Beadle's Dime Novels No. 305: The Girl Scout — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

THE FIERY FURNACE, : 89 injury before we cah free “her. Is the band a/strong one, Dan ?” . ing “Not more than thirty men. Some of ’em will fight, but two out of every four will run like sheep. I saw Black Wolf coming out of the swamp this morning, but I didn’t follow him because I had other work to do.” “JT hope the mean sneak won’t let me git a clutch on him,” growled Old Jess. “ What aye think we'd better do, Wallace ?”” “Tt is too Jate to do any thing just at present. Wait un- til dark, and then, as you know the swamp so well, we can match ‘out on-foot and get to the island before sunrise.” “JT think you ar’ right,” said Jess, musingly. ‘* We kain’t do any thing with hosses, and when we've cleaned ’em out thar’ll be bosses enough and to spare. Let’s make a fire’ and cook some grub, for the boys won't do any thing on empty stomachs. Oh, how it riles me when I think that Gaston Foix dare take my darter to his den!” “ Here seems to be a good log to start a fire against,” said ~ Wallace. ‘ Let’s roll it out.” i Calling some of the men, they rolled the log on which they sat into the center of the glade and heaped lightwood upon it, which was quickly in a blaze. To the horror of the man in the log the end which was open, dry as tinder, caught fire first, and he was inclosed in a fiery furnace with no hope of escape except by crawling through the flames. The stoical nature of the man stood even this severe test, and for some moments he lay quiet, watching the flames as they eat into the dry rotten wood on the inside of the log. “’m treed,” he muttered, savagely, “ but if Pve got to die, I'll die like a Sioux, with my teeth set.” From bis position in the log he could only see for little distance along the ground. Within the line of vision was the foot and part of the leg of a man, though who it was he could not tell. Raising his pistol he took aim through the flames and fired. The report was followed’ by a hollow groan anda man sunk heavily to the earth. “The devil!” cried the hoarse voice of Ben Slawson. * Whar did that shot come from? Pick him up, boys.” As they stooped to lift the wounded man, two more shots COmMicloookxs.Coun