The Maid of the Mountain — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

126 *“ Poor fellow !”’ said Jane, bend- ing her eyes on the ground, and secking to conceal, by attending to some detail of the table, the acute suffering she experienced and the tears that she could not restmnin. Charles took no notice openly of this demonstration of feeling, though he thought of it afterward often, but turning to his father, informed him of the in- tended expedition to the cave on the Ohio. ’ “Heaven bless you, my sor!” said the judge, who was pale and careworn from anxiety, during these few days. ‘* But howlearnt you this news ?”’ “That, my dear father, isa fresh story,’’ exclaimed Charles; and in a few words he explained all that - had happened in relation to Kate, —astory which, with that of Rage, interested both until the hour of jad ‘afternoon sicsta, when the vo, i down, or rather retired for the p , While Charles did so in reality, after selecting the men Who were to accompany him on his expedition. Meanwhile Kate hurried along toward the ford, her ideas some- h what divided between the thought of ag he se Barton, and the young hunter whose acquaintance she had so suddenly made. She being ‘the manner and mien nm some y man, whose tone o Voice rohoes jon were so gentle in comparison the men DEC! . But as her plan of operation, to her whole to } one thought. There was an idea in her head, which for some time had ining ground, hinted at by Regin, nu by Simon Girty in mo- ed it possible to unravel only by | the mysteries of Scowl Hall, a plac ch Kate had long been anxious to see. she fasten THE SILENT HUNTER. Kate stood on the summit of a green hill. Hereshe first caught sight of the ford,and looking down- ward along the trail, she could hear nothing save the rushing of the river's waters over a pebbly bottom, and the occasional nete ‘of a bird, or perhaps that seeret hum of life which perpetually arises over the waving tree-tops. Satisfied, then, that she would be able to cross the ford unseen by any of the emissaries of Barton, and quite sure, from the beaten path before her, that she was in the right track, she tripped quick- ty down the hillside, and stood upon the water's edge. Warily again she looked around; then stooping, loosened her moceasins, and tucked up her dress, th one hand she held her and moccasins, with the er her and then springing from stone to stone, sometimes leap- ing, sometimes wading, she was soon on the other bank. “What does perty Kate Regin doon in these parts ?”’ said a well- knoWn voice, that made the heart of the young girl bound within er ** Simon Girty !”’ she exclaimed, with a start, as that worthy ap- peared from amon? the trees. *“ Well, I guess it are Simon Gir- MS a y is known about a b a ; “/> “T believe he is known,” said Kate, coldly, as she continued to her moccasins, “‘ and better than liked.” “Well, that may be true, tu—I ain’t much of a fayvorite, I km —but -* ale wink 4 to ‘te! How's Regin “I don’t know,” replied Katc, y, how ayre ; but you ain't told me war you're goi “Tam to Scowl Hall, to Kate, look ard at him. ** Well, 1 reckon he ain’t athum —but you ¢an wait, T “say. Well, geod mornin’; I’m off t’other commicloxoolks.conn 1