Jack and His Seven Foes — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

122 Swaggerer, “if you don’t give us any jaw about the ‘ Albatross.’ ”’ “Tm not likély to talk about that,” said the Sneezer, shuddering. He did not recollect enything he had talked of in his delirium. The Panther, on awaking, was not in a very good humour, and he would have stopped the Sneezer’s journeying with him, but for the Swaggerer. He stood between them, not vecause he was merciful, but because he was atraid. He had a superstitious dread of killing any of his accomplices. If he could have secured his own safety by betraying or murdering both,» he would not have hesitated a moment. They moved on again, hungry, cold, and wretched. Their path lay through a wood now, if, indeed, it could be said that they had a path at all. - It was a wild, dreary wood of huge leafless trees, that offered them no sustenance. “How long can we stand this?” asked the Swaggerer, as another night drew on. ‘About another day will settle me,” rephed the Panther. The Sneezer was bad again, and oegan to ramble as before. The Panther was now too weak for violence, and let him talk on. It was an awful companionship for the two greater rascals. Like an emissary from Nemesis, the shivering, delirious Sneezer babbled of the dark and deadly crimes they had shared in. He talked of treachery, of ghastly wounds, of vain appeals for mercy, of one and all the victims, from Captain Boldheart to the kind-hearted, bereaved settler whom they had murdered for his money. ‘“We know you did it, the Pantaloon and I,” he said; ‘“‘we heard him pray, and struggle, and fall groaning,” They walked, or rather, tottered, on ahead of him, hoping to get clear away, but they could not. As they lost strength, he seemed to gain it, and kept at their heels without apparent effort. Like an avenging spirit he dogged them. JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES, — Like men who have a goal to reach, and must reach it or die, they plodded on | ye : ; bea Tare % EE A 7 es ot ane OW vo » eee r bya 4 A Pee 5, | : HS And yet it seemed as if their only © goal was the grave. | They all halted that night. The wood was passed by many miles, and they lay down upon the plain. : The frost had broken, and the snow was melting—on a watery bed they slept. | But it did not kill them. ‘ Men under excitement will bear incredible things. The British troops slept in mud on the night before the Battle of Waterloo, but they arose and won the day. These trio of knaves too. | They were fighting for their lives. “T could eat a skunk,” was the remark of the Panther, when he arose stiff and sore in the morning. “A mouldy biscuit and a piece of salt junk as hard as a cable would be a feast for an emperor,’ the Swaggerer said. The Sneezer had nothing to say, but he licked his dry lips, and looked volumes of hunger. were fighting, They started again, and all were silent now. The Sneezer was no longer delirious, but simply almost lifeless. His action was merely mechanical, but strange to say 1t was stronger than the movements of the otheis. They tottered and reeled at every step, but he kept upright and straight close behind them. Noon came, and a sun, warm for a wintry one, shoneupon them. Suddenly the Sneezer cried— “T see another wood and a hut.” ‘“‘T see nothing,” groaned the Swag- “but a blank wall before me. : ‘And the flames of the bottomless pit are dancing before my eyes,’ hissed the Panther. ‘‘The Sneezer sees the mirage,” re- joined the Swaggerer. But they went on and found that he was right. A wood was not far off, and the hut was there, too. Still doubting, but feeling that diss appointment would kill him, the Swag- gerer forged on ahead, knocked at the door, and fell in a heap against it. (E©@) MICLOOOKS (E©) 4 7