Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

7 At the Sioux Camp. 71 He could easily guess their errand, and his “so- long” had in it all the cheery elements of good wishes for luck to be with them. Karl was perfectly at home on the prairie by day or night—the stars were his guide, and should these fail, he always had his little compass to depend upon—besides, there were various other methods of locating the cardinal points known to those who risk their lives on the boundless, swelling plains. Straight on he rode, mile after mile, with Cuth- bert galloping alongside and the gray trailing be- hind, now skirting a treacherous gopher village, anon avoiding a coulee that lay across their track. They talked as they rode leisurely on, since Karl had taken time by the forelock and started early enough, so there was no haste. Dawn was at hand. There is no prettier sight than the breaking of day as seen upon the prairies, where the level hori- zon seems so very distant. The gray line in the east widened and turned to a pale yellow, and presently the sun arose, heralded by glowing red streamers that, according to old plainsmen, as well as mariners of the sea, promised storm ere long. Before sunup the boys had entered the belt of timber beyond which the herd of bison was supposed to be feeding in fancied security. Perhaps the tufted grass was sweeter in the lee of the wooded section—some such cause had op- erated to detain them in their migration to the warmer south land. The three horses were led now, and finally se- cured to trees, while the young hunters sought the fringe of the timber, in order to ascertain whether theirs had been a fools’ errand or not. Cuthbert’s heart was jumping nervously as they reached a point from which an observation could Connicloooks.€©