Beadle's Dime Novels No. 300: The Crested Serpent — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

52. THK CRESTED SERPENT. the body, or jumbled mass, dropped into what appeared a pit or well. Down, down it went, hitting upon projecting — rocks with dull thuds, until it fell into water with a heavy plash. / “Thus, my son, with ait: our enemies.” | They again returned to the Aztec chamber, and after con-— versing upon’ serious todics for a time, left the cavern—she to — direct her steps to hacienda Santa Luzia, and he to climb the 3 mountain to the Tigers’ camp. 4 With the first notes of the bugle the White Tiger of the ; ‘Tropics emerged from his tent. He called a guard of six — men to relieve the guard at the tent where Steager was sup-— posed to lay, bound band and foot, and take charge of the prisoner for the execution that was to take place at sunrise. — The guards were relieved, the tent sutured, but Steager was — not there. a “ Seize these traitors!” crled Boussard, and his voice trem- bled with suppressed emotion. “ You are the men who will hang at sunrise !”’ The doomed Mexicans were bound and prepared for exe- cution. They pleaded in vain for their lives. Boussard’s heart was as stone. Nothing would turn him from his: pur- pose, : Ominous stood the pliant tree, on which the body of Jose Vallejo dangled between heaven and earth, and from the top hung the rope with the fatal noose. Speedily the tree was bent until its top almost touched the ground. One of the victims was placed under it, and all eyes were turned in the direction of the east to cateh the first gleam from the Jumi- nary that had sent forward its rosy heralds to proclaim its _ coming A single ray flasbed from the east as an arrow from an Indian’s bow, lighted up the “tree-tops—and then another, and another, until the trees on the mountain reflected as a dewy mirror the bright beams, Then came a voice of command, and one of Steager’s guards was hurled from the earth into eternity, Again the tree wis bent, the dead body removed, and the other living victim placed under the noose. He said one little prayer, in which could be heard murmurings of his wife and child, and — Fe ee eae ee ee Gp te ee eS “i, Sa’ * r A - ert io way a.” Oe le oe eae COMME DOOXEE com 7