Commodore Junk — page 262: what you’re looking at

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

ANOTHER DUEL. 955 handsome, manly figure of his prisoner, whose unstudied atti- tude formed a picture in that weird, picturesque place, which made the captain’s breath come and go a little more quickly, and a faint sensation of vertigo tempt him to turn and hurry away. The sensation was momentary. A frown puckered his brow, and he said quietly— « Asleep?” | “No,” said Humphrey, opening his eyes slowly; “no, my good fellow. I was only thinking.” The buccaneer frowned a little more heavily as he listened to his prisoner’s cool, careless words, and felt the contemptuous tone in which he was addressed. “You sent for me,” he said, harshly, and his voice sounded coarse and rough. “Well,” said Humphrey, with insolent contempt, ‘how many ships have you plundered—how many throats have you cut this voyage?” The buccaneer’s eyes seemed to flash as he took a step forward, and made an angry gesture. But he checked himself on the instant, and, with a faint smile, replied— “Captain Armstrong is disposed to be merry. Why have you sent for me?” “ Merry !” said Humphrey, still ignoring the question; “one need be, shut up in this tomb. Well, you are back again?” “Yes; I am back again,” said the buccaneer, smoothing his brow, and declining to be angry with his prisoner for his insulting way as he still lay back on the couch. “It is but the pecking of a prisoned bird,” he said to himself. “And not been caught and hanged yet? I was in hope that I had seen the last of you.” “T have heard tell before of prisoners reviling their cap- tors,” said the buccaneer, quietly. | ?? CONnnicGloOolk<s =