Commodore Junk — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

116 COMMODORE JUNK. They had reached the end of the ravine, where the trees and bushes grew thickly, and Jack, who was first, was in the act of passing out on to the sands of the little bay, when a great hand seized him by the shoulder, and he was dragged back. — His hand went to his pocket again in the instinct of self- defence, for it seemed to be a repetition of Dinny’s attack ; but, turning sharply, he found that it was Bart who had dragged him back among the trees, and stood pointing seaward, where the solution of their difficulty appeared in, as it were, a warning to escape ; for at about half a mile from the shore a white- winged cutter was coming rapidly toward the little bay; and as she careened over they could see that she was occupied by at least a dozen men. “ Quick, the boat !” cried Abel, excitedly. {2 « Are ye mad!” cried Dinny, “They could see us, and would be here before we could get round the point.” ¢Right,” growled Bart. “Tt’s the cutter from the settlement,” said Dinny, watch- ing the coming vessel. ‘She sails like the wind, and, bedad, it’s wind they’ve got of where we are, and they’ve come to fetch us. Now, thin, boys, the divil a bit will I go back, so who’s for a foight ¢” The sight of the cutter seemed to chase away all discontent with their position, bringing up, as it did, the recollection on the part of one of months of longing to give freedom to brother and friend; on the part of the other three, of long periods of toilsome labour in chains, and of wearisome keeping guard over the wretched convicts, sickening in the tropic sun. The island suddenly assumed the aspect of a paradise, from which they were to be banished for ever; and stealing silently back to their little camp, the fugitives hastily did what they could to destroy traces of their presence, and then turned to Abel to ask what next. Gomicbooks