Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

SAVED. 27 treated with kindness, the party only delaying ee ebatture, on his account. Could it be that they intended taking him along as pris- Oner? and if so, why? He had never given the Indians Cause of offense, to be sure; neither had those who were lying about him in the terrible postures in’ which they had been overtaken by death. Then a suspicion stole over him. He had been rescued from the jaws of death: might not the Indians calculate upon his turning against the whites, and as- sisting in their murderous plans? This seemed a natural con- clusion, and although his manly soul shrunk from the idea, he resolved to take advantage of the desire, if such it should prove, and preserve his life for the present, even if a tempo- rary sojourn among the Indians were required. He had a double purpose, now, to effect by living—to prove his own innocence of crime, and to find Nancy Mharewe. With something of an effort he staggered to his feet, and the same tall Indian whom he had previously observed, ex- tended an arm for his support. ‘Though burning with curi- osity to know the reason of such apparent friendliness, Ralph forbore to ask any questions, wisely leaving all to the discre- tion of the savages. “ Pale-face go with Injun!” the red-man finally erunted out. “T don’t know,” serene Ralph. “ What shall I go with you for ?” “ Pale-face want to live, ” sententiously responded the sav- age. “Him like the young tree with big roots. Him live great while. Make great warrior. But pale-face hang him on atree. No good fruit for great tree. Make tree die— make hunter die. White man go with Injun. Injun make great man of pale-face. Injun tell pale-face suffin when git to his brothers.” “ There’s more than a common share of truth in what you say,” Ralph replied. “I haven’t much fear o’ killin’ the tree, but I don’t want to put it in danger, to say nothing of He, own neck. So TI conclude it may be best for me to go w oe aes is it that you wel tell me bit we get to your ribe “You walk ?” dendanttea the Indian, paying no attention to Ralph’s last question. commiclooks. conn