Commodore Junk — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

THE PURSUIT. 101 “Oh!” ejaculated Bart, and it sounded like a groan. ‘Could a girl with long hair have worked her passage out here as a sailor-boy, and have come into that cane-brake and saved you two?” said Mary, sharply ; and as Bart sat staring at her with dilated eyes once more, she bent down after gazing at Dinny, still soundly sleeping, and laid her hand with a firm grip on her brother’s shoulder. He started into wakefulness on the instant, and gazed with- out recognition in the face leaning over him. * Don’t you know me, Abel?” said Mary, sadly. “You, Mary ?—dressed like this !” He started up angrily, his face flushing as hers had flushed, and his look darkened into a scowl. ‘What else could I do?” she said, repeating her defence as she had pleaded to Bart. Then, as if her spirit rebelled against his anger, her eyes flashed with indignation, and she exclaimed hoarsely, ‘“ Well, I have saved you, and if you have done with me—there is the sea !” “ But you—dressed as a boy!” said Abel. “Hush! Do you want that man to know?” whispered Mary, hoarsely. ‘ My brother was unjustly punished and sent out here to die in prison, while I, a helpless girl, might have starved at home, or been hunted down by that devil who called himself a man. What could I do?” “But you worked your passage out here as a sailor?” whispered Abel. | “‘ Ay, and she could do it, too—as good a sailor as ever took in sail ; and, Mary, lass, I asks your pardon for laughing; and if I wasn’t such a big ugly chap, I could lie down there and cry.” He held out his great coarse hand, in which Mary placed hers to return his honest clasp, and her eyes smiled for a moment into his, while Abel sat frowning and biting k‘s lips as he glanced at Dinny. CONnnNICGLOOLKS =)