Unable to understand, or stand the hot fire of the revolvers, they againbroke, when within twenty yards of the fort and rode off rapidly out ofrange.
"You got three that time, Billy," cried Lew Simpson gleefully, as he sawa trio of red-skins scattered along in the front of the boy.
Billy smiled grimly and reloaded his weapons, after which Lew Simpsondressed 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 acircle around their foes, but well out of range of the fearfulMississippi yagers.
The three defenders in the mean time improved their opportunity tostrengthen their fort with dirt and dig a deeper space within, whilethey 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'teat 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 orInjun," 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 acharge, for the red-skins were coming down in column.
But again they were checked with loss, and Billy's shot brought down thechief.
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 leavetheir dead unburied, and that they think they can draw us out. No, hereis 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 theirfort, set the grass on fire to burn them out.
But it was too scanty to burn well and only made a smoke, under cover ofwhich they once more advanced, to be once more driven back.
With the morning they showed that their intention was to starve them outfor they went into a regular camp in a circle upon the prairie.
But during the afternoon a party of horsemen appeared in sight, and thethree hungry, suffering, half-starved defenders gave a yell of delight,which the red-skins answered with howls of disappointed rage as theyhastily mounted their ponies and fled.
The train-men soon came up and were wild in their enthusiasm over thebrave defense made, while the fort came in for general praise, althoughone and all deeply regretted Sable Satan's sad end, though his death hadserved a good purpose.
CHAPTER XII.
BOY TRAPPERS' ADVENTURES.
It was a proud day for Buffalo Billy when he returned home and waswelcomed 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 ofhim, and many a pretty girl of seventeen regretted that the boy was nota 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 ofthe Laramie and Chugwater for otter, beaver and other animals possessingvaluable fur, as well as to shoot wolves for their pelts.
This expedition did not prove very profitable, and not wishing to returnhome without enough furs to bring a fair sum, Buffalo Billy joined ayoung 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 thetransportation of their supplies and pelts, and they began trapping inthe vicinity of Junction City, Kansas, and went up the Republican toPrairie Dog creek, where they found plenty of beaver.
While catching a large number of beavers, one day they returned to campto find one of their oxen had fallen over a precipice and killedhimself, and they were left without a team.
But the Boy Trappers, for Dave Harrington was not eighteen, determinedto trap on through the winter, and in the spring one of them would gofor 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 DaveHarrington had to carry him to camp.
Here was a sad predicament, for the nearest settlement was one hundredmiles distant.
But Dave set the leg as skillfully as he could, built a "dug-out," forthe wounded boy to live in, filled it with wood and provisions, and thenset out to procure a yoke of oxen and sled to return for Billy and theirpelts.
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, wasby no means uncomfortable; but the prospect of remaining there for amonth alone, for it would take Harrington that time to go and returnthrough the deep snow, was by no means a pleasant prospect for a boyunder 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 soas to cook his food was torture, and boys of his age can well feel forhim 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 youngbrain, when the winds were sweeping through the pines at night, thewolves were howling about his door, and the sleet and snow was almostcontinually 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 heartthe 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 oneday 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 thewar-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 hispeace.
"Let see leg," came next.
Billy showed him the bandaged limb, which was broken between the kneeand ankle.
Just then another Indian entered whom Billy recognized, as having seenbefore, 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 aboutto 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 withhope in his heart.
"Ugh! chief don't forget; have knife here," and he showed a knife whichhe 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 thechances 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 t
hat he was aboy, and answered:
"Yes, I am only a little pappoose."
"Him heap bad pappoose, me remember," said Rain-in-the-Face, recallingsome of the jokes the boy played at Fort Laramie.
The Indians then unsaddled their ponies and camped at the dug-out fortwo days, and when they left they carried with them the sugar andcoffee, 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 offwithout poor Billy's blessing following them.
Hardly had they gone before a severe snow-storm sprung up, and it washard indeed for the crippled boy to get wood enough to build a fire, forthe red-skins had put it out before leaving.
The wolves, seemingly understanding how helpless the boy was, scratchedat the door, and ran over the roof of the dug-out, at the same timehowling viciously; but Billy frightened them off with an occasionalshot, and resigned himself to his lonely fate.
But at last a month passed away, and with its end appeared brave DaveHarrington.
He had passed through innumerable dangers, but had at last come back insafety, 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 ofdelight.
As it was impossible to at once return, on account of the very greatdepth of the snow, Dave told Billy they would wait until spring, as hehad plenty of provisions, and that fur animals were plenty.
As soon as the snow began to melt Dave got his traps in, collected hispelts, which numbered a thousand, and putting them on the wagon, so asto serve as a bed for Billy, started his oxen homeward.
After twelve days they reached the ranch where Dave had purchased theoxen, paid in furs for the team, and started on to Junction City.Arriving there they sold their team, wagon and furs, the latter bringingthem about two hundred and fifty dollars, a handsome sum for each whendivided, and which made Billy's heart glad to take home with him, for itpaid 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 andwas able to throw his crutches aside; but when he did do so it was witha 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 ofminers that were bound there, and, reaching the mining camps, staked outa claim and began work.
He was the youngest person in the mines, in fact the only boy there, andwith many he was a great favorite; but there were a few men there whosought to impose upon him on account of his youth.
This treatment Buffalo Billy was not the person to stand, and the resultwas 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 inresenting 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 arich vein that promised to pan out well in ore.
A few days he toiled in his lead, laying up considerable sums by hiswork, and one morning, as he went to his mine, he found it occupied bytwo 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 returnedto it."
"Well, I believe you both to be lying, and until you prove it's yourclaim 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 Iwon't let you walk away with my claim."
"Get out, boy."
Billy obeyed; that is he went down to the camps and consulted hisfriends about what was best for him to do.
"We'll go up and call in their chips, Billy," was the universaldecision.
"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 twoclaimants of the mine as two worthless fellows who had been in thevalley 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 thedesperadoes and things looked very scary for awhile, for half the crowdswore that the mine had belonged to the two claimants to it and thatBilly ought to give it up.
But these were the men who disliked Billy and his party, as they werethe 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 friendswere in deadly earnest, and to prevent a general fight and much loss oflife 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 sothey 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 boybacked him up in his words, and pistols were drawn on both sides and theslightest 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 withyour back to the boy, as he will to you, and twenty paces apart, and ata word wheel and fire," cried Billy's friend.
This seemed fair and all agreed to it, and the man and the boy wereplaced in position, Billy pale but calm.
The other side won the word to wheel and fire, and though the man triedto aid his friend in giving it, Buffalo Billy was too quick for him andfired a second in advance of his adversary.
But that second was enough, for the bullet went straight to the heart ofthe one at which it was aimed, while his shot flew wild.
A yell burst from Billy's friends as they rushed forward while his foeswere bringing up their other man.
But just then a stranger rode up, and leveling a pistol at the secondclaimant 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 anescaped convict.
This ended the fight for the mine; but after a few days' longer workin it Billy found that the vein panned out badly, and selling out hisinterest in it returned to his home once more, convinced that mining wasnot his forte, though he certainly had dug out enough of the yellow oreto 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 ofassistant guide to a train of emigrants that were going to the far Westto settle.
In Leavenworth one night he met in a common assembling room for allclasses of men, a man who was Train Boss, or captain, and who was goingto the West to raise cattle and also to farm.
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br /> His train, consisting of some thirty families, was encamped out of townresting and fitting up for the renewal of the march, and he had comeinto Leavenworth to secure a competent guide, the one who had beenacting as such having been taken very ill.
He had just secured the services of a young man who professed to knowthe country well though he was a stranger in Leavenworth, and fearing anaccident might deprive him of his services too, the captain was lookingaround 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 byseveral teamsters that he was fully so, and consequently he engagedBilly 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, andfrom the very first he did not like him.
He was a handsome, but dissipated looking young man, dressed like adandy, was more than thoroughly armed, and rode a superb bay mare.
He smiled when Captain Luke Denham, the Train Boss, introduced Billy asan 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 workat his duties.
For some days the train went on finely, and all felt the new guide knewhis business; but then there came some stormy days, it was hardtraveling, several times the train had to make a dry camp, and once theywere attacked by Indians, until some of the old teamsters felt confidentthat Roy Velvet had lost the way.
Beadle's Boy's Library of Sport, Story and Adventure, Vol. I, No. 1. Page 4