Rocky Mountain Sam — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

130 . ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. it. Why not take it back to camp for the gals to sleep in, eh?” ‘‘T have no objections,” said the professor, ‘only it looks rather ridiculous to be seen toting a house through the sky, you know.” “Ridiculous!” repeated Sam, with a regular horse-laugh. ‘Why, old man, if all the capers as we've seed this gas-bag cut up under our direction, would have seemed as real as our flyin’ away with this shanty, ’'d give you my head, or, what’s even worse, I’d be willin’ to listen to that ere long- winded yarn of yourn ’bout the South Pole. Bust me if I wouldn’t! Ladies, you’d best kiver--your shoulders with some of these wraps. We're about three miles high, and it aur cold.” | They willingly followed his advice; and then the whileom captive, with Fayaway’s hand still clasped in hers, looked over the side of the car in a sort of stupor of surprise. She had never made an ascent in a balloon before, and, apart from the novelty and beauty of the wonderful panorama that fleeted below, as they drifted majestically southward, she as yet could scarcely realize her good fortune in escaping from her captivity—which, by the way, had not been so harsh as she might have expected. . They left the mountains behind, and below them stretched the broad and rolling plains. ““What are those little black specks moving about upon the ground?” she dreamily asked of Sam. ‘‘Buffaler!” cried he, with enthusiasm; ‘‘an’ I reckon they ll have somesof it broilin’ for us by the time we reach the camp. Ain't you hungry?” ‘“Very.” ‘Soam lI. By hooky! I feel as if I could eat a hull hump of one of them critters. But really, Miss Mollie, they haven’t been starvin’ you—them chaps—have they?” he asked, 1n an earnest tone. “Oh, no,” she replied. ‘‘Indeed, without considering the fatigue I was forced to undergo in accompanying them in their headlong flights, they have not been altogether un- kind to me. Even my principal captor has never been wanting in respect toward me, bad as he is.” } ‘The infernal villain!’ exclaimed old Max, who had been within ear-shot; ‘*but never mind, Miss Chapman. He will receive his deserts,” recoyagike 900 S €oO m