Beadle's Dime Novels No. 38: The Wrong Man — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

38 THE WRONG MAN. “ Ghostes stays at hum sich nights. Who’s afeard, any way 1 Cato is a darkey dat nebber knowed de base passion ob fear. No, sah!—Lord! hebbens! I’m bit by a rattlesnake !”’ The African being barefoot, was walking carefully along, when something struck his ancle with a sharp, stinging thrust, such as is made by the fang of the rattlesnake. He was following a sort of path, where these reptiles had been seen on several occasions, and now was certain that he was doomed. Dropping his load, he caught up the foot in both hands, hopping around on the other, giving utterance all while to the most doleful lamentations. “T’s killed! I’s killed! I can nebber see Massa Du now! It’s all ap! NowTI lay me down to sleep—blast snake! what did he bite dis niggah for?—I pray the my soul to keep. If I should die—Lord bress me! d tion—fire—cuss dat snake! my delicate ancle am swell big as de stove-pipe now. Cuss dat reptil! What did he want to bite me for ?—I pray de Lord my soul to take !” And, dropping on the ground, he rolled over and over in his agony, muttering and groaning harder than ever. “What did I come ’long dis path for? Might’ve knowed dar war snakes curled up waitin’ forme. Blastem! Why didn’t de arnery cuss rattle his tail afore he stuck his tooth into my pusson? It’s all up with Cato now. Might’ve knowed better dan to try and sabe Massa Dudley. Blast *im! he kin stay in de block-house for all I keers. It’s all up with Cato, and he might as well die fust as last,” And, rolling over on his back, he straightened out his limbs, and waited for the advent of the Dark Angel. But, some- how or other, the latter personage delayed his coming consid- erably. By-and-by Cato reached down to see how fast his leg was swelling. “Lord! golly! hebbens! "spect the cussed leg will bast them new trousers Miss Dayton made for me. Blast that reptil! Why couldn’t he bit somebody else ?” Lying motionless some twenty minutes longer, he fe't of the other ankle, then of both; then rose jo the sitting posi- tion, rubbed them as though a sudden itching had seized them, and looked stupefied and amazed at some discove ¥ ue comiclooolks.cohn) 7