Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

\ - 28 . THE FUGITIVES. few moments to look around him. Naturally cowardly, his nerves were severely tried in thus stealing up to a scene that from the very nature of things must be exceedingly danger- ous. More than once he halted, with that peculiarly wild and uncertain expression upon his countenance—not knowing whether to go further, or to break and run at the top of his speed in an opposite direction. The battle, which was becom- ing fiercer each moment, drew him on as the loadstone draws the magnet—and at length he reached a point from which he gained a glimpse of the dreadful scene, It required but a glimpse, indeed, to see how sadly the day had gone against the settlers. At the moment the view was opened to the negro, the rout was complete. “T tells yer what, de white folks am catching it,” he con- cluded. “I’m afeard these quarters are beginnin’ to git kinden hot. Ki, yi! what dat man coming dis way fur ?” The last exclamation was caused by the sight of a terrified man running headlong toward him. ‘The suspense of Pete turned into alarm when he saw that the man was pursued by two Indians. “Golly gracious !” he muttered, looking wildly about him, “ S’pose that Injin sees me, what'll come of me ?” With that blind, wild feeling which takes possession of rer- sons when seized with a panic, he turned and rushed fran- tically away, only seeking to get beyond sight of the terrible savages, who were already becoming furious from the sight of blood. He would have been successful had he exercised ordinary prudence; but, a horse tearing through the under- growth would not have made more ofa racket than did he. The consequence was, that one of the Indians descried him, and, confident that his companion was all-sufficient for the white man, he started in pursuit. The consternatiou of Pete when he realized that a murder- ous Delaware, with upraised tomahawk, was seeking his life, can scarcely be described. He kept glancing behind him, and shouting at the top of his voice. Asa natural conse- quence, he ran plump against a tree; but, as it was his head that struck he suffered little injury. The excessive terror of Pete gave him such fleetness, that for a few moments he really distanced the savage. He heped = conmclooks.comn ee ee oe DF