The Yankee Champion — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

“* q U if) me + et 78 THE YANKEE CHAMPION. uttered a quick cry, swayed for a moment to and fro, then his hold was broken, and he fell sideways from the rigging, struck the topsail yard, and in a moment more there. was a dull, heavy sound upon the forecastle. The Tory had lost his five hundred pou.uds. Jacob Maynard quickly descended to the deck, and just as he stepped from the Jacob’s ladder he met the captain and part of the crew. ‘““What’s this, Maynard?’’ asked Nixon. The old man sprang to where lay the body of the Tory, and placing his foot upon the motionless breast, he replied: ‘‘Here it is, sir—the traitor! I shot at him just as he was goin’ to cut the topsail-tie.”’ ‘‘Are you sure?” ‘Just as sure as I am that I’m alive.’’ ‘Then thank God for his death,’’ uttered the cap- tain. ‘“‘He looked like a villain; but how did you make him out?’’ ‘I happened to catch his eye when the sloop-of- war fust hove in sight this mornin’, an’ I knowed by the way he looked that it wasn’t no news to him. Then, when we gave three times three for the Yan- kee Champion, he didn’t open his lips. Then I caught him afoul of the long gun, and I found he had cut the lanyard of the apron. He meant to have wet the powder, I s’pose. It was he that cut the main-brace _—there ain’t no mistake about it. I followed him up the fore riggin’ an’ caught him just poking his knife around the tie. I told him to come down, an’ he wouldn’t, an’ there he is; an’ what’s more, I should like the handlin’ of his whole kidney, for I tell ye, there’s a nest of ’em somewhere round.”’ ‘*You’ve done well and nobly, my old friend,’’ ex- comicbooks.com