Jack and His Seven Foes — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

78 i re = te ees em eee ee ee loon, as he came staggering up. “ Don’t go that way.” “Why not?” “ He isn’t there; I’ve just left him.” And, overcome with terror, he leaned against a house, and groaned bitterly. “You left him!” said the Swaggerer ; “why, we only left you ten minutes ago.” | “Tt’s a case of D.T.,” said the Panther. “Tt isn’t,” replied the Pantaloon, fiercely ; “I’m as sober now as ever I was in my life; every drop of drink is gone out of me.” | ‘But you can’t have seen him,”’ said the Sneezer, who was shaking all over, and nervously fiddling with his fingers. “The moment you left me,’’ said the Pantaloon, ‘he was before me, just as if he came out of the ground. He locked at me, and has given me seven days only to live.” “Seven days!” repeated the Swag- gerer. “To live. And at the end of that time he’ll come for me. I know he'll do it, if I go as far as the moon.” in a paroxysm of terror, the wretched old sinner threw himself upon the ground, and howled like a wounded dog. “This beats all,” said the Swaggerer, looking nervously about him. ‘‘ Pick him up, you fellows, and make him stop that row. We shall wake up the whole street.’’ : : The Panther, in a state of excessive fury and fear, seized the Pantaloon by the collar, and jerked him to his feet with no gentle hand. “Take his arm, Sneezer,”’ he said, “and let us hurry on.”’ “We will get back,” said the Swag- gerer, hurriedly. ‘“‘ It was a fool’s quest we came upon. I'll see that we’re not followed.” He bade them go on to the next turn- ing, so as to make the road a little round- about, and he brought up the rear, turning every minute, revolver in hand, to see if they were followed. But the streets appeared to be clear behind them. “It was a chance meeting,” the Swagegerer said, aloud, ‘and young Jack is sharp enough to make the most of it. Seven days to live! The devil JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES. — elk CCRC —— i tr me | ee take him! Can he choose his own © time ? ”’ | : “Yes; his own time for death!” cried a voice behind him. The Swaggerer staggered forward a pace, and, tripping over some small obstacle, fell. “Hallo! what’s the matter here? ” asked the Panther, looking back. The Swaggerer struggled to his feet, and looked back, expecting to see Jack, but the street was clear. “Odd,” he muttered, “ITIl swear I heard a voice.” ‘““ Whose voice ?”’ asked the Panther. “There’s only one voice that would trouble me,” replied the Swaggerer. “ And it was strong enough to knock — you down,” sneered the Panther. “T shpped and fell,” returned the Swageerer, angrily; “you are mighty clever and bold, Panther, but I should hke to see you when your turn comes to die.” . ‘You are in your second childhood,” said the Panther; ‘‘ first Sneezer sees him, then the Pantaloon, and now you hear him. I believe it is a case of funk all round.”’ ‘Believe what you like,” muttered the Sswagegerer; “but your time will come.” | ‘tow could I be mistaken? ”’ asked the Pantaloon. ‘‘ Could I give myself only seven days to live? Seven days— a week is nothing! ”’ “Come back to Jibber’s,’ said the Panther, ‘and hurry up all of you. We will see what he has to say to it.”’ ‘And don’t waste time by going a roundabout way,” said the Swaggerer, gloomily ; “it’s a waste of time.”’ With many a glance back, on the part of three at least, they returned to Jibber’s, and found him sitting alone in the back room where they left him. The bar was, of course, closed for the night, and the rest of his associates had one to their several places of rest. “Wal,” he said, “ what news?” “We've found him,” rephed the Swaggerer, “or rather he’s found us. He haunted us this night.” “Indeed!”’ said Makepeace Jibber, slowly, ‘‘and what’s he done ? ” They told him what had passed, and he listened attentively. finished, he emptied his glass. CONNICLOCC) SHAE ‘? he "a When they — ais | |