Commodore Junk — page 229: what you’re looking at

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

2392 COMMODORE JUNK. sculptured round with figures writhing in impossible attitudes, and one and all wearing highly ornamental head-dresses of feathers. He lay back there as if half drowsy with the heat, and with half-closed eyes looked watchfully round to see whether he was observed. But as far as he could see the place was utterly deserted. Bart, who was often here and there giving a kind of supervision to the buccaneers’ settlement, and seeing that people from the barracks did not collect near the captain’s quarters, seemed to be absent. Dinny, who had been to him an hour before, had gone off on some duty with Dick Dullock, and everything pointed to the fact that this was the oppor- tunity so long sought. He hesitated no longer; but after casting another glance round at the dark, shadowy nooks among the trees and ruins, all of which seemed purply-black in contrast with the blazing glare of sunshine, he softly slid himself back from the stone and dropped down among the undergrowth, and raised his head to peer among the leaves. He obtained a good view of the great amphitheatre and the surrounding ruins, but all was still No one had seen him move, and not a leaf was stirring. Trifles seemed magnified at those moments into great mat- ters, and with his nerves strung up to the highest pitch of tension he started, for all at once something moved away by the edge of the forest on his left. But it was only a great butterfly which fluttered over the baking stones, above which the air seemed to quiver, and then, with its brightly-painted wings casting a broad shadow, it crossed the ruined amphi- theatre and was gone. Humphrey Armstrong crept from behind his resting-place right to the shelter of the trees at the edge of the forest, and his spirits rose as he found how easy an evasion seemed to be, Gomichbooksnco —_)