Roxy Hastings — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

ROXY HASTINGS. 109 diers came down stairs, and when the discomfited Hess slowly arose he began to think that the cup of his misery was full. Baffled on all sides, he vented a string of useless curses, and then went forth to resume his fruitless search in some of the adjoining houses. Alfred Lee and his faithful friend in the meantime pur- sued their way with fear and trembling, yet for the first time with something like a vivid hope of safety. Dangers still lay thick in their way, but they were of a character which they believed could be avoided by vigilance and en- durance, and the young man’s heart warmed with bound- less gratitude toward the Infinite Source of Power. which had thus far so signally protected him, and which now gave promise of his speedy restoration to his friends. He thought of those friends—of that loved mother whose agony in his behalf he had hitherto not dared to contem- plate, and he felt certain thatif his final safety was as- sured, he should owe it to her unceasing intercessions. In this spirit of filial love he found himself repeating the beautiful lines of one of our most graceful poets : ‘<The wind-tost spider needs no token-—— How stands the oak when lightnings blaze : So by a thread from heaven unbroken, I know my mother lives and prays.” The darkness of the night was most favorable to the fugitives, who soon felt at liberty to apply themselves vigorously to their oars; and as they rowed with the cur- rent they made encouraging headway. They kept a vigi- lant lookout and gave a wide berth to the few craft which they passed, anchored in the river, or moving slowly up the stream. When they had been about two hours afloat they heard the distant puffing of a steam-tug, which they did not doubt was started out in pursuit of them, though probably on a venture, and without any certain knowledge of the direction of their flight. Doubtless, Alfred thought, their pursuers were speeding in many different directions, and the river was certainly not the least probable of the avenues of escape. But the tug proclaimed its own whereabouts too dis- tinctly to be an object of serious apprehension to them in the night. -They could keep out of its way, but when it had passed them, as it soon did in the distance, they knew that their danger was increased, and that smaller boats might soon be traversing their path in the darkness, while Gomichoo cS com |