Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

2 THE FUGITIVES. “ Wonder whether the fools have gone off, anc left us ?”’ said Jerusha Smithson. “Jest like ’em.” | “ Hardly probable,” replied Mrs. Abingdon. “It isn’t likely they will give us up until they are compelled to do so.” “ Do you think your husband is near us ?” asked Annie. “Gracious alive! no. If he was he would have come stumbling right into us. He wouldn’t know enough to sneak around, like anybody else.” | “T s’pose George was in the battle ?” “ Yes.” “ Hain’t seen him since ?” “ Not since morning.” “Don't know nothin’ ’bout him then—-whether he’s been killed or not ?” “No; we hope not, but we can only pray for the best.” “Tf they’d killed my old man, I’d never forgive them: Td have followed them up as long as I lived.” “You are more fortunate than the rest of the families. There have been many, oh! how many, desolate homes made to-day.” | “T know it, and that is what makes me so mad at these critters. I feel just like tearing their eyes out, whenever I look at them.” “T am afraid, Jerusha; if we were in the hands of others, we should be treated a great deal worse than these act toward us.” “T say, Mrs. Abingdon, they’ve gone away so long, that maybe they don’t intend to come back for along while. Let’s leave “Why can’t we?” whispered Annie to her mother, as she arose to her feet. ‘“T am afraid they are watching us.” “ Don’t believe it.” Mrs. Smithson slid down from her horse. ‘Jf we should try to ride away, they’d be sure to hear us. I hate to leave this horse, but Gersh. can knock over another savage and take his. So let’s walk off in the woods, and how are they to find us when they come back ?” Mrs Abingdon and her daughter began seriously to medi- ‘tate upon the project proposed. They could hear and see CconmiclooOoks. conn .