Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

HOPES BLASTED. & vt!) very little hope of escaping. But the horrors of her late im- prisonment loomed up before her imagination like a black cloud, and she dreaded death less than a hopeless return to its horrors. Even Ralph was surprised at the zeal with which she ran, keeping close beside him without retarding his own movements in the least. Rapidly the distance was passed—they had almost reached the copse. Were they to gain it, and temporary shelter? A moment of time, and they would be within its friendly bosom. Onward—if another rod can be passed they will be concealed from the eyes of savage faces, for the growth is dense, so dense that at their present distance they can not see beyond the green barrier. How hope rises, but rises only to be blasted ! A. loud, savage yell from far behind rings out upon the air, and the half-uttered gee of joy gives place to a groan of despair. “ We are lost, Ralph !” fille ds Nancy, grasping his arm. “Not yet!” stoutly repeated the young ranger, seizing her in turn, and making his way through the bushy vail. “ We won't give up till the last moment, under any circum- stances.” : With an experienced eye he took in at a single glance the peculiarities of their situation. A. little thread of water, scarcely sufficient to form a stream, ran along through the forest, its banks being heavily fringed with bushes for some distance up and down from the spot where they stood. Its general course was diagonal to that taken by the lovers, so that by bending a little to the south- west they could follow down its banks. This Nancy seemed to regard as a foregone conclusion, and turned at once in — direction. But salpe quickly called her back. “This way, love,’ he said, pointing in the other direc- tion. Then as he grasped her hand and hurried on, he added, in a low tone; “They will look down-stream for us. Our only hope lies in slipping into the bushes, and waiting until we can glide away in some other direction without attracting their notice. Tf we can do this all may yet turn out right, sg connicloooks.comn ad