Beadle's Dime Novels No. 300: The Crested Serpent — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

‘i ee. 66 THE CRESTED SERPENT. oo aa the earth. Through this etindh and rain the Comanes rifles 3 marched along the banks of the Tula, seeking a safe passages feeling satisfied that Boussard, stinging with mortificaticn € his defeat, would pursue them, At length they crossed th 8 siream, and as they’rode way, saw upon the other bank t 1¢ Tigers. Already the stream was so swollen as to be unsafe. Firing a,few shots, they retraced their steps, Panne’ that further pursuit would be useless. | CHAPTER X. J. HENRY TODDLES, oe Ten leagues from where Captain Tristan crossed the Tula, with the Tigers in close pursuit, in the direction of Cap@ Roxo, five hundred Liberal cavalry, under command of Colds nel Pedro Gonzales, were encamped in a lagoon awailing i formation from Captain Tristan’s scout. Like all camps where danger is not immediate, ‘the soldier’ were enjoying themselves in,almost every conceivable way= target-shooting, cock-fighling, monte, athletic sports, and. 6 laughter-provoking sport of riding “ pitching” horses, Not withstanding the scene of fun, frolic, and uninterruped plea gure, the rules of discipline were strictly observed, The roag leading to the Tula was picketed by a large force,.and WY dettes were upon. every road.and- trail. Around the camp and within sight.of the encampment, were the camp-guards and horses were tethered along the edge of the lagoon ant wherever the herbage was the most nutritious and» plenth ful. The tents of this body of prairie and mountain - scouts were of the small field kind, so constructed that they. could e be taken to pieces.in a few minutes’ notice and -distribu ted among the various members of a mess to be strapped i behint their saddles till again wanted for use. - B Close to the lagoon a,tent of more pretentious appears aes e : Pes self in: the morning: sun, proving that the com: nde : | Some ook’ na (~