Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 270: what you’re looking at

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

258 Sunset Ranch. the steady-riding pursuers were slowly but surely gaining. The Indian had made an unhappy choice in a pony for Polly. Their own animals could have almost made rings about the other beast, under a stress of circum- stances, and, as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, they could not go faster than the ani- mal that dragged. Polly even begged Karl to leave her and seek safety himself, so that he might come again another day with the cowboy band and effect her rescue. Of course, he scoffed at the idea indignantly, and, with a mocking laugh, cried: “Through thick and thin, Polly, you said. We sink or swim together.” And Polly endeavored to persuade him no more. Perhaps she realized what a blessed thing it was to have so sincere and faithful a friend, even if he were only a cowboy. He risked all he had on earth in her behalf—his life—and a prince of the royal blood could do no more. The pursuers were now drawing so close that Karl knew the chase was near its finish. He no longer busied himself in endeavoring to find the easiest passage. That were a matter that would presently concern them but little. What he most desired was to discover some spot where the rocks would form a natural fort, behind which they might take refuge and hold off the eager foe. That was one advantage possessed by this wild country over the open prairie—it offered a much better chance of defense, for there were places— Karl had seen many of them—where two well- armed and determined men could keep a score at bay. One thing he could not understand was the utter Connicloooks.€©