Rocky Mountain Sam — page 212: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. 203 squaw’s dead body, which the brave little Fayaway had left at the foot of the tree. | ‘Let “em squeel!” growled the hunter, with much satis- faction; ‘‘we’ve got two aces ahead, an’ kin go ’em jist one better. | ‘“Now, leetle gal,” he added, turning to Fayaway, ‘“‘they Is goin’ to draw up me an’ the young leddy through the leaves inter the gas-bag. You jist lay low an’ keep dark till I lower a line fur you. Understan’?”. Fayaway nodded, her usual simple mode of assent. Big Horn jerked the rope hard, and the next moment he ae Re precious burden disappeared in the foliage over- lead. The balloonists could not abstain from lifting up their voices in a great shout of exultation and joy, when Big Horn, laying his mighty hand upon the edge of the car, handed into it the fair burden upon his left arm and then sprang lightly into it himself. As soon as Mollie found herself safely in the car, sur- rounded by friendly and familiar faces—and even the dark features of Mewanee were fairly illuminated with womanly joy and sympathy—the revulsion was more than even she, with all her robustness, could bear, and she fainted away in the professor’s arms. ‘It’s the sort of swoon that never does much hurt,” said the old man, with the nearest approach to a tremor in his voice that either Sam or Teddy had ever noted before, and he forthwith handed her over to the tender ministrations of Mewanee. ‘““Where’s Fayaway, pard.?” was Sam’s first question. ‘‘Jist wait tilll drop this line inter them ’ere leaves down thar, pard, an’ we'll see if we don’t git a bite from that ere leetle fish you’re hankerin’ arter,” said Big Horn; and, unloosing the rope from his own shoulders, he dropped it into the green depths below. Pretty soon there was a gentle pull, and then a sharper one. — «That’s it; fust a nibble and then a bite,” said the Hun- ter of the Period, pulling up the line, with a great grin upon his uncouth face. Fayaway’s pretty head and shoulders first appeared above the green masses, like a mermaid’s above the sea, then her whole form, and then—she was sobbing and laughing upon (ele) Gomilcbooks