In Search of an Unknown Race — page 237: what you’re looking at

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

VAN, $22 CHAPTER XXXIV, A THREATENED TRAGEDY. At the close of the last chapter, we were forced to leave Van Briscoe in the Rattler’s hold with a dozen stalwart natives in his immediate vicinity, whose inten- tions might or might not be friendly. This itself was bad enough, and in connection with the fact that his captors themselves would not be very likely to show him much mercy when he was finally brought on deck, it can easily be imagined that Van felt as though after favoring him in various ways Dame Fortune had suddenly turned and dealt him a slap in the face. ‘‘Can any of you speak English?” he called, as the oloom was again momentarily illumined. ‘‘Me Krooboy some palaver—not good,” was the euttural reply from the one nearest him—a broad- shouldered black, less fierce in aspect than the others. ‘“Who you live for, eh?” Now the Bellingham’s cabin boy was an intelligent young Kroo from the African coast, whose curious medley of ‘‘ pigeon English ” had amused and interested Van at odd moments. And understanding the Krooman’s query as it was meant, Van hastily explained, as well as he could, how GomMmichooks (E(@) im