Commodore Junk — page 192: what you’re looking at

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

18d CHAPTER XXIL NEWS AT LAST. HumpHREY Armstrong sat in his cabin listening to the whirr of a beetle which had been attracted by the lights, and flown in through the open window, to make a bass to the treble hum of the mosquitoes which haunted the mouth of the river where the ship had anchored for the night. The day had been intensely hot, and the cabin seemed oven-like, as its occupant sat listening to the insect hum ; and then to the strange croakings and rustling noises which came from the primeval forest on either side. Now and then a deep roar announced the presence of some huge creature of the cat tribe prowling in search of prey, and this would be followed by a distant answering call. He walked to the window and looked out, to see the stars reflected in a blurred manner in the rushing waters of the river ; while on either side he could see the bushes which fringed the muddy banks scintillating with the lamps of the fireflies. Now they died out, and there would be only a faint twinkle here and there; then, as if something had disturbed or agitated the wondrous insects, they would flash out into soft, lambent sparks of light which played about and darted and circled, and then once more died out, as if to give place to some other creature of their kind, which flashed out so broad a light that the leaves of the trees around could be plainly seen. He had been away five days since the orders had come out for his return, in the vain hope that perhaps now he might at last encounter the buccaneer ; but, so far, he had seen or heard nothing ; and the pirate captain might have dropped out of Eomilcbooks