Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

- ELK’S FOOT EXPLAINS. 37 council when the food should have been disposed of. Com- forting himself with this idea, the young man rapidly devoured the edibles, which were well prepared and sauced by hunger. “ This done he turned anxiously to the young Indian. The latter had remained watching him intently. “ Now me talk,’ he said, seating himself upon the ground. The Indian gazed earnestly upon the white man for some moments. . Then he commenced, and in his peculiar manner unfolded the designs which had so puzzled the listener. Divesting the narrative of that clipped and_ sententious style peculiar to the North American Indian, and the oft. re- peated boasts which graced it, the narrative was as follows: His tribe was powerful. Its warriors were counted by hundreds, and its towns were numerous. His father, who was old and near the grave, ruled this great tribe, which upon his death would be equally divided between the two children, Elk’s Foot and Sleeping Fawn. The latter was a maiden of great beauty; highly cultivated, and versed in all the agreeable Indian arts. To see her was to love her. From far and near distinguished lovers crowded to seek her smiles and love, but she had none to give them. She had seen a noble white hunter, and her heart had gone forth to him. For many moons she had striven to conquer that love which burned within her, but all in vain. She mourned daily, growing thinner and more like the evening shadows, until her brother had been induced to question her in regard to her secret. At first she had refused to divulge the cause of her sorrow, but after Elk’s Foot had sworn that any wish she might ex- press should be granted, Sleeping Fawn had confessed her love for the fair young -hunter of the pale-faces. Since no- thing could dissuade her, and the brother’s word had been _ pledged, he took a handful of warriors, and set off to seek the young man. His arrival had been most opportune. He had saved the life of the very man his sister loved, and brought him to her unharmed, For some moments after this recital was ended Ralph sat like one in a vision. The very idea of an Indian princess full- ing in Jove with and causing him to be kidnapped was almost § incredible. But he did not doubt the story at all. Every 97.2 a Conmcoooks. con