Beadle's Dime Novels No. 127: Bald Eagle — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

THE AMBUSH. 88 opportunities occurred for him to be at home, or to visit in the. village, he rather shunned than sought the society of Katrina. Ne was courteous only, barely making those formal calis de- manded by polite usages. Colonel Vinton, on the contrary, lost no opportunity to encounter the smiles or frowns of the capricious beauty, who, it must be confessed, was more then ever hard to please, and so fitful in spirits that even the equable Blanche was grieved, und often distressed at her unreasonable moods. Early in June, the two last girls resolved upon a long can- ter in the direction of the Cleave, to return before nightfall. ‘They positively declined all escort, and having failed to an- nounce the direction they designed to take, it was wane supposed they would ride their ordinary route over the smooth military road. As they descended the valley, now in friendly chat, and now putting their horses at high speed, as girls will—racing with laugh and jest—they heard frequent’ discharges of mus- ketry, which they supposed to proceed from some military drill, unconscious of the detachment which had been sent out to break up the strongholds of the Cowboys at the Ramapo Pass. At an angle in the Pass the Bald Eagle suddenly rose from & clump of cedars, and stayed their progress. He said, in a low voice, “Show yourselves, maidens, then back for your lives !” Hardly conscious of: the meaning of the speech, and’ unde- termined what to do, the two girls rode on a few paces, when directly across their path, commanding the whole mountain defile, appeared a band of men, heavily armed and Jed on by Black Dick himself. Panic-stricken they wheeled their horses and darted by the ambushed Indians at full speed, only to encounter a batallion of troops which had been sent out to reinforce the former detachment, and which had been unable to hold the Cowboys in check. Loud yells from the rear increased their panic, for a glance showed them the dreadful foe in what seemed full pursuit. “ Hist, hist!” said a low voice. The batallion, at a signal from Ramapaugh, remained jm- movable. <A slight stir of the junipers and laurels, which connicloooks. com