Beadle's Dime Novels No. 298: The Hussar Captain — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

50 THE HUSSAR CAPTAIN. appearance, though perhaps slightly beneath the average in hight; dressed in the Continental uniform, be wore a sword- belt, from which, however, the sword had been detached, and upon a table in the room lay an officer’s hat. Suddenly voices outside arrested his attention, and the next instant the door opened, and in walked the Hermit of Hell- gate, followed by a dozen troopers, wearing the uniform of the well-known regiment commanded by Colonel Templeton, un English officer who had won distinction in his army by his many during acts, and hated in the Continental lines by his cruelties and persecutions of all Americans who were not loyal to the king. “You are Mercer Vancourt, an officer in the so-called, Continental army, and at present a prisoner, having been cap- tured as a spy within the British lines,” said the Hermit, in a deep voice, reading from a_ paper, held in his hand. ; “Tam Colonel Mercer Vancourt, of the Continental Army. am no spy, though I was taken within the lines of the British,” haughtily answered the patriot. “We will not discuss the whys and wherefores, sir, for I have not time. You are a rebel to the king, and a spy’s fate will be yours. But come, I have an order to take you hence.” “An@ whither would you take me ?” « ue matters not. Put on your cloals and hat, and come,” . A moment Colonel Vancourt hesitated. His eyes 5 vividly flashed around him, as if with some sudden determination, but conquering the thought, whatever it might have been, he quietly obeyed the order of the Hermit, and placing himself between two of the dragoons, walked proudly from the house, but not, however, until he had turned, and with the courtly manner of a true gentleman, thanked the woman in whose cottage he had been a prisoner for more than a week, for her kindness to him, ” “ Bless you, sir, I would that I could have done more for you; but the guards were too strict to let me even give you a decent meal,” answered the good woman, “Hold your tongue, wench! Sergeant, dismiss the guards connicloooks.com