Red Plume — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

64 RED PLUME. a party immediately, and effect her release by force of arms, audin this he was supported by his father, who gave him lib- erty to select. as many men from his command as were will- ing to aid him in his enterprise. But Bill Bush protested against the plan, as likely to cause considerable loss of life, without gaining its object. | “From what I know of these yere Blackfeet,” said he, ‘they won’t be apt to hurt the gal, onless she turns out to be too cantankerous, They ain’t like the reg’lar peraira Injuns, who never show a woman crittur the least bit of mercy: but they like to keep the white women when they git ‘em, ’spe- cially ef they’re purty, hopin’ to make squaws of ’em, or to turn ’em into money in some way. Ef we should go to work and fight ’em, either they would whip us, or we would whip them. Ef we got whipped they would hold onto the gal, of course, and ef they got whipped, it is ten to one they would kill the gal, when they saw they were bound to lose her. So you see,’cordin’ to my notion, it will be best for two or three of us to go—not enough to be in each other's way—and try to outsmart the Injuns.” Bush was upheld in his opinion by some of the trappers, who also stated their belief that the bands of Blackfeet that had been prowling about in that region were uniting, for the purpose of a grand campaign against the traders and trap- pers, and that the entire force of the whites would not be sufficient to make a successful: attack upon them, on ground of their own choosing. “You see, now, Cap’n Frank,” continued Bush, “ that thar’s no use in takin’ a crowd with us. You and I will go, my boy, and we will take good hosses and plenty of provender, and will camp around the villains ontil we git what we want. I can’t think what’s ’come of the Delaware and the Yankee, © who went to hunt the trail, onless they’ve been rubbed out by the Blackfeet, or are hangin’ round on that trail yit. Howsomever, we know whar’ to go, and needn’t bother ’bout anythin’ else.” David Carver, although his wounded arm was still painful, declared his intention of aiding in the rescue of his sister, and the renegade Blackfoot also expressed a desire to be one of the party. Bush was glad to accept the services of Red ' commiclooks.Conn