Beadle's Dime Novels No. 310: Foghorn Phil — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

A STRANGE SOUND. Ba Waters around the island would fill his mind with vague fancies of stealthy, rushing footsteps creeping. upon his Sleeping companions. And thus he tried in vain for an hour to sleep. | Suddenly he started up from his cvuch, and leaning upon his elbow gazed down at the earth where bis hand had lain 43 though a serpent had hissed in his ear. He bad detected 4 strange, dull sound, or vibratory shock, so delicate was it, that he could not tell which, At first it seemed like the purring of a cat accompanied by a slight thumping jar. What it was he could not. form the faintest conception, and lo add to his surprise, the sound ceased the moment he raised his head from the ground, He examined the place @here his head had lain, but found nothing—not even an insect of the earth. He extended his search for several yards around him, but finding nothing, he came to the conclusion that he Was growing nervous—that all was mere fancy, and so he “sein laid down. But to his surprise, the instant he did so that strange unaccountable thump and dull purring sound Was at once resumed,—more distinct than when he had first heard it. For once in his eventful life, Foghorn Phil was complete- ly bewildered—dumbfounded. He could not tell what the Sound was, nor from whence it came, But he was not the man Lo give up, and so he put his wils to work, determined to fathom the mystery, if such a thing was possible. When he agair “aised his head from the earth the. noise subsided, but as S0on as he laid down, it was resumed. These facts let in a "ay of light, as the scout believed, on the mystery; and he “gan to theorize upon it, and soon arrived at a satisfactory Solution of the matter, as he believed. The noise he attri- Uled to the violent rush of the water against the island, Which conducted the sound with a slight jar to his ears. Pon this, he finally settled down, and stretched himself up- ®b the earth again. But to his amazement, the instant his “ar came in contact with the earth, he discovered that that ‘tWange sound had increased—was growing plainer and was “PProuching so close that it assumed a distinctiveness.that “eft no grounds for mental speculation; and, with a low, in- Voluntary exclanration, Phil sprung to his feet, and, like one 310 2 COMmMicDOokxs.conn