Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

146 Taking French Leave. Matters were running along in this groove when a sudden change occurred that forced Cuthbert’s hand, and made him adopt stern measures before the time he had set for the carrying out of his plan. The cool breath of early fall was in the air. Already advance couriers of the frost king had breathed upon certain sensitive trees and plants, causing their leaves to turn crimson or a bright golden. It was a time when the heat of summer having passed away, one felt strong and invigorated, capa- ble of accomplishing great things. Cuthbert, by chance, was at the corral petting poor lonely Buckskin, who seemed to miss Karl, his young master, so much, feeding him with some choice bits of grass, and whispering to him of the time soon coming when the long pent-up powers of the broncho would be put to the most severe test of his life, in order to carry Karl’s chum to safety. A commotion on the border of the village at- tracted his attention, and looking in that direction, he discovered quite a squad of Indians entering camp. At every step their numbers were augmented by recruits from the village, who added their voices to the clamor. Not to be outdone, the pariah dogs barked and © howled, horses neighed, and, taken in all, the hub- bub equaled that which greeted the party returning with the horses stolen from Sunset Ranch at the time he himself was made a prisoner. \ There were no horses, no cattle being driven or dragged now, but in the midst of the band he dis- covered one who wore the well-known garb of a cowboy. ! Another prisoner, Cuthbert thought, and his heart beat like a trip-hammer when he remembered Karl, C© in Ie INOO SS CO