Rocky Mountain Sam — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

2 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. | 293 Big Horn knocked at the door, and was presently ad- mitted by an old Indian woman, and was closely followed by Bob Scarlet. ) The cabin consisted of but one room, but many evidences of comfort marked the rude structure. Crouched upon a heap of deer-skins in the farthest cor- — ner was anaged woman. She was comfortably and decently clothed. Her hair was very white, her features were wrinkled, but still showing vestiges of what had once been comely and bright; but the eyes were dull and _ soulless, and she rocked herself painfully to and fro, accompanying the movement by a crooning sort of lullaby, sad and dis- cordant to the ear. ‘he renegade stood for a moment looking at her like one inanightmare dream, his frame quivering violently, as though stricken by asudden ague. He then tottered for- ward, and with a low, broken moan, sank upon his knees at her feet, taking the withered hands in his, and _ pressing them to his trembling lips. At a sign from the hunter the old squaw withdrew. Big Horn then also quitted the cabin, closed the door gently behind him, and then strode away. | He remained in his own solitary cabin during the entire day. In the evening he came out, bathed in the brook, shot some game, which he cooked for his supper, and then retired to rest. - He was up again at early dawn, and had barely dressed himself before he heard the approach of many men up the narrow glen, and went out to meet a score or more of hun- ters with Rocky Mountain Sam at their head. f ‘Well, pard,” said the latter, taking Big Horn by the hand, ‘‘we’ve come for Firefoot.” ‘Yes; and we’ve brought a rope to hang him with,” put in one of the men, displaying with considerable exultation, a coil of rope at his saddle-bow; an exultation in which all of his comrades appeared to share. ‘‘Bio Horn’ll keep his word, mates,” said the great hunter, falling into his old mode of speech, and retaining but little of the comparative refinement and dignity that had invested his manner on the previous day. _‘‘But you'll have to leave your brutes here an’ foller me on foot.” | They pushed on, and at last, after a vast amount of curs- ing having been bestowed upon the wretched route, reached — Gomicboo <S (ele)