A Silver Brand — page 250: what you’re looking at

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

B19 A SILVER BRAND. passed off Stephano as still too weak and sick to be of any. service to the prisoners, but concluded he was willing to save himself any further harshness if possible. For, while he never questioned them, or seemed to be particularly watchful, either Mike or himself was kept constantly within hearing of every movement. Thus one day when Stephano had whispered to Jina: “That box he brought belongs to Mr. Nathaniel; I re- member it well. And it contains important papers in a secret drawer. Try and find the drawer if you can, and get the papers.” : And Lina had lightly approached the table where the writing-desk stood. Robinson came in quickly, and with a loud laugh shouldered the box, and carried it out into the inner room where he slept. And again one day he burst in upon them suddenly, pistol in hand, and demanded that they should follow Mike without a word of complaint, or a Single attempt at resistance, and Mike was sarcastic- ally requested to pick up the sick man, unless he was able to walk himself. Which hint Stephano took, and stood up. And the three were marched down into the cellar through the cunningly contrived. secret door and into the underground passage where Robinson stood guard over them nearly an hour and a half at the expiration of which time Mike returned, and gave some sort of sign to his leader, who calmly took up the line of return march. The prisoners guessed what it meant. A party had come searching over the island; they judged by the disordered, uninhabited look that Mike must have managed to produce after their departure, that the same party had been al- lowed to look into the house; though the doors were ey fastened a shutter was open that had been hitherto closed. Lina rushed forward to this window, and saw a boat with two or three men in it just disappearing from view. She stretched out her arms with a wild cry. But Robinson laughed uproariously. “ Now, we shall be left in peace!” he said. ‘‘They’ve satisfied themselves that the haunted house doesn’t hold any of the dainty flesh and blood they’re searching for. The fools were half scared to death in broad daylight for fear of the ghosts.” 7 Serena burst into a passion of angry tears. “Don’t be impatient, my beauty, You'll get away in good time, the quicker the better for me, so I get the —— a, Eomicbooks (Ele)