Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

36 THE DOOMED HUNTER. CHAPTER YV. A PRINCESS’ WOOING. RALPH slept several hours, the sun being low in the west when he awoke. For a moment he felt really alarmed. His mouth was dry and parched, a dull pain had settled in his head, and the wounded limb felt sore and stiff He raised himself to a sitting posture, then stepped upon the floor and moved to a narrow opening which served something of the purpose of a window. These moyements convinced him that he was not seriously ill. Probably the faint working of the poison had passingly deranged his system, but after the time which had already passed there was no danger of serious results. ‘Moving back to the couch he sat down, and gave himself up to reflection. All was silent within the cabin, around and without. Still no solution to the mystery of his present position. Several times he rose, walked back and forth a few times, and then sat down again. The idea of passing another night in suspense was far from agreeable, Just as he was getting nervous over the loneliness of his situation he heard some one unfastening the door, and Elk’s Foot stood in his presence. He bore a wooden slab, tolerably well laden with edibles, which he deposited upon a block of wood in the cabin. “ Elk’s Foot, I want to know why I’m here ?” Ralph de- manded, without any ceremony. The Indian pointed to the food he had brought, and indi- cated with a grunt that that was to be considered first. “Tam not hungry,’ Ralph said. “I can’t eat any thing till I know what the meaning of all this is!” | “Try um,” returned Elk’s Foot. “Hungry brave eat— do him good. Make him talk wise words in council when him stomach feel good.” Ralph was vexed at this, but he knew the. Indian nature too well to entertain any hopes. of dissuading the other. Be- sides there was something of a promise implied to talk in Ceo micloookskeonn