Roanoke of Roanoke Hall: A Romance — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

92 Roanoke of Roanoke Hall. strange, wild scene, with the lights and shadows leaping and falling along the gloomy walls, and throwing into strong relief the harsh, sunburned features of the evil-looking sailors, and I lingered long in doubtful enjoy- ment of it. Suddenly, a man who was carrying a keg on one shoulder and a torch in the other hand stumbled. The keg fell to the ground, bursting open with the shock, and at the same moment the torch dropped from the bearer’s grasp. Instantly the strong, blue flame flashed up, completely enveloping the wretched creature and setting fire to his clothes. With a wild shriek he lifted his face upwards in a spasm of unbearable pain, and I saw that it was the surly Jamie. Next instant a cloak was flung over him, extin- guishing the blaze, and he was carried groan- ing away, while I shrunk back horror-stricken to bed. Meg, as was her constant custom, denied all knowledge of these occurrences when I cross-examined her next morning, producing the well-worn explanation that I had dreamt it. But I was not to be put off so easily. I comichbooks.com