Beadle's Dime Novels No. 214: The Forest Monster — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

MASTER OF THE SITUATION. 35 been impossible for the bullets to miss their mark, so that no refuge from the difficulty could*be taken in that supposition. The brute sat motionless a moment, with his gaze upon the burning faggots, and then rising from his sitting position, walked around to the other side of the fire, and took his seat di- rectly under the sapling which was the refuge of Teddy O”- Doherty. “Ye dirthy blaguard, ye pecds. t come there,” he growled, as he looked down at him ; “ ye're a dirthy dog, as me Bridget used to obsarve, affectionately, when she saw me comin’ in her shanty av Soonday avening.” “ He’s fell in love with you,” remarked Black Tom, who thought he could afford to jest a little, so long as the brute made no active demonstrations against him, “T guess he’s turned watch- dog,” said Stebbins, ‘ “and is go- ing to keep the other spooks away.” It may be stated that the demonstration which the trappers had just received of the invulnerability of the mysterious creature was complete in every respect. They would have staked any thing and every thing that it could have stood without flinch- ing before a battery of columbiads. Under these circum- _Stances, therefore, the did, not « deem it wise, to waste any more So they reserved their a nition, and made themselves as comfortable as possible in t r cleyated position, waiting until it should take it into its head to depart. me “ S'pose he stays here : a wee OF two?” said Stebbins. “Then we must do the : same.” “ Why didn’t we think of the fire ?” muttered Black Tom. “What did yer want to think "bout that?” ‘asked old . Stebbins. “If he don’t care fur rifle-balls, it’s likely he’s afeard of that. gs dyanymgh un Oe Tama . “ Better not try it,” returned the elder. “Why not ?” “°Tain’t noways likely it would have hurt him, and he might have cotched you up and slammed you in the fire.” This was a fearful supposition, and all three shuddered at the thought of the brute venting his spite in such a manner. As it was certain that nothing could be done in the way of ee 3 eonniclhooks.conmn