Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

INDIANS ! 25 Here his silent supplications ceased, for four’ strong men grasped the rope, and at a word from their leader the young hunter’s body was swung into the air. A few éven ventured to applaud the terrible spectacle, but the majority looked on in silent awe at the work of death before them. For a short time the sense of pain and strangulation was fearful, but they gradually passed away, and only a wide blank, devoid of life and BenSaHIOn, seemed br spread before the suffer ing young man. | Suddenly a yell—wild, loud, tig and fierce—broke from the forest near them. The party about the cated fear- fully at this indication of others’ presence, and endeavored to pierce the gloomy forest shades. Even while they gazed and wondered, a burst of flame broke from the neighoring coy- ert, a few balls and many arrows hurtled through the alts om ; fell § in the midst of the frightened group. : | “ Indians! Indians!” burst from more than one. asliy lip, a and several of their number fell before the deadly volley, see } or wounded. 8 Of course, the advantage was all with the assailants. The whites were brought out full by the strong torchlight around them, and their foes were in the deepest shade. Besides, _ scarcely a man in the group was armed, none haying deemed weapons necessary for their enterprise, or having thought of them at all in the terrible commotion of that night. As the arrows continued to fiy about them, the party broke + and ran, regardless of the suspended Ralph, who came to the ground with a thump. No sooner did the settlers show their backs than the In- dians gave andther yell, and charged upon the rearmost of the flying horde. Frantic with terror the men rushed in every direction, and not till they were dispersed beyond all possibility of recall, for some time, at east, ae the Savages give over the pursuit. ‘Then, at a signal, they rallied, and beached ‘ty the fatal oak, Those who had fallen and remained there, whether dead or wounded, were tomahawked and scalped ithout mercy, after which the Indians attended to the fallen Ralph. * That individual had no full realization: of his state, or of Oy the bloody drama enacting atound him, ‘The shout, and conniclooolks.comn)