The Land Claim — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

THE DESERTED CLAIM-CABIN. 95 “Cold beef, dried venison, bread, cheese, and ale, That’s what I call a good supply of grub. The fellow that owns this claim has a sight of sense. Wonder who he is?” “ He’s a trump, any way; let’s drink his health.” “ And another to the Fiae of our Union— Erin go Unum, and E pluribus Bragh Y as the Irish orator said in Cincinnati.” “ Boys,” said Flag, who had been in a brown study for the last five minutes, “I am much obliged to you, and wish you may live to see 4 thousand returns of this happy occasion; but, in place of making a speech, I shall communicate to you a very grave suspicion which has occurred to me. _ I believe we have chanced upon one of the resorts of the horse-thieves ; for the owner of this claim lives in New York, and there hasn’t been anybody on it all summer, to my certain knowl- “That so, Captain? Hope they won't return this evening to find us eating their suppers for them.” “I would rather like to see them, if we were armed,” answered Flag; “especially if there was among them a certain one that I know.” “You know? Why, did one of them steal any thing from you ?” “No. One of them killed a friend of mine. Id givea thousand @ollars for the satisfaction of catching that villain,” said Flag, emphatically. “Did it happen in this country?” asked, two of the men, “It happened last spring, in Fairview.” “What! You don’t mean to say that it was one of the horse-thieves killed Dr. Edwards, instead of Newcome? Was that what Allen thought when he sayed Newcome from the lynchers ?” “He might have thought so then; he knows so now.” “ Why hasn’t he said so, then,’and let Newcome go ?” “Because he could not yet prove it, and his suspicions were not evidence on which Newcome could—be discharged. Besides, he wanted to watch for his man.” “Then he knows the man for certain? And you knew him, and neither of you have said a word about it? That's darned curious !” comlicloooks.com