The Yankee Champion — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

142 THE YANKEE CHAMPION. the bushes, and at length his hight was turned toward the spot where the fugitives were hidden. Luke did not wait to be discovered this time, but at the first opportunity he took a deliberate aim and fired. Goss dropped the lantern and started back. At that instant Luke heard the crashing of bushes farther below him, and he knew that the others were coming up to the scene. His pistols were both empty, and he had no other ready weapon. Goss was feebly staggering against the opposite shrub- bery, and without a moment’s thought he sprang from his covert. He seized the lantern, the light in which was still burning, and set it upright. Then he started toward Goss, but before he could lay his hand upon him the villain fell. Luke caught up the pistols that had been dropped by the two Tories, and leaving the lantern where it stood, he leaped quickly into the thicket just as Silas Ryan and Dow — came into the path. The two remaining Tories came up to where the light was burning, and their eyes were greeted by the bodies of their fallen companions. Ryan caught up the lantern and looked at the faces of the dead men. He touched them with his feet, and turned them half over, but they fell heavily back again. ‘‘Death and perdition!’’ he startlingly cried, as he turned toward Dow, ‘* ’tis Goss and Wimper—they are both dead!’’ “Dead!” repeated Dow, shaking from head to foot with fear. “Yes, as dead as stones.’’ “Head, Ryan, let’s you and I go back to the house, or we shall be dead, too.”’ “Oh, heavens!’’ uttered Ryan, without seeming to . a t wa ‘ = . PR ° 4 r 4 v* on, ee ose VE ao tS ee ae ote en,