Beadle's Dime Novels No. 300: The Crested Serpent — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

ae . 60 | _ HE CRESTED SERPENT. but no sound of gun disturbed the silence that reigned about, Fifty rifles rested upon the circling embanknrent, and fifty marksmen reclined upon the green turf, awaiting the coming of the enemy. 4 Steager had left the entrance to Paraiso open. No obstruc- tions—no barricade—were reared to stop the onward plunge — of the Tigers’ horses. The deception was perfect. ! A bugle-blast—one as Joud and fierce as those blown by the — Knights of the Rourd TabJe—rose clear and startling in (hé’ air, and gallantly rode the fierce Tigers under Boussard to the charge; and from the swell of earth in front of the entrance ~ to the motte rose, like a giant, the fifty men under the French — captain, ; Simultaneous with the discharge of fifty rifles, they dashed — upon the narrow causeway. Ten rifles enfiladed the dashing — column of fifty, and tumbled the brave Frenchman and six of | his men to the ground, and ali were in a confused group. Twenty more guns, ten from each side, hurled death again © among them, and the panic was complete, and like frightened — caltle, they struggled and fought among themselves to gain — the sheltering knoll. All around the motte the fight raged fiercely, some of the — combatants having plunged into the stream and reached te . bank, there to fall under the fire from pistols. F Senot Arnaud Boussard, your si ots got into the lion’s j den | The sound from the bugle was as a dismal wail. It called — together the remainder of a once gallant band. Stained with — - blood, they assembled on the prairie, over forty of their num- — ber lying dead or wounded within reach of the enemy. “Oaptain Tristan, Steager is satisfied. His twenty brave 4 fellows are now avenged.” Gathering up the wounded within their reach, the Tigers, with slow steps retraced their way to Veza motte, and there did all in their power to alleviate the sufferings of their wounded companions. “ We must encamp here until I can send for reinforce- — ments,” said Boussard, musingly. “They must be driven from their place of refuge, or I will lose caste as a leader.” os See _ Me “A! ote os bs Way TERRE Get Fr, Hak, ¥ 4 i comichooks.com