Red Plume — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

70 RED PLUME. I wonder why thar’ don’t, more of ’em_ git arter the beaver. ‘Spect they’d find suthin’ then to. try thar’ cunnin’. I rather reckon, Delaware, that the chief wasn’t very dead. Ef he should die on the Yankee’s hands, now, thar’d be one white man sculped in a hurry, and .wuss’n that. It’s likely to happen, anyhow, onless we kin git him out. Why don’t he make tracks, ef he is so smart?” “Ueh! Blackfeet don’t want to, ths such big medicine, and watch him mighty close. Nice white gal thar’, too.” “That's a fact. I wonder, now, whar’ that ‘ithe of mine is? I wish the rip would come along, for the boys will be thinkin’ we’ve got into a serape. It can’t be possible that he has gone back to his tribe, or he would haye had them about our ears afore this.” + The trapper spoke-musingly, and looked in, the direction from which he expected the renegade to come. As he did so, he saw Red Plame running toward them, his long feather streaming back on the night breeze, his face almost pale, and his countenance expressive of the greatest terror. Bush was surprised, and showed that he was, but he was confident that the Indian was not pursued, for he would not, if a legion of enemies were at his back, have exhibited such symptoms of fear, and have fled’ in such a headlong manner. He waited, therefore, calmly, until Red Plume came up, nearly exhausted by his labor and excitement. “ Wal, here’s a crazy Tnjan What in natur’ is the mat- ter with you? ” “ Kotselo has seen a spirit!’ answered the renegade, as soon as he could recover his breath sufficiently to speak. The trapper and the Delaware started, for both were super- stitious, and not only believed that the spirits of the dead some- times revisited the earth, but were sure that they themselves had been witnesses. of such visitations. Bush, however, af- fected to laugh at the astounding declaration, andl ordered the renegade to explain himself, which he did i in the Blackfeet tongue, as his English was not equal to such a task. | “Kotselo went to. the village,” said he, “J crept like a snake, so. that none could see or hear me, but my eyes and ears were open, All was quiet, and I went where I chose, until a dog came and barked at_me. But I knew the dog, and spoke , ‘ —~ e€eomicbooks.conny