Rocky Mountain Sam — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. | 147 A great shout arose from the hunters and soldiers as the gallant steeds stretched their limbs to the first rise. ‘‘Hoorah!” cried the colonel, who had been indulging a little freely, as was too often the case with him, if the truth must be told; ‘‘Mollie is still ahead, and the little squaw next. What’s the matter with Dutton’s cob? He’s lagging in the rear. Now they’re all over the hill.” ‘‘Miss Mollie still leads,” sang out old Max from the bal- loon; ‘‘Fayaway next, the trappers all in a bunch, Dutton in the rear.” ’ ‘There was a pause. ‘‘Dutton’s horse is gone dead lame, and he’s coming back,” was the next report. “That’s unfortunate!” growled Chapman, alittle ruefully. ‘It’s the young sorrel, and worth four hundred dollars if she’s wortha cent. ‘here he comes back, limping over the hill and looking dead beat,” he added, as the heutenant made his reappearance and cantered slowly back on a foundered horse, looking decidedly out of sorts. ‘How are they now?” called out the colonel, looking aloft. ) | “Miss Mollie still far away ahead of all but Fayaway,” was the reply Fo above. ‘‘There’s another horse broke down, and the rider turning back.” «The duse there is!” cried Chapman, with a still stronger oath, while Lieutenant Dutton made his way in. ‘*What has got into the horses, Charley?” “T am surel can’t say,” was the rather glum reply. ‘Been on pasture and out of training too long, I suppose.” ‘‘Mollie hag got behind the Sugar Loaf, so has Fayaway!’ called out the voice from above. ‘‘Now theyre all out of sight.” They all waited breathlessly to hear the next report. One—two—three minutes elapsed and no report. ‘What can be the matter?” called out the colonel, watch inhand.. ‘‘They ought to round the cove in a minute and a half.” ‘Well, they hayen’t done so yet, that’s all,” was the cool : reply from the balloon. One—two—three minutes more. Eyery one began to grow excited, and the colonel and Dutton a trifle nervous. ‘No signs of ’em yet?” cried the colonel, anxiously. Eomicbhoo iS EO