Rocky Mountain Sam — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM, | 181 of the impending danger, and bending to the saddle-bow, plunged the spurs into his pony’s flanks. It was the same Rube Tenyck the reader will remember as figuring so unenviabiy in the former chapters of this work; the same brawny, thickset ruffian, in the plumes and war-paint of an Indian warrior, which stamped him among. white men as even a more contemptible renegade than his master. ‘‘How are you now, Rube?” sung out the young hunter, as the car swung to within ten or fifteen feet of the earth. ‘‘Don’t bein a hurry old fellow; I want you on particular business.” 3 Here he made the first cast with his lariat. It was not successful, the loop glancing harmlessly over horse and man asthe rider bent forward until his forehead touched his pony’s ears. _ The second throw was more successful. ‘The loop passed over the heads of both horse and man, and the running noose bound them together in one common band in an in- stant. The pony reared, and became frantic with affright; but — before the hunter could tighten his hold to sufficient ad- vantage, the renegade with admirable presence of mind, drew his knife with one hand that chanced to be free and severed the lariat above his head in a twinkling. Then casting aside the noose that fettered his pony and himself, he again dashed forward with a shout of triumph and defiance, for there was a piece of timber about half a mile in front, and could he but gain that he was safe. «Oh, ho! I suppose you fancy there is only one lariat in the world, my fine fellow,” said Sam, rapidly coiling up another of the same sort, preparatory for a cast. ‘‘I never eo a fishing without an extra line. Here goes! the third time’s always lucky.” Again ‘he threw the line, and this time he was wholly suc- cessful. | Deeming himself completely out of danger, the renegade was sitting perfectly erect in his saddle. The noose caught him fairly around the body, pinioning his arms to his side, and the next instant he was swept from his saddle—the brute that had borne him passing on, riderless, into the timber—and found himself dangling in the air, and roaring <S) (ee) cComicboo