The Maid of the Mountain — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

48 THE MAID OF THE MOUNTAIN. — .“ After her, Tommy!” he eried. “If she escapes, the fat is in the fire.” Five or six of the Regulators started in pursuit. Thé pass was narrow, allowing only two men to go abreast. Down this pass went the two officers, until they were brought up on the bank of a yawning gulf, thirty or forty feet wide, the lower part of which was vailed in coiplete darkness. Bat, neither girl nor Mexican was anywhere in sight! They had disappeared, but whither? Was it possible that they bad fallen into this abyss? Not probable, for the girl had come from that pass. They had a hiding-place somewhere, but where that was, none could tell. Even as they stared at one other in stupid amazement, a clear, musical langh came from the very earth beneath their feet. “Curse it!’ said Lane, “ what has come to the foot-hills? They used to be decent, respectable mountains, but Who could stand such nonsense us all this? Let us get back to the men.” | . They hurried back to’ the mouth of the pass, where they. found the rangers huddled together, silent as the grave, with dismayed looks. They were brave men. Either wopld have dared an encounter with a grizzly bear, a Blackfoot chief, or a robber, and crowed over his performance in that line. Rut, fighting shadows was not in their province. Who was this Wweman, who had come so suddenly, and disappeared xs “T say, ;” said a burly fellow, as their officers appeared, “TI don’t like this, I don’t.” _ “ Neither do I, Bart. The mischief is to pay. We have lost the Mexican, and have no clue to the haunt of the rol) bers. I-wish we had shot him.” — think that thar woman was a haman ?” “ Why, Burt? Of course I do.” “She mought be, and then ag’in she moughtn't. I opine thet she ain't. It don’t stand to reason thet any human e’ud go through a solid rock, and it pears like thet she did; darn my hide ef she didn't.” J “ Pshaw, Burt, nothing of the kind, “Whar be she then ?" - COMMmcOookxs.Conn