59

Seventh Ave., N. VY.
Five Cents

9 79-

ice

 

éy STREET & SMITH
Pr

Post Office,
1906.

Jef
9

at the IV.

JANUARY 13

class Matter
9

cond-

ps
Qz
oS
p=
=
ee
=z

Entered as Se

LL
4

50 PEYr year.

PL SS ‘

$2
fearful struggle for life on the brink of that deadly chasm.

eption

TIE
” ee
“

By subscr:

Before Buffalo Bill could draw his revolver, the Yaqui grappled with him. Then began a

Issued Weekly

 

 
 

 

 
  
 
  
   

  
 

 

  

   

 

 

Ey pFALO ‘Bl

ve A A WEERLY PUBLICATION
) DEVOTED TO BORDER HISTORY

L
STOR a

 

 

Issued - By subscription $2.50 per year. Entered as Second-class Matter at the N. V. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 79-89 Seventh Avenue,
NV. Y. Lntered according to Act of Congress in the year 1906, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.

 

  

a Beware of Wild West imitations of the Buffalo Bill Stories. They are about fictitious characters. The Buffalo
Bill weekly is the only weekly containing the adventures of Buffalo Bill, (Col. Ww. F. Cody), who is known all

over the world as the king of scouts.

 

No. 244

NEW YORK, January 13, 1906.

Price Five Cents.

 

 

  
  
  
  
   
  
  
    
  
  
  
   
 

 

  

Buffalo Bill on a Treasure Hunt;

OR,

The Secret Hoard of the Yaquis.

 

By the author of “BUFFALO BILL.”

 

CHAT EER f.
THE STORY OF THE SECRET HOARD.

“Yes, old fellow, the story is an interesting one,” said

Buffalo Bill; “but as to the chances of finding the

treasure and getting away with it, I must confess that
I’m rather skeptical.”

When the famous king of the scouts uttered this
opinion, he was sitting by a camp-fire on the southern
border of Texas, near the Rio Grande. He formed one
of a hunting party that had been shooting and trapping
in that part of the country for several weeks during
the summer of 187—.

Another member of the party was Jack Dixon, a fear-
less and gallant young frontiersman, with whom the bor-
der king had become very friendly. Dixon had been
telling Cody the story of a hidden treasure of which
he had heard, down in Mexico, and had been suggesting
that they should make up a party to go in search of it.

   

“I haven’t got the slightest doubt that the treasure is
there, all right,” said Dixon, “and why shouldn’t we get
it as well as anybody else?”

As he spoke, a grizzled, weather-beaten old trapper
came up to the camp-fire, and threw down the carcass

of a black bear, under which he had staggered from the =~

wood near-by.

“Hello, Nick!” said Buffalo Bill. “So you have some
luck! I guessed as much when I heard your old rifle go
off just awhile ago.”

“Yes, I brought the beast down with one shot,” re-
joined old Nick Wharton, one of Cody’s oldest and most
trusty comrades, with some pride. “Got him, right
through the brain! We'll have b’ar steaks fur supper
to-night, boys. They'll taste pretty good after deer meat
and jerked stuff. But what was that I heard you sayin’
about treasure, Dixon? I guess I’ve heard you throw
out hints about sunthin’ o’ thet kind afore to-day.”

“I. was telling Cody about a hidden treasure 1 hiow

   
 
   

own in: -Mexico,” replied the young man. “I sug-
d that it might pay us well to get up an expedition
ad go in search of it. It would make us all rich men
oe 40 life. As-I understand it, the hoard is worth several
, mil lions of dollars.”

oe “Gosh my suspenders, but thet sounds good!” ejacu-
lated old Nick Wharton. “But I kinder reckon thar’s a
joker in the deck somewhars, ain’t thar?”

“One little difficulty is that the treasure is guarded by
the Yaquis, the most bloodthirsty and formidable Indians
‘in all Mexico,” remarked Buffalo Bill dryly.

“Let’s see how many of ’em we kin reckon up, Buf-
Jer,” said old Nick Wharton. “I guess I know of more
of them treasure hunters than you, fur I’ve been on the

border long before you war born.

“Thar was Digger Ned, who went after some ancient
_ gold-mine down in lower California. The Tularis set-
| his business. An’ you remember Jake White, I
The Cimmarons killed him in a purty nasty way.”
_ “Just think of the men we knew who have left their

bones to. bleach in Death Valley,” returned the border
q g. Dick Kennedy, Red Langdon, Roaring Jim
oe Bob Alton—there are a host of them.”

‘Yes, and the fellers who went down into Sonora,

 
 

 
  

tle Injuns afore they could reach thet old Aztec silver
mine.”

“Who were all these men you are talking about, and
what have they to do with the matter?” asked Jack Dixon
somewhat impatiently.

“They were all treasure seekers or hunters after fa-
bled minés of extraordinary richness,” said the king of
the scouts. “As to what became of them—why, they are
all dead! The lure of gold proved fatal to them.”

“And you think that it would prove fatal to us?”

“I think there is a pretty good chance of that.”

_ But at all events it would be a fine adventure,” put
a the fourth member of the party, who was none other
n that chivalrous and gallant scout, ‘Wild Bill”
lickok, the favorite of Custer and the tried friend of
3uffalo Bill.

Nes, that is true, agreed Cody. “I have heard a lot

about the Yaquis, but never had a chance to see them. I

certainly would like to visit them, for they must be a

re ery interesting people, by all accounts.”

“What's the story about your treasure?” asked Nick

' Wharton, turning to Dixon, and busying himself in cut-
ting some steaks from the bear and making them ready
to fry over the fire.

39

“We'll hear it while we’re having supper,” said Cody.
“Yve only heard the bare outline of it, and I’m as hun-
gry as a grizzly after the winter. We'll go into the
*~ matter thoroughly, and maybe we'll decide to make the
i, atter, all.”’

In a few minutes the four hunters fell to work

%

heartily

Par BURFALO BILL SEORIES 9°)

 

after we left it three years ago, and were all killed by

   
      
      
    
      
   
   
  
   
  
  
   
  
   
   
  
    
    
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
   
     
     
  
   
   
  
  
   
    
 
  
         
           

   

 

 

on the bear steaks, which they devoured with the appetite
born of their healthy, open-air life. After they had fin-
ished their coffee and lighted their pipes, Dixon opened
up his scheme.

“This treasure hoard that I want to secure is part a
of the ancient wealth of the Aztecs,” he said. “It has |
been seized by the Yaqui Indians, and is guarded by them oa
as a sacred tenet. More than one man, to my knowledge,
has lost his life in trying to take it away from them. |
You see, I do not want to deceive you about the busi-
ness, much as I want your help.”

“But what about the moral aspect of the question?” —
asked Buffalo Bill. “It seems to me that this treasure
belongs tothe Yaquis, if it belongs to anybody; and I
don’t wonder that they are not kindly disposed toward __
people who try to take it away from them.” |

“There you are wrong,” replied Jack Dixon eagerly. = 7
“If there is any lawful owner of the treasure after the a
lapse of the centuries since the Aztecs were crushed and ee
exterminated by Cortez and his Spaniards, that owner is
myself,”

“That sounds queer,” remarked Wild Bill. “How do e
you make it out?” f | |

“Two years ago I was employed as overseer on the
ranch of a rich Mexican named Don Ramon Mercado,”

 

 

Ta
ai

said the young man. “It was situated only about a hun- i
dred miles from the border of the Yaquis’ country, and ay
Indians raids happened every now and then. Luckily we = 4

did not suffer much, for there was a strong post of
Mexican soldiers near-by our ranch.

“The Yaquis, you know, have never been conquered
by the Mexicans, though they have fought with them, ie
off and on, for generations. There is always fighting  —|_
along the border. The best the Mexicans can do is to” 4
repel the raids that are made on their ranches and vil- o
lages, and keep the Yaquis penned up within the confines —
of their own mountainous and heavily timbered country.

“Well, after I had worked on the ranch about a year,
there was a big raid of the Yaquis. They burned two ore
three haciendas, and then a strong force of Mexican
rurales caught them and wiped out pretty nearly all of =|
them. Only about a dozen contrived to get away and —
carry the news of the defeat to their mountain villages,
where the soldiers dared not follow them.

 

 

 

 

 

“There were some wounded prisoners, and I happened
to be at the fort near our ranch when they were brought : ! .
in. One of them instantly attracted my attention. —

“T think he was the most remarkable man I have ever
seen. He must have been over eighty years old, but he ae
was as straight as a lance, and he stood well over six at _
feet high. His movements were as quick and agile as
those of a young man, and the fiery glance of his black
eyes showed that the years which had whitened his hair
had not tamed his warrior’s spirit

: — sree VRE”
desea Beet ee ge Pec

 

 

“His features were regular ia handsome, and his —

   
   

 
  
  

complexion was very light—only a slight copper color.
He was quite unlike any other Mexican Indian I had
| ever seen.

 

 

 

 

“He was suffering from two gunshot wounds, and

e _his head had been broken by a blow with the butt of a
 tifle; but his spirit had not been crushed. Although he
_ could hardly stand, owing to weakness from pain and

loss of blood, he struck a rurale in the face when the

 

 

 

 

latter insulted him.

“The soldier drew his sword-bayonet and would have

 

 

 

a

  
  
   

   
 
 

gk mre ee

 

Bp aNeN eae Oe Wt Os Sea pA ca fo Ua ia yi ae =
ee
ee ee Ne, a cs eee cle 7 :

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

- ment on the matter are imperative,’ he objectec

stabbed the old man to the heart, had I not rushed in

 

front of him, revolver in hand, and protected him.
“Just at that moment, the commandant of the post
strolled up, and asked what was the matter. I told
him that one of his men was about to kill a wounded pris
oner, whose life I had saved.
“Why did you put yourself to that trouble, my

_ friend? the officer asked, rolling a cigarette between

his fingers. ‘These rascals are all to be shot in a few
minutes. I have sent for the firing-squad. You have
only prolonged the man’s life by a few minutes. He
might as well have been stabbed as shot.’

“But these are wounded prisoners,’ I said indignantly.
“You don’t mean to say that you will shoot them down
in cold blood!’

“But certainly, sefior,’ he replied, bowing pote and

offering me a cigarette. ‘They are Yaquis. You must

know very well that we never give quarter to Yaquis.
Those are the orders of the government. We are trying
to stamp out the whole pestilent race.’

“I protested strongly, but it was no use. The officer
was polite, but firm; and he was quite correct in saying
that he was merely carrying out the orders of his su-
periors.

“The firing-squad came up, and the prisoners were

i ranged in a line, with their backs against an adobe wall.

The word to fire was about to be given, when a young
lieutenant came running up from another part of the
fort, shouting to the men to halt.

“He stopped, breathless, before the commandant, and
saluted.

to the old warrior whom I had vainly tried to save. ‘As
you know, I was in command of the party that captured
him. At that time, he was a prisoner in the hands of
the Yaquis; and they actually tried to kill him rather
than allow him to fall into our hands. I shot down a
Yaqui who va. on the point of hea him through
with a spear.’

“The commandant hesitated. He was a man of a

_ domineering nature, and he did not like having his plans
_ crossed.

““Fle was caught with the Yaquis. He is an Indian.
He should die with them. The orders of the govern-

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

““That man is not a Yaqui, sefior,’ he said, pointing

      
  
   

““But they only apply to the Yaquis,’

could help it. ‘Any one can see at a glance that this man
is not a Yaqui. He belongs to some other tribe, but

what it is I have no idea, for I never saw an Indian like —

him.’
by the horns.

““Tf you insist on executing this man, sefior,’ I said,
‘I shall acquaint my employer, Don Ramon Mercado,

with the facts, and he will bring your conduct to the

attention of the government.’
“This decided the matter, and the commandant sullenly

gave the order to remove the old man from the squad _

of doomed prisoners. He knew very well that Don Ra-
mon had great political influence and could get him into

3 ‘

I put in, deter- —
mined that this fine-looking old man should not die if I —

“The commandant still hesitated, and I took the bull :

serious trouble with the government if he were minded

to do so.

“The other prisoners were promptly Bhar and my ~

protegé, who had so narrowly escaped their fate, looked —

on without the quiver of an eyelid.

““You may as well take the fellow away with you
to your ranch, since you have saved him,’ said the com-
‘I don’t want to be troubled with him any

mandant.
more.’
took him to Don Ramon’s hacienda. My employer was
much interested in the story.

“Do you mean to tell me that you don’t know what
tribe this man belongs to?’ he asked. ‘He belongs to
the greatest race of Indians that ever lived in Mexico,
He is an Aztec.’

“An Aztec!’ I exclaimed, in' surprise.
thought oS all the Aztecs had been exterminated gener-
ations ago.’

“<«That is the common belief, Hig none the less this

man is an Aztec,’ said Don Ramon. ‘Is that not the
truth?’ he asked, turning to the old man, and speaking

in the Spanish patois commonly used by the half-civilized

Indians of Mexico.

“Ves, J am an Aztec—the last of my race,’ was the
reply, given in excellent Castilian, which showed that
the man had been well educated. ‘I am Atuahalpa, the
descendant of the ancient caciques who ruled over this

land, and served the temples of the sun, before the white

men destroyed the empire of Montezuma.’

“Don Ramon was deeply interested by this, for he
was an enthusiastic antiquarian, and had-always taken
the deepest interest in the remains of the Aztec em
pire. He made the old man welcome to the hacienda,

and insisted on treating him as an honored guest, in-

stead of sending him to herd with the servants, as would
have been done with other Indians.

“When he had had a bath, and dressed himself in
one of Don Ramon’s own suits of clothes, he turned out

‘Why, I

“TI dressed the man’s wounds, put him on a horse, and |

h

 
     
    

    
     
        
 
       
  
 
   
     
 
   
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
   
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
   
   
     

   

    

“4

tate

to be an educated and well-bred gentleman, carrying him-
sf as, became the descendant of kings. He dined that
evening with us and Donna Dolores, my employer's
aughter.
“After dinner, he told us that he had been educated
n Spain and France, and had traveled all over the
‘world. His father had been a wealthy man, having in-
herited a small portion of the vast lost wealth of the

Aztecs.
“ “hen my father died, twenty years ago,’ our guest
went on, ‘I was called upon to take up his life-work—the
__ work that has devolved upon the head of my race ever
' since the Spaniards crushed the empire of Montezuma.
It is to find the lost treasures of the Aztecs, which was
_eatried away and hidden by a few faithful warriors when
the great city of Tenoctitlan—now the City of Mexico—
was captured by ‘Cortez.’
_~ ‘Then that treasure really exists, said Don Ramon
eagerly. ‘I have heard many rumors about it, but I

: thought they were fables.’
" © Tt exists,’ replied Atuahalpa, ‘and I know where it is.
I have been trying for many years to secure it, but I
have failed.’

“What does it consist Ae ?? asked the Mexican curi-

ou me ~
* "Vast temples of the golden vessels that were used
in the services of the temples of the sun, bags of rubies
and emeralds, which must be worth many millions of
dollars in American money, and thousands of other pre-
’ said Atuahalpa. ‘It

 
 
 

 

  

 
 

 
 

cious stones and jeweled ornaments,

_ ‘There cannot be another like it.’

- **And it is hidden in the country of the Yaquis,’ said
Don Ramon acutely. ‘You were seeking for it there
when you were made prisoner, first by the Yaquis, and
_then by our Mexican soldiers.’

“The old man smiled grimly.

“T+ is true, sefior,’ he said, ‘but I cannot tell you where
I have taken an oath to reveal the place to no
I will show you the

it is.
‘man until my death is at hand.
oath,’

“He left the dining-room, und went to the place where
‘he had left his old clothes. He soon returned, bearing
in his hand a piece of parchment, which was yellow with
age.

“You are a scholar who has studied the secrets. of
the Aztecs,’ he said to Don Ramon. ‘Can you read this?’

“Mercado took it in his hand, and saw that it was cov-
ered with curiously drawn pictures and symbols done in
red and blue paint.

“Tt is the old Aztec picture-writing,’
think I can make it out.’

‘He studied it closely for a few minutes, and then
siowly read out the following, of which I took a copy at
the time

he ‘said. ‘}

   

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

of mankind.’

is the greatest hidden treasure anywhere in the world:..

‘ Athalialpa, lord of Tenoctitlan and the Land of
Fire, descendant of the Emperor Montezuma and of
all the caciques of the sun, do solemnly swear by Quetzal

the Beautiful, Lord of Life, that I will search for the” A :

lost treasure of the Aztecs all my days.

“Tf I find it, I will expend it in trying to restore the a)

lost empire of the Aztecs, if that be possible. If it be not
possible, then I will spend it in doing good to the op-
pressed and suffering people of all lands, reserving for
my own use only the fiftieth part of the treasure.’

““Caramba, but this is the most extraordinary thing I
ever heard of!’ said Don Ramon, who now thoroughly
believed the story.

“The last provision in the oath was inserted in the
days of my grandfather, when it became obvious that
the Aztec empire could never again be restored,’ Atua-
halpa explained. ‘It is, of course, still more obvious
now, for I am the last of the Aztecs, so far as I know.

“TJ am an old man, and cannot expect to live much
longer. When I am dying, if the treasure is still un-
discovered, I shall give the secret to the best white man
I know, so that he may spend the treasure for the good

“*T hope you will not select me as your heir,’ said
Don Ramon laughing. ‘I have more money than I
know what to do with already, and the proper spending
of such a vast sum would be a tremendous responsibility.’

“The old Aztec made no reply, but he produced an-
other piece of yellow parchment.

“Tt do not think you can read this, Don Ramon,’ he
said.

“Mercado puzzled over it for some time, and then had
to confess that it baffled him,

“Tt is in the writing of the ancient people who held
the land before the Aztecs,’ Atuahalpa said. ‘I am the
only man in the world who now understands it. Even in
the days of Montezuma it was only known to the chief
priests and caciques of the Aztecs. It is in this writing
that the location of the treasure is set down, so that if
by chance it is lost no man could read it.’ :

“But it will not be of much use to the white man
whom you may select as your heir to the secret,’ Don
Ramon objected.

“TJ will give him a translation.’

“That ended the talk on the subject for the night, but
you may be sure that both Don Ramon and I thought
a great deal about it afterward.

“The old Aztec stayed with us on the ranch for some
time, recovering from his wounds, which were not of
a very serious nature.

“Three weeks later he came up to me, after break-
fast, and seemed very much agitated. :

“Senior Dixon,’ he said, ‘I had a strange dream last
night. As I slept I saw all the dead caciques of my
race pass in procession before me, led by the melancholy

roars = Sag fig pe chee es
Ade A Aaa de oa a

a 9 atest a

}

bac webs

CE eae eas SS
'

 

 

 
  

 

 

 

 

aE S

ee
re

 

  

    
 

 

   
  
  
  

   
  
  

De

genet Roy SR CRE Satie = Sole
: \ oe By

es at ans A Malic
~~ \ eae
»

- “On to another.
_and I have watched you carefully and have found you

- terest.

father.

_ “One by one they warned me that my death was at
hand, and that I must prepare at once to pass my secret
I have chosen you, for you saved my-life,

 

 

‘to be a man of honor.

a “Here are the two parchments that I showed to
_ Don Ramon,’ he went on, handing to me a small packet

‘done up in oilskin. ‘I have put Spanish translations
with them. They will show you how to find the treasure,
if you care to take the risk.

“I will not bind you with an oath, for you are not an
Aztec. With my death, the old purpose of the treasure
will die. I only ask your word of honor that, if you
should find it, you will spend it in doing good, keeping
only the fiftieth part for yourself and my friends whom
you may take with you. That. small fraction alone
would give half-a-dozen men great fortunes.

“ “Keep the packet carefully, and if I do not die in a
month I may ask you to return it to me. It is an old tra-
dition of my race that the cacique is given a month’s
warning of his death by the spirits of his ancestors.’

“Of course, I ridiculed the dream, telling the old
Aztec that a man of his education ought to be above
such foolish superstition. But I accepted the charge he
gave me, more to make his mind easy than anything
else.

“A week later, we were alarmed by reports that an
epidemic of yellow fever was sweeping all through
_ Mexico, having started at Vera Cruz and other Gulf
ports, People died by the thousand, and at last the
scourge struck our ranch,

“Two of the peons died, and then the old Aztec was
attacked by the disease. He made a gallant fight for
life, for he had a splendid constitution; but he died on
the last day of the month that he had told me was al-
lotted to him for a warning.”

Buffalo Bill and his brother scouts had listened to
the strange story which Dixon told with breathless in-
At this point the king of the scouts asked:
“Have you made any attempt to find the treasure?”

eNO

The Yaquis were very active in their hostility

. to all whites at that time, and it was positive madness to
piry to enter their country,

I hear, from letters I have
received from Mexico, that they are quieter now. Then,

3 too, I decided to defer the attempt until I could get a

    
  
 

off such a treasure alone.

few men whom I could thoroughly trust to go with me.
No man, it struck me on reflection, could possibly carry
He could only take away Some
of the rubies and emeralds that Atuahalpa spoke of. We

_ should need several men, to say nothing of pack-mules,

in order to remove the heavy golden ornaments.”
“And that would mean that we should be in great

THE BUFFALO

_and unfortunate Montezuma, and ending with my own

~ sweet and beautiful girl.

   
  

BILL STORIES.

 

danger of being discovered by the Yaquis,” said Buffalo —
Bill.

“Precisely.” :
“Have you still got those two parchments you spoke —
of?” x

“Yes. Here they are.”

Dixon took out a small oilskin packet, which he wore
round his neck by a silken cord, hidden beneath his
hunting-shirt. He opened it, and handed the parchments —
to Buffalo Bill. a

The three scouts looked at the curious hieroglyphics
with interest, but of course they could make nothing of
them.

Then Dixon showed Cody the Spanish translations,
which the king of the scouts could read easily.

“The description of the location of the treasure seems
to be very precise,” he said. “There is an air of truth
and definiteness about it which convinces me that the
old man knew what he was talking about and was telling.

the truth. But why did he never succeed in getting the 2

treasure himself?”

“He tried often, but he had bad luck. More than
once he narrowly escaped with his life.
you see, know where it is; and guard it very carefully,
for it is sacred to them.”

“Yes, I see that it is hidden in a sacred cave in a
mountain near their principal village,” said Cody. “What
do you say, pards? Are you inclined to join in this ad-
venture. lam.

“And so am I,” declared Wild Bill.

“You kin count me in,” said old Nick Wharton.

“Then we four are enough,” Dixon said. “We can
trust one another, and we don’t want to’ bring any outsid-
ers in and run the risk of treachery. Of course, we
must all agree to abide by the old Aztec’s demand, that
only a fiftieth of any treasure we may get shall be re-
served for our own personal use.”

The three scouts immediately and cheerfully agreed to
this. None of them was of an avaricious nature, and
they were embarking on the enterprise more for’ the
adventure of it than from any expectation of winning
wealth, 4

“Why did you leave Don Ramon’s ranch and come
north here?” Buffalo Bill asked Dixon, before they rolled
up in their blankets to sleep for the night. “I should have
thought you would have preferred to stay where you
would be nearer to the treasure, and might find a chance
to eet at i.”

The young man blushed.

“The truth is,” he said, “I fell in love with Donna
Dolores, the daughter of Don Ramon, who is a very
I could not bear to stay
there in the hacienda with her, and not be able to tell her
of my love.”

“Well, why didn’t you tell her, then?” asked the knight

The Yaquis,

  
  

ins. “Faint heart never won fair lady. You
n’t expect her to tell you, did you?”

Of course not. But you don’t understand the posi-

a great heiress. I was penniless, except for the salary
hich Don Ramon paid me. How could I ask her to

. Biter?
‘So you thought that you would come up north and

My uncle left me the small ranch I am
ng now. I hoped to develop it and make money,
have not been very successful. What with drought
nd the Apache raids, I have lost a great part of my
. But I always had the idea of finding some good
men whom I could trust to go on this treasure hunt with
me, and now I have succeeded. I feel that I am at least
one step hearer to winning Donna Dolores.”
a “4 think you made a mistake,” said Buffalo Bill. “If
you loved the girl, you should have found otit whether
she loved you. If she did, she would have been ready
: enough to wait for you while you were trying to make
your fortune. As it is, you may find that- when you are
_ ready to ask for her, she is married to another man.’
_ “T hope not,” Dixon said, wincing. “All the lost
treasure of the Aztecs would not compensate me for
losing her.”

 

CHAR EER i 8:
BUFFALO BILL'S SHORT WAY WITH SCAMPS.

i don’t much like the look of the place,” said Buffalo
Bill doubtfully. “It looks as if it were patronized by
a pretty tough crowd, but that’s true of most of these
border ns. Most of the patrons are either gamblers
or ‘greasers,’ I reckon.”
“No doubt,” agreed Wild Bill. “But we might as
‘well put up here for the night. The horses are tired, and
a bed in a tavern, however, bad it is, will be a change to
this everlasting sleeping out under the stars in a blanket.”
“Give me the clean fresh air in preference to a place
that is haunted by greasers,’”’ returned Buffalo Bill.
“However, have it your own way.”
_ The three scouts and their young friend, Jack Dixon,
had come to a hait, at dusk, in a small border settle-
ment on the American side of the Rio Grande. ’

hearing Dixon’s story, they were on their way down to
Mexico.

The settlement at which they decided to halt for the
night was called Harker’s Folly, because it had been es-
tablished by a man of that name, and had been very far
from fulfilling the large ideas of its promoter. It had not
thrived, and now consisted only of a few long cabins, two

 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

 

Following out the decision they had come to after —

 

dilapidated stores, and the tavern before gvhich the scouts
had reined up their horses. °

Buffalo Bill and his companions, experienced as they
were in studying frontier types, speedily saw that the
inhabitants of the village were by no means of the best
class. Several of them were Mexicans of the lowest
character, and others bore every mark of belonging to
the class of gambler desperadoes who caused so much

trouble in many of the small towns in the Southwest at —

that time.

The king of the scouts, although no man was more

to be feared in a fight, was not in the habit of looking
for trouble. By nature, he was not a quarrelsome man.
For this reason, he was in favor of going on instead of
staying at the settlement; but he was overruled by his
companions.
Entering the saloon, they saw at once that it was noth-
ing better than a gambling-hell. The proprietor was
shouting loudly:
“Make your bets, gentlemen! Make your bets!
game is just about to open. Pony up your dust, sports!
The bank stands ready to cover anything you lay down.’
The keeper of the gambling-hell was doing a roaring
business that summer night in more senses than one.
Trade.was brisk, for several traders had struck the
town in the afternoon, and they were now adding to
the regular custom of the saloon, which, like nearly all
saloons in the Southwest, had a faro and roulette layout
attached.
As “Faro Pete,” the keeper of the saloon, roared out
his invitation, several men pressed forward eagerly to buy

the chips, which represented the stakes of the game..

Pete’s eyes sparkled more evilly and greedily than ever
as he raked in the money, which in many cases repre-
sented the savings of months of hard toil.

“Come, stranger, ain’t you going to put up a stake

and sit in the game?”

The ill-favored gambler spoke sharply to Cody, who
stood in a corner of the room, gazing at the scene with

mild interest, but not sharing in the slightest degree

in the excitement of the reckless plungers around him.

Cody shook his head.

“No. I don’t feel like playing,” he said.

“Then what in ’tarnation air yo’ hyar fur?’ growled
a ruffianly bartender, coming up to his side threaten-
ingly at a sign from Pete. “Thar ain’t no room in this
yer shebang fer fellers as don’t want ter be sports. I’m
paid ter bounce all sech—see?”’

“In that case you had better go ahead and earn your

wages,” Buffalo Bill replied, smiling cheerily, but with a
steely glint in his eyes that boded no good to the man
who should attack him.

The “bouncer” paused for a moment, sizing up the
tough contract he had undertaken.
that look in Cody’s oe and. didn’t like it.

  

 
    
  
  
 
 
  
 
  
   
  
   
  
    
   
    
    
   
   
 
 
  
 
   
   
  
    
    
    
   
  
   
     
 
   
  
 

 

The

He had core

 
  
  
 

   
 
 

: fa sleg ee : ee
oy cakes Wel pe

pa

 
    
       
    

 
   

tv

 

   

Pile in, Bill. What in thunder are you waiting for?’

 

 
   

 

 

De years before. :
knocked out everybody whom he had encountered at the

 

“resaaue—
BN TaN

pio Seo SS

 
 
 

- cried the saloon-keeper.

Inspired by this order, and stung by the loud guf-
faws of the crowd, Bill sailed in.

He had a local reputation as a fighter, and it was even

_ Said that he had been famous in the Eastern prize-ring
Whether that was so or not, he had easily

settlement.
_ He rushed at Cody, intending to put i out of

business with an upper-cut on the point of the chin, and

then heave him through the door, before he could regain

his senses; but he reckoned without his host.

His blow was cleverly warded, and Buffalo Bill coun-
tered with a left-hander between the eyes that stretched
him flat upon the floor.

Bill was on his feet again in a moment, with an evil
look in his-eyes. He could not afford to be beaten, for it
would mean the end of his reign as the bully of the place.

He sparred for time, and soon found that Cody knew

_ quite as much about boxing as he did, if not more. |

The men in the saloon stood aside and made a ring,

willing even to stop their gambling for the excitement of
a good fight.

Buffalo Bill stood on the defensive and parried the
blows rained on him with ease.

Presently, rendered desperate by the gibes of the
crowd, Bill tried to clinch with his opponent, hoping to
grasp him by the throat and so far throttle him that
victory would be easy.

But Cody read his foul fest in his eye, and sprang
back quickly. Bill rushed after him, but was met with
two stunning blows, one full on the point of the chin
_ and the other in the solar-plexus.

With a single gasp, he went down to the floor and lay
there, motionless and unconscious. It was a clean knock-
out.

The crowd shouted their delight at this termination to
the fight, for Bill and his master had few friends even

among the men upon whose passions and weaknesses they

. > lived,

“Now, would you like to put me out, or shall I stay?”

said Cody to Pete.

That. worthy glared at him for a moment in speech-
less rage, and then his hand went swiftly down to his
belt and rested upon the butt of his revolver.

* But before he could draw it, Buffalo Bill was upon
him, gripping him in a viselike hold and forcing him
backward to the ground.

Pete was a powerful man, and he did his best to put
up a fight, but he was almost as helpless as a baby in the
hands of his herculean adversary.

Before the bystanders had time to fully grasp what
was happening, much less to interfere, Pete was stretched

His

‘upon the floor beside his still unconscious lieutenant.

“THE BUPFALO BILL STORIES, = =

   

       

revolver had been jerked from his hand and tossed away a
to a corner of the room. Le

“Now, gentlemen, I think you can go on with your
game,” said Buffalo Bill politely, turning to the crowd, ~
“T am sorry to have delayed it, but I couldn’t hele
myself.’ oy

“Don’t apologize, boss,” said a bearded cowboy.
did us good to see such a pretty bit of fist work.
wanted taking down a peg, both of ’em.
won't slop over quite so often now.”

Pete got up and seated himself at the head of the
green table, around which the gamblers had gathered
eagerly. He affected not to notice the man who had
inflicted on him so humiliating a defeat, but calmly
began the game as if nothing had happened to dis-
turb the serenity of his temple of chance.

Bill, meanwhile, had come to his senses and stumbled
groggily out of the room, to freshen up in the open-air. a
“That fellow will bear watching,” muttered Wild Bill.
Not liking the look on the face of the ruffianly bar-
tender, as he crept from the room like a whipped cur,
Hickok followed him, while Cody and the others watched

the players.

First of all, the man fetched a bucket of cold water
and bathed his aching head, which was still singing from
the blows administered with such terrific force by Buf-
falo Bill. |

When he had done this he rose to his-feet, cursing ~
savagely, and walked over to a barn about thirty yards
from the house. He went into the barn, and reappeared
in a few moments and flung himself down in the long
grass by the side of the hut.

Scouting around cautiously, so that the man would —
have no chance to notice him, Wild Bill saw exactly what
he had suspected.

The scoundrel had taken a rifle from the barn, in
which he had his sleepingyquarters, and he was holding
it to his shoulder, leveled straight at the brilliantly
lighted doorway of the saloon.

His purpose was clearly to shoot Buffalo Bill —
he appeared in the doorway.

It was a neatly contrived piece of villainy, and it would _
probably have succeeded had not Wild Bill read mur-
der in the man’s eyes.

Enraged by the cold-blooded deliberation of the ruf-
flan, Hickok drew his cae and was on the point of
shooting him.

But a thought stayed his hand. He might—nay, he «
surely would—be accused of murdering the man. It
would be better to expose him red-handed to the crowd
in the saloon, and let them mete out Western justice to

“TE :
They
I guess they —

“him,

Wild Bill, therefore, strolled back into the saloon, giv-
ing the man in the grass no sign that he had discovered .
his presence. As he passed through the doorway, he

 

  
   
 
    
     
     
 
  
  
    
     
     
    
 
 
 
 
   
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
   
   
    
 
   
    
    
  
 
   
   
    
 
       
    

elp feeling uncomfortable at the thought that

 
 

“Wild Bill entered, his eon de came forward
Ss the room _to ‘meet, him.

  

  
 
 

got his sting out for you.”

that so?” said Buffalo Bill, comprehending the
mn at once. “I might have guessed as much.”
‘He's lying in the grass by the barn, with his rifle
ering “the door. We'd better tell the gang, and have

  
 
 

I’m pretty sure there’s some crooked
on at ‘he table on the part of our tavern-
tiend. Let’s see if we can catch him at it.”

He turned round and gave them an evil scowl, but
aid nothing.
The men*round the table y were playing roulette, and the
mank,’ ” eld by Pete, was winning heavily. It had been
winning, with hardly a break, from the start of the game.

~The gamblers’ faces alone were enough to show an on-
looker that fact.

Some were flushed with anger, others pale with des-
MS peration, “as they saw the savings of months swept away
in a few minutes’ reckless plunging.

Presently Wild Bill looked inquiringly at his com-
rade, and the latter nodded. Lookers-on proverbially
See most of the game, and they had seen quite enough to
convince them that this game, at least, was not on the
htevel, |
a Wild Bill suddenly seized Pete’s arms and pinned him
down on the table, while at the same moment Cody
walked over to the roulette wheel and examined it closely.
_ Several of the gamblers sprang to their feet, and one
or two even drew their guns, evidently thinking for the
oment that an attempt was being made to rob the bank.
_ : But they soon guessed what was the matter when they
_ Saw Cody put his hands on the wheel.
~ They waited in breathless silence for his verdict.
_ Pete’s face turned the color of ashes, for in his imagi-
ation he could already feel the rope tightening round
is neck. There was little mercy shown to cheats out
‘West in those wild days, any more than to horse-thieves.
_ “As I supposed,” said Buffalo Bill, presently. “This
wheel is crooked.”

furiated gamblers.

olt'sa lie!’ shrieked Pete, _ straggling vainly in Wild
Bill’s strong arms.

“See for yourselves,” said Cody briefly to the gam-
blers. “The banker can win whenever he likes with this
wheel.”

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

At that a hoarse shout of rage went up from the in-

    

Three of the men examined it, en saw that he was
right.
“Hang the beset !” cried one of them.
getting our money for months.”
The cry was taken up eagerly, and the unlucky man —
would certainly have been lynched had not Buffalo Bill —
interfered in his behalf. !
“There’s too much lynching,” he declared. “It’s giving |
Texas a bad name. Let us give him a good flogging ~
and run him out of town. That will be enough punish- —
ment, I reckon.” :
Some of the men demurred at first, but event ie
Cody, backed up by his three friends, brought them round
to his way of thinking.
“But there’s another durned skunk outside, who cer-_
tainly does deserve to be strung up,” Hickok declared,
and he told the crowd about the would-be assassin lying
outside in the grass.
“I guess he’s still there,” said a cowboy. “Let two or
three of us go out and make him throw up his hands.
He won’t think we are onto his game until we have the ike
drop on him.” vi
Several of the gamblers volunteered for the task, a oe
led by Wild Bill, they had the scoundrel covered by half. ee
a-dozen guns in a few moments. (

“He’s been

ees 5 geen eg ee

39

~~ fm»

“A_e

He weakened at once, and surrendered without a figh

Cody had hard work to save the man’s life, for eve pi
his companions were in favor of hanging him. But :
last a compromise was made.

eso hn

Both men were flogged so soundly that they coul:
hardly stand, and were then ridden on a rail out of ¢h
settlement, and warned not to show their faces in |
neighborhood again, unless they wanted to be shot.
sight.

Sich gh time oe

CHAPTER III. ]
AN ATTEMPT AT ASSASSINATION.

me

Three weeks aftet the scouts had cast in their lot wi
Jack Dixon and agreed to search for the lost treas:ré
of the Aztecs, the four men pulled up their horses at (! 1
tavern of a small Mexican village situated about a h: De
dred miles from the ranch of Don Ramon Mercado. :

At Dixon’s request, they had agreed to visit the rar

before they struck out into the Yaqui country, as it v
very little out of their way.

Ase

The young man had been‘pondering over the warn!
that Buffalo Bill had given him, and had decided tl
he would speak to Donna Dolores-and find out whet! |
his love was returned.

 

Dismounting from their horses, the four friends «
tered the tavern, a squalid adobe building that had ve
few pretensions to be considered as a hotel.

There was only one other guest at the place. He w

  
see you.
— ranching or gold-mining ?”

 

        
  

sitting down at a table in the common room, and sip-
_ ping aguadiente, the native Mexican drink.

S As Dixon entered, leading the way, he looked up, rec-
| ognized him, and came forward, greeting the young man
 effusively.

“Ha, Sefior Dixon!” he said, “it is a long time since
EE we have seen you in this part of the country. We
thought you had settled down in the United States for
_ good, but Mexico seems-to have an attraction for you
still, But you are welcome—very welcome! Don Ra-
' mon Mercado and his beautiful. daughter will be glad
What has brought you down here this time—

“T have come down on business, Dr. Lopez—private
business,” replied Dixon, responding to the other’s ef-
fusive greeting with marked coldness. “Let me introduce
you to my friends. Dr. Lopez—the Sefiors Cody,
Hickok, and Wharton.”

The three scouts acknowledged the introduction with-
out any warmth. They could see that Dixon did not
care to be friendly with the man he had met thus casu-
ally, and they took their cue from him.

Then, too, they took an aversion to the man at first
sight. He was strikingly handsome in the dark Mexti-
can way, but there was a sinister and shifty look about
his eyes that suggested it would not be entirely safe to
trust him.

He sat at the table for some time, chatting with them.
It was noticeable that he was very anxious to find out
what had brought Dixon back to Mexico. He did his
best to “pump” him in an apparently careless manner, but
Dixon carefully dodged his questions and left him no
wiser than he was before.

At last, trying hard to conceal his disappointment, he
_rose to leave.

“T came over this way to see a patient,” he said, as
he made his adieus. “I have thirty miles to ride for home,
and if I am to get there to-night, I must be moving.
Adieu, Sefior Dixon! We shall meet again, I hope—
at the ranch of Don Ramon, if not before.”

“Who is he?” asked Buffalo Bill, after the man had
left the room. “You didn’t seem to warm to him much,
Dixon.”

“Seemed ter like him about as much as I like most
redskins,’’ observed Nick Wharton.

ir do not’ like him at all-—-that’s-a fact,” said Dixon,
“His name is Dr. Francisco Lopez, and he is a physician
practising over a large stretch of country around Don
Ramon’s ranch. In fact, he is the only doctor in this
part of the country. Rumor says that he dare not live in
the cities because he is too well known to the police, and
that is why he has to earn his living out here in the wilds,
where there is little inducement for a doctor to settle.”

“I didn’t like his looks.” remarked Wild Bill. “He
seemed a shifty cuss.”’.

THe SUFEALO BIE STORIEs = 0 ee

2
s

“He bears a bad reputation. He is a gambler and
worse, if half that is told of him is true. But no crimes —
have ey been proved against him. It is all a matter
of rumor.’

“But where there is so much smoke there is apt to be
fire as well,” said Cody. “The fellow seemed to be ress
markably curious about your business.” ee

“T’m a bit worried about that,” nied jack = ee
didn’t mention it when I told you the story, but as a
matter of fact this man Lopez was the doctor who at- —
tended the Aztec Atuahalpa when he died of yellow
fever. Before he sank into his last fatal stupor, the old
man was delirious, raving wildly about all sorts of things.
Is it possible that Lopez can have learned the secret of the
Aztec hoard from what he said in his delirium?” i

“It is not only possible, but probable,” said Buffalo” ~
Bill. “The old fellow would be more likely to rave about
that than anything else. It wasp the thing that was
dearest to his heart and most on! his mind. It is quite.
on the cards that Lopez knows you have the.key to the ~
hidden treasure.” : ;

Dixon looked very grave as he realized the force of —
these suggestions.

“Then in that case,” he remarked, “we have a subtle’
and dangerous foe to guard against. Lopez is a very
clever man, and I don’t believe he would stick at any-
thing. We must be on our guard night and day.”

Night had now fallen, and the four friends sat down to
the wretched supper of greasy Mexican dishes which was ©
the best that the tavern-keeper could set before them.

After they had finished, and the barefooted servant
who waited on them had withdrawn, they sat around the ©
table, talking in low, earnest tones about their expedi-
tion, the chances of its success, and the perils they must
inevitably encounter. .

They had the Spanish translation of the old Aztec’s
directions on the table before them, and from time to time

‘they referred to it.

“Well, this is pretty dry work,” said Wild Bill at last.
“Let’s have a drink to the success of the trip.” |

A bottle of whisky and some glasses had been left on _
the table by the Mexican servant, and Hickok poured out
the drinks.

“Here’s luck to the Aztec’s heirs!” said Buffalo Bill,
raising his own glass.

Before he could raise it to his lips, there was a flash of —
flame through the open window at the other end of the ~
room, followed by the sharp crack of a revolver.

Smashed into a thousand pieces, the glass fell from _

Cody’s hands..

Quick as a flash, the border king rushed toward the
witidow, whipping out his ever-ready , six-shooter oe
his belt as he did so.

He ree a Relay glimpse of a face distorted ye

 
   
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
   
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  

  
 
  
  
  
   
  

 
 
  
 
 

 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

      

 
  

his eyes.
#, and staggered back into the arms of his

 
  
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
   
  
   
    
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
    
  
  
 
  
   
  
 
  
   
  
  

 

ee “self Saeely. “Tt was only the burnt powder ee
et after him, boys!”
itv as too late. Dixon and Nick Wharton rushed
gut the man had disappeared into the darkness
e “It wal hopeless to try to trail him before the dawn, and
\ they agreed that then it would be too late, as hunting
‘him down would take more time than they cared to waste.
__ When the two men returned to the room, they found
»< that Cody had fully recovered. The bullet had passed
“through his hair, slightly grazing the scalp, but doing no
other injury.
Did you catch sight of the man at the window?” he
a asked Jack Dixon.
be OU Pee, for a second; but I did not
“TAd you recognize him?”
_“ thought he was Lopez, but I would not like to swear
f= fo i in a-court of law.”
 “T thought so, too. I reckon he was the man all right.
_ He was spying on us. He saw the parchment on the
_-table, and he must have guessed what we were talking
_ about, even though we spoke in low tones.
' “Then, when he heard Hickok and I talk out loud
about the, Aztec’s treasure, he was sure.
tain, hinastlf no longer. He conceived the mad idea of
shooting us all down unawares, and then getting the
chart of directions.”
“T guess you’ve sized it up about right, Cody,” agreed
Dixon. “And the scoundrel has got at Depend upon
it, we shall have more trouble with him.”

see him distinctly.’

shots, had got out of bed—for, like most Mexicans, he
ired early—and he now came running into the room to
“los Americanos” what was the matter.

“Por Dios, sefiors,’ he said, “it is a dreadful thing to
happen to a poor innkeeper to have his guests shot at
so treacherously! It will give my tavern an ill name.
I know nothing that is good of Senor Lopez. If I could
have my will, he should never enter this tavern.”

“Then why don’t you keep him out?” asked Buffalo
Bill bluntly.

“¥ dare not do that, sefior,” was the reply. “It would
be as much as my life is worth. Sefior Lopez is a violent
man—a man whom it is ill to cross. But that is not ail.

 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

He could con-

‘The keeper of the tavern, alarmed by the sound of the |

They say he is very friendly with the band of outlaws

under Bernal Morales, which terrorizes this part of the
country. If I were to offend one of Morales’ friends, my
tavern would be destroyed some dark night, and I should
probably have my throat cut.”

“That is all you know about the fellow?”

“Yes, sefior.”’

“Did he ride toward his home, after he finished talking
with us before dinner, as he said he would?”

“Yes, but of course.I cannot tell whether he came back
again to.spy on you and attack you. His riding away
may have been only a blind. That would be like the man.
Good night sefiors.”

And the landlord bowed Se out.

“This makes the matter worse,” said Buffalo Bill. «qf
the fellow is in league with that gang of bandits, he will
probably get their help to attack us.’

“Yes, and it’s a bad gang,” said Dixon. “I have
heard of it before. It has defied the Mexican authorities
for years. We shall have to keep on our guard carefully
every foot of the way.”

“Of course,” agreed the border king, “but I think the
greatest danger will be when we are returning from the
Yaqui country—not when we are going there.”

“How do you make that out?”

“By reasoning what I would do myself if I were in the
position of this fellow Lopez and wanted to carry out the
same design. He got excited and lost his head when he
fired at us. When he thinks over the matter calmly, he
will see that the best thing he can do is to let us go to
the Yaqui country and get the treasure—if we can.

“That would be much better than taking the great risk
of doing so himself. It would be much less risky for him
to attack us from some ambush, on our return, with his
band of outlaws. Then he would get all our treasure,
if he overcame us, without the hardship and peril of
going into the Yaqui country for it.”

The others agreed that Buffalo Bill’s reasoning was
sound, but they decided that none the less they would

keep a good lookout from that time forward.

Pursuant to this resolution, one of them stayed on
guard, by turns, all that night and every other night dur-
ing the journey.

Nothing more happened that night, and early in the
morning they went on their way to Don Ramon’s ranch.

CHAPTER IV:
DONNA DOLORES IS CARRIED OFF.

Two days later, toward the close of a hard day’s riding
over prairie country, Buffalo Bill and his comrades came
in sight of a large and handsome building standing in the
midst of a grove of trees.

“That is the hacienda,” said Jack Dixon, pointing to-
ward it and urging his horse to a gallop.

 

   
    

ehas AS oe eee

   

 

   

    
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
   

tl
x

ft

  
   
  

 

 
 

ees

to

 

 

   

 

 

“Mebbe he’ll be jest as eager ter get

But the welcome which young Dixon received when

ae he drew near the hacienda was very different from that
| which he had expected.

A farm laborer came running out from the house to

greet him, and a single glance at the man’s face showed
_ that something was wrong.

“Praise be to the saints that you have come, Sefior
Dixon!” said the man eagerly. “You are needed here
badly.”

“What is the matter?’

“Donna Dolores has been carried off by the Yaquis.”

Dixon’s face turned the color of chalk and for a mo-

eo ment he reeled in the saddle. Then he pulled himself to-
gether and asked:

“Where is Don Ramon?”

“He is in his bed in the house. He cannot move from

it, for he was badly wounded by the Yaquis.”

“T will go to him,” said Dixon, swinging himself off
his horse. “You see those three gentlemen who are riding
toward the house, after me? They are Americans, and
my friends. Look after their horses and offer them re-
freshment. Then conduct them to Don Ramon’s room.”

With a heavy heart, Jack sought his former employer.
He found him lying in bed, with his face as white as the
pillow on which his head rested. There was a look of
despair stamped on his features, but his eyes lit up when
he saw the young man.

Slowly and painfully he extended his hand and grasped
Dixon by the sleeve of his hunting jacket.

“You have heard?” he asked, in a hoarse whisper.

“Ves. How did it happen?”

“Dolores and I were riding on the eastern edge of the
ranch, the day before yesterday. Suddenly we were am-
bushed by a dozen Yaquis who had hidden themselves in
some thick brushwood. I shot down two of them with
my revolver, but they were too close to us to make any
effective resistance possible. I was wounded by a couple

_ of arrows, knocked on the head, and left for dead.

“Some of the peons found me, still unconscious, a few
hours later. There was no sign of Dolores. Of course
the Indians had carried her off. I did not become con-
scious until yesterday. I tried to get up and search for
her, but fell into another swoon. Now I cannot move

_from this bed, or even sit up.”

“Has anybody pursued the Yaquis?” asked Jack.

“Yes. Twenty of the peons have gone after, them—all
that could be spared from the ranch. But I have little
hope they will find her and get her away from the
Indians. You know what kind of men they are—not

_very intelligent and not overfond of taking risks.”

THE BUFFALO

“The young feller’s mighty anxious ter get ter his.
_ sweetheart,” grunted old Nick Wharton, as he followed
at a quieter pace.
_ away from her when he’s been married a year. Thet’s
the way with most married men I’ve known.”

  

BILL STORIES.

Ves. ae
“And then, too, they are not expert in following trails.
The Yaquis will be able to hide their tracks.” 7

“Take comfort, Don Ramon,” said Jack. “We must —
not give way to despair. I have with me the most famous —
scout and trapper in the United States—the great Buffalo |

Bill, of whom you must have heard even in this out-of-. *

the-way part of Mexico. With us there are also two other_
scouts, who are almost as expert as Buffalo Bill in the
tracking of Indians. The four of us will take the trail
and do all that men can do to rescue Donna Dolores.”
Don Ramon pressed his hand gratefully.
“What brought you and your friends down here?” he
asked faintly. : we
“We came to search for the lost treasure of the Aztecs,
which Atuahalpa told us about. He gave me the key to
it before he died.”
_ “Ah, but you will search for Dolores first ?” .
“Most surely. Don Ramon, I would do so out of my —
liking for you, and in return for the kindness you always

showed me. I would do so beeause a woman is in danger _

and needs help. But I have a more powerful motive than
either of those. Don Ramon, I love Dolores. I have
loved her for years.” : ;
The Mexican looked at him intently for a moment.
“So that was why you left the ranch!” he said. “You
would not speak. You thought I was too rich. But I
rate honesty and bravery far above wealth. I would
have gladly consented that you should wed Dolores.
Now, alas! she is lost, and in terrible danger.
her, and you will find no opposition from me, whether ©

‘you win the lost treasure of the Aztecs or not.”

“We will save her, if it can be done by mortal man,”
Jack replied.

At this point Buffalo Bill and his two companions en-
tered the room. They had thoughtfully waited for a few
minutes, to allow their young friend the chance to talk
alone with his old friend and employer.

Dixon introduced them to the rancher, and told them

what had happened.

“Of course we will do all we can,” said Buffalo Bill.
“There is no time to lose, for the trail is already old.
But we will follow it right to the village of the Yaquis,
if necessary. It is not likely that they will harm the girl. —
They have evidently no idea of killing her, or they would
have done so on the spot, without putting themselves
to the trouble of carrying her off.”

“They may have reserved her for the torture,” groaned
the unhappy father.

“That is not likely,” said Jack. “She is probably to be
made the squaw of some chief of the tribe. That is a fate
from which we must rescue her. Death were preferable.”

“Let us waste no time in talk,” put in Buffalo Bill.
“We will have a bite to eat, and then ride at once to pick
up the trail, Send one of your peons with us, Don

Rescue —
   

 

ow us the place where the Yaquis made their

 
 

 
 

ode as hastily as they could to the spot, for
Bill wanted to investigate the trail and see

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
    
  
  
  
   
 
 
    
  
  
 
    

they reached the place, the scouts were disap-
‘pointed and angered to find that the peons who had been
_ sent in pursuit had carelessly trampled over the original
_ trail with their horses’ hoofs: In some places the tracks
‘made by the Yaquis were entirely obliterated for long
distances, and scouts less expert than Buffalo Bill and his
if pribddes: would have been at a loss to follow them.
; When they were in the midst of their difficulties, Dixon
uggested that it would be easy enough to follow the trail
lade by the peons.
“That would be all. right if we were sure that the
‘peons would stick to the trail of the Yaquis,” remarked
Buffalo Bill) “But that is just what they are not likely
to do, (Such careless trackers could not hold to a straight
teil, much less to one that the Indians will undoubtedly
toy to hide. No, if we follow the peons we shall go
stray. We must follow the trail of the Yaquis, and
hing else.”
_ And all through the night Buffalo Bill followed it;
ed by Wild Bill and Nick Wharton, without once going
astray. But it was slow work, for they were obliged to
rayel afoot most of the time, leading their horses, and
with their eyes fixed closely on the ground.
_ The Yaquis had undoubtedly got a great start of them
and were increasing it all the time. The tracks showed
that they were all well mounted, and were pushing their
horses along at a good pace.
_ The trail was followed throughout the next day at a
ater, and toward noon Buffalo Bill pointed out where
peons had lost it and gone off at an angle in the
5 rong direction.
_ “Tt rests with us to save the girl now,” he said. “They
“are out of the race, as I thought they would be.”
“And the savages have got such.a long start of us!”
_groaned Jack Dixon.
“Never say die, lad!’ replied Cody. “We will follow
_ them over their mountains to the shores of the Caribbean
Sea, but we will save her!”
At last, as they rode into the foot-hills of a great range
of mountains that marked the border of the Yaquis’ ter-
_ ritory, they came to a place where the trail they were
following divided.

 

99

 
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
    
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

 

 

The party had split up into halves, each of which had
gone off in an opposite direction.

After examining both trails carefully, Buffalo Bill had
to admit that he was at a loss to say which party had
carried the girl along.

  
 

“One thing is fairly certain,” he said. “They will join

  

   

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

       
      
 
 

forces again, probably at or near their village. We must a
At thea

divide also. Two of us will follow each trail.
end of both trails we ought to come together again. We

had better defer attempts at rescue until we meet again,

unless, of course, some good chance presents itself.”

_ Qhe others agreed to the suggestions of the border
king, and it was decided that Buffalo Bill and Wild
Bill should follow the trail that bore away to the right, _

while Nick Wharton and Jack followed that to the left.

It was with a heavy heart that the four friends ate their —
final meal together. They were going to brave the dead-.

 

 

liest danger, and they knew very well that when they 1 cf

parted they might never see one another again.

Their stout hearts did not quail with any personal fear,
but they said good-by sadly; for they feared for one
another.

 

CHAPTER | V.
CAUGHT BY THE YAQUIS.

On the second evening after parting from their friends,
Nick Wharton and Jack Dixon came to the end of the
trail they were following.

It led them in sight of a large village of the Yaquis.
As they gazed at it cautiously from cover, they saw that
it contained over two hundred wigwams, and doubtless
as many, if not more, braves.

They had not come in sight of the party they were fol-
lowing, and they knew that, with the start it had got, it
must have entered the village at least a day ahead of
them.

They scouted carefully around the village until dusk
fell, but they could find no trace of their two comrades,
nor could they tell whether the party they had followed
had brought Dolores with it.

Dixon was naturally impatient to settle this matter at
once, but Nick Wharton, wise in all the points of frontier
craft, said that they must wait until after dark before they
approached near to the village and tried to find out what
was happening there.

“I know ye air all on fire ter help the gal,” said old
Nick, “an’ I’m free ter admit thet I feel the same way
myself. But thar’s nuthin’ ter be gained by lettin’ the
Yaquis kill us right off. Thet won’t set the gal free.
We've got ter show cunning here. A bold attack on ’em
would be sheer madness.”

Jack saw the force of this reasoning, and was obliged
to agree, although he chafed sorely under the delay.

It was not until about eight o’clock in the evening,
when the camp-fires were blazing brightly in the village
and the Yaquis were dancing around them after their
evening meal, that Nick would agree to creep in, under
cover of brushwood and long grass, and see what could
be discovered.

Jack followed him, a few paces cline moving as

 

 

a
  

st

_ silently as he could; but the wary old scout was obliged
_ to stop several times and caution him that he must make
less noise.
CS At last, silently as a serpent, Nick wormed his way
| _ through the grass to a thick mass of brush not more than
thirty yards away from the principal camp-fire on the
edge of the village. Jack was by his side in a few mo-
ments, and they lay down behind the bushes, securely
screened from the sight of at least two-score of Indians,
who were dancing wildly around the camp-fre.

The braves kept up the dance for more than half-an-
hour, only pausing now and then to take a long drink
from a gourd full of some intoxicating beverage which

 

 

} they brewed from the yams they cultivated when they

were not raiding their white neighbors.

Eventually, however, even their iron frames were tired
out by the exhausting dance, and they desisted and lay
panting on the ground for several minutes.

When he had recovered his breath, one of them, who
seemed to be the chief, judging by the many ornaments
on his dress, got to his feet and beat loudly on a calabash
drum which was suspended by a cord round his neck.

This brought the warriors to attention. They rose from
the ground, and seated themselves in a circle—as dignified
now as they had before been wildly excited.

Nick Wharton knew enough of the ways of Indians to
guess that a council on some important matter was about
to be held.

He was not disappointed.

In a loud voice, the Yaqui chief called out:

yaoet the white girl be brought Laie We will decide.

“her fate now.’

Two of the warriors at once rose from the circle and
went to a gaily-adorned wigwam about two hundred
yards away. They returned in a few moments, leading
between them a young white girl of remarkable beauty, in
whom Jack Dixon instantly recognized Dolores.

He gave a start, but in a second old Nick Wharton
gripped him savagely by the arm, as a warning to him to
keep still.

The girl was taken into the circle and seated on a
blanket in the center of it, opposite to the chief.

A hot argument at once broke out among the Indians
as to what should be done with her. Some of the more
savage among them wanted to put her to death by tor-
ture, but the chief wished to take her for his wife, and
most of the warriors were willing to let him have his
way.

Nick Wharton found, to his great surprise, that he
could quite well understand all that was said. The
Yaquis did not speak a dialect of their own, but a rude
Spanish patois which was almost exactly the same as that
which he had picked up during his long intercourse with
other Indian tribes in Mexico, lower California, and
Arizona.

 

THE BUFFALO BILL

 

STORIES.

   

   
  

 
 

o oe
At last the Yaquis settled that the girl should be the
squaw of the chief, and that the marriage should take —
place on the following day according to the rites and —
customs of the tribe, ;

Then, as the order was given to lead her back to the.
wigwam from which she had been brought, Dolores broke
silence for the first time.

“I will never marry you,” she said firmly, lodkie
boldly and unflinchingly at the chief. “If you try to force
me to it, I will die, rather.” e

The Yaqui chief laughed brutally.

“The paleface girl will be the squaw of Iron Hand, and —
she will learn to love the great chief,” he retorted. “Then — a
she will tell him all the secrets of her people, and Iron_
Hand will be able to fight against them and win many
victories.”

“Never!”

Iron Hand made a sign to his warriors, and the girl
was at once led from the circle. :

    
     
     
   
     
    
  
  
    
   
 
  
   
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
  
 
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
   
  
    
 
    
  
  
   

Jack looked at Nick Wharton: beseechingly, mutely —
asking whether they could not make a dash and try to
get the girl out of the hands of the Indians. Their horses —
were tethered at a distance of fully five hundred yards, —
however, in a clump of trees; and the old scout knew —
that it would be the sheerest folly to make the attempt
now.

They must wait for a more favorable opportunity, —
which would present itself later in the night, when all the
warriors save the few sentries had retired to rest in their —
wigwams. ;

Motioning to the young man to be as quiet as he could,
Nick led the way back toward the cover where they had
left the horses. He intended to stay there until the vil-
lage was quiet, as they were too likely to be detected —
where they were, so near to the chief camp-fire. He had
learned all he wanted to know—where the girl was kept
prisoner—and now he could bide his time until the op-
portunity to rescue her arrived.

But, in making these calculations, he had left out of
account the fact that his companion was far inferior to
himself in the craft of the scout and frontiersman. Jack
had not advanced twelve yards on his hands and knees ~
before he broke a dry stick with a loud crack that was
caught by the keen ears of the Yaquis who were sitting
round the fire near by.

In a few seconds both men were surrounded - their —
foes, aoe

Even in this dangerous predicament old Nick Wharton —
did not lose his coolness.

“Surrender!” he shouted instantly to Jack.
to fight. It’s no use.”

Jack took the advice, and in a few moments both men
were tightly bound. i:

“Don’t try

      
     
    

They were taken to an empty wigwam on the farther

  
  

 

had. brag ht them into this plight.
- “Don’t worry, lad,” said dauntless old Nick Wharton.
4 “Things are looking ey good, it seems ter me. Hyar
AL we are in the village, an’ the gal is safe, so far. All
we've got ter do is ter get free, get her out o’ thet wigwam
_on the other side o’ the ile an’ then all go off to-
gether.”

“AMY echoed Jack,
enough ?””

“Air yer teeth good, boy?” asked the old scout.

Without another word, he lifted his bound hands up to
his mouth and began to chew slowly and strongly at the

tough rawhide thongs.

in bitter despair. “Isn’t it

 

ChAT DR VI,
AN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.

_ Jack was prompt to follow his companion’s example, as
soon as he caught the idea. But, in spite of his youth,
his teeth were not as strong as those of the old scout,
which were veritable wolf-fangs.

Yet it was difficult work for even old Nick Wharton
to saw through that tough rawhide. It was over an hour
before the cords parted and his hands were at liberty.
_ After resting for awhile and rubbing his hands vigor-
ously together to restore the circulation that had been
impeded by the tightness of his bonds, Nick untied his
feet. Then he turned to his companion, to see how he
had progressed. 5
_ Jack had made little impression on the strong hide, but
he said that his teeth were aching from their futile
efforts.

Nick laughed, and promptly undid his bonds. Left to
himself, Jack would have been forced to remain a prisoner
_ until daylight destroyed the chance of escape. But it was
hard work to keep the old scout in captivity. Many’an
Indian tribe had tried it, but none had been successful
for very long. :

“What shall we do next?” asked Jack.

“Speak softly.
guard outside the teepee. Lé€t us see.”

Very cautiously, Nick Wharton lifted the skin curtain
which closed the entrance to the lodge, and looked out.

There was a Yaqui brave sitting, with his back turned

to the door, at a distance of about six paces.

Nick watched him for a time, and listened to his heavy

and regular breathing.

“He’s asleep,’ he said to Jack, drawing back into the

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

 

 
 
  
   
   
  
  
  
   
 
  
  
 
 
   
  
   
    
   
  
   
   
    
  
   
    
 
   
   
   
  
   
 

There may be a goldurned redskin on

wigwam. “But I reckon that, like most Injuns, he sleeps”
purty light. We must get rid of him somehow.”

“What do you mean? Kill him?”

Nick pondered for a few moments.

“TI wouldn’t hev no scruples, under the sarcumstances,”
he said. “But I guess it ain’t good policy. He might
give a death yell thet would alarm the camp. No, I’ll gag
him.”

The scout picked up a blanket from the floor of the

wigwam and cautiously advanced on the sentry, holding ©

it in his hands,

In spite of the noiselessness of his movements, the
Indian stirred uneasily, as if he was aware, even in his
sleep, that danger threatened.

Before he could wake up, however, the scout had flung
the blanket over his head and drawn it tightly, com-
pletely muffling any sound that he might make.

Assisted by Jack, Wharton pulled the redskin inside
the wigwam and took possession of the knife and tom-
ahawk in his belt.

Holding the knife to the man’s throat, he threatened to
kill him if he made a movement or uttered a single sound.

The Indian glared savagely when the blanket was re-

_ moved from his head, but he had the good sense to know

when he was os ee to obey the command of the
scout.

Nick Wharton gagged him with a piece of cloth torn
from the blanket, and then tied his hands and feet with
the very cords with which he had himself been bound.
Jack noticed that he tied the brave’s hands behind him.
He did not intend that the redskin should use his teeth,

as he himself had done. é

“Nuthin’ like experience fur teachin’ ye things,” re-
marked old Nick grimly.

When they were both ready to leave the wigwam, the
scout looked out carefully and saw that the village was
very quiet. The camp-fires had died down to mere heaps
of smoldering embers, and all the braves seemed to he
asleep in their wigwams.

“We'll soon wake ’em up,” he said grimly, to his com-
panion.

“What on earth do you mean? Surely you don’t want
to wake them up. It would be madness. What we want
to do is to find Dolores and then get away as quietly as
we can,”

“I’m afeard you don’t know much about Injuns and
Injun villages, my lad,” returned the old trapper. “If
we air ter hev a chance ter escape at all, we must wake
the varmints up.”

“Well, it’s beyond me,” confessed Jack, “but I oS
you've got a good scheme all right.”

“It’s this way, boy. We hev ter go ter the corral whar
the Injuns keep thar hosses. We want one fur the gal,
an’ it would be wise ter take three others, so thet we'll all
hev an extry mount. Then, with our own hosses, which

  

   

   

     
  
   
 
 
 
  
   

 

 

wy

e

 
 

 

 

 
     
 
   
   
   
   
   
     
   
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
     
    

eR NO ewe”

a RET Mee ne

air hobbled in the timber, we ought ter be all right when
the reds pursue us, as they air sure ter do.”

“That’s all right, but why can’t we get the horses from
_ the corral without waking up the village?”
“Because of the dogs. I took care ter hev a peep at
thet corral from a respeckful distance, and | see ten dogs
around it. You kin bet all Texas ter a hick’ry nut thet
them dogs ain’t goin’ ter let us take three hosses without
- makin’ a noise that ’ud wake the dead.
“That’s why we must make a noise ourselves, boy—or,

 

 

Ny / the village.

ruther, make the Injuns make one. Then, when they
: hear the dogs yelpin’, they won’t at once rush ter the cor-

‘ral. We'll give them other things ter think of.”

“And how will you do that?”

“Easy enough. Jest set fire ter a few wigwams an’ do

a bit o’ yellin’. The Injins will think they air attackéd by

some o’ thar enemies. I guess they’ve got plenty, besides

_ the Mexicans. Then, in the confusion, we kin get the
__ hosses from the corral an’ make our escape.

“T’ll go to the gal’s wigwam an’ set her free. ‘You stay
behind an’ set fire ter some o’ the wigwams on this side 0’
As soon as they air alight, make hot-foot fur

the corral. You'll find us thar. I must go arter the gal,

because thar may be a brave on guard, an’ I reckon |
kin settle his hash better than you kin. Start settin’ fire

‘ter the wigwams in about five minits. Hev you any

matches ?”

~~ “Yes. I'll follow your instructions to the letter.”

Old Nick silently stole through the village, and, as he
expected, found a brave on guard outside the wigwam
in which Dolores was a prisoner. He crept up behind the
man silently, and. stunned him with a heavy blow with the
flat of his tomahawk.

Stepping inside the teepee, he found that Dolores was
asleep, with her hands and feet bound. It was the work

~ of a moment to cut her bonds and awaken her. To his
delight, she did not cry out, for she was a brave and cool
girl,
“Who are you?” she asked, looking at the grizzled old
scout in amazement. .
“A friend. Come with me. Do not be afraid. I come

 

from your father to set you free.”

e Dolores followed him without a word, but her eyes

spoke eloquently of the gratitude she felt.

side of the village, and Nick knew that Jack had suc-
ceeded in his task of firing the wigwams.

He at once set off at a run for the corral, dragging the
girl along with him by the hand. »

It was the work of a few moments to secure four of
the nearest horses, regardless of the yelping of the dogs,
who made quite as much noise as the old scout had proph-
esied they would.

Meanwhile, the village was in commotion. Braves
poured out of all the wigwams, looking eagerly for the

 

‘THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES

bs Suddenly flames shot high into the air from the other

Hand, but the chief was almost immediately reenforced by

   

supposed enemy. Finding none, they set to work to. fey
and put out the fire of the blazing wigwams.

Nick waited impatiently for Jack, and at last he saw
him come tearing along, running for dear life, with: Iron |
Hand and half-a-dozen of the Yaquis at his heels.

Nick instantly swung the girl on to the back.of one ~
horse, and vaulted into the saddle of another. ie
“Ride fur yer life!” he shouted. “This way, Jack! —
Here’s a horse!”

The young man gave a glance in the direction of the
scout, and then deliberately turned off at right angles,
and vanished into the darkness.

Nick waited for nothing more. He lashed: Dolores’
horse over the quarters with a mule quirt that he found —
hanging to his saddle, and the animal bounded forward
like an arrow from the bow. aS

Nick followed, just as Iron Hand and the Yannis came
dashing up.

The chief fired an arrow at him, but missed. Then he
rushed into the corral, took out his own horse—an animal
of fine speed and stamina—and gave chase, followed by
several of his braves, who swiftly mounted.

“Faster—faster!” urged the old scout, as he drew =|
alongside of Dolores.

“T can’t; the horse is doing his best.
good.”

“The chief is gaining on us.’

As he spoke, Iron Hand fired another arrow, which
whizzed deep into the flesh of Dolores’ horse.

 

  

He is not much

The gallant animal staggered on for a few more strides,
and than sank dead.

Nick Wharton put his arm round the girl’s waist and
pulled® her on to his own steed before hers could sink
beneath her. Lashing the horse, he went on, but the
chief still gained. Nick’s animal could not well sustain —
the double weight at that terrific pace.

There was only one thing to do, and the gallant le
scout did not hesitate to do it.

He sat Dolores in front of him, and then, slackening —
the speed of the horse for a moment, slipped dowti to the |
ground, :

“Ride on,” he said. “I’ll try and keep Iron Hand busy ©
fur a time, ef I don’t stop him altogether.”

“No!” cried the girl.
self for me.”

-For answer, Nick Wharton lashed the horse violently
with the mule quirt.

The pained and frightened animal took the bit between
its teeth and galloped away with the girl, who could not:
pull up, try as hard as she might. 3

In a few moments Nick was at hand-grips with Iron —

“T will not let you sacrifice your-

x

a dozen of his braves, and the scout was speedily over-_
powered. ce
 
  
      

 

O BILL STORIES.

  

oF Pacned haloes: across it, oe

: ‘again in his eyes. ene
2 : | Vi oeaea He gained the promised means of safety. ane mad;

eee Pes Paticd rom Ins, compantons careful examination. The tree had long been -dead—har

was: his intention to attract the attention of the Indians, fallen from age and decay. Still, it was the Cay possible S|

means of distancing his pursuers, whom he could now |

plainly hear.

He carefully crept out upon the swaying trunk. Wises
and lower it sunk for a time, and then remained ‘groanit ng
and quivering as he swiftly passed toward the topmost |
branches. He looked behind and saw that the sapless MM

vt

 
  
   

            
    
    
   
  
 
   
  
  
   
  
 
  
 
 
   
  
 
 
   
    
  
    
  
 
  
  
    
   
 
   
   
 
 
    
  
  
 
   
  
    
   
   
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 

     

fire bat a more capialy than he expected atic light
sached a greater distance, and the startled Indians had
10 quickly given their attention to the safety of the
prisoners.
. But the cries of disappointed revenge told him that his
old friend had been successful, and was carrying the girl
away with him. Satisfied of this he began to think of his
own critical situation..

Fortunately for him, the majority of the Indians had
_ followed after the other fugitives, and as soon as he was

at a short distance from the blazing wigwams, he was in
comparative safety. Yet there was nothing to assure him
of this, and he hastened on with what speed he might until
e came to a cliff overlooking a valley below the village.
_ All was dark and dreary, but he began looking for a
safe place to descend, without losing precious time by
going ardund ; for up the bold rock ‘upon which he stood
. not even a serpent could have crawled.
eee _Clinging to the’ gnarled roots of a tree that found
. stunted life upon the brow of the precipice, he drew him-
ae self along foot by foot, not daring to go back or expose
aa himself.

roots were giving way one after another. .

He looked forward as he reached the extreme end,
prepared himself and. jumped with all his streneth—
struck upon the edge—slipped—renewed his hgld—hune
swinging in the air, and then succeeded, by an almos
superhuman effort, in reaching a firm place, just as the
tree fell with a noise like thunder, and the air was filled
with clouds of dust and dozens of birds that had 1
swept from their roosts.

A fervent prayer of thankfulness rose from his lips
he thought of his narrow escape. Tearing off his hunt
ing-shirt, he found a dry limb, wrapped it arqund it an
hurled it to the bottom.

There was cunning in the act. It was one worth) |
old Nick Wharton himself, as the result soon proved

Searcely had he hidden before the faces of half-a-. |
dozen Indians peeped out from the opposite side, drew
near, and looked down into the black pit—saw the shat

3 tered tree and the huntine-shirt, and drew baclt satisfie:
te ft h lipp i ‘ 2 Ne 4
Often he slipped, and was suspended from the dizzy There was not a doubt in their minds that the white ma

eight by clinging with his hands to some frail root or had attempted t6 cross upon the teupk en ot We eres

ranch, whose giving away would cause him to fall—how ie
iene , way, and that both had been crushed into atoms at the

far he shuddered to think. Pe.

_ Yet, for all his toil and danger, he had not descended The cules wit and coucaye Gh on Gl |
n ‘the least, and, to render his situation still more desper- hie Ne BU dean ache : ‘6h : ra a a

ate, he. suddenly found his farther progress arrested. ; : eee Gee

c gan looking around.

‘Yawning before him, he saw a deep chasm—a cleft in the Peuet he haderesanes at ea es

_ old mossy rocks so deep that, active as he was, he dared 2 NR Ry
ee ea bushes, yet they but fringed the broad flat rock he
ea is pas seen from the other side. Skirting along its edge |

pees down, he bent over and endeavored to pen- little distance, he found an easy means of a 11

etrate the gloom, but in vain. All that he could deter- y

AR oe a

fe

3
‘
shy

 

 

 

 

a oR ONS

ee : : eas d reg Ne
Mine was that the ravine appeared to grow wider at the yand regular that he was certaim it had bes }
wr used before.
Despairing of fathoming it or leaping over it, he would Near the center of the level plain was a cui V

ave turned back, had he not fancied that he heard the pyramid, built of human bones, surmounted by a :
ies of pursuing enemies. skull—a pile six feet in height-and so placed 2
de measured the distance again carefully with his eyes, distinctly seen from all sides.
id shook his head in doubt. Still, he could not stand There was also a ye of stones constructed 2
thus idly. Something must be done, and that quickly, manner of a white man’s oven, with a thick flat ov
He glanced up and down the chasm, to learn if there was the cover, moldy and stained. yo
20t Some place more narrow—some point where his “By the heavens above!” exclaimed Jack;
chat Success would be better. turned pale at the thought, “this must be one
d distinguish no difference in the width,‘and altars I’ve heard the friendly Indians speak of,
was bracing his nerves to try the fearful leap, pile must be the bones of the poor wretches the
t some distance, a tree that’ bent over the gulf been sacrificed by the Yaquis to the god they c

 
 

a

 
 
    

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
    
  
    
 
  
   

ee

 

comment

li I get safely out of this scrape I’ll

T and blow up the whole concern. Hello! What’s

He started back in alarm. For the first time in his life,

ie “terror took possession of him, and his stalwart frame

 

ered Jike an aspen leaf.

winted! May Heaven have mercy upon me! It
must e the ghosts of the poor dead men. Their bones
have: ‘never been buried. I wouldn’t be here in the night
time for all the gold in the world.”

dismal groan caused him to quickly change his place,
the sound came directly from under his feet.
fom more of them! I shouldn’t wonder if there was

  
 
 

 

 

Who can tell but what there may be some poor fellow
confined down in the rocks until they are ready to kill
and burn him.”

oa al with this new idea, some little of his fear

 

he looked coe and under it. And very soon he became
convinced that the horrible sounds came from beneath it,

 
  
  

e exercise of immense strength he removed one
ter another, and found that his idea was correct—
at one of the stones, and the most massive of all, had
been used as a door. It had been so placed as to conceal
a rude pair of stairs. And now, as he could plainly dis-
__ tinguish the tones of a human voice, his courage returned,
_ and, descending, he very soon came to a cave of consider-
able extent.
emt, for all the bracing of his nerves, he was nearly re-
treating again, for never did mortal eye rest upon a more
( Ande us, ghastly object.
S ‘Whether it was man or demon he could not for the mo-
ae determine; but his first thought was that he, had
_ gained the vestibule of the lower regions. In an instant,
however, the well-known Spanish patois used by the
Yaquis reassured him. Becoming convinced that it was
no evil spirit, his pulse became calmer, and he advanced
_fearer to the object.

It was a man, he saw—or, what once had been one—
though now bowed by age, and at the very last ‘stage of
starvation.

“In the name of goodness ! ’? asked the astonished young
rancher, as he stepped forward toward the corner in which
_ the living skeleton was lying upon the cold and bare rock,
almost devoid of clothing, “how came you to be shut up
there?”
_ The wretched moaning ceased for a moment, and the
: fleshless jaws and the parched tongue managed to artic-
le: |. eee

  

I ( to raise it, and | am Ane from pune nr thirst,
ick some day and bury the bones and takg some

 
 
 
 

“The stone fell into its ‘Wase. T was aN sd anit

the Manitou, give me food and ane yr
“Certainly, but first tell me who you are?”
“T cannot—cannot! My lips are sealed—give
water—water !’”
“Where can I find any ?”
“Toward the rising sun, half an ve .

  

  
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
   
 
  
   
   
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
   
   
 
  
  
 
  
    
 
  
   
  
 
  
   
 

summoned beyond the dark river,

CHAPTER VIII.
THE MYSTERIOUS MEDICINE-MAN,

Though Iron Hand, the great chief of the Vaque: bad
shot at and ridden down old Nick Wharton, and it had
been his determination to carry away his scalp fastened
to his girdle, yet the instant he saw that the girl had es-
caped, his purpose changed, and, disatm Nick, he
bound his hands.

It would not do to lose both prisoners. There v was the
possibility that the girl might meet some wandering
people of her own blood, and be saved. Ii so, and he

sacrificed Nick Wharton to his vengeance, who would
there be to satisfy that of his tribe? Ce

“Let the paleface get up!” he commanded, as soon as
the flying girl had disappeared from sight, and he could
sufficiently control his temper to speak in te firm voice
worthy. of his position. Ki:

“Waal,” replied Nick Wharton, compose “y don't -
know as thar am any use in lyin’ hyar. But yer needn’t”
crow over yer victory. I suppose yer intend ter ke m
back ter yer village an’ kill me arter yer own “brut 1
fashion—that’s it, hain’t it?” ee

The Indian nodded his head in acquicseman a with § :
gratified smile breaking the stern lines of his mouth.

Nick Wharton continued: eee

“Ef that ar the case, I want ter be in as geod shape as”
I kin, and die like er man; and so ef it ain’t too much a
of er favor, I wish you’d take yer knife and ae out ther
lead. It kinder grates agin’ my shoulder-blade.”

Iron Hand looked at him long and earnestly to see e that
no treachery was intended, gave a grunt of assent, mo-
tioned him to lie down, and at once pee ae rude
surgical operation.

“Now a gathe a few plantain ae

 

wan on send my soul out of this world.”

So well had he borne the intensely painful ‘operati on
that he forced the respect of the savage, and thou

 
 
    

     
   

  
        
 

a [ee tae BUFFALO

was an unheard-of thing, Iron Hand lowered hie dignity
sufficiently to comply with the oe

“The paleface now will go,” said the Indian, and
sternly pointed to the place where the wigwams of his
‘people were situated.

It was not long before they were met by another party

of mounted braves—Iron Hand had sent those with him
after the girl—and the chief, giving Nick Wharton into
the care of a picked half-dozen, with the-strongest pos-

sible commands to look to his safety, took one of the
horses, and, followed by the rest, dashed swiftly again
on the prairie,

It was a long distance back to the point from which he

had started, and Nick Wharton on the way was told that
_ the young trapper had fallen down-a precipice while at-
' tempting to cross upon a rotten tree and been instantly
dashed to pieces.

The strict orders of the chief forbade Nick Wharton's
guard from taking his life, as they would most gladly
have done, yet it was with great difficulty that they re-
_ Strained the rest of the tribe from doing so when they
came to the village.

Indeed, so fierce was the tumult, that even “the com-
mands of the chief would have been disregarded had not
the great medicine-man of the tribe suddenly walked into
the circle and forbidden the sacrifice.

This was done without a single word, merely by the
waving of his hand, and those who had been the loudest
in their outcries a moment before now shrank back tremb-
ling with fear. Familiar as they were with his presence
at such times, yet they had never seen him so deeply
loaded with the trappings and paint that betoken death.

In addition®to his customary garments of skin and
feathers, that swept to his feet, the shaggy hide of a
wolf was closely drawn around his face, which, like his
hands, were as black as night, save for a circle of crimson
‘that surrounded his eyes, giving a hideous expression to
-a countenance never otherwise than ugly.

‘The staff upon which he leaned, and which was suffi-
ciently strong for a weapon of defense, was twisted
around with skins of serpents, and the dry scales clashed
together at every movement, in strange discord to the
jangling of bells that fringed his robes.

  
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  

  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
     

That his purpose was deadly was clearly shown by the
manner in which he had arrayed himself, and the more
superstitious bowed their heads as he walked slowly past,
and crept away to whisper of the horrid deeds he
meditated.

Not that they feared that he would entirely rob the
prisoner of life, but they were confident that he had de-
vised some new means of torture through which he would
make him pass—some hitherto unknown and mysterious
pain that they shuddered even to think of.

Every action on his part gave proof that such was the
case. He motioned them to a neighboring wigwam, fol-

“BILL “STORIES.

intends ter kill me by inches.

lowed, and saw that the prisoner was ound as one had
never been before.

Then he looked carefully to see that there were no
chinks in the covering save the little opening above—
bade them by signs bring some robes and fasten them
around, saw that they were pinned strongly to the
ground—examined the thus doubly-scréened wigwam
again and again, as he walked around it, and even yet did

not appear to be satisfied that it would be proof against

keen .eyés.

What could he mean by such preparations for seerayy

Nick Wharton felt a strange fear creeping over him.
He was familiar with all the usual means of torture, but
never had seen anything like this, and he could not help
thinking: :

“T wonder what that old demon is a-goin’ ter do? He
Waal, waal, there ain’t no
means of escape, and I s’pose I’ve got ter bear it. But
I’d a thousand times rather stand my chance fightin’ a
hundred warriors on er open prairie than be shut up here.

‘That’s something in it I can’t understand nohow.”

After the medicine-man had completed all his arrange-
ments for secrecy, he appeared to be in no hurry to take
advantage of them, for he coolly sat down, drew forth his
pipe, and began smoking.

Then he slowly arose, and with the point of his staff
traced a circle around, and at some distance from the
wigwam, and by motions told the red men that it was
charmed, and that any one who dared to enter would in-
stantly be struck dead by the Evil Spirit.

“But why are you dumb?” questioned one of the fiery
braves, who chafed against this restraint.

The medicine-man made signs which the Indians took
to mean that he had taken a vow not to speak until some
task had been accomplished. Drawing still farther back,
they waited with the utmost impatience the next scene in
that strange drama. But everything that followed was
shut from their eyes.

The old trickster—after having procured some blazing
embers from the nearest fire—walked into the wigwam,
carefully shut the door behind him, and fastened it
securely,

There was an interval of the most painful silence, ve
then strange waves of smoke arose and stole out through
the opening at the top and floated in waves of blue and
green in the sunshine, while the sulphurous smell nearly
strangled those who were nearest.

Another interval of silence followed, so profound that
they could almost hear the beating of their own hearts,
and then faint moans could be heard issuing from the lips
of the prisoner. But soon they increased to yells—to the
utterances of one in the most terrible agony. They con-
tinued for several minutes, died away, were resumed,
grew fainter, and at last ceased entirely.

But though nothing could be heard, every eye remained

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

       

_ fixed upon the wigwam. The horrible mystery that had
_ been enacted there exercised a spell over them that they
_ could not break.

Warriors, squaws and children soil themselves upon
the ground, neglectful of everything else, until the door
was again thrust aside and the medicine- -man came reeling
out into the open air.

He dropped the heavy skins over the doorway and for-
bade by signs any of the savages to approach the wigwam.

The medicine-man again drew the mystic circle around
the prison wigwam, and then slowly disappeared in the
woods in the same direction from which he had come,
and the savages were left to the pangs of conjecture and
ungratified curiosity, vainly asking each other what hor-
rible deed had been done.

CHAPTER «ix.

FRIGHTENING A CHIEF.

As soon as the medicine-man had passed out of the
sight of the group who were gazing at the wigwam, from
which he had recently issued, and he was satisfied that
none was watching, he hid away until the return of the
chief and the girl he was pursuing, so that he could con-
veniently listen.

Then he threw aside his rigidity of manner and his
slow steps, and passed as rapidly along as if only a score
of years had left their snows in his hair and wrinkles upon
his forehead. Indeed, so rapid were his movements, that
very few even of the younger warriors could have kept
pace with him,

He went straight to the cave in the rocks, disappeared
in its depths, returned with an armful of dry wood, re-
builded the altar, and kindled a fire, the blaze of which
could be seen for miles around.

Then he descended again, guided by the light from
above, and made a careful examination of the mysteries
of the cavern, looking for and diving into secret hiding-
places, and bringing forth the proceeds of many years of
theft.

His investigation was not finished when he heard the
sound of footsteps. Taking up the emaciated corpse of
the famished man, he seated it in a corner, threw a robe
around it so as to almost conceal the ghastly features, and,
hiding behind it, awaited the coming of the intruder.

But whoever it was that came, he hesitated for some
time before venturing below. When he at length did
so, it was as one who was momentarily expecting to re-
ceive some sudden shock. Brave as he was, even Iron
Hand—for it was the chief—trembled as he looked
around, saw the confused mass of plunder strewn over
the floor, and the grim figure in the corner.

‘“Vhat would the chief of the Yaquis with the pedis
man of the tribe?’ asked the voice—the hidden living
Speaking for the exposed dead.

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. —

_ with trembling fingers, drew back the covering, and ga

  

 

  

“The warriors of the fea man said that bc
speak with me,” was the reply. _
“And for-this you dared to come “to the place
with exceeding fasting and prayer, 1 wait for the teack
ings of the Great Spirit?’ :

“T sought in vain in other places.” :

“And, like a squaw, had not the power to whe
gone! Yet stay. It is better that we should talk t ere
than in any other place. Listen intently to what I would —
say. You would wed one whose skin is fair as that of
the lily of the valley, and hair as soft as silk of the
maize? She is the paleface girl. Have you recaptured
here” i

“Yes, Iron Hand and his braves rode her down. The ~
heart of the chief has warmed toward her. She is his
captive, and by the laws of the tribe he can do with her
as he wills.”

“Such are the words of our law. But listen to those of
the Great Manitou. Last night the medicine-man of the
Yaquis was ferried over the dark river and traveled -
through the country of souls. He saw there the warriors
that had long since passed from earth, and the. Great -
Spirit whispered his will in the ears of the medicine-man. —
Iron Hand must not take We girl to his wien until
the rising of another moon.’

“For three days! But,’ asked the chief suspicious:
“if once dead, how could you return to life?”

“The Manitou has power to give as well as elke gave .
life. Let the warrior come nearer and see if He is not
even now talking through the lips of the dead.”

Nerving himself, the chief crept forward slowly, and,

 
 

 
 

 

  

 

 

 
 

 
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 
  
  
  
   
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
    
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
     

upon the wan features of the victim of starvation. T ie
deep, solemn voice that thrilled through every fiber O: E his
frame asked again: _ }

“Is the face not that of the dead?”

‘““Yes—yes,” and the chief hastily retreated. :

“And dare you doubt the words coming from the lig
of the Manitou through the grave?’

“No—go on!”

“The Great Spirit wills, also, that the young squ LW
should be left alone in the wigwam, and feested with -
every kindness.”

“For three days! But what of the old prisoner?” —

“When the pale squaw and the chieftain are merge
then let the prisoner die. But not till then.” tf

Half doubting the truth of what he had seen, only half
believing what he had heard, and yet awed by the pres-
ence of death into submission, the chief was glad to gain
the outer air.

But the work of the strange medicine-man was evi-
dently not fully accomplished. He drew the dead man
from the corner, covered the skeleton form with robes —
as nearly as possible like those he wore; painted the face
and hands black; lifted it up and car'ried it above. placed —
  

it with its back against the stone altar, so as to retain an
- upright position; threw more wood upon the fire, and
- again took the most direct route to the village.
_ The story of his death had arrived before him. Ret-
icent as the chief had been trained to be from childhood,
he could not keep the story of what he had seen to him-
self ; and so, when told of the actions of the medicine-man
previous to his return, he related his visit to the cave in
full.
“Tt must have been his ghost,”
awe,
Yet, to put the matter beyond the possibility of doubt,
he sent back runners to the cave, and when they returned
and reported that the medicine-man was seated upon the
top of the rock, the chief was certain he had been con-
versing with a spirit.
Just at that moment, the painted, curiously-decorated
form of the old priest stalked slowly past him.
If the dead could thus walk, what direful thing might
not happen to any of their number? As it approached,
_ they fled shrieking.
__ According to their superstitious belief, to have crossed
the path of a ghost would have been followed by the most
_ terrible calamities. Whichever way the ghost turned, men
and women disappeared, and it could have depopulated
the village had it been so disposed.
By midnight not a soul could be found stirring. Fear-
ful retribution had been threatened silently by the ghost
upon any that should do so.

 
  
   
   
  
   
  
  
  
  
     
    
    
  
  
   
  
    
    
  
  
   
   
    
  
    
  
   
   

he said, with increasing

“be responsible for the safety of the prisoners, and those
_who were bold enough to peep out saw him standing just
within the shadow of the woods.

Much of this fear was owing to the darkness and the
story of the chief, for when morning came again the
Yaquis found strength and courage in numbers, and
tushed to the wigwam where Nick Wharton had been
confined, even though the medicine-man remained where

they had last seen him.
_ It was empty!

They turned to that of the girl, and she also was gone!
With howls of rage and disappointed vengeance they
- rushed toward the medicine-man, to find his robes cun-
ningly placed upon a bush that had been trimmed for that
| purpose—but no man inside them, while other dresses
“were scattered about.

With a glimmering sense of how their credulity and
Superstition had been practised upon, they dashed toward
the cave and began clambering up the rocks.

_ Very few remained to tell of what they had seen, for,
as the foremost reached the top, there was a mighty ex-
- plosion, and the forms of the living were whirled aloft
with the bones of the dead. A fearful hollow in the
rocks was all that remained to tell of the once secret cave
of the medicine-man.

  
 

 

oe Pe BUPPALO BILL STORIES ~

The medicine-man had notified by signs that he would .

    

CHAP GER X.

DOLORES DEADLY PERIL.

Three fugitives from the power of the red men were
toiling along by the side of a little stream that wound ©
through a deep valley, and interchanging thoughts and
relating all that had transpired since they had last been
together. -

“T tell you,” said Nick Wharton, as he tenderly picked —
out the smoothest paths for the feet of Dolores to travel,
“you may speak yer mind freely here, for the rustlin’ of
the trees will keep yer from bein’ heard, even if there
were plenty of outlyin’ scouts to-night, which thar won’t
Des:

“No,” replied Jack Dixon, “you have taken good care
that they should all remain in their wigwams.”’

“The cowardly fools,”
laugh. “To think how easy I managed them! The
hardest part was handlin’ the corpse. I knew it was
nothin’ but clay, but, after all, I had rather not done it,
’specially in the night time, and shouldn’t hev done it,
either, ef it hadn’t bin for you two young folks.”

“How very much we have to thank you for!” replied —
the girl, as she warmly pressed the hand she was hold-
ing. “When can we ever repay you?” .

“Waal, you may some day. But if you don’t, it ain’t
no great matter.’’

“I am sure I shall never forget your kindness. But do,
my good friend, tell me the whole story. You know I am
all in the dark, until the time you came into the wigwam _
where I was confined, and brought the disguise, and

“And came very near frightenin’ you to death!
I had thought the boy had told you.”

“Not a single word,” said Jack Dixon.

“Waal, it were all on account of his craft and bravery
that we ain’t now lyin’ in the wigwams of the Yaquis.
But to begin at the beginnin’, I was lyin’, tied hand and
foot in the wigwam, when who should enter but the medi-
cine-man, and I thought my last hour had come, sure
enough. But very soon I found it was the best friend I
had in the whole world, and he told me all about the cave,
and said as how he ned come back to see if you were
safe.”

“Me?” asked the girl.

“Yes, nobody but you. I told him as how you hadn’t
bin brought back yet, but I didn’t think you could pos-
sibly escape, and he said as how you must be saved, or we
must both die for it.”

The young trapper, who was walking upon the. op-
posite side of the girl from Nick Wharton, felt a little
warm hand creep within his arm, and he needed no
greater reward for what he had done.

 

But

“Waal, we kinder put our heads together, and ton-
cluded to begin by makin’ the redskins afraid, if we could,
and so the boy jest burned a lot of brimstone he had

  

   

continued Nick Wharton, with a |
  

 

found in he cave, and I groaned and screamed as ef I

_ were bein’ run through with a hundred hot irons.

_ “Then I wanted him to go and take care of himself, but
_he said he wouldn’t stir a step—that I knew more about
playin’ medicine-man than he did—and so he made me
take his trappin’s and stayed in my place.”

“And what if he had been discovered and murdered ?”

_ gasped the girl, and Dixon felt the hand he held tremble
violently,

_ “It would have gone hard with him, that’s a fact,” said
Nick Wharton, “but I managed it so that there wasn’t
much danger of his bein’ disturbed, leastwise for some
time—told the braves by signs that I wanted to see the
chief, and hurried back to the cave, which the boy had
told me all about, to see what I could find and plan a
way for the safety of all hands.”

“And nobly you succeeded !”
“It were all along of that boy,” replied Nick Wharton

Ff modestly, “though it did take some knowledge of the

an ways of the red critters, and: a little long-headed calcula-

Q tion. But when I saw the dead man, it were all easy,

; and come to me in a minit. I knew that if I could only

; a impose on the chief, the rest wouldn’t be hard. .

8 “But I never came so near laughin’ when I didn’t want
| to! What a fool a man kin make of himself when he lets
| fear run away with judgment! At fust I did think of

tellin’ the chief that it wouldn’t do to marry you at all,
but I kinder thought that wouldn’t do, and so put it off
for three days, knowin’ that I would save you in that
time, if it could be done.”

“But you risked detection and your own life,”
Dolores.

“That ain’t nothin’ to speak of. Yet I did come mighty
near bein’ found out when I got him to take a close look
at the corpse, but he couldn’t hev jumped back quicker
ef he had been bitten by a sar ent And you should have
seen his face!

“But I saw it wouldn’t do to fool too long, and so I
sent him off, and carried the body up to the top of the
rock, and dressed it and built a fire, and got as many of
the old dead medicine-man’s traps as I could carry, and
started for the wigwam where the boy was.

  
 
 

said

“I wasn’t very long séttin’? him free, and I hadn’t
more’n got to the other side of the village before I saw
‘he had slipped out, and was playin’ his part like a man.
And that completely upset the Injuns. Two ghost medi-
cine-men at the same time war too mueh for them to
stand. But after I had got you fixed up, and they saw
three, I didn’t know but that they would run away en-
tirely.: But there's’ one thing I’m very sorry about,”
And the frame of the old man shook with laughter.

“What was that?”

“Because I couldn’t stay and see them when they found
how they had bin taken in. It must have bin done before
this time and—there goes the powder you put a slow

 

THE BURFALO- BILL STORIES.

‘see upon every side to a considerable distance.

 

  
   

match to in the ae Dixon! If there we

 
 
 
    
 

huntin’-grounds, and there’ll be a good man
empty.”

“Are we in no danger of being followed?” a
girl, with her anxiety returning. a

“Certainly,” replied Nick Wharton.

“And their vengeance would be terrible ?”’

“There’s no doubt of that,’ said ve old scout, “thou
I don’t think they would harm you.”

“But what should I do if you were to be taken
merciful heavens—killed?’ And again the
trapper felt the soft fingers close tightly around his arr

Breaking the silence for the first time, he whispered i
a low and impressive voice:

“I will die for you, Dolores.”

“And,” said the old scout, “I’d die for you i. i it:
should come to that, but we’ll-try cunnin’ and runnin’
before fightin’, thought if it wasn’t for you, I -wouldn’
mind a scrap with the whole tribe, for I ain't no coward.

From that time every precaution that experience coul
dictate was taken to render their trail a blind one, and
they hurried along with all possible speed until the sun’
had been up for hours and they had passed out of the
valley and reached a high rocky point, whence they ee

  
    
         
  

  
   
 

  

    
   
     
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
   
   
  
   
  
   
   
    
 
   
 
  
   
    
  
    

Nick Wharton selected a spot that he deemed to be the
most safe—one out from the timber, but protected by
rocks and covered with tall, reedy grass that eee hid
them.

He had taken great care that there should be no “sign i"
of their having come in that direction, and gave it as his”
opinion that they might rest almost in safety for am
length of time. a

“We've got to stop some time,” he said “and there
ain’t no place around half as good as this, for, though
we can’t conveniently get anything to eat, there is water
handy, and a man can stand a pretty long tug. on that,
if it comes to the push. Anyhow, we can’t go any farther
until night comes, and it may be we’ll have to take the
back trail.”

Nick Wharton soon withdrew to a little distance, flung -
himself at full lengthe upon the hard ground, and very
soon his eyes were closed, and he was to all appearan
lost in slumber.

Yet such was not the case. He had a fashion of sleep-
ing “with one eye open,” of seeing, without seeming to-
do so, ail that passed around. The lovers would not
have been quite so free in their caresses had they known
he had found out their secret, and was indulging in many
a silent laugh at their expense.

But at length his heavy breathing told that he had, at
last, wandered into the mysterious land of dreams.

As long as Jack Dixon and Dolores fancied that their
old and true friend remained awake, they sat at a respect-

    
    
 
      
   
   
     
    
  
   
   
 
 
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
 
   
   
  
   
  
  
   
    
  
  
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
   
       
 

  
 
 

ful distance and talked only in the most commonplace
manner of the events of the previous night—he filling
in the details of which Nick Wharton had only sketched
the outline. ce
_ But Dixon soon drew nearer to the girl and told her
in low whispered words of passion of the desires of his
_ soul—told the old, sweet story that has been repeated
so many thousands of times.
_ “Dolores,” he said, in a straightforward, manly way,
and she made no resistance against the strong arm that
crept around her waist. “Dolores, from the first moment
I saw you, I loved you.”
_ “And I you, Jack,” she replied, as honestly, though
blushing at her boldness.
_ “And yet it might have taken a long time for me to
have told you so, if you had remained safe at home. But
somehow those scenes through which we have passed
have made me bold.”

“And what girl would not love a man who has passed
through so much for her sake?” she asked earnestly.

“Tt is no more than Nick Wharton or I would have
done for any one in your situation, and I didn’t think of
‘myself, but only of your sweet face.”
_ “And I of you, Jack dear. When I expected every
moment would be my last, I couldn’t help thinking of and
praying for you.”
The honest confession was repaid in true lover’s
fashion, and for a long time their conversation ran in the
same channel—broken only when the young trapper
‘Cautiously raised his head above the tall grass and sent
_ his eagle eye glancing over every part of the surrounding
country.
But as their reserve was broken down, and they talked
‘more freely and told of all their hopes*and fears, some-
thing of caution was forgotten, and for many minutes an
enemy might have remained in plain sight and undis-
covered.
_ But Jack fancied, soon after the dawn, that he saw
something that might betoken danger. What it was he
could not then determine. Far away upon the prairie
_ were black spots that he had not noticed before. They
might be, birds, or beasts, or simply stones. Until some-
thing more tangible was to be seen, he would not disturb
either the girl or his male companion.

Yet he could not blind the eyes of a newly-awakened
love,

 
 

  

  

Even as he resumed his seat, Dolores saw at a glance

that something was wrong and she exclaimed in alarm:

_ “Jack, what have you seen? Are the Indians coming?”
“No, Dolores, at least I don’t think they are,” he re-

plied, soothingly.

“But you have seen something, your face tells me

i that.”

- “I don’t know that I have discovered anytl.ing that

wasn’t there before,” said Jack.

THE BULPALO BILL STORIES

 

“Had we not better call Nick Wharton?” asked the
girl,

“Not yet.”

“At least let me look.”

He took hold of her hand and guided her to where she

could obtain a clear view, and they sat silently watching

for some time.

Then the same opinion found expression at the same
instant from their lips:

“Horses !’’ :

Soon the horses drew so near that Jack could decide
that the riders were Indians. A moment aiter, they
separated and some rode swiftly around to the other side
of the hill.

“Do not stir for your life,’ he whispered to the girl,
“or make the slightest noise. I will creep around and
watch them. If there is any danger of their coming here,
I will let you know and wake up Nick Wharton.”

With scarcely the moving of a reed he crept away, and
she bowed her head and lay as low to the ground as
possible—almost held her breath. But she had not been
long in that position before a sharp hissing sound at-
tracted her attention, and turning quickly she saw a
large rattlesnake.

The serpent had come out from one of the many holes
around, and had approached very near, apparently with-
out being aware of her presence. But the instant it saw
her it threw itself into a massive coil, with upraised head,
fire-flashing eyes, spitefully-darting tongue and rapidly-
vibrating tail.

What should she do?

A number of the Indians had drawn up their horses
and were eagerly looking up at the high land upon which
she lay concealed. Nick Wharton was sleeping at a dis-
tance, and her lover had gone she knew not whither.

If she raised herself up or called for help, it would
give the Indians notice of her presence, and if she re-
mained it would be to meet death in the most horrid
form.

Even when she had been a prisoner in the Yaqui
village, her nerves had not been so terribly tried. But
there was no time for thought. Brave as she had shown
herself, she felt the cold sweat standing upon her fore-
head and oozing out through every pore of her skin.

The aspect of the snake was constantly becoming more
threatening. Its hideous eyes flashed and burned like
living coals—its neck became more rigid—the scales
shone more and more like burnished gold and jet—its

head was thrust forward—its mouth more open, and its ~

rattles rang more sharply!

The poor girl dared not raise up or attempt to flee—
dared not crawl away—dared not even turn over. The
Indians who were watching from below would at once
detect the sudden disturbance of the grass, and rush to
learn the cause.

4

   
  

   

She drew back as far as possible, and called, in the

lowest voice, to Nick Wharton—to her lover. But there
was no answer save the angry hiss of the serpent as it
uncoiled with lightning rapidity, drew nearer, and again
prepared itself for battle—with every fold in its body
convulsed with fury.

She could have put out her hand and touched it, but
she was almost paralyzed with fear, and fascinated by
__ the changing light that flashed from scales and eyes.

What should she do? -The answer was forced upon
her.
a . With the swiftness of thought the head of the serpent
@ was flung forward—it fastened itself upon her arm,

 

Human nature burst through all restraints, and Do-
lores’ screams could have been heard for hundreds of
yards.

or CHAPTER Xi
. BEATIN Gf eo vA OUTS

The effect of the girl’s screaming was electrical.

From a thick belt of brushwood and timber near by,
Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill came rushing up, just as
Nick Wharton leaped to his feet. They were followed
by a band of Mexican peons—the men employed on
Don Ramon’s ranch.

By a wonderful coincidence, the king of the scouts
and his followers arrived on the scene at the precise mo-
ment when they were most needed.

From the brow of a hill, some distance off, Cody
had seen the girl and her two companions through his
field-glasses.. He had also seen the Indians near-by, and,
recognizing the danger to which his friends were ex-
posed, had hastened to their assistance, moving his little
force carefully under cover, so that they would not be
seen by the Indians.

Buffalo Bill instantly uibped. out his long bowie-
knife from his belt, and, with one quick slash, severed
the snake in halves.

“It bit me! I’m poisoned!” moaned the girl, her

t face pale as death, as she sank to the ground.
f . “Hold the Indians off,” said Buffalo Bill to his com-
rades. “I will attend to her.”
_. By this time Jack had come running back, and the
] Yaquis, having discovered the party, were hastening to
the attack.

Jack clasped his sweetheart in his
Bill sternly ordered him to let her go and do his part in
the fighting. The young man was so agitated that he

was worse than useless for the task of reviving Dolores
and saving the life which was so seriously threatened.
Luckily, Buffalo Bill had had experience in cases of
snake-bite before, and knew exactly what to do. First,
he took out his flask of brandy and forced the whole
of the contents down the girl’s throat. The fiery fluid,

ss

arms, but Buffalo

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

- from their foes.

     
 

all the more potent because she had never ta e
of it before in her life, instantly revived the girl
stupor sae weed she had fallen.

  
    
        
    
 

lets. Buffalo Bill called two of the peons to him,
“Keep Donna Dolores awake, at any cost,”
manded. “Do not let her sink back into lbee?
her—slap her face—do anything; but do not.
sleep.”’ a
The peons carried out this command faithfully, and
meanwhile Buffalo Bill took from -his pocket a piece of
snakestone and applied it to the minute puncture made
by the serpent’s fangs. It’had been given to him long
ago by an old medicine-man of the Navajos, and he had
often proved its virtue. ey
It drew the poison out of the wound as a magnet draws
steel to it, and in a few minutes Cody dea _ the
girl was out of danger.
A healthy color returned to her cheeks, whilt: Shad
commenced to turn absolutely blue before the snakestoné
was applied. Her breathing became regular, and soon
there was no difficulty in keeping her awake. ~
“How do you feel?’ Cody asked — when she.
ee her eyes. { oe
“Quite well,” Dolores replied. “I feel-no pain. You
have saved me. Ah, how terrible it was when that sna
drew nearer and nearer to me!”
“You are safe now,”

  
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
   
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
  
   
  
  
   
  
   
   
   
   
    
 
    
  
 
 
  
   
   
   
  
  
   
    
  
 
 
  
 
  
 

 

said Buffalo Bill rede 7
“But I cannot stay here. It looks as if the Yaquis are
about to charge. I must go to help my friends, T 16 |
peons will stay here to guard you.” ae
' The border king’s apprehension was a true one. Just.
as he reached the firing-line, and sank down beet
rock by the side of Wild Bill, the Indians rushed from
their cover and came charging toward his part
They outnumbered them by more than t
but in their reckless daring they did not take accoun
of the havoc that can be wrought by | at
close range.
More than half of the Yaquis fell before ney had
crossed a third of the distance that separated them

“Give it to them again!” cried Buffalo- Bill, as the
Savages stopped in momentary panic, uncertain whether
to go forward or turn tail.

A second volley, which stretched a dozen more of
their number on the ground, decided them, and they fled —
in wild dismay back to their cover.

“After them, boys!” yelled Buffalo Bill, suiting the
action to the word. ;

 
 

The Yaquis did not stop to face the return charge.
Most of them were shot down. The rest fled on wildly

  
   

     
 
   

 

THE BUFFALO
to their horses, mounted, and fled at the-top of their
' speed. !

“Tt will not do for us to stay here,’ said Buffalo Bill,
as soon as the Americans and Mexicans had finished con-
_ gratulating one another on their victory. “We ntust take
the trail for Don Ramon’s ranch at once. Those few
: Yaquis who escaped will bring a bunch of their com-
-rades after us as soon as they can, we may be sure of
| that.”
The truth of this was apparent, and a start was
promptly made. Fortunately, the peons had several spare

 
  
  

swiftly.

_ As they rode on, Wild Bill and Buffalo Bill swapped
stories of their adventures with Nick Wharton and Jack
Dixon. The two former had not much to tell.

They had followed the trail of the other party of
_ Yaquis, and had been led a very roundabout way. The
- Yaquis had gone off their course several times to hunt—
which convinced the two scouts that they were not on
the track of the band that had the girl with it. How-
ever, they had followed the trail faithfully, and picked
up the party of peons on the way—still looking for their
_lost quarry. By a lucky chance, they fell in with the
three fugitives just when they were most needed.

Don Ramon’s ranch was reached without any further
misadventures. If the Yaquis pursued, they were too
slow about it, for the little party saw nothing of them.

The delight of the rancher at getting his beloved
daughter back again, safe and sound, knew no bounds.
_ He was deeply grateful to all the four Americans, but
most of all to Jack Dixon and Nick Wharton.

He even went so far as to offer Nick a partnership
in his magnificent ranch, but the sturdy old scout refused
the offer, saying that what he had done he had not done
for gain.

“As for you, Jack,’ said Don Ramon, “I know very
well the only reward that you want. Dolores tells me
that she loves you. Take her, my boy, and settle down
on the ranch here, and be happy. Don’t worry any more
about that hidden hoard of the Aztecs. Don’t risk your
life going back to the Yaqui country.”

Jack shook his head.

“There’s nothing I would like better, Don Ramon,”
he replied, “but my honor is engaged in this matter. I
don’t care so much about the money, though I confess
I wouldn’t like to come to Dolores as a poor man and live
upon her wealth. But I’ve brought my friends down
_ from the United States to find this treasure, and I can’t
leave them in the lurch now.”

“That is true,” agreed Don Ramon.

“T don’t quite see it,” said Cody. “We could search
for the treasure by ourselves, and not expose Jack to
the risks of the adventure. We know from the transla-

 
 

™

VBILE STORIES.

mounts with them, so that it was possible to travel:

  
 
  
      
   
 
   
   
   
   
 
  
    
   
   
   
 
   
  
   
  
 
   
  
   
  
   
   
  
 
   
  
  
  
  
   
   
 

Pe

tion of the old Aztec’s directions where the cave in

which the hoard is kept is located.”

“Do you think I would let you brave the dangers
alone?” cried Jack hotly. ‘What do you take me for? —
Say no more—I am going with you. There is no reason ©
to be frightened of the Yaquis, We have beaten them
before by cunning and we have beaten them in fight.
We will do it again, if necessary.”

Jack’s resolution could not be shaken, even by the
thought that Dolores would long for him in his absence.
For the matter of that, the high-spirited girl would have
thought a great deal less of him if he had not decided*
as he did.

Following the advice of Don Ramon, the four Ameri-
cans stayed on the ranch for six weeks, to give time for
the excitement they had caused among the Yaquis to”
die down. They had a very pleasant time, and, need-
less to say, Jack and Dolores were as happy as the
days were long.

But this all-to-brief holiday soon came to an end, and
Jack and the three scouts set out, by’a long and circuit-
ous route, on their daring expedition back to the Yaqui
country. ce

They took with them half-a-dozen pack-mules, as well
as spare horses, for the purpose of transporting the
treasure, if they should be so lucky as to get away with it.

 

CHAPTER: XII.
IN THE CAVE OF THE SKULLS,

“T will go in alone,” said Buffalo Bill. “You fellows
had better stay here at the entrance and keep a bright
lookout. Let me know if tyou see any Indians. It
would not do for them to come into the cave and sur-
prise us, as they might very well do if we all entered.

“T can spy out the ground and find if the treasure is
still there, and report to you. If it is, three of us can
go back in there and get it, while the fourth man keeps
a good lookout here.”

As the king of the scouts said these words, he was
standing with his friends outside the mouth of the cave
in which, if the dead Atuahalpa was to be believed, the
lost treasure of the Aztecs was hidden,

His comrades raised some objection to this proposal, .
but in the end Buffalo Bill had his way, as he usually did.

They. concealed the pack-mules and the horses in a
thick belt of timber near by, and Nick Wharton remained
with them; while Wild Bill and Jack Dixon hid them-
selves in some bushes near the mouth of the cave.

Up to the present, nothing had been seen of the Ya-
quis, but there was no telling how soon they might re-
veal themselves at a highly inconvenient moment. The
cave was far too near to the Yaqui village in which Nick
and Jack had met with their stirring adventures for them
to have any illusions about their safety.

  
   

 

 

  

 
  
     

 

 
  
  

 

 

he also would find his.
his hand to the plow, and he scorned to turn back.

All of the four knew very well that they were in the

deadliest peril all the time they stayed in the Yaqui

country, and still more while they hovered around the

sacred cave in which the treasure was concealed.

The mouth of the cave looked very dark and forbid-
ding as Buffalo Bill entered it, but it needed more than
that to try the nerves or weaken the courage of the heroic
border king.

Lighting a torch, he pushed boldly on his way, going

first through a narrow natural tunnel in the limestone

rock, in which he could barely stand upright.
This passage soon widened out and grew higher,. until

at last he stepped out into a spacious cavern, with a

high vaulted dome, from which thousands of crystal
stalactites hung.

This vast natural hall was dimly lighted through a
small hole in the roof, which showed that the rock above
was very thin. The hole was covered over with creep-
ing vines and other vegetation of the rank tropical wood,
which made the light that filtered through of a greenish
color, producing a ghastly effect.

As he walked over the rocky floor of this cavern, Buf-
falo Bill’s foot struck against something hard and white.

He bent down and picked it up.

It was a human skull!
Shuddering, in spite of all his cool nerve, the border

_ King flung the grim token of mortality far from him.

He elevated his torch above his head and looked

oh

He saw, to his horror, that the cavern was a veritable
Golgotha—a place of skulls!

There were hundreds of them within the range of his
vision, and doubtless there were thousands in that ter-
rible-hall altogether, for the floor was literally covered
with them. Human skeletons and bones of all kinds and
descriptions were also scattered around on every side.

A man of less courage and coolness would have fled
back te his friends in the outer air, with pallid face and
shaking limbs; but Cody was of tougher fiber than that.

All that he had heard of the human sacrifices in which
the Yaquis were reputed to delight now returned to his
mind, and he knew that the stories which had been told to
him had been less than the truth.

Tere was the place in which generations of victims had
found their long home, and in which it was quite possible
But the gallant scout had set

 

\s swiftly as he could, he passed through the hall of
skulls and through a narrow passage into another
stn, which was of still vaster dimensions. He went
this one very cautiously, casting the light ahead of
path.

- was well that he did so, for he was brought up
denly on the brink of a yawning chasm—black and

| womless as the mouth of the pit.

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES

    

Lying down on the brink, he looked over an
torch downward; but he could not see the bott
ing but pitchy blackness. ae
thtew it down. Before it touched the a
sullen “boom,” he was able to count fifty..

  
 

      
     
 
  
    
  
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
    
  
  
  
    
   
   
  
  
   
   
 
   
  
  
  
   
   
  
 
  
   
 
  
  
    
  
  
 

up to ae solid wall a the cave; beak on the left there
was a narrow, rocky path which he could tread in pay
if he walked carefully. tre

This, again, was a task from which most men ‘would :
have shrunk; but Buffalo Bill did not hesitate for a mo-
ment. Holding the torch well in front of him, to throw
light on any obstacles in the path, he stepped boldly
forward, and had soon passed the chasm and was -stand-
ing on the solid floor on the farther side of the cave, |

Since he had left the hall of the skulls he had notice
one fact which caused him considerable uneasiness.

The air was continually growing fresher and purer_a
he advanced. {

This could only mean that there was some raed ‘en
trance, or perhaps several entrances, besides the one
which his friends were guarding. And it was arent
that some of the Yaquis might enter by these ways an
take him by surprise. :

He took good care that his revolver was ogee in hi
holster and ready to his hand. It was the only weapo
he had with him, with the exception of his bowie-knife
Then he pushed on as bravely as before.

But he had not gone many paces before he met witl
the supreme test to which his iron nerve was to be sub
jected. ey

The cavern narrowed again, and at a point he
was not more than ten yards wide he came face to fe
with a human skeleton, standing upright and poin 1
at him with menacing bony fingers.

For a moment Buffalo Bill’s blood ran cold.
pulled himself together, and laughed—but not very
fully.

“Do the Yaqui priests think they will frighten grown
men with such childish phantoms?” he muttered to him-
self. “I’ve seen death too often to be scared by its”
remains. It is ae this bogy that the treasure is
hidden, Il] wager.”

He walked firmly past the skeleton, and entered a third
tocky chamber, very much smaller than cnc of the
others. ee
As he cast the light of the torch around him, a wore
derful sight met his. eyes.

 

 

CHAPTER X ELL
ON THE BRINK OF THE CHASM.

Gold—gold—gold! Gold on every hand!
It was ranged against the walls in great heaps, and the —
floor was covered with it, so that there was hardly a

  
     
      
 
 

 
   
  

26

place where ‘he could tread without stepping on the
pretious metal.

Buffalo Bill saw, at a glance, that Atuahalpa, the last
of the Aztecs, had not exaggerated when he spoke of
the value of the secret hoard that was all that was left
of Montezuma’s ill-starred empire.

The wealth spread around him could not possibly be
computed, but it must have represented many scores of
millions of dollars. The gold was mostly in the form
of curiously carved vessels and ornaments that had been
__used in the service of the ancient temples of the sun, but
‘there were also stacks on stacks of golden ingots.

Cody took one ingot up and weighed it in his hand.
_ He found that it weighed at least a pound.

 
 
  
   
  
  
   
   
  

“Well, it won’t bean easy task to get this stuff out
of the cave into the daylight,” he muttered to himself.
; “Tow on earth can we get it past the narrow path
around that chasm? It is perilous enough for a man to
_ cross that path without any burden. We would have to

~ swing a guard-rope along the outer edge before we
| would dare to carry the gold across.

   
  
  
  
    
   
  
    
   
   
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
 
  
   
   
  
  
   

___ “And even if we could get the stuff safely to America,

what in thunder could we do with it all? What could
any man do with such vast wealth? I should be sorry
for poor Dixon, trying to spend it for the benefit of
humanity. In the end he would probably do humanity
more harm than good.”

While he made these philosophical reflections, the
border king was looking carefully around the treasure-
vault. In the farther corner he found several chests
made of solid gold. :

Their lids swung open easily, and inside he saw bag
_aiter bag made of toughened deerskin. The fiber had
withstood the withering hand of the centuries, for it had
been treated with some chemical preparation of which
the ancient Aztecs had possessed the secret.

_ Opening the bags, Buffalo Bill saw that they were
filled with rubies and emeralds and other precious stones,
just as Atuahalpa had stated. Most of the stones were
uncut, but a few had been subjected to the art of the
Aztec lapidaries, and their numerous facets shone out
brilliantly in the dimness of the cavern, as they caught
the light of the torch.

“Here is wealth that can be carried,” said Buffalo Bill
to himself. “This is better than golden ingots.”
' He took up two of the bags, one containing rubies
and the other emeralds, and swung them around his neck
by a couple of the rawhide thongs which, like all good
hunters, he always carried with him.

Then he turned to leave the cavern and rejoin his

friends.

“VIL see what the others think about it,’ he said to
timself; “but, as far as I am concerned, I’d be quite
content to let the rest of the treasure ‘stay here. Even

 
  
 

 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES.

 

7

a fiftieth part of the value of these rubies and emer- ~

alds ought to be enough to satisfy the four of us.”
The king of the scouts returned past the standing
skeleton into the second cavern, and at last stood on the
brink of the narrow path that bordered on the chasm.
He liked the look of it even less than when he had
first crossed it, but there was no alternative, so he nerved
himself for the passage.
When he was half-way across, a tall Indian rose sud-

denly from behind a rock only about a couple of yards —

in front of him. :

Buffalo Bill’s hand went instantly to the holster in
which he carried his revolver, but before he could
draw it the Yaqui grappled with him. Then began a
fearful struggle for life on the brink of that deadly
chasm.

‘The Indian, who was plainly a medicihe-man by the
ghastly ornaments that he wore, held a drawn knife in
his right hand, but before he could strike downward
with it Buffalo Bill seized his wrist and twisted it so
violently that he was forced to drop the weapon, utter-
ing a. the same time a yell of pain.

The medicine-man, however, managed to hang on
tightly to Cody’s right arm and prevent him from draw-
ing his revolver. Backward and forward they swung on
the narrow path, often within a few inches of the preci-
pice.

The Yaqui seemed to be absolutely reckless of his
own life. All he was seeking for was to destroy the
white man who had dared to enter the sacred cave of his
people and profane it.

The border king was, therefore, at a great disadvan-
tage; for he, of course, was striving to get rid of his
adversary without falling into the abyss himself.

But for his wonderful strength and his skill in wres-
tling, he would have stood no chance of life. Even as it
was, he was very hard put to it to hold his own against
his fanatical enemy.

At last he managed to get one hand—his left—free
for a moment. Instantly he whipped his knife out of
his belt and stabbed the medicine-man in the throat
with it.

The blow was a fatal one, but even in the last agony
of death the fanatic tried to drag his foe down to death
with him. But his failing streigth was not equal to the
task, and, with a gurgling cry, he relaxed his grasp and
fell backward into the chasm.

Buffalo Bill staggered against the wall of the cav-
ern, breathless and exhausted by his terrible struggle.
Tt was several minutes before he recovered himself suf-

ficiently to go on his way through the cave of the.

skulls and rejoin his friends.

“Why, what's the matter, Cody?” asked Jack, staring -

at him in surprise, as he stumbled, blinking and pallid,

ree eae ie pa en ey 4

Hh

  
   
  

   

into the fresh air and the daylight.
had seen a ghost.”

“I haven't seen any ghost, but I have seen enough

skulls and skeletons to furnish half-a-dozen graveyards,
and I had a struggle for life which was one of the near-
est things I ever knew.”

“Did you see anything of the treasure?”

For answer Cody exhibited his two bags of rubies and
emeralds, and gave a brief account of his adventures in
the cave. )

While he was doing so, Nick Wharton came hastening
up from the timber where he had been taking charge
of the mules and horses. He reported that he had

sighted a party of over fifty Yaquis, who seemed to be
riding in the direction of the cave.

“We must cut an’ run fur it, or we must hide,” said
the old scout. “There are too many of them fur us ter
fight.”

“Which shall it be, boys—ride or hide?’ asked the
-king of the scouts. “If we ride, it means, of course,
that we give up the attempt to get the rest of the
treasure. I don’t see what we want with more than we’ve
got, and I’m quite free to confess that personally I don’t
want to go back into that terrible cave again.”

“T vote for giving up the attempt,’ said Jack. “We
have got all we need. There is a curse on the place, and
we should be fools to risk our lives in there, after the
experience Buffalo Bill has had.” “

_ Wild Bill and Nick Wharton agreed heartily.

Leaving their pack-mules to go free, now that they
would no longer be wanted, the four friends mounted
their horses and rode boldly out of their concealment on
to the open plain at the base of the mountain in which
the cave was located.

They speedily came into sight of the Yaquis whom
Nick Wharton had seen. The savages were now about
a mile off.

“You look as if you

 

When they saw the hated palefaces, they gave an
ear-splitting yell, and, urging their horses to their full-
est speed, chased them hotly.

But it was a vain effort, for Buffalo Bill and his com-
tades had the advantage in every way.

They were better mounted than the Yaquis and they
had spare horses with them. Then, too, their repeating-
rifles would carry farther than the few trade-guns which
the savages carried—wretched weapons obtained illicitly
through disloyal Mexican traders who did not mind
selling guns to their country’s foes, if thereby they could

_ make a paltry profit. :

At a word from Buffalo Bill, the scouts eed in their
horses and permitted the Yaquis to come within easy
range of their rifles.

Thinking that they had their enemies in the hollow of
their hands, the savages urged their steeds to renewed
efforts.

 

“THE BUPPALO BILL STORIES.

 

  

 

  
     

Their mistake was speedily discovered.
Five rifles suddenly blazed out, and
dropped from their saddles. u
They returned the fire, but their trade- -guns
carry the range. oo
The Americans turned their horses’ heads athe galloped
away, after teaching their enemies this lesson.
The Yaquis soon perceived the uselessness of. the chase
and tired of it. One by one they tailed off, until at last
not a single brave was left in sight. .
Don Ramon’s ranch was safely reached, and the me
come that was given to the bold adventurers may better
be imagined than described. a8
The old rancher, who seemed to know pretty. ne: rly
everything, estimated that the rubies and emeralds, which —
numbered over five hundred stones, large and small,
would fetch at least eight millions of dollars, if sold care-
fully and quietly, so as not to flood the market.
Keeping to the agreement to retain only a fiftieth for
themselves, this would give each of the four men the nice we
little sum of forty thousand dollars: ae
They were all thoroughly satisfied with this. Indeed,
old Nick Wharton declared that he would not know
what to do with so much money. 4
“T know quite well what you'll do with it, Nick, " sag or |
Cody, laughing gaily. ue
“What’s that?” a
“You'll give it away in a few months to those ahi a
need it more than you do. That’s what you have always
done whenever you had any money, and I oe it’s
what you always will do.”
“You needn’t talk, Bill Cody,” growled the old scout.
“T’ve seen you fling money away as if it was dirt, too.”
“T know what I shall do with my share,” put in Jack.
“T shall ask you to sell me a share in your ranch, Don
Ramon, and then I shall marry Dolores and — down.” 7

 
 
 
  

 
 
  
   
     
     
  

   
     
  
 
   
  
   
   
   
  
  
   
    
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
    
  
   
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    

 

CHAPTER XIV.
LOPEZ SEEKS THE TREASURE.

That night, Buffalo Bill and his comrades slept at aS a
hacienda. *

That, perhaps, is hardly a correct way to put it. They —
all went to bed, but the king of the scouts found that
sleep would not come to him. He felt, by some mys-
terious intuition, that there was danger in the air.

After tossing to and fro on his bed for an hour, he
rose, dressed himself, and went into the next bedroom,
to which Wild Bill and Nick Wharton had been assigned.

He was hardly surprised to find that they, too, were |
restless. They acknowledged that they felt much the
same way that he did.

“With all these pretty sparklers in the house, there’s
a mighty strong temptation to some one to try to loot
them,” said Wild Bill.

    
      

  
 
    

“Yes, and you know who is likely to make the at-
tempt,” remarked Cody significantly.
_ “Our old friend, Lopez, with that gang of his?”

“Precisely.”

“It’s rather strange that we’ve seen nothing of him
since that night he fired at you at the posada,’ mused
~ Hickok.

_ “It only shows, to my mind, that we are all the more
likely to see him now,” said Buffalo Bill. “If he knows
that we have got back from the Yaqui country he will

guess that we have brought some of the treasure with

- us, and you may be sure he will make an effort to get it

for himself and his gang.” |

Wild Bill and Nick Wharton both got out of thei
beds, and slipped on their clothes.

“We'll take a walk around the place and see whether
we can spot anything suspicious,” said Hickok. ‘A house
like this, exposed to the constant risk of attacks by
Indians and outlaws, ought to be always guarded at
“night.” Me

The three scouts had not far to seek before they found
plenty to justify their suspicions.

_ They descended to the ground floor, and Cody was
about to open the front door, when Nick Wharton, who
had been looking out from a window, called to him in a
low voice not to do so.

Cody looked at him inquiringly, and Nick beckoned
him to the window.

Outside, in the level space under the trees that sur-

_ rounded the house, was a band of over thirty men. They

were dismounting from their horses and advancing to the

door.
them carried a large ax in his hand.

“Hold your fire till they get the door down,” whis-
pered Cody. ‘Then we shall have them on the hip.”
Each of the three scouts, with a revolver in either
hand; silently awaited the struggle.

The man with the ax swung it above his head, and
dashed it with all:his strength against the door. He
broke it down with half-a-dozen blows, but just as he
was about to rush over the threshold the first bullet, fired
by Cody, stretched him dead.

His comrades, firing wildly, tried to charge in, but
the three scouts fired so swiftly and so straight that they
had no chance.

Half-a-dozen of them fell almost in as many seconds,
and the rest, alarmed by the unexpected resistance with
which they had been met, were stricken with panic, and
fled to their horses. | :

Several were shot down before they could mount, and
the survivors were hotly chased by Don Ramon’s peons,
who had run hastily out of the outbuildings in which
they lived on hearing the sound of the firing.

Nearly all of the outlaws were caught and made pris-
oners, and in due course of time were sentenced by the
Mexican courts to pay the full penalty of their many
crimes.

When Cody removed the mask of the first man he had

    
    
    
 
   
     
  
 
  

 

THE BUFFALO BILL STORIES. ©

Their faces were all masked, and the foremost of:

  
 

shot—the man with the ax—the sinister features of Dr.
Lopez were revealed.

No further attempts were made to rob the scouts of.
their hard-won treasure, and in time the emeralds and
rubies were sold for the full price which Don Ramon
had estimated they would fetch.

Buffalo Bill and his two comrades spent a pretty large
part of their dollars in buying the handsomest wedding
presents they could think of for Jack Dixon and Dolores.

As for the bulk of the lost treasure of the Aztecs, it
still remains hidden in the sacred cave of the Yaquis, and
it is likely to stay there for all time, since Jack Dixon
burned the parchments given to him by Atuahalpa, the
last of the caciques.

      
      
      
       
     
     
       
     
      
  

THE END.

    
 

The story in this series next week, No. 245, will be
“Buffalo Bill’s Lost Quarry; or, Following a Cold Trail.”
It will tell of one of the most marvelous feats of track-
ing ever performed by the border king. Several new and
most interesting characters will be introduced, and the
story will be full of thrilling incidents and adventures.

 
   
       
      
  
  
   
  
  
      
  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

About the peg
Early
Numbers of

   

ip Top Weekly

We receive hundreds of letters every week from readers
asking if we can supply the early numbers of Tip Top contain-
ing Frank’s adventures, In every case we are obliged to reply
that numbers 1 to 300’are entirely out of print.

We would like to call the attention of our readers to the fact
that the Frank Merriwell Stories now being published in book
form in the Medal Library are inclusive of these early numbers,
a The first book to appear was No. 150 entitled “Frank Merriwell’s
Schooldays,”

We give herewith a complete list of all the stories that have
been published in book form up tothe time of writing. We will
be glad to send a fine colored cover catalogue of the Medal
Library which is just filled with good things for boys, upon
receipt of a one-cent stamp to cover postage.

The Price of The Merriwell Books is Ten Cents per Copy. At all Newsdealers

ERE

   

ie

 

 

 

 

Frank Merriwell at Yale. Medal No.

  

i 205. 10c.
Frank Merriwell Down South. Medal No. 189. 10c.
Frank Merriwell in Camp. Medal No. 258. 10c. }
Frank Merriwell in Hngland, Medal No, 340. 0c.
Frank Merriwell in Hurope. Medal No. 201. 10c.
Frank Merriwell in Maine. Medal No. 276, 10c, 4
a Frank Merriwell on the Road. Medal No. 300. 10c.
be Frank Merriwell’s Athletes. Medal No. 233. 10c. {
ne Frank Merriwell’s Bicycle Tour. Medal No. 217. 10c. q
Frank Merriwell’s Book of Physical. Development.
i ; Diamond Hand-Book No. 6. 0c.
6 Erank Merriwell’s Bravery. Medal No. 193. 10c,
Frank Merriwell’s Champions. Medal No. 240. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Chase. Medal No. 271. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s Chums. Medal No. 167. 10c.
Frank Merriwell’s College Chums. Medal No. 812. 10ce.
Frank Merriwell’s Courage. Medal No. 225. 10c.
HWrank Merriwell’s Cruise, Medal No. 267. 10c. ©
Frank Merriwell’s Danger. Medal No. 251. 10c. &
Frank Merriwell’s Daring. Medal No. 229. 10c. I
Frank Merriwell’s Fame. Medal No. 308. 10c. &
Frank Merriwell’s First Job. Medal No. 284. 10c. §&
Frank Merriwell’s Foes, Medal No, 178. 10c. %
Frank Merriwell’s Fortune. Medal No. 320. 10c. &
Frank Merriwell’s Great Scheme, Medal.No. 336. 10c.. &
Frank Merriwell’s Hard Luck. Medal No. 292. 10c. %%
Frank Merriwell’s Hunting Tour. Medal No. 197. 10c. x
Frank Merriwell’s Loyalty. Medal No. 254. 10ce. Bd
Frank Merriwell’s New Comedian. Medal No. 824. 10c. %&
Frank Merriwell’s Opportunity. Medal No. 288. 10c. %
Frank Merriwell’s Own Company. Medal No. 304. i0c. *&
rs Frank Merriwell’s Problem. Medal No. 316. 10c.
¢ Frank Merriweli’s Prosperity. Medal *
6& Frank Merriwell’s Protege. Medal : .
% Frank Merriwell’s Races. Medal ¢ |
Frank Merriwell’s Return to Yale, Medal Psd
% Frank Merriwell’s School-Days. Medal A
is Frank Merriwell’s Secret. Medal a
ps Erank Merriwell’s Skill. Medal
Frank Merriwell’s Sports Afield. Medal Be
Frank Merriwell’s Stage Hit. Medal Rd
Frank Merriwell’s Struggle. Medal
Frank Merriwell’s Trip West. Medal
Frank Merriwell’s Vacation. Medal
SRR aa aR A aa aaa aa

   
 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All readers of the Renewned Tip Top stories should beware ef
base imitations, placed upon the market under catch names
very similar to Frank Mierriweli, and intended to deceive.

 

 

 

 

 

ant

403—Frank Merriwell Blizzard Bound; or,
After Big Game in the Rockies.

464—Frank Merriwell Captured; or, Trouble in
the Black Timbers.

= 46s—Dick Merriwell in Damascus; or, The.

Sword of the Sheik.

466—Dick Merriwell on the Desert; or, Cap-
tives of the Bedouins.

467—Dick Merriwell in Egypt; or, The En-
counter on the Nile.

ean Merriwell’s Fingers; or, The Man
Who Came Back.

469—Frank Merriwell’s Retaliation; or, The
Clash in California.

470—Frank Merriwell in ’Frisco; or, The “Go”
at the Golden Gate.

471—Frank Merriwell’s “Dope Ball”; or, The
Wizard Twirler of Leland Stanford.

472—Frank Merriwell’s Handicap; or, Hastings,
The Hurdler frofn Humboldt.

473—Frank Merriwell’s Red Challengers; or,
The Hot Game with the Nebraska In-
dians.

474—Frank Merriwell’s Fencing; or, For Sport
or For Blood. :

475—Frank Merriwell’s Backer; or, Playing
Baseball for a Fortune.

476—Frank Merriwell’s Endurance; or, The
Cross-Country Champions of America.

477—Frank Merriwell in Form; or, Wolfers,
the Wonder from Wisconsin.

478—Frank Merriwell’s Method; or, The Secret
of Becoming a Champion.

479—Frank Merriwell’s Level Best; or, Cutting
the Corners with a New Curve.

480—Frank Merriwell’s Lacrosse Team; or, The
Great Hustle with Johns Hopkins.

481—Frank Merriwell’s Great Day; or, The
Crowning Triumph of His Career.

482—Dick Merriwell in Japan; or, Judo Art
Against Jiu-Jitsu.

483—Dick Merriwell on the Rubber; or, Playing
Baseball in the Flowery Kingdom.

 

484—Dick Merriwell’s Cleverness; or, Showing
the Japs the American Game.

485—Dick Merriwell in Manila; or, Papinta, the
Pride of the Philippines. 4

486—Dick Merriwell Marooned;.or, The Queen
of Fire Island. :

487—Dick Merriwell’s Comrade; or, The Treas:
ure of the Island.

488—Dick Merriwell, Gap-Stopper; or, A Sur-
prise for the Surprisers.

489—Dick Merriwell’s Sacrifice Hit; or, ‘Win
ning by a Hair’s Breadth.

490—Dick Merriwell’s Support; or, Backed Up
When Getting His Bumps.

491—Dick Merriwell’s Stroke; or, Swimming —
for His Life.

492—Dick Merriwell Shadowed; or, The Search
for the Lost Professor. f

493—Dick Merriwell’s Drive; or, Evening pe,
with His Enemy.

494—Dick Merriwell’s Return; or, The Reap-

pearance at Fardale. ;
495—Dick Merriwell’s Restoration; or, Whip-
ping the Team into Shape. &
490 Dick Merriwell’s Value; or, The Success
of Square Sport.

‘497—Dick Merriwell’s “Dukes”; or, His ‘Fight

with Himself.

498—Dick Merriwell’s Drop-Kick; or, Chester
Arlington’s Team of Tigers.

499—Dick Merriwell’s Defeat; or, How Arling-
ton Won the Second Game.

500—Dick Merriwell’s Chance; or, Taming the
Tigers of Fairport.

501—Dick Merriwell’s Stride; or, The Finish of
the Cross Country Run.

502—Dick Merriwell’s Wing-Shift; or, The
Great Thanksgiving Day Game. .

503——Dick Merriwell’s Skates; or, Playing Tee
Hockey for Every Point.

504—Dick Merriwell’s Four Fists; or, The Cham-
pion of the Chanson. —

505—Dick Merriwell’s Dashing Game; or, The,
Fast Five from Fairport.

 

 

 

 

Back numbers may be had from all newsdealers or will be
sent, postpaid, by the publishers upon receipt of price

 

 

STREET @ SMITH

 

os CENTS

PUBLISHERS

 

 

NEW YORE

 

a a ee ne sane Ame ee al hd Bae et oe i aL

 

 

 
  

 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
   
  
 
  

 

   
  

  
 

 

 
 

 

| BUFFALO BILL STORIES |

Containing the Most Thrilling Adventures of the Celebrated
Government Scout “BUFFALO BILL” (Hon. William F. Cody)

 

 

 

 

.197—Buffalo Bill in the Den of Snakes; or, The
\ Search for a Ton of Gold.
‘198—Buffalo Bill's Nebraskan Quest; or, The
Secret Brotherhood of the Platte.
199—Buffalo Bill and the Hounds of the Hills;
or, The Traitor Trooper.
200—Buffalo Bill’s Young Partner; or, The Out-
law Queen’s Cipher Message.
201—Buffalo Bill’s Great Search; or, Bagging
; Bad Birds in Wyoming.
202—Buffalo Bill and the Boy in Blue; or, The
Ghost Dancers of the Bad Tends.
203—Buffalo Bill’s Long Chase; or, Nervy
Frank’s Leap for Life.
204—Buffalo Bill’s Mine Mystery; or, Conquer-
ing the Brotherhood of the Crimson
Cross.
205—Buffalo Bill’s Strategic Tactics ; or, Trail-
ing the Terrible Thirty-nine.
206—Buffalo Bill’s Big Jack Pot; or, A Game
for a Life.

207—Buffalo Bill’s Last Bullet; or, Solving the

Mystery of Robber’s Rock.

208—Buffalo Bill’s Deadliest Peril; or, The Pur-
suit of Black Barnett, the Outlaw.

209—Buffalo Bill’s Great Knife Duel; or, The
White Queen of the Sioux.

210—Buffalo Bill’s Blind Lead; or, The Treasure
of the.Commander.

211—Buffalo Bill’s Sacrifice; or, For a Warn’ s
Sake.

212—Buffalo Bill’s ’Frisco Feud; or, Culifersia
Joe to the Rescue.

213— Buffalo Bill’s Diamond Hunt; or, The King
of Bonanza Gulch.

214—Buffalo Bill’s Avenging Hand; or, Lariat
Larry’s Last Throw.

215—Buffalo Bill’s Mormon Quarrel; or, At War .

with the Danites.

216—Buffalo Bill’s Deadshot Pard: or, The Evil
Spirit of the Plains.

217—Buffalo Bill’s Cheyenne Comrades; or, The
Brand of the Death Brotherhood.

218—Buffalo Bill’s Fiery Trail; or, Lone Bear’s
Paleface Pard.

 

219—Buffalo Bill’s Sioux Foes; or, The Noosing
of Big Elk.

220—Buffalo Bill's Cold Trail; or, The Medicine
Woman of the Apaches.

221-—Buffalo Bill’s Iron Fist; or, The Tiger of
the Kiowas.

222—Buffalo Bill’s Race with Fire; or, Saving
His Enemies.

223—Buffalo Bill’s Florida Foes; or, Hunting
Down the Seminoles.

224—Buffalo Bill’s Grim Climb; or, Fighting In-
dians in Mexico.

225—Buffalo Bill’s Red Enemy; or, The Wizard
of the Comanches.

226—Buffalo Bill on a Traitor’s Track; or, ue
White Chief of the Crows.

227—Buffalo Bill’s Last Bullet; or, Red Cloud’s
Smoke Signal.

228—Buffalo Bill’s Air Voyage; or, Fighting
Redskins from a Balloon. E

229— Buffalo Bills Death Thrust; or, Snake
Eye’s Silent Doom.

230—Buffalo Bill’s Kiowa Foe; or, Buckskin
Sam’s Red Hand.

231—Buffalo Bill’s Terrible Throw; or, The
Strong Arm of the Border King.

232—Buffalo Bill’s Wyoming Trail; or, Wild
Work with the Redskins.

233—Buffalo Bill’s Dakota Peril; or, Wild Bill’s
Death Feud.

234—Buffalo Bill’s Tomahawk Duel; or, Playing
Redskins at Their Own Game.

235—Buffalo Bill’s Apache Round-Up; or, The
Redskin Renegade.

236—Buffalo Bill’s El] Paso Pard; or, The Red
Whirlwind of Texas.

237—Buffalo Bill on the Staked Plain; or, Lance,
Lasso and Rifle.

238—Buffalo Bill’s Border Raid; or, Fighting
Redskins and Renegades.

239—Buffalo Bill’s Bravest Fight; or, Star Eye, —
the Pawnee Princess.

240—Buffalo Bill’s Heathen Pard; or, Lung Hi

: on the War Path.
241—Buffalo Bill’s Dakota Dare-devils ; or, Rout-
ing the Redskins.

 

 

 

All of the above numbers always on hand. If you cannot get them from your
newsdealer, five cents per copy will bring them to you by mail, postpaid.

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Ave., NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

THE BEST DET ECTIVE STORIES IN THE WORL D

 

 

 

 

420—Dr. Quartz’s Last Play; or, A Hand with a
Royal Flush.
421—Zanoni, the Transfigured; or, Nick Car-
ter’s Phantom Mascot.
422—By Command of the Czar; or, Nick Car-
ter’s Boldest Defiance.
423—The Conspiracy of an Empire; or, Nick Car-
ter’s Bravest Act.
424—A Queen of Vengeance; or, Nick Carter’s
Beautiful Nemesis.
425—Daring Dan, the Human Mystery; or, Nick
_ Carter’s Smoothest Foe.
426—Dan Derrington’s Double; or, Nick Carter’s
Terrible Test.
427—The Great Gold Swindle; or, The Little
Giant’s Masterpiece.
428—An East River Mystery; or, Nick Carter’s
Daring Leap.
429—The Phantom Highwayman; or, Nick Car-
ter’s Slender Clew.
430—A Million Dollar Hold Up; or, Nick Car-
ter’s Richest Client.
431—Nick Carter and the Man With the Crooked
Mind.
432—Nick Carter’s Convict Enemy; or, The
Power that Makes Men Tremble.
433—The Pirate of the Sound; or, Nick Car-
ter’s Midnight Swim.
434—The Cruise of the Shadow; or, Nick Car-
ter’s Ocean Chase,
435—A Prince of Impostors; or, Nick Carter’s
~ Clever Foil.
436—The Mystery of John Dashwood; or, Nick
Carter and the Wharf Secret.
437—Following a Blind Trail; or, The Detect-
: ive’s Best Guess.
438—The Crime of the Potomac; or, The Telltale
Finger Marks.
439—In the Shadow of Death; or, Nick Carter’s
Saving Hand. « /
440—The Fear-Haunted Broker: or, Nick
Carter’s Great Lone-Handed Battle.
441—The Greenhouse Tragedy; or, The Stab
Wound in the Dark.
—442—A Clever Grab; or, Nick Carter’s Worst

Worry.

443—The Mystery of the Front Room; or, Nick

Carter’s Marvelous Work.

 

444—The Crime of Union Square; or, N
Carter's Ten Deductions. :

445——-A Millionaire Criminal; or, Nick Carter
Great Enigma.

446—The Broadway Cross; or, The Little Gi
Day of Fate. vs

447—-The Princess Possess; or, Nick Carter’
Beautiful Foe.

448—The Quexel Tragedy; or, Nick Cartes -

Midnight Message. ,

449—The Curse of the Quexels ; or, The Ghost of
a Murdered Beauty. bal:

450-—-Missing: a Sack of Gold; or, The xe S.
Office Mystery.

451—The Great Cathedral Mystery; or, Nick
_ Carter’s Complicated Case.

45a-—-A Play for a ‘Million; or, Nick Carter's
Beautiful Adversary.

453—The Pear-Shaped Diamonds; or, Nick Car-
ter’s Most Delicate Task.

454——The Great Orloff Ruby; or, Nick Carter

and the Demon’s Eye.

455—-Nick Carter’s. Human Weapon; or, The
Woman with the Branded Face.

456—The Compact of Death; or, Nick Carter’s.

Singed Hair Clew.

457——The Rajah’s Revenge; or, Nick Carter's
Bold Attack. -

458—A Tragedy of the Sea; or, Nick Carter’s
Desperate Fight.

459—The Jiu-Jitsu Puzzle; or, Nick Carter’s
Athletic Enemy.

460—Kairo the Strong; or, Ten Ichi and the
Human Cyclone.

461—Nick Carter’s Strange Power; or, The —
Great Jewel Scandal. .

462—Nick Carter and the Marixburg Affair ; or,
Foiling a Great Conspiracy.

403—The Millionaire Cracksman; or, Nick Car- 1
ter’s Mascot Case. 7

464—The Mystery Man; or, Nick Carter's
Smartest Opponent. *

465—Scylla the Sea Robber; or, Nick Carter and
the Queen of Sirens. es

466—The Beautiful Pirate of Oyster Bay; or,
Nick Carter’s Strangest Adventure.

467——-The Man from Nevada; or, Nick Carter’s
Cowboy Client.

 

 

 

 

All ef the above nebere always on hand. If yeu cannot get them from your
mnewadealer, five cents per cepy will bring them te yee by mail, postpaid.

STREET & SMIH, Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Ave., NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

Contains the Biggest and Best Stories of all Descriptions.
A Different and Complete Story Each Week.

FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE LATEST ISSUES:

105—Ben Barclay’s Courage; or, The Fortunes of a
Store Boy. By Horatio Alger, Jr.

106—Fred Desmond’s Mission; or, The Cruise of the
“Explorer.” By Cornelius Shea.

107—Tom Pinkney’s Fortune; or, Around the World
with Nellie Bly. By Lieut. Clyde.

108—Detective Clinket’s Investigations; or, The Mys-
tery of the Severed Hand. By Clifford Park.

109—In the Depths of the Dark Continent; or, The
Vengeance of Van Vincent. BY the author of
“The Wreck of the ‘Glaucus.’

110—Barr, the Detective; or, The Peril of Lucy poe
By Thomas P. Montfort.

111A Bandit of Costa Rica; or, The Story of a
Stranded Circus. By Cornelius Shea.

112—Dacey Dearborn’s Difficulties; or, The Struggle of ©

the Rival Detectives. By Clifford Park.

113—-Ben Folsom’s Courage; or, How Pluck Won Out.
By Fred Thorpe.

114—Daring Dick Goodloe’s Apprenticeship; or, The
Fortunes of a Young Newspaper Reporter. By
‘Phil Willoughby.

115—Bowery Bill, the Wharf Rat; or, The Young Street
Arab’s Vow. By Ed. S. Wheeler.

116—A Fight for a Sweetheart; or, The Romance of
Young Dave Mansard. By Cornelius Shea.

117—Col. Mysteria; or, The Tracking of a Criminal to
His Grave. By Launce Poyntz.

118—Electric Bob’s Sea Cat; or, The Daring Invasion
of Death Valley. By Robert T. Toombs.

t19¢—The Great Water Mystery; or, The Adventures of
Paul Hassard. By Matt Royal.

120—The Electric Man in the Enchanted Valley; or,
The Wonderful Adventures of Two Boy In-
ventors. By the author of “The Wreck of the
‘Glaucus.’ ”

1z21—Capt. Cyclone, Bandit; or, Pursued by an Elec-
tric Man. By the author of ‘The’ Wreck of
the “Glaucus.’ ”

122—Lester Orton’s Legacy; or, The Story of the
Treasure Belt. By Clifford Park.

123—The Luck of a Four-Leaf Clover; or, The Re-
united Twins. By Cornelius Shea.

124—Dandy Rex; or, An American Boy’s Adventures
in Spain. By Marline Manly.

125—The Mad Hermit of the Swamps; or, Ned Haw-
ley’s Quest. By W. B. Lawson.

126—Fred Morden’s Rich Reward; or, The Rescue of
a Millionaire. By Matt Royal.

127—In the Wonderful Land of Hez; or, The Mystery
of the Fountain of Youth. "By the author of
the “Wreck of the Glaucus.”

128—Stonia Stedman’s Triumph; or, A Young Me-
chanic’s Trials. By Victor St. Clair.

129—The Gypsy’s Legacy; or, Sam Culver’s Mysteri-
ous Gift. By Cornelius Shea.

130—The Rival. Nines of Bayport; or, Jack Seabrooke’s
Wonderful Curves. By Horace G. Clay.

131—The Sword Hunters; or, The Land of the Elephant
Riders. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

 

132—Nimbie Nick, the Circus Prince; or, The For-
tunes of a Bareback Rider. By Allen W. Aiken.

133—Simple Sim, the Broncho Buster; or, Playing for
Big Stakes. A Romance of the Rio Grande
Ranches. By Lieut. A. K. Sims.

134—Dick Darrel’s Vow; or, The Scourge of Pine Tree
Bend. A Romance of the Mines of Nevada.
By Cornelius Shea.

135—The Rival Reporters; or, Two Boys’ Sleek Scoop.
By J. C. Cowdrick.

136—Nick o’ the Night; or, The Boy Spy of '76. By
T. C. Harbaugh.

137—The Tiger Tamer; or, The League of the Jungle.
By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

138—Jack Kenneth at Oxford; or, A Yankee Boy’s
Success. By Cornelius Shea.

139—The Young Fire Laddie; or, A Dandy Detective’s
Double-Up. By J. C. Cowdrick.

140—Dick Oakley’s Adventures; or, The Secret of the
Great Exhibit. By Clarence Converse.

141—The Boy Athlete; or, Out with a Show in Colo-
rado. By Lieut. A. K. Sims.

142—Lance and Lasso; or, The Children of the Chaco.
A Tale of the South American Pampas. By
Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

143—-New England Nick; or, The Fortune of a Found-

ling. By Albert W. Aitken.

144—Air-Line Luke; or, The Engineer Detective. By
Ge Cowdrick.

145—Marmaduke, the Mustanger; or, The Mysteries of
Crescent Butte. By-Lieut. A. K. Sims.

146—The Young Desert Rovers; or, Brothers of the
Plumed Lance. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

147—At Trigger Bar; or, Kit Keene, the Young Moun-
tain Detective. By C. Harbaugh.

148—d eddy, from Taos; or, Wild Life in Arizona. By
Albert W. Aiken.

149—Jigger and Ralph; or, aes Strange Adventures of
Two Chums. By TAC . Cowdrick.

150—Milo, the Animal King; of, The Round the World
Wanderer. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

_ 151—Over ‘Many Seas; or, The Wild Beast Tamer’s

Chase. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.
152—Messenger Max, Detective; or, The Nighthawks
of a Great City. By Marmaduke Dey.
153—Limerick Larry; or, The Luck of a Bowling-
Green Street Arab. By J. C. Cowdrick.

154—Hapy Hans; or, The Adventures of a Dutch
Tracker. By Lieut. A. K. Sims.

155—Colorado, the Half-Breed; or, A Chase Across the
Continent. By Albert W. Aiken.

156—The Black Rider; or, Burgoyne’s Terrible Foe.
By Capt. Fred’k Whittaker. ;

157—Two Chums; or, The Young Cargo Contractors of
Lake Erie. By Matt Royal.

158—Bantam Bob; or, The Young Police Spy. By i
C. Cowdrick.

1590—“That Boy, Checkers;” or, Chased Halfway
Around the World. "By Lawrence White, Jr.

160—Bound Boy Frank; or, The Young Amateur De-
tective. By Herbert Bellwood.

All of the above numbers always on hand. If you cannot get them from your
newsdealer, five cents per copy will bring them to you by mail, postpaid.

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Ave., NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

ng

10

£
Cc

am
KLY
BRARY _

BOY LIBRAI

rentures

\

id

¢
c

itl

ing
ONES WEE

1. exc
VY

R

I

usand
AUI

a thot

of

7.
(x)
ef
<
a4
(ie)
s
fon

 

 

 

 

OC
C

her
at

c

ll is
Thes

BUPPALO BILL SFORIES

1S.

-CEN

I

alo B
kins

«
>

1

 

 

 

FIVE
the Red

Ar Para

pore

 

 

O