Beadle's Frontier Series #25: Indian Jim—A Tale of the Minnesota Massacre — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

THE HOUSE. THREATENED. were moving in the utter darkness of closed rooms, their movements were guided by extreme care. The’ artist; who did not. possess the familiarity of his companion, labored: ‘under.a particular disadvantage, falling over chairs, and. sturna- re bling against the furniture, in a manner that threatened unions _ #eTious consequences than the dislocation of his own neck. . } “§h ! admonished young Brainerd, “100k sharp now.”- 4 The shutters of both.the upper and lower stories were se ‘urely closed. Stealthily raising one of the windows, the — latter pushed open the shutter an inch or two, so as to afford - them an. opportunity of gazing out without attracting attention. Will Brainerd was on the point of directing the artist’s atten- . tion toward the bush which had awakened their suspiciona, when both were startled by a loud rap upon the front door, and the summons, in good Engiish: “Let me in.” “Let us see how many there are of them,” anid the former, “before we let them know we are inside.” “ There is a half dozen, Pll warrant,” replied Halleck; shuf ‘fling across the floor to the front window. The latter was raised with the greatest care, and both peered through a crack in the half-opened shutter. To their un- bounded astonishment, they saw the shadowy forms of fully a — dozen. Indians grouped around the door. “Is there any use?” asked the artist, drawing back into the — room. “Not the least ; all we can do is to get.ourselves out of here — as soon as possible.” The knocking on the door was continued most vigorously, - and.the demand for admission was almost. incessant, Both young men descended, silently, to the ground floor, “ Now,” said the artist, “ you slip out of the back window {while I keep them in front by parleying with them.” { It looks too much like deserting one in his extremity, I j ‘an not go,” replied Brainerd, refusing to leave. “Gol repeated. Halieck,-impatiently, fairly gaia him to _ the window, “ it is all we can do,” — ae And what. will. become of you ?” “'T am not afraid of those on the outside. I should nat i fear:to-venture among them.” - GO hiliG 000) cS co