A League of Three: Boy's Detective Stratagems — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

tf —- an 4 * . 7 o 4 >a) . . < . : 4 . ; * j s : cae -.. aft i ryt? 2 : ‘_ i ’ : : 7 4 Th ts * - “ . 3 , * : — A LEAGUE OF THREE. 8d “So you fellows don’t like countrymen? Maybe you’ll like ’em better after to-night; at least you’ll remember oue mountain lad, anyhow; good-night.” Madie had calculated he would have to run for it, but the fellows were so blinded with the slime they could not make a fight, only get the mud out of their eyes and ears, and our hero walked deliberately away after repeating: “Now you know what putty means.” Madie walked back to his refuge under the bridge, but after a time concluded it was better to go on to the open country beyond the town. He was not looking for any further adventures; but, alas! it appeared as though he were destined to spend the night in scrimmages. He had walked about a mile beyond the town when he heard shouts and peals of laughter, and he became assured that a party of young men and women were approaching on their way to or from some sort of festivity and frolic. The lad had no reason to anticipate that the party would interfere with him and kept on his way; but, alas! there are so many smart Alecs abroad, and it chanced that with the party approaching there was a youth who was always attempting something extra smart, and upon this occasion he was par- ticularly anxisus to exploit himself before the girls in the party. Madie walked along and met the merry crowd right near the banks of the creek which the good people called a river. The moment smart Alec beheld the little tran.p marching along with his pack on his back it was suggested that he might make a little show. He halted our hero right by the river bank, as stated, and demanded > “Hello, Mister Tramp, where are you going?” The girls all gathered around to see and hear the fun. Madie did not immediately reply, and the smart Aled again demanded: oy “Do you hear me—where did you come from? Where are you going?” (CCOMMUCEL MOO) < . . =