The Yankee Champion — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

THE YANKEE CHAMPION, — 137 was dark, very dark, in those deep woods, and poor Gideon began to feel faint and weary. His ankles were pained, and his joints trembled with exertion. ‘“T cannot go much farther, Luke,” he said, as he leaned heavily on the hand of his guide. “Bear up till we reach the river.”’ ‘How far is it?’’ ‘Not far. Not over a quarter of a mile.” ‘‘Isn’t that it we can hear now?’’ “But we can reach it only by this path. We never could get through the—— MHark!”’ They both stopped suddenly. “What is it, Luke?”’ asked the boy. ‘‘T heard a noise behind us.”’ As Soper spoke he let go of Gideon’s hand and knelt down upon the ground. A moment the boy stood unassisted, and then, as, his limbs failed him, he sank down exhausted. “It's somebody coming this way!’’ whispered Luke, with his ear close to the ground. ‘‘It’s a man, I know by the tread! Come, Gideon, we must hurry.’’ “‘T cannot go any farther, Luke.”’ “But you must. The whole party are after us, of - course, and if we are found we shall both be kilied. If *twas only Silas Ryan, I wouldn’t care; but the others will shoot us. Come, come, or you’ll never see your sister again.’ : At that thought the boy started up, and by exer- tion of his whole remaining strength he got upon his feet. | ‘‘Ha! there’s a light! See it flash through the bushes? Come!’’ ; As Soper spoke he caught the boy by the hand & and started on again; but he could not go far, for e(oypallicel exoxey <S (G{0) nm