Rocky Mountain Sam — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. 187 ‘‘Wall, shall we slip down and murder the rest of ’em?” asked Big Horn, in his charmingly business-like way. “By no means. But can’t we do better?” said the old man. ‘‘l’hey sleep so soundly that you or Sam might slip down there, adjust some grapnels to the little gal’s blanket, and yank her up here into the car, without waking any one, not even herself, | “Good!” said Big Horn. ‘‘I’ll go.” Preparations for the abduction were soon completed. The lodge was set upon the ground to one side. Another rope was lowered, and Big Horn slowly descended hand over hand, and in a moment stood among the sleepers. Lightly he bent over the unconscious figure, adjusting the covering about her form and under her head with so gentle a touch that she seemed only to move slightly in order to sink into yet profounder repose, and then signaled for the grapnels to be lowered. ‘They let down two, and he made them fast, one at the head and the other at the foot. They raised her up and placed her in the car, without dis- turbing her slumber. Big Horn followed. The lodge was replaced over the forms of the other sleepers, and the bal- loon slowly arose, with its added burden, into the starry _ alr. | Big Horn sat beside the sleeper, scarcely taking his eyes from the placid face. Even the great hound, Chawer, erouched, at his feet, and looked at him with a sort of wonder at seeing him so employed. Presently the sleeper changed her attitude, and in doing so awoke. At first her dark eyes coming out slowly from their vailing lids, dwelt dreamily upon the objects around her, as we are often apt to do when arousing languidly from a delicious sleep. But when they at last rested upon the rough-bearded face of the hunter at her side, she started from the place where she was lying with a sharp cry of alarm. She had retired to her rest partially dressed, as is the custom of the Indians, and now, as the folds of the blanket fell away revealing her in the picturesque costume of an Indian princess of high rank, she looked even more beauti- ful than in sleep; but oh! how terror-stricken she was. She glanced from one to another of the party, then at the bal-_ loon overhead, and then ran to the side of the car, .‘S (€(e) cComicboo