The Maid of the Mountain — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

THE OUTLAW’s END. 99. robbers, and at the same time was witness to the battle, Bates left her to mingle in the fray. One by one the Brothers dropped and died. The chief showed an undaunted spirit. Though wounded, he stood in the front, disputing every inch of the ground. He had enip- tied his pistols and rifle, and was using the latter as a mace. The Regulators shrunk before the blows he dealt, and looked for a man strong enough to oppose him. He was soon found, rushed at him, whirling the iron about his head us if it were a feather. An outlaw threw himself before him, but went down, his skull crushed like an egg-shell by a single power- ful blow. The rifle of the chief was broken at the stock, but the barrel was a fearful weapon in such hands, and clashed against the bar with a force which nearly tore the weapon from’ the captain's hand. But, Lane recovered himself, and givé back blow for blow; a better match for the chief conld not have been found in all California. The men on both sides cheered their leaders. Man after man dropped, and yet the straggle between the two giants continued. The fortitude of the ehief wrang a cry of admiration even from his ene- mies. But the great number of the rangers insured their ~The resolute chief cast a quick glance about him; only three of his men held their feet. He knew that all was lost ; when, suddenly, gathering all his mighty strength, he broke through-the diminished ranks of his enemies, and darted toward the spot where Inez stood. They heard a shriek, and, leaving the battle-ground, Elliot sprung forward, just in time to see the chief plunge into the passage, holding Inez in his arms. Josh Simpkins and two of the rangers followed. Elliot had taken a torch from one of the men, and hurried on. They came up with him, standing, faint and bloody, on the brink of the chasm whicl he had destined for the grave of Elliot, holding the struggling girl in his arms in a vice- like grasp. ‘ “ Keep back f’ he shouted. “Advance a step, and I drop her into this pit.” ~ The youtg man recoiled in horror. The expression of the chief’s face was frightful. we conniclbooks.conn