Beadle's Dime Novels No. 139: The Border Foes — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

THE PLOTTERS. | *“T am indeed troubled, Martha, but I do not like to seal 2 s you the cause.” y “Tell me, my dear cousin! Why should there be any secrets between us? You know that 1 love you as if you were my sister, and that I am always ready to sympathize with you, and to aid yon if I can. I know that you are in affliction, and I think it will relieve you to confide in me,” “ We must speak lower, Martha. I would not be over- heard for a great deal. Let me lay Benny down on the bed, for he issleepy. He must sleep with his clothes on,” “ Why so ?” “ Because I am in trouble, Martha. I am afraid that some- thing is yoing to happen, and I want to be ready to meet it, iE com.”.s ... The boy was placed on the bed, where he fell asleep di- rectly, and then Kate knelt down on the floor, and placed her | ear at a chink between the logs. _“ What are you doing ?” asked her cousin. “]T want to listen.” “ To listen ?” “Yes. There’s no harm in doing so, as it is for a good purpose. Come and listen with me.” “Why? . What is the matter ?” “T am afraid that my father and William mean to do some harm to Jacob Ryeburn or his family, and that Buck Turl and Sim Trotter have becn brought here to aid them, © In fact, I feel sure that they are intending something of the kind.” “Ts it possible? Why do you think so?” “Be quiet, Martha, and listen with me. Can you hear them ?” | “ Now and then I cancatch a word. I heard uncle Simon say that they must swear.” Pe, “Yes; and now he is telling them what they must swear car to. It is a terrible oath, but they have not yet said what ey - are going to do.” = ¢ Kate continued to listen, with herear at the chink, and | goon heard enough to convince her that her suspicions had been correct. She heard her father say that he intended to © take out Jacob Ryeburn and have a settlement with him, and _ oa AS COmiIchbooks: co)