The Maid of the Mountain — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

& TRADE aT LAST. $1 2 “ Ain’t I a-talkin’ for your good? Oum; let's have a»bid. I’m, bound tew sell that mule somehow. Jest give us a lift. Start her, any way. Say fifty dollars” , “I tell you I don’t want your mule, man,” said Elliot, good-naturedly. “It would be of no use to me.” “ Yew git eout; I know better. That’s a useful animile ; he kin carry twice his weight. He don't wok hefty, but he is. Cum ; don’t hang fire. Say what yew'll give.” “I don’t want him,” replied Elliot. © “ Wal, yew-are the wust man tew trade with J ever see. But, if yew won't trade, yew won't, so thar’s an end of the matter. I guess I'll go and talk tew themen. They'll trade, He went away, dragging his reluctant steed by the bridle, and looking daggers at the man who would not trade. He was soon engaged in conversation with his former captor, who was listening, cpen-mouthed, to his veracious account of the performances of that wonderful mule. . By his report, his like for endurance, sagacily, speed, and all the qualities which go to make up a good mule, had never been seen. were concealed. Before half an hour had passed, the Ver- monter had effected a sale, for the sum of sixty dollars, w he buttoned securely in his pocket, This done, he felt at ease. He had effected a trade; he had done a good deed — an OHAPTER IV. 7 | | THE WONDERS OF THE VALLEY. =~ Ir was past noonday when the rangers entered the valley and pitched their camp upon the level ground beside the running stream. The orders of the camp were imperative, There was to be no rifle discharged on any pretext, for the of the robbers was said to be close at hand The conniclbooks.comnn