Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

All for Polly. 195 been seen again on his old stamping ground—which was a good thing, so far as his bodily health was con- cerned, for the boys of X bar X outfit stood ready to make it exceedingly warm for a fellow answering his description, should he show up. It was about this time trouble came. A bolt of lightning from a clear sky could not have created more consternation. Karl and Cuthbert were galloping leisurely home after a long chase after a bunch of straying cattle supposed to belong to their herds, but which, upon being rounded up, proved to have the circular brand of the Cody ranch, far off to the south, when they saw Polly coming to meet them, mounted on her pony, which she rode like an Indian princess. Now, this in itself was nothing unusual, since she often came out to ride a mile or two in company with her adopted brothers; but somehow, even at a distance, they discovered that the girl was not her bonnie, laughing self. “Something wrong at the ranch,” said Karl, quickening his horse’s gait. Cuthbert, too, was more disturbed than his face betrayed; he seemed to feel as though a great dis- aster were impending. Polly had been crying; her eyes were red and did not look as beautiful as usual. “Hello!” exclaimed brusque Karl, “what’s the mat- ter with you, Polly? Who’s been abusing you?” She drew herself up with dignity. “No one; you know very well I wouldn’t stand abuse from anybody. It’s worse than that,” her voice suddenly failing her, and a whimper indicating great distress of mind. Karl whistled, while Cuthbert frowned. “Worse than that?” they cried, in chorus. “Yes, far worse. I’m going away,” she piped, between her sobs. COMGIOO <> C©