Jack and His Seven Foes — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

88 “Even if that boy,” said Jibber, “who seems to me to be what holy water is to the devil, had followed us up.”’ “Followed us up,’ exclaimed the Panther. ‘‘ Bosh!” “JT don’t know,” said the Sneezer, who, whenever Jack was the subject of conversation, had a tingling sensation in his nose. ‘‘ He could have followed us if he hked.” ‘How do youknow that, old pumpkin- head ?” asked the Swagegerer. “T don’t know it in an ordinary way,” replied the Sneezer ; ‘‘I feel it.” ‘You would feel something else,” said the Panther, ‘‘if you were near enough for me to give you a taste of my boot.” ‘“‘ But it really do appear to me,”’ said Jibber, “that you are all in a most eternal catamounterous funk about that DO.” : “Nothing of the sort,” said the Swaggerer, indignantly. “ What do you think we are made of ? ”’ ‘“‘T haven’t made up my mind yet,” replied Jibber, coolly. “I’m thinking about it.” “ You have not found us funk work,” said the Panther, with a meaning look. “Not at all,” rephed the other, “ but it is different killing other people to being killed yourself.” “Well, don’t you think so, too?” demanded the Swaggerer. “No doubt. I’m but a mortial man myself,” rephed Jibber; “ but I am a man, and was never afraid of a boy yet.” “He isn’t a boy,’ muttered the Sneezer; ‘‘ you don’t know him. He’s a—atchew !—atchew !—atchew !”’ “Oh, is he? That’s a rum thing for him to be.” ‘““T was going to say that he was a —atchew !—a—atchew !”’ “Oh, dry up!” said the Panther, taking up one of the burning sticks and throwing it viciously at his head. Fortunately it struck the Sneezer on the body, and for a moment he was hidden by a mass of sparks and smoke. “Tf you make that row,” said Jibber, “youll have the prairie wolves down on us; they'll think a jackass 1s dying, and they do like jackass bones to pick.”’ ‘‘ Let us change the subject,”’ said the Swacverer. to wait here, Jibber? ” _ hiding-places. | perhaps, and yet I may come to-morrow. “How long shall we have | I choose the hour and the place when it , pleases me. JACK AND HIS SEVEN FCES. ——$—$—$——$———— es ee “Might be only a few hours,’ he answered, “‘may be a day, or may be a week. My boys have to come cautiously, for they’re known about the States.” ““'They’re a nice lot.” ‘“‘Cheery boys, never shirk work, and always do it pleasantly.” ‘““ Excuseme,” interrupted the Sneezer, “but I think I hear somebody coming this way.” “It’s your grandmother,” grunted the Panther. “TI hear nothing.” “ He is right,”’ said Jibber, listening. “There is somebody coming this way. Who goes there? Stop, or Ill slip a bullet, and it may come too near you.” ‘Raise your hand an inch,” said a stern voice, ‘and you are a dead man.” Then out of the gloom there came a figure familar to three of them, and strange to one. But Makepeace Jibber guessed who it was. Jack, pale and almost spectre-like, but handsome and terrible withal, stood before them. | In each hand he earried a revolver, and his eyes took them all in. “You did not expect to see me here,” he said; “but I have kept my word. Your old comrade lies dead at the foot of the cliff. He refused, hike a coward, to fight, and in flight met his well- merited and certain doom.” Jack paused, as if expecting one of them to speak, but they all kept still: the trio of Jack’s enemies from fear, and Makepeace Jibber petrified with his sudden appearance, audacity, and cool- ness. ‘“T suppose you have sufficient thought for your old companion in rascality to bury him,” Jack went on; “if you do not, he will be left to the birds and beasts of prey. Now mark me!” There was little need for the injunc- tion, they marked him well enough. ‘Mark me, you three,” he continued ; “in your turn your time shall come also. There is no escape. Keep together, and I will pick you out from each other immy own time. Separate, and I will unearth you from your But I shall tarry On you I set my seal next.’’ cConmicoookKks (CO)