Beadle's Dime Novels No. 214: The Forest Monster — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

52 THE FOREST. MONSTER. self, and then be was about sinking into a reverie, when Black Tom aroused him. See yer, Hammond, as I b’leve you call yourself, thar seems to be something in this gal that in’trests you. Ain't that so now ?” | “ Well, I see no objection to confessing that there is.” “ Who is she ?” “T can not say. You are right. in supposing that she is 8 white girl. She is of our own Face and blood, and. isa prisoner, although a not very unwilling one, among a small — tribe of Indians near at band.” Black Tom was somewhat pleased with Hammond ; he had that admiratio | for a learned man which the ignorant inva- riably feel, and he saw from the manper of his speaking that he was.a “scholar.” Besides that he possessed a blandness of manner that predisposed all in his fayor—but, at the same time, he was not prepared us yet to invite him to make one of their party... There was a mystery, which the trapper was desirous to » penetrate, and with characteristic bluntness he put his ques- tions point-blank. a3 “ What briogs yer in this part of the country”) Hammond looked at him rather quizzically ; the movement of his whiskers showed that he was smiling.. ve it is not the object that brings you wnd your companions “ What, do you know "bout that?” “What is it?” “ Gold.” ; = “Wal, you're right—no use denyin’ that—but, how do you know it, Hammond ? That's what I'd like to know.” “ Why, my dear fellow, I know that you and two com- rades have taken up your head-quarters down the euiion ; I know also that there is gold here. All that remains for me to do, is to put this and that together.” “Wal, you ain’t nobody’s fool,” returned the trapper, after & moment’s pause, “ but I don’t know, arter all, but what a fool could have told that. Ain’t you huntin’ arter gold ?— now, honest—no foolin’.” Gommicloooks.conn