Beadle's Dime Novels No. 300: The Crested Serpent — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

_ vance, and soon red embers of at Jeast ten fires presented them-_ ’ his eyes dark and expressive ; form the medium hight, aud conducted to the commander of the troop, who hastily arose, 96 | THE CRESTED SERPENT, zai deaber—atunted oak growing in a sandy waste—when sud- denly a sharp challenge rung out in Spanish. | “ Friends !” said Humfredo. They were ordered to advance, and riding forward, were. confronted by six brigandish-looking Mexicans. “Take them to the camp,” was ordered in a gruff tone, in broken Spanish, denoting the speaker to be an American. A guard of three mounted their horses and silently left the road, and traveled through the oaks at least one-half wile, when they reached a place that fell away in a slope into a chaparral, Again they were challenged, then ordered to ad-— selves in a broad circle; and as the gusts of the morning would cause them to flare up in fitful flashes, forms of men, wrapt in slumber, could be seen lying around. They were exclaiming : “Prisoners? Good; we will now gain information. Guard them well until day reak: B | Paula and Humfredo were fatigued after their night’s ride, and tethering their animals, they lay down to slumber, and soon tired nature succumbed to the drowsy god of sleep, and they went into dreams as the great enigma deadencd their senses to all around them. Their repose was short, as daylight showed itself through the opening between the mountains, and the previously silent | camp was now one of busy activity: The before waning fires blazed and crackled, and voices, in every direction, could be heard in conversation, or humm inggMexican ballads or war-- songs, 2s Paula and Humfredo arose with the first signs of life in the encampment, and the latter busied himself in preparing their morning repast. During its preparation the commander of ; the troop, a Mexican, apparently thirty years of age, whose face was lighile finged with the hue denoting native blood, approached them. His features were regular, even handsome ;_ manners those of a Mexican gentleman. Addressing Paula, he said ; ox “Your name, senor ?” = comicbooks:com_ «4 i ee » see ee