Beadle's Pocket Library (no. 289) (1889 07 24)
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ri Marae, eo iti U Copyrighted, 1859, by Beapux ann Apama, Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., as Second Class Mail Matter. PS tide ce ih m4, Lage No. 289 $2.50 Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams, Price 0. ’ a Year. No. 98 WILLIAM St., New York. Five Ocnts. Vol. XXII, aon ow . ‘ | my hi Wf, NIOK WAS SEIZED BY THE NERVOUSJGRIP OF OLD SI, WHO WAS OVERJOYED TO SEE HIM,
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. Colorado Nick, the Lasscist; OLD SI’S PROTEGE. BY MAJOR HENRY B, STODDARD, EX-SCOUT. CHAPTER I. THE SIOUX SMOKE LANGUAGE. THAT portion of Colorado lying abovt the South York of the Republican River, and close to the lines which separate the Centennial State from Nebraska on the north and Kansas on the east, is very broken. North of the old ‘‘ Dead Man’s Trail,” which, a quarter of a century ago, was the favorite route to Pike’s Peak, are the Rickaree Forks, where many an Indian has gone to the presence of the Great Manitou and- where, not three decades ago, a handful of United States troops stood off a dozen times their number of savages for three days, until relief was brought by the scouts sent out to notify the main body of the danger to which the detachment was exposed, At the place mentioned the “‘ river ”-—hereto- fore a mere rivulet struggling through its bed of sand—wideus out, forming quite a respectable lake of a mile long and a quarter that in width. The Valley—the bluffs on either side of which are a gun-shot apart—is full of luxuriant herb- age, and abundantly frequented by the smaller game of the prairie, while the lake teems with wild fowl, although fish are unknown, ‘On the western side of the valley the bluff rises abruptly to the hight of thirty feet or more and piercing it near the top is a dug-out— a cave dug into the side of the bluff, the ground forming the roof being supported by a few cross-pieces of wood, transported many a mile, and entrance being had by a series of steps hol- ‘ed out of the alkali caked soil, The entrance is barely wide enough to allow a n of moderate weight to squeeze through, and is closed with a door made of half a dozen thicknesses of buffalo-hide which is impervious to either arrow or bullet. The loop-holes to the tof the door as one enters afford light to 1¢@ inmate and means of defense in case of _ Once inside, the appearance of the apartment is quite respectable, as it widens out to the di- mensions of a room twelve feet square, primi- tively, although comfortibly, furnished with be aed robes scattered about. A quantity of jerked beef hangs in one corner, while a bar- rel alongside holds an ample supply of water. ere are no signs of fire, and it is well there are not, for there being no chimney, the occu- nt of the place would be smoked out ina urry were he to build one. And here lived Nick Parkhurst; although few of his comrades would recognize him bv that title. The sobriquet “* Neck-Tie Nick” obtains universally among his associates of the plains, won by his unerring use of the lariat, lasso, or riata, as it is indifferently called. With this | snake-like weapon in his hand anything within a circle of forty fcet of Nick was as surely his prey asif dead, skinned and hung up in his smoke-house, or scalped and lying at his feet, The lariat—now so familiar to the cowboy on the plains—that Nick used was fifty feet long, of braided horse-hair, and as strong as an iron chain, while as flexible as silk, The small loop atthe end through which the noose traveled, was “parceled,” as the sailors say, with a piece of hide, the inner circle of which was worn as smooth as ivory through constant use, while braided in the end that was held in the hand were several long strands of hair, which, no less coarse and no less black than the material composing the lasso, were nevertheless of a far different nature; being a few of the trophies which Nick had snatched from the heads of his red enemies as they lay strangled at his feet. The black line, encircling the bronze of the dead Sioux was Nick’s sign-manual, and as well known to the members of that tribe as if they had seen the whirling cord settle over the victim’s head, and heard the dull thud when it tightened and landed the wearer of the “Neck-Tie,” as Nick facetiously called it, far on the other shore. He had served his ap- prenticeship in Texas, and rarely, if ever, missed his mark. ‘* Fresh meat’s gittin’ skurse, Barker, and I’m goin’ over ter th’ Rickaree an’ try fur a goose— jine me?’ said Nick to his partner, old Si arker, one evening in the year 185-, “Fresh meat be durned!” grimly replied his companion, ‘‘ Jerky’s good ’nough tur me, Sides, what yer thinkin’ on? Goin’ to light a fire, be ye, and bring down ther whole b’ilin’ o’ Injuns on us? Nick, ye’r’ a consarned ijit, some- times, an’ ye know we see’d sign this arternoon. I’m with yer in believin’ that none o’ the tribe knows nuthin’ about these yer pre-mize-ez but seems how ef they see smoke, they’ll smell a rat. I bein favor o’ sort 0’ lyin’ quiet an’ bikin’ out fur our critters, up stakes, an’ gittin’ fur quieter quarters. W’ot’s the use o’ stayin’ here eny longer, anyhow? We'd orter left when beaver- in’ was done, an’ we would ’a’, only fur yer cussed par-var-si-tee, Think ye'll git even with the Sioux fer ole times, hey? Nick, ye make my ha’r turn gray!” and grumbling, Barker turned away. The grayish appearance of the cliffs was so nearly imitated by the mud plastered over the closely-fitting door and loop-hole shutters, that, as Barker said, nothing could be detected twenty paces away; the step also being carelessly cut, and seeming but the effect of rain. The site—if the word can be used in this connection—of the dug-out had been selected with care, $i On the Western plains the landmarks being so few and indistinct, whenever the Indian finds water he collects with much trouble a large pile of stones and rears a monument four or five feet high upon the most elevated point in the vicinity. This water-sign, as it is called, can be seen for miles in the clear atmosphere of the prairie, and often points out water which would otherwise be passed by, and water being a very scarce com- modity on the plains, is too precious to be m issed. Just over the dug-out stood one of these
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monuments and the only descent to the water, marked by a buffalo-trail leading to it, was some distance off, and Nick had displayed much forethought in choosing his location, judging that the Indians would not approach the pile of stones, once having seen it, but would take the trail to the valley. He perceived that, leave what thickness he might, of earth as a ceiling, the earth would naturally sound hollow under the pony’s hoofs, and betray something unusual to the ever-suspicious savage, “OVP man, yer’ gittin’ wuss and wuss, every day. Soon as we git our furs outen the cache, I’m goin’ to send yer ter St. Louis ter bo’rdin’- school, Tar! tar!” and Nick walked off toward the lake, where thousands of water-fowl were splashing and quacking in the evening sun, The grass, as he approached the stream, was near breast high, and he had no difficulty in etting within easy range. He was armed with his rifle, and the knocking the head off of a duck or goose was child’s play; yet he hesitated. He knew that Old Si, so well versed in Indian warfare, was not in the habit of Causing false fears, and that without sufficient ground, he would not object to Nick’s proposition. Still he hated to give in, and selecting his game was about to fire, when a dark something far off to his right, perceived yet hardly seen, caught his eye. en into the protecting grass he cowered like a flash and turned his gaze in the direction of the mystery. Far tothe southeast hung a film in the air, which looked like smoke yet which could hardly be. Such could only be produced by fire which kindled was instantly smothered. But it was only too clear to Nick, what it meant. He recognized the Sioux sig- nal, and, knowing as he did that he and Si were alone in that country, felt that their lives were aan in the smoke conversation now being eld. The Sioux Indians, when they wish to com- municate with any others of their tribe who may be in the vicinity, collect a quantity of dry grass, buffalo-chips, or anything that will burn. Setting fire to this collection they wait until it commences to blaze freely when they smother it by holding a buffalo-robe tightly down over the flame. The result is the collec- tion of a quantity of dense smoke under the hide which by lifting one corner is released. The length of time between these releagings of smoke as well as the amount allowed to escape form a language which can be read for miles, and which is easily understood by the versed observer. . “OP Si war right,” muttered Nick, between his clinched teeth, and looking anxiously around, he awaited the answering signal. CHAPTER II. THE DISCOVERY OF THE DUG-OUT. He was not kept long in suspense. In the distance, where he had first perceived the smoke, clouds of the vapor kept arising at irregular intervals and of different density. ** Lookin’ fur water, an’ got scouts out, hey?” Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. continued Nick, keeping up a running conversa- tion with himself as do most men of solitary habits, ‘‘ Hope they won't light upon this yere place. JERUSALEM!!” This emphatic exclamation was called forth by the appearance, right alongside the water- sign on the bluff before referred to, of amounted warrior, in full paint and slight costume, who sat as a statue, looking toward the south, He was soon apparently satisfied that the signals were as he interpreted them, so dismounting from his horse, he proceeded to gather a quantity of grass and to place it at the side of the stone pyramid, where it would be sheltered from the wind. The mass of inflammable matter was quickly ignited, and as soon as it burned freely, was covered with the piece of buffalo-hide which served as a saddle for the scout. One, two, three puffs of smoke were allowed to escape, irs interpreted by the scout to mean, ‘* Water ere, Nick’s finger was on the trigger of his rifle and his eye glanced along the brown barrel more than once, yet he hesitated to fire, fearin the presence of other Indians in the vicinity, an that they might be attracted by the report. he waited. He judged that the warrior would soon descend to obtain water for his horse and himself, and therefore crept carefully through the grass until be reached a point within a few feet of the trail which led to the water from the bluff. Here he waited, The Indian, after carefully stamping out the fire that still smoldered, turned to fis pony, which grazed near by, mounted, and rode slow- ly to the buffalo-trail, which wound its sinuous track down the side of the bluff, and began to descend, Nick, completely hidden by the tall grass, ened laid his rifle down, untied the buckskin thong which attached his lariat to his belt on his left side; prepared his noose which he held in his right hand; grasped the end of the rope in his left hand, holding it with his little and third fingers, and allowing the coils to hang over his middle and index fingers, keeping them in place with his thumb, and crouched for his prey. Down the bluff came the Indian, casting his glances hither and thither, but suspecting no danger, He rode slowly by Nick, on down to the water. Scarce had he passed the spot where Neck-Tie was concealed, when the latter arose, Circling over bis head the snake-like riata hissed quietly through the air, and then darted out in the direction of the mounted warrior. Settling over his head onto his shoulders, a jerk at exactly the right time, tightened the noose around his neck, while a second vigorous pull choked in its beginning the yell that was rising in his throat, and dragged him violently to the ground. A leap and a bound and Nick was alongside him, Placing one foot on the breast of the dis- mounted warrior, he strained heavily on the rope. The eyesof the Indian fairly leaped from their sockets, a bloody froth issued from bis mouth, he settled back, and Nick’s thug-like Neck-Tie had again done its work, ana another sayage had gone to the Happy Hunting-Grounds,
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4 Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. Nick loosened the noose, removed the bs coiled it nicely up, attached it by its thong to his belt and then scalped bis victim in a manner that showed thorough familiarity with his work. *“*T allers takes off the rope before I skelps ’em,” said Nick. “It don’t bloody the riata, and saves mussin’ up the consarn. Now, ye ames devil, ’ll jest put yer carcass inter the ong grass, fur fear o’ diskivery, take yer pony away a little, an’ then hike out fur camp. Time I wuz warnin’ Si ’bout this yere rumpus, Kinder seems like we ’u’d hey ter bunt our hole till them red-skins leaves these parts. They'll never find out the dug-out.” Ned stooped to take up the corpse, when “ping” came an arrow, passing between Neck- Tie’s right arm and bis body, and burying it- self deep in the breast of the dead Indian. Nick turned, grasping his rifle as he did so, At full gallop, riding away, having seen that his shot had failed, was aa Indian who bad a down on Nick, and nearly ended his life and this story. He crouched low on his horse, and, his blanket—stolen from some massacred emigrant—floating in the wind, his magnificent head-dress of war eagle-feathers flying out in disorder, urged his steed to its highest speed. No use. Scarce a second elapsed from the time that Nick caught sight of the chief till the erack of the rifle came. The barrel dropped into his hand, his eye ‘“‘slid” along its sur- face, his finger touched the trigger, and in response to the report came a yell from the savage as, shot through the body, he fell from his horse, which swept away to join the first wild herd it could find. “Tl hey your skelp, ef I goes under fer it, measly skunk that yer be fer tryin’ to shute me in ther back,” growled Nick, regardless of the fact that the country seemed to be teeming with Indians, and off he started. He reached his quarry, ran his knife around the scalp-lock and with a sudden jerk laid the skull bare, “Bout time ter hunt the ranch, Two skelps *s better’n a wild goose any day," congratulated Nick, and started toward the bluff, “How is it that. Nick has never been killed?” was asked over and over, and over again, from one end of the plains to the other. He was the most venturesome of all the trappers. Careless, taking no precautions against surprise and es- caping dangers in some unexpected manner in a way t seemed almost miraculous, And so it was now. He walked along without even look- ing back whistling aud adding up the number of scalps that he had taken during the last six months, Giiding along like some large, copper-colored snake, an Indian, with hate gleaming in his eyes, with bis tomahawk in his hand, kept approach- ing closer and closer, Getting within almost arm’s reach he raised his hand, straining every tauscle, thew and sinew to its highest tension, that the steel might sink deep through skull and brain, and crush out the lifeof his hated yet feared foe, Another step forward until Nick cleared the tall grass and stepped out into full view of the dug-out, Another step forward, and the toma- hawk gleaming high in the air was about to = cleave downward, when there was a dull thud, the Indian sunk to earth, and as the report of a rifle rung on the air, a little cloud of smoke rolled up lazily from one of the loop-holes of the dug-out, and was quickly blown away, Old Si Barker had saved his partner’s life for not the first nor the twentieth time. Imperturbable and cool as ever, Nick turned, and before the death-gurgle had fairly died out of the red-man’s throat, had snatched his sca}p- lock from his head, As he rose from his stoop- ing position he glanced across to the opposite bluff, A yell arose from that direction as he did so, and the war-band of Indians rode into sight, saw their companion lying on the ground, and lashing their horses, started for the entrance to the valley, leaving a few of their number to watch Nick, He had but a moment for reflection, “Ef I go ter the dug-out the red-skins ’ll dis- kiver the sekrit, Ef I stay yere, Pll be massa- creed. W’ot in thunder’ll I do?” The question was quickly solved, for Old Si, throwing open the door, stood on the ledge, and called out: * Come up: bere) ye thunderin’ ijut; do yer want ter skelped and me starved out? Ba a ag ‘em yet. Hike, ye fool, and durned quic’ It was ‘a ground-hog case,” and Nick had to go. He was barely in time, for as he climbed into the door the troop of savages thundered into the valley and gave an exultant yell, as they saw their supposed victim disappear into what they were Posse must be his death-trap, as well as that of his companion, They did aot know their men! CHAPTER ITIL CORRALED IN A DUG-OUT, WARNED by the fate of their comrade, the Sioux halted some distance above the dug-out and out of range. By a series of holes pierced through the earth for some distance, and run- ning to points ten or twelve feet in the bank on either side of the fort—for such it might well be called—the whole valley was laid visible to Nick and his companion, so that the savages were in full view. “Wot be the varmint a-doin’, Nick?” queried Old Si,’as he puffed away at his pipe as uncon- cernedly as if there was not an Indian within a thousand miles, ‘‘ Holdin’ a korkus an’ deeid- in’ how to perceed to adjourn this yere meetin’? I'm a-thinkin’ that thar’ll be a mi-nor-i-tee re- port from this yere side o’ the house *fore the meetin’ adjourns!” and the old man chuckled at i 8. ick, in the mean time, was engaged in a mys- terious examination of a plaited cord, carefully rolled up in a coil and hung on a stout forked stick, being also tied firmly in its place. It was about the size of his little finger, and made of strands of n rawhide, As Si spoke Nick went to one of the loop-holes, which was covered with a quadruple thickness of hide, swinging from the top. e hide had
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. 5 been taken when green, soaked in water to make it more pliable, sewed in four thick- nesses-and then dried in the sun, It was as hard asiron, The same course had been pur- sued in making the door, At the lower edge of each of the hanging shutters, which covered the Joop-holes, a notch in the shape of an inverted V had been cut about half an inch in length. This was to enable the marksman to see the sights of his rifle, for as he rested the weapon on the silland pushed the muzzle through the loop-hole, the piece of hide swung out, allowing the gun to pass, and making the notch cut a hind sight, Looking through the loop-holes over to the op- ysite bluff, Nick saw that it was deserted, nowing the position of their enemies, the lookouts stationed opposite had _ evidently thought it useless to mount guard longer and had joined their comrades in the valley. Going to the holes which commanded the valley in a northerly direction, the ee soon got the Indians in range and saw that they were dis- cussing the best means of attack. The sun had already set and twilight was fast disappearing. Nick knew his enemies well enough to be fully persuaded that they would not long delay the expected advance. He was also satisfied that one or more of his foes was lurking in the grass in front of the dug-out; so, galling Old Si, he determined to give him or them a surprise. It was scarcely fifty yards from the bluff to where the tall grass commenced, and to reach this grass Nick now determined. His first move was to divest himself of every particle of siete, which bore any striking color, and when through with his toilet, he stood clothed in a complete suit of dust-colored buckskin which was almost the identical hue of the dir of the walls around him. Old Si, with many grumblings and growl- ings, vainly endeavored to dissuade him from his “‘durned foolish mas-quee-ra-din’.” (When- ever the old man struck a long word—the use of which he was very fond of—he pronounced it very slowly and distinctly). lowly and carefully pushing the swinging- door—also hung from above—outward, Neck- tie Nick slid silently down the face of the bluff, leaving Si at one of the loop-holes, rifle in hand, It was now so nearly dark that it was impossible for any one to distinguish the young ranger as he crawled along the bank, for his entire body was of a color so similar to that of the bluff that it made no visible outline. Nick’s mission was not altogether a foolhardy one, He intended to gather what he tnought might be valuable izformation, and at the same time take in a scalp or so if opportunity should offer. Skirting the bluff fora few hundred yards, he was suddenly brought to a dead stop by the sound of horses’ boofs, Just in front of where he lay, stretched at full length under an over- hanging ledge, the bluff bent a little in the nort i i scan d direction, hiding the valley from him, although not from the Mipout round this bend came the Indians in single file, and passing him by but a few feet, halted. “Ef Old Si could see me now,” thought Nick, - et think this was my last mask’raid, sure nuff, There evidently was discord among the In- dians, One, who seemed highest in authority, urged the leaving of the horses where the were, and that the band should stealthily ad- vance and attack the dug-out, while others wished to await the day. It was at length decided to leave one of the youngest and most inexperienced braves in charge of the horses, while the rest should draw e cordon or line of sentries around in front of the dug-out, so that no one could escape, And so it was done, Nick chuckling inwardly and congratulating himself that he had gotten out of what looked like a nasty scrape so easily, The Indians had proceeded noiselessly down the valley to take up their posts and wait for daylight, that they might investigate this mys- terious retreat of their enemies, leaving the ponies in charge of a young warrior, much against his will. ‘Like shadows the savages faded away into the night, while the weary ponies, straying a little from the bluff, began to crop the succulent buffalo-grass, which was so grateful after the long day’s march. The geass guard, grumb- ling at being left behind, strolled up and down, increasing the length of his beat until he was me from Nick’s lair nearly a minute at a time, Of this opportunity Neck-Tie was quick to avail himself. Wrapped around his body was his trusty lariat, without which he never stirred, and as the sentinel strode past, Nick quickly arose and unwrapped a half-dozen of the coils. Forming the loop he backed against the bluff and waited. Back soon came the young warrior, his anger toned down-by the time that had elapsed since his comrades had departed, while his thoughts had probably reverted to some dark-skinned maiden who awaited his return with his first scalp to welcome him and called him “t Brave!” If it was so it was his last dream on earth, The faint gleam of the stars was light enough for Nick’s practiced eye. His wrist twirled high over his head, the noose circled, launched it- self and fell on the young Indian’s shoulders, while at one and the same moment, with a leap like the wild-cat, Nick flew at his prey and plac- ing his knee between the copper-colored shoul- ders threw all his weight back on the rope. A gasp—a gurgle, and another scalp hung danglin at Nick’s belt, while a drop of blood glisten on bis knee where it had fallen. ‘Young feller, it’s durned hard, but war’s war, an’ all must take their chances,” philoso- phically remarked Nick, as he began to think of eae back to camp. Surrounded as it was y the twenty-five or thirty savages that com- posed the band, it would foolhardy to at- tempt to pass through the lines and scale the bluff undiscovered, so Nick decided to goona small reconnoitering expedition before bray- ing the unknown dangers to which he was ex- sed, PeTaking anortherly direction from the dug-out, he proceeded some little distance until he came to the trail leading to the top of the bluff which he took boldly, not fearing that there were any ~ <s d pr
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6 Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. Indians there. Once on the. plain above he cautiously moved away from the edge of the bloff, bending low so that his figure might no& be seen against the sky by his enemies in the valley below. Turning again to the south he walked until opposite the water-sign which he approached with the same caution he had dis- played in leaving the edge of the bank. Arrived at the edge of the bluff he dropped flat and cautiously peered over. Nothing what- ever could be seen and the valley Jay quiet and dark. Filmy clouds overspread the sky and whatever light the stars bad given was obscured now. Leaning as far over the edge as he dared, Nick, taking one end of his lasso in his hand, swung it out and in until it struck the buffalo- hide door below, hoping that the tapping would attract Old Si. And this it soon did, for a whis- per was heard: ** Bo that you, Nick?” “Tt be. I’m going to try aw’ swing inter ther ol’ ranch, an’ you ketch an’ yank me in as I cum down. Hear?” “Swing away; I'll ketch yer.” The pile of stones marking the vicinity of wa- ter was very near the edge of the bluff, and, having been exposed to the storms of years, was as solid as one piece of stone. Placing his lasso around the base of the monument, and _ pulling the two ends until they were even, Nick found that he had a rope about twenty-five feet long, which was amply sufficient to lower him the distance he had to descend, and for bim it was the simplest matter imaginable to swing him- self over, and, keeping a tight grip on the two strands, let himself down slowly. The only fear was that the lariat might break, but Nick did not fear his Neck-Tie, and in a moment more he was seized by the nervous grip of Old Si, who was so overjoyed to see him, that he scarce re- frained from embracing bim, “Durned ef I didn’t think ’twar Katie-Bar- the-Door, this time, Nick. I see’d the sneakin’ fujans filin’ down, an’ could ’a’ dropped one or two, but didn’t know whar you war. So yer got another skulp? Well, bu’st my buttons, ef yer ain’ta tarer! But, byar we air corraled, an’ how we air gwine to git out, bu’st me ef I know! But sit down, pard, an’ b’ist in a little jerky, an’ Til look out fur the varmint, tho’ bu’st me ef they kin git inter this hyar hole.” CHAPTER IV. BAITING THE TRAP. As soon as Nick had satisfied his hunger and thirst, he and Old Si began tocogitate regarding their eae penned-up condition, They knew that they bad no expectation of aid from the ontside, for the party to which they belonged had long since left that section of the country for the forts, intending to dispose of the furs Per had trapped during the winter, hey bad endeavored to persuade Nick and Old Si to accompany them, but their efforts in that di- rection had met with nosuccess, As spring came on and the young grass commenced to shoot, Nick knew that the buffalo would travel south, and he wished to replenish the store of dried - meat that he always kept in his dug-out and which had ‘been attacked so often by the bun- gry trappers during the winter, that sad inroads had been made uvon it, Besides this the young trapper was an in- veterate Indian-hater, and with good reason. Raised on the borders of the Llanos, or Staked Plains, he bad seen, during one wild nighbt’s work, his father and his mother shot down by the Sioux on one of their southern excursions, the home that had sheltered him so many years a Pai to the flames, ard his infant sister carried off, shrieking, in the arms of a chief, How he had escaped he hardly knew. The friendly darkness had aided bim, and a thorough know- ledge of the country enabled ‘him to reach the nearest fort and give the alarm. But a few days elapsed until his sister was re- stored to him, the troops having overtaken the savages, and dealt them a salutury lesson, The child was adopted by the wife of one of the offi- cers, while Nick became the protege of Old Si, who had reared him as his son, and taught him all the mysteries of a trapper’s life. They were firm friends, and knew it, and spent no time in idle protestations, As Nick grew up he passed his teacher, and became more an adept than Si. He was quicker, thought more rapidly, and could plan and exe- cute with a rapidity which dazed his mentor, who, however, felt no jealousy, but rather prided bimself upon having such a ready pupil. Nick had left his lariat hanging over the pile of stones as he swung into the door, knowing that he could at any moment, by pulling on one end, allow it to slip around the place which held it and fall over the bluff. Glancing at the ends which were attached to a peg alongside the entrance, an idea seemed to strike him, which he immediately communicated t» Old Si. The latter orponed him strenuously, as, in fact, he usually did; but the dispute ended as their discussions generally terminated, by Nick carry- ing his point, and overruling his companion, So, untying the rope from the pin which held it, he said a few words to his companion, and prepared to swing out of the door and climb to the bluff above. This, for such an athlete as Nick, was proved but child’s play to him, and he soon was some distance from the edge of the bank, and retracing his steps toward the trail cd aa he had reached the plain from the valley, What plan did he have in thus returning into the danger from which he had so recently escaped? The conversation with Si had proven that it was a hazardous undertaking that called him from the dug-out this second time; but Ned cared for nothing that did not contain a spice of danger, Cautiously creeping into the valley and care- fully approaching the spot where his late victim lay, a few moments’ listening convinced him that nothing had been discovered, and that the rest of the Indians were stil] holding their silent and sleepless watch, The body of the youth lay quiet in death, and to lift it upon his shoulder was but alight task for Nick, the dead brave being a mere stripling, the son of the chief in command of the war-party, as Nick learned
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. v7 through the few words he had caught while they were forming their plans, Barely staggering under the weight he bore, Nick turned to the north and struck boldly along the trail. Knowing, as he did, that the Indians had concentrated their forces around and in front of the dug-out, he feared to en- counter no foe in the direction he was pursuing. A few moments’ fast walking brought him to the end of the lake and to a point where the stream which emptied it was but a few yards across. Wading through this rivulet, Nick again turned south and, carefully this time, brushed through the tall grass until he arrived at a point opposite the dug-out, and on the other side of the body of water which ee in front of it. Here he stopped and laid the corpse on the ground while he begun looking here and there, guiding himself by the piles of stones on the blaff, which were just discernible. At length he found what he was in search of, and which proved to be one of those depressions in the earth, so many of which are seen on the plains, known as a buffalo-wallow. These have been described so often that a repetition would be useless, Ned carefully examined this wallow, and identified it by a piece of stone half-buried in it, nearly in the center, and then returning to the place where he had first halted, shouldered the dead boy again, carried him to the wallow and chucked” him down. ** Lie thar, ye skunk, ‘Ye'll make a good bait to trap the rest o’ the gang, an’ that’s more use than yer ever war a-livin’.. An’ now I'll git back ter camp an’ snooze fur awhile, fer ’m dead played out,” It was no difficult matter for him to regain the plain and to lower himself over the bluff, and, after drawing his rope down after him, he closed the door carefully, and requesting Si to keep watch for a time, although such precaution seemed useless, so safe were they from attack, the young hunter threw himself on a robe in the corner and immediately fell fast asleep, Itis now time to explain the mystery of his last movements. When the comrades of Nick and Si had left them, they had taken the wagon which had carried the stores for the winter’s camp, baving loadedit with furs. Everything that might be of use to the two trappers who remained behind had been left, among such articles being a half-barrel of gunpowder. Not caring to place so dangerous an object in the dug-out, for fear of accident, Nick deter- mined to bury it, after removing sufficient of the contents to provide for the present use, and looking for a suitable locality hit upon a buffalo- wallow opposite the camp. He knew that if he buried it here, the spot could be easily found when necessary, and also that the grass in the bottom would grow rapidly and conceal all evidence that the ground had been disturbed. The barrel was made of oak and completely water tight, yet he took the ad- ditional precaution of giving it a coating of tar, of which they had a store, andof wrapping it in several old buffalo-hides, Then it was buried about three feet deep. One of Nick’s principal maxims was: “In j time of peace, prepare for war,” and it was owing to the fact that he so continually prac- ticed this maxim that he was so successful a trapper and scout. He was rarely taken un- awares, and seemed, in some mysterious man- ner, ever to be prepared for the greatest emer- gencies, Following his usual plan, then, of anticipating anything that might occur, before burying the powder he had prepared a surprise for any of his enemies who might chance to come in his yay: Taking an old single-barreled pistol which he had, he loaded it with powder alone, and re- moving the bung from theend of the barrel of powder, had inserted in its place the pistol-bar- rel, A line of rawhide was then laid in a nar- row trench of the bluff, and then over a pulley up into the dug-out one end of it being attached to the trigger of the pistol. The latter was then cocked, a box carefully placed over it, the earth thrown in, the sod replaced and sprinkled, and in a few days no signs could be seen that the earth had been disturbed. Nick trusted to his good fortune, to chance, or to some ingenious device to collect any attack- ing party of savages in the vicinity, and that a strong pull on the ecrd would explode the pis- tol, ignite the powder and cause a stampede if nothing worse. Nick slept on; the old scout dozed, arousing himself occasionally to glance from one of the loop-holes or to listen, but nothing seemed stir- ring—all was as quiet as thegrave. Thesky be- came Clear again, the stars shone out and the valley was to some extent visible. Soon the horizon began to brighten, the glitter of the stars faded away and the rays of the morn- ing sun shot up into the sky, heralding his coming. Old Si kept continual watch, his vigil at length being rewarded by the sight of one of the look- outs on the opposite bluff, who, leaning far over the edge of the bank, seemed to be straining his eyes toward something that lay prone on the ground not far from where he stood. At length he seemed satisfied that all was not right, for calling his comrade, they talked and gesticulat- ed rapidly for a few moments and then turned sod rode rapidly toward the descent into the valley. Having reached the ponies, which were feed- ing along the banks of the stream, many of them being hoppled, they evidently became more distrustful and after searching a few mo- ments gave a loud ‘* whoop.” In response to this there wasa general a in the tall grass opposite the dug-out, and Ol Si, handling his rifle nervously, evidently ached to try a chance shot. From any such action he was, however, deterred by Nick, who had arisen oy this time, and who angrily expostulated with im. ‘ ** Yer'll sp'ile the hull scheme, Si,” angrily ex- claimed Nick, ‘Yer see that ther Injuns hez got excited an’ ef yer git ter shutin’ at ’em yer'll change the’r ideers. Injuns kin only hey one ideer at er time, so jes’ let ’em hatch out this yer’ one an’ we'll see sum fun.” In obedience to Nick’s wishes, or rather mands, Si reluctantly dropped his rifle and stood watching through one of the lookout holes to
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. see what might transpire. The Indians had evidently been warned that something unex- pected had occurred, for soon, some distance up the valley, the whole band was seen to gather, and after a short consultation, scatter in all di- rections, evidently in obedience to a command from the chief. The two warriors who had been posted on the bluff opposite the dug-out left their horses with the rest of the herd, and, keeping well under the shelter of the opposite bank, began slowly to walk in the direction of the object which had attracted their attention when daylight first showed it to them, CHAPTER V, A REPORT FROM THE MINE, So it seemed as if Ned’s bait were going to draw the prey into the trap. In tbe corner of the dug-out hung the innocent-looking piece of rawhide cord, a pull at which would, if Ned’s arrangements had been well made, ignite the ae ety pounds or more—in the barrel uried under the ground where lay the body of the young warrior, and hurl everything and every person in its vicinity to destruction, Cautiously, as if fearing a foe in every blade of eg that trembled in the morning wind, every eaf that fluttered in the breeze, the two war- riors approached the spot, while the two men in the dug-out made no sign, The wallow was in easy range, yet the trap- pers wanted a larger haul. As the Indians ap- proached the dead savage warily, their lives were in the hands of those who watched them, a they were unharmed, They knew that the ok had opened and closed mysteriously upon the white men, and influenced by that super- stition that is so leeply implanted in the breast of all Indians, they were awed and troubled. Still more so by the mystery surrounding the object toward which they were bending their steps. Lying in the center of the buffalo wal- low, the y was partially hidden from the depression in which it lay, and although they os ‘re that it was a dead comrade, yet they could not assure themselves of the fact, and of the identity of the body they were entirely un- aware, Made bolder by the dead silence which sur- rounded them, they haga their steps, ar- rived at the body, and, tuning it over on its back, recognized the son of their chief, with the fatal mark encircling its neck. A wild yell was guickly answered from different directions, and orgetful of all danger, the wholered band came pooping to the call, followee at a little distance by their chief. then ensued a scene of mingled rage and terror impossible to depict—rage against the slayer of their comrade—terror at the mysterious manner of his death. Many of the band recog- nized the mark of the strangling noose around the dead boy’s neck, for on many a field, when fight was over, they had seen it. But now their superstition was aroused. The sudden disappearance of Nick into the very side of the bluff, which seemed free from all openings; the unaccountable taking off of the boy brave when the face of the bank where the trapper was supposed to be hidden was watched and guarded by the entire band —all this was beyond their power to under- stand, and their terror was augmented by the inexplicable problem which confronted them. The whole war-party was moved by one com- mon impulse—that of a desire for revenge, and a wish to seek a solution of the mystery they had encountered, A savage yell and a brand- ishing aloft of their weapons testified to their anger. Then there was sileuce as the aged chief stepped forward and took up his station by the side of the body of his dead son, the warriors pressing closely about him to catch what he might have to say. n the dug-out, Nick’s blood was aflame, In that low, hoarse tone which a man’s voice as- sumes in times of great excitement, he addressed Old Si, grasping him by the arm and dragging him to one of the loop-holes, while he took up his station at the other. * See!” he hissed, ‘it is Deer Trail, the slayer of the old man and my mother. Unconsciously he drifted into the use of better language as his thoughts reverted to his b-y- hood days, and to the tender care that had nur- tured him. “ At last Pve got the tiger in reach. 8, taixo hol’ o’ th’ string, an’ as my rifle cracks, pull, dern ye, pull as if yer whole life depen ied on’t, Pll put a bullet in ther va mint’s hide, an’ send him ter kingdom cum; Lr‘. don’t yer pul till yer hear’s ther rifle spe.% I must wait my chance,” In obedience to Nick’s order Si placed himself in readiness, taking the end of the rawhide cord in his hand, gathering up theslack carefully and awaiting the signal. And so were placed the mortal enemies. Gath- ered in a crowd was the band of [ndiuns, twen- ty-six in number, closing around the old chief in a circle, waiting to hear what he might have to say, and ready to carry out what plans he might have, of vengeance. At their feet lay the body of the youth who was to have succeeded his fath- er, while under their feet lay death and cestruc- tion, to be exploded, when a nervou: twitch from the band of Old Si should release it :rom its :on- finement. In the dug-out were Nick and his partner—the oe man with his rifle resting in the loop--hole, is eye glancing along the barrel, his brows set in a savage frown and his w! ole frame strung with a tense impatience as he awaited the part- ing of the crowd of Indians that he might catch sight of the chief he held in such dead?y hatred; in the corner was Old Si, stern as fate, cool an calm and unmoved as if he held a kite-string in- stead of the lives of twenty men. With thecord in his hand he stood braced ready to pull and apparently indifferent whether the signal came in a second or in an hour. He was an ’ would be ready at any moment. Lifting bis hand aloft the aged chief command- ed silence and impressively pointed to the corpse at his feet, “My children,” he began, his voice, stolid as he was, trembling somewhat despite his efforts to the contrary, ‘‘many suns have we hunted
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist, 9 together—many moons watched by the camp- fire. We shared the same dangers—enjoyed the same repose. There was confidence in our ranks and we believed in each other, “The bonds of our friendship were strong and I_ had hoped to bequeath them to my son who, I thought, would succeed me in your hearts, “That hope is gone. My enemy—your enemy who is there "—with a sweep of his hand indicat- ing the western bluff, and taking a step in that direction, while the circle of Indians opened and fell back—‘‘ has killed my son, and in him has killed me—” It was his last word on earth, A stream of blood spurted from his breast, he made a half-turn to the left, staggered and fell dead across the body of his son, while for a sec- ond the rest of the band gazed awe-struck at each other, and, as the report of Nick’s rifle rung on the deathlike stillness of the valley, ee toseek safety in flight, but it was too late, The ground under their feet trembled, yawn- ed, cracked in a thousand places, and through these many mouths the earth vomited such a volume of smoke, fire and death that the sur- face for yards around was sent hurtling into the air, carrying with it the entire band of war- riors, Si had pulled the cord, the explosion had fol- lowed and the Indians were blown into eter- nity. The concussion was tremendous, and when the smoke cleared away the sight pre- sented was a terrible one. Far and wide the valley in the vicinity of the wallow was covered with human remains—legs, arms, trunks and heads being strewn in every direction, The yawning chasm left in the earth where the barrel of gunpowder had been stored gave evidence of the terrific force of the explo- sion, while not an Indian was left alive to tell the tale. So closely huddled together had they been that the explosion had affected them as one man and the slaughter had been complete, “Wal, lad, ye’r’ about even, be’n’t yer?” said Old Si to Nick, as the latter stood gazing out of the loop-hole, seemingly horror-stricken by what he had seen, ‘Even! Oh, yes, Si, more than ever,” re- turned Nick in that strange oew language which seemed unfamiliar, yet was familiar to him. “ The old folks are avenged an’ I kin git back ter camp an’ giv’ up huntin’ red-skins, Seems as. tho’ th’ ol hankerin’ fur skelps is gone sence ther bizness blowed up, an’ I’m sort 0’ sick o? th’ hull outfit.” Nick had mixed much with the officers and their wives at the fort, and his language of the lains was more than half assumed. Besides, fis sister had an ennobling effect on him, and often begged him to give up his wild life and return to civilization. “Gittin’ squeemish be yer? Tell yer, Nick, er mus’ brace up, fer this yer’ll never do, his las’ bit o’ strat-e-gee war a grand piece o’ bizness and I’m proud o’ ye; but yer don’t want ter let upnow. Less go down an’ see ef ther hull b’ilin’ o’ Injuns went under, sure ’nuff.” Fearlessly the two trappers descended the side of the bluff and rapidly walked up to where the lake narrowed into the creek, and here they crossed, glancing with a look of satisfaction at the herd of ponies which grazed near by, kept from escaping by hopples which bound the: fore-feet together, ‘“* Thet’s a purty good haul ter make,” said Old Si, at thought of the price the animals would bring. ‘“‘ We'll start fer the fort this arternoon, Nick, an’ take the critters with us,” They soon arrived at the scene of the explo- sion, and here the havoc wrought was even more perceptible than trom the dug-out, The ground was torn and rent in every direction; headless, armless, and legless bodies strewed the turf far and wide, while a sickening stench of burnt flesh burdened the air and made the mere act of breathing a difficult one. Lying in the bottom of the hole, having been blown straight up into the air and having fallen back again, lay the body of the chief. is arms and legs were twisted and blackened, while his head was in no apparent manner iojured. Nick stood and gazed at the red-skin who had wrought such ruin in his home, A look of cruel satisfaction overspread bis features, and with a gleam of savage joy he leaped into the trench hollowed out by the explosion, snatched his knife from his belt, made a circular sweep around the top of the skull, and wrenching the scalp-lock off, held it high above his head, shak- ing it at Si and laughing a fiendish laugh, which it scarcely seemed possible could proceed from the lips of the person who had stood looking out of the loop-hole in the dug-out a few mo- — before. The man had given way to the rute, Old Si was soon off on a scalp-hunting expedi- tion of his own, but met with scant success, as the fire from the powder had so singed and scorched and seared everything that but few locks were left. Fatalitv alone had served to throw the scalp of the chief into Nick’s hands, He, too, anxiously searched among the debris for the young chief. Every trophy from that hated race was of inestimable value to him, and he bent eagerly over the ground in his search for his prey. A blood-curdling yell startled them to their feet, and looking off to the left they saw a band of savages on the edge of the bluff exactly over the dug-out! CHAPTER VI. VAMOSING THE RANOH, Tuey were evidently a portion of the tribe that had attacked the dug-out and had either — straggled off from the main body or had been scouting in a different direction, With the sound of the war-whoop, Old Si had sunk into the grass, while Nick, with a back- ward spring, landed in the hole made by the ex- plosion, where he lay, peering over the eage yy watching the movements of the enemy, Old Si wound his way into the tall grass and there stopped. - Niek saw him sink on one knee; saw his rifle raised, the flame and smoke sap from the muz- zle, heard the sharp crack and simultaneously saw the foremost Indian of the troop throw up
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his arms and fall backward to the ground while his companions hastily turned and fled to a safe distance, followed by a bullet from Nick’s rifle, which sung harmlessly over them. As soon as the Indians disappeared Si came stalking back to where Nick was fortified and step down into the hole, behind him. A short consultation decided that they should await events where they were until dark, at least, as it would be dangerous to attempt «0 reach the -out now. The trail lay close along the bluff =) an Indian arrow might stop them in a d ani peculiarly unpleasant way before they could find shelter, Si had a little jerked meat stowed away in one of his capacious pockets and this they leisurel chewed while interchanging their views regard- ing their situation. One guarding, the other crawled to the lake and refreshed himself with adeep draught of water, after which they felt well enough to ‘‘ whip a ton o’ Injuns,” as Old Si quaintly put it. ach man then prod uced his pipe—the hunter’s solace—and lying on their backs with the sun shining broad in their faces, they smoked as se- renely as if inside the walls of the strongest fort onthe plains, Protected as they were by the walls of their artificial embankment they were in no real danger, although how they would escape from the trap into which they had fallen would be difficult to say. Lying on the sloping sides of the hollow, one facing east, the other west, they commanded a view of the entire crest of the bluffs on both sides of the valley, and nothing could destend ee without being perceived by one or the other. Nick was so situated that the water-mark was directly in his line of vision, and upon that he kept a sharp lookout, He knew that the Indian shot by Old Si must have fallen right alongside it, an ected that the others had not ridden far off, and that one or more of them would soon return on a reconnoitering expedition. Nor was he wrong. But a short time had elapsed when he saw, ping around one side of the ie of stones, he painted head of asavage. Solittle of his face was exposed that no fair mark was offered, and Nick withheld his fire, and throwing his pipe aside, he motioned to his companion to do the ‘same, lest the smoke might betray their where- abouts to the keen-eyed warrior. The latter evidantly thought that they werein the tall grays, and which he could not see with- out approaching closer to the edge of the bluff, so throwing himself flat on his stomach, he began to crawl slowly and cautiously toward the brink. At length the top of his head appeared in the short grass which grew on the plain above, and he eagerly surveyed the valley below. Not a sign of human life was visible to him, and he leaned over the bluff still further, looking np and down the valley. This carelessness was his death-warrant. As he leaned far over, Nick, resting his rifle on the edge of the bank which had been thrown ips took a long and careful aim, fired, and sent his bullet through and through the skull of the incautious savage. He sprung up convulsively, turned as though dazed, leaped high in the air, Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. several hundred yards away, and judging from and fell head-foremost into the valley beneath, where his body crushed against the ground with a sickening thud. ‘Sorter reckon them Sioux’ll be a leetle more keerful hereafter,” chuckled Old Si, as he watched the effect of the shot. “Ef they want ter display eny more ac-ro-bat-is-tic perform- ances, we kin belp’em out. But, Nick, this yer’ place is a-gittin’ mi’ty hot. S’posin’ wo up stakes an’ git. We'll take them thar critters we've captured, an’ ridin’ a couple, drive the rest inter ther fort. We kin sell’em fer right smart o’ money, I’m thinkin’, an’ we kin do nothin’ hyar. ell stop at t?uther ranch, aw’ git our critters and hike out, We kin leave ther dug-out ter take care o’ itself. What does yer say?” “Tm with yer, Si. Seein’s how we got ther critters, it pears to be ther best thing we kin do. We'll take to ther grass an’ work our way down to ther ponies, drive ’em close under the bluff on the west side thar, an’ ther Injuns can’t see us. Ef yer’ll come down ter ther trail, Vl clime up an’ see whar ther lnjuns air. One or two more shots’ll skeer’em clean outen ther country.” Carefully looking along the line of bluff to discover any lurking enemy, the hunters, find- ing the coast apparently clear, quickly left the shelter of the trench and gained the tall grass, which hid them completely from view, as they bent over and went at a quick trot in the direc- tion where the ponies continued to graze. Arrived in their vicinity, in obedience to Nick’s request, Old Si took up his position in the grass opposite the trail, while Nick quickly crossed the run, reached the bluff and began to ascend the path leading to the plain, down which the Indian had ridden the evening before, Nearing the top he slackened his steps, and, bending nearly double, ascended very slowly. When almost at the summit he fell flat, and drew himself along carefully by his hands. His head reached the level of the plain; he raised on his elbows until bis eyes were above the grass, and there, not three feet from his nose, was the painted and scowling face of an Indian. The scowl on the countenance of the latter quickly changed to the most supreme astonish- ment as he encountered Nick’s gaze, The lat- ter, always armed with that presence of mind which is so invaluable when sudden danger arises, did not stop to think twice, His rifle was in his hand, and swinging it around, he dealt the Sioux such a blow on the head that the latter saw a million stars, and lay stunned and confused, and _ before his scat- tered senses returned, Nick’s knife was plunged to the hilt between his shoulders, his legs and arms stiffened out in a convulsive throe, and he lay dead, without even having opened his lips from the time his glance had first encountered that of the trapper. Dragging him beyond the edge of the bluff, out of sight of the plain, Nick, having scientifi- cally removed his scalp, proceeded to investi- gate the whereabouts of his Indian comrades, and returned to the prairie, He was not long in discovering the little band of horsemen, who were gathered on the prairie
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. il their attitudes that they intended awaiting the return of the last scout sent out, Nick decided that the opportunity was a most favorable one to escape with their horses, He quickly rejoined Si, and informed him of the state of affairs, gathered the herd of ponies together, fastening them in bunches of six by the lariats banging to mavy of the primitive saddles of the Indians, and started south, paus- ing in front of the dug-out only long enough to fasten the robe-door securely and to cut away the dirt around the holes, which served for steps, so that they could not be used, The scalp was taken from the dead Indian, lying there, by Old Si, while Ned was engaged in destroying all traces of habitation, and when he was through the closest observer would not have detected any suspicious signs, and no passer-by could have detected the slightest evi- dence that overbead was a comfortable and commodious shelter which, at the same time, was fort-like in its strength. The work having been well and thoroughly done, Nick swung into his saddle and riding alongside the herd of captured ponies kept it headed close in to the overhanging bluff, while Old Si, riding in the rear, urged the horses for- ward at full gallop. They rode thus for several miles, the course of the stream which they had followed being marked only by water-holes and these at rare intervals, the bed being in the space between merely dry sand, At length they reached a oint where a ravine intersected the main yal- ey anc bere the cavalcade halted. Leaving the horses in charge of his companion Nick dismounted and proceeded up the ravine on foot, for a mile or more, where stood a ruined cabin, builf by some enterprising hunter who, with more courage than brains, bad thus defied the Indians in their very stamping- ground, He was not left long in the enjoyment of his home, for a night attack was quickly followed by his death, and the ranch had only been saved from the flames by a heavy thunder-storm, which, unusual in those latitudes, arose oppor- tunely, drenching everything in the vicinity, For some reason or another, the Indians had not molested the cabin since that night for some time, at which latter period Nick had appropri- ated it to his own ends and purposes. Shortly after he had taker up his abode there he became aware of the approach of a band of Sioux which intended camping there for the night, attracted by the presence of a magnifi- cent spring which gushed from the bank in the rear of the hut, for such it really was, the brook formed by it trickling close to the building run- ning down the ravine for a few yards and then disappearing in the earth in the mysterious manner adopted by Colorado streams. Nick was ina quandary. The cabin had been built over a natural depression, which, with a little labor, bad been transformed into an excel- lent and quite commodions cellar, and this Nick had appropriated to bis own use as a stable for the two horses he had brought from the fort and here they now were. The ravine, after running up a few hundred yards, came to an abrupt stop, and in that di- rection there was absolutely no exit, and steep banks precluding all idea of escape. From the other end was now advancing the band of Sioux, and there was Nick and his horses in the middle! The question was how to get out of the scrape. Among Nick’s most intimate friends at the fort, which he most frequented, and which was also the home of his sister, was a young physi- cian, who, recently having received his diploma, had not yet gotten over that spirit of dare- devil recklessness with which all medical stu- dents seemed to be imbued, and he was constant- ly playing the most unheard-of pranks, in many of which he was aided and abetted by our hero Nicholas Parkhurst, CHAPTER VII. A TRICK AND ITS RESULT, One of his most successful efforts—resulting in the frightening of an old semi-civilized In- dian into temporary lunacy and half idiocy— was performed with Nick’s assistance one dark night in July. Blowing strong from the south, the wind increased in violence toward midnight until it became almost a gale, while the rain fell in torrents. It was dark as Erebus, and, to use a familiar expression, ‘‘ you could not see your hand before your face.” Nick, in anticipation of the coming event, bad been treating the aged Indian with much kind- ness for several days past, and had so won bis gratitude that Tish-a-na-o was willing to do any- thing for him. On_ the night in question, look- ing up ‘Old Tish,” as he was always called, Nick took him to the place where Le usually slept, it being an outbuilding that was at the present time unused, baving been originally built for a kitchen, but found too small as the number of soldiers at the post was increased, “Tish” was very grateful for this unlooked and unhoped-for shelter, so, when about mid- night, he was awakened by Nick, who was roll- ing about the floor in (apparently) the greatest agony, andasked to go for the doctor, he onl too readily assented, and wrapping the blauien, which had served for his bed, about him, pro- ceeded on his errand of mercy. Scarce had he disappeared through the door, when Nick’s colic disappeared as if by magic, and rising to his feet with a broad grin on his face, he stealtbhily followed the steps of the savage, who, buffeting the wind and the rain, struggled on his way to the doctor's quarters, Arrived there, he found all dark, and, guided by feeling and instinct, groped along the build- ing panel he reached the door, when he knocked oudly. Scarcely bad his knuckles left the door when the latter swung open, mysteriously and silently, and there, right in front of him, with arms outstretched; with grinning, cavernous jaws; with luminous eye-sockets, stood a skele- ton, each rib and lim outlined in a dim, wav- ering light, with a dancing, tremulous, smoky appearance glancing over the whole figure, and without moving hand or foot, adyanced slowly toward him.
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One look was enough, A wild yell and the Indian fell to the ground in a fit that came near carrying him to the land of skeletons for good and all, and it was with the utmost difficulty that the doctor and Nick succeeded in restoring him, only to find that his mind had been injured by the shock. From his mutterings it was easy to learn that, thoroughly superstitious as he was, he thought that he was too late; that Nick had died in his absence, and that it was the ghost of the de- ceased that thus menacingly confronted him at the doctor’s door, The trick was a simple one, but well calcu- lated to frighten the untutored Tish-a-na-o nearly out of his senses. The young doctor, like most recent graduates, was the owner of a skeleton, of which he- was immensely proud, and which he kept hung up in a closet in his bedroom, But one or two persons at the fort had_seen the skeleton, among the number being Nick. One evening, when the plan to frighten poor “ Tish” was concocted, the doctor took Nick into his room, proceeded to rub each and every bone of his pet with phosphorus, turned out the light and there, one mass of mysterious, sickly light, stood the skeleton, : uowing as he did what it was, the sight nearly paralyzed Nick, whose discomfiture was much enjoyed by wetting a match and then marking the wall in the dark, except that it was, naturally, much hightened. Nick’s delight at the success of the trick was unbounded and he begged Dr, Saunders to give him a supply of the devil’s fire as he not inaptly termed it. The doctor willingly acquiesced and gave him a small vial, containing several sticks of the chemical, immersed in water to prevent spontaneous combustion. And the recollection of this gave Nick a clew as to how he could escape the threatened in- vasion by the Sioux that evening when escape seemed impossible, Hastily preparing a broad plank that had once served as a portion of the door, by rubbing ' a mixture of grease and charcoal over it, he took his bottle of oe from a corner where it was hidden and rapidly sketched the outlines of a skeleton on the black, Under Dr. Saunders’s tuition he had become quite an artist, so succeeded in producing quite a respectable skeleton, He then age the board against the wall, a opposite the opening where the door had ‘ormerly been, closed the shutter of the solitary window and awaited results. Outside, evening was rapidly appreaching, while in the hut it was as “dark asa pocket,” Nothing could be seen of the illuminated skel- eton, for Nick had placed the side containing it toward the wall of the cabin, stationing himself alongside his work of art. The Indians, six in number, rode rapidly up to the cabin, dismounted and turned their mus- tangs loose, after hoppling them, They drank at the spring and then approached the cabin. All was still as night and they suspected no danger, so the foremost boldly strode into the single room, here was an instant of silence and then a Coiorado Nick, the Lassoist. wild yell, that was startling in its intensity of terror, rung on the night air, and the affrighted savage, tearing through his astonished com- panions, never stop until he reached the ponies. His amazed comrades, thinking bim suddenly bewitched, gazed after him in awe, and then turning, resolved to enter the cabin and inves- ee its hidden mystery, so advanced in a unch, Arrived near the door they halted, overcome by unknown fears, and peered anxiously intu the darkness, and there, glowing with an un- natural weirdness, stood precisely such an ap- parition as had so terrified Old “ Tish.” One look was enough and overcome by their ever present superstition the band, yelling, fled as if possessed of many devils while Nick leaped to the threshold of the door, lasso in hand, and bending a little, launched it. True as the arrow to the mark it flew and caught the hindmost Sioux fair below his Adam’s apple where it settled and tightened under Nick’s steady and ever-increasing pull, until he lay strangled and dead under the noose. The rest of the band, numbering four, not casting in their stampede, a look behind, reached their cayuses, tore the hay thee from their legs, and dragging the first of their number who had entered the hut, after them, on his horse, dashed down the ravine and off on the prairie for miles, Nick’s Hig bai of the phosphorus trick had succeeded beyond bis most sanguine expecta- tions and had left him richer by a scalp and a pony—naming the prizes in the order of their value to ** Neck-Tie,” Nor was this all of the advantage gained. From thence on for all time, the vicinage of Nick’s retreat was inviolable, for po savage would venture within some miles of the sup- posed haunted spot, All of the band had seen the apparition, One of their number had disappeared without utter- ing a cry or giving a sound that he had been immolated. The warrior who had first seen the luminous skeleton was a hopeless and raving maniac, These were sufficient for the rest of the band who still retained their lives and their senses, and they firmly believed that the ghost of the aged bunter who had built the cabin, was now the terrible guardian of his former home, So Nick was safe in his cabin, and utilized it always afterward, when at the dug-out, by turning the cellar into stables, where he quar- tered his two horses, so managing matters that they should not suffer either from hunger or thirst during bis enforced absences, But he has been left long enough on his expe- dition to the cabin after the horses, while Old Si is patiently awaiting his reappearance, and the thread of the story has been broken at con- siderable length, and must be taken up again without further delay. Arrived at the cabin, Nick, with a grin of pleasure at the recollection of the trick he had played on the unsuspecting Indians, descended into the cellar, threw open the door, and was greeted with a whinny of pleasure by the two =,
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. is noble brutes which wandered at will within the confines of their habitation. Nick loved his horses, and always treated them with that kindness which a geherous man always shows to dumb domestic servants, and was faithfully served in return, his steeds al- ways seeming to work with more willingness when their master bestrode them than when a strange hand held the lines, Having groomed and watered the animals, Nick mounted his favorite, Black Bess, and fol- lowed by the other without leading-reins, rode at a rapid pace down the valley toward the Min where Old Si waited with the captured erd, Arrived at the point where the ravine was merged into the larger valley, Nick gavea quick glance around. Nothing was in sight, and the entire space covered by Neck-tie Nick’s rapid Baca was bare of human or animal life, he herd of horses, with their keeper, had disappeared as completely as if the earth had opened and swal- lowed them up, as it swallowed the river which flowed below, Nick’s heart ceased to beat, and leaping to the ground he eagerly scanned every blade of grass, every particle of disturbed earth that lay before him in the neighborhood of the stopping-place, but uselessly, The feet of the captured herd had left only undistinguishable marks, and Nick was about to begin a wider circuit in search of something like a trail, when— Ha! he has a clew. Cut in the side of the bluff, about the hight of a man’s head when on horseback, was a rude imitation of an arrow, with the head rn south, while in an extraordinary flourish flow an uncouth ‘*S” just below, which was imme- diately recogni by the young fellow as Old Si’s sign-manual. Nick’s heart beat high once more, for he im- agined that his companion, thinking it better to move on with the cavalcade, and let the other follow, had continued in the direction of the fort, This was partially true, and ‘* Neck-Tie” fol- lowed, while away on the other bluff a pair of black eyes malignantly and exultingly followed his course. Nick rode on unsuspectingly, CHAPTER VIII. AN AMBUSH FOR MR, PARKHURST. In the mean time what had become of Old Si? Left in charge of the cavalcade, he sat for a time, leisurely surveying the landscape and humming, beneath his breath, the old-time song of California: “You're gazing now on old Tom Moore, A relic of bygone days.” Finally he descended to the ground, stretched his leg and took a step or two eastward to a point where a better view of the valley, north and south, could be obtained, and from there gazed long and earnestly in the direction whence they had come, Suddenly he stooped, shaded his eyes with his hand.and peered closely at certain dark but in- distinct forms that rose and fell with a swaying motion, like the balancing of a ship upon a gentle swell, and which grew more and more distinct as they rapidly approached along the western brink of the bank which was yet steep and unscalable, ““Injuns, Jehosophat!” ejaculated the old hun- ter as he arose from his stooping position and hurriedly drew near and under the shelter of the bank, ‘An’ not the same band o’ Sioux we seen back yonder. No time to warn Nick. Guess that lad’s cute enuff ter take a hint, so yer’ goes,” and the old man with a sweep of his hunting-knife, made the marks in the bluff which had attracted Nick’s attention. It was evidently better to drive on the ponies and let Nick follow at speed than to waste valu- able time waiting for him, and this course was adopted by Old Si. He did not much dread the band of Indians that he had discovered, for he knew that they could not follow straight down the bluff, but must make a lengthy detour so as to avoid the ravine in which was Nick’s cabin, and which intersected their course, He therefore urged the captured band of onies forward at full speed, following close be- ind and ‘‘ encouraging” the laggards with his stinging “ quirt,” the a gait thus assumed soon taking the band of horses far below the ra- vine into a more sheltered spot where there was ample grass and numerous water-holes for the horses to drink. Here they halted, Soon after the cavalcade had swept out of sight, a new actor appeared on the scene in the rson of a young buck, gaudily attired yet not in full war-paint, He was on the eastern bank of the bluff, and was not mounted, evidently baving left his horse some distance back on the prairie to gruze with the rest of the band to which he was attached, as it was not probable that he would be afoot so far from any permanent Indian yen As he stepped to the edge of the bluff, Nick rode into view ond stopped, and as he did so the wary Indian threw himself flat on the ground and watched the unsuspicious trapper who, after seeing and correctly interpreting Old Si’s direc- tions, turned south and rode away at a moderate rate of speed. This, then, was the situation. Down the val- ley, four or five miles, Old Si and the band of horses were resting; up the valley was Nick, riding and leading his spare horse, while on the eastern side was a solitary Indian watching Nick and on the western the band discovered by Si approaching at a rapid gallop, but beginning to diverge somewhat to the west, as if the presence of the intersecting ravine were known to them, A long whoop from the savage on the eastern bluff roused Nick from a reverie into which he had fallen and wherein a certain dainty little beauty of the fort figured prominently, and he gazed startled, in the direction of the sound, but there was nothing in sight. Certain that he had not been deceived, he sat, em bis horse in readiness for instant flight, — yet undecided as to whether or no he had better
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. attempt to fathom the mystery, a few moments deciding him that the danger was not so press- ing but that he had some minutes to spare, In a moment more he discovered something moving slowly, to and fro, on the eastern bluff. A something which did not seem much larger than the beaver-skin cap he wore and which ap- peared either to be suspended in the air or held up on a ramrod, arrow or such-like object, the stance from one side of the valley to the other being too great to readily distinguish anything with certainty. “Some Injun trick, I reckon,” muttered Nick, “an’ I'll jest wait here, an’ see the thing out. It'll give Old Sia start, anyhow,” aud Master Nick, with the coolness for which he was noted over the plains, threw himself from the saddle, and, lying on the grass, awaited develop- ments. He was close under the western bank; so-close that had he stretched his hand he could have touched it, but his entire attention was concen- trated on the bluff opposite where the mys.eri- ous waving of the mysterious object continued without ceasing for an hour or more. Suddenly a second object appeared alongside the first and was violently agitated. This was becoming interesting and Nick sat up, then stood up, wondering what on earth it all meant, while his horses grazing near by, and too well trained to stray looked up at bim and snorted as though there were danger in the air. It is the unknown in this world (and the next) which is most to be dreaded and so it was in this case, the mystery of the whole proceeding dazing Nick, and, despite himself, rendering him nervous and timorous, until be almost persuaded himself to mount and ride away after his part- ner and, returning with him, endeavor to solve the enigma which confronted him. is From such action, however, he was deterred by a circumstance which, as far as he was con- cerned, settled any action on his part. ‘Tf they were out on the plain,” mused Nick, dropping into that more educated form of speech that was natural to him, ‘“‘ [ should think that they were trying to lure those inquisitive creatures, antelope, to them; but that seems hardly possible, Yet how explain it? They are not surely trying to decoy me over there— I’m too old a bird for that, and am not—” A crash anda groan, and Neck-tie Nick fell to the ground as though shot. through the heart. One of the band of Indians that had warned Old Si to leave that place had crawled to the edge of the bluff, having ridden with bis com- rades close to the bank; had weighted his raw- hide saddle with a buffalo-robe and had dropped it plumb on Nick’s head as he stood gazing in the opposite direction, his heavy beaver-skin cap alone saving bis skull! from being crushed in. A yell of mingled triumph and exultation arose from the opposite bank, a quarter of a mile away, as Nick fell, which was answered by the band on the western bluff, and the savages, having dismounted, walked to the edge of the bluff and looked down upon their fallen foe, who lay prone and lifeless twenty feet below them. Their enemy was at their mercy, and they proceeded to consult as to the best means of securing his scalp if he were dead and to make him a prisoner if he were alive. There was no descent into the valley for miles in either direction, and the question was bow to reach Nick’s body without retracing their steps or riding over the distance that sep- arated them from the lower route, Signals from the band on the other side showed that they were in a like quandary and were power- less to reach the victim unless they should ride several miles also, The entire party, comprising both those on the eastern and those on the western bluffs, did not number a dozen warriors, and the two bands were about equally divided, five being on the side where Nick lay, and now in deep and ear- nest consultation as to how they should reach their prey. They had recognized Nick, who was hated and feared all through the Sioux country, and were determined not to depart without the much-prized trophy which is the proof of the prowess of the braves to their admiring village maidens, squaws and old men who are too aged. to take the field and bend the bow, or wield the tomahawk with the younger braves, The matter was soon decided, and one of the lightest and slimmest of the warriors, stepping forward, placed the noose of a borse-hair lariat beneath his arms, so arranging it that it would not draw too tight, and was lowered by bis com- rades over the bluff to the ground below, where, loosening the loop, he stepped forward to Nick’s side and placed his hand on the latter’s heart, opening his hunting-shirt for that purpose, A gleam of exultant and malignant cruelty overspread his pained features as he detected a faint beat, and with a guttural ‘‘ Ugh ” addressed to his comrades above, and a nod, he proceeded to arrange matters so that Nick could be drawn up by the same means that had sufficed for his captor’s descent, Dragging the inanimate body of the wounded trapper close under the bank, he attached the lariat under his arm-pits, around his body, and looking up, was about to motion to his comrades to haul away, when he perceived that they were in considerable of a commotion, gazing at the opposite bank, and talking and gesticulating in much excitement, There was evidently trouble in the band on the opposite side, for there also seemed to be much gesticulating and excited conversation, although it seemed to be confined to the warriors compos- ing the group, as they paid n9 attention to their surroundings, and had ceased to gaze with iu- terest upon Nick and his captors as they had previously done. Tbe dispute seemed to be confined to twoof the savages, for they confronted each other closely, shaking threatening fingers in each others’ faces, and menacingly clutching their tomahawks and keen scalping-knives, while the others, although apparently attempting to dis- suade them from anything like violence, did not- appear to be making any very strenuous efforts to restrain them from shedding each other’s blood, should they be so inclined, so fond of the sight of the red fluid isour bronze brother of the plains, The excited controversy continued at some. a
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. length, until at length the ungovernable rage of the Indisns burst all bounds, and they flew at each other as one tiger in the jungle leaps upon the other, or as two buffalo-bulls with lowered heads and fury-gleaming eyes rush into a col- lision that makes the earth tremble. But quick as they were, the one who seemed to be bighest in authority in the band was quicker than they, for he, having been warily watching their every move and weighing every word, sprung between them, and with uplifted tomahawk, commanded them to desist; which command, sO much a respecter of their chiefs are they, was instantly obeyed by the two com- batants. Then motioning the two to stand a little back from each other, the young chief addressed them, He was aware, he said, that insults had passed, which only blood could wash away, but custom was sacred, and if there were to bea duel to the death, cne or the other must have the choice of weapons. Which one, must be de- cided by lot, as neither one of the two had been particularly the aggressor; and, stooping, he plucked two blades of grass of different lengths, which he held out in silence to the enemies of the moment. He who stood to the south reached forth and drew his bit of herbage on which bung his life, the other following with a like movement, and measuring with his eye the difference in length of the green spears that gave the choice. The first who had drawn on a cernar yell, leaped back, and drawing his tomahawk from its resting-place, flung it far away onto the plain, where its keen edge buried itself in the earth to the handle, and the deadly instrument there stuck, quivering, and this determined that the duel was to be fought with knives; so the other party to the fray likewise threw away his hatchet, rid himself of all likely to incumber him during the coming combat, and sprung to the edge of the bluff, naked and as Nature made him, save for the breech-clout which hung at his loins, and the stripes of paint that streaked his, by no means prepossessing visage, His opponent was soon ready, and, outlined against the sky, the actors in this fearful drama stood up like silhouettes, while Nick, recovering his scattered senses, faned, an eager spectator, thankful for his brief respite from the thongs that would surely bind him a little later on, yet not daring to move. It was the work of a moment, The warrior who had won the choice was evidently more skilled in the use of the knife than his adversary. and, narrowing the distance which separated them, stood, stooping and twisting and turning and writhing, until he saw an opening, and dashed under the other’s guard, An upper blow of the left arm under the other’s right, a quick twist of the heel into the ankle of the leg, a sinuous turn, and, as the other staggered, a quick thrust, a deadly plunge of the keen blade, and the warrior, stabbed in the left side to the vitals, shrieked his death-cry, turned in a dizzy circle twice around, and then, collapsing, fell, an inert mass of bloody flesh, into the void below, crushing out what life was left in a deadened crash, 16) -_ CHAPTER IX, A SHOT FOR A LIF, InDIAN stoicism admitted of no cieoley of emotion, so that little feeling was manif. by the spectators of this combat, which would not have shamed the gladiatorial days of Old Rome, The anticipation of the ren eipye capture that they had made; of the welcome they would receive when, returning to their village, they would bear with them the terror of their race— Neck-Tie Nick; the hope of inflicting upon him the severest tortures that Indian ingenuity could devise; all these tended to distract the thoughts of Nick’s captors, and well-nigh ren- dered them oblivious of everything else. So they prepared todrag him to the top of the bluff, there to tie him securely upon a wiry mustang and bear him away to their village in the North, where he would be sport for all the urchins of the tribe, and woul Pa by his unshaken stoicism, that he could die as he had lived—a man, In the mean time Old Si, far below, was * git- tin’ onrestless,” as he put it. Time sufficient; elapsed for Nick to have rejoined him, and knowing of the presence of the Indians and Nick’s everpresent carelessness, he feared that something had happened to bis pal, and finally became too uneasy to remain quiet any longer. Leaving the ponies quietly feeding, therefore, he mounted his mustang, turned bis head north, and retraced his steps of afew hours before. urging his willing steed toa steady lope, an keeping a sharp and watchful lookout along the bluffs ahead. As he drew near to the place where Nick had met with his disaster, his quick eye discovered the little band of Indians, outlined a st the sky, long before he could be seen, an stopping his mustang he slid into the long grass and, wi a pringing trot, rapid] seproanken the scene of the Indian duel, of which he was an interest- ed ae and the result of which pleased him greatly. So engrossed were the savages in the fight that he was able to approach within a h yards of his partner, and there he hal non- plused and at a loss how to proceed, He feared to fire lest Nick’s life should pay the forfeit, and he waited, trusting that some unforeseen oc- currence might arise, which would aid him in Connttt to a conclusion as to how he ought to act. ~ The Indian who had Nick in charge, having carefully adjusted the noose, removed. Nick’s knife from its sheath, and signaled to his com- rades above to “‘haul away,” and Neck-Tie tie into the air like a bale of cotton hois' by a derrick, the rahi below aiding by “‘ boost- ing,” and enjoying himself by Sickie the og of Nick's knife into the soles of the latter's eet, Nick was a pretty husky kind of a lad, and the lift was a heavy one, so his ascent was gradual, the four muscular savages on the above straining and tugging with all their might, ‘The sight of his Dok gy swinging there h less, like a bale of rags, was too much for Old Si, so leveling his rifleplumb at the breast Indian, who, nearest to him, was pulling on E
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36 Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. Leg Ee See ee a A OR ae 2 ee ee ee rope, touched the trigger and the faithful rifle spoke quick in reply. The bullet sped true to its mark, struck the savage at whom it have been aimed fair in the breast, went through and through his body, and severely wounded the next one behind him on the rope, both of the men releasing the lariat and falling back in a heap upon the others, the result being that all tumbled together in a con- fused mass upon the sward. A more astonished set of copper-skinned brethren it wonld be difficult to imagine, and not the least so was the one who had aided Nick’s eacent by puncturing his feet with the knife- point, The rope being released Nick fell heavily back, and, as the Indian was right under him, the hundred and eighty pounds of the trapper, com- ing suddenly and unexpectedly on bis shoulders, crushed him to the earth in a heap, and from that moment he was a dead Indian. Nick’s senses had been completely restored some time before the hoisting process began, ‘and when his journey through the air com- menced he had all of his wits about him, and, as the crack of Si’s rifle was as familiar to him as the old man’s voice, he comprehended matters in an instant, and was immediately ready for action. As he fell, therefore, he was prepared for the shock, and, bracing himself, drove his feet down into the upturned face of the Indian, thereby adding to the force of his fall, and then leaping on his foe, he held him firmly with one moc- casined foot on the warrior’s neck until he loosened the noose which held him fast. Slipping the horse-hair loop around the say- age’s neck he rolled him over on his face, gave a pull or two with his foot between the shoulders of the prostrate man and added amother to the long list of dead that bore Neck-Tie’s fatal mark when they left this world, And so the horse- hair lariat of the Indian had been the means of his own death. _ Old Si had meantime reloaded, but there was nothing to fear; the Indians—at least those who had bees penrgte far over the plain by this * time, and were plying cruel quirts to their fiy- ing steeds to increase their speed, while the Indians on the opposite bank vented their rage as impotent cries, being too far off to harm the trappers and unable to descend into the valley even had they dared. * Another added to the number of times you saved my life, Si,” said Nick, speaking with much feeling and emotion. ‘* Will I ever, I wonder, get anywhere near even with you?” ** Jest yer let thet hen sot, lad,” returned the old man, “ Thar’s no question o’ debts between us, But gether up yer traps, ther hull country’s a-swarmin’ wi’ Injuns, and we must make tracks i ther ranch an’ let ther cayuses go, Come long. “i Old Siwas right. The only thing to do was to return to the dug-out and fortify themselves again, while eR for a better chance to escape and reach the fort. A whistle from Nick brought his two horses trotting up, and having secured his rifle and knife, Nick mounted one while Si took posses- sion of the other, and with another trophy in | row aimed at at. -e 7 the shape of a scalp dangling at his belt, Neck- Tie led the way, at full gallop toward the dug- out, not daring to leave the horses in their usual quarters at the haunted cabin, The band of Indians on the other side of the valley followed their movements and rode along as rapidly as they could, endeavoring to keep pace with them, but finding their ponies far in- ferior in point of speed to the magnificent ani- mals ridden by the two trappers. As they rode along, Si explained to Nick that he bad cut the sign of the arrow in the bank with a barb, thereby denoting that there were Indians in sight, but this fact Nick, with his usual carelessness, had overlooked and thereby gotten into trouble, The Indians they had been fighting last evi- dently belonged to a hunting-party, as was dis- covered by the arrows found in the quiver of the dead savage strangled by Nick, for in hunting the buffalo the red-men use no barbs on their ar- rows, they being merely pointed that they may the more readily be withdrawn and used again, something that is very difficult when the arrow is held in its place by a barb. With the horses they had, it would have pos- sibly been easy to escape from the warriors that they had encountered, but everything tended to the belief that a large war-party of Sioux was scouring the country, and signals would be sent out which, in the event of there being any Indians in the south, would have re- sulted in an ambush and a possible massacre of the trappers. For this as well as other reasons, it was deemed best to defer their departure for some days, Nothing of note occurred during their hur- ried ride to the dug-out, until they had nearly arrived, when a shout of triumph from the scouting-party on the bluff warned tiem to draw rein and reconnoiter, for the Indians, being so much higher placed, commanded a view of that portion of the valley which, by a bend in the bluff, was yet hidden from the trap- rs, What was the cause of this sudden outburst from their foes? Had they seen others of their band coming down the valley and so near that it was but a question of afew moments that they would attack? A short time would reveal, and so Nick and Si sat like statues on their horses, awaiting developments, until the whiz of an accurately-aimed arrow startled them into action. It was a narrow escape and only the stout belt worn by Neck-Tie saved him from a seri- ous, perhaps a mortal, wound, and as it was the point of the arrow remained sticking in his side to be withdrawn by Nick, examined and handed to Si with the remark: ‘Huntin’ arrow.” Scarce had the words left his lips when a second missile flew past him and lodged in the banknear by, but it had scarce found a resting-place in the earth before Nick, turning his horse with a sharp pull, wheeled into the grass where a waving of the herbage showed him that the at- tacking party must be and rode right down on the would-be assassin. A few bounds of bis horse brought him close and he bending low suddenly escaped a third ar- is breast and gaye chase to the yr
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist.| aU eer bowman before the latter could fit another dart to his bow-string and the Indian sought safety in flight, looking back at the Fate that was pursuing him so relentlessly, with terror in his eyes. "He soon left the grass and took to the open, and, knowing that his life depended on it, ran with the speed of a startled deer up the valley, whence arose a thundering’ shout, and where were gathered tbe band to which he belonged, numbering some fifty bucks with the usual com- plement of squaws, ponies, etc., that go to make up a hunting-party. Nick pressed closer with swinging lariat in his hand, while from the hunting-party a dozen warriors rode out to intercept him and, if possi- ble, save the life of their hard-pressed compan- ao who was using his best efforts to reach ‘them, It was nip and tuck, but Nick’s Missouri-bred mare was the favorite in the race and soon brought him within reaching distance of his vic- tim, and, measuring the distance with his eye, he lauhched the fatal noose. It hovered over ihe fleeing Indian for & moment like some great hawk circling over a brood of chickens and then swooped over his head onto his bare and brown shoulders, As the noose settled Nick took a turn with the end of the lariat around the horn of his saddle and reined in his horse, who, trained to hold the strongest Texan steers, settled back on his haunches and braced himself for the shock. With a twang like a bow-string the cord tightened, the shock of the sudden pull throw- ing the Indian off of his feet and jerking him high into the air, while his neck cracked like a pistol-shot, so suddenly was it broken, and Nick, turning his horse, and dragging his prey after him, started back down the valley at full speed, the corpse of the dead savage bounding after like some great red football. But Nick’s ‘‘ vaulting ambition” had “ o’er- leaped itself,” this time at least, for the fore- most of Indian antagonists were within reach- ing distance and he received a touch of bis own medicine, A brawny brave, pressing mp mld forward, got withing reaching distance and skillfully threw his lasso on to the ground so that, with a well-timed lift, the hind-legs of Nick’s horse be- came entangled in the noose and he fell heavily to the ground, throwing his rider high into the air, and off into the grass at one side, the latter breaking his fall and saving him from any seri- ous injury. Before he could rise a half-dozen of the In- dians were on him, and although he fought des- perately, using his knife with terrible effect, and although Si’s rifle cracked twice with dead- ly results, the young trapper was at length over- powered, a blow from the side of a tomahawk stretching him senseless and leaving him ca tive in the hands of his enemies, who quickly bound bim and left him lying there while they gave chase to Old Si. The aged trapper was, however, too well mounted and they quickly desisted from the chase, seeing that his fresh horse could easily outstrip their tired sma already worn out from a long buffalo-hunt held that morning, and returned to Nick whom they found just re- covering his senses, The events of the day had been numerous and stirring, and the trapper felt faint and thirsty, but did not deign to show a sign of his weakness to his oe igo The sun was getting low in the West and he supposed that no move in any direction would be made that night, par- ticularly as he saw that the squaws had come up with the camp-equipage and were preparing the tepees, while the rest of the warriors gath- ered around him and, with malignant glances testified to their undying hatred, A glance around showed Nick that they were almost opposite the dug-out, the existence of which, however, was apparently unknown to the Indians, and, indeed, it wuld have been impossible for Nick to have loceted it, had it not been for the water-mark which stood directly above, and pointed it out distinctly to any one familiar with the secret of the dwelling, Soon the lodge-poles were unloaded from the ponies; a blazing fire was built and huge chunks of meat were roasting, or rather burning before the flames, while the bucks lounged about, smok- ing and interchanging ideas, leaving the squaws to attend to all the work, : It is no part of the Indian policy to weaken a prisoner who is intended for the torture, and although Nick’s feet remained securely fastened by strips of rawhide, the thongs that bound his hands were loosened, and he was given as much water as he could drink anda huge piece of meat with which to stay his hunger, He was well aware that he wes thus treated with apparent kindness only to enable hii bet- ter to withstand the torture and that the In- dians fed him as the cannibals feed their pris- oners—to make them fat; yet as the idea of es- cape was the uppermost in his mind, he ate heartily and felt much refreshed and strength- ened after his mea], and prepared for any emergency that might arise, His only anxiety was to communicate with his partner and he managed to secure a piece of deerskin on which he marked with a piece of charred wood: ‘Stay here, X days,” and threw to one side without being observed. If Si found it he would obey the injunction and remain at least that long awaiting Nick’s return and then would take means to relieve him, so Nick, relieved in mind and body and at- tached by tue wrists to two guards, was soon in a sound and peaceful sleep, CHAPTER X, RUNNING THE GANTLET THE morning broke clear as a maiden’s tear, and not a breath of air was stirring; the smoke from the Indian fires pee straight toward the blue vault above, while was bustle and con- fusion in the camp, as preparations for depar.: ture were hurriedly pushed forward, the pees naturally, doing all the work, while the bucks gorged themselves with the proceeds of the pre- ceding day’s hunt, When all was ready, the Indians who had charge of Neck-Tie Nick mounted him upon @
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18 Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. wiry mustang, tying his feet underneath witha jiece of lariat, while his hands were loosely und together. To prevent any possibility of escape, a thong of buckskin was fastened to the pony’s muzzle, the ends of which were held by a mounted guard riding on either side of bim, A g night’s rest had completely restored the young trapper, and excepting a slight pain in bis head where the blow of the tomahawk had felled him, he felt as well as ever, and ready to take advantage of the slightest circumstance which might offer, although at present, there did not seem to be the slightest prospect of escape, The entire body was soon in motion, and struck rapidly north in the direction of the main encampment, which, judging from remarks in- terchanged by his guides, Nick imagined to be about a day’s ride distant. With the exception of a short halt made at noon to allow the mustangs to graze and rest for a time, no stop was made until evening, when scouts were sent in advance, the main body remaining quiet until their return, Soon they came back with the information that all was well, and the cavalcade moved on, reaching the temporary village soon after dark, and riding in amidst a perfect Babel of sound, in which the yells of the warriors, the screams of the squaws, the cries of the children, the yelping of dogs, and the whinnying of horses all mingled and strove for the mastery. The scouts had conveyed the intelligence of Nick’s capture to the village, and all was joy and exultation over the capture of their enemy, whom they so much feared and hated; for he had been the scourge of the red-men ever since he had first taken up his abode on the plains and waged relentless war against the tribe that had destroyed his home and murdered his parents, The savage nature was more = aroused when the pony beariag the corpse of Nick’s last victim was led into the village. Two lodgo- poles, the smaller ends trailing on the ground, the larger ones being fastened on each side of a pony, had served for a bier, the body being in in a blanket, and secured between the poles behind the wea The dead man had been prominent in his tribe for his savage cruelty as well as for his cunning, and was a great loss, having been the strategist as well as the leader in many of the Indian raids against other tribes. And so when his death was made known the rage was fearful, and only more intensified by the sight of his body. His family, more than all the rest of the tribe, were aroused to a pitch of ferocity that was demoniac in its fierceness, and the insults that they showered upon Nick were calcuJated to drive him to desperation, had he not steeled himself to bear them, The prisoner was, however, protected to some extent, by his captors, who Sa gare any serious injury befalling him, and was soon safe- ly ensconced in a lodge situated near the middle of the village, when, bound hand and foot with thongs which cut deeply into the flesh, he was thrown like a log to pass the night, while a chosen guard watched him closely, so noted was his prowess, so famed was he for actions of skill of strength, The next day the council was held in the great lodge, and here the chiefs assembled to deliberate on the fate of the captive and to de- cide upon the manner of his death; for that any other punishment could be inflicted was out of the question—death, and death alone, could atone for the many victims he had snatched from the ranks of the Yanktonnais Sioux. The council was a full one and the delibera- tions long and ample, the conclusions being— torture and death at the stake, Nick heard the result announced with that coolness which he had preserved throughout the proceedings, yet there was a deep-seated anxiety in his heart, which, while not apparevt on the surface, was none the less felt, for he saw not one ray of hope to give him courage to face the coming, ordeal, He realized that, as the torture was to com- mence on the following morning at sunrise, he had less than twenty-four hours in which to plan, mature and put into execution any scheme for escape, and that when he was returned to his prison, the watch would be doubled and not the slightest loop-hole afforded for avoiding his terrible fate. He noticed, with a mingled feeling of joy and pain, as he was led from the Medicine Lodge to his quarters, that his horse was staked among the Indian herd, and, whistling as he passed, was glad to see the intelligent brute raise his head and recognize him with a whinny of recog- nition, as it tried to break away from the lariat-pin and reach him, Again he was thrown into his prison and left to his own reflections, while a cordon of sen- tries surrounded the tepee, and rendered flight impossible, even had he been free from the bonds which galled and cut his flesh at wrist and ankles, Thus the greater part of the day passed, re- lieved from its unbearable monotony only by the entrance of one of his guards bearing a bowl of water, and a dish of stew that might have been dog for all that he knew to the contrary, yet of which he partook with a relish, so strongly does Nature assert herself among the most unusual surroundings. About foar o'clock in the afternoon, Nick, who: had fallen into a troubled doze, was awakened by an unusual excitement and clamor in the vil- lage, and although he did not imagine that he was immediately concerned, yet he was some- what interested in what might be going on, so called one of his guards, who was standing in the opening that served as a door, and asked him the: cause of the tumult, He soon learned that he was somewhat inter- ested in the occurrences that were taking F iwg outside, for the guard, in no spirit, of kindness, informed him that the squaw of ‘Cloud that Sails,” as the Indian he had lassoed just before his capture was called, had demanded that, pre- vious to the torture, the white prisoner be given up to her and her friends, that they might wreak a little preliminary vengeance, and to this re- quest the chiefs had acceded. The old hag had therefore called together her family, relatives and friends, the whole num- ber comprising nearly the whole village, and announced to them that, as the prisoner had. pare os
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. 19 been released to her fora short time, she pro- posed that he should be made to run the gantlet, a proposition which was hailed with acclama- tion cn all sides, while each and every one of her listeners hurried away to arm themselves with whatever instrument they could find, provided it was something that would not inflict a mortal wound, F The sun was about an hour high, when Nick was led out to undergo this species of savage cruelty, which sometimes leads to the victim’s death if he be not agile, swift, strong and deter- mined, At a glance he saw the ordeal which he must undergo, A long lave had been formed, the walls of which were squaws, young bucks who had not yet attained the dignity of warriors, young girls and boys and a swarm of children; all armed with every instrument of punishment that could be devised or which the instinct of cruelty could invent, Some had partially blunted arrows with which to prod the runner as he passed; others had bows with which cruel blows could be in- flicted; others again had pieces of wood which, though not very heavy, could inflict a severe bruise, while others held thongs of rawhide, weighted at the end with small pebbles and with pieces of sharpened flint plaited in, Scationed about the middle of the lines were the squaw and immediate family of the dead man, while at the further end, and scattered along the outside of the human lane were the bucks of the tribe, ready to prevent any at- tempt on the part of the prisoner to escape, Nick stood and surveyed all of these prepara- tions witha smile of contempt, while his ap- pearance was the signal for a storm of cries and yells allalong the line, while the participants shouted to the guards to loosen their prey, a young urchin stealing up behind and inserting a thorn into the calf of the trapper’s leg a good half-inch, without causing him to wince, His bonds cast off, Neck-Tie was stripped to the waist, and left fora moment to chafe his wrists aud ankles that the blood might flow more freely and enable him to use his limbs to better advantage, He stood thus for a moment, studying the situation, The course he must follow led up the side of a gently-sloping hill, and once at the top of the declivity, he would be safe from any further attacks by those composing the gant- let, and this he hoped to reach with only a few cuts and bruises, At one side, near the brow cf the hill, the In- dian mustangs were feeding, and with a thrill of joy he saw his own steed standing almost alone and loosely tethered, Far down the line he could distinguish the malignant countenance of the old squaw, and gleaming in her hand he perceived, balf hidden in the folds of her blanket, the glistening blade of a tomuhawk. Tbe old squaw meant, should he reach her post without being tripped up and half beaten to death, to inflict a death-blow upon him as he ssed, and thus avenge the death of her bus- and, Nick’s mind, after this discovery, was quickly made up. He stooped and rub his ankles vigorously for a few moments, straightened up, and glancing far over the hill, gave utterance toa loud yell of astonishment, and pointed in the direction in which he was gazing. Every eye followed the direction of his finger, and taking advantage of the diversion thus af- forded in his favor, Neck-Tie bounded up the lane with the velocity of an arrow, and had traversed fully one-third of the distance he had to run before the participants in the ‘ sport” had recovered from their surprise. His ruse had so far succeeded that he had es- caped all danger from those who formed the first portion of the line, and loud were their cries of vexation and rage as they found theimselves cheated of their prey, while the older warriors outside the line shook their sides in stolid amuse- ment at their discomfiture. But Ned was not yet out of the toils, Blows were hailed on him from every side; feet were put out to trip him up and thongs of buckskin were stretched from one side of the lane to the other to throw him down. Cruel wounds were inflicted by the blunted arrows, and raining down on his head was a shower of blows from clubs and blows that dazed and confused him, yet be kept on, straight as a plumb-line, in the direction of the goal, Streaming with blood from numerous wounds, dripping with perspiration at every pore, Nick stumbled, staggered and nearly fell as a severer blow than usual fell ae his unprotected head, but recovering himself, he rallied, turned, grasp- ed the club from the youth who held it, and thus partially armed, darted on his wate But now the greatest danger of his course con- fronted him, for he reached the spot where were gatbered the immediate family of his last vic- tim, and they were blind with rage and thirst- ing, ri only can thirst the savage, for his heart’s ood, Nick realized that the moment of defeat or victory bad now arrived, and, bracing himself, with a mighty effort he sprung forward with re- newed strength and rapidly approached the squaw who held aloft the gleaming hatchet. Quick as he was, she dealt him a blow on the left shoulder that cut through skin, flesh and muscle and caused the crimson fluid to gush forth in a blinding stream, yet even this did not stop the indomitable trapper, for, drawing a deep breath, he uttered a shrill whistle which echoed far and wide and reached the ears of the intelligent animal for which it was intended, Then pausing and half-turning, with a super- human effort and mighty bound he cleared the heads of those surrounding him and stood freed from the howling crowd, while confront- ing him was a single stalwart savage, who alone barred his path, the rest of the braves heing at the end of tbe line, where they could better see the “ finish.” Raising his club on high Nick brought it down on the head of the burly Indian, his skull crush- ing beneath the blow asif it had been an egg- shell, when, bounding over his prostrate body, Nick sped on to where his willing steed, having torn the picket-pin from the turf, was galloping to meet him. A word, a caress, and he was on the animal’s back, and with no saddle, no bridle, tearing over the prairie ata rate of speed which bade
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AOE PE Se I i i | Wt , | iH Hy J -—=a= — SS a — poz ae Sa 20 Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. fair to soon carry him far from the Indian vil- lage antl away beyond the reach of the wolf- like savages who had already mounted and were swiftly giving chase to their escaped pris- oner, The night air revived Nick, and, with words of encouragement to his bonny black steed, he sped on through the gathering shades of the night to the spot which had so often sheltered him before, CHAPTER XI. THE MASSACRE, On through the rapidly-disappearing twilight; on over the wide-spreading prairie; on, with rattlesnakes gliding swiftly out of his pathway, while coyotes howled on either side and gaunt forms of gray wolves scampered off into the dis- tance, and the miles fled behind the Missouri mare and her rider as the hours slipped by and the free air blew fresh in their faces, Keeping the North Star well over bis right shoulder, the young trapper pursued his course as unerringly as does the sailor on trackless seas with the aid of his unfailing friend, the com- pass, and soon the landmarks that were familiar to him drew in sight, and Nick knew that an- otber sun would see him close to his home, A slight breeze, blowing from the northeast, had arisen by the time the Great Dipper had made half the circuit of its orbit, and, borne up- on its wings, Nick heard the thundering of the un- shod hoofs of the pursuing mustangs; the foe was still on the trail and would pursue him to the bitter end, Swerving now to the right, now to the left, the brave black steed avoided with an instinct that seemed almost human the various pitfalls in the shape Ll eh apes: J holes, that ever and anon obstruc her course, while the small owls which inhabit these domiciles in common with their diggers and the rattlesnake, flapped their wings in the young trapper’s face as he sped over the plain, and seemed almost like ghostly visitants of the night. Tho way now led over more broken ground and here the gallant animal that had saved Nick’s lite was forced to relax her speed and pick her way more cautiously as the night infolded the earth still more closely in its shadowy pinions, for a false step or an untrue hoof would result in seri- ous injury either to horse or rider, The wind blew steadily; the coyotes shrieked out their almost human laughter; the sound of the pursuing hoofs grew fainter and fainter un- til it was lost altogether in the distance; the night grew darker and darker as the long grasses waved a mystic welcome to horse and rider as they swept by, until], at length worn out by loss of blood and nervous tension, the young trapper lost consciousness, and clutching at the mane of his faithful steed, fell beavily to the earth and there, seemingly deserted by God and man, lay prone and senseless, while his tired horse stood, with drooping head, close by, and waited for some word of command from its master, lifeless at her feet, ‘Scouts report Indian signs in the neighbor- hood, sir,” said Sergeant Watson to the lieuten- ant commanding a detachment of the —th cay- alry, which was out on a scout from Fort Doug- las, ‘* What are your orders for the day?” “Detail a squad of not less than ten men to proceed north, at once, sergeant, and reconnoi- ter in the vicinity of the Forks. Let the rest of the company remain as at present and await their return, From what I can learn the Indians are present in force, and we must return tothe fort for reinforcements.” The day broke quietly and the first rays of the rising sun, striking ull in Nick’s face, roused him from the deathlike sleep into which he had fallen, and raising himself on one elbow he glanced around and endeavored to collect his scattered senses. Like a flash the recollection of the preceding day came back to him, the occurrences of that awful time being the more vividly recalled to him by the sight of Black Bess grazing quietly near, she having rested and drank deep from a water-hole in the near vicinity. Rising he staggered to the water, drank a deep draught, washed himself and bathed his wounds, and though stiff and sore, felt much relieved from the deathly faintness of the pre- ceding night, and able at a moderate gait, to proceed onward toward his destination some ten miles distant. Whistling to Bess he therefore mounted with difficulty and proceeded in the direction of the dug-out where he hoped that Old Si would still be awaiting hiro and where food and rest would give him new strength and vitality. He was not, however, forgetful of the _ bilities, and after riding a mile or more left his horse in a narrow ravine and cautiously mount- ed a solitary butte near by to scan the surround- ing country and verify his fears, if such were to be the result, or abolish them altogether, hoping that the former was to be the case, ‘Rias! his hopes were born only to be frus- trated, for not two miles distant proceeding at a leisurely pace, but following his trail with un- swerving accuracy, came the band of Indian pursuers who had well-nigh ridden him to his death the night before. They, doubtless thinking that in his exhausted condition he would be unable to continue his desperate ride, and believing that it was only a question of time when he would once more fall into their hands, a prey to weakness and to hunger, were leisurely following his trail, rest- ing their ponies, and ready to give chase at a moment’s notice to the bitter end. Seeing that should he ride on a few mo- ments would bring him in full sight of the band and realizing how weak and unprotected he was, Nick’s courage, for a moment, nearly for- sook him, but only for a moment, his indomitable nature asserting itself on the instant. Descending hastily to the ravine where he had left his horse, and removing the lariat which still encircled her neck, and which, with much pleasure he recognized as being his own, he pointed south, slapped the mare on the haunches and, ina tone of voice which she well under- , said * Go!”
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. 21 The intelligent creature regarded him wistfully for a moment or two, as though desirous of re- maining and sharing his perils, and then with a shake of her head gave a gentle neigh and _trot- ins toward the south, not to stop until she had reached the haunted cabin, and leaving a broad and well-defined trail bebind her, Nick then remounted the butte and lying prone upon the turf, watched the advance of the sav- age band, little knowing that he was to be the sole spectator of a drama which only too often reddened the pages of history in the earlier days of frontier warfare, The Indians rode slowly on, keeping their mus- tangs at a moderate trot, following the trail which lay clearly defined before them, and soon reached the spot over which Nick was lying, he not daring to project bis head, but listening with all his ears to catch whatever might be said re- lating to him. For a moment the band was at fault and one or two of the warriors dismounted to examine the trail, but soon discovering that the horse had Pp ed in a southerly direction they remount- ed and were about to follow, when a loud “Ugh!” from one of their number caused them to halt, y Nick’s heart, for a moment stood still. He thought he was discovered and gave himself up for lost. But it was not bis presence that had attracted the attention of the savages, for they hastily withdrew into the shelter of the ravine tbat cut into the valley below the butte on which Nick lay ree dismounted and hoppled their ponies care- ully. Ata rough estimate Nick judged that there must be in the neighborbood of a hundred of them, and he was nearly tempted by his curiosity to look over the edge of the butte, even at the risk of discovery, to try and learn what had dis- tracted the attention of tha savages from the trail which they had been following so eagerly, but he dared not. High up as he was, however, he commanded an extensive view of the plain surrounding him, and without rising to his feet could see for a long distance in all directions, and soon the mystery was solved, for, riding carelessly along up the valley, came a little band of soldiers, their arms and accouterments glistening in the sun, while they chatted and laughed with each other, utterly oblivious of any impending dan- ger. Ned would have given much to have been able to warn them, but he was powerless, for the slightest move on his part would only serve to betray him, without in any way aiding those whom he desired to warn, so that he was com- pelled to lie dormant, while the soldiers rode straight on into the jaws of death, The savages, having disposed of their horses, and having left a few of their number to keep guard over them, to prevent their straying into the valley and thus betraying them, slipped out into the valley like so many sbadows, and en- ited the tall grass, which completely concealed em, In single file they marched, or rather crept along, until the foremost one reached a point a hundred yards or so from the place of depart- ure, and here they halted, the line thus extend- ing along the path which the soldiers must fol- low, and being only a few yards from it. All unsuspecting, the squad, under command of the sergeant who had reported the presence of Indians to his lieutenant, rode along, think- ing that the alarm must have been false, and that there were no Indiansin the country except those which existed in the imagination, when suddenly one of the foremost Terese stopped short, throwing up his head and snorting with affright at some unknown danger. The soldiers halted and threw their guns to a ready, but it was too late. With a yell that was calculated to chill the blood in the stoutest heart, the horde of savages arose and poured such a flight of arrows into the little band of gray-coats as rook darkened the sun, the two ends of the dusky line closing in to the bank and er tctan Be crescent which completely hemmed in the soldiers. The first flight of arrows had killed four of the men outright, and grievously wounded the others; but the survivors, back to back, and hugging the bank, fought with the desperation of a forlorn hope, more than one of the Indians falling beneath their shots, while several, with more courage than discretion, who bad advanced within reach of the heavy sabers, lay biting ues dust, cleft with clean blows from crown to chin, They fought more like gods than men, but skill and courage could avail nothing against such numbers, and, one by one, they dropped from their saddles, and fell dying or dead to the ground, until of the little band which had ridden so carelessly and so gayly into the valley, but one was left, and be the leader, He still fought on with the desperation of de- spair, and at last, seeing that the last of his com- rades had fallen, he wheeled his horse, charged where the savages were gathered the thickest, and describing a terrible moulinet with his sword, hewed and cut and slashed his way through the crowd, and sped away over the plain, followed by a thousand arrows, none of which, however, struck a vital part, he seeming to bear a charmed life, Nick, who had been a breathless onlooker dur- ing the entire combat, the savages being too in- tent upon their bloody work to notice him. drew a long breath as he noticed the successful charge of the sergeant and its result, but the next moment a cry rose to his lips, which he barely suppressed in time to avoid betraying himself. The horse ridden by the soldier, a magnificent bay charger, was evidently not prairie wise, for he had not run a hundred yards before he put his fore-foot in a burrow of some sort, and toppled over, throwing his rider, balf-stunned, to the ground, and turning nearly a complete somerset, . In a moment the savage horde was upon him, but before they reached him he was on his feet and stood at bay, bis terrible saber in his terrible right hand, his eyes flashing defiance, and his teeth set in grim determination. The savage respects courage, and the Indians gazed at him in admiration, but only for a mo- ment, and then they rushed upon him, the fore-
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. most paying for their temerity by falling to the ground with either a severe thrust or cut on some portion of their bodies, while the soldier stood his ground like a rock. His revolver was empty, and he had nothing but his sword to depend on, and right bravely did he wage the fight until an act of cowardice and treachery ended the combat and his life to- gether. The voice of the chief was heard, loud above the noise of the fray, and falling back in obe- dience to his words, the warriors in front of the soldier gave way, until an open space was left, behind which stood the chief, with arrow fitted to his bow, which he raised and aimed at the breast of the soldier, The latter saw the action, and knew that his hour had come, but regarded the chief with a cruel smile of sarcasm, implying that a hand- to-hand fight would give him victory, and that the chief knowing this, had to resort to assassi- nation to win the battle, So for a moment they stood, glaring at each other, the chief, however, being unable to keep his eye fixed in that of the other, for the sneer- ing gaze was too much even for his savage stolidness, and then the bow-string twanged, the arrow flew straight to its. mark, and the brave soldier fell dead to the ground; a hero he ae? a hero he had fought, and a hero he had A yell arose from the throng at the death of their last foe on the field, and then the work of mutilation commenced, scenes ensuing that made Nick sick at heart, and caused his blood to boil as he witnessed the indignities to which the dead bodies were subjected. The bodies of the nine soldiers were hewed and hacked, and cut and mutilated in every conceivable manner, so that at last they lay, scalped and completely unrecognizable; but the body and scalp of the sergeant were left un- touched, for his brave defense had won the ad- miration of the Indians, and they r ted his body dead as much as they had wondered at his courage living. The work of mutilation was finished; quiet settled down over the scene of the late carnage; the savages, satiated for the noace with blood, mounted their horses and once more picked up Nick’s trail, rode Soya south to make up for the time lost in the massacre, and left Nick alone with the dead. The young trapper, as soon as they were at a safe distance, descended the sides of the butte and stood, looking around in horror at the bodies scattered around, the only living thing in sight. CHAPTER XII, BESIEGED BY FIRE, For a few moments Nick stood alone on the plain, overcome with the horror of his surround- ings. Ordinarily he would not have been thus affected, but in his present weak state his nerves ware all unstrung and he was not himself at Asthe sun rose higher and smote him with increasing fierceness, he realized that he was naked to the waist, for so great had been the strain upon his system during the past forty- eight hours that he was entirely unconscious of his physical condition, and thought only of the predicament he was in, With a feeling as if he were robbing the dead he approached tbe body of the sergeant as it lay where he had fallen, and was about to re- move the loose jacket he had worn, when the sound of galloping hoofs startled him and be rose hurriedly and looked around, and saw that ariderless horse was coming toward him at a rapid rate of speed, stopping now and then to throw his head high in the air as he looked around and to utter a shrill neigh, It was the horse the sergeant had ridden, which had recovered from its fall and was now galloping about, looking for its companions, all of which had been driven off by the Indians, some of whom had mounted them in preference to their own steeds, The horse came up to within a few feet of Nick and then stopped, snuffing the air suspi- ciously at the sight of a stranger and was evi- dently about to seek in another direction when Nick’s lariat, skillfully tossed over his head brought bim to a standstill. Nick held bim fast, ana after a few plunges in a@ vain endeavor to escape, he became quiet, when his captor approached and examined the saddle, where he was rejoived to find a buckskin shirt tied to the cantle by the thongs usually pisces there, and a small canteen containing randy, a cup of which did him an immense amount of good. Throwing the bridle-rein of the horse over his arm, after donning the shirt which he had found, Nick, preparatory to taking up his jour- rt toward the dug-out, began a survey of the field, and was surprised to find, lying in the tall , the dead body of an Indian, who bad Seottverogtad by bis comrades in the hurry of departure, and lying by his side the rifle which . the young trapper had been armed with when captured, while in a pouch hung over his shoul- der was a quantity of jerked beef. After a hearty meal, Nick mounted his horse and with a sigh of regret that bis weakness an the want of proper appliances would not allow of his administering the rites of sepulture to the dead soldiers, the sergeant of whom he re- cognized as having met at the fort, he rode slowly down the valley in the direction of the dug-out, keeping a seary. onto lest he might fall in with a straggler from the band of Indians who had preceded him down the valley. Nothing of note occurred during the first hour of his ride, and the deathlike stillness that brooded over the valley was unbroken by a single sound, save the beating of his horse’s hoofs upon the green sward as he moved on ata swinging trot, Perhaps balf of the distance to the dug-out had been traversed, and Nick’s spirits were beginning to rise as he approached destina- tion, when his attention was attracted by a small prairie owl, which suddenly arose from the aous a little distance ahead of him, and off to the left. On the plains the slightest circumstance, tri- vial as it may appear to one not versed in the
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. 23 ways of the prairie, is of greater or less impor- tance, and from every effect some cause may be traced, and so it was in the present instance, So, hurriedly stopping his horse, Nick leaned forward in his saddle, and listened eagerly for some sign, while his eyes glanced hither and thither in anxious quest of the suspicious object which his mind had already conjured up. It was not long until bis ear caught a faint rustling sound, and his quick eye detected the slight waving of the grass on the banks of the stream a hundred yards to the left and twice that distance in front of him, and he cocked his rifle, and sat with finger on trigger awaiting a better view of the moving object. Could it be Old Si, working slowly up-stream, or was it an Indian straggler who was endeavor- ing to secure a beaver from the dam which those industrious creatures had built just below that spot? Nick was in doubt, or he would have sent a bullet crashing into the grass where hoe saw the movement, and solved the mystery then and there, A moment more and all doubt was at rest, for overtopping the grass by a few inches, he saw the tips of the eagle-plume head-dress worn by bucks when in full war-dress, and, a little later, the Indian rose to full hight, exposing his head and shoulders above the herbage, as he looked over toward the water in his endeavor to catch sight of a beaver and to shoot it that he might make e, juicy meal out of its tail. Nick’s rifle leaped to his shoulder, and the sight fell on the excellent mark afforded by the broad, bare shoulders of the Indian, yet the trigger was not pulled, If there were any others of the band lurking in the viciuitv, the report would surely attract their attention and bring them down upon him instantly; the lasso was quieter and just as effective, so, rity bis rifle under his left leg, Nick uncoiled his lariat and rode down at full speed upon the unsuspecting sav- age. The Indian remained looking for his prey for a moment, and then, as he heard the crashing of the horse through the grass, turned, saw Nick advancing at full speed, drew his arrow to the head, and hastily let fly a chance shot which flew wide of the mark, and then striking south, he ran, as only an Indian can run, at a long, swing- ing lope, in the direction of the dug-out, Nick following at full gallop, with lasso circling in the air. The Indian had evidently recognized his pur- suer and the terrible instrument he wielded, for instead of running in a straight line he followed a zigzag course, which offered anything but a fair mark to the lasso, Again and again Nick was about to launch his noose, but withheld his hand as the runner doubled and turned and twisted from left to right and from right to left, making it impossi- ble to throw with accuracy. And so the chase continued, Nick making one or two vain endeavcrs to catch the wily savage, but without success, until at length the dug-out came in sight a half-mile away, while a mile be- low it Nick saw the entire band of Indians which had pursued him the night before, and who, having followed his trail to the ravine where was situated the haunted cabin, and not daring to go further on account of their superstition, were sullenly retracing their steps up the valley. All reasons for concealment were uow done away with, so Nick, coiling =e his lariat, hung it u to the horn of the saddle, unslung his rifle, took a quick aim at the fleeing savage and fired. s when running swiftly a shot rabbit turns innumerable somersets, so it was with the In- dian, who, running ati full oped as he was, and shot through the heart, fell head over heels and was trampled under the feet of Nick’s horse be- fore he lay quiet, so close to him had been the young trapper at that moment. of the chase, Not pausing for a moment, Neck-Tie swept on unt lhe arrived below the dug-out where Old Si, whose notice had been attracted by the shot, stood waiting, reined in bis borse just beneath the door, threw up his rifle, and then pat on the saddle and reaching out bis hands to 8) was drawn inside the dug-out, just as the band of Indians came thundering up and sent a shower of arrows after him, which rattled barm- lessly against the buffalo-hide curtain that served as a door. A hearty grasp of the hand was the only greeting between the friends, and not a word was interchanged, for it was no time for senti- mentalities, the presence of the savages forbid- ding anything of that kind, and each man leap- ed to his loop-hole and the two rifles spoke to- gether, while two riderless horses galloping wildly about showed how true had been their aim, The warning was sufficient for the Indians, and they quickly scattered to the right and left out of range of the deadly weapons of the two hunters, who having, for the time being at least, repulsed their enemies, had time for a little conversation, during which Nick related his adventures to Old Si, and the latter re- lated the fact of his having found the piece of deer-hide on which Nick had written his mes- sage, The old hunter, well versed in a rude sort of surgery, washed and greased Nick’s wounds, the only really serious one being the cut in the shoulder inflicted by the old squaw, it having grown sore and inflamed, rendering the arm stiff and nearly useless, but promising to heal up in a day or so and leave the patient as well as ever. After his wounds had been thoroughly attend- ed to, Nick, at the old trapper’s earnest s>licita- tion, laid down to take some much-needed rest, and when he awoke it was long after dark, and the stars were shining brightly in the heavens, while the dim figure of Old Si was barely dis- cernible as he stood like a statue at one of the loop-holes keeping a vigilant watch. ed chided him for not having awakened him sooner, but was assured that there had been no need, as there had not been the slightest suspi- cious sign which would necessitate his presence, or he would have been called. : Ned then took up his watch, while Si rested, and as he stood at the loop-hole his attention was attracted by a curious rustling sound just underneath the dug-out, the meaning of which he could not fathom, but which continued at in- tervals for balf an hour or more, when he, fully persuaded that something was wrong, went to ee
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24 Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. ee eo eS i et ee ee the door, and cautiously swinging the curtain out a few inches, looked down below. The night was a very dark one, the only light being from the stars, and the shadow from the bluff made everything on the ground close to it doubly indistinct, yet he could perceive that something was going on below, yet just what if was he was unable to discover, He was just about to arouse Old Si, when a bright light shot upright underneath bim, and a volume of choking smoke rolled up into his face, for the moment nearly strangling him, and bringing on such a fit of coughing that the noise aroused the old trapper in an instant, and he anxiously inquired what was the matter, Nick had let the buffalo-hide curtain fall in- stantly, but the short time it had been open had sufficed to admit a quantity of smoke, which half-filled the dug-out, and rendered the matter of breathing one of some difficulty, and as the fire burned more fiercely the smoke became den- ser and denser, until the inmates of the minia- ture fortress were in imminent danger of suffo- cation. The Indians had piled a huge quantity of dry grass up against the bank, directly underneat: the dug-out, and, after dampening it slightly, had ignited it, hoping to either drive the occu- pants out, or smother them like rats in a hole, and it seemed at first as if the trick were going to have either one result or the other. But the trappers were quick to act, and has- tily stuffing pieces of furs into the loop-holes, they drew the hide-door close in against the dirt sides and lintel, secured it with a thong, and then, enveloping their heads in blankets, leaving only a breathing-place, took up their position at the lookout holes which ran obliquely north and south, and of the existence of which the Indians were not aware, and thus noe enabled to breathe with comparative com- ort. The fire was kept up for several hours, and the heat in the dug-out became almost unbeara- ble, while the hide that hung in the doorway was shriveled and parched and shrunken so that it gave free ingress to the heat and smoke, al- though it still hung in its place and kept out the flames. Finally the Indians desisted from adding fur- ther fuel to the fire, believing, no doubt, that the oe dpe were either suffocated or scorched to death, and as a slight breeze sprung up with the morning sun, the interior soon cooled, and the smoke made its egress through the openings ae when the furs were removed from the loop- oles, This was the most severe attack that the dug- out had yet sustained, and it was doubtful if it could resist another one like it; for should the door give way completely there weuld be noth- ing to keep out the smoke and flame, and the place would be no longer habitable, The question was a serious one, and Nick and Old Si consulted anxiously and ia low tones what had best be done under the circumstances, The valley was teeming with Indians, and any ‘move made in daylight meant certain death, while even if they awaited the approach of night, they were liable at any moment to stum- ble over some prowling red-skin, Besides, with nightfall would not the Indians recommence their aggressive policy of the pre- ceding night, and in that case would not the firelight preclude all possibility of escape?” All of these questions were balanced and weighed by the trappers while they ate their mmercing meal and washed it down with hasty gulps of smoky water. CHAPTER XIII. WHITE VS, INDIAN CUNNING, Tux trappers preserved a perfect silence dur- ing the day, hoping that the Indians might be induced to venture into sight, and that they might be able to get ina telling shot or two, but the red-skins were cautious and kept well un- der cover, although through the lovkout holes they could be seen gathering huge quantities of dried grass from along the banks of the stream, and carrying it to a point near the dug-out for use that nigat. All of this the two besieged were powerless to prevent, and they watched the preparations with anxious forebodings as to what the night would bring forth, for think as per, would, nota single chance of escape offered itself, and it seemed as if they must either bo suffocated where they were, or else, leaping through the flames, die on the knives or from the piercing arrows of their enemies. Again and again they consulted, but both were compelled to acknowledge that they were at their wits’ ends, and that unless something un- foreseen happened, their deaths were only a question of a few hours. They agreed to one thing, however, and that was that they would not die like rats in a hole, but if the worst came to the worst, would to- gether leap among their enemies, and, fighting side by side, sell their lives as dearly as they could, vowing that their road to the other world should be marked by a trail of blood which would bring mourning to many an Indian wig- wam, The day wore on, and the inmates of the dug~ out sat listlessly about or strolled to the loop- holes to see if any opportunity for a chance shot offered, both being too nervous to sleep and only wishing that the time for action would arrive, as this waiting seemed interminable, Toward four o’clock, Si was munching a piece of jerked beef and pretending that he was Sieg ing it, while Ned was lying on a buffalo-robe ip the corner, smoking and looking up at the ceil- ing, knitting his brows and thinking hard enough to give him the headache. Heretofore his had been the guiding mind in all their schemes and projects, and of all the difficulties they had en- countered, this was the first he had found insur- mountable. He thought of the fort, of his friends there, his sister, of her whom he one day— Ha! as though he had received an electric shock, he bounded to his feet, and slapping the old man on the shoulder, executed a silent war-dance, and only wished he could give vent to his feelings in a whoopof sheer delight. He had solved the difficulty,
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Colorado Nick, the Lassoist, 25 As soon as Old Si could dislodge from his windpipe the piece of jerked meat which had been forced there by the tremendous slap he had received, he gazed at Nick in open-mouthed astonishment, and then resumed his forme occupation, remarking inan undertone; “ Cra by eat re ick paid no attention to the sarcastic utter- ance of the old man, but, moving the water- cask to the center of the dug-out, laid a short pics of board across it, and, mounting thereon, egam removing the planks that formed the ceiling, proceeding cautiously, and with as little noise as possible, until he had detached a half- dozen of the boards in the middle, leaving bare the earth above. Si began to grow interested but said nothing, neither was a word vouchsafed him by the young trapper, who proceeded quietly yet ex- peditiously with his work. Having laid bare a sufficient space of the ceil- ing, he descended from his perch, and going to one corner of the dug-out, began to turn over and remove a miscellaneous pile of skins that was thrown helter-skelter to one side, and soon unearthed the tools that had been used in com- ploting the structure, consisting of a couple of natchets, a pick-ax, spade and one or two other common tools, Armed with one of the hatchets, he returned to the board on the barrel and with the sharp edge began ousting: into the dirt overhead, bringing the earth down in clods and raising a tremendous cloud of dust which set them both to sneezing, while 81, still preserving an un- broken silence, grasped his rifle and alternated between the loop and observation holes, re- doubling his vigilance as his companion toiled away at the soil overhead. The work was slow and tedious, the soil being hard and the dust necessitating frequent stop- pages, and in a half-hour Nick was compelled to descend and give his place to Old Si, having in the mean time, excavated a hole to a consider- able depth in the ceiling of the apartment, if such it may be called. Nick’s plan was to dig a way out overhead in- asmuch as it seemed impossible to escape by the natural exit, and his partner readily saw that this was the only means left them to avoid the ordeal of fire being prepared for them as the sun went down. Alternating with each other they succeeded beyond their most sanguine expectations, and as dusk came on, a blow of the hatchet struck more than usually hard by Nick, was followed, as he withdrew the blade, by a speck of light and he knew that the surface was reached and that it was only a matter of a few minutes to open a ge sufficiently large to enable them to crawl through, and so desisted until darknass should settle down and obscure their move- ments, 4 3 The only fear was that the Indians might have posted guards on the plain above, but this they hardly thought probable, as the savage mind can contain but one thought at a time os they were fully occupied with their bon- re, As the twilight disappeared, the rustling of the dry grass owas plainly audible as the In- dians, hugging the cliff, placed the bundles un- der the door, and the trappers quickly enlarged the opening to a sufficient size, and just as the torch was applied, crawled through, up out of the stifling atmosphere of the dug-ovt onto the prairie above and into the pure air of heaven, ebuckling to themselves and laughing in their sleeves at the manner in which they had out- witted their foes, Nick had so gauged the distance of the open- ing from the front of the dug-out that they reacbed the plain just behind the water-mark, and there lying flat they looked anxiously around for any one who might be in sight, but nothing was visible and they were about to rise and move on when Nick’s hand was laid on Old Si’s shoulder and he was pulled violently back to the ground without speaking a word. Laying hisfinger on his a Nick motioned to his comrade to listen, when the latter be- came aware of a deep, stertorous breathing somewhere in the vicinity, finally locating it on the side of the water-mark opposite to the one by which they were lying. Leaving his partner lying there perplexed and wondering what all this might mean, Nick sinking flat on his stomach and worming his way over the grass like a snake, stole around the pile of stones, and projecting his head cau- tiously around, solved the mystery of the snor- ing in a twinkling, for doubled up on the turf lay an Indian iu the soundest slumber, an odor of sutler whisky and a canteen lying by his side, that had been captured from the soldiers the day before, explaining the reason of his non- watcbfulness, Nick could searce refrain from laughter at this example of the influences of civilization upon the noble red-man, but returned to Old Si and explained matters to him entirely to his satisfaction, The sentry had proven remiss, and, having found the canteen full of fire-water, had taken advantage of the first time be was alone todrink up the entire contents, and being totally unused to the fluid, had succumbed to it at once, leay- ing his post unguarded, and the trappers free to escape under his very nose, As the Indians had desired to give them a baptism of fire, so they determined that one at least: of the savages should undergo the same ordeal, and dropping back into the dug-out, now nearly full of smoke, Nick secured, with some difficulty, a tanned deerskin, which was ren! up at one side to be cut up and used as needed, for bridle-reins, etc, . Returning to the surface, he quickly cut the skin into several strips, one being about four inches wide and tapering toward the ends, to be used as a gag, and then he and Old Si walked boldly around the pile of stones, clapped the gag over the sleeper’s mouth, and tied the ends firm- ly behind his head, bound his bands and feet rmly with the buckskin thongs, little caring whether or no they cut into the flesh, and then rolled him like a log of wood toward the edge of the bluff, where the flames from the tremendous ile of hay beneath were leaping high over- ead, The Indian remained all this time totally un- conscious, and did not make the slightest resis-
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tance, so completely was he under the influence of the fiery liquor that he had poured down his throat like water, Returning and getting their guns, the two trappers came back to the Indian, rolled him a little nearer the edge, and then, with a simulta- neous push, sent him headlong into the fiery gulf beneath, A tremendous cloud of sparks sprung into the air as the body struck the incandescent mass beneath, and a mighty shout arose from the Indians, for they thought that one of the trappers must have chosen instant death to slow suffocation, and leaped into the sea of flame in order to end his misery at once. The whole band, which up till now had been hidden in the darkness beyond, rushed forward within the cirele of light cast by the fire, and then the two rifles cracked, and, as two of their comrades pitched headlong to the ground, the rest of the savages saw, looming up awful and mysterious in the smoke and flame—as it ap- peared to their superstitious eyes—the gigantic forms of the two trappers who, seen indistinctly as they were, seemed very giants to the trem- bling red-men, and the whole number took to their heels in a regular stampede; and, tumblin over one another and into numerous holes an wallows, did not stop until miles lay between them and the scene of the almost incredible visions they had seen. Nick and Old Si remained masters of the field and bs ts | walked south to where the horses were stabled, Nick finding Black Bess munching her hay as unconcernedly as if she had never left her stall. The horses were led out, watered, groomed and saddled, and the trappers mounted and started for Fort Dou las, believing that for the present their troubles were over and that they would have a pleasant and prosperous trip into the boundaries of civilization. The steeds were fresh and willing, the night was cool and clear and as they swept over the prairie they conversed freely of the dangers they had braved and passed until at length con- versation ceased and they rode on in silence, side by side, each one busy with his own thoughts, Nick’s anticipations for the future were of the brightest, for did not pretty little Nellie Brooks always treat him with marked preference when he was at the fort, much to the disgust of the young officers who swarmed about ber, like moths around the candle’s flame? And was she not always glad to see him and, apparently, loth to let him go? Nick’s heart was very soft and pretty Nellie had crept in there and so safely ensconced her- self therein, that he could not have dislodged her even had he wanted to; and you may rest assured that he had no idea or intention of do- ing anything so foolish as that, He would not venture out on the plains an more, with his life in his hand, but would as pretty Nellie to marry him, and if she said him yea, then there would be a happy wedding at the fort, and he would find a pleasant hoine whither he would bear bis bride and turn his every energy toward making her happy! And there would always be a room in tke house anda seat atthe table for Old Si, who Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. had so many times saved his life, Indeed, he should insist that Sishould become one of the family, for he was like a father to him, and he never could be happy if they were definitely separated, So they rode on, Nick’s horizon being roseate @ith happy thoughts, and as, after traversing the distance which lay between them and the fort, they rode into the yard, being welcomed as if arisen from the dead, he spied the little maiden coming toward him, if he / a toward her, and, imagining his anticipations were realized, he clasped her in his arms and gave her a hearty kiss, who can blame him? And as for her indignant—‘‘ Why, Mr. Park- burst!” it was not as severe as it first seemed, for the poor fellow looked so pale, and was so weak from loss of blood, that no one could be harsh with him, and after escaping the Indians he was near being coddled to death by his sister and by Miss Nellie Brooks, who, the first time they were alone, promised to substitute Park- hurst for her own name, ‘* R-e-a-l soon!” CHAPTER XIV. RETRIBUTION, So Nick was soon to become a Benedict, and when the news spread about, many were the fe- licitations that poured in on the happy couple, Captain and Mrs, Brooks having accorded their most gracious assent to the marriage of the daughter with the general favorite, for on in- vestigation his worldly goods were found to amount to a considerable sum, he having an in- terest in a herd of cattle in the eastern part of ‘exas, On arriving at the fort, Nick had immediately presented himself at headquarters and related to the colonel in charge what he had seen from the butte that day, when the Sioux bad massa- cred the soldiers and left none to tell the tale, so when, a few days afterward, the detachment returned to camp, the lieutenant in command was ordered under arrest to await court-martial for incompetency, and an expedition was or- ganized against the Sioux village, where Nick had so narrowly escaped. And now the trouble commenced, for Nick was the only person about the fort who knew the location of the village and was requested to lead the expedition, when Miss Nellie, putting her little foot down emphatically, declared that Mr. Parkhurst should: not go and that was the end of it, so there now, but finally the matter was adjusted by her father, who represented to her that a soldier’s daughter should not act thus and she was finally induced to listen to a little reason, So one morning, at early dawn, a hundred as fine fellows as ever threw a leg across saddle rode away over the prairie. The troupe followed the trail which Nick and Old Si had made in coming in and camped for the night well on their way to the dug-out starting out early the next morning again and traveling all day at good rate of speed, reach- ing at night the ravine where was the haunted cabin, which was pointed out to the surgeon by
Page 27
Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. 27 Nick, they both enjoying a hearty laugh over the recollection of poor old Tish-a-na-o, Here a halt was called and the troop went into camp for the night, while Nick and Old Si scouted on toward the dug-out, returning with the intelligence that all was quiet and that there was not a sign of Indians in the valley or on the plain, A quiet night followed and the next day all was soon arranged for the campaign, the sol- diers following in single file after Nick and his partner, the old trapper, who rode far in ad- vance and kept a sharp lookout ahead for any Indian scouts who might be straggling about. Past the ruined dug-out they rode, the trap- pers stopping and gazing for a moment in sor- row at the ruin the fire had wrought, then on to the trail and down into the valley whence the scene of the massacre was soon reached, the cavalcade proceeding at a quick trot over the intervening distance, Arrived at the scene of the fight a balt was made and such remnants as bad been left by the coyotes and wolves, carefully and rever- entially gathered up, and inhumed in one com- mon grave, while a few well-spoken words by the surgeon constituted their funeral oration, and then tha soldiers moved on to the ravine which had sheltered the Indian mustaags, and disappeared. Nick’s plen comprised a system of retribution, and although it seemed somewhat foolhardy, was acquiesced in 4 the officers of the regi- ment, who, dare-devil young fellows, were will- ing to add a little to the excitement of: the day, although the danger was thereby doubled. Leaving the remainder of the party safely hidden away witbin the ravine, with strict injunctions not to move from there for two days, and then to station themselves accordin to arrangement, Neck-Tie Nick, with a pick hand of ten men, chosen on account of the superior speed of their horses, rode off in the direction of the Indian village, and steadily pursued the route until within a mile or two of it, without a solitary incident marking the monotony of the journey. The fact that notan Indian was seen rather discouraged Nick and his companions, but they hoped that the tribe was only resting prepara- tory to some new deviltry, so, when within a short distance of the village, Nick, dismounting, stole forward on foot, and reaching the brow of the hill up which he had toiled so wearily in his race for life, was rejoiced to see the village still in its place, while the presence of numerous mustangs denoted that the warriors were not on the trail, but were resting at home. Returning to his companions, Nick reported the success of his expedition, and the little band encamped for the night, a vigilant watch being kept through the night, but their rest being un- broken, so that men and horses were in excel- et condition the next morning when day roke, Just after they had finished their hasty meal chance favored them exactly as Nick would have wished, for a solitary Indian came wan- dering toward them, on the lookout for such small game as he might pick upon the prairie, and Nick, bidding his comrades mount and be in readiness, rode down upon the unsuspecting savage at full gallop, The youth was for some moments unaware of his approach, and then hearing the thunder of his horse’s hoofs against the green sward turned, stood for a moment as if paralyzed, and then set off for dear life’s sake in the direction of the village. Nick toyed with him for a time as a cat does with a mouse, and then as the flying youth neared the brow of the hill which overlooked the Indian village, he gave free rein to his mare, and rode down on him, as though thrown from a catapult, while the trembling lad yelled with fear, thereby attracting the attention of nearly the entire band of Indians, But this was his last cry on earth, for the noose of Nick’s lariat choked off all further ut- terance, and, with a final gurgle in bis throat, he fell to the ground exactly at the spot where Nick had made his desperate leap over the wall of human beings who compassed him about, and sought either his death or serious injury. In an instant the village was in an uproar, and with cries and yells the warriors rushed to the herd, each one taking the pony which first came to hand, and goaded almost to madness by the sight of Nick, who, coolly dismounting, walked to the dead body, removed the lariat, and then, in the face of the assembled village, scalped the yet warm head of the strangled boy, returned to his horse, coiled up his lariat, mounted and rode off at a leisurely pace, Not many moments elepsed, however, before he was compelled to quicken the gait of his horse, for the Indians were rapidly overhauling him, and by the time he rejoined his com- panions, his mare was stretching out at full gallop, and his comrades were compelled to use he spur freely to keep up with him. Once fairly going, the grain-fed horses of the soldiers had no difficulty in outstripping the grass-fed mustangs of the Indians, and, at Ned’s suggestion, they reined in their horses a little, so as to induce the savages to keep up the chase, for when the pursuers saw that the pursued no longer gained on them, they were filled with — hopes of overtaking them and rode stead- ily on, And so went the chase until the little band of horsemen in front entered the valley, where for many days the bones of their comrades had lain, bleaching in the sun, and as they looked back and saw the band of savages still pursuin them, they drew rein still a little tighter, an allowed the distance which separated them to grow still a little less, until scarce a bow’s shot divided the soldiers from the savages, and the latter were frantic in their efforts to urge their tired ponies to still greater efforts. At length the leaders swept past the butte on which Nick bad lain hidden during the hand-to- hand fight between the sergeant and his assail- ants, and instead of keeping straight on, they swerved to the left, made a semi-circle, and, as a line of fire broke seemingly from every blade of grass that lined the river, they rode into the Indian ranks, already decimated by the iron hail, and began sabering right and left, while the cordon of steel closed closer and closer around the doomed savages.
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28 Colorado Nick, the Lassoist. And now out of the ravine came thundering fifty more of the long-swords, as the Indians term the cavalrymen, and attacked the savages on the flank, while from the top of the butte a half-dozen picked sharpshooters kept a sharp lookout for all who attempted to flee and picked them off at ease, Old Si, in particular, excelling at this sort of sport. But few esca and these were pursued far over the prairie by the swiftly mounted sol- diers, who returned to camp, drunk with slaughter, and threw themselves on the ground and dropped off to sleep, too tired to eat. There was wailing in the tepees of the Yank- tonnais Sioux when the story of the massacre was brought to the village by the few survivors who escaped to tell the woeful tale, and the ground was wet with blood in many a wigwam where wounds were self-inflicted as a sign of mourning, and to this day the fight on the Rickaree is chanted in mournful tune and rhythm, as the elders of the tribe try to instill into the bosoms of the young, the hatred that , have always felt for the whites, ‘he lesson was a salutary one and the power of the tribe was for a long time broken in that ortion of the Union, the strategy displayed by ick having been crowned with complete suc- cess and leading to one of the greatest victories ever achieved over the vindictive Sioux. On the following morning the unpleasant task of burying the dead began, and it was found that ninety-seven of the Sioux had perished outright while nearly fifty warriors remained risoners in the hands of the soldiers, and of the atter not one had been killed, and the wounds of those injured were trivial in the extreme. The captured Indians were mounted on their mustangs and surrounded beyond possibility of escape by the soldiers, when the cavalcade took up its march toward the fort, passing down the valley in front of the dug-out which was a sight pitiful to see. The leaping flames had completely destroyed the buffalo-hide door and the hole made by the trappers serving as a chimney, the fire had been drawn through the dug-out as through the funnel of a furnace, the whole interior being complotely gutted ani destroyed and rendered entirely uninhabitable, many valuable furs hay- ing ato been lost in the flames, © balt was made, bowever, and the soldiers pushed on, reached the fort without misadven- ture and relating to their comrades the com- plete success of their expedition and awarding to Nick all praise for hisstrategy, while at dress- parade that evening he was called out, and publicly thanked for the services he bad ren- dered the Government, and the command of the scouts attached to the garrison offered to him, which offer, Nick, seeing the future Mrs, Park- burst shaking ber head vigorously and hold- ing up a warning finger, diplomatically declined, e was offered his pick of the Indian herd, however, and nothing loth chose twenty of the best mustangs for use on bis ranch, and one lit- tle black beauty for Nellie. In a few days there was a wedding at the fort and the whole garrison celebrated Nick’s hyme- neals, there being nothing to fear from the In- dians after the late salutary lesson, and discipline for that day being allowed to become lax. The bride of course looked charming and the groom handsome and manly, while Old Si, togged out in his gala dress and swelling with joy and pride, was hardly recognizable; and as tor ‘‘ Old Tish,” the aged victim of the doctor’s practical joke, he fell early in the fray from the effects of sundry bottles of liquor surrep- titiously obtained from the sutler, and was wheeled off in a barrow and incontinently dumped in a corner to sleep off the effects of his debauch. So, rg married and doubly enjoying the quiet of his wedded life after the tumult of his bachelor days, Nick settled down at the fort, occupying a vacant cottage in the officers’ quar- ters, and giving his whole time to raising cattle and filling Government beef contracts, while Old Si, his second father and his partner on the ranch, aided bim with his advice and bis occasional assistance and occupied a portion of Nick’s house where he was a loved and honored guest.
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‘ BEADLE’S POCKET LIBRARY. Published Every Wednesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents, 1 Deadwood Dick, .ae Prince of the Road. By E. L. Wheeler. 2 Kansas King; or, The Red Right Hand. By Buffalo Bill. 8 The Flying Yankee; or, The Ocean Outcast, By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 4 The Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s De- flance. By Edward L. Wheeler. 5 The Two Detectives; or, The Fortunes of a Bowery Girl. By Albert W. Aiken. 6 The Prairie Pilot; or, The Phantom Spy. By Buffalo Bill. , 7 The Buffalo Demon; or, The Border Vultures. By Edward L. Wheeler. 8 Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide. By Oll Coomes. 9 Ned Wylde, the Boy Scout. By “Texas Jack.” 10 Buffalo Ben, Prince of the Pistol. By E. L. Wheeler. 11 Ralph Roy, the Boy Buccaneer. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 12 Nick o’ the Night; or, The Boy Spy of '76. By T, C. Harbaugh. 18 Yellowstone Jack; or, The Trappers of the En- chanted Ground. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr. 14 Wild Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval. By E. L, Wheeler, 15 Diamond Dirk; or, The Mystery of the Yellow- stone. By Colonel Prentiss Ingraham. 16 Keen-Knife, Prince of the Prairies. By Oll Coomes. 1” enn Sol, Nick Whiffles’s Boy Spy. By J. F.C. a ms. 18 Death-Face, the Detective. By E. L. Wheeler. 19 Lasso Jack, the Young Mustanger. By Oll Coomes. 20 Roaring Ralph Rockwood, the Reckless Ranger. By Harry St. George. 21 The Boy Clown; or, The Queen of the Arena, By Frank S. Finn. #2 The Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bo- nanza. By Edward L. Wheeler. 28 The Sea-Cat; or, The Witch of Darien. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker, 24 The Dumb rae By Oll Coomes. ; or, The Night Hawks of Ken- 25 Rattling Ru tucky. By a, St. George. 26 Old Avalanche, the Great Annihilator; or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand. By E. L. Wheeler. 27 Glass-EKye, the Great Shot of the West. By J. F. ©. Adams, 28 The Boy Captain; or, The Pirate’s Daughter. By 29 Bi Danling, th Pony Ex Rider, By © ick Darling, the Pon. ress Rider, ‘apt. F, Whittaker. tent Cie 80 Rob Woolf, the Border Ruffian. By Edward L. Wheeler, 81 Nightingale Nat; or, The Forest Captains. By LY arbaugh . C. H ugh, 82 Black John, the Road-Agent; or, The Outlaws’ Retreat. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr, 83 Omaha Oll, the Masked Terror; or, Deadwood Dick in Danger. By E. L. Wheeler. 84 Burt Bunker, the Trapper. By Geo. E. Lasalle. 35 bie es Rifles; or, The Underground Camp. By . O. Irons. 86 The White Buffalo. By George E. Lasalle, 87 Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix; or, Through to Death. By Edward L: Wheeler. 88 Ned Hazel, the Boy Trapper. By Captain J. F, C. Adams. 39 eg Eye, the Unknown Scout. By Buffalo 40 Nick Whiffles’s Pet; or, In the Valley of Death. By Capt. J. F. C. Adams. 41 Devdwood Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar. By Edward L. Wheeler. 42 The Border King; or, The Secret Foe. By Oll ‘oomes. 43 Old Hickory; or, Pandy Ellis’s Scalp. By Harry Bt. Sones 44 The White Indian; or, The Scouts of the Yellow- stone. By Capt. J. F. C. Adams. 45 Buckhorn Bill; or, the Red Rifle Team. By Ed- ward L, Wheeler. E 46 The Shadow Ship; or, The Rival Lieutenants: By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 47 The Red Brotherhood; or, The Twelve Avengers, By W. J. Hamilton. 48 Dandy Jack; or, The Outlaw of the Oregon Trail, By T. C. Harbaugh. 49 Hurricane Bill; or, Mustang Sam and His Pard, EM Joseph E. Badger, Jr. 50 a and; or, A Life for a Life. By W. J. Old Rattlesnake the ‘amilton, 51 Patent-leather Joe; or, Charmer. ete 5. Warne. 52 The Border Robin Hood: or, The Prairie Rover. By Buffalo Bill. 53 Gold Rifle, the Sharpshooter. By Edward L. Wheeler. SA Old Zip’s Cabin; or, A Greenhorn in the Woods. By Capt. J. F. G. Adams. 55 Delaware Dick, the Young Ranger Spy. By Oll Coomes. 56 Mad Tom Western, the Texan Ranger. By W. J. Hamilton, 87 Deadwood Dick on Deck; or, Calamity Jane, By Edward L, Wheeler, 58 Hawkeye Harry, the Young Trapper. By Oll Coomes. 59 The Boy Duelist; or, The Cruise of the Sea Wolf. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 60 Abe Colt, the Crow-Killer. By Albert W. Aiken. By Edward 61 Corduroy Charlie, the Boy Bravo, L. Wheeler. 62 Will Somers, the Boy Detective. By Charles Gulch, By Edward L. Wheeler. 65 Lightning Joe, the Terror of the Prairie. By Capt. J. F. C. Adams. 67 Rollo, the Boy Ranger. By Oll Coomes. 68 Idyl, the Girl Miner; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand. By Edward L. Wheeler. 69 Detective Dick; or, The Heroin Rags. By Chas, Morris. 70 Rue Shot Seth, the Boy Rifleman. By Ol e mes, 71 Sharp Sam; or, The Adventures of a Friendless Boy. By J. Alexander Patten. 72 The Lion of the Sea; or, The Vailed Lady of San Tropez. By Albert W, Aiken, 3 eK eee Phil, the Boy Sleuth; or, Rosebud , Rob’s ppearance. By E. L. Wheeler, 74 Picayune Pete; or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detec: tive. i Charles Morris, % Island Jim; or, The Pet of the Family. By Bracebridge Hemyng (Jack Harkaway). 76 Watch-Bye, the Shadow. By E. L. Wheeler, 77 Dick Dead-Eye, the Boy Smuggler. By Colonel Prentiss Ingraham. 78 Deadwood Dick’s Device; or, The Sign of the Double Cross. By B. L. Wheeler. 79 The Black Mustanger: or, The Wild Horse Hun ters. By Captain Mayne Reid. 80 Old Frosty, the Guide. By T. C. Harbaugh, 81 The Sea Viper; or, The Midshipman’s Le; A By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, acy
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Mie i a I SS I TS BER I —— &2 Seth Jones; or, The Captives of the Frontier. By E. 8. Ellis. 83 Canada Chet, the Counterfeiter Chief. By E. L. Wheeler. 84 The Dumb Page: or, The Doge’s Daughter. By Captaid Frederick Whittaker. 8 The oy Miners; or, The Enchanted Island. By Edward S. Ellis. 86 Jack Harkaway in New York, By Bracebridge Hemyng. 87 The Hussar Captain; or, The Hermit of Hell Gate. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 88 Deadwood Dick in Leadville; or, A Strange Stroke for Liberty. By Edward L, Wheeler. 89 Bill Biddon, Tra per, or, Life in the Northwest. BY Edward §. Ellis. 90 Tippy, the Texan; or, The Young Champion. By George Gleason. 91 Mustang Sam, the King of the Plains. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. 92 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, the Red Pirates of the Caribbees. By Samuel W. Pearce, 983 Phil Hardy, the Boss pore or, The Mystery of the Stronghold. By Charles Morris, 94 Deadwood Dick as Detective. By E. L. Wheeler. 95 Buck Buckram; or, Bess the Female Trapper. Br Cocteln J. F.C. Adams. 96 Gilt-Edged Dick. By Edward L. Wheeler. 97 The Black Steed of the Prairies. By James L. Bowen. 98 The Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crusoe. By Juan Lewis. 99 Bonanza Bill, the Man Tracker; or, the Secret Twelve. By E. L. Wheeler. 100 Nat Todd; or, The Fate of the Sioux Captive. By E. 8. 5 101 Daring Davy, the Young Bear Killer; or, The Trail of the Border Wolf. By Harry St. George, 102 The Yellow Chief; or, The Half-Blood’s Ven- eance, B Capt. Mayne Reid. 103 Chip, the Girl Sport. “By Edward L. Wheeler. 104 The Black Schooner; or, Jib Junk, the Old Tar. By Roger Starbuck. 105 Handsome Harry, the Bootblack Detective. By Charles Morris. 106 Night-Hawk Kit; or, The Daughter of the Ranch. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr. 107 Jack Hoyle’s Lead; or, The Road to Fortune. By Edward L, Wheeler. 108 Rocky Mountain Kit, the White Mustanger. By T. C., Harbaugh. 109 The Branded Hand, or, The Man of Mystery. By Frank Dumont. 110 The Dread Rider; or, The Texan Duelist. By George W. Browne. 111 Boss — the King of Bootblacks, By Edward eeler. 112 The Helpless Hand. By Capt. Mayne Reid, 113 Sear-Faced Saul, the Silent Hunter. By Oll Coomes. 114 Piney Paul, the Mountain Boy. By T. C. Har- ugh, 115 Deadwood Dick’s Double; or, The Ghost of Gor- n’s Gulch, By Edward L. Wh: eler, 116 Jabez Coffin, Skipper; or, Lost in the Polar © Boy Vigil xy BEADLE’S POCKET LIBRARY. 125 The Land Pirates; or, The League of Devil’s Island. By Capt. Mayne Reid. 126 Blue Blazes; or, The Break o’ Day Boys of Rocky Bar. By Frank Dumont. 127 Tony Fox, the Ferret; or, Boss Bob’s Boss Job. By Edward L. Wheeler. 128 Will Wildfire’s Racer; or, Winning Against Odds. By Charles Morris. 129 Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. By Oll Coomes. 130 Gold Trigger, the Sport; or, The Girl Avengers. By T. C. apeauge. 131 A Game of Gold; or, Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike. By Edward L. Wheeler. 132 Dainty Lance, the Boy Sport. By Joseph FE. Se ak Jr. 133 Wil rigs the Boss of the Road. By Frank Du mont. 134 ee mara the Harbor Police Boy. By Chas. orris. 185 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, The Picked ad By Edward L. Wheeler. 136 Old Rube, the Hunter. By Capt. Hamilton Holmes. 187 Dandy Rock, the Man from Texas. By G. Waldo Browne, 138 Bob Rockett, the Boy Dodger. By Chas. Morris. 139 The Black Giant; or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy. By Jos. E, Badger, Jr. 140 Captain Arizona, the King Pin of Road-Agents. By Philip 8. Warne. 141 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. By E. L. Wheeler. 142 Little Texas, the Young Mustanger. By Oll Coomes, 143 Deadly Dash; or, Fighting Fire with Fire. Dy Jos. K. Badger, Jr. 144 Little Grit, the Wild Rider. By Col. Prentiss In- ace 145 The Tiger of Taos; or, Wild Kate, Dandy Rock’s Angel. By Geo, Waldo Browne. 146 The Cattle King; or, Cortina’s Right Bower. By Frank Dumont. 147 Nobby Nick of Nevada; or, the Scamps of the Sierras. By Edward L. Wheeler. 148 Thunderbolt Tom; or, the Wolf-Herder of the Rockies. By Harry St. George. 149 pa hapierm gia the Bank Kunner. By Charles Morris. 150 The Mad Miner; or, Dandy Rock’s Doom. By G. Waldo Browne. 151 The Sea Trailer; or, A Vow Well Kept. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 152 Dandy Darke; or, The Tigers of High Pine. By W. H. Eyster. 153 Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravo. By E. L. Wheeler. 2 154 The Boy Trailers; or, Dainty Lance on the War- Path. By Jos, E. Badger, Jr. 155 Gold Plume, the Boy Bandit. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 156 will Wildfire in the Woods. By C. Morris. 157 Ned Temple, the Border Boy. By T. C. Har-_ baugh, 158 Deonwood Dick’s Doom; or, Calamity Jane's Last Adventure. By E, L. Wheeler. 159 Patent-Leather Joe’s Defeat; or, The Lady Road-Agent. By Philip 8. Warne. 160 Buffalo Billy, the Boy Bullwhacker; or, The Doomed Thirteen, By Col. P. Ingraham. 161 Bob Rockett, the Cracksman. By C. Morris, 162 Little Hurricane, the Boy Captain. By Oll Coomes. 163 Deadwood Dick’s Dream; or, the Rivals of the Road. By E. L. Wheeler. 164 Tornado Tom; or, Injun Jack from Red Core, By T. C. Harbaugh. 165 Buffalo Bill’s Bet; or, The Gambler Guide. By Col. P. I bam. 166 Will Wildfire Wins and Loses; or, “A Tramp Card,” Charles Morris. 167 Dandy Rock’s Pledge; or, Hunted to Death. sy George W. Browne.
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BEADLE’S POCKET LIBRARY, 168 Deadwood Dick’s Ward; or, The Black Hills Jezebel. By Edward L. Wheeler, 169 The Boy Champion. By Edward Willett, 170 Bob Rockett's Fight for Life; or, Shadowed in New York. By Charles Morris, 171 Frank Morton, the Boy Hercules, Coomes, 172 The Yankee Ranger; or, Dusky Darrell, By Edwin Emerson. 173 Dick Dingle, Scout; or, The Frontier Angel. By Edward §, Ellis. 174 Dandy Rock’s Scheme; or, The Golden Hand. By G. W. Browne, 175 The Arab Detective; or, Snoozer, the Boy Sharp By Edward L. Wheeler. 1/6 Will Wildfire’s Pluck; or, The Hidden Hand, By Charles Morris, 177 The Boy Commander; or, The Maid of Perth. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 178 The Maniac Hunter; or, The Mysteries of Night Island. By Burton Saxe. 179 Dainty Lance; or, The Mystic Marksman, By J.E. Badger, Jr. 180 The Boy Gold-Hunter; or, Navajo Nick’s Scout. By T. C. Harbaugh. 181 The Scapegrace Son, By Charles Morris, 182 The Dark-Skinned Scot; or, The Freebooters of the Mississippi. By Lieut. Col. Hazeltine. 183 Jabez Dart, Detective; or, The Hermit Trapper. By Oll Coomes. 184 Tronenes welt, the Boy Spy. By Edward Wil- ett. By Ol 185 Bison Bill, the Overland Prince. tiss Ingraham, 186 Dainty Lance and His Pard. By Joseph FE. Badger, Jr. 187 The Trapped Tiger King; or, Dark Paul's Plot. By Charles Morris, 188 The Ventriloquist Detective. A Romance of Rogues, By Edward L. Wheeler. 189 Old Rocky’s Boys; or, Bonito, the Young Mus- tang-Breaker. By Maj. Sam, 8. Hall. 190 Sim Simpkins, Scout; or, The Faithful Mountain Mastiff. By James L, Bowen. 191 Dandy Rock’s Rival: or, The Mysterious Wolf Rider. By Geo. Waldo Browne, 192 Hickory Harry; or, Roa: ing Ralph, the Ventrilo- quist. By Harry St, George. {93 Detective Josh Grim; or, The Young Gladiator's Game. By Edward L. Wheeler, 41 Prospect Pete, the Boy Miner. By Oll Coomes, 195 The Tenderfoot Trailer; or, Plucky Phil, of the Mountain, By T, C. Harbaugh. 196 The Dandy Detective; or, The Abducted Boy Mystery. By Charles Morris. 197 Roy, the Young Cattle King; or, The Texan Sport Unmasked. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 198 Ebony Dan’s Mask; or, The Rival Leagues of the Mines. By Frank Dumont, 199 Dictionary Nat, Detective; or, Bill Bravo, the > Tamer. By T, C, Harbaugh, By Col. Pren- 200 The Twin Horsemen; or, The Brothers of the Plumed Lance, By Capt. Frederick Whittaker. 201 Dandy Darke’s Pards; or, The Hawks of High Pine. By Wm. R. Eyster, 202 Tom, the Texan Tiger; or, Old Luke's Luck, By Oll Coomes, 203 Sam, the Office Boy; or, The Tables Turned, By Charles Morris, 204 The Young Cowboy; or, The Girl Trailer’s Tri- umph. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 205 The Frontier Detective; or, Sierra Sam's Scheme, By E. L. Wheeler. 206 White Lightning; or, the Boy Ally. By T. ©, Harbaugh. } 207 Kentuck Talbot’s Band; or, The Red Lasso. By Captain Mark Wilton, 208 bo Tom's Castle Mystery; or, Dashing Dick’s Disguise. By Oll Coomes, 209 The Messenger-Boy Detective; or, The Tables Turned, By Charles Morris. 210 The Hunchback of the Mines; or, Reckless Ralph, the Road-Agent. By Jos. E, Badger, Jr. 211 Little Giant and His Band; or Despard, the Duelist. By P. S. Warne. 212 The Jimtown Sport; or, Gypsy Jack in Colorado, By E. L. Wheeler, ; if 213 The Pirate’s Prize; or, The Mix aroriosis Yankee Schooner, By C. Dunning Clark, 214 Dandy Dave, of Shasta; or, The ’Frisco Mash o’ Lightning. By T. C. Harbaugh, 215 Daring Dan, the Ranger; or, The Denver Detec- tive. By Oll Coomes, 216 The Cowboy Captain; or, Ranger Ralph’s Ruin, By Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, 217 Bald Head of the Rockies; or, The Ang’l of the Range. By Major Sam 8. Fall, 218 The Miner § ort; or, Sugar-Coated Sam’s Claim, By Edward L, Wheeler. 219 Buck, the Detective; or, Paul, the Boy Pard. By Albert W, Aiken, 220 Crack-Shot Frank; or, Bill Bounce, the Moun- tain Bravo, By Charles Morris, 221 Merle the Middy: or, A Waif of the Waves. By Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, 222 Rosebud Ben’s Boys; or, The Young Prairie Rangers. By Oll Coomes, 223 Gold Conrad’s Watch-Dogs; or, The Two Pards of Vulture Bar, By T. C, Harbeugh. 224 Peake Fe gus, the New York Boy. By G. L. en, 225 Dick Drew, the Miner's Son; or, Apollo Bill, the Road-Agent. By Edward L, Wheeler. 226 Dakota Dick in Chicago; or, Jack, the Old Tar, By Charles Morris. 227 Merle, the Boy Cruiser; or, Brandt, the Bue- caneer. By Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, 228 The Preacher Detective; or, The Boy Ventrilo- quist. By Oll Coomes. 229 Old Hickory’s Grit, By John J, Marshall. 230 The Three Boy Sports; or, The Sword Huntery. By Captain Frederick Whittaker.
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= Set 7 231 Sierra Sam, the Detective. By Edward L., Wheeler, 232 Merle Monte’s Treasure; or, Buccaneer Brandt’s Threat. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 233 Rocky Rover Kit; or, Davy Crockett’s Crooked Trail. By Ensign *c. D. Warren. 234 Baldy, the Miner Chief. By Capt. Adams. 2385 Jack Stump’s Cruise; or, The Montpelier’s Muti- neers, By Roger Starbuck. 286 Sierra Sam’s Double; or, The Three Female De- tectives. By Ed. L. Wheeler, 287 Newsboy Ned, Detective; or, Two Philadelphia Gamins. By Charles Morris. 288 Merle Monte’s Sea-Scraper; or, Little Belt’s Droll Disguise. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 239 on s Big Boom; or, The Boss Miner’s League. By Capt. Mark W iton. 240 Sharp Shot Mike; or, Columbia Jim on the War- Path. By Oll Coomes. 241 Sierra Sam’s Sentence; or, Little Luck at Rough Ranch, By Edward L. Wheeler. 242 The Denver Detective; or, Dainty Dot at Gold Gulch. By T. C. Harbaugh. 243 Dutch San’s Dilemma; or, The Mysterious Mountain Monster. By Maj. L. W. Carson. 244 Merle Monte’s Disguise; or, The Capture of Brandt, the Buccaneer. By Col. P. Ingraham. 245 Baldy’s Boy Partner: or, Young Brainerd’s Steam Man. By Edward §. Ellis. 246 Detective Keen’s Apprentice: or, James Jumper the New York Gamin. By Charles Morris. 247 The Girl Sport; or, Jumbo Joe’s Disguise. By Edward L. Wheeler. 248 Giant George’s Pard; or, Arizona Jack, the Tenderfoot. By Buckskin Sam. 249 Ranch Rob’s Wild Ride; or, Old Winch The Rifle King. By T. C. Harbaugh. 250 Merle Monte’s Pardon; or, The Pirate Chief's Doom, By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 251 The Deaf Detective; or, Weasel, the Boy Tramp. By Edward Willett. 252 Denver Doll’s Device; or, The Detective Queen. By Edward L. Wheeler. 253 The Boy Tenderfoot; or, Roaring Ben Bundy of Colorado, By Capt. Mark Wilton. 254 Black Hills Ben; or, Dutch Jan on the War- Path. By Maj. Lewis W. Carson. 255 Jolly Jim, Detective; or, The Young Protege’s Victory. By Charles Morris, 256 Merle Monte’s Last Cruise; or, The Sea Robber at Bay. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, 257 The Boy Chief of Rocky Pass; or, ee Young California Pards, By Maj. E. L, St. Vrain. 258 Denver Doll as Detective. By E. L, Wheeler. 259 Little Foxeye, the Colorado Spy. By Ol Coomes. 260 Skit, the Cabin Boy. By Edward Willett. 261 Pon the Sport. or, the Giant of Clear Grit By T. C. Harbaugh. 262 Billy the Boy Rover; or, Terror Tom of Texas, iy Cl. Ey Ingraham. 263 hie? Bob’s_ Buoy; or, Lige, the Light-House Keeper. By Capt. J. F. C. Adams. 264 Denver Doll’s Partner; or, Big Buckskin the Sport, By E. L. Wheeler. 265 Billy, the Baggage Boy; or, The Young Railroad Detective. By Charles Morris. 266 Guy’s Bo; Bee or, The Forest Waif’s Mask. By mstock, bast sad Ga ie PAST BEADLE’S POCKET LIBRARY, 267 Giant George’s Revenge; or, The Boys of *Slip- - up Mine.” By Buckskin Sam, 268 The Dead Shot Dandy; or, The Rio Grande Marauders. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 269 The Quartzville Boss; or, Daring David Darke. By Edward Willett. 270 Denver Doll’s Mine; or, Little Bill’s Big Loss, By E. L. Wheeler. 271 Ebony Jim’s Terror; or, Ranger Rainbolt’s Ruse, By Oll Coomes, 272 Kit, the Girl Detective; or, Dandy Dash in Cali- fornia. By T. C. Harbaugh. 278 The Girl Rider; or, Nimble Ned’s Surprise. Jos. E. Badger, Jr. 274 Dead Shot Dandy’s Double; or, Benito, the Boy Pard. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 275 Fred, the Ocean Waif; or, The Old Sailor’s Protege. By Charles Morris. 276 Deadwood Dick Trapped; or, Roxey Ralph's Ruse. By Edward L, eeler. 277 ne Idiot ei Avenger; or, Captain Wild-Cat’s Big Game. By Albert W. Aiken, 278 Arizona Alf, the Miner; or, Little Snap Shot's Luck. By T. C. Harbaugh. 279 Colorado Jack, the Tiger; or, The Ghost of the Trailer. By Frederick Dewey. 280 Dead Shot Dandy’s Last Deal; or, Keno Kit’s New Role. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. 281 Ned, the Boy Pilot; or, The Pirate Lieutenant’s Doom. By Jack Farragut. 282 Buck Hawk, Detective; or, The Messenger Boy’s Fortune. By Edward L. Wheeler. 283 Roving Spor. Kit; or, The Ghost of Chuckaluck Camp. Edward Willett. 2&4 The Showman’s Best Card; or, The Mad Animal Tamer. By Capt. Fred. Whittaker. 285 Old Rocky's Pard; or, Little Ben’s Chase. Buckskin Sam. 286 Dick; the Dakota Sport, By Charles Morris, 287 Ned, the Boy Skipper; or, The Sea Sorceress’ Cruise. By Jack Farragut. 288 Deadwood Dick’s Disguise; or, Wild Walt, the Sport. By Edward L. Wheeler. 289 Colorado Nick, the Lassoist; or, Old Si’s Protege. By Major H., B. Stoddard, 290 Rube, the Tenderfoot; or, be Boy: 's of Torpedo Gulch. By Major E. L. St. Vrain: 291 Peacock Pete, the Leadville Sport; or, Hawk, the Boss Miner. By Albert W. Aiken. 292 Joe Morey, the Night-Hawk; or, The Black Rider. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. 293 Dwarf Jake, the Detective; or, Kit Kenyon’s Man Hunt. By Edward W illett. Ready August 21. 294 Dumb Dick’s Pard; or, Eliza Jane, the Gold Miner. By Ed. L. Wheeler. Ready August 28. ~ Brapwe’s Pocket Lisrary is for sale by all News- dealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on re- ceipt of six cents each. BEADLE AND ApAms, Publishers, 98 William Street, New York, By By