Beadle's Dime Novels No. 96: Little Moccasin — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

44 LITTLE MOCCASIN. Soon after they started, Fletcher brought down a brace of partridges, at a single shot, as they rose whirring at such a distance that Gage refused to offer to fire first. | “ Capital!” cried Gage. “I have. heard of stringing wild geese with a single ball, and I have seen some pretty fair shooting in my day with a double-barreled shot-gun ; but never any thing like that, I must acknowledge.. Was it. an accident ?” “Not altogether. I felt sure of one, and by running a little ris’n and waiting till they were in. line, I believed I might fetch both. I have done so many times in my life.” “But we must not be led off in this way,’ said Gage, striking out boldly toward the nearest river-bank. “ Right, Captain Gage, right; and once on the trail of the little moccasin-track, we shall know just how much time we have to spare.” And away both struck, toward a path run- ning along under a growth of enormous pines, leading, after a while, into the very heart of the wilderness—followed. by they little knew what; for hunters are sometimes hunted, you know. 5 Fit gph “Upon my word,” continued Gage, after another half-hour’s tramp, “ upon my word, Fletcher, I almost wish we had taken the dogs with us. We might find them of use before we get through.” “Of use !—in what-way ?” “Tn starting our game.” “The very reason I left them with the boys. Once ‘fright- ened, by the dogs, the little moccasin would be likely. to leave this neighborhood and take, to another hiding-place.” : Meanwhile. the Old Forester, for reasons which did not ap- pear, had been following on the track. of our two. hunters, and though he had lost sight of them two or three times, yet he had always managed, with the unerring instinct. of a blood- hound, to recoyer the. trail, until his attention was called off by what seemed like a. shadow, often motionless. for several minutes, high up among the far tree-branches, and, then moy- ing swiftly away, so that he was unable to follow it, even with his eye. Nor could he get near enough to satisfy him- self as to its true character, until, on coming to a bend of the river, he caught a glimpse of the creature, whatever it cComicbooks.conn