Old Specie, the Treasury Detective; or, The Harbor Lights of New York — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

130 OLD SPECIE. Where the paper came from the detective could not as yet guess. Whether it was manufactured or stolen he would not say. So far as he had examined the bill, the paper had seemed all right—nothing wrong there. It was an interesting sight to him. The hunter who has toiled through thickets, waded streams, climbed hills and descended into valleys in pursuit of his game, feels a thrill of satis- faction, when at last, creeping through the bushes, he sees the great moose within easy shot, uncon- scious of his presence. So, in this case, Old Specie ipoked upon his game with a feeling of exhilaration. He was very cautious, however. It would not do to disturb the workers. Let them keep at their unlawful labor for alittle while longer. The awakening would come soon enough, and perhaps with the sudden awful clap of thunder. He would retreat now. In order to accomplish his work, these men must be apprehended singly. To have rushed in upon them then would have been a desperate measure, for both were un- doubtedly armed and ready to fight. He knew a trick worth two of that. Patience! When a few more hours had gone by, the end would have been attained, and in a quiet, sportsman- like manner suited to his purpose comicbooks (ete) =}