Yellowstone Jack: Trappers of the Enchanted Ground — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

ac cia pause for breath until they \d passed « an abrupt bend in the valley that shut off all view of the Springs. 4 Oe Raliaietone Jack paused beside a large boul der that stood upon one end; at its d ise was a small hollow. The men read sett his questioning look, and nodded With their knives the hollow as deepened, the loose earth carefully d in a pile. Then the body was der sited i in the trench, and a few leaves and twigs strewn over it. The dirt was | pushed back and pressed down. Then th i 3 four men leaned heavily against the ee 3 alder, mtil it slowly toppled over, ay LO) ever pegneeshng the grave from human f wae He desarved a big monniment ef me cas exitter ever di bs ’ said Jack, brush- ing tho ‘perspiration from his brow. “ He was a squar’ man, clean through, ef he 3 did hev greaser blood in him.” ; “Big es the rock is, ’twon’t keep him lowe Tm dub’us,” gloomily muttered : Brindle Joe.. “A murdered man cain’t rest peace’bly long’s the one what rubs A im out goes onpunished. But kin we _ take the skelp o’ 2 spook? Not much!” NG don’t know; mebbe we was too uick i in gittin’ skeered ; thar’s a pesky ie o’ humbug in this world. Mind, I ¢ don’t say ‘t this 7s a humbug, but I do say ’t I’m goin’ to look inter it a little ‘dloster afore long. Chavez was too good a pard to let f g° so easy. But it’s time we was gittin’ back to quarters. Thar’s s ‘a , storm brewin’; I kin feel it in my x i A ee Ma . i, - Half-an-hour later a glorious prospect @ was openedbefore the eyes of the trappers. ‘They stood upon a narrow ledge of rock he hat ran partially around the mountain. Sal: 3efore them, to the right and left, miles if a0 miles of ground seemed spread at eit feet ; of hills and ridges, broken and w ld, of valley and miniature plain, fer- ile and lovely, of deep, winding canyons, Ye Bony and forbidding—all these were f ‘spread before them. —* Ge— thunder ! look in Bad Wolf ken- 4) yon; ‘see the white waggon-kivers—a by emigrant train !” Solaied a i 3) astonishment. a “Skelps must be plenty wi them sence _ they kerry ’ em to sech a market as this. lig it ied the storm’ § comin’ like fun ! ted Rik? ; ; . 4 * J wf “sia oF THE himpioiNnés “| We patie cache—in a hes too, Brindle Joe, SPRING, 1 a ~ « a *." 2 > be . . . . a e . 4 ba “s a '. ; , - . ° 4 = - : * a . : . be “> - ‘ t: ; Y 7 ; ’ 7 w% we . 4? . : * 4 - : e . , . ” we're ketched hyar. it’s good-bye John!” The trappers now began rapidly descending, leaping from ledge to. ledge, alighting upon rocky erags that would scarce have afforded footing for a moun- tain goat, letting themselves down by bushes and creepers. They knew that this was no common storm, that a human being upon the mountain, unprovided — with shelter, would stand but a farm chance of escaping with life. “ Hyar we be, an’ nuther!” gasped Jack, as he crept into a@ roomy cave half-way down the moun- tain side. “ Jess lisen! it’s a game of ten-pins wi’ dornicks fer balls an’ trees fer pins 1” Huge boulders thundered by. Great trunks of trees, splintered and cracked, were hurled past the cave-mouth. The icy-cold blast eddied through the den, chilling the men to the bone, until they were glad to huddle close together. Yet, whenever the roaring of the elements would admit of audible speech, they discussed the sight they had just — witnessed—that of the white-tilted waggon-train. Its presence in that remote region, so far from any recognized emigrant-trail, was indeed remarkable. They could not understand it, knowing as they did how implacable the Blackfeet were toward all pale-faces not actually adopted into their tribe. It seemed a miracle how the travellers had escaped — massacre thus long,” _ “ Mebbe it’s one o’ them ’splorin’ out- fits, though what they want hyar, I don’t know. They say thar is sech things, but I cain’t see what fer—onless to keep the Injins stirred up, or to make game an’ beaver skeerce.” “ Mought be a gov’ment train to ’stab- lish a tracdin’ post, ” feebly suggested Brindle Joe. “YT didn’t see no sodjers—but it may — be. Anyhow, they're white. S’posin’ we giv’ ‘em a call P Mebbe we kin make a raise 0’ some powder an’ whisky.” This cinched the matter. The decision was unanimous; they would visit tho train as soon as the storm would per- mit, The trappers did not wait long before | starting forth, though the pouderee was still raging furiously. But it was freez- ing cold within the damp den, and they preferred risking: the danger of being none 00 soon, — ene. we? my 4: 4 a £. .. P? _ “ < ' ECONMIC OOO! KS.,CO (Cj @ Sets