Rocky Mountain Sam — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

68 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM. and half stifling his startled yells of consternation,'as he and his companions looked aloft, whence, of course, they could obtain no explanation of the phenomenon, inasmuch as the clouds had again drifted between the balloon and the earth. ‘‘Hooray! hooray!” shouted Sam, convulsed with laughter, in which Fayaway heartily joined; even the professor deign- ing to add one of his spectral smiles to the general mirth. “Wait a moment, and see what takes place,’ said the latter; ‘‘and we may treat them to a little tiger-cat by way of yariety. Sam, draw up one of the varmints, and be pre- pared to take the hooks out of his neck when I see proper to give the word.” . When another rift in the cloud appeared, Rube ‘T’enyck was observed to be getting rid of his muddy hood by the: assistance of his friends, while a large number of Indians —young and old, warrior and squaw—had come out of the wigwams, and were clustered around them, keeping up an incessant chatter as they did so. Suddenly there was a rush.and a squall over their heads; something struck against the branches of the tree near which they were standing, and the next instant a half-grown panther was precipitated»in their midst, striking out wildly as he descended, and nearly tearing the leggings off two or three warriors before he was dispatched. They had hardly time to breathe after this visitation be- fore there was another yell, and another panther—this time falling unobstructedly direct from the clouds above—came tumbling down, making sad havoc with feathered ornaments and war-paint in his descent. A chorus of cries was set up by the awe-stricken savages, accompanied by .excited gesticulations, when the second brute was disposed of, and every one seemed to be vocifera- ting questions to his next neighbor, without troubling him- self for an answer; but their enthusiasm was speedily damped by about a barrelful of cold water being suddenly emptied upon them from above, and drenching them to ole skin. The majority of them were now thoroughly beside them- selves, and made no doubt that they were really the victims of witchcraft. The squaws ran about in an aimless way, with their babiesin their arms, shrieking and tearing their hair; many of the warriors fell upon their knees, with up- lifted hands and chattering teeth; and others grouped comicbooks Lefe)