A Silver Brand — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

. ASILVER BRAND, 241 * = ee did you say about Nat? What have you done to a ; _ Sent him to the bottomless pit, I hope,” snarled Rob- inson. “Keep out of my way, if you know what’s best for yourself. There won’t be any more of Nat’s meddling in anything, going on in these parts.” “You are a wicked, shameful man,” ejaculated Lina, stamping her foot, in utter forgetfulness of her own de- pendence upon the man’s good humor. . Serena drew her gently back, and at the same instant gave an imploring look to Stephano, who had started up _as fiercely. | “You do not mean, you cannot mean that you _have added the foulest of all crimes to your already sin-stained soul,” she said, sorrowfully. 3 A sullen resistance took the place of the malignant glare of his eyes as he returned: — “I left him stretched out on the beach. Do you think I would bear these bruises, the infernal choking he gave me and not do my best in return ?” Serena’s white lip writhed as she returned : ‘Unhappy man! what will comfort your remorse when . your own hour approaches? You have murdered one of my true and tenderest friends. And yetif you wish I will bind up those wounds.” | . “T want no help. Go back to yourroom. I amin the devil’s own temper to-night, and you_had best keep out of my way,” he answered, sulkily. The two girls crept back to their bed, slipping the bolt behind them, and clinging to each other with many tears, bewailed the terrible fate of their old and farthful friend, as well as mourned the longer postponement of their own hopes of escape. . A week of wretched, uncomfortable experience followed this appearance of Jack’s.. He remained with them nearly all the time, attending with much care to the healing of his bruises, and watching by means of his glass the slight- est movement at the other island, but never once ventur- ing himself outside the house, although Mike was sent twice, once with a letter over which Robinson had spent a » perplexed and painful hour, after searching through the parcel of letters found in the box he had brought with him, ~ He did not intrude a great deal of his society upon them, but he had a way of coming in silently and sud- denly, which quite destroyed their ease and security. They all suspected that he had detected the ruse which GOMIGHDOOKS