Commodore Junk — page 321: what you’re looking at

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

314 COMMODORE JUNK. “True,” said Bart, hoarsely ; “and so I shall till I die! ” «« And so shall I, Bart, till I die!” “ Don’t talk like that,” he groaned. “It’s better to live and suffer than to talk of death. I give in—once more I give in!” “Then go; I will watch!” “No, captain ; don’t send me away! Trust me this once. I am faithful to you !” “ Ay ; but not to him.” There was a pause, and Bart seemed to be struggling hard with himself, till he had won some terrible victory. “Tell me,” he said at last, “tell me to swear. I'll be as true to him as I’ve been to you, and I'll swear it. I'll die for him, if you say I am!” “Then swear, Bart. Swear that I may depend on you as I would on myself! That, for my sake, you will defend him from all evil, come when it may !” | ‘‘ Because you love him ?” said Bart, slowly. ‘‘ Because I love him, man!” There was a painful silence for a few minutes, and then, as he knelt there, on the time-worn stones, the simple-hearted single-natured man said, in a low husky voice— “T swear it: so help me God!” Bart rose slowly, with his breath coming and going as if after some terrible struggle, and, as he stood there trembling, he felt his hand seized and held tightly between two warm, moist palms. He let it rest there for a few moments, and then snatched it away. ‘‘ What are you going to do?” whispered the buccaneer. ‘Obey orders,” said Bart, relapsing, as it were, to his former manner. “No; stay. I have only you to trust,” CONnnicloOokK<s.c©