Roxy Hastings — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

110 ROXY HASTINGS, — everywhere in front of them the alarm would be spread, and the people be incited by large rewards to watch for their approach. Our adventurous navigators kept near the middle of the river, except when they saw reason for a different route, as in passing Fort Darling, when they hugged the opposite shore, and passed unchallenged. It was manifestly their interest to make all the progress possible on the first night, and they pulled alternately, the night long, at the oars, stopping soon after day dawn near a clump of bushes on the beach, into which they drew their skiff, and then, with their basket of provisions, they re- treated into the forest, which extended several miles over the side of a hill, and gave promise of a safe shelter. They were both nearly exhausted with fatigue and the want of sleep, and Alfred, who had not dared to relax his vigilance in the boat, and had scarcely closed his eyes’ on the night preceding his escape, was utterly unable longer to keep off the drowsy influence. Kre they had progressed far in the woods he stopped, saying : “I must sleep, Luke, if it’s only ten minutes. Iam nodding as I walk along.” . “Sleep away, den, I’ll watch. My ole eyes better dan yours arter all.” Alf dropped beside a log, and like one, while his faithful friend sat down beside him and kept himself awake by eating, for their store of food was ample for several days. Luke permitted him to sleep for two hours, when, think- ing that it was his own turn, he woke the young man and took his place. Thus, in alternate sleeping and watching, _ they passed a considerable part of the day, and qualified themselves for their renewed labors at night. They saw nothing to create serious alarm. A few teams had passed along the road which lay between them and the river, and some small gunboats and other vessels had passed down the broad James, and occasionally they heard the distant boom of cannon from the northwest, and doubt- less from the Union army. But they did not dare to travel in that direction—across a territory which, though thinly settled, was still inhabited by adherents of the Confederate cause. They had no weapons, for Alfred had not dared to let’ Luke purchase even a revolver, lest suspicions should be awakened. They aimed, it need scarcely be said, at reaching Fort- cComicbooks (ee)