Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

58 | - BONNY JEAN. «Vigilantes !” he shouted, wildly, ‘‘ we have been duped and fooled—by a woman—and the best horse is gone! Turn the - others out of the stable. We will burn the barn down, and |”? end these devils’ lives ! They went to work with fiendish alacrity. Up in the loft, John Averill had heard the captain’s command, and he called the old couple to his post of observation, while the frightened darkeys crouched near in terror. ‘Quick !” cried John; ‘‘they’re going to burn us out!” ‘‘ Like rabbits in a hollow tree, sah!” interrupted one of the frightened negroes. ‘‘ Where's Lady?” demanded John, suddenly, casting startled elances around the barn. ‘*Gone, sah!” cried the negro, his teeth chattering with fear. ‘«She done jump out de window, and flewed away—on her own hoss, sah!” John Averill sprang forward, and shook the man until his teeth chattered like castanets, ‘‘What do you mean?” groaned Averill, stopping at last to take breath. ‘‘Where is Miss Adelaide, I say?” “’Fore God, Marse Averull,” groaned the terrified voice, ‘' I done seed her wid dese yere eyes! Whew! Gora mighty! wes gone up now—suah !” For a great puff of smoke had arisen, followed by the crack- ling and snapping of burning wood. John saw that Lady was indeed gone, and, wild with horror and alarm, he turned to the stairs which led below, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Lee and the negroes. ‘“My God!” muttered John, brokenly, ‘‘there’s a black night’s work going on. I would——” He paused, aghast, at the outer door. The wigilantes had gone! vanished like the fantasia of a dream, taking with them the remaining horses, and leaving the barn wrapped from top to bottom in seething flames. (e(e) =) Eomichooks