Yellowstone Jack: Trappers of the Enchanted Ground — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

mote, Bw where | he is. io any nis best. “The ae fa orb allows: “ay Je 45 a + x : Fa their ‘ rdeothf -® : ae ee Be 1 Me tach . be nine to owl, Si, hae are ‘they > 29 begining ieee, A ist teeth to me, and the devil ‘care sueto. oe time! for Low e@; enou for Coveted 4 oe these words were uttered sotto voce by 5 Saat stood leaning carelessly the trunk of a cottonwood tree, dari eyes roving over the scene be- m, one hand instinctively caressing ished butt ofarevolver. | 7 here was nothiz g remarkable about. ‘this p rsonace, if his eyes be excepted. They were large, unusually brilliant, of a atty blz t times languid, sleepy, - | Imess.. A hey could fill with a mesmeric fire oe enough | to subdue the rising P daSRIC ons of a a hungry wild beast; at such 1e twin orbs seemed to pierce one 2 et igh » and through, to read one’s in- LS ,*ega Veriv - 2 Bripithes eedconk nor ee in of medium size, though rather 4 & ishouldered. His frame was one hat woul Id not attract a second glance in a crowd, yet & connoisseur would have | ee ared this man possessed of extra- 4 rdina: y strength and activity. = Be: ore him, stretched at ease upon the are answard in the shade cast by a group of pene cottonwoods, were nearly a of men. Their masks of shaggy, ‘iui-kempt hair and beard, more than their colour or dress, proclaimed these | men of Anglo-Saxon lineaye. Their garb partook more of the savage; only no Indian could | curse | and b blaspheme SO flue eptly. One 2 of them, : a. ect. red-haired Cali- ban, s eomed | especially discontented, and h oo ; louder than he probably i in- nded, as he uttered the words : ay it’s. too durmmed thin ! What'd prom se us ? Money, hosses, niules, : ae o' it. ‘Whar 1 is ib J est whar a r 2 ar mad animals pina on to |” master, dog! | give ye time to draw that ag URE GSPN Bes Sia SS Re 8 SS et a i Ld ww ~ * oe 2 2 ~ thd - Fe r. >. Ls ~ Y: , «! ' > ce ST Fe) ym : ; - “ raed ne y a, S. > , ‘ re a L- im a 2 Pee. ae aa ee CX 7 Agr ? . 7 . Pp > m4 a i WER ESS Sa. tir N < eae ps bie | Sue oF 2 PEATHIEN, : 5 “~ {et “ee at . it ? Our’ n p Not re It’s hrs. chainee mow; why. don’t he let us bounce em? Mebbe he wants the red-skins tu git in ahead 0’ us, Who is he, anyhow Kin anybody—” ” “Cheese it, Firetop : - look yonder hastily muttered one of the discontented | villain’s comrades, fairly turning a dirty yrey, as he quickly rolled away from the | Spot. Firetop glanced up, and then his brilli- ant crest dropped. A revoiver muzzle was staring him full in the face, held by the man who still leaned carelessly against the tree-truuk. ‘The magnetic black eyes shone like a coal of fire above the polished tube, and held the gaze of the discontent, surely as the diamond orbs of a rattlesnake enchain the flutter- ing bird. “7 ean tell you, Sandy Ben—your Stand up, fool! d’y think pistol ? warn ye twice. questions.” TH Hold up your hands; Pi not There—now ask me your The squat ruffian sullenly rose erect and - held up his unarmed hands as ordered, though it was evident he would gladiy have rebelled, had he seen one chance of doing so successfully. But he knew that» any sueh attempt would be rewarded with a half ounce of lead. Speak up! what were you growling about?” “°F you heered me at all, you know weil enough,” sullenly. “No impudence. I've asked you twice. The third time ‘twill be through my revolver.” “"F you're sp’ilin’ to shoot, why don’t ye blaze away? “This will be the Jast time, if you don’t—” 2 “Tnjuns! look ‘out, Cap—ahind ye, thar!” sullenly yelled Sandy Ben, leaping quickly aside. The leader of this rough band involun- tarily turned his head, to glanee behind him. And a revolver-bullet grazed fhi3 cheek, severing a lock of the silken whiskers in its passage. Quick as thought the Hale denppad pistol was levelled, and 2 second report followed the first, hke an echo. Wiih- out a groan, Sandy Ben wheeled half We ‘The capexplodes, | hed the chainco las’ night—we hev the ‘Twon't be the fust time Jat I’ve smelt burnt powder.” pou, throwing up his arms, the 3.1) -