Beadle's Dime Novels No. 120: The Hunchback — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

THE COMBAT. | 25 huge tree and calmly awaited their movements. Both his pistols flashed fire, when he dashed the useless weapons into the teeth of Tom Goldey, nearly depriving him of those use- ful organs. The desperado staggered under the blow and rushed on with a howl of rage and pain. Stanton drew his sword and prepared for the unequal conflict. Indian Joe was a well known scout, the best in St. Leger’s army, and Tom Goldey had been a desperate character, an Indian-fighter, a freebooter, every thing which could make him a hard fighter. But Stanton, though young, had seen service in Canada, and, until his encounter with the hunchback, had thought him- self one of the best swordsmen in the province. Joe was armed with a tomahawk and knife, which» he shook menacingly in the air as he came on. Tom Goldey had a sword, “Once more,” he shouted, dashing the blood from his lips ; “ yield, or expect no quarter, ” Cha ge Prd “JT will not ani ” replied Stanton. “ Do your worst, vil- lain.” “ That word has sealed your doom,” said the Tory. “ At him, Joe !” They closed upon him together. Sparks flew from the flashing stecl, and all three weapons were red in a moment. Stanton had received a cut in the shoulder. Joe’s right hand hung useless at his side, for Stanton’s blade had passed - through and through the muscles of his arm. Tom had in- flicted a slight cut in his antagonist’s thigh. Joe dropped his tomahawk and passed round the tree. Stanton, watching his desperate antagonist in front, did not see him, until he received a fearful blow with the buckhorn handle of the knife, Which stretched him senseless on the sward. When he re- covered consciousness, he was bound to a tree, his weapons gone, and his enemies were binding each others’ wounds, down by the edge of the lake. “Ah, ha,” cried Joe, grating his white teeth together. “You stab Joe! Joe kill you, bimeby, putty soon.” Tom Goldey said nothing, but the look he sent at the young man was significant of his brutal thought. When they had finished dressing their wounds, they came to~ their prisoner as he stood bound to the tree. comicbooks.com