Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

SLEEPING UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 71 -The poles which had been used to confine him were quite pliant, and by gently pressing upward with one foot, he was_ enabled to withdraw the other. This was one point gained. He was proceeding to extricate the second, moving very care- fully, when the savage upon his right side sprung suddenly to his feet, and grasped his gun. Ralph was startled, thinking that his indiscretion had cost his life. But he was immensely relieved when the Indian moved away into the forest. Very soon he returned, uttered a growl of disappointment, and threw himself down to sleep. He noticed the fact of Ralph having withdrawn both feet from beneath the rod which confined them, moved the pole up a foot or so toward the prisoner’s body, and threw himself upon it again. Another tedious waiting followed, until the guard was sleeping soundly, and then Ralph began to experiment with a view to regaining his liberty. But he was very soon satis- fied that any movement of his, sufficient to free his limbs, would awaken one or both of his watchers, and perhaps in- sure him immediate death. Still he was willing to run the risk, since there was eyery thing to gain—nothing to lose. - Ralph had commenced the work of extrication, and was progressing very slowly, when a circumstance occurred to hasten his proceedings. The Indian upon his left gave a grunt, and rolled away from him, removing his body from one of the rods, which flew upward with a bound. Nothing could have been more fortunate for the young man’s purposes than this move. He was at once enabled to extricate his lower limbs, and the feeling of freedom wath thrilled through his frame was invigorating. As though an invisible hand was assisting the prisoner, (and who shall say that such was not the case?) the Indian drew away still further, and the remaining pole raised itself into the air. Ralph could scarce restrain his joy at such signal and unwit- ting assistance. He had scarcely command enough of his nervous system to refrain from springing to his feet and bounding away through the forest. But he mastered the joy- ful emotions, and _— eeny crawled away from the fatal vicinity, A moment more and he would be free. Was te to be? Cconmic soolks. corn)