Jack and His Seven Foes — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

10 JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES, his arms akimbo and his legs wide apart, surveying his victims, living and dead, with a melodramatic air, that ould have been ludicrous but for its intense ferocity. it was too redo horrible, for there to be any humour in it. “The two cubs and the family buli- dog!’ he said, witha snarl. “ Well, how fares it with youn: No answer was given him, and he came forward until he was within a foot of Jack, and thrust his face close to his. “Will you strike me now ?” heasked. “T would if I could,” replied Jack. “Do you defy me? > ovied the ruffian, ‘‘ Beg for your life, you cub!” “Not from you ! 1? said J ack, con- temptuously. ‘Beg, I say!” cried the Swaggerer, and strack him a blow across the face. The blood ran from his mouth, but Jack gazed at him dauntlessly. ‘You can strike one pone he said ; ‘“but you are too much of a coward to give me one arm free and strike me then.” eae rn em et wp ae ip DC - PSELLLSALE AA “One arm free,” said the Swaegerer ; “that you will never have again. Men do not fight with boys—they thrash them.” And he struck him again. Jack received the blow without moving a muscle, and Bob Stubbles, carried away by his enthusiastic admiration, involuntarily cried out : “Bravo, Master Jack !”’ “A still tongue with you will be a ise one,” said the Sw aggerer, turning upon him with a savage frown; “ your turn will come directly. So, if I can- not hurt you, you cub of Boldhearts, Vl try what giving pain to another will do.” “Not him!” cried Jack; “he is only a child—delicate and ailing from his birth. Do what you lke to me, but spare him!” “Don't plead for me, Jack,” said Willie; “it won’t stop the brute.” “You are right, my little cub,” said the Swaggerer, with a sarcastic snari. “ Now, lads, up with the youngster, and toss him here. Ill try the begear, and see the stuff he is made of.” CL? LP) LPI ALF9 LG LVAD LP) Le LP — LPO ADIL 9 LIV? LF 29 LGA LDV AGO ‘Damen CHAPTER IY. THE DOOM OF WILLIE AND BOB STUBBLES—‘ SHARKS, MY LADS, SHARKS !”— A ROW. : Macsox, the Litter, picked up Wille in his arms and carried him he wards Hiram Crayton, the Swaggerer. ‘‘Throw him here,” cried the leading villain, and the boy was tossed from one to the other like a ball. Purposely or by accident the Swag- verer let him fall, and he came to the deck with a dull are bruising his face, but his lips uttered no sound. « Unmanly cowards!’’ cried Jack “Bawl away,” said the Swaggerer, ‘‘it’s the only amusement that 1s “left to “ou.” ‘Why don’t you stick the! m, and have done with this nonsense ?’ ’ orowled the Panther. “Or let us make targets of ’em,” saic Jim Black, the Settler; “we all of us want a little pistol practice.” ‘“ Who’s leader here?’’ asked the Swageerer, turning fiercely upon them. sf ‘Why, you are,” replied the Panther “it’s your job from first to last.” .- “ Enough then,” said the Swaggerer; “IT came on board the ‘ Albatross’ for this hour, and now that it is come Ill not have it marred by anybody.” Turning to Jack again, and placing his foot on the prostrate form of Willie, he went on: “Hearken to me, you cubs. This thing here,” poin iting to the body of Captain Boldheart, Was your father— the bitterest enemy I ever had.”’ “Tt’s a le!” ‘said Jack: “he was enemy to no man, and a friend to all.” “Hear, hear!’ cried Bob Stubbles, “which he was for ever and _ ever: Amen “T tell you hie was my enemy,’ the Swageerer, ‘but he had forgotten ’ said . me and ihe wrong he did me. Years ago we were boys together,” ONnNICLOOKS.C@