Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

} THE QUAKER IN BATTLE. 38 There are men who will laugh and jest when Death is stalk- ing directly among them; and when the Americans began to fall under the withering fire of the concealed Indians, and the old men looked unusually solemn, and the boys turned pale With emotion, then it was that the “ regular soldiers” began to exchange jokes with each other. “ There’s the young Quaker!” exclaimed one. “He has come out to fight on his own account.” “ See how carefully he takes aim! He is cool as if he was hunting squirrels. I'll warrant every shot tells,” “I say, Franklin !” called out another, The call was either unheard, or, if heard, unheeded, in the din of battle ; the soldiers repeated it in a louder voice. ‘What does thee want ?” demanded the young Friend, turn- ing a face toward him that was strikingly beautiful from the strange illumination thrown upon it by the light of battle, “ So you've made up your mind to fight, have you?” “TI can scarcely hear thee ; speak louder,” shouted Franklin, in the din of conflict, inclining his ear toward him, as he re- loaded his gun. “I say you've made up your mind to give up Quakerism and turn in and fight with us.” | “This jesting is unseemly, and I have no time to indulge in it,” was the reproving reply, as the unerring rifle again came to his shoulder, and sent its deadly messenger among the horde of red-skins that were now developing themselves in astonish- ing numbers, As the savages became engaged, it was noticed that every few moments a yell was uttered, which was caught up and re- peated five separate times, from which it was concluded that * there were six different bands engaged. “ Remain steady !” shouted young Franklin, as he observed signs of wavering among a portion of the men. “ We are doing good execution ; keep steady ; remember thy wives and children that are watching thee.” At this moment, a portion of the British line began falling back, and the militia, naturally enough, commenced pressing rather imprudently forward. “ Have a care,’ admonished the young man, who, uncon- sciously to himself, was coming to be looked upon as a leader. commiclbooolkks.conn