Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

%8 THE DOOMED HUNTER. was anxious to know which way his foe had gone, so as to guard against a future encounter. But, as the event proved, the Indian was not far away, and had really outwitted the white. As the latter raised his head a second time, he observed a jet of flame and smoke from a small tree at some distance, a bullet whistled through his clothing, cutting a lock of hair from his uncovered head in its passage, and buried itself in the ground beside him. Many years in the forest had taught Ralph Rilley that apparently the most reckless course often proved wisest in the result. Acting upon this idea, the young man no sooner felt the passage of the bullet than he sprung to his feet, and dash- ed, with a yell, toward the tree containing the savage. All unarmed as he was, the act partook of the most utter rash- ness, yet it produced the very result he hoped for. The Indian was not prepared for any such movement. Never doubting that his bullet would end the life of a foe to his race, he was peering anxiously forward to note the result, when he was surprised to behold an athletic form bound through the bushes, and dash in the direction of his perch. Recoiling in surprise, he lost his balance, and tumbled to the ground. Gathering himself up he flew into the forest with bounds like those of a frightened deer. Ralph had no intention of pursuing. He was prepared for nothing of the kind. Merely satisfying himself that. the sav- age would not look around for some moments, he sprung back to the place where he had left Nancy. The maiden still crouched upon the ground, trembling in mortal terror. She could not comprehend the rash movements of her lover; it seemed to her that he was only rushing upon certain death. “Come!” he said, raising her in his arms, and bounding through the bramble. “ We must make an effort to fly. It is our only chance now—heayen only knows if we shall be successful !” He placed her upon the ground, after passing the obstruc- tions in which they had been involved, and then both sped forward, striking toward another copse of bushes at some dis- _ tance, which seemed to give promise of a more secure shelter. Nancy exerted herself to the titmost, though at heart she had comichooks.com