Beadle's Dime Novels No. 38: The Wrong Man — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

104 THE WRONG MAN, frightened half to death by this startling interruptior, leaped like a wounded deer straight up into the air, to a height which we will not risk our credit for yeracity by stating in feet and inches. He had been so wholly absorbed in the business he was about, that he was not conscious of an ap- proaching footstep; and as he now turned, his teeth chatter- ing, and his eyes staring with fear, he encountered the short, thick form of the official dignitary, who, on the arrest of Dud- ley, had been appointed to discharge the important duties of jailer. He held a lantern in his hand, and the shifting light it threw upon his face showed he was enjoying the terror of the negro. “Well, Mr. Blackskin, what are you sneaking round here for?” said he, in a tone more good-natured than the words. “T—T—is onl)—jist come, Massa Ward—to—to—to see— Massa Dudley a little minute—dat’s all,” said Cato, stammer- ing out his reply with great difficulty. “ Well, I—is—only—jist come—on the very same business —dat’s all,” returned the jailer, mimicking the black; and then, bursting into a hearty laugh at his own drollery, he con- tinued, “get out of the way, snow-ball, and let me see that all is safe—dat’s all.” He raised his heavy key, but, casting a hesitating glance from it to the door, which seemed to say that it was toc much trouble to unlock and lock the ponderous portal wher the end might be as well attained without, he turned aside, and, holding his lantern in such a way that it cast its light between the logs, put his eyes to a crevice, and looked into the building. “ Ah, all’s right,” said he. ‘“ What, asleep so early? well, that’s the true way—it’s good to take trouble easy. You might better crawl into your bed, though; but I reckon you stuck so close to it all day, you had mather try the logs for a while. Well, I wish you @ sound nap, anyhow ; and so saying, the man moved off, to the infinite relief o poor Cato, who waited not long after him, but. precipitate descending the mound, secreted himself in one of the of the ravine. In the mean while Dudley had gained the boat, and joined his young bride, wh>m he pressed in eloquent silence to his CORMCIOOKS.COlnN | wl