Jack and His Seven Foes — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

1 é : CHAPTER LXIII. - JACK ALONE SOLVES THE MYSTERY—HE BEARDS THE WOLVES IN THEIR DEN. ALONE Jack stood a while, with arms folded, gazing down upon the face of the dead man. It was as placid as that of a sleeping chald. “Better for you, old man, that you should be at peace,” he murmured. *« But we shall miss you.” He had grown attached to Ben, with his simple manners and strong faithful- ness, and the feeling had been mutual. If such a thing as an additional stimulus to Jack had been needed, it was here supplied. He wanted no incentive to go on to the end. That the crime had been committed by the Panther or the Swaggerer he was as sure as if he had seen the act per- formed, and the mystery of it could not fail to trouble him a little. From what hiding-place was the shot fired ? He looked around, and, apparently, there was no place that could give the assassin shelter. The rocks were small, and only one bush was near, a stunted thing that seemed to be withering as it grew. But what is that which moves its leaves? Not a breath of air was stirring, and yet Jack could see it gently oscillating to and fro. Was the solution of the mystery there ? Jack’s heart beat a little faster, but, _ with face unmoved and form still as a _ Statue, he watched the strange pheno- menon. The bush continued to oscillate, and its leaves to rustle. Then it began to rise. It bent over and fell, reve iling a hole in the earth about two feet in diameter. “T see it all, now,” thought Jack. o rr Slowly the head and shoulders of a | man emerged from the hole, and stared around. So wild, so haggard, so un- | natural, had the face of that man be- | come, that Jack at first did not know hin. | But it was the Panther. Suddenly he caught sight of Jack, stern and erect, by the dead man. With a yell that rang over the moun- tains he disappeared. “So that is the Panther’s lair,” thought Jack. “ Villains—murderers —I have you safe and sound.” Leaving the side of poor Ben, he crossed the hollow, and advanced to the strange hiding-place of the desperate man. He saw then that the supposed bush was a branch of a tree, which they had cut off to conceal their hiding-place. “To think that we should have been deceived by this,’ thought Jack. “ Ralph will go mad over it.” Standing near the hole, but a little aside in case of treacherous firing, Jack called on his last foes to come forth. ‘The time has come,” he said, “ for my pursuit of you toend. One or both of you come forth.” There was a shght movement within, but nobody appeared. : “What have you to fear?” asked Jack, scornfully. “I am alone, and you are two to one. Come forth, and let it be a duel to the death.” “You're not alone,” cried the Swag- gerer from within. “Only the dead is with me,” replied Jack. | “We have only your word for that,” growled the Panther. “Why will you not take it? ” asked Jack. ‘‘ Has it to your knowledge ever been broken?” They offered him no answer. “Tf you will not come out and fight like men,’’ he said, “I swear that you shall be shot lke dogs.” A scrambling sound within the hollow was the only reply he received. He knelt down and listened. ‘“‘The cave is deeper than I thought,” he muttered; ‘they are retreating to the end. How even the faintest sound echoes !”’ He was disposed to plunge into the cave and drive out the villains, but CORNIELIOC (C Ss) (EO)