Red Plume — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

18 RED PLUME. eyes." No, ’tain’t, neither; nothin’ is as bright as thet, unless it’s the stars ubove'us, or the royal diamorids of the Tageds, You can see your purty face into it, jist as if it was a mirror, and I wish you could look into it so hard that your face would stay there always.” “ Never mind my face and eyes, Cousin Eben. I want to know how rou expect to use your harpoon out here in the wilderness.” ‘““Wa-al, in the fust place, speakin’ about’ its peaceable use, T understand we are comin’ to some rivers that’are chock full of salmon at sart’in seasons of the ‘year, and then this nice lit- tle instrument will git us many a good breakfust) and dinner. Secondly, if it hadn’t been for uncle Nathan and’ the Dela- ware, I might have speared many a buffalo with it, and buffa- loes are wholesome food, I calkilate. Lastly, and té con- clude, as the preachers say, if any of those Injuns come foolin’ around us, or tryin’ to come any of their games over you, my sweet little duck, this here little article will let day- light through ’em quicker’n you can say Jack Robinson.” “JT am not a little duck, or a little goose, and am sure that I don’t belong to you. Stippote the Indian will not let: you get near enough to him to strike him with that ?” “He had better keep a mortal good’ distance, if he don’t want me to harpoon him. Do you see the knot in that tree yonder, Nelly ?” continued Eben, rising and pointing at an oak about twenty yards from where he stood. “ Yes; I see the knot. “What of it?” a Waal, I don’t want to hit the knot, my beauty, ’cause it might dull the edge of the harpoon; so I will strike jist above it. Stand by to let out the slack, and watch her shoot!” Tle whaler rose to his full hight, his tall form appearing to open out by joints, somewhat after the fashion of a carpen- ter’s rule, drew back his long and brawny arm, carefully poised the harpoon for a few seconds, and then launched it forward with tremendous force. © It flew like an arrow from the bow, true to the direction that had been imparted to it, struck the tree just above the knot that he had pointed out, and quiver- ed as it stuck firmly in the solid oak. David Carver clapped his hands, and éven his father could not repress an exclame tion of wonder. comicbooks.com