Black Arrow, the Avenger — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

bappened.to-have a wooden leg;of being old Santa Anna. I told you that [ had made those regulators. believe me to be one of their best friends and helpers,.and Baker has only proved that I told you the truth. I did it in my own way, of course, It is no man’s business what that way was, as long as it answered the purpose.” , There was silence for a few moments after this speécch. The boldness of Whetstone and his confident demeanor, raised a doubt in the mind of Roder as to whether the accused was really guilty as charged by Baker. He was staggered, if not convinced. The reasonableness of Whetstone’s argument, and the perfect coolness with which he treated the accusation as an utter absurdity, had an effect upon others besides Roder. They were good enough logicians to perceive that the fact of his being marked with a black arrow did not prove that he had killed and scalped the men who had been lost, and that the fact of his being on good terms with the regulators did not prove that he was false to Roder’s gang. Not being able to answer his argument, they were silent. | . Jim Baker was silent, also, but not because he had nothing to say. He looked around ind’gnantly at the others, noticing was ready to say his say; but his anger mastered his speech for the moment. The accused gave him an opportunity... “ You know that Jim Baker has lots of queer notions,” said Whetstone, “and this is one of the quecrest he ever invented. -“ Crazy is it?’ ejaculated Jim Baker, as he rose to his feet. “ Any man with half an eye kin see that it's true, in spite of your big talk. You're a powerful hand to pull wool over folk’s eyes, as Paul Roder says ; but you kain’t blind this old hoss. Why did old Landry and that Warner chap run up to you and hug you when you showed the arrer? ‘Cause the gal had told "em who let her loose, and they knowed you to be the man. Yes; and that’s jest what the young chap said. I didn’t think to tell that afore ; but I remember it now. You let the gal loose, and nobody else killed and sculped the man who was left at the hole. I heerd you say that you knowed a bloodhound was on your trail. You war right about that, and conmicbooks.com