Beadle's Dime Novels No. 95 — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

A MISS. aT “ Goll darn yew, w’at d’ye mean? Why, yew lettle, weak, * hop-o’-my-thumb, ef I was to shut my hand on you, whar would you be, you fea / Put me out of doors, will you? Not ef I hev’ anythin’ tew dew with it, yew ’tarnal sneak. Icome from the colony whar’ they raise men. Git eout!” He gave him a twist, much in the manner in which a boy spins a top, and he went whirling off against the wall. Never, peraaps, had an officer in the service of France been so roughly hanlled. But his spirit was not yet broken, for he caught up ~ @ rile which stood in the corner, and looked at the priming. “Dog!” he cried, as he lifted it to his shoulder, “ your life is in my hands!’ | f The spy had not thoftght to bring things to this desperate crisis, but he was not the man to shrink from the consequences of his own acts. His:own rifle was out of his reach, and he folded his arms, looking death calmly in the face, as he answered the Frenchman : “That's a lie! My life is in the hands of God. He may _ hev’ made you the instrument to kill me, Rut ef he hey’, you or I can’t change it. And ef he ain’t, yew can’t kill me. Fire away; but ef yew miss, woe be unto yew !” “T shall not miss,” said Jaques. “ You may have one chance, Beg for your life; down upon your knees.” “T kneel to God,” answered Eph, still without fear, “ be- cause my heart tells me it’s right; “but £ don’t kneel to man, much less a cowardly Frenchman, who is less than a man. Stand out of the way, Miss Maggie !” — The girl had stolen behind Jaques to’ seize his arm, when the shout of the spy rung out. . As he spoke, he doubled up his body like a: ball, and leaped at the officer at the instant the gun was discharged. So sudden was the, onset that the bullet did no more than graze the skin upon his shoulder. The next moment Jaques wes borne down by the scout to the floor of the cabin. His throat was in the grasp of the hunter, and the starting eyeballs told of the strength of ‘his vice-like grip. In his anger, Eph might have forgotten to loose his hold in - time, but for the interposition of Maggie. At the first word of entreaty from her, he let go his hold, and allowed the dis- comfited hero to rise to his feet and shake the dust from his garments. | . rn } | comicliooks.com »