Commodore Junk — page 271: what you’re looking at

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

264 COMMODORE JUNK. But at that instant something dark seemed to come be- tween him and the gleaming wet stone away above him in the roof, and then there was quite an avalanche of small stones gliding by. | It was the scoundrel’s companion come at the call for help, thought Humphrey ; and he clung still in silence, wondering whether it was too late as his strained eye-balls glared upward. ‘Where are you?” came in a husky voice. It was to save his life; but though Humphrey recognised the voice, he could not speak, for his tongue and throat were dry. “ Are you here? Hold on!” cried the voice again; and then there was the sound of someone feeling about, but dis. lodging stones, which kept rattling down and splashing below. — “ Where are you?” cried the voice above Humphrey ; but still he could not reply. His hands were giving way, and he felt that his whole energy must be devoted to the one effort of clinging to the last ere he was plunged down into that awful gulf. But the man who clung to him heard the hoarsely-whispered question, and broke out into a wild series of appeals for help— for mercy—for pity. ‘For God’s sake, captain !” he yelled, “ save me—save me! It was Black Mazzard! He made me come! Do you hear? Help! I can’t hold no longer! Tm falling! Help! Curse you—help!” As these cries thrilled him through and through, Humphrey was conscious in the darkness that the hands he heard rustling above him and dislodging stones, every fall of which brought forth a shriek from the wretch below, suddenly touched his, and then, as if spasmodically, leaped to his wrists, round which they fastened with a grip like steel. To Humphrey Armstrong it was all now like one hideous Gomichbooksneo =)