Beadle's Dime Novels No. 119: Blackeyes — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

FRIENDS OR ENEMIES ? 27 and the pure black. A few of them were dressed in the fashion of the Americans and Europeans, but the majority wore a semi-Indian attire, or the gay serapes and wide trowsers of the lower order of Mexicans. Those who were the better- dressed rode fine horses, and the others were mounted on mus- tangs and mules. All were armed after a fashion, some bearing bows and arrows, Others gayly-tipped lances, others muskets, and others swords and clubs. They seemed to endeavor to march in some sort of order, but the attempt only succeeded in rendering their straggling disarray more noticcable. At the head of the crowd, apparently the leader of the party, rode a tall priest, on a large and fine mule. “ What glorious fun it would be to charge down upon them,’ exclaimed Royston. “I think we could scatter the greasy tagamuflins, and drive every man of them into the river.” “You would be more likely to git your brains scattered over the road,” remarked Ward. “ Perhaps we might be able to whip them,” said Bent, “ but we have no right to fight them unless we are attacked. We are at peace with these people, and it is our duty to treat them as friends until we know them to be enemies, Besides, they are beckoning to us, and are making signs of friendship.” - “That's a fact,” said Royston, “and I see a woman among them, too. It can’t be that they haye come out to look for a fight.” ‘ | “We had better git onto our hosses, so that we ken be ready fur. a run,” suggested Ward. “I don’t like the looks: ~ rent, comin’ out here armed, and in sech a crowd.” | As the Americans untethered and mounted eir hotepe, > they perceived that the tall priest and aaa an in black had detached themselves from the main body of the Mexicans, and were slowly advancing toward them, making ‘signs of amity. -Bill Ward took the lead, and rode down. the sh pe with his companions, all keeping their rifles in hand, i 1 order to be on their guard against treachery. They were s¢ on by the Mexicans, who halted and extended their hands as the . Americans approached them. a The first, a dark-skinned and somber man, with . piercing dark eyes overshadowed by his broad- brimmed hat, addressed the Americans in the Spanish tongue, with which Ward and e comichooks.comye -