A Study in Scarlet (Serial Edition Cover) — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

98 A STUDY IN SCARLET. up to the cloudless heaven in heartfelt entreaty to that dread Being with whom they were face to face, whiie the two voices—the one thin and clear, the other deep and harsh—united in the entreaty for mercy and for- giveness. The prayer finished, they resumed their seat in the shadow of the bowlder until the child fell asleep, nestling upon the broad breast of her protector. He watched over her slumber for some time, but Nature — proved to be too strong for him. For three days and three nights he had allowed himself neither rest nor re- pose. Slowly the eyelids drooped over the tired eyes, and the head sank lower and lower upon the breast, until the man’s grizzled beard was mixed with the golden tresses of his companion, and both slept the same deep and dreamless slumber. Had the wanderer remained awake for another half- hour a strange sight would have met his eyes. Far away on the extreme verge of the alkali plain there rose up a little spray of dust, very slight at first, and hardly to be distinguished from the mists of the distance, but gradually growing higher and broader until it formed a solid, well-defined cloud. This cloud continued to in- crease in size until it became evident that it could only be raised by a great multitude of moving creatures. In more fertile spots the observer would have come to the conclusion that one of those great herds of bisons which graze upon the prairie-land was approaching him. This was obviously impossible in these arid wilds. As the whirl of dust drew nearer to the solitary bluff upon which the two castaways were reposing, the canvas covered tilts of wagons and the figures of armed horse Gomilecboo