Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER IV. THE INDIAN FORAY. Even before our little party had gained the top of the rise their hearing gave plain warning that something unusual was going on beyond, for a con- fusion of sounds came, borne on the faint zephyr— the bellowing of cattle, shrill neighing of excited horses and shouts that were unmistakably human. So those who had had previous experience in these matters were not very much surprised at the scene that burst upon their vision. _ There were the cattle dashing this way and that, as though about to stampede, while anon could be seen a figure on horseback, with waving arms, en- deavoring to collect the herd so that it could be driven off. Even at that distance they could readily be dis- tinguished as Sioux braves. Cuthbert glued his eyes on them eagerly. He had seen a few tame Indians at the border town from whence the freighters’ caravan started, and some more of the same sort at the frontier fort, but this was really his first glimpse of the red- | man of the wild and woolly West engaged in his dangerous game of running off cattle. The sight did not possess the same fascination for the rest of the crowd—they only experienced deep indignation and anger because these red thieves of the border had pounced upon their pet herd and were intent upon driving off the choicest animals, to slay them later and call their meat buf- falo pemmican. Old Sile gave a peculiar laugh, as dry and rat- COnnicloooks CO