Jack and His Seven Foes — page 17: what you’re looking at

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8 JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES, e CHAPTER ITI. TIE IRON IAND—RECOGNITION OF AN OLD ENEMY—THE SPIRIT OF TREACHERY AND Tur two brothers slept in the same cabin in hammocks placed side by side. Jack was a good sleeper, as all healthy youngsters are; but a restless night was a thing Willie was familiar with. That night, strange to say, he slept soundly, too. The happy frame of mind in which he sought his hammock may have had something to do with it, but in any case he was no sooner in his hammock than he sank into unconscious- ness. The love between these two lads and their father was very strong, passing that of ordinary child and parent. It amounted on both sides to devotion. And this was why the father had brought his sons to sea with him. Now that their mother was dead, he had need of some solace, and he did not care to leave them with strangers. Jack was to be trained to become the future master of the ‘ Albatross,” and Wille was to keep at sea with his father and brother until he was strong. Then he was to choose a profession. Not one dreamt of the awful dis- ruption pending, and how their hopes and plans would be scattered to the winds. In the middle of the night Jack sud- denly awoke. The cabin was pitchy dark, and there was a hand feeling over his face. “Who's there?” he cried; “ what is itr “Tt’s me— W ilhe,” replied his brother, in trembhng tones. “ Are you not well?” “JT am only just awake, Jack; but I have heard such fearful sounds. Lis- ten!” Jack listened. Above on the deck there was the trampling of feet, then a loud cry,. and the fall of a heavy body. “Somethine’s wrong,” cried Jack, tumbling out of his hammock. “ But you keep here until I get a light. It may be nothing but the wind getting up and thé men setting the sails.” CRUELTY ABOARD. “Tt’s not that,” cried Willie. ‘Oh! hear that.”’ Oaths, the trampling of feet again, and the fall of a heavy body down the hatchway. It came witha thud against the cabin door. : : Jack lit the lamp, and drew on his trousers in a moment. Willie tumbled out also, and began to dress too, and Jack did not check him. “Keep back a moment, Willie,” he said, ‘‘and let me see who it is.” He opened the door, and saw the old man, called the Pantaloon, in a sitting position, wiping his face. It was bruised and bleeding. “What's the matter ?”’ Jack asked. ‘The mate struck me with that iron fist of his,” was the sulky reply. ‘‘Where’s Captain Boldheart ?” “He was on deck a minute ago.” “Tt’s all right, Wille,” said Jack, looking back, with a smile upon his handsome face. ‘Bob Stubbles has been knocking a little discipline into one of the thick heads. Now, old man, go back to the deck.” “Tm going, ain’t I,” said the Panta- loon, sulkily. “‘I must get my head a bit, mustn’t 1? If you got a oner from the mate, I guess you would blink for a month.” ‘No insolence,” said Jack, sternly, “ ¢o on deck.” ‘ Allright,” said the Pantaloon, and with leisurely movements he ascended the stairs. Jack followed. And as soon as he got his head on a level with the deck, he saw that the stars were fading and daylight approaching. But he saw no more; for a cruel blow dealt by a cowardly hand with an iron bar scattered his senses and sent him rolling down below. The Panther and Hiram Crayton, the Swaggerer, bounded after him, and Wille, as he rushed forth in alarm, was selzed by the latter with his strong arms. “Bind that cub,’ he -said, to the conmicoooks (c©)