Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

26 THE FUGITIVES. CHAPTER IV. A BLACKFOOT RACE. “’Spros dere’s goin’ to be a mighty big fout to-day t” solilo- quized Pete Weldon, a large, overgrown negro, as black as the “quintessence of midnight,’ as he walked away from Major Abingdon’s residence toward the wood. He was a servant who had been reared by the major, and who, from long asso- ciation with the family, stood on rather favored grounds— which, expressed in other words, means that he did very much as he pbabied Pete was associated with an old man of German extractiori who managed the farm, while the major and his son, the lieu- tenant, were absent in the army. Two or'three days before, this man had followed the latter to Forty Fort, so that’ Pete was the only man left to assist and protect the females, The lieu- tenant gave the negro permission to join them if he so wished, but did not invite him to do so, as he was morally certain'his presence would be of no benefit at all, to say the very least in the matter. Pete made answer that he would “liberate” upon the subject, and let them know wat he had decided to do. by the week following. Taking a rusty musket that he occasionally used in thogniti he sauntered into the wood; on the forenoon of ‘that memor- able third of July, decided upon only one thing—to keep away from the battle-field. The more effectually to accomplish this; he had ‘concluded not to return to the house until nightfall, when he could not be urged with any reason to leave it. “Yes, dere’}l be a mighty big fout—dat may be set down as sartin; and de best t’ing dis colored feller can do am to steer clear of all diffikilty, till dar’ ain’t no diffikilty to steer clear of, den dar’ won’t be any diffikilty.” ' He walked on a few rods and then resumed his musing: “T laid in a big stock ob food dis morning at breakfast, so dat I won’t be hungry afore night. I'll jis’ keep shady in de woods till de diffikilty blows over, and den Ill leave.” connielooolks.com ~