Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

The Indian Foray. 55 to have some connection with the new coal mines recently opened, she had been making the journey when their horses fell lame and they dropped be- hind the rest of the freighters’ wagon train. It was while camped on the prairie the red raid- ers came into camp. The white man, realizing the folly of resistance when his enemies were two-score against one, en- deavored to make friends with the hot-headed, young warriors, but they treated him with scant courtesy, forced Polly to mount behind one of their number and galloped away. A few remained behind, and the poor girl had reason to fear the worst when she heard the quick detonation of guns in that quarter ere they had gone half a mile. Since that time she had ridden with her captors. They treated her kindly enough, and one among them, the same fellow whom Karl had wounded in the arm, announced his intention of making an In- dian girl out of her by staining her face and dyeing her golden hair—though those laughing blue eyes must have always betrayed her to be of other than Indian blood. They saw no more of the Sioux raiders, but heard of great damage caused by the red thieves farther south, where they ran off cattle, killed several herd- ers and made more or less work for the soldiers sent from the post in search of them. It would always remain a vivid recollection in Cuthbert’s mind. Besides, there was Polly. Mrs. Kelly, kind, motherly soul, had adopted the waif, for there was pretty good evidence that the man she called her uncle had met his fate on that night his camp was invaded. Old Sile led'a party in that direction. They dis- covered the wrecked and looted wagon, and the comicloooks C©