Rocky Mountain Sam — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

\ - > Fa \, ‘a i ase ae | > eee om Fas 4s. ~"@are 1)" ..™ ‘a ).CU ee. ges “me 34 J \ et ; Mey ey Piet Coat ee o uA DhG 7 hy a * be ! eS ~ 2! 7 . € ae . ; “he » * . ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. — 19 out-buildings and corrals, indicating aranch or farm of some pretensions, with a few sheep and cattle to be seen grazing upon meadowy reaches and verdant slopes. The other end presented a strange contrast. Noxious vapors and gases, whose smell already made Rocky Mountain Sam begin to cough and sneeze, seemed to exhale from it in many places and in continuous streams; while, looking over the side of the balloon-car one could plainly distinguish a mud-volcano in active operation, its turbid fountain—prob- ably two hundred feet in height—showing itself distinctly through the thick haze with which the vapors constantly vailed the sunlight, elsewhere serene. ‘‘Let us get down at once, then,” said Sam, ‘‘and get out of the smell of this devil’s smoke-pit.” ) ““Devil’s smoke-pit!” repeated Max, indignantly. ‘It is the realm of philosophy, the kingdom of the aeronaut of the future (myself), who here, with the forces of nature at his command, shall yet circumnavigate round and round this green earth at his will, upon the waves of air. What need to render gas from coal with so much labor and expensive machinery, when here from nature’s retorts in the bowels of the earth we can find the pure article already manufac- tured. Pull a little harder upon the throttle, Sam. Lasy, now, easy, while I cast anchor.” The balloon had fluttered gently down upon a sort of barren track, which may be called a debatable ground between the two extremities of the valley—the fertile and the voleanic—and was speedily made fast. ‘The aeronauts landed, and, in a few minutes, the vast gas-bag, which but a moment before had been distended so roundly and stiffly, was flattened out upon the surface of the ground, ar inert, lifeless, and shapeless mass. “Help me to put her under yon shed, Sam, to keep her from the weather,” said Max, ‘‘and then we'll to breakfast.” Sam tugged away witha will, and pretty soon the balloon was securely housed under a low-built, spacious shed, under which another mass of cloth and netting—the professor’s ‘big balloon,” in the possession of which he was very vain — —was suspended from rafters, like the festoonings of half- furled canvas on board a ship. : As they came out of the shed a bright young Indian girl, very prettily and picturesquely attired, ran down the steep pathway leading from the cabin to meet them, Gomichboo cS (ele) ae