Beadle's Dime Novels No. 153: Mohawk Nat — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

which ran at their feet. He never looked up after the ranger dropped the rifle, and not even when the captain interposed in his behalf. There was a furfive gleam in his eyes, how- ever, and as the captain spoke Jast, he suddenly made a spring over the head of the astonished Nat and disappeared in the bushes. Nat grasped his rifle and started in pursuit. The bushes closed behind them before the others could fully com- prehend the movements, and join in the chase. Half-a-dozen steps had buried the forms of the two foremost in a close thicket, behind which rose a series of limestone ridges, such as we find in that region at the present day. Into the pusses between the ridges’ Barbed Arrow had gone, and when Nat 4 entered’ after him, he was nowhere to be seen. Hazard 7 claimed to be a man of easy temper, but he certainly did not show this when he returned from his unsuccessful chase. He was mad with himself for not shooting the Indian, and with the captain for not opposing him in the act. “ Nat,” said the captain, “do you wish to retain my regard?” — “] don’t mind it. I'stpose I can bear it. "Pain’t many that would,” replied Nat, who was inclined to be savage. “Justso. Then you know if you had killed that Indian our relationship would have been atan end forever. TI would not have allowed a man to speak to me who was capable of such an act. I knew you better than to believe you could be that man.” “Did know me, eh? Well, Iam glad you think so. But I'd’akilled him if I'd thought he was goin’ to get away, euss him.” -. “ How did you lose him?” “ Darned ef I know. He crawled into some hole. Even ef he didn’t he car run away from anybody bere. The pow- der was out of the pan of my rifle or hiscake would have been dough. I sighted him fair in the middle of the back, but he got away. It flashed in the pan, lucky for him it did. He is a lost red-skin, but Pll have him fen before I'm a year older.” “Do you think he belongs to this gang who burned out Turner?” “ Of course.” “He denied it.” Connie sookxs. conn