Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 228: what you’re looking at

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

216 Where Karl Went. Chagrin gave him a bad five minutes of it, during which he wrestled with the problem. It was now utterly out of the question that he could retrace his steps and take up the other trail, since he had no knowledge whatever as to where the separation had occurred. The only thing that remained was to continue af- ter the trio of rascals. Surely they would sooner or later all come to- gether again, so that if he could keep on their track sufficiently long he was bound to again look upon Polly’s sweet face. That determined him. Besides, the odds were not so tremendous now, and if it came to a fight he might be able to hold up the honor of X bar X. He kept poor Buckskin at it everlastingly, and the game little beast stuck to his colors. The moon went down. Here came an interval of almost two hours ere dawn, and it was now Karl feared lest he be left in the lurch. If the fellows would only draw rein and take a rest; but they seemed determined to lead him a dance he would never forget, perhaps kill poor Buckskin in the bargain. The men he followed were no novices at this sort of business, and with the darkness to aid them, could find ample means of slipping away in a new direc- tion. Twice Karl’s sagacity saved him from being left at the post, but it was practiced once too often, and the Sunset Ranch outfit went down to defeat. At least, he felt that he had striven to the last, and his ship had sunk with colors flying. When Karl drew his weary horse up, and, sitting in the saddle, strove in vain to hear some sound that ConniclooOckks.€©