Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

The Indian Foray. 47 tling as a lot of bones shaken in a box, or the crack- ling of dead leaves in the forest. “Thar they be, the beauties, and neck deep in the game. We'll have to spile their reckoning, I kinder guess. Now, then, let loose, and when you shoot let lead count.” The rush down the slight incline and across the intervening stretch of level prairie, would Cuthbert ever forget it?—such exhilaration, with his blood at fever heat, such a sensation of going into action the first time—every young soldier has experi- enced it. At first the marauders did not notice their sud- den advent on the scene, so taken up were they with their engaging business, and the breeze, what little there was, coming from the wrong quarter. The little cavalcade cleared some distance ere a fierce yell declared the fact of their discovery. “Sit tight, Cuthbert,” shouted Karl. “The beg- gars are on to us at last.” Cuthbert’s blood was up, and the rush across the plain had given him a superabundance of courage. “Say, Karl, watch them fly in about a minute.” “Well, hardly,” said Karl, with a peculiar smile. “My boy, we'll have some tough work before they clear off.” “But they won’t stand up to us. Why, they’ll turn tail directly we get in their range.” “What! and leave the chance to bag cattle? Not on your life.” If the tenderfoot expected to see the Sioux braves scamper off in alarm, without making an effort to hold what they had seized he was very much mistaken. These impetuous young bucks were just pining for action of some sort, and welcomed the oppor- tunity to have a little brush with those they reck- oned their hereditary foes. cComiclooks C©