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THE WHIRLWIND SCOUT
is I have yet to discover. The poor girl,
I believe, is now aware of the decep-
tion practised on her.”
Wild Bill was greatly surprised.
“Nell Hammond were sweet on yer,
pard, and somebody’s been an’ married
her fer yew. Is that itP”
“That’s the truth, Bill.”
“When did it happen?”
“When this trouble with the red-
skins was brewing, Marshal.Hammond
shut up his ranch and sent Nell down
East in charge of Tangeye and a dozen
anounted troopers. He sent me word
to meet Nell in Boise City. Needless
to say, she never turned up. 1 made
inquiries, and found that her father
had received word from me that I had
met her and all was well. That was
unmistakably a forgery. I made dis-
coveries, and found that five of my
-. mortal enemies had set aside their per-
sonal jealousies and agreed to ruin me.
Need I mention svho those five men
were?”
“Steady, Bill; I guess one was Tang-
eye.”
oy Ss.”
“Major Fulton?”
Buffalo Bill nodded.
“Summer Swamp. Sport and_ the
Don?” | /
“Go on, Bill.” f
But Wild Bill seemed at a loss to
account for the fifth.
“War it Big Bear?” he asked after
a lengthy pause.
“Yes. Surprising as it may seem,
those. five men
effect my ruin, and they chose to strike
~ at me through an innocent girl, the
cowards! I knew the Chinook leader
was mixed up in ihe kidnapping and
subsequent disappearance of Nell; but
I held my own counsel. It was useless
to inform her father—he is devoted to
her—— and the trouble vould have spoilt
his fighting. qualities. I amazed him,
as well as you, by declining the com-
mand of the scouts. I did that in
order to be able to fathom this
mystery; but I have failed as yet to
discover the scoundrel who has so
cruelly deceived Nell.”
“Reckon = you. Suspect
pard ?” put. in Wild, Bill.
“JT do; bub suspicions unconfirmed
someone,
were determined to-
are nasty things to deal in. I can do
nothing until we have rescued Nell-
She is hidden somewhere in these
gloomy ruins.” .
Wild Bill suddenly gripped his
friend’s wrist and pointed to that por-
tion of the chamber where the moon-
light had slowly shifted, disclosing a
heap of Indian trappings—the very
things for disguise.
The find proved to be an exception-
ally lucky one, for a few minutes later
the scouts were completely disguised in
the garb of Chinook medicine-men.”
Whilst taking stock of their sur-
roundings they discovered a gap in
the svall, through which they promptly
crawled.
“A movement in the gloom beyond
arrested their attention ; then the figure
of an-Indian squaw glided swiftly
through a narrow patch of moonlight
ahead.
“That looks as if our plans have been
overheard, pard,” whispered Wild Bill.
Yes; we must follow.”
Without a moment’s delay the two
scouts crept along after. the fugitive
squaw. They watched her disappear
in the dense scrub, which grew close up
to the moss-grown walls of the further
wing of. the nysterious temple. *
Quickening their pace they forced
their way through the bush, and came
upon_a door set low in the building;
fer it could only be approached by
descending a flight of crumbling steps.
The door was rotting: in parts, and
through the chinks the scotits could
distinguish faint streaks of light.
They approached cautiously, and as ©
they avere about to force the door a
wild, agonised shriek rang out from —
the gloom within.
“That cry comes from Nell Ham-
mond, or Vm _ no judge of voices,”
whispered Buffalo Bull.
The «. was repeated, and a moment
later they forced the door back, and
recoiled aghast at what they beheld.
Facing them avas a wide platform
extending round the sides of a huge
cellar. The place might have once been’
flooded, but swags now dry, for, instead
of water, a vast quantity of gunpowder
lay atored below, reaching frem edge
to edge of the platform.
‘