A Silver Brand — page 189: what you’re looking at

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

b A SILVER BRAND. | 181 the pulse quickened, the warmth came back to the chilly limbs, whose bruises were pitiable to see, and drew more than one oath of vengeance from the warm-hearted men — eee around him. But he did not open his eyes nor speak. When at length a physician made his appearance, which was not until after daybreak, he shook his head ominously. Penelope’s dry black eyes seemed to dive beneath his very look to obtain the truth. | ‘What is it?” she whispered; “life or death ?” “Who can say?” answered the doctor, solemnly; ‘‘a very breath will swing the scales to the one side or the other. Either way he will need the closest attention and the most conscientious e€are.” | ‘‘He shall have it, never fear that,” returned Penelope, . and the voice had init the solemn earnestness of a con- secration. | : And.well indeed she kept it. For three weeks Nat lay there unconscious, held, as it were from the very brink of the grave only by her devotion, and self-forgetful, never- wearying attentions. For three weeks also were the family at Rock House kept in wretched suspense and tribulation. No word,’ no slightest hint of the missing maidens, the detectives nonplused, the fishermen almost superstitiously alarmed, and Nat lying helpless and un- conscious. The only circumstance .that seemed to throw the slightest suspicion of light upon the’ mystery was the fact that Jack Robinson had not been seen by any of them since Nat’s injury. . ‘CHAPTER XVIII. “LL RISK ALL THE REST.” And meanwhile what was it that had happened to Lina and Serena? — anaes | Lina had gone tripping down the path, her faze spark- ling and dimpling with smiles, and had found her friend ascending. Linking arms with girlish eagerness of affec- tion, they had returned to the boat, delighted at the rare privilege of a row together on the water. Stephano, in his hiding-place, was alike entertained and charmed by the pretty picture, and the vivacious talk as they played in the water, sending a shower of spray from their splashing handsas they leaned over the boat and - dalliea with the waves. | , —_— =comicbooks (Efe)