Red Belt, the Tuscarora — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

42 RED BELT, THE TUSCARORA. now fuily recovered from his fainting fit—which had been !n- duced by sheer loss of blood—leisurely drew toward him the two empty rifles, and reloaded them. Then he placed them so that the flying spray would not fall on them, and turning about seated himself steadily in the bottom of the boat; then he grasped a paddle. Red Belt did not say nay; he was well aware that the old hunter knew what was right. So he simply retained his own seat, and urged the canoe forward, steering with the paddle at the same time. _ On they dashed over the dark waters—not a word being spoken, and no sound breaking. on the air, save the mournful splash of the waves striking the sharp bows of the canoe, and the whispering’ of the night-wind over the bosom of the tossing -- — river. No sounds came from the pursuing boat, now. Just after the fatal shot from Whistling Dick, the large canoe had stopped in its onward course; and after the wild outburst had subsided, the Indians had quietly taken their paddles, and turningthe boat back, toward the eastern bank, commenced to recross the river. The canoe containing ~ them was soon lost in the gloom. Old Sampson and Red Belt paused not once in their work, but drove their light craft straight across. After nearly an hour's hard pulling, they reached the opposite shore. Only a few minutes elapsed before the hardy hunters had debarked and drawn the canoeashore, well under a cliff which overhung the river-bank. Then they capsized it, covered it with bnshes and secured it firmly. Old Sampson then crept down to the-river-bank, and seated » himself near the edge, while Red Belt set to work to wash away the clotted blood from the old man’s shoulder, and ex- amine the wound made by the jaguar’s teeth. It was found that the flesh had been torn away consider- ably, but that the animal's teeth had not sunk deep. _. Red Belt thoroughly cleansed the part with cold water, and then covered the wound lightly with a cooling ointment which he took from a bag in his pouch. _ After resting a moment or so, the old hunter expressed himself as feeling much better of the scratch, as he termed it connicloookks.conn