Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

The Tenderfoot. 15 back and clutched a coat sleeve between his teeth, thus rendering the desperate boy almost helpless. Though driven nearly frantic by the condition confronting him, Cuthbert would undoubtedly have struggled manfully to the last gasp. Fortunately there was no need, since the ap- proaching hoof strokes were close at hand and sig- naled the advent of a newcomer on the scene. There was a shout not unlike the wild war-whoop of a Sioux brave plunging into the thick of battle, a rush of horse’s hoofs and then the sharp ringing sa- lute of a heavy six-shooter, the “gun” upon which every cowboy and range rider depends in an emer- gency, and with which he generally becomes remark- ably proficient. Cuthbert’s fierce assailants seemed to recognize the doom of their assault in this new advent, and deserting their expected prey, sought shelter in the surrounding gloom; but two of them remained upon the battle-ground as evidence of the skillful handling of the newcomer’s gun. Cuthbert could hardly believe in his good fortune —it seemed as though he had been virtually snatched right out of the jaws of death by almost a miracle. He strained his feverish eyes to see through the ~ smoke, whether his new friend were red or white. Expecting to discover a brawny teamster, or at least a veteran cow puncher, grizzled and bronzed and muscular, he was amazed to find that the figure on the back of the yellow broncho was that of a boy younger even than himself, and smaller of build. The “kid” was garbed after the manner of a cow- boy and sat his saddle with the air of one who con- sidered it no difficult task to “bust bronchos” and wear out the most vicious of prairie horses without “pulling leather” or taking his hands from the bridle. Comicaoo iS CO