Lady Evelyn — page 176: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

little bands of Government troops fougiit against the wa and desperate Indians. “By Jove! it's glorious!” he cried, his eyes kindling © with the warrior’s fire. “I almost wish I had been born — an American, that I, too, might join in this exciting fray. J suppose man possesses, in common with the inferior animals, the blood-thirst, or | never would feel the temp-— tation to join these dashing cavalry so strongly as I do.” Trevannance was nearer being ’ ‘cursed with the curse of an accomplished prayer” than he dreamed of. Riding alone one day through the glowing woods, he” managed to lose himself completely, nor could any ef fort of his find the right path. There was neither mortal nor habitation in view, and he was making up his mind, as the evening closed about him, that he was destined to. spend the night in the woods, when, mounting a hillock, - he beheld in the plain below a duel to the death going on, A band of United States cavalry were encircled bee thrice their number of Indians, and were fighting as men only fight for their lives, cheered on by one at their head, EY eonsuuionae andbience, ae was ahs see ee Coe the ; , * Ren See 4 whose sword gleamed and-flashed, and fell like the sword 4 of the Lion-Hearted atrnong Saladin and his Saracens. Trevannance looked but-once; then, with a mighty - sheut and leveled revolver, he was down like a whirlwind, and charged with the weaker side. | It was a bloody and bitter contest. The little soldier band fought. with reckless desperation, cheered on by their leader, a stalwart, magnificent-looking man, whose long, fair hair streamed in the wind, and whose blue eyes gleamed with the fiery war-light. -side by side with this leader, Trevannance fought— : i fought like a very fury. Twice his horse was shot under con him—twice he sprang upon the backs of others whose — a riders had fallen in the melee. Victory hung doubtful long, but as night closed it Ayite nan tered to the banner of the fair-haired officer, and the In- — dian band, routed and slaughtered, fled helter-skelter into. the woodland, and were lost in the deepening night. The | officer might have borne a charmed life, for while bullets — whizzed like hail about him, he had come eee the sharp ordeal unscathed. Halt } if Jus. estar bang (ea dead around ae seh? as he : . i a te ars