Rocky Mountain Sam — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

60 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. “No,” said Max, putting his telescope to his eye, and sur- veying the mountain they were. approaching; ‘‘they will swing clear of it fully a hundred feet, if I am not greatly mistaken. Ha! I see more of the wigwams on the other side now. ‘There must be a dozen or more in the encampment.” The lowermost Indian still hung on to his companion, but evidently with the utmost difficulty, for every moment he made frantic efforts to crawl up his tarry legs. As both of them continued to yell at the top of their voices, they soon attracted the attention of those in the lodges, who came swarming out and looking up in the ut- most consternation. “Let ‘em down easy,” suggested Sam. ‘‘We’ve scared these poor devils enough without breaking their necks.” “All right,” said the other; ‘‘though it’s the first time I ever heard you express any sympathy for a redskin.” As they neared the earth the undermost Indian slipped from his hold on his companion’s legs and fell, striking on the side of one of the lodges and bounding off and rolling among his brethren, with a terrific whoop. ‘No bones broken,” remarked the professor. ‘‘Now, Sam, we must try and jerk the grapnel loose from this other fel- low. Haul him upa part of the way and then let him drop with a sudden plunge.” Sam did as he was requested. ‘The third attempt was successful, the belt giving way and precipitating the redskin down among the lodges. There was a general commotion as this startling apparition arose to his feet among them, in his tarry and feathery dress, and the Indians, young and old, could be observed running in every direction as though frightened out of their wits. “But still Isee no signs of Firefoot having a residence in that camp, and it is growing toward nightfall,” said the professor, in a tone of disappointment. ‘“Hadn’t we better camp out somewhere for the night?” said Sam. ‘‘It won’t do to sleep all night in the balloon.” “I have passed many and many a night ere this dozing away in the airy solitudes,” said old Max, with a pitying smile. ‘‘When, my dear boy, I crossed the icy barriers of the Antarctic Ocean, in 1853, I ee “Oh, give that a rest for the present,” said Sam, a little peevishly. ‘‘What are we to do about passing this night? Uhat’s what I want to know.” : (‘@) comicbooks €oO mi