Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

112 Horse Thieves. These Indians appeared to be able to use the rope quite as well as the best of white cowboys. Cuthbert was no longer able to run in the direc- tion he desired to go—indeed, held from both sides, even as he had many times helped to hold a refrac- tory steer, he found it utterly out of the question to move—breathing was difficult, since that second rope partially encircled his neck. And as he struggled against his fate the Virginia boy heard the thunder of many hoofs, as the Indians who had been hidden with their ponies in the longer grass below the ridge went galloping wildly toward the saddle band—heard the chorus of savage yells that would serve to terrify and stampede the animals over which he and Karl had been placed in charge, and mingled with these the clamorous report of fire- arms added to the racket. His heart sank within him until it felt like a lump of lead. Strange to say, it was not of himself or his des- perate position he thought—Kar} alone was in his mind, Karl who would endeavor to defend his bunch of horses, although the shrieking stampeders were twenty to one. Karl, who would perhaps go down riddled with bullets, a fate that has ere now befallen many a night wrangler when horse thieves were on the range. It all happened so quickly that Cuthbert must al-’ ways have some difficulty in remembering just what occurred. He heard the tumult sweep over the ridge, heard the roar of many hoofs that announced the accom- -plishment of the stampede, caught the steady report of Karl’s gun as the prairie boy sturdily opened fire upon the marauders, intent — punishing, if he could not save. Then those who held the ropes, as if by a precon- certed movement, jerked him over and dragged him ConniclooOokks.€©