Beadle's Dime Novels No. 139: The Border Foes — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

as if they could not 4nd.-enemies enough among the i a <A ae J oo * The next attempt of the assailants was made against the back door.. It was not so stout or so well fastened as that at — the front of the house, and it was evident that they had ob- _ tuined a heavier piece of timber for a battering-ram; for the first blow made the door quiver and the building tremble ; At the next stroke, splinters flew from the wood, and one of the bars cracked. Alice shrieked, and her mother turned pale. Jacob Rees burn seized his rifle,and stood in front of the door with Tom, prepared to defend the entrance, “ Wait a minute, mars’r,” said Hannah. “ Dar’ plenty post-logs jest outside de front door, and Tom and I kin git — ‘em and pile ’em up here, wile de Injuns is ’round on dis side } ob de house.” *- } The suggestion of the negress was a good one, and was ’ immediately acted upon. The front door was partially opened, : and, after seeing that no one was near, Tom stepped outside and handed in the posts to Hannah and the white women, who : took them into the other apartment, and piled them up with their ends against the weakened door. Mr. Ryeburn, in the 4 mean time, stood at the entrance with his rifle, ready to shoot , down the first man who should make his appearance. 3] This operation was attended with considerable risk, as those outside might be expected, if they should discover the door to be open, to make a rush to enter; but it was entirely successful. The heavy posts were piled up in the house, until . they reached nearly to the top of the back door, forming a. barrier which destroyed the effect of the battering-ram. The a front door was then closed and fastened, and the assailants, probably conjecturing what had been done, discontinued ein ‘ efforts for a while. wae ° “Thanks to Hannah, that plan is foiled,” said Mr. Rycbora:.. 4 . Ls “ The next thing for them to try, I suppose, is the windows. eS: = au don’t work like red-skins ; but, whatever they are, them: . | | find it no easy matter to get into this house.” S z ieee tents ateald> remarked his wife, “ that they will try | i _ “Ibis very likely that they will bese : ma Sei yee