Beadle's Dime Novels No. 127: Bald Eagle — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

84 BALD EAGLE. created an almost impervious thicket, and Mequa appeared, beckoning the girls to follow her down the river-bank, Hasti- ly dismourting, and throwing the bridles over the necks of the animals, they descended the steep, and found themselves upon a small plateau secure from danger. “ Hist!’ whispered the young savage, with a suppressed laugh; ‘* Black Dick has a serpent at his heels.” Then arose the frightful clash of arms, and the screams, yells, and groans of contending men. The Cowboys and their allies, numbering a thousand men, had been suddenly attacked in the rear by the Ramapaugh Indians, who compelled them to fight, retreating steadily in the direction of the road occu- pied by fresh troops, and ambushed by the Bald Eagle. Bul- lets"and arrows whizzed through the air. The crowd of men. filled the defile; clouds of dust and smoke darkened the heay- ens. Onward came the battling host, fighting step by step, filling the air with groans and imprecations. The deadly conflict turned the shoulder of the Cleave, and up sprang the Bald Eagle with a wild Indian whoop, and out poured the shot from the fiery mouths of five hundred rifles. The party in the rear, at the first whoop of their leader, fell flat to the ground, and dreadful was the carnage wrought upon the refugees and Cowboys. Some sprang down the bank and disappeared in the thick undergrowth; some sought to climb the almost horizontal rocks of the Cleave, but were cut down by their fierce assailants; others sought safety in man hard" pressed by the murderous foe. ‘Mequa, eager to witness the prowess of her husband, craw]- ed up the bani, and with face close to the ground, watched the fight with delighted interest. More than once her limbs were grazed by the feet of the combatants, but this did not drive her away, or prevent her from giving expression to her pleasure, Katrina likewise drew herself up the bank, despite the ex- postulations of the more timid Blanche. “T must see what is going on, Blanche,or I shall die of terror, the sounds are so horrible.” Blanche covered her ears with her hands, and buried her face in her lap. While thus seated, trembling and aghast, a Cloak was drawn tightly oyer her head, and two strong arms comnliclooks.conn