Jack and His Seven Foes — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

y 2 7 7 ‘ vy * Ae ee? re > ”Y r 8) Dt Rast Sh ea bed | a 4 ; Va ty “J : — ' ~~ P. 7 - a? e b ‘ oe * . . P . ’ ‘ =~ soe JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES. 181 Let us go, then,” said Annie, “and | a bargain was very soon made and take me far, far away from here. Let me never hear of the place again.” | It so happened that Abel Newcombe | had just received an offer for his ground from the agent of a mining company, | and the man was not far away. On the morrow he was sent for, and “+ | | | concluded. Kre the week was out the Newcombes _ were on their way back to civilisation, with their own men for an escort. And Jacob Sturmby and Ralph were of the party, going to seek forgetfulness ina new life in the Old Country across the sea. RPP PIVEN LAY IUDM COU mn COHN OI4 10079 12 131 LON CHAPTER LAXTYV. THE SETTLER BY THE MOUNTAIN—FOUND-——A BRIEF TIME OF DOUBT, THEN LIGHT AGAIN, Axour five miles north of the Black Mountain is a small but exceedingly fertile piece of land, amounting to about a thousand acres. It was an oasis of verdure in a desert of rugged rocks, and many a traveller had paused there to rest and admire its beauty. _ But the men who wandered through * . . it were in search of the precious metals, which they knew could not be found there. In turn they all passed on, until one man with a wife and two children came. : The place seemed to suit him, and he built a log-house, in which they dwelt, and he set to work to till the ground. It was already rich in fruit and herbs, and ere long he began to think of selling some to the hard-working diggers in the various settlements around. So, on every other day, he was to be seen going forth, now in one direction, now in another, and coming back at eve | with good dollars in his pocket. “It's better than digging,”’ he would say, laughing softly, ‘ more certain, and - not half the labour.” So this wise man throve, and was nappy, and all who belonged to him had a joyous time in their chosen Eden. One day the man set forth as usual, to go toone of the more distant settle- ments, on each arm a basket well laden with prickly pears and other fruits. “YT shall not be back until late at night,’ he said. “But what matters, there is a moon.” He kissed his wife and children, and they watched him wend his way to the clinking Black Mountain, round the base of which he had to go. Then the woman went on with her household duties, and the children tumbled upon the greensward, and skipped about hike young lambkins at lay. tate in the afternoon the woman heard a distant rumbling, and went out to see from what quarter the storm was approaching. Not a cloud was in the sky. “Strange,” she murmured; “I am sure I heard it.” “And the children, standing wonder- ing by her side, were sure they heard it, too. Again and again before sunset she heard that mysterious sound, and a dread of something impending took possession of her. “JT wish my John were here,’ she said. But he was not expected before the middle of the night, and ere then the earthquake had shown its mighty force. Awestricken, she knelt by the open door, and saw the distant lightning, heard the great rocks rent, and watched the summit of the Black Mountain belch forth its flame and smoke. The children, happily, slept. She was alone with her terror and misery. When the great darkness caused by the mighty volume of smoke overhead came she could see no more, and went into the corner by the fire and prayed. Slowly and wearily the hours passed, and the new day came, and with it to her great joy the husband whom she feared she had lost. ECORAICELANCKO) cS (E(©)