Rocky Mountain Sam — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

148 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. ‘Not yet,” was the hesitating response, while they could see the aeronaut leveling his telescope. “Nor yet?’ demanded Chapman, after the lapse of an- other minute—beginning to swear and rapidly losing patience. “N—n—no,” replied the voice, a little feebly, and then crying out in an excited tone: ‘‘Yes; here is one of the men coming back with an arrow sticking in his horse’s meck /” : The colonel and the lieutenant stared at each other; everybody stared at his neighbor; and Sam pricked up his ears like a stag-hound, and gave a long, low whistle. “T see beyond the Sugar Loaf now,” called out the air- voice. ‘Miss Mollie and Kayaway are captives/ Firetoot and about thirty Indians are bearing them northward.” Chapman was as white as a sheet; Dutton gave a deep eroan; Rocky Mountain Sam’s brow darkened, and his hand closed over the knife-hilt at his belt. . For a few seconds not a word was spoken, not a motion made. ‘‘Merciful Heaven!” gasped the colonel, who was the first to gain his voice; ‘‘and now we haven’t got a fresh horse within five miles. Why, curse it! They must have been lying in wait for some such opportunity 4s this all day.” Lieutenant Dutton, upon whom,. and with good reason, the blow had fallen more heavily than upon any one. else, suddenly started and wiped his hand over his forehead, as though just emerging from some nightmare dream, and then strode, without a word, to the spot where a number of the horses were standing, saddled and bridled, but still breathing hand after the rough racing they had been spurred and whipped through by hunters and soldiers. He was about to mount one at random, when Rocky Mountain Sam laid his hand gentiy upon his arm. | _ “Cap, [feel it Just as much as you can,” said he, hoarsely; “but *tain’t no use tryin’ te foller them on these broken- winded brutes. They’ve got two miles the start of us.” Dutton shook off the hand, and would have persisted in mounting had not the old colonel himself seconded the hunter’s advice. , “Sam isright, my poor boy!” said he, in a broken voice. P “Good Heayen! don’t J feel it as much as you? But I can- not afford to be irrational even now. Go into the house a few minutes and compose yourself, while I] send to the comicbooks com — f , Wa ‘a - ic at