Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

268 The Last Round-Up. Karl and Cuthbert did not resume the old life. Their plans were arranged for the future, though this wonderful discovery concerning Polly came near changing matters. It was finally agreed, however, that, for the win- ter, the young girl should remain with the Kellys, who meant to go to Southern California. Karl and Cuthbert enjoyed the last few weeks on the range hugely. There was a mournful pleasure in doing every- thing for the last time. Even a soaking rain, when taking a turn at night wrangling the saddle horses, was accepted in the light of a joke, for it makes all the difference in the world whether one undertakes a hardship as a duty or a species of sport. They scoured the country, visiting every familiar bit of territory, while Old Sile was making prepa- rations for their winter campaign. Here Cuthbert had caught his prize fish in the cool waters of the river where they gurgled over the old logs and other obstructions that formed the Riffles; there Karl had had his encounter with a steer that had gone mad in the August sun, and caught him afoot; | in this place the stampede had taken them by sur- prise when an awful thunderstorm broke over the range at midnight. So it went. . ‘There were hosts of reminiscences that flooded their minds and made them feel sad, even while they gloried in the prospect that awaited them in the near future. What fun it was to hunt the lurking wolf; to chase the bounding jack rabbit; to smell all the fa- miliar sweet odors of their beloved prairie. They enjoyed it all to the full. Each day brought its pleasures; the weather was crisp and clear, and it seemed as though nature were CoOnnicloOokks.€©