Rocky Mountain Sam — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

190 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. see a little lake sparkling, with a number of lodges upon its bank. As they went lower down, they saw that the lodges—tkere were some twenty in all—though small and hght, were better built than usual, as if for amore permanent residence, while among them was a large, low edifice, built substan- tially of logs. ‘This looks rather hopeful, Sam,” said the professor, as by a cautious turn of the fan-wheel he brought the air-ship to a pause within about a hundred feet of the surface of the lake. “Yes,” replied our hero, ‘‘I shouldn*t wonder if were on the right trail at last.” Here Mewanee said something in a low voice to Big Horn - whotranslated her words to his companions as saying that this was the chief mountain fastnessof Firefoot, and that there were other Indian lodges in among the gorges, which they were unable to see from their position. is “‘Ask her whether that big lodge is occupied by Firefoot, and if she thinks the captives are in there,” said Max. This question Mewanee was unable to answer, and Rocky Mountain Sam said: “Bring the gas-bag a little lower down, and I will go and see for myself. Ill take Chawer with me for luck.” Everything was so still and quiet that there seemed no need of descending by means of a rope this time, so an anchor was silently dropped and the car brought almost to the surface of the ground. Sam leaped lightly out, and the dog at a motion of the hand, followed him. So thorough was the training of the animal that notwithstanding his savage instincts, the merest sign was sufficient to make him silent and cautious. Sam slipped across the moonlighted space like a shadow, and was about to raise the deerskin that covered the en- trance of-the larger lodge, when a huge, gaunt cur—prob- ably the only brute of the kind belonging to the village— sprang from behind one ot the minor lodges, with an angry growl, full at his throat. . Taken completely by surprise, our hero stumbled back, and would probably have been borne to the ground but for Chawer, the faithful blood-hound. | Without uttering a single sound, he pinned his snarling antagonist to the ground; there were a few feeble kicks, and (@) ‘books com