Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

ii seach -_- 6 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. the furrin-bred, miserly, whiggamore hunks of a Dutch boor, that has filched old England's crown, nor yet to have ye ‘live at home at ease’ as a land-lubber swab ofa snip ora saob. Harkye, Jack, there’s a fortune to be made by such brave sparks as you. Heaps of gold galore, sacks of Spanish doubloons, cargoes of silks and satinets, and piled velvets. Say the word, and you shall cruise with mein the Spanish main, and woo fortune under the blood-red flag of a jolly rover! Why, now, I can recollect the time when you swore that as soon as you became a man you would bea PIRATE |” ‘“ But since then I’ve changed my mind,” re- turned Jack, coolly. ‘ When I become aman I mean to be a PIRATE-HUNTER !” “ Pah! you whelp; you’d best not growl till yer teeth grow stronger.” “They are strong enough already to defend me from such a wolf as you.” “Do ye dare me?” ‘To do your worst.” ‘By the rolling thunder you don’t know who ye brave |!” roared the villain, dashing at Jack with the gleaming knife. | Our hero stepped nimbly backwards. He was holding the eagle by the neck. He swung round his arm and brought the body of the bird with stunning force upon the ruffian’s skull. Barabbas dropped like a stone, and flying from his hand, the knife went clattering along the slimy stones of the narrow picr-lead. The man was on his knees in an instant, but Jack was at his throat in the nick of time. Flash ! Bang |! A pistol exploded close by Jack’s ear. With a “ping,” the bullet sped past his head, tearing away one of his glossy curls, Then ensued a desperate struggle. The ruffian clutched Jack’s throat, but the boy was as lithe as an eel, and weaving his leg round the ruffiin’s sturdy calf he threw him heavily on the brink of the pier. But Barabbas had not relinquished his grip on the boy’s throat. He dragged him down. “Help, Hal! Rescue!” cried Jack, in a bold tone. ‘ Keep his hand off the pistol-butt.” Hal flung himself down by the side of the kick- ing, struggling ruffian and seized him tightly by the wrist. ‘“ Now we have him!” growled Jack. ‘* Heave, Hal, heave! Let’s pitch him into the sea.” The two boys raised the villain, and witha strong push hurled him over the brink of the pier sloush into the bouncing waves, “Hurrah !” cried Jack, gleefully. But his exultation was rather premature, for Barabbas came scrambling up the sea-wall, and had already got his knee upon the brink. But quite equal to the occasion, Jack snatched up the pistol and dealt the pirate such a fearful blow on the head with the stock, that tossing up his arms, he fell prone backwards plash into the water, and sinking disappeared. “You've killed him, Jack !”” gasped Hal, ‘So much the better!” cried our hero, fiercely. “T ought to be rewarded for it. Do you think I feel remorse for slaying such a shark as that ? Not I. But the devil takes care of his own ; sce, he’s afloat again,” And this was true, for though his brow was terribly gashed, Barabbas rose to the surface, and was swimming strongly back to the pier, Jack levelled the pistol at him, “Clear away, you pirate !” shouted Jack, “or I'll let the daylight into your black hull! Brush, you villain !” vag The fellow seemed to think Jack was in earnest, for throwing up his arm and shaking his brawny fist at the boys, he raved forth a torrent of the most horrible threats and awful imprecations, and then turned towards the shore, their triumphant shout ringing in his tingling ears, and the surly breakers dashing over his head as if eager to engulph him, CHAPTER. IV, THE LION BROKE LOOSE, DISTANT a few hundred yards from the beach was a small plot of ground, covered with short, crisp herbage. From one side of this little lawn rose the tall flagstaff of a signal-honse ; on the other side was an old boat shed, beyond which stretched on a rough bit of furzy common, whereon were clustered a number of tents and wains belonging to the caravan of a travelling menagerie. On leaving the pier, our boy hero and his friend had to pass across the patch of common in order to reach the green on which their playmates were dis- porting themselves. Roving Jack, who seemed to have quite forgotten his late encounter with the ruffianly pirate, Barabbas, cast his restless eyes about him with interest: and curiosity. Coming near one of the vans, he crept up its steps and peered in through a crack in the door, A low but tremendous growling resounded from within, and a rapid and continuous thump, thump- ing, as of some ferocious and captive brute, lashing with his heavy tail the wooden walls of his den. The deep growl changed into shrill, wild, and plain- tive howlings, and then burst forth into an awful thunderous roar. “Come here, Hal !” cried our hero, with boy-like zest and excitement. “Here’s amale lion! What a monster! Did ever ye see such a grand brute? It seems a shame to pen up his savage majesty in this paltry gipsy cart. They may say what they will about the barbarity of such sport, but I should like to have seen the gladiators in the arena of old Rome, doing battle with a terrific fellow like this. If I were a little older and in good fettle, and armed with a strong pike or a sharp axe, I wouldn't mind a bout with him myself,” “ Rest contented with your eagle, Jack.” “Oh, shades of Samson! wouldn’t I like to killa lion, though !” laughed our hero, tripping lightly down the steps, “Come along,’’ cried Hal, “let’s get on to the green and have one game of romps before night- all. A group of shouting boys and laughing girls were chasing about the sunlit sward, while some half- dozen old, weather-beaten coastguards and fisher- men, sat on rough benches before the signal- house, smoking long pipes, aud watching the gambols of the young folks, or quietly conversing together, As our hero walked on to the green, with the eagle dangling from his shoulder and the feather fluttering on his brow, the crowd of boys and yirls ceased from their play, and came bounding towards him with a shout of weleome, ~ “Roving Jack! hurrah !” Onc of the first to greet our hero wasacharming girl of twelve or thirteen ; her long, silky tresses of soft and sunny hair floated wantonly on the evening wind: Ichoo com <SHIGO