Jack and His Seven Foes — page 157: what you’re looking at

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» 148 ‘JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES. SO It did not break up for nearly an hour. Only Ralph and Harold Deane and his wite at once withdrew. The rest remained in knots discussing what they had heard, and each man and woman had some suggestion for the punishment of the offenders when caught. Any or all of them would have carried out the punishment they named. It was not pleasant for these two _ skulking villains. They lay and quaked and cursed their folly in coming there as sples. _ At length the people began to move aap PO EPS OVET? 0079 O79 LODE AEM tM Rn Ng ES ESD INS Od ie a eee Tk Se ey OO a ee yc se Bete ares MeL ee ‘ ee gts < ; he veh Mh nye hey ae Riel ee %? Fatipe CaN ruth » Lins - ies wa ‘“ ems 0 He RAE wee —gs away, talking of what they would di in : the morning. All work was to be given up until the murderers were found. ‘No cradle shall rock, no spade or pick touch the earth,” said one man, “until they are found.” Then they went slowly to their huts. “Shall we go now?” asked the Panther, in his softest tone. “Not yet,” replied the Swaggerer ; ‘“‘oive them time to get to sleep.” They gave them time, an hour, that seemed an age, and then, with the slink- ing air of midnight wolves, they stole away. ea CHAPTER LIX. THE PURSUIT—A LONE WOMAN LEFT IN CHARGE—TWO UNWELCOME VISITORS. Ar an early hour the settlement was awake and stirring. Harold Deane was the first to appear, and no wonder, for he had not slept that night. The sun arose, and all were ready for qaoving. Some had horses, but the majority were going on foot in bands of ‘five and six. Ralph was to lead one, Harold Deane another, Dick Merryweather a third, and so on. And the women were going, too, taking the children with them, all but one old woman, Dick Merryweather’s nother. She was nearly eighty, and almost blind, and could be of noservice. They <lecided to leave her behind. “ But you won’t mind that, will you, mother ?” said Dick. “Not at all, my dear boy,” she said ; “but don’t you get into mischief.” He was a round-faced, good-humoured looking feliow, and laughed at the idea. “ You don’t think these skunks will fight, do you?” he said. ‘ Bless you, they will run away from the boys, who are only armed with sticks! ” “But why take the children? ”’ asked the old woman. “ We can’t keep the women back,” said Dick, shrugging his shoulders, “and the children are burning to do something to avenge the death of little Hugh. They are as eager asa pack of hounds on the scent.” “It was a cruel deed,” said the old woman. “Well, good-bye, mother,” said Dick, cheerfully. : He stooped and kissed her. The old woman patted him fondly on the shoulder, and he went away. She hobbled to the door, and stood watching the departing settlers as long as she could see them. “A brave lad, a bonny boy,” she murmured; ‘the kindest and best of sons.” She did not speak without reason, for Dick had brought her across the sea, and taken her with him wherever he went. Having a wife and a large family made no difference to him. ‘ Mother is no burden,” he said, and she had never been one to him or his wife. The old woman returned to the fire and put on the kettle to boil. She was going to cheer her loneliness with a cup of tea. She put a little tea in the teapot, and sat with it ready. By-and-by the water began to steam and bubble, and the invigorating beve- rage was quickly made. She poured out a cup, and with ex- COMIC OOOKS.E®