Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 131: what you’re looking at

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ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 151 ae er ee 9 _--- _____ The timbers of the ship part from each other, and louder even than the peal of the thunder or the roar of the storm, comes the long, wild death shriek of those doomed souls. ® The waves beat over the spot where a gallant ship had been, but now there was nothing to be seen but fragments of wood, strips of torn sails, and bunches of green seaweed. A few dark human forms were seen struggling with the waves. Simon shouted and waved his hat, in the hope that some poor fellow might make his way up the hillock, and be saved. But, as he shouted and gazed, one wave, higher than any of the rest, came rolling up with tenfold greater violence than any of the others. It bore on its crest some of the scattered atoms of the ship that had been, and a fragment of timber struck Simon on the forehead, Stunned by the fearful violence of the blow, he fell to the earth, while the storm sung a loud chorus of triumph at its victory, CHAPTER LXX. THE ABDUCTION OF VIOLET TREMAINE AND NELL PEVEREL—THE PURSUIT. THE shock upon Violet Tremaine’s nerves was so great when Barabbas announced that Jack Sheppard was intended for her bridegroom, that she could scarcely keep her senses. She knew well that she was in the power of law- less ruffians, who would not hesitate to employ force to accomplish any scheme they might have on hand, _ Misery, degradation, and woe stared her full in the face. “Hal ha! my beauty !— how like you the news ?”’ asked the dwarf, as his malignant. eyes gloated on her distress, The tones of his hateful voice recalled Violet to herself. She assumed a dignity and loftiness of bearing that would well have graced a queen. “You threaten more than you can perform, dwarf ; I shall never be united with that scoundrel whose name you have mentioned.” “Indeed, my lovely miss !—we shall see about that. And your fair companion, does she know the fate in store for her?” “T neither know nor care,” replied Nell Peveril, who treated Barabbas with the utmost contempt. As she spoke she turned her back upon the dwarf. “Tt is well! You treat me with scorn now—but a time will come, my fair Jady, when you will bit- terly repent your rash conduct.” 'T hold a different opinion,” “You are mine, There are Fleet parsons to be procured, who will soon give me a_ husband’s authority over you.” ““My word is required to such a bargain, as well as yours, idiot !” “ And there are tortures that will soon wring that word out of you. Provoke me not too far, Nell. I love you—love you most dearly; and mine I Swear you shall be, though heaven and hell com- bine to prevent our union.”’ To this speech the brave girl made no answer, She folded her arms, and in silence awaited her fate, From all quarters the pirates began to pour into the room, laden with plunder of every description. Some had dresses, some had jewels, some had cur- tains and hangings, some pictures, some articles stolen from the butler’s pantry ; while not a few had paid a visit to the cellar, as the black necks of bottles were seen protriding from their pockets, “Come, my lads, come,” said Barabbas; “we must see about going. The noise we have been compelled to make, I should fancy, has alarmed the town.” “And if the noise hasn’t, I should guess the light of the fire has scared up some of them from their beds.” ‘“ March, then, my boys ; our enterprise is crowned with success,” F: One after another the sun-burnt, swarthy ruffians passed out of the doorway, kicking the corpses of the slain servants as they walked along, When they were all on the lawn, Nell Peveril looked anxiously around through the dark night, to see if she could catch a glimpse of any one coming to her aid. Far, far away she fancied she could hear the echoing footsteps of galloping horses. “Courage, dearest ; help is coming,” she whis- pered to Violet, who was almost dead with terror. “‘T fear it will be too late,” replied Violet, ‘‘These ruffians will have hurried us off ere help can reach us, and then we are lost, unless we can leave some clue to the path our captors take,” + “That is easily done.” * Silence, there. Gag those women,’ cried Barab- bas, in stern tones, Violet uttered a loud scream, and so did Nell, The next moment they were both rudely seized, thick wrappers were passed round their heads, the ends were pushed into their mouths, and all power of speech was thus denied the poor girls. But Nell Peveril’s presence of mind did not desert her. If the sounds she heard were those of friends coming to the rescue, she was determined they should have a clue by which to follow. She gently passed one hand into the pocket of her dress, and drawing from it a letter, began tear- oO Ccommicoooks.c©