Mezzoni the Brigand — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

~ 92 - ‘MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. anything about him. It is not a safe subject to talk about, Levanter.’’ “One would like to know his captain, especially in so peculiar a service.”’ ‘You will never know Mezzoni, even if you were with us for years.”’ ‘“Queer.”’ “It is his will, and he knows best. He keeps us all like princes, and eaveyer he inaugurates al- Ways Proves a SUCCESS.’ “Are you often so long idle as you have been lately?’ asked the Levanter. ‘“‘No; we have had a long vacation since we brought that girl yonder to the cave.”’ ‘‘She’s to be ransomed?”’ Ves.” ‘“‘Do their friends always pay?”’ ‘‘Always.”’ ‘* Supposing they refuse?”’ ‘“We have had one such instance. The grave is just over the hill,’’ was his significant answer. ‘‘We made an example of the man for the benefit of the others.”’ “Was that lately ?’’ ‘Four years ago.”’ ‘Rather rough,’ said the Levanter. ‘It was necessary. ”’ Of course, Walter Hammond dared not evince the least interest in the case of the English girl, and he had strenuously avoided ever mentioning her name among the gang, or referring in the most distant manner to there being a prisoner at the cave. When the lieutenant referred to her he passed the matter over lightly, and was careful not to dwell] upon it. He had thus far succeeded even better than he comicbooks. n