Red Belt, the Tuscarora — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

44 RED BELT, THR TUSCAKORA. Old Sampson walked to the spot, and bent down ; he gazed at the tell-tale spots only a moment or so. He arosa “Yes, Red Belt,” he said, exultantly, “and all is well. Weill find the big canoe now, and knock a hole in the bottom. Tf we do not, the boat may serve us a bad turn, soon.” So saying, and as if thoroughly satisfied where the boat was concealed, the old man trod straight to the hostile canoe. A few blows with the slender, keen-edged hatchet—which he carried in his belt—over the bottom of the boat, and in a mo- ment a large block was cut. out nicely. This the old hunter replaced, so that at first view, it could not be seen ; but so loosely inserted was it, that’ it would be forced out on a mod- erate pressure of water. The old hunter laughed low as he turned off. “Come, Red Belt, we must be gone,” he said; “we have a long and dangerous tramp ahead. — Time will not wait ; be- fore the dawn we must be far from this. But,” he sudderity pansed, “if Roydon Howe was alive, and had the use of his feet, he has lefi us a message somewhere, that’s certain. We'll ‘search.” . He at once got on his hands and knees and commenced groping around, scrutinizing every blade of grass—every twig —every pebble, every piece of bark. Red Belt did the sume. _ The search continued for some minutes, and then the old hunter silently drew his companion toward him, and pointed to ‘two small flowers—the one bent carelessly, yet evidently inten- tially, over the other. The little stalks showed very faintly in the dim gloaming ; hesithie: iepper, with the eye of a hawk, had noted them. > “ We have heard from the dear boy,” he said, in a low whisper. “ He has faith in us ; he tells us that thus far he hes not been harmed, and that-he longs tobe with us again. He shall be, or, my brother, old Sampson’s life will be the forfeiv! Now, we'll be gone. Come, Eagle, keep your ears open.” As tke bunter spoke, he turned at onee—having in the mean time risen to his feet--and slinging his long rifle in the hollow of his arm, he strode away ina course at right-angles fo the river. Red Belt followed on swiftly and silently. Eagle trod behind the two, his step as noiseless as theirs. Another moment and the silent party had passed into the ~— cComicbooks*com %