Beadle's Dime Novels No. 96: Little Moccasin — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

46 LITTLE, MOCCARIN. -tifey were not two rifle-shots off, and stood ingot tes as if in consultation, or listening. The major determined to get as near them as he cotild without being seen; and cutting across the wide:sweep which separated them, he soon found himself within«short. rifle- range, and ‘was making up his mind what to do:next——for he wanted to overhear their conversation, and seemed to grow more and more uneasy about. their object—when the break- ing of a: dry branch overhead’ made him look up, and there he saw the fearful creature, lying flat on a prodigious hemlock branch, bristling all over, with eyes like hghted jacinths, and just ready for a spring at something he could not see... Before he took another step, there was a movement among the shrubbery below, just where the two: hunters had been holding their consultation ; his rifle dropped into his left hand without noise—and then there was ‘a little stirringy an: excla- mation of surprise from Gage, a low, savage prowl, ending)in a snarl; enough to make your very blood run cold ; and: then, just as-the creature flung itself headlong through the hem- lock branches upon her prey, there was a rifle-shoti from be- low, instantly followed) by another, likevanseeho, from the major; and the creature, catching by onearm~»on-her:way through the spreading \dtrer fimiisp hung fora minute, writh- ing and yelling; and then fell upom the snows )) 5 604 6 & . Astonished beyond measure at: th® sound’ of the deca shot-so sudden» and so timely—Fletcher and» Gage were looking about in every:direction. to'see where it had’ come from, utterly regardless of ‘their terrible foe \as: she lay there struggling -in her death-agony, and») tearing up the ice and snow at: every sweep of her tremendous paws, after‘a fashion that. appalled) even these experienced hunters. Buti nothing “was to be'seen ;' there:was neither life: nor motion to betray the hiding-place of the major, though he was now within a rod or twovat the furthest,’and lying flat om the snow, sthong ‘the tangled undergrowth. 9:12 Joy bar ;VoId io Hiri ‘Timely help, 1) nvust: acknowledge.” said ‘FPletcher;: sallit- ing as! he spoke tothe under. jaw of the catamount; broken by his ball. “See !’—turning the vcreature ogiubonibithingdic “where I meant to have hit: her; but her chargeland my ‘com- pliments must ‘have been so near i her !) that. she commicloooks. com