Beadle's Dime Novels No. 213: Squatter Dick — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

DANGEROUS. NEIGHBORS. 75 - On the side of the hillock lay stretched the dark, slimy form of an alligator, with half of its body submerged in the liquid mud, where its tail was slowly moving to and fro, send- ing the little waves curling upon either side. That the reptile was aware of her presence, Ada could not doubt, for its cruel, fishy eyes were fixed upon her, while its huge jaw slowly rose and fell, as if in eager anticipation of the tempting morse Ithat looked ready to fall into its mouth. ‘There were other objects there, scarcely less to be dreaded, if not quite so hideous as the gigantic sauvian, coiled up in pyramids or slowly gliding to and fro. Snakes of all sizes and colors, from one foot long to those as thick as a strong man’s arm. No wonder that the maiden closed her eyes, with a convulsive shudder. But not for long were they closed ; a strange, hissing noise rung in her ears, coming, too, from overhead. Quickly glanc- ing up, Ada beheld the object that alarmed her—a large, terri- ble-looking snake, coiled around a branch of the tree, not much over a yard distant from her face. | Again would she have fallen, but for the belt, but recover- ing her self-possession, she fixed her eyes upon the serpent, while her han mechanically sought the stuf that she had taken up with her the preceding night. _ It was still secured at her waist, and with as little motion as possible, Ada slipped it from her belt. There was no time to lose, for the snake now began slowly to advance along the limb, with its head It appeared puzzled at its unwonted companion, and moved but slowly. When Ada noiselessly drew up the stick, it paused, as if in doubt, and as the maiden’s hand reached the lower end, she dealt a sudden, powerful stroke, so well aimed that the serpent was hurled from its perch down into the water, where, as it writhed furiously, it was soon surrounded by a Then Ada raised her voice and screame!l, as long and as loudly as lay in her power, for help. At the first cry, the al- -ligator plunged back into the swamp, and Ada thought it had gone for good. But, as she continued her shrieks, it siowly swam back until at length it once more resumed its old posi commicloooks.conn