Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 276: what you’re looking at

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

264 The Last Round-Up. Their startling appearance on the scene was a deep mystery to him. He still believed they had been chased by the furious spirits of the settlement, and how these worthies came to be changed into his old comrades of ranch and range life was beyond his comprehension. So they came pouring in, coe from their horses as they drew up. Cuthbert was the first to seize upon Karl, and he hugged him like a bear, such was the intensity of his emotions. “Old fellow, I’m awful glad to see you again. And you’ve done yourself proud. There isn’t a man on the range, Old Sile says, could have made a neater job of it. I’m proud of you, Iam. And where’s Polly, dear little Polly. She’s my cousin, Karl, the very cousin I’ve been chasing around after for a year. What d’ye think? It’s all come out, and is almost too wonderful for belief.” Another minute and he found Polly, who was crying in Mr. Kelly’s arms—Polly, who had borne up so bravely through all the perils of the last few days, now asserting her right to the woman’s refuge in tears. They were a happy crowd, indeed. The boys had only one regret, and this that they might not have a touch-and-go bit of warfare with the evil spirits who made their abiding place in the fastness of the Bad Lands. But Mr. Kelly knew his little band would be greatly outnumbered by the bad men, and also that these choice characters were desperate fighters who would play havoc in the ranks of his range riders should they be attacked at home. Accordingly, he gave orders that the jour- ney toward the ranch should be immediately re- sumed. . Cuthbert hovered around Karl and Polly like an ConnicloOokks.€c©