Rocky Mountain Sam — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. 157 ages, who were circling hither and thither upon their active ponies, discharging their weapons and giving utterance to their terrible war-whoops. : ‘| hardly thought the savages would dare attack so near the settlements as this,” said the professor, hardly knowing what course to pursue. : “Yes,” growled Big Horn; ‘‘an’ you kin bet yer life as Firefut’s well on his way to the mountains by this time.” ‘There! they see us now!” cried Sam; and they could hear the shouts of welcome arise from the beleaguered hun- ters below. ‘*What shall we do, professor? Scoop right down upon ’em, as usual?” 7 “It was not my intention to do that at this point,” said Max, rubbing hischin in some perplexity. ‘What are you doing, Big Horn?” Big Horn was tying a hunting-knife upon the sole of one of his feet. ‘‘Purfessor,” said he, coolly, ‘‘I believe as how this ere ‘was the place yer calkerlated to drop me down hooked to the big umbrill, war’n’t it?” “To the parachute—yes.” ‘‘Well, git yer umbrill ready, and as-soon as I git into fighting style you kin hitch me to it. An’ arter you see how I come out, then you kin come down with your gas-bag or not, jist as you please.” | ‘‘I)o you mean to say you are willing to go down under the parachute alone?” said the professor, aghast. “You bet! Sam, lend a hand in riggin’ me up; an’ Ted, lad, pass over some more of them ere knives an’ tommy- haurks. That's it; a little more o’ them thongs. Oh! we'll make it dusty for *em yet. Purfessor, git out yer umbrill, an’ I'll be in fightin’ order in fifteen minutes.” While Max was preparing the parachute, Sam and Teddy, obedient to instructions, proceeded to arm the hero for the coming fray. When they had finished, and he himself ex- pressed his approval with his armament, the hunter of the Big Horn presented truly a formidable appearance. Strapped, or rather tied with stout butfalo-thongs, to the bottom of each foot were two knives, with the blades pro- jecting from the toe and heel respectively. His elbows were armed as upon the occasion of the fight at Miry Fork: and, in addition to this, attached to each knee was a double- bladed tomahawk, A long, keen-bladed knife was affixed “comicboo ‘S coir