Commodore Junk — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

160 COMMODORE JUNK. ‘‘No,” said Bart, speaking as 1f in answer to his com- panion. ‘‘ Never mind,” said Jack, quietly. ‘‘ We shall find the schooner by-and-by. Let’s land.” Bart assisted to draw the boat well ashore, waiting till a good-sized wave came, and then running the boat on its crest some yards farther up the sand. He looked up then at Jack, who nodded his head, and the canvas-draped figure was lifted out and borne up to where the sand lay soft and thick, as it had been drifted by the gales of the stormy season. As Bart bent beneath his burden he nearly trod upon one of the great land-crabs, with which the place seemed to swarm, the hideous creatures scuffing awkwardly out of his way, snap- ping their claws menacingly, and rolling their horrible eyes, which stood out on foot-stalks far from their shelly orbits, and gave them a weird look as they seemed to be inspecting the canvas-wrapped bag. “Here?” said Bart, as they reached a smooth spot, where a clump of palms made a slight shade. “Yes,” was the laconic reply. ‘ No tools,” said Bart, half to himself; ‘ but it don’t matter, Abe, old lad. I can scratch a grave for you, and cut your name arter with my knife on one o’ them trees.” He laid his load tenderly down upon the sand, in the shadiest spot, and then, stripping off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves over his muscle-knotted arms, he began to scrape the sand away rapidly, and soon made a long, narrow trench, though it was not easy work, for the soft, fine, dry sand flowed slowly, as if it were a liquid, back into the trench. ‘“ That will do,” said Jack, suddenly rising from where he had been kneeling by Abel’s side. Bart ceased his task without another word, and at a sign Gomichbooksneo