Rocky Mountain Sam — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. 145 she cast herself into his arms, puffing and blowing like a furnace. : choke leave me, dear!” she murmured; ‘‘I am so fright- ened.” ‘““T say, Miss Yearning,” said Sam, who was determined to keep cool even under these circumstances, ‘‘this is rather breezy billin’ an’ cooin’, ain’t it? But, do you know, I’ve always liked you?” | ‘‘La, now!” purred the spinster, drooping her eyelids and beginning to play with one of the buttons on Sam’s hunting- coat, ‘‘what nonsense you talk! But why have you always hked me, Mr. Cooleard?” | ‘‘Because you have always seemed so fond of—of my dear hittle sweetheart, Fayaway,” was the grave rejoinder. “Ugh, you brute!” screamed Miss Yearning, thrusting him from her. _Miss Gertrude did not speak another word until they had landed a short distance from the ranch, when Sam sprang lightly to the ground and offered his hand to assist her in alighting. “No, thank you; I do not require assistance,” she said, and gathering up her skirts she leaped down with an em- phatic plump, which apprised her dutiful niece and little Fayaway, who were waiting to receive her, that something decidedly unpleasant had taken place. CHAPTER XX. A MAD RACE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. ‘ . 4 ‘Tid you enjoy your balloon sail, auntie?” asked Mollie, with a malicious smile; ‘‘you know you were dying to have one.” | “TI suppose you found it light and airy?” said her old brother-in-law, who had also been let into. the joke by his daughter. But Miss Gertrude merely answered them with a defiant glance, and vanished inside the house, leaving poor Sam standing forlornly in the group, quite disconsolate at the unjust displeasure of Fayaway, who looked straight before her, and did not seem to see him. “‘Cheer up, my mountain hero!” cried Lieutenant Dutton, Comicboo <5) eon