Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

124 The Sioux Village. Sweetwater late that night if the ponies held out and nothing unforeseen happened. He felt he would be glad, for the ride was cer- tainly getting to be a bit troublesonte—the lack of saddle and bridle counted for much in a long jour- ney. One thing he had discovered; his Winchester in the possession of a young buck, who seemed espe- cially proud because the wizard ern had fallen into his hands as a prize. Cuthbert began to have new hopes that he might yet be able to escape, since horse and rifle had not deserted him. One or two more short halts for rest or a break to their fast brought them once more to nightfall and darkness, for the moon was not scheduled to rise until some time later. The short interval afforded them a rest. Then once more the cavalcade went forward on what was apparently the home stretch. The prairie lay behind and they were now travel- ing a hilly country. Trees became common, and excited Cuthbert’s interest, since he had been so long on the open plains. Even the Indian ponies seemed to know instinc- tively that they were drawing near the home cor- - ral, for they stretched out with a new vigor that aroused Buckskin to do his prettiest, nor was the old cowboy mount to be left lagging by any cayuse ever ridden by a Sioux brave. _ At last the terrible journey came to an end. Cuthbert was secretly well pleased, for to himself he owned up to being sorely tired. The last few miles of their ride took them along the bank of the river, and with the silvery moonlight on the water, casting fantastic shadows where the trees overhung its brink, the scene was very beautiful to one who ConnicloOokks.€©