Beadle's Dime Novels No. 96: Little Moccasin — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

23 LIPYLE MOCCARIN. ghost-storles you have been Hstening to, I am afrafd that any thing like the simple truth wouldn't relish.” “That’s all a mistake!” said Seth Hannaford. “ That’s jest what we want—the truth, and nothin’ but the truth; we are tired of these cock-and-bull stories about graveyards, and haunted houses, and sich like.” “If you would be so kind, major,” said Gage, laying his hand upon the major’s knee, ‘“ The boys have got a notion that you know every thing—that you have been everywhere— and that, in a word,” laughing, “ you are an,exceedingly mys- terious personage, and especially since the few words that passed between you and our friend Perry here, about the 29th of December. They afe tired of the tough stories they hear every day; and I do hope you will consent.” The major bowed his face upon his hands, and sat awhile without speaking, and then, as if he had been wrestling with himself, he lifted his countenance, pale and swarthy, and so changed by that fierce inward struggle, that they who saw the change withdrew their gaze and seemed afraid to speak. * OHAPTER Il. A FIERY APPARITION. Ar last, he uncovered: his face and took a survey of the whole company, one by one, as they lay about in all sorts of strange though picturesque attitudes—two or three lying flat on their backs, with their hands under their heads, and knees lifted up, and others leaning on one or both elbows, but all with eyes fastened upon the speaker. “The story I have made up my mind to tell you,” said he, with a sort of preliminary shudder, “ though it may’ seem strange and perhaps extravagant, I know to. be true—substan- tially true, [-mean; many of the incidents happened under my own obseryation, and others I have from eyewitnesses ; but you must bear with me, and allow me to abridge it as - comicbooks.conm