Jack and His Seven Foes — page 51: what you’re looking at

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42 JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES. shall not escape me. But from this time I will take no man’s life among you without warning. He shall have time to prepare for death, and I name Black the Settler as the next I shall call to account. Let him prepare for death. —JacK THE AVENGER.’ ”’ A dead silence of fully a muinute’s duration followed the reading of this missive. ‘Then one by one they drew back from the man thus forewarned of his doom. } “T see,” he said, bitterly, “you think to give me the go-by now, but I tell you it won't do. Whether that paper lies or tells the truth, I mean for us all to stick together. Turn your backs on me, and I will blow your story about in such a manner that you will soon find a short shrift and a long rope. Now leave me if you dare!” | CLD PLD LIA LOAVLORQN2ND? COND? i COA CPU HON? C222 COO | CHAPTER XVI. JUST IN TIME—-THE FIVE PASSENGERS OF THE ‘‘ RATTLESNAKE ’—THE CAPTAIN A TARTAR. THE “ Rattlesnake,” six hundred tons, was a vessel built for trading from New York to California. The Pacific Railway, quite a recent structure, was, at the time we write of, only just conceived. She was not fitted out for passengers, but she carried people who did not mind roughing it, and during the long voyage round the Cape they had ample opportu- nity for seeing the sterner side of life at sea. . The captain, whose name _ was Abraham Spanker, was a Yankee inside and out; he had no romance, no senti- ment. ‘The business and pleasure of his life was to accumulate dollars, and he succeeded pretty well. The “ Rattlesnake ” was ready to go, the tide was on the ebb, and Abraham Spanker walked the deck, reviling six expected passengers in the choice terms of his class. “Tl not lose a bit of the ebb for “em,” he said, “ so hoist away, you lean kine of Pharaoh.” This choice compliment was bestowed upon the men at the capstan, who forth- | with began to hoist the anchor, and they were halfway through their work when a boat came alongside. ‘“<* Rattlesnake,’ ahoy !’’ shouted some- body. “The same, and blue rockets to you !”’ replied the captain. ‘“‘T’ve five men for you.” “Then chuck ’em aboard, for I’ve no time to h’ist ’em up.” With the aid of a rope, the five men addressed clambered on board, and were received with a verbal display of fireworks both startling and original — from the captain. W hen he paused for breath, the fore- most of the five, the Swaggerer, offered an apology. ‘‘ We've been detained,” he said, “‘ and had some trouble in getting a boat.” “There ought to be six of you,” the captain snarled; “ where’s t’other ? ” “He got into a row, and was shot,” replied the Swaggerer, hesitatingly. “That don’t matter to me,” said Abraham Spanker, going off again into explosives, ‘‘he took his berth, and it must be paid for.” “You don’t expect us to pay for a dead man P”’ “Yes, I do. He’s no right to get shot, and rob me. I’ve to live, I have, and I’ve a large family to keep, so you pay for him, or overboard you go.”’ “Very well,” said the Swaggerer, sullenly, ‘‘“Tll pay. We are the only passengers on board, I believe? ”’ “The only passengers,” replied the captain, ‘and as ’m short-handed, I'll trouble you now and then to keep my boat straight. Port your helm, you canvas-backed dancing-master ! ”’ The man at the helm, who wore a canvas suit, and looked as if he had never danced in his life, obeyed, and the “ Rattlesnake,” paying off before the wind, stood out to sea. Sleeping berths in a _ deck-cabin forward, of limited size, had been COMIC NOOKS. COR