Roanoke of Roanoke Hall: A Romance — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

Roanoke of Roanoke Hall. 51 towards the light, and suddenly it vanished. Was it as he had said, or had it been inten- tionally extinguished to make certain of my doom ? It was too late to hesitate longer. “‘To the left, and God be with me!” I said, and turned my horse’s head ; Bat as I went, I prayed. On, on, still on, splashing, scrambling, and stumbling. Once his hind quarters sank for an instant under me ; once he staggered, and nearly fell; at length, away to the left, I once more saw alight beam through the haze, and, overjoyed at this almost-unhoped- for sight, turned towards it. Nearer, still nearer, brighter, ever brighter, while the water rushed past with weird hum- mings and bubblings, as if murmuring with pleasure at the prospect of its prey. Up to my feet, up to my knees, and now my wearied horse was swimming; but still I kept his head towards the light, and still we drew nearer along the golden way of dancing sparks, At last his foot struck ground, and in an- other moment we stood, dripping but safe, ona solid stone pavement. I did not real- comichbooks.com