The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

70 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. for doubtless the fellow would then have been more advanced in the church, As it was, however, he seemed so confounded at Jem’s sudden appearance, that for about one half instant he was unable to fly. He must inevitably have been caught, had it not been that Jem struck his foot against something in his progress, and nearly fell; at least he had to take one of those formidable springs forward which people do to save themselves from falling, and then, as always follows any sudden and vio- lent action, there was a alight pause. The man who had introduced himself into the church now took a run into the body of the building, as if he were intent upon attacking the hostler, instead of escaping from him, then suddenly turning with the rapidity of lightning he took a short run again toward the window. and sprung through it again as nad as an accomplished harlequin could have accomplished the feat. The sudden dash at the open window by the intruder, was so unexpected and instantaneous that Jem was taken by sur- prise, and though he was very close upon the heels of the man, yet he was not close enough to seize him; and just as he reached the window-sill, which he did by stumbling against it with some force, for he had thrown himself forward in the hope of seizing his enemy by the legs as he drew himself up, he felt the heel of the boot strike against his fingers, but he had the pistol in his hand, and that prevented him making a grasp, and he saw the man reach the window, and just as he was about to disappear, he leveled old Dame Strangewaye’ pistol and pulled the triggers, when both barrels went off. The stillness of the night, and the bare walls of the ancient building, with all its windows save one closed, caused the report to be so stunning, that few would have believed it, and the hostler fora moment paused. In another moment he too had leaped up into the window-sill, and was iu the old churchyard. He let his feet come in contact with the old flat tombstone that lay so short a distance from the wall be- neath. So rapidly did all these events pass, that the man who had so narrowly escaped being captured, was scarcely half a dozen yards in advance. His form no sooner met the eye of the hostler, for in the hurry of getting out, and the smoke of the pistol, he had lost it, than he rushed forward to follow the mid- night intruder upon a scene so sacred. The man seemed to be well acquainted with the place, for he never halted or hesitated. Not one of the many mounds and grave-stones did he run against, but straight onward he ran, sometimes turning to the right, and now again to the left, to avoid what would otherwise have stayed him. Jem, too, avoided the same impediments, but he did it by instinctively following the man and avoiding what he avoided and turning when he saw bim turn. Thus it was—they kept pretty well at the same distance from each other, and it was evident that nothing but an accident could give either the advantage. They were both fleet and fast, sure-footed and deep breathed. The race was such an one as had never before been run in such a vicinity, and the living never saw such a scene among the tombs of the dead. The prize tq comicbooks. com