Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

‘ overpowers the captive, and he stretches himself on the ground. But what strange spell is on him ? lis limbs stiffen rigidly ; he cannot. move hand or foot; he tries to speak, he finds himself voice- less ; then he would close his eyelids, but they re- fuse their office, and with fixed and glazing eyes he glares helplessly By to the murky vault above him, Yet he can hear, he can see, he is perfectly con- scious, but limb- locked by the wicked, cruel Spell he is dead alive—alive yet dead ! Now the horrid skeletons troop round fone Their merriment is hushed; they kneel at his side, they wring their hands, and show every sign of grief as friends mourning over the body of a loved one departed, Some even bend down their lipless gums. to his cheek as if to kizs him. Jack wills to shriek his horror, but he cannot even try to do so. . Such is the potency of the death- charm, Now there is a deep hush; the skeletons depart, and he is left alone. After awhile they return and swathe the living corpse in the garments of the grave, and place it upon a bier. Boom! | The hollow echoes respond solemnly, Boom, boom! The passing knell of the living dead ! The bier is raised on the clacking shoulders of the ribbed spectres. Boom! boom! The cavern rings with a grand organ peal—the dirge of the dead alive ! Boom ! The funeral procession is formed; some of the er'zzly: skeletons march before, and they scatter fresh flowers that wither to dust ere they reach the ground. Others of the spectres follow. The black-mantled leader acts as chief mourner, Still the enchanted retains perfect consciousness, A dark grave yawns beneath him, He is lowered amid the hollow moanings of the skeleton mourners, Cooped in his narrow cell, still. conscious, but dumb and impotent to stira muscle, the living dead glares up at the black cloud that.is descending upon him It is the pall! He feels the mazy velvet folds wrap round his spell-bound limbs, he hears the last grand chordsof the requiem dying away ; then— DARENESS! OBLIVION! CHAPTER X, ROVING: JAOK. RESCUED ‘FROM THE PIRATES, Rovike JAcxK starts to. find himself still alone in darkness and bondage. The manacles -still fester, in his flesh, but the grizzly band of spectres has vanished, though | in a IG) him fervently, ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE, HUNTER. 21 close contact with him the miserable remains of the pirates’ victims are idly strewn. His mental and bodily agony is extreme, his feelings of horror. are worked up to an intensity scarcely endurable, “A dream |” groans poor Jack, “Oh, may I sleep no more until I sink into the unbroken slumber of death |” Dreary dreary silence and darkness ! Hush “No, it is fancy, mere fancy!” he raved. “ Wel- come ten thousand ghastly fiends! Let me endure it all again, but do not let me cheat myself with cruel, deceitful-hopes. Hark |” Very faint and far off came the echoes ofa cheery shout, Jack’s heart beats wildly, He tries to call out, but he is dumbed by: ex- citement and anxiety. Again that shout, nearer now, and 1eade?. Then the barking of a dog is heard, and the trampling of feet on the floor of the chamber above. “ Belay, Master Hal,” cries a well-known voice ; “taint ne’er a bit o’ use seeking further. The pirate devils have murdered the poor, rash lad, or mayhap he was swamped last night in the gale, for the sheathings of my old shallop | have been LEE up the beach since morning.” “T feel sure we shall find him here, whether he be alive or dead, Mr. Cledts,” returned a boyish voice; “and look at Snap: he is whining and sniffing yonder, Hand the torch, A trap |-by ‘all that’s joyous. We shall find him now.” Jack threw himself upon’ his knees, clasped his hands, and poured forth a torrent of thanksgivings to Heaven for his proyidential deliverance. “ Yes, yes, dear Hal, my own true. friend, I'am here!” he shouted. ‘ Quick! raise the. trap, and deliver me from this horrid tomb !” “Hurrah ! hurrah!” cheered old Clem avid: Hal, But it was no easy task to raise the ponderous trap, for Barabbas had removed eee chain from the pulley in the roof above. _ With a hearty good-will, however, they set them- selves to work, » Every stroke of the axe, and every scrunch of the iron bar—the instruments they were plying so vigorously—were heavenly music in Jack’s ears, At length the ponderous platform was raised. The first to spring down into the vault was Snap, our hero’s faithful terrier. . The good dog leaped upon his master, whining and fawning, and frantically caressing him, Jack fairly hugged the faithful creature to his heart. “Steady, a bit, Master Hal; it’s too deep 1o jump,” cried old Clem. ‘“ Let’s reeve this hawser through yonder dead-eye, and then I can let you down into the hold like a barrel of salt junk. Heave-ho! Hold taut, my cheery !” ‘Hal put a cutlass between his teeth, clutched the torch in his right hand, wove his legs round the rope, and shot straight down into the vault, - He leaped on to the ground, and then, raising the torch, he stared around. him in boundless dismay, and uttered a loud cry. Jack seized his trembling hands, and ueeeed