Beadle's Dime Novels No. 300: The Crested Serpent — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

50° THE CRESTED SERPENT. CHAPTER VII. THE ESCAPE AND THE DOOMED. On’ the night before the proposed execution of Steager, that individual lay in his tent bound with thongs—both feet and hands. YVainly did he attempt, with superior strength, to snap iE them, or even cause the bonds to loosen so that his arms could become free. The hands that wrapped and knotted the cords had done tbeir work well, and unless the promised aid came, he knew that his doom was certain. The hours went by, one by one, and yet no signa! from his looked-for friend. Already the heavy breathing of the two guards announced that sleep had claimed them. “Could he bave deceived Steager?” the prisoner muttered to himself, One—two—three—the Mission bell ! Now, Stea- ! 3 ger, you shall see.” The soft notes of the bell sounded melodiously, and as stroke after stroke was wafted to the prisoner, he strained his ears for other sounds that he would welcome, as the thirsty earth would welcome the refreshing shower. Was it a rabbit’s tread that touched the leaves in the rear of the tent? No; it was the guarded footfalls of Humfredo, as he stole to the back part of the prison. Raising slowly its canvas wall, he crept, with the stealth of a cat, inside the frail structure, and his hands ran rapidly over the prostrate form of Steager. At length he found the thongs that secured the arms of the prisoner. With bis knife he cut them in twain, and Steager’s arms were again free. Then his other limbs were released, and Steager rose to his feet, and silently they crept from the rear of the Aztec tent, and down the side of the mountain lowered themselves until they reached the ledge then they threaded the same passageway that Humfredo tra versed the night before. Reaching the end of the hidden avenue, they paused but a moment, then the firmament, stud- ded with stars, burst upon the view of the released prisoxer, and as they stepped as if from the very. bowels of the moun-— tain, Steager exclaimed : comicbooks: com: - A ” . ‘ as * $ 7 , ° . 3 > RT Sor ee eR] "" <l. i eer re UF weak, ¢ Se rat r