Rocky Mountain Sam — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

128 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. fast to some of the stout thongs that went over the roof of the little house, binding down and seaming the skins of which it was composed, there being just about sufficient line to perform the operation successfully. ““Now, heave out your ballast!” he cried, letting go the line, and he himself bending to assist at that work. Overboard flew the sand-bags, and: upward strained and tugged the great balloon with all its power. The house resisted at first, then trembled and swayed from side to side, and then rose bodily from the ground, while the white hand at the window continued to wave en- couragement, and the occupants of the car set up a great shout of triumph. But Firefoot and his companions seeing the stratagem when too late to avoid it, rushed out of cover. Only one redskin, however, succeeded in grasping the lower part of the house. : ‘“‘Hands off!” growled Sam, bringing his rifle to the shoulder, and the next instant the warrior relinquished his hold with a bullet in his brain, and the little house swung clear and high from the ground. ‘‘More ballast!” delightedly cried the hunter, dropping another Indian in his tracks.before the car rose out of range. “By cracky! if this ain’t goin’ into the real estate business in a new fashion, I lke to know what is. We’ve got a pre- emption claim on that shanty or there’s no smoke in the devil’s pipe.” I’hey were now soaring very high, and looking below they could see the renegade and his followers standing amid the ruins of the village in silent despair. Tt is rather hard on the rascal,” commented the White Hermit, ‘‘to have fought so long and desperately—to have waded knee-deep in blood for his object, and now to see his prize wafted away from under his very nose.” ‘“‘T reckon he’ll make another fight for it some time or another,” said the young hunter, beginning to climb over the side of the car. ‘Ihe force he brought out at Miry Fork ain’t a patchin’ to the army of redskins he can raise in the course of time. Now I’m goin’ down to bring up the Prairie Blossom. Be ready to lower another. line when I sing out that I want it. Here goes!” ‘“‘Me go, too!” cried the Indian maiden, springing forward excitedly; but Sam laughingly motioned her back, and she, ¢om A (ele) JOOKS m