Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

18 BONNY JEAN. was fastened to a great cypress, and was soon paddling away down stream. He had decided not to reveal the secret to Jean and her mother. They had never dreamed of its existence ; it would be better not to tell them until he had proved that there was no mistake about it. Thetwo, poor things, had trouble | enough to bear without enduring what migh/ prove to bea grievous disappointment. ‘‘ Blessed is he who expects nothing,” quoth Philip to himself, as he paddled his canoe along, ‘‘for then he wil] not be disappointed.” On he went, pausing at last, when he had neared Lee’s Land- ing. Here he fastened his boat, and hastened on foot. ‘©A mile below Lee’s Landing,” he muttered to himself, as he trudged along, ‘‘on the river-bank, just- above high-water mark ; five gum trees growing in a circle; odd, that! Reckon ll find it-—zhezw /” He paused in astonishment; for a thick, dense smoke arose |. in his pathway, and barred his further progress. Thick, black folds of smoke, with fiery tongues darting in and out, licking up everything in their way. Philip realized the truth then. Lhe woods were on fire! ‘‘Tt’s not the proper season to burn the grass for the cattle,” he ejaculated, in perplexity ; ‘‘then how on earth came the fire here! If it were possible for any one else to be possessed of David Conway's secret, I would declare that some enemy had done this thing ; that this fire is the work of a malicious foe to prevent my going in search of the buried gold, until the woods shall be so so burned that all landmarks will be obliterated.” He glanced around in dismay. No hope! Fire tothe right of him, save where the river ran on cheating it in its work of destruction ; fire to the left—a horrible wall of seething flame ; _ fire before him—a dreadful dividing line, before which no power on earth could pass and live. It wasno use ; he must return, his object ungained. | He had desired to find the place, then return and dig for the hidden treasure ; and, once in possession, he would have gone ae Eomichooks co