Beadle's Dime Novels No. 213: Squatter Dick — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

THE QUICKSAND. 65 underbrush. The nature of the soil had changed, and wes now hard and firm under foot, of sand and gravel. Then a small, open tract of ground was reached, comprising ay acre or more, through which wound a shallow, sluggish stream. On the edge of this spot Laflin paused and began releasing the still-unconscious outlaw from the saddle. The swamp-tacky appeared very restless and suspicious ; his ears thrown back, trembling in every limb and snorting as if in great alarm. His feet were wide-spread, and were quickly lifted, one by one, in turn, and cautiously planted, as if the footing wasimsecure = = = =. | And so it was; they were standing upon the édge of a quicksand ! : Leaving Keedy still bound hand and foot, although lying upon the ground, Laflin hastened back a few rods in ‘the tim- ber, shortly returning with a stout stick of nearly the thickness of a mun’s thigh. This he proceeded to plant firmly near the edge of the little stream, shifting his feet rapidly as he did so, to avoid the treacherous clutch of the sands. Then returning ; he dragged Matthew Keedy to the stake, and managed to secure him in a standing position, the memor- able cord serving to bind him fast. This done, Laflin retreated to the side of the swamp-tacky, and removing his weapons, turned it loose to wander at will. DIME a) "Then he seated himself upon a decaying chunk of wood, in such a position that he faced ima emy, and resigned himself to patient watching, and gloating over his feast of vengeance. clinched teeth as he saw that the feet of Keedy had already appeared beneath the shifting surface. retin vag A hair’s-breadth at a time, the doomed captive continued to settle in his terrible grave, while yet unconscious of the near of death: and gloatingly the eyes of the avenger note every sign that tells of the approach of his long-cherished revenge. Then, with a faint moan and a convulsive shudder, the outlaw feebly raised his head and glanced wildly around him. “ Thet’s it, Keedy, wake up an’ see the fun ! hissed Laflin, with a svar! of triumph. “Look around you an’ see ef you "meniber the place. °Tain’t bin so long sence, that ‘you comcbdooks.conn