Beadle's Dime Novels No. 95 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

A SERVICE OF DANGER. “81 “We are about to send you on a service of great difficulty and danger.” _. “Thank yew; thet’s my kind, yew know.” Ronald entered at once into-the details of the required ser- vice, which would take the scout into the camp of the enemy at Crown Point, unless they were already on the march. Eph was ready in a few moments. <A few days’ rations of cooked food was placed in his knapsack, and he shouldered his piece and went off into the woods to the northward, keep- ing @ sharp look-out for hostile Indians, and choosing paths not often used. He had scouted about the position of the enemy many times before, and knew the ground well. He always went alone, having a well-grounded dread of the powers of his comrades in the way of woodcraft. Their tread broke sticks as they threaded the forest, and they made fires of wet wood. Such persons might be ornaments to the regu- lar army, but they were not the men for Eph Peters. He had taken one of them with him on one occasion only, but the amateur scout became frightened a few miles out, and ran all the way back to Fort Edward, at the top of his speed! From that day, our friend scouted alone. The Indians knew Eph, and had followed his trail many wedry miles, in the hope of killing the red-haired hunter ; but he always managed to elude them. | His education in the great school of nature was perfect. He could swim for a longer time than any man in the camp. On _ Clear ground he had beaten the best runner in the camp in a foot-race. His strength was prodigious, and in the first trial he had won great credit. Wandering into camp one day, green and uncouth as usual, where the boys were indulging a favor- ite exercise at that time, throwinga weight, they challenged him to a trial. He lifted the ponderous missile, poised him- self a moment, and sent it out like a thunderbolt, fully seven feet beyond the best throw. Physical strength was respected in those days, and Eph’s standing was at once established. Few would have cared to go with the scout in his expedi- tion, so reckless of “danger had he become. He hesitated not at all to venture into the enemy’s camp, even in broad day, trusting to his wits or good fortune to take him safely out again. Although a Yankee, dyed in the wool, he was a connicbooks.conn