Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 246: what you’re looking at

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

234 The Raid on the Bad Lands. drew alongside the crouching Indian and whispered in his ear: “If we have to fight, let’s go at the business in a common-sense way. We must have a light first of all.” “Good! Karl, you know. Heap wood here; take some, make fire mebbe. Me watch.” And the only weapon he held in his hand while thus ready to invite the desperate onslaught of a monster grizzly was a naked hunting knife! Karl was staggered by such a reckless spirit; he never could fully understand Indian character—it had so many contradictory elements. It was, however, no time for juggling with the question, for there was old Eph. growing more fu- rious every second over this unwarranted intrusion, and ready to launch himself upon those who had dis- turbed his solitude. | Karl’s fingers trembled a little as he arranged the handful of fat pine spiinters so that they would im- mediately flame up when he applied the lighted match. His heart was almost in his throat as he could in imagination see the slight figure of the Indian lad between himself and the beast, awaiting on one knee and with uplifted knife the expected attack. Then came the crisis, when he drew the match along the stone, and, as the flame sprang up, applied it to the resinous pine. There was a flash of fire, and the inky darkness of the cave was almost in- stantaneously dispersed. ConniclooOckks.€©