Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

FLIGHT: : 81 as if by mutual consent. But though they listened intently, neither of them was able to decidé how the battle was going. A confused firing and shouting reached their eats, but nothing beyond that. Whether the cries proceeded from whites or Indians was a mystery. Presently a single savage appeared, dashing wildly through the forest. The first glimpse of him convinced Ralph that the Settlers had been victorious, and that the Indians was fleeing for life. To his surprise, the guard who had charge of him stood quiet, awaiting the coming of the fleeing brave, though the latter made desperate signals for them to push on. “Why don’t you run?’ demanded Ralph. “ Your people are defeated. I am going,” he added, seeing the fellow did not’ stir. “Me shoot !” exclaimed the savage. “Shoot me! You daren’t do it. You'd better lose your head !” returned Ralph, confidently. The savage looked surprised, then turned reluctantly from the spot, and started into a careless run. A race began which it was no easy matter to stop, since he had no authority to shoot the hunter, and to put hand upon him was utterly out of the question. The Indian was hugely perplexed. He made every demonstration which he felt could influence the white to stop, all of which delayed his own progress, and pro- duced no effect upon the runner. | Having led the Indians a race of two or three miles, and demonstrated his ability to distance them upon equal ground, Ralph finally slackened his pace, and allowed them to gain his side. He reasoned that if the Indians wére defeated, of which there-was no doubt, the settlers would give over the pursuit, upon finding that he was not with them. Butif the pursuit should be continued, the vantage-ground he had al- ready gained would be sufficient—he could easily evade them. Selecting a spot which commanded a tolerably wide view through the forest, the Indians paused, and awaited the reas- sembling of their forces, One after another, five or six came in—among them Elk’s Foot, the chief of the party. “Then came one or two more, bleeding from wounds received in the conflict. And that was all. Eight of twenty-three only re- mained to tell the sorrowful tale to their people ! oa a - coniebooks.conn