Beadle's Boy's Library of Sport, Story and Adventure, Vol. I, No. 1. by Prentiss Ingraham

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In the spring Simpson started east with a train, and Buffalo Bill
accompanied him as hunter for the men, his well known marksmanship and
skill in securing game readily getting for him that position.

One day Lew Simpson and an "extra hand" accompanied him on one of his
hunting expeditions, and to their surprise they came upon a band of
Indians coming out of a canyon not far from them.

They were out on the prairie, and knowing that they could not escape on
their mules, Simpson and the extra told Billy to ride off on Sable Satan
and save himself.

But this the boy would not do, saying that he would remain with them.

"Then your horse must go with our mules," said Simpson.

"All right, Lew," said Billy, though the tears came into his eyes.

Telling them to dismount, just as they came to a buffalo wallow, Lew
Simpson said:

"Now, give 'em a shot just back of the ears."

The shots were fired, Billy shutting his eyes as he pulled the trigger,
and Sable Satan and the two mules dropped dead in their tracks.

In an instant they were dragged into position, so as to form a
triangular fort, and getting into the wallow, with their knives the
three threw up the dirt as rapidly as possible to make their position
safer.

By this time the Indians, some half hundred in number, were rushing upon
them with wildest yells.

But crouching down in their little fort of flesh and dirt, Lew Simpson
and his man and boy comrade leveled their rifles over the bodies of the
slain animals, and, as the bowling red-skins came within sixty yards,
fired together.

Down went three Indians, and while Lew Simpson reloaded the yagers Billy
and George Woods fired with their revolvers with such right good will
the Indians were checked in their advance and turned to retreat out of
range, followed by three more shots from the yagers.

Five Indians and four ponies were the result of this fight, and it gave
the holders of the triangular fort confidence in themselves.

But the Indians did not give up the attack, but circled around and
around the fort, firing upon the defenders with their arrows, and
slightly wounding all three of them, while the bodies of the mules and
horse were literally filled with shafts.

After a few rides around their pale-face foes, the Indians suddenly
charged again, coming from every quarter, and forcing the whites to each
defend the space in his front.

With demoniacal yells they came on once more, and once more the yagers
opened, and then were thrown aside for the rapidly firing revolvers
which did fearful execution.

Glancing toward Billy Lew Simpson saw that he was perfectly cool and had
a revolver in each hand, although his shirt was saturated with blood
from the arrow wound in his shoulder.

Unable to understand, or stand the hot fire of the revolvers, they again
broke, when within twenty yards of the fort and rode off rapidly out of
range.

"You got three that time, Billy," cried Lew Simpson gleefully, as he saw
a trio of red-skins scattered along in the front of the boy.

Billy smiled grimly and reloaded his weapons, after which Lew Simpson
dressed the wounds of his comrades, who returned a like favor for him.

But the Indians had by no means gone, for they had gone into camp in a
circle around their foes, but well out of range of the fearful
Mississippi yagers.

The three defenders in the mean time improved their opportunity to
strengthen their fort with dirt and dig a deeper space within, while
they also lunched upon their scanty supply of food.

"They'll starve us out if they can't take us by charging," said Simpson.

"They can't starve me as long as your mule holds out, Lew, for I won't
eat poor Sable; it would choke me," replied Billy.

"Well, mule meat's good," said Woods.

"Yes, when there ain't anything else to eat, but I prefer buff'ler or
Injun," was Billy's response.

"We may have to eat Injun yet," laughed Lew Simpson.

All made a wry face at this supposition and again prepared to meet a
charge, for the red-skins were coming down in column.

But again they were checked with loss, and Billy's shot brought down the
chief.

Darkness coming on, the Indians formed in line as though to ride away,
when Lew Simpson said:

"They must take us for durned fools not to know that they won't leave
their dead unburied, and that they think they can draw us out. No, here
is where we live until the boys from the train come to look us up."

During the night the Indians, finding their foes would not leave their
fort, set the grass on fire to burn them out.

But it was too scanty to burn well and only made a smoke, under cover of
which they once more advanced, to be once more driven back.

With the morning they showed that their intention was to starve them out
for they went into a regular camp in a circle upon the prairie.

But during the afternoon a party of horsemen appeared in sight, and the
three hungry, suffering, half-starved defenders gave a yell of delight,
which the red-skins answered with howls of disappointed rage as they
hastily mounted their ponies and fled.

The train-men soon came up and were wild in their enthusiasm over the
brave defense made, while the fort came in for general praise, although
one and all deeply regretted Sable Satan's sad end, though his death had
served a good purpose.

CHAPTER XII.

BOY TRAPPERS' ADVENTURES.

It was a proud day for Buffalo Billy when he returned home and was
welcomed by his mother and sisters, to whom he gave all of his earnings,
which were considerable, as his pay had been liberal.

The neighborhood, hearing from members of the train of Billy's exploits,
for he was very close-mouthed about what he had done, made a hero of
him, and many a pretty girl of seventeen regretted that the boy was not
a man grown, to have him for a lover.

But Billy's restless nature would not allow him to remain idle at home,
so he joined a party of trappers who were going to trap the streams of
the Laramie and Chugwater for otter, beaver and other animals possessing
valuable fur, as well as to shoot wolves for their pelts.

This expedition did not prove very profitable, and not wishing to return
home without enough furs to bring a fair sum, Buffalo Billy joined a
young man, only a few years his senior, by the name of Dave Harrington,
and the two started off for the Republican.

Their outfit consisted of a wagon and yoke of oxen, for the
transportation of their supplies and pelts, and they began trapping in
the vicinity of Junction City, Kansas, and went up the Republican to
Prairie Dog creek, where they found plenty of beaver.

While catching a large number of beavers, one day they returned to camp
to find one of their oxen had fallen over a precipice and killed
himself, and they were left without a team.

But the Boy Trappers, for Dave Harrington was not eighteen, determined
to trap on through the winter, and in the spring one of them would go
for a team to haul back their wagon.

Ill fortune seemed however to dog their steps as trappers, for one day,
while chasing elk, Buffalo Billy fell and broke his leg, and Dave
Harrington had to carry him to camp.

Here was a sad predicament, for the nearest settlement was one hundred
miles distant.

But Dave set the leg as skillfully as he could, built a "dug-out," for
the wounded boy to live in, filled it with wood and provisions, and then
set out to procure a yoke of oxen and sled to return for Billy and their
pelts.

The "dug-out," was a hole in the side of a bank, covered with poles,
grass and sod, and with a fire-place in one end, and a bunk near it, was
by no means uncomfortable; but the prospect of remaining there for a
month alone, for it would take Harrington that time to go and return
through the deep snow, was by no means a pleasant prospect for a boy
under fourteen, and with a broken leg.

Dave started the following morning on foot, and Billy was left alone,
helpless, and in the solitude of the mountain wilds.

To throw wood on the fire was a painful effort for him, and to move so
as to cook his food was torture, and boys of his age can well feel for
him in distress and loneliness.

But Buffalo Billy was made of stern stuff, and knew not what fear was;
but who can picture the thoughts that were constantly in his young
brain, when the winds were sweeping through the pines at night, the
wolves were howling about his door, and the sleet and snow was almost
continually falling.

It were enough to drive a strong man mad, let alone a boy.

But he stood it bravely, each day however counting with longing heart
the hours that went so slowly by, and hoping for his comrade's return.

"Perhaps he has been frozen to death."

That was his thought one day about Harrington.

The next it was:

"I wonder if he has not lost his way?"

Again it was:

"I fear the Indians may have killed him."

When Dave had been gone about two weeks, Buffalo Billy was startled one
day from a sound nap, to see an Indian standing by his side.

He was in full war-paint and feathers, which showed he was on the
war-path, and Billy felt that it was all over with him.

Speaking to him in Sioux, which the boy understood, he asked:

"What pale-face boy do here?"

"My leg is broken."

"What for come here?"

"To get furs."

"This red-skin country?"

This laconic assertion Billy could not contradict, so he wisely held his
peace.

"Let see leg," came next.

Billy showed him the bandaged limb, which was broken between the knee
and ankle.

Just then another Indian entered whom Billy recognized, as having seen
before, and whom he knew to be the great Sioux Chief, Rain-in-the-Face.

Billy called him by name, and he kept back the warriors, who were about
to end the boy's life then and there.

"Boy pale-face know chief?" asked Rain-in-the-Face.

"Yes, I saw you at Fort Laramie, and gave you a knife," said Billy with
hope in his heart.

"Ugh! chief don't forget; have knife here," and he showed a knife which
he had doubtless often used upon the scalps of pale-faces.

"What pale-face boy do here?"

Billy told him.

"Where friend?"

"Gone after team."

"When come back?"

Billy was afraid to tell him the truth, so said:

"In two moons."

"Long time."

"Yes; but do your young men intend to kill me?"

"Me have talk and see."

The Indians then held a council together, and Billy could see that the
chances were against him; but old Rain-in-the-Face triumphed in the end,
and said:

"As pale-face boy is only pappoose, my young men not kill him."

Billy had often longed to be a man; but now he was happy that he was a
boy, and answered:

"Yes, I am only a little pappoose."

"Him heap bad pappoose, me remember," said Rain-in-the-Face, recalling
some of the jokes the boy played at Fort Laramie.

The Indians then unsaddled their ponies and camped at the dug-out for
two days, and when they left they carried with them the sugar and
coffee, Billy's rifle and one revolver, and most of the ammunition,
besides what cooking utensils they needed.

Then old Rain-in-the-Face bade the boy good-by, and they rode off
without poor Billy's blessing following them.

Hardly had they gone before a severe snow-storm sprung up, and it was
hard indeed for the crippled boy to get wood enough to build a fire, for
the red-skins had put it out before leaving.

The wolves, seemingly understanding how helpless the boy was, scratched
at the door, and ran over the roof of the dug-out, at the same time
howling viciously; but Billy frightened them off with an occasional
shot, and resigned himself to his lonely fate.

But at last a month passed away, and with its end appeared brave Dave
Harrington.

He had passed through innumerable dangers, but had at last come back in
safety, and brought with him an ox-team.

Never in his life had Buffalo Billy felt the joy of that moment, and,
though not a boy given to showing his feelings, he burst into tears of
delight.

As it was impossible to at once return, on account of the very great
depth of the snow, Dave told Billy they would wait until spring, as he
had plenty of provisions, and that fur animals were plenty.

As soon as the snow began to melt Dave got his traps in, collected his
pelts, which numbered a thousand, and putting them on the wagon, so as
to serve as a bed for Billy, started his oxen homeward.

After twelve days they reached the ranch where Dave had purchased the
oxen, paid in furs for the team, and started on to Junction City.
Arriving there they sold their team, wagon and furs, the latter bringing
them about two hundred and fifty dollars, a handsome sum for each when
divided, and which made Billy's heart glad to take home with him, for it
paid off a mortgage on his mother's farm.

CHAPTER XIII.

BUFFALO BILLY STRIKES IT RICH.

It was months before Billy obtained perfect use of his broken leg and
was able to throw his crutches aside; but when he did do so it was with
a glad heart, for once more he longed to be upon the plains.

Hearing of a rich discovery of gold in Colorado, he joined a party of
miners that were bound there, and, reaching the mining camps, staked out
a claim and began work.

He was the youngest person in the mines, in fact the only boy there, and
with many he was a great favorite; but there were a few men there who
sought to impose upon him on account of his youth.

This treatment Buffalo Billy was not the person to stand, and the result
was one of his foes struck him one night without the slightest cause.

The result was a general row, for Billy's friends at once backed him in
resenting the blow, and, though the fracas lasted but a few minutes,
there were several burials next day as the result.

Of course this made Billy more disliked by those who, without reason,
had become his foes, and to add to their dislike, he one day struck a
rich vein that promised to pan out well in ore.

A few days he toiled in his lead, laying up considerable sums by his
work, and one morning, as he went to his mine, he found it occupied by
two rough-looking men whom he did not remember to have ever seen before.

"Well, pards, I guess you're up the wrong tree," he said, pleasantly.

"I guesses not; this are our lead," said one, rudely.

"How do you make that out?"

"We staked it months ago, and was called away, and now we has returned
to it."

"Well, I believe you both to be lying, and until you prove it's your
claim you can't have it," was the bold reply.

"Who's goin' ter say no?"

"I am."

"You!"

"Yes."

"Who is you?"

"I am named William Frederick Cody."

"You has handle enough."

"I have more than that."

"Waal."

"I'm called Buffalo Billy."

"We has heer'd o' you as a chap as has too much cheek fer one so young."

"Then if you know me you will understand that though I am but a boy I
won't let you walk away with my claim."

"Get out, boy."

Billy obeyed; that is he went down to the camps and consulted his
friends about what was best for him to do.

"We'll go up and call in their chips, Billy," was the universal
decision.

"No, let us find out if the claim is theirs," said Billy.

"Find out nothin'; they has no right to it and 'tain't justice."

So up to the mine they went, and Billy's friends recognized the two
claimants of the mine as two worthless fellows who had been in the
valley months before, but who had no claim upon the boy's property.

"You must git!"

That was the decision; but just then others came up who sided with the
desperadoes and things looked very scary for awhile, for half the crowd
swore that the mine had belonged to the two claimants to it and that
Billy ought to give it up.

But these were the men who disliked Billy and his party, as they were
the honest miners, and who were willing to side with his foes.

"Ef ther boy wants ther mine he will hev to fight fer it," said one.

"He will fight for it and so will we!" cried one of Billy's friends.

All this time Billy had remained silent; but now he saw that his friends
were in deadly earnest, and to prevent a general fight and much loss of
life he said:

"The mine I own legally and I'll fight for it if that will settle it,
but I don't want to have to fight both of you."

"Oh, but you must though," said one.

"If I must, I'll do it."

"But you shall not, Billy. These two devils only want to murder you so
they can get the mine, and they sha'n't do it."

This was said by Billy's best pard and the others who liked the boy
backed him up in his words, and pistols were drawn on both sides and the
slightest act now all knew would cause trouble.

"If they'll fight me with revolvers and separately I'll be willing,"
said Billy, hastily, anxious to avert the trouble.

"Waal, we'll do that, so sail in," said one.

"No, not this way, you accursed coward, but go off there, stand with
your back to the boy, as he will to you, and twenty paces apart, and at
a word wheel and fire," cried Billy's friend.

This seemed fair and all agreed to it, and the man and the boy were
placed in position, Billy pale but calm.

The other side won the word to wheel and fire, and though the man tried
to aid his friend in giving it, Buffalo Billy was too quick for him and
fired a second in advance of his adversary.

But that second was enough, for the bullet went straight to the heart of
the one at which it was aimed, while his shot flew wild.

A yell burst from Billy's friends as they rushed forward while his foes
were bringing up their other man.

But just then a stranger rode up, and leveling a pistol at the second
claimant for the mine said sternly:

"Dick Malone, my gallows-bird, I arrest you in the name of the law."

The stranger was a United States detective, and the one he arrested an
escaped convict.

This ended the fight for the mine; but after a few days' longer work
in it Billy found that the vein panned out badly, and selling out his
interest in it returned to his home once more, convinced that mining was
not his forte, though he certainly had dug out enough of the yellow ore
to prove to his mother that he had not been idle.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE YOUNG GUIDE.

The next time that Buffalo Billy left home it was in the capacity of
assistant guide to a train of emigrants that were going to the far West
to settle.

In Leavenworth one night he met in a common assembling room for all
classes of men, a man who was Train Boss, or captain, and who was going
to the West to raise cattle and also to farm.

His train, consisting of some thirty families, was encamped out of town
resting and fitting up for the renewal of the march, and he had come
into Leavenworth to secure a competent guide, the one who had been
acting as such having been taken very ill.

He had just secured the services of a young man who professed to know
the country well though he was a stranger in Leavenworth, and fearing an
accident might deprive him of his services too, the captain was looking
around for an assistant when he came upon Billy.

He liked the boy from the first, but feared, on account of his youth,
that he might not be competent for the position, until assured by
several teamsters that he was fully so, and consequently he engaged
Billy at a fair salary.

The chief guide, who called himself Roy Velvet, Billy had never met,
until the morning the train rolled out of camp on its way westward, and
from the very first he did not like him.

He was a handsome, but dissipated looking young man, dressed like a
dandy, was more than thoroughly armed, and rode a superb bay mare.

He smiled when Captain Luke Denham, the Train Boss, introduced Billy as
an assistant guide, and said sneeringly:

"I guess he won't be of much use ten miles away from Leavenworth,
captain."

Billy made no reply, but kept up considerable thinking, and set to work
at his duties.

For some days the train went on finely, and all felt the new guide knew
his business; but then there came some stormy days, it was hard
traveling, several times the train had to make a dry camp, and once they
were attacked by Indians, until some of the old teamsters felt confident
that Roy Velvet had lost the way.

Yet on they plodded until at last the nature of the country was such
that it was difficult for the train to travel, while, to add to their
discomfort and fears, a large band of Indians were hovering near them.

"Well, Velvet, where will you find a camping place to-night?" asked
Captain Denham, riding forward and joining the guide.

"Oh! I'll find a good place, and only a short distance ahead; after that
the country will be all right for traveling," was the quiet answer.

"I don't believe it, for it has not that look."

"Then ask the assistant guide," was the stern reply.

"I would, but he is not with the train, and has not been seen since last
night."

"Perhaps he got out of sight of the train and couldn't find his way
back," sneered the guide.

"Oh no! that boy knows what he is about, and I'll trust him for it."

"Well, yonder is the camp," and Roy Velvet pointed to a little meadow
not far distant, through which ran a deep stream, and beyond and
overshadowing it, was a range of bold hills.

"It's a pleasant spot indeed, and I guess we'll halt a day or two," said
the captain, and he gave orders for the train to encamp.

But suddenly up dashed Billy Cody, mounted upon a large horse no one had
ever seen him ride before, and it was evident that he had been riding
hard.

"Captain Denham, don't camp there, sir, for you place yourself at the
mercy of the renegades and Indians that are dogging your trail," he said
hastily.

"I am the guide, boy, and have selected the camp," sternly answered Roy
Velvet.

"And you are my prisoner, Roy Velvet," and quicker than a flash the
revolver of Buffalo Billy covered his heart.

Roy Velvet turned very pale, but said:

"Are you mad, boy?"

"No."

"Billy, what is the matter?" asked Captain Denham, while the teamsters
and settlers gathered quickly around.

"Tie that man and I will tell you."

"But, Billy--"

"Tie him, captain, or I shall shoot him, for I know who and what he is,"
cried Billy, and his manner, his charge against the chief guide, his
mysterious absence from the train for eighteen hours, and his return
upon a strange horse, proved to all that he did know something
detrimental to Roy Velvet.

"Speak, Billy, and if you know aught against this man, tell us," said
the captain.

"Disarm him then for he is a tricky devil."

"Captain Denham, will you permit that boy to cover me with his revolver
and hurl insult upon me?" cried the guide.

"As you will not do as I ask I will do it myself," and Billy rode up to
the guide, still holding his cocked revolver upon him, and deliberately
took from his belt his revolvers and knife.

"You are so sly, so soft in your cunning, Velvet, that I'll be on the
safe side," said Billy with a smile, as he felt over the man for another
weapon.

"Ah! I'll take this Derringer from your breast pocket," and out he drew
the concealed weapon.

"Now, captain, I'll introduce to you Red Reid, the Renegade Chief."

All were astonished at this charge made by Billy against the guide, for
Red Reid was one of the vilest road-agents that infested the overland
trails to the West, and had robbed and murdered many a train of
emigrants, and of Government supplies.

He was known also to be in league with the red-skins, and had them for
allies, when his own force of renegades was not large enough to make a
successful attack.

"He lies! I am not that monster," shouted the guide as white as a
corpse.

"I do not lie, sir; from the first I did not like you, and knowing that
you were going off the regular trail west I watched you.

"I have seen you, at night, slip out of camp and meet Indians, and last
night I followed the one you met.

"I overtook him on the prairies, after a hard chase, and he shot my
horse; but I shot him and found he was a white man in Indian disguise,
and more, before he died he recognized me, for he was once my father's
friend, but went to the bad.

"He told me who and what you were, and when he died to-day I mounted his
horse and came on after the train, for I knew you were going to lead
them here to attack this very night with your band that is not far
away."

The story of Billy made a deep impression upon the train people, and
the result was that Roy Velvet was seized, bound, and hanged to a tree
within fifteen minutes, and the boy who had saved them from death was
made chief guide.

At once he led them out of the dangerous locality where they could be
ambushed and attacked, and the truth of the charge against Roy Velvet
was sustained by the attack of the supposed Indians upon their camp;
for, when driven off and the dead examined, a number of white men were
found in the red paint and dress of Indian warriors.

Without difficulty Buffalo Billy led the train on to its destination,
proving himself thereby a perfect guide, and after a short stop in the
new settlement, he returned with a Government train bound East, and
again was warmly welcomed "home again."

CHAPTER XV.

THE PONY EXPRESS RIDER.

One day when he had ridden into Leavenworth Buffalo Billy met his old
friend, Wild Bill, who was fitting out a train with supplies for the
Overland Stage Company, and he was at once persuaded to join him in the
trip West going as assistant wagon-master.

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