Roanoke of Roanoke Hall: A Romance — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

14 Roanoke of Roanoke Hall. outlandish oaths and jargon, he squeezed me hard against his body until I cried for mercy, thinking for sure that my ribs must break with the intolerable pressure; at which he laughed once more. Glad indeed was I when in the failing twi- light we rode thus up to the porch of the Hall, and I saw my father already standing on the steps, awaiting our arrival. ‘‘Why, John o’ Compton!” he cried, “what make you, man, so far from salt wa- ter, and where did you run across my boy ?” «‘Thine is he?” answered the Man of the woods, placing me on the ground with more gentleness than he had yet displayed. ‘I took him aboard as steersman. Ask thy par- don, young master; I would have used thee less roughly had I but known of what a sound block thou wast a chip.” ‘‘What news, man, what news?” said my father, eagerly. “Good news, sir; news of the best,” re- plied the man, as he sat beating the dust from his cap against his no less dusty boots. *‘The cargo is run safely, and landed all well comichbooks.com aa 1. attest 2 aa ee ee