Diamond Dick, Jr.: The Boys' Best Weekly — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

* DIAMOND DICK, JR. OUT OF SIGHT. 23 tives and imprecations after it, and won- dered ‘Show in snakes an’ tarnation”’ they would get on. ‘‘Allee samee have to back out and stick to high glound,’’ said the Mascot. ““Shua!’’ agreed Blackberry. ‘‘No use to splash around heah.”’ So back out they did, and fought their way along the edge of the morass until at last they sighted a stream. “Ef we only had a boat now,’’ the Serpent of Siskiycu sighed, ‘“‘Golly! Maybe we ain’ got no boat, boss, but ef it comes to a swim, I kin swim like a duck!” ‘‘Allee samee that not help lest of us,’’ reminded the Mascot. ‘‘Besides, water lookee bely wet, flom here. Me allee samee stickee to dly land.”’ On they pushed, and finally a sheet of water gleaméd through the trees ahead and they were in sight of the lake, though as yet they knew little or noth- ing concerning it. ‘‘Glee-ory to snakes!’ gasped the Ser- pent. ‘‘Our leetle jig is up now, sure enough!”? ‘Allee samee we have to build laft,”’ said the Mascot. “A raft! And nothin’ bigger’n a bowie to build et with! Wake up, snakes, an’ wail yer despair !”’ ‘Go ’way trouble!’ cried Blackberry, cheerfully. ‘‘If we can’t-cross ober dey ain’t no law to hender us frotn goin’ round, is dey ?”’ ‘‘Hi-yi! Me allee samee got idee, Hally!’’ ‘What is et, yaller>?”’ ‘Vou lemenber up in ’Laska when we had tlouble with quicksand——”? ‘‘Glee-ory to snakes! I should say I do remeniber somethin’ about et, Hop Wah!”? “Well, you allee samee carried tlee and laid acloss——’’ ‘Wake up, snakes, an’ shake hands! Ye needn’t say another word, Mascot, not another word! I understand ye!”’ ‘‘ Allee samee dead easy here. Plenty tlees and limbs all alound; allee samee we makee blidge out to edge ot lake, then maybe build laft same way.”’ “Not another word, Mascot, not an- other word! Hyer’s at et!’ And the Serpent sprang into the task with a will. He carried fallen trees out from the woods and laid them along on the marsh, and the Mascot and the Ace o’ Spades followed him with smaller stuff which they laid across thein. It was slow work, it took them hours to accomplish their purpose; but they did not give up. And at last it was done. That is to say, they were out to the edge of the lake. And there the Mascot suddenly made a glad discovery—the mansion on the north shore. It could just be seen from the extreme end of their brush causeway, and when the Mascot pointed it out there was great joy among the trio. ‘*Glee-ory to squirmin’ sarpents!°’ cried Handsome Harry. ‘‘That is good fer sore eyes, et isso! That is where my leetle pardner, son of his dad, must be at! But we kin never get thar, never!’ “Took heah, now, boss, don’ you go fo’ to git discouraged,’’? chided the Ace o’ Spades. ‘‘I hab got a pair ob telescope eyes, I hab, an’ I see some boats ober dar by dat shore, an’ I is gwine to hab one; you heah me! I’s gwine to swim ober dar an’ git it.’ ‘“‘Glee-ory to snakes! You aire goin’ to swim over ?”? . ‘‘Allee sainee,you gittee dlown!”’ ‘“Ke-hee!’’ with a laugh that showed his ivories. ‘‘You don’t know Junius Brutus Crow. I kin swim ten miles an’ nebber wet de back ob ma neck. I tell you I’s gwine to hab one ob dem boats, shua!?? ‘But, durn me ef I see any boats,”’ said the Serpent. ‘‘Kin you see ’em, Mascot ?”? - ‘fAllee sainee see somethin’, nevel tellee if boats.’ ‘‘Dey’s boats all de same, I kin see "em plain as day. I’s got a pair ob de bestus eyes you eber hear tell ob. An’ now I’s eewine fo’ one ob dein, an’ you bet I fotch him back all right!” And the black fellow began to get out of his clothes forthwith. . He evidently meant business. In a moment he was nude, his black S but could CO COMmicloooe