Beadle's Dime Novels No. 138: Tim, the Scout — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

14 TIM, THM SCOUT. But, in the Indian country, a man must set a guard upon his tongue. For all ye are so open-learted—and [ll say this for ye, that ye carry good liquor, and are free wid it—I don’t see that ye have tould me any thing about yourself. How do I know but ye are a spy ?” “Spy! On which side ?” “ A very good attempt, me friend ; but it won’t do wid me, ye know. Suppose I tell ye which side I think ye work for, afther tellin’ ye I think ye a spy against the side I favor ? Wouldn’t that be as good as tellin’ ye wae party I am of? It won't work, Misther Man.” “T see you suspect me,” said the man, with a sanctimoni- ous air. “And yet I have tried to be friendly to you. I will tell you what I am. I never thought to do it before. I am an Indian trader, and have just got rid of my goods, and am going to some city, where I shall be out of the way of the fighting. There isn’t much chance for Indian traders now unless they favor the English side.” ) “Then you don’t ?” “No. My conscience won’t let me.” “ Conscience! Wave you gota conscience? Sure, I thought: Indian traders niver throubled their te wid such things as that.” . The man began to get a, little flushed, as if the continued suspicions of the Irishman were wearing out his patience. This was precisely what Tim wanted. He was “ spoiling for a fight,’ and looked at the strong limbs of the: stranger with an insane desire to have a struggle with him on the short green turf on which they stood. He was a famous wrestler himself, and actually hungered and thirsted for a battle with this strong-framed man. But the stranger was bent on ayoid- ing a quarrel. “ ‘What you say in regard to the majority of Indian traders is true,” said he. “ But I hope I am free from the vices that debase the trade. I always try to give them a fair trade, and they like me so well that they call me the “Open Heart.” Perhaps if you have been among them much you have heard of me,” 7 “IT can’t say- that I have,” replied Tim, ‘“ Not that I could say much about it, anyhow, for you sce I don’t know — wv” a — Comicookxs.com