Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

72 THE DOOMED HUNTER. Carefully he stole away, inch by inch, almost, listening, long- ing, hoping for the boon which hung by a single thread. Just at the instant when he would have broken away from the scene, he heard a savage moving. Was he to be discovered ? At that time he stood beside a small tree, the branches of which hung within reaching distance of the ground, Almost without any settled purpose he swung himself into the branches, and noiselessly gained a respectable distance from the ground. Here he paused to notice the move- ments. within the Indian camp. As he had feared, his absence became known in a moment, and the camp was in an uproar. Very silently the Indians spread into the forest, gliding along like so many specters. Ralph knew his chance would have been less than nothing had he attempted flight. In a few moments all the Indians had dispersed, leaving him alone within the leafy beech. Noticing the direction taken by his enemies, he slid to the ground, and flitted off in the woods, using excessive caution. Having proceeded but a few rods he again mounted into a friendly tree whose branches would afford him certain security as long as darkness remained. His purpose, however, was. to rest there for an hour or more until the savages should give up the search, then to take to his feet again. Ere long, one by. one, the Indians came in. He could see the dull camp-fire, from his perch, and counted their numbers, until at length all were in, the last being Elk’s Foot. At once a council was held. Then was the moment to fly, since the council would surely end in arrangements for a thorough search of the forest as soon as the light permitted, Slipping down from. his leafy covert, Ralph once more trod the forest mazes—a hunted man. When once clear of the Saas vicinity it was but natural that he should begin to reflect upon what lay before him. Where to go, and what. to do? Alone and weapon- less, hunted and doomed both by his fellow-whites seni the Indians, his case wag desperate indeed. As he could not liye in the forest without weapons, or some method of procuring food, his first impulse was to return to Forest Vailey, and seek for a new supply. But this would - be @ most dangerous experiment, since his late appearance Comichbooksscom