Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

Bravo! Buckskin. 171 Over the wild barley, leaping the tufted patches of buffalo grass, through the rattlesnake weed that rustled with the approach of autumn’s chill breath— always onward with those yelling rascals in full chase, Buckskin kept up the mad pace. Ah! the yellow nag did himself proud on that day, and Cuthbert was forcibly reminded of the time when he and Karl were carried to safety and the cooling waters of the river, with the prairie fire raging at their backs. As never before he realized what a blessed thing it was to bestride a horse of kingly blood, capable of making such extraordinary exertions when the oc- casion demanded. The excitement was still in his veins. Even putting aside the miserable fate that awaited him if overhauled and taken back to the Indian vil- lage a dejected prisoner, Cuthbert burned to come out victor in the race on its own merits. He had not forgotten the sensation of pride and © glory that swept over him when his chum, on this same little horse, won from the boasting Sioux braves on the former occasion, and Cuthbert yearned to have victory placed to his own credit. The old pride of Virginia, mother of Presidents, not to be outdone, was showing itself. How indefatigable those grim pursuers seemed to be. Never before had Cuthbert realized how men could partake of the nature of the wolves they chased over the prairie ; these warriors had won their spurs—their right to wear the feathers of braves—by just such tactics as these, and he could not hope to throw them off the scent, except by superior run- ning. Alas! his weary horse was taken at a decided dis- advantage, and had already reached his limit. Presently his furious pace must slacken as his S COMGDOO C©