Rocky Mountain Sam — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM, 21 another, the rude but wholesome viands disappeared before his voracious appetite. At last, however, when the sharp edge of it was pretty well worn off, he found plenty of time to return the smiling glances cast at him by the dark eyes at his side, and to pour into willing ears the story of his adventures since he had last seen her. “‘By the way,” said he, at last, when story-telling and love-making had become a trifle monotonous, ‘‘have you heard any news from Chapman’s Ranch lately, Fayaway?” ‘“Me there two—three days ’go,” said Fayaway, holding up first two and then three fingers. - ‘‘How are they?” ‘‘Good—much good ‘And Miss Chapman—Prairie Blossom?” ‘<Good and pretty. Oh, much pretty!” ‘Every one knows that; but how do things stand? Has Firefoot been troubling her again?” “Yes; once he come, and big Colonel Chapmanie say, go way, or hang on tree-top! Firefootie much mad—he go way—say, ‘revenge me yet some more, by G—?” “Ha! ha!” langhed Sam; ‘‘you’re getting along with the white man’s lingo first-rate, Fayaway. ‘Revenge me yet some more, by G—!’ is pretty good, though I say it as oughtn’t to. Is there any more water in that jug?” “No, Fayaway fetch freshie from brookie.” And snatch- 122 * ing up a tin cup, the little beauty darted out of the open door like an arrow. ‘«©You know there’s something stronger to be had for the asking, Sam,” said the Hermit, producing a stone bottle, from which he proceeded to pour himself out a draught. ‘No, thanks!’ said the young hunter; ‘‘I have seen enough of the horrible effects of such poison upon my poor friend Big Horn to risk becoming a slave to it myself. Ah! here comes the only beverage Heaven intended us to drink, I fancy,” he added, as Fayaway came tripping in with a cupful of the ice-cold water from the near gushing torrent, which he drained with a keen relish. ‘Now, sit here on my knee and tell me everything that has happened since I was here, my little Bright Eyes,” said Sam, who had a good deal of poetry in his composition for one who had had such wild, rough breeding, and but little education, (ale) Gomichboo mn)