Beadle's Dime Novels No. 33: Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

‘)HE RUNAWAY. 38 “Fore long, I had a chance. Massa and his son bof went to political meeting, over in de town, to be gone all night. ’Twas bright moonlight—bright as day—but I wasn’ going to wait. She always kep’ her door locked, but de window was open, for twas a warm night, and I climbed up on de roof of de porch, and got in de window as still as a mouse, I had an ax in my hand. I could see all about. Missus was sleeping on a bed. "Long side de bed, on de floor, lay Chloe; she was sleeping, too. De bed stood out in de room, so I could step ’round de oder side, and not wake Chloe. “ My head was as hot as fire, and my heart as cold as ice. I raised de ax. Jis’ den Chloe riz right up like a sperit, and looked at me. I reckon she couldn’ scream, she was s0 scart; she raised her hand, as if forbidding me, and de ax kind o’ sunk down. I couldn’ kill missus, and she lookin’ at me wid dose eyes. “< Ef it twan’t for you I'd do it, I muttered; and den I jis’ gib up, and turned ‘round and went out de window, jumped down, and stood still a minute, I ’spected Chloe’d tell on me, and den it would be all up wid me; anyways, I didn’ want to stay no longer. I'd made up my mind to run away, w’edder I did or didn’ make out w’at I wanted. I had de key of de stable, and I'd got a hoss out in de lane, waitin’. So I stood. jis’ a minute, and den I fled, and I nebber see’d de ole plantation sence. I could write so well I'd writ myself a pass, and I rode dat night and de nex’ mornin’, w’en a couple of w'ite men nfet and stopped me. I showed my pass, and I got to Norfolk sémeways, and I had money, and paid my passuge to New Orleans on a vessel w'at was going right away; and I've had all kinds ob times sence den, but nebber no good luck. I don’ belief Chioe eber tol’ on me, for I see de paper myself wat massa advertised me in, an’ dar wasn’ noting said "bout dat; but I got took up conmmicliooolks.ceorn