Beadle's Dime Novels No. 127: Bald Eagle — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

RAMAPAUGH’S HOME. 37 would sustain a man with ease, who had only to draw together the low trees upon either side to be perfectly screened from Observation. This point commanded a view of the road above and below ; no object would escape the observation of the sentry there stationed. It was as perfect a loop-hole as if it had been purposely built into the bastion of a rampart for that very purpose. This was the place so well known in local history as the “ Devil’s Pulpit.” Here Claudius Smith used to place his scouts in ambush, With preconcerted signals, and, having mounted to this table- rock, would reconnoiter the valley; and many a brave man was Picked off who wandered through the valley totally uncon- Scious of the terrible fate awaiting him. Detachments of men were picked off by shot after shot from unknown assail- ants. Cattle disappeared, and youths and maidens were way- laid and dragged into terrible bondage by these unscrupulous Marauders, who demanded large sums for their liberation. — The wanderings of Dora Gurney at length became so wide and uncertain that the kind-hearted sayage saw that at some time evil would come of it. Participating in the well-known Superstition of his people, that he who is stricken in his reason has especial revelations from the Master of Life, and is the Object of his especial care, he looked upon her not only with forbearing tenderness, but with solemn respect and awe. The wigwam of Ramapaugh was built upon a prominence Screened by lofty trees, festooned from branch to branch by the wild grape and woodbine, which had constructed an ar- Cade of rare loveliness and picturesque effect. It command- ed a long reach of valley prospect, and every object along the Cleave was at once revealed to the eye of its inmates, while Such was the denseness of the overhanging: shrubbery, that the bark walls of the dwelling were entirely screened from View, 5 ie At the base of the promontory flowed the pellucid waters of the Ramapo—a slight indenture of which gave a safe lodgement to the nets and snares of the chief, and held the bireh canoe, safely moored amid the coarse grass at the Margin, ae silvan abode Ramapaugh at length conveyed Dora mH 9 “ connicloooks.com