Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

132 STAMPEDE. ‘Because the others do, I suppose,’’ answered Cap- tain Chetwood, biting his lips with vexation. “By gracious! I’d like to fight the hydra-heads, and send ’em back,’’ cried Andy, refusing to stir, but loading and firing as before. ‘Come!’ cried Chetwood, quickly, laying his hand on the arm of his young friend. ‘‘You will be killed or captured if you remain here. Do you hear me?”’ ‘‘Hang it! I hate like pizen to give up this way!”’ erowled Potter, still holding his ground. The captain and the young Ohioan stood almost alone now, with the yells of Gordon’s victorious col- umn ringing in their ears, the patter of leaden hail making most unpleasant music about their heads. ‘‘Quick, boy—this 1s madness !”’ The captain attempted to draw the youth forcibly from the spot. On the instant, the young Ohioan fell to the ground, with blood gushing from a wound in the head. ‘"Ah, Heaven! he is dead!—killed by his own rashness,’’ uttered Captain Chetwood, as he saw the _ blood gush in a crimson stream over the sallow face. ‘“Poor boy! By Heaven! they shall not have the body! I will rescue that or die in the attempt!”’ _ This was a mad resolve on the part of Captain Chet- wood, no doubt, but the boy had saved his life that morning, and the captain was warmly attached to him on that account. snatching the body in his arms, Captain Chetwood rushed away, followed by a shower of leaden pellets. He left his musket, of course, and, with Andy Pot- ter across his shoulder, sped down the slope and across the fields, almost as fleetly as he would have done had he been without a burden. Soon he found himself surrounded by a seething mass of humanity, each individual factor striving to distance his neighbor in the race. And such a race! Gomicbooks (E(0)