Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

THE PANIC. oH carrying an infant, with two small children clinging to her dress. He recognized her instantly as the wife of a man that had been shot and tomahawked by his side less than an. hour before. His heart bled with pity, and he would have gladly yielded up his animal to them were there not stronger claims upon him, in the person of his own wife and infant. “ Whoa! is that you, Mrs. Ogden ?” “Yes; our men have been driven back, I fear; bav’n’t they ?” “Yes; the whole Valley is thrown open, and the Indians are overrunning us.” “ Did you see any thing of Joseph ?” “ Make all haste to the Wind Gap; for they will cut off every fugitive they can reach,” replied the old man, evading the question. “Oh, Gershom! you were in the same company with Joseph. Do you know any thing about him ?” “T saw him retreating— | “Ah! you saw more yet. It isin your face; don’t deceive me; any thing is better than this suspense. Did he fall i “ Yes,” answered Smithson, reluctantly. * Dead ?” “T am afraid so; he was shot.” “Qan he still be living ?” “No; I saw him killed.” ““God’s will be done!” gasped the widow. “He died like a brave man with his face to the foe, and there’s many a gallant fellow to keep him company.” “T may as well sit down and die, for I care nothing about living now,” wailed the widow, in despair, “ But your children ?” “Yes; for them I will press on. I have a brother at Stroudsburg. 1 will make all haste there.” “Mrs. Ogden, I would give you my horse, but Jerusha and the baby are waiting for me. Keep up a good heart; we must all die some day, and don’t let us cry if it comes sooner than we expect.” Once more Gershom Smithson struck his horse into a gallop. Surely time was precious, and he began to be appre- hensive that his wife, who was a muscular, strong-minded comiclbooks.com