Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-12-17

pages would not describe the reverence in |
his tone, or the undying love in her look.
Bill now presented his friends in more
form to his mother than he had deemed it
necessary in the case of his sisters.
"This, mother" said he, presenting n
young man who, in form and appearance,
rescmbled himself very closely though he
was an inch taller and hardly so muscular,
'this is my mate-this is Bill Hitchcock,
the best friend l ever had, or eyer will
have, outside of my own family Three
times has he saved me from being wiped
out. Once by the Ogallalas, once when |
was taken with the cramps in the ice cold
Platte, last winter-and once when old Jake
NJ Kandlas and his gang had sure set on
me. He and | will sink or swim in the
same river, and that's a safe bet. Bill,
that's my mother, and better never trod
the footstoolV
Wild Bill, with natural grace, bent his
proud head and took the hand of the lady,
saving, in tremuous tone:
"I'm glad to see you, ma'am, for I've got
q good old mother that / haven't seen this
many a day, and this rayther brings her up
afore me-"
"And this other" continued Bill, "is
Dave Tut. He Is good on hunt, death
on the reds, and ms smart as bordermen are
made nowadays. Now, boys, you're all
acquainted, make yourselves at home. The
darkey out there has got the horses, and
he'll see them all right"
Three more perfect men in point of per-
sonal beauty never trod the earth.
Wild Bill, six feet and one inch in hight,
straight as an ash, broad in shoulder, round
and full in chest slender in the waist,
swelling out in muscular proportions at
| hips and thighs, with tapering limbs, small
| hands and feet, his form was study"
! His face, open and clean, had regular feat
ures, the nose slightly aquilne. His large,
bright eyes, now soft and tender in express
| O., "a oh color. shaded
| lashes which often dropped over his bronzed
| cheek rs he looked down, somewhat con-
fused in female society, to which he was
unused. His long, brown hair fell i'll wavy
masses over his shoulders, but ii was fine,
soft and glossy as silk.
The same picture will do for Buffalo Bill,
only this difference noted. The eyes of the
latter were nearer n blue in color, his hight
one inch less, and his hair little more
wavy and a shade lighter
Dave Tut, nearly of the same hight, was
equally well formed, but there the rosom-
| blance ceased.
His ewes were black as jet and deeply set,
though his features were perfect, and, when
he chose, his expression soft and winning.
His hair, curling slightly, was black and
glossy. But with all his beauty, there was
a sensual expression about his mouth 50
utterly different from that in the other two,
and fierce, passionate longing in his eyes,
which made the two girls, instructive in
their purity, shrink from MIN.
After supper the reunited family and
their guests were costly seated in the sitting
room, when Mrs. Cody, whose face was to-
ward the window, screamed out in sudden
terror, and rose to her feet with face sc
deathly palo that it seemed as if she was
death striker.
'What is it mothcr?" cried Bill spring
ing to her side.
"The wndow-he was therevi she gasped
and then she swooned away.
"He? Girls. look out for mother. II
see what he was at the Window cried Bill
and he sprung to the open easement.
AS he did so, n bullet whistled past his
ear and struck the opposite wall, while ;
hundred wild wells proclaimed that Indians
had surrounded the house.
Wild Bill, cool and collected, instantly
blew out both the lights, exclaiming:
DARKNESS here and moonlight out thar
Well be all right in a shake. Jump lo1
your tools, boys, mines handy! Gals, lay
low out o. range, We'll soon let the reds
know old hands are here"
The three young men, reinforced by
three negroes and one white man, the farm
hands, were ready for work in less than
minute, and as the Indians did not seen
disposed to make a rush for the inside o
the house, crept quickly to points wher
from the doors and windows they coult
pick the fiends out from their coverts Il
mong the trees around.
Meantime the twins had succeeded in re
storing the mother to consciousness, and f
the hurried inquiry of her son as to whom
she had seen at the window, replied tina
she had recognized the face of Jake NJ Kan
dlas, the murderer of her husband, glarin
in with look SO full oil hate and vindiC
tive cruelty that she was completely horro
stricken.
"There's too many reds out there or /
make a rush and settle his hash - said he
| son. "If he'll only stay till we thin en-
, | down few, I'll accommodate him with
private entertainment. Look out for your
4 selves, girls-the boys are giving 'em Jes
, sic, and it's about time my hand was in ~
A rapid firing had been going on froI
the moment Wild Bill got TO the door, tn
Indians shooting at random, for all in tn
house was dark except the flash OF tn
guns but every now and then a yell of az
ony told that the attacking party were no
going unpublished.
They could only be seen as they spran
from tree to tree for cover, but their terri
bic yells ringing through the air told tina
in numbers they were at least ten to one q
the defending party.
"Whars the stock? Won't they try I,
run that OFF," asked Wild Bill, rs hi
mate, standing by his side, sent Il rcd t.
eternity with a shot from his favoritc lon|
rifle.
81 expect they will. I would almost Il
soon lose my hair as to lose Powder Face
for the insect has carried me through NOR
bad Scrapes than I've time to count" salt
Buffalo Bill referring to his favorite horse
And will lose my hair aiore I'll los
Black Nell, for she never deserted INC
She'll kick the head off any red that trie
to mount her. But can't we get to the hor
ses?"
"Wait till ! give Dave AID the boys il
here their orders, and then you an me vii
get to the horses and come in on 'em lik
as if we were fresh hands in the ight.'
"Thats the talk, Bill-that's the talk
Only let me and Black Nell and you an,
Powder Face give 'em a charge in the rea
and they are gone in y
pepper into em then, till l tell the boy
here where we're goin', so they'll be kcer
full how to shoot when we're a comm"
Buffalo Bill now hurriedly told Day
Tut and the men, who were firing nj cy
erything they saw move among the trees
what he and Wild Bill intended to do TIL
girls and his mother were to know nothin
of it till it was all over, for the two Bill
felt as sure Of driving Off the foe by thei
plan as if they were alreadyin full chase c
them.
Dave Tut did not express any wish to z
along, which rather surprised Buffalo Bill
for it was Il duty that brave men woul
surely court. But there was a reason 70
this, as there is indeed for everything, n
the reader will learn by and by.
The two friends carrying their arms an
bending low in the shadow Of the garde
bushes, crept away from the house unit
they reached grain-field beyond the trees
into which they moved swiftly. They ha
but little distance now to go to reach tn
stock pasture, and they got to the last i
the very nick of time.
A half-dozen dusky figures were alread
there, and the horses, disturbed by the fin
ing, were very uneasy as these advanced.
Two shrill calls, understood well by Tn
animals for which they were intendet
brought two noble animals, "Black Nell
and "Powder Face" to the edge of tn
grain field. The next instant, needing ne
Their saddle nor bride, the two men wen
q mounted, and without word both dashe
!, forward unon the Indians who We're aftl