Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

62 THE FUGITIVES. to the captives, who were huddled together, furtively watching their enemies, that they adopted a rather clever ruse to saye their dwelling. “They mean to burn it,” said the mother, alluding to the project that then occupied the mind of every one, with per- haps the exception of her son. “They mean to burnit. See, how they keep pointing to it, and making all;manner of ges- ticulations.” “ It is only one of them-——he who pulled me off the horse. The other doesn’t want him to wait.” “Tt won’t take much to persuade him, I fear.” | “Oh, mother! must this house. be burned to the earth and we made homeless!” wailed Annie, the tears coming to her eyes. “T am afraid there is no help for it... It all depends; upon the disposition of that one who now seems opposed to it,” For several moments; mother and daughter stood. clasping the boy between them, and watching in terror their captors, when Annie suddenly spoke in an excited whisper : “ I know what the trouble is, mother. I know why one of them doesn’t want the house set on fire.” “ How should you know, my child?” | “It is pretty near night, and they are afraid the light would be seen by some one who would pursue em before they could get far enough away with us.” “If George or Stoddard would only come.” ‘‘ Let us make believe we expect them.” “‘ How can we do that, my dear child ?” “ [ will show you.” Drawing a white handkerchief from. her dress, she held it aloft and, waved it as if signaling to some person in the dis- tance, Taking the cue, young Arthur shouted, “ Yes, hurr up, George.” Both the Indians turned as quick as lightning, and he wh had seemed so anxious to burn the buildings strode forward, with his hand laid threateningly upon his knife. . “ Stop! stop, Annie!” whispered the mother. “See how angry he is!” “Put down! kill! stop dat!’ admonished the savage stepping directly in front of her, his eye gleaming and his brow as black as a thundercloud. pic’) Ota Garo’ Ccommiclooks.corny