Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

A SUSPICIOUS SOUND. 71 utter only a few sentences. Had they comprehended the statement that old Gershom Smithson had set out to look after. the welfare of the Abingdons, it is hardly to be supposed they would have lingered in such proximity to the’ séttlement. They seemed to realize that they had secured an original char- acter, and were content for the time to receive the amusement she afforded. Mrs. Smithson sat bolt upright on the horse, with the sleep- ing infant upon her breast, without giving the least heed to her captors, who were paying such assiduous attention to her. She still held secure the bag of meal, her chief stipe for the journey that she had undertaken. “ Ain’t those purty looking critters to stop decent women like us!” she’ exclaimed, looking with the most supreme dis- gust toward the two aborigines, blissfully unconscious of this disparaging remark. “They are repulsive—” Annie Abingdon paused, for the two individuals had again caught some suspicious sound. They looked off in the dark- ness, and then one disappeared. The other paused a moment, and then making a warning motion with his knife toward the captives, silently followed. “Tl warrant Gersh. is coming,” whispered Mrs. Smithson, as if there was little consolation in the: fact. “ You might know he hadn’t sense envugh to keep from making a noise.” CHAPTER XII, THE DISH OF HASTY-PUDDING. Mrs. SMITHSON was mistaken. The cherished partner of her life, at that moment was nowhcre in the neighborhood. The precise nature of the disturbing cause none of our friends ever learned. They saw nothing, nor did they hear any thing unusual during the absence of their captors. The latter remained so long away that considerable ceca was caused. : connicloooks.com