Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

96 THE FUGITIVES. Old Gershom possessed more skill than either,of his com- panions, and unconsciously to himself advanced more rapidly than they.. As a matter of course, he reached the spot first. Both the Quaker and lieutenant called to him in a whisper to wait, but he did not hear them, and they durst not repeat it for fear of awaking the savages. . The old man crept carefully up to the cmp-fire with. knife in band.. Reaching forward, with one clear cut he severed the connecting cord, Then, as he turned to the woman lying nearest, he saw, with surprise, that she was, his own wife, Jerusha, Placing his hand upon her shoulder, he gave a gentle shake. Neither she nor the infant stirred. Another more violent shake, and she opened her eyes. “My dear Jerusha—” Whack! came the flat of her hand against the side of her husband’s head. “ You old fool, what you waking me for? Purty time of night for you to come home.” “ But, my dear Jerusha—’” “ Shet up !” And the indignant spouse, blissfully unconscious of the surrounding. circumstances, turned her back upon him, and addressed: herself more assiduously to slumber. At this juncture, one of the Indians raised his head, and with a startled look gazed about him. At the same instant, he was seized with a grip of iron from behind. “ Verily; my friend, it becometh me to impose restraint up- on thee,” said Stoddard Franklin, proceeding to secure his arms. The savage, who did not dream that any mercy or quarter would be shown him, struggled so violently that it was almost impossible to secure ‘him. He looked upon the thing as a death-struggle, and. became furious in his resistance. “T much regret the force which I am driven to use,” said the Quaker, giving him a blow with his fist that stretched him out limp and senseless as arag. It required but a few moments then to make a prisoner of him. Young Abingdon was hardly as prompt in springing upon his adversary, so that the latter, although taken considerably by surprise, was still prepared.in’ a measure fer him. He made an attempt to draw his knife, but was borne to the earth Comichbooksicom yg