Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

58 THR FUGITIVES. chased me dropped it. JI kinder heard him slip, and to my mind dar’ ain’t no doubt but what he am de ginuine owner, and I s’pectfully s’gests dat you “turn it to him, to keep: his good will.” George, in disgust, turned to his friends, “What is your opinion, Gersh ?” “TT think Stoddard is right. All three have been taken away by the Indians themselves.” “ Then we are losing precious time by easy here i idle ness.” “ T do not see how it can well ‘be writimth We are power- less: to help — so long as night lasts, oem: Providence should guide us.” “Tet us all go out and search the yard. We may stumble upon something that will give us a clue to their fate.”” “Ag we are incurring great danger by remaining in the house, when the heathen are raging all around us, we can do nothing less than change our quarters.” All went out doors. Stoddard Franklin would have made a consummate backwoodsman, or a frontier scout, for they had scarcely emerged into the: yard, when he took in. the situation with a hunter’s eye. | He felt there was danger of the Indians coming upon them unawares, and he saw at oncé that the most probable point at which they would appear was toward the settlement. “T will keep a look-out while thee continue the suencil unless the heathen see us before we see them.” » He hurried across the yard, and went a hundred yards of so away, ina spot where he could conceal his body and still have a view of the much-feared point, and of his friends who were ahead, examining the ground with all the minuteness possible in the moonlight. The scene that met the eye of the young Friend was solem? and impressive. In different directions the glare of burning buildings was thrown against the sky, and the shouts of me? came upon the air with fearful distinctness. Never until that day had he mingled in any ‘scene of violence or bloodshed. He had stricken down and slain several fellow-creatures. Ay! he who was looked upon as.the champion of .those wh9 tolerated war upen ne terms—he had mingled freely in th? Comichbooksrco