Roxy Hastings — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

108 } ROXY HASTINGS. volver, quickly ran through the few small rooms in the lower part of the house, and then bidding his companion follow, he went up stairs. His shouts of exultation soon rang through the house, for at the first view of the pros- trate Allen he’ thought he had found his lost prisoner. He soon discovered his mistake, however, and oaths and kicks followed, to which for a considerable time the drunken wretch gave no answer but groans. But being raised up, and shaken, and doused with cold water until - he exhibited some signs of intelligence, Hess, with his re- volver at the man’s head, demanded that he should tell all he knew about the means and direction of the lieutenant’s flight on pain of instant death. “Take that thing away, then,” said Allen, blinking stu- pidly, and striking at the weapon which was so near his face. “Keep it away, and I’ll tell you (hic) all I know— and I know—and I—I know it all (hic).” . “Yes, and you'll swing for it, too, if he ain’t caught; so look sharp.” : Now, Allen had in reality nearly slept off the fumes of his liquor; and the extraordinary waking that he had had, together with his sense of personal danger, had quite so- bered him. And, being sober, he was far more than a match in shrewdness for the stolid Hess. He arose to his feet, seemingly with great difficulty, falling back several times, and then said, in a half whis- per, to Hess. “I—DPI tell you where he is. I—TI’ll show you. But don’t tell Dine I peached—hey ?” Hess promised eagerly. ‘‘C—come with me—I take you right to spot. You- nab him in five (hic) minutes. He ain’t in this house—no, sir.” Hess had already made sure of that, and, exultant with the hope of so speedy a recapture of his man, he helped the staggering fellow to the stairs, and down them—a feat of much difficulty, as Allen dropped, seemingly helpless, on about every other step. “Take you right to spot,” he said, as the two men sup- ported him across the lower floor. “But you, there—get my hat—I left it up stairs.” “Go and get it,” said Hess, but scarcely had the assistant disappeared in the stair-way when Allen, shaking off the keeper’s supporting hand, dealt him a staggering blow in the forehead, and disappeared with the agility of a wild Indian down the dark street. Dine had made her escape from the house before the sol- (Eo) Gomicbooks