The Yankee Champion — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

110 THE YANKEE CHAMPION. the stairs as he ascended them, and as the sound died away, they hardly breathed a breath that could have moved a feather. CHAPTER XIII. THE KNIFE-BLOW—THE STARTLING DISCOVERY. With a stealthy, cat-like tread Baxter approached the room where slept the boy. He stopped at the door, and bending his ear close to the hole where the tongue of the latch went through, he listened. He could hear the low, steady breathing of his vic- tim, and he felt assured that he was asleep. Cautiously the Tory raised the latch and pushed open the door. He shaded the light with his hand, and crept in, and after standing for a moment near the bed, he gradually let the blaze of the candle shine upon the face of the sleeper. Gideon Ryan slept on, all unconscious of the presence of the night- fiend that stood within his chamber. There was a soft, melancholy look upon his features, and his countenance seemed to vary its tones and eX- pressions. His lips moved, and the word “‘sister’’ was whispered, and then a smile broke over his pale face. Baxter started, and shaded his light. He moved not, but for a moment he listened. : “He only dreams,’’ he murmured to himself at length, and once more he withdrew his hand from the light and set the candle upon a chair, near the head of the bed. “You'll betray no more men!”’ half audible mut- tered Baxter, as he seemed calculating the exact position of the boy’s heart. ‘‘You’ve done too much — now.”’ co