Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

MOBOCRACY. 21 “You will pardon us for detaining you,” said Alfred Adams gently, as he took Ralph by the arm. “TI really trust that you are not guilty; but, you know, we have settled here in the wilderness, and being under the control of no responsible legal power, we have sda to support strict anes among our- selves, man for man.’ “T know,” said Ralph, with a oe clan nora “vou have the right to detain me asa prisoner, and I.can not resist. I only swear to you that I am innocent, and I trust to prove that innocence fully.” “ Hope you will—hope you will !” was the really kind reply. Then holding the bloody knife in his hand, Adams made his way toward the body of Andrews.- His grasp rested upon one arm of Kalph, and a companion held :the other. Rufus, who had an intolerant prejudice. against the prisoner, though without any cause, had dived into the crowd, and was busily engaged in spreading the story of Ralph’s guilt. Adams, upon his part, made a clear and careful statement of the circumstances under which the knife had been found, and examinations revealed beyond :the shadow of a doubt that the wounds had been given with the identical instrument. Here the controversy ended, since nothing further could be proved, .. The young hunter reiterated his innocence, and de- clared again that he knew nothing of the affair, and had no — knowledge that the knife which did the fatal deed was out of his room at his brother’s house. | | But, in the excited state of the community they did not pause to reason. Various stories which had been covertly circulated since the somewhat open rupture between the pris- _ oner and deceased were repeated. The threat which several | - testified to having heard used_so recently, also weighed against him, and in a short time, more than three-fourths of those present had expressed their conviction that Ralph was guilty. Suddenly | the loud voice of William Rufus broke upon the night air. “ See. a men,” he said, mounting. a 1 block of wood that he might b more conspicuous, “ we all know. that feller’s the aeilig one. You know what we said when the thing was first done—how we'd punish anybody that had eut up so; now don’t le’s be respecters of persons. Thar’s plenty of conmicloooks.comn)