Beadle's Dime Novels No. 214: The Forest Monster — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

48 THE FOREST MONSTER. upon the high and temporarily level ground, it was brought in full relief against the sky, the trapper standing somewhat be- low it,so that it and its rider were outlined against the faintly- lit sky, as if drawn in ink. What was Black Tom’s amazement, when he saw at this moment that the rider was a woman, with an Indian shawl thrown around her shoulders! As if she suspected that some one was near her, she: partly turned hcr head, at the instant her animal stepped upon the prairie, so that the profile of her face,.was plainly.ccen. ‘““Skulp me! ef she ain’t. a white woman! fairly gasped the trapper, who could scarcely credit aon sensés. “ What is she doin’ hyar ?” There was something in this scene that puscethe: Tidak Tom from calling to her, as he would have done had the cir- cumstances been different. He recalled that he was in the re- gion where the supernatural beast had been seen, and a cold shudder went through him as he reflected that perhaps he was following a spirit instead of a mortal. He hesitated a moment, but he had his share of curiosity, and it struck him that he mightnoet again have so good an op- portunity of learning something that very probably concerned the welfare of himself and his companions. So the next instant he had resumed his pursuit, moving | with the silence of. a phantom close behind the horse, that Se ennpee nanny aaraeaaees ha carried a reyal burden. — Black Tom had no. difficulty. in keeping: up with the two, but he was uncertain whether the lady knew she was followed or not. . When on the open ground; there: was sufficient light to gain quite a distinct view yes nm it was by no means a satisfactory one. . _ The country was very mibbobealenies a adealte sinasis it was cut up by’ hills,ravines, cations, streams and: open prairie— but there were paths leading through these in different directions, mostly made by animals, so that no one ever need encounter any difficulty in making his way from one point to another. The horse with the unknown lady continued forward, with : that unhesitating gait which showed how certain he was of his way, and that his rider had no fear of his going astray. connicloooks. conn