A Silver Brand — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

134 A SILVER BRAND. for sport, not suspecting how it frightens Lina s friends. They will come back shortly.” But Penelope wrung her hands. “Go to the house and see if she is there,” said Paul, sternly. ‘Penelope, I have hitherto sustained you a gainst Theodosia’s remonstrance and rebuke. If Lina is lost now, through this wretched management of yours, I will never speak to you again. Never, never! And my father’s dying curse will follow you.” “Peace, man!” exclaimed Nat, indignantly. “The woiman is not to be blamed.” ‘What have you to do with the matter?” demanded the exasperated Paul. “T have this claim at least,” returned Nat, with dig- nity. “I came here at Serena’s request. Moreover, I have always cherished a warm affection for Lina. Your grief cannot exceed mineif anything has happened to those girls. But it is impossible, utterly impossible !” “It would seem so,” returned Paul, more calmly. ‘‘Look the house and garden over, Penelope, and then if you fail to find her, bring Urban back with you, and rouse some of the fishermen down below on the other side.” Penelope darted away like one distracted. Nat had lighted a taper, and was carefully examining the sandy shore. “The boat was here, certainly. See their little tracks where the two girls pushed it off,” he cried, joyfully. “Yes, yes, they have gone out inthe boat, and possibly have got farther than they knew. The shorter way is for me to go and get my own boat, and row about for them.” “But we can see around us from here as far as they could row,” returned the perplexed Paul. “Not if they followed the shore,” responded Nat, hurry- ing away. But when he reached the quiet spot where he kept his own boat moored, even his hopeful spirit was dismayed. The boat was gone, and a moment’s investigation showed him that the intricate knot by which he usually secured the cable was still upon the stake, while the clean cut of the fragment showed that the rope had been hastily severed by some sharp instrument. — He went hurrying down to the nearest fisherman’s. Boats for the islanders were more necessary than wheel- barrows, and every family owned one or two. A few quiet words from Nat brought out three rough but true-hearted men, Eomicbooks.co