Mezzoni the Brigand — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. | 89 denly called home by a cable telegram. But she al- ready knew his handwriting, and though these lines were only penciled, she recognized them at once. She felt a confidence spring up in her bosom. The stout arm that had saved her life amid the waves of the sea on that fearful day of the catastrophe at Capri, was equal to bringing about her deliverance from the banditti. Pressing her hands nervously upon her heart, she said to herself: ‘‘T will strive to be patient, and to be prepared for whatever may occur, as he directs, and above all to ' be careful. A word or look might betray him. How can he be here undiscovered by these desperate peo- ple?’’ The reader has doubtless already penetrated the successful disguise of the Levanter. To deceive those robbers required a skill and patience which Walter Hammond at first found to be very difficult, but favored by good luck, and aided by his own in- domitable perseverance, he finally succeeded even better than he had hoped to do. Some coup de main was, of course, necessary to interest the brigands in him, otherwise he knew thatif they were to toler- ate his presence for a day, they would be sure to get rid of him in some way. Chance aided him in impressing the gang with his prowess as we have seen. His college training in all manner of athletic sports now served him in carrying out the character which he assumed. He had been long enough accustomed to the sea to _ make his pretended escape from the English man- of-war appear exceedingly probable, and there was not any part of his masquerade which he had not “S comicboo com |