Beadle's Dime Novels No. 127: Bald Eagle — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

44 BALD BAGLE. “Go, my son, and my blessing go with you. . All that you love is sacred to me. I will even love the imperious, spoiled beauty for your sake. There is Blanche to say good speed.” Wendell greeted his gentle sister affectionately and gayly. “Give me a round, sounding smack, sister, and be sure to keep this till I come back. Let me see—what are your duties,” girl ?” . : “To feed the doves, to worry the kitten, shun the beaux, — and love Katrina !” aie" “An excellent lesson, well recited ; be sure you practice the — ‘rede,’” he said, as he sprung lightly to the back of his charger, and, with a gallant wave of the hand, turned away. As he did so the horse stumbled. There was great rolling up of the whites of negro eyes at that ill omen, and Jake the favorite groom, rushed forward exclaiming : “Gorry, massa, git down, please ; here’s a buckle loose.” The young man did as he was desired, and, after Jake had fumbled for a space about the straps, he declared all right, and this time Wendell galloped away in approved style. “What for yer tell lie, Jake?” asked an old negro who had been going through a variety of gesticulations to obviate any threatened ill luck. “ What for yer tell a lie, Jake? Didn’t the dominie tell yer last Sunday that liars are every son of: ‘em to be drownded in a pond of fire and brimstone ?” “Gil wont that singe ’em up, ’specially the brimstone !” ejaculated another darkey. : : Jake thrust his hands to the lowest depths of his pockets, leaned his head back ‘against a column of the piazza, rolled up his eyes, crossed one leg over the other, and replied gol- ennly : “T hears what the dominie, says, and I reads the trufe in the good Book; but the case is this : the horse stumbles, as he never stumbled afore; the horse, him feel ill luek in the marrow of he’s bones. Masser Wendell go little ways—that one short journey; he carry off the ill luck. He get off; I say all the time ‘good Lord deliver us, and he mount hisself again, start another journey all right.” There was a burst of admiration at the wisdom and piety of Jake, and a dozen darkeys eyed the discomfited negro. connicloooks.com