CHAPTER XLV.

WILD BILL’S TASK.

To Wild Bill fell the duty of leading a strong force of cavalry back to the cañon that night, while the scout and Little Cayuse galloped northward to relieve the anxiety of Nomad and Skibo on guard at the sacred mountain.

The Averys had been escorted back to the fort and properly serenaded by the soldiers and dined by the officers, but Nomad and Skibo stayed at their post, according to Buffalo Bill’s orders, and Tootsie remained with Mona and Mrs. Sherley.

The scout wished to confer with Mona again before he should leave that part of the country, and the excuse was thus presented.

Before the cavalry force set out, Wild Bill assured the scout that Price and Bloody Ike would come back with him, dead or alive, whether the Indians were brought in or not.

The sacred mountain was reached some time before daylight and Nomad and Skibo routed out to be told the news.

Until sunup the pards sat and smoked and discussed the events of the past few weeks. In some ways it had been one of the most remarkable of their exploits, but more real enjoyment had crept in with the danger and strife of the border life than either of the pards remembered on any previous expedition.

“Thet thar queen o’ ther stars is sweet an’ purty ’nuff ter make er man fergit thet he likes ter chase Injuns,” remarked Nomad by way of explaining his present peace of mind.

“Yah, yah! She am de sweetes’ li’l’ plum Ah ever seen in long dresses, ’cep’ li’l’ Miss Comfort down on de Popo-agie,” added Skibo loyally.

For once Nomad and Skibo agreed.

“What is Tootsie’s opinion of Miss Mona?” asked the scout.

“Ther lad is wishin’ he was ’bout ten y’ars older, I’ll bet Hide-rack ergin er grasshopper,” laughed Nomad. “Ther bye sticks to her like death to er dead coon,” he added.

Just then Tootsie’s bugle sounded from the top of the rock, and was followed by the merry laugh of the girl. The pards heard her exclaim:

“You beat me up the rocks, Tootsie, but you couldn’t do it after breakfast.”

“I could if Mrs. Sherley didn’t make the grub so good,” retorted the boy.

Buffalo Bill stepped out in view and whistled, and was at once greeted with merry shouts of welcome as the pair hurried away to the underground passage.

After Little Moonbeam had been told of the safe arrival at the fort of Lieutenant and Mrs. Avery, the scout went inside with the girl and Tootsie. There Little Moonbeam at once launched upon the subject nearest her heart.

She told the scout of a strange discovery she had made while at work in one corner of the newly cultivated garden. She had unearthed a quantity of what she believed to be pure gold, from its color and weight. She wished the scout to examine it and pass judgment.

Then the scout remembered the story told him by the general. He resolved, however, to make no mention of previous knowledge of the treasure.

It was gold, without doubt, and he told the happy girl so.

“Now I can go to school,” she cried, “and Mrs. Sherley and little Laughing Water with me, and Tootsie and his sisters and Buffalo Bill and his pards must come and visit us, and----”

She paused for breath and the scout laughed:

“You are a real girl, all right!”

“Well, why shouldn’t I be happy, when the good fairies have provided a way for me to gratify my greatest desire--to go to school?” she demanded.

“You should be happy, my dear child,” said the scout soberly. “And no one rejoices in your good fortune more than I. With my pards I shall be glad to escort you as far as Leavenworth on your way East. I think Lieutenant Avery and his wife will accompany you to the city where her parents live and arrange for your comfort and school course. The lieutenant will be granted a furlough to fully recover from his wounds.”

“Oh, Mr. Cody! You have been arranging all this for me and without knowing where the money was coming from to pay the bills!”

“Yes, I should have asked an appropriation from Congress to provide for your education as a victim of its charges, the red men.”

“How splendidly it has come about! Tootsie’s relatives also live in the East, and he thinks they may return next year.”

Thus they rejoiced for a time and then the scout said:

“My pards and I will return to the fort to give you time to make your final preparations to leave this place till your school days are over. Tootsie may remain if he wishes and can be of service to you. When shall we return with prairie schooner and cavalry escort for the ‘Queen of the Stars’?”

“In one week,” she answered promptly.

And so it was left for Buffalo Bill to make the final arrangements at the fort.

As it had been hoped, the Indians did not discover the loss of Little Cayuse, and were taken completely by surprise.

They were surrounded in their village and easily overcome at daylight. Some of the leaders were held prisoners, but the others sent back to the reservation.

Price and Bloody Ike were once more in the hands of the army with added charges hanging over them. It was learned eventually that they had escaped through the connivance of the brother-in-law of Price, who was also a half-brother of Captain Smith. The latter was dismissed from the army for the part he had played, and his half-brother was given two years in a military prison in addition to dismissal.

The former Indian agent did not escape this time, and served a long term in the penitentiary. There was not much that could be proven directly against Bloody Ike, but in an attempt to escape he was shot and killed by a soldier on guard.

Tootsie returned to make glad the hearts of his parents, after having derived much benefit from his association with Buffalo Bill and his pards.

The little Indian girl was taken East with Mona and Mrs. Sherley, and took up school work gladly and with the promise of rewarding her fair patroness by her good advancement and of eventually becoming a useful member of society.

THE END.

No. 129 of THE BUFFALO BILL BORDER STORIES, entitled “Buffalo Bill’s Sure Guess,” is one of the most entertaining stories of the king of scouts, and gives the reader an insight into the wildest of wild Indian life.

Everybody Reads

The Street & Smith Novels

High-brow public opinion has changed radically during the past few years, so far as placing a proper valuation on paper-covered reading matter is concerned.

In the old days, anything between paper covers was a dime novel and, therefore, to be avoided as cheap and contaminating.

Since men like Frank O’Brien have pointed out to the world the fact that some of the best literature in the English language first appeared between paper covers, such books are welcomed in the best of families.

The STREET & SMITH NOVELS are clean, interesting, and up-to-date. There are hundreds of different titles, and we invite your careful consideration of them from a standpoint of value and of literary excellence.

Street & Smith Publications INCORPORATED

79 Seventh Avenue New York, N. Y.

Printed in the U. S. A.

FOOTNOTE:

[A] It may be said here, for the benefit of the reader who does not remember, that “Old Curly” was a name given by his soldiers to Colonel Custer because of his long, curly hair. The Indian, who had called Custer “White-chief-of-the-long-hair,” readily adopted the loving title conferred by the dashing colonel’s loyal followers.--AUTHOR.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

The Table of Contents was created by the transcriber for informational purposes and ease of access; it does not appear in the original. It is entered into the public domain.

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.