Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

140 An Indian Brave. him drive the evil spirits from the bed of a sick Indian, or execute one of his fantastic dances when the time came for the propitiation of an infuriated god. Perhaps in time he would even have the good luck to see all this, if he remained in the Sioux village long enough and kept in the favor of the medicine man. Cuthbert was satisfied with his day’s work. He had learned much and had made friends, two things bound to tell in the end. Thus several days passed. Life began to grow monotonous. A palace 1s a prison to one who may not pass beyond its portals, and the young fellow, accus- tomed to liberty in its widest significance, began to feel like a bird that beats its poor head against the bars of its cage. Now escape began to be ever in his mind—he thought of it night and day. By slow degrees he began to shape his policy, and all this had to be done without arousing the sus- picions of Standing Elk and his clan. As the evening fell Cuthbert used to repair to a rock near by and gaze sadly in the direction he knew Sunset Ranch must be. At such a time he was apt to be almost over- whelmed by the intensity of the emotions that swept over him. Yet, when sauntering into camp soon after, he appeared just as jolly and free from care as ever. Thus he believed he was quieting the suspicions of his quondam red brothers—at least, they allowed him more liberties, took him bear hunting among the wild passes to the north, where Cuthbert was able to do excellent work with his reliable old Win- chester, placed in his hands for this occasion, and in many other ways tried to make him feel that he Connicloooks.€©