The Yankee Champion — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

a » ww eal i go al Me Se ee 2 =f ria Te el & { hal at Wha wae oP e es ae mr ae yy ea C47 bs , v4 - ‘ ilies Dale a9 “ey Pel ba % ™~ f te , ¥ . e iv THE YANKEE CHAMPION. 106 cur own lives in his hands, but the lives of half the ~ Tories in this section. Silas Ryan, did not that boy confess to you that he betrayed us?’’ ‘““Yes,’’ groaned Ryan. ‘And did he not boldly avow himself a friend of our enemies?’’ “He said he owed no allegiance to the king, a equivocated Ryan. “Then why is he alive?”’ asked Whimper, as he fixed his glistening eyes upon the Tory chief. Ryan hesitated and stammered; but at length he hit upon an expedient and plausible lie. “I tried to kill him, but my father’s heart failed me. Gentlemen, you do not know the sympathies of a father’s heart.”’ ‘Stuff !’? uttered Goss. ‘“EKegad, I’m a father,’ said Dow; ‘“‘but head me up in an empty brandy pipe if I wouldn’t blow the brains out of any child that should betray me or my friends.’ ‘““That’s the only true doctrine,’’ rejoined Wimper. “Gideon Ryan has the power to send us all to the gallows, and I know he has the will. Now he must die, and you know it, if you be his father. You got us to join you, and we solemnly pledged our lives for each other’s safety. You must kill that boy be- fore we leave the house to-night! Shall it not be so, gentlemen ?’’ : ““Yes, yes. He must die.”’ “Friend Ryan,’’ said Baxter, in a smooth, oily tone, and with an encouraging smile upon his fea- tures, “‘you must kill him. Do not let your father’s heart overcome your manhood. Remember that you are a royal subject, and forget that yous are a parent.” fi . Eomichbooks €oO