Rocky Mountain Sam — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

48 - ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. pass over in afew seconds. If you can slow up, I think 1 can manage to lasso one of them by the horns.” <«* All right.” . And the professor gave the rudder a whirl, while Sam hastily searched in the bottom of the car for a lariat. Having found one, he made one end fast to the car, and leaned over, with the noose in his hand, ready to make a cast; while little Fayaway looked on in delighted antici- pation. The deer were feeding on an open wold, high upon the summit of the ridge. .They lifted up their graceful heads, sniffed the air suspiciously, and gazed at the approaching monster with asort. of timid wonder; when suddenly all of them scampered away, except a fine buck, the Jord of the herd, who proudly reared his antlered head, stamped his feet, and seemed to disdain to retreat. That disdain was a fatal mistake upon his part. As the car of the balloon swung by but a few feet higher than his head, Sam hurled his lariat, and cleverly noosed the old fellow around the horns. ‘T'he buck snorted, reared and plunged, and braced himself against the rocks; but it was no use; he was steadily and swiftly dragged along, then snatched off his feet, and, a moment later, he was oscillat- ing over an abyss, with nothing but blue air beneath him, kicking, twisting, and struggling in his vain efforts to escape. The balloon sagged a little on receiving this additional burthen, but the loss of a few pounds of ballast served to set things to rights; and then Sam, with the professor’s as- sistance, proceeded to haul up the deer, while Fayaway clapped her hands in childish glee. : ‘“‘Now, make the line fast!’ called out Sam, when the deer’s head was on a level with the top of the car; and, leaning over the side, he cut the animal’s throat in a trice. Far down below springled the blood-drops, a strange and ruddy rain to be loosened from those airy heights, and, after a few struggles, all was over. “Well, I’m blowed if this ain’t the fust time I ever trap- _ ped game in this fashion,” exclaimed Sam, as with the help of Max and the Indian maiden, he dragged the carcass over into the car; ‘‘it’s more excitin? than painter huntin’ a derned sight, JI wonder what Big Horn would say to the comicbooks col