Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

BONNY JEAN. 79 Cooper paused to regale himself with a volley of choice ex- pletives, Ds ‘*Let’s chuck him into the river,” he cried, ‘‘and make buz- zards’ meat o’ him double quick !” ‘Why, he can swim like a fish!” **You're a fool!’ retorted Cooper. ‘*‘Do you think I'm green enough to give him a chance to swim? Come here, Rousseau,’ indicating a sallow-visaged, lantern-jawed fellow, whose crape mask only partially concealed his ugliness from view ; ‘‘ you've got more sense than the balance. Come on and help me.” Cooper produced a long rope as he spoke, and, with the assistance of Rousseau, managed to tie Philip’s arms tightly upon his breast; then they proceeded to bind his lower limbs together, Philip submitting without resistance, for he had made up his mind to die, and would not gratify the murderous ruffans with any show of terror. When he had been bound securely, and they had searched his pockets and found him unarmed, they carried the helpless man down the river-bank for a mile, perhaps, taunting, jeering, and insulting their pris- oner all the way. At length they paused ata certain point in the river, which seemed suited to their diabolical purpose. It ‘was a small bayou, bordered by overhanging thickets, where the moccasin and other venomous reptiles made their haunt, while the bayou itself was literally alive with alligators. But the vigilantes little dreamed of the courage, the endur- ance, the fertile resources of the man whom they were about to murder; and little did they imagine that, as they bore him unresistingly along down the river-bank, Philip Randall was working out a problem in his mind—a plan for his own escape —which, impracticable as it might appear, was, nevertheless, not impossible; for the rope which bound his arms tightly, though new and strong, was no thicker than an ordinary clothes-line, and as they bore him onward, Philip’s strong white teeth were busy, gnawing like a rat—gnawing, gnawing, with- Eomichooks (e(@)