Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 123 CHAPTER XI. THE PEASANTS. Tne rays of a scorching meridian sun now pene- trated through the dense covering of boughs and leaves beneath which De Rosann and Belle-Rose en- jJoyed a momentary repose. The ideas that occupied their minds may be readily imagined—joy for their lucky escape, and anxiety to preserve their liberty. That the Gendarmes would speedily be upon the alert was very certain; but the conviction that their cun- ning was not infallible, offered considerable consola- tion to our hero and his companion. Besides this, Belle-Rose was well versed in the geography of all that neighbourhood; he knew the devious cuts and turnings of the wood, where it was impossible for the mounted police to conduct their horses, and where it was not probable they would search on foot; he was acquainted with those cottages at which food might. be sought for in safety, and even beds for the night, if necessary; and he could tell every point of the compass in the dark, and in the midst of that vast maze of thicket and of verdure. With such a guide De Rosann had little to fear; he was, moreover, well aware of the cool and deliberate courage of Belle- Rose; and he did not dread any treachery on the part of that individual, because they were embarked in the same enterprise, although ignorant of its nature and its object, and because Belle-Rose had nothing to gain in playing a traitor’s game. ‘Our quarter of an hour has elapsed, and a few ad- ditional minutes besides,’’ said Belle-Rose, suddenly rising from the greensward, and preparing to con- tinue his march: “ let us penetrate one league* deeper * A French league consists of fourteen hundred and sixty- geven yards, or two miles and a half, English measure. Connieooolkxs (C@