Читать книгу Buffalo Bill's Best Bet; Or, A Sure Thing Well Won онлайн

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The reëntrance of Old Negotiate was greeted with a shout of welcome, and of course he had to drink, and Captain Corduroy treated; but Negotiate did not swallow the liquor, and watching closely he saw that the strangers also failed to drink the contents of their glasses, a circumstance none of the drunken crowd observed.

Going out upon the piazza, Old Negotiate called out:

“Pard strangers, thar comes a man, ef yer wants ter see one, who hesn’t got his ekal in these heur parts.”

Captain Corduroy looked out and cried:

“Buffalo Bill! Be ready!”

Old Negotiate heard the words and asked quickly:

“Say, pards, does yer mean harm ter Bill?”

“He means harm to me, and I will but protect myself,” said Captain Corduroy.

“All right; that are squar’; but as he don’t see yer, I’ll jist shout an’ tell him.”

Then he raised his voice and shouted:

“Ho, Bill! Thar are danger camped on yer trail heur.”

The warning caused a dead silence to follow, and Captain Corduroy and his pards dropped their hands upon revolvers, as though to first turn them on Old Negotiate. But he had his weapon out already, and the strangers seemed to realize that he was not the man to pick a quarrel with then and there, for a dozen friends were around him.