Roanoke of Roanoke Hall: A Romance — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

Roanoke of Roanoke Hall. 133 He sang, and ceasing, spoke : “ Easy all, lads. We should be close on her by now, if I’m not out of my reckoning.” He rose from his seat, and taking a dark lantern from beneath it flashed it into the darkness, first three times, then twice. Di- rectly afterwards from straight ahead came back an answering flash, first twice, then three times. <<‘ All’s well, lads, give way,” he said, and in a few minutes a dark mass appeared in front of us, and’ we ran up alongside an evil- looking, low, two-masted vessel. “‘Now then, tumble up there, tumble up,” he growled to me; and though I barely com- prehended the meaning of his words I saw by the accompanying gesture that he wished me to ascend by a ladder of ropes which hung down the side of the ship. I hastened to obey, but as I was clumsy and awkward at this un- accustomed exercise he assisted me with so vigorous a thrust of his arm that I was flung : outright over the bulwark, and falling heav- ily onto the deck lay there unheeded and half-stunned. By the time I had axtiany regained my comichbooks.com