Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

A SHOT AT RANDOM. _ 9 that in the thick wood and undergrowth he might elude him altogether, but was not long in discovering that such was be yond the range of possibility. Scarcely conscious of what he was doing, he left the wood, and came into the open plain, where there was not the remotest chance of escaping the savage. Pete did not join the regular stream of fugitives, else he would have assuredly fallen beneath the tomahawk of some vengeful red-skin. In his blind alarm, he crossed the road and tumbled over the fence into a wheat-field. By this time, his pursuer was almost close énough to bring him down, but forbore, as there was every probability of making a certain thing of it, The terror of the negro once more gave an extraordinary impetus to his speed, and he held his own until close to the fence upon the opposite side of the field. As he was about to scramble over this, he descried a drunken soldier lying on the ground, with a jug beside him. “ Say, man, dar’s an Injin chasin’ me!” shouted Pete. “Shoot him, quick!” | “Three cheers for quick!” hiccuped the soldier, rising to the sitting position, and looking stupidly around him. “ What’s up, to make you r-r-run so ?” “ Dar’s an Injin!” ‘““W-w-here might he be ?” “ Right ahind me.” “ All r-r-ight. I say it’s all r-r-right ; Pl drop him for you.” Fearful of the inability of the soldier to save his own crown, Pete had paused but a moment to acquaint him with the state of things. As the Indian came behind him, he saw the man sitting upon the ground. He seemed to take in the situation at a glance, and to understand that he could return and dispose of the soldier at his leisure, while the fugitive de- manded his immediate attention. Accordingly, he cleared the fence at a bound, and with an exultant whoop, held his tomahawk aloof: The soldier by this time had staggered to his feet, and pushed his gun between the fence-rails. Drawing back the hammer with his whole hand, he dropped upon one knee, and gazed (so far as it was possible for him to gaze,) across conmiclioooks.com