Rocky Mountain Sam — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. 153 hunter, hanging the ghastly fragment by its one long black lock to alittle wooden pin in the wall just above the fire- place. ‘‘Lraised that ‘ere tuft jist down here at the ravine betwixt the mountains, an’ I waited jist two hours fur it.” It was evident from his manner that Big Horn knew noth- ing as yet, about what had transpired at Chapman’s Ranch, and wishing to hear his own account of himself first, both Sam and Max nodded to go on. : “I’ve been down to Jefferson since I seed you,” began the ~ hunter. “What! so far south as that?” exclaimed Sam in sur- rise. ‘““Zactly. An’ I found out as the Blackfeet in the South are jest as sassy as them in the North. Firefut’ll git another band together soon, mind my word. But that ain’t why I come hyar. Pard, you remember that ’ere half- breed I saved from drownin’ in the big canon of the Yel- lowstone nigh onto two years ago?” Sam nodded. ‘Wall, he ain’t forgot it no more nor you. I seed him at Jefferson yesterday mornin’ an’ he told me of a job which Firefut had put up to have some of them southern Black- feet make a trip to this very canon, an’ spy aroun’ ole Max an’ the balloons.” “What!” cried the old aeronant in alarm; ‘‘do any of them know of the entrance to this canyon, then?” ‘One of “em did,” said the hunter, with a significant nod at the suspended sealp; ‘‘but he don't know nothin’ at this moment. Wall, as soon as I heerd it, 1 made tracks for the north, as L_knewit wouldn't do to let the red varmints into the secrets of the gas-bags, you know. Got to the motuh of the gorge jest as the storm began—’bout three hours ago, and laid in wait. Waited for two hours when he came pokin’ along through the wind and rain.” Another nod at the scalp. ‘‘His body lies right across the the trail, asa warnin’ fur others, though he had no chums.” ‘<But there may have been others behind him‘” cried old Max, springing up in great excitement. ‘‘We ought to make sure. Good heavens! If they discover the way to this canon, then good-by to the superstitious terror in which they hold me and my balloons; or they might destroy the balloons, for that matter, and then what would become of us?” ene z \ ~ -comicbhoo “S (ele)