Beadle's Dime Novels No. 139: The Border Foes — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

i ee ets A ne ee ee en ee exposure to the sun and elements. In disposition he wns gentle and quiet, carefully avoiding all difficulties, althongh is bravery was beyond question, His character was deeply tinged with melancholy, caused by the loss of his wife, and since her murder his hatred of the sayages had been so in- tense, that he never let slip a fair opportunity of slaying one of the detested race. The winter of 1780 had been unusually severe in Kentucky and the adjacent region of country, and many families found themselves, in the spring, entirely destitute of bread. In fact, for a long time they had lived on nothing but meat, and even that was scarce. George Ryeburn, accompanied by Walter Wilson, had been to the older settlements on the Holston river, for a supply of flonr and other necessaries, and they were returning when our story opens, having reached the neighborhood of their homes when they were overtaken by the darkness. CHAPTER Il. SMELLING AND FEELING. Tue two friends soon had their camp prepared, and a small but brisk fire burning. They then skinned and broiled some squirrels which they had shot during the day, complet- ing their supper with crackers, and washing it cCowa with water from the river. Having finished their meal, they light- ed their pipes and sat down by the fire, the warmth of which was quite agreeable, for the night was damp, though not re- ally cold. . The darkness increased, until it became so thick that it could be felt, like that which overspread the land of Egypt for three davs. Outside of the small space which was dimly illuminated by the fire, nothing could be seen. The darkness stood up like a wall around it, and the young men felt op- _ pressed, as if they were in a cave from which there was no egress, They could hear nothing except a very slight rippling — _ of the water aguiust its banks, for all beasts, birds and insects Comicbookscom| on A by b-< - ae