Beadle's Dime Novels No. 300: The Crested Serpent — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

$4 THE CRESTED SERPENT. women, could change. ‘She saw that he was true to the cause | he had espoused—as steadfast as the rocks that formed the base of the mountain upon which they were encamped. “You cannot be changed ?” “ Steager can die a patriot; but he can never live a trai- tor,” and he arose from his sitting posture and drew himself proudly up. “Then I fear for your fate,” Boussard entered at this moment. ‘as the brave prisoner concluded to join the Imperial forces ?” ‘He has not,” replied Steager. | “I will give you one week in which to change your mind. At the expiration of that time; unless you have consented to- become one of us, I will hang you as an enemy to the em-— pire. Guards, take the prisoner away; place him in comfort- able quarters, but guard him well.” | * Arnaud,” said Murieta, “be is as rock. Nothing will change him, Could we but get five thousand such men as this Steager in, our service, we could commence a revolution here aud roll it southward until we crushed every thing be- fore us, and were seated upon the throne, the diadem upon our heads,” “If he fails to Coane we will hang bim. Such a man is dangerous to our Cause.” While these events were transpiring, Alberto Tristan and his riflemen were cautiously advancing in the trail of Steager, When suddenly they came upon the dead body of the Liber- al’s horse. They then knew that a fight had taken place. Slowly they moved forward, riding in the chaparral. thot skirted the trail, when, horror t their eyes rested upon the dead bodies of their twenty comrades, hacked and mutilated. Dragging them into the chaparral, they covered them with dead limbs and leaves, intending to return that night and bury them. Search was made for the brave Steager, but his remains could not be found, when it was decided that he was a pris- oner in the hands of the enemy. Fearful were the curses of the comrades of the dead men, and they swore to avenge their deaths. comiebooks: (e@n)