The Yankee Champion — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

66 THE YANKEE CHAMPION. with you, and if you be truly my father, then may God not hold me accountable for your sins, nor visit upon me his wrath for your transgressions.”’ The old gray-headed Tory uttered a bitter curse, and with a hand made tremulous only by the anger that raged in his bosom, he raised the pistol. The. noble boy did not flinch, but he stood steadily there, and with his arms still folded, he gazed boldly into his father’s face. ‘““May God have mercy on me, and protect my poor sister!’? he murmured, and then he closed his eyes. Ryan stretched forth his pistol, placed hia finger upon the trigger, but he did not fire, for at that mo- ment some one leaped like a nanther from a tree be- hind him, and struck him a blow upon the side of the head that felled him to the earth. Gideon heard the movement, and opening his eyes he saw Luke Soper standing over the prostrate form of his fa- ther, and with a single bound he leaped into his de- liverer’s arms. He could not have calmly died now. Ryan was not fairly stunned, and in a moment he sprang to his feet, but not, however, until Luke had secured the pistol. ‘“Was’t you?” whispered the foiled villain, as he turned his eyes upon Luke, while his lips quivered. _ “Ves, Silas Ryan, it was me,” returned Luke, ~ without so much as winking. ‘Now you shall both die:’’ ‘Not yet, Silas Ryan. I knowed you didn’t mean no good to the boy, and I feared you meanta good deal of harm. Thank God, I saved his life, and yours, too; for had you killed him there would have been more blood upon my own hands.”’ _ “Beware, Luke. Give me that pistol.” comicbooks.com —