Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 226: what you’re looking at

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

214 Where Karl Went. there and invite discovery; he at once began to back away, arranging the grass as he went, so as to cover his tracks as much as possible. “Guess he’ll have nothing to show for his pains,” grinned Karl. At a safe distance the prairie boy awaited devel- opments. It was not long before he saw the man searching the grass, pistol in hand, and could chuckle with sat- isfaction when Caleb gave it up as a bad job, retir- ing to where the rest sat. “Lucky I didn’t wait,’ commented Karl. “If I had—Pist! All up with me!” An hour passed. It was all too short for Karl, who would have de- tained the five worthies where they were until dawn if he were able. He knew what was up when he saw Jasper rise from the recumbent position he had taken and point to the moon far overhead and reaching down the western heavens. It was once more forward toward the Bad Lands, where the chances of giving any possible pursuers the slip would be doubled. Karl had reason to be downcast, for he had just - discovered a slight opportunity to strike a telling blow for the cause, and, given half an hour, might have carried it into execution. | This concerned a stampede of the stock. Could he by any means make away with their mounts, the abductors of Polly must find themselves in a pretty pickle, since it would be impossible by hook or crook to travel far before the avenging cow- boys’ arrival on the scene. The horses had been hobbled, and for a time stuck close to the fire, but by degrees wandered a little further away in search of better erass. It was exasperating that the opportunity came Connicloookks.€©