Beadle's Dime Novels No. 37: Godbold, the Spy — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

i 02 GIDEON GODBOLD. ‘marth. He crossed the river at King’s Ferry, and passed a res night at a house about eight miles beyond, being that to venture further at that late hour was perilous. Early in the morning he was again in the saddle, and pushed forward to Pine’s Bridge, where he breakfasted. André was now entering upon what was termed the “ Neutral Ground,” a region infested chiefly by a class of men called “cow-boys,” from their being mostly occupied in procuring cattle for the English army, which these unscrupulous merchants usually stole from the neighborhood. He viewed these personages as a species of home-guard, and as he had proceeded without molestatign through the most hazardous district, he readily entertained the desire of his guide, John Smith, that he should return, and they separated—André entering the territory of the cow-boys, and Smith retracing his steps homeward. The former had proceeded as far as the village of Tarrytown unchallenged, and was walking his horse along a narrow y, when a man suddenly sprung from the paren and grasped his bridle, and a wien two others arose from similar.concealments. André was amazed at this demonstration; but still believing the men to be a detachment of those choice drovers who prospered under British patronage, he exclaimed : “ Where do you belong ?” “Down below,” responded the laconic Yankee, intimating to New York. . “So do I,” exclaimed André with joy; and then he pro- ceeded to explain that he was a British officer,on important business, that would not brook delay. But the men whom he addressed were not his favored cow-boys; they were three worthy men—named, John Paulding, David WiHiams, and Isaac Van Wart—who were on the watch to intercept these droves of stolen cattle and reclaim them; and they now led André into the forest, and despite his expostulations and the too tardy production of Arnold's pass, insisted upon searching him, and, concealed in one of his boots, found evidences of treachery. — André was declared a prisoner, and now attempted to pur- chase his liberty. He offered his gold watch—then a rare COMIC DOOKkS.COnn