Beadle's Dime Novels No. 13 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

94 CEDAR SWAMP; OR, WILD NAT’S BRIGADE. to which they retired. Here they would take up their quar- ters at intervals of some weeks, and lie perfectly quiet until intelligence reached them of some occasion where a blow could be struck; then from this spot, like lightning from a thunder- cloud, the fires of freedom flashed forth. Through all the hand-to-hand conflicts, Wild Nat passed safely. A sword stroke on the brow had left a scar, but the wound was not dangerous, for his own blade had carried death to his enemy, and thus paralyzed his well-aimed blow. John Vale, too, was fortunate. While more: than one brave com- rade fell beside him, he remained untouched. His first wound was his last. As being the best fitted to devise and carry out the campaign, the men placed most implicit confi- dence in these two. That confidence was never abused. From the time when Catherine Vale re-entered the walls of her mother’s house, that house was never disturbed. Though houses might blaze around them, and the homesteads of others be desolated, yet was the dwelling of Mrs. Vale unmolested. a, At length came an event which filled every true American’s heart with joy. ‘The dark pall which had so long been stretch- ed over the State was lifted. On the 19th of October, 1781, Lord Cornwallis with seven thousand men, surrendered to the American army under General Washington. No event in the history of any nation was ever hailed with more grateful joy . than was this. Though the British were still masters of Charleston and Savannah, yet it had the effect of doing away with the necessity of partisan warfare; and marauding bands of tories, and pillaging troops of soldiers were no longer to be met wandering through the States. The tories, seeing that the war must soon end—and end in the success of the colonies—ceased to rant of the divine richt of kings, and began to consider that perhaps it would be best to keep their fingers from off the property of their whig neighbors. They therefore became a source of no further anxiety to the patriots. -. Though willing to meet together at any time for the defense of their country, the men of Nat Ernshaw’s brigade disbanded, each one returning to his home. comicbooks.com