Jack and His Seven Foes — page 110: what you’re looking at

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JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES. 101 “What is your plan?” ‘““T propose to get near them without being observed, then fire a few shots m the air, all shout together, and rush on.’ ‘Shots 1 in the ar!’ ‘ exclaimed Jacob, ‘vou won't hit anybody.’ ““ Nobody must be hit,” said Jack; “no accident must deprive me of my lawful revenge.” “Ah, I see, Master Jack,” said Jacob, thoughtfully, ‘I didn’t reckon on that. Sut perhaps you won't be able to curb him,” jer! king his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Daniel Smollet, ‘as you meht wish.” “He past obey me,” said Jack, “or I will not help him. Tell him what my wishes are.’ Jacob fell back Smollet on this point. ‘“ Whatever the young m aster orders,” he said, “I am ready to do.” and enhehtened “That's right,’ replied Jacob ; ‘“‘there’s nothing like obedience, especially when you havea good leader.”’ The wind increased, and the day grew more dark and dreary. In the horizon it seemed as if might were prematurely returning. ‘Master Jack,” said Jacob, with a hurried glance at the sky, ‘it’s well we hurried on.” “Indeed ! ” “ Aye, dear lad; it’s as much as we shall do to get there, and do our work before the storm comes.” “Go on,” said Jack, ‘‘ you are certain of your road.”’ “My point,” replied Jacob, ‘‘is yonder rock that lies like a lump on the plain. They’re behind it.” “ Unless they have moved on.’ “They won’t move this ae There’s no other shelter but Maple Mountain for a dozen miles.”’ For a little time they kept on in silence. Then from the leaden sky a few small flakes came fluttering down. “We shall be in it directly Jacob. “YT know my way,” said Jack, “and will get on. You follow, and keep at the foot of the rock— “ But, dear lad—” “ Do as I tell you. to reconnoitre.”’ With a quick smile and a wave of the hand, he increased his pace, the flakes I am only going a — Nw ns ssn ss ss... falling faster and faster each moment, and crowing larger. Jacob kept his eyes straight on the figure of his young leader, which, as the storm rapidly increased in vigour, became misty, and was finally lost. Then the snowfall began .to show how heavy it would be. The wind swept by in one ereat cust, and suddenly dropped. The snow, thick and fast, fell lightly. This i is bad,” said Daniel Smollet: “Don’t talk to me,” replied Jacob. “T shall want all my wits to keep straight on.” And nothing is more difficult in dark- ness, or w here objects cannot be secn in a storm or a fog. Travellers in such a case have been known to make a complete circle on a plain, when they thought they were going straight on, and found themselves on the spot “from which they started. Jacob not only knew it, but had ex- perienced it. Therefore he bade them not distract his attention for a moment. If the wind had not dropped he would have had the drift of the snow forva cuide, but even that was now denied. The snow fell straight as the line of a plummet, and as silently as the foot- steps of a spectre. With an: anxious heart, Jacob hastened on. Faster fell the snow, darker grew the day. Suddenly he paused and faced about. ‘‘ Lads,’ he said, I’m afeared we've got out of the straight track. We ought to have been at the rock by this | pane _Smollet shifted about, ‘“T was so thinking,” said Ben, ‘but I said nowt, for my head ain’t so elear as it was.’ “Stand still,” said Jacob, as Daniel “the least turn may put us farther out of the track.” ‘“‘T hear summat,”’ said Ben, stooping | a little. , muttered | ‘What was it?” asked Jacob. “A shout. There’s another another.” They were all silent for afew moments, and heard, some distance on the right, and not only the shout, but a rapid firing. Their experience could distinguish ‘the sharp crack of the rifle, and the patter- Ing of the revolver, As Ik te 2ared,”’ said Jacob, with a GEOG aoo (SC <“S (C©)