Roxy Hastings — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

64 ROXY HASTIN GS. “ How did you come out yer?” he asked. “With Mose.” “Den you better go back wid him. Old Whity most broke down, Shem, and de road’s terrible,” he said. “T’ll walk over the bad places, and up the hill, uncle,” said Shem, getting in very coolly. “Mose won’t go this hour yet.” The mulatto cast some furtive, peering glances around the wagon as he got in, and his eyes rested at last on the basket and its straw-covered treasure. Luke now fully believed that he had witnessed the inter- view between himself and Pickard, and that he was going with him for the purpose of robbing him by the way, for worse things than that had been reported of Shem. The old man’s fears were overpowering, and in an agi- tated voice he said: | “You can’t go wid me to night, Shem—and you sha’n’t. So dar now. You jis git out, or I go to Cap’n Will, and see.” | | Perceiving that Luke was determined, Shem got out with much grumbling, and not a few oaths, and hastened away, while the sable fruit-peddler, greatly relieved, climbed into his wagon, and started his shambling steed at as fast a pace as could be got out of such a bundle of bones. Congratulating himself on being rid of so dangerous a companion, he drove contentedly on, peering now and then at his treasure to make sure of its safety, and anon taking out his double-eagle and gloatingly examining the prize which was so soon to be wholly his own. But as he ruminated he saw that it was growing dark, and that he was still far from the city, while his horse’s pace had subsided into a slow jog-trot, which could not be - increased. Fresh fears of Shem began to haunt him. The mulatto had gone off suspiciously easy, and how dreadful would it be if he were now on his track, waiting only for a little deeper darkness to rush down upon him and bear off the - great prize.# True, he had no horse or vehicle, but these were easily obtained, and an accomplice, too, if Shem chose to share his booty with another. Several wagons and carts had passed Luke, and he had vainly tried to keep company with them for safety’s sake, - but he soon fell far behind, and now that darkness wags fast settling upon the landscape he listened with terror to the sounds of each new vehicle approaching from the rear. His fears were not unfounded. Shem was indeed behind Eomicbooks.co