I went up on the peak of the little mountain and ran my eye over the contiguous vicinity. Over toward Summit I expected to see the sturdy yeomanry of the village armed with scythes and pitchforks beating the countryside for the dastardly kidnappers. But what I saw was a peaceful landscape dotted with one man ploughing with a dun mule. Nobody was dragging the creek; no couriers dashed hither and yon, bringing tidings of no news to the distracted parents.
What is “over toward“? Is it two prepositions or an adverb + a preposition?
My first guess is that “over” means the previously mentioned place.
over
…
ADVERB
…
1.1 In or to the place mentioned or indicated.
‘over here’
‘come over and cheer us up’
[Oxford US English Dictionary]
If you follow this definition, the “over” could substitute “the contiguous vicinity” (previously mentioned place) to avoid repeating:
[In the contiguous vicinity] toward Summit I expected to see the sturdy yeomanry of the village armed with scythes and pitchforks beating the countryside for the dastardly kidnappers.
However, in such use, “over” acts as a pronoun. Why is it an adverb?
My second guess is that “over” is a repetition of the preposition “over” from the previous sentence:
“I … ran my eye over the contiguous vicinity. Over toward Summit I expected to see…”
In this case, «over» could mean:
over
PREPOSITION
…
1.2 Extending above (a general area) from a vantage point.
‘views over Hyde Park’
‘This area has great views over the rear garden through large windows and a set of patio doors.’
…
[Oxford US English Dictionary]
Then the general meaning may be:
“I … ran my eye [above from a vantage point] the contiguous vicinity. [Above from a vantage point] toward Summit I expected to see…”