Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 173 cresset imperfectly illumed the noxious cell and disclosed the figures of two captives. The one, on a pallet of straw, appeared a young mariner, being dressed in the habiliments of those connected with a seafaring life. His countenance was pale, and though his slumber was calm, it was not evidently the sleep induced by nature’s best nurse. The other was reposing on a similar couch. He appeared the more youthful of the two, but was attired in a garb corresponding with his companion, In age this boy could scarcely have been more than eighteen, perhaps not so much, as his slight though exquisitely symmetrical form, slender even to effeminacy, denoted immaturity. The flaxen tresses and pale blue eyes of either of the youths would have proclaimed him as one of a more northern clime, while the daring spirit peculiar to the features of the seamen of England told at once they were natives of that country. In tke first named the reader may recognise our hero, Roving Jack, In the second, under the guise of manhood, the faithful and devoted Ellen Peveril. The dark night was succeeded by a bright morning, as the sun which glimmered from a narrow loophole gave evidence. Betimes Elden awoke and rose from her bed and stood watching her companion ; suddenly he started uP as if from a dream, to behold her bending over im. “Yes, I remember all now, and ’twas no dream !” he exclaimed, fitfully. ‘Weare once more in the hands of the accursed pirates, who will not hesitate at once to sacrifice us.’ * Providence, Jack, which has hitherto been our protector, will not, I feel assured, desert us in this dire extremity,” ‘replied the disguised maiden, “Depend upon it your messmate, for such our enemies take me tobe, will find means to encompass them yet. Take courage.” _ “For myself I want not courage, Ellen ; but for you, for Violet, a fearful foreboding portends that evil will surely come.’ “Tf it is so decreed, let it come. I and Violet have long been prepared for the worst, and, in spite of your seeming indifference, Jack, so ‘have you.’ Ellen spoke these words with a calmness that at once astonished and delighted him to whom they were addressed, ‘But the sufferings that-———” “ Those suffer least who have the most fortitude to bear up against them. I am but a woman, weak and frail in body; but I possess that within me which, I trust, wilt not make you feel ashamed of Ellen Peveril. No, Jack, you shall have no wailing, no lamentation, no despair from my lips. If Ican console you I will. If I can assist you I will ; but, come what may, if I cannot serve I will at least die for you.” “Your presence in misfortune unnerves me.’ “Tt should not. It should add to your eee: Let fate do its worst.” : Depend upon it, Ellen Peveril, that will be ere lon ‘a am notso sure of that ; succour ofttimes comes from men and sources that we little expected. Lis- ten: While you have been sleeping, I have been thinking ; by the lantern’s dull glimmer, I have explored every nook and corner of this loathsome prison, and have discovered an outlet that may afford us the means of escape.” Roving Jack started to his feet at the happy thought, and requesting his companion to lead him — ——— to the spot she had spoken of, followed on her fovt- steps. Both proceeded to the back of the dungeon, when Nelly, removing the iron bar that fastened the door, disclosed a passage, This passage was void of every ray of light, and left its occupants in total darkness. In the emergency Jack took the lead. Finding himself deprived of light in the manner we have described, and placed in a very uncertain situation, he proceeded to descend some narrow, broken stairs at the end of the gloomy road with all the caution in his power, and still attended by his faithful friend. But with all his care he could not avoid making a false step, which brought him down the last four or five steps too hastily to preserve his equilibrium. Arrived at the bottom he stumbled over a bundle of something soft. The living mass stirred, and uttered a groan. This again deranged our hero’s descent, and he floundered forward, and finally fell upon his hands and knees on the floor of a damp and stone-payed dungeon, When Roving Jack had recovered himself, his first demand was to know over whom he had fallen, ‘‘T was aman a month since,” answered a hollow and broken voice. “ And what is he now, then,’’ said the startled mariner, “that he thinks fit to lie upon the lowest step of the stairs clewed up like acoil of unspun hemp ?”’ “What is he now?” returned the same voice. ‘“‘He is a wretched trunk, from which the branches. have been lopped away, and which cares not how soon it is hewn up with the axe, and cast as billets into the furnace.” “ Friend, I am sorry for you; but stay, Are wé to be friends ?” “You are a sailor——’ “A sailor? And how do you now in this cursed dark cavern that I am so?” ‘ Because your voice is familiar to my ear, and I know you to be he whom men call the Pirate Hunter.” This intelligence somewhat staggered our hero, who, veiling his emotion, changed the conversation by asking the forlorn inmate of the place what food he had in it, ‘‘ Bread and water once a day,” was the reply. “Tet me taste your loaf, friend,” said Jack, “since it appears we are likely to become comrades in this abominable pit.” “ The loaf and jar of water, ” answered the other prisoner, “stand in the corner, two steps to your right hand; take them and welcome ; with earthly food I have well- nigh done.” The party advised did not await a second inyita- tion, for since his late capture he had not broken his fast. Groping out the provisions, he began to munch at the stale black oaten loaf with as much hearti- ness as a keen appetite alone can supply. While Jack’s teeth kept time with his tongue, he speedily finished the rude meal which the bene- volence or indifference of his companion in mis- fortune had abandoned to his voracity. When this task was accomplished, he began anew to question his fellow captive. “Tt seems, friend, by what you have asserted, that I am not unknown to you. Such a con- fidence should be reciprocal—pray what may your name be?” eso OAC DONO KS EOL Sa —— 7 ee ——_—_—— -_--—— ee ee