Beadle's Dime Novels No. 309: Mountain Ned — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

' %6 MOUNTAIN NED. and beside him rode two chieftans, oné ® man about fifty years of age, partly white, but with a rather good-natured looking face, and the othera dashing warrior of about twenty- five. : “These wirite men have spared your village, Silyer Lance,” said the elder of the two chieftans as they pulled in their horses. “ They are not like these dogs of Mexicans who burn and destroy wherever they go.” . “They bave done worse than that,” hissed Silver Lance, “They have slain my warriors. Come into my lodge, chief- tains, and we will have a talk. Let the white dogs beware of us.” . They entered the lodge, and Silver Lance produced pipes, He lighted them and seated his guests, when his eyes were riveted upon a strange emblem pinned upon a white blanket, which hung from the wall of the lodge. Both chiefs started to their feet and made a sign of respect and reverence, “ See!” cried Silver Lance. “ The Great Mystery is before us. Have we beer fighting with brothers? Why was not this knewn before blood was shed ?” “It was not to be so,” replied the older chief. “The Great Spirit willed that the Comanche should suffer by the hands of bretliren. There is no hope of peace now, for few aniong the Comanche know the ‘great mystery.’ They would not know why we oH to make peace with the slayers of our broth- ers and would demand the battle. Let us go.” As they left the lodge the last of the mounted Rangers dis- appeared in the distant pass. Whatever happened, they had found a refuge from which it would not be easy to drive them by foree of arms. But the young warriors who followed Cabanis and Custodin, with the exception of those who had been wit Silver Lance in his battles in the pass, were eager to be led against the white men. Bat, the poor remains of the band of Silver Lance had no especial desire to again face that terror of their race, the Flying Man of the Hills. As they leaped into the saddles and rode to the front, a- wild yell ran through the ranks of the warriors, and they fol- lowed in good ofder on the track of the three stately chiefs, who, scarcely exchanging a word as they rode, took the ad- vance, Silver Lance was in deep thought, for ‘he suw that commiclooks.conn