Jack and His Seven Foes — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

URE EEEEEEERESEEEEEEEEERREEREETTEEEEREEREEEEEEenenEentttieetie octet aaa “Ym no sneak,” said the Swaggerer. «« And you lie!” -“ You are,’ cried the Panther, leap- ing out of his bunk. ‘‘ You have kept well out of mischief at present, and it is my belief you have squared matiers with the cub.’ “That's ridiculous. square them.” “You've sold us,” hissed the Panther. “Here, stop a moment. Let me get hold of you.” He had groped his way to the other’s bunk, and laid hold of him in a grip ot iron. The Swaggerer tried to wrench himself free. “Hands off!” he cried. ‘“ Let go, I say. Curse you, take your hands oi!” “Ves, hands off when i’ve done with _ you,” rephed the Panther, as he drageed him out of his bunk, and up the ladder to the deck, where he flung himself upon the Swaggerer. “ Tilnot be the next—” ‘Help, help!” cried the Swaggerer. The Pantaloon and Sneezer took up the cry, while the two combatants rolled about in the darkness, locked in a fierce ~ and deadly embrace. » The Panther had got a firm hold of the throat of the Swaggerer. It would have gone hard with the latter but for the timely appearance of Spanker, who came up, with Kerry bear- ing a light, and followed by two or three seamen. “Here, what’s this? ’’ he shouted; “~ou rascals ighting. All right, go it —’l join you.” And with a stoutish stick he carried in his hand, he began to belabour the pair without stint or mercy. This cooled their courage a bit, and, leaving hold, they rolled apart, and called for quarter. “Tl ceive you quarter,” cried Spanker. “ T’ll quarter you—I ll make mincemeat of both of you. ‘Rattlesnake’! High treason 1s nothing to 1.” “Tt seems we can’t do anything here,” said Dribbles, who had not been fighting, and was not in any way called upon to make a remark. “Dry up—evaporate, will you,”’ said Abraham Spanker, as he dealt him a crack on the head that set him sneezing and snuffling for full ten minutes aiter- wards. I wish I could Fighting on board the — ——— a | you four. skunks JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES, - » 3 : e Ps, “Tm aman of- peace,” continued Spanker, “and [ have a screaming” | objection to war. You hear me?” The Panther was addressed, and with the blood streaming down one side of his head from a blow he had received, he sulkily nodded. S “Without order, no ship can keep. afloat,’ Spanker went on, turning to the - Swageerer, “and order | make up my mind to have. If there is no other way of getting order than by knocking you. into pumpkin sarse, 7H do it, for ’m a. man of peace.”’ The Swaggerer did not answer him. tle had been half choked, and had received some pretty stiff blows about the head and body, and was in no humour to argue with anyone. ‘“Peace,” said Abraham Spanker, balancing his stick in his hand, “is a lovely thing. It’s a bright pictare wherever you find it, and I must have it aboard the ‘ Rattlesnake.’ ”’ He looked around to see if anybody objected, but nobody ventured to do so,. and turning to Slocum Kerry, he sought. confirmation from him. . “Slocum, have t lred ?7 “You can’t lie,” replied the ready Slocum. a2 ‘““ Do I love peace? “Asa rule you regularly wallow in it,” replied Slocum. ‘True for you,” ‘said: Spankerap provingly, “and that being a known fact, i've no more to say.” He backed off, being a cautious man and trusting nobody, giving one last. warning as he did so. “T shall put a watch on you,” he said, “‘and the first symptoms of a kick- up will bring me back again with a stouter stick. J shall lay on heavier each time. Is that so, Slocum ? ” “You speak living truths,’ rephed. Slocum. : “Tf peace ain’t got with my stoutest stick,’ said Spanker, “then I call up my bull-dog, who barks powder, and bites bullets, so you know what to expect, in breeches, and so. cood-night.” His warning was effectual, and after he was gone, quietude reigned. But none ot the four slept again that: nignt. | Fach had his own. thoughts keem + ROT RES dO eeeRs