Roanoke of Roanoke Hall: A Romance — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

Roanoke of Roanoke Hall. 219 was already on the embrasured roof, sur- rounded bya gang of his fellow-ruffians, For nearly half an hour a dropping fire went on between the two parties, until our leader announced his intention of withdraw- ing. It was indeed madness to remain longer. They were well sheltered by their walls, while we were fully exposed upon the open cause- way, and already four of our men were killed outright, and most of the survivors wounded more or less severely. A derisive cheer greeted our retreat, but it was almost immediately succeeded by a yell of horror. Every man, whole or wound- ed, turned where he stood at this unlooked- for sound, and saw as strange a sight as ever man beheld. With a slow, quivering throb the whole house stooped over towards us, righted with a grinding shudder, as I have seen a sinking ship do, trembled an instant, and then, with a dull roar, with the sound of rending tim- bers and crashing stones, fell together in a shapeless heap, and sank swiftly into the treacherous soil, which seemed to gulp it lo J ; i comichbooks.com