Beadle's New Dime Novels, No. 49 — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

THE PERILS OF THE PRAIRIE. 57 | yee deviltry up, awhile ago, and thefs what itis, Shri dead ngin hez been noted among his friends for his cussed sneak in’ness, in crawlin’ up onter things in the grass, sich as deer and enemies, and [J] bet they call him Snake-in-the-grass, Waal, he crawled out here, like a snake, sure enuff, to watch us, and whenever we was standin’ siill, he’d signal to his friends by shootin’ a arrer straight up, and whenever we war movin’ "bout, he’d signal by shootin’ a whit arrer in the di- rection we'd gone, tryin’, tharby, to catch us in @ trap. Old Thornpath is too old a birrid to be cotched on sich chaff as thet—he’s seen sich too often to biteevery time, And now, I perpose to turn the scale, since we've got Snake-in-the-grass in outen the wet.” Having rearranged the grass about his head, old Thede took the savage’s quiver and emptied the arrows out; then he took the trunkless head of the red-skin, and placed it in its natural position on the open end of the quiver. ~ “Now, Frank, you git Snake-in-the-grass's bow, and one 0’ the white arrers ready to shoot the moment I say the word.” Seeing the hunter’s daring intention, Frank did as requested. Thornpath then carefully raised the head of the savage to # level with his own, and, in this position, raised himself slowly up, bringing just about half of the savage’s tufied head in view above the top of the grass, with his own head just behind it, 80 that he could see ever the top of it. As he had expecied, he saw the basilisk eyes of the five savages peering about above the grass, about one hundred yards away. Of course, they saw the top of their comrade’s head—which the Trailer, moved slightly from one side to the other, to make them be- lieve that he—the savage—wus looking about for the whites —and from the fact of ita being in so close proximity to the, tassock of grass, they supposed it a natura. one—little dream- ing what a bold and fearless stratagem they were being nade Victims of. After holding the trunkless head above the top of the grasa for a moment, the old Trailer dropped it to the ground, but still retained his position, and said in a Jow tone: “ Now, Frank, send an arrer to the nor’-west,” Prank did as commanded, and sure enough, the five rod- _ ‘kine darted away in the direction that the arrow was shot. = COME DOOKXS.COMmM