Beadle's Dime Novels No. 119: Blackeyes — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

PREPARATIONS FOR ESCAPE. 45 would be more likely to get into trouble himself than to render him any assistance, _ While. he was brooding oyer Shaase matters, the wicket in the door was opened, and a plentiful breakfast was handed in to him by a peon. . He. endeayored to stop this man and to ask him some questions concerning the house and its people, and concerning the cause and probable duration of his imprison- ment; but the man abruptly closed the wicket,-and» shuffled off wlebout making any reply. |. The captive then bad nothing to do but to eat his breakfast, taking care to save some scraps of the bread and meat, as an v Ome gency sight arise im ee he might. need ‘them. In, due course of time some dinner.was brought to him in the same way, together with a supply of tapers, from which he concluded that his stay in that den was not likely ta termi- nate very soon.. As Lieutenant Bent had. not returned, and as he had heard nothing of Luke Royston, he surmised that they had been enticed away in order that they might be separat- ed from, him, and that they were in the same euepeai: if not in a worse predicament. The,old hunter's. nature was one of those which. can not endure, to be. shut up in any sort'ofa prison, and when he had made up his mind thathe was really a prisoner, he immediate- ly. began to.think about making. his escape. He took the light, aud carefully examined the walls and floor of his dungeon, but they were too thick. and strong to be easily forced. It would not have been difficult to take up some of the bricks of the floor, and it was possible that he might dig through the earth until be could reach the outer air and light; but that would have been too long a process, and there was every chance of discovery before he could com- plete the work. His thoughts settled upon the ceiling asthe most practicable way of escape. It was true, if he should make his exit in that direction, that he would be likely to encounter some of - the Mexicans, but it would lead him to. the placein which his rifle and those of his companions had been put‘away, and he felt. that;he would, be unable to.accomplish any thing. unless he could regain possession of his trusty weapon. After-anexami= nation of the ceiling, he concluded to make the attempt at night. connmicloooks.com