Rocky Mountain Sam — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. ' 216 “Sam, you and Teddy look well to the scythes, for before Big Horn jumps in among the redskins we’ll just take a rn or two through their ranks, beginning with those cowardly fellows at the top of the slope. Hold hard!” Lhe flying Indians who were pressing in dense masses toward the summit of the slope, paused aghast as they were suddenly confronted by the many bladed car, and began to — run in various directions, giving expression to their terror by wild and lamenting cries, in strange contrast with the fierce war-whoops to which their lps were mostly accus- tomed. But the next instant the car was upon them, sweeping and tearing through their solid ranks with tre- tremendous effect, while behind the terrible blades that lopped and cut them down like sheaves of grain. at harvest time, the balloonists kept up an incessant and unerring fire with their revolvers. Down to the very margin of the river it hewed and reaped its way, then up the hill again as the wind changed, until the long scythes were red and dripping to their hafts, and the ground was literally packed with bleeding forms, and then back once more to the river’s bank, the yet unstricken redskins flying before it and away from it like frightened sheep, flinging away their weapons and _ filling the air with their terrified yells, Here the balloon came toa temporary pause in its fell career, chiefly on account of the scythe-blades being yo clotted with blood and fragments of flesh as to require some — cleaning; and here Big Horn requested to be conveyed to the opposite side of the stream and ‘“‘tossed out,” to use his own expression. ‘The renegade had succeeded in fording the Marias with fouror five hundred braves, who, either desperate or regardless of the slaughter that had gone on in their rear, were already engaging the whites in a hand to hand fight over the low earthworks, which threatened to yield to the assault at any moment. ‘‘All right!” said the professor, as the balloon passed . slowly over the stream. ‘‘And by the time you begin to get tired, Big Horn, I may come to your relief with another little tin-can, or with something equally éffective. ” A cheer arose from the men in the works, and the Indians assaulting them for a few moments reeled back as the great car swung in among them. oh Then Big Horn sprang out in their very midst—the bal- Eomichooks (ele)