Beadle's Dime Novels No. 213: Squatter Dick — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

88 SQUATTER DICK. an’ gone afore us, an’ I’]l live long enough to see you die the death o’ a dog! . Dont’t.you see thet ? 3 “T may die, but you'll go fust, an’ I'll hev the pleasure o’ seein’ the sand creep up to your neck, an’ then over your chin as you throw back your head an’ holler fer help—thet help thet never comes, as you say. Then it'll creep on an’ up, on- til your mouth is, shet forever an’ your vice stilled, As you say—won’t itbe fun ? “Then, as it slowly sbets off the breath o’ life from your nostrils, I will be hyar to see your eyes as they roll around an’ turn up’ards to plead fer mercy—somethin’ thet you never did afore—an’ then your head ’Il droop an’ I'll. see you die / Ob, fer thet I would suffer a thousan’ deatlis !” “ You lie—you lie! You are shorter than I am, and J will “Jive to see you die, as you say!” yel led Keedy, in a frenzy of despair. | “ No, Mat Keedy; you may be smart in some things, but you're out in your calc’lations now,” calmly replied Lafliv. “Tr’s true you've got furder to go’nI hev, but thar’s two things you don’t reckin. | “ First, you're a heap heavier nor me, an’ then the stick ‘Il help to drag you down.. Next, you're in a heap softer spot ’n Iam. Soe yousee you'll go fust; but now you mustn’t ’magine thet I’m goin’ to suffer the torments I’ve bin tellin’ you of, - ‘cause T ain’t. “The sand ’l] close over your head afore it gits up to wy neck. You see, { hev a pistil—the same one thet you tried tu kill me with, not long sence—hyar, an’ I'll hold it above ground till you've gone, an’ then it’s on’y a tetch on the trigger thet a baby mought gi’e, an’ it’s all over with. Now do you see whar I’ve got the deadwood on ye?” Keedy did not speak, but glared in abject terror at the squatter. Laflin proceeded to deliberately and carefully re- Joad the weapon, almost to the muzzle, putting in a brace of bullets to make doubly sure. Then he cast away his rifle, knife, powder-horn and bullet-pouch; every thing whose weight, could hasten, by one second, the dreadful fate that awaited him in common with his foe. _, | Neither epoke, but with stern resignation upon one side and terror upon: tbe other, the. moments swiflly fod by, Reedy _~ : ConmicookxS.conn