Beadle's Dime Novels No. 305: The Girl Scout — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

54 THE GIRL TRAILER. “T can see by your faces, my lads,” be cried, “that you do not like my course with Jack Byreton. If you knew all the insults I have borne in silence, even while I knew that he was a traitor in his secret heart, you would praise rather than blame me. I have seen Jack with Rodney Phelps, a dozen times, and I have heard the surveyor say, again and again, that he knew a part of our secrets and would know the rest. Why was Jack Byreton at the Phelps’ house somuch? How did Rod Puelps know any of our secrets if Byreton did not betray us? I tell you, boys, it is but a step from life to death in Minnesota now. The settlers have lost so much that it will be short sbrift, and sudden cord to any of us who fall alive into their hands, when they once know where their horses are gone. If Jack Byreton goes free, and informs against us we are dead men or exiles, and I ask you. in all candor whether it would not be better to keep him shut up, until we make our stake and are ready to leave?” “ We agree to that,” replied a man who had been loudest in favor of Byreton, “but, we don’t like your jailer. Some one else besides Black Wolf must take care of him.” 6c Why ””? “Wolf might make a mistake—you know yourself how for- getful he is—and ke is liable to do it, He might forget to give Jack any thing to eat and drink, his kaife-hand might slip—or some thing of that kind, He’s dreadfully careless,” “ You are inclined to be facetious, Mr. Gabe Best,” said Foix, “No; I’m in dead earnest, Cap. That cussid half-breed Sioux ain’t to be trusted with a man ’3 life, especially a man he hates.” “Let Buck Bracer take care of him then.” “That’s out of the frying-pan into the fire. The cowardly hound is morn likely to make a mistake. I guess you'd better let me pick out a manto watch Jack. I know his habits best, and I can pick the right man.” Gaston Foix gnawed his lip hard, for he recognized in Gabe Rest a turbulent spirit whom it would not be easy to put down. But, he made a virtue of necessity and yielded with a@ goad grace. “We won’t quarrel about a trifle, boys, ” he said. “ Pick your man, Gabe,” conmielooolks.corn)