The Wrong Man — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

63. THE WRONG MAN. Pages —oh-o! Missy Lucy, Missy Lucy !—gone for ebber—gone or ebber!” | “Great God! what means this ”” exclaimed Charles, spring- ing from his horse and rushing past the boy int the cabin. But all was darkandsilentthere. The brands on the earth haa fallen, and were smoldering away in a bed of their own white. ashes, while the flickering glimmer which they fitfully shed. served only to show that the room was desertec, Charles turned again to the door, “ Cato, for heaven’s sake, Cato, tell me what has chanced ?” cried i with a huskiness of voice that showed he was greatly iioved. ‘““Oh, Massy Dudley, Missy Lucy is carried off! Ned Obertou hab run away wid her! I seen him as I come by de block- louse wid a woman on afore. I t’ought den twas young missy . —Lis sapt’in now.” ‘ This intelligence thrilled like a thunderbolt of ice to Dudley's heart. In a hoarse, low tone, scarcely louder than a whisper, yet of that kind which makes the hearer start, he demanded of the negro, as ie flung himself upon his horse, which road the hunter had taken; and before the question was halfanswered, plunging his spurs to the rowel-head, and reining his steed suddenly round with the skill of an accomplished ridur, he darted off in pursuit. The voice of the astonished missionary, as he called to him to know what course he should take, scarcely reached the furious horseman, so rapidly did he fiy along the path. At the foot of the bluff, Dudley encountered the peddier, who had just finished his slow and careful descent, and was turning the head of his weary beast toward Adrianopolis. “ Hallo, Dodge!” cried Charles, who recognized the other as ne drove out in the broad moonlight, “ did you meet Edward Overton on the road ?” The peddier, ever ready to enter into chat, reined up his “ Ha, Squire Dudley, is that you? A good-evening to you, Sey thm bad happened ?” ““Answer me, Dodge, did you meet Overton?” asked the young man, impatiently ?” “ Well, now, I sort ’o guess I did. I met some one that was streaking it off mighty fast, I tell you. Can't exactly say who it was; but railly, now, I shouldn't be surprised if it was Ned Overton.” “ Had he a female on the horse with him ?” “ Well, 1 can’t say he hadn’t. I rather caiculate there was some one on with him. But railly, now, this is mi nty strange! a pe to een doing any thing ?—has any thing happened Tal I Biatcte cots nk Dodley"s Lusas Wilts vellling niin dislauen bes 2 "fie honest Nathan hind got ualf through the string of questions — =a . Books.com . ; Comic a A . , s a » pe a £