Beadle's New Dime Novels: The Specter Chief — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

64 THE PHANTOM CULEF. after a northeasterly course, turns eastward an then south- r+ mA ate 4, Hive e:sterly, and, for some miles above its embouchure, has . very little inclination to the Scioto, which runs southerly, forming with it a long ueck like that. on which Philadel- phia stands, between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. Above the upper end of the neck, and where Paint Creek runs eastwardly, the ‘‘fork’” on which our party were comes in from the northward. Of course, to rejch the Scioto by land, it was necessary only to cross the few miles of space between it and the fork, and the fugitives would then be at least ten miles above the lodges. The canoe was sccordingly hidden with great care, and the three set out on food, Butler selecting the route. Before reaching the western .bank of the Scioto, Fenton and Marie were left by the Ranger, while he went to inform his comrades of their arrival. More than half an hour passed, and the surveyor, im- patient of the resiraint under which he had been kept by the guide, took advantage of his absence to whisper a few words to his companion. Reader, why ask us to reveal. the purport of the conversation to which these led? There were no. splendid apartments, costly furniture, giled vases, perfumed exotics, luxurious draperies, and exuggerated forms of specch to set off the occasion. Nothing was there but two hearts guileless towards each other—two voices which spoke frankly their promptings. The paling stars, which shone down through the silent tree tops, were fitting witnesses of that communion; and as the Ranger, who came up in time to see transferred to the lips of Marie the kisses which, in the canoe, had been given to her hand, said nething, we slall follow his prudent ~ example. The woodsmen, who had been summoned by Butler, were not long afier him; and the party moved on together, The Scioto was pussed by means of a raft, the matcrials of wi.ich, having been previously in rea:liness, were soon lashed together, The river, which varies greatly in width — at different seasons, had subsided to nearly its narrowest dimensions, and on this account the pussage was cou- .