A Daughter of Maryland — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

154 A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND. other outcries could be heard the voice of S’posen Jones Saying: ‘*Hi dar! yo’ look sharp or yo’ don’ kotch dat fractus— whoa dar! Wharfo’ yo’ ac’ laik de berry deb—whoa! ’pears like dat hoss boun’ to git erway !’’ Following the negro’s frantic cries came the loud hoof- strokes of a runaway horse, while the negro renewed his incoherent exclamations, until one of the soldiers sent him sprawling to the ground with a blow from the butt of his gun. . ‘*You dratted black fool! it was your own clumsiness that he got away. Go and bring him back, or I’ll fill your black carcass with lead. ’’ , | ‘‘Jess as yo’ say, massa. I’se off laik de win’ !’’ ‘‘What confounded work are you having, Corporal Briggs?’’ called out the leader. ‘‘Tt’s that nigger. The fool let one of the horses get away from him, or else he did it on purpose. At any rate here are four good animals. ”’ ‘‘Surely you are not going to rob our stables?’’ asked Aurian. ‘‘Tt isn’t robbery, miss, it is the fortune of war. The Yanks are carrying off everything they can lay their hands on and if we didn’t take your horses they would. Come, we are impatient to sample your provisions; and we have mighty little time to do it in.’’ The scene that followed was one too often repeated during the war to need description. Helpless to raise her hand Aurian stood silently by while she saw her home despoiled . of everything in the shape of edibles, save sundry portions Lieutenant Berners managed to smuggle aside for her. When at last the soldiers were ready to leave, he said to her : ‘‘I must repeat my warning for you to abandon the old manor. Yourun great risk in staying here longer. Stand- ing as it does in the very~ pathway of the armies, you cannot get to a safe place too soon,’’ comicbook