At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

AT A GIRL’S MERCY. 63 goin’ ’way up No’th with some others,’’ Lola con- tinued, satisfied that no one was spying upon them. “We’s goin’ ter git "way quiet to-morrer night, an’ *git up No’th an’ be free—free, do yo’ hyar dat, Nina?” The girl nodded. She had heard of freedom; she knew that Mr. Lincoln and the men up North were fighting to set them free, which their masters said was impossible, and that this girl dared even think of escaping to freedom was past her comprehension. “Yo’ ’s to keep yo’ mouth shet,’’ Lola went on, still in that low, monotonous voice only her compan- ion could understand. ‘‘Doan’ yo’ dar’ breethe thes fer yo’ life. Butef yo’ wants ter git ’way, too, an’ be free an’ like odder folks as ain’t treated. like dawgs, yo’ ken come wid us. Dar’s a good deal ter go t’rough, but when we gits dar whar eberybody’s his own master like our master hyar—culled folks an’ awl—doan’ yo’ t’ink et’ll pay fer eberyt’ing wes hab _ ter stan’ ter git thar—de col’, an’ de hungry, an’ de wadin’ froo de swamps, an’ mebby de sojers an’ de -blood-houn’s, an’ awl? Et may be awl dat, an’ et may be mo’, an’ likewise et may be none o’ et, but Ise wants yer ter kno’ de whole. Et’s powerfu’ hyard ter git our freedom, but et’ll pay ef we git et, an’ de Lawd an’ Mr. Linkum’II se’t we’s awl right w’en wes git up No’th. Es yo’ fer goin’, Nina? Ef yo’ stay, t’ings’ll be a-gittin’ wuss an’ wuss tell yo’ wish yo’ nebber been bawn. Ise know mown yo’ do, chile; I’se seed et awl; an’ et ’ll be starv’ an’ starv’ w’en de war gits wuss, fer de w’te folks an’ de sojers’ll eat eberyting up, an’ nothin’ lef’ fer de culled folks. ’cept de bones wid de dawgs. Es yo’ goin’, Nina?’’ The girl was trembling with excitement between Gomicbooks.com