Paddling under Palmettos — page 218: what you’re looking at

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

Paddling Under Palmettos. 21! so that between them all poor bruin was in a bad way indeed. He went down as though a log, and by the time Archie had slipped other shells in the place of the discharged ones, and the whole party had advanced, the bear was suspiciously still. An examination showed a terrible hole back of his foreleg, which was also broken. Death must have ensued instantly. Twenty-four buckshot at short range make a fearful wound. Archie could scarcely credit his senses—he had actually killed a bear! True, Ned claimed some of the honor, for the heavy camp ax had struck bruin fair and square in the head, but no one could doubt tle agency of his death when they looked at the gaping hole in his side, although Dick was heard to mutter something about sudden death from fright at sight of his bold attitude and the hot-water gun. “See here, boys,’ said N-d. They bent over the bear. A close examination showed a sticky substance upon his nose and paws. “What's that?” asked Archie. “Honey!” came the triumphant response. GEomichooks (E(0)