Jack and His Seven Foes — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

JAGK AND HIS SEVEN “You mean a boy and little devil together,’ suggested Bob Stubbles. ‘Be quiet,” snarled the Swaggerer, “or LT will close your mouth for you.” * All right, ” returned Bob, “heave ahead.” ‘““We were boys together,” pursued the Swaggerer, “and were apprenticed together on board the same ship. lor three years we were afloat, friends as people beheved us to be, but at the end of that time I was, thanks to your father, ruined. ~My Life as blighted, and I have been an ontesatir ever since.” ‘I know you now,” cried Jack, “ you are not Hiram Cray ton—it is not your name—you used to be called Norton Gray.” The Swaggerer stepped back a pace, and stared at him. “So,” he said, “ your father has been amusing you Ww ith my story ?”’ “You fool,” replied Jack, “he has sorrowed over it. You were a thief! You robbed the company and set fire to one of the ships to conceal your thefts. My father caught you in the act, and was compelled to give evidence against you.” “He was not compelled, Swaggerer, hoarsely, “he freely.” “He did not,” said Jack, “he has told me all. They forced him into the witness-box, and how could he lie there ? You were sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude, and he has sorrowed over your fate ever since.” ‘‘He sorrowed!” sneered the Swag- gerer, but his very lips were white with agony, “ he laughed at me! ”’ “You area mad fool, I say,” erted Jack; “he has always spoken of your theft as a sudden temptation, and setting fire to the ship as an act arising out of an agony of shame. He has “alw ays been anxious about you, and has tried to find you.” . “Tsay you he!” repli gerer. * “He advertised for you only a year AZO, said Jack. ‘That’s true,” growled Bob Stubbles, “and he’d have made you first mate of the ‘ Albatross’ if he could only have found you.” PD) said the gave it d) ied the Swag- “ The mother you leit to grieve over | moment’s silence the See A -—= sss lS SS SSS a ee - - - A FOES. ll en eee _ your fate,” said Jack, “he kept in com tort till she died.” ‘He only missed you by a couple of days when he went to the prison for you,’ cried Bob; ‘he made a mistake of the day when your time was up.’ “ You two,” said the Swaggerer, be- tween his teeth, “ have conspired to- eecther. This is a lying tale.” ‘“NMen do not lie with the shadow of death upon them,” said Jack; “I know there is no mercy to expect from you.’ “None, none!” cried the villain. “T do not believe your story, and I will not forgive. I will not forego my long- panted- for reven ge!” The veins on the Swagwerer’s forehead stood like knotted cords, and the ex- pression of his features was demoniacal. “You do believe my story,” cried. Jack, “and you will not Iet me live for fear that we should make the world rine with the story of your bitter black brutality. There lies your friend,” pointing to his father. ‘ Look into hig face 1f you dare.”’ ‘“‘Silence!”’ thundered the Swaggerer. “livery gaping wound is a mouth that shall condemn you by-and-by,’’ continued Jack; ‘‘ they shall darken your waking life, and haunt youin your dreams.” “ll hear no more,” cried the Swag- gerer. ‘* You arealhiar anda hypocrite, as your father was before you. Up with that family bull-dog there !”’ Dunmore and Jim Black raised the mate to his feet, and Dribbles put a life- belt about him. “Tl not kill any more of you,” said the Swaggerer, with a horrible ore “T’ll be merciful. Here is the younger nan ut a belt about him—see that e knots are fast—and toss him into the sea.’ ‘This hellish deed shall be avenged,’ cried Jack, making a fierce but fruitless effort to burst his bonds. ‘‘ Monstez, have you no ba tat “Pity!” was the contemptuous ne ‘‘ Ah, itis s stuff that women deal in! «eT appeal to you all,” Jack cried, ‘you six there. Ts there no soft spot in any of your black hearts? Willyou stand by and see this devil’s work car- ried out? Will you help in it?” Not one answered him, and after a zeref or O- CONMICWOO cS CO