Commodore Junk — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

PLANS OF ESCAPE. 225 mander sent to exterminate me and mine, stoopiig to make a miserable excuse—to tell a lie t” “ A lie!” cried Humphrey, fiercely, as he took a step in advance. “ Yes, a lie!” said the buccaneer, without moving a muscle. “You were trying to find some way by which you could escape.” “Well,” cried Humphrey, passionately, ‘I am a prisoner. I have refused to give my parole ; 1 was trying to find some way of escape.” “That is more like you,” said the buccaneer, quietly. “Why? Whatdo you require? Are you not well treated by my men?” “You ask me why,” cried Humphrey—“ me, whom you have defeated—disgraced, and whom you hold here a prisoner $ You ask me why?” “Yes. I whom you would have taken, and, if I had not died sword in hand, have hung at your yard-arm, and then gibbeted at the nearest port as a scarecrow.” He was silent, and the buccaneer went on— “T have looked back, and I cannot see you placing a cabin at my disposal, seeing me nursed back from the brink of death, treated as a man would treat his wounded brother.” “ No,” cried Humphrey, quickly; “and why have you done all this when it would have been kinder to have slain me on that wretched day ?” “Why have I done this!” said the buccaneer, with the colour deepening in his swarthy face. ‘‘ Ah, why have I done this! Perhaps,” he continued bitterly, “because I said to myself: ‘This is a brave, true, English gentleman ;’ and I tind instead a rnan who does not hesitate to lie to screen his paltry effort to escape.” Humphrey made a menacing gesture; but the buccaneer did not stir. ° Eomicbooks Ta)