Beadle's Dime Novels No. 38: The Wrong Man — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHASE. 57 _ @rawn so near that the trampling of his horse’s hoofs, as they Clattered and clinked over the flinty ridge, began to be distinctly heard. A deep scowl darkened the face of the ruffian, as, after a moment of intense listening, his mind be- came assured of the nature of the sounds which reached him through the silent air. He cast his eyes round with a quick, Perplexed glance, as if uncertain what course to pursue. The part of the road he had now gained traverseé the center of a long narrow ridge; the ground on either siae descend- ing so abruptly that the trees which grew at a Jittle distance hardly exténded their tops to a level with the summit. To ride down the steep bank would be an adventure full of Peril; but should he proceed along the road, he must soon be overtaken, as the pursuer was evidently gaining upon him, and the noise of his horse sounded each instant nearer and nearer. In the mean while, the struggles of poor Lucy, whose quick ears had not failed to distinguish the distant trampling, and in whose heart it had awakened a hope of rescue, greatly embarrassed him. The hunter knew not what to do, and in his perplexity, turned his horse’s head to the edge of the €ned at the steepness of the dark descent, started back, and Whirled round on his hinder feet with a caracole so sudden &nd violent as would inevitably have thrown a less practiced rider to the ground. : Foiled in this attempt, he leaped from the saddle, and, throwing the bridle over the branch of a tree at the road- Side, he raised the maiden in his arms, and sprung down the , till, reaching a small level place, or rather hollow, in the side of the bank, occasioned by the fall of a huge Uprooted oak, he hastily bound the girl to one of the jag- fed points of the tree. - This done, he clambered as Swiflly as possible up the hillside, remounted Lis horse, , and, reining him into an easy gallop, continued along the The approaching horseman had by this time drawn so near that the two were only prevented from seeing each other by = bend in the road. This was quickly passed comichbooks.cony