Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

An Indian Brave. 137 had bearded a Tartar in her den and won a place in her regard. Cuthbert, intent on making the acquaintance of the medicine man, sauntered over to the tepee where he held forth. It bore hideous character-drawings, done in bril- liant colors, and reminded him somewhat of a cir- cus tent. The old fraud sat in his doorway, smoking. He looked well satisfied with life, as though things were coming his way and he had no occasion to complain. At close quarters, Cuthbert discovered him to be a gaunt, ugly chap, who delighted in making him- self more hideous even than Nature had done, though, to give her credit, she had certainly at- tempted her best. His eye sparkled like that of a massasauga rat- tlesnake, and his nails were talons, while the lib- eral daubs of brilliant paint and the colored feath- ers he carried, gave him a very killing appearance as a venerable seer. Cuthbert had his course planned. Soft words had won with the squaw, but would they have any effect upon the steel armor of this suspicious mountebank? He bowed low before the old fellow and, laying one hand on his breast and with the other remov- ing his cap, he said: “May I speak with you, oh, sir?” He found it hard to restrain his mirth as he watched the expression on the medicine man’s face from the corner of his eye. “Speak!” said the old man, grandly flourishing his hand. “TI have heard of your fame,” said Cuthbert, truth- fully enough, for he was revered by the other In- Conicloe® <S C©