Rocky Mountain Sam — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

~ 4 > "6 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SAM, spearing fish from their canoes; we may want to bedevil them a little at the start.” “Just the thing, by crimminy! a little, and Ill try to grapple one of their canoes.’ The old man drew the throttle-valve gently, and the bal- loon settled down so softly over the surface of the lake that the Indian fishermen, busily engaged in taking fish, had no notice of its approach, until Sam had made a grapnel fast to the prow of one of the canoes. The professor at the same time seized the rudder-crank and turned the great fan- wheel as fast as he could; the balloon swept over the water with its car almost touching the surface, at railroad speed, dragging the canoe.and its occupants—three in number— after it with such rapidity as to almost bury it in the waves, while the Indians fell upon their knees and set up a doleful howl. Their companions in the other canoes, after gazing for some time in a sort of stupor at the fate that had overtaken their fellows, suddenly sprang overboard with a panic- stricken yell, and began to strike out-for the shore. The others soon afterward following their example, Sam loosened his hold on the canoe and allowed it to drift, bottom up- ward. “Now, Sam, out with that net!” cried the professor. ‘‘I see an Indian village on the farther shore, and we'll fur nish them with a surprise, beside getting a mess for ourselves.” sam had out the net—a large two-handed affair—in a jifty; Max took hold of the lines connected with one end, he of the other, and they made their cast just as the balloon swooped down, almost dragging the car along the surface. “Throw out some’ ballast, Fayaway!” cried Sam; ‘or the weight of the seine will swamp us.’ Fayaway dropped her cooking at once to do as she was bid, and looking over the side as the balloon tugged and str ugeled aloft, she uttered a cry of delight at the appear- ance of the seine, whose ends Sam and Max were busily making fast to the side of the car. They had evidently, by the merest Gas in the world, made their cast in the midst of a dense school of. fine fish, and the seine was literally packed solid with silver backs and golden fins. !’ said Sam. “Lower away _ Three hundred weight, if there’s an ounce,” said the cS Eomicboo (ee) nm