Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

192 The Gray-Coated Pirate. Sunset Ranch, much to the grief of several despe- rate souls among the rough riders who would really rather fight than eat, and who, having cast their for- tunes in with this expedition under the positive be- lief that the Indian village must be attacked and much savage warfare ensue, were really disheartened at the way things turned out. Indeed, one or more of them even went so far as to reproach Cuthbert for cutting loose so soon and spoiling their romantic plans of rescue, which might - have taken Little Buckshot into the village disguised as the medicine man, and ended with the stampede of all the horses in the corral—perhaps the acquisition of their own stolen property. Of course, Cuthbert could not feel that he was re- sponsible in any sense, since he had acted in an in- dependent spirit; more than one moon had he waited for the rescue that never came, so he was justified in finally taking matters in his own hands. Of course, it was allin fun. Why, the chap who complained the most had been:the loudest in his praise of Cuthbert’s gallant escape. He knew how to take these rough spirits, and joked with them after a man of their heart. After breakfast the camp was broken up. No sign of a disturbing element could be seen upon the prairie, but these men were always ready to meet a surprise, and while galloping on toward the far distant range, kept on the lookout for hidden danger. The tricky Indians would like nothing better than to hide in some depression, and ambush them as they rode along; such traps had been successfully worked in the past, and never became too ancient to suit the dusky braves. It was a long ride, and another camp became nec- essary, in order to spare their ponies. The range was not far away; cattle had even been connicloooks.conn