Beadle's Dime Novels No. 96: Little Moccasin — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

16 LITTLE MOCCASIN. expression of his sommitetinine and o/uuasarting his hand from Gage’s knee and offering it to Perry. ‘“ Most assuredly you have as much right to ask an explanation of me as I of you, and I ought to have had my senses about me; but, to say the simple truth, I was so utterly astonished, that any other living man noe havé a reason for remembering that particular day— wy ineieniil you perfectly now,” said Perry, glancing round upon the eager faces about sate and then nodding to the major. “You are right,” said the major, ‘returning the nod. “We will talk this matter over by ourselves.” : “With all my heart,” was the reply. “ You can not be more in earnest than I am.” “Ah! What was that? suddenly exclaimed a short, rough. looking man with prodigious breadth of shoulders, hands like the paws of a grizzly bear, and shaggy locks, wearing a red shirt, Indian leggings and a white fox-cap, tilted over one ear ; clutching Perry by the arm, as he spoke, who sat leaning back, with his head resting against the wall of logs, and breathing as if almost asleep, or wishing to appearso, ' Perry sprung to his feet, as if a panther had fallen through the roof, and struck him in passing, and stood clutching the hilt of a large, silver-mounted hunting-knife, with eyes of alarm- ing brightness, and breathing like a hunted bear. A loud, clamorous, rattling laugh followed, like a near vol- ley of musketry, and the half-drawn hunting- Anite was return- ed to the sheath. “ Look o’ there, boys! I say, deacon, jist look o’ there !” screamed Charley. ‘What did I tell ye?” pointing to a rope of moss that hung about Perry’s legs. “I knowed he’d have all the chinkin’ out afore he knowed where he was, when I saw his hand pushed in between the logs, and twitchin’ at the moss—and now he’s left a hole big enough to drive a cart and oxen through.” “Confound the fellow !” said Gage, “ what on earth shall we do with him, if he keeps meddling in this way—he’ll have us all together by the ears,” Sead Muzzle him—cob him!” was the cry, and for a minute or so, poor Charley looked asif he thought his time had come. commicloooks.com