Jack and His Seven Foes — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES. 15 ee Put yourselves into har der work, and | wards the shore they saw a hilly country you will be there by sunset.” “Tt would do us good to see you put yourself into it,” said J im Black. ~ “JT daresay it xyould,?? was the answer $ “but I am leader, and my work is to give orders. We've come along well.” ‘<*Specially since we’ve had the wind at the back of us,”’ said the Pantaloon. ‘Curse the wind! ’’ snarled the Swae- gerer, “who would have thought that. ‘it would play us such a prank? It’s pos- sible, lads, that it may bring the ‘ Alba- tross’ round our way.’ “Oh, Jiminy!” exclaimed Walker Dribbles s, and then on had another fit of sneezing. “Tt is possible, I say,” said the Swag- cerer, with a pete AE nervous glance at the horizon; ‘‘ but it wouldn’t matter. The cub is dead before this.” “T fancy I see him,” groaned Drib- bles, and then off he agai again. The Swaggerer picked up a log of wood, and thr ‘ew it at him. Dribbles ducked his head like light- ning, and the Pantaloon got the log in his ribs. With a howl he rolied to the bottom of the boat. “Just like the old man,’ Black, “ allusin the way.” ‘You were talking of land,” said the Swaggerer, standing up and shading his eyes with his hand, “and there it is.” They looked round and saw what seemed like a bank of cloud peeping above the horizon. said Jim Some were doubtful, and got cursed | for their pains. “‘T tell you that itis land,” Swaggerer ; “give way, be Rane Retoee night.” Refreshed and stamulated by these tidings, they bent to their oars, and Hiram Crayton leant back-with the tiller-ropes im his hands and a cigar in his mouth. They pulled, and pulled, until he bade them rest, with the air of a master releasing seris from duty. Then ‘they looked round and land well defined before them. A shout of joy burst from their and after a drink of rum-and-»y they went to work again. ' Ere lone the wa ecerer bade a rest again, and when they looked said the and we shall saw the lips, vater, — = ad = rr he?_CS _OEO OO R>eooyNyoooeeEeeeeeeeEEEEEEEee—eeEEeeeeeeeeeEeeeeeeee———— eos eee; nan — a little more than two miles away. And on the beach there were a num- ber of wooden huts, and men in civilised garb were running to and fro. “Now, lads,’ said the Swagegerer, ‘““remember the story we have to tell. The ‘Albatross’ sprane a leak and went down in the meght. We escaped as we could, and don’ t know what be- came of the rest.’ “That’s the yarn,” they clamoured, and then they pulled i in, and in a quarter of an hour the boat ovounded on the beach. Immediately a number of men in coarse canvas attire surrounded them. They smelt strongly of hides and tallow, and their calling was sufficiently indi- cated by a number of buffalo and cattle skins stretched upon the beach to dry. They were a httle colony of hide- tanners, who prepared the skins brought in by the natives, and the life they led was a very quiet one. ‘Lwice a year aship came to take away the prepared skins. All the rest of the time they saw nobody but themselves and the semi-savage hunters, who brought in at odd times the results of their labours. Hagerly they questioned the seven mock survivors of the “ Albatross,” and listened to the lying yarns that were poured into their ears. Rough but honest, and full of good- will, they grasped the blood-stained hands of the ruffians, and bade them welcome. “Such as we have,” said one, who ap- peared to be leader, “is yours. Wel- come, brothers all.” And this he said with all the hearti- ness of honesty, little dreaming of the true character of the seven. With rugged hospitality they laid out their best upon the beach, and bade There were fich, flesh, and them eat. fowl, and ship’s biscuit, but no strong ' said the leader of drink. Ot this, store. “The sun shines however, the seven had a almost always here,” the settlers. ‘‘ We live in the open air and sleep on the sands nine months of the year.’ They had, however, anumber of huts, before alluded to, mainly used for the COMiEclooe “S (C©)