Beadle's Dime Novels No. 142: The Sagamore of Saco — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

42 ; understanding of our narrative that we must leave Custa to per- form his journey, the inhabitants of the block to grieve for Amy, and she herself to continue on her way with the Indians, while we introduce characters who will have much to do with the elucida- tion of events, and the clearing up of the mystery which attaches to a very large portion of our narra- tive. The early events of our pn have, however, been, in relation to incidents, so rapid that we have not been able to turn to what may in the outsct appear asnubject of minor interest, but which will in the end be found to be absolutely necessary to the un- derstanding of what follows. At some distance from the Scioto river, up toward the hills hitherto chiefly frequented by wild a ot and men of the woods, by bordermen, and by a race of some bandits left by the war, horse -stealers, cow- thieves, and others—about three hours’ hard ride from the Moss, and an equal distance from ScOw!] Hall—was a meh t log, or.farm-house, which had obtained, from the locality in which it was situated, the name of the Frog’s Hole. It was noto- rious by name to most of the wild bordermen—had been used as a place of refuge by runaway ne- groes ; but was chiefly the rendez- vous of the abominable race of White Indians, or renegades, who played so infamous a part in the war, and who, as outlaws and out- casts of society, were compelled, when they wished to meet for the of conspiracy or amuse- noite to select some spot where they were safe honest white men; from the Indians they had no to fear. Here it was that the spies, too, of the British army were wont to quarter during the war; and here might often be seen Red-Bird the Shawnee, Simon Girty the ex-American, now the bitter enemy of his countrymen, whom he bed betrayed; Captain Peter Druyer, a Canadian, once in . e © _—_—- = -~- “7 THE SILENT HUNTER. the service of England, now a wanderer; and here, during the war, tbe celebrated Captain Du- quesne had often organzied his expeditions. small and beautiful glen, with oo and larch and elms bursti omits fertile sides, conducte the waters of a pleasant stream into a little pool or lake, which, after barfing up the entrance of the valley, again fell away to the west, and by a one course ined the Scioto, and then the hio. A path xound this pool led, by a number of steps in the rock, to a rustic lodge, opening on to a platform, upon ehicis was built, leaning against the rock, a house of somewhat antique ap- pearance for that part of the world. It was built partly of stone, and partly of wood. It was a quaint old building, the inn of the F'rog’s Hole. For about five feet from the ground it ~was of stone, moss-covered, and fast- ened together Dy —, Then rose a wall of planks, supported on the inside and the out by of wood that reached to the first story, which was a kind of loft, made use of as bedrooms, and to be reached only from the outside by means of aladder. The house was longer than it was deep or high, extending some distance along the rock, and showing such a goodly row of chimneys as to hoid outa promise of plenty with- in. And plenty there was for those who had money to pay, as Ralph Regin was a man who respected his customers, and took care they should want for neither meat nor drink in his house. There were hams, and ribs of beef, and legs of mutton, and fowls, and turkeys, and corn-cakes and hominy; but whence they came was another thing—a question, however, which none of the visitors ever asked. And there were whisky and Hol- lands, and brandy in profusion; and whence these came all knew, for few who frequented the house but aided in bringing up a supply + ~~ ee, we Comicbooksiscom