Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

198 All for Polly. They found Mr. Kelly and his wife, together with several of the boys, at the door. There was also a stranger. Cuthbert had heartily disliked Polly’s uncle from the idea of the man he had formed in his mind, based upon many incidents mentioned from time to time by Polly. Hence he was not at all surprised to see a sinister, sleek-looking individual of middle age, who could as- sume the holy countenance of a missionary or look like a pirate, at pleasure. The whole controversy was renewed. Mr. Kelly told how dear Polly had become to them, and offered the man quite a sum if he would go away and renounce all claim to the girl he called his niece. Although the fellow’s crafty eyes glittered at men- tion of the sum, still he flatly refused to accept it, giving as his reason that she had been left in his charge as a sacred trust, and also that he expected some day she would be worth ten times the paltry sum Mr. Kelly offered him. Then the blood of old Irish kings arose in the ranch owner’s veins. He gave the fellow just ten minutes to mount his horse and get away. “Sue if you want—carry it to court if it pleases . you. Perhaps I may have some pretty things to tell, if what Mrs. Kelly has learned from the child is true. Out in this country they hang a man for kidnapping a child. Now, go your way—the girl remains with us.” When the ranchman pronounced what was his ul- timatum, the cowboys, who had been anxiously awaiting the turn of affairs, burst into a mighty shout, in which Karl and Cuthbert joined. Polly ran to Mother Kelly and threw her arms around the neck of that good dame. ConniclooOckks.€c©