Beadle's Dime Novels No. 316: Hurricane Bill — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

A BOLD MOVE. 75 loved master. Mustang Sam passed the stout riata around a buge bowlder and knotted it firmly. Then, with the aid of a stout stick, he twisted up the slack until the lasso was as straight and stiff as a bar of iron. Grasping the rope, the scout boldly swung over the chasm, crossing, hand over hand with the speed and ease of a professional gymnast. In ten seconds he was standing upon the further side of the canon. Reaching the point where Black Garcia bad disappeared from sight, Mustang Sam rapidly picked up the trail, at the same time leaving plain indications for his comrades, in the crushed and broken twigs of the bushes, or by kicking up a portion of the sundy soil that lay in scattered patches between the rocks. But he was not forced to ip this long. The trail entered the narrow pass, and after marking the entrance plainly, Mustang Sam glided on rapidly, not more than ten minutes in the rear of Black Garcia, © ‘The scout abruptly paused and then sunk down behind a ragged bowlder. The enemy swas in view. He could dis- tinguish a number of human beings scaling the almost per- pendicular walls of the pass. They were Black Garcia’s men, going into ambush. Not dreaming of any such plan as the, scout had put into operation, they believed themselves safe from observation for at least another half-hour, and so paid little attention to what was going on in the pass beyond... “So—he’s holed at last!” muttered Mustang. “ Means fight, too. A pesky mean place—but thar’s open ground be- yond. <A quick dash ’ll do it. Once we git thar, we'll hev them in a trap. They cain’t get down -onless we let ’em, which I don’t reckon we will—faster ’n we kin pick’em off "th our six-sbooters.” Satisfied at length that he had learned all be could without danger of discovery, the plainsman adroitly retreated, keep- ing well covered until out of sight of the ambushed outlaws. While thus engaged he heard the report of a gun, and knew that a crossing had been found at last. He had not gone far beyond the entrance of the pass, when he caught sight of his comrades, and quickly signaled them. His gestures were understood, and the party came up rapidly. Mustang Sam had determined what te say, and did conniclsooks.comn