The Yankee Champion — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

= {HE YANKEE CHAMPION, 139 CHAPTER XVII. A FEARFUL DWINDLING OF THE TORY LEAGUE. He who bore the weakened form of the boy was a strong, powerful man, but it soon became evident to him that he was followed by a foot swifter than his own, The pursuer was gradually gaining, and Luke knew it, and he knew, too, that he could not reach the river without being overtaken. For an instant he stopped, and he could distinctly hear the crack- ling of the dry sticks behind him. ‘“Gideon,’’ said he, ‘““‘we must hide. We can crawl in under the bushes and let that man pass us.”’ ‘And is he so near us?”’ faintly asked the boy. “Ves, he’s almost up with us.”’ “Perhaps I could walk now. Let metry. I must be a great hindrance to you.”’ “You couldn’t walk ten steps, boy. Come, let us crawl in here somewhere.” Luke could not see the nature of the covert he sought, but he set the boy upon the ground, and at a venture he crawled into the nearest place. The bushes were thick, and some few seared and yellow leaves still clung to them, and as soon as he reached a point where he thought he might be free from ob- servation, he stopped and turned his face toward the path, at the same time drawing Gideon closer to him, and letting his head rest upon his lap. Nearer and nearer came the pursuer; and at length Luke could see the rays of light thai came ~ struggling through the bushes. Suddenly the man Eomichboo “S (E(@) mn