Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

182 The Gray-Coated Pirate. Nearer still. Each little run brought them so many yards closer to the fatal flag that Karl now moved sedately to and fro. They were almost within pistol shot, and gave signs of such alarm that it was evident the fascina- tion could not last much longer.. “Ready?” whispered Karl, changing the flag to his left hand, while, with his right, he drew his heavy revolver. “Yes,” came the steady response. “Take the young buck on the left.” “Then let go!” Cuthbert fired almost tristantly, and at that dis- tance his aim was fatal. | The young buck fell to the grass, while the bal- ance of the herd sprang away as if made up of springs, the old veteran COVERING the rear, like the gallant defender he was. Karl had opened with his battery, and the repeat- ing gun was worked for a couple more shots ere the antelope had passed out of range. The boys had reason to be satisfied, since > three head of the game fell to their share. “T’m glad that fine old chap got away,” remarked Cuthbert, as they tied the legs of their quarry to- eether preparatory to “toting” them to camp, as the: Virginian expressed it. “And I’m not sorry. He deserved to get off scot free, and, besides, I hadn’t much of a liking to try my teeth on his tough flesh,” laughed Karl. “Perhaps the next time he sees a red handkerchief fluttering in the breeze he may remember this sad day.” “Perhaps; but I doubt it. Antelopes are funny birds; they’re skeery all right, but mighty curious. If there’s anything new around they jest got to see connicloooks.conn