man whose life has been one long -crime, and who injured me deeply, and is now at liberty to harm those I -care for. That he will do so, if in his power, I know full well. I must -start on his trail before it is too late.” - -“He said he were going ter Santa Fe, cap’n, for thar he would be on -ekil terms with you!” - -“Those are the terms I wish to meet him on; but now to the crime you -have committed.” - -Captain Dash looked the traitor squarely in the face. - -“Yas, cap’n. I is list’nin’.” - -“You have kindred living at Austin, I believe?” - -“Ther old folks live thar, cap’n. My father an’ my mother, an’ I hes a -leetle brother o’ seventeen.” - -“This gold I will send to them, and put with it a hundred dollars of my -own, and I know the boys will do the same.” - -“I’ll give a hundred, cap’n,” said Ben Tabor. - -“And I’ll chip in ther same,” put in Seven-foot Harry. - -“All that is added will go to your parents, Dick; they shall never know -that you were a traitor, but believe you were killed by Kent King, -instead of wounded.” - -“You intends ter kill me, then, cap’n?” - -“You know the forfeit is death.” - -“Yas; ther’s no gittin’ round thet, an’ I desarves it; but yer’ll send -ther old folks ther gold, fer they depends on me ter keep ther pot -b’ilin’.” - -“Yes; but the diamonds I will keep for a special purpose.” - -“You kin hev ’em, cap’n. I s’pose they is mine, seein’ as I made a swap -with the gambler fer ’em; but when is I ter hev my chips called in, -cap’n?” - -“I will soon tell you; and Dick, if I can save you I will, as you have -confessed all, and from my heart I pity you. Harry, you and Ben remain -here until I return.” - -“I’ll not attempt ter skip, cap’n; but ther boys hed better stay, so as -yer’ll feel yer’ve got me,” called out the prisoner, as Captain Dash -walked away toward the camp fire, around which the other members of the -band were gathered. - -With eager eyes, staring as a starving man at food he could not touch, -Poker Dick watched Captain Dash as he joined the band of Texans. He -saw them gather around the captain in an excited way, while the bright -firelight falling upon their faces told that they were listening to the -story of his crime. - -Having heard the tale of his treachery, the prisoner saw them all sit -down around the fire. Each moment then seemed an eternity. He knew that -his life was in their hands, and that when he had joined the Revolver -Riders oaths of membership bound them together which to break would -bring death. - -Once before a man of the band had turned traitor, and his life had -been spared by the vote of all, and shortly after he had deserted and -become a bandit, leaguing himself with Mexicans and Indians. With this -recollection, would they spare Poker Dick? - -He answered the question himself: - -“I guess not; ef ther boys did, they’d be fools. I will hev ter pass in -my chips.” - -He turned to Seven-foot Harry and Ben Tabor. - -“They seems ’arnest ’bout suthin’, pards.” - -“The captain seems pleading for you, Dick,” answered Tabor. - -“Yas, he’s powerful good; but I guesses the boys will string me.” - -“I hopes not, Dick; I fer one decides ter pardon yer,” remarked -Seven-foot Harry. - -“’Tain’t no use, boys. I is ter be called on fer what chips I has got, -an’ ther game’s agin’ me, fer I don’t hold a trump keerd: see, ther -boys is comin’.” - -Not a quiver of Poker Dick’s face showed any emotion, as the silent, -stern-looking men came near and formed in a circle around him. Then -Captain Dash said, in a low but distinct tone: - -“Dick Martin, I regret, more than I can express, to have to say to -you that your act this night, in aiding the escape of Kent King, that -accursed gambler guide, has cost you your life.” - -“I desarves all yer can say agin’ me, pards, so don’t let up on me,” -was the quiet rejoinder. - -“No, I throw no abuse or words of unkindness in the teeth of a man -who stands on the brink of his grave. I have urged that your comrades -overlook your crime this once, and give you another trial; but there -are only three of us to beg this favor against twenty-seven who say you -must die.” - -At a word from their leader the men ranged themselves in line, and -passed by the doomed man, grasping his hand in grim, silent farewell, -and then continuing on into the darkness beyond the firelight. - -“Now, cap’n, here’s my last grip, an’ it’s not with ther hand thet tuk -ther slugs an’ dimints. Good-by, for I is goin’ over ther dark river, -an’ you’ll follow afore long.” - -Captain Dash grasped the man’s hand, and then called out: - -“Men, once more I ask it: spare this brave man’s life.” - -A hoarse, low, stern answer came from back in the shadow: - -“No!” - -The leader bowed his head a moment, but quickly recovering himself, -called out in stern tones: - -“Are you ready?” - -A low assent came from the darkness beyond. - -“One! two! three! fire!” - -Six revolvers flashed together, and without a moan Poker Dick fell. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE. - - -Some three months before the opening of this story, the Hale emigrant -train had pulled out from Border City, bound for Colorado, under the -guidance of a noted gambler, who had suddenly offered his services to -run the settlers to their destination. - -This gambler guide was Kent King, a man well known as a good prairie -scout, yet supposed to think too much of his comfort to take to the -hardships of an overland journey again. - -A skillful card player, he always had plenty of money; and, with the -education of a gentleman, he was very popular in the society of that -day. Judge Hale, the head and front of the settler’s train, was warned -against the Gambler Guide. - -Hale was told that Kent King was only going in that capacity on -account of Mary Hale, the only child of the judge; but the warning was -unheeded, and the train pulled out on its way to the Far West. - -As Kent King was a thorough plainsman, a dead shot, and a man of -undisputed courage, there were many along who congratulated themselves -upon their luck in securing as good a guide. But, from the first, it -was evident that Mary Hale was the attraction which drew Kent King. It -was also evident that the judge seemed willing that his daughter should -receive the attentions of the guide. - -In fact, Judge Hale encouraged them to such an extent that Parson -Miller, an emigrating preacher along with the train, was notified to -hold himself in readiness to perform a marriage ceremony within a few -days. - -That the wedding would have taken place there is no doubt but for the -timely arrival in camp of Buffalo Bill, the army scout. When Buffalo -Bill heard that the girl, with the consent of her father, was to be -forced into an immediate marriage with the gambler, he decided at once -that she should not be so sacrificed. - -Buffalo Bill knew that the Gambler Guide was one of the most desperate -characters on the border. Therefore, he sought out a character of the -train, whose bargaining propensities had gained for him the name of Old -Negotiate, and held a conversation with him, the result of which was -the conclusion between them that without a parson there would be no -wedding. - -And there was no wedding, for the next morning the parson and Old -Negotiate went on a hunt; the former got lost and was found by Buffalo -Bill; and when they at last reached the train, weeks after, they were -accompanied by a band of Texas herders known as Revolver Riders. - -This band the reader has already met in this story, in the party of -Captain Dash and his men. - -Their arrival in the camp of the settlers caused a change. Kent King -was taken prisoner by Captain Dash, who determined to carry him to -Texas, to be tried there for crimes committed, and Buffalo Bill was -made the guide of the train to Denver. - -The judge seemed delighted at the change, for he had been acting under -a power held over him by the gambler, who held some secret of his past -life. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - BUFFALO BILL’S BET. - - -In one of the most popular resorts of Border City, combining hotel, -bar, and cardroom, a large crowd of men had assembled, as was their -wont every evening, to while away the time. - -The shuffle of cards, click of faro chips, clink of glasses, and hum of -voices, mingled together continually, with now and then a hearty laugh -and fearful oath rising above the other sounds. - -It was a motley gathering, for there were returned miners, gambling -away their silver and gold dust; plainsmen, back after a long trip -westward; teamsters, bullwhackers, scouts, soldiers, cattlemen, a -few Indians, vagabonds, and general dead beats, hanging around to be -treated, and to pick up a dishonest penny when possible. - -At one table were gathered some cattle herders, lately arrived from -Texas, and as they were playing for large stakes, those uninterested -elsewhere in the room had been drawn to the point of most interest to -them. - -“Pards, hasn’t I seen yer physymyhogamys before?” suddenly asked -a queer-looking character, forcing his way through the crowd, and -confronting the Texans, one of whom answered pleasantly: - -“I think you have; you were one of the Hale emigrant train we struck on -the trail.” - -“You hes it right; I were ther boss teamster, but I’ll lay yer a prime -pelt agin’ that pile o’ money thet yer can’t call my handle.” - -A general laugh followed the remark of the borderman, and the Texan who -had before spoken answered: - -“I will bet you wine for all round that I can, for the money is not -mine, and I guess you haven’t a pelt along with you.” - -“Done; wine fer all ’ceptin’ ther dead beats.” - -“But how are we to pick them out?” - -“Oh, I knows ’em, Texas; now, come, what’s my appellations?” - -“Old Negotiate,” answered the Texan, with a laugh. - -A shout followed his reply, and the borderman said, in a lugubrious -tone: - -“By ther Rockies! Yer hev calt me, pard; I is gettin’ too darned well -known in these parts; waal, what do you an’ yer pards drink?” - -“We are one against many, and I believe in fair play, so you and your -friends drink with us,” frankly answered the Texan, and turning to the -crowd he continued: - -“Gentlemen, join us; wine here, barkeeper.” - -“Hold on, pard; let me sift ther dead beats out, fer----” - -“No, no, Old Negotiate; I include all in my invitation; fill up all -around, barkeeper.” - -The corks popped, the wine went round, and the health of the handsome -Texan was drunk with a cheer, after which Old Negotiate said: - -“Pard, when last I see yer, thar were in your comp’ny a man by ther -name o’ Kent King.” - -“Yes, the Gambler Guide, whom our captain was taking to Texas.” - -“Thet were ther man; has he passed in yit?” - -“No, he escaped from us, when we were near Santa Fe.” - -“Escaped!” - -“The Gambler Guide free?” - -“Kent King not dead?” - -Such were the expressions that ran round the crowd, after a general -exclamation of surprise that followed the Texan’s announcement. - -“Yer say he escaped, an’ from you?” - -“He certainly did.” - -“Didn’t go by the way of a h’ist to a tree?” - -“No; he gnawed the thongs from his wrist, secured his saddle and horse, -and, though we gave hot chase, managed to escape.” - -“Boys, thar’ll be music in ther air afore long in Border City, fer -every man, woman, an’ kid heur hes been giving Kent King ther devil, -as wuss nor a horse thief. He’ll come back fer a reckoning, or I are a -screechin’ liar, and I bet a lariat agin’ a horse on it.” - -“On which, Negoshy, that you are a liar, or thet King comes back?” -asked one of the crowd. - -“I’ll bet both, or t’other way, jist fer ther negotiate, pard, ef it -suits yer; but, by ther Rockies, Buffalo Bill better look out, now thet -wolf are on his trail.” - -“You refer to the scout who was instrumental in his capture?” asked the -Texan. - -“Come ag’in, pard, fer I isn’t great on book larnin’.” - -“Buffalo Bill was the one who run him to cover, I mean?” - -“Yer has it; he are, an’ thet Kent King will kill him yet.” - -“I fear you is right,” answered another. “Buffalo Bill hes got ter -look sharp. I’ll bet high the gambler kills him.” - -“I’ll take the bet.” - -The clear voice caused all to start and turn. The subject of the -conversation was before them. - -“Buffalo Bill! Three cheers!” cried a voice; and a ringing salute was -given him as he forced his way to the table and asked quietly: - -“Who is betting against my life?” - -“Put it thar, pard; now I’ll tell yer,” cried Old Negotiate. - -After grasping the hand of the scout, he continued: - -“These Texans an’ myself were havin’ a leetle chin music, an’ I l’arns -from one thet Kent King escaped----” - -“Ah! This is Mr. Tabor, I believe; an’ Seven-foot Harry,” and -recognizing the different men around the table, Buffalo Bill greeted -them warmly and asked: - -“Has Kent King really escaped?” - -“Yes, as I have just told these gentlemen, he escaped from us near -Santa Fe.” - -“An’ he’ll raise a breeze here when he comes back, an’ we was bettin’ -thet he’d kill you, Bill,” said Negotiate. - -“And I take the bet; who will wager, and what sum?” said the scout. - -“I’ll take your bet, sir,” and a heavily bearded, stout-formed man -stepped forward. - -“You are a stranger to me, sir, and will have to plank down your dust, -unless some one here knows you,” said Buffalo Bill, eying the man -closely. - -“I am a stranger in Border City, but I have the money to deposit, and -as I know Kent King well, I’ll bet on his killing you if you have -wronged him,” replied the stranger. - -“Wronged him! Why, who could wrong a wolf? If he is your friend, I will -say that you keep low company; but what will you bet that he kills me?” - -The man seemed angered for an instant by the outspoken words of the -scout, but answered quietly: - -“Say a thousand dollars.” - -“Done! It’s the amount you name, and I’ll seek a stakeholder!” - -“I’ll get one,” the man answered. - -“Hold on, pard; as you are a friend of Kent King, I am a little -doubtful about your stakeholder.” - -“Sir, do you dare say mine came differently?” - -The man turned fiercely upon Buffalo Bill, who answered: - -“Take it as you please; you certainly look like a----” - -“What?” - -“Horse thief!” - -Two hands fell upon their pistol butts at the same time, but Ben Tabor, -the Texan, sprang between the stranger and the scout, and said, in his -calm, forcible way: - -“Hold! This must stop here.” - -“True, Mr. Tabor; I forgot that he was like a cat in a strange garret; -for he is a stranger here, while I have a host of friends; come, sir, -let us conclude our bet,” said Buffalo Bill frankly. - -“All right; I was a fool to get angry; but who holds the stakes?” - -“There is the very one; here, Panther Kate! This way, please,” cried -the scout. - -The one to whom he called had just entered the room. She was a young -girl. Her form was perfect, and her fancy dress of beaded buckskin, -with short skirt and tight-fitting waist, set it off to perfection, -while her soft gray hat, turned up upon one side, gave her face a -fearless, saucy air that was very winning. - -In her belt hung holsters that held two ivory-handled revolvers, -and a knife was suspended to a short chain, while with a jaunty, -devil-may-care air, she held a small rifle upon her shoulder. Beautiful -she certainly was, and her dark eyes had won many a heart that had -failed to make hers ache in return. - -In Border City all knew her. She had come there over half a year before -with a traveling dramatic company and had remained when they departed, -and was engaged as a singer and dancer at the town theater. After -appearing each night, she would mount her mustang and ride out to a -little ranch she had purchased, two miles distant, where she lived -alone, caring for her cattle herself, and devoting her days to hunting. - -She was a superb horsewoman and a crack shot; in fact, her deadly aim -with the revolver had gained her her name, for one day she had killed -two panthers with her revolver as they were springing upon her. Having -finished her act at the theater, Panther Kate, or as she was known on -“the boards,” Kate Kearney, took a stroll through the various saloons. - -This she did each night, as though she were constantly on the search -for some one; and, though no other of her sex dare go amid the wild set -of men to be seen there, she showed no fear, and was welcomed whenever -she appeared. - -“Buffalo Bill, I am glad to see you back; did you call me?” she asked, -coming forward, the crowd giving way for her, while many shouted: - -“Yes, make Panther Kate stakeholder!” - -“Kate’s the gal fer ter hold ther dust!” - -“Kate don’t gamble her duckits away!” - -“Nor drink ’em up!” - -Such were the cries heard on all sides. The girl turned to Buffalo -Bill, who said: - -“Yes, Panther Kate; I have just made a bet with this--this stranger -here that I kill Kent King----” - -“Hold! Is that your bet, sir? I thought it was to be that Kent King -killed you,” interrupted the stranger. - -“Make it as you please, and in either case let the winner get the -money.” - -“All right; if he kills you, I win; if you kill him, you win.” - -“Yes, and, Kate, you are to hold the stakes; here’s my dust.” - -“And here is mine, girl.” - -“Let me fully understand the bet,” she asked quietly, and it was -explained to her. - -“Thank you; I hope you will win, Mr. Cody; you know where to find me, -and this gentleman can look me up should he be the winner; good night!” - -And taking the bag of precious metal, Panther Kate left the saloon. - -Scarcely had the man departed from the saloon, when, like a returning -memory, there came to Buffalo Bill the knowledge that he had _seen this -man before_--that in truth he was none other than _Kent King_ himself, -so disguised as almost to defy detection. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - OLD NEGOTIATE’S WARNING. - - -The next day, when Old Negotiate entered the hotel--which had been -named the Cody Hotel in honor of Buffalo Bill--he found there a motley -crowd. - -There were tradesmen of the town, miners from the camps, cowboys from -the surrounding ranches, sports, idlers, and a few strangers who had -just arrived in Border City. - -They were miners, they said, from up the country farther, and having -dug out a rich harvest of golden metal, they had come to Border City to -spend a little of it in having a good time. - -There were five of them present, and they were evidently having a “good -time,” according to their ideas, for they were drinking heavily. One of -their number, dressed in corduroy, the same man who had made the bet -with Buffalo Bill the day before, was “standing treat” continually for -the thirsty souls in Border City, whose thirst seemed to increase after -every drink they took. - -“Come, Old Negotiate, let me interdoose yer ter my pertickler friend, -Cap’n Corduroy, o’ Calamity City, up ther mountains,” cried a tipsy -idler, whose friendship with the “captain” had begun but half an hour -before and increased according to the treats he had received at his -hands. - -Old Negotiate accepted the outstretched hand of the man in corduroys, -who then presented him to his four pards from Calamity City. - -Captain Corduroy, it was evident, wanted to win the favor of the -denizens of Border City, and he sought the hearts of the masses by -filling their stomachs with liquor at his own expense. - -“I understand this is called the Cody Hotel, in honor of that -desperado, Buffalo Bill?” said Captain Corduroy, addressing Old -Negotiate. - -The latter turned and laid his hand upon the captain’s shoulders and -said, with solemnity: - -“Stranger, this house were named in honor o’ Buffalo Bill; but don’t -you whistle out no such word as desperado whar that clean-grit white -man are concerned, or thar’ll be trouble.” - -“You don’t mean thet he will cause me trouble?” - -“I does mean that, and more.” - -“What more?” - -“Thar be friends o’ his heur as won’t hear a word said agin’ him.” - -“Bah! I have heard that he is hated here by all who know him.” - -“You hes heerd a darned lie, ef yer mother told it to yer.” - -“What?” - -“I say it are a lie, fer Buffalo Bill hev done more fer this town than -any other man, an’ thar ain’t no one in trouble as he don’t help out, -while he sometimes are on hand ter clean out them as come heur fer a -fight. I wants ter be friendly with yer, stranger pard, but don’t yer -say nothin’ agin’ Buffalo Bill, fer he are my friend.” - -“Well, I don’t wish trouble with you, or any other man in Border City, -for we came here to have a good time, and are not quarrelsome. We’ll -spend our money free, and do the square thing all around; but I have -met Buffalo Bill, and I owe him a grudge I hope one day to settle.” - -“Pard, yer talks squar’; but onless yer keeps yer tongue atween yer -teeth, ther fust thing yer know, up will go yer toes to ther moonlight, -an’ Buffalo Bill will be payin’ ther expenses o’ buryin’ yer.” - -“I do not fear him!” - -It was evident that the potations he had indulged in were making -Captain Corduroy very reckless of consequences. - -“I don’t say yer is skeert; but onless yer wants deadly trouble, don’t -say nothin’ as will bring yer ter drawin’ agin’ Buffalo Bill.” - -Having given this advice to Captain Corduroy, Old Negotiate called -for drinks, and when they had been disposed of, he slipped out of the -crowd. Going to Buffalo Bill’s room he failed to find him, and then he -strolled down to the store where the scout always traded. - -There he found him laying in a supply of provisions for a trip, and -also filling his cartridge boxes with ammunition. - -“Waal, Bill, yer is fixin’ fer ther trail, it seems?” he said. - -“Yes, for I start soon.” - -“Bill, I’d oughter let yer go without tellin’ yer suthin’; but somehow -I cannot.” - -“What is it, Negotiate?” - -“Waal, fust and foremost, there are five galoots in ther hotel who says -that they have come down from Calamity City ter hev a good time.” - -“Well, can’t they be accommodated here?” - -“Yas, fer as fer thet, their graveyard are not full, an’ there are room -fer more.” - -“Ah! They want a row?” - -“Thet seems ter be thar way o’ thinkin’, Bill.” - -“Well, you keep out of it, Negotiate. There are five of them, you say, -and you are too good a man to be killed.” - -“Bill, I is jist a leetle afeared thet it are a better man than I be -they is lookin’ fer.” - -“Who?” - -“You!” - -“No!” - -“I means it.” - -“Who are they?” - -“Ther cap’n calls hisself Cap’n Corduroy, an’ ther handles o’ ther -others I didn’t fasten ter.” - -“I know no such man, at least by that name.” - -“Names is slip’ry out heur, Bill.” - -“Yes, but what makes you think they want a row with me?” - -“I was interdooced to ther cap’n, who interducted me to his pards, and -he told me he had a grudge agin’ you, an’ calt you a desperado.” - -“Well, I am often called pet names, Negotiate.” - -“Yas, and thar are many who holds ill feelin’ agin’ yer, too; but I -thinks these fellers mean biz.” - -“We can soon find out,” said the scout calmly. - -“I knows it, an’ after that thar’ll be shootin’. But I wants ter tell -you thet after I left this Cap’n Corduroy and his men, the Chinee at -the hotel come ter me and said that Panther Kate wanted ter see yer. -She seems ter be afeared that thar’s trouble in the air, jest the same -as I am.” - -Buffalo Bill seemed undisturbed. - -“Negotiate,” he said, “will you do me a favor?” - -“I’ll do it, ef it’s ter git drunk, Bill.” - -“I have an idea that I know who this Captain Corduroy is. If I am -right, he is after my hair. Therefore, I want you to go back to the -hotel and take a seat on the piazza, where you can watch them.” - -“I’ll do it, Bill.” - -“I’m going up there to see what they want. When you see me coming up -the street, call out: - -“‘Here comes Buffalo Bill!’” - -“But that’ll give ’em warnin’, and they’ll be ready for ye, an’ lay ye -out a cold corpus.” - -“I’ll be ready for them quite as soon as they can get ready for me. If -they show signs to prove that I am their game, you wave your hat to me, -and I’ll set the circus going. Now describe them to me.” - -This Old Negotiate did. Then, while Buffalo Bill went after his -splendid black horse Midnight, Old Negotiate returned to the hotel. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - BUFFALO BILL’S CHARGE. - - -When Old Negotiate returned to the Cody Hotel he first sought the -parlor, for the Chinese waiter told him he would there find Panther -Kate. - -“I found Bill, miss,” said Old Negotiate. “I found him at the store, -and he will be up heur soon, and ef yer wishes ter see a immortal row, -just you lie low in this heur parler an’ wait fer ther music ter begin.” - -“Will you allow a number of men to attack your friend?” - -“Oh, I’ll be thar, miss, an’ thar shan’t be no underhan’ game played -agin’ Bill. But I must leave you. Jist you wait heur a leetle.” - -With this remark Old Negotiate left the parlor. Panther Kate, riveted -by a fascination she could not resist, remained standing at the window, -half hidden by the heavy, coarse curtains, and waiting breathlessly for -the coming of what the scout had called a “circus.” - -In the meantime Old Negotiate reëntered the bar and found the crowd -still drinking heavily and getting more intoxicated each moment. - -But he saw that Captain Corduroy and his comrades, though they had -seemingly drunk freely, were apparently more sober than when he left -them, which further convinced him that they were playing a part and -were not allowing themselves to lose control of their faculties. - -The reëntrance of Old Negotiate was greeted with a shout of welcome, -and of course he had to drink, and Captain Corduroy treated; but -Negotiate did not swallow the liquor, and watching closely he saw that -the strangers also failed to drink the contents of their glasses, a -circumstance none of the drunken crowd observed. - -Going out upon the piazza, Old Negotiate called out: - -“Pard strangers, thar comes a man, ef yer wants ter see one, who hesn’t -got his ekal in these heur parts.” - -Captain Corduroy looked out and cried: - -“Buffalo Bill! Be ready!” - -Old Negotiate heard the words and asked quickly: - -“Say, pards, does yer mean harm ter Bill?” - -“He means harm to me, and I will but protect myself,” said Captain -Corduroy. - -“All right; that are squar’; but as he don’t see yer, I’ll jist shout -an’ tell him.” - -Then he raised his voice and shouted: - -“Ho, Bill! Thar are danger camped on yer trail heur.” - -The warning caused a dead silence to follow, and Captain Corduroy and -his pards dropped their hands upon revolvers, as though to first turn -them on Old Negotiate. But he had his weapon out already, and the -strangers seemed to realize that he was not the man to pick a quarrel -with then and there, for a dozen friends were around him. - -With Buffalo Bill it was different. Negotiate’s hail had given out -a declaration of war. A man ever cool, Captain Corduroy was only an -instant nonplused; then he cried: - -“Yes, pards, I have come on Buffalo Bill’s trail. He killed my two -brothers, and right here I intend to avenge them.” - -This caused a general scattering of the crowd from the piazza. They -were not too drunk to forget that self-preservation is nature’s first -law, and they dashed into the barroom with an alacrity that was amusing. - -Old Negotiate went, too, though not from fear. He thought that from a -window he could the better aid Buffalo Bill, and he took up his stand -just inside, and stood ready for what might follow. The strangers had -held their ground. - -They had proven themselves generous fellows in facing the bar, and they -would not flinch now when it was a case where there were five against -one man, no matter what the reputation of that man might be. - -“Give out ther hymn, cap’n, an’ we’ll shout ther doxology,” cried one -of them. - -“I will meet him first,” sternly said the captain. - -“Thet bein’ ther case, we’ll fall back a leetle,” and the first speaker -gave a backward step or two, which was followed by his immediate -comrades. - -“You lose your geld if you desert me,” savagely cried Captain Corduroy. - -“Ain’t desertin’, only takin’ up a more safer posish, cap’n.” - -In the meantime Buffalo Bill was coming toward the hotel, his horse in -a slow walk. He had answered the hail of Old Negotiate with a wave of -the hand, and shown no other sign that he understood it. - -He saw the sudden decamping of the crowd and smiled. Then his eyes fell -upon the form of Captain Corduroy, and he gave a slight start. Buffalo -Bill was mounted upon his matchless black, Midnight, sat easily in his -saddle, and was evidently equipped for a journey. As he drew near the -steps leading to the hotel piazza, he drew rein and said: - -“So it is you, Kent King, known as the Gambler Guide! I know you in -spite of your disguise.” - -Captain Corduroy, revealed now as Kent King, drew his revolver. - -“Then it is war?” said Buffalo Bill, at the same time drawing his -weapon. - -“Yes, war to the death,” shouted Captain Corduroy, and with the last -word he threw forward his revolver to fire. - -Before it could flash, the report of Buffalo Bill’s weapon was heard, -and the bullet shattered the pistol of his foe, knocking it from his -hand. - -“Come, boys; at him!” yelled Kent King, shaking his hand, which was -stunned by the shock, though he was not wounded. - -With his war cry ringing on his lips, a revolver in each hand and -his spurs held to the flanks of Midnight, Buffalo Bill rushed to the -charge. It was a thrilling, desperate scene. Shot after shot was poured -at the daring man. One of Kent King’s followers fired upon the scout -from the barroom window. - -Instantly the miscreant dropped, cut down by the deadly aim of Buffalo -Bill. Another fired at him, and went reeling with a bullet through him. - -Up the steps Midnight bounded with his daring rider, while the scout’s -revolvers flashed fire. It was more than Kent King and his murderers -could stand. - -In another second Midnight was upon the piazza, and charged right into -the barroom, from which men were scattering by the dozen. Within a -minute the barroom was empty, though one of Kent King’s miscreants lay -dead on the floor. - -Old Negotiate, racing at Midnight’s heels, entered the barroom at this -juncture, and bawled: - -“Bill, he hev lit out!” - -“Who?” Buffalo Bill demanded. - -“The boss of ’em all.” - -“The leader?” - -“Yes, Captain Corduroy.” - -“I shot to kill him.” - -“Waal, you missed him.” - -“I did not, for I saw him fall.” - -“Then the bullet glanced on his hard skull, and he played possum to get -away.” - -“That may be; but let him go.” - -Going out upon the piazza, Buffalo Bill saw that Kent King was indeed -gone, though two of his allies lay dead where they had fallen, and a -third he had just left lifeless, lying on the floor of the barroom. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - A VILLAIN SURPRISED. - - -When Buffalo Bill made his desperate charge for the piazza, there was -one of Kent King’s followers who felt that he had made a mistake in -volunteering upon a service so dangerous as the killing of the noted -scout. - -He was a good shot, yet both the shots he had fired at long range were -fruitless, and he noticed that those of Kent King and his comrades also -failed to bring down the human game they had flushed. - -At once, when the eye of Kent King was not upon him, he turned and -darted into the hall. An open door attracted his attention, and he -glided into a large room, rudely furnished, yet comfortable. - -It was what was called the parlor of the Cody Hotel, and was devoted -wholly to distinguished guests and ladies. - -It was no place for the deserting stranger, but it was, he observed, -apparently unoccupied, and it afforded a delightful haven of refuge for -him just then. He halted in an uncertain manner for an instant, while -the rattle of revolvers without proved to him that he had been wise in -decamping when he did. - -The tremendous racket of Midnight’s iron-shod hoofs upon the piazza -coming to his ears, a sudden thought seemed to seize him. He darted to -the window, which was open, and looked out upon the piazza. - -There was his game, mounted still and boldly forcing his matchless -horse upon the piazza. Kent King, sheltering himself behind the -furniture and creeping toward the opposite door by which he managed to -make his escape, also caught the eye of the desperado. - -“Ha! Now is my chance, Buffalo Bill. I never miss at close quarters!” -hoarsely hissed the villain; and, with the side of the window for a -rest, he ran his eye along the barrel of his revolver. - -Buffalo Bill was not six feet from him, and the curtain concealing his -foe, he did not see him, and it looked as though death must certainly -follow the shot. - -But before the finger drew on the trigger a form glided from the -shelter of the curtain at the other window, and a revolver muzzle was -pressed hard against the head of the desperado, whose startled ears -were greeted with the words: - -“Drop that weapon, sir, or die!” - -The alacrity with which the villain chose the former alternative proved -his appreciation of life. The weapon fell upon the piazza, and then -came the words: - -“Drop down on your face, sir, and lie there!” - -Never in his life before had the villain lain down in such haste. - -“Put your hands behind you, sir.” - -The order was obeyed. - -“Who in thunder are yer?” he growled. - -“A girl.” - -“Blarst yer petticoats, what in thunder is yer playin’ this on me for?” - -“Mr. Cody is my friend, and you sought to kill him.” - -“Waal, this do beat all!” - -“Hold your hands closer together--there, now I can tie your wrists -firmly together.” - -Then, with her silk scarf, taken from around her waist, Panther Kate -bound the desperado’s hands behind his back. - -“Now you are safe.” - -“I doesn’t think so, gal, for I’ll be chawed up as soon as thet wild -man comes in here.” - -“Yes, he may kill you,” was the unconsoling response. - -“Lordy!” - -“It is what you would have done for him had I not prevented you.” - -“You is mistook, gal. I were jest lookin’ out at ther circus.” - -Panther Kate laughed lightly, but it was a laugh the villain did not -like. As the firing had now ceased, the girl went to the door, and her -eyes fell upon Old Negotiate. - -Negotiate had boldly stood in the doorway, his revolver in his hand, -ready to aid Buffalo Bill with a shot, should he need it; but his -admiration of his friend and the great feat he was performing caused -him to keep back unless he was actually needed. - -“Bill will slew ’em all, darned ef he don’t,” he muttered. - -“Waal, miss, yer did see ther circus, an’ hed a front seat. Wasn’t it -han’some?” he said as, in obedience to the call of Panther Kate, he -entered the parlor. - -“It was a most thrilling scene, sir; but is Mr. Cody wounded?” - -“Guess not, miss. Leastways he didn’t look thet way, tho’ yer kin -never tell, as Bill kin carry a skin full o’ lead an’ not show it.” - -“I wish you would kindly go and see if Mr. Cody is wounded, and----” - -“Lordy! What hev yer thar?” - -Old Negotiate’s eyes had discovered the prostrate and bound prisoner. - -“A present for Mr. Cody.” - -“Waal, he are a healthy one, and one o’ ther Calamity gang, too--yas, -he are ther one thet never treated, but allus drinked when t’others -treated. I guess he are a sneakin’ cuss, miss.” - -“Yes, for I captured him in some deadly work.” - -“I’ll fetch Bill, miss, an’ he will be more than pleased. Ef he don’t -kill ther varmint, guess he’ll mark him.” - -Then Negotiate went in search of Buffalo Bill, while Panther Kate and -her prisoner breathlessly waited, the former fearing that the scout had -been killed or fatally wounded, the latter fearing that he had not. - -It was certainly a surprise to Buffalo Bill, upon entering the parlor -of the hotel, to find Panther Kate standing guard over a man lying -prostrate upon his face and bound securely with the girl’s scarf. - -“Mr. Cody, I am so glad to see that you have not been wounded,” and she -stretched forth her hand. - -“No, strange to say, I escaped unhurt, and I am surprised at their -wretched firing; but whom have you there, Panther Kate?” - -“One of your foes, who, fearing to face you, ran in here, and would -have shot you from the window had I not prevented him.” - -“Pard, pretty as her mouth are, it’s a-dodgin’ truth now,” put in the -prisoner. - -“Silence, sir! Are you one of Kent King’s gang?” the scout demanded. - -“Who are he, pard?” - -Buffalo Bill stepped out of the parlor and soon returned with Old -Negotiate. - -“Is that one of them, Negotiate?” - -“He are.” - -“That settles it, and I have to thank you, Panther Kate, for saving my -life. Now, what shall I do with your prisoner?” - -“I hope you won’t kill him,” said Panther Kate. - -“No, I never hit a man when he’s down.” - -“Better mark him, Bill,” suggested Old Negotiate. - -“No, as he has done me no harm, I’ll let him go, and I will send a -message to Kent King by him.” - -“I’ll carry it, Pard Bill, an’ I’ll rastle in prayer for yer,” cried -the villain. - -“Prayer from such as you is a mockery,” said Panther Kate, with a look -of contempt. - -“I suppose you know, sir, that Captain Corduroy, as you call him, -escaped?” said the scout. - -“No, pard, fer I came in heur, not wishing to shoot yer or git hurted -myself.” - -“I have no doubt that you wished to escape injury yourself, sir, and it -is well for you that you came in here, for three of your comrades lie -dead out there; but it would have been the end of me, your coming in -here, had not this lady been here to thwart your little game.” - -“An’ she are a screamer, pard. She jist took me in out o’ mischief, an’ -yer see she hev got me fixed.” - -“Yes, and you are fortunate to escape death at my hands, for I was -sorely tempted to shoot you,” said Panther Kate indignantly. - -“Lordy! I’d ’a’ sot heavy on your conscience, miss; but yer do look as -though yer’d hev clipped my spurs fer me, ef yer didn’t let daylight -inter my head.” - -“Now, sir,” said Buffalo Bill, “I suppose you know where to find Kent -King?” - -“I might be able to strike his trail.” - -“Well, see that you do, and also see that the sunset finds you out of -Border City.” - -“It will, fer a fact.” - -“Tell Kent King that now that I know him to be on the path of revenge -against me, that I, too, will strike the same trail against him, and -kill him when and wherever I find him. Go!” - -He unfastened the scarf as he spoke, and, glad to escape, the villain -darted out of the door, his haste causing Old Negotiate to laugh -heartily. - -“I’m glad that you let him go,” said Panther Kate as she left the room. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - THE AMBUSH. - - -A few moments after the departure of Panther Kate from the hotel, -Buffalo Bill also left, having received word from Ben Tabor, the Texan, -that he wished to have a few words with him in private. - -Tabor, as has been stated, was a member of the band of Texans known as -the Revolver Riders; and a number of his comrades were in Border City. - -Buffalo Bill’s intention on leaving the hotel was to go to his -temporary home, some distance out of the town. - -“You are going out home, I take it?” said Tabor, addressing the scout -when the two met. “Where is your horse? I want to speak with you, and -if we ride out together that will give me the chance I want.” - -“My horse is at the hotel stable,” said the scout. - -“All right. I’ll get mine.” - -They parted, to meet again in ten minutes. - -“Where is your captain--Dash?” asked Buffalo Bill, as they started on -the way to Cody’s cabin, which was distant perhaps five miles from -Border City. - -The direction took them along a trail passed over a short time before -by Panther Kate as she went toward her ranch. - -“It is from Captain Dash that I came here to see you,” said Tabor, in -reply to the scout’s question. - -“To see me?” asked Buffalo Bill in surprise. - -“Yes; after the escape of Kent King we went to Santa Fe, and there we -remained a week, looking for the gambler; but not finding him, and -hearing that he had gone to Denver, the captain determined to go on to -his home, being compelled for some reasons to do so, and offered me -liberal terms to take half a dozen of our riders and come and seek you, -he promising to join us in Colorado as soon as possible.” - -“But why should he take so much trouble to send word to me?” - -“Because he says you, believing the Gambler Guide dead, would be taken -unawares, and he felt that he would attempt your life; but, warned, you -could be on the lookout for him; and he sent you this little package, -and you will find instructions written inside.” - -As the Texan spoke, he handed the scout a small package, which the -latter placed in his pocket until he should get home. - -“I thank you, Mr. Tabor, for your kindness, but when do you start west?” - -“As soon as our horses have had a few days’ rest.” - -“Good! I shall set out myself in a few days, and I will accompany you.” - -“I am glad to hear that, for we had a dangerous trip of it coming east -by ourselves, as we waked up several bands of reds; but listen! There -is trouble there--hark!” - -A shot was seen to flash out ahead, near a thicket of cottonwoods, and -a cry of pain followed. - -“Come!” cried the scout, and driving their spurs into their horses, -they dashed forward, their revolvers ready for use. - -A moment after they came upon a startling scene, for by the starlight -they discovered a form lying upon the ground and two men struggling -with a third person. - -Hearing horses’ hoofs, one of the men turned quickly and fired. At the -flash both Buffalo Bill and the Texan replied with a shot. The man -dropped in his tracks; while, with a curse, his comrade turned to run -into the thicket, with the one he had been struggling with in his arms. - -But quick as was his motion, quicker was the act of the Texan, who sent -a lasso whirling over his head. With a sudden jerk the fugitive was -brought to the ground. Throwing himself from his horse, Buffalo Bill -bent over him, and placed his revolver to his head, while he cried: - -“It’s Panther Kate he’s got!” - -“Yes, Mr. Cody; they lassoed me and jerked me from my horse, and though -I managed to draw my pistol and killed one of them, they caught me at -last,” said the girl, rising from the ground as the scout released her -from the lariat of the Texan, which had encircled her head also. - -“Don’t p’int thet durned iron at me, pard, fer I is surrendered,” said -the ruffian pleadingly. - -“I’ve a mind to let it go off, and save trouble; shall I, Tabor?” asked -the scout as the Texan approached, and raised his sombrero politely to -Panther Kate, who stood by with folded arms, perfectly cool after her -adventure. - -“As you please, Cody; I guess nobody’ll mourn for him.” - -“Oh, Lordy! Pards, yer wouldn’t do it; I knows yer, Bill Cody, an’ yer -heart is too tender.” - -“And I know you now, Vagabond Joe. Now tell me why you attacked Panther -Kate?” - -The villain squirmed as if he did not wish to reply. - -“Tell me why you attacked Panther Kate?” the scout demanded, covering -the man with a revolver. “What were you and your villainous companions -up to?” - -“Don’t shoot!” the fellow whined. - -“Then speak!” - -“Well, yer see, it war this way: We knowed that she had the gold you -an’ ther captain put up in that bet you made, and----” - -“Your captain?” said the scout. - -The man squirmed again. - -“Who is your captain--out with it?” - -“I calc’late that you know who he is, Buffalo Bill.” - -“You mean Kent King, the man I made my bet with--though I did not know -at the time he was Kent King--and the man who tried to kill me at the -hotel a while ago.” - -“Yer got ther best of us, Pard Bill, in that row!” - -“Then you were one of the scoundrelly crowd that came in disguise to -the hotel to kill me?” - -“’Tain’t no use ter lie to you. Yer knows everything,” the rascal -whined. - -“I do not believe Kent King left the town!” said Panther Kate, who -seemed to be made unduly excited by these disclosures. “Was his name -really Kent King?” - -“That was his name,” the scout answered; “and a greater scamp never -went unhung. He intends to kill me, if he can. But what do you know of -him, Kate?” - -The girl did not answer. It was evident that she was deeply moved by -something, but she did not speak. Buffalo Bill turned again to the -prisoner. - -“If your captain is in the town, you know where he is!” he declared -sternly. - -“That’s right,” said Tabor. “Blow the devil’s head off if he refuses to -tell!” - -Buffalo Bill’s revolver was again pointed at the man’s head. - -“It would serve him right; he tried to kill me, and----” - -“Don’t shoot; I’ll tell all I know,” the man promised. - -“Where is your master, Kent King?” - -“Does yer know Dandy Daly, ther card sharp?” - -“Yes; only too well.” - -“Well, ther captain is bunkin’ t’-night at Daly’s cabin.” - -“Do you speak true?” asked Tabor. - -Buffalo Bill did not need to ask, he saw that the rascal, filled with -fear, spoke the truth. - -“Is Daly with him?” he asked. - -“No; ther captain is there alone to-night.” - -“And went there after our little shooting circus at the hotel?” said -the scout. - -“Right ye aire, ever’ time. You’re allus right, Pard Bill.” - -“Come, let us go back to the town, and then out to Daly’s cabin,” said -Panther Kate, with strange anxiety. - -The scout turned to Vagabond Joe. - -“Joe, I can see that you have spoken the truth once. For that you may -go free. We are after bigger game--your master!” - -Vagabond Joe could scarcely believe that he heard aright. - -“Does yer mean it?” he inquired, in bewilderment. - -“Yes, you may go, because you have told me the truth.” - -Thereupon the scout released the man. - -“Bury your dear pards, Joe,” Buffalo Bill commanded. “It’s work we -haven’t time for.” - -Bringing Panther Kate’s horse to her, she sprang lightly into the -saddle, and the three set off at a rapid gallop back to town, -leaving the vagabond standing in the road gazing after them. As they -disappeared, he gave one glance at his two dead comrades, and with -superstitious dread uttered a yell of terror and darted away like a -deer. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - A MYSTERY. - - -Upon arriving at the town, Ben Tabor suggested that Buffalo Bill and -Panther Kate should wait until he went to the gambling hall and called -out his half dozen Texan pards, so that there would be no doubt of -capturing the gambler. - -When the Texan had left, Buffalo Bill turned to the girl and said -inquiringly: - -“So you know this Kent King, too, Kate?” - -“Yes, I have known him for years.” - -“I believe his real name was Kenton Kingsland?” - -“Yes, such was his name when I first met him; but tell me, do you think -he can have escaped, Mr. Cody?” - -“Oh, no; he hardly expected to have his disguise known to any one -except his friends, and is doubtless at Daly’s cabin.” - -“I hope so, for if he should escape me now I would almost give up hope; -but he cannot, for fate will yet bring him face to face with me, whom -he has so bitterly wronged.” - -She had spoken the last words more to herself than to the scout, and he -remained silent, not wishing to pry into her sorrows of the past until -she suddenly asked: - -“Did you ever hate any one?” - -“Oh, yes, and I’m a good hater when I try.” - -“So am I; I hate as I love, with all my heart and soul, and I now hate -where I loved, for once, in the long ago, Kenton Kingsland was the very -idol of my heart; but now, Mr. Cody, I hate him more than I ever loved -him, and I have sworn to track him to death. - -“It was to find him that I came to Border City. I heard he had left but -a few days before for Colorado, and I determined to await his return; -now, at last, it seems as if I could keep my oath, for you will not -stay my hand in my revenge, which is so sweet to me! You will not, Mr. -Cody, will you?” - -“You would not kill him, would you, Panther Kate?” - -“As I would a snake in my path,” she answered fiercely. - -Before she could say more, Ben Tabor and his comrades came out of the -tavern and joined them. - -“Now to the cabin of Daly; and this man says he will guide us,” Tabor -announced. - -“Yas, I knows ev’ry crook an’ hole near Border City, don’t I, Buffalo -Bill?” said the man. - -“You do, indeed, Old Negotiate.” - -“I also know that Dandy Daly, the card sharp.” - -“A precious rascal, too; where is your horse, Negoshy?” - -“Chewin’ grub in ther stable; I’ll go footback.” - -“No, jump up behind me, for my horse will carry double.” - -“She’ll carry a awful load o’ sin with me on her back,” answered -Negotiate, and with a nimble spring he mounted behind the scout, and -the Texans having returned with their horses, the party set off at a -gallop, Old Negotiate remarking: - -“Is yer huntin’ in company with gals now?” and he cast a sly glance at -Kate Kearney. - -“Yes, Negoshy,” Buffalo Bill answered. “You are not opposed to pleasant -company, are you?” - -“Nary; I likes her, an’ she gits a pinch o’ my dust ev’ry night at ther -theater. Soon as she hes slinged her pretty feet, an’ sung a song, I -skips, fer durn ther balance o’ ther crowd, they is so doleful; she’s -jist ther gal I’d like ter splice with fer life.” - -“Why don’t you ask her to marry you, old man?” - -“Ask her to marry me? I’d fight the Sioux nation fust; but thar’s ther -cabing o’ Dandy Daly, the card sharp.” - -Negotiate pointed to a log cabin standing alone, and about a hundred -yards back from the road. After a short conversation it was agreed to -approach the house on foot; and that Old Negotiate should knock and -tell the stranger that Dandy Daly wanted to have him come back to the -hall. - -It was planned that when he stepped out of the door they were to seize -him, but under no circumstances to take his life. - -“He must not be hurt, for I have to deliver him to Captain Dash, who -will take him to Texas to be hanged,” said Tabor. - -“I would go to the end of the earth to see Kent King die,” said Panther -Kate fiercely. - -Having arranged their plan to capture the disguised gambler, the -party approached the house, in which a dim light was burning, and Old -Negotiate knocked at the door. - -“Well, who is it?” came from within in a deep voice. - -“It’s only me; an’ ther dandy card sharp says as how he wants yer at -ther hall ter chip in a leetle game,” said Old Negotiate in an innocent -tone. - -“Tell him I have gone to bed and am not well.” - -“I’ll tell him, but he’s got a prime chip in fer yer,” urged the -teamster. - -“All right, I will come.” - -With a muttered oath at having to dress and retrace his way half a mile -to the gambling hall, the man arose and began to put on his clothes. - -Presently the heavy bar was removed from the door, the key was heard -to turn in the lock, and a head was thrust out carefully, the eyes -narrowly searching the surroundings. - -As if assured of no lurking danger, the man stepped out, and turning, -locked the door, just as two dark forms bounded around the corners of -the cabin, and he was seized in a grasp he could not shake off. - -In vain did he strive to beat off his assailants and to draw his -weapons; he was held in the clutch of Seven-foot Harry and Ben Tabor. - -Seeing around him half a dozen more, while the cold muzzle of a pistol -pressed against his temple, he ceased resistance, and said, in surly -tones: - -“Well, who are you, and what do you want with me?” - -“We are Texans,” said Ben Tabor quietly. - -“Ha!” - -“Yes, and Revolver Riders, who acknowledge Captain Dash as our chief.” - -“I know nothing of him or his cutthroat band.” - -“You are mistaken; you escaped from us when we were on the trail for -Santa Fe; but this time you shall not escape, Kent King.” - -“Yes, I am Kent King, and you have me fast, but I do not despair,” was -the reckless reply. - -“You have no hope, Kenton Kingsland, for I am on your trail.” - -“Great God! Kate Colvin! Is it you or your ghost?” - -The man shrank from Panther Kate as though from a spirit of the other -world, while a bitter laugh broke from his lips as she replied: - -“I am no ghost, sir, as you will find out!” - -“A healthy ghost she is, pard,” put in Old Negotiate. - -“Come, let us be off,” said Ben Tabor. - -“But where will you take him?” asked Buffalo Bill. - -“I hardly know. Our horses need rest before we take the trail again, -and----” - -“I will take charge of him,” said Panther Kate. - -“You, Kate?” asked Cody in surprise. - -“Yes; I will not lose sight of this man; and more, if you know no place -to take him until you start west, bring him to my cabin; he will be -safe there.” - -“No, no; she will kill me when I am bound and cannot defend myself,” -said Kent King. - -“I will pledge my word not to do so; I will cancel my engagement at the -theater and guard this man, for I will revel in seeing him die.” - -The voice of the woman proved how deeply she was moved. - -“What say you, Cody?” asked Tabor. - -“I see no other plan; Kate certainly can keep an eye on him.” - -“Well, to your cabin we go; and, boys, you can return to the tavern, -and I will come in and see you to-morrow. My man, do you want to join -our party in going west?” - -Tabor had turned to Old Negotiate, who answered promptly: - -“I’ll bet yer ther Gambler Guide agin’ Panther Kate I does. I hes a -horse as is lightnin’, an’ Billy knows I is good on ther shoot.” - -“Very well,” said Ben Tabor. - -“Go up to ther tavern and bunk in with my pards; but not a word of our -night’s work, mind you.” - -Tabor called to Seven-foot Harry to throw the bound prisoner up behind -him; and, with Buffalo Bill riding on one side and Panther Kate on the -other, they started for the ranch of the latter. - -It was a small, stoutly built, two-roomed cabin, with several outhouses -near by. Two huge dogs acted as guardians, and these greeted the -party with savage barks. A word from Panther Kate quieted them. She -dismounted and threw open her door; and, carrying the prisoner in their -arms, the Texan and Buffalo Bill entered. - -“Lay him there, please; here, Satan, watch this man, and if he attempts -to free himself take hold of him.” - -The huge dog seemed to understand fully his mistress’ command, for he -crouched down by Kent King, who lay bound hand and foot upon the floor. - -“I think we can leave him now, Mr. Cody,” said Tabor. - -“I think so, too; good night, Kate,” answered the scout. - -“Good night, gentlemen,” she said; “I thank you for saving me from -those villains to-night, but more for bringing me face to face with -that man.” - -She pointed to the prisoner, who had closed his eyes to avoid the stare -of the dog. Mounting their horses, Buffalo Bill and Tabor rode rapidly -away. - -Arriving at his own cabin, the scout turned to the lamp to examine -the package sent him by Captain Dash. To his surprise he saw that it -contained a large and beautiful diamond, and upon a piece of paper was -written in the Texas chief’s hand: - - “Load one chamber of your pet revolver with this diamond as a - bullet; mark which it is, and keep it to send into the heart of - Kent King, the gambler, whenever you again meet him. - - “I have the mate of the stone I send you, and keep it for the same - purpose should he cross my path. - - “CAPTAIN DASH, of the Revolver Riders.” - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - THE HEART OF A WOMAN. - - -“While there’s life there’s hope, so I’ll not despair yet; but I would -rather be at the stake than facing this monster, whose eyes glare into -mine whenever I open them. Bound as I am, it is enough to drive me mad; -and yet I dare not appeal to Kate for mercy; no, no, for a woman’s love -turned to hate is deadlier than the serpent’s sting.” - -Thus thought Kent King as he gave a glance toward the door through -which Panther Kate had gone into the other room. As he turned his head, -Satan gave an ominous growl, and once more he closed his eyes. - -Yet with closed eyes, Kent King could see those red lips, white teeth, -and glaring eyes above his face. Brave man though he was, the sweat -stood in beads upon his forehead, and he became strangely nervous, -which increased until human nature could bear no more, and he shrieked -forth: - -“Kate! Kate! For the love of God, kill me and end this misery.” - -At this cry the huge dog sprang upon the prisoner, his teeth ready to -bury themselves in the man’s throat, while he growled savagely. A quick -tread followed. Panther Kate entered the room and asked quietly: - -“Well, sir, did you call?” - -“Great God! Have you no heart, woman? Do you not see this monster upon -me, and that I am going mad?” he groaned. - -“Ha! ha! ha! Then you can be made to feel, Kenton Kingsland? I -believed you callous to every emotion, though time was when you -professed feelings such as other people possess. I am happy now, sir, -for I gaze on you writhing in mortal anguish.” - -Her voice was hard, her eyes burning, and her bosom heaved -convulsively, as though the inmost depths of her being were stirred. - -“Kate, I have wronged you bitterly; more than human being can forgive, -yet I beg you to remove this devilish beast from my breast or I will go -mad,” he said pleadingly. - -Something in his tone told her that he spoke the truth, and she called -to the dog. It at once obeyed her, and, walking to the corner, lay down. - -“God bless you, Kate, for that act,” said the prisoner. “If you desire -my death, kill me, but do not torture me beyond human endurance again.” - -“I have sought you to kill you, Kenton.” - -“Then do so: life has no charm for me now, and I have often sought -death, but it would not come to me.” - -“You speak falsely, Kenton, for you have ever clung to life with -strange tenacity.” - -“Once I did; but, Kate, since--since----” - -“I am listening, sir.” - -“Since that night that--that----” - -“Let me complete your sentence; since the night you saw me raise to my -lips the fatal drug you had prepared for me, you have been haunted by a -phantom.” - -“Yes, Kate, and bitterly have I been punished for that crime. I was mad -then, for I knew that you loved me, and I loved you more than all else -in the world; but I owed large gambling and others debts, and had no -money to pay them with. I had an opportunity to marry an heiress, who -was to turn over into my keeping her vast wealth. - -“My marriage to you was a secret one, and none knew of it, and, driven -to desperation by my debts, I one night prepared two glasses with -poison, intending that you should drink the one and I the other, and we -would die together. - -“Coward that I was, I saw you drink the fatal draft, though I touched -not my lips to mine; and before I could summon aid you were, as I -believed, dead. Oh, Kate! No one knows my misery then. In terror I fled -and sought a refuge amid wild scenes and wilder men.” - -“Have you told me all the truth, Kenton Kingsland?” she asked in a low, -stern tone. - -As if determined to hide no atom of his guilt, he continued: - -“No, Kate, not all; for, possessing, as you know, a strange power of -imitation, I wrote a note, copying your hand, and saying that you were -tired of living and had ended your own life.” - -“I have that note with me, sir.” - -“That caused people to believe you had committed suicide; more I cannot -tell you, Kate.” - -“But I can, sir; I was believed dead, dressed in my shroud, and buried, -aye, placed in my grave, Kenton Kingsland, and left to my last sleep -among the dead. - -“But avaricious eyes had seen that my diamond rings were left on my -fingers, and that night ghouls of the grave came to rob me. When they -broke open the casket, the effects of the drug had worn off, the fresh -air revived me, and I arose in my shroud and put to wild flight the -base robbers of the dead. Can I forgive you that, Kenton Kingsland?” - -“No, I do not ask it--yes, I do ask it, for you can forgive me if you -love me as I do you; forgive, forget me, and I will go happy to my -death.” - -The man tried to stretch forth his bound hands, and half raised himself -from the floor, while his voice was full of pleading, and his eyes bent -on her with all the fascination he could throw into them. - -She was a woman, and she had loved him with all her soul. She had -suffered much, but she believed he had also. Her love had turned to -hatred in a night; but now, in a minute, it flew back from hate to -passionate idolatry, and she flung herself upon him, bound as he was, -and cried: - -“Kenton! Kenton! I do forgive you all, and I will forget all; only come -back to me, and love me, as in that olden time when we were both so -happy.” - -A triumphant light flashed in his eyes; but he said sadly: - -“This is beyond all hope, Kate; now I can die content.” - -“Die! You shall not die, Kenton, for I will protect you; see, I sever -your bonds, and--aye, we will fly together from here, for I have two -fleet horses in the stable. Come, throw off those suits that disguise -your form; pistols, rifles, and all I have here, so come with me, and -woe be to him who would stand in our path.” - -The woman was now almost hysterical with delight and nervous dread -combined; but a few calm words of the man soothed her, and an hour -after they left the cabin, both of them disguised beyond recognition. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - BUFFALO BILL RECEIVES A LETTER. - - -After a substantial breakfast, which both the Texan and Buffalo Bill -ate as only plainsmen can eat, the two mounted their horses and wended -their way to the cabin of Panther Kate, determined to make arrangements -for an early start west. - -The huge dogs greeted their arrival with ferocious barking, but no -answer to their call came. The cattle had spread over the prairie, and -the chickens stood around the cabin as if waiting for their morning -meal. Riding up to the door, Buffalo Bill knocked loudly, but still no -answer came. - -“Great heavens! What can have happened?” said Ben Tabor. - -“I hope he has not released himself and harmed Kate,” replied the -scout. “I don’t know what to think; but there is a way to find out.” - -He attempted to dismount, when the dogs rushed to attack him. Regaining -his saddle, the scout drew a revolver, and two shots ended the career -of Satan and Beelzebub, as Panther Kate had named the canine monsters. - -With a rail, Buffalo Bill and Tabor then burst in the door. They found -the cabin vacant; and more still, evidences that it had been purposely -vacated, for articles not convenient to carry were strewn about, while -other things of use had evidently been removed. - -The thongs that had bound the prisoner lay upon the floor, and the -lamp still burned on a table. Going to the stable, they found Panther -Kate’s two riding horses gone. - -“Well, who would ever have believed that woman to be treacherous?” said -Ben Tabor. - -Buffalo Bill looked blank. - -“I never thought Panther Kate would go back on her word, but she -certainly has helped Kent King to get away. Let us go on to town and -see if we can strike a new trail.” - -Rapidly the two now rode on into Border City. There a new mystery -awaited them, for Jack Coes, the keeper of the tavern, handed Buffalo -Bill a note, which he said had been brought him from Panther Kate. -Opening it, the scout read: - - “MR. CODY: If I have broken faith with you, blame a woman’s love, - for in such cases the heart, not the head, governs her actions. - - “The stake money I still hold. As you know with whom it was you - made your bet, you will see that I can continue to hold it, until - one or the other wins it, a consummation I devoutly pray shall - never happen; not that I wish to keep the gold, but that I hope - that neither you nor Kent King will die as the wager suggests. - - “He befriended me as an orphan child, and laid the foundation for a - career that would have made me famous had not circumstances forced - me to follow him, believing myself to be wronged by him. - - “Now the dead past is buried between us, and hope beckons us on to - a future of bliss, and we fly far from here. Your friend, - - PANTHER KATE. - “Now Mrs. Kenton Kingsland.” - -“Well, that settles it, and I fear we will never find them,” said Ben -Tabor, when he had read the letter which Buffalo Bill handed to him. - -“Kent King will never leave this country,” said the scout, “no matter -what he may promise Kate. Here comes Seven-foot Harry.” - -“Yes, I sent him to the cabin of Dandy Daly. What news, Harry?” - -“He has taken his horse, saddle, bridle, and arms from ther cabing, and -were seen at one o’clock making tracks on ther trail west, along with a -boy I judges were Panther Kate.” - -“All right; we will spend this day in striving to find their trail, and -if we do not succeed we will have to wait and go west with the bull -outfit.” - -“It is all we can do, Ben,” answered Buffalo Bill. - -And at once the hunt for the fugitives began, many of the citizens -joining in the search, for it was whispered around that Kent King, the -Gambler Guide, had come in the night and kidnaped Panther Kate, and no -one who knew the truth contradicted the statement. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - PARSON BRISTOW HOLDS TRUMPS. - - -The day for the train to start on its long western trail rolled around, -and all was bustle and confusion in and around Border City. Russell, -Majors & Waddell were sending out a larger bull outfit, as it was -called, than usual, and a quantity of beef cattle for the Western forts -were to be driven along in company with it. - -Ben Tabor had been appointed chief herdsman, and, with his men, was -very busy getting the cattle together. Buffalo Bill was to accompany -the men, intending, when the train struck the South Platte, to branch -off to Julesburg, from which place he was to continue his journey alone. - -A short while before the train pulled out from its encampment, the -stage from the East rolled up to the tavern, and the driver, Bob -Briggs, sung out in his cheery way: - -“On time, landlord, fer ther western-bound train?” - -“Yes, just in time, Bob; you have driven hard, and are ahead of time.” - -“Yas, always clever to obleege calicos and preachers, fer I hes some -bound West. ’Light, parson, fer our journey hes ended right heur, an’ -ef yer were a ginslinger, I’d ax yer in ter take a drink, out o’ thanks -fer yer pra’ers fer me, an’ ther sweet voice o’ yer darty, though I -hasn’t seen her face.” - -Then Bob Briggs sprang nimbly from his box and assisted down an elderly -gentleman, with smooth face, long white hair, gold spectacles, a -suit of clerical black, and high hat with a band of deepest mourning -surrounding it. - -Behind this pious-looking individual came a young girl with a wealth of -golden hair peeping out from beneath her nunlike headdress and heavy -black veil. - -“This are Parson Uriah Bristow, landlord, and his darty, whom he calls -Rebecca. They is goin’ West as missionaries ter convart ther red -heathen from ther bernightedness. So fill ’em with provender, fer we -didn’t stop fer breakfast. Then hunt ther parson up a hearse o’ some -kind ter travel West with, fer he’s got ther dust ter pay fer it.” - -Turning to the clerical individual, Bob added in a low tone: - -“Won’t you hev a drink, parson, jist fer yer stomick’s sake, an’ -good-fellowship?” - -“No; I never drink; it becometh not my cloth,” answered Uriah Bristow -in a sepulchral tone. - -“Never rastle tanglefoot? Why, pard, yer doesn’t know what is healthy. -Then hev a smoke?” - -“I never use the intoxicating and damning weed.” - -“Ther dickens! What do yer do, pard, ter make yer cheerful?” - -“I am never cheerful.” - -“You look it. There, landlord, lead him in to ther hash bar. I’ll bet -he kin git away with viands, or he ain’t like ther parsons as uster -come ter my old mammy’s home when I were a kid. Jerusha; ther chickens -uster skip, ther sheeps bleat, ther turkeys gobble, an’ pigs squeal -whenever they saw ’em comin’, fer they knowed thar was ter be eatin’ -done.” - -The landlord came to the rescue and led the doleful preacher and his -deeply veiled daughter into the house; which they left an hour after -in an ambulance, drawn by two large mules, to follow the western-bound -train. - -Behind the ambulance were hitched two splendid horses, which the parson -had purchased for himself and daughter, to enable them to vary the long -ride by horseback exercise, and in the vehicle were many little things -to add to their comfort. To the captain of the train, Lew Simpson, -Parson Bristow brought a letter of introduction from the general in -command of that department. - -The letter asked that every courtesy be shown the minister and his -daughter, who were going West as missionaries to teach the Indians -at the agencies. For several days the train wended its way westward, -making slow marches on account of its size and the large number of -cattle along. - -At night, when gathered around the camp fires, the train people tried -to draw the dismal-looking parson and his veiled daughter into their -enjoyment. The girl pleaded illness, and the parson said he never -indulged in light amusement, and besought them to prayer and psalm -singing. - -This course naturally caused the cheerful members of the outfit to -leave the parson and his daughter severely alone, a circumstance with -which they seemed to be pleased. Each day the daughter, whom persons -at first thought to be shamming, grew more indisposed, until at last -she was unable to leave her ambulance, and her condition excited the -sympathy of all. - -Like a tender, loving nurse her father hung over her, riding in the -ambulance, supporting her head through the long day’s march, and -attentive to her every want. Touched by the suffering of the girl, -several of the emigrants’ wives and daughters offered their services; -but the father said he alone would care for her, and she seemed unhappy -if he was out of her sight for an instant. - -At last, one beautiful moonlight night, when a hush had fallen on the -train encampment, the spirit of the young girl took its flight. - -The wails of the stricken old man were pitiful to hear. Two of the -women of the train dressed her for her grave, a shroud of blankets -encircled the fair form, and in a snowy bank, by the edge of a crystal -creek, her grave was dug and the body was placed in it just as the sun -arose above the prairie horizon. - -“Do not hide her from my sight; I will fill the grave myself; leave me, -my kind friends, leave me, and ere long I will follow you,” said the -parson. - -One by one the people departed, the train pulled out of camp, the last -wagon disappeared over a rise in the prairie, and the voices of the -cattle drivers grew fainter and fainter in the distance. Still the old -man stood, his hands resting on the spade, which had been left with him. - -His dead daughter lay in the shallow grave, enveloped in the blanket -shroud, and her face veiled as she had worn it in life. A short -distance away stood his horse, and no sound broke the silence after the -shouts of the cattle drivers had died away. - -At length he went to work and shoveled the earth into the grave with a -strength and quickness one would not have looked for in a man of his -age. - -Casting the spade aside, he mounted his horse and rode down the stream -instead of following the trail of the train. His thoughts seemed far -away, his head was bent, and he seemed unmindful in his grief which way -his horse was taking him, or that he had been warned of Indians lurking -in the vicinity. - -Hardly had he gone from sight before a horseman appeared through the -timber from the opposite side. At a glance he was recognized as Buffalo -Bill, mounted upon his faithful horse Midnight. - -As though with a set object in view, he dismounted, and his eye falling -upon the spade, he began to throw out the loose earth from the newly -made grave. Diligently he worked, using great care as he dug nearer and -nearer to the body, and so intent upon his work as to be oblivious to -all else. - -At length the spade touched the blanket, and his hands were then used -to scrape off the dirt until the veil was visible. Tenderly he drew it -aside and gazed upon the face of the dead. The eyes were closed, the -hair was blond, not black, but it was a face he knew well. From his -lips broke the cry: - -“It is Panther Kate.” - -“Yes, it is Panther Kate, and I am Kent King, the Gambler Guide!” - -Buffalo Bill started, and glanced up, to realize that he was trapped. -His belt of arms lay some feet distant, and he gazed into the face -of Parson Bristow, but the spectacles, shoved up on the forehead, -displayed the vicious eyes of Kent King. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - CLOSE QUARTERS. - - -“It looks as though I was going to win my bet, Cody,” said Kent King, -with a sneer. - -“You have got the stakes, anyhow, by murdering this poor girl, and, of -course, I need expect no mercy,” was the cool reply. - -“Murdered Kate! What do you mean?” and the man’s face turned white. - -“I had a suspicion that you were not what you represented yourself, and -when Mrs. Dooley, who had dressed poor Kate for the grave, told me that -her hair had been dyed yellow, I determined to ferret out the mystery, -and I have done so.” - -“You have run yourself into a death trap, and whether I killed Kate or -not, you will never be called as a witness in the case.” - -“I’m not dead yet, old man.” - -“No, but you will be within the minute; for I intend to kill you,” was -the deliberate reply. - -Then Kent King’s revolver covered Buffalo Bill’s heart, while he -continued: - -“I want you to die with the pleasant thought that I am going West to -marry Mary Hale----” - -“I doubt it.” - -“Well, as you will not live to see if I do, you must take my word for -it. After I have got possession of her fortune, for she has one the -judge knows nothing about, she, too, will die of the same disease that -killed Kate Colvin--namely, poison!” - -“Devil! If you don’t kill me, and I ever have you in my power I will -carry you to old Rain-in-the-face and have his warriors torture you to -death.” - -Then, with a cry more like an enraged beast than a human being, and -reckless of consequences, Buffalo Bill sprang from the grave toward his -foe. The flash and report of Kent King’s revolver followed; but, taken -so thoroughly by surprise, he missed his aim. - -A second shot, as he ran backward, struck Buffalo Bill in the arm and -turned him half around. Maddened now, it did not check the scout. The -third, fourth, and fifth chambers of the weapon missed fire. A yell -of triumph broke from Buffalo Bill as he still pressed his enemy, who -steadily retreated before him. - -But the yell was answered by a score of war whoops, and through the -timber came dashing a number of painted savages. Buffalo Bill saw that -it would be madness to press his attack on Kent King, unarmed as he -was. Turning quickly, he sprang across the open grave, and, seizing his -weapons, started in flight, at the same time calling for Midnight, whom -he had left in a thicket near by. - -An answering neigh was heard, and the noble horse came at a run, the -reins and stirrups flapping wildly. Kent King, who had not fled at -sight of the redskins, called out: - -“There’s your game, men! A thousand dollars for his scalp.” - -With wild yells they started in pursuit; but the scout had already -reached his horse, was in the saddle, and had unslung his rifle from -the horn and brought it to his shoulder. - -A shot, and down went a pursuer. A volley was sent after him, but flew -harmlessly by, and like the wind Midnight sped away, for he knew well -that his master depended wholly on him for his life. - -“They are bandits of the trail, disguised as Indians, and Kent King is -their chief!” - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - MARY HALE. - - -In a comfortable log cabin, containing four rooms, and surrounded by -every evidence of a well-to-do borderman’s home, sat Mary Hale. She -was thinking of her noble friend, Buffalo Bill, who had saved her from -marriage with the Gambler Guide. - -Her father had brought her sad news only a short while before to the -effect that the expected train had arrived from Border City and along -with it Ben Tabor, his Texas pards, and Old Negotiate, who had been -initiated as a member of the band, but that no tidings had they had of -Buffalo Bill for weeks. - -He had left camp before daylight one morning, it was said, to go on a -hunt. Since then he had not been seen. Though the train had halted for -two days, and parties had been sent out in all directions, no trace of -him had been discovered. - -The last to see him was Parson Bristow, who had reported that while he -was throwing the earth into his daughter’s grave, the scout had joined -him and aided him in his sad work, and that when he had left the timber -to overtake the train, Buffalo Bill had said he would remain and hunt -for game. - -Ben Tabor and his Texans had gone back to the timber, where was the -lone grave of the young girl, and had seen the tracks of the scout and -of Midnight. But they had also made a discovery which filled them with -dread, for there were signs of a large party of horsemen having passed -that way, and not far distant was another new-made mound. - -They had thrown the earth out of the grave, expecting to find the body -of Buffalo Bill, but with glad hearts they saw that it was not the -face of the scout. What they saw was a painted face and a form clad in -Indian costume. But the paint was a disguise--beneath it was the fair -skin of a white man. - -Farther upon the prairie, as they followed the trail of over a score of -horses, they found a dead mustang, a bullet in his head. - -“Ther gerloot in ther hole had a wound in his head, an’ this mustang -died suddint like o’ ther same disease, an’ I’m thinking thet Buffier -Bill were the one as did ther shootin’.” - -Such had been the comment of Seven-foot Harry, and so had all agreed. -They followed on the trail to the hills, where they lost it, and, with -their small force dare not go farther, and gave the scout up as dead. -Suddenly a hoof fall caught the ear of Mary Hale, as she thought of -these things, and, glancing up, she saw a horseman approaching the -cabin. - -Then, as she gazed, she recognized the rider, and her face flushed -crimson. A moment after he dismounted, and met her upon the piazza. - -“Why, Captain Dash, who would have expected to see you here?” she said, -in the innocent way a woman can assume in deceiving a lover, while she -well knew she had expected and hoped for his coming for months. - -“You said I might come, Mary,” answered the captain of the Revolver -Riders, in his sincere way. - -“Did I?” she asked archly. - -“Yes; have you forgotten the time when I struck your train with my -Revolver Riders, and captured Kent King, the Gambler Guide?” - -“Oh, no, Mr. Cody led you there, and you both did me a noble service.” - -“Yes, noble Cody, whom some of my men report dead. I intend to start on -his trail to-morrow with my men.” - -“I fear it will be useless, from all my father tells me,” she said -sadly. - -“It may be useless, as far as finding him is concerned; but not to -avenge him,” and his voice became deep and stern. - -“But you know not whom to strike as his murderers, Captain Dash.” - -“I do know; the man who pretended to be Parson Bristow----” - -“Pretended to be, captain? Why, he certainly seemed a sincere -Christian. He came to supper with father last night, and was very -entertaining, I assure you.” - -“As he knows how to be, for he is none other than Kent King.” - -“Kent King! That wretch! Impossible, for you----” and Mary’s face -turned white as she paused. - -“No, I did not kill him, for he escaped from me before we reached Santa -Fe. He was captured in Border City in disguise by Buffalo Bill and -some of my men, and again escaped, through the love of a girl who had -sought him to kill him, but changed her mind, and fled with him. In -the disguise of a preacher he boldly joined the westward-bound train, -though Buffalo Bill and some of my men were along; and he passed the -girl, Panther Kate, also disguised, off as his daughter. - -“That poor girl he poisoned by degrees, she not even suspecting it, -and she was buried on the side of the trail. At her grave Buffalo Bill -found him, and recognized him by some means. Then Cody was forced to -fly for his life, pursued by the Trail Bandits, who just then came up, -painted as Indians.” - -“Can this be true?” gasped Mary Hale, trembling violently. - -“I got it from one of his own men, whom I recognized, and hanged an -hour ago, knowing him to be a renegade and murderer.” - -“And where is Kent King now?” she asked, in almost a whisper. - -“He has fled. It seems he saw us hanging the man, though we did not -then see him, and he took to the prairie, with his band.” - -“His band?” - -“Yes, he is chief of the Trail Bandits now.” - -“This is fearful, indeed.” - -“But I shall soon be on their trail. My Revolver Riders now number half -a hundred, and we will bring back Bill Cody, or avenge him fearfully.” - -“And you start to-morrow?” asked Mary, her voice faltering. - -“Yes, I arrived in Denver a couple of days ago from Texas, where I had -some business to attend to, for I am not altogether what you believe -me, Miss Hale.” - -“What! Do you wear disguises, too, Captain Dash?” - -“Only when necessary to track villainy to the fountain seat; but I -mean, I am the owner of a large cattle ranch, and not a poor man, as -being in command of a band of herders would lead you to believe. I have -a score to settle with Kent King. To find him, I joined the Revolver -Riders, who made me their captain, and they are all now under my pay -until I accomplish the task I have set out to perform.” - -“And God grant you may do it, Captain Dash.” - -“My name is Dudley Dashwood, Miss Hale; my men called me Captain Dash,” -said the handsome young Texan, with a smile. - -Then he resumed: - -“When we parted on the trail, long months ago, I asked that I might -visit you here, and you said yes.” - -“And I assure you I am glad you have come.” - -“Thank you; but I was so bold then as to say that I loved you, although -we had met but that once; yet, in all the time that has gone by since -then, I have grown each day to love you more, until you are now -necessary to my happiness, and I have come to ask you to be my wife.” - -He took her hands in his own, and gazed down upon her bowed head; but -she remained silent, and, raising the beautiful face until he gazed -down into it, he asked: - -“Have I come in vain, Mary?” - -“No.” - -The answer was very low, but he heard it, and drew her gently toward -him, while he asked: - -“When am I to call you wholly my own, Mary?” - -“When you have found Mr. Cody, or run Kent King to earth,” she said, -almost sternly. - -“Enough, I ask no more; but here comes your father, and I will ask him -for your hand, now that you have given me your heart.” - -The young Texan turned and greeted Mary’s father as he came upon the -piazza, evidently greatly excited. - -“Glad to meet you, Captain Dash; but, sir, the devilish old parson was -no parson at all, but Kent King, the Gambler Guide, who has escaped and -swept down the valley at the head of twoscore renegades, burning and -pillaging as he went.” - -“He has already begun his mad work, then?” - -“He has, indeed, and the vigilantes are organizing to go in pursuit; -and more, he would have paid us a visit had not a band of miners turned -him back.” - -“I will leave at once on his trail. Mary, I leave to you to say what I -would have said to your father; good-by.” - -Two minutes after, Captain Dash was riding like the wind toward the -encampment of the Revolver Riders, some ten miles distant and in his -heart were commingling the antipodes of emotions--hatred for the -Gambler Guide, and love for Mary Hale. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - BETWEEN TWO FIRES. - - -When Buffalo Bill fled from the horsemen, whom he now knew to be -outlaws in the disguise of Indians, as they hailed him in perfect -English, he felt that he was in almost as much danger as when he stood -in Panther Kate’s grave, with his worst foe standing above him holding -a pistol leveled at his heart. - -His arm was bleeding freely, and he bound his silk neck scarf around -it below the shoulder as well as he could, fastening the knot with the -aid of his teeth. Though Midnight was running well, he had seen hard -service of late. There were half a dozen horses in pursuit, and, fast -as he was, they were holding their own with him, and one was steadily -gaining. - -To the hills, visible before the scout, it was half a dozen miles. If -Midnight could keep up his rapid pace until they were reached, and -Buffalo Bill did not faint from loss of blood, he felt he would have a -chance to stand off his foes. - -If his horse should fail him now, in his hour of need, or if he should -fall in weakness from his saddle, he knew his hour had come to die, for -he was certain no mercy would be shown him. With his lasso he secured -himself firmly in the saddle, and with his knife gave the scarf around -his arm an extra turn to tighten it, sticking the blade into his sleeve -to hold it in place. Then he again looked behind him. - -A long line of horsemen was strung out. In advance, some four hundred -yards away, he saw Kent King and a man disguised as an Indian, riding -side by side, and driving their horses on with spurs that brought blood -at every blow of their heels. - -“I wish that the train people could see that parson now; I guess they’d -think he needed praying for,” was the scout’s thought. - -Then, as his own position struck him, he added: - -“A little praying for me just now wouldn’t do any harm; come, Midnight, -come, for they are gaining on you, and the hills are yet two miles -away.” - -The splendid animal seemed to feel all that was expected of him. He -made a still greater effort, though no spur or lash had touched his -glossy hide, and again held his own with the pursuers. - -“That’s it, my bird of the plains, fly from your foes, and save me now, -as often you have before!” - -Still more encouraged by his master’s voice, the fleet steed sped on, -indeed like a bird, until the hills were not far away, and his pursuers -yet two hundred yards distant. - -“Another effort, Midnight; try again!” cried Buffalo Bill. - -The next instant the horse dashed into a low thicket, while, around a -base of jutting hill, suddenly appeared half a hundred mounted warriors. - -“Sioux, as I live! Now, Kent King, look out,” cried the scout, while a -glance showed him that the Indians had not seen him, and were taken by -surprise at the sight of the pursuing party. - -That Kent King and his band were also surprised, there was not the -shadow of a doubt, for they quickly drew rein, a bugle call rang out -over the prairie, and those in advance began to fall back and form for -protection with those who were in the rear. - -“They’ll stand the Indians off and get away, though I wish they’d be -like the Kilkenny cats. Ha, they are sending a party to see who Kent -King was in pursuit of; it’s out of the frying pan into the fire with -me!” - -Buffalo Bill, who had temporarily drawn his panting horse to a -standstill, now urged him on into the hills. But though Midnight did -his best, the redskins steadily gained upon him. - -Worse still, the scout became weaker and weaker from loss of blood from -his wounded arm, his head reeled, and presently, as he penetrated into -a dense cañon, he fell forward on the neck of his horse, consciousness -having left him. A few moments after the Indians came in sight and saw -the faithful horse standing still, and his rider hanging over upon his -neck, his lariat alone holding him in the saddle. - -Recognizing them as foes, Midnight, in spite of the dead weight upon -him, and his fatigue, endeavored to escape; but the cañon soon ended -abruptly, and the redskins, pushing him hard, he was soon in their -grasp. - -At first they seemed inclined to scalp the scout without ceremony; but, -seeing that he was not dead, they released him from the saddle and laid -him upon the ground. - -His weapons were quickly distributed among them. Midnight fell to the -possession of a brawny savage, another of the party claiming the very -handsome Mexican saddle and bridle, which were profusely decorated with -silver. - -Finding that the outlaws were his superior in strength, owing to their -rifles, the redskin chief withdrew his party toward the hills, content -with scalping a renegade in Indian toggery, who had fallen under their -fire. - -But, as they retreated toward the hills, with the outlaws sullenly -retiring, they saw the man they had scalped spring unexpectedly to his -feet, and run for his comrades, who at once started to his rescue, -expecting the Indians would attempt to capture him. - -But the savages had his scalp, and cared little for him, and he reached -the band in safety, a piteous sight to look at, and told how he had -heard of the capture and death of Buffalo Bill. - -“Haddock, for those cheering words I would give a year of my life to -save you; but you are badly wounded, besides being scalped, and--hold -him up, men, for he’s falling!” - -Before any one could catch the man he fell dead on the prairie; and, -remembering only himself, Kent King muttered: - -“Now I can return to the train and continue on to Denver. Then, my -sweet Mary Hale, we meet again, and you will have no champion knight -to protect you, for the coyotes will feast upon him, and the vultures -will flap their wings in his handsome face. By Heaven! Sioux, I could -almost love you for the service you have done me, and grasp your hands -in fellowship.” - -Giving his instructions to the band of outlaws, he returned to the -people whom he was deceiving under his disguise of a parson--a -veritable wolf in the clothing of a lamb. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - A FOE’S GRATITUDE. - - -When the chief of the Sioux band entered the hills, and came to the -spot where Buffalo Bill still lay insensible, he glanced into the -upturned face and then at the long hair, and said, quickly, in his -native tongue: - -“It is Pa-e-has-ka, the white brave; my warriors have done well not to -touch his scalp or kill him, for he served me long moons ago.” - -Bending over the scout, who showed signs of returning consciousness, -he quickly stripped the sleeve from his arm and skillfully checked the -bleeding of the wound. Then he dashed water in the scout’s face, and -the eyes of Buffalo Bill, opening, met the savage countenance above -him. But he showed no sign of fear, and simply said in the Sioux tongue: - -“Rain-in-the-face, is it you?” - -“It is the Sioux chief, whose son’s life you once saved near Fort -Laramie; the chief has not forgotten Long Hair.” - -“Do you intend to kill me?” asked the scout. - -“Is the heart of Rain-in-the-face so bad that he would kill one who -saved his son from death?” - -“The chief has a good heart to remember; but I am sick and weak, for I -cannot rise.” - -“My warriors shall aid you.” - -“They ought to, for I see they have stolen everything I had,” muttered -the scout, and he glanced at the dignified thieves as they stood -looking at him, evidently regretting that they had not killed him. - -The chief saw his look. Recognizing that a raid had been made upon the -scout’s personal effects, he ordered every article to be restored at -once, which order was only partially obeyed. - -“The very things I can get along without they give back; what I want -they keep, chief,” said Buffalo Bill boldly. - -Rain-in-the-face turned boldly upon the offending braves. One put down -the knife of the scout, another a revolver. At an angry motion from -their chief, the other weapons were produced, while one young buck -brought forward a dilapidated army saddle, and still another a United -States cavalry bridle the worse for wear. - -“Do my warriors wish my heart to fill with anger against them?” sternly -asked the old chief. - -The delinquents then brought forward the bridle, saddle, and trappings, -while another came innocently to the front leading a horse that was a -fair picture of what Midnight might become after a month’s starving and -hard riding. - -“That is not my horse, chief.” - -“Yes,” said the red pretender; “this Pa-e-has-ka horse.” - -“You are a red liar. If Midnight looked like that the buzzards would -follow him, and his backbone would cut through the saddle and split me -up the back,” said Buffalo Bill. - -Seeing that he could not fool the scout, ill as he was, the buck -answered: - -“It gooder horse than your horse.” - -“You are a howling liar. Chief, I want my horse, not that skeleton.” - -Afraid of his chief, the buck now brought Midnight. - -Rain-in-the-face saddled and bridled him for the scout, and placed him -in the saddle, at the same time motioning to a young, light brave to -mount behind him, and hold him on, for Buffalo Bill was too weak from -loss of blood to keep his seat unaided. - -Then up into the hills the party went, and, after a ride of thirty -miles, with frequent stops on account of the scout, the Indians arrived -in their camp. - -There the chief carried his paleface friend to his own tepee, and -ordered his squaw to do all she could for his comfort, while he went to -bring the medicine man of the tribe. - -The wound, the loss of blood, and the long ride to the Indian camp, -brought on fever and delirium, and for weeks Buffalo Bill lay at the -point of death. - -All this time he was nursed tenderly by the Indians, in whose hearts, -as soon as they knew how he had befriended their chief’s son in the -past, arose pity for him, while they had already felt admiration for -his courage. - -The strong constitution of the scout carried him safely through, and -he arose from his bed of skins in an Indian tepee, restored to health -once more, and with his wound almost well, under the treatment of the -medicine chief, who was certainly skilled in the healing of injuries -from firearms and knives. - -As soon as he was able to ride, Buffalo Bill thanked the chief for -his kindness to him, and presented him with one of his revolvers -and a watch, and let him into the secret of winding it up--it was a -stem-winder--and taught him how to tell time, adding: - -“There’ll be no excuse for you now to be behind time in going into a -fight, if you’ll only keep her wound up.” - -Throwing his red silk handkerchief to Mrs. Rain-in-the-face, who -had nursed him, Buffalo Bill mounted Midnight, and, with a shout of -farewell to the redskins, struck off at a lively gait. - -His faithful horse had had a long rest, and was better than ever -before, as he evinced by his determination to cast the miles behind him -and reach the settlements. - -“That’s right, Midnight; go ahead lively.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - PARSON MILLER VISITS THE JUDGE. - - -While a number of miners and settlers, under the name of Vigilantes, -were following Captain Dash and his Revolver Riders in the pursuit of -Kent King and his outlaw band, an individual of peculiar appearance was -riding slowly along a trail that led through the valley settlement, -where Judge Hale and his train had found homes. - -He was mounted on a mule, whom he had christened Goliath of Gath, and -was dressed in a suit combining buckskin leggings, a miner’s red shirt, -a black clerical-looking coat, and a coonskin cap. This individual was -Parson Miller, the chaplain of the Hale train on its route westward, -the one whom Buffalo Bill had gotten lost with, to prevent his marrying -Mary Hale to Kent King. - -Settling near the sutler establishment in Deep Creek City, as the -dozen log cabins comprising the place were called, Parson Miller had -looked after his own bodily comfort, and the spiritual welfare of the -flock which he claimed as his special charge. He was now on his way to -the hospitable home of Judge Hale. The judge, believing him harmless, -always extended to him a welcome, though Mary was never glad to see him -darken the doors of their cabin. - -“My dear brother Hale, I have come over to see you upon important duty: -the wolves are abroad among my flock, and bloodshed is stalking forth -in our valley.” - -This was his speech, as he dismounted from Goliath and picketed the -mule. - -“Come in, parson,” said Hale, “and we’ll have a chat in my room, for -Mary is busy, as you hear, with her guitar, on the back porch.” - -“It is of Mary I have come to speak, and moreover of one other, brother -Hale; will we be wholly alone?” the parson inquired. - -“Wholly so; is there any news?” asked the judge, feeling a dread of -coming evil. - -“None, other than that I have told you. Now let us talk to the point. -Do you not know me?” - -The parson’s manner suddenly changed. He dropped the singsong way in -which he always spoke. Judge Hale looked him fairly in the face, and -answered slowly: - -“No, though you recall one to me long since dead.” - -“Who is that one?” - -“A clergyman who fell from grace, killed a friend, and was sentenced to -prison for life.” - -“His name?” - -“I care not to speak of it,” said the judge, with a shudder. - -“It matters not; I am that man.” - -“You! impossible, and yet----” and Judge Hale turned the hue of a -corpse. - -“It is not impossible, Andrew Hale. We were boys together, and devoted -friends; we married sisters, and became brothers-in-law; you became a -famous lawyer, and I a minister, until I at last, as you expressed it, -fell from grace, and, taking the life of a fellow being, was sent to -prison for life. My wife having died, I left you in full control of my -large property, and the guardian of my son, and for some years all went -on well. - -“You met with financial embarrassments just at the time I escaped from -prison, and was reported killed by the guard as I reached the river. -I was not touched by his bullet. A man in convict’s dress being found -some time after, floating in the water, was said to be me, and so was -buried. Believing me dead, you used the property of my son to squander -in speculation, and, to escape his just anger, you fled with your -child. Do you doubt my identity now, Andrew Hale?” - -“You are certainly Mathew Kingsland,” said the judge, in a hoarse tone. - -“I certainly am. And Kent King, the Gambler Guide, as men call him, is -my son Kenton, and the first cousin of your daughter Mary.” - -“The power he held over me, and which forced me to say Mary should be -his wife, was because he held my secret,” groaned the judge. - -“Well, the boy you know now in a different light, for he is the chief -of the outlaw band known as the Nighthawks.” - -“And he is free to do my poor child harm! God grant that these dashing -Texans take him.” - -“Oh, the boy can take care of himself! You will soon receive a call -from him in some disguise or other, for he is determined to marry your -daughter.” - -“Heaven forbid! Why should he persecute her thus?” - -“Simply because she is rich. He wishes to give up this wild life, and -seek safety in another land, where he can live off of her money, as you -did off of his,” answered the man, in a sneering tone. - -“Marry rich! why, man, all I have in the world is in this cabin and -this ranch.” - -“Ah!” - -“What! Do you doubt me?” - -“I know to the contrary.” - -“I say you are mistaken. Had I money, do you think I would have come to -this wild land to live?” angrily asked the judge. - -“Yes. Dread of punishment for your crime, and a fear that the world -would learn of it, brought you here. Now you are believed only -unfortunate. Were the truth made known, it would be shown that you -squandered a fortune left to your keeping, Andrew Hale.” - -“Alas! that I was ever tempted; but look at me now, a man at my years -building up a new home, and penniless almost.” - -“You need not so remain, Andrew Hale,” said the parson, in a meaning -way. - -“What do you mean, Mathew Kingsland? You have not come here and made -yourself known to me without a purpose, I feel confident.” - -“I mean that if you will give me your note for fifty thousand dollars, -payable six months from date, and agree to a certain plan I have in -view, I will tell you where you can place your hands upon a million of -money.” - -“What is your plan, sir?” - -“That you marry Mary at once to my son.” - -“You ask this when you know that I am aware of what he is?” indignantly -said the judge. - -“Oh, yes; you gave your consent before, when you knew that Kenton had -served in the penitentiary. Don’t preach morality, Andrew Hale, for it -does not set well on you,” sneered the parson. - -“Man, tell me what you have come here for, and at once.” - -“I need fifty thousand dollars that I may live on the interest it will -bring. I am getting along in years, and I wish to provide again for my -son, whose fortune you squandered. Therefore, I wish him to marry an -heiress.” - -“And I tell you that I am little more than a beggar.” - -“Oh, no; a man died in the upper mines some days ago, and he made his -confession to me, and left a will bequeathing a million dollars he had -dug out of the ground to you and your daughter----” - -“What?” - -“True. I ask for only fifty thousand, and you will still have two -hundred thousand, as he left you a quarter of a million, and Mary the -balance.” - -“Do you mean this, Mat Kingsland?” and Judge Hale was very much excited. - -“I do.” - -“Why was a man worth that sum working in the mines?” - -“He was not; he had dug his gold out of California and gone East to -find his relatives. Learning that they had come West, he sought them -here in the mines, was taken ill and died as I told you. That man was -Ned Hale, your oldest brother.” - -Judge Hale could not speak for a while, but at last he said fervently: - -“Thank God!” - -“You had better thank me, for you cannot get it unless I deliver up -the papers. I wish your note for the fifty thousand, and to see dear -Kenton and Mary married before I turn the papers over to you.” - -“If this fortune has been left me, I can get it without your aid.” - -“Oh, no, for I have the papers, and the lawyers and the witnesses are -all in my pay. Do you agree to the terms, Andrew?” - -“I will give you one hundred thousand, if you will not hold Mary in the -bargain.” - -“She will have vast wealth and a devilish handsome husband.” - -“She shall not marry him, and if you and your accursed son ever enter -my house again, I will shoot you down as I would a mad dog. Now, -begone, sir.” - -“Judge Hale, be reasonable. You are mad to throw away this fortune,” -urged Mathew Kingsland. - -“You are acting only for self-interest, simply to get your reward out -of it, and I will be happy in keeping it from you.” - -“But dear Mary will be made unhappy by----” - -“Dear Mary is happy as she is with my father, Mat Kingsland. I order -you from this house, for I have heard all that was said, and know your -baseness,” and Mary swept into the room as proud as a queen and defiant. - -“Ah! you, then, know that your father stole----” - -“Silence, sir! He invested funds in his keeping in speculations and -lost thereby. It was, perhaps, a criminal act, but he is more than -sorry for it. He has just refused a fortune rather than do wrong again, -and I refuse it with him; go, sir, or I will call Daniel to put you -out.” - -Mary pointed toward the door. - -“Girl, you and this old fool, your father, shall rue this act. I go, -but I warn you that you will yet beg mercy of me.” - -Mary laughed scornfully. The villain moved toward the door, and a -moment after was riding away at a speed that Goliath of Gath had not -been forced to for many a long day. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - MERCILESS. - - -“Mendez, I have service for you to perform.” - -The speaker was Kent King, the Gambler Guide, and he stood upon a rock -that commanded the entrance to a cañon in his front, and from which he -had a view of the prairie a mile beyond. - -It was a wild, picturesque spot, the mountain retreat of the bandits, -and a formidable position to attack. The night before, with twoscore -of followers, he had gone to his retreat, after committing deeds of -deviltry a savage would have revolted at. - -Well he knew that the vigilantes would pursue him, and that once -aroused they would hunt him and his band to the death. His men had -urged that they keep the open trail and seek other scenes; but Kent -King had an object in remaining, and was determined not to be driven -from the neighborhood where dwelt Mary Hale. - -Now, as he gazed far across the prairie, he saw a large body of -horsemen approaching, and, with emotions of dread, he recognized in -advance Captain Dash, the Texan, and his terrible Revolver Riders. - -“We could hold out a week here, perhaps, but not longer, so I must act -at once,” he said; and then, having made up his mind, apparently, he -called to a villainous-looking Mexican standing near. - -“Yes, señor chief, what would you have me do?” asked Mendez. - -“Serve me well, and you shall have a golden reward; you have a fleet -horse?” - -“Yes, señor.” - -“Go and get him ready for a hard ride, and prepare your traps, for I do -not care to have you return here.” - -The Mexican obeyed, not sorry to avoid the fight he knew was coming. -Soon he returned to where his chief stood. - -“I have written a letter here. Take it to Parson Miller; you know where -he lives, and he will tell you what to do. Go by the secret outlet to -this retreat, and ride like the wind.” - -“Yes, señor chief.” - -The Mexican sprang on his horse and rode away, while Kent King turned -to his men, who were rapidly gathering around him. - -“We are going to have a brush with the enemy, boys, but we can stand -them off for a few days, and then secretly retreat at night. Are you -all ready for the fight?” - -He ran his eyes over the villainous-looking band, which certainly was a -hard crowd, for there were German, Spanish, Mexican, American, negro, -and even Chinese bravadoes in the lot, and all of them men who were -legal candidates for the gallows. - -In half an hour more the Revolver Riders and vigilantes came in sight, -and camped in the valley below, as if they had come to stay and meant -business. Kent King watched them holding councils of war with a sneer -upon his handsome, but cruel, dissipated face, and in his eyes shone a -triumphant light. - -When darkness at length came upon the scene, the camp fires were -lighted below in the valley. It was evident that the vigilantes knew -just where their game was, and intended to starve them out, knowing -that the entrance to the rocky bowl, or cañon, where the renegades -were, was under their control, and escape could be prevented. - -About midnight the settlers moved to the attack from different points, -verging toward the pass leading to the retreat. Without, the rattle of -firearms made lively music. The bandits met them with coolness. Their -deadly fire beat off the assailants, who were forced to retire to their -camp and plan some other method of attack. - -Thus the night and following day passed, and the vigilantes remained -camped in the valley below. As soon as darkness came on, Kent King went -the round of his forces, and then suddenly disappeared from the sight -of his men. - -Gaining a secluded spot among the rocks, where a number of horses -were picketed, he quickly bridled and saddled his own animal, and, -mounting, rode quietly away. Taking a path that led still farther up -the mountain, a most hazardous trail to follow even in daylight, he -went fearlessly along, until he reached the summit of the hill, along -the ridge of which he rode for half a mile. - -Coming to a thicket of pines, he entered it, and found a path leading -down the mountainside, opposite to the one on which the vigilantes were -encamped. Gaining the valley and a broad trail, he was about to urge -his horse into a gallop, when he heard the clink of iron against rock. - -Instantly he dashed into the shelter of some huge bowlders, for he knew -that horsemen were coming. There he quietly awaited. Presently dark -forms came in sight, two horsemen abreast, and fully a hundred in -number. At their head he recognized by the starlight one whom he knew -to be leading the vigilantes and Revolver Riders to his stronghold. - -It was Prairie Pete, one of the best guides on the plains and in the -mountains, and the direction in which he was riding proved that he knew -the secret, though dangerous, path to the retreat. - -They passed within six feet of the bowlder, over the top of which -the outlaw looked. It was a moment of fearful suspense to him, for a -movement of his horse, or a rider swerving from the trail, would have -betrayed him. - -With a sigh of relief, he saw them pass on. Then, though he knew he -could dash across a nearer path, gain the secret trail and warn his -men, who could, thus warned, easily beat off their foes, he rode on his -way, saying savagely: - -“Let them capture them! What care I, for sooner or later they would -all be hanged! I will look after myself only; and, if Mendez served me -faithfully, within twenty-four hours I will be far from here.” - -As he rode along, there came to him the sound of distant firing and -shouting. Involuntarily he drew up and listened for a while. - -“They have captured the retreat, and the Trail Bandits are no more, for -that is the wild Texas yell of victory,” he muttered. - -Then, dashing the spurs into the flanks of his horse, he rode on like -the wind. - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - THE FLIGHT. - - -The third night after the departure of the vigilantes rolled around, -and the settlers in the valley were becoming anxious regarding their -friends, for no word had come from them since they struck the bandits’ -trail. Mary Hale’s beautiful eyes were dimmed with tears as she bade -her father good night, for she dreaded evil to Captain Dash, whom she -loved with all the fervor of her heart. - -Hardly had she reached her room, when there was a loud knock upon the -hall door of the cabin, and Judge Hale called out: - -“Well, what is it?” - -“News from the vigilantes, judge,” said a voice, outside. - -“Who are you?” - -“Martin Burke.” - -“Ah! one moment, Burke, and I will let you in,” answered the judge, -recognizing, as he believed, the voice of a settler down the valley. - -The door swung open. Then there came a flash, and, a cry upon his lips, -Judge Hale fell to the floor, while three men sprang over his body into -the hall. Those three were Kent King, Mathew Kingsland, and Mendez, the -Mexican. - -“This is her room, Kent; come!” cried the old villain. - -With one kick he drove in the door, and the three dashed through -into the comfortable chamber, which the taste of Mary had made most -beautiful and comfortable. But they suddenly stopped, for in the center -of the room stood the brave girl, her face pale, her eyes flashing, her -hand extended and holding a revolver. - -“Back, or I will kill you,” she said firmly. - -“Bah, she’s but a girl; come!” cried Kent King, and the three sprang -forward. - -But the flash and report came, and the bullet, speeding by the ear of -Kent King, buried itself in the brain of Mendez, the Mexican, who fell -dead in his tracks. Before Mary could again fire, she was seized in -the strong arms of Kent King, her cries were checked, and she became -unconscious. - -When at last she recovered her senses, she found herself held in the -arms of a man whose face she saw distinctly. It was Kent King, and -she was held across the saddle before him. His horse was going at a -rapid gallop. Ahead was another horseman, whom she knew must be Mathew -Kingsland, the pretended Parson Miller. - -Feigning unconsciousness, she remained quiet, and heard their -conversation, for the man ahead soon dropped back and rode alongside, -remarking, as he did so: - -“I am not sorry she killed the Mexican, as he would have continually -bled us.” - -“Yes; I promised him a reward for his services, and my sweet Cousin -Mary gave it to him; only it was lead instead of gold,” laughed Kent -King. - -“You think no one heard the shot and will pursue?” - -“My reverend father, pistol shots are too common to attract much -attention out here; but if we are pursued, it will be by a few decrepit -old men and young boys, for all the fighters are out in the mountains -after me. They will return to-morrow or next day victorious, in all -save my capture; ha, ha, ha!” - -“You are a very devil, Kenton!” - -“I am my father’s son; but have you the relays of horses all right?” - -“Yes, Mendez and myself placed them. The first relay is five miles from -here, so we can urge these on faster.” - -“I wish Mary would recover, so I could force her to ride. Then we could -dash rapidly along. As it is, her weight retards my horse.” - -“She certainly remains in a swoon long, Kenton.” - -“Oh! it won’t hurt her, and being unconscious is better than hysterics -or shrieks.” - -“You will find her a hard one to tame, my son.” - -“I think not; I have ever been noted as a woman tamer; but as I intend -to reform now, and she gets a large fortune, and we go to Europe, I -hope she will be sensible. If not, she seals her own fate, as soon as I -get her money into my hands.” - -“I am sorry you shot her father, Kenton.” - -“Bah! regret nothing, my honored parent. If I allowed myself to regret -the past, I should have troops of phantoms haunting me day and night. -Hello! Mary is recovering.” - -“Fiend! murderer! release me!” groaned the poor girl, almost -broken-hearted at the fate of her father. - -“No, Cousin Mary, I cannot think of such a thing. Keep quiet, and I -will not harm you, but if you cry out, I will gag and bind you.” - -“Oh, God, have mercy upon me!” cried Mary. - -“Cousin mine, that prayer is more frequent on the lips of men and women -than any other, and it is less answered,” sneered Kent King. - -Then, grasping her more firmly in his arms, he urged his horse on at a -more rapid pace. Before long they came to a secluded spot, a ravine, in -which stood three horses, and by one a sidesaddle. - -“Now, my sweet cousin, if you will go willingly I will let you ride; if -not, I will carry you,” said Kent King. - -“I will ride, if I must; anything to escape your loathsome touch.” - -“So be it; father, please saddle that white steed for my cousin, and -then change our saddles.” - -“And what must we do with these horses?” asked the man, turning to -those they had just ridden to the spot. - -“Draw your knife across their throats.” - -“What!” - -“Of course, for it will keep pursuers from following on them; why do -you hesitate to kill a brute, when you have taken human life?” - -“Boy, don’t call up that phantom from the past!” sternly said the older -villain. - -“Bah, don’t be a child; don’t let the ‘boy be father to the man’; come, -now, my sweet cousin!” - -He raised the girl to her saddle, but securely held the reins, while -his father drew his knife across the throats of the two noble animals -that had brought them there. - -“You have those papers with you, old man, that give this fortune to -Mary?” - -“Yes.” - -“Be certain, for I want no mistake.” - -“I have them here in my pocket.” - -“All right; come!” and at once the two villains set off at a rapid -pace, their unfortunate captive between them. - -But hardly had they disappeared from sight, when a dark form arose from -behind a rock and muttered: - -“I am glad I hid here to see who came for those horses; now to head -them off.” - -Darting through the thicket, the speaker soon came to where a horse -stood awaiting him, and five minutes after he was riding swiftly along -a rough trail leading up the valley. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - AN UNEXPECTED HALT. - - -Swiftly flying along in their flight, neither Kent King nor his -degenerate father looked for danger ahead, and were brought to a sudden -and unexpected halt by blinding flashes in their eyes and two sharp -reports from a revolver. - -Down beneath them went their horses. As Mathew Kingsland struck the -ground, a form darted out from behind a bowlder, and, at close range, -sent a bullet crashing through the brain of the man whose life had been -a lie and full of crime. - -As if confident of his aim, the assailant did not wait to see the -effects of his shot, but turned upon Kent King, who had sprung to -his feet and attempted to draw his revolver. The fall had broken the -outlaw’s arm. With a curse, he seized the weapon in his left hand and -faced his foe, who was advancing quickly upon him, while Mary Hale, -spellbound, sat on her horse like a statue, watching, waiting, and -praying. - -The weapon of Kent King flashed first. The aim with his left hand was -untrue, for the one he fired upon still advanced upon him, and said, in -clear tones: - -“Kent King, I shall win my bet!” - -“Great God! Are you man or spirit?” cried the Gambler Guide. - -“Neither; I am Buffalo Bill,” was the rejoinder. - -With the last word, two revolvers flashed together, and again the aim -of Kent King was untrue. But not so with Buffalo Bill, for he sent his -bullet straight to the center of the forehead of the man he meant to -kill. - -With a cry of joy, Mary Hale threw herself from her horse, and once -more fainted, but Buffalo Bill caught her in his arms. In a few moments -Mary revived. Then Buffalo Bill told her of his adventures in the -Indian camp, and suggested that they strike the back trail at once, in -which she gladly acquiesced. - -Tying the dead bodies of Kent King and his father upon Mary’s horse, -the scout gave the girl a seat behind him on Midnight. Just as the sun -illumined the valley they came in sight of the home of Judge Hale, -around which was gathered a large crowd of horsemen. - -As they drew nearer they were recognized, and such a shout of welcome -went up as was never heard before in the Hale settlement. Then Captain -Dash rode toward them and shouted: - -“Bravo! bravo! Buffalo Bill, you’re a man of men and have saved us -trouble, for we just returned victorious from the bandits’ camp, and -the judge told us of Mary’s capture!” - -“The judge! Is my father living?” gasped Mary. - -“He is, indeed; the bullet grazed his head, and stunned him only; see, -here he comes to greet you.” - -The next moment the girl was in her father’s arms. Then the girl told -her story, and Buffalo Bill told his, and, as the Revolver Riders had -wiped out the band of outlaws, there was wild rejoicing in the valley. - - * * * * * - -The papers taken from Mathew Kingsland gave to Judge Hale and Mary -their fortune, for the witnesses were looked up, and the money was -found to be deposited in the banks, subject to the order of the heirs -of the deceased miner. - -With Kenton Kingsland dead, Captain Dash’s trail of hatred ended in -the grave, and the loving sister, whom the Gambler Guide had falsely -married, and who had died of a broken heart, was avenged. - -But the young Texan, Dudley Dashwood, struck a trail that had a happier -ending, for it led him to the altar, with sweet Mary Hale for his -“pard.” - -Buffalo Bill was his best man, while Ben Tabor, Seven-foot Harry, Old -Negotiate, and hosts of others went East to attend the wedding of their -loved leader. - -Soon afterward Buffalo Bill departed for the Black Hills, in Dakota, -where he was destined to pass through many strange adventures. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - THE RED RIGHT HAND. - - -A singular-looking man, dressed as a Western hunter, stood alone in a -gorge in the depths of the Black Hills. On the hat that covered his -handsome, well-shaped head was a large pin of red coral, shaped like a -human hand. - -The right hand of the hunter, which rested now on his rifle, was -blood-red in color, thus resembling the coral hand pinned to the -side of his hat. These two things gave him the name by which he was -known--Red Hand, the scout. - -As he stood thus, a deer leaped into view, and behind it came a man. -The man’s rifle cracked, and the deer fell. Then the hunter’s rifle -sounded, almost as if it were an echo, and the man who had shot the -deer fell dead on the grass. - -With rapid strides the man of the red right hand advanced and stood -over the prostrate form of the man he had slain. Into his face crept a -look that was hard to fathom, for it held hatred, sorrow, triumph, and -remorse, all commingled. - -Though limp and stiffening with death, the form of the man who had been -shot was of splendid proportions, and clad in a full suit of buckskin. -The head was sheltered by a soft felt hat, beneath which were clusters -of dark curls clinging around the neck, while the face, pale and -lifeless, was most striking in appearance, and had doubtless once been -exceedingly handsome, before the stamp of reckless dissipation had been -set upon it. - -By the side of the slain lay a Spencer rifle, and in his belt were -revolvers and knife, none of which had served him when face to face -with the man who had taken his life. - -At length the lips of Red Hand quivered slightly, parted, and he said, -half aloud: - -“At last we have met, Ben Talbot, you and I! Yes, met here, in the very -heart of the wilderness--how different from our last meeting, seven -years ago. Yes, met! you to fall dead at my feet, and your soul hurled -into the bottomless pit by my hand. Dead, Ben Talbot, aye, dead you -are, for my aim could not fail when the muzzle of my rifle covered your -heart. - -“A strange fate brought your footsteps to this spot! A strange destiny -led me alone into these wilds where I believed a white man never came. -Your fate led you to death; my destiny led me to avenge. But for the -sake of the olden time I will not leave you here to be torn limb from -limb by wild beasts. No; I will bury you beneath that tree, and a grave -in the wilderness will be your tomb.” - -A moment longer the scout stood, silently and painfully musing, and -then the night shadows creeping on, warned him to begin his work. -Unslinging, from a loop behind his belt, a small but serviceable -hatchet, he began to dig a grave in the soft earth beneath a sheltering -tree. - -An hour’s work, and he had descended to a sufficient depth, and seeking -the thicket, he cut a number of poles just the length of the grave. -Then the stiffened form was tenderly raised and laid in its earthly -bed, the feet toward the rising sun. Above it the poles were placed and -securely fastened, for Red Hand knew that wild beasts would attempt to -rob the grave of its human occupant. - -Carefully and compactly the grave was filled, and then, in the smooth -bark of the tree at its head, Red Hand cut with his knife the name of -the man he had slain and the date of his death. It read: “Ben Talbot, -born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, January 1, 1838. Slain in the Black -Hills, July 10, 1866.” - -As Red Hand cut the last figure in the inscription, the darkness of -night came upon the valley. Far above, on the eastward slope of the -hills, was visible the rosy tinge of the departed sunshine, and upon -the summit of the western mountains was the mellow light of the rising -moon, tingeing with silvery radiance the forest-clad scenery, grand in -its gloom, desolation and deathlike silence. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - A STARTLING APPARITION. - - -Having completed his task, Red Hand replaced his hatchet in its sling, -shouldered his traps, and started down the valley, with steps slow and -uncertain, as if he hardly cared where he went. A walk of half a mile, -and he came to a precipitous hillside, which suddenly brought him to a -halt and recalled him to himself. He glanced quickly around and then -said: - -“Why, this is the way I came into the gorge--I am strangely moody -to-night; and no wonder, when, two hours ago, my hand took the life of -Ben Talbot. Well, I must get away from here. This steep slope forces me -to go back, too, and I must pass his grave. - -“I wish I had been less quick in my shot, or less true in my aim. Then -his lips would not have been forever sealed, and he could have told me -of her; but I forgot--she is dead--forever dead to me, even though she -were living.” - -All at once he stopped his audible musings and stared about with a -start of amazement. And no wonder he started, for there had burst forth -upon the crisp air the sound of a voice in song. - -It was a beautiful, clear voice, but it sounded strangely weird there -in that wild gorge. Spellbound, Red Hand stood and listened as the -echoes broke upon the hillsides and swept on down the valley. - -It was a woman’s voice. The man stood like one in a dream as the woman -trilled forth in rich tones a song unfamiliar to his ears: - - “In dreams I sigh for those dark eyes - That ever lit with love for me; - But they are veiled, their light is gone, - And sorrow’s night shades gather fast, - As through the vale I’m borne along-- - An autumn leaf upon the blast.” - -Suddenly the man’s gaze became fixed upon a form that appeared upon a -rocky shelf overhanging the tree beneath which was the new-made grave -of Ben Talbot. It was a woman’s form, clad in a garb of white, and down -her back hung heavy masses of golden hair. - -The moon had risen above the eastern hills, and poured a full flood of -light directly upon her. Distinctly Red Hand beheld the beautiful, sad -face, the large eyes glancing down into the gloom of the gorge beneath, -as if to penetrate the dark secret buried there. - -Then the song ceased, and the clear voice called out in tones that -again startled the silent depths: - -“Ben! Ben Talbot! Come!” - -With a startled cry of fear, Red Hand turned and dashed away at mad -speed down the gloomy gorge. - -With the speed of a deer he sped along, his teeth shut close, his hands -fiercely clenching his rifle, and his whole being wrought up to a pitch -of terrible excitement by what he had seen. - -So wrought up was he that through the long hours of the night he -pressed on, until the morning sun found him far from the scene where, -as if in punishment for his deed of blood, had appeared before him a -very phantom of the mountains. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - AN UNEXPECTED SIGHT. - - -Five years afterward the murderer of Ben Talbot returned to that grave. -The inscription yet remained, though worn by time. Though five years -had passed they had left no trace of their footsteps upon the face of -the murderer, excepting to make the features harder and sterner. - -He was dressed pretty nearly as upon his former visit to the gorge, -his black felt hat still looped up with the red coral hand, though his -knife and revolver were of a newer pattern, and his rifle was one of -Evans’ improved repeaters, capable of firing thirty-five times without -reloading. - -When, five years before, Red Hand fled from the Black Hills, he -believed he would never again profane its unknown fastnesses with his -footsteps. But as time passed and the eyes of adventurers and hunters -were turned toward the country now called the “Miner’s New Eldorado,” -a small band of hardy men determined to penetrate into its unexplored -depths, and seek there the golden fortunes said to be buried beneath -the rocky hills. - -The guide of that party was Buffalo Bill, the famous scout. As the -party neared the almost unknown depths of the Black Hills, he had -decided to employ another as a guide, for army duty was soon to call -him in another direction. - -The guide thus chosen was Red Hand, for he was well known along the -frontier as one of the most daring men on the border, and his skill -in wood and prairie craft, and ability to outwit Indian cunning, had -gained him a widespread reputation among the bold bordermen and the -soldiers of the outposts. - -Of Red Hand little, if anything, was known regarding his real name, -whence he came, or why he, a man of superior education and ability, had -banished himself from civilization and become an Indian fighter and -hunter upon the Western border. - -Five years before his solitary pilgrimage into the Black Hills he had -appeared upon the frontier, well armed and mounted, and possessed of -considerable money, and his polite manner and ready generosity soon won -for him many admirers, though no man among his companions could boast -of being his intimate friend, or of any knowledge regarding him. - -His blood-red right hand attracted attention. But only one man had -dared to make jest regarding it, and he never repeated the offense, for -he found the stranger not the one to trifle with. - -At first, the life on the plains seemed strange to Red Hand, for by -that name he now became known, and, as if to encourage it, or to hide -his real name, he adorned his hat with the red coral hand. - -However, he quickly learned the crafty ways of the Indian, could soon -strike a trail and follow it across the prairies, became a dead shot -with rifle and revolver, and a desperate fighter with the knife. Hence, -before two years’ stay on the border, he was noted as a scout and -hunter of superior ability, and a man of undaunted courage. - -After long days of travel the hill country was reached by the exploring -party. Remembering a number of advantageous localities for a safe -camp, Red Hand conducted the men to one of the most favorable positions. - -After a short rest he set out alone to visit the gorge, several miles -above the encampment, for an irresistible attraction lured him once -more to the place which held the grave of Ben Talbot. For a long time -after his arrival there Red Hand stood in silent bitterness at the -grave, his eyes cast down and his hands resting upon the muzzle of his -rifle. - -On his stern face was a shadow of mingled sorrow and pain, as some -haunting memory was recalled from the long-buried past. At length, with -a deep-drawn sigh, he slung his rifle across his shoulder and strode -away, his eyes carefully scanning the ground, for around the grave were -traces that showed that other feet than his had lately been there. - -Steadily following the trail, it led him, after a tramp of a mile, into -a narrow gulch, where his ears were suddenly startled by the unexpected -and ringing report of a rifle, followed by a series of yells, which he -well knew to be the war cry of the wild Sioux of the northern tribes. - -A single shot followed. Feeling confident that some one of his comrades -had left camp and met with a band of Indians, Red Hand ran hastily -forward, and turning a bend in the gulch, beheld a sight that for the -moment deprived him of action, so great was his surprise. - -Upon a ledge of rock, and partially protected by a huge bowlder, stood -a young girl, scarcely more than sixteen years of age. A suit of -buckskin, with dressed skirt, and leggings elaborately embroidered, -set off her figure, and a soft hat surmounted her head, and half hid -braids of golden hair that were in lovely contrast to her large black -eyes and dark lashes and eyebrows. - -The face was browned almost to the hue of an Indian’s, yet the pure -blood of the white shone in every feature of her beautiful and daring -face. Though in deadly danger, the girl stood her ground with fearless -determination, her small rifle, evidently just discharged, clubbed in -both hands to beat back three painted Sioux warriors who were rapidly -bounding up the steep hillside to the ledge where she stood. - -Two more Indians lay farther down the slope, one motionless in death, -the other writhing in agony, for a stream of blood poured from a wound -in his side. That the girl had been surprised by the Indians and had -sought the ledge for safety, was evident, and that her rifle had -dropped two of her enemies was also evident, while her powder flask -and shot pouch, attached to her belt, and lying halfway up the slope, -proved that she had lost her means of further defense. - -This fact the three remaining warriors knew, and with wild yells they -bounded on up the steep ascent, while their pale but daring girl foe -stood her ground with clubbed rifle to meet them. Such was the sight -that greeted the eyes of Red Hand, and his surprise for a moment kept -him motionless. - -Another bound of the leading warrior carried him almost within reach of -the clubbed rifle, and the uplifted tomahawk showed that the girl would -be killed unless Red Hand acted quickly. - -And Red Hand did act quickly. His rifle butt touched his shoulder, his -red forefinger tripped the trigger, the splendid weapon hurled forth -its deadly pill, and the Sioux sank dead at the feet of the girl he -would have slain. - -Before the startled comrades of the fallen brave could fly, there -followed two more quick reports from Red Hand’s rifle, and the two -dropped dead in their tracks. In utter surprise, and with astonishment -upon every feature of her face, the rescued girl rapidly descended the -slope, picking up her belt as she came, and stood before Red Hand, her -manner that of commingled timidity and fearlessness, while in a voice -strangely melodious she said: - -“I thought the paleface hunters did not dare come into this unknown -land of the Indian.” - -“Yet I find here a young girl, and one who it seems can take care of -herself,” and Red Hand pointed to the dead and wounded Sioux that had -fallen by the girl’s rifle. - -“But I should not now be alive had it not been for your true aim, sir; -and from my heart I thank you.” - -The girl grasped the hand of the scout, to let it fall next instant -with a half cry of terror, as her eyes fell upon the red stain. At her -sudden action, Red Hand’s face flushed and then turned deadly pale; but -controlling any emotion he might feel, he replied: - -“I am glad my footsteps led me here to serve you; but can I ask if you -live in these hills?” - -“My home is far away from here, sir. Are you alone?” - -The girl asked the last question almost in a whisper. - -“No one is near us now; but I have comrades camped down the gorge.” - -The face of the girl took on a startled expression, and she seemed -hesitating in her own mind as to the best course to pursue. In silence -Red Hand gazed upon her. At length she spoke, and her voice was firm: - -“I am thankful to you for my life, sir, and there is one other that -will bless you for it; but it couldn’t be that you should meet--no, no, -I must leave----” - -“Hold, I beg you! You live here in this wild wilderness, you a mere -child, and yet one whose language and address are not of the border, -and you would leave me without one word of explanation?” said Red Hand, -with surprise. - -“Yes, sir; though I wish I could invite you to seek the shelter of my -home after what you have done for me. But I cannot, for there is one -other whom I must consult. One day, perhaps, we may meet again; now, -we must part, and I beg you, as a true man, not to strike my trail and -follow me.” - -“You increase my interest in you,” said Red Hand. “But it shall be as -you wish. Are there any white men in this country?” - -“Yes, sir; now and then a white hunter has wandered in here, and down -the gorge a mile is the grave of one who lost his life here several -years ago.” - -Red Hand started, and glanced searchingly into the girl’s face. A -strange expression flitted across his own, as he asked: - -“How long have you known of that grave in the valley?” - -“I first saw it three years ago. I was hunting in the valley, wounded a -deer, and he fell near the tree. Did you ever see the grave?” - -“Yes, I passed it half an hour ago: you will not let me see your home, -then?” - -“No; your life might be the forfeit, and I would not have harm come to -you. Good-by.” - -Without another word the girl threw her rifle across her arm, gave a -quick, earnest glance into the face of Red Hand, and walked rapidly -up the gulch to soon disappear behind a large bowlder, while Red Hand -silently and in wonder gazed after her retreating form. - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER. - - -So mystified was Red Hand by all he had seen and heard that he was -tempted to break his word and follow on after the girl, that he might -solve the puzzle of her existence there in the midst of the Black Hills. - -Had her language and appearance been different, had she been some bold, -rude girl of the frontier, he might have believed her the daughter of -some reckless borderman, who, tiring of the society of his fellow men, -had sought a home in that far-away country; or, he might have fancied -her to be the waif of an Indian camp, stolen from some settlement -during a redskin raid, and raised in the wigwam of a chief. - -But her looks, her language, all belied these suppositions. - -“Well, I’ll never solve the mystery standing here,” he muttered. “I’ll -go back to camp, and perhaps, as she said, we may meet again.” - -So saying, Red Hand slung his rifle across his arm, and stepped -forward, when there came the sharp crack of a rifle, the whir of a -bullet, and he staggered backward and fell, a crimson stream bursting -from his left temple. - -As Red Hand fell to the ground a tall form suddenly came down the steep -hillside, his rifle, still smoking, in his hand. - -It was no Indian that had thus turned his rifle upon Red Hand, to -avenge his slain comrades, but a man of his own race, though the upper -part of his face was darkly bronzed, almost to the hue of the redskin, -and the lower part of his face was concealed beneath an iron-gray -beard, that fell in masses below his waist. - -His eyes were dark, fiery, constantly restless, and his hair white and -worn long, though age could have scarcely thus frosted hair and beard, -and left the form strong and upright. - -Over six feet in height, straight as an arrow, with broad shoulders -and massive breast, and clad in a suit of buckskin, he was a majestic -specimen of manhood, a manhood marred by a certain inquietude of -manner, nervous restlessness of the eyes, and a look of cruelty and -avariciousness upon his face. - -Besides his rifle, one of the Spencer pattern, he carried in his belt a -revolver, knife, and large hatchet, and as he came down the hill at a -long, swinging pace, he seemed a dangerous foe to meet. - -Upon his face rested an exultant smile, as if he rejoiced in his work, -and he advanced toward the scout with a look hard to read. But the -bullet sent in search of life had missed its aim. Only momentarily -stunned, Red Hand suddenly sprang to his feet, and with drawn knife -rushed upon his would-be slayer. - -Unexpected as was the movement, the stranger leaped back quickly, and, -drawing his knife, met the blade of his assailant in mid-air. With a -loud clash, the weapons rang together. Then each man stood at bay, eyes -glaring, breath hard drawn, and muscles nerved to iron firmness. - -Both men were tall and of powerful build, and whatever their sins might -be, they were as brave as desert lions, and the struggle between them -must be one of life and death, for neither would yield an inch to the -other. - -As for Red Hand, he had not sought the combat. A man he did not -recognize had ruthlessly attempted to shoot him down. If, in return, he -could avenge himself, he intended to do so, though why the other sought -his life he could not understand. - -For an instant thus stood the two men, their knives held firmly -together. Then the glitter of Red Hand’s eyes proved that he meditated -action. But before he could make the slightest motion there came a loud -cry of alarm, and the next moment a form bounded in between the two men. - -It was the girl. As she bounded in between the two men her uplifted -hands seized a wrist of each, and her voice fairly rang, as she cried -out: - -“Hold! This must not be!” - -“Back, Pearl, back! I will have his life, for you know my vow!” cried -the stranger. - -“No, father; lower your knife, for not half an hour ago this man saved -my life--see?” - -The girl addressed as Pearl pointed to the dead bodies of her Indian -enemies. - -“Ha! You were in danger, Pearl, and he saved you?” - -The man spoke in earnest tones, and turned his gaze again upon Red -Hand, who had stepped back at the approach of the girl, yet still held -his knife ready for defense. - -“Yes, father; this brave man rescued me when those Sioux would have -taken my life.” - -“True, I did assist the girl, after she had already sent two of the -red devils to their happy hunting grounds; but if you have anything -against me, comrade, let not that act of mine stand in the way, for -twice you have attempted my life now.” - -Red Hand spoke in a reckless, determined tone, peculiar to him when -much moved. The stranger turned his gaze upon the man he had attacked, -and something he saw there seemed to trouble him deeply, for he passed -his hand across his face, muttering, as if communing with the past. - -“Yes, it is his face--no, it cannot be--ha, the red hand!” - -He staggered back a step or two, while the girl sprang to his side, -crying: - -“Father, are you ill?” - -“No, child, I felt faint for a moment, when I thought how near I came -to slaying one who had saved your life. Partner, do you journey often -into these hills?” - -Red Hand saw that the old man had given an evasive reply, but replied -quietly: - -“This is my second coming into the Black Hills. I thought this country -far beyond the line where white men lived, yet I find you a dweller -here.” - -“Comrade, I have sickened of life among my fellow men, and came here to -shun mankind. Take the warning of one who does not warn in vain, and -this very night turn your back upon these hills, for only dangers can -surround you here.” - -“Comrade, I love dangers,” was the answer, with a reckless laugh, “and -if you can live here I can also. I bid you a pleasant good night.” - -So saying, Red Hand wheeled on his heel, touched his hat politely to -the girl, and strode away, to soon disappear around a bend in the gulch. - -More and more mystified, Red Hand walked rapidly away in the direction -of his camp, and arrived after nightfall. Then he was given another -surprise. An old trapper had come in, and was telling to Buffalo Bill -his story of how he had been hunting on the streams, and had struck the -trail of a party coming to the hills. - -Feeling assured that there was something up beyond his comprehension, -the trapper said he had determined to strike the trail and follow it -up, to see what could carry a party into this wild region. - -The second night after starting upon the trail he camped in a piece of -timber bordering the bank of a small stream, and was soon fast asleep, -to be awakened an hour after by the arrival of a train of emigrants, -who were also moving for the Black Hills. - -From his retreat he observed that the train consisted of some thirty -pack mules, instead of wagons, and about twenty men, all splendidly -armed, while there were as many women and children accompanying them. - -Not wishing to make himself known, for he believed from all he saw that -the expedition was a secret one, the old trapper lay quiet all night. -At early dawn he saw the party continue on their journey directly -toward the Black Hills, and following the trail of the party that had -gone before. - -“Did you see the party again after that night, Lone Dick?” asked -Buffalo Bill of the old hunter, whom he had met in the settlements now -and then and knew as a brave man who always tramped alone, and never -meddled with the affairs of other people. - -“No, I skarted around them and struck your trail ag’in, and then come -on, and here I is,” replied Lone Dick, who was a real frontiersman in -appearance and dress. - -“And why did you follow us, Lone Dick?” - -“I’ll tole you: Yer see, Buffler, I has hearn how there was yellow -metal up in these diggin’s, and when I seed yer trail I knowed as how -somethin’ was up, and I detarmined to nose it out. I’s been workin’ at -traps nigh onto twenty years, and I ain’t got no fortin’ yet, and I -felt as how ef yer was a good set of fellers you wouldn’t mind havin’ -another true rifle and arm with yourn, for this is an all-fired dirty -Injin country, you know.” - -“Yes, and I have no objection to the aid of your good arm, Lone Dick, -and will tell you frankly this party of ours did come here to prospect -for gold. But, Lone Dick, I do not understand about the train you speak -of, and think it strange that settlers should come into these hills, -bringing their wives and children with them.” - -“It’s all-fired strange, Buffler; but we kin soon nose out what they’re -doin’ here, and whar they’re goin’ to squat.” - -“True, and you and I will start on a scout in the morning, and follow -up their trail, while the boys are busy putting up a log fort.” - -“That’s right! for the Sioux are not going to let us have peaceful -possession here, and will soon discover that some of their warriors -were killed to-day,” said Red Hand. - -“What? Blazes! Did yer riz the h’ar of some of ’em to-day?” asked Lone -Dick, and Buffalo Bill and the other members of the party gazed upon -Red Hand in surprise, while he quietly replied: - -“I had a little skirmish to-day; not of my own seeking, however.” - -Turning away he rolled himself in his blanket and soon appeared to -be fast asleep, leaving his comrades surprised at his unwillingness -to make known the particulars of his adventure with the Indians, and -feeling confident that, as blood had already been shed, it was their -duty to make every preparation against surprise and attack. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - AN OLD FRIEND AND NEW FACES. - - -At the first glimmer of dawn in the east Buffalo Bill was on his feet, -and, calling to Lone Dick, the two soon set out upon their way to -strike the trail of the emigrants of whom they had been told by the -trapper. Going in a southerly direction, and riding rapidly, for both -were well mounted, shortly after noon the scout discovered fresh traces -that proved the train had lately passed along. - -Following up, they were not long in finding out that the newly arrived -party were dogged by Indians, who were determined to resist this -invasion into their territory. As the sun went down beyond the western -hills, there came to the ears of the two men the sound of firing, and -dashing on at full speed, they soon came upon a spirited scene. - -In the mouth of a small cañon were gathered several persons, huddled -together, and with their rifles were endeavoring to keep back some -twoscore Sioux braves, who were pressing them hard. Several Indians lay -dead here and there, and, infuriated by the loss of their comrades, the -band of warriors were preparing to rush in force upon the small party -in the cañon and end the combat by a hand-to-hand conflict. - -At this moment Buffalo Bill and Lone Dick came in sight. A glance -showed them that the small party were whites, and with yells infernal -they dashed upon the Indians, firing their repeating rifles as they -rode. - -With never-failing aim, the rifle of Buffalo Bill sent many a warrior -and horse to the ground. Its rapid, rattling fire, added to that of -Lone Dick, caused the redskins to believe a large reënforcement had -arrived to aid the palefaces, and they broke for cover. - -Then from the cañon dashed three men, firing as they came, and greatly -adding to the fright of the Indians, who hastily retreated into a gorge -in the hills, leaving their dead upon the field. - -“Hip, hip, hoopla! Buffalo Bill, as I live! Old fellow, I owe you -one,” and one of the besieged party dashed up to the scout, and warmly -grasped his hand. - -That the man who so warmly welcomed Buffalo Bill was a frontiersman -was evident by his attire and general appearance, for he was clad in -buckskin, moccasins, and all, and wore a slouch hat ornamented with -a gold sun looping up the rim in front, which added to the bold and -determined expression upon his fine face. - -His form was graceful, wiry, and denoted great strength, while his -movements were quick, nervous, and his dark eyes were restless. His -features were French--in fact, he was a Frenchman, coming, it was said, -from Michigan, where his father lived--a noble, exiled from his native -land. - -Thoroughly armed and equipped, and mounted upon a large, sinewy horse, -Tom Sun--for such was his name--was a dangerous foe. In his frank, -pleasant way, he greeted Buffalo Bill and Lone Dick, and then turning -to his comrades, said: - -“Here, Buffalo Bill, are friends I am guiding up into the hills to hunt -a home. Captain Ramsey, this is Buffalo Bill, the scout.” - -“I am glad to meet you, sir, and your name is not unknown to me. This -is my son, sir, and this my daughter.” - -The man addressed as Captain Ramsey turned to a young man, who rode by -his side, and a fair young girl, who had reined her horse slightly back. - -Buffalo Bill glanced first into the face of Captain Ramsey, and beheld -a man of fifty years of age, with a noble face and stalwart form; but -though he appeared like a borderman, his manner indicated that his -earlier life had been passed amid far different scenes. - -His son, Burton Ramsey, was about twenty years of age, and possessed a -good-looking face and handsome form, and was clad like his father in a -suit of gray homespun. - -Ruth Ramsey, the daughter, seemed like a ray of sunshine in that group -of stern men. - -The scout looked at her a moment in earnest admiration before he turned -to Tom Sun, and said: - -“Tom, what brings you into this wild land?” - -“My horse, of course; but, joking aside, Cody, the captain here was in -the army some years ago, and, resigning his commission, settled down -upon the border of the Southwest on a ranch; but he concluded he would -do better up in these hills, and so his whole neighborhood up stakes, -and here they are, I being the guide of the expedition.” - -“There is no more beautiful country to settle in if the Indians will -only let you alone,” remarked Buffalo Bill. - -“Yes, and no richer country in minerals, I am convinced, Cody, and I -believe we can get a hold here and soon get the government to support -us.” - -“I doubt the support of the government, captain, and it is a dangerous -country into which to bring women and children.” - -“That is true, Buffalo Bill,” was the answer; “but we will have to -teach the Indians to let us alone, or pacify them with presents.” - -“That Quaker idea of dealing with redskins is losing ground, captain,” -said the scout, “and if the Indians know they can get all the presents -by one grand fight, and a number of scalps to boot, why, it is their -nature to do so.” - -“You paint a bad picture, Cody; but, can I ask, how is it I find you -here in these hills, and with only one comrade?” - -“A single man can go, sir, where a dozen dare not attempt it. I am -here with a band of brave fellows who came for the same purpose that -doubtless brought you--to search for gold.” - -“You are right, Cody! I have reason to know that there are large -quantities of gold here,” replied Captain Ramsey, with enthusiasm. - -“There is certainly gold here, sir, and silver, too, for that matter; -but all gold seekers in the Black Hills come here at the risk of their -lives until the government sends troops to protect the miners; and that -it is not likely to do for a number of years to come.” - -“You speak knowingly, Cody, and I feel that you are right; but here we -are, and here we intend to remain, as long as it is in our power to do -so.” - -“Still, it was wrong to bring women and children with you,” Buffalo -Bill protested. “A man has a right to play with his own life, but not -those of his wife and children, and already you have had a sample of -how the redskins intend to receive you.” - -The scout spoke warmly. - -“True; and had it not been for your brave dash to our relief, before -now our end might have come; but let us on after the train. We can -give you some good cheer, after we go into camp, and I beg of you not -to paint a dark side to our expedition, for there may be a few faint -hearts among us.” - -“I have said all I intend to, captain,” was the scout’s reply. “Have -you determined upon where you intend to camp?” - -“No, for we are in the dark regarding locations.” - -“Then I would advise that you bend more to the northeast. There you -will find a fertile valley and good streams, and be also within a third -of a day’s journey from our camp, and you know there is safety in -numbers.” - -“I have advised building a stronghold at once, and then, should the -Indians prove troublesome, we have at least protection,” said Tom Sun. - -“You are right, Tom! You can reach the spot I speak of early to-morrow, -and circumstances warrant that you make no delay in building your fort. -How many men have you with you?” - -“We have about thirty, Buffalo Bill, and about as many noncombatants, -and we are well armed and equipped, I assure you.” - -“In our band there are a score of miners,” said the scout, “and no -women or children. If it comes to the worst, why, our united bands -should make a good fight. But come, we had better go on.” - -Then the party rode rapidly after the train. It was several miles -ahead, and Captain Ramsey had imprudently allowed it to proceed while -he stopped to examine some traces of gold, accompanied only by his -guide, son, and daughter. - -Ramsey was most enthusiastic over the Black Hills, had a bad case of -“gold fever,” and was willing to risk life and all in the search for -the precious yellow gold. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - THE TWO STRONGHOLDS. - - -Somewhat alarmed, in spite of himself, by the words of Buffalo Bill, -Captain Ramsey began to feel that he had allowed his enthusiasm to go -perhaps too far in leading an expedition into the Black Hills when the -lives of the whole party might be the forfeit for their foolhardiness. - -But, having at length entered the promised land, it was not in the -nature of the old soldier to turn back, and he contented himself with a -determination to so fortify his camp as to make it impregnable to the -attacks of the redskins. - -His energetic example, as soon as the train reached the designated spot -for encampment, soon set all the men to work at the log fort. Having -conducted the train to this site, which was advantageous both for gold -hunting and defense from the Indians, Buffalo Bill left for his own -camp, accompanied by Lone Dick and Tom Sun, the latter going with his -brother scout to learn the locality of the miners’ camp. - -As the three men rode along they conversed over the future prospects of -the country which they had so boldly invaded. They did not doubt but -that their example would be followed by others as soon as it became -known that white men were living in the Black Hills, which had always -before been considered the rightful land of the redskin. - -Arriving at his own camp, Buffalo Bill found that his comrades had made -rapid progress with their work, and that the walls of the stockade -fort were already assuming shape. The site selected by the scout was -certainly a most advantageous position, being under the shelter of a -huge hill of rock, inaccessible to the foot of man, and fronting on the -bank of a mountain stream. - -The stockade fence encircled a portion of rich, grassy land, where the -horses could luxuriate and where a garden plot for vegetables was laid -out. The only approaches were across the stream, and around the base -of the cliff by a narrow pathway that half a dozen men could defend -against a hundred. - -The miners were delighted with the natural defense of their stronghold, -while Tom Sun returned to his own encampment determined to take pattern -after the example of Buffalo Bill and prepare for trouble ahead. Thus -several weeks passed away and the two settlements in the Black Hills -were made ready against every emergency. - -At length the miners began to turn their attention toward gold seeking, -the real object that had caused them to risk life in journeying thus -far beyond the confines of civilization. As for Buffalo Bill and Tom -Sun, they cared little for gold, and were thorough plainsmen, spending -their time in scouting and hunting for their respective camps. - -But Lone Dick had caught the fever of avariciousness and was preparing -to dig his way to fortune, if he had to go clear through to China. -Separated only by a score of miles from each other, the different -members of the gold seekers’ camps became most friendly, and many were -the young miners who loved to ride over to the Ramsey stronghold and -sun themselves in the bright glances of Ruth Ramsey’s eyes, for, of -the half a dozen girls in her party, she was decidedly the belle. - -Thus the days and weeks glided by. With the exception of a skirmish now -and then, the Indians had not disturbed the two camps, and daily the -miners worked away for gold, while Tom Sun and Buffalo Bill scouted and -hunted through the hills and valleys. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - THE WHITE AND RED CHIEFS. - - -Let us go back now to the point where that singular man, Red Hand, so -nearly met death at the hands of the stranger. When Red Hand walked -away from the girl and her father, there was a silence of several -minutes; then the old man said: - -“Pearl, you must not wander thus far from the retreat, in future, for -my scouts bring me news of an invasion into our territory.” - -“Are soldiers coming into the hills, father?” - -“Soldiers or citizens, they are all the same to me, and I am determined -to make these hills too hot to hold them. The man who has just left us -doubtless belongs to one of these invading bands.” - -“Father, why is it you so hate your race?” the girl asked. “Tell me why -you hide away from our own people?” - -“Pearl, never dare to question my actions again,” almost shrieked the -old man. - -Then he continued: - -“You have food in plenty, clothes to wear, and what more do you want? -Here no one molests us, and in the settlements and cities life is a -continual struggle and all men are evil. Against all men I have a hate -that will go with me to the grave. Pearl, you know my vow, and I repeat -it: I will kill, or cause to be killed, every white man that comes into -these hills.” - -Pearl gazed upon the excited face of her father with a feeling of awe, -and, accustomed to be wholly governed by him, she made no reply. After -a little the old man walked up to the bodies of the dead Indians and -examined them attentively. Then he said: - -“Pearl, these redskins belong to the band of the young chief, White -Slayer. Can he have ordered this attack on you?” - -“I am sure I don’t know,” she answered; “but I do know they rushed upon -me to make me a prisoner. I fled to that ledge for safety, and shot two -of their number. Had not the brave man who has just left us come to my -rescue, I should have been killed, I am certain.” - -“Strange, very strange,” he declared. “Did you have any words with -White Slayer when he was last at the retreat?” - -“I told him I would never become his wife.” - -The man looked startled. - -“Then he it was who ordered this attack upon you. Come, Pearl, we must -be off.” - -Leading the way the old man started off up the gorge, followed by -the girl, whose face had become strangely moody. After traversing a -distance of several miles the man led the way up the steep hillside. -For half an hour the two climbed up the mountain, until they came to -a ledge, or shelf, half an acre in size, and above which the mountain -towered to a vast height. - -From this ledge a grand and extensive view was had of miles and miles -of country. Far below lay valleys traversed by running streams and deep -rocky cañons, where it seemed hardly possible for man to go. - -Against the base of the cliff, and fronting the magnificent view, was -built a log cabin, constructed for both defense and comfort. It was -large but compactly put together, and the two windows commanded the -only visible approach to the ledge, the one by which the old man and -the girl had come. - -The cabin had one door in front. This was open, and in it sat an old -Indian woman, pounding coffee in a stone jar. Within, the cabin was -divided into two rooms, the first containing a rude table in the -center, a cupboard with dishes and pans, a rack filled with books; -another upon which hung, ready for use, rifles, shotguns, pistols, and -knives of various descriptions. In the corner was a cot of bear and -beaver skins. - -A small door opened into the second room, which was at once noticeable -for its air of neatness and comfort. The bed was tempting in its -cleanliness, and around the chamber was every indication that Pearl was -an ingenious and tidy housekeeper. - -A curtain, hung against the back of the cabin wall, was raised. This -disclosed the opening of a large cave which extended far back into the -interior of the mountain. - -Entering the cabin, Pearl at once laid aside her rifle and -accouterments, and set about aiding the Indian woman to prepare supper, -while her father continued on through the rooms into the cave beyond. - -As if familiar with the dark cavern, he walked on with quick step for -some hundred yards, the cave gradually descending, until he came out -into a small valley on the other side of the hill. A well-worn path led -across the valley. Following this, the old man skirted the base of the -hill, and after a further walk of a mile suddenly came upon a rocky -shelf. - -The scene that now met the view of the strange old man was a lovely -valley spread out at his feet, for he was following a pathway that -encircled a high hill. - -Through the valley ran a winding stream, upon both banks of which were -a score of Indian wigwams. Through the open peaks of the wigwams the -blue smoke curled lazily upward to mingle with the clouds above. - -Far above, the hilltops were painted in golden colors from the setting -sun; but below, the valley was cast in shadow, for night was coming on. -In the background of the scene, and close to the base of the hills upon -either side of the valley, were hundreds of horses and cattle, grazing -upon the rich grass that sprang up in wild luxuriance beneath their -feet. - -Here and there squaws were to be seen hurrying to and fro with arms -full of wood brought from the forest, and lying in idleness upon -the banks of the stream were lazy warriors looking upon their wives -preparing the evening meal and doing all the work. - -Groups of children skurried hither and thither in glee, and older ones, -those youths who were aspiring to be mighty braves when their sun of -manhood should rise, were swimming in the waters of the river, or -practicing at targets with their bows and arrows. - -It was a strange and picturesque scene, one only met with upon the -frontier of our own land. Yet the old man seemed to care nothing for -it, as he hurried down the steep hillside. - -As he entered the camp, much respect was shown him by the Indians he -met. Yet he noticed none of them, as he bent his way toward a large -lodge near the center of the encampment. - -In front of this wigwam lay an Indian, reclining at length upon a -bearskin. As the white man approached, he arose and greeted him. He was -a warrior of striking and noble appearance, one of the noblest stripe -of Indian braves, for his form was literally perfect, and his face -almost handsome. - -His attire was also far better than that usually seen among red men, -his leggings being handsomely bordered, as was also a hunting shirt of -the finest dressed deerskin. - -A coronet of gorgeously dyed feathers surmounted his head, and in his -belt was stuck an ivory-handled bowie knife, a tomahawk, ingeniously -carved, and a revolver, while by his side lay a silver-mounted rifle. - -“The White Slayer is glad to see the Gray Chief,” said this Indian. -“Will he enter the wigwam of his red brother?” - -The young warrior spoke with a dignity and politeness that seemed -natural to him. - -“No; White Slayer is false to me. Why did he attempt to carry the Pearl -of my heart from her cabin home?” angrily replied the white man, whom -the Indians called Gray Chief. - -A flush stole into the red face of the young chief at the charge. For a -moment he was silent, but then said earnestly: - -“The heart of the White Slayer is not here in his bosom, but with the -paleface maiden on the hill. She is the dewdrop that refreshes his -life, yet she turns her eyes from the White Slayer, though he is the -chief of his tribe.” - -“All true, chief; but did you expect to win the girl by force?” - -“Could the White Slayer use his arms toward the Pearl of the Hills?” -indignantly said the Indian. - -“Yet you sent five of your braves to take my Pearl captive.” - -“Would the Gray Chief trifle with White Slayer, or does he speak with a -false tongue?” said the chief. - -Glancing into the Indian’s face, the old man read there only truth, and -felt that he had not ordered the violence done to Pearl. Then in a few -words he told the young chief all that had occurred. With a surprised -frown White Slayer heard him through. - -Then he said: - -“The young men who thus acted toward the Pearl of the Hills were squaw -braves, and they deserved their fate. White Slayer knows who has done -this wrong to the Pearl, and he shall make his knife drink blood for -it; but, Gray Chief, the palefaces must not come into our lands. They -must be swept back upon the prairies.” - -The white man smiled, for he was well pleased with these words. - -“That is my opinion, too,” he declared, “and I am glad to see you are -of the same mind. Now listen to me: Scouts have brought news that there -are two bands of palefaces marching into our hills, and I wish you to -assemble your warriors and prepare them for the warpath. - -“Do not act in haste,” he urged, “for those men come here to remain, -take my word for it. What we want to do is to bide our time, and so -lay our plans that not one paleface shall ever tread the prairie sward -again.” - -“The Gray Chief hates his people,” quietly said the chief. - -“Hate! I abhor, I curse them; and, White Slayer, when the scalp of the -last man of these bands hangs upon yonder war pole, I promise you that -my Pearl shall gladden your wigwam with her presence.” - -The eyes of White Slayer glittered with joy, but he said quietly: - -“It shall be as the Gray Chief says. In one moon there shall be five -hundred warriors upon the warpath of the palefaces. White Slayer has -said it.” - -“It pleases me to hear you say it, chief; and let me tell you, that a -great foe to your people is in yonder valley--a man before whom your -stoutest warriors tremble. I saw him.” - -“The Sioux warriors never fly from a foe; they know no fear,” proudly -returned the chief. - -“And yet I have seen Sioux braves, who, when a score in number, dared -not face that man.” - -“Who is this great brave?” asked the chief, with considerable interest. - -“Buffalo Bill, the scout!” - -In spite of himself the young chief flinched at the name, and his eagle -eye glanced quickly around the surrounding hills, rapidly darkening -before the approach of night. - -“He is a great brave; but his scalp will yet be taken,” replied White -Slayer, with the braggadocio spirit natural to the redskin. - -The old man’s eyes lighted with triumph. - -“See that it is. Now I will go back to my home in the hills, for I like -not your lowlands, chief.” - -So saying, the old man walked rapidly back the way he had come, his -thoughts too busy to bestow more than a passing glance upon the Indian -village. It was now hidden in gloom, excepting here and there where a -camp fire glimmered in front of some wigwam, whose lord had been late -in returning to the bosom of his red family, and where the patient -squaw was busy in preparing him his supper. - -After a rapid walk Gray Chief reached his cabin, and found a humble -but substantial supper awaiting him. After eating it, he lighted his -brierwood pipe, and repaired to the ledge to smoke and think over the -murderous plan he had laid for the destruction of those of his own -race. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - KANSAS KING, THE OUTLAW. - - -Pearl, the attractive girl whose home was the humble cabin in the -hills, was strangely moody, after her meeting with Red Hand in the -gorge, and her duties were attended to in silence, her thoughts seeming -far away. - -Her life at the cabin was not a lonely one. Constantly Indian runners -were arriving and departing, after holding interviews with her father, -and twice a day White Slayer came to the hut, always to seek her -society. - -Toward the young and handsome chief Pearl had a kindly feeling, for he -had once saved her from a grizzly bear; but the idea of loving him, a -redskin, never entered her mind, and she was determined she would never -enter his wigwam as his wife, notwithstanding her father had told her -she should do so. - -From conversations had between White Slayer and the old hermit, Pearl -soon discovered that there were two bands of whites in the Black Hills, -and that the Indians were laying their plans to massacre both parties. - -The thought sent a cold chill to the heart of the girl, and she at -once determined to frustrate their designs. Going through the cave one -morning, after White Slayer and the hermit had gone out together, Pearl -reached a situation from which she could obtain a fine view of the -Indian village. - -With surprise she noted that there were numbers of warriors in the -camp, who, she knew, had been off for weeks on a southern trail and -hunting on the prairies. A closer inspection also showed her that a -perfect chain of Indian sentinels extended around the village and that -sentinels were stationed upon the highest peaks of the surrounding -hills. - -Walking toward the council lodge on the river were her father and White -Slayer, while a large body of the principal braves were gathered there -to meet them. - -“All this means mischief,” was her conclusion. “I know my father has -set the Indians up to this work of devilment, for he has sworn not to -spare a paleface who enters these hills. But they shall not be caught -asleep. That man of the red hand saved my life, and I will save his. I -must act soon, for the work of death will not be long delayed.” - -Thus muttering to herself, the girl retraced her way through the cave, -and, entering the cabin, took her rifle and equipments from the rack -over her cot. - -“Valleolo, tell my father I will be back before sunset,” she said to -the Indian woman who aided her in the housework. - -“There is danger in the forest and the valley,” the squaw warned. “Let -the Pearl of the Hills hear the words of Valleolo and remain at the -wigwam.” - -“There is no danger I fear to meet, Valleolo. I will be back at sunset.” - -So saying, Pearl threw her rifle across her shoulder and rapidly -descended the mountainside toward the bottom of the gorge which divided -the hill. Hardly had she gone half a mile down the gorge, pondering in -her own mind how she was to make her news known to the whites, and not -compromise her father and lead him into danger, when she was startled -by a shadow falling across her path. - -Glancing up quickly, she brought her rifle to a ready, for before her -stood the form of a man. Not an Indian warrior was he, nor Red Hand, -nor her father, but one she had never before seen. - -He was a young man, scarcely more than twenty-five years of age, and -yet with something in his face that made him appear at least thirty, -for dissipation and a cruel life of crime had set their seal there. - -His form was slight, but elegant, and showed to advantage in closely -fitting trousers and jacket of navy blue flannel, decorated with brass -buttons, and with a band of gold lace encircling each sleeve. - -The bottoms of the trousers were stuck in a pair of handsomely topped -cavalry boots, the heels of which were armed with silver spurs of the -Mexican pattern. A red silk sash encircled his small waist, and but -partially concealed a knife and pair of revolvers. - -Upon his head was a large-brimmed slouch hat, looped up upon one side -with an arrow pin, and half encircled by a black ostrich plume. - -The face of this stylish-looking individual would have been decidedly -handsome had it not been for the reckless expression resting on it, for -the features were good, the eyes particularly fine, and a dark mustache -and imperial, the same shade as his long, curling hair, added to his -general appearance, which was that of a dashing, gay young cavalry -officer. - -Behind the man stood a superb black horse, richly caparisoned with a -Mexican saddle and bridle. Hanging to the horn of the saddle was a -cavalry saber, while, as a companion to it, upon the other side, was a -holster, from which protruded the butt of a revolver. - -At sight of this man in her pathway, the first act of Pearl was to -bring her rifle to her shoulder; but in quiet tones the stranger said: - -“My dear girl, I beg you to lower that pretty toy, for I mean you no -harm.” - -Struck with his splendid appearance, and feeling that from a paleface -she had nothing to fear, Pearl partially lowered the weapon, and then -said: - -“Why are you here in these hills, sir?” - -“I came for pleasure, and yet I dreamed not of beholding here one so -beautiful,” gallantly replied the stranger, stepping a pace nearer to -her. - -“Who are you, sir?” again queried Pearl, interested in spite of herself -in the man. - -“I am called Kansas King.” - -Instantly Pearl sprang back, and like a flash her rifle covered the -heart of the outlaw chief. - -Without the quiver of a muscle Kansas King looked at the girl who so -threateningly held him at disadvantage, and his voice was unmoved as he -asked: - -“Why does my name thus offend you?” - -“You are a vile murderer,” she said, “and have laid waste the homes of -your own people and the villages of the red men in wanton destruction; -you are a white robber, sir.” - -Pearl’s eyes flashed fire, for often had the Indian runners brought -news to her father of the ruthless acts of Kansas King and his band. - -“You paint my character in harsh tones,” was the answer. “But, at any -rate, I mean you no harm, but come here to see an old hermit, one who -has lived for years in the Black Hills and is a medicine man or chief -of the Sioux under White Slayer.” - -He was looking at her earnestly. - -“Do you know anything of such a man, for I take it you are some waif of -an Indian camp?” - -Pearl half lowered her rifle. - -“If you refer to the man who is known as Gray Chief, he is my father.” - -“Your father! Then, indeed, he is a fortunate man. Were I the kin of -one so lovely I would indeed be happy.” - -Pearl made no reply, for compliments she was unused to, and Kansas King -continued: - -“Will you guide me to your father, for I would speak with him upon a -matter of interest to both of us?” - -Without reply Pearl drew a small revolver from her belt and fired it -three times in rapid succession, the ringing reports rattling like a -volley of musketry along the cañon. - -“Ha! Would you call aid?” cried Kansas King quickly, and his dark eyes -flashed fire. - -“I have simply called my father; he will soon be here, sir.” - -Still maintaining her position of defense, Pearl now replied to the -question addressed her by the outlaw chief, until the sound of running -feet was heard. The next moment up dashed the hermit and White Slayer, -their rifles ready in hand. - -At the sight of Kansas King the two halted. Seeing that their action -was hostile, the outlaw cried, speaking in the Sioux tongue: - -“Hold, chiefs! I sought you here, and this girl was kind enough to call -you to me.” - -“Who are you?” cried the old hermit in English, his eyes glaring -savagely upon the young man. - -The latter answered bitterly: - -“I am an outlaw; one branded with a curse; men call me Kansas King.” - -“You are the outlaw chief, then? What brings you here into these hills?” - -“Mutual interest to you and me.” - -“I do not understand you,” the old man protested. - -“I will explain; I am an outlaw, and you are perhaps worse, for you -dare not show your face among your fellow men.” - -“By the Heaven above, but you are bold to thus address me!” cried Gray -Chief furiously. - -“My worst foes never called me a coward,” said the young man. “But I -came here not to parley about courage or character, but to discuss a -more important matter. You are accursed for some crime, or you would -never hide in these hills like a hunted wolf. I am an outlaw, a price -is upon my head, and, figuratively speaking, a noose is around my neck.” - -“Go on, sir,” said the old man. - -“Well, of late the troops have made it rather lively for me, because -I have made it lively for the bordermen and emigrant trains. So I am -compelled to have a stronghold that I can retreat to and where none -dare follow me.” - -“And you come here! You are a robber by trade, and what guarantee have -I that you will not murder us and plunder our homes?” said Gray Chief -sneeringly. - -“You have the guarantee of mutual protection, old man. Already -frontiersmen are turning their eyes upon your hills, and even now -two bands of miners and settlers have a foothold here, one of them -fortified not five leagues from this spot. - -“Now, listen to me,” he continued: “One of these bands is fortified -in a position that it will be hard to drive them from, and that place -I need for my stronghold. I want to be on friendly terms with you and -these redskins, and am willing to divide profits with you and with -White Slayer and his warriors, after each one of my raids upon the -settlements. - -“With my band in the Black Hills, and my men on friendly terms with -White Slayer and his half a thousand warriors, no man will be fool -enough to attempt to come here to settle, and there are not sufficient -troops on the border to attempt to follow me here, when they know they -will have two forces to fight.” - -“You speak truly, young man,” said Gray Chief. - -“Of course I do, chief. My plan is to capture the miners’ fort down -the glen, and there establish myself at once. The booty and the scalps -may all go to you and to the redskins. Then I will attack and carry -Ramsey’s camp, and again the spoils go to you, except three persons.” - -“And those are----” - -“Captain Ramsey, his son, and daughter; them I claim.” - -“And you wish me to aid you in taking these two points?” - -“Yes; but whether you do or not, I shall carry them,” said the outlaw, -with determination. - -“Where are you now encamped?” - -“Some twenty miles from here, in the lower hills.” - -“How many men have you with you?” - -“About a hundred.” - -“Divide that by two, boy, and you’ll be nearer right,” said Gray Chief, -with a sneer. - -Kansas King looked at him defiantly. - -“Attempt to drive us from these hills, and you’ll think us double the -number I named,” he threatened. - -“No threats, boy, for I do not like to hear them.” - -“One hears many things not pleasant, chief,” was the retort. “But we -must not quarrel. Will you become my ally?” - -“That I must think over; to-morrow at this hour meet me here, and you -shall know whether you can remain in these hills or must leave.” - -“No treachery, mind you, old man!” - -“I am no snake in the grass, boy; to-morrow, at this time, remember. I -will to-night hold council with White Slayer and his chiefs.” - -The outlaw bowed, kissed his hand gallantly to Pearl, sprang into his -saddle, and dashed down the glen, while the hermit and White Slayer -turned and walked up the gorge, leaving the girl standing in the spot -where the meeting had taken place. - - - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - PEARL’S WARNING. - - -For some moments after the departure of her father and White Slayer, -Pearl stood in silent meditation, as though undecided what course to -pursue. At length her mind seemed made up, and she started down the -glen. - -But she had not taken a second step before she came to a sudden halt, -for not twenty paces from her she beheld a man who had stepped from -behind a large bowlder and advanced toward her. - -At first Pearl seemed about to run, but checking this determination, -she stood on the defensive, with her rifle half raised to her shoulder. - -“I am a friend, miss, and the captain sent me back to give this to your -father.” - -The man halted near her and held out his hand as if to give her -something. He was a burly-looking fellow, clad half in buckskin, half -in homespun, and was heavily armed with revolvers and knife. His face -was wholly corrupt; in it there was not one redeeming expression. Pearl -did not like his looks, and said suspiciously: - -“What captain do you refer to?” - -“Kansas King. I am his lieutenant, and am called Burke, miss.” - -“Bad Burke, is it not?” said Pearl quietly. - -“Well, my enemies do call me Bad Burke, miss, but it is because I am -a bad hand with the knife, and no man dare meet me with it; but my -friends don’t call me Bad Burke.” - -“Your friends? Why, I should not think a man like you had a single -friend,” Pearl declared boldly. - -The face of Bad Burke turned livid with rage. His iron muscles seemed -to swell up with suppressed emotion, while his evil eyes glittered like -a snake’s. But, controlling himself, he forced a laugh, and answered: - -“Yes, miss, even a poor devil like me has friends; but here is the -paper the captain sent to your father.” - -He again held forth his hand. Pearl reached forth to take what she -believed to be a small scrap of paper. Her hand was seized in the iron -grip of Bad Burke, who instantly drew her toward him. - -Before she could offer the slightest resistance or cry out, his hard -palm was over her mouth, and she was held as firmly as though in a -vise. But suddenly she saw a dark object descending from a ledge of -rock fifteen feet above her. - -This dark object struck the burly ruffian fairly on the shoulders -and knocked him to the ground. The dark object that had descended so -suddenly from the rock, and lighted upon the back of Bad Burke, was a -man--one who did not lose his equilibrium by his jump, but caught on -his feet, and stood ready, with drawn knife and pistol, to face the -outlaw lieutenant. - -When released from the grasp of the ruffian, Pearl sprang backward, and -again seized her rifle, which she turned upon the outlaw lieutenant. - -“Hold! Do not shoot him. Let him come on and face me with his knife, -for he boasted a moment since that no man dare face him.” - -“In Satan’s name, who are you?” cried Bad Burke, his hand upon his -knife hilt. - -“Buffalo Bill!” - -It was evident that Bad Burke had heard the name before, for his hand -quickly slipped from his knife hilt toward a pistol butt. - -“Just move one inch, aye, crook your finger, and I’ll send your soul to -perdition.” - -The pistol of Buffalo Bill covered the heart of the outlaw, who whined -out: - -“Pard, you’ve the advantage of a fellow and ought to let up a little.” - -“I will; miss, will you be kind enough to remove the pistols from that -villain’s belt?” - -Pearl instantly stepped forward and did as directed, making a motion -with the weapons as if about to murder the frightened lieutenant of -bandits. - -“Thank you; now, Bad Burke, we stand on an equal footing,” and Buffalo -Bill cast his pistols upon the ground. - -With a suppressed yell of rage Bad Burke rushed upon his cool enemy, -for now he believed he had it all his own way, as his boast was not an -idle one regarding his prowess with a knife. - -Calmly the scout met his attack. The blades clashed together with an -ominous ring. Notwithstanding his skill and strength, Bad Burke was -hurled backward, and seized in the powerful grip of the scout, whose -keen knife gleamed in the sunlight, and then, with a crunching thud, -was driven to the hilt in the outlaw’s heart. A stifled groan, and Bad -Burke’s cruel life had ended. - -With bated breath Pearl had stood and watched the deadly encounter -between Buffalo Bill and Bad Burke. Notwithstanding her apparent -fear, the outlaw had been in double danger, for, had there been the -slightest sign that victory would fall to him, the girl had her rifle -ready to do its deadly work. - -“You are from one of the camps of the white men?” she asked. - -“Yes,” the scout answered. - -“I was on my way to find them. Your life and the lives of your friends -are in danger,” simply replied the girl. - -“My life is ever in danger. You were going to warn us of danger, you -say?” - -“Yes, sir.” - -“Where did you expect to find us?” the scout inquired. - -“At the miners’ stronghold, far down the glen.” - -“It is miles away, and your feet would have tired with their long walk.” - -“I am accustomed to long walks over the hills, sir.” - -“Are you not afraid of danger meeting you?” the scout questioned. - -“No, sir; I have little fear.” - -“Yet just now you were powerless in the hands of a ruffian.” - -“Very true. I thank you for saving me from him.” - -She looked at the dead outlaw with a shudder. - -“You are a brave girl and deserve a different fate from lingering here -in these hills, and living the life of a hermitess.” - -“Oh, I would so love to go away,” she declared. “But, sir, you must not -stay here, for any moment some warriors may pass, and your life would -certainly be the forfeit. - -“I was going to warn you of danger, because I did not wish to see you -and your paleface friends massacred, and now I have double cause for -saving you.” - -Her expressive face showed that she was very much in earnest. - -“Oh, sir, fly from these hills, you and your friends, for even now the -Sioux are assembling all their braves to attack you, and he that is -called Kansas King will side with the Indians in the war against you.” - -“From my heart I thank you,” said the scout. “But I know all that you -would tell me. Not ten minutes ago I was on that ledge and saw and -heard all that passed between your father, the White Slayer, and Kansas -King.” - -The girl was very much surprised, but answered: - -“I am glad you heard it; but you will leave these hills?” - -“No; we will show Kansas King and his Indian allies that we will not be -driven from the Black Hills by fear of them,” and Buffalo Bill spoke -with bitter determination. - -“Oh, what a terrible slaughter will follow!” she exclaimed. “How I wish -I could aid you, sir.” - -“You can. You can aid me.” - -“And how? Tell me, and I will do all in my power,” said Pearl earnestly. - -“To-morrow is the meeting between Kansas King and your father. Yonder -ledge is a secret spot where you can hide, and you can reach it from -the hill above. I want to know the plans to be arranged between your -father and the outlaw chief, and to-morrow night, just after sunset, I -will meet you here.” - -“I understand, sir, and I will do as you wish me to; but, tell me, -please, are you Buffalo Bill, the scout?” - -“I am so called, but why do you ask?” - -“Because I have so often heard the Sioux warriors speak of you, and how -terrible you were in battle; numbers have gone forth upon your trail, -boasting they would return with your scalp, and though many warriors -have gone, you still wear your scalp lock, and many of those braves -have not returned.” - -“Perhaps they are looking for me in the happy hunting grounds,” said -Buffalo Bill. “Now I must be off; and remember--to-morrow night I will -meet you; but, tell me, can I not cross this hill and strike the valley -beyond?” - -“Yes, sir; but, oh! Do not go through that valley,” implored Pearl, -with earnest manner. - -“And why, child? Are the redskins numerous there?” - -“Oh, no, sir; an Indian would not enter that valley for a girdle of -scalp locks, and even my father dare not go there.” - -“Why? Is it such a terrible place?” - -The girl glanced cautiously around her, slightly shuddered, then in a -whisper replied: - -“A spirit haunts the valley, sir.” - -“A spirit? Nonsense!” - -“No, sir! Oh, no; it is the spirit of a woman dressed in white; she -haunts it day and night, and when the moon is bright she sings wild -songs----” - -“Go on with your story,” he urged; “tell me all you know about the -haunted valley.” - -“What shall I tell you, sir?” innocently asked Pearl. - -“When was this spirit first seen?” - -“Five years ago, ever since the paleface’s grave was in the valley, the -spirit has been seen at times; but no warrior dare go near the valley, -and those who were bold enough to go where the specter dwells have -never returned.” - -“Do you know anything about the grave in the valley?” - -“No, sir; the Indians say a man was slain there by the spirit, for the -grave lies just at the entrance of the haunted valley; but my father -thinks that two paleface hunters came into the hills after gold, and -one killed the other and buried him there.” - -“I thank you, Pearl, for the warning you have given me about the -haunted valley; but I am going to the Ramsey settlement, and it will -save me many a mile to go through the glen, and I will risk seeing the -spirit. Remember, to-morrow night I will meet you, and you had better -not mention that you know anything of the death of Bad Burke here.” - -“No, sir, I will not speak of it,” she promised; “but please do not go -through the haunted valley.” - -“Have no fear; good-by!” - -So saying, the scout turned and walked to his horse, which was hidden -not far away, and then rode down the glen, while Pearl, delighted at -having warned him of danger, yet dreading to have him risk his life -in the spirit valley, walked with rapid steps back to her cabin, -determined to discover the plans of her wicked father to bring ruin and -death upon the palefaces who had invaded the Black Hills. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - BAD BURKE’S TREACHERY. - - -Let us again go back a little. When Kansas King rode out from his camp -toward the hills, he was accompanied by his lieutenant, Bad Burke, and -others of his men. The sun was nearing the western skies when they -halted in a gulch. - -“Well, Burke,” said Kansas King, “I have discovered with my glass the -home of the old hermit chief, and I will go up the gorge alone and -endeavor to speak with him. A girl has just left the cabin and is -coming down this way, so I will head her off.” - -“She is the girl they call the Pearl of the Hills, and is the daughter -of the old hermit. She can show her claws, so the Injuns tell me who -have been in this country,” said Bad Burke. - -“I will have to clip her claws for her, then. You follow slowly on, and -be ready to support me if you hear me call,” and Kansas King tapped -lightly on a small silver bugle hanging to his belt. - -“I’ll be on hand when you need me,” answered Bad Burke, and Kansas King -mounted his horse and rode on alone, leaving his companions in the -gorge. - -Hardly had he been gone ten minutes when Bad Burke said bluntly: - -“See here, fellows; you all has sense and knows I picked you out to -come with me ’cause I wanted work done. Now, if any fellow here is -afraid of blood, he’d better git. Who speaks?” - -Not a word of reply came from any of the men who had been with Kansas -King. Then Bad Burke continued: - -“This country--I mean the prairies and the border--is getting too hot -for our business, and we’ve got to git; the chief wants to locate here, -and have the Injuns for a support; but it won’t do, and I’ve got a -plan, and we’ll divide atween us seven--what say you?” - -“I’m in for any job,” said one, and the others all nodded for the -lieutenant to go ahead. - -“Well, I’ll tell you; there is a big price offered for the head of -Kansas King. We’ll arrange to run him right off from here and deliver -him up to the officers at the fort, and that will get us a pardon. Then -I know where there is a lot of gold and waluables buried, for I helped -King to bury them, and we’ll dig them up and just slide away from the -country with enough metal to make us all rich. What say you?” - -“When can we get the chief?” asked one. - -“He is gone up the gorge to try and palaver with the Indians. When he -comes back we’ll bag him. Then I’ll go up and talk to the old hermit -chief and tell him Kansas was putting up a job on him, and get him to -send his warriors down after our boys, and every one of them will get -the knife and lose their hair. Now, are you ready, boys?” - -“Will we be afther making tracks from these hills as soon as we have -the chafe?” asked one of the men, who was an Irishman. - -“Yes, we’ll start to-night, for it is moonlight, and we will ride hard, -and soon leave the Black Hills behind us.” - -“I’m in.” - -“And I.” - -“I’m yer man.” - -“You bet on me.” - -Sundry other ejaculations of consent to the treacherous plan were given -by the traitor crew, the Irishman being particularly loud in his glee -at the prospects ahead. - -Excepting the Irishman, however, the other ruffians were sincere in -their desire to betray their chief, and Bad Burke had selected the very -men he knew had no love for Kansas King. - -It was now arranged that Bad Burke should at once follow Kansas King, -watch his meeting with the old hermit, and then go himself to Gray -Chief as soon as the outlaw leader left him, and place before him a -plan for surprising the band. - -In the meantime, when Kansas King returned to the gorge, the six men -were to throw themselves upon him, and at once make him prisoner. - -Bad Burke then departed, following the trail of his chief. From a place -of concealment on the side of the hill he beheld the meeting of Kansas -King and Pearl, the coming of the hermit chief and White Slayer, and -then the departure of his leader back to the gorge. - -Still lying quiet, he saw Gray Chief and White Slayer return up the -gorge and leave Pearl standing where the meeting had taken place. - -“Now, Burke, you need just such a gal fer your wife, and now’s your -time to get her. Yes, I’ll carry the gal with me, and after I have -given King up to the military, I’ll divide the blood money with those -fellows, and then give them the slip and take the buried treasure -myself; guess I won’t divide that nor the gal, either. - -“No, Tom Burke, your fortune’s made now, with money and a wife, and -I guess you better light out for Texas and start a ranch, for this -country won’t be very healthy for you, I’m a-thinking.” - -So saying, Bad Burke, the traitor outlaw, descended to the bottom of -the gorge, and, as the reader has seen, confronted Pearl. How his -treacherous plans toward the maiden and his chief were frustrated, the -reader has also seen, and that his crimes were rewarded by a death he -had seemed little to anticipate. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - THE SPECTER OF THE VALLEY. - - -Buffalo Bill was not the only man who had been in concealment near -the spot where Bad Burke met his death. Scarcely was he gone from the -place, when Red Hand rose into view. He stared after the retreating -form of the scout, and muttered: - -“I shall go through that valley, too. If there is anything to be seen -there I want to see it.” - -But he shuddered as he spoke, and his face seemed drawn with pain. So -it came about that Red Hand followed Buffalo Bill. But the scout had -moved so rapidly that not once did Red Hand come in sight of him. And -in a little while, so painful were the thoughts of the latter, that Red -Hand almost forgot that the scout was somewhere ahead of him. - -Thus Red Hand set forth upon his trip, wending his way in the direction -of the Ramsey settlement, going toward the point which Pearl had urged -Buffalo Bill to avoid on account of the weird stories among the Indians -that a spirit haunted the valley. - -As he walked along, the moon arose in brilliant beauty upon the wild -scenery, and shed a bright light upon lofty hill, rocky gorge, and -lovely vale. - -The story of the spirit of the valley haunted Red Hand’s memory with -weird and bitter thoughts, for he remembered the grave made in the -valley and the apparition he had seen there after he had consigned the -body of Ben Talbot to its last resting place. - -Often had Red Hand endeavored to convince himself that the sight was -but a phantom of his troubled brain; but, no; it came too vividly -before him in form, gesture, and song, and he felt that if he had not -seen a spirit from the shadowy land, he had certainly beheld a woman. - -Yet--who could this woman be who had thus been with Ben Talbot, living -alone in the wild Black Hills? - -He entered the narrow gorge, the inlet to the accursed valley, and -the silvery light of the moon caused every tree and bowlder to stand -forth in phantomlike shadow. But Red Hand was not of a superstitious -nature. Nerving himself for what was before him, he hurried forward at -a swifter pace. - -Down the valley he hastened for half a mile. Then the shadowy hill -and large trees at its base, both of which were photographed upon his -mind, loomed up before him. Buffalo Bill had passed on before, and was -nowhere in sight. Already Red Hand had almost forgotten him. - -“I’ll solve this mystery if I die in the attempt,” said Red Hand, and -he turned once more toward the tree. - -Then he halted, for, standing at the head of the grave was a woman. -Nearer and nearer to the tree he drew, until the glimmer of the dark -eyes were almost visible. Then he stopped short, for a strangely sad -voice, striving to be firm, cried out: - -“Hold! Let not the foot of any man desecrate this sacred spot!” - -“Great God! Where have I heard that voice before?” was his thought. -“No, it is not, it cannot be--for she is dead; yes, dead by her own -hand.” - -Red Hand trembled with the emotion that swept over him. - -“Lady,” he said, his voice shaking, “I would not desecrate the resting -place of the dead, yet I would know why you so jealously guard the -grave of Ben Talbot!” Though he shook, he spoke in his deep, distinct -tones. - -As he commenced speaking a sudden change was visible in the woman; her -form bent forward and her ear was turned as if to catch every word, -while her right forefinger was pressed against her lips. - -Then in a voice that was nothing more than a hoarse whisper she said: - -“I guard his grave because I loved him. Did you know Ben Talbot?” - -“Aye, did I, lady! He wrecked my life!” - -“Your life! Ha, ha, ha! I know you now, Vincent Vernon; I know you now -in spite of the years that have swept over your accursed soul,” almost -shrieked the woman, raising both hands wildly above her head. - -“Good God! Grace, has the grave given you up or are you a phantom from -the shadow land?” cried Red Hand, starting toward the woman. - -“Back, you red-handed murderer! Back, I say, back! And do not pollute -this sacred spot. No, I am not from the grave, and I lied to you when -I said I would take my life. Ha, ha, ha!--no, why do I laugh? It -is hollow mockery for me to laugh, and--but what do you here, thou -accursed? Ha! Now I know by whose hand poor Ben fell. Away! Away! No, -no, no, do not go, but stay until I tear from you your coward heart.” - -In wild frenzy the woman rushed toward the man, a knife gleaming in -her uplifted hand, and her whole bearing that of one gone mad. Like a -statue stood Red Hand, his hands hanging listlessly by his sides, his -eyes bent with fixed stare upon the woman, and his whole manner that of -a man struck dumb by some startling discovery, some terrible shock that -had wholly unnerved him for the slightest motion. - -On rushed the madwoman, and still he stood passive, seemingly -unconscious of his danger, or unmindful of her presence, for his head -was lowered upon his breast and his eyes downcast. - -A few rapid bounds, a frenzied laugh, and the madwoman faced the man -she had accused. The arm was poised in the air, the gleaming blade -threatening instant death, the glaring eyes, wild with madness; yet Red -Hand did not move. - -Then, with a weird cry of revengeful joy the knife began to descend, -swiftly, pointed at the heart of Red Hand. - -Before the keen blade was sheathed in the broad breast there came a -bright flash from the dark hillside, a sharp report, and with a wild -shriek the woman dropped the knife. The shot awoke Red Hand from his -apathy. With a cry of alarm he sprang forward, crying: “Grace! Grace! -You are hurt.” - -“Back, sir! Do not pollute me with your touch. Ha! Still I have hope of -revenge,” cried the woman. - -She drew with her left hand from her belt a pistol and quickly fired it -in the face of Red Hand, who staggered back, bewildered by the flash, -but uninjured. - -Believing that she had slain the man she seemed to hate the unhappy -woman almost shrieked: - -“Now I die content. Ben, you are avenged, and so is----” - -The remainder of the sentence was drowned in the report of her -revolver, which she had placed against her heart and fired. Too late -did Red Hand spring forward to attempt to check her act. He could only -catch her falling form in his strong arms and lower her gently to the -ground just as a rapid footstep was heard, and Buffalo Bill dashed up -with anxious manner, crying: - -“Did she wound you, comrade?” - -“No, but she has killed herself,” sadly said Red Hand. - -“In God’s name, who is she, Red Hand?” - -“One whom I knew long years ago--one whom I never harmed in thought, -word, or action, and yet who has turned against me,” sadly replied Red -Hand. - -He was gazing with bitterness and sorrow into the pale, worn, yet still -beautiful face--a face that possessed an almost weirdlike loveliness, -and a form of wondrous grace and beauty. - -The eyes were large, almond-shaped, and had been full of slumbering -fire; the mouth was small, yet stern, mayhap having become so in later -years, and the teeth were milky white, while a wealth of black hair -hung down her back and covered her shapely shoulders. - -She was dressed in a coarse garment of pure white, and moccasins -incased her feet. A belt of buckskin, bead-worked, encircled her small -waist and supported the scabbard and holster of the weapons she had -endeavored to use against Red Hand. - -Breathing heavily, she lay in his arms, and at his words she unclosed -her lustrous eyes and met his gaze. - -“Grace, Grace, do you know me, or does the shadow of death lie between -you and me?” softly said Red Hand. - -“Yes, Vincent Vernon, I know you, and the shadow of death does rest -between us,” faintly replied the woman. - -She spoke with evident pain and difficulty, while her left hand was -held tight to her side, and through the fingers oozed a crimson tide, -hastening her life away. - -Resting upon the grass, and staining its green with crimson, was the -right hand, which had been stunned, but not injured in the least, by -the bullet from Buffalo Bill’s rifle. The scout had shot at the handle -of her knife and had struck it fair. - -Yet, though Buffalo Bill had not injured her, and had fired only to -save the life of Red Hand, as he stood there, brave man though he was, -his eyes dimmed with tears as he muttered: - -“I could not help it--I could not help it, for it was to save your life -I fired, comrade.” - -“Grace,” and Red Hand’s voice was strangely soft and kind. “Grace, why -did you leave me to a life of despair? Why did you wish to take my -life?” - -“Vincent, yonder is the grave of Ben Talbot. Answer me--did your hand -place him there?” - -“It did.” - -Buffalo Bill started at the reply, and the woman groaned aloud. - -“Again, answer me; did you take my father’s life?” - -“Grace, in God’s name what do you mean?” - -“Answer me! Did my father fall by your hand?” - -“Never, as God is my judge!” - -The eyes of the woman turned full upon the man, and she asked earnestly: - -“Vincent, would you lie to a dying woman?” - -“No, not one unkind word ever passed between your father and me.” - -“Thank God! Vincent, now I understand all, and--I--believe--you. -Hold--me--up--thus! Yes, the shadow of death has blinded me, and the -cold chill of the grave is upon me; but I would ask you to forgive -me--me, a guilty thing that has so sinned against you. Quick! -Hold down your ear and catch my words, for--the papers--all--in -cabin--yonder--quick! Forgive me, and--kiss me, Vincent.” - -“Red Hand murmured softly: - -“Grace, I forgive.” - -Then his stern lips touched those of the woman just as her eyes closed -and death laid his icy touch upon her pulse and stilled it forevermore. - -“Come, comrade, old fellow, the night is creeping on, and we must not -linger here.” - -It was Buffalo Bill who thus addressed Red Hand, who, an hour later, -was still bending over the frail form of the woman he had called Grace, -though two hours had passed since her spirit had winged its flight. Yet -Red Hand had not let go the small hand or ceased to gaze down upon the -marblelike, upturned face. - -“Arouse yourself, comrade,” Buffalo Bill urged. “Come, I have dug a -grave yonder under the hillside, just on the mossy bank of the stream; -you can see it from here, and we must lay the poor girl away.” - -Still Red Hand returned no answer. Again Buffalo Bill’s kindly tones -addressed him: - -“Have you forgotten, comrade, that many lives are dependent upon you, -and that there is danger in the wind?” - -The scout still trusted Red Hand, though there were many things he -could not yet understand. - -“Buffalo Bill, dear old fellow, I remember now. Let us first bury poor -Grace--yes, bury her forever from sight; but I forgave her ere she -died, and she believed me when I said my hand was not stained with her -father’s blood. There is a stain upon it, Buffalo Bill, but not of his -life. Come, let us dig a grave,” and Red Hand arose to his feet. - -“The grave is dug,” said the scout. “See, all is in readiness over -there.” - -“Thank you, my friend, for I would not have her rest side by side with -Ben Talbot. Here is my blanket, and she shall have it for a shroud; -poor, poor Grace!” - -Tenderly the graceful form was enveloped in the blanket of Red Hand, -who then raised it in his arms and bore it to the newly made grave -which Buffalo Bill had thoughtfully filled in with poles cut from a -thicket near by, which served as a rude coffin. Into her last resting -place the poor woman was lowered, and the blanket drawn over the -beautiful, sad face upon which Red Hand gazed with a stern, hard look -that proved how deeply he suffered. - -A few moments more and the soil was thrown in most tenderly by the -scout, who seemed to feel to the very soul for the stricken man. Red -Hand stood with uncovered head and folded arms gazing down upon the -grave which held one that he had certainly loved most dearly in bygone -years, and who had so strangely crossed his path in the wilds of the -Black Hills--crossed his path to die by her own hand before his very -face. - -“Buffalo Bill,” he said, when the grave had been filled in, “I have -much to thank you for; but we must not linger here. Some day I will -make known to you the story of my life, in all its cruelty and sorrow; -but not now--no, not now.” - -“But, tell me, how was it I found you here?” Buffalo Bill asked. - -With an effort Red Hand seemed to bury his grief and assume his former -manner. - -“Things began to look squally, pard, and I started over to your layout -to look you up, when I ran across Lone Dick, the scout, and he told -me you had struck out in this direction. So I put after you over the -hills.” - -In a few more words Red Hand acquainted Buffalo Bill with all the -discoveries he had made since coming to the Black Hills. - -“That we are going to have a hard time, Red Hand, is evident. My advice -is for that other party to at once vacate their layout, and move bag -and baggage to our stronghold, which we can hold against every Indian -in these hills; yet to be on the safe side, I have a plan to save the -women, and that is to bring them here.” - -“Here! How will that protect them?” - -“This is the Haunted Valley of the Black Hills. And no Indian of the -Sioux tribe, or outlaw, either, will ever penetrate into these wilds.” - -“We know now how it was haunted and why,” said Red Hand sadly. - -“Yes, Red Hand, you and I know now, and we also know that this place -will be sacred from intrusion. Here we will bring the women and -children, and you and Lone Dick and Captain Ramsey and his son must be -their guard.” - -“You mean for the party to leave the settlement to-night, then?” - -“Yes, for the Indians will begin to move soon.” - -Buffalo Bill continued: - -“I will ride, as soon as possible, to the Ramsey camp; have the women -and their party pack up at once, mount and hasten to the head of the -valley, with all the necessary stores and traps for a long siege; then -tell the men to move off with all due haste for the miners’ camp, and, -mind you, Red Hand, they must be well on their way by daylight, for we -have no time to lose. I am off at once, Red Hand, but really I do not -like to leave you alone in this valley,” said Buffalo Bill reluctantly. - -“It matters not, the dead can do no harm, and the living I have little -fear of here.” - -“It is now about two hours to midnight. Before day I will be at the -head of the valley.” - -So saying, Buffalo Bill mounted, and the rattle of his horse’s hoofs -echoed dismally through the hills as he rode rapidly on his way, -leaving Red Hand alone in the Haunted Valley--alone with the dead. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - TICKLISH WORK. - - -Instead of hastening immediately toward Ramsey’s camp after leaving Red -Hand, Buffalo Bill rode but a short distance in that direction. Then -he brought his horse to a stop, and sat for some time in his saddle, -listening and cogitating. - -His sympathies had been aroused for Red Hand, and he believed in the -man. Not often did Buffalo Bill go amiss in his judgment of men; yet -in a few instances he had made mistakes in his opinions of certain -individuals. The life of Red Hand was hidden in mystery. No one seemed -to know his past or anything much about him. - -“I think he is all right,” thought the scout, “but it is never safe -to be too sure. I think that girl is all right, too; but even there I -may be mistaken. The only way to be absolutely sure is to make sure! -I can’t make sure of Red Hand just now, but perhaps I can find out -something certain about the intentions of those Indians.” - -Having thus come to a conclusion, he turned the horse softly from the -trail, and in a little while was shaping his course toward the Indian -village. The moon still shone brilliantly, and in that clear atmosphere -moonlight sometimes is marvelously bright. The scout could see for a -considerable distance in every direction. - -While this brightness of the night had been favorable to him in the -events which had recently transpired, it promised to make extremely -difficult and ticklish the task to which he was now setting his -energies. When the scout had ridden as far as he thought it safe to -go, he dismounted, and after tying his horse to the swinging bough of -a tree, he went forward softly on foot. As he approached the Indian -village he heard droning sounds and the thump of drums. - -“A bad sign,” he said to himself. “It is queer that whenever Indians -meditate war they must work themselves up to a fighting pitch by a lot -of dancing and howling.” - -The Indian village was all astir, as he discovered when he came in -sight of it. There were lights in many of the lodges, and in the -council house, which was the largest lodge, and pitched in the center -of the village. - -The droning sound had now revealed itself as the singing and chanting -of warriors and medicine men, and the thump of the drums reached the -scout with great distinctness. - -Because of the brightness of the moonlight, Buffalo Bill assumed a -stooping posture as he crept forward, and a little later he got flat -down on the ground and crept on with the litheness and softness of the -panther stealing on its prey. - -Not a leaf rustled under him as he thus stole forward, not a twig -snapped; his advance was like the forward movement of a shadow, so -silent was it. Buffalo Bill was no ordinary scout, no ordinary trailer, -no ordinary Indian fighter. He could out-Indian an Indian himself in -all the tricks of Indian warfare. - -Now and then, when an Indian figure appeared at an opening in a lodge -or hurried along through the moonlight, the scout simply “froze” in his -place; and, if seen would then have been thought to be a mere shadow or -some prominence in the landscape, a stone or a bit of elevated earth. - -When the Indian had disappeared, the scout wriggled on again. Thus by -progress that was slow and annoying, or would have been annoying to -almost any other man, Buffalo Bill drew close to the Indian village. - -In a short while after reaching it he was squirming along behind the -lodges, seeking concealment in their shadows. Always he headed toward -the central lodge, where the drums were thumping and the braves were -howling. - -What Buffalo Bill feared most was that some mangy cur, of which numbers -are always found in every Indian village, should scent him out and -raise a clatter which would bring some of the Indians down upon him. - -As if to be prepared for this, or to guard against it, when he had -advanced a short distance he drew his knife from its case at his belt -and held it in his teeth, ready for instant use. - -Lying flat in the shadow of a lodge, and looking out into the bright -moonlight which lay before him, and seeing how difficult his advance -from that point would be, the scout thought of an expedient which he -had more than once used on a similar errand. - -The lodge was apparently deserted, the inmates having taken themselves -to other lodges for purposes of talk, or to the council house. -Lifting the skin flap of the lodge, Buffalo Bill peered into the -dark interior. It was perfectly silent, and believing it to be quite -deserted for the time, he crawled in, dropping the skin covering into -place behind him. - -Having gained entrance to the lodge, the scout lay quietly for a time, -listening and getting his bearings. Then he moved forward until his -hands came in contact with a blanket. This he appropriated, then began -to feel about for some other article that would be useful. At length -his hand fell on a feathered Indian headdress. - -“Just the thing,” was his thought; and he took that also. “Now if I -only knew where to look for this warrior’s paint box, I could soon turn -myself into a pretty fair specimen of redskin.” - -But, though the scout felt about in the gloom of the lodge for some -time, his hands did not light on the coveted box of Indian paints. - -They did light on something, though, that almost startled him, and that -was an Indian baby. It was lying in a sort of cradle of deerskins; and, -as soon as the scout’s fingers touched its face, it awoke and began to -screech. - -“Thinks I’m some sort of wild animal,” muttered the scout as the baby -increased its yells. “Well, the thing for me to do is to get out of -here as quick as I can.” - -Thereupon he “crawfished” rapidly back to the point where he had gained -ingress, and again lifting the skin lodge covering, he slipped out of -the tepee. - -Scarcely had he done so when a squaw came running from an adjacent -lodge. - -Again the scout “froze” to the ground, but this time with the Indian -blanket drawn about his shoulders and with the feathered headdress on -his head. His hat he held in one hand under the concealing folds of the -blanket. In the other hand he held his knife. - -The coming of the squaw quieted the child. - -“I’m all right, if she doesn’t start up a fire, or get a light, and so -discover that the blanket and the headdress are gone,” was the scout’s -thought as he heard the Indian mother crooning to the baby. - -Then he arose softly to his feet, and with the headdress in place, but -with the blanket drawn up to conceal his face, and so draped about his -form that his clothing was pretty well hidden, he walked boldly out -into the moonlight. - -It was a daring thing to do, but safety is often assured by the -very audacity of any given line of action. Stalking along with all -the dignity of a painted brave, Buffalo Bill made his way, without -molestation or apparent observation, almost to the door of the council -lodge. - -Instead of trying to enter it, however, he moved around it until he was -well within its shadow; and there, after looking about to be sure he -was not observed, he lay down quietly on the ground and placed an ear -to the skin lodge covering. - -The din within the lodge, now that he was so close to it, was well-nigh -deafening. The warriors were howling and jumping in frenzied Indian -fashion, and the beating of the Indian drums was something furious. - -Aside from the monotonous chanting of the drum beaters, he heard no -words for a while. Then one of the Indian dancers began in a bragging -way, and in a high monotone, to boast of his many bloody deeds. - -He had slain many white men, he said, and now he would slay many more. -The white men were cowards, they were serpents, they had hearts like -women, and they would run when he, this great brave, should lift the -knife to strike. - -Buffalo Bill smiled when he heard the words of the boaster. - -“That’s all right, old bragger,” he muttered, “but you’ll find out, -when you go against them, that the white men don’t run worth a beaver’s -skin!” - -Anxious to see what was going on within the council house, for what he -heard was unsatisfactory, the scout softly lifted the lower edge of the -skin and peered in. - -As he did so an Indian dancer whirled with jerky motion right past his -face. All about, within the lodge, dancers were hopping, jumping, and -gyrating. - -The drum beaters were seated not far away in a group, pounding away -with such energy that the sweat stood on their painted faces. - -The Indian who was doing the boasting continued to tell what great -things he would accomplish when he lifted his knife against the whites. - -Just at this juncture, when the scout was beginning to think that, -perhaps, he might now acquaint himself with something definite -concerning the plans of the Indians--though the fact that they were -dancing and in war paint showed that they meditated an attack on the -camps of the white men--one of the dogs, whose presence Buffalo Bill -had feared, came sniffing around the lodge, and discovered him lying -there in the shadow. - -The scout let the skin of the tent fall, and, turning about, gripped -his knife. The dog was sniffing at him with suspicion, though the odor -of the Indian blanket and the sight of the familiar headdress, no -doubt, somewhat lulled the animal’s suspicion. - -The dog could not see Buffalo Bill’s face, for the blanket was pulled -rather closely about it. So again the animal advanced, with nose -outthrust, sniffing the scout. - -The dog seemed to have an intuition that all was not well, and -thrusting its sharp, wolflike nose into the air, it gave a long, -whining howl, like a veritable wolf. - -The scout lay as if he were dead. The howling was heard in the lodge, -but seemed to excite no thought that all was not well outside. These -dogs were known to be great howlers. - -Ceasing its long-drawn howl of suspicion, the dog came forward again, -and thrust its nose almost into the scout’s face. - -Discovering now that the man under the Indian blanket was not an -Indian, it started to leap back, at the same time giving a short bark, -like a dog that has treed game. - -“Curse you!” muttered the scout. - -At the same time his left hand shot out like lightning from under the -blanket. - -The dog was about to bark again when that hand caught it. Then it -yelped, as a cur does when trodden upon. But it was the dog’s last -yelp, and it was cut short. The hand that held the keen-bladed knife -shot out from under the blanket; and, as the dog was drawn forward by -the other hand, the knife ripped its throat open. - -The yelp and the flouncing of the dog had brought some Indians out of -the lodge. The scout, lying quiet again, with the bloody knife in one -hand and one of his ready revolvers in the other, heard the warriors -talking. - -One of them, after a few words, began to walk around the lodge, in the -direction of the scout. - -“If I lie here I shall have to kill that Indian as I did the dog; and -I’ll be discovered, no doubt, after which there will be the greatest -row and hubbub here any one ever heard. I guess it’s time for me to -sneak.” - -He did not “sneak,” however. He was still concealed from the -approaching Indian by the intervening tent wall. So he arose boldly to -his feet and as boldly walked on around the council lodge, away from -the advancing redskin. - -Almost any other man would have jumped up and fled out through the -village, trusting to his legs to carry him to a point of safety. But -that would have involved risks which Buffalo Bill did not care to take. - -Hence he walked straight on. As he came out into the moonlight and -toward the front of the council house, he was seen by one of the -Indians who had stood talking near the lodge door. - -This Indian called to him, asking if he had heard the dog; for the -blanket and the headdress made the Indian think the scout was another -redskin. - -As the scout had heard the words that were spoken before the lodge door -and had noted the tones of the voice, he answered, for he understood -the Sioux language perfectly, and imitated almost to perfection the -voice of an Indian. - -“The dog has gone off that way,” he said. “I think he is after a -rabbit; I will see!” - -Then the scout broke into a run, as if he were hastening after the -dog. He knew that now he would have to “cut sticks,” as he would have -expressed it; and when he had another lodge between him and the Indian -he had spoken to, he ran with all his might, yet as softly as he could. - -It was well for Buffalo Bill that he had moved thus promptly. For, as -he ran, he heard a wild yell behind him, which told him that the body -of the dog had been discovered. - -The yell stopped the dancing and the drumbeating as suddenly as if a -rifle shot had been fired. The Indians poured pell-mell out of the -council house. The yells that now sounded seemed to arouse all the -village curs at once; and some of them discovering the hurrying figure -of the scout, they rushed at him like a pack of wolves chasing a deer. - -But the scout was now on the edge of the village, and before him was -the wild-timbered hills. Turning suddenly as the foremost of the dogs -pressed him and began to snap at his heels, he cast aside the blanket -and the headdress and lifted his revolver. - -They were plainly to be seen in the moonlight. Two shots sent the -leaders rolling in their death agonies, and so startled the others that -they drew back, thus giving Buffalo Bill a clear path again before him. - -Then arrows began to sing and rifles to bark as the Indians, guided by -the yelping of the dogs, and knowing now that an enemy had invaded the -village, began to fire in the direction of the scout’s flight. - -But the missiles went wild. Their singing and hurtling in the trees -seemed, however, to increase the scout’s speed, so that he almost flew, -selecting the wildest and rockiest course for the line of his retreat. - -As soon as he was clear of the village he shaped his course toward the -point where he had left his horse. - -Fortunately Buffalo Bill was a good runner. Moreover, he did not wish -to be captured by the Sioux. He had a due regard for his own personal -safety, and besides he had important information which it was necessary -to carry to the camps of the white men. - -He had not heard much in the Indian village, notwithstanding the great -risks he had run to gain information; but what he had heard, together -with the dancing and the drumbeating and the sight of the warriors in -war paint, was enough to assure him that the Sioux meditated an early, -if not an immediate, attack on the whites. - -The dogs still pursued him, and kept up with him, though he began to -drop the Indians. Turning at bay, the scout killed two more of the -leading dogs, and again ran on. - -The other dogs seemed to lose heart because of this and dropped back, -though they followed along his trail and continued their yelping, thus -aiding the Indians in their pursuit. - -The rapidity of the scout’s flight brought him, after a time, to his -horse. - -“All safe and sound, old fellow, are you?” he said speaking to the -animal. “Well, let them catch me now if they can! I have found out -enough to show me that that girl wasn’t lying to me; and, when I meet -her again, she will no doubt give me particulars of the Indians’ plans, -as she promised. So, here we go!” - -And away the scout sped through the silvery moonlight. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - THE MEETING IN THE CAÑON. - - -Let us return again on the trail of our story. - -As the moments passed and Bad Burke did not return to his companions -in the gulch, they became uneasy at his long absence. Hardly daring to -delay longer, they fled hastily from the scene, lest Kansas King should -return, and, finding his lieutenant missing, accuse them of treachery. - -Therefore, when Kansas King returned to the rendezvous, he found no -sign of lieutenant or men. Swearing vengeance against Bad Burke, if he -should ever lay his hands upon him or any of the treacherous crew who -had deserted him, Kansas King rode on at a sweeping gallop, until mile -after mile had been cast behind him and his stronghold was not far away. - -Fearing treachery there also upon the principle that a “burned child -dreads the fire,” the chief determined to make a flank movement upon -his camp and approach it from the hills. He reasoned that in case -suspicions of danger to himself were aroused, he could withdraw -immediately and rapidly, and returning to the cabin of the hermit -chief, throw himself upon his protection, telling him frankly his men -had turned traitors. - -With this intention he changed his course, and, turning into a narrower -cañon which he knew would lead him around toward the hills overhanging -his camp, he urged his horse into a gallop. - -Suddenly he reined the horse back upon its haunches with terrible -force, for the sound of hoofs rapidly approaching through the gorge -startled him. - -Drawing his revolver, King sat quietly awaiting the coming stranger, -whoever it might be. An exclamation of surprise broke from his lips as -a steed dashed around the bend, bearing upon his back--a woman! - -Yes, a woman, or, rather a young girl, for she was none other than Ruth -Ramsey, who, quickly discovering an unlooked-for obstacle in her path, -attempted to draw rein. But she was too late; her steed was a willful -animal, not easily checked, and before she could come to a halt the -outlaw leader spurred alongside of her, and his left hand grasped her -bridle rein. - -“Leo Randolph! You here!” she demanded. - -It was all she could say, and across her face swept a deathly pallor. - -“Yes, sweet Ruth, your lover of lang syne is delighted to behold you -once more,” said the chief, with irony in his voice. - -“It was proven you were an outlaw,” she said, “the leader of a wild and -desperate band; men called you Kansas King because you ruled the border -and none dare face you. Yes, all these things were proven, and--and--I -found I had loved unworthily.” - -Ruth spoke half aloud, her eyes downcast, as though musing with the -past. - -“Ruth, all these things were told against me; what was proven was that -I had been brought up by a fond mother who idolized her boy, yet upon -whose life a stain rested, and hence the curse fell upon the son. That -mother died, Ruth, and then came the news to her son that a brand -rested upon his life. - -“Was it any wonder, then, that he threw away the advantages bestowed -upon him by his loving mother, and became a wild and reckless outcast? -Oh, Ruth, you cannot know how I have suffered, and what a curse, a -misery, my life has been. If you knew you would pity me--and pity -begets love--’tis said. You did love me once, Ruth.” - -The outlaw chief laid his hand softly upon the gloved hand of the girl, -who, quietly withdrawing the hand, replied kindly: - -“I thought I loved you once, Leo; but I did not know my heart; and yet, -had your life been different, and not a blot upon the earth, we might -have been more to each other than lovers; but you have not forgotten -that when my father exiled you from our home, and I told you I did not -love you, you basely endeavored to carry me off.” - -“No, Ruth, I have not forgotten. I loved you, and that must be -my excuse. I longed to have you with me, to have you my bride, -and--forgive me, Ruth--I was mad enough to think that I might persuade -you to become my wife.” - -“My consent never could have been won by force, Leo Randolph; but, this -is idle, to thus stand and talk with you. Believe me, I feel for you in -the evil career you have chosen. But I must hasten, for the night is -coming on and I was foolish to venture thus far from the fort.” - -Ruth attempted to ride on, but the outlaw chief still kept his hand -firmly upon her rein while he asked: - -“How is it you are thus far from your camp, and alone?” - -“I came out with my father and brother for a ride. They discovered -traces of Indians near the fort, and rode on to investigate, telling -me to return, for I was not half a mile away. I lost my road, and only -just now discovered that my way back lay through this gulch.” - -Again she urged her horse forward, yet the chief held him firmly in his -strong grasp. - -“Mr. Randolph, will you release my bridle rein?” said Ruth, in a firm -voice. - -“Miss Ramsey, I will not--hold! Hear me, and heed--you are in my power, -and I am a desperate man. Go with me willingly; become my wife, and I -will relinquish my evil life and live for you alone; refuse, and----” - -“You plead in vain, Mr. Randolph; your evil life has already put out -every spark of regard I ever felt for you. Again I ask you to release -my rein.” - -“And again I say I will not. More--if you will not be a willing bride, -you shall be an unwilling one.” - -“God have mercy upon me!” groaned poor Ruth as she reeled as if about -to fall from her saddle. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - - THE ANSWERED CRY. - - -The moonlight that fell weirdly upon the Haunted Valley, and lighted up -the sad scene enacted there, also cast its silvery radiance upon the -mountain hut of the hermit chief. Pacing to and fro in the moonlight, -with quick, nervous tread, was Gray Chief, his brow dark, and his lips -set stern and hard. - -A few moments before White Slayer and his chiefs had left a council -which had determined a deadly extermination of every paleface in the -Black Hills. Gray Chief had been pleased with the decision of White -Slayer, for to him all white men were enemies, and he desired that not -only should the miners perish, but also the outlaws. - -In that council it had been decided that they should seem to agree -to Kansas King’s arrangement for an alliance, and by so doing disarm -suspicion, and get him and his men in their power. After that the Sioux -warriors were to fall upon them and not a man should escape--no, not -one, swore the hermit chief. - -Having thus disposed of their would-be allies, it was believed that the -Indians could arm themselves with the weapons taken from the outlaws, -and then make war upon the two camps of the invaders. The old hermit -chuckled gleefully as he thought over his plans, and saw how eagerly -the Indians had agreed to them. - -Yet, had he known, within the cabin window stood one who had heard -every arrangement made, and after learning all she could, arose from -her crouching attitude and stole away. If the hermit had known this, -he would not have walked the ledge in the moonlight, gloating over his -diabolical invention to rid the Black Hills of every paleface who had -invaded their unknown fastnesses. - -After parting with Buffalo Bill, Pearl had returned home and learned -from Valleolo, the Indian woman, that the chiefs were to assemble at -once. Instantly she secreted herself in her room, and from her ambush -learned their plans, after which she hurried away through the cavern, -descended the hills to the Indian village, and quickly mounted a -splendid horse which White Slayer had captured in battle and presented -to her. - -Like the wind she then rode through the valleys and over the hills, -directing her course toward the Ramsey settlement, as she dared not -take the lower cañon leading to the fort of the miners. At length she -drew near the spot where she had been told the palefaces were encamped, -and was just turning into the narrow gulch leading to the stockade -fort, when she heard a loud cry for help. - -“Help, help! Oh, Heaven, save me!” again rang the cry, and in a woman’s -voice. - -With the impulsiveness of her nature, Pearl was about to dash at once -to the rescue, when there came the sound of coming hoofs. The next -instant, riding up the gulch, she beheld two horses bearing a man and -a girl, the man holding the girl firmly in her saddle, and at the same -time grasping with his other hand the bridle rein of her horse. - -They were Kansas King and Ruth Ramsey. Infuriated by her refusal of his -love, the outlaw chief was bearing the girl by force to his camp, in -spite of her heart-rending cries for help. - -“Hold!” - -The voice was that of a woman, yet it had in it a stern and determined -ring that brought the robber chief and his captive to a sudden halt. -Before them, seated upon her horse, with her rifle leveled at the broad -breast of Kansas King, was Pearl, the Maid of the Hills. At the command -Kansas King drew rein. - -“Well, girl, what do you want?” he asked. - -“That you ride on and leave that girl alone,” firmly replied Pearl. - -“Ha! a stern command from such sweet lips; but what if I refuse?” - -“I will kill you.” - -“Harsher still, my mountain beauty; but your aim may not be true, -and----” - -“One wave of my hand, Kansas King, and you might find out how true -is my aim. Do you think I am a fool, to come this far from my home -unprotected?” - -Pearl spoke as though there were a hundred warriors at her back. -The outlaw chief glanced somewhat nervously around, and, doubtless -believing that the rocks and trees did conceal innumerable redskins, he -said: - -“You hold the winning card, fair Pearl of the Hills. I yield to the -command of sweet lips, which yet I may punish for their unkind words -with a kiss. Ruth Ramsey, we will meet again. Fair maids, I bid you -good evening.” - -Then, with a muttered curse, Kansas King drove his spurs deep into -the flanks of his horse, and dashed away up the gulch at a mad speed. -Before the rattle of his horse’s hoofs died away, there resounded -through the cañon the heavy tramp of many feet. In dismay, Ruth cried: - -“Come; oh, come, for the Indians are coming!” - -Pearl listened an instant, and then said: - -“No, those are not Indians, for I hear the iron ring against the rocks -of white men’s shod horses; they are your friends.” - -Before more could be said a long line of horsemen filed around a bend -in the cañon. Whether friendly or hostile, it was then too late to fly. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - - UNCLE SAM’S BOYS. - - -The column of horsemen that was filing at a slow trot through the cañon -were, as Pearl had said, not Indians, but palefaces, and with a half -cry of joy, Ruth saw that they were troopers, dressed in the uniform of -United States cavalry. It was a squadron of less than a score. At their -head rode a young and dashing officer of perhaps twenty-five years of -age. - -At a glance, womanlike, both the girls took in his superb form, -splendid seat in the saddle, stylish uniform and broad shoulders, with -the straps of a captain thereon. Then they saw his handsome, daring -face, with its dark, earnest eyes, and firm mouth, shaded by a dark -mustache. - -Certainly he was an elegant-looking young officer, and into his frank, -noble face the two girls, the daughter of the prairie, and the child of -the hills, gazed with admiration and trust. - -With surprise upon his features, a pleased surprise he did not attempt -to conceal, the young officer drew rein before the two girls, whose -horses stood side by side across the cañon, and, respectfully raising -his plumed hat, said pleasantly: - -“This is an unlooked-for pleasure--meeting ladies in these wild hills.” - -“And a particular pleasure, sir, to us, at least to me, for there is -certainly need for you and your troopers here,” replied Ruth. - -Pearl remained silent, and the young captain again said: - -“My instructions were to come into these hills and protect all white -settlers. I expected to find here a band of rude miners--certainly not -any ladies.” - -“I, sir, am the daughter of Captain Ramsey,” said Ruth. “He is the -leader of a small party of settlers who came here to establish homes -and also dig for gold; this girl I never met until ten minutes ago, -when she saved me from a terrible fate--a fate to which death was -preferable.” - -Ruth Ramsey spoke with exceeding earnestness. - -“Indeed!” exclaimed the young officer. “This young lady, then, does not -belong to your settlement. Can there be another band of settlers in -these hills?” - -He asked the question with surprise, gazing with admiration upon -Pearl’s lovely face. Pearl flushed slightly, to find herself the object -of such ardent notice, and replied: - -“I was on my way to warn the palefaces of danger, when I came suddenly -upon this lady and Kansas King, the outlaw, who was forcing her to -accompany him.” - -“Warn the palefaces of danger? Are you not a paleface?” asked the -astonished soldier. - -“I am a paleface, yes. But I cannot say more than that I was going to -tell the settlers that White Slayer and his band are to move to-morrow -night upon their forts, and that there is no hope for them unless they -at once leave these hills.” - -“And you! Are you not in danger?” said Ruth Ramsey earnestly. - -“No, I am not in danger; but you must escape from the red devils, who -will soon be on the warpath against every paleface who has lately come -into the hills.” - -“You bring bad news, miss,” said the officer, “and yet I fear true -tidings, as I know the bitterness of the Indians to those who would -settle here. To-morrow night, you say, they will commence the attack?” - -“Yes, sir.” - -“And Major Wells will not be up before day after to-morrow, hasten -as he may, and I have but fourteen men with me,” was the thoughtful -statement. - -“You have other troops coming, then, sir?” asked Ruth anxiously. - -“Yes, over a hundred troopers; I was merely an advance guard; here, -Wentworth, hasten back with all dispatch and ask Major Wells to ride -his horses down but that he reaches here to-morrow night.” - -The captain turned to a horseman who was half scout, half soldier, and -a bold-looking fellow, who promptly replied: - -“I’ll fetch him, Captain Archer, if hoofs can make it!” - -“Do so, Wentworth, and bring him to this point, do you hear?” - -“Aye, aye, sir!” and away dashed the courier at full speed. - -“Now, young ladies,” said the officer, “there is but one thing for me -to do, and that is to go secretly into camp near here and await the -attack upon the fort, and then endeavor to make the redskins believe -a large force of cavalry has come to the assistance of the settlers. -Were the Indians to know that I had but my present force they would not -fear me, so I beg that you keep my presence in the hills a secret, and -in the time of need I will be on hand. My orders, Miss Ramsey, are to -protect the lives of the settlers.” - -“I will guide you to a safe place, sir, where you could conceal a -hundred men,” Pearl volunteered. - -Then she considerately added: - -“We should first see this lady home.” - -“True. Miss Ramsey, we will ride with you to within a short distance of -your camp,” replied the young officer. - -The cavalcade at once moved off, Pearl guiding, and as they rode along -the two girls and the young officer chatted pleasantly together. At -length the stockade was visible, and the party halted, while Ruth, -after bidding adieu to the captain, kissed her new-found friend and -rode on alone. - -Then away dashed Pearl, side by side with the captain, and behind came -the troopers riding in Indian file. A gallop of two miles brought them -to one of those gorges so common in the Black Hills, and into this -Pearl led the way until they came to a small glen, fertile and well -watered. - -“Here you can rest secure, sir. If there is any change in the plans of -the Indians, I will come and let you know,” said she. - -Then she made known to the officer all that had transpired, with which -the reader is already acquainted. In surprise and astonishment, the -young man listened: and then said kindly, taking her hand: - -“The settlers have much to thank you for, miss, I assure you, and it -is noble of you to thus warn them of danger, at the risk of your life, -for I feel that you are an inmate of the village of the Sioux to thus -know their plans. This, I hope, will not be our last meeting, and in -full sincerity I say, if in any way I can befriend you, command me. My -name is Edwin Archer, and I am a captain of cavalry, now on the prairie -border.” - -Pearl made no reply, waved her hand pleasantly, and away bounded her -steed on the return to the Indian village. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVII. - - THE FAIRY GLEN. - - -When Ruth Ramsey returned to the stockade she found the whole -settlement about to turn out in search of her. Her friends were -delighted at her return, for they had believed her lost, or captured by -the Indians, as her father and brother had returned some time before, -and reported that she had started home. - -Ruth made known her startling adventure with Kansas King, her rescue -by a strange white girl; but the coming of the cavalry she kept to -herself, as the officer had requested her to do. The settlers were -all in a state of fermentation at the hostile position assumed by the -Sioux, and the coming into the hills of Kansas King and his band. - -Buffalo Bill had made known the enmity of the Indians and advised that -the settlers should move over to the miners’ fort until after the -battle they knew must come with the Indians. - -There were some who declared against the move, unwilling to leave off -their gold digging, and thus a war of words was progressing, when -suddenly Buffalo Bill again appeared in their midst, and at once his -report settled the matter. - -Two hours after, the stockade was deserted by one and all, and the men -at once set off for the miners’ camp, excepting those designated to go -with the women and children into the Haunted Valley. A mile from the -stockade the party divided, with many tears, kind wishes, and tender -farewells, and Buffalo Bill led his precious charge by the nearest -route to the valley where Red Hand awaited them. - -After an hour’s tramp, they entered a narrow gorge, the western inlet -to the valley. Ahead of them Buffalo Bill suddenly descried a tall, -upright form coming toward them. - -It was Red Hand. He bowed pleasantly to the party, pressed lightly the -hand Ruth extended to him, and said simply: - -“Come.” - -Leading the way through the beautiful yet strangely wild glen, Red -Hand turned, after a walk of a third of a mile, into a thick piece of -timber, through which ran an indistinct trail. A still farther walk -through the woods of two hundred yards, and before them arose the -precipitous and lofty sides of the mountain, pierced by several narrow -gorges, that appeared like lanes through the massive hills. - -Into one of these chasms, for they were hardly anything more, Red Hand -walked, and soon it widened into a perfect bowl, with towering walls -upon every side. It was a fairy spot, where one would love to dwell and -dream away a lifetime, far away from the cares of the world. - -And there, sheltered against the base of the lofty hills, was a neat -little cabin home--a hermitage in the hills. It was a humble abode, -built of stout logs, and yet around it was an air of comfort, while -the interior, consisting of two rooms, certainly looked cozy and -most comfortable, for the furniture, though of rude manufacture, was -useful, and around the walls were many articles of use and enjoyment, -from rifles, knives, and pistols, cooking utensils, and a very fair -selection of books. - -“This was her home,” he said simply and meaningly, speaking to Buffalo -Bill. “From here to his grave is but a short distance, and her going -there has marked a distinct trail. And, friend Cody, last night I made -strange discoveries.” - -Turning to Captain Ramsey, Red Hand requested him to keep his party in -the gorge. Promising to bring the anxious mothers, wives, sisters, and -daughters good news, Buffalo Bill set out with Red Hand for the fort, -which they knew, before many hours, would be the scene of a terrible -border battle. - -The scout even had his doubts as to a result in favor of the whites. - -“Cody, if it comes to the worst, you can wait in the gorge until the -Indians believe you escaped before the fight, and then make for the -settlement with all haste.” - -“I will try to take care of myself,” was the cheerful answer. - -“Never mind me, old fellow; but, if we do go under, why, redskins’ -scalps will be a drug in the market,” and a sad smile played upon Red -Hand’s face. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVIII. - - THE WAR CRY. - - -Night, serenely beautiful, with its silver moon lighting up the bold -scenery upon every hand, came again to the Black Hills, and the shadow -of the mountains fell upon the miners’ fort, where all seemed lost in -deep repose. But the silence resting there was a treacherous one, for -within those stockade walls were half a hundred brave men resting upon -their arms and awaiting the coming of their foes, who, all knew, were -to hurl themselves against them that night. - -Since the day before, when he had left the valley retreat with Red -Hand, Buffalo Bill had been constantly on the move, scouting about the -hills, and his reconnoissance had discovered the plan of attack decided -upon by the Indians. - -According to promise, Pearl had met him in the gorge, and told him -that from the ledge she had witnessed the coming of Kansas King, and -heard all that had passed between him and her father, who had told the -outlaw chief that the night following he would come to his camp with -five hundred warriors, and that they would together move on the miners’ -stronghold. - -Kansas King had agreed to Gray Chief’s plans, and then took his -departure, apparently satisfied with the good faith of his allies. As -for the old hermit, he laughed in his sleeve at the way he had fooled -the outlaw, for it was his intention that very night to hurl his whole -force upon the robber camp, and, after a general massacre, to divide -his warriors into two parties and at once attack the two paleface -encampments. - -As soon as he learned the plans of the Indians, and also heard from -Pearl about the arrival of the cavalry in the Black Hills, Buffalo Bill -at once set out on his return to the stronghold. - -Whether Kansas King suspected the hermit chief of bad faith, or -determined to strike a blow himself against the settlements, is not -known; but certain it is, that, as soon as darkness set in, he moved -his men at once toward the Ramsey stockade, and after a gallant charge -up to the walls, discovered that the occupants had deserted the place. - -Chagrined at this discovery, the outlaw chief rode with all dispatch -toward the stronghold of the miners, and arrived there about the time -that Gray Chief and his red warriors reached the camping ground of the -robbers, to find that they had fled. - -With rage at the move of Kansas King, the Indians at once set out -for the Ramsey settlement, gloating over their anticipated revel in -blood. Again were they doomed to disappointment, and in fear that their -enemies had escaped them they rode rapidly for the stronghold of the -miners. - -Before they arrived, however, they heard the rattle of firearms. Then -it flashed across the hermit chief that Kansas King had outwitted him -and was determined to alone take the plunder from the miners and reduce -their stronghold to ashes. - -The firing grew louder, and then the fort came in sight, the flashes of -the rifles lighting up the dark mountainside. As the band of warriors -pressed on, Kansas King suddenly confronted the hermit chief, and, -with coolness, said: - -“Well, old man, you procrastinated too much, so I have begun the fight!” - -Both men felt that the other was playing some deep game; yet they were -anxious to receive aid, the one from the other. The outlaws had already -suffered severely, and at a glance the hermit chief and White Slayer -felt that the stronghold would not be easily taken. - -So the outlaws and the Sioux concluded to fight together against the -miners. The Indians were thrown into position, and the battle at once -raged in all its fierceness. In vain the outlaws, under their reckless -young leader, hurled themselves against the stockade walls; in vain the -warriors resorted to every cunning artifice known to them. - -The brave little garrison poured in constantly a galling fire upon -their enemies, and many an outlaw and Indian bit the dust. - -“Come, this will never do. We must charge in column with our whole -force and throw ourselves over the walls. I will lead,” cried Kansas -King, almost wild with fury at the stubborn resistance of the gallant -defenders. - -“It is the only chance, I see. Here, White Slayer, form your men for a -bold rush,” replied the stern old hermit chief. - -Then, with demoniacal yells, the mad column of outlaws and redskins -started upon the charge. Like hail the leaden bullets fell in their -midst, and terrible was the havoc; but on they pressed--Kansas King, -the hermit chief, and White Slayer at their head. - -On, still on, until the dark column reached the stockade. Springing -upon the shoulders of the braves, the daring White Slayer was the next -instant upon the top of the wall, his wild war whoop echoing defiance -and triumph. - -But suddenly behind the Indians came a ringing order in trumpet tones: - -“Troopers to the rescue--charge!” - -Then was heard the hearty cheer of regular soldiers, a rattling of -sabers, a heavy tramping of many hoofs, and upon the rear of the -attacking force rushed a squadron of cavalry, half a hundred strong, -and at their head rode Captain Edwin Archer. - -The sight that followed was a scene of terrible carnage, for in wild -dismay the Indians and outlaws fled, the battle lost to them at the -moment they believed victory their own. As the stampede became general, -two men mounted their horses and dashed rapidly away up the gorge. - -But upon their tracks rode two other men who had dashed out of the -stronghold in hot pursuit. The two who were flying in advance for their -lives were the hermit chief and Kansas King, both bitterly cursing -their misfortune. - -The two men who had ridden from the stronghold in pursuit were Red Hand -and Buffalo Bill. On flew the two chiefs up the dark gorge, and like -bloodhounds on the trail rode Red Hand and the famous scout. - -Up the valley, over the ridges, through the cañon, up to the base of -the hill, whereon stood the hermit’s cabin, rushed the riders. Here the -two fugitives sprang from their horses and darted up the steep ascent. - -But close behind them was Red Hand and Buffalo Bill. At last the ledge -was reached, and upon it the hermit turned at bay, for he saw that Red -Hand was close behind him. Like an enraged beast, the hermit chief -cried: - -“Tracked to my lair at last--at last; but, Vincent Vernon, you shall -die!” - -With gleaming knife, the old hermit sprang forward, but Red Hand, -with a cry of rage, as though he recognized the man before him, and -had some bitter injury of the past to avenge, met him with a terrible -earnestness--met him to hurl him back from him with a strength that was -marvelous, and with one plunge of his blade sent its keen point deep -into the broad bosom of his foe. - -One stifled cry, and the hermit chief fell back his full length upon -the hard rock, just as Kansas King, who had found the door of the cabin -barred against him, turned also at bay, to be met by a blow from the -pistol butt of Buffalo Bill, which felled him, stunned, to the earth. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIX. - - THE MYSTERY SOLVED. - - -Upon the rocky ledge, in front of the cabin, the moonlight streamed -with almost noonday brilliancy, and lighted up a strange scene. Lying -upon the rock was the hermit chief, his long gray beard and hair -shining like silver in the moonlight, and his broad chest heaving with -every hard-drawn breath--for the hermit had received his death wound. - -Standing near was Kansas King, a bloodstain upon his forehead, from a -wound made by the butt of the scout’s pistol. - -The face of the hermit was pallid with pain and some inward emotion of -bitterness. The face of the man whose deeds had won him the name of -Kansas King was still unmoved and reckless. - -In front of these men stood Buffalo Bill and Red Hand. Red Hand was -slightly in advance, and he was speaking, while his deep voice was -stern and almost cruel in tone. He was saying: - -“Carter Bainbridge, you have but a short time to live. Before your soul -takes its flight, I would have you speak, if the story I am now about -to relate is not true in every word.” - -After a moment, the hermit replied: - -“Hell has certainly aided you, Vincent Vernon, in letting your hand -take my life; tell all you wish to, for I care not now--no, not -now--ha! here comes Pearl.” - -At that moment the girl rushed from the cabin, and, beholding the -strange scene and the hermit lying wounded upon the rock, cried: -“Father, my father! Are you dying?” - -Quickly Red Hand stepped forward, and, restraining her, said: - -“My dear girl, this man is not your father--waste not your pity on him.” - -“Not my father! Oh, surely you are----” - -“He tells the truth, Pearl; I am not your father. Listen and he will -tell you all.” - -The hermit spoke with difficulty. - -“Yes, I tell the truth, as you shall all hear,” said Red Hand. “Many -years ago, in a New England State, I was living with my widowed mother; -my father, a naval officer, having died when I was a mere lad. My -mother had wealth, and, being youthful and handsome, had many admirers. - -“When I was fifteen years of age I first saw this man--Carter -Bainbridge--known to you all as the Hermit of the Black Hills. This man -became, as I believed, the husband of my mother. She loved him dearly, -and so did I; but his was a black heart, for already he had a wife -living in a Southern State--the mother of a son whom this man brought -to our house after his marriage with my mother, and passed off as his -nephew. - -“From the day of that son’s arrival, there began a plot for my mother’s -and my wealth, for the pretended nephew was as bad as his professed -uncle. At length I entered the navy as a midshipman, and after an -absence of three years returned to find my mother dead. - -“Even then I suspected no evil, but long afterward an investigation -proved that this man had cruelly taken my mother’s life. Again I went -to sea, and I left this man and his son at my house, as I believed, -but the son, as a common seaman, shipped on my vessel, and as I was -pacing the deck one night in a hard blow, I was thrown overboard by a -sailor who approached me unawares. - -“The vessel went on, for none had seen the act, and I would have been -lost had not a schooner picked me up not twenty minutes after I was -hurled into the sea. Returning home again, I found the father and son -there. Their fright at my appearance I took for surprise and joy, for -all believed me lost, and the man who had thrown me into the sea had -left the vessel at the first port and returned to report his success. - -“Dwelling in the same town where was my home was a physician and his -daughter, an only child. That girl I loved with my whole heart, and -before I again went to sea she became my wife. - -“With perfect trust, I left her at home with my supposed stepfather -and his son, while her father, the doctor, accompanied me to sea as my -guest, for his health was in a precarious condition, and he believed a -sea voyage would benefit him. - -“When in Spain, a year after my marriage, word came from my wife of the -birth of a little daughter. Then my father-in-law, who was still with -me, urged that I should resign and return home. I followed his advice, -and together we were to sail for London. The night before we sailed -from Spain, when my father-in-law and I were returning to the hotel -late in the evening, an assassin sprang from a dark corner and struck -him to the heart with a knife. - -“Strange to say, I was arrested as his murderer, and sent to America -for trial, for he was a man of vast wealth, and my wife was his only -heir. For nearly two years I lay in prison, and then was acquitted, for -no proof could be found against me. - -“And yet, in all that time my wife did not come near me, nor did my -stepfather or his son. At last I left my cell, and returned to my home, -to find I had no home, no wife, no child. This man, Carter Bainbridge, -had sold all my property that he could lay hands on, and my wife had -gone off with the son, whose name was Ben Talbot. - -“My child, I was told, was dead; and I believed it, especially when -I received a letter from my misguided wife, bidding me farewell, and -telling me that she intended to die by her own hand. Considerable -property, left me by an aunt, I still had, and, with money at my -disposal, I started to hunt down Carter Bainbridge and Ben Talbot. - -“It was long and tedious work, but I tracked this old man, step by -step, for a long time, and discovered much of his evil life--aye, I -discovered that he had deceived another woman, who believed she became -his wife, and was then cast off by him, after he had robbed her of her -wealth, and left her and her boy to starve. - -“That woman was the mother of the man known as Kansas King.” - -With breathless suspense, all had listened to the story of Red Hand, -and yet none were prepared for the sudden and startling assertion he -made regarding the parentage of the outlaw chief. - -As for Kansas King, he stood amazed and silent--for a moment--and then -said bitterly: - -“Red Hand, I feel that you speak the truth; tell me, old man, am I your -son?” - -“Is your right name Leo Randolph?” faintly asked the hermit. - -“So men call me; but if my parentage was dishonorable I hold no claim -to any name.” - -“You are, then, my son.” - -“Good God! Well, if I am hung by Captain Archer here, my fate will be -the proper thing, I suppose, and yet I prefer hanging to acknowledging -you as my father.” - -The outlaw spoke with terrible bitterness. Then Red Hand continued, in -the same deep tones: - -“At length, I tracked this man to his home, and I believed I killed -him, for I drove my knife deep into his side. It was the first time my -hand was stained with blood, though from my birth I have borne this -mark which has given me my name upon the frontier.” - -Red Hand held up his hand so that the moonlight revealed its crimson -hue. Again he went on: - -“But I was only half avenged, for Ben Talbot still lived. What destiny -ever led my footsteps into these hills, God only knows; but here, five -years ago, I met Ben Talbot--and killed him.” - -“Tell me, Vincent Vernon, tell me--is the grave in the Haunted Valley -that of my son?” said the old hermit eagerly. - -“It is; I killed him, and, for the sake of the happy days we had passed -together in boyhood, I buried him, and carved his name upon a tree at -the head of his grave.” - -“I knew of the grave, but never saw it--never knew that my son lay -buried there, for I thought he had gone East,” muttered the old hermit. - -“Tell me, Carter Bainbridge,” continued Red Hand, “did Ben Talbot come -here with you?” - -“Yes; I fled here in fear of my life, for I have been a great sinner, -and Ben and Grace came with me; but we had a quarrel, and they left, as -I believed, to go East and----” - -“And they settled in the Haunted Valley, and there they lived, until I -killed Ben Talbot. Then poor Grace still remained, alone, to watch his -grave, until last night she fell by her own hand, as this scout knows. -Aye, fell by her own hand, and we two buried her there in the valley. - -“Then I sought the cabin where they lived, and the papers I found there -told me all; yes, that Ben Talbot had slain the father of my wife, and -then placed the crime at my door to have me hung, and that, believing -the story told her, Grace had fled, a guilty thing, from my love. But -I have forgiven her all. Aye, more did I learn, and that is that this -girl here, who has heard every word of my story, is my own daughter. -Pearl, will you come to your father’s heart?” - -Words cannot portray the tenderness with which Red Hand spoke, and, -comprehending the whole plot of crime against him, and feeling that he -was indeed her father, the girl sprang forward and nestled close in the -arms of the man whose life had known so much of misery. - -Not a word, not a motion, marred the silent joy of that moment for -those two, father and daughter, so cruelly divided through life. -Finally Red Hand turned once more to the old hermit, and said: - -“Carter Bainbridge, I can now, in my joy, even forgive you.” - -No word of reply came, the eyes gazed straight at the moon with a fixed -stare, and the voice of Buffalo Bill said quietly: - -“He’s gone to another trapping ground, comrade.” - -It was indeed true; and Red Hand turned and led poor Pearl into the -cabin, to prepare for the return to the stronghold of the miners. - - - - - CHAPTER XL. - - TWO WEDDINGS. - - -In the shadow of the hill that sheltered his cabin, Carter Bainbridge, -the Hermit of the Black Hills, found his last earthly hermitage--the -grave. Standing by, watching the burial of the hermit, was Pearl, -leaning upon the arm of her father, and so intent were Tom Sun, Lone -Dick, and Buffalo Bill in digging the grave, and Edwin Archer in gazing -upon the beautiful face and form of Pearl Vernon, that no one noticed -the prisoner, Kansas King, quietly steal away, until all was over. - -Search and pursuit were then useless, and, mounting their steeds, -awaiting them in the gorge, the party started for the miners’ -stronghold, where they arrived just at sunrise, and were greeted with -wild hurrahs from all. - -Buffalo Bill then accompanied Red Hand and his daughter to the Haunted -Valley, and while he went on to tell the glad tidings of victory to -the anxious party in the secret retreat, the husband and the daughter -halted at the grave of poor Grace, and, guilty though she was, they -sorrowed for her most deeply. - -During the day the whole party of miners and settlers were gathered -together at the stronghold. Most warmly was Pearl welcomed by Ruth -Ramsey and all, when they heard the strange story of her eventful life, -and hearty congratulations were bestowed upon Red Hand in honor of his -new-found happiness. - -Toward evening Major Wells arrived with his squadron. Though the -settlers and gold seekers had nothing to fear while the soldiers were -there to protect them, the danger from hostile Indians was still so -great that the scout and the officers urged the settlers not to remain -in the hills. - -The greater part of the two bands were most willing to acquiesce, and -the following day the entire company, accompanied by the cavalry, left -the inhospitable but beautiful land, and took up their march for the -boundary of civilization. - -During the march, Edwin Archer and Pearl Vernon were often together, -and so also were Red Hand, now known as Vincent Vernon, and Ruth Ramsey. - -The result of this intimacy was that, shortly after their arrival at -North Platte, there was an engagement entered into between each couple, -to be consummated one year from that date. - -Then were the two bands scattered to the four winds of heaven, some -remaining upon the frontier, among whom was Lone Dick, who returned to -trapping, and Tom Sun, who entered the army under Major Wells. - -As for Captain Ramsey, he went East with his family, and purchased a -home in Maryland, while Captain Edwin Archer started for New York to -take possession of a fortune left him by a maiden aunt. Tired of a wild -life on the border, and rejoiced to have found a beautiful daughter, -Red Hand also left for New York, where he placed Pearl at school for -one year. - -She became the bride of Edwin Archer the same day that beheld Ruth -Ramsey married to Vincent Vernon, and well I know that every reader -of these lines will wish them happiness as they journey through life -together. - -The great scout, after solving the mystery of Red Hand, departed for -military duty at Fort Hays. Notwithstanding the fact that Buffalo Bill -was attached to the fort, his duties made it necessary for him to roam -over the vast expanse of prairies and to aid travelers whenever he -found them in distress. - - - - - CHAPTER XLI. - - THE BRANDED BROTHERHOOD. - - -Picture to yourself a bivouac of outlaws, a wild-looking but -picturesque camp scene far out in the “land of the setting sun.” A -“prairie sea” is upon every hand, here and there dotted with a timber -island, a cool and refreshing covert from the heat of the plain. - -Miles and miles of land, unfurrowed by the plowshare, untilled by human -hands, stretch away in boundless expanse as far as mortal vision can -sweep. Winding its silvery length along, like a huge serpent crawling -across the rolling prairies, is a clear and lazy river, its waters cold -and inviting, coming from the icy fountains in the hills, and its banks -flower-spangled and many-hued, while here and there a motte, or growth -of timber, casts fantastic shadows across the stream. - -In the deep recesses and shady retreats of one of the larger of these -mottes is this bivouac of bandits. The day is far spent, the sun is -near its setting, and its last rays cause the tall trees to stretch -their shadows far out over the waving grass, which, under the influence -of a light wind, resembles the restless waves of the ocean. - -Into this encampment of the outlaws I would have the reader accompany -me, in imagination, for there he will behold a scene never to be met -with amid the boundaries of civilization. These men formed a wild and -striking assemblage of horsemen, dismounted and gathered in groups, -either preparing their evening meal around the blazing camp fires, or -else indifferently lounging around, awaiting the completion of the -culinary arrangements. - -A strange set of human beings they were, of many tongues and costumes, -but with the buckskin leggings, flannel shirt, and slouch hat -predominating. They were men outlawed from the homes of civilization; -men upon whose brows rested the curse of Cain, and who were branded, -far and wide, as a brotherhood of bandits. - -Many of them were dashing, daring, and gallant fighters, but turned the -gifts God had given them to prey upon the lives and fortunes of their -fellow men. Amid that motley group might be seen the deserter from the -army of the United States, the lively Frenchman, the florid Englishman, -the beer-loving German, the swarthy Spaniard, the half-breed, the -full-blooded Indian, and the American. - -Truly they were a bold and reckless set, held in check by one man, who, -half reclining before a bright fire, watched the movements of his negro -cook, and ever and anon addressed some words to the three or four of -his comrades around him. - -Once that elegant but powerful form had been clad in the uniform of -an honored cavalry officer of his country’s service, and the dark and -lustrous eyes had, amid the brilliant saloons of the distant cities, - - Looked love to eyes - That spoke again. - -But that was long ago, and time had brought many changes, and branded -his once proud name with infamy. Fully six feet in height, and of -supple, graceful form, the chief of the Branded Brotherhood wore -buckskin, with trousers elaborately worked with beads, and fringed down -the outer seams. - -Instead of moccasins, his feet were incased in high-top cavalry boots, -armed with huge spurs; and a blue silk shirt and Mexican jacket, -profusely adorned with silver buttons, completed his costume, excepting -a gray slouch hat, with exceedingly broad brim, which was turned up on -one side. - -The hands and face of the outlaw were burned as brown as the sun -and exposure could make them; a heavy brown beard, of a like shade, -with his long, curling hair, completely hid the lower features of -his face; but his nose was straight and firm, his forehead broad and -intellectual, his eyes strangely fiery and savage, while within their -inmost depths was an expression hard to fathom, for at times it looked -like fear, again was expressive of sadness, and at others of hatred and -mischief. - -His men knew him only as “the chief.” Along the frontier he was called -“Captain Ricardo, the Bandit,” but what his real name was none knew. - -Nor did any one know whence he came, only it was surmised that he had -once been a distinguished cavalry officer, who, having been dismissed -from the service for a crime committed, had taken to the plains as a -highway robber, until, in a few years he had organized the band of -which he was chief, and which had spread terror far and wide along the -border. - -The chief’s horse, a splendid-looking iron-gray, fed near by, and, -serving as a resting place for his arm was a Mexican saddle, with a -belt, containing two revolvers and a bowie knife, which Captain Ricardo -kept near at hand. - -The persons immediately surrounding the chief consisted of the negro -cook, a cunning-faced, wiry fellow, black as a coal, who never, -sleeping or waking, went without his revolver and knife, which he kept -in a large leather belt around his waist. - -It was said the negro, whom his master called Buttermilk--as a contrast -to his color--knew more of the chief’s life than did any one else; but, -if so, he was never known to betray that knowledge. - -Then there was an Indian scout, a powerful and evil-looking Sioux, who -had betrayed his own people and then sought refuge in the outlaw band, -and, thoroughly knowing the whole country, Captain Ricardo found him an -able ally. - -There were also two others, both white men; one a square-framed, -brutal-faced man of forty-five, whom the chief had made his second -in command, and the other a renegade trapper and hunter, who, having -robbed his comrades, a few years before, had sought the band for -protection. - -Turning to his officer, who was impatiently watching the rather lazy -preparations of the negro, Buttermilk, Captain Ricardo remarked, in a -voice strangely soft and pleasant for one who led his wild life: - -“I see no reason why the train should not fall easily into our hands, -for they must cross the river at a point near here.” - -“Yes, chief; but if we wait for them to come up here the troop will -have rejoined them, and now, you know, the Injun here says Captain la -Clyde and his troopers are off on a scout and the train has only its -own men to guard it.” - -This was the answer of the lieutenant, who answered to the name of Red -Roark, both on account of his red hair and beard and his bloody deeds, -for at heart he was a perfect brute. - -“The chief’s right,” said the renegade trapper. “You hear me talk, Red -Roark. If we waits for them fellers here they’ll come onsuspectinglike, -right onto our trap; but ef we goes out on the prairie to fight ’em, -then we’ll get some hard knocks and no pay. You see, I’s been in thar -train, as I told the chief, and I knows what I’s talkin’ about.” - -The trapper was squatted down on the ground near the chief, who replied: - -“You really went into their train, Long Dave?” - -“You bet! I just tole ’em I was a hunter as was going to the forts, -and I tell you they has just got a ticklish-lookin’ set of fellers to -tackle. They axed me ’bout you, chief, and ef I thought they’d run -across you, and, of course, I tole ’em no, and they said ef they did -you’d have to git up early to catch them napping.” - -“How many fighting men are there, Long Dave?” - -“Some forty or more, big boys included; and then there’s the twenty -troopers under Captain la Clyde, who you might count on, for he just -goes scouting around, you see, and has taken a shine to one of the gals -in the train, and he’s going to be on hand when it comes to a row, you -bet.” - -“Which way did the cavalry go when they left the train last night?” - -“That’s jist what I was going to find out when I seed that devil of a -fellow they call Buffalo Bill a-coming across the prairie, and I jest -lit out for these diggin’s, you bet, chief, kase I knows that fellow, -and don’t want him near me.” - -“You refer to Buffalo Bill, the army scout?” - -“Yes, the fellow is getting mighty bold of late.” - -“He is, indeed, and I would be willing to pay a round sum to take him, -for he has thwarted my plans more than once. Well, we’ll lie in wait -for the train here, and to-night, Long Dave, you and Black Wolf must -start out and bring me the exact whereabouts of both the train and the -troopers, for this rich harvest must not be lost for want of reaping. -Now let us have supper, Buttermilk, you lazy dog.” - -“You be lazy, too, if you have to cook tough ole buffalo bull a -t’ousand year ole,” grumbled the negro, who always had a way of -answering back when addressed, and which his master appeared not to -notice, but would severely punish in any one else. - -Just as night set in the chief and his three comrades fell to and were -soon enjoying the really delicious meal which Buttermilk had prepared. -An hour or more passed away and the bandit camp was as silent as a -“city of the dead,” for the men had rolled themselves in their blankets -and sought their rest, excepting the half a dozen sentinels who had -been set to keep watch and ward. - -Now and then the howl of a hungry wolf out on the prairie broke the -stillness of the night, or the startled snort of a horse was heard. -Then again all was quiet, until suddenly there rang forth the sharp -crack of a rifle, followed by a death shriek. Instantly every man in -that camp was on his feet, excepting one, and that one was a sentinel -who lay dead where he had fallen beneath the aim of an unseen foe. In -silence the band awaited, the chief at his post, and all ready to meet -an expected attack; but slowly the minutes passed and no other sound -was heard to prove an enemy near, and the prairie looked free of danger. - -But presently another sharp crack of a rifle rang out, a light flashed -out upon the prairie, and momentarily a horseman was seen by its glare. -Then a dozen voices cried out: - -“Buffalo Bill!” - -Beneath his aim another bandit had bitten the dust. In angry tones, the -robber chief cried: - -“Mount, and after him, men! A thousand dollars for his scalp!” - -There was mounting in hot haste, and half a hundred horsemen swept out -from the dark covert of a timber and spread over the starlit prairie -in pursuit of a dark object, dimly visible, flying swiftly from the -human bloodhounds upon his track, but so rapidly distancing them by the -remarkable speed of his horse that, before long, in despair of ever -capturing the daring foe, one by one the bandits returned to camp to -talk over, around the replenished camp fires, the daring of the famous -scout, and wonder at his marvelous escapes from death. - - - - - CHAPTER XLII. - - THE RESCUE. - - -When the horseman who had so boldly approached the bandits’ bivouac, -and laid two of their number dead beneath his aim, sped across the -prairie with a score of horsemen at his heels, he had urged his horse -to a speed which caused him to soon draw out of range of their rifles, -for he was mounted upon his famous horse Midnight, a steed that had -never found an equal on the plains. - -Having kept up his swift flight for a few miles, and observing that his -pursuers had given up the chase, Buffalo Bill halted and dismounted to -give his horse a short rest. His eye now caught a rosy light upon the -eastern horizon, and then, as though rising from the ocean, the moon -sailed upward. - -Intently watching the rising moon, the scout suddenly started and bent -his gaze more earnestly over the prairie, for across the bright face of -the luminary he distinctly saw several dark objects glide. - -Yes, one, two, three, four horsemen--followed by several more, glided -along like specters, going at a swift pace in a southerly direction. - -Instantly the scout turned and tightened his saddle girths, and then -looked well to his weapons. Standing by his horse, in the clear -moonlight, he was a striking-looking man. - -Having at length discovered the direction taken by the horsemen, whose -presence near at hand the rising moon had betrayed, Buffalo Bill sprang -into his saddle. A word to his noble animal and he was off, skimming -the prairie almost as does the sea gull skim over the sea. - -A rapid gallop of two miles and the tall trees of a motte loomed up -before him; a few moments more placed him beneath the dark shadows of -the timber. Then, turning, he glanced out over the moonlit prairie. -His eyes fell upon the dark forms of half a dozen or more mounted men -coming directly toward the motte. - -“Well, I hold the vantage ground thus far, and I’ll not yield it -without a struggle, whoever they may be.” - -The scout pushed farther into the dense thicket, where, dismounting, he -spoke a word to his horse, and the faithful animal lay down, the better -to conceal him from view. - -A few moments passed, and presently the horsemen entered the motte and -the murmur of voices was heard; then a bright light flared through the -trees. - -“As I thought, they came here to camp for the night, and now I’ll see -who they are.” - -The scout arose and stealthily approached the spot where the newcomers -had a bright fire blazing, around which he beheld seven people, five -of whom were Sioux warriors, in all their war paint, and the other two -were palefaces, a man and a woman. - -Stealing still closer, the scout observed that the horses had been -staked, as if for the night. The Indians were preparing their supper of -buffalo meat toasted on the coals, while the whites stood listlessly -by, their hands bound behind them, the expression of their faces -proving them to be prisoners. - -“They are certainly not residents on the border. I have it: they belong -to that wagon train. I must warn that train of the presence of the -Branded Brotherhood in this neighborhood.” - -The scout looked intently at the female prisoner, who was a young -girl, scarcely more than seventeen, with a truly lovely face, although -saddened by her captivity. Her wealth of golden hair had become -loosened from its confinement, and hung in wavy masses far down her -back, concealing the rude bonds that held her hands behind her. - -She wore a straw hat and was clad in a riding habit of neat homespun, -but which was torn by the rough usage she had received at the hands -of her savage captors. Her white companion was a man of perhaps -twenty-five, his face bold and reckless, and with a fair amount of good -looks. - -He was dressed in a suit of dark-gray cloth, wore cavalry boots, and -dove-colored soft hat. The scout took the whole scene in carefully, and -then thought: - -“Well, there are five against me; but what should I care for five Sioux -braves? Those prisoners must be released, and I’ll bide my time and do -it; so here goes.” - -He quietly settled himself full length upon the ground, and with the -patience of an Indian awaited until the supper had been disposed of and -the Indians had prepared for the night’s rest, after having securely -bound the captives to a tree. - -One of the warriors then shouldered his rifle and moved off to act as -sentinel, while his four comrades rolled themselves in their blankets -and stretched out before the fire. - -The Indian sentinel first cautiously advanced toward the edge of the -motte and took a careful survey of the moonlit prairie, after which he -made a rapid circuit of the timber, his eyes glancing far and near for -lurking danger. - -Having satisfied even his cautious self that all was quiet and safe, -the Indian approached the camp fire once more, coming in a line that -would lead him directly upon the hidden scout. - -Slowly he approached, wholly unconscious of danger until within a few -feet of his foe, then his eyes fell upon the dark object in his path. -Before he could draw back or utter a cry of alarm, the scout was upon -him, his iron grasp upon his throat. - -One, two rapid knife thrusts, and the Indian sentinel was “off duty -forever.” But the almost noiseless struggle had caught the quick ears -of the yet wide-awake Sioux around the camp fire. - -In alarm they sprang to their feet, one to fall dead across the burning -logs, a bullet in his brain, another to utter his dying war whoop as a -leaden messenger from the scout’s repeating rifle pierced his heart. - -Bounding from his covert with a wild, prolonged, and ringing war whoop, -one well known on the border, the scout rushed upon the two remaining -redskins, but in dismay they had turned to flee, for their unseen foe -had every advantage, and rapidly through the timber they darted to seek -safety. - -A long, shrill whistle then pierced the grove as the horseman sped -after them. Then another shot leaped from the scout’s rifle, and a -fourth warrior fell to the ground in death agonies, while, brought to -bay, the remaining redskin turned to meet his enemy. Raising his rifle, -the savage fired hastily upon his rapidly advancing foe. - -But his aim was untrue, as a wild war whoop from the pursuer at once -assured him, and the next moment the two met face to face, armed with -their glittering knives. - -The Indian warrior, a man of herculean frame and strength, might have -given Buffalo Bill a desperate encounter, but, just as their knives -clashed, there came a rapid clattering of hoofs, and from the dark -timber-dashed Midnight, neighing loudly, as he rushed to the side of -his master. - -Believing a host of horsemen were upon him, the Sioux brave uttered a -whoop of terror, and, before the scout could prevent, had darted away -and disappeared in the thicket. - -“Old comrade, you have frightened that redskin almost to death,” -laughed the scout, as Midnight halted beside him. - -Then he continued: - -“Let him go, poor devil, but sooner or later his time will come. Now to -release the prisoners.” - -Quickly retracing his way toward the camp fire, the scout soon stood in -the presence of the prisoners, saying, in a pleasant voice: - -“Cheer up, my friends, for I have charge of this ranch now.” - -“Oh, sir, you are very, very brave and noble, and you have saved us,” -cried the girl, seizing his hands, as soon as her own were released -from their bonds. - -“And I offer my thanks, sir, for I thought it all up with us,” said the -girl’s companion. - -Both of them gazed earnestly into the face of the splendid-looking man -before them, who replied: - -“No thanks for performing one’s duty; but you are not safe yet, for -there may be more redskins about, so we’ll get away from here at once. -You are not too tired to stand a rapid gallop, miss?” - -“Oh, no, sir,” she answered eagerly, “and it cannot be far to the wagon -train, for we only left it about an hour before sunset.” - -“On what trail were you, can I ask?” - -“We were going toward the headwaters of the Republican River, on the -trail from Fort Hays.” - -“Then your train is within twenty miles of here and doubtless encamped -upon the river for the night. If you will aid me, we will take in the -little lot of cattle the redskins have willed us and decamp.” - -Buffalo Bill spoke to the man. A few moments more and the scout and -his new-found companions were mounted and rapidly leaving the motte, -carrying with them the ponies that had been ridden by the five Indian -warriors. - -It was with perfect trust that the girl and her fellow captive yielded -to the guidance of their brave companion, for he had informed them, -in answer to a question of the young girl, that he was called Buffalo -Bill, a name often heard by them around the nightly camp fires, and -connected with deeds of marvelous bravery. - - - - - CHAPTER XLIII. - - A TRAITOR IN CAMP. - - -Upon the banks of a small stream, and beneath the shelter of a few -scattering trees, a large wagon train was encamped during the night on -which the scenes related in the foregoing chapter transpired. - -There were fully half a hundred wagons, their covers, once snow-white, -now stained brown by exposure and travel; while, staked out upon the -prairie, were herds of horses and cattle, enjoying the rich grass. - -The wagons were encamped in a crescent form, with each end of the -crescent resting upon the river bank. Within the space thus inclosed a -score of bright camp fires were shedding their ruddy light far across -the prairie. - -Through the camp was a scene of busy life, the preparation of the -evening meal being the principal duty in progress. - -There appeared to rest upon all a shade of sadness, for from their -number two were missing, and around their camp fires their absence was -sorely felt. A few hours before, they had started forth for a gallop -over the prairies, and a scout coming in reported that they had been -captured by a band of Sioux Indians. - -But what could be done? Night was coming rapidly on; it was camping -time, and until the next day no move for their recovery could be -made, for it was impossible to follow the trail of the Indians in the -darkness. - -The wagon train consisted of a dozen families, their teamsters and -guides, moving from the boundaries of civilization to the prairies of -the Far West, there to build new homes. - -With one family particularly, among these daring pioneers, we will -have to become friends, for they will occupy no inferior place in this -romance of life on the far frontier. - -In that family were five persons, consisting of Major Austin Conrad, -his wife, a sad-faced matron of forty-five, a son of twenty-two, Gerald -Conrad, and a daughter of seventeen, the joyous and beautiful Sibyl. - -Then there was a niece of the major, and his ward, Ruth Whitfield, a -dashing, brilliant-looking brunette of twenty, who had been a belle in -her native city, until financial reverses had reduced her once proud -parents to want, and cast her upon the bounty of her uncle. - -Major Conrad was an ex-army officer, who in early life had seen much -service on the frontier, but at length married his cousin and settled -down to private life and the enjoyment of his riches. - -But reverses had at last befallen him and he was almost crushed beneath -his sorrows and misfortunes, until his brave wife begged that he would -leave the scene of his troubles and find a new home far in the Western -country. - -New life seemed instilled into the major at the thought, and two months -after found him en route for a home on the border, accompanied by his -wife, his children, and his niece. - -Joining a westward moving train, they decided to accompany the -emigrants, and the major, upon account of his military experience and -former knowledge of the country, was made the captain of the expedition. - -Without serious mishap the train had proceeded on its way for many -miles, and then it came into a country where the pioneers felt that -danger was upon every hand. - -But, undaunted, they pressed on, well knowing that if they could once -get a foothold and establish a settlement, they would be able to -bid defiance to all troublesome bands of Indians as well as to the -desperate band of the Branded Brotherhood, who, rumor said, warred upon -all settlers on the frontier. - -They had met with their first serious mishap in the capture of Sibyl -Conrad and Howard Lawrence, the latter a young man who had joined the -train before it departed from Kansas City, and who, by his genial -manners and undisputed courage, had won the esteem of every one in the -pioneer band. - -Sibyl and Howard Lawrence had ridden forth to look up a good camping -ground for the night. - -A returning hunter had reported that they had been suddenly surrounded -and captured by a band of Sioux warriors. - -After witnessing their capture, the hunter had concealed himself in a -motte until the Indians had disappeared with their prisoners, and then -had brought to the train the startling news. - -Slowly the night passed away in the camp on the stream. With the first -glimmer of day in the east all were up and busy, for a band of twenty -horsemen, led by Major Conrad and guided by the hunter, who had seen -the capture of Sibyl and Howard Lawrence, were preparing to start forth -to the rescue. - -Suddenly a cry of alarm was heard. The guards reported a body of -horsemen approaching, and through the dim morning light a small -cavalcade was indistinctly visible. - -Nearer and nearer they came. Then the cry of alarm turned to one of -joy, for the forms of Sibyl Conrad and Howard Lawrence were recognized, -accompanied by one other, a tall, splendid-looking horseman, followed -by a number of led animals. - -Quickly the cry of the guards was taken up. Then through the entire -encampment resounded the notes of joy. When the party rode up, a -ringing welcome awaited them, and their friends gathered around in -delight at their return. - -Instantly Sibyl was folded in the arms of her parents, and warm grasps -met the hand of Howard Lawrence, who, in a few words, told of their -brave rescue at the hands of the army scout. - -“You are, then, Buffalo Bill?” said Major Conrad, advancing quickly -and gazing intently into the face of the man before him, and upon whom -every eye was now turned with admiration, for his wonderful career was -known far and wide. - -“I am called Buffalo Bill, sir,” was the quiet reply, “and I am glad -to have saved your daughter, Major Conrad; but, can I ask, as I learn -you are destined for the headwaters of the Republican, why I find you -bearing so much out of your way to the southward?” - -The scout spoke modestly, and as if anxious to turn the conversation -from himself. - -“We are under the guidance of an experienced plainsman, sir. Yonder he -comes, now,” replied Major Conrad. - -The scout turned around at the words of the officer and glanced in the -direction of the coming man. - -It was the hunter and the guide of the train--a man of almost giant -frame, attired in a suit of buckskin, and with a face scarred in such -a manner by a knife cut across the nose and cheek as to give it a most -forbidding expression. - -One glance at the hunter, and Buffalo Bill exclaimed: - -“What! That man your guide? Red Dick, do you know me?” - -With a bound the scout was in front of the hunter, whose brown face -turned white, and whose eyes lighted up with a malicious expression, as -he said savagely: - -“A man who has left a mark on me such as I bear is not soon forgotten, -I’ll take my Bible oath.” - -Instantly the giant hunter drew a long knife and stood at bay, as -though expecting an attack, while the scout quickly drew his own keen -blade and appeared as if about to advance upon him. - -“Hold, guide! Hold, sir. There must be some mistake here, for this man -has been a most faithful guide and was strongly recommended to us,” and -Major Conrad stepped forward between the two men. - -“There is no mistake, Major Conrad,” said Buffalo Bill. “This man is -a renegade desperado, and we have met before, as he well knows. Stand -aside, please, and let Red Dick meet me.” - -A step nearer the scout advanced, his eyes ablaze and fastened upon -Red Dick, who somewhat nervously awaited the expected attack, which -now appeared most imminent, for none present seemed called upon to -interfere. - -But, suddenly, a slight and graceful form glided in between the two -men, and the hand of Sibyl Conrad was laid upon the arm of Buffalo Bill. - -“Surely, one so brave, so noble, would not stain his hand unnecessarily -with blood in the presence of women and children.” - -The face of the scout flushed, his knife was lowered immediately, and -he replied in deep, earnest tones: - -“Lady, I am glad you recalled me to myself. But you do not know the -accursed life of this man, or you would hardly plead for him; but it -shall be as you request.” - -Then, turning to his burly enemy, the scout continued sternly: - -“Red Dick, this lady has prevented an encounter that should have ended -in your death or mine. Now I bid you leave this camp.” - -The giant hunter turned an earnest look into his foe’s face, and, -reading there only deadly determination, said: - -“I’ll go now, scout, ’cause you hold the winning card; but Red Dick -will be on your trail hot in the future.” - -So saying, he wheeled away, walked to one of the wagons, and, taking -his rifle and accouterments, mounted his tall, raw-boned horse and -departed, leaving Buffalo Bill master of the situation. - -But hardly had the huge form of the exiled horse and rider disappeared -over a roll in the prairie when suddenly he reappeared, and at his back -rode over a hundred mounted Sioux warriors, who came rushing down upon -the train with discordant yells and the war cries of their tribe. - - - - - CHAPTER XLIV. - - RUNNING THE GANTLET. - - -“Every man to his post.” - -It was the clear and commanding voice of Buffalo Bill that gave the -order. The effect upon the pioneers was electrical, for they felt -that in him they had a leader who fully understood the cunning of the -Indians, and whose bravery was upon every tongue on the frontier. - -“Buffalo Bill, you are well accustomed to scenes like this one about to -be forced upon us, and I would like you to take command,” cried Major -Conrad, advancing quickly to the side of the scout. - -Buffalo Bill glanced out upon the prairie toward the coming Indians, as -he replied: - -“Fortunately the train is in corral, sir, and the men are ready for -a fight. I would advise that the women and children be placed under -cover of the river bank yonder. The ravine will protect the horses and -cattle, while, with the wagons for the breastwork, the men can hold out -splendidly.” - -This advice was acted upon, and in a few moments the camp was ready for -action. Stationing himself upon the outer edge of the line of wagons, -Buffalo Bill was seen to suddenly raise his repeating rifle; a quick -aim, a shot, and a painted warrior fell from his horse. - -The yell of exultation from the emigrants was answered by a series of -wild war whoops from the infuriated Indians. - -“Now, Major Conrad,” said the scout, “you see that I know yonder -renegade guide well, for he is doubtless the leader of the approaching -band of redskins, and was guiding you into a trap.” - -“We have much to thank you for, sir,” was the earnest answer; “but the -Indians have halted.” - -“Yes, they are too wary to charge these lines in the daytime, and----” - -“And what, sir?” asked Major Conrad, as the scout paused thoughtfully. - -“And by nightfall I can bring relief, for not many miles from here is a -band of Pawnees hunting buffalo.” - -“But, sir, you can never escape from here, for see, the Indians are -beginning to surround us, and two separate parties are swimming the -river.” - -The scout took in the scene at once, and then said quietly: - -“You must hold the red devils at bay. Mind, act only on the defensive, -and I will run the gantlet of their fire, and bring what relief I can.” - -A shrill whistle followed, and Midnight trotted up to his master, and -stood ready for his command. Remonstrance with the scout was useless; -and after another warning to all, he sprang into the saddle and rode -down to the river. - -A word of encouragement to Midnight, and the noble animal bounded into -the clear waters, and was soon swimming bravely toward the other shore, -followed by the eyes of all the emigrants, who were wafting Godspeed to -the daring man periling his life to aid them. - -Before half the river was crossed the Indians discovered the scout, and -with discordant yells the two parties, one up and the other down the -stream, rushed to cut him off. - -The scout observed their intention, but kept bravely on, urging his -horse to swim still faster. Leading one of these parties who were -rushing toward the point where the scout was to land, was the traitor -guide, Red Dick, who now seemed to feel assured that his revenge would -be satiated, for he urged his large roan forward at a tremendous pace, -quickly shooting ahead of the inferior horses ridden by the redskins. - -Soon the scout reached the other shore and dismounted, while the horse -shook himself like a huge Newfoundland dog. Then the girths were -tightened, and the holster pistols returned to their places; after -which the scout mounted as coolly as though almost certain death did -not stare him in the face. - -The deadly rifle was raised, and with a quick aim was fired in the -direction of the band farthest off. A red brave threw up his arms and -fell from his horse, to be trampled upon by those behind. - -Again the rifle rang out, and the large roan ridden by Red Dick was -seen to stagger, stumble, and then go heavily down, hurling his giant -rider with terrible force upon the ground. - -From the lips of Buffalo Bill there came then a war whoop of defiance, -and away bounded Midnight, keeping an equal distance between the two -lines rushing furiously upon him and hardly more than two hundred yards -distant. - -“On, Midnight, for you have a brave duty to perform,” cried Buffalo -Bill, as he turned in his saddle and glanced back toward the camp. - -Seeing the action, the pioneers gave him three hearty cheers, which -the Indians answered with their discordant yells. - -“But, what is the daring rider going to do? Has his courage failed him? -Is he mad?” - -Such were the hurried questions that burst from the lips of the -astonished emigrants, as they saw Buffalo Bill suddenly come to a halt, -and coolly gaze first upon one side and then upon the other. - -The Indians also saw him halt, and their superstitious minds were -impressed with the idea that he was laughing at their efforts to take -him, and intended to escape by some supernatural means unknown to them, -for, often before had they known him to elude them when in their very -grasp. - -With their leader dismounted, and apparently hurt, for Red Dick was -seated beside his dead horse, the Indians hardly knew what to do, and, -as they drew nearer and nearer to the mysterious scout, they gradually -checked the speed of their horses, until the smaller party, consisting -of a dozen braves, came to a halt, and with wondering eyes and wild -gestures, seemed to be holding a council of war. - -This was what Buffalo Bill had expected. As soon as the squadron -halted, he wheeled Midnight, and, with the air ringing and echoing -with his terrible war cries, and a revolver in each hand, he charged -directly upon the astonished savages. - -Then he added to their consternation by opening a brisk and telling -fire upon them. It proved fatal in several instances. The frightened -braves turned and fled, and, with the speed of an arrow, the scout -rushed on toward the open prairie, having safely run the terrible -gantlet. - -Then, as the emigrants looked with eager eyes, they beheld the cause of -the sudden movement of Buffalo Bill, for directly in his former path -arose the forms of a dozen painted warriors, doubtless of the same -band, who were hiding in a shallow gulch and would have sprung up in -the pathway of the scout, had not his quick eye detected the plumed -head of some brave too eager to catch his prey to keep wholly concealed. - -The watching emigrants saw with pleasure that the Indians quickly gave -up the chase, for the famous steed of the scout left them rapidly -behind. - -In an hour Midnight appeared as a mere speck upon the prairie. - - - - - CHAPTER XLV. - - A WARNING AND A RAID. - - -Far from the home of his kindred, far from the home of any of his race, -and in the wilds where Indians roamed without restraint, was the cabin -of Alfred Carter. - -Three years before the opening scenes of this story, Alfred Carter had -squatted upon the banks of the Republican River, and with the aid of -only his brave wife and pretty daughter Rose, and his young son Edgar, -he had built a stout and comfortable cabin, half fort, half house. - -The prairies around him furnished food for his small family, and his -cattle roamed near at hand. A quiet, sad-looking man, ever generous and -peaceable, Alfred Carter had no enemies. - -Even the Sioux were friendly to him, although they were at war with the -whites, for the settler had often fed them from his table, and when -their great chief was severely wounded and would have died for want of -care, Alfred Carter had nursed him back to life, and forever won his -friendship. - -Seated in the cabin door, upon the day that the scout ran the gantlet -of the band of Sioux warriors, was a girl of eighteen, with large, -velvety eyes, a dark complexion, and long, waving black hair. - -This girl was Rose Carter. She was engaged in knitting a pair of -cotton socks for her father, for she was a true frontier girl, ever -industrious and brave. - -Presently a shadow fell upon her, and glancing up she saw an Indian -girl of sixteen, a beautiful child of the forest, with a graceful, -slender form, clothed in a handsome suit of bead-wrought buckskin, and -with a crown of richly colored feathers upon her head. - -“Who are you, girl, and what can I do for you?” said Rose, struck by -the great beauty and grace of the Indian girl. - -“I am the Red Bud of the Forest, the child of the mighty Pawnee chief, -and I have come from my village beyond the prairie to tell the paleface -maiden to beware of the false tongue of the paleface brave with eyes -like the skies, for he would lead her from her happy home.” - -“Of whom do you speak, Red Bud of the Forest?” said the mystified Rose. - -“Of the white brave whom the Forest Rose loves as she does the -sunshine, the trees, the birds, the rivers. He has a false tongue, so -let the White Rose beware. Red Bud of the Forest has spoken.” - -Without another word the Indian girl turned and glided away, turning no -ear to the call of Rose Carter, who urged her to return. - -After the departure of the Indian girl, Rose Carter sat for a long -time, pondering over what she had heard, and wondering if the warning -given could refer to one whom she loved most dearly, and who was then -absent, and had been for months, gone to the Eastern settlements for a -while before he returned to make her his wife. - -Then over her face stole a look of distrust of him who had won her -young heart, for the words of Red Bud had left a deep impression. - -Presently her mother returned from milking the cows, and Alfred Carter -from a day’s hunt, loaded down with game, while her brother, two years -younger than Rose, came up from the river with a long string of fish. - -The night shades fell upon the earth, and around the well-spread board -gathered the settler’s family--the cheerful fire, comfortable room, and -pleasant faces presenting a happy and homelike scene. - -Yet a feeling of dread, of coming evil, clutched at the heart of Rose -Carter, and the smile upon her face was forced. A little later there -was a loud bark from the watchful dog without, a shot followed, a yelp, -and then heavy blows upon the door. - -Springing to their feet, the father and son seized their rifles, while -the mother and daughter, in considerable alarm, awaited the result. - -“Who is it that thus comes to my cabin?” cried Alfred Carter, in a -stern voice. - -“Open your door, old man, or it will be the worse for you,” replied a -coarse voice outside. - -“And why should I open my door to you? Had you come as a friend you -would have been welcome; but as you come as a foe I will meet you as -you deserve.” - -“The Branded Brotherhood do not parley long, old man,” suddenly rang -out a clear, stern voice. - -Then, with a few heavy blows the door was crushed in, and one of the -Brotherhood rushed across the threshold, to fall dead by a shot from -Edgar’s rifle through the heart. - -Another shared the same fate at the hands of Alfred Carter. Then into -the cabin poured a score of desperate men, and the brave old settler -fell beneath a sweeping blow from the chief’s fist, just as Red Roark -brought the butt of his pistol down upon the head of Edgar. - -“Ha, spare the women!” the chief cried. - -But the order was too late to save poor Mrs. Carter, who, with a shriek -of terror and agony, met her death at the hands of one of the band, -while another seized the fainting Rose around the waist, crying: - -“I’ve got the richest prize; the gal’s mine!” - -One glance in the beautiful face, and the bandit chief staggered back, -his hand upon his head, while he cried aloud: - -“God in heaven! Who is that girl?” - -“It don’t make no difference, chief, who she mout be, but she’s my -prize,” insolently replied the ruffian, who still held her in his arms. - -“Release that girl instantly!” cried the bandit chief, his face -strangely pale and stern. - -“You bet I won’t do it!” replied the man. - -A quick shot followed, a cry of agony, and a stream of hot blood burst -from a bullet wound in the head of the renegade, as he fell dead, still -clutching in his strong arms the fainting form of Rose Carter. - -“Take that girl from that hound’s grasp; and see to it, Red Roark, that -no harm comes to her, for if there does, there shall be weeping and -wailing in this band.” - -Thus saying, the robber chief set to work to examine the contents of -the cabin, for to gain booty had this raid been made by the Branded -Brotherhood upon the quiet home of poor Alfred Carter. - -It did not take long for those experienced hands to go through the -cabin, and then the order was given to mount. The band departed. By his -side, mounted upon her own horse, which the chief had ordered saddled -for her, was the weeping Rose, who had returned to consciousness to -find her mother and brother slain, and herself and her father in the -power of the bandit chief. - -Strangely soft and kind was the chief’s manner toward the sorrowing -girl, but he was, nevertheless, so firm in his purpose that she had to -accompany him to his stronghold. - -What her fate would be she dared not think, as she rode quietly along, -with the bitter, scalding tears coursing down her cheeks, and a -terrible dread at her heart. - -Swiftly on rode the band of the Branded Brotherhood, taking a course -down the river, until the quick ear of the chief detected distant -firing, and he suddenly drew rein. - -“What can that mean?” he asked, striving to pierce the darkness of the -prairie in the direction of the sound. - -“I’ll tell you, chief; it’s the train being pitched into by some roving -band of Injuns. Ef we wants any of the goods, we’d better ride fur it, -kase you see thar’s a host of redskins whar all that shootin’ is going -on.” - -“You are right, Long Dave, and the train is bearing to the southward, -contrary to our expectations; so come on, and we’ll drive off the -redskins, and then wipe out the settlers.” - -A yell of joy answered the words of the chief, for the men were anxious -to get a chance to make a capture of the wagon train, which Long Dave -had reported to be an exceedingly rich one in supplies of all kinds and -money. - -Almost with the speed of the wind the cavalcade spurred on, the leader -leaving Rose and her father with a guard and the led horses bearing the -booty taken in the recent foraging expeditions of the band. - -After an hour’s ride, the flashes of distant firing were visible. The -rapid discharges proved that the battle was raging most savagely, and -that the defenders of the wagon train were holding out bravely against -the overwhelming numbers that were attacking them. - - - - - CHAPTER XLVI. - - TREACHERY. - - -As Long Dave had said, the settlers’ train had been attacked by the -Indians--the same band that had besieged them all day, awaiting for -night to come on so that they could attack with greater safety to -themselves and less danger of defeat. - -Red Dick was at the bottom of this attack. Having recovered partially -from the effects of his severe fall, he was determined that he would -be revenged upon all who witnessed his disgraceful departure from his -position as guide. - -Wistfully the eyes of the emigrants had scanned the prairie all that -long day, in hopes of seeing the coming of the scout and reënforcements. - -Night came, and no succor was visible, and with determined manner the -men set to work to defend to the end of their lives their families and -their riches. - -The Indians commenced the attack as soon as it was dark, and charged -boldly down upon the train; but during the day the emigrants had -strongly fortified their position, and after a sharp and short fight -the attacking party fell back. - -Yet they did not dream of defeat, and their savage minds began to plot -various methods of taking the settlers at a disadvantage, for the -Indian never cares to fight an open battle if he can gain his ends by -cunning and strategy. - -Failing in one plan after the other, Red Dick at length determined to -lead one desperate charge, in column, hoping to break through the line -by mere weight and numbers. - -He was preparing his red allies for the work, when suddenly a cry of -alarm was heard in their rear, and up dashed the Branded Brotherhood, -with their desperate chief at their head. - -The Sioux warriors at first thought they were being attacked by a troop -of soldiers, and began to scatter in all directions, when the loud -voice of Red Dick recalled them, for he recognized the commanding form -of Ricardo. - -Riding up to Ricardo, he cried: - -“Hello, chief! Have you come to aid me in a division of the spoils?” - -Ricardo turned his keen look upon the renegade, and, apparently -recognizing him, answered: - -“You are, then, leading this attack upon my wagon train, renegade?” - -“Your train, chief? Not so fast--for I guided this train from Kansas -City,” replied Red Dick. - -“Yes, guided them into a trap, for you are backed by your band of Dog -Soldier Sioux, I see.” - -“And they’ll stick to me, too, you bet, chief. Once I owed allegiance -to you, but I got tired of hard knocks and little pay, so I sided with -these Injuns and they made me their chief, and they’ve been waiting for -me to bring out this train for weeks. - -“Them settlers are a leetle too strong for me, I admit, for we’ve tried -’em for some time; but there’s honor among thieves, you know, chief, -and I’ll share squarely with you and the boys if you give me a lift.” - -“Red Dick, you are a fool, to think I would share a prize with you -and your red hounds. True, there was a truce between your band of red -devils and my men; but you are a deserter from my ranks, and if you do -not immediately draw off your band, I’ll shoot you down as I would a -dog, and then scalp every one of your gang that I can catch.” - -Ricardo spoke sternly, and turning to Red Roark, his lieutenant, gave -an order in a low voice. - -Red Dick’s face flamed with anger. - -“Now, look here, boss, you don’t hold the ace as much as you think, -’cause my redskins ain’t a-goin’ to ’low no foolishness, if we has to -fight for it, and as to killing a fellow like a dog, why, two kin play -at that game, and no questions axed.” - -As Red Dick spoke, he gave a loud war whoop, and leveled his pistol at -Ricardo, who, as quick as lightning, had his own weapon covering the -head of the renegade. - -Thus, threateningly, the two men stood at bay, while around them -gathered their separate bands. - -What might have been the result of this impromptu duel between the two -chiefs, it would be hard to say, but just at that moment there was a -terrific discharge of firearms, fired in regular order, a loud cheering -and a rushing of hoofs. - -Before the surprised Indians and bandits could offer any resistance, a -squadron of cavalry charged through their line, firing as they rode; -and, dashing swiftly toward the camp, the next moment they were safe -within the fortification, while cheer after cheer rang out from the -rejoicing emigrants. - -“Cusses on it, chief! While we’s quarreling here like two tomcats on a -fence, that cussed Captain la Clyde and his troopers has gotten through -our line and reënforced the emigrants.” - -Red Dick growled the words savagely, at the same time lowering his -pistol. - -“That is true, Red Dick; and, after all, we had better unite our forces -and wage a common war upon the train,” responded Ricardo. - -It was too dark for his foe to see the evil look of mischief that -flashed in his eyes. - -“I’m agreed, boss, kase, you see, it’s no use talking about us rooting -out that nest of hornets unless we jine forces,” Red Dick answered. - -“Very well, Red Dick,” said the chief. “Now, my plan is that you take -the greater part of your redskins up the river above the camp, and, -taking to the water, swim down and attack them from that quarter, while -I keep up a constant fire upon them in our front. - -“When you have landed and given the signal, I will charge with my men, -aided by those you leave with me.” - -“It’s a good plan, Ricardo, and we’ll set out at once,” replied Red -Dick, and accompanied by the greater number of his savage men, the -desperado strode away, leaving a small guard over his horses. - -As cunning as Red Dick was, and as wicked, he was no match for Ricardo, -for he had not anticipated that the chief would betray him. - -But hardly had the renegade and his red allies been gone fifteen -minutes, when the remaining Indians were quietly surrounded by the -Branded Brotherhood, and, wholly unsuspecting treachery, were suddenly -terrified by being unexpectedly set upon by those whom they believed -their friends. - -Without warning, the Brotherhood instantly rushed upon the Indian -warriors, and before the slightest resistance could be offered, a -score of them lay dead upon the prairie. - -And still the work of slaughter went on, until the few remaining -savages crouched together in dismay, not knowing which way to turn; -for, although it was the Indian method to surprise and massacre -defenseless victims, they had never before had the tables turned upon -them. - -“Kill every cursed red heathen; leave not one to escape and warn his -companions,” cried Ricardo. - -In vain did the terrified wretches attempt to break through the human -barrier that surrounded them, but everywhere they were met by steel and -bullet. - -At length the slaughter ended. Then, with a grim and cruel smile, -Ricardo turned to Red Roark and said: - -“Roark, yonder comes the girl and her father and the led horses. I wish -you to collect these Indian ponies, and with a guard of ten men, move -down the river to the next motte and wait there until you hear from me.” - -“That will leave you only forty men, chief, with which to tackle the -camp and the Injins, too,” Roark responded. - -“True, but I intend Red Dick and his crew shall play Kilkenny cats -with the settlers. When they have about used each other up, I will be -on hand to reap the spoils. Now, be off at once; and mind you, Roark, -treat that girl with every respect.” - -“I hear you, chief.” - -“And see that you heed; now I will move to the river bank, and aid the -settlers in driving off Red Dick and his devils.” - -“You wouldn’t fire upon the redskins, chief?” - -“Certainly; each one I slay is one out of my way to eventual success.” - -So saying, Ricardo called to his band to follow him, mounted his horse, -and rode slowly in the direction of the camp. - -Approaching within a hundred yards, under cover of a few straggling -trees, he sent Long Dave and his Indian scout on abreast, to creep up -the river bank, and give warning when Red Dick and his followers should -attempt a landing. - -He had not long to wait before the two scouts returned and reported the -river black with the heads of the attacking party. - -Then, lest the settlers should really be surprised, and the Indians -take the camp without his aid, Ricardo gave a low order, and under -cover of the bank, the Brotherhood approached until they could -indistinctly see the dark mass upon the water, which they knew to be -the swimming warriors. - -In the encampment all was quiet as the grave, and every glimmer of -light had disappeared; but, whether it was from negligence in keeping -guard, or from watchfulness, none knew. - -However, the chief felt that he had to be wary, for Captain la Clyde -was known to be an expert and daring fighter, and might be setting some -trap in which to catch his enemies. - -Slowly and steadily the moving mass of heads swerved shoreward, the -waters undisturbed by a single ripple, so quietly did the Indians swim, -and at last several tall forms reached the shore and stood upright. - -Others followed, and the braves were preparing for the deadly rush, -their hearts beating with joy at the hope of success. - -“Aim true, men; let every shot tell. Fire!” - -In answer to the low, stern order of the bandit chief, a terrible -volley rang forth from the river bank, and a withering hail of lead -was poured upon the human mass, who seemed to sink beneath the deadly -assault. - -Then rang the stentorian voice of Red Dick. - -“At them, you red devils! Cut them into pieces.” - -Rallying around their brave but wicked chief, the Dog Soldier Sioux, in -spite of their deadly greeting, and fully relying upon the support of -the Branded Brotherhood, rushed up the embankment, to be again driven -back by the terrible fire poured upon them by the settlers. - -Coolly, and with a cruel smile upon his lips, and deadly hatred in the -glitter of his eyes, Ricardo stood with folded arms, gazing upon the -combat, unmoved by the scene of bloodshed his double treachery was -causing. - -“Ha, ha, ha!” he laughed. “Did Red Dick think I, Ricardo, chief of the -Branded Brotherhood, would share a prize with him and his red hounds? -Little does he know me!” - -For some moments the fight continued; the redskins, encouraged by Red -Dick and his conspicuous courage, fighting as seldom men fight in a bad -cause. Then even Indian human nature could stand no more, for half of -their number had fallen. - -Yet no cheering cry came from the other side of the camp to show that -Ricardo had attacked, as he had promised. - -Suddenly a warrior glided to the side of Red Dick, and said a few -words in a hasty and excited tone, and the renegade’s voice rang out -loud and clear: - -“Back, warriors! to the water all of you, for the Branded Brotherhood -have betrayed us, and are laughing at us now.” - -Red Dick spoke in the Sioux tongue, and well did his dusky braves -understand him. Seized with a panic of fear, they rushed headlong into -the water, uttering yells of terror. Then again was heard the ringing -order from Ricardo’s trumpetlike voice: - -“Fire upon them, men! Kill every red hound.” - -Again the rifles of the Brotherhood flashed forth in livid flame, and -between two fires the Sioux warriors melted away, and the river was -stained dark with their blood. - -Only a few succeeded in reaching the other shore, and most of that -number were bleeding from wounds received. Among those few was Red Dick. - -The rising moon showed upon his face a look of fiendish hatred and a -thirst for revenge, a revenge which he intended to devote his life to -accomplish, for at last he fully understood the deep treachery of his -evil ally. - -“Come, braves; we are outcasts now, and must go back to our village; -but the day of retribution shall come for Ricardo and his band of -robbers. They have slain our young men, robbed us of the spoils of -battle, betrayed us to ruin and death, and brought wailing and sorrow -into our wigwams. Come, warriors of the Sioux nation; we will go to our -village.” - -No word in reply was uttered, but silently, like grim specters, the -remnant of Red Dick’s band of Dog Soldiers stole away across the -moonlit prairie. - - - - - CHAPTER XLVII. - - IN THE CAMP. - - -Let us go back a little to see how the settlers had fared. - -When night had settled down upon the emigrant encampment, there were a -number of gloomy faces around the impromptu fortifications, and many, -both men and women, were sorry that they had ever left their old homes -in the Eastern country to seek new ones on the frontier. - -Yet, though gloomy, and dreading evil, they were none the less -determined to defend their lives and families unto the bitter end, and -Major Conrad was glad to see that he could depend upon his command as -brave men. - -At length the Indians began the attack; and, warming to their work, -the emigrants grew less and less despondent, especially after they had -several times driven back their red foes with considerable loss, and -with no serious result to themselves. - -By and by one of the teamsters, who had once been an old hunter and -trapper, crept out of the camp to reconnoiter, and returned with the -evil tidings that the Indians had been reënforced by a large band that -had just come up. - -Then followed a long season of quiet, and the emigrants felt assured -that their enemies were plotting some scheme of devilment against them. - -Then, how they longed for the return of Buffalo Bill. Suddenly there -was a scene of commotion in the enemy’s lines, and rapid firing -followed. - -The emigrants believed that at last Buffalo Bill had returned and was -attacking Red Dick and his villainous crew with the band of Pawnee -braves for whom he had gone in search. - -But they almost instantly knew that loud and ringing hello was not -from Indian throats, but that it was the hearty cheer of trained -soldiers; and the next moment a dark and rapidly moving mass was seen -approaching, and the stern order was heard: - -“We are friends; open the barrier!” - -“La Clyde! Hurrah, hurrah!” went up from the delighted emigrants. - -Then into the encampment dashed a score of troopers, with Captain Percy -la Clyde at their head. - -Warmly were the young officer and his men welcomed. Having listened to -the plan of defense adopted by Major Conrad, and stationed his troopers -at advantageous positions, the dragoon commander said: - -“It is a mere accident I reached you, for after my leaving your train, -day before yesterday, you changed your course to the southward.” - -“Yes; that traitor guide, Dick--or, rather, Red Dick, as he is known in -these parts----” - -“What! Was your guide the notorious Red Dick? Now I know why he always -seemed to avoid me,” said Captain la Clyde, with surprise. - -“Yes, he was Red Dick, the renegade leader of the Dog Soldier Sioux, I -believe.” - -“Yes, they made him chief of their tribe, major; but what an escape you -had, for in changing your course he was doubtless leading you into his -hornets’ nest.” - -“It is just what he was doing, and would have succeeded, had not my -daughter and Howard Lawrence been captured by a band of regular Sioux -warriors, and rescued by Buffalo Bill, who informed us of the character -of our guide.” - -“Major Conrad, you surprise me; Miss Sibyl captured, and also Howard -Lawrence?” - -“Yes, captain; they had ridden ahead to look up a camping ground, -and----” - -“And were captured by Sioux Indians?” - -“Yes; five warriors, and four of them Buffalo Bill killed in rescuing -Lawrence and Sibyl.” - -“Strange, indeed; and it was the noted scout who told you of the -character of Red Dick?” - -“Yes, he exposed him publicly; and they would have had a knife -encounter in camp, had not Sibyl interfered. Then the scout drove the -guide from the encampment, and an hour after Red Dick returned at the -head of his Dog Soldiers.” - -“And what became of the scout, major?” - -“He swam the river, and ran the gantlet of the Indian line most -gallantly, that he might seek some friendly Indians and bring them to -our aid.” - -“He has certainly served you well. He is always doing noble work, such -as this! But how are the ladies, major?” - -“Stout-hearted, as are the men; but come, we will go and see them, -captain.” - -Leading the way, Major Conrad conducted the young officer toward the -large ravine running back from the river. There a motley sight met -their gaze, for the women and children were huddled together in the -bottom of the gulch, around several bright fires, and farther down -were closely packed the horses and cattle belonging to the train. - -“Why, they are all as snug as bugs in a rug, major,” laughed Captain -la Clyde; and, as the firelight fell full upon him, it displayed -his handsome, graceful form, a little under six feet in height, and -compactly built. - -His face was exceedingly youthful, beardless, the features good, the -mouth and dark-blue eyes indicating courage and determination. - -Clad in the uniform of a captain of cavalry, and with his brown curling -hair worn long, and a slouch hat shading his face, Captain Percy la -Clyde looked just what he was, a dashing, handsome, daring soldier, -generous to a fault, and ever true in both love and hatred. - -The only child of wealthy parents, he had preferred to lead a military -life to one of idleness and dissipation; and, after a successful career -at West Point, had been ordered to the frontier, where he rapidly -ascended the ladder of promotion on account of his courage and skill as -an officer. - -Four days before the caravan reached their encampment on the river, -Captain la Clyde had joined them, by order of the commandant at Fort -Hays, to serve as an escort to the emigrants, and a guard until they -were securely settled in their frontier homes. - -A most pleasant duty had the young officer found that he was detailed -upon, for he had fallen desperately in love with Sibyl Conrad, and felt -that she was the bright star that was to guard his future destiny. - -As he now entered the ravine, he was given a cordial welcome; but a -shade swept over his face, as he beheld Howard Lawrence by the side of -the girl he loved. - -Percy la Clyde had watched with jealous eye the regard of his rival -for Sibyl. In spite of the many seeming noble qualities possessed by -Lawrence, and his almost universal popularity, La Clyde could not like -him, and felt for him a distrust he could not overcome. - -But then, this might have been on account of jealousy, for jealousy -always exerts an evil influence upon the person of whom it takes -possession. Yet Sibyl greeted the officer now in a friendly way, and so -did Ruth Whitfield, who had always exhibited warm regard for the young -soldier. - -After a few words of comfort and hope to those around him, Percy la -Clyde said: - -“Well, ladies, we must now leave you, for every man must be at his -post.” - -He looked toward Howard Lawrence as he spoke; but that young man smiled -sweetly, and replied: - -“So I think, captain; and should the enemy seek to enter this ravine, I -will defend it with my life, for I am stationed here to watch the river -approach.” - -“You cannot even see the water, sir, from your present position; so I -would advise that you do a sentinel’s duty, as long as you represent -one.” - -So saying, Captain la Clyde turned away, while Howard Lawrence’s face -flushed with anger. Sibyl felt that a storm was brewing, and that she -was innocently the cause; but with a sigh, she consoled herself with -the thought that she could not love everybody that loved her. - -Returning to the line of fortifications, Major Conrad and Captain la -Clyde were surprised and startled by the sound of conflict going on in -the enemy’s lines, and for which they could not account, unless the -scout had returned. - -After a moment’s attention to the sound, the young officer remarked: - -“As I live, they are fighting among themselves--or pretending to, to -put us off our guard!” - -Then all was silent once more. - -Slowly the moments dragged away, until Major Conrad began to nod with -sleep. Then, feeling anxious about the river front, Percy la Clyde -cautiously crept there and reconnoitered. - -At first he believed all quiet and safe, but his quick eye soon caught -sight of a dark mass upon the water. Closely he watched it, and he saw -it slowly moving down upon the point near which he stood. - -Bounding into the ravine, he startled Howard Lawrence, who still -remained by the side of Sibyl, with the words: - -“Be good enough to request Major Conrad to send me thirty men to this -point; and ask him to create no alarm.” - -Howard Lawrence was off at once to obey the order, although he did not -like the tone in which the order was given; still, he felt he had been -negligent of his duty, and wished to repair it all in his power. - -Before five minutes had passed, the men arrived, headed by Major Conrad. - -As they came up, Captain la Clyde remarked quietly: - -“We are to be attacked by water, it seems; but we have greatly the -advantage; so I will only keep my troopers with me, major, and you can -return with the remainder of the men, as the attack will doubtless -be made at more than this point. And, major, as there is no need of -a sentinel here now, perhaps you can find some other duty for Mr. -Lawrence.” - -Major Conrad and his men returned to their post, and Captain la Clyde -was about to give the order to fire, when all were startled by the -discharge of the weapons of the Branded Brotherhood, which leveled so -many of the Dog Soldiers to the ground. - -“By Heaven, we have friends near, when we little dreamed of it!” La -Clyde exclaimed, when he heard the firing. “Ha, it must be the scout, -who has kept his word. Ready, men; fire!” - -At the order of the young officer the troopers poured in a rapid fire -with their repeating rifles. Thus Red Dick and his men found themselves -under two fires, and in dismay they broke and rushed for safety into -the river, as soon as the Indian warrior arrived with the news of the -massacre of their companions. - -Unable to account for the turn in their favor, or why, if friends had -come, they did not make themselves known, Captain la Clyde was about -to go outside the fortifications for the purpose of discovery, when he -observed a dark form crawling toward the water. - -Springing down the embankment, he seized this man in his powerful arms, -and dragged him back. It was an Indian warrior, with a broken leg and -otherwise wounded. - -Speaking the Sioux tongue fluently, the captain soon learned of -him that Ricardo and his Branded Brotherhood were surrounding his -encampment, and the treachery of the outlaw chief toward his red allies -was also revealed. - -“Well, it is dog eat dog, that’s certain. Now that we have Ricardo and -his band to fight, we must indeed defend more than our lives.” - -And Percy la Clyde’s brow grew dark with dread, for he knew the -desperate courage of the Branded Brotherhood, and the awful fate that -would fall upon Sibyl and the others, if taken. - - - - - CHAPTER XLVIII. - - IN THE NICK OF TIME. - - -Being now fully acquainted with the plan of Ricardo, Captain la Clyde -went rapidly around the line and quietly told the men whom they were to -fight as their foe, and begged them to steel their hearts against any -thought of mercy, and to never yield one inch of ground, for the motto -of the Branded Brotherhood was that men must die, and beauty and booty -be considered lawful prizes. - -Hardly had the young officer made the circuit, when a dark mass of -moving horsemen was seen approaching, and a clear voice hailed. - -“Well, what do you want?” answered Percy la Clyde. - -“We have defeated your enemies, and would warn you that we are friends, -that you may not fire upon us,” replied the voice that hailed. - -“We know no friends in the dark. If you are such as you represent, camp -on the river until daylight; if you are enemies, we are ready for you,” -coolly shouted back Captain la Clyde. - -“Charge!” was then yelled in the commanding voice of Ricardo, and like -a fiery whirlwind his horsemen swept down upon the devoted defenders of -the train. - -“Throw no shots away, men! Fire!” cried Percy la Clyde. - -A line of flame flashed from the wagons, and several of the Brotherhood -and their horses went down. But, from some cause or other, the aim of -the emigrants had been untrue, and the outlaws pressed fiercely on, -filling the air with their discordant cries, every man yelling in his -native tongue, until it seemed as if the very fiends from below had -burst forth for a gala night. - -“Men, be cool; there are devils upon you now, and your aim must be -true; you must kill, or all is lost,” rang out in the clear tones of -Captain la Clyde and Major Conrad. - -Howard Lawrence, who had thrown off his air of indifference and nobly -come to the front, also encouraged the men by voice and gesture. - -Then rolled forth a ceaseless roar of firearms, the heavy rush of iron -hoofs was heard, and the confused shouts of many voices filled the air, -until it seemed the grove was filled with a band of devils holding high -carnival. - -But, unchecked, and with desperate daring and determination, the -Brotherhood came on until they dashed their horses against the very -line of breastworks. - -Then their weapons began to tell upon the emigrants, who broke from the -fierce fire and fell back, to the horror of Percy la Clyde, who called -forth, in trumpet voice: - -“Troopers, rally around your commander! Steady, now, charge!” - -Gallantly the soldiers rallied around their officer, and dashed forward -with him to recover the ground lost by the emigrants. - -But already had Ricardo bounded on horseback over the barrier. Followed -by a dozen of his daring horsemen, he dashed upon the dismounted -troopers, who, in a vain attempt to check his mad career, fell beneath -the iron hoofs of the outlaws’ horses. - -“My God, it cannot be that all is lost!” cried Percy la Clyde, in dread. - -Then, drawing his sword, he shouted: - -“Troopers, come on! Men, they are but a handful of murdering thieves; -follow me, and drive them back!” - -In vain were his gallant example and clear commands. In vain sounded -the orders of Major Conrad, who, in a frenzy, strove to stay the -torrent of defeat. - -In vain was the conspicuous courage of Howard Lawrence. Useless, too, -was the discipline and bravery of the troopers; all was useless, for -from some unaccountable reason a panic had seized upon the settlers, -brave men though they were, and fighting for all they held dear on -earth. - -They gave ground rapidly, until twoscore of the outlaws had secured -a footing within the inclosure, and by the light of the waning moon, -which made all around visible, Ricardo was forming his men for a -desperate and final charge. - -Then his clear voice was again heard, giving his stern orders. Before -they could be obeyed, there was heard a wild and prolonged war whoop -that made the blood of all who heard it turn cold with dread. - -Then upon the moonlit scene dashed a single horseman, bounding over -the barrier and whirling suddenly into the very midst of the band of -outlaws. - -“Buffalo Bill!” was shouted. - -“The scout, and alone!” - -Such were the cries that were heard, as with lightning rapidity the -daring horseman, with a revolver in each hand, made his shots ring -forth with telling effect. - -“No, he isn’t alone!” cried a voice. - -A rolling sound, like muffled thunder, was heard upon the prairie. -Again the wild war whoop of the scout broke forth and was answered from -twoscore of throats by three hearty cheers. - -“The troopers, the troopers!” shouted the outlaws, and hastily they -turned to fly, Ricardo, with a bitter curse, first spurring toward -Buffalo Bill, who wheeled to meet him. - -But, as if thinking better of his intention, the outlaw suddenly -checked his pace, and heading his splendid horse for the barrier, took -it with a flying leap, and disappeared in pursuit of his men. - -Instantly Buffalo Bill followed him, and the two were soon lost to -sight upon the prairie in the opposite direction to that from which -the cavalry squadron was approaching. A moment more and the cavalrymen -dashed up, headed by Major Belden, one of the senior officers of the -fort. - -“Major. I greet you; but though too late to join in the fun, you have -scared off the enemy!” - -Percy la Clyde stepped forward and addressed Ernest Belden, a soldierly -looking man of forty, with a handsome, but dark, sinister face. - -“Who were your foes, La Clyde?” asked the officer. - -“We have had two sets, major; first the Dog Soldier Sioux, under that -desperado, Red Dick, and then none other than Ricardo and his desperate -band.” - -“A hard lot, indeed, and you have been most fortunate to escape them, -and I am glad to see that the scout told me no more than the truth; but -where has he gone?” The major turned to look for Buffalo Bill. - -“Gone like mad after the outlaw chief; but will we not give pursuit, -major?” - -“No, Captain la Clyde, it would be useless. Besides, I am now destined -upon a raid upon the Sioux village to the northward; so will leave you -as soon as day breaks, which will be soon.” - -When Captain la Clyde presented his superior to Major Conrad, and also -to the ladies, who approached at that moment, he could but mark the -start of surprised admiration that the major gave when he beheld the -beauty of Sibyl Conrad. - -The melancholy duty of caring for the wounded and burying the dead was -begun. When the sun arose it lighted up a sad scene, rendered more -mournful by the sound of the living wailing for those dear to them, who -had fallen. - -After a hasty breakfast, Major Belden and his troopers departed, -leaving Captain la Clyde, as before, to be the escort of the train. -Hardly had the forms of the squadron disappeared over a roll in the -prairie, when up dashed Buffalo Bill, his horse covered with foam and -showing every indication of a hard ride, as did also his rider, for his -face was pale and wore a look of fatigue. - -Yet his voice was calm and pleasant, as he replied, in acknowledgment -to the cheers given him: - -“I thank you, comrades; but I was almost too late, as I had far to ride -before I could find aid for you, as the Pawnees had left their hunting -grounds; fortunately I met Major Belden, and he was able to help me, -and come to your succor.” - -Dismounting, Buffalo Bill devoted himself to the care of his horse, and -then, after partaking of a hearty breakfast, which Sibyl prepared for -him, he threw himself down to rest, and at once was lost in deep and -refreshing slumber, while Major Conrad and Captain la Clyde set about -their arrangements for continuing their way on the following morning, -for they were anxious to get settled on the spot that was to be the new -home of the emigrants. - - - - - CHAPTER XLIX. - - AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY. - - -With the first glimmer of light in the eastern skies, the settlers were -astir, and the bugle call to the troopers pierced through the motte. - -Buffalo Bill and Midnight appeared to have fully recovered from their -hard work of the past few days. - -Between Captain la Clyde and Buffalo Bill a warm friendship had sprung -up. - -Sibyl exhibited a most kindly interest in the noted scout, whose praise -was on every tongue. - -Howard Lawrence, being deeply in love with Sibyl, and noticing that she -most kindly regarded the man who had so bravely helped the settlers, -felt that he had a dangerous rival, and was determined not to yield one -atom of any claim he held upon the affection of Sibyl Conrad. - -Ruth Whitfield also exhibited a marked interest in the famous scout, -and seemed most anxious to be ever near him. - -A shadow would cross her brow whenever Buffalo Bill would turn, with -one of his fascinating smiles, and address her lively cousin, for Ruth -had a fierce and jealous nature, and could look only unkindly upon one -who crossed her path in any manner. - -Thus, unobserved by the scout, matters were taking a stormy turn and -threatening squally weather. - -Percy la Clyde was jealous of Howard Lawrence, who in turn hated the -young officer, and was likewise jealous of the scout, in whom both -Sibyl and Ruth appeared to be so deeply interested. - -If these jealous hearts could have realized it, the situation held -a very large element of comedy. At length the sun arose beyond the -prairie, and slowly the long train of wagons filed out from the motte, -with here and there a party on horseback, and took up its march farther -on toward the setting sun, leaving behind, within their narrow beds of -clay, those who had fallen in the battle the night before. - -At the head of the train rode a small cavalcade, consisting of Buffalo -Bill, Percy la Clyde, Major Conrad, and the troopers. - -The scout was acting as a guide for the emigrants toward one of the -most fertile districts on the plains, which was well watered, and where -a settlement would have every advantage that could be found on the -frontier. - -When Howard Lawrence heard Buffalo Bill speak of the point he -considered most favorable as a settlement, he instantly remarked that -he intended riding on ahead for half a mile. - -Arming himself thoroughly, and declining Gerald Conrad’s offer to -accompany him, the young pioneer set off, at first keeping only a short -distance ahead, but gradually drawing away from the train, until, when -the noonday halt was made, he was nowhere visible upon the prairie. - -As if fully acquainted with the country, he put his horse at a rapid -gallop, and continued on for miles, until a higher roll in the prairie -gave him a view of the river through the green trees of a prairie -island. - -Toward this point he directed his course until he found himself upon a -peninsula, made by the river making a grand curve. - -On this point of land, entirely surrounded by water, excepting where it -touched the open prairie, had been the home of Alfred Carter. - -A more delightful place could not have been chosen for a settlement; -for the point, or the peninsula, contained fully five thousand acres of -land, of the richest kind of soil. - -Scattered over it were large timber mottes, the river bounded it upon -three sides, while to the eastward stretched the unbroken prairie for -miles, to serve as a luxuriant pasture for stock. - -As Howard Lawrence rode along the trail leading toward the humble cabin -home upon the river bank, his brow wore a troubled look, and he glanced -nervously around him. - -Nearer and nearer he drew toward the cabin; but no lazy wreath of blue -smoke curled up above the treetops, and all seemed strangely desolate -around him. - -Presently a dark form glided from the foliage bordering the trail, and -stood directly in his path. - -Lawrence reined his horse back with iron grasp as his eyes fell upon -this person. - -“Red Bud of the Forest, what do you here near the lonely home of the -paleface hunter?” he demanded, speaking in the language of the Pawnees. - -“The Red Bud is a free child of the woods; she asks not the false -paleface brave whither she can go,” haughtily replied the Indian girl. - -“Red Bud turns her eyes with anger upon me; have I offended her?” he -asked, changing his tone. - -“Yes; the Many Faces has spoken with false tongue to the Red Bud of the -Forest. Before Many Faces came to the wigwam of the Red Bud, she sang -like a bird of the woods, and her heart was like the silvery river; -her sorrows were light, only falling upon her as softly as the autumn -leaves kiss the ground. - -“But Many Faces took away the joy of the Red Bud, and the wind sighs -nightly in her heart. The Great Spirit frowns at the child of the -woods; the heart of the Indian maid is breaking, and the snow of winter -will rest upon her bosom. - -“Many Faces has a false tongue, and a false light in his eyes, for -he told the Red Bud he loved her; he took her from the wigwam of her -people, and then left her alone to die. - -“But the Great Spirit would not let her die then. When she was worn -down with hunger, when her feet would not press the earth, and the -enemy of her people, the Sioux, would have danced around her scalp, the -great white chief, who rides the prairie whirlwind, and whose eye ever -looks death upon his foes, rescued her from her enemies and carried her -back to her tribe.” - -“Was it Buffalo Bill, the scout, that saved your life, girl?” Lawrence -inquired. - -“Red Bud has spoken the truth; her tongue is not crooked; it was the -great white scout who carried her back to the Pawnee village, and he it -was that told her that Many Faces loved a maiden here by the running -waters.” - -“Curses on that scout! Did you come here to see that girl?” Howard -Lawrence demanded harshly. - -“Red Bud has seen the Rose of the Woodland, and told her not to love -Many Faces,” was the Indian girl’s brave answer. - -“By Heaven, girl, you shall die for that!” cried the aroused man, and -he attempted to draw a pistol from his belt. - -Before he could do so, Red Bud unslung a light rifle from her back, and -covered him with deadly aim. - -“Let not Many Faces seek to slay the Pawnee girl,” she said, “for she -would not die by his hand. Her heart is broken, but she will not harm -the paleface chief who broke it. Let him go, and never cross the path -of the Red Bud again. Go; the Red Bud bids him go!” - -Still holding her aim upon his heart, the look of the Indian girl -proved that she would kill him if he hesitated, and with a bitter curse -Howard Lawrence drove the spurs into the flanks of his horse and dashed -away, leaving Red Bud watching him until he was out of sight. - -A rapid ride of five minutes brought Lawrence to the cabin door. Then -what a scene met his gaze! Here and there were scattered numerous -pieces of furniture and household effects; the strong door was broken -from its hinges, desolation was over all, while bloodstains were upon -the floor and ground. - -There lay the body of the faithful watchdog, dead at his post. - -The occupants of the cabin were nowhere to be seen. The face of Howard -Lawrence turned pale as he followed the trail where some heavy objects -had been dragged. A walk of a few hundred yards brought him to a -thicket of small timber upon the river bank, and there he beheld two -new-made graves side by side. - -“My God, Alfred Carter and all his family gone! No, there are but two -graves, and they numbered four. If Rose has been killed, her death has -saved me a world of trouble, for I do not wish two women as rivals in -the same settlement.” - -Something like a smile came to his lips. - -“Well, it cannot be helped, and now I am free to marry Sibyl Conrad, if -that accursed scout does not interfere. If he does, I must crush him.” - -With a hard look upon his handsome face, Howard Lawrence returned to -the cabin, glanced carefully around among the rubbish for a while, and -then mounting his horse, rode rapidly away. - -After making a wide circuit upon the prairie, he overtook the wagon -train just as it went into camp for the night, on the edge of the -peninsula. - -Buffalo Bill, accompanied by both Sibyl and Ruth, had also ridden on -ahead, and after a time came upon the deserted and desolate cabin home -of Alfred Carter. - -With a cry of alarm, Buffalo Bill sprang from his horse and entered the -little hut. - -“All, all gone!” he exclaimed. “In God’s name, who has done this foul -deed? By the blue heavens above us, I swear that they shall rue this -accursed act!” - -Never before had the cousins seen Buffalo Bill in any way moved by -excitement; but now the look upon his face was terrible, and they -almost feared him. - -But controlling himself instantly, he said quietly: - -“Miss Conrad, it is due to both yourself and Miss Whitfield that I make -known to you the deed done here. This cabin was the home of Alfred -Carter, his wife, his daughter Rose--a beautiful girl--and his son. -They had not an enemy in the world that I knew of; but, see here what a -hellish deed has been committed!” - -Following the same trail that Howard Lawrence had, Buffalo Bill soon -came to the graves. - -After examining most carefully the tracks and trails around, as well as -he could in the dying light of the day, he returned with the girls to -the encampment, where he held a long conversation with Major Conrad and -Captain la Clyde. - -“Major Conrad, this is the point I have deemed most favorable for your -settlement,” said Buffalo Bill, at the conclusion of his talk regarding -the massacre of the Carter family. - -“Here you will have every advantage, and be protected by the river, as -you will see in the morning. I would advise that you at once set about -building a stockade fort and wall across this end of the point, and the -river, being wide and deep, will protect you upon the three other sides. - -“I am going away, but in a few days I will return and aid you all in -my power. As soon as the moon rises, I intend to take the trail of the -hell hounds who have brought ruin upon the peaceful family who dwelt -here.” - -The scout was as good as his word. - -As soon as the moon arose and lighted up the prairie, he left the -sleeping camp, and struck off over the plains, slowly following the -trail of Ricardo and his band, after their deadly crime against poor -Alfred Carter. - - - - - CHAPTER L. - - PLOTTING MISCHIEF. - - -Soon after the arrival of the train in the new settlement, the -peninsula began to present a far different scene. The settlers had -staked out their farms, chosen the sites of their cabin homes, and -pitched their tents, until their houses could be built. - -No contention, no envy, existed among them; and the future promised -brightly, as the whole male force worked upon the stockade fort, which -was to be the common center of protection for all. - -One day Major Belden and his troopers dashed into the new settlement -and was greeted with pleasure by all. The officer at once set his men -to work to aid in building the stockade, and by many acts of kindness -won the esteem of all the emigrants. - -With this extra force the work went bravely on, and in a very short -time the walls of the stockade were up, and the large cabin fort was -complete. - -Major Belden constantly haunted Sibyl Conrad with his presence. -The girl’s kindness toward him he construed into a reciprocity of -affection, and commenced building up hopes of making her his wife. - -Whether Howard Lawrence had changed his love for Sibyl none knew, as -he was ever pleasant toward her; but certain it is that he appeared to -relinquish in favor of the major, and suddenly became devoted to Ruth. - -The desolate cabin of Alfred Carter had become the home of Howard -Lawrence, with all its surroundings. The settlers had drawn lots for -its possession, and, having been the lucky winner, he had at once -installed himself in his new residence, at the same time intimating -that before long he hoped to have a housekeeper to look after his -affairs. - -Thus passed the days at the peninsula settlement, or “Riverside,” as -the settlers had named it; and still Buffalo Bill was absent. - -One evening, the day before the departure of Major Belden to the -fort--whither he had ordered Captain la Clyde, the morning after his -arrival in the settlement, that he might have no rivals in camp--the -young cavalry officer suddenly rode up, followed by half a dozen -dragoons. - -“Well, Clyde, what news from the fort?” the major asked. - -“Stirring times, major; and the general bids me tell you to report at -once, as he wants you to lead an expedition to the south.” - -“Indeed! Well, we will depart to-night.” - -“Pardon me, major, but General Canton has ordered me to remain at the -settlement until our friends have their cabins built and crops in, and -I am to retain command of twenty of your men.” - -Major Belden frowned visibly at this news, and compressed his lips as -though in anger; but he said nothing, and walked off in search of Sibyl -Conrad. He soon found her seated upon the river bank, a book in one -hand, a fishing rod in the other. - -“Well, Miss Sibyl, seeking food for both body and mind, I see,” he -remarked pleasantly, as he walked up. - -“Yes, sir; and both are the most agreeable occupations I could be -engaged in.” - -“I thought that you might be at least glad to see me, as I leave you -to-morrow, or rather to-night, having been ordered to the fort to -command a most dangerous expedition.” - -As he said this, the officer gazed down into the beautiful face to mark -the effect of his words. - -But Sibyl quietly replied: - -“It is the glory of a soldier’s life to participate in dangerous -service; so I have been told.” - -“True, Miss Sibyl, and it is a soldier’s duty to love, and also his -pleasure, as I may safely say, for dearly do I love you. Pardon me, -Sibyl, for thus abruptly speaking of this, to me, most important -subject; but to-night I leave you upon a service from which I may never -return, and if I fall, I would have you to know that I loved you more -than all else in this world. If my life is spared, then, Sibyl, I beg -you promise me to one day be my wife.” - -Major Belden had spoken earnestly, and apparently with deep feeling; -but neither his words nor manner had touched the heart of Sibyl Conrad, -who, rising from the bank, replied: - -“Major Belden, you surprise and pain me by your words, for I have no -love to give you, and never can have, though I shall ever regard you -most kindly as a friend.” - -“Curse your friendship, Sibyl Conrad!” said the humiliated and -disappointed man. - -Wheeling quickly, he strode from the spot, leaving the girl more -surprised by this new phase in his character than by his declaration of -love. Half an hour later Major Belden rode forth from the settlement, -his brow dark and lips compressed with internal emotion. - -As he reached the edge of the prairie he came upon Howard Lawrence. -Bidding his men to ride slowly on, he called to the young man, and when -they halted side by side he said: - -“Mr. Lawrence, can I ask, if you had a rival what would be your course -with him?” - -Howard looked surprised, but answered almost fiercely: - -“I would overreach him by fair or foul means, even were he my brother!” - -“We think alike, Mr. Lawrence,” said the major. “Now, let me ask you -what regard you have for that prairie rover, Buffalo Bill?” - -“None whatever, sir.” - -“Well, he is my rival,” the major declared. “I have been told that he -is married, yet I am sure he has stolen the heart of the one woman I -love.” - -“Then court-martial him for the crimes some say he has committed, and -hang him to the nearest tree,” was the fierce answer. - -“Good advice, sir, and I will follow it; Mr. Lawrence, it will give me -pleasure to see you at the fort as my guest, and I think together we -can overreach this scout. Good day, sir.” - -“Good day, Major Belden.” - -Away dashed the major; and, with a strange smile upon his face, Howard -Lawrence rode on, muttering to himself: - -“He sees I do not like Buffalo Bill any too well. Well, my gallant -major, when you have removed the scout from your path, I’ll devote my -attention to you and that handsome captain, for all that cross my love -trail must die. An arrow or rifle shot from the cover of a motte will -easily make those two officers food for wolves. - -“Now, I must go on and improve my time with the lovely Sibyl, who is -the cause of so much mischief.” - -Putting spurs to his horse, he dashed away, to find upon his arrival at -the stockade that the coast was not wholly clear, for Percy la Clyde -was sitting by the side of Sibyl Conrad. - -With a smothered curse, Howard Lawrence turned away, and the next -moment met Ruth Whitfield with one of his sweetest smiles. - -“Well, Mr. Lawrence, one of your rivals has just gone,” said Ruth, with -a malicious smile. - -“True, and left another even more dangerous; but it is Buffalo Bill -that I fear most. He has such a way of upsetting plots and schemes. If -he were dead, I should feel happier and safer.” - -“You wouldn’t harm him, would you?” she asked, noting the deadly flash -of his eyes. - -“Leave that to me; he shall be captured and taken to a distant tribe of -Indians, whom I know well, and held there where he can’t interfere with -any of my plans.” - -He spoke as if such a matter would be easy of accomplishment. - -“She will not marry you, if she hears of the trick!” - -It will be seen that Ruth Whitfield had in some strange manner fallen -under this man’s deadly influence, which was something like that of a -hypnotist. - -“Well, I am playing a deep game,” he answered, “but I will win. I can -lie to Sibyl, and say that an Indian killed the scout.” - -And then he turned away, muttering to himself. - -“Yes, I’ll have to play some desperate game. And all will come right; -it must come right, or I am ruined, and Many Faces, as the Indians call -me, will have to pass in his checks, or get out of the country.” - - - - - CHAPTER LI. - - CAPTURING THE SENTINEL. - - -As has been stated, Buffalo Bill picked up the trail of the Branded -Brotherhood, and followed hard after the human bloodhounds, who had -carried Rose Carter and her father into captivity. - -The scout was mounted on his splendid horse Midnight, an animal so well -trained and obedient that it seemed to have almost human intelligence. - -Buffalo Bill was sure that the infamous desperado, Ricardo, was the -leader of the men who had committed the outrage. - -Though he pressed on rapidly, night was at hand when he approached the -hills, wherein he was sure the Branded Brotherhood had their secret -hiding place. - -Fearing discovery if he rode into the hills before nightfall, he took -shelter in a great wash in the prairie, into which he and his horse -descended with some difficulty, and there he remained until darkness -fell. - -Leaving this concealment after dark, he rode straight for the hills. He -did not need to look for the outlaw trail; for, with his field glass, -just before sunset, he had discovered the gap where it entered the -rougher country. - -He expected to find a sentinel posted in the pass. So, when, after -muffling the hoofs of Midnight, he had advanced as near as he deemed -prudent, he left the horse and crept forward on foot. - -“Ah,” he said, as, after stealing forward some distance, he lay in the -shadow of a rock, listening and watching, “the sentinel is there, just -as I expected! That shows another thing, too: the lair of these prairie -wolves isn’t so very far from here.” - -The sentinel seemed but a shadow himself, as he stood in that shadow. -Only a trained eye could have detected his presence, or would have -thought him other than a part of the rocky wall against which he stood. - -But to the keen vision of the scout he was as distinct as the great -rock itself. - -For a full minute after locating the man Buffalo Bill lay still, -thinking how best to approach or circumvent him. - -Then, with knife in his teeth, and the lariat, which he had taken from -the saddle, in his hands, and held ready for use, he slipped on, silent -as a weasel stealing on its prey. - -It was necessary to silence that sentinel. Otherwise an alarm would -be given, which would arouse the outlaws and keep Buffalo Bill from -carrying out the plans that he had half formed. - -The unsuspecting sentinel seemed to be looking straight at the scout; -but his attitude of careless ease and security showed that he did not -dream that a foe was within miles of him. In truth, so perilous was the -task of approaching the outlaw stronghold that even Ricardo himself did -not believe any pursuit would be made. He would have laughed at the -thought of one man making that pursuit, as Buffalo Bill had done. - -Besides, Ricardo had been at some pains to hide his trail on the -prairie, and was sure that it could not be picked up easily. The -posting of the sentinel was, therefore, but a matter of camp routine. - -So slowly that he seemed scarcely to move, and so quietly that he made -no more noise than the falling of a leaf, the scout drew inch by inch -nearer to the man he had marked for his prey. - -And the sentinel, wrapped in a sense of security, thought danger so far -away and his position such a sinecure that he began to roll a cigarette. - -Buffalo Bill was but fifteen feet away when the sentinel struck a match. - -In doing this, the sentinel turned to the wall behind him, and, as he -puffed at the cigarette, he held one hand up to keep the match from -being blown out. - -At that moment Buffalo Bill rose silently to his feet. The lariat was -given one quick swing, and the noose shot for the stooped head of the -sentinel. - -The match went out, as if it had been struck from his hand, as the -noose fell over his head and was pulled tight by a quick jerk. - -Then the sentinel was thrown from his feet, and the cry that arose to -his lips was stifled. - -He fell gurgling and scrambling, and the next moment Buffalo Bill was -bending over him. - -Some stout cords were in the scout’s hand. One of these he twisted into -the man’s mouth as a gag, where he tightened it; then he slipped other -cords over the man’s waving arms and swaying legs. - -It was all over in less than half a minute, and the sentinel was a -helpless prisoner. - -“I could have killed you just as easily,” the scout whispered into the -ear of the terrified man, “but I do not raise my hand against the life -of any man without cause, or when I can avoid it. Now, I’ll see that -you are put where you can do me no harm.” - -Having tied him securely, Buffalo Bill lifted the helpless man in -his strong arms and carried him down the slope. Here, finding a side -passage--a small cañon, as it seemed--he bore the man into it for some -distance. - -“I’ll see that you are not left here to die of starvation, old fellow,” -he promised, as he prepared to leave the man there. “I owe you -something, you know! You were doing your work so poorly that really I -had no trouble at all in crawling up on you.” - -Going back to the point where the sentinel had stood, the scout took -possession of the man’s weapons, which he concealed. - -“Now, to see what is on before me!” - -Then a thought came to him, which took him back to the prisoner. - -“See here,” he said, “I want some information, and you’re just the chap -to give it to me.” - -He pressed his revolver against the man’s head. The touch of the cold -steel made the rascal tremble. - -“I’m going to take the gag out of your mouth, so that you can talk to -me,” the scout informed him. “But I want to tell you that if you call -to your friends or make any disturbance whatever, I shall shoot you as -if you were a wolf. Do you understand that?” - -The way the man trembled showed that he understood well enough. - -He was still trembling when Buffalo Bill removed the gag. Again the -scout pressed the revolver muzzle to the temple of the terrified -sentinel. - -“Don’t!” the man whined. - -“Do you know who I am?” - -“You must be ther devil, I guess!” - -“Call me that, then. It makes no difference to you who I am. I have you -in my power, and I shall shoot you if you try to call any of your pals. -Now, answer my questions!” - -“Put down that gun!” the fellow begged. “It might go off--yer finger -might slip on the trigger, er----” - -Buffalo Bill did not put down the gun. - -“You’re a member of the Branded Brotherhood?” - -“Yes.” - -“And Ricardo is your captain?” - -The fellow shivered again. - -“Yes,” he answered reluctantly; “but I’ll be killed fer tellin’.” - -“You’ll be killed, if you don’t tell. Now, where is your camp? No -lying; for if you deceive me in anything, I shall come back here and -shoot you for it.” - -“Camp’s back in ther hills,” answered the subdued ruffian. - -“Just where?” - -“’Bout a half a mile back.” - -“The way to get there?” - -“Straight up this gulch a quarter of a mile; then take the side gorge; -ye can’t miss it.” - -“What sort of a place is it?” - -“A lot of log houses. Chief’s is the biggest, and the fust one ye come -to.” - -“And where are the prisoners kept? That’s what I’m after--those -prisoners.” - -“Ain’t but one here.” - -“Which one?” - -“Ther gal.” - -“Where is she held?” - -“In a room of Ricardo’s cabin.” - -“And the man--her father; he was the other prisoner, wasn’t he?” - -“He’s held in another cabin, out in ther hills.” - -Question after question the scout thus put to the trembling wretch, -until he had pumped him dry of information. - -“Thank you,” said Buffalo Bill, at last. “I’m glad I fell in with you.” - -“Can’t say thet I recipercates,” the fellow grumbled. - -“No, perhaps not. Now, I’m going to leave you again, but I’ll call and -see you later.” - -“Say, boss,” the man called, as Buffalo Bill was about to apply the gag -again, “who aire ye, anyhow? You’re a good un; and you’re fair, fer an -enemy. If I was on your side, I’d tie to ye.” - -“Likely you’ll know who I am later,” was the answer, as the scout stole -away. - -Buffalo Bill now pushed on up the gulch, finding no further -obstruction. Without mishap he made his way along the side gorge, until -he came at length in sight of the cabins, several of which were lighted -by fires that leaped and flamed in the wide-throated fireplaces, for -the nights up there in the hills were cool and fires were needed. - - - - - CHAPTER LII. - - BUFFALO BILL’S DARING. - - -In front of the cabin which he knew to be Ricardo’s, and where the -sentinel had said Rose Carter was held a prisoner, another sentinel -paced slowly up and down, with military tread, bearing a rifle on his -shoulder. - -He seemed to be more alert than the sentinel whom Buffalo Bill had -captured. - -“Not a good outlook,” thought the scout, as he lay at one side of the -gorge trail and made this discovery. “But I’ve attempted more difficult -things.” - -So, undaunted, he crawled on. The gorge ended a hundred yards or so -from the nearest cabin, leaving the way absolutely open before him. - -The camp of the outlaws had been well chosen. Apparently the only -approach was through that narrow gorge, which a dozen men could have -held easily against a regiment. The cabins occupied a bowllike area, -that was level and of considerable extent. Behind the cabins some -horses were grazing. All around tall mountain cliffs shut in the place. - -“There’s a way out of here--some sort of backdoor passage, is my guess; -Ricardo is too shrewd a rascal to coop himself in a spot that has only -one exit. It seems he ought to be safe enough here. But if I had a -dozen good fighting men at my back right now I’d guarantee to take the -whole camp. If Ricardo was as smart as he appears to be he would have -more sentries on duty, and would have every one of them reliable men. -But the fox gets into the habit of sleeping, when he thinks the hounds -are far away, and can’t by any possibility reach him.” - -The scout was crawling on. At the end of the gorge he crept along the -right wall of the cliff, for the shadows were blackest there. But when -he had reached a point opposite Ricardo’s cabin he saw how difficult it -would be to pass across that open space without discovery. - -Just then, as if to thwart and discomfit him, some men came out of the -cabin and stood talking with the sentinel. - -One of them, the scout was sure, was Ricardo himself. - -More than once as Buffalo Bill lay there listening and watching and -trying vainly to make out what was being said, he lifted his ready -revolver and pointed it at the indistinctly seen form of the outlaw -chief. - -But caution restrained him. The camp was full of outlaws. He could see -numbers of them in the other cabins, and still others were moving about -outside of the cabins, for the hour was so early that none of them had -retired for the night. - -“I can shoot Ricardo all right,” was the scout’s thought, “but what -good would it do? It would simply stir up the rest of them; and though -I might down half a dozen or so, they would either capture me or make -it even more difficult than it might be to get that girl out of her -prison.” - -So each time the deadly revolver came down. By and by Ricardo and those -with him went back into the cabin. But the sentinel continued to pace -his beat, and but a call from his lips would have been sufficient to -bring the outlaws out of the house and rally them from the other cabins. - -“The moon will be up soon,” thought the scout, glancing at the eastern -sky, which was already beginning to redden. “I shall have to try some -other plan.” - -Then a great thought, daring as he was himself, came into his mind. -Retracing his way by crawling along the cliff wall, he reëntered the -side gorge. - -Here he arose to his feet, and made his way into the gulch, down which -he hurried at a rapid pace. He did not halt until he came near the spot -where he had left Midnight. - -Midnight was too well trained to even whinny when his master drew near, -but when Buffalo Bill came up to the intelligent animal it showed every -sign of delight at his return. - -“I just want a couple of blankets, Midnight,” he said. - -Then he took the blankets from the roll behind the saddle, after which -he patted the horse lovingly, and hurried away. - -Going up the gulch again, he entered the side cañon and went on to the -point where he had left the sentinel. He hurried as he walked, for the -time was precious. - -He found the fellow writhing and twisting at his bonds, in a vain hope -to extricate himself from his unpleasant position. - -“Ho, my man, I’m back sooner than you expected me!” he said, as he once -more bent over the rascal. “Well, I’ve come to make a trade with you.” - -Again he showed his revolver, then took the gag from the man’s mouth. - -“What d’yer want?” the fellow growled, in a slow way, for his mouth was -sore and stiff. - -“Your clothing. I’m going to take these cords off of you--every one of -them, so that you can strip. I want you to slide out of this suit as -quick as you can.” - -The man was puzzled. He began to hope, though, that a chance of escape -would now be given him. When Buffalo Bill had removed the cords he -covered the man with his revolver. - -“Now, my friend,” he said quietly and sternly, “you’ll do a lightning -shift out of those garments, or I’ll feel compelled to pump some lead -into you. What I want with those clothes is none of your business; it’s -enough for you to know that I want them.” - -Fear of that deadly revolver caused the man to begin to strip without -questioning. - -“Now, you may have this blanket, in place of the clothes. It will keep -you warm all right, in this summer weather, and keep the mosquitoes off -of you, perhaps, if they are many up here.” - -Having said this, he retied the rascal and once more gagged him -completely; though the man did a good deal of grumbling, and was only -kept quiet by fear of instant death. - -Buffalo Bill now arrayed himself in the garments of the sentinel, even -to the hat and found, fortunately, that, though he was a large man, the -sentinel was about as large, and the clothing fitted fairly well. - -“Not a bad-looking double of this fellow, if I keep my face concealed,” -was the scout’s thought. - -Then he left the sentinel, and left his own clothing in a niche in the -rock, and, carrying the one blanket that remained, went back into the -gulch trail and on toward the camp of Ricardo. - -He did not stop until he was in the gorge and once more opposite the -cabins of the outlaws. The moon was rising, and its light began to -illuminate the little valley holding the outlaw camp. - -Within the shadow of the gorge Buffalo Bill halted, to take a full -survey of all that lay before him. Not so many outlaws were to be seen. -Most of them were probably eating their evening meal. But within the -cabin of Ricardo, at which the scout looked longest, several men were -visible through the window that looked outward toward the gorge. - -Then Buffalo Bill began to work out one of the most daring plans of his -daring career. Stepping boldly out of the gorge and trusting to the -outlaw’s clothing to deceive the sentinel, he walked slowly toward the -cabin. - -The sentinel saw him coming--could not help seeing him--and looked at -him intently. But the scout had his rough hat pulled well down over his -face, almost concealing it, and the suspicions of the sentinel were not -yet aroused. - -When Buffalo Bill drew near the cabin door something in his gait -appeared to excite the suspicion of the guard. - -“Why--that you, Ned? What in thunder ye comin’----” - -He was not given time to say more, nor to lift his rifle, which he had -dropped to the hollow of his arm. - -With a leap as light as that of a panther Buffalo Bill was at his side, -and the heavy blanket was over the sentinel’s head. At the same instant -the scout drove his heavy fist into the sentinel’s face with such -force that he was knocked insensible. - -Fortunately the muffling blanket kept the heavy blow from being heard -in the cabin, but, unfortunately, as the sentinel fell, he swung -backward and struck his arm against the door, making a sound somewhat -like the thump of a heavy fist of a rough man who imperatively demands -entrance. - -The door against which the sentinel had struck his arm--there were two -doors on that side of the cabin, showing that it was divided into two -rooms--was swung almost instantly open, and a man stood before scout. - -Behind him was another man, and behind this man the form of a girl--the -girl being, as Buffalo Bill guessed, Rose Carter. - -The sentinel lay limp in Buffalo Bill’s arms, his face upturned, for -the scout had jerked away the hooded blanket. - -“What’s up?” the man asked, in a curious voice. - -Without hesitation, Buffalo Bill answered: - -“Things wasn’t lookin’ jest as they ought to outside, an’ I come up ter -report, and this feller was layin’ right by the door--keeled over in a -fit, I reckon, an’ when----” - -Having talked with the first sentinel he had made a prisoner, Buffalo -Bill was imitating the peculiarities of the man’s speech, and so clever -was the imitation that the man in the doorway was for a moment deceived. - -That moment was enough for Buffalo Bill’s purpose. He stepped forward -with his burden, as if for the purpose of bearing it into the room. - -“Not in heur,” the man objected. “Take it into t’other room, whar ther -capt’in is.” - -He was not given time to say anything more, for Buffalo Bill’s strong -right hand shot out at this juncture and caught him by the throat in an -iron grip. - -As he pushed this man on into the room, holding him by the throat, the -scout let the insensible form of the guard slip to the ground. - -The man he had taken by the throat was not willing to be subdued -without a struggle, however, and began to writhe and twist and fight -with all his strength. - -There was a stir in the other room, which, as the scout now saw, was -connected by a door with this room. - -With a quick glance around, Buffalo Bill saw that the other occupants -of the room were Carter and his daughter Rose. - -Fortunately, Carter, who had been held in another cabin, as the first -sentinel had reported, had been brought to this cabin not long before, -to be questioned by Ricardo, and was in the room with Rose when Buffalo -Bill made his unexpected and spectacular appearance. - -On a table at one side of the room was a kerosene lamp, whose light -illumined the place. - -Rose and her father were thrown into a state of much excitement by the -fighting of the two men, one of whom they knew was an outlaw, whom they -had no cause to love, and the identity of the other they could not even -conjecture. Not for an instant did they think that he was the great -scout, Buffalo Bill. - -Seeing the connecting door fly open, and hearing behind it the tread -and the exclamations of a number of men, Buffalo Bill caught up the -kerosene lamp, which was of glass, and hurled it straight at the head -of the man who had first appeared, and whom he recognized to be Ricardo -himself. - -The lamp struck the outlaw chief fairly and knocked him down; then, -passing on into the other room through the now open door, it fell to -the floor, exploding as it fell and scattering fire and burning oil in -every direction. - -It was as if pandemonium had been instantly let loose, for the burning -oil, striking the clothing of the men, set them on fire, and enveloped -them in flames, and the oil on the floor also catching fire, shot up in -red flames to the low ceiling. - -“Quick!” said the scout. - -The door to the outside was open before him, and beyond that door was -the gorge and the gulch, the prairie and liberty. - -He caught Rose Carter with one hand and her father with the other, and, -before they could question or object, he had pulled them through the -doorway to the outside. - -“Now, run!” he said. “Run for the gorge. I am Buffalo Bill, and I have -come here to rescue you. Run, and I will protect with my life if it is -needed.” - -Men were pouring out of the other cabins, for the explosion of the -lamp, the leaping flames, and the howls of the men who were burned and -blinded, was rousing the whole camp. - -Buffalo Bill’s fighting blood was up, and, as he fell in behind the -running figures of Rose Carter and her father, he was in a mood to -fight the whole outlaw camp rather than let the escaping prisoners be -retaken. - -He heard low, hoarse commands, excited yells as some of the men in the -burning cabin leaped through the doorways, their garments blazing, and -also saw several men running toward the horses that were feeding in the -valley behind the camp. - -With his face toward the camp and a revolver ready in each hand, -Buffalo Bill retreated toward the gorge. Some men, seeing him, and -recognizing him as an enemy in spite of the disguising clothing, the -revolvers of the scout began to rattle. - -Two of the men dropped dead in their tracks, and another was severely -wounded, and this caused the others to draw back. - -Then there were louder yells and sharper commands, as Ricardo appeared -and began to shout orders. - -The outlaw chief had been knocked down by the lamp and for a few -moments was in no condition for fight; but he had rallied, and as none -of the burning fluid had touched him, he was now out in the open air, -shrieking his wild commands. - -Buffalo Bill took a shot at the outlaw chief; but another outlaw, who -chanced to rush in front of the leader, got the bullet and fell. - -Then the scout was himself in the mouth of the gorge, with the -prisoners running on at full speed toward the gulch trail. - -Buffalo Bill turned now and ran after them at his best gait, and soon -overtook them. - -“Run as you never ran before!” he commanded. - -Taking each by the hand, he seemed to fairly lift them forward, as he -sped in wild flight toward the point where he had left his horse. - -Behind them rose a terrible din in the outlaw camp, and a little later -a red light shot up toward the sky, showing that the cabin they had so -lately left was in flames. - -“They will be after us on horses in a minute or two,” said the scout, -urging the fugitives on. - -Near the point where the little side cañon opened which held the bound -and gagged sentinel, Buffalo Bill halted for a moment, just long enough -to lift Rose Carter in his strong arms, then he tore on again, leading -the way, with Carter racing heavily behind him. - -Fortunately, the camp was in such wild confusion that the scout and -the fugitives were able to reach the spot where Midnight had been left -before they were sighted by any of their pursuers. - -“Down, now!” the scout whispered. - -Behind them he heard the thunder of hoofs. And as the three--the scout -and the fugitives--stooped to the ground, down the gulch came the -horsemen riding now out into the increasing moonlight. - -A dozen men on horseback swept by, riding like the wind and heading for -the open prairie, to which point they naturally believed the fugitives -had hurried. The scout chuckled audibly as the last horseman thundered -by. - -“Let them go,” he said, “they will find it a wild-goose chase.” - -Other horsemen were heard, and they also thundered by. Back in the -little valley the flames of the burning cabin mounted higher and higher -until the sky was brilliantly lighted. - -For an hour Buffalo Bill and his friends lay in hiding, with Midnight; -and in that time the scout learned all that the prisoners had to tell -of their capture, the burning of their home, the murderous deeds and -the subsequent cruelty of the outlaws. - -It was a harrowing story. - -“Such debts can only be paid when those devils are wiped off the face -of the earth.” - -“Hark!” said Rose. “Some one is coming, I believe.” - -“Yes; one of those outlaws is coming back,” said the scout. “I heard -the hoofs of his horse some time ago.” - -He took his lariat as he said it, and stationed himself out by the side -of the trail along which the outlaw rider would have to pass. - -A little later he came into view, riding slowly. He was swearing -volubly. The trail of the fugitives had not been struck, and because of -that and of the things which had preceded he was in an ugly temper. - -His words and oaths were cut short when the lasso of the scout shot out -from the side of the trail, and, settling about his neck, jerked him -heavily to the ground. - -In an instant the scout was on him, stifling his cries. - -“I’ve just been waiting for one of you fellows to come back,” he said, -“for I wanted a horse. Now I have one. You will find the sentinel, tied -up and gagged, in the side cañon. You’d better see that he is released. -And, to make sure that you know just where he is, I will go with you.” - -Then, with his revolver keeping the man silent by its threatening, he -walked with his prisoner up the gulch and into the little cañon. - -When Buffalo Bill again appeared he was dressed in his own clothing. - -“Any more of those fellows coming back?” he asked of Carter. - -“No; that is, we haven’t heard anything.” - -“Then we’ll be going. Some of them will no doubt be along soon. We can -strike the prairie, and I know some gulches and some washes we can get -into and which we can follow. It will baffle them to find us now.” - -“Now?” questioned Rose. - -“Yes. We have two horses now. Midnight, my horse, will carry double, -and we now have an extra horse for your father. You can be shifted -from one horse to the other, as the animals tire. But come, we must be -going, for we must be far from here before daylight. The moonlight is -increasing, but they can’t do much trailing before day comes.” - -Then he helped Rose Carter to a seat on Midnight, and swung up himself -behind her, and, Rose’s father being seated in the saddle vacated so -recently by one of the outlaws, the journey was begun. - - - - - CHAPTER LIII. - - BUFFALO BILL’S DEFENSE. - - -In his private quarters at the fort sat General Canton, the commandant -of the chain of forts upon the far frontier. He was engaged in reading -dispatches just arrived, and his brow was dark, his look troubled, as -though the news therein contained was not pleasant. - -Around the general were signs of comfort, and even luxury, for his -quarters were well furnished, and books and musical instruments were -there with which to while away leisure moments. - -Touching a small bell, an orderly soon appeared at the door. - -“See if Major Belden is sufficiently recovered from his fatiguing trip -to come to me.” - -“Yes, sir,” and the orderly vanished, to return in a few moments with -the information that the major would come at once. - -Soon after the major put in an appearance at the general’s quarters, -and was motioned to a seat. - -“Major, I am really pleased with your trip, and I feel certain that -those Indians on the Southern Agency will behave at least for a few -months; but I have sent for you to learn what was the information you -had regarding Buffalo Bill.” - -“I have information that should hang him, sir,” the major asserted. - -“You report that he has committed several murders. It is unbelievable. -He may have killed men, in the discharge of his duty, but I shall be -slow to think him a murderer.” - -“He is a murderer, sir, high as he has stood. He shot two soldiers a -year or two since, and what for Heaven only knows. He has shot down -Indians by the score, and I believe he is in league with some of the -hostile bands, also with the Branded Brotherhood.” - -“Yet you know what a number of noble deeds he has performed.” - -“They have had that appearance, general, but there has been some -underhand reason for it, I assure you. Now, on my return from the -southward, as I told you this morning, I passed by the new settlement -of Riverside, to see if they longer needed the services of Captain la -Clyde. - -“There, all of a sudden Buffalo Bill appeared, after an absence of four -weeks on some pretended trail, and demanded that I should let him have -a dozen soldiers to accompany him upon some trip, which he pretended -would rescue a young girl from captivity. I considered it some trap -to lead my men into, and told him so, when he deliberately knocked me -down. See, sir, here is the bruise on my left cheek.” - -“He was most impertinent and daring, major, I must admit.” - -“Yes, general; and I arose and rushed upon him with my sword, when, as -quick as a flash, he wrested it from my grasp, broke it, and hurled me -from him with a strength I believed no man capable of.” - -“What did you do then, major?” - -“I ordered the men to seize him, but he hurled them aside, drew his -revolvers and strode right through their line. I then ordered them to -fire upon him, but Captain la Clyde, half a dozen of the settlers, and -Miss Conrad threw themselves in front of him, and the troopers could -not obey. Then he mounted his horse and rode away. He is a coward!” - -“Not a coward, major; he is certainly not that, bad as he may be,” said -the general. - -“Yes, sir, he is a coward----” - -“And you are a liar, Major Belden!” - -The sudden reply, breaking into the conversation in a stern, deep -voice, caused both General Canton and his officer to spring to their -feet and glance toward the door. - -There, just inside the portal, stood none other than Buffalo Bill, his -eyes blazing and fixed upon Major Belden with a menacing light. - -“What, ho, the guard, orderly!” yelled the startled officer. - -Again the deep voice of the scout was heard. - -“There stands one outside that door who will give up his life at my -word, so you call in vain. One cry more from your lips and you are a -dead man.” - -Then, turning to the commander, the scout continued: - -“General Canton, I did not come here, sir, to bandy words with that -man. Will you spare me a moment of your time?” - -“You chanced to hear Major Belden’s accusations?” - -“Yes, I heard him; but I never have raised a hand against the United -States troops on this border, who did not first attack me.” - -“You slew two soldiers who once attempted your arrest, I learn?” - -“I slew two drunken deserters who had boasted that they would take me -alive and hang me without trial. They rushed upon me. I warned them -back; they would not heed the warning, and I shot them dead. You were -not in command here then, sir, and heard only a garbled account of -the affair from such as yonder man, who wears a major’s straps, which -I will yet tear from his shoulders if he crosses my path with evil -intent.” - -“You speak boldly, Mr. Cody.” - -“I know it, general; it is a habit I have. Regarding my killing of -peaceable Indians, it is all a lie, though I made war upon all hostile -bands. Now, sir, I desire to state why I sought you here: first, to -give the lie to all assertions against me such as have been brought to -your ears, and then to say that upon arriving at the new settlement, -whither I guided the Conrad emigrant train, I saw with horror that a -cruel enemy had been there, and left ruin and death behind. - -“Alfred Carter’s wife and son had been murdered, and Carter and his -daughter, a beautiful girl of eighteen, had been carried off into -captivity. Taking the trail of the bloodhounds, after days of tedious -work, I tracked them to their kennel, and found that Ricardo, the chief -of the Branded Brotherhood, had done the deed.” - -“Infamous!” - -“Well may you say so, General Canton, but, to continue: I tracked -the renegades to their den, I disguised myself, and by night entered -the stronghold, and sought the cabin where the young lady was held a -prisoner.” - -“You were most daring, sir.” - -The scout smiled quietly, and replied: - -“I risk my life every day, general. I rescued Rose Carter and her -father. Then I returned to the settlement, and, meeting there Major -Belden, begged for a few men to return with me to destroy the outlaws. -He refused, and insulted me, and I promptly knocked him down.” - -“Served him right,” responded General Canton, whose sympathies had been -won by Buffalo Bill’s bearing and statements. - -“Thank you, general.” - -“This girl, Rose Carter, is free, then?” - -“Yes, general; she is now in this fort, whither I brought her, with her -father, half an hour since, for we were hotly pursued by the Branded -Brotherhood.” - -“The deuce you were! Well, I will lead my men at once against them,” -said the commandant eagerly. - -“Hold, general! I have already seen Captain la Clyde, and, by this time -he has a troop ready. It was through his kindness I found you here. - -“The orderly outside your door is a man whose life I have twice saved, -and he bade me enter and clear my character, which Major Belden was -defaming. Now, general, if you will just give an order to see that Miss -Carter and her father are comfortably looked after, I will guide you in -pursuit of Ricardo and his men.” - -“Miss Carter and her father shall be well cared for, Mr. Cody, and I -will at once follow you. Major Belden, you have, for some reason, I -am certain, misrepresented this man’s character to me, sir, for I am -confident he speaks the truth. Be more careful in future, and until my -return hold command of the fort. Come, Cody!” - -So saying, the general walked from his quarters out into the court of -the fort, where Captain la Clyde’s troop of horse was drawn up ready -for the march. - -Presenting the general to Rose Carter, whose beautiful face was most -sad looking and pale with fatigue, the officer at once conducted her to -the apartments of his wife. - -Returning soon after, he mounted his horse, and with the scout by -his side, and Percy la Clyde and his troop following, dashed rapidly -away from the fort, leaving the crestfallen major swearing hatred and -revenge upon all who crossed him, from the general down to the drummer -boy. - - - - - CHAPTER LIV. - - THE BATTLE WITH THE BROTHERHOOD. - - -Dashing rapidly on, under the guidance of the scout, the squadron of -cavalry, after a ride of ten miles, struck the trail where Ricardo and -his men had turned back in their chase after the fugitives. - -After carefully examining the traces, Buffalo Bill reported the outlaws -about thirty strong. With a cheer the troopers dashed on, until the -scout suddenly drew rein where a large trail was visible. - -“Here is another trail of fully a hundred horsemen, and they have -followed on after Ricardo,” he announced. “Ah! I have it, they are the -band of Dog Soldier Sioux under the desperate Red Dick. General, can I -offer some advice?” - -“Assuredly, Cody. Our success in this affair depends upon you.” - -“Well, sir, I would say dispatch half a dozen men at once to the fort -for another squadron of horse, so that we can be able to manage both of -these bands, and follow Ricardo to his retreat.” - -“Good!” said the general, “we’ll make a ten-strike of him this time, -and it will be a feather in our cap to rid the country of such a -desperate renegade. Lieutenant Ainslie, take four men with you, return -to the fort, and tell Captain Kassidy to come on at utmost speed with -his company, and see also that you bring fresh horses and rations.” - -Away darted the lieutenant, while a halt was called, and the horses -were allowed to rest. But Buffalo Bill determined to push on at once -alone and reconnoiter; so, telling the general he would return if he -discovered the exact whereabouts of the enemy, he rode away, and soon -disappeared behind a roll in the prairie. - -For a few miles the scout continued on, Midnight keeping up a sweeping -and untiring gallop; then he suddenly drew rein, for the distant crack -of a rifle broke on his ear. Cautiously advancing, Buffalo Bill soon -reached a roll of the prairie higher than the ordinary. Knowing that -he could obtain an extensive view from its summit, he dismounted, and, -leaving Midnight to await him, he advanced until he could see for miles -before him. - -Then, quite to his surprise, he beheld a small timber island, and -around it, just out of rifle range, fully two hundred Indians. - -Taking a small field glass from his pocket, he soon discovered that the -timber hid a number of horsemen, who had taken refuge from their Indian -foes. - -“Aha!” he exclaimed, as he turned his glass upon the Indian besieging -party. “Aha! Ricardo; you are in a trap, and Red Dick holds the winning -hand. Well, so much the better for the troops. Ah! Ricardo, your days -are numbered now.” - -After a long examination of the motte and the surrounding band, the -scout returned to his horse, mounted and rode rapidly back, arriving at -the cavalry encampment just as Captain Kassidy and Lieutenant Ainslie -arrived with about sixty more men. - -Reporting his discovery to the general, Buffalo Bill continued: - -“And now, sir, I think as soon as the horses are a little rested we had -better push on. You have a hundred fighting men now, and we can defeat -the two forces combined.” - -“You do not think the two men, now enemies, will join against us, do -you, Cody?” - -“I do, general; the necks of both men are in the hangman’s noose, and, -knowing that they cannot singly meet your force, they will join their -thieving bands and make common war upon us.” - -“Well, we’ll give them a supper of cold lead and steel by dark. Come, -gentlemen, we must be on the move.” - -On swept the cavalcade over the prairie, and when the sun was low in -the horizon, they came up to the higher roll of the prairie, where a -short halt was ordered. - -“They are at it hot and fast,” said the scout, as the sound of rapid -firing reached their ears. - -“Now, general, let me suggest that you divide the troops into three -parties, you leading the center with about forty men, Captain la Clyde -taking the right with about twenty-five men, Captain Kassidy the left -with a like number, and at about a mile distant from Captain la Clyde. - -“With your permission, I will then take the remaining half dozen -troopers and the three hunters, and, making a circuit of four miles, -will come out upon the prairie at a point far to your right, and at -once advance toward the motte. When the Indians catch sight of me they -will at once send out a large force to fight me, and then you had -better charge with your three squadrons.” - -“That is splendidly planned, Cody; you should have entered the army!” -cried the general. - -He at once gave the necessary orders, and in ten minutes more, with the -roll of the prairie still hiding them, the four parties were taking up -their respective positions. - -From their points of view the officers saw Buffalo Bill emerge upon -the prairie. At once his presence created an excitement in the Indian -besieging ranks. - -Then there broke forth across the prairie the wild and thrilling war -cry of the scout, and over the roll of land, from three different -points, bounded the cavalry squadrons, their cheers striking terror to -the dusky besiegers of the motte. - -Instantly there was a cessation of hostilities between the Indians and -the Branded Brotherhood. - -Out from the motte bounded the iron-gray of the outlaw chief, his -master upon his back. Waving a white handkerchief, the outlaw -approached a central point, whence another horseman emerged to meet him. - -The two met upon the plain. The parley between them was excited and -brief. Then Ricardo returned to his motte, while Red Dick went back to -his Indians, who at once broke in wild confusion and made for the motte. - -“It is as I thought; they have joined forces,” cried the scout. - -Raising his voice to its highest pitch, he sent it across the prairie -in one of his terrible war cries. - -“Ride, men ride! Press them into their den! Press them home and the -game is ours!” - -A cheer answered the scout’s words, and driving their spurs into their -horses, the troopers bounded on in hot pursuit, closing up upon their -foes in deadly earnest. - -At length the band of Indians, under Red Dick, reached the motte, and, -rallying around the nearest trees, turned to fire upon the advancing -cavalry, the stern voice of Ricardo giving forth his orders in a cool -and decided manner. - -But the scout gave them no time to form a solid line, for, ahead of the -other three squadrons, he dashed on with his little band right into the -timber, and instantly a hot firing was heard. - -Almost immediately after, the squadron of Percy la Clyde struck the -timber, then followed the general and Captain Kassidy, with their -troopers. - -Attacked thus from four points, and without time to rally, the Indians -broke and fled, in spite of the cries of Red Dick and Ricardo, who were -determined to sell their lives dearly. - -Through the motte like a fiery torrent swept the scout and his band, -crushing down many an Indian brave and driving a mass of Indians -pell-mell before their impetuous advance. - -Then Buffalo Bill rode straight for the spot where Ricardo coolly sat -his horse, Red Dick, Long Dave, and Red Roark upon either hand, and his -disciplined outlaws around him, determined to do or die. - -“Here, accursed hound, you are my game,” yelled the scout, firing his -revolvers right and left, and dropping a foe at every shot, as he urged -his horse on toward Ricardo. - -But, though the Indians had broken upon every hand, and were flying -madly through the timber, shot and cut ruthlessly down by the charging -troopers, the band of the Branded Brotherhood still stood as firm as a -rock, and met the attack with iron nerve. - -Suddenly a tall trooper fell from his horse by the side of Buffalo -Bill. Instantly his saber was seized by the scout, who, with a series -of wild war cries, still pressed on toward Ricardo. - -But before he reached the chief, Red Dick spurred forward to meet him, -crying in his hoarse tones: - -“Now, you cursed scout, your time has come.” - -“You are mistaken, Red Dick!” the scout shouted, and with one mighty -sweep of his saber he cut down the burly ruffian. - -Quickly supporting the band of the scout came Percy la Clyde and his -troopers, and the moment after up dashed General Canton and half a -dozen men, he having dispatched the remainder of his squadron, under -Lieutenant Ainslie and Captain Kassidy and his dragoons, in pursuit of -the flying Indians. - -The reënforcements thus received by Buffalo Bill caused the Branded -Brotherhood to be outnumbered, and slowly they began to give ground. - -Buffalo Bill bounded forward once more, and, his saber having been -broken by coming in contact with the rifle of Long Dave, he drew his -keen knife and rode on until he faced Ricardo. - -“Now, Captain Carter, it is your life or mine!” - -“In Satan’s name, who are you that knows me?” cried the outlaw chief, -his face turning ghastly pale, as he reined back his iron-gray mare -upon her haunches. - -“I’ve known you for some time,” the scout shouted. “You are the fiend I -crossed knives with once on the Rio Grande.” - -An incredible fear seemed to fall on Ricardo, his knife fell from his -nerveless hand, and his horse would have bounded away had not Buffalo -Bill seized the bridle and hurled the animal back. - -Then Ricardo’s revolver flashed its fire. He saw he had missed the -scout, and the weapon went up for another shot. - -But Buffalo Bill, leaning over, gripped him by the throat and knocked -the weapon aside. - -“Here, La Clyde, this fellow shall not cheat the gallows,” he cried, -and two troopers instantly seized the ruffian, while the remainder of -the outlaws broke in wild confusion and darted away to seek safety in -flight. - -Even as Buffalo Bill did this a bullet fired by one of the men struck -the outlaw, and he fell as if dying. - -The outlaws were fleeing, avenging foes were upon their track, but -before darkness settled upon the scene many had fallen beneath the -pistols and sabers of the troopers. - -At length night came on, and the sounds of suffering were heard in the -motte, for around a large camp fire the troopers had placed the wounded. - -At another fire near by stood General Canton and his officers, -discussing the battle, and wondering at the absence of Buffalo Bill, -who, when last seen, was in hot pursuit of the flying renegades. - -The night crept on, midnight rolled around, and yet the scout had not -returned, and anxious fears filled the hearts of all for his safety. - - - - - CHAPTER LV. - - A STARTLING REVELATION. - - -In that motte, there on the wild plain, few cared to seek sleep, with -the dead and wounded everywhere around them. General Canton and his -officers still sat around the camp fire, though midnight had come and -gone. - -Presently the sound of rapidly advancing hoofbeats was heard, the -sentinel challenged, and the answer came in the stern, deep voice of -the scout. - -The next instant he dashed up to the fire, accompanied by the negro, -Buttermilk, the servant of Ricardo. - -Another man was with him, and this man was none other than Alfred -Carter, who had followed on, hoping to be in the fight against the -outlaws. Alfred Carter was wild in his rage against Ricardo and the -outlaws. - -“Thank God! you have come, Cody. We feared danger had befallen you,” -cried the general. - -“No, sir; I took the trail of this negro, and I caught him. Where is -the body of Ricardo?” - -“Lying where he fell, I suppose.” - -Walking hastily away into the timber, the scout soon hailed: - -“Send me a few men; the chief is not dead.” - -A few minutes more, and half a dozen troopers approached the fire, -bearing between them the wounded form of Ricardo, the chief of the -Brotherhood. - -“Gently, men, gently; do you not hear his groans, and he is no man to -cry out at trifles. Lay him there,” said Buffalo Bill, and around the -wounded chieftain gathered General Canton, the scout, Captain la Clyde, -the negro Buttermilk, Alfred Carter, and several others. - -“Ricardo Carter, for that is your real name, do you know that you are -dying?” suddenly asked Alfred Carter, in an earnest tone. - -“Yes, my sands of life are ebbing out rapidly; but who are you that -calls my name--a name that has been dead to sound for long, long -years?” replied the chief, speaking with difficulty. - -“I will tell you, and you must say whether I speak true or not.” - -“I am listening; hasten, for death keeps back at the bidding of no man.” - -After a moment’s silence Alfred Carter began speaking in a low but -distinct voice, plainly heard by all. - -“Nearly thirty years ago there were two brothers, sons of wealthy -parents, living on the Missouri River. One of these brothers, in his -eighteenth year, left his home to serve in the army of his country.” - -Ricardo started up, staring; then, it seemed, for the first time he -recognized in this man one whom he had known before. - -As he made this discovery he fell back with a cry of terror, but still -continued to stare into the face of the man before him. - -“You set out to be an honest soldier, Ricardo, but, dismissed from -the service, you leagued with robbers, roaming over the Western and -Southwestern plains for years, until at length you became the leader -of the Branded Brotherhood. Have I truly told your life, Ricardo?” - -“You know all,” sadly replied the chief, “and you are my brother! And I -would have killed you. How did you discover me?” - -“Through some papers you were foolish enough to leave in the place -where I was held a prisoner. Yes, I am your own brother, Ricardo; yet -you killed my wife and son, let your fiends hold me a prisoner and -carried my daughter away a captive. Now you are a prisoner, and you -have received your death wound, yet I am sorry for you, for you are -still my brother.” - -The scout, pained by this interview, had walked away from the camp -fire, and only the groans of the chief broke the silence, but whether -Ricardo groaned most from pain of body or mind none knew, for he never -spoke again, and with his head supported in the arms of the negro -Buttermilk, who had so faithfully followed his master’s evil fortunes, -his breath grew shorter and more labored, until, with a curse half -uttered upon his lips, Ricardo, the chief of the Branded Brotherhood, -was dead. - -When the scout left the camp fire he mounted Midnight and rode away -across the prairie. Shortly after sunrise he beheld a horseman -approaching, and upon a nearer view discovered him to be none other -than Howard Lawrence. - -When Buffalo Bill recognized the horseman he put Midnight into a rapid -gallop and started toward him. - -Whether it was a guilty conscience of intending wrong to the scout, or -fear, we cannot tell, but Howard Lawrence instantly turned to fly. - -The scout at once urged his horse forward in pursuit. - -Across the rolling prairie Howard Lawrence urged his steed, and, -heading for a piece of timber, soon disappeared in its leafy recesses. - -“Ha, he has taken cover and intends to fight me! So be it,” said the -scout. - -The next instant a look of disappointment was upon his face, for he saw -the fugitive dart out on the other side of the motte and continue on -across the prairie. - -The next moment Midnight had reached the timber and was circling around -it, when, suddenly, a shrill call was heard, and, glancing into the -thicket, Buffalo Bill beheld the Red Bud of the Forest just preparing -to mount Fer white mare, which stood near. - -Instantly he wheeled alongside of the Indian girl, and in surprise -asked: - -“What does the Red Bud here alone?” - -“She came to seek the great white scout. Yonder goes the enemy of -the noble scout, the man who taught the Rose of the Pawnees to love -him--the Man of Many Faces.” - -“Yes, I am now on his trail, Red Bud, for I would take his life, for -did he not try to destroy the Pawnee maiden, and was she not ever kind -to me when I lay sick and wounded in her father’s wigwam? The scout has -a heart and has not forgotten. But why did you seek me?” - -“The Red Bud came to warn the great scout that Many Faces was his enemy -who would strike him in the back, for Red Bud heard the words of the -wicked man and the warrior from the great fort.” - -“Ha! that must have been Major Belden.” - -“The great scout speaks straight; the two wicked braves were to kill -the great white scout, and the Many Faces was to make one of the -paleface maidens his squaw.” - -“This is news, Red Bud, and I thank you for it. Now I must be off after -yonder running hound. Come!” - -Away darted Midnight, and close behind followed the steed of Red Bud. - -But gradually the trained and swift horse began to draw away from his -less fleet companion, and once more, with tremendous strides, he was -drawing nearer the magnificent animal ridden by Howard Lawrence. - -Thus an hour passed, and Midnight was not a hundred feet behind the -fugitive, while two miles distant upon the prairie came Red Bud, urging -her white mare forward at the top of her speed. - -With his repeating rifle Buffalo Bill could have brought down both -horse and rider, but he cared not to do either, as that would have -ended the affair too soon. - -A few more tremendous bounds, and Howard Lawrence saw his pursuer -almost upon him. Drawing his pistol, he opened a rapid but harmless -fire. - -Instantly Buffalo Bill seized his lasso, which hung at his saddle bow, -and which he could throw with wondrous skill. It made a sweep around -his head. With a cry of horror, Howard Lawrence saw it coming and -endeavored to dodge the fatal noose. - -Too late! Like a lightning flash it settled around him, and lie was -jerked violently from his saddle. - -Instantly Buffalo Bill dismounted, and, loosening the lariat from -around his enemy’s waist, bade him arise. - -“What means this, sir?” sternly asked Howard Lawrence as he slowly -arose to his feet. - -“It means, sir, that I have pursued you, and now have captured you.” - -“And why, may I ask?” - -“Because of the wrong you have done that poor Indian girl. Once, when I -was sick in her father’s village, she nursed me back to health, and for -that, though she is an Indian, I regard her almost as if she were my -own sister. You have ruined her life, you base scoundrel and villain!” - -“Is that all?” the young man asked, with a sneer. - -“I know, also, that you are the son of the bandit chief, Ricardo, who -is now dead.” - -A flush stole over the pale face of Howard Lawrence, and he was silent. - -“Whether you know that Ricardo, the chief of the Branded Brotherhood, -was your father,” said the scout, “or whether you are ignorant of it, -I am not assured, but such is the case, and you are a fit son for such -a father, for under numerous disguises you have led a most villainous -life. - -“You have brought ruin and death upon more than one household, and were -plotting the ruin of Rose Carter, and also Sibyl Conrad, after having -won the affection of yonder beautiful Indian girl, only in the end to -tire of her, after she had given up all for you, and cruelly desert her -to her fate.” - -The scout turned and pointed toward Red Bud, who at that moment rode -up, and in silence gazed upon the two. - -“You have, then, become the champion of all the redskin and paleface -girls on the border?” sneeringly replied Howard Lawrence. - -Casting aside the noose, young Lawrence flashed out a knife and -attacked the scout with great fury. But Buffalo Bill met him with -steel, and the blades flashed in the sunlight like a circle of fire. - -Both were men of splendid physique, and were noted for their strength, -agility, and courage, and therefore the duel between them was one of -deadly ferocity. - -For many long moments in breathless suspense Red Bud of the Forest, -the poor, trusting, loving, but deserted squaw, watched the terrible -encounter. - -Then her eyes gleamed with joy as she saw Buffalo Bill spring within -the guard of his enemy and once, twice, thrice drive his gleaming blade -into his bosom. - -With a half-uttered cry, Howard Lawrence sank to the ground, a dead man. - -“Well, Red Bud, he will do no more harm. But I hated to do it. It was -his life or mine.” - -“Many Faces gone to happy hunting grounds. Stranger scout is great -brave, big chief.” - -The scout looked at her kindly. - -“Now let Red Bud of the Forest return and sing in her native wigwam, -where her people dwell around her; the stranger scout will always think -kindly of the Pawnee maiden.” - -“The great scout has spoken,” she answered, “and Red Bud will return to -the village of her people.” - -Sadly the lonely Indian maiden turned away, and before the scout could -prevent bounded upon her horse, and the next moment was flying across -the prairie. - -“It is better thus. Now I must bury this body, for even my enemy I -cannot leave for the wolf to tear in pieces.” - -Thus saying, with his knife the scout dug a grave in the soft soil, -and, taking the body, placed it within the narrow resting place, which -was soon filled up with earth. - -Mounting his horse and leading the steed of his late enemy, Buffalo -Bill then set off across the prairie, just as the sun was sinking from -sight beyond the distant horizon. - - - - - CHAPTER LVI. - - THE RETURN TO RIVERSIDE. - - -From the scene of his prairie duel Buffalo Bill headed in the direction -of the fort. At nightfall he halted for rest, for both steed and rider -sadly needed it. After looking to the comfort of the horse and rolling -himself in his blanket, the scout was soon lost in slumber. - -With the first glimmer of the day he was astir, and after a few hours’ -ride came in sight of the fort, and was shortly after welcomed by -General Canton and Percy la Clyde, who had arrived the night before, -bringing with them the prisoners taken and the wounded of both sides. - -The rage of Major Belden was great indeed when he knew of the triumph -of his enemy, and he at once offered his resignation, which the general -received with satisfaction, for he was now convinced that the major had -been acting an underhand part toward both himself and the scout. - -The snows of winter fell upon the Western prairies, and covered the -humble roofs of the Riverside settlement, which had wonderfully -improved, and everywhere around presented an air of homelike comfort -and prosperity. - -In the months that had glided by since Major Conrad and his comrades -had found new homes on the border many changes had come, and the onward -march of civilization was heard around them, for new friends were daily -welcomed in their midst and improvement was striding bravely forward. - -La Clyde, the gallant young officer, as the reader will be glad to -know, married the girl of his heart, Sibyl Conrad. - -Rose Carter is now the wife of a sturdy settler, and Ruth Whitfield is -also the mistress of a pleasant home in Riverside. - -Riverside is now a thriving little Western City, and there Buffalo -Bill, the great scout, is always sure of a warm welcome. - - - THE END. - - -No. 172 of the BUFFALO BILL BORDER STORIES, entitled, “Buffalo Bill’s -Blockhouse Siege,” by Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, tells of a mysterious -company of red riders which the intrepid scout conquers and forces -forever from the plains. - - - - - _Adventure Stories_ - _Detective Stories_ - _Western Stories_ - _Love Stories_ - _Sea Stories_ - - -All classes of fiction are to be found among the Street & Smith novels. -Our line contains reading matter for every one, irrespective of age or -preference. - -The person who has only a moderate sum to spend on reading matter will -find this line a veritable gold mine. - - - STREET & SMITH CORPORATION, - 79 Seventh Avenue, - New York, N. Y. - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - The Table of Contents at the beginning of the book was created by - the transcriber. - - Minor punctuation errors have been silently corrected and except - for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and - inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation and spelling such as - “hard-drawn/hard drawn” and “wild-west/wild west” - have been maintained. - - Page 2: “A Congress of Rough-riders” changed to “A Congress of - Rough Riders”. - - Page 115: “girl had ben surprised” changed to “girl had been - surprised”. - - Page 183: “CANON” changed to “CAÑON”. - - Page 238: “dirctly” changed to “directly”. - - Page 240: “Rise” changed to “Rose”. - - Page 261: “Captain la Cylde” changed to “Captain la Clyde”. - - Page 269: “stretched the unbrokn” changed to “stretched the - unbroken”. - - Page 309: “Branded Brotherhod” changed to “Branded Brotherhood”. - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BUFFALO BILL'S BEST BET *** - -***** This file should be named 63568-0.txt or 63568-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/5/6/63568/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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