Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

38 THE FUGITIVES. of the savages had already landed, and would be likely to descry any others that approached. The flying men and boys naturally poured into the river directly abreast of Monocacy, and were thus carried down- stream, in some cases so much so that they almost missed it. The’ Quaker, therefore, ran up the bank, and entered the water at such a point that he was certain of striking the up- per end of the island. A forcible reminder of his situation was given in the fact that the moment he entered the water'a whoop behind’ an- nounced that a savage had scented him, and was noways disposed to yield his claim. Stoddard had flung away his rifle, and provided himself with a Knife. He was an excel- . lent swimmer, and entertained little fear of his enemy, if they could meet on anything like’equal terms. For greater safety, he placed the knife between his teeth, and plunging into the current, struck boldly out for the island. His Indian admirer was not much behind, and struck iat as resolutely as himself. The aborigines take to water as naturally as ducks, and the one in question made his way through the current like a “thing of life’ However much the American Indian may excel in some specialty—such as running, leaping, -swim- ming, or endurance—the Caucasian race is his superior, pro- vided the latter has devoted the sume attention to either or all of those attainments. As the red-man’s life is spent in a warfare that develops nothing but endurance, celerity, cunning and treachery, so he naturally surpasses in those respects the white man, whose life has been given to entirely opposite aims, It happened, however, that our young Quaker friend had spent many a leisure hour in the river, and he now reaped his reward. Try as much as he might, the savage found it impossible to gain a foot upon him. While he whooped, shouted, and flung himself half-way out the water, much in the same manner as a wounded porpoise, Franklin went through the current like some frightened ‘fish, anxious only to escape its merciless pursuer. It was while flying in this manner, that it occurred to our hero that he was acting in ‘rather a cowardly manner in flee- ing from a single enemy. He reflected, furtier, (hat if be