Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 148: what you’re looking at

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168 a pause ; “ but what are these paltry lives compared to thine? Should I-——” Tke thought that his revenge was satiated again choked his utterance, and he could say no more, Averting his face from the gaze of Ellen Peveril, he wept bitterly. As the morning broke the breeze sprung up, and the two survivors on the raft shared out the un- polluted water that they had secreted for their Own use, Neither Jack Warbold nor Ellen Peveril felt the pangs of hunger, but the water revived their spirits. The rising breeze now freshened, and in two hours the wanderers expected to reach the shore they had sighted. In this they were disappointed, the step of the mast giving way to the force of the wind and caus- ing the sail to fall upon the raft, This occasioned great delay, The wind again subsided. And they were left within about a mile from the looming beach, : Tired, and worn out by his feelings, Jack War- bold fell asleep, leaving the faithful Ellen by his side at the helm. He slept soundly. He dreamed of Violet. He thought he slumbered under a grove of cocoa- nuts in a sweet sleep. That she smiled and murmured his name, when he was awakened by. a struggle that was taking place near the spot upon which he reclined. A gleaming knife was at his throat, and Ellen was overpowered by a pirate who, not having par- taken of the poisoned water, had secreted himself in order to avenge his comrades’ death. Startled to his senses, he threw up the arm that was about to strike with death his fainting com- panion, and a terrific struggle for life took place between the antagonists. : Anticipating the attack, the pirate, measuring the short intervening distance, stood on his guard, His sword was firmly set between his teeth, and his two pistols with magical abruptness appeared in his grasp, He fired, but his opponent, with the rapidity of lightning, threw himself to the ground, and rose again when the danger had past, Thus foiled, the pirate stood before his foe like a wild beast caught in a hunter’s trap. He was foaming, furious, and breathless, and evidently dismayed, He looked the very serpent, and the malignant scowl of his small and snaky eye gave singular force to the resemblance of that hideous reptile, Roving Jack, his generous enemy, gave him time to. recover from the surprise his dexterity had caused, and met his stern defiance. Now was witnesed a conflict unparalleled for in- tense and eager thirst of blood, ~ It was truly the death grapple of the lion and the serpent. The swords of the combatants flashed fire at every stroke, and seemed unrivalled for quickness, each _ being so skilled that their weapons seemed to play with a motion rapid and incessant as to parry and thrust at the same instant. The encounter was for some time continued with unabated fierceness, when the weapon of our hero snapped at the hilt. Atthat moment he would have assuredly perished had not Ellen Peveril, who had recovered from the swoon into which she had fallen, thrown herself before him, The sword of the, pirate was hastily descending 24 JA GT -—— _ ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. on her devoted head, when Jack seized. his; wrist, The steel flew. from his grasp as. he received a mortal wound from the broken blade of his intrepid and youthful adversay. , Our hero gazed awhile in solemn and impressive silence on the man he had destroyed. His broad forehead darkened with deep thought, and his eyes saddened with painful recollections of the beloved girl whose untimely fate he had so well avenged. Soon, however, his noble eye brightened, and a fervent look of piety, joy, and resignation was written on his features. . Once more left to themselves on the raft, Jack Warbold and Ellen Peveril, to their surprise, dis- covered that during the contest they had gained the shore, so long looked’ at with anxiety and suspense, | The spars were jerked by the running swell, and rubbed against each other as the grounded raft rose and sunk to the waves breaking on the beach, As the surf was trifling, the landing was ‘secured without difficulty. The beach was shelving and composed of firm white sand, interspersed with various _ brilliant coloured shells, and the white fragmenta and bones © of animals forced out of the element to die, The island, like those of the latitude, was covered with a thick wood of cocoa-nut trees, whose tops waved to the breeze or bowed to the blast. This produced a shade and freshness delightful to ' the castaways, who had so long suffered from the | effects of a torrid climate, . b Jack no sooner reached the land than he run down to the furthest point in order to look for the | portion of the raft which held Violet, It was nowhere. to be seen, and Ellen Peveril, aware that the worst paroxysms were past and that there was no danger of her companion throwing his life away, followed leisurely on his footsteps. ' “Gone, for ever gone !”’ exclaimed Jack. “Not so; the same Providence which has been our preserver, will, I feel assured, assist Violet, ‘It is impossible she can have perished among so — many islands. “ Most of which are inhabited; and a woman will be sure of kind treatment,” “‘T wish I could think so,” was the ejaculation of Jack Warbold, ‘‘A slight reflection may convince you it is the wisdom of the Omnipotent that she should be separated from you. GIVEN AWAYW!! SCENES, SHEETS OF CHARACTERS, AND A LARGE STAGE FRONT FOR A NEW PLAY, CALLED “ALONE IN THE PIRATES’ LAIR.”: READ THE “BOYS OF ENGLAND,” AND SECURE THE ABOVE MAGNIFICENT GIFTS. ONE PENNY WEEKLY. igchook com _