Beadle's Dime Novels No. 127: Bald Eagle — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

THE SECRET UNFOLDED. 79 “ Dear mamma, do not let Jamie communicate this else- Where, and the secret is safe.” Whereat Katrina whispered, “ Clear head and true heart,” and the girls joined hands, in pretty girl wise. . Thus was this most important military secret in the keep- < ing of three fair ladies, at a time when silence was so all-cs- sential, and women supposed to be incapable of keeping one. CHAPTER XIII. HOME AGAIN. For several days after the advent of poor Jamie at the Cedars, his movements became so mysterious and his language 80 incoherent as to at length attract the attention of the finil y. A small horse, which he claimed as his especial property, was in such constant requisition that the poor creature was sensibly much the worse for hard travel and indifferent usage, The boy would stand rubbing his hands and plunged into thought quite beyond his capacity to bear, and then suddenly mount- ing his pony, start for the woods, as if life depended upon speed. Question him ever so much, no information could be obtained; he shook his head, smiled, rubbed his hands, and then started full run for the stables; there he bridled Wis horse and cantered away. Beyond the fact that certain viands disappeared, and that Jamie slyly milked a cow at all unsea- Sonable hours, nothing definite was known. It came. to be understood that he had made a pet of a bear, or some other wild animal, which he concealed lest it should be taken from him, and so he was left unmolested to follow out his whim. Thus a week passed, when, one morning, a strange pair were seen slowly walking through the village: one, Jamie, Shambling along, his tall body lopped over one side, the better to aid his companion, and his face screwed into every con- Ceivable expression of anxious kindness and commiseratirg Care. The very crown of his brimless hat was knocked in comiclbooks.com