Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

At the Sioux Camp. 63 tom of civilization, a number of circuits of a trian- gular course measuring a mile around. Usually Indian races had been straight away, but by degrees they were coming to recognize the ster- ling advantages of the other course, where the start and conclusion would be under observation, and any trickery that might be attempted discovered. Little Buckshot certainly had hunted up a mag- nificent animal, that was the envy of every cow puncher present. | Cuthbert began to lose a little of the sturdy con- fidence that had up to this hour dominated his whole being. Not so Karl. The prairie lad had grimly made up his mind to win that race, and he felt that with true sympathy between horse and rider, Buckskin could not be beaten. Besides, Polly was an inspiration. Polly, whose bright eyes so full of mischief and dancing with good. health, shot him encouragement as he galloped past the “grand stand.” The Indians had scattered all along the line of the race course, the better to encourage their rep- resentative, the chief’s pet son. Here and there a sombrero announced the pres- ence of a cowboy, bent upon seeing fair play; for: these hustlers of the prairie had a very poor opinion of an Indian’s honesty, and they feared lest some trick might be attempted should the closing heat of the race show Karl in the lead. The terms had been carefully repeated to both contestants by the august old chief, and at last the critical moment arrived when the word was to be given. Intense excitement reigned everywhere, and the whole Sioux village was afield to see this most in- comiclboooks CO