The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 73 diffused light that reigned served to show the hostler of the Morton Arms that his enemy had maintained his distance. The two men who thus acted the parts of pursuer and pursued in so desperate a chase, had now nearly exhausted themselves and could not now maintain their former pace; they both slackened—nature could not support for an unlimited period such tremendous efforts of strength and endurance. They slackened slightly their pace, but this did not alter the relative position of either; they still remained as they were, the one to fly, and the other to chase. They neared the confines of the wood and in another moment they both emerged into the open moonlight. ‘*Murderer! villain!” shouted the hostler, ‘‘ you are a doomed man!” No answer was returned, but crossing a small field, the man swept up this, skirting a hedge, and again made for the church- ‘yard whence he had started. Jem now thought he should at least chase him to his lair: he followed stoutly on, determined that while he could follow on— while life remained, he would never lose sight of him. Ata bound the man cleared the wicket; Jem followed through the gate, which gave him a moment’s advantage, and away he sped for the very window he had jumped out of. The hostler fol- lowed through the yard and among the tombstones as nimbly as the fugitive: but the latter tripped and fell. and Jem would have seized him, but he overshot his prey, and had to turn back, which he could not do for several paces. Again had his foe eluded his grasp, hurrying through the churchyard in a contrary direction, and again did the hostler, with almost unabated vigor, and unimpaired determination, rush after him. Now, however, he wag rather more in advance, and the manner he rushed among the tombstones gave him a slight advantage. At one moment he turned a large monument, and Jem rushed round the other side, intending to have caught him sideways; but here he was foiled, for the fellow made straight onward toward a tree, which he turned, and then again made for the open window. There could be no mistaking his intention, and Jem thought he was quite sure of his victim. The moon shone on the other side of the church, and this side was in gloom, save the diffused light of the moon that was shed around. He rushed to the windows, and then disappeared; in another moment Jem was under the open window. He paused a second, and became convinced the man was not hidden in the obscurity: of the shadows cast by the church. It was a blank wall beneath— a narrow strip of earth lay between it and the tomb on which he stood, and he became convinced the murderer was in the church, and in another moment he stood again in the sacred edifice. Convinced that the man who had taken refuge in the church could not esca for all the doors were locked, and he himself had the key,—-he paused a moment or two to gain breath. Jem’s comicbooks. com