Beadle's Dime Novels No. 92: The Twin Scouts — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

46 THE WEN SCOUTS. for the brothers to say to each other, since one had been so near death, and many hours were spent. idling: upon sunny slopes,/and telling what. they had done while separated. Ben had hung about the French army, night and day, after he heard the signal from his. brother, ;telling him that he was . taken, and had used every artifice to get into the camp. But the Indians were on’ the alert, and it was impossible to ap- proach without being seen. The opportunity at the pond was too good to be lost, and he had rescued him, though at grent peril to himself. They had plans, too, to arrange for the safety of the Mid- dletons. The campaign was now fully opened, and they knew the French would not rest until they had wiped out. the. stain of their defeat in some manner. ‘The country, in the mean time, would be full of hostile Indians, and no frontiers- man would be at all safe. They concluded that it was best for the family to remove to Albany, until the storm had passed over, and then return to theirfarm. They had just arrived at . this conclusion, when they came out of the woods, into the - clearing surrounding Middleton’s dwelling. The beautiful plantation was a scene of the most appalling desolation. . House, negro-quarters, barns, every thing com- bustible, had been swept by the fire-demon. A smoke rose _ slowly from the still-smoldering ruins.. The brothers rushed eagerly into the opening. As they passed along, they saw the marks of many moccasined feet upon the earth, and knew _ that this was the work of the Indians. “My God!” cried Ben, striking his forehead with his clenched hand, “ they are gone.” They made the circuit of the dwelling. All was chaos and confusion. Charred doors, battered casements, threshold half consumed, told a sad tale; and, a little away from the house, drops of blood, and:a grest, dark stain upon the green grass, told that perhaps here some soul had yielded © up the host. Who had done this ? Pidiane, they were sure, . Fwom what source had they come, and whither had they fied, their fell work being accomplished? They had but one thought, and that was to follow and avenge the fallen. Who had died? Was the brave and chivalrous Middleton no more? commiclooks: conn