Red Belt, the Tuscarora — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

3 THE sSCOURGING. 87 face was a theater of struggling passions. But he controlled himself. “T only wonder I did not faint under the cruel lash, and when they released me, I reeled and tottered backward. In falling, I flung my bands up, and struck the man who had _ scourged me, full in the face, tearing away the black mask, which had concealed his features. I started with amazement ! > But then, like lightning, my energies came to me, again, and With a cry ofvengeance I darted upon him. . . The man "who had striped me was my companion in the hunt! I saw = through it all in a minute. But before I could throttle the _ ’ yillain, the soldiers hurled me away ; and then—then—I—I— SS was driven from the town in disgrace! Oh,God! . . More than twenty-five years have gone by since then; yet I've never been back. But old Sampson has not forgotten Hmr—nor a yow then made! The fellow quit the woods, and nineteen years rolled by before I again saw him. But I knew him! /_ Ag as a wild, winter afternoon I caught him prowling through theswoods near*the cave here. We were soon face to face. I rushed upon him; heran. Whistling Dick was empty; but Thad my knife. The fellow was fleet of foot. I accidentally © fell, but again pursued. He had gone, however. But, in his trail I found a large bag of gold, and—” “What! A bag of gold?” suddenly exclaimed Roydon Howe, grasping the hunter by the arm, and gazing him wildly in the eye. = “ Ay, Roy; a bag of bright gold pieces, which the fellow had, of course, stolen—the same bag which, with our earnings, | Red Belt and I sunk the other day in the river—” * The hunter stopped all at once, and bent his ear, Then he “scattered the brands of the fire, sprung to his feet, and darted _ to the loophole in the palisade. No sooner had he reached = the opening, when a rifle rung in the air, cp tetris and an- other. “To your places, boys !” exclaimed. the ‘old man, sending ~ forth at the same time his loud cry of defiance. Then his - Jong rifle-was thrust through the slot; another moment, and > its sharp note rung on the air. Almost instantly there came z ‘pack a frenzied cry from the river-bank, and again rifle-balls ee ee ee Pe ee es the wt poy ne oe > il i ae 4 a. iu wf fd “ mays OO Te ee com