Red Belt, the Tuscarora — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

2 RED BELT, THE TUSCARORA. < were trapped over, and traversed by the hardy hunters—but not this particular portion. It was then the frontier of the colony, and what might then be termed the “ far-west.” Roydon Howe glanced around him; he seemed to reflect fora moment. Then resuming the trail, he turned quickly down the river. In a moment, followed by the dog, he had disappeared in the thick underbrush bordering the stream. When he once more appeared, the dog did not accompany him. Once more he resumed his way, and as he proceeded, his step grew more cautious and guarded than ever. He carried his rifle in his hand, ready for any emergency. He glanced keenly about him on every side. It was now so dark that the young hunter could not see the trail; but he knelt down and felt for it with his hands, and having found it, again followed softly onward. The time sped by, and it was now a late hour in the night. Suddenly he paused and stood like a statue, as a rifle-shot sounded, sharp and clear, in the still air. The report rung and rung again, coming from the clustering bushes on the neighboring river-bank. The young man did not move a mus- cle; breathlessly he waited. But no other sound came; and then the last reverberation of the rifle-shot had died away. He turned about cautiously, : and creeping through the bushes hurried away, abandoning the : trail altogether. : The young man passed on for some distance, and then’ once : again turned in toward the bank of the river. Then he paused and stooping down, untied his moccasins, and putting them on hind part before, secured them in their places with slender thongs, which he drew from his pouch. Again he strode on, and was now upon the bank of the river, and beneath the thick covering of the underbrush. Sud- denly he paused again, for just ahead of him he had heard the snapping of a twig. In an instant, his rifle was down at a rest—then—a present—his thumb upon the hammer. But be fore he could move, he heard the sharp springing of a rifle-lock, and then like a stroke of lightning he was struck a heavy blow from behind. Roydon Howe staggered backward and endeavored tv defend comicbooks.com oh Vo - \ =e.