Beadle's Dime Novels No. 96: Little Moccasin — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

14 LITTLE MOCCASIN. * Be quiet, str,” said Gage. “ Yes, dear—sartin.” “J should like to understand what the Old Harry possesses you,” continued Gage, turning toward Perry. “ There you sit, with your jaws half open, staring into the eyes of Major Dyer, and he into yours, both paler than I ever saw you before, though I have seen you both balancing for your lives on the yery pitch of the falls.” “ Falls —what falls ?” muttered Perey: “ AJjl the way down from the Webster stream to Bangor,” ‘said Gage. “Oh, ah—I understand you, now!” said Perry; and the major, who had turned with a look of surprise toward Gage, nodded assent, and fell back into a reverie, occasionally drop- ping a word or two, in the course of the cena, ee a man talking to himself. “And all the time,” continued Gage, with a pleasant voice, though evidently prepared for another outburst, “all the time looking as if there were some dreadful mystery in the twenty- ninth of December. “ And so there is, Cap'n Gage,” squeaked a small voice in the distance; “ and if you'll stand treat, I'll tell you what ’tis.” “ With all my heart, hariey—onvliat is it ?” *« Well, governor, since you’re so much in airnest, here goes. The 29th sof December is only two days rae a “happy New Year.” “Oh, you get aout! haw, haw, haw! that’s jist like you, Charley Frost—hurray !’’ shouted one and another of the gang, while Gage turned away with a look of displeasure. Again Perry tried to smile; but again it was a failure, and at last, he pulled his wolf-skin cap over his eyes, and flung himself back once more upon the cedar and spruce branches, and turned his face to the wall. Meanwhile the brow of Major Dyer seemed to gather black- ness, a8 he sat there looking into the bed of live coals with his elbows resting on his knees, dnd his palms outspread over them. After a long silence, the major seemed to have reached a conclusion. Drawing the end of the bench a little nearer to _ Perry, so that he might hold a conversation with him, if it comicbhooks.cona