Commodore Junk — page 297: what you’re looking at

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

290 COMMODORE JUNK. and hopeless. The knowledge of what must have taken place brought back his flagging energies, and with a great dread seeming to compress his heart that evil might have befallen his prisoner, he tore out of the dark temple, and as fast as the gloom of the winding path would allow him toward the old amphitheatre. Haste and the excitement made his breathing laboured as he strove to get on more rapidly, but only to be kept back by the maze-like paths, where he passed Humphrey and Dinny, and, gaining the open ground, dashed on to where his men were gathered. “Bart! quick!” he cried, as soon as he was convinced that no harm could have befallen his prisoner. ‘Take men, and down the path to the shore. There will be an attempt to es- cape in the confusion, and they'll make for the sea.” Bart grasped the urgency of the case, called two men, and set off at a run, while Dinny was next summoned. ‘“ Hah !” ejaculated the captain, drawing his breath between his teeth ; “a traitor in the camp!” He called for lights, and went straight to the corridor, entered and walked down it to the chamber, tenanted now by the grim idol alone, and stood for a few moments looking round. “Well,” he muttered, “he will learn the truth of what I said. The firing of the powder must have been planned.” He went back to where his men were waiting outside and walked through to the terrace above the old amphitheatre, to find that the magazine was completely swept away ; but the darkness hid the shattered stones lying in all directions and the trees blasted and whitened and stripped of leaf and bark. “My prisoner has escaped,” he said aloud. “I think with the man who was his attendant, the Irishman, Dennis Kelly Oapture both ; but no violence to either, on your lives.” CONNIE OO;KS.€O) =)