Pluck And Luck (no. 233) (1902 11 19)
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a <a) Se st ‘ 1 COMPLETE ES OF ADDN ENT Issued Weekly—By Sribscription. $3.50 per year! “"Tatdied as, Second’ Class Matter at the New Yorke Post Office, November 7, 1898, by Frank Tousey. No. 233. NEW YoRrxK, NOVEMBER 19, 1902. Price 5 Cents. As the general fell from his saddle f the boy hunter, who had dis- — mounted. While the awful din raged around, and men were covering one another with blood, the soul of as gullant an officer as ever drew sword passed away to a better world.
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These Books Tell A GOMPLETE SBT IS A REGULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA! fach book consists of sixty-four pages, printed on good paper, in clear type and neatly bound in an attractive, Most of the books are also profusely illustrated, and all of the subjects treated child can thoroughly understand them. Look over the list as classified and see if you want to know anythipg about the subjects: mentioned: THESE BOOKS ARE FOR.SALE BY ALL NEWSDBEALERS OR WILL BE SB TEN CENTS EACH, OR ANY THREE BOOKS F PROM THIS OFFICE ON RECEIPT OF PRICH, SPNTS. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAMHE AS: MONEY. i SPORTING. _No. 21. HOW TO HUNT AND FISH.—The most complete daunting and fishing guide ever published. It contains full in- structions about guns, hunting dogs, traps, trapping and fishing, together with deseriptions of. game and fish. 4 ae No. 26. HOW TO ROW, SAIL’ AND BUILD A BOAT.—Fully Hustrated. Every boy should know how to row and sail a boat. full instructions are given in this little book, together with, in- structions on swimming and riding, companion sports to boating. No. 47. HOW TO BREAK, RIDE AND DRIVE A HORSE.— A complete treatise.on the horse. Describing the most useful horses for business, the best horses for the road; also valuable recipes for diseases peculiar to the horse. No. 48. HOW TO BUILD AND SAIL CANOES.—A handy sook for boys, containing full directions for constructing canoes and the most popular manner of sailing them. Tully illustrated. By C. Stansfield Hicks, HYPNOTISM. No. 81. HOW TO HYPNOTIZH.—Containing valuable and in- structive information regarding the science of. hypnotism. Also explaining the most approved methods which are employed by the leading hypnotists of the world. By Leo Hugo Koch, A.C.S. FORTUNE TELLING. ._. No.-1, NAPOLEON’S ORACULUM AND DREAM BOOK.— GWontaining the great oracle of human destiny; also the true mean- ‘ing of almost any kind of dreams, together with charms, ceremonies, ’ and curious games of cards. A complete book. No. 28. HOW TO. HXPLAIN DREAMS.—Eiyverybody dreams, from the little child to the aged man and woman. ‘This little book gives the explanation to all kinds of dreams, togetber with lucky and unlucky days, and “Napoleon’s Oraculum,” the book of fate. No: 28: HOW TO TELL FORTUNES.— Everyone is desirous of knowing what his future life will bring forth, whether happiness or misery, wealth ‘or poverty. You can tell by a glance at this little book. Buy one and be ¢onvinced. Tell your own fortune. ‘Tell the fortune of your friends. No. 76. OW TO TKELL.FORTUNES BY THE HAND.— ‘ontaining rules. for telling fortunes by the aid of the lines of the 1and, or the secret of palmistry. Also the secret of telling future ayents by aid of moles, marks, scars, etc. Illustrated. “ By , Anderson. ; ; ~ ATHLETIC. No. 6. HOW TO BECOME AN ATHLETEH.—Giving full in- struction for the use of dumb_ bells,: Indian clubs, parallel bars, norizontal bars and various o*her methods of developing a good, -nealthy muscle; containing over-sixty illustrations. Every boy can secome strong and healthy by following the instructions contained. 'n this little book. : -No, 10. HOW TO BOX.—The art of self-defense made easy. , Containing over thirty illustrations of guards, blows, and the; diifer- ‘ent positions of a good boxer. Every boy should obtain one of ‘ *hese useful and instructive books, as it will teach you how to box. without an instructor.“ , No. 25. HOW TO BECOME A GYMNAST.—Containing full structions for all kinds of gymnastic sports and athletic exercises. fmbracing thirty-five illustrations. By Professor W. Macdonald. A handy and useful book. No. 34. HOW ‘TO FENCH.—Containing full instruction for fencing and the use of the broadsword ; also instruction in archery. Deseribed with twenty-one, practical illustrations, giving the best positions. in fencing. A complete book. TRICKS WITH CARDS. No. 51. HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH: CARDS.—Containing -explanations.of the general principles of sleight-of-hand applicable ‘co card tricks; of card tricks with ordinary cards, and not requiring ,sleight-of-hand ; :of, tricks involving ‘sleight-of-hand, or the use of “specially prepared cards. By Professor Haffner. With illustra- ‘tions. ; : “No. 72. HOW TO DO SIXTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.—Em- oracing, all of the latest and most deceptive card tricks, with il- ‘ustrations. By A. Anderson. AF _ No. 77. HOW TO DO FORTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.— ‘Containing deceptive Card Tricks as performed by leading conjurors ‘and magicians. Arranged for home amusement. Fuliy illustrated.’ . (Continued on page 3 of cover.) 2 pal gs You Everything! ‘a ae ee illustrated cover manner that any > upon are explained in such a simple i A NT BY MAIL Tio. ANY ADDRESS” R TWENTY-FIVE Union Square, N.Y. Address FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 2: MAGIC. No. 2. HOW TO DO TRICKS.—The great Ybook of magic and card tricks, containing full instruction on all the leaeding card tricks of the day, also the most popular magical illwsyons as performed bx. our leading magicians ; every boy should otain a copy of this boox, as it will beth amuse and instruct. _ F : Hi No. 22. HOW TO DO SHCOND SIGHT.—Heller’s second sight explained by his former assistant, ie Hunt, Jr. Explaining how the secret dialogues were carried on Jetween the magician and the boy on the stage; also giving all ths codes and signals. The only authentic explanation of second signt. ¥ : No. 43. HOW TO BECOME A. MAGICIAN.—Containing the grandest assortment of magical illusions ever placed before the public. Also tricks with cards, incantations, ete, we No, 68. HOW TO DO CHEMICAL TRICKS.—Containing over one hundred highly amusing and instructive tricks with chemicals. By A. Anderson. Handsomely illustrated. No. 69. HOW TO DO SLEIGHT OF HAND.—Containing over fifty of the latest and best tricks used by magicians. Also contain-, ing the secret of second sight. #ully illustrated. By A. Anderson. No. 70. HOW TO MAKE, MAGIC TOYS.—Oontaining full directions for making Magic Tcys and devices of many kinds. By A. Anderson. Fully illustrated. Shey No. 73. HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH NUMBERS.—Showing many curious tricks with figures and the magic of numbers. By A.' Anderson. Fully illustrated. re No. 75. HOW TO BECOME A CONJUROR. — Containing tricks with Dominos, Dice, Cups and Balls, Hats, ete. Embracing thirty-six illustrations. By A. Anderson. No. 78. HOW TO DO THE BLACK ART.—Containing a com- — plete description of the mysteries of Magic and Sleight of Hand, together with many wonderful experiments. By A. Anderson. IHustrated. MECHANICAL. No, 29. HOW TO BECOME AN INVENTOR.—Every boy — should know how inventions originated. This book explains them ‘ all, giving examples in electricity, hydraulics, magnetism, optics, — Mee od mechanics, ete., ete. The most instructive book pub-— ished, *s kj _ No. 56. HOW TO BECOME AN ENGINEDER.—Containing full instructions how to proceed in order to become a locomotive en- — gineer; also directions for building a model locomotive; together. with a full description of,everything am engineer should know. — No. 57. HOW LO MAKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.—Full — directions how to make a Banjo, Violin, Zither, ADolian Harp, Xylo~ phone ‘and other musical instruments; together with«a brief bo | scription of nearly every musical instrument used in ancient TORK 7 modern times. Profusely illustrated. By Algernon 8. Fitzgerald, Py for twenty years bandmaster of the Royal Bengal Marines. ae J No. 59. HOW TO MAKE A MAGIC LANTERN.—Containing together with its history and invention. Handsomely y a description of the lantern, Also full directions for its use and for painting slides. illustrated. By John Allen. : te No. 71. HOW TO DO MECHANICAL TRICKS,—Containing — complete ,instructions for performing over sixty Mechanical Tricks. — By A, Anderson. Fully illustrated. ' 4 LETTER WRIT! ee ; No. 11. HOW TO WRITE LOVE-LETTERS.—A most com- plete little book, containing full directions for writing love-letters, and when to use them; also giving specimen letters for both young — and old. a ; No. 12. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO LADIBES.—Giving complete instructions for writing letters to ladies on all subjects; — also letters of introduction, notes and reques’ ie No. 24. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO GENTLEMEN.— — Containing full directions for writing to gentlemen on all subjects; _ also giving sample letters for instruction. bt No. 53. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS.—A wonderful little — hook, telling you how to write to your sweetheart, your father, — mother, sister, brother, employer; and, in fact, everybody and any- — body you wish to write to. very young man and every young — lady in the land should have this book. ‘ ame No. 74. HOW TO WRITH LETTERS CORRECTLY.—Con- taining full instructions for writing letters on almost any subject; also rules for punctuation and composition ; together with specimen letters. re
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i PLUCK AND LUCK. x Complete Stories of Adventure. Yesued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. Entered as Second Olass Matter at the New York, N. 1898. of Congress, Washington, D. O., . November 7, No. 238. NEW YORK; NOVEMBER 19, 1902. Post Offtoe, Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1902, in the office of the Labrarton by Frank Tousey, 24 Union Square, New s York. Price & Cents. Custer’s Last Shot OR, The Boy Trailer of the Little Horn. BY AN OLD SCOUT. aa CHAPTER I. THE YELLOW-HAIRED OAVALBY CHIEF ON THE WAR TRAIL. " “Hold up yer hands thar, ye varmints. Ef his hair air gray I kin swar this chile’s hand air az steddy and his eye as eee bud Ws name been reckoned a tower ofe _ az they war twenty years ago. Bein’ sich a heathen, I reckon, ye don’t know that wine improves wid age; ther older it air, _ ther better, an’ I s’pose thar’s a likeness between wine an’ '-me, az ther feller sez. Keep them hands steddy, my red cock-o’-the-walk. Now I’m goin’ ter caterkize ye cordin’ ter my own style. Fust and foremost, who air ye?” _ ‘The buckskin-clad hunter held his long ‘rifle nicely ‘poised, and the bead at the end was ina line with the object of his speech. 1 ‘Under such peculiar circumstances the warrior (for his color proclaimed him an Indian) could do no less than remain quiet, he did so under protest. f _ Biven in this sad predicament, the boasting disiens of his si _ race seemed to be predomiyant. ; “Ugh!” he ejaculated, slapping his dusky chest vigorously, “me big chief. Hunter must hear of Yellow Hawk. Big chief, great brave. Take much scalps. ae What name? ugh!” ; Phe leather-clad ranger gave a laugh that was not all a laugh, insomuch that it appeared to be a loud chuckle coming up from his boots. Ais chin of the same iron-gray color as the scalp mentioned P - by the e redskin; sil no one oul be apt to Judge, nase into although from his evident uneasiness it was plainly seen that| Hab hunter’s in little while. ‘His thin face was a little wrinkled, and the tuft of hair upon consideration the man’s strength and stubborn endurance, that he was over seventy years of age. Yet such was the actual fact; for some fifty years this ran- ger had roamed the wild west from the frozen region of the polar sea to the torrid climes of the Isthmus; and everywhere honesty, strength and power. Though probably few men’ had had half of “his experience among the redskins of the mountains and prairies, there was something so charmingly fresh in the remark of his red ac- quaintance that Mieae the ranger more than smile. “Putty good fur ye, Yaller Hawk. and by hokey I reckon I'll plug ye yet, ef things keep on ther way they seem set on going. Az ter my name, thet’s another iF goose. I don’t s’pose ye ever hearn tell 0’ sich a cuss az Pandy Ellis, now did ye?” : Again that queer chuckle, for the Indian had slunk back, his black eyes fastened upon the ranger’s face, with a sort of dazed expression. It appeared as though Pandy was bnowi to him by ec if not personally. “Ugh! Sharp shot! Heavy knife! Big chief! “T reckon,” returned the old ranger drily. 7 Half a moment passed, during which neither of them spoke. Ugh!” Pandy’s grim features had résumed their usual aspect, and — “3 there was actually a scowl upon his face as he gazed steadily at the redskin. ; : I won’t furgit yer name, “Chief, ” said he at length, “fur I een I kin b'lieve ye sik ‘that fur an’ say ye air a chief. Tm goin’ ter ax ye sum ques- ae seca an’ a8 Both aay answers ie. every wun °° pete) | Fust :
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2 i CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. o’ all, what'd ye shoot at me fur?” and Pandy glanced at his opposite to the one taken by the Indian, he made his ‘way te shoulder, where a little tear told where the bullet had gone. “Me see through bushes; tink was Blackfoot squaw. Ugh!” “Yas, I reckon. Werry plausible, az ‘ther feller ses, but) Wal, we'll let that pass, seein’.az no harm war done. 1 forgive ye, chief. Receive a benediction, my red brother. Let that lie pass ter yer credit. Now, my painted scorpion, look me full in the eye. What hez Sitting Bull done wid my pard?” two thin. - This was uttered ina slow, but emphatic tone. The Indian either could not or would not understand; shook his head. - Pandy took a step forward, and his rifle was again raised menacingly, e “Looky hyar, ye lump o’ dough. Bolly Wherrit, the big tover o’ thar plains. do. ye understand?” I’m inquirin’ respectin’ ; White Thundar, he , | Whether it was the hunter’s threatening attitude that scared , the warrior, or that he suddenly réalized what was meant, | can never be made manifest; certain it is he remembered just, threw himself from the saddle and bent’ down to examine of at this critical period. “Ugh! mean White Thunder; him dead.” “Anothef lie. Now, redskin, how did he come ter die?” asked Pandy, who, although not believing this assertion, be- gan to feel uneasy. : \ “No. hab Ugh!” Dine, with Sitting Bull. Run all ober. _ “Wagh! eat too, much. good tings afore; stuff full and burst. grunted this savage composedly. “Thunder! thet air rich.. How the ole man’ll larf wen he hears it. Allers prided himself on bein’ alight feeders eat az much az a bird, him that I’ve seen git away wid a hull haunch o' venison while I war chawin’ the tongue. Now, Yaller Hawk, allow me ter say I don’t believe a word ye’ve sed; may be all is az true az scripture, but I wouldn’t like ter sware ye. I'l} tell ye what I think. Bolly air a prisoner in yer camp. I tole ‘him twar a fool’s errand he started on, but a willing man must hev his way, az the feller sez, so he started widout me. I’m goin’ inter yer camp; tell Sitting Bull that mn see him widin a week, and listen, Yaller Hawk. Does ther eagle care fur its | mate? Will thar she bar fight fur her cubs? Wal, I love ‘Bolly Wherrit; he air my life, all I*care’ about livin’ fur, Mark my words, redskin; if any harm comes ter White Thun- der, I swar Sitting Bull and his chiefs shall go under. Do BS yer hear? Then don’ t fail to report. That's all; ye can retire now, az ther cat sed when it had the mouse by ther nape o' ‘ther neck. Come, git, absquatulate, vamose the ranche.” ; An Indian’s. code is ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” . Yellow Hawk had attempted the ranger’s life, and he ex- pected the latter to take his in just retaliation. ‘ Therefore, he was not a little surprised at the words of his enemy, nor did his amazement retard his progress, ° os ; 4 moment and he was beyond the range of vision, having S yanished among the trees. vs AF nN Bllis, the trapper chief, was alone, fis did not na might haye discovered in it Eine resting-place of a busta a so caaieraie character of ite foes he “Aad to deal ‘with, but. “au -chiets that hovered near hy, aineing among the A rte DUnEeH, in a. Siection., eae. | tracks in the soft earth. [Indian en tenneseoe that stretched for cavegal ‘len along the | left bank of the Little Horn and could hardly haye ie 1 Ue ee | along, aiming for a certain spot. This proved to be a small creek, on the further bank i: Hs which his horse was tethered. Crossing over, the ranges mounted and rode away. The animal he bestrode was no mustang, but a tall, broad-chested ; horse, capable not only of carrying heavy burdens and mak- ing fast time, but also of keeping up his pace. : ‘i Many years ago, Pandy owned:a quaint steed called Old Nancy, and in memory of that faithful equine friend had this ~ animal been named. ; Reaching the prairie, the ranger dashed out upon the be Ai ; space and cantered along toward the north. The grass was already high, and dotted here and there with beautiful wild flowers, phat seemed to make the scene one of ~ ' enchantment. His. gray eyes swept both the horizon and the ground before — him with customary caution, — Ff All at once the ranger brought Nancy to an abrupt halt, “Glory! kin I b’lieve my eyes. A hull army o’ ‘em, az Pm a sinner. Ther report I heerd must be true then. My yallar- haired chief air on the war trail, and when Custer gits on ther — rampage thar’s blood on ther moon.” i CHAPTER II. ‘SITTING BULL'S GANG OF RED MARAUDERS, than a mile in width. for many years, In addition to the regular lodges composing ‘the ae proper, scores and even hundreds of temporary ne shelters had been hastily constructed, which fignificant fac The sun ed been shining for some i een two. mi Indians, coming from the plains away beyond the dis range of hills, appeared almost Stmultaneously on Sol k bluffs that lined the right bank of the river. ae Dashing down the steep inclined plane they forded the tle Horn and rode directly into the village. , One lodge, more conspicuous than its fellows, a anal the center of the place, and even an ‘inexperien: ed the These fro: hard riders reache - ae lod
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CUSTER'S. TASY SHOT. tiftie, and thtowifig themselves to the se left their swel- | tering horses to take care of theinsélves, while they entered with that boldnéss the bearers of extiting news generally bat SESS. ‘ Old Sitting Bull was busily engaged in an earnest confab with some half dozen chiefs, and although he spoke ofily ofice in a While, his words were listened to respectfully by the rest, All eyes were turned upon the newcotiets, and a hush fell upon the assembly, for somiéthing seeniéd to tell them that great news was on the tapis. Yellow Hawk (for this discOm- fited chief was one of the hard riders) managed to get in the first word, and when it was kiown that the far-famed Pandy | Ellis was in their immediate neighborhood, more than one of these dusky braves felt His heart beat faster, for there was a terrible meaning attached to the old ranget’s honest name, ‘for all evil doers. When, however, the second courier spoke, a wild excitement seized upon the chiefs. | ~ Guster, the hard fighter, the yellow-hatred devil, whom they had always feared, charging along their trail and aiming for _ the re like a thunderbolt, with his cavalry regiment at his back, Indians are not accistoined to speaking their thoughts dur- ing times of excitement, but the news loosened their tongues, atid for several moments a hubbub arose in the head chief's lodge. : In the midst of this several white men, garbed as Indians. | but with their faces painted, entered. Retr We moment only was needed to become acquainted with the! “state of affairs, and then one of them, a squatty individual i af who had long been a pest to the border, under the name of | ‘Black Scully, spoke a few words in the ear of Sitting’ Bull. j _ Whatever he said does not concern my narrative, but it had | : ‘its effect, upon the chief, who immediately became calm, Saat % E made a motion toward one who stood at the entrance of the _ lodge as a sort of doorkeeper. _ This individual signaled the waiting chiefs outside, and in another moment fully forty well-known leading Sioux were 1 clustered together. 2 _ Indian councils from the time of Red Jacket and Tecumseh _ back to time immemorial have been windy affairs, in which much eloquence and debate was needed to settle that which __ had already been decided before the argument commenced; © Mor 1 being natura) born orators the red sons of the plains and forest liked to hear their own voices. ie a, contrast with these, this counci] was very brief, , only last- _ ing about five minutes, ‘This proved that their dealings with the whites had affected _the vedskins. : ; f - After the chiefs vapeieieeg, there was a wild commotion in | af the immense village. Horses neighed, dogs barked, men sheared, and the din was 4noreased by the thunder of hoofs as squad after squad of mounted braves, led by their chiefs, dashed down to the river a forded its; 3 Ry d * _| woman, ‘in this hyar village. © ‘Tye hed that feelin’ afore. Beside, ain’t ole Sittin Bull hyar, it was Bolly Whiebrit, ‘tha.cia Hine: chun wud tHiidor Pandy Ellis. - He had been taken prisoner, fighting against overwhelming numbers, and had lain here without food he over twenty- SOU hours. ° What his fate would doubtless be the old ranger knew well enough, but he had faced death too often to flinch now. " Something seemed to trouble him, however, for he occa- sionally gave vent to 4 groan and rolled restlessly about. “Cuss the thing,” he muttered at length. “Bolly Wherrii; ye’re growing inter yer second childhood; thar’s eggscitin’ times comin’ off now, and hyar ye lie tied neck and heel. Didn’t I hyat what them infernal renegades talked "bout jest then. Custer, my pet, acomin’, téarin’, whoopin’ at this hyar town wid his cavalry. Lordy, won’t the yaller-har’d rooster clean ’em out; don’t I know him though. Wonder ef Major Burt air along. Why didn’t I wait fur Pandy? T’ole man | tole me I’d get inter trouble, but consarn the luck, in course @ woman’s at the head o’ it7 Gud I stand it wen that purty face, runnin’ over wid tears war raised ter mine, an’ she a pleadin’? No, sir, fool or not, I'd run “through fire fur a man, ‘cause I kaint never ftirget my miother. That gal is ‘Cause why? Sumfin tells mé so, and and cudn’t I swar I heard the voice o’ that white devil she tole’ ae about, Pedro Sanchez she called him, right aside this | lodge. Bolly Wherrit, thar’s no good talking, ef ye don’t get Soar this place in an hour, ye’ll never leave it alive, fur when _ ‘Guster sails in he never backs out, and the reds hev a failing fur braining their prisoners, ‘specially men folks. Now do ye iset ttr work, and show these red whelps that a border than’ ; air sumpin like a bolt o’ lightning.” ' ‘stk? From the manner in which Bolly. set. to work, it would be | supposed that he had been making efforts at freeing his arms for some title back, and had only stopped to rest while holding es one-sided conversation with himself. Somehow or other he had found a piece of a broken: bottle, and had been sawing away at the cord securing his hands | with this, gne end being thrust into the ground, and held upright in the proper position. Although his wrists and nands were badly lacerated by’ thie” : rough method, the ranger possessed the grit to persevere. Ten minutes after his soliloquy his hands separated. Bolly ~— 5 gave a sigh of relief, held the bloody members up for inspec- wed | tion, and then, without an instant’s delay, seized “upon the s | sharp-edged glabs. ay. i) It had takén him hours to free his arms, as he was unable to see, and his position, while working, exceedingly uncom-— AY fottable; the cord ecrune his feet he severed in a few mains utes. . Something like a chuckle escaped his lips as he atest ag right. “There was a mighty stretching of those cramped and — tired limbs, and then Bolly was ready: for business. An ardent desire had seized upon him to take part in tne attack which brave Custer was sure to indke. F iibanacct: the ee sche his ankles iagh a pi tog 8 looked 7 "Oe xf ge
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4 | CUSTER'S LAST SHOT. 7 With his hand he quietly raised one of the skins composing ‘mounting this clearly cut face was the well-known yellow 3 the lodge and peeped out. hair, worn long on the neck. , Rosie The opening thus formed was not over a couple of inches, Such was the gallant Custer. He had always been a dash- — . in length, but his keen eyes could see everything that was ins cavalry leader, and with Crook and McKenzie rendered. 2 Passing. | the Union efficient service under General Sheridan during the | ; A grim smile lit up the ranger’s features, as he saw the} late unpleasantness. wild excitement that reigned throughout the camp. The morning was half over when the command was ordered i “Ther askeered o’ Custer; they know him mighty well, but, to halt-for two reasons. by thunder they mean ter ‘fight. Ww ll be the biggest Indian’ One of these was that his scouts had brought word that the _ fight that this country ever saw, bust my buttons now ef , large Indian village, whose presence:in the vicinity had been 3 o . ’twon’t. Bolly Wherrit, ye must let tother matter drop, ak strongly suspected, was only a short distance ahead; the other pe: sail inter this, fur it’ll be full o’ glory and death.” : that a single horseman was sighted coming along their back — Alas! how the’ words of the old ranger came true, has been | , trail at a furious gallop. made manifest in a way that has caused the whole country | Custer had suspected this latter might be a bearer of dis- 7 to’ mourn. patches from his commander, General Terry, from whom he Death was fated to ride triumphant in the ravine on the had separated at the mouth of the Rosebud, the commander other shore; this valley would see such a red slaughter as going up the river on the supply steamer ‘Far West, to terry ‘the annals of Indian history have seldom presented. ' Gibbons’ troops over the water. - Several hours passed on. When, however, the horseman came closer, it was aindevans The warriors were too busy with other matters to even that he was no pluecoat, but a greasy leather-clad range} think of their prisoner just then, much less visit his secure “The individual rode directly up to the officers and his quick quarters, and so Bolly was undisturbed. gray eye picking out Custer, he extended a horny palm, ~ on ; Noon came and went. ‘ | “Can I believe my eyes?” exclaimed the general. “Gentl The hot sun beat down upon the earth with great fury, but! men, let me make you acquainted with my old friend, Pandy a gentle breeze in the valley did much toward cooling the! Hllis, the best Indian fighter that ever raised a rifle, and on air on this fatal twenty-fifth of June. whom I am proud to shake hands with.” th All at once the old trapper leaped wildly to his feet; this “Come,.come, general, don’t butter it too thick. Yer sarvint, same light wind had carried to his ear the distant but ap-| gentlemen. I’m on hand ter see ther fun, wich air all I k er proaching crash of firearms and thé wild yells of opposing , bout. Don’t mind me no more than ef I warn’t in these ‘hy ir i forces. — i diggin’s,” protested Pandy, modestly. f f His frame quivered and seemed to swell with excitemédnt. | “We shall do no such thing, old friend. Colonel ‘cooky _*Yaller Har’s at work. The best Indian fighter that ever | ; Will now move onward to the assault,” and Custer tov lived hez struck ile. Bolly Wherrit, now’s the time fur yer “his spurs to his steed. ; ; ‘ chance at glory. Whoop! hooray!” A few notes from the trumpeters, and the regiment Ww With this shout the ranger burst out of the lodge like a! again in motion. . thunderbolt, and not even giving himself an instant’s time Onward at a gallop went the troops. i : ; for reflection, hurled his body upon a guard who leaned idly| The valley of the Little Horn was reached, dad whe » thi re against. a post, listening to the sounds of battle. great trail entered it, another halt was made. 4 : : ene : Now the immense village was in sight; large bands of war- ——— \ riors made their appearance on all sides, some of t : ts . mounted, others on foot. f CHAPTER Ill | (i That there was serious business before them every mai a uiy fa ; that regiment saw by intuition; bloody work that would t pee BHD BEORLESS/ GALLOP INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH. | from one end of the land to the other, and yet ‘how ; oak v them suspected in what a terrible way it would end : of A column of mounted men wearing the national colors, and! ‘Custer was reckless; every military man has agreed upon Yi aeaad: by a group of officers, were making their way in a that. « ie 4 westerly direction. In the advance rode a body of Crow} He possessed a willful trait in his character that at Indians, and on either flank ‘were the scouts of the regiment. showed itself, and when the occasion presented, as ty “e: Over seyen hundred in ‘all, and some of me most gallant fight- | fated to do before this day was over, ‘merged into an indom ni es ers on the plains. f table, stubborn nature. This one serious fault was gene: Rt - Among that group of Oifiesrs; every man of whom had honor ; hidden beneath his dashing spirit, and it would be. a di attached to his name, rode one who seemed conspicuous both | thing to have met a more social poDnnan: than for his bearing and peculiar appearance. His form was rathef | the last Indian war. ; feats AS _ slender, aiid: indeed one might call it womanly, but the face There was something wrong. about him, _ above, with its prominent features, redeemed it from this” he. committed his fatal error. characteristic. ene nes cone pet sg Une guna in. a solid body, the regi
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Custer either considered his force stronger than it really was, or else underestimated the fighting powers of the enemy. He was too confident, and, in order that the Indians should not escape, ordered Major Reno, with three companies, to enter the valley where the trail struck it. The yellow-haired cavalry leader took five companies him- self, numbering over three hundred men, with the avowed in- tention of éntering the village some three miles further down. Major Reno could offer no remonstrance to his superior Officer, although perhaps he may haye felt that this plan was a most dangerous one, His lips and those of his fellow officers were sealed by mili- tary discipline. Not So, however, with Pandy Bilis, He had gazed upon the tremendous Indian village as it could be seen from their elevated position with something _ akin to amazement. Never before in all his vast experience ‘had the Ghternd ranger witnessed such a gathering of red- skins, and his usually smiling face clouded with apprehension. None knew the reckless, dashing nature of Custer better than Pandy, and he heard the orders for a division of the -Tegiment with dismay. ‘ ‘He even ventured to remonstrate with the general, but the aa latter turned upon him fiercely, and, although his sudden nee anger quickly cooled down without a word being spoken, the look was enough to inform the ranger that he was meddling with affairs in which he had no part. : 8 - All the censure of the rash act must fall upon one pair of ~ shoulders, where the glory also rests. Pandy fell a little behind when the detachment struck off behind the crest of the high bluffs marking the right bank of . | the Little Big Horn. The old fellow had grown more cautious ‘ - in his advancing years, and although at one time in his career this daring assault would have filled him with thoughts of _ glory, it now had an effect quite the reverse. He could only deplore the fact that Custer would take no warning, but per- he ain in riding directly into the jaws of death. Duty seemed to stand out before the ranger, and dashing alongside the 4 ‘general, he once more begged him to consider the situation. Something was certainly wrong with the usually gentlemanly _ general. “Old friend,” said he, “if you fear for your own safety, there is plenty of time to join Reno yonder. If for my welfare, I beg of you to let the subject drop.” - “Generai, if it war any other man az sed that, he shud neyer _live ter see another sunrise. Ye know Pandy Ellis better than that, ” said the old man, reproachtully. Custer moved uneasily in his: saddle. ; Z “Forgive me, Ellis, 1 meant nothing. Some devilish, humor seems to possess me to-day, and I must let it out in fight. Besides, there is no danger.” ii. No danger!” muttered Pandy, falling back again, “no dan- ser! Cuss me ef thet don’t sound odd. Three hundred agin hree thousand! Sere i Ss ther old days now; then Be war CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. aa feller sez. Don’t think o’ Bolly, but jist yell an’ sail in. “Hoo- ray!” and the ranger gave a sudden shout as the we excite- ment seized upon him. : Major Reno was left behind with his three companies. — Pek: ther to the left, some two miles away, was Captain Belton — with three more companies. As Custer and his ill-fated three hundred rode jee away, vanishing behind the crown of the bluffs, some of those who remained may have entertained suspicioris of the dread. ful result that was soon to follow, but no time was granted ~ to realize what these conjectures amounted to. The Indians had gathered thickly ‘on the opposite bank, | and Major Reno at once gave the word to go forward. i Fording the river in the midst of a fire so deadly that sev- eral saddles were emptied, the soldiers reached the other side: Once on terra firma they formed and then charged. As the bugles rang out it was a glorious sight to see that compact body of men dash forward like an avalanche, clearing the way before them as if they were invincible. } Alas! that such a gallant charge should have been in vain. Overwhelming numbers opposed thé troops; the horses could not even move forward, and brave to the core the men threw themselves to the ground and fought on foot. It was a fers rible struggle, but could not last long. i Finding that the number of the Indians was far more than — had been even imagined, and realizing that to continue the i struggle would mean the sacrifice of every man in the com- mand, Major Reno reluctantly gave the order to remount, and the three companies crossed the river again under a havas. sing fire, sadly depleted in number. | * i Just then Captain Belton came up with’ his men, but seeing f the madness of attempting to assail the infuriated horde of red demons, savage at their success and the sight of blood, 4 he wisely retired, and joined Reno, who had taken up a posi- tion on one of the bluffs back of the river bank. CHAPTER IV. ~ BRAVE CUSTER’s LAST SHOT “Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, ; Cannon in the front of them, ahngt a Volleyed and thundered. B.S Onward through shot and shell, Into the motth of hell, _ They who had fought so well, Rodeathe six hundred.” —Charge of the Light Brigade. ‘ \ be Crimean war may have presented its phases of Teckless
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6 ) CUSTER’S LAST - SHOT. ti is Officially stated that not one regular soldier it the wholé | dropping, and with them hotses, but ii Spite of it allt the Biite ; command lived through the battle. Sqiiad kept straight on. . After leaving the attack at the upper énd of the village to} Just at this mbinent a new foim appeared. a the blue- Reno’s care, Ctister and his en sttiick alotig the iotite se- y lected, at as rapid a pace as the nature of the ground per- mitted. Thts line of travel was just béyond the crest of the High bluffs,.and no doubt the leading principle that actuated the general into selecting it, was an idea that theit movements might be concealed frorti the enemy. In this, however, the project failed uttérly, for great num- bers of Indian scotits had posted thetiiselves on the ¢rags and their rifles kept up a CGontititied mtisical réfrain far from pleas- ant t6 the eats of the dévoted bafid, more thah one of whom ‘threw up his arms and féll from his steéd as the bitter lead cut home. : coats. Where he came from no one had the slightest ided; not even kéen-eyed Pandy himself. The first the ratiger knew of it, He sdw someone mounted on a white horse dash by him, ahd a bey dréssed in the becoming suit of a hunter drew réin besidé the yellow-hatied chief. Custer turned his head for the first time since chasing the course of his troop, and his face expressed evident displeasure when he saw the boy. 5 “Mason, boy you here!” the officer dluctilated The young fellow did n6t seem to pay any heed to the dis- may that was plainly perceptible in the totes of the genéral. “General,” he almost shouted, ptitting out a hahd to seize It was a, dangerous ride, and yet in the face of this murder- Custer’s bridle, but which was impatiently put away by him, ous fire these valiant men rode on, turning neither to the | “to go forward is impossible. They aré ten to your one.” right nor the left, but keeping straight forward. To retreat is also impossible, even it we wished tis Be Now and then a trooper, exasperated beyond endurance by | Custer, grimly. | the fall of some dear comrade, Would discharge his carbine} It was indeed so; the command could never scale thé bluffs at the Indians who showed themselves boldly on one side. again in the face of those defending them. Owing to the rapid motion these shots were indifferently| Asdin the boy appealed. rewarded, only a few of the most expert hitting the objects of | “General, the whole river bank is a mass of reds. It is a their aim. trap, an anibuscade.- Turn back, or halt, if ’yoti valtié your | tite! * * he exclaimed. On ordinary occasions old. Pandy Ellis would have been } ; E : or Sie? Wier Wii prove his matkmanship<- init something Several of the officers wére waiting for a reply; but OUSEoh Si Menta Yo" ween his aitputidu riveted in one direction, and | ‘firm and brave to the last, did not hesitate in his course, pee amidst the storm of hissing bullets, growing momentarily He sonnei el a terrible érror had se committed in é louder and more threatening, the prairie ranger rode as dividing his troop; but he possessed the spirit to persist in)” cetimiy as if indeed there was iio danger his former plan, hoping to come out all right in the énd. His fellow officers saw the lips pressed firmly together. But if our old friend paid little attention to this deadly ; Pe discharge from all quarters, others made up for his lack of } Then came the one word: i n interest, and growlg of dissatisfaction arose on all sides; not | Bes Bs oh Tie at their leader, but because it was almost impossible to return The foot of the bluffs was reached, and then the truth of a Ree the fire df the enemy. boy’s assertion became manifest. Bia ih é Another moment, and the gallant commatid was completely Vie With his usual disregard for danger, Custer rode in the ad- of 4 lsurtotinded by a struggling. yelling mass of Itidians, many of vance, wherehis form was a prominent mark for all concealed | site h hoot but th ral, in spite of all, see led ae bear: By ee ee ; f sharpshooters; bu e gene 1 Spi ny oO beary dees i y ie H Then commenced the’ deadliest fight that has ever been j _ a charmed life. ‘ ‘ : known to take place on the plains. An es He leaned forward in the saddle, and seemed to be scrutiniz-} 41 tne attendant noises of a great battle, cannon excepted, ing some point of land, toward which his attention had been doula’ Be tonndehors: ty deen by bloody Maite, One Ot tis Crow scouts. The Sioux seemed crazy with both anger and delight: and _ It was at this moment, after a gallop of nearly three mites Many a poor féllow. strugeling hard in the midst of this sea : : after leaving Major Reno, that Custer gave a start and uttéred | 4» humanity, was actually pulled from his horse into the arms = an exclamation as a bullet grazed his flesh, making a slight of deaths \ f Sayed but burning skin wound. S There was\no Halt made at all. ; ws Aroused to action by this, his quick eye took in all the The command kept compactly together, using their weaporis- - surroundings, and immediately the order was given to change} og best they could, but never thinking of retreating. ap the route. . ‘| On, on, was the ery; forward, the shout. : Passing over the crown of the bluffs, the cavalry rushed} Being prevented from fording the river by the overwhelming ie down toward where the Little Big Horn ran noisily over its | force, Custet and his men rode along the shore. cS HR BBA RY ia ‘ Hvery second the number, of opponents swelled, as. those = Indians seemed as thick as blackberties on a July day. -|upon the heights came dows upon the scene of action; ani ¥ From every bush and rock they made their appearance, | still the little band went on, trampling’ down and aiding ove: tr oe SA inahite and determined on mischief. those who would not get out of the way. bg All tte" ay down to, the level bank of the river men ne _ As a single man in a crowd is pushed
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CUSTER’S LAST SHOT.. s like a feather floating on the water, and at the mercy of the wind, the river. Eyerywhere was their trail marked by the dead, until it came to the slaughter-pen. After leaving the water, the remnant of the gallant Seventh attempted to make a break out of this infuriated mabey but the tide had set in against them. Five, ten minutes of this awful fighting, and then there came a time when retreat was utterly out of the question, much as they might have wished it. The Sioux had forced them into a ravine, and here was enacted the closing scene of the bloody drama. . Custer saw the inevitable final; hope of a rescue there could be none, as Reno had received positiye orders, and Terry and Crook were far away in different directions. ; In this ravine they must die then. “My God!” exclaimed Custer, “we are trapped like foxes. To stay here means death. Forward, men, forward! Down with the hounds!” Words counted as*nothing at this dread moment; so long as a man could keep his seat, he was in good luck; it was the death bullet that told. “My heavens! the general’s shot! Pandy Ellis/ Custer was reeling in his saddle; the’ film of death already - showed itself in those clear eyes, but bracing himself, he dis- charged his revolver in the face of Black Sculley, the renegade, who had given him his death-wound. The scoundrel rolled over with a curse; Custer’s last shot had done its work. As the general fell from his saddle he was caught in the arms of the boy hunter, who had dismounted. / While the awful din raged around, and men were covering _ one another with blood, the soul of as gallant an officer as ever drew sword passed away to a better world. Custer died at the head of his command. ” shouted a soldier close to CHAPTER V. HOW <& THE COMMAND PAID FOR IMMORTALITY. Their valiant leader lying dead upon the ground, and men continually dropping on all sides, the remnant of the officers saw that the game was up. There was not one chance in a thousand for their escape, and the only thing that was left to them was to fight to the last gasp, to “pile the fleld with Mos- lem slain,” and die as did Bowie and his friends at the Alamo, with the bodies of their enemies forming a breast-high bul- wark around them, ~ “Down with the red fiends! ”- ‘It was brave Colonel Cook’s last words, for hardly had he s ponoken before a Jance knocked the red sword from his hand; og “eager hands seemed to clutch at him on all sides, and in an 2 instant he had disappeared, being pulled down Gee that econ crowd ¢ of sales gee pte Br agry em so Custer and his command were drawn away from ' avail against such overwhelming numbers. knew him best can General Custer fought like a Hercules, but noting could In the conclusion of the onslaught he had accidentally became separated a little from the rest, and although this may haye hastened his death a trifle, in the end it made no difference. This gallant man was the next to fall. His horse was shot under him, and al- most before he had reached the ground fate had overtaken him. : ; : His comrade, Colonel Yates, uttered a heavy groan when Custer fell, and as if yet hoping against hope turned his eyes ‘ toward the bluffs above. For once the brave man found him- self wishing a fellow officer would commit a breach of dis- cipline, and disobey orders. If Reno came up with the remain- ing seven companies they might be saved. Alas! the major never came, for about this time he was industriously engaged in defending himself against a horde of savage Sioux. | As moment after moment glided away, every spark-of hope left the heart of Yates, ‘and clenching his teeth, he turned his — full attention upon the yseene around him. Indeed, it was enough to appall the stoutest heart, to see that little band of brave men hemmed in on all sides by a surging mass of red demons, each one of whom seemed to feel the old desire for human blood, so characteristic of the Indian race, ‘ E It would have been a sight fit for a painter, and yet what artist could do justice to the expression of mingled despair and courage that showed itself upon each face in that. noble little band? : Ah, me! it was a terrible, terrible half hour. Men in that iS gallant Seventh, who had been ordinary mortals before, now. proved themselves heroes, and fought like ‘tigers at bay. There is something fearful in the look of a man who has given ‘up every vestige of hope, and fights with that fierce courage born of despair; one can neyer expect to ‘see it else- where. ; “Boys, we've got to die here. Close up and let ‘every man take half a dozen of these red fiends to eternity with him.” | It was Captain Smith who yelled this out, and those who believe it of the officer. ; This was not his first Indian fight. He had faced death before, but never would again. Bronzed, bearded faces grew paler than usual, and perhaps some’ hands shook as the men tga of the loved ones at - home. God knows that they had cause to feel this weakness ea ao! moment, when they realized that never again should their ? eyes behold those dear friends, and that this ravine in which they fought was doomed to be their field of death. eo “Keep your faces toward the foe!” shouted Colonel Yates, bravely, and to himself he muttered the anxious prayer aa could never be answered: : rene + “Oh, heavens! that Crook was here, or Andy. Burt, and the ee Ninth!” _ But Crook and gallant Major Burt were far away. ¥ The Indians, incited by their chiefs, now prepared for a ‘grand final rush. sity Mr. Read, who had deaomipadted the. cefedition, was down; eae Colonel. Keogh pase: yavishes: a abs dee time aes snk Jost. Eee ;
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8) CUSTER’S’ LAST SHOT. 0 - this critical juncture Captain Smith threw up his arms, and] all the firearms were discharged, it was none the less deadly after reeling for an instant in his saddle, slipped to the ground. on that account. Yates saw that the closing scene was at hand. “Close up, men, close up. For God’s sake, let every man keep his face toward them. The old Seventh will become famous,” he exclaimed. Yes, indeed, famous at the dear cost of the utter extermina- tion of almost half its number. A yell, such as might have made the earth tremble, and the ‘whole mass of warriors, mounted and on foot, came ‘against the solid little phalanx like an avalanche. Had the rush been from one quarter alone, the remnant of cavalry would have been swept out of existence like a flash, scattered here and there among their enemies; but as the press came from all sides at once it only is ar to crush them closer together. ; In union there is always strength. Had the hundred cavalrymen now left been divided into small groups they would have been all killed before ten min- utes had passed by, but in a solid body they could resist for over half an. hour. Pandy Ellis was in the thick of it. His blood was thoroughly aroused, and I doubt if any man : in that ill-fated command killed hdlf as many redskins as did this gray-haired ranger. \ \ . _ When his rifle and pistols were empty he slung the former to his back very coolly, and then, drawing the huge bowie that had given him the name of Heavy Knife, sailed in to conquer or die. BDxperienced in these matters, he had foreseen such a catas- ‘ trophe, although even his vivid imagination had failed to Pauit such a serious calamity. '- Pandy had expected to be forced into a retreat, but sith a - thing as having the whole command utterly annihilated never Sgr while he was fighting in the midst of the redskins a} ‘ OMahemle them entered his head. ‘i Custer had called him Mason, and seemed to feél some affec* tion for him. : ake aed Pandy’s eyes soon fell upon ‘him. He had the general’s re- : dees in his hand, and gyas seated on his horse, engaged in 5 ‘isu ial it with euitiaenuaiie precision, making every shot | tell. When the ranger looked again, a few moments later, the 5 boy had disappeared. “us all,” muttered Pandy, as he drove his keen blade home in _ the broad breast of a brave. All that Pandy was sure of, after Cooke fell pierced by many a; as if the strength and SrGURAHCE of a dozen men was in his } yf d bie: , % aaa the f ; entered his head until they were pushed into the ravine trap. | Sabers, red with human gore, were flashed in the sun’s_ bright rays, and urged to their deadly work by arms that seemed iron in their endurance. i : Lances, tomahawks, and keen knives opposed thems and now and then a rifle added its weight to the side of the Indians. On each occasion some poor fellow would totter in his sad- dle, and finding himself going, show the spirit that imbued his. nature by making a last sweeping blow at the enemy who held such a tight grip on them all. It was horrible to see how that devoted little pand aneie s ally diminished in numbers. EB There were hardly forty left now, and in ten minutes these — had become, less than twenty. The end was near at hand. ¥ Yates still lived, although the only. commissioned officer. % ee His face was very white, and streaked with blood, so that old Pandy, still fighting like a hero, hardly recognized the * man who touched-his arm. f ; “Old friend, try to escape and carry the cee to Crook ae Reno. If you succeed, tell them to let my folks know how I ik died, and that my last thoughts were of them. The old Sev- F enth has made a record that——” f ie It was never finished. The fatal bullet came, and as brave. a man as ever Rag ee his face to the foe succumbed to the inevitable. ERR Se Pandy seemed to hesitate an instant, then’ ee powder-be- grimed face it up. ; + . “Pll do it, bust my buttons. Might az wal die, tryin’ it an hyar. Good-by, boys; I’m in fur death, or ter carry ther. news ter Crook. Nancy, away wid ye,” and the knife point sent ‘the Pe animal pounding among the Indians. { sf Ten minutes later and all was over. The ravine HN, itke: a slaughter-pen in the daylight, and even while the Sioux, glut ted with blood, searched among the heaps of slain for sa ae yet live} the sun sank out of sight as if ashianicy oe ried to close over eet ravine of death. CHAPTER VI. BOLLY WHERRIT’S BATTLE ON A SMALL SCALE. | f When Bolly Wherrit threw himself upon the guard. ‘at ‘hi “Poor feller, he’s done fur; an’ yet it’ll likely be ther fate o’| prison lodge he was without a single weapon. Besides ‘this his hands and wrists were enitdeetenye 3 © |.ated by the cruel glass that had been the means of his gi ‘At such a dread time as this the eye of a participant could | freedom, but he had no doubt regarding his ability to overcome ‘h the fellow, especially as he had the advantage of a surprise. Finding himself so suddenly seized by the throat, wounds, was that every member of that heroic band fought | turned like a flash and attempted to use his arm, to get the hunter in a bear’ ‘S$ clasp, and then hold Ne | Sistance came.
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CUSTER’S LAST life being spent upon the plains in active warfare with the savage denizens thereof, il was not likely that Bolly would in his declining years have lost the prompt discretion and agility that had marked his whole checkered career. Perhaps that Indian thought a thunderbolt had seized hold, of him-—that is, if he took.time to think at all, which is rather questionable, and in truth he would not have been far from the truth. The way in which Bolly shook him by means of the hold upon his throat would have reminded one of a terrier anda rat. So violent was the motion that the unlucky fellow’s head was in danger of coming off, and when Bolly in the end dashed his clenched fist full in the red face, it ended the mat- ter, for when he released his clasp the man dropped to the ground perfectly insensible. To stoop over'the fallen brave and transfer the fellow’s “weapon to his own person, was, for the ranger, but the work of a moment. \ Quite a fine-looking rifle, of a modern pattern, a long, ugly- looking knife, a revolver; and some ammunition were thus appropriated without compunction, for Bolly believed in the i adage that “to the victor belong the spoils.” Besides, had not - this man or his friends made themselves owners of his’articles of warfare without saying so much as “by your leave.” There were very few men left in the village; for one to » remain idle when such deadly work was in progress at two ' separate points would have been a decided disgrace. A dozen cavalrymen dashing in at the northern and eastern _ part of the village could have carried everything before them. Not forty yards away from the prison lodge some ten or| twelve warriors were clustered, being wounded braves unable | ie take part in the great baitle. ‘So interested were these worthies in what was passing before their eyes (for, standing on a little elevation, they could see the fight with Reno now drawing to an end, and the gallop of - Drave Custer and his men), that the little episode in their pear did not serve to attract their aitention. It was only when the ranger arose to his feet, after arming himself by means of the late guard’s weapons, that one of the ay wounded braves happened to catch sight of him, and, giving _ the alarm to his companions, the whole of them started for- ward with a yell. If they were to be deprived of a share in both of the fierce battles, why could they not get up a little affair of their own, ‘a private entertainment, so to speak, whereby each individual _ participant on their side might share the excitement? oy Unfortunately for them Bolly Wherrit proved too willing, and then again he wanted all the fun on his side of the house. “Now fur sumpin’ rich. Calculate I kin wipe out them reds ri like a chalk mark. Old bruiser in front thar, take keer 0’ yer- ( ‘self. “4 : The rifle proved to be a good one in the Mane had for as the report’ \sounded, one of the approaching braves sprang | wildly forward with a convulsive dr ering up of the ia and as met ra way by death, ‘SHOT. As man atte man lay down never to rise again, Bolly burst. out into a wild, reckless laugh. When the chambers were empty only four men stood erect, : and they looked as if they wished themselves anywhere but in their present situation, Nothing daunted by the férce of numbers, Bolly sprang to- ward them, holding his empty rifle in one hand and the long knife in the other. : Some stern duty appeared to call these four brave “fellows in as many different directions, just then. At any rate they did not wait for the arrival of White Thunder, but dashed wild- ly away, forgetful alike of their wounded dignity, and their late dignified wounds. A shout from the old: hunter caused them to expedite matters, and Bolly laughed at the ludicrous figures they cut. BE A shrill neigh close by caused him to start. It was a well- remembered sound, and the hunter quickly turned his face in the direction from whence it came. | A horse, saddled and bridled, was fastened to a stake, driven ‘into the ground in front of a tent, and Bolly saw that it was his own lost steed. The animal had recognized its master, and had given token of its love for him. ’ With a few bounds Bolly was at the side of Black Bess, As his hand fell caressingly upon the noble mare’s mane the skin serving as a door to the lodge was swept suddenly aside, and the next instant Bolly found himself face to face with Blue Horse, a noted chief, and an old enemy of his. What this individual was doing in his lodge while his com- rades fought and bled will, perhaps, never be known, and does not really affect the course of my narrative, All that I wish to be positive about is the fact that he was there, and that for almost fully sixty seconds the foes glared at each other. ' “Ugh! White Thunder! Blue Horse no forget ears,” grunt- ed the chief, as he put his hand to his belt and drew a revolver, ~ “Remember that ole scrimmage, eh, chief? Wal, I reckon I cud give ye another leetle reminderyo’ this happy occasion, seein’ that yer is so partic’lar "bout it,” and the ranger laughed in the Indian’s face. Blue Horse angrily raised his weapon, but considerately re- frained from firing. The reason of this clemency on his part was obvious. Bolly held his empty revolver in his hand, and thts had — ft been thrown with tremendous force against the chiet’s head, which, not being made of iron, gave way, and the Sioux nation had to mourn the loss of another leader. Bolly secured the revolver of Blue Horse, and was thinking of searching the village from one end to the other in order to accomplish the strange mission that had brought him bi this part of the country, when a chorus of angry vee attracted his “5 attention. rt Upon investigation these were found to proceed from a score of mounted red men who were dashing along toward him, having evidently been attracted by the eries of the four.wound- ed warriors, who. had fied after their little private amuse: hk ment, ¥ x s Plague take the Inck, I must git. Sich a good chance thrown away. Now, iy kin bet high on’t, Boll Wherrit’s goin’ ha
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10 . have his own rifie back ag’n, an’ resky that gal mighty soon. Whoa, Bess, whoa, old girl. Have they been treatin’ ye bad? Away now. an’ make the dust fly!” Faithful Black Bess needed no second invitation, but darted away like an arrow shot from the bow, with Bolly swinging his rifle in the air, and shouting defiance to*those who followed after. _ His fitst thought was to make for the river, and join the com- batants on the other shore, but upon glancing across, such a mass of surging humanity met his gaze that Bolly was actually ‘appalled. Besides, his pursuers were between himself and the water, having come from that direction. te “Tarnal death, but it looks hot over thar. be Custer, for I swar no other man wud do sich a dare-devil thing. Ef they get outer thet hole, then I’ll guv the general credit fur a heap o’ smartness. Oh, the imps o’ Satan. ‘Spect ter ketch me, hey? Wal, now we’ll see what the hoss has ter say "bout thet,” muttered Bolly. ' Actions often speak louder than words; if Black Bess could not talk, she certainly showed what she thought of the case by making a streak that promised to carry the ranger out of sight very shortly. § The last the score of Sioux saw of him he was waving his old hat in an affectionate farewell, and the exuberant shouts he gave utterance to came faintly across the level ground. _ Bolly made at once for the hills, which he reached in-a short time. Here we will leave the brave old ranger for a time, ; hatching up daring plans to carry out his singular mission, and return once more to that ravine of death where Custer and the last of his command fell, beneath the fury of the Sioux and their renegade friends, Reckon it must CHAPTER VII. ROBBERS OF THE DRAD. \ “Night had closed over the scene of the terrible battle, but “the darkness was not intense, as the stars shone out with un- usual brilliancy, and the silver crescent of a new moon in the western sky lent its feeble aid.. Thé cold gtars looked down upon a fearful sight; such a one ’ as has not been seen in this fair land for many a year. Hundreds of men and horses lying dead in that fatal ravine, and a trail of bodies leading almost in a circle, down to the : river and then up the bluffs. Valiant men lay here; heroes whose names ‘shall ever be qentioned with proud honor by their surviving comrades; and yet what a price they paid for that worthless commodity to t the dead—immortality. Across the Little Horn could be heard the noises of a great camp, and once in a while the breeze bore the distant crack of firearms. These last came from several miles to ‘the south, ihlard Ma- _ jor Reno had entrenched his command on the bluffs, and from -hastily-constructed rifle-pits fought the enemy, who had posted themselves on the neighboring heights, where they ‘could con trol his position. i} rah hie by = CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. Shadowy figures glided hither and thither over the field of battle, for that it was a battle, though a very uneven one, [ do affirm, in spite of the constant appellation of massacre in- dulged in by the newspaper men. The very word massacre brings to mind the idea of a whole- sale butchery of helpless people. Historians are prone to be partial in its use. We always find the affair a massacre when the Indians are victorious; but when the tables are turned it is “a splendid campaign,” “a hard-fought battle,” and “a glorious victory for the troops.” If the word massacre does not mean a one-sided butchery, — then every worid’s battle has been such. As to Custer’s-particular case, did he not move forward with — the intention of attacking the village, and although every man fell, did they not slay at least their own number of redskins? Then this proves the affair a battle and not a massacre. — Having carried my point, I beg pardon for the digression. , These shadowy figures gliding over the scene of death were . robbers of the slain, and having no compunctions of con- 3, science, if a coveted ring refused to come off, the anger was at ti once severed in order to obtain the bauble. = Noble, Custer and most of his officers lay close together, just — as. they had fallen. Near by was a heap of slain, which included troopers, Sioux and horses. ee 7 One of the robbers of the dead approached this pile, and be gan pulling the bodies about in a promiscuous manner, his. i eyes and hands busily engaged searching for plunder. * Under this pile a form lay, which as the heayenly lights fell tp upon it, revealed the features of the boy who had bee Sea General Custer when he fell. : Something gleamed from the little finger of his left hand and 7 as this sparkled in the light of the moon, the prowler uttered a delighted exclamation. that at once proved him to be a white man, ; as acces Seizing hold of the hand, he at once attempted to pull the diamond solitaire ring off, but this proving fr aiuess he felt f i his knife. Just as this was drawn his hand was tightly clutched by. theus one he held. The truth of the matter was that the boy had been veudeds insensible by being struck with a bullet that glanced from a forehead, without breaking the bone. Others killed later in the desperate struggle had fallen a 5 him, and here for several hours he lay at the door, of death. : When the heap that pr a es him down had been removed by the robber, the fresh air served to partially revive him, and the twisting of his finger by the- desperado finished the bnsie ness. £ By the dim light of the stars Bia new moon combined, he hat, and also the bushy beard. — : ok rin a fine ety: boots Bielen
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/ CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. TES. officer, were slung across his shoulders and he seemed bur- dened down with all sorts of plunder. Mason waited to see no more. The wrenching at his finger ceased; the man uttered a curse and began to draw his knife. Then the whole horrible truth burst upon the boy’s mind. Under the impulse of the moment he tightened his clasp, and actually pulled himself to his feet by means of the rene- gade, and after this had been accomplished, released his hold. The matter did not rest here. Amazed at having the dead come to life in such an unex- pected manner, as it seemed, the renegade uttered a cry and started pack. Custer’s revolver was still hel@in the boy’s right hand, just as it had been when he had fallen to the earth. Whether a single load remained or‘not, he could not tell, but quickly pulling up the hammer he raised the weapon. When the robber of the dead, base crayen that he was, saw this movement, he flung out his hands in an involuntary appeal for mercy, but the boy, after passing through such a bitter, bloody experience, could feel no pity for such as he, The hammer fell, the crack came, and the bullet did its mis- sion of retributive justice. “My God! I'm done for, Curses on the young hound,” half- howled the renegade, reeling wildly in the effort to keep his feet, and at length plunging to the ground, where he lay cov- ered with plunder, waiting for some other robber to relieve him as he had despoiled others. , Mason sank to the ground immediately, and it was not until several moments had passed by that he ventilred to raise his ' head and look around. Not ‘an object was stirring near him. If the marauders of the dead had noticed the shot at all they had taken it for granted that it was fired by one of their { ~ number at a wounded cavalryman, and the shout given by the victim of the bullet went far to corroborate this idea. ; As he looked Mason saw one of those shadowy forms skulk- ing about and bending over the dead. Fearful lest he should meet with one such and be murdered for want of weapons, he crawled over to where the renegade lay and secured his revolver. Not content with this, he quietly proceeded to reload the empty chambers of the one he had taken from the holster of Custer’s saddle. When this was done, he felt content, and arose to his feet. | Although he could see in the immediate vicinity, all ap- __ peared dark and gloomy a hundred yards away, and the cliffs could only be distinguished because they were outlined against the star-bedecked sky after the manner of a silhouette. Which eae to go was a puzzler. > Beyond. the ravine he could hear the murmur of the river, TSS TS eT Te OT ee Se ee He seemed to know that the general must be near by, mn. was led instinctively to his body. _A horse had fallen upon Custer’s lower limbs, but the heavy weight had given him no pain, for he had been peneee that. when the animal was shot. I can not positively say that the tears came from the hoy’s — eyes, as some of my readers might deem that tan unmanly proceeding, though God knows the poor fellow had cause enough to weep, with his best and only friend lying dead he: fore him. That he lifted the general’s cold hand and kissed it repeat: ' edly, while murmuring a farewell, I can and do affirm. A moment more and he was stealthily making his way along the ravine, heading towdrd the river. A vague notion that a horse was necessary to his future movements had intruded itself upon his brain, and although his plan of obtaining one was as yet illy defined, it con- stantly gained ground. Once a dark form suddenly rose up in front of him, but the greasy Indian got no further than the drawing of his knife, when Mason’s revolver sounded his death-note, and without even a groan he sank beside the dead man whom he had been in the act of despoiling when disturbed by the boy’s ap- — proach. Avoiding all others whom he saw, Mason soon left the ravine behind him, and passing over the intervéning ground, where a few bodies “were scattered promiscuously about, he stood upon the river bank. There was something soothing in the.steady hum of the water which appeared to quiet the boy’s disturbed mind, and for almost half an hour he stood leaning against a tree that bent out over the river, and engaged in dreamy fancies, He had almost forgotten his notion of getting a remount in place of the one lost during the bloody skirmish. ; Sad thoughts had crowded into his mind. Of all that gallant band, was he the only survivor? It seemed. so, indeed; but Mason did not know of the su- preme effort made by old Pandy Ellis, the prince of border- men. : The boy's reverie was becoming almost unbearable when it was disturhed by what appeared to a the flash of a paddle further up the stream. CHAPTER VIII ° PANDY ELLIS’ HOTTEST SCRIMMAGE. Valiant eld Pandy Bilis, the veteran ranger of the prairies, was not the man to give up hope easily. He had been in many a tight serape before, and had kept a bright face when ~ the best of men might have given up in despair. But there was something so fearful in this horrible struggle, where human efforts however strong seemed puny as an in- | rant’s, that the ranger might well be pardoned for yb and knew that on the other shore was the camp of the Sioux. his teeth grimly and resolving to die hard. . ‘Once clear of this slaughter-pen and his ideas would flow ‘more naturally, for it was impossible to think calmly while the mutilated bodies of friends lay around on every side. ean ee say 2 think was to do it with srbeadl be: friend, There were actually tears in his eyes as "ihe gave one last glance back at that sadly depleted little band, where noble y Yates still shouted out encouraging words, and) ilies? Sag beeen sword with untiring arm.
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12 CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. —————. "It was the last ever seen of this detachment of the gallant Seventh alive; and although the old ranger were to live his whole life over again, he could never forget that scene. His hands were fully occupied in defending his person ‘against the many wéapons raised against it. During the next five minutes, Paddy had the hottest little scrimmage that ever fell to his lot. On every side nothing met his eye but a mass of red faces, bearing the most devilish looks one could imagine, and the owners of Which were trying their best to stab or shoot the . rider. Bodily he plunged into the thick ee them. Nancy trampled many under her feet and bore her inevi- table wounds with the air of a martyr, than which she could not well do otherwise, belonging as she did to such. a re- _ nowned hero. Guns cracked about iittn: bullets whistled close to his head, and cut into his flesh; lances, knives and tomahawks were thrust up.at him with vengeful intent, and yet this veteran . urged his horse forward, armed only with a knife as a ser- viceable weapon, with which he seemed to keep. himself sur- rounded by a wall of steel through which it was next to im- possible to force a passage. How many men he and his horse killed between them dur- ing that five minutes’ fearful ride, Pandy could not even guess after it was,over, fog his mind was in a whirl, and he did mechanically the work that was needed, just as a set machine “might have done; but it must certainly have been dozens. Some men might have deemed it impossible to force a way on horseback through that mass of excited redskins. Colonel Yates had deemed it so, but to Pandy nothing was accepted as beyond the power to do, until an attempt had been made, and Yates’ last words to him- proved that the officer must have either placed more confidence in the ranger’s dash than his own, or else had resolved to die with his brave boys at any risk. It was over at last, this brief but exciting ride of the prairie ‘man’s, encompassed on all quarters by death. ! As horse and rider burst out of that maddened throng as a it strong swimmer buffets the billows of the mighty deep, Pandy drew a long breath. i Bite Not that the danger was over by any means. Here were - dozens of Sioux braves outside of the melee, and these seeing an enemy emerge from the mass of struggling combatants, made a rush at him. Pandy uttered’ a taunting laugh, and aE dashed away like a bird, for although Nancy was breathing hard from her pean Fi rin one was equal to kale the occasion demanded. igs The ranger after clearing abet a third of a mile, turned to. one | side and rode up a pass that led to the other side of the Ets bluffs, , i Reaching the crest, he “passed along until almost even with ay all was over. i Yates. too had fallen, and not one of his men could be seen alive; all that was visible seemed to be a sea of redmen rush- ing pelietaclt over ie battlefield. the ravine of death. Then he paused for a last glimpse. Alas! | | fein with an ee of SI prise: “God help me! I never seen sich a thing in my life, The hull crowd wiped out az clean az a whistle. What's goin’ ter become o’ us all at this hyar rate? Custer,’ Cooke, Yates, Keogh, ‘all gone. Bust my buttons ef these reds ain’t woke up _ wid some o’ ther ole fire. My hate fur ’em war dyin’ out, but it only needed this ter kindle it wus nor ever. I’ll have’ re- venge fur this day’s work; Custer shall never lie in his grave ~ widout satisfaction; an’ ef ther pesky Government won’t take it in hand, dash me, Bolly Wherrit’s the chap ter stick by me. We'll go on ther war path, an’ by ther heavens above, if Sitting Bull don’t pay dear fur this, then it’s because two ole trappers will hev gong under., Tarnal snakes an’ critters! but it makes me tearin’ mad. I must let out myyspleen or bust; jist a parting card afore I go, ter let ‘em know what’s comin’ in ther future.” It took but a couple of moments to load his rifle and re- — yolvers. - i a His presence on the ridge was not even suspected, until the gun sent its clear detonation echoing over the hills. A commotion was visible among the crowd below, and cries. of pain reached the ranger’s ear that were sweet must to. him just then. ~ \ Without wasting any more time, he emptied all, the cham. bers of his revolver, and then turning his horse’s head, gave a loud hurrah, and vanished from view, feeling a hundred J per cent. better after making a start in what he was aaa to. term his death roll. : Some thirty yards below the crest of the bluffs, ‘the way was easily traveled, and what few difficulties presented them: selves were speedily overcome “by Such an enterbrisitts indi- vidual as the ranger. In a short time Pandy came to Custer’s back trail. Ne It was quite deserted now, save by the dead, for after - the cavalry had passed, the Indians followed after in order to have a hand in the-battle which they knew would take plac ie when the troops attempted to storm the village. é The crags that had so lately echoed with the cracks of © Indian rifles as their owners lay in ambush, were silent now, and as Pandy rode along he could not help thinking how dif- ferent it would have all been, had headstrong Custer cast aside his willful mood, and listened to the advice of one who: had his best interest at heart. It was while in this contemplative mood that Pandy sud denly became aware of the fact that a body ‘of Indians were, dodging about among the rocks in front of him. : ; Pandy took the bridle between his teeth, and atid a volver in each hand, urged Nancy forward at a gallop. : There was something in the manner of this ‘undauntei man’s fas death again after his recent A tees ua Pagans enemy. we a As he advanced, the sean: vanished, altogether, and Pe n was beginning to believe they had gone altogether, en heard a singular but well-known whoop that made Oh Seriet te
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ail davies sequences. ‘life. _ Kin tell ye more about it another time, chief. CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. te 13 At the same instant a tall Indian stepped into view from proved sufficient to see the opposite shore of thea river, baci behind a boulder and advanced boldly toward the ranger. The latter seemed to recognize him, for a smile illuminated his bronzed and blood-stained countenance. It was Eagle Hye, the Crow chief, whose hand Pandy pressed so warmly. 3 The Crow scouts of the denoanion were some of his, braves, but the chief had missed seeing the ranger before. They were old friends, having hunted and trapped together a whole season several years before. “Brother been in the big fight; much hurt?” said the chief, looking with dismay at the ranger’s many wounds, which he seemed to regard as so many ‘scratches, although some of them were quite serious. : “Yas, I war thar, chief, an’ ’twar ther hottest time o’ my Did ye see it?” ® “We reached the hilltop too late to take part. up and all his men? Ugh! it was a heap big fight. Custer gone How ' brother get away?” “Wal, ye see,” said Pandy, tying a rag over one of his worst wounds, and sitting with one leg over the saddle, jist about goin’ under, an’ I’d ‘cluded not ter survive ther boys, when Yates asked me ter make an attempt ter git away ter “carry the news ter Mary,’ az ther feller sez, so I done it, Just now I Know whar Terry “we war want ter git ye ter do sumpin important. air?” The chief pointed in the direction whence lay the distant Yellowstone, as Pandy well knew, ahd the ranger beamed his satisfaction. ’ ' “T reckon ye’re correct, chief. Now, what I want is that ye send a couple o’ yer men ter tell the gineral this sad news, an’ git him ter hurry on hyar, fur I heerd firing down below, an’ éf Reno hain’t met Custer’s fate, he’s in a bad fix anyhow. I intend ter jine him wharever he may be an’ stand ther con- Chief, I’m off. Remember I depend on ye,” anil waving his hand towards his red friend, Pandy Ellis disap- a ; peared in the growing shadow that told of the coming night. CHAPTER IX. RED GOLIATH, THE GIGANTIC HERCULES. 2 Mason, General Custer’s boy friend, leaned forward still “more, relying on the hold he had upon the tree bending over . ‘the water, when that bay tabay nice: sound, the dip of a paddle, reached his ears. Underneath him the water of the Little Big Horn gurgled and plashed among the stones jutting out from the bank; close by a melancholy owl tried to make night, hideous with ‘its solemn declarations of warning, and once in a while the barking of dogs in the’ great village could be heard; but to ‘these usual noises the boy paid little heed, as he had heard them for some time past. The silver crescent still held forth in the western sky, and} cager Ment, augmented by ‘the united force of stars,’ at this point was rather narrow. Could the boy’s mental faculties have given him warning that it was not a common foe he was about to see? There have been many occasions when persons of fine per- ception and susceptibility have realized, seemingly by intui- tion alone, that those whom they bear no love towards are in the vicinity. With some people this delicate sense of knowing what even the eyes and ears fail to tell, becomes an art. Many a deaf and blind man can ‘tell even the instant he enters a room, whether it be occupied or not, no matter how quiet those within may render themselves, I only state this to defend my position when saying that, young Mason appeared to suspect that a caller of more than common caliber was approaching. ; Of course one cannot be positive as what he thought, but at any rate the boy leaned out further than ever, and’ was fully engrossed in the steady but light dip of the paddle. Whoever this night traveler was, his movements proclaimed him to be a man habitually addicted to caution. This the boy quickly discovered, for although the canoe was undoubtedly approaching him, yet the steady dips of the pad- dle seemed to, grow fainter, if possible, or at least no louder. Soon, by judging from the sounds he was enabled to place the exact position of the descending canoe, anda few seconds later a moving “object croeeaa his range of vision. That this was a boat, and that this craft contained but one. person, soon became manifest, as it drew nearer the concealed watcher. ABs The man stood erect near the stern, and held lightly poised in one hand the long paddle he had just been using. Even in the dim light: one would think an ancient giant, or at least a modern pocket edition of the famous Goliath whom David the shepherd boy slew with a stone, had ap- peared. " The colossal proportions reared themselves at least seyen feet high, and being bulky in proportion the man presented — a formidable aspect such as would at sight appall a common foe. } Mason uttered a low exclamation and gaye a companion start of surprise when the figure loomed into view; but after this one indication of his feelings he remained as motionless as a form of bronze. 3 There was no mistaking that person whom he was now looking upon; even a casual glance would have been sufficient to impress the face and figure indelibly on any mind, and surely the eyes of hate are more susceptible of retaining annie object they dislike than others’ by Hate was a feeble word when used in. connection with the feeling our boy friend entertained towards this giant, in the Bas canoe, and if there was a word that combined fierce detesta» Ke tion, aversion, and a bitter longing to hack a man to pieces, together with a trifle of tespect for his prowess, I should use it; but every one knows how weak the English language is in adjectives, compared with the scorching Italian. ‘The giant’s back was toward the bank where Mason had concealed Soom, and, Judeine. from his pepsin He was”
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14 closely scrutinizing the opposite shore as if intent on dis-| the paddle, and eyes that were hostile to his cause had wit- covering something that required time to reveal. At this point the river was rather swift, owing to its nar- row bed, and his rapid motion seemed to interfere sadly with his study of the other bank, for he muttered several impatient words to himself in a voice that made Mason grit his teeth like a maniac when he heard it; for this verified what sus- -. picions the sight of the form had raised. Downward came the canoe with the’current. and urged also | by the impetus given by the last few dips of the paddle It was within a dozen feet of the spot where Mason hugged | the tree-trunk, when the man threw up an arm bare to the shoulder and as knotty as the gnarled limb of dn oak, and | seized upon a branch that bent affectionately toward the cool water, of the river. . Instantly the canoe was halted in its; downward course, as if a wall of stone had been. suddenly reared in front of it, and remained swinging to and fro, with : the water gurgling about the stern. The giant now leaned down and appeared to look up and down the stream as if searching for something. This latter, which had been invisible to him while descend- ing the stream, proved the opposite from his present post of | observation, as the low ejaculation of surprise manifested. “There it is as I expected; one, two, three, a score of fires. The Indian village undoubtedly. “Now, there’s work before you if you expect to see that money, and such a sum ain picked up every day these times. I've seen it when I'd a “risked my life for a’tenth of the gold. It’s as plain as day- light; after that battle and victory, old Sitting Bull and his men’ll keep a lodse-camp. All that I'm afraid of are those ‘sharp devils, Santee and Crazy.Horse, for they’ve got such a ti spite against me I’d have’a nice time if taken. “Then I believe that Cheyenne chief, Black Moccasin’s here, and he bears me a grudge for that affair on the Platte. “But what’s the odds; I’m used to running risks on a lone | _ hand, and it’s in me to win or lose all. I'll cross here, leave - the boat, and bring back the gal, if I ‘hed to search every lodge in the place,” saying which the man let go of his hold “ on the branches, and gave a sweep of his paddle that started the canoe towards the gppasiie bank, which at this point was low and sweeping. Mason gave a convulsive movement when he heard that word “gal” mentioned. ; ee “It is Red Goliath, and he has come from him for her.” These muttered words were all that he spoke; after that Bi his lips remained as close and immovable as the clasps of a vise, : ’ A few more sweeps of the paddle, almost noiselessly given, 7 f Sooetal to bring the canoe to the opposite shore, which the 4 _ prow struek with a slight grating sound. Laying down the paddle, the giant leaped upon Wi shore, ; and grasping the canoe pulled it upon the pebbly beach so ‘ i that it could not be carried away by the action of the water. “Ag he turned. around after doing this thing, a dark shadowy form ‘arose close beside him, where it had up to thie tine 7 evoached in the obseurity. a af phe, bate : Nii CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. | Goliath saw the uprising of the tall form that seemed almost ; there is eldom much time lost in skirmishing. | The Red Goliath threw himself upon his Indian foe with | met by his sturdy opponent, and as the two closed, Mason ,; came the dull, sodden sound of blows delivered with telling ; ‘state, a Genet, ears Las the boy's 7 heard ee suse aip of: nessed the crossing of the giant. Mason from his position saw this form rise up, and he realized the danger of the late oarsman, but not by word or deed did he attempt to warn the giant who was his deadly foe. : : ; “ There was no necessity for a warning, however, for Red to rival his own. 4 > This modern giant and Hercules possessed a Haves nature, — ; similar to that of a wild beast, and on stated occasions his lehirst for blood became almost a mania that could only De rar quenched in the life fluid of someone. Perhaps one of these moods was coming upon him even ia then, A looker-on would have Been inclined to think so upon hearing the growl of satisfaction he gave utterance to. — When foeman worthy of each other’s steel come in contact the agility one would hardly expect him to possess. His assault, overpowering as it seemed, was right rallaatlg could no longer see the particulars of the combat. A ns BA There was a threshing of arms for half a moment, thi force, and which must proceed from the white man. The crushing nature of these was soon made clear. One of the gigantic forms raised the other high in the ai with but a feeble resistance, and dashed him ppae the ground with tremendous power. oN As if intent on making sure of his work the Red cotta ; stooped over his fallen foe. , Something eae in the faint iene, the aes ot a blow was again raised. A hoarse chuckle that would haye curdled the blood in fhe | veins of a sensitive person, proceeded from thé human vam pire as he arose to his feet, and after giving the corpse a kic with his heavily booted foot, replaced his knife. , ne It was certainly a fair fight, and the giant had the sam privilege of slaying his fallen enemy that was granted in th arena at the hippodrome of Rome during ancient times; b bat’: ¢ civilization has brought With it the. noble act of forgivin i foes, which, however, such men as this seldom nha ect and half-shaped plans \ CHAPTER X. : 4 ; X Re Only for a few moments did. young Mason ‘Then his active brain. aroused ‘him to t making each second: d eount. iar)
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-tiously after his fight, for Mason, *. He had two sources to guard against, t CUSTER’S “LAST SHOT, 15 His plans were only partially matured; but it would. not prove hard to fully arrange them as time wore on, and his first move was really characteristic of the boy. ‘Pulling out a piece of watermelon cloth, he quickly wrapped it around his revolver, and then stepped boldly down into the river. ; A few seconds later he was swimming silently for the other shore, holding the revolver out of the water as much as pos- sible by means of his teeth, in which it was clasped, The current carried him a little distance down the stream, and he landed some ten or twelve yards helow the spot where Red Goliath had left his boat. Thanks to his buckskin garments, the water did not soak through, and after emerging from, the river Mason found him- self little the worse for his swim. What to do now might have puzzled some old stagers; but the boy’s action was prompt and to the point. Stepping up to the boat, he felt along the side until his hand came in contact with a ring, and when this was found he gave an exclamation of satisfaction. Leaving the water, he struck off in the same direction the giant had taken but a few moments. before, passing by the dead Indian without even halting to examine the body. Red Goliath must have been moving very slowly and cau- who had either through good luck or excellent management hit upon the exact line of travel pursued by the giant, caught up with him before the outskirts of the village were gained. A moving form, crouching low, and yet showing the immense bulk in spite of this. proceeding, was seen not ten yards ahead of him.» This was what attracted Mason’s eye and kept him on the watch, : « When the first lodges were- passed, around our boy friend. the danger thickened the giant on the one hand and the inhabitants of the yillage he was in the: midst of on the other. It may be surmised from this that Mason was yery careful of his movements. In spite of his size, which one would naturally suppose con- dutive to clumsiness, Red Goliath managed to get over ground with almost the noiseless powers of a serpent. He seemed to be somewhat acquainted with the arrangement of the village, for he passed by dozens of lodges without giv- ing them the least attention, his aim being.to all appearances a certain spot not far from the center of the encampment, which was of so great a length. ‘There were several things in favor of this spying expedi- tion which counted in sa favor of the giant, and also his ; unseen follower. In the first place the night might be called dark, for the erescent moon was at the horizon, and although one might distinguish a form at ten yards ‘distance, it would be next to impossible to declare whether the man was white or red. Then again there were but a few hundred braves in the _ Village, and these scattered along its entire length did not serve to even partially fill the lodges. : Where some of ane late inmates were the reader knows, oe brave Custer and, his men fought hard and each dragoon slew at least one Indian before going under. What the main portion of the Sioux were about at this time will soon be made manifest, but a suspicion of the truth might be gleaned from the occasional shots that were borne by the wind from the north, where Reno fiad entrenched him- self on one of the bluffs overlooking the river, , Red Goliath kept on his way as if he had been among the lodges before, and, to tell the truth, this was not his first visit to the village. the same purpose that he now had in view; but an unlucky tumble over a drunken"™brave had brought the Indians swarm- ing around him like so many bees, and it took all the power the giant possessed to escape. He managed to do it, how- ever, and by means of the canoe which we have seen ian use, in coming to the ‘point once more. After moving forward some ten minutes, ¢ven Mason, some distance in his rear, could hear the boisterous sound of sigs ter and loud talking. Where it came from would not prove hard to say, for a brilliant light, within a dwelling that seemed to be half cabin and half lodge, proclaimed its whereabouts. There could be no doubt but what it came from white men, or at least men who were pale faces in looks but red devils by nature. Goliath crept towards this lodge, and in another moment was beside it. The boy moved around on the other side, and by dint of using the caution that seemed to be a part of his nature, man- aged to gain the dense shadow of the northern side without } making an iota of noise. © Then the thought intruded itself, what if the giant should take a notion to make a circuit. of the lodge? He would certainly be found out, and Mason knew that dis- covery by this man meafit death. sche ' This action was promptly executed. The skins composing the lodge were loose at the bottom, and a pile of furs lay just within. — ’ A glance at the two inmates showed that they were intéer- — ested in the contents of a suspicious-looking keg, and paid no attention to anything else. a It took the boy but a moment to glide like an eel ‘under the skin of the lodge, and hide among thé furs. Several nights before he had made one with - ; A. From here he could watch the two men and hear all ‘ane 3 was said without being in danger of discovery. They were not a very nice-looking couple to gaze upon, not. aa being overly well burdened with good looks, but the boy had seen one of them before and it would be hard work to find — any uglier man than Pedro Sanchez in this sphere of ours; so his companion might be said to possess some claims of ‘beauty when compared with the noseless, one-eyed French creole, whose face bore the scars of some fearful combat, Pedro was tall and slim, with the agility of a ‘tees com- bined with the ferocity of a grizzly bear. He addressed his companion as Hoskins, and- between the — two they seemed to be effecting a compromise in regard to some bargain of eee the eng was ete made pe wed ie
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Payee « 16 es beside him, made the boy give a start, and it was with the utmost difficulty that he repressed the exclamation that arose to his lips when his eyes were bent in that direction. From the pole of the lodge, a long torch was stuck out, and the light of this served to illuminate the half where the men sat, but. the cabin part was rather dim. ; Guided by that sigh, however, the boy had little trouble in making out a small, girlish form that crouched rather than Sat upon a pile of furs, and seemed to be intently regarding the two men who laughed and grew merry over the whisky keg. 2 “Adele!” was the cry that arose to that brother’s lips, but A t he bravely repressed it, and also the longing that had seized upon him to clasp that dear'form to his breast and defy all enemies. Although his ears were drinking in all that the two men said, yet his eyes were steadily glued upon the light form. Hark! the creole was speaking while he held up a tin cup that had lately belonged to one of Custer’s men, and squinted with his.one eye at its contents. “Carramba! Hoskins, my price I think exceedingly reason- able. matter, and what deadly enemies I’ye made by my exploit, If you only knew the time and money I’ve spent in this you wouldn’t begrudge me a picayune. Begar! I sent one of them to his long home in the fight to-day,” and Pedro gave a hoarse laugh that grated on the nerves like a file, and would have set a sensitive person crazy. ., The boy started, and unconsciously his hand sought his head where the bullet had glanced from it. He knew now to whom he owed that debt, and gritted his teeth as he inwardly resolved to pay the amount with interest when the proper occasion presented itself. Hoskins did not share in his companion’s mirth, but’ ap- A = peared to be reflecting.) < He soon looked up, and took a sip at the liquor, “Wal, mebbe the gal’s worth it, squire. I’ve taken a mighty ; shine to her purty face, and, being in want of a wife, I guess we kin come to a bargain. Two hundred shiners you said, and the hoss I own. We’ll consider the question settled then. Now: let's take a look at my property.” Pedro jumped to his feet with. alacrity, and led the girl for- ward, much against her will. ’ Ags the torchlight felf on that sunny head, with its masses of golden hair and tear-bedimmed face Mason ground his teeth in mingled rage and pity, and, at the same time, drew out his revolver. It was fated differently, however. ' Hoskins feasted his eyes upon Adele’s delicate beauty, and the oa that came upon his face told Pedro that he was sat- * isfied with the bargain. _. “Old hoss, we’re squar on that. now, body and soul. price, and I’d jest like fur the man to show himself what’s i goin’ to take ye from me,” said Haskins. Gal, look up. Ye’re mine D'ye hear me? I’ve bought ye with a ‘There was a queer ripping, sound. Mason saw a shining : Dade cut the skins. Bes the lodge as if heady were paper, and | LAST | with several things that entirely changed the tenor of his | ideas, and an understanding followed between them. SHOT. CHAPTER XI. , HIOSKIN’S PAYS NATURE'S DEBT—ABOUT THE FIRST HE EVER DID. Hoskins may have been astonished at this sudden intrusion, and answer to the vain question he asked. I have no doubt but what he was, more especially when his eyes took in the My huge form of the giant, but his surprise was as nothing when ~ compared to the consternation exhibited by the creole. Pedro Sanchez had appeared in the jolliest possible humor a few moment$ before; now the smile that had illumined his se face at the time Of the giant’s entrance seemed frozen there. Pedro Sanchez had good cause to remember Red Goliath. i The two had been comrades in crime, and together they had ~ committed,many of the deeds that made the city of New Or. leans tremble to its center. : Between them they had carried off Adele, hoping to secure — a heavy ransom from her mother. At this time the treachery so natural to Sanchez exhibited itself. : : A desire to obtain the whole reward on which he could Te tire from business possessed him, and he attempted to get rid fi of his comrade by pushing the giant over the edge of an abyss — on the southern plains. ° és; ‘ The creole really thought the other dead, but in some way Red Goliath escaped with severe injuries, that laid him up for months’ at a cabin. There he became Rcoaiaied with a gentleman who had a Tuer, cently left New Orleans for’ his health, having slain his .dis-_ tinguished foeman in a duel, and who intended staying away) : until the affair blew over. eo Ina convenes with this man the giant became acquainted - When Red Goliath started on the trail of vengeance he had no intention of restoring Adele to her mother for a ransonn, as a much larger sum had been offered him than he could ever expect from the-latly, to carry her away to ‘a point from whence she should never return, and the duelist had evene ‘ hinted that he should not weep much should news of her a reach him.” j The truth of the matter ges that Adele Pierrepont aad her. brother, Mason, stood berreen Luke Camden, the duelist, and an immense fortune, and the ‘idea of, getting rid, (of the two had only entered his head when he heard through the giant that. the girl had already been carried away. Red Goliath proved a true traitor. He had tracked his treacherous companion all the way ene the plains of Texas to the pastures in the north, where ‘the white man joined teams with Sitting Bull’s gang of plunderers | and thieves, where his merits. in the peculiar line RE business. ‘he dealt in were duly appreciated. (ae ale
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CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. gis ; vie ; Sera Me ere by his sides. Rat “Aha! it is thus we meet, my fine chicken,” said the ‘giant, who evidently had a tinge of the dramatic in his nature. “By the light of the torch it could now be seen that his hair and beard gave rise to the first half of his name, being ot _ a fiery hue. a His eyes were small and deep set, glittering like a snakes. Pedro Sanchez was actually too frightened to say a word in answer to this implied question. ‘He could only stand and glare like a wild beast at bay and powerless to help Ttself. The giant seemed rather talkative in his triumph. “Pushed Red Goliath down a gulch, half a mile deep. Thought he’d die like a rat in its hole. Aha! my fine fellow, bushes are’ great inventions; thanks to them I am here now, here to claim my vengeance: Five thousand dollars tempted ‘you, did it? Well, I want to tell you I’m offered double as much to keep the gal away forever. Kill her if I like. Now, » Brutus, your time has about dome. Are you ready to meet your just doom?” Pedro was shivering as only a man can who sees instant . de death before him, and his chattering teeth precluded the pos- sibility of a reply. The giant smiled derisively, and turned his eyes on Hoskins. At this critical period the individual proved himself the possessor, of more courage than the boasting creole. Perhaps this arose from his ignorance of the giant’s power, _ which Pedro was well acquainted with. ‘ “Who the devil are you that.comes breaking into. a man’s - house/and talking about doom and all that sort of thing? By * George, I’ve a notion to——” began Hoskins in a blustering tone, but he came to an abrupt pause, for the giant, seeing _ where it was most needed had swung the revolver around until it covered his form. _ “You’re mistaken. be better for your health if you don’t have any. Asked me what I came here for. You invited me. Declared you'd like to see the man that was going to take the gal from you, so I showed myself. Now, my rooster, what's what with you?” Hoskins seemed to have some spirit in him at any rate. “Fool,” said he, “one shot from your pistol would put you in a hornet’s nest. If I choose to sho=%, a hundred braves will Ne surround the lodge.” _ “As to the alarm, I care nothing for that. Knew I couldn’t : do any work without raising it. But I swear you sha’n’t shout again in this world, though you ae in the one below us. Die, a you dog!” The sudden startling sean of a aie rang out. You haven’t any notion at all, and it’ll ae = ot aaa BES part of Hoskins: a gurgling sound as if he was trying to curse - through the heart. : _ Turning on the creole, Red Goliath again raised his death- dealing revolver. aE % "Pedro had slunk away and was crouching on the ground. Chinen ie ae an display of cowardice the giant gaye him ae his slayer, and then the stricken man fell to the ground, shot! At first Pedro’s hands failed to do their duty, and hung limp} erect. But it only had the cick of flattening the miscreant out still more. There| was no time to waste, as the Indians must already be alarmed. Firing two shots into the dark corner where Pedro had crouched, the giant hurriedly replaced his weapons. ~ | Then like a flash he seized upon Adele, lifted her light forin as easily as if she had been a’feather, and dashed out. An Indian met him just beyond the lodge. One sweep of the giant’s disengaged arm sent him to the ground like a ten-pin overwhelmed by a pall. Although braves were appearing in every direction, Red Go- liath sped onward like an antelope, the burden he carried ap- pearing as nothing. The village was soon left behind, and when the open ground was at length gained two shadowy figures flitting close behind him proclaimed the fact that these were his only pursuers. _ To get rid of them was an easy task to a man like the Her- cules, who was well versed in every detail of fight and strategy, and armed into the bargain. Again ‘the revolver came into play. Suddenly halting, and wheeling in oe tracks, he presontaa the weapon. With its first crack one of the pursuers described a para- bola in the air, as if he had leaped from a spring-board, and - upon touching the ground lay very, very quiet. i 4 Nila The sécond attempted to dodge, but soon found out ae lead can travel mortally fast when driven by powder. He made his way into camp half an hour later with a broken arm, and the bullet lodged in his side. Having thus rid himself of both pursuers, the giant ore? more rushed along. The river bank was gained, and also the canoe. “Whoop! hurrah! won it, by George! dun the gauntlet too,” said the daring man to himself, as he placed Adele, too power- less with terror to resist, in the boat; and after pushing the craft off, sprang in himself. ‘ ai Young Mason had been so taken aback by the giant’s sudden . shots and his rapid flight that even had he so wished he could es chaye done nothing to prevent him. Before he actually realized what had occurred, Red Goliath “ had vanished from the lodge, carrying the boy’s darling sister jot with him. , It seemed but half a jammer had passed, and son was. F about to rise up from his place of concealment and follow. fs on the giant’s trail, when half a dozen Indians burst bs the Re lodge to see what damage had been done there. Hoskins would never steal another horse, he had gone tb, Red Goliath had mena: There was an awful shudder on the that bourne from whence no traveler e’er returns; in a word, he was dead. ’ A at Pedro came crawling out of the dark corner with a hole ins nN | him largé enough to let the life ‘out of any common man, but which did not appear to*inconvenience him at all. i ‘For several moments ‘they jabbered away in, a tongue known to our hero, much to his disgust, for he was impai When they at length leit the lodge Pedro, securing t ft derision ee order is) jie him fo oe his late’ eee ossessed Lp Sykne ‘doing ‘so, ‘Mason ea te epee
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18 on CUSTER’S. LAST SHOT. sigh of relief, and made haste to throw off the warm furs in which he had been wrapped. ‘Then He boldly stalked from the lodge, walking as if he haa a perfect right in the village. braves, and on such occasions grasped hold of a revolver, Several times he came across ready for service, but his bearing must have deceived the red- skins, for he was not molested. After gaining the outskirts of the village, Mason struck “at once for the river. ; He knew that it was too late to reach the place where the eanoe had been left by the giant, and had resolved to wait for it at a point below. 2: The wisdom of his course was soon made apparent, for his sharp eyes caught sight. of a dark object moving slowly down the river near the other bank. It was Red Goliath’s canoe. CHAPTER XII. WHITE THUNDER ON THE RAMPAGE. When Bolly Wherrit left the great Indian camp behind him, and headed for the distant hills he had no intention of leaving the vicinity. An object had attracted him hither, which though | backed by _ a golden reward, had something else behind it as an invigor- ator that proved far more potent with the old ranger than the money involved. His own words had proclaimed that the cause of his hasten- ing north, leaving his chum Pandy Ellis in the thick of some ' business that concerned them both, was a beautiful woman’s tears. j Bolly always was weak as regarded the other sex, and know- ing this reverence of his, which can hardly be called a failing, it has been a continual wonder to me why the ranger never Married, especially as he must have been a fine-looking fellow \in his younger days, judging from the grand old face he pos- sesses at the present writing. _ i I strongly suspect, jhowever, that in his youth Bolly had loved and been deceived, and although he never ceased caring gave rise to. j for the ladies, he regarded them with suspicion when it came ~ to the point. oh j : _As he rode along Bolly was engaged in various conjectures, _the main subject of which was the rescue of Adele, for the ; reader must know by this time that this was the object which bad sent Bolly from New Orleans to this northern province in - guch haste. , The sun was sinking down in the western sky, and the shadows were growing very long, when Bolly reached the hills: A stream of water, so cold that one conld almost believe it an ice spring, murmured among thé stones, and pursued its. tortuous | way through the neighboring ravine, heading for the Little Horn,’ where eS waters were quickly engulfed by the egereet stream. ou f | on this particular occasion. At ag pues came to ab halt, and slowed Black Bess to rink | , guard. all that she wished, dismounting first to quench his own 4} thirst. The ranger did not attempt to climb the hills, as it ‘wowia’| have proved a difficult task, and one which there was no neéeces- fe sity for ,as he intended doing some work before morning came ~ on, ' ; Longer grew the shadows, and more gloomy the ravines be- { tween the elevations, as the prairie ranger galloped slowly f along the foot of the range. } Night at length closed around him; the peaks were dimly outlined against the sky, in which the stars began to appear. , In the west the infant moon looked like 2-silver bond of promise to the good welfare of man, and smiled upon the earth as if in pity at its forlorn and unlighted condition. Ail of these things Bolly noticed with the air of a man whose mind is preoccupied, and whosé'thoughts have no range, be- yond a certain point. ‘ 4 * Now that. quite a distance separated him from the huge Sioux village, the usual sounds that accompany a night upon. the plains came to his ears, and it really seemed as though — the’ wolves howled and ‘the coyotes barked jouees than ever ‘ Perhaps with their more than human instinct these beasts. of carrion knew of the feast for their hungry maws that the ; setting sun had shone upon, and which was not yet Veeaine for — them because of the many moving figures in that terrible Ta vine of death. . si A whip-poor-will sending forth his plaintive cry near by, and x the shrill scream of a night hawk from a neighboring tree ’ ; aroused Bolly from the-stupor, as it might almost be called, into which he had unconsciously fallen. For the first time he noticed that Black Bess had carried — him into the midst of a forest that lay at the foot of the hills aa As he made this discovery the distant murmur of running i water came to his ears, which could not be made, by a creek. Z Undoubtedly it was the river which he was nearing, and as of this was just what he desired, Bolly let his sable steed con- tinue her own course. 7 Paar ae Five minutes later he brought the animal to a halt. eS: Before him rolled the Little Horn, with its shady banks, the starlight glinting from the tiny waves that the adverse wind, } Long and earnestly Bolly looked at the water. q He had built his schemes upon the river, and being in a 7 contemplative mood he was wondering whether the mown ia aH would see him successful or the reverse. ; Bs E From this serious state he was abruptly aroused by iat’ sound that to ears of experience like his bespoke danger. as Only a twig snapped by some incautious foot, but it, had : a : world of meaning to the ranger. ; (dae As if it affected him like electricity, Bolly slid from the back of Black Bess, and crouched on that side of the horse nearest to the seat of danger. ; RAIS eet ; The rifle he had held was laid gently upon the ground, and in its stead he quickly laid hold of the formidable knife taken from the Indian who had been Biaged over his Petion .
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\ a t CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. Although these movements “were accomplished with all the noiseless powers of a tiger, Bolly was not unobserved. Two pair of gleaming eyes had noted his descent from the ‘horse, and hardly had the ranger laid hold of his knife than he was called upon to use it. A form arose lightly in the air, and passing over the bushes like a bird, landed close beside him. Following this came a second, and as this man landed he gave a fierce shout, the pent-up air of his jump forcing itself through his teeth with the shrill force of a steam whistle. There was no such thing as taking Bolly Wherrit unawares. A man who had earned the name of White Thunder and Never Sleep among the northern tribes might be surprised, as he was not possessed of a second sight to divine ambuscades, but his enemies always found him ready. The first man who leaped went to immediate death, for, as he braced himself to recover from the force of his jump, the ranger gave one spring and plunged “his knife forward. It entered the broad red chest with a sickening, thud, and, when ; Bolly pulled it out again a perfect deluge of blood followed. Sickening as was the sight of this tottering man, actually turning pale from loss of blood, we soldiers have to witness far more terrible things, such as would make a civilian faint with horror. ‘The old ranger had seen. worse in his day, when dear com- rades were roasted before his eyes at the stake, and besides, he had no time to waste in heroics. His second foeman aimed a vicious blow at his head with a tomahawk, that glittered like steel or silver as it flew by. This intended death-blow Bolly avoided by a dip of the head, and in another instant the two were locked in a close embrace. bee Sa ‘The Indian had managed to lay hold of his knife, so that the combatants were equally well-armed. : ‘ Before a dozen seconds had passed Bolly discovered that he ‘had no puny antagonist with whom to compat, for the fellow ‘seemed to possess muscles of iron, and, even by exerting all his strength, the ranger failed to\raise him from the ground, to dash him down, as he had done many a man before. They were in such a situation that if either attempted to use his knife the other would have the advantage for an instant, and even this short time might ee disastrous to all cherished hopes of victory.. ‘An idea came into Bolly’s head, which told him that the advantage really lay in his favor, for while fully the Indian’s eqtial in strength, he also possessed some knowledge of scien- tific wrestling, against which the brave could oppose are in the same line. S The chance soon presented itself, and was promptly seized upon. By an adroit fling of his foot, and a corresponding whirl with his arms, the ranger completely demolished his sturdy “put ignorant foeman. ‘Falling underneath, the Indian knew that his chances of ‘escape were slight, indeed, pore he managed to ‘hold the : ranger down, and dr poppin his knife, he attempted to accom- pur this s by clasping sd sas around se chest. ie pe eprom. ‘Unfortunately, however, for him, his hands failea to meet, and he could not’ put forth his full amount of strength. ; Our old friend broke loose from the death clasp. A ery of alarm burst from the doomed man’s lips when he saw the ‘red blade uplifted, “but the outstretched arms were dashed aside, and the knife descended. . “That fur Tom Garney, blast yer hidé,” he muttered, and his foe was dead. As the ranger was shaking himself to see that no matcria: damage had befallen him through his recent struggle, the Te? ports of several guns, followed by savage shouts, came from the bluffs ‘across the river and further up. It proceeded from be- seiged Reno and his foes, but Bolly did not know this. “Anh! sum 0’ ye over yonder, I reckon. Wonder what be- came o’ Muster, fur it must hey been him, az no wun else’d rush inter danger like that. Sounds mighty bad. They ha's’t » kerried the town, an’ I’m afraid the yaller-haired chie: hez either gone under or else had ter retreat, a thing I never knew him ter do, long az I’ve been acquainted—ha! what in blazes! Bolly Wherrit, down, ye imp! Bess, silence now, old girl. Do yer juty now, fur thar’s sumpin’ a-comin’ this way that needs lookin’ arter.” The ranger sank out of sight as if he had been shot. CHAPTER XIII. RENO’S RIFLE-PITS ON THE RIVER BHORWE The human mind differs so greatly with various individ that what might be said of one person proves exactly the oppo- site in another. _ It has truly been remarked that one man’s food ° is poison to another, and the same may be said of the sy oes of their intellect. ; Pandy Ellis, the veteran ranger of the wild West, whose days had been passed among scenes of danger from boyhood up to old-age, was the possessor of an iron will and a stout heart. z 28 He had witnessed, almost with composure, it might be said, scenes; that would have made many a brave man turn pale and ; tremble; had passed through others, not unscratched, either, — when dear friends fell to rise no more, and shee had not been shocked. The utter annihilation of Gisters devoted command hal actually appalled him, and put him in the gloomiest ewes sible. : It was perhaps the fearful fact that not one in that ee aes band came out to tell the tale that ‘worked so on his feelings. . ; Had some escaped the affair would have lost some of that horrible fascination that proceeded from the fact that every v one, officers and ‘men alike, had been swept into eternity, fust é ag surely as if an earthquake had swallowed them. ye Eagle Hye, the Crow chief, had promised to send some of his. men with the news to Terry; at least his silence had been the same as an acquiescence, and this finished his obligations: to- ‘ : ward the ill-fated Colonel Yates, Bana has ‘The sound of firing in. the advance told | Pandy that t Mao
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20 CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. Reno was actively engaged on the bluffs, and aroused by the thought that there was hot work yet before him, he urged Nancy onward. As night closed about him it could not but be conducive to gloomy thought, for the darkness appeared to communicate itself to the mind in some way or other, keeping brighter ideas at bay. As he advanced, carefully now, as the way was-rough and unfamiliar, the sounds in front grew clearer until the old ranger knew that he was drawing near the-scene of action. * It would be impossible to join Reno on horseback, if the posi- _ tion of the troops was as bad as he suspected, and the next thing for him to do would be to hide Nancy in some place where he could find her again, but no one else. Such a spot he was not long in ferreting out, and after se- curing the horse by means of his lariat, Pandy moved forward ouice more. if Louder came the detonation from guns and shouts from dusky throats, threatening everything that was terrible to the remnant of the gallant Seventh; and yet their answering yells and shots proved the young fellows to be undaunted by the fate that seemed staring them in the face. Pandy stood and listened, on the brow of an eminence, striv- ing to pierce the gloom ahead with those eagle-like eyes. | Something like a cheer arose to his mouth at the unflinching” bravery exhibited by these blue-coated heroes, as they gave back shout for shout. ; Although the light at a distance was deceptive and uncer- tain, he could make out that Reno had planted his command on the top of the bluffs, to stand what might be called a siege. In the haste of the movement, and worried by the Indians, the courageous major had, unfortunately for those under his command, selected a spot that was controlled by higher points | on either side. " é ' From one of these latter it would not have been a very dit- ficult task to keep the enemy at bay, but now he had a double _ danger to contend against, as the Indians occupied the heights around him, and also attempted to storm his position. It is doubtful whether the handful of the gallant Seventh who lived through this night and the Succeeding day will ever iit forget how the minutes dragged on, and yet I have no doubt but what in these dangerous hours some of them joked and _ laughed with that terrible sang froid men often assume when 4 all hope is gone, © From his position the old prairie ranger doula see that some ; kind of earthwork or rifle-pits had been constructed, and be- hind’ these rough shelters the tigers fought their fiendish ~ foemen, calamity that had overtaken Custer and his three hundred men. So confident of success’ hadithe general been that he - divided what troops he had, so as to inclose the Indian village. of them. True, some firing had been heard several miles away, long continued as though an obstinate battle was in BEOREESEs but. this had died away by evening. ‘ Opinions differed, as they always will among many men. , a As yet Major Reno’s men had had no suspicion of the awful, ‘take the trouble to test this. : When they galloped away it was the last that had been seen 4 ‘Some felt sure that Custer had defeated the Indians, patey el on the village, and that any moment they might expect to see a huge honfire in progress. f ‘| i Others of a more reflective nature looked at the matter ina | more serious light, thinking it not improbable that dashing : ; Custer himself had been the sufferer, and that he would find it. difficult to join them; but none ever suspected the horrible t sh truth even for a moment. } That five companies of the bravest men in the old Seventh — i E should have been completely swept out of existnce was some- : thing almost preposterous. When Pandy found himself gazing upon this scene, he be- gan pinching himself, uncertain whether to believe his eyes or not. * “Lord help us, what’s ther world comin’ to, I’d like ter know. When these hyar reds gobble up ther bravest gineral az ever drew breath wid all his men, and then squat down round ther rest az if ther meal warn’t complete, it’s time ole Uncle Samuel war wakin’ up. Blast®my hide, ole Sitting Bull must be ex- tarminated fur this. I shall never hev any peace in life till it’s done. But looky hyar now, ole man, bizness must be, NA ‘tended to, Ye’d like ter be wid Reno an’ his men yonder, so az ship ter share in ther fun. Don’t see any other way o’ gittin’ round — it. Needs must when ther devil drives, az ther feller sez. Now, fh jest show us wat ye kin do at this advanced period o’ life in this line,” Communing with himself in this way the ranger began. de- : scending the elevation from which he had seen at the same time as much and as little. The valley below looked forbid- y ding, but to a man of Pandy’s nature, and who had so recently —_ passed through such a horrible affair, a thing like this did not serve to daunt in the least. Soon he found himself gulfed in the darkness; the shots came from above him, and ten minutes after quitting his post: of observation, an eagle's eyrie as it oO again. There were manifold sources of seige hex on all sides against righted. a Making use of each bush and rack, he slowly ascended ‘the if fe steep inclined plane. At times he was so close to some of the i fi Indians that he might have touched them with his arm had he oe so desired, but the reader may rest assured Pandy did not Ms He was fated, however, to | meet 5 with one scrape before gaining his destination, and whic came very near es fatal to him. alone to the careless, although my meet with more ‘han o prudent no ‘doubt: Feney" Ss foot ‘slipped ane oie: he we
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i CUSTER’S LAST "SHOT. onds; it would have been even more so had he landed on the} hard rocks below, for the fall was no petty one. As luck would have it, however, an Indian brave happened to ‘be below, and on this poor devil came the brunt of the tumbie. This being in the shape of a hundred and sixty pounds avoirdupois, proved too much for both the equanimity of his mind and the balance of his nO and the poor fellow imme- diately collapsed. . He was only a little confused, however, and had sense enough to lay hold of the object that struck him, so that Pandy sought the ground almost as soon as did the other. Perhaps the meee had a vague notion that it was a com- rade who had fallen upon him. If so, then he had no time to frame: this idea into a thought, for the hill-top fell over upon him; at least the warrior thought so when he opened his eyes hours later in this world of pain. Pandy had only given him a sound argument in the shape of a blow between the eyes. Again the ranger pursued his upward way. "The small cliff was successfully scaled, and beyond this trav- eling seemed much easier so far as lifeless obstructions were concerned. i I would be impossible to follow Pandy’s movements after this, they were inimical with those of a snake, crawling hither and thither, passing under the noses of red watchers, and close beside the fighting braves: How he did it the trapper chief cannot tell himself.. With a thousand chances against him, he successfully gave the sav- age Sioux the slip, and all unbeknown to them, passed from their outer line and scaling the rudely thrown up earth: works, found himself among the rifle-pits of the soldiers. CHAPTER y. THE BOY TRAILER AT WORK. ft giant’s canoe his eyes beheld, nor did he stop to examine the moving object more closely. Having arranged his course of action long before, he now 1 stepped quietly into the water, and when it reached as ict as his neck, began swimming out. $ “Bo, dexterous were the movements of the boy trailer; whose cause Custer had taken up so readily, and might have carried out but for his untimely death, that no sound resulted from his locomotion through the water, beyond that which even the an suspicious of mortals would take to be the swishing of % the wind-driven wavelets, "When the canoe came even with the spot on which he had. “ad stood before entering the water, Mason was directly in front of it. _ direction was directed further on, it was not strange that Red Goliath failed to discover anything arene just at the prow ey of his canoe. It needed no second look to convince Mason that it was the} “The boat glided past, and Mason’s hand seine the ring he had hunted up previously. Luckily he-found it, and in this way managed to keep along: side of the boat, just behind the giant. Red Goliath stood up like a statue, and for such he might have been taken but for the regular pendulum motion of his arms as the paddle was shifted from side to side, in order that. the momentum caused by the current might be materially aided by long, silent sweeps. Adele sat in the bow, motionless. Young Mason’s heart gave a great throb of sympathy when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a sob from the girl. His sister had been stolen from her home in New Orleans by Hoskins and this giant, and like a-sleuth hound this boy had followed on the trail, tracking the fugitives from one border town to another on their northward course, and yet always coming too late. 2 He had met Custer years before, and had been a friend of the yellow-haired cavalry leader, so when he found the general in these regions the latter at once took up his cause, and sent out scouts to discover where Hoskins and his fair sa cap- tive were. These men, experienced as they were, failed to accomplish their end. It was Mason himself, by his indefatigable efforts, who first discovered Sitting Bull’s village, and reported the fact to the general, who was already heading in that direction, aiming for the Little Big Horn. The bot also declared that Hoskins was with phe Indians, which fact Custer was proné to believe. After this Mason vanished, nor did he make his appearance — until the doomed command was riding down the bluffs. eet the amDuscade. How the latter proved fatal to the gallant ee is already known. The wily Sioux allowed them to come on, pretending to give way, until the men were fairly in the tran, when ee closed | about them in a solid mass. After this explanation, which I hold as due to the reader, [ will resume the thread of my narrative where it was dropped. The canoe passed down the stream for several miles in this ! a by way. i It may seem strange that Red Goliath, shrewd as “he has shown himself to be, should risk so much in passing the In- dian village after arousing the inhabitants by creating such an alarm, but the fact was he~proved to be one of those cunning fellows who believe that under the existing circumstances the safest place is that nearest the seat of action. 7 In spite of the danger that seemed to encompass him, the. giant passed by without an alarm. Soon the firing on the right shore could be heard, and this became louder as they drew nearer, until they were nu ie of the scene of Reno’s obstinate defense. Passing by, the giant continued on his way down the rivets “AS only his head remained above the water, and the giant’s ; until Mason began to wonder whether it would ever stop, his poor arm feeling the effects of the long pull. De, 7 t _ Red Goliath had another object In view while taking this J route besides that hese ie mentioned. SU Ren ho ahad OG ky te ZT T CAG ae 1 a ‘ - Rule ‘ Ue Pee it ity Ley | * 21 i ran jre
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Seer eRe Mh oe 22 CUSTER'S a acess scesaris There was a cave in the hills below the village which he intended to occupy, for although Adele was in his hands, only half of the mission which he had been intrusted with by the duelist was accomplished, The boy yet remained, and although the words he had heard Haskins boastfully utter had created a suspicion in his mind he intended remaining in the vieinity until this could be proved by search- ing the battlefield. Shortly after passing the bluffs where Reno was battling that Mason had fallen with Custer’s command, with overwhelming numbers of crlatty foemen, the giant made a sidden sweep with the paddle and turned the prow toward the shore: As the boat struck he sprang olit aud pulled it into a clump of bushes, which, with the reeds growing near the bank, proved an effectual hiding-place. Adele still sat motionless. The giant addressed her for the first time since starting on his water voyage, and Mason could see her sound of his rough voice, as if it meant something of horror. “Corne, gal, we leave the creek here. There’s a snug little hiding-place I intend taking you to where there'll be no chance of discovery. Now that you're in my power again I’ don't in- tend losing sight of you. You're in somebody’s way, therefore you have to be removed, It depends on yourself how this is to he done. foreign land; Two ways are open, one by carrying you off to some tother, leaving you to the merey of the forest beasts,” and the unfeeling giant laughed to himself, “And they would prove more merciful than such a monster as you,” declared Adele, as she stepped from the unsteady boat ° and faced Red Goliath. How her eyes shone as they flashed | out the scorn born of her soul. “Bravo! I see the little gal hain’t lost her spirit yet. knowledge the corn without hesitation; hain’t got such a thing as a heart; never had either. pinching the wings off butterflies, and running pins through ‘em when I was a little boy, which considering my present size was a long while ago. So you see, gal, call a modern monstrosity, a man, without a heart. I can say. this hain’t my doing. from your mother, but this other fellow must step into the However, ipie.” “Do you think I can’t tell who you mean’ originate with such a man as Luke Camden, It is a fit idea to * said the girl in scornful tones. Red Goliath started, and when he spoke his voice was gruft as ever. ie “Remember, I Giemuen: no names, Give me your hand.” Adele drew back with’a shudder of horror; willingly she would never touch it. ; -“T will walk beside you, in plain view,” she said. ee Ad righty) growled the giant, who could not but notice the ; shudder and knew its import, and he looked at his hand as if half believing that he should see the red marks that had so | often dyed it. Now, gal, we'll be going. down,” and as if to enforce this horrible Nace ‘he whipned out as a revolver. sp eae Poe ee aN sae ca? AE \e ser tes iho Tid re Me tremble at the I ae-j Remember I used to delight in: I only wanted to get a ransom’ LAST SHOT. : I must be what they |. “All right, my gal; but remember, no tricks, or | so sure as there is life in the air we breathe I shall shoot you | Side by. wide: the man and his intended victim walked ie through the woods. When speaking of his methods of tray- eling, stalked would be a better word, for he covered three or four feet with every step, so that Adel was compelled to al- most run in order to keep up With him. ; Neither of them saw the water-drenched form that flitted irom tree to tree in their rear. i, Half a mile, perhaps, was covered. # Mason, on several occasions, thought he heard a noise in hi i vear, as though the trailer himself was being trailed; but his attention being almost fully occupied in front, it soon passed from his mind. The hills were reached at length, and thé ascent commenced, — i Before five minutes had passed Red Goliath came to a pause. Before them a black orifice yawned in the rocks. The giant made Adele enter first, and himself followed after, as if afraid lest she should give him the slip after all. Another moment and they stood in a cavern ‘some pent i feet square, the dimensions of which could be seen by the star- light that found ingress through the large cracks above. In spite of his protestations as to not harming her, ‘there were dark thoughts in the mind of the giant. Bloody deeds were everyday affairs with him; this girl stood — in his way, therefore she must be removed. Ks Why he had not done the deed before I cannot say, Red Goliath replaced his revolver and drew his knife, run- ning his finger along the edge in a deliberate way. : His eyes gleamed like tbage of a snake, and BADEATHR to fas- 4 cinate the girl. { oe Not a word did the giant utter, but his actions nates no explanation. b Pe hs He took a step toward Adele, , She sank on her knees terribly tightened at the savage ynonster’s move. ; ! % The little hands were clasped and wrung despairingly, but ihey might just as well haje appealed to a man of stone. ep As the long blade was raised the light glittered beat the. steel. : “Be Adele, ne merciful, as you expect to receive mercy,” i A, moaned continued to advance, Another step and he would be upon her. seeing no wate in that ferocious ‘oleae covered her eye with her hands to shut out the dread sight. es ¥ Unknown to himself, Red Goliath was sealing his own doom. As the knife quivered in the air, ani was just about to de- | scend, Mason’s voice rang out through the cavern. ) ory CHAPTER XV. A MAN WHO NryER BROORED AN INSULT. Once within the rifle-pits Pandy Bilis drew his. breath boise pe for een ey was Over,
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é . : <x CUSTER’S LAST SHOT. 23 “the major did not communicate the news to his men for fear ‘man, although brave as a lion, proved to be an arrogant fellow , of disheartening them. "His duty had been done ‘in this re- i . 7 ee ; | . The first person he met was garbed as an officer, and this in this time of danger. : i “Whar kin | see Major Reno?” asked the ranger, laying his 4 hand on the arm of the officer, a familiarity he seemed to re- sent, for he shook it off as he turned haughtily toward the _ other. “What are you doing here, fellow, when all brave men are at work?” . Pandy smiled a little. 3 He entertained a®curivus feeling toward the army. In one way he felt a contempt for them, and then again he almost reverenced everything pertaining to the great govern- mental system. Been “Because I’ve jest come in; crawled among the reds. * wid. Custer, and by ther Lord Harry, seen ther general an’ every man wiped out,” said Pandy. } “Look here, fellow; what canard is this?” demanded the . officer. , The ranger overlooked the insulting speech, for he knew that _ what he said was astounding news. His tone was dignified when he repeated it, however. “T said Custer, Cooke, Gates, Keogh. and every man of ’em : had gone uhder.” gh “It is impossible, man alive; there is something behind this. ‘Look here, fellow, do you know what we do with spies?” A “vague notion had entered the officer’s head that this might be a ruse of the enemy to force Reno to surrender. Pandy’s eyes flashed fire. - not stand. Here was something he could Wal, sir, I'd just snap ye atween my fingers like a pipe-stem, bust mé ef i wudn’t,” said Pandy, grimly. “And this to me!” exclaimed the officer, in such a tragic voice that had Pandy ever read Scott’s works he would have been reminded ot Marmion and the noble earl Lord Douglas. : “Who the devil are you, sir, may I inquire?” It was evident the man in authority had taken the ranger for one of the regular scouts belonging to the expedition, until his thoughts ranged on something worse. “What am I? A free ranger; a man who never took an in- sult in his life from red or white. Who am I? I reckon I’m Bay 8 man, sir, which is more than kin be sed o' you. “never was ashamed of it. If ye'll go ai’ let Major Reno ‘know what I told you, an’ “say ter him that Pandy Ellis sent ye, thar’ll be no more sed about the matter.” ss The soldier leaned forward, and peered at the thin face of 3 this leather- clad feaget a Pandy stood like a rock, and their * " eyes met. : “Tt’s him; curse me if T haven't put my foot into it,” and, _ wheeling about, the officer strode, away, his sword jingling musically when it came in contact with the spur that adorned a his heels. He never reported to Major Reno, as a ball laid him low not three minutes afterward. ‘ ‘Pandy Ellis was a curious fellow, taciturn, one might call : oer, ee he Pea Bee the cece side in side with “Do ye know what I do wid sich cusses as you. ~My name? couraged. fire ofa bahia ue an ‘Bdwin Booth. spect, and he was satisfied, although, of course, the ranger could not help wondering why he was not called upon to give a full report of the awful battle, te The night passed in those rifle-pits, with death hovering close by, and seizing upon a comrade every little while, will never be forgotten by those who have survived the dread or- deal. ‘ Again and again did the Indians attempt to force their posi- tion, only to fall back in confusion from the defense offered by those valorous sons of the republic who. fought on with . the*black shadow hovering above them and the bullets, com- manding their position, rattling about their ears. It was a moment to be remembered until time shall be no more, ‘ Morning broke at last, but did not materially change their prospects, for what was a benefit to them proved the same to their foes; éach side could now make their bullets tell. Brave men fell during the day—-men\whose records in the memory of their fellow-soldiers will doubtless be their only monuments. { Pee Pandy fought through it all like a hero. It was familiar business'to the veteran ranger,.and it might be noticed that every time he fired (which was freuqently) he cut a fresh little notch on the handle of his tomahawk. Pandy Wllis was the first man to avenge the death of Custer and his men. ; ~- As the day wore on even the most cheerful began to grow dis- . Surrounded by tireless enemies thirsting for their blood; without water to quench the fierce longing that commenced to prey upon them; and no signs of aid from either Custer or Ter- ry, their case was indeed becoming desperate, — It was late in the afternoon of the 26th of'June, that keen- eyed Pandy Ellis discovered that the Indians’ village had van- ished, so far as lodges and people were concerned. This gave him grounds for hope, which feeling wi soon - communicated to the rest of the devoted band. i tk Jt was evident that Terry or else Gibbon, perhaps both; had arrived, and that the Indians were ready for retreat, although they intended holding Reno under their thumbs as long a8 Pi sible. Word must be sent, or by some oversight the remnant of the gallant Seventh might be left to perish on the field, and those rifle-pits become their graves. Pandy. Ellis at once volunteered to accomplish this duty. hee How he ever managed to dash through the redskins and live will probably ever remain a mystery, but he did it. i A bullet touched his arm, three more cut his clothing, and, at the last instant the cavalry horse he rode was shot from % under him; but in spite of all this the brave ranger Care 9 ‘1 the news to General Terry. \ As the soldiers advanced the Indias retired, and the rem- nant of the Seventh Cavalry was saved, Stas NS * * e * { * * * Y LAr ~ ‘ “Hold!” Mason shduted this word as if he possessed the
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24 CUSTER’S er ee Involuntarily the giant became motionless. It was only for a few seconds, however, and the deadly knife would have de- scended after all. A pistol crack rang out with startling distinctness, awaken- ing the echoes of this subterranean place. The boy trailer had fired; his prey had been tracked down, and the closing scene of the tragedy drew near. Red Goliath dropped his blade with a howl and clapped his hand up-to his left shoulder, where the lodging-place of the bullet could be seen by the blood that wet his flannel shirt. Two inches from his heart. Not a bad shot considering the excitement consequent upon the termination of the chase, and the dim light afforded by the cracks above, and yet it came near costing the boy his life, After shooting, in his eagerness to prevent the monster from doing Adele any harm in his dying moments (thinking his shot fatal), Mason sprang forward and presented his revolver. It was a bad move on his part. Although agile beyond all calculation, his excitement made him less cautious than was his custom, Red Goliath gave a singular cry when the boy appeared, for he recognized him at once, even though the young gentleman . he hal seen in New Orleans was now clad in the fanciful garb of a hunter, . dn spite of his astonishment the man did not lose his pres- - ence of mind an iota. : ' He saw the leveled revolver, and gave it a knock that sent the weapon spinning to the other end of the cavern, and the f next instant the boy was clasped by the giant’s one useful arm. : ) Once in his grasp, Mason’s struggles were those of an infant, and he was soon thrown on his back. A heavy knee upon his 4 chest held him down, and he was compelled to see the giant ' peach over and, with his left arm, pick up the long knife. Then eye glaréd at eye. _ Mason’s did not flinch at the bloodshot orbs that were fas- tened upon him, He &w that blade ascend, but beyond a slight shudder it did not seem to affect him. Red Goliath now realized what a climax affairs had reached, and he could not forego the temptation to tantalize the boy be- fore dispatching him. “There you lie, my little man, and there you’re going to lie forever. Thought to get the best of me, did you? Aha! Red Goliath has passed through the jaws of death too often to give in to a mere stripling. The fates work in my favor. Hos- ‘Kins found out what it meant to meddle with such a danger- ous customer ; now I’m going to give you a taste. Say your prayers, young man, for your seconds are numbered on this earth.” I _ Higher rose the blade, as the giant seers strength for a mighty stroke. | Yet the’ boy’s eyes did not quiver, but remained fastened on those of his enemy. A minute would seem an eternity at such a time. Red Goliath was purposely delaying his, ueae to Binks the death agony, more potent; but he hesitated too long. j A hand that could a stipe like a hina, Bea the upraised arm, and. the giant looked up to find himself face to fee with Chevalier Bolly Wherrit. CHAPTER XVI. WHAT FATE HAS ORDAINED, Adele had for ancestors, on her father’s side of the house, valiant Frenchmen, and she inherited some of their courage, Red Goliath had paid no attention to her after Mason so suddenly appeared. upon the scene of action, and in this disrégard he proved his complete ignorance of the young girl’s bravery. 2 When she saw the one she loved so well in the power of this : rough assassin, all fear fled for the time pene from her heart, and she was brave. s While she alone had been threatened Adele ay, not help We being terror-stricken, but now the case was quite altered. The revolver that was knocked from Mason’s hand (Gen- eral Custer’s revolver), lay near the young girl. Her eyes had» 38) followed its course through the air mechanically, and as she realized what power lay in the little weapon her eyes flashed, ee She sprang forward and picked it up. fea “ae Just at this instant a man clad in a buckskin, and wienee 4 face bore the impress of Nature’s nobleman, stepped kis i view. He held up a hand toward Adele, as if telling her to. 7 remain a passive spectator, and she, willing to trust her cause in such hands, suffered the revolver that had been raised with so determined a purpose to fall to her side, One bound, like that of a panther, served to bring Bolly ia Wherrit in a position where he could enter into the game. As his iron hand came down upon the brawny arm of the giant — | Hercules, the latter looked up with a startled:Iook, It was the last word upon earth, the curse he uttered, for the ranger buried his knife in that broad chest with the force of an aven-— ger, and then threw the dying monster upon the rocky floo Mason sprang up and took Adele away to the other end of the cavern, in order that she might not hisgan what a terri thing death was. I shall “not dwell upon fie convulsive: movements of the / stricken giant. savage man died. foaming at the mouth. Bolly stood contemplating the body with folded arms. a as There was something fascinating, and at the same time re: pulsive in the bulky form lying so quiet in the atmé of deat and the gray-haired ranger shook his head as he turned away. “Tt run agin the grain, that blow did, but ‘twar either his life of yers, and I took the. choice. He war a ane fase only. “wonder air how yer ae so long. Young tellér, ss di as how yer name ues be Mason Pierrepont?” said tt
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CUSTER’S LAST* SHOT. r pS LS EE ik eis eet SPER aa NY SS LM san WI conve SM ener ne ates Pat Sade BUDE CUPS er eid Se Re as ESE d el VRB Sk ae A Pee a Sieben 6 SS i SS sak neh BS geod eet 20 the circumstances seemed to warrant, ‘seeing that she was only an adopted daughter of his mother. His words contained a dignity that compelled Bolly to re- spect him. ‘ ; “Bolly Wherrit air my name, tho’ that ain’t o’ much conse- quence. Yer mother engaged me to come arter the leetle gal yonder. Unfortunately I war taken prisoner, but escaped dur- ing the fight yesterday. Kin ye tell me anything about it?” Mason graphically, but concisely, gave an account of Custer’s annihilation, at which the old ranger stood aghast, and it was » several moments before he recovered. It was while they were debating as to their future course that an alarm occurred in the shape of the sudden appearance of an Indian, who had stumbled upon the cave by accident, as his surprise would seem to indicate. ‘The prairie ranger proved too quick for the red American, however, and, hurling himself upon Lhe Indian, he brought him to the ground, 7 Here he was speedily secured, with Mason’s assistance, and rolled into a corner for safe keeping. Fearing lest more of these unwelcome guests should make x their appearance, Bolly took his station in the passage lead- *y ing to the cavern, and there remained all night, while Mason and Adele slept within, or at least made a pretense of sleeping. im But the darkness passed away without any alarm, and day- light found them in-the same order, only that all signs of the dead giant had vanished from the Se in which mystery Bolly was a participant, Leaving the others, the ranger went out on a scout, and came back in an hour or so with the news that the remainder of the cavalry were entrenched among the ills on the ogher _ side of the river, and battling with th® Sioux. ‘o Bolly also brought with him the choice portions of a deer he had shot. - Jt took but a short time to gather fuel, and soon the olfac- tories of our friends were greeted by the delicious aroma of roasting venison. | i Breakfast dispatched, the situation was discussed again, and at the end of the council it was decided best to remain where they were, and await the movement of the troops. Mason being acquainted with Custer’s intended plans of operation, knew that Terry might be expected, and it might be safer for them to leave in the care of the soldiers, for the vicinity seemed swarming with Indians. Thus the day passed. _ In the evening Bolly took another scout, and witnessed the arrival of General Terry’s men. He was soon with the heroes “who had fought so long dade: Major Reno and almost the fir st neree he ran across was his. It would have done a philosopher good to have witnessed the meeting between these great-hearted men, ee of whom feared sug owas s dead. of them were known to him, but rushed his chum to the other - side of the river, where he made him acquainted with Mason and Adele. That night the quartette of friends spent in the cave, enjoy- ing themselves with yarns and good cheer. : In the morning Bolly proposed a start, urged by the young girl’s desire to see home and the agony of that lady mother in the southern city, whose tears had accomplished what money alone could never have done. , & After reaching Laramie, rapid-transit was obtained, and be- fore many days passed by the city of New Orleans was reached. : Madame Pierrepont fulfilled all her promises to Bolly, and still thinks that everything she owns would be inadequate to recompense him for saving her dear son dnd adopted daughter. Alas! poor Custer! Re His memory will ever be green in the memory of his fellow- soldiers. The whole country mourns his loss, and well they may, for a‘ more dashing, chivalrous, valiant cavalry chief never led his men to battle, and though wilful at times, his other qualities completely hid this fault. Who among us can stand forth, and pointing to himself, say, “Look at me, and take a lesson. I am faultless?” Not one, I am sure, S And with Custer fell the flower of the army; noblé men whose name shall ever be chérished by all lovers of the good and brave. That Pandy Ellis was their first real avenger the reader al- ready knows. That retribution overtook Sitting Bull end his warriors sub- sequent events have proved, As -to Pedro Sanchez, he had recovered from the wounds re- ceived at the hands of his former companion, Red Goliath, but trembled whenever left alone, for he had in some way heard of the terrible oath sworn by Pandy Ellis to have his life, and if there was one man tn the world whom the French Spaniard feared it was the veteran trapper chief. From the limited papers at my command T have drawn ‘this tale out of the terrible death-ride, still so fresh in the public mind, and now that Custer has gone to join his brave fellow officers in the spirit world I hope all his faults, such as they were, may be overlooked, and due reverence shown for the name of our missing hero. i [tHE END.] Read “THE RIVAL RANGERS: OR, THE SONS OF FREEDOM,” by, Gen. Jas. A, Gordon, which will be the - next number (234) of “Pluck and Luck.” a ey Es } SPECIAL NOTICH: All back numbers of this week) f are always in print. If you cannot obtain them from. any aye i newsdealer, send the price in money or postage stamps ie ay {mail to FRANK TOUSEY, PUBLISHER, 24 UNION : [sauane, lies YORK and you will NoeTT the copies:
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A TERRIBLE REVENGE. The twilight was rapidly deepening into dark on a pleasant | ing until it was too late, and with fiendish cries of exultation evening in June, as a young horseman of twenty-two or three} upon their lips the savages were among them. f M years of age emerged, from the forest path, and checking the Then commenced a murder foul and dark—a Very geese animal’s pace. paused for an instant or two contemplating | the| of defenseless men and women by the red-skinned demons, — scene before him. whose details are too sickening to record. _ A truly pastoral scene it was, though only a settler’s humble} ‘Taken wholly by surprise the settlers had not the Pet ae i clearing on the very confines of civilization, and to the young} g chance to defend themselves, and although they fought like ef man it was the dearest spot on earth. | men who expect no merey, a,few minutes and the butchery was it was the home of old Seth Morgan, one of the first of the | ended. ? : j hardy pioneers, who more than seven years before had pene- . i ° > ie - Py < trated to these western wildernesses. and out of the heart Of had fought with the ferocity of despair, ve AVen LRG on bloodthirsty savage had fallen never to rise again beneath t stroke of his Bowie knife; but at last he was overpowered by numbérs, and the blood streaming from a ghastly wound upon his forehead, he sank unconscious to the: ground, f ‘the primeval forest hewed a homestead for himself and family, It was not an excess of affection for the hardy settler, how- ver, that caused such emotion to fill the breast of the young man, whose name was Edward Weston, but a far deeper feeling —the strong and passionate love he cherished for his eldest When: lie again waitin tor uieaete he aay as breaking, au ni daughter Clara, who was his affianced wife. : ; The girl returned his affection, and the following day had _ been appointed for the wedding. Already the guests had been invited, and more than a dozen ; men and women standing about the door of the little log cabin” wayed their hats and handkerchiefs toward the expectant - bridegroom as he paused for a moment after emerging from the forest. Again urging on his horse, in a few minutes longer he had reached the house, and dismounting, was weraly greeted by the guests, Another moment, and his betrothed wife was clasped to his breast. . , ; Looking at them as they stood beside each other they made dent, or jet the newcomers would certainly have oncininel t) bodies of the unfortunate victims, to discover if life remat Cibo ; 5 ; : eae in any of the bodies. | ears a singularly handsome pair—he with his resolute, sun-browned i ’ Another circumstance also attracted his attention. , face and dark eyes-and hair, she with her rippling golden ' tresses and eyes of the deepest, divinest blue. A wedding in a backwoods community is an institution not to be lightly passed over, and although the ceremony that was ye to make Bdward Weston and the fair Clara man and wife | would not take place: before ‘the following morning, now that the bridegroom had arrived the festivities began. Guests from distant clearings came gradually dropping in, until when the night had fallen, they numbered more than _twenty of both sexes, and by ten o'clock the floor had been cleared for dancing, the enlivening strains of the fiddle floating _ through the open window upon the calm night air. Had the merrymakers but known that more than a hundred ) dark-skinned fibures: their faces hideous with crimson war | brow with the cool water and binding up his W pai aint, were crawling stealthily towards’ ‘the. house, it might ‘time he felt stronger. i 2 have changed | the Joyousness to fear; fe they. popected noth Mrs. ereak a and the conclusion naturally presented eee J the rest of the women had been carried off alive. ih ee A ray of hope Shot through Edward ese Com, s breast ig thougiet, / ee Clara might stil 1 be alive. and if, she were his shi a purpose. % * He would recapture her, dead or alive, from Wee. sa 7 captors, and wreak upon them such a vengeance as” remembered for years. . | r : ae As he made this resolution he stalagetet: téwara br ook that flowed past the. rear of the house, and be
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= ready for his desperate enterprise. He had been a hunter from his very childhood, and to his practiced eyes the trail of the Indians, although evidently con- eéaled with the greatest cave, was not hard to fitid. Once upon it, he mounted his hotse, and rode at headlong speed. Little indications that to an iitéxperienced eye would have meant nothing were sufficient to convince him that he was upon the right track, and for several hours hé still kept on. For himself he knew no feeling of fatigue, but at last the faltering gait of his horse warned him. The animal was be- ginning to get exhausted, and although chaffing at the delay, when the next brook was reached hé dismounted, and remov- ing the saddlé and bridle, gave his steed the rest he so much “needed, : By sunset he was again ip the saddle; and a young moon that arose before the twilight had deepened into dark shed light _ enough around to allow him to keep on with scarcely an abate- ~ ment of speed. : In the cotirse of several hours the evidetices of precdtition ihe savages had used so far to tover theif trail became less marked, and he knew he must be approaching their encamp- ment. Suddenly the howls of the legion of mongrel curs always to i be found following an Indian camp smote upon his ears, and 3 the next moment he saw in the distance the gleam of the a smouldering fires. ae Checking his horse he dismounted, and séciiring thé animal in @ clump of thick uhdergr bia hé prepared to continue the 3 trail on foot. : 7 He had not neglected before leaving the scene of the pre- E vious night’s massacre to thoroughly arm himself. Besides two revolvers and a small satchel containing car- z tridges, he had two Bowie knives and a huge horn containing -geverdl pounds of powder. ; Assttting himself that thé chamibers of the revolver were in working order, he began to make his way toward the distant camp. { His progress was necessarily slow, and more than an hour “elapsed before he reached it. By this time the moon was obscured by dark clouds, and only a the smouldering embers of the fires enabled him to distinguish _ anything through the gloom, Prostrate, face downward upon thé ground, he crawled to- ward the nearest tent. ki “The encampment was made in the form of a semicitcle run- ning d down to the shore of a small lake, _ , 4 é, As the young man noticed this an idea entered his brain, hat caused a look of malignant satisfaction to overspread his , a i, A TERRIBLE RYVENGE. . cs : aN, turned loose to pastiré, atd in less than half an hour he was | i is vengeance was but a secondary move and the first, ae ‘shdecision. ay av r the great one, was to rescue his lost bride from the hands of” her bloodthirsty captors. With a skill. that would have dame no diseredit to the most experienced: scout, he dragged his body noiselessly along the ground, until he had reached the first tent of the semi-circle, beginning at the water’s edge. With his bowie knife he noiselessly cut away the birch bark of which the lodge was composed, and through the opening | thus made peered into the interior. A dozen or more Indians lay upon the ground asleep, but there was uo sign of the presetice of the maiden he was risk- ing his life to rescue, and again the malignant look came upon his face as he thought of the revenge he contemplated. Unslingingthe powder horn, he sprinkled a thin trail of the powder along the ground, beginning: beside the small heap of fragments he had cut from the ecvering of the lodge. . Then, still lying face downward upon the ground, he made his way toward the next wigwam, leaving behind him, as he passed, the thin trail of powder. | To the next he went in the Same manner, and to on next, and next, until more than two dozen had been investigated. and still there was no trace of the girl he was seeking. But one now remained, and with the hope he had cherished gradually dying out in his breast, he proceeded to cut through » its covering as he had done the others. By this time the dawn had broken, and in less than half an xe it would be broad daylight. In his impatience to know: at once the best or worst, he did not take time, as he had done before, to cut the opening inch by inch, but with two rapid slashes of his kiife tore away 4 piece of the bark large enough to admit his whole body. As ay did so the noise aroused the sole occupant of the wig: wa, ani Indian whose extra adornments upon his dress show- ed him to be a chief, and who, with a guttural ejaculation of mingled anger and surprise, sprang toward him. A The hatchet he had snatched from his belt was upraised threateningly, and in an instant Edward Weston realized his position. i hour mo = f He well knew one cry of warning from the lips of the chief and the whole band would be upon him. It was no time for hesitation, and grasping his bowie knife firmly he raised himself upon his elbow, and hurled it with all his strength at the advancing savage. The aim was true, and without so much as a single shriek of pain the Indian fell dead upon the- Broun: with the knife buried to the hilt in his heart. — Springing through the opening the young man bent over the prostrate body, and séized the knife to draw it from the ead chief’s breast. . ; Ai Hardly had he done so than the blanket over the ‘doorway aus | was thrown aside, and another savage entered. ; For a moment he stood bewildered, and then, snatching the tomahawk from his belt, a wild cry left his lips, and he sprang toward the the young man, the weapon upraised for the deadly ; blow. Reh For a moment, also, Bdward ‘Weston had stood in bewilder- an ment, but it was not the entreice of the oe that caused his
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hs : eae A TERRIBLE REVENGE. eck, ipa sid ee As the blanket had been raised he had seen, passing around first reach the spot where he had left his horse, but at last he ; one of the capes in the distance, a party of men, and among} did so in safety and sprang into the saddle. them he also fancied he saw the flutter of women’s dresses. It was now indeed a ride for life. ; The animal, as if comprehending the danger, exerted his ‘ utmost speed, and for a little while it seemed as if he would ‘Could it be possible that Clara had escaped and was with them? The knowledge 6f the fugitive party and the question flashed distance the fire. through his mind with the electric quickness of thought, but| After an hour or so, however, he began to grow exes ae WeNGS H there was no time to ponder over an answer. and the rider’s utmost endeavors could not urge him on. Already the hatchet of the sdvage was upraised above his! Turning in his saddlle, Edward Weston looked around, and — head, and grasping his still dripping knife, the young man | 25 he did so a feeling of the most utter despair came over him. Stoodvonsthe' defendive: The horse’s steps were growing slower and slower, and the ~ fi not more than two hundred yards awa With a whistling sound the tomahawk cut through the air,| rw y y- but with a sudden movement Edward Weston evaded the Stroke, and the next moment his Bowie knife was buried in the date’: FALE, of flame like the roar of the waves upon some rocky rest) : i i TI at w ; ag ally he strove With one wild death cry the savage fell backward, and the Re NSPE AS BTU WiNE MAN SE RIE mene eee adhe)! i ? y ‘ | deliriu young. man, knowing that in-an instant the whole camp would ena Oty Man horse 8 stumbling. footsteps; a wild ii bis ae be upon him, felt that there was no time to be lost if he would tmnake his escape: _ But first there was his revenge. p Emptying the remaining contents of his powder-horn upon the ground, he drew one of his revolvers from his belt and fired. ¢ a b= a 4 © se a o ct ao o “9 a eerie “Am I awake?” he gasped. “Has it all been a dre: i ag Se ' Clara!” ' ; In an instant it ignited the dry bark of which the wigwam They were indeed Clara’s blue eyes that were gazing in was built, and then a thin streak of fire like a serpent ran on to cb i Res and Clara’s sweet voice that ex lained his seemingly 1 the next, until, before a minute had elapsed, the whole en- | if ely lous deliverance. — campment was in a blaze. ; ar A wild, ringing laugh of triumph upon his lips, Edward Wes- ton ran at the top of his speed toward where his horse was _ Picketed, but already the whole of the savages, with fierce cries of rage, were aftér him. A hundred arrows whistted past his ears, but none of them hit him, and he still kept on with added speed lent to his footsteps by the knowledge that he was running for his life. Suddenly 3 ery of alarm breaking simultaneously from his purbders caused him to check his pace, and looking around he yer in an instant the cause of their fear. The flames of the blazing wigwams had seats into the chap- i ‘ite, and the whole forest would soon be on fire. Too well the voung man realized now what be had done. "In seeking revenge upon his savage foes he had -probably, avenged, and the girl now left Fault BAe in the wo: _ also doomed himself. > (é: ‘It was now a race between the fire and him which should ! came the wife of award Weston. 4
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‘THE JAMES BCYS WEEKLY. CONTAINING STORIES OF ADVENTURE, ae These stories are written by the well-known and popular Au- thor D. W. Stevens, whose home in the West is in the immediate vicinity of the place where the James Boys met with the most of their daring adventures, and who is familiar with the incidents he so ably describes. Ask your newsdealer to save you a copy of THE JAMES BOYS WEEKLY every week.. | : LATEST ISSUES: 69 The James yee’ League; or, Carl Greene’s Adventures in an Un- 29 Pinkerton’s Boy Detectives; or, Trying to Capture the James Boys. | 79 Bitowas baud. 80 The James Boys’ Blunder; or, The Fatal Mistake at Northfield. York’ in. Two States. 21 The James Boys on the Road; or, The Bandit Kings in a New Field.|71 The James Boys and Number Fifteen; or, Carl Greene Joining the 82 The James Boys’ Shadows; or, The Nemesis of the Bandits. Band. *23 The James Boys’ Signal Lights; or, The Cavern of Myste Jesse James’ Greatest Crime; or, Carl Greene, the Detective, at ry. , ; or, Carl Detective, Baffled by a- | 84 Jesse James, the Midnight Horseman; or, The Silent Rider of the 02 SEARO: tates SPOR Ie Saye att ONE Sne SSH Detective, y Ozark. Clever Ruse. : , 3 The James Boys Under Fire; or, Carl Greene's Headion Chase. 85 The James Boys in Danger; or, Carl Greene the Detective’s Cun- Th The Janes Bove Saddle Kings; or, The Detective's irlwind Attack. . ~ The James Boys’ Compact; #&, Carl Greene's Strange Adventures at the Deserted House. ning Scheme. 86 The James Boys’ League; or, Baffled by a Keen Detective. 15 B7 The James Boys’ Band of Ten; or, The Red Light on the Bluff. 88 The James Boys Jailed; or, Carl Green the Detective’s Clever} 7g Cavitire Big Mb pene sree aes a or, Carl Greene the Detective’s First _ Ge : ‘ ght wi e Ban ing. B9 Bi hearth in the Saddle; or, The Highwayman and the|77 The James Boys and the Hendortope: or, Carl Greene Playing the 40 a) mt Boys’ Mistake; or, Carl Green the Detective’s Clever | 7 al ERT oon 8 The James Boys’ Fight Sor ETO, U0es or, Carl Greene’s Desperate : S. 9 Struggle Against Big O k 41 The James Boys in a Trap; or, Carl Greene’s Neatest Trick. 79 T Boy ° , : 42 The James Boys in Arkansas; "or, After Confederate Gold. : wy et OVE GUC FHP Seopa eee i) OF) onl, Greene’ a Geeae _ | 48 The James Boys Knights of the Road; or, The Masked Men of| 9 The James Boys and the Stolen Treasure; or, Carl Greene, the | 4 nantrell's Old Guard; or, The James Boys in Missouri g Py grantee SS Ne Ea i ER PO mile Cs tie pao cage Se 47 The James Boys’ Last Flight; or, Carl Greene's Greatest Victory. 82 My pate pete. Tomb; or, Carl Greene the an sarap. es! Boys’ Reckless. Bald; or,’ Sheriff Timberlake's, Blind 83 wie) a cathe and the Cockney; or, Carl Greene as the Man 49 Jesse James Avenged; or, The Death of Bob Ford. rom lngland. 50 The Jaiaes Boys’ oldest Raid; or, Foiled by a Brave Detective. | 84 The James Boys and the Life Hunters; or, Carl Greene's Hot Strug- 51 The James Boys’ Treasure Hunt; or A Thirty Days’ Race with gle with the Bandits. Detectives. 85 The James Boys’ Fight for a Rare Gem; or, Carl Greene, the De- “52 The James Boys and the Dwarf; or, Carl Greene’s Midget Detec- tective, and the Young Australian. > } c tive. — } . : &6 The James Boys and the Sport; or, Carl Greene as the “Gent from } 58 The James Boys’ Ride for Life; or, Chased by Five Detectives. California.” ‘ 54 The James Boys’ Fight for Millions; or, Carl Greene the Detec- |.87 The James Boys’ Fight to a Finish; or, Carl Greene's Campaign of ; tive’s Richest Bullets. Y i Case. - 55 sat James Boys’ Dead-Shot Legion; or, The Running Fight on | gg he Border The James Boys and the Lost Heir; or, Carl Greene, the Detec- , ; 56 The James Boys’ Bold Move; or, The Game that was Blocked by tive's,Many Ruses. . oy : ‘a ‘Keen’ Detective. a, 89 Hunted for Ten Years; or, The James Boys’. Fight Against Fate. a ; : " ae 90 The James Boys and the Cattle King; or, Carl Greene as a Herder. - 57 The James Boys as Brigands; or, The Bandits of the. Big Blue. y O89) ; Pir eRiane vanes Boys’ Ainehttos Life’ or Death; or, Dhe Detectives 91 at Sec hay Roys and the Dumb Dude; or, Carl Greene, the Detee- — 5 Secret Snare. ye's, Great Game. 59 The James Boys in Peril; or, Carl Greene the Detective's Oath. 92 aoe aehes Pre soa One Spot Pete; or, Carl Greene, thé Detective, : ames Boys an e Box o: iamonés; or, Scheming for | .- : ; . se Fe tie bg “Millions. "4 ‘ vd 93 The James Boys in the Wilderness; or, Carl Greene's Search for 61 The James Boys Among the Clouds; or, The Bold Detective’s the ‘Outlaws’ Home. ; \ f° wie Fearful Plunge. 3 94 The James Boys and the Cripple; or, Carl Greene as the Wooden - 62 The James Boys’ Mystery; or, The Bandit Chief's Double. Leg Hermit of the Ozarks. f; 68 The James Boys’ Hut; or, Outwitting Carl Greene. 95 The James Boys’ Rival Band; or, Carl Greene’s Double Fight 64 The James Boys’ Lottery of Death; or, Running the Gauntlet Against Outlaws. y i ‘ ay With Detectives. E 96 The James Boys and the Midnight Express; or, Carl Greene’s Great ea Hn aoe Er es Lense’ nga Oe pees bg ee ath Greene. anes ee Case. ‘ : 66 The James Boys’ Fort; or, Carl Greene’s Twenty Failures. e James Boys’ Mascot; or, Car! née Plays a 67 The James Boys’ Surrender; or, Carl Greene's First Triumph. “f iene shite aban D 98 The James Boys' Missouri R31; or, Carl G imberla’ er OS ee ae in the Mountains; or, Carl Greene the Detective's |99 The James Bofs’ rom Narr Gan tenes ener ae reat Surprises. 100 The James Boys in the War; or, Under Quantrell’s Black Flag. aay a For Sale by All Newsdealers, or will be Sent to Any Address on Receipt of Price, 5 Cents per Copy, by bates. FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. | why a ——_—— i IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS | of our Libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct, Cut out and fill in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we will send them to you by ree turn mail. ; POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. fas i, ‘FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. Bod Ghai RMON BES Be ie Dear Str—Enclosed find......cents for which please send me: bo .2/s v.copiea of WORK’ AND: WEN): Nos. 6.7) YN ees Wide allele. ba + «ie hac dutanibow ppt hanes elias Bie * WILD WEST WEBKLY, Nog.,.4..26...0 < Laecrcdia dla ee LARS OS he a a Bee a PETRY SAMES, BOWS WRBIREY. Noto) iui: 5 oie Me aan aa near a ; teasnaar i ss. © FRANK READE WEEKLY MAGAZINE, Nos nets! “PLUCK AND ALU OICe Nowst, aiatagsenin tin aot tai aes ; ne eas SHCRET SERVICE, Nos ases PY aah Mga Fs a a es eee eee _« « THE LIBERTY BOYS OF ’%6, Nos. _“ & Ten-Cent: Hand Books, Nos......... abit .. Street and No.... ee ee a i ee a Or tint wt code tag are ‘ese beeen s s
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q Ss A MAGAZINE CONTAINING STORIES. SKETCHES Ete. OF WESTERN LIFE. Issued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. Brtcred as Second Cldss Matter at the New York Post Office, 2902, by Frank Tousey. _NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 14, 1902 Price 5 Cont, ~ re aWest’S PLUCK 3 & : {
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ILD WEST WEEKLY A BOYS’ MAGAZINE CONTAINING COMPLETE STORIES OF WESTERN LIFE. Do NOT FAIL TO READ IT. 32 PAGES. PRICES CENTS, 32 PAGES. _ EACH NUMBER BOUND IN A HANDSOME COLORED COVER. All of these exciting stories are founded on facts. Young Wild West is a hero with whom the author was acquainted. His daring deeds and thrilling adventures © have never been surpassed. They form the base of the most dashing stories ever published. Read the ‘following numbers of this most interesting magazine and be convinced: No. 1. YOUNG WILD WEST, THE PRINCE OF THE SADDLE, Issued October Pv No, 2, bh bead WILD WEST'S LUCE; or, Striking It Rich in the ‘Issued October 31 _ No. 8. YOUNG WILD WEST'S. VICTORY; or, hes Road Agents’ Last Hold-Up, ssued November 7 No, 4. YOUNG WILD ‘WEST'S PLUCK; or, Bound to Beat the Bad ssued November 14 My ! Men . | - No. 5. ‘yOUNG G lool WEST’S BEST SHOT; or, The Resene of ssued November 21 No. 6 xouNe “WILD WEST AT DEVIL CREEK; or, Helping to oom a New Tow Issued November 28 ‘No. 7. vOUNG | WILD WEST'S SURPRISE; or, The Indian Chief's Issued December 5 Z Leg oes 8. YOUNG. WILD WEST MISSING; or, Saved by an Indian Princess. Issued December 12 f - FOR SALE BY ALL NEWSDEALERS, OR WILL BE SENT TO ANY ADDRESS oN ON RECEIPT OF PRICE 5 CENTS PER. COPY: BY : : FRANK Peyse* Publisher, neat ie 24 Union Square, New York.
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A SPLENDID NEW ONE ‘Frank Reade Weekly a CONTAINING STORIES OF ADVENTURE ON LAND UNDER THE SEA IN THE MR By “NONAME,” | oe THE PRINCE OF STORY WRITERS. : Each Number in a Handsomely INuminated he wee | 39-PAGE BOOK FOR 5 CENTS, om AN our readers icnow Frank Reade, Jr., the greatest inventor of the age, and his two fun-loving chums, Barney and Pomp. The stories to be published in this magazine will contain a true account of the wonderful and ‘exciting adventures of the famous inventor with his marvellous flying machines, electrical overland engines, and his extraordinary — _ submarine boats. Each number will be a rare treat. Tell your newsdealer to get youa ~ copy. Here are the first four titles, and each number will be better than the pr evious one: er es No.1, FRANK READE, JR. '§ WHITE CRUISER OF THE CLOUDS; or, The Seareh for the ) Dog- Face | Men, No, 2. FRANK READE, JR.’S SUBMARINE BOAT, THE “EXPLORER”; or, To the North Pale a Unter i the ley, ‘ NO. 8. FRANK READE, JR.’S. ELECTRIC VAN; or, Hunting Wild Animals in the Jungs 0 af india, as cit i No. 4. FRANK READE, JR.’S ELECTRIC AIR CANOE; or, The Seareh for the Valley af “Diamonds, jneea ued November 21 For Salé by All Newsdealers, or will be Sent to Any ‘Adaiea) on Receipt of Price, 5 Cents per Copy, by FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York - XE YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS ef our Libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Cut out and fill in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you ‘want and we will send them to you by turn mail, : ~POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. Rea Ra ee a br uae NA a uae) Stein o dba asomotete Say a Hew ciakdbic NCIS a ay did aR Rae SURE a tO eg ae ¢ FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. acorn ee inal es Bedi ,190 a Drar Str—Enclosed find...... cents for which please send 1 me: 2 Nee Ge ieepies ot WORK: AN DiWIN, Nos. o..00. 20. i. 88 has eek a nod daha lds Sunes honk Pali aes Gag et tS VL TED) WEST WEEKLY, Nos..... ai aioli adele litgc ss Sand Sates oA joe a MEER RUS Ra tec OS OA Vey bootie Pg OMRANE READE WEBKLY, Nos id. 00. a OA Reo sr: -“; PLUCK ‘AND LUCK, Nos... ...... Dy ee chins aches a ohn wengvimpamig) Pees VRE aiid eco “ SECRET SERVICE, BCL AS eu Scrat chan Snes rg Woe Laat, | ' “HB LIBERTY BOYS) OF °76, Nos..../....... pest Ca ak Oc Sas © © Tey. Cent Hand Books, Nos....... ‘tae Sabie sci oh aha FRR? Civiatosiaaee! ‘ ay and No........... be ae’ ‘own..
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THE STAGE. No, 41. THE BOYS OF NEW YORK END MEN’S JOKE BOOK.—Containing a great variety of the latest jokes used by the’: most famous end men. No amateur minstrels is complete without this wonderful little book. Y No. 42. THE BOYS OF NEW YORK STUMP SPEAKER— Containing a varied sssortment of stump speeches, Negro, Dutch and Irish. Aliso end men’s jokes, Just the thing for home amuse- ment and amateur shows. No. 45. THH BOYS OF NEW YORK MINSTREL GUIDE AND JOKE BOOX.—Something new and very instructive. Every hoy should obtain this beok, as it contains full instructions for or- ganizing an amateur minstrel troupe. No. 65. MULDOON’S JOKES.—This is one of the most original joke books ever published, and it is brimful of wit and humor. It contains a large collection of songs, jokes, conundrums, ete., of Terrence Muiuoon, the great wit, humorist and practical joker of the day. Every boy who can enjoy a good substantial joke shouid obtain a copy immediately, No. 79. HOW TO BECOMH AN ACTOR.—Containing com- plete instructions how to make up for various characters on the stage; together with the duties of the Stage Manager, Prompter, Scenic Artist and Property Man. By a prominent Stage Mariager. No. 80. GUS WILLIAMS’ JOKE B OK.—Containing the lat-- est jokes, anecdotes and funny stories of this world-renowned and aver popular German comedian. Sixty-four pages; handsome soiored cover containing a half-tone photo of the author. HOUSEKEEPING. P No, 16. HOW TO KEEP A WINDOW GARDEN.—Containing “ull instructions for constructing a window garden either in town or country, and the most approved methods for raising beautiful fe at home. The most complete book of the kind eyer pub- shed. No. 30. HOW TO COOK.—One of the most instructive books gn cooking ever published. It contains recipes for cooking meats, fish, game and oysters; also pies, puddings, cakes and all kinds of gaat and a grand collection of recipes by one of our most popular aooks. No. 37. HOW TO KEEP HOUSH.—It contains information for averybody, boys, girls, men and women; it will teach you how to ake almost anything around the house, such as parlor ornaments, arackets, cements, Aeolian harps, and bird lime for catching birds. ELECTRICAL. No. 46. HOW TO MAKE AND USH ELECTRICITY.—A de- 3eription of the wonderful uses of electricity and electro magnetism ; together with full instructions for making Blectrie Toys, Batteries, ee a, George Trebel, A. M., M. D. Containing over fifty il- ‘ustrations. No. 64. HOW TO MAKE ELECTRICAL MACHINES.—Con- ‘aining full directions for making electrical machines, induction :oils, dynamos, and many novel toys to be worked by electricity. y R. A, R. Bennett. Fully illustrated. : No. 67. HOW TO DO ELECTRICAL TRICKS.—Containing a arge collection of instructive and highly amusing electrical tricks, -ogether with illustrations. By A. Anderson. ENTERTAINMENT. No. 9. HOW TO BECOME A VENTRILOQUIST. By Harry Sennedy. The secret given away. Every intelligent boy reading this book of instructions, by a practical professor (delighting multi- tudes every night with his wonderful imitations), can master the art, and create any amount of fun for himself and friends. It is the greatest book ever published, and there’s millions (of fun) in it. No. 20. HOW TO ENTERTAIN AN EVENING PARTY.—A very valuable little book just. published. A complete compendium of games, sports, card diversions, comic recitations, etc., suitable ‘or parlor or drawing-room entertainment. It contains more for the ‘oney than any book oe __No. 35. HOW TO PLAY GAMES.—A complete and useful little 900k, containing the rules and regulations of billiards, bagatelle, sackgammon, croquet, dominoes, ete. - No. 36. HOW TO SOLVE CONUNDRUMS.—Containing all the leading conundrums of the day, amusing riddles, curious catches and ey sayings. No. 52, HOW TO PLAY CARDS.—A complete and handy little 900k, giving the rules and full directions for laying Buchre, Orib- pan pe) afontae ats: i | sd Fafiro ancho, Draw Poker, Re eee ours and many other popular games of cards. No. 66. HOW TO DO PUZZLWS.—Containing over three hun- dred interesting puzzles and conundrums with key to same. zomplete book. Fully illustrated. By A. Anderson. ETIQUETTE. No. 13. HOW TO DO IT; OR, BOOK OF ETIQUETTE.—It Ve a great life secret, and one that every young man desires to know all about. There’s happiness in it. No. 838. HOW TO BRHHAVE.—Containing the rules and eti- quette of good society and the easiest and most approved methods of appearing to good advantage at parties, balls, the theatre, church and in the drawing-room. - DECLAMATION. No. 27. HOW TO RECITH AND BOOK OF RECITATIONS. -—Containing the most Popalee selections in use, comprising Dutch dialect, French dialect, Yankee and Irish dialect pieces, together with many standard readings. PRICE 10 CENTS EACH, No. 31. HOW TO BECOME A pilots omeagtaiee nr four teen illustrations, giving the different positions requisite to become’ a speaker, reader and elocutionist. Also containixg gems from all the popular authors of prose and poetry, arranged in the mos? simple and concise manner possibl é "No. 49. HOW TO DEBAT.-Giving rules for conducting de bates, outlines for debates, questions for discussion, and the hes? sources for procuring information on the questions given. _ SOCIETY. No. 3. HOW TO FLIRT.—The arts and wiles of flirtation ar: fully explained by this little book. Besides the various methods 0/ handkerchief, fan, glove, parasol, window and hat flirtation, it con tains a full list of the language and sentiment of flowers, which is interesting to everybody, both old end young. You cannot be happ> without one. No. 4. HOW TO DANCE is the title of a new and handsom« little book just issued by Frank Tousey. It contains fuil instruc: tions in the art of dancing, etiquette in the ballroom and at parties pid to dress, and full directions for calling off in all popular square ances. ; 3 No. 5. HOW TO MAKE LOVE.—A complete guide to love, courtship and marriage, giving sensible advice, rules and etiquette . to iS chaser with many curious and interesting things not gen-’ erally known. No. 17. HOW TO DRESS.—Containing full instruction in the art of dressing and appéaring well at home and abroad, giving the selections of colors, material, and how to have them made up. No. 18. HOW TO COMH BHAUTIFUL.—One of the -brightest and most valuable little books ever given to the world. grey eee to know how to become beautiful, both male and female. e secret is simple, and almost costless, Read this book and be convinced how to become beautiful. BIRDS AND ANIMALS. ? é No. 7. HOW. TO KEEP BIRDS.—Handsomely illustrated ané containing full instructions for the management and training of ths canary, mockingbird, bobolink, blackbird, perees, parrot, ete. No, 39. HOW TO RAISE DOGS, POULTRY, PIGEONS AND- RABBITS.—A useful and instructive book. Handsomely illus: trated. By Ira Drofraw. hip” No. 40. HOW TO MAKE AND SET TRAPS.—Including hints on how to catch moles, weasels, otter, rats, squirrels and birds. ae how to cure skins. Cogpiously illustrated. By J. Harrington eene. No. 50. HOW TO STUFF BIRDS AND ANIMALS.—A valu able book, giving instructions in _collectizg, preparing, mounting and preserving birds, animals and insects. No. 54. HOW TO KEEP AND MANAGE PETS.—Giving com- plete information as to the manner and method of raising, keepin taming, breeding and managing all kinds of pets; also giving ful. instructions for making cages, etc. Fully explained by twenty- eight illustrations, making it the most complete book of the kin#: ever published. MISCELLANEOUS. No. 8. HOW TO BECOME A SCIENTIST.—A useful and in: structive book, giving a complete treatise on chemistry; also ex: periments in acoustics, mechanics, mathematics, chemistry, ané directions for making fireworks, colored fires and gas balloons, This book cannot be equaled. : No. 14. HOW TO MAKE CANDY.—A complete handbook for making all kinds of candy, ice cream, syrups, essences, etc. ete, No. 19. FRANK TOUSEY’S UNITED STATES DISTANC® TABLES, ROCKET COMPANION AND GUIDH.—Giving the official- distances on all the railroads of the United States ané Canada. Also table of distances by water to foreign ports, hac fares in the principal cities, reports of the census, éte., etc,, making it one of the most complete and handy books published. No. 38. HOW TO BECOME YOUR OWN DOCTOR.—A won: derful book, containing useful and practical information in thc treatment of ordinary diseases and ailments common to every’ Se Abounding in useful and effective recipes for general com: plaints. No. 55. HOW TO COLLECT STAMPS AND COINS.—Con:- taining valuable information regarding the collecting and arranging, of stamps and coins. Handsomely illustrated. No. 58. HOW TO BE A DETHCTIVE.—By Old King poner: the world-known detective. In which he lays down some yaluabic and sensible rules for beginners, and also relates some adventure and experiences of well-known detectives. _ No. 60. HOW TO BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER.—Contain- ing useful information regarding the Camera and how to work it- also how to make Photographic Magic Lantern Slides and othe: 7 eaparencies Handsomely illustrated. By Captain W. De W ys No. 62. HOW TO BECOME A WEST POINT MILITAR* CADET.—Containing full explanations how to gain admittance course of Study, Examinations, -Duties, Staff of Officers, Pos: Guard, Police Regulations, Fire Department, and all a boy shoulé know to be a Cadet. Compiled and written by Lu Senarens, autho. of “How to Become a Naval Cadet.” No. 63. HOW TO BECOME A NAVAL CADET.—Complete iz: structions of how to gain admission to the Annapolis Nave. Academy. - Also bcm the course of instruction, descriptios of grounds and. buildings, historical sketch, and everything a bos aie ae on essa an eed in thie ea Navy. Coni- iled and written by Lu Senarens, author of “ ow ‘to Become fa est Point Military Cadet.” . , ut OR 3 FOR 2 CENTS. : Address FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. er y
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Pi oO CC KX A NW Dp miawUCKE .. CONTAINS ALL SORTS OF STORIES. BEAUTIFULLY COLORED COVERS. 32 PAGES. LATEST ISSUES: 150 ie zorend of Fire; or, The Fate of a Misstng Ship. By Allan Arno 151 The Witch Hunter's Ward; or, The Hunted Orphans of Salem. By .Richard R. Montgomery. 152 The Castaway’s Kingdom; or, A Yankee Sailor Boy’s Pluck. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. 153 Worth a Million; or, A Boy’s Fight for Justice. By Allyn Draper. 154 The Drunkard’s W arning; or, The Fruits of the Wine Cup. By Jno. B. Dowd. 155 The Black Diver; or, Dick Sherman in the Gulf. By Allan Arnold. 156 The Haunted Belfry ; or, the Mystery of the Old Church Tower. By Howard Austin. 157 The House with Three Windows. By Richard R. Montgomery. 158 Three Old Men of the Sea; or, The Boys of Grey Rock Beach. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. 159 3,000 Years Old; or, The Lost Gold Mine of the Hatchepee Hills. By Allyn Draper. 160 Lost in the Ice. By Howard Austin. 161 The Yellow Diamond; or, Groping in the Dark. By Jas. C. Merritt. 162 The Land of Gold; or, Yankee Jack’s Adventures in Early Aus- tralia. By Richard R. Montgomery. 163 On the Plains with Buffalo Bill; or, Two Years in the Wild West. By an Old-Scout. i 164 The Cavern of Fire: or, The Thrilling Adventures of Professor Hardcastle and Jack Merton. By Allyn Draper. 165 wees or, Lost in the Sea of Grass. By Capt. Thos. H. : ilson 166 Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor; or, mapiouing Central Asia in His Magnetic “Hurricane.” MF; ame. 167 Lot 77; or, Sold to the Highest Bidder. By Richard R. Mont- gomery. 168 The Boy Canoeist ; or, 1,000 Miles in a Canoe. By Jas. C. Merritt. 169 Captain Kidd, Jr.; or, The Treasure Hunters of Long Island. By Allan Arnold. 170 The Red Leather Bag. A Weird Story of Land and Sea. By Howard Austin. 171 “The Lone Star’’; or, The Masked Riders of Texas. By Allyn Draper. 172 A New York Boy out ae Stanley ; or, A Journey Through Africa. By Jas. C. Merrit 173 Aflont With Captain Siig 4 OR The Mystery of Whirlpool Island y Capt. Thos. H. Wilso 174 Two leg Trip to an Dobnowit Planet. By Richard R. Mont. gomer 175 The Two “Diamonds; or, A Mystery of the South African Mines By Howard Austin. 176 wee ae. Gymnast; or, Three Years Among the Japs. By Allap rno 177 Jack Hawthorne, of No Man’s Land; or, An Uncrowned King. By “Noname.” 178 Gun-Boat Dick: or, Death Before Dishonor. By Jas. C. Merritt 179 A Wizard of Wall Street; or, The Career of Henry Carew, Boy Banker. By H. K. Shackleford. 180 Fifty Riders in Black; or, The Ravens of Raven Forest, By Howard Austin. 181 The Boy Rifle Rangers; or, Kit Carson’s Three Young Scouts. By An Old Scout. 182 Where? or, Washed into an Unknown World. By _‘‘Noname.” 183 Fred Fearnaught, the Boy Commander; or, The Wolves of the 190 191 5 Sam Spark, the Brave Young Fireman; Sea. By Capt. From Cowboy to Congressman ; man. By H. K. Shackleford. Thos. H. Wilson. or, The Rise of a Young Ranch- Always the First By or. on Hand. By Ex-Fire Chief Warden. : The Poorest Boy in New York, and How He Became Rich, N. 8. Wood, the Young American Actor. Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor ; or, Hunting for a Sunken Treasure. y “Noname.” On Time; or, The Young Engineer Rivals. An Exciting Story of Railroading in the Northwest. By Jas. C. Merritt. Re Jacket; or, The Boys of the Farmhouse Fort. By An Old Scout. His First Glass of Wine; or, The Temptations of City Life. A True ‘Temperance Story. By Jno. B. Dowd. The Coral City; or, The Wonderful Cruise of the Yacht Vesta. By Richard R. Montgomery. EVERY STORY COMPLETE PRICE 5 CENTS. Making a Million; or A Smart Boy's Career in Wall Street. By H. K. Shackleford Jack Wright and His Electric Turtle ; (or, Chasing the Pirates of the Spanish Main. . By ‘Noname.” 194 gin 5 Daye, the Boy Jockey; or, Riding the Winner. By Allyn raper. 95 The Twenty Gray Wolves; or, Fighting A Crafty King. By Howard Austin. 196 The Palace of Gold; or, The Secret of a Lost Race. By Richard R. Montgomery. 197 Jack Wright's Submarine Catamaran ; or, The Phantom Ship of the Yellow Sea. By ‘Noname.” 198 ag Cristo at 18; or, From Slave to Avenger. By Allyn raper. 199 The Floating Gold Mine; or, Adrift’ in an Unknown Sea. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. 200 Moll yr oe Boy; or, As Brave as His Mother. By Gen’) Jas. Gordon. 201 “We.” Aay Richard R. Montgomery. 202 Jack Wright and His Ocean Racer; or, Around the World in 20 Days. By “Noname.” 203 aa Boy Pioneers; or, Tracking an Indian Treasure. By Allyn raper. 204 Still Alarm Sam, the Daring Boy Fireman; or, Sure to Be On Hand. By Ex-Fire Chief Warden, 205 tee ee Ocean; or, Ben Bluff's Last Voyage. By Capt. Thos. . son. 296 Jack Wright and His Electric ,,Canoe ; or, Working in the Revenue Service. By “Noname. 207 Give Him a Chance; or, How ‘tom Curtis Won His Way. By Howard, Austin. 208 Jack and I; or, The Secrets of King Pharaoh’s Caves. By Richard R. Montgomery. 209 Buried 5,000 Years; or,.The Treasure of the Aztecs. By Allyn Draper. Jack Wright's Air and Water Cutter; or, Wonderful Adventures on the Wing and Afloat. By “Noname.” The Broken Bottle : or, A Jolly Good Fellow. A True Temper- ance Story. By Jno. B. Dowd. Slippery Ben; or, The Boy Spy of the Revolution. By Gen’) Jas. A. Gordon. Young Davy Crockett; or, The Hero of Silver Gulch. By An Old Scout. Jack Wright and His Magnetic Motor; or, The Golden City of the Sierras. By “‘Noname.” 215 Little Mac, I'he Boy Engineer; or, Bound To Do His Best. By Jas. C. Merritt. 216 The Boy Money King; or, Working in Wall Street. A Story bono borne mos is) to nw wn we ww wo onw wo we to epOoeCOo aD 234 rw - 32 Shackleford. of a Smart New York Boy. By H. K. By Richard R. Mont- 7 “1.” A Story of Strange Adventure. gomery. sack Wright, The Boy Inventor, and His Under- Water Ironclad ; The ‘Treasure of the Sandy Sea. By “Noname.” Gerald O'Grady’s Grit; or, The Branded Irish Lad. By Allyn Draper. Through Thick and Thin; or, Our Boys Abroad. By Howard Austin. The Demon of the Deep; or, Above and Beneath the Sea. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. Jack Wright and His Electric Deers; or, Fighting the Bandits of the Blick Hills. By ‘‘Noname.’” At 12 o'clock; or, The Mystery of the Lighthouse. A Story of the Revolution. By Gen. Jas. A. Gordon. eS Rival Boat Olubay ‘or, The Boss School at Beechwood. By Allyn Jraper. The Haunted House on the Hudson; or, the Smugglers of the Sound. By Jas, C. Merritt. Jack W right and His Prairie Engine, or Among the Bushmen of Australia. By ‘‘Noname.’’ A ios at 20; or, Fighting His Way in Wall Street. By H. K. Shack- efor Hook and Ladder No 2. By Ex-Fire Chief Warden. On Deck: or, The Boy Pilot of Lake Erie. By Allyn Draper. Locomotive Fred; or Life on the Railroad. By Jas. C. Merritt. Jack Wright and His Electric Air Schooner; ‘or, The Mystery of a Magic Mine. By ‘‘Noname.” Pe eae Enle Phil; or, From a Boothlack toa Merchant. By Howar.l ustin, Custer’s Last Shot; or, The Boy Trailer of the Little Horn. By An Old Scout. The Rival Rangers; or, The Sonsof Freedom. By Gen’l Jas. A. Gordon. For sale by all newsdealers. or sent postpaid on receipt of price, 5 cents per copy, by FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. IF YOU WANT ANY BACK — NUMBERS of our Libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Cut out and fill in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we will send them to you by re. turn mail. FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. ee oe oe . . EN MINIO asin arc ree ate eri seters POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN Eo a; ao 4 ste. 0%e (So foie 0 © [ee wile ¢ #6 6 6 le 6 cw cle ¢ 6 66,00 610 eats bois 66 THE SAME ee d AS MONEY. 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