Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

70 THE FUGITIVES. “What they goin’ to do with you asked Mrs. Smithson, in her abrupt, impulsive manner.” “We can not tell.” “1 know they won’t do much with me/ ~ I ain’t afeard of ’em. If there wasn’t more’n one, ’d make him dance; but- there’s two—besides that Pve got this baby to ’tend to.” ‘How came you here, Jerusha?” . “ Going to Stroudsburg.” “Ts this the direct. route ?”. “ Good as-any—the horse got out the way ’fore I knowed it. ” “ Why are you going to Stroudsburg E ‘“ Because the plagued—hain’t you seen Gersh. ?” suddenly broke off the woman. “ Certainly not—how could we have seen him ?” “Why, he left me to go and ’tend to you.” Annie Abingdon made a sign for their acquaintances to be cautious. Both the savages were looking up as if endeavor, ing to catch the micaning of the conversation. “What do you s’pose I care for them, umph!”’ replied Mrs. Smithson. ‘“ That one that 1 hit with a bag of meal won’t be likely to disturb me again, and the other one don’t amount to any thing.” “ What time did he leave your house ?” “Tt was jest gettin’ dark.” “Too late perhaps by a few minutes only,” “ Just like him; I told him to hurry, but he never would. Pity I married that man; he always was poor shucks,” “ Your opinion of your husband, Jerusha, hardly seems to be so good as ours,” said Mrs. Abingdon, mildly. “ You don’t know him as well as I do,” was the logical reply. The Indians, it is proper to observe at this point, evidenced considerable amusement with the words and actions of the woman who had just come into their power. True to their nature, they were merciless and heartless when aroused, but also susceptible, in a slight degree, to the whimsicality of any transaction. ‘They stood quietly by while the friends inter- changed worda, It was fortunate that one of them knew nothing at all of the English language, and the other could, CONMNMCOOOKS.COMN :