Commodore Junk — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

A KEEN ENCOUNTER. 99 short once again, for a dark figure leaped down into the lane just in front, and the captain found himself hemmed in. And now, for the first time, he began to feel sobered as he took in the position. He had been attacked by highwaymen without a doubt, and unless he chose to do battle for his watch and money, his only chance of escape was to force his horse to mount the precipitous side of the lane. Without a moment’s hesitation he dragged at the off rein, drove the spurs into the beast’s flanks, and forced her to the leap ; but it was poorly responded to. The half-leap resulted in the mare gaining a footing a few feet up, and then scram- bling back into the lane as the captain’s two assailants closed in. “ Stand back, you scoundrels !” roared the captain. ‘Curse you ! [ll blow your brains out.” A mocking laugh was the response, and as he dragged at the holster a smart blow from a cudgel fell upon his hand, making him utter a yell of pain. The next moment one of the men had leaped up behind him and clasped his arms to his side, and in the struggle which ensued both came down off the horse, which uttered a loud snort of fear and dashed off ata gallop down the hill for home, while, nerved to action now by his position and stung by the blows he had received from his assailant, the captain wrested himself free and dragged his sword from its sheath. He had hardly raised it in the air when a tremendous blow fell upon the blade close to the hilt, the sword snapped in two, and the captain was defenceless, This mishap took all the spirit-born courage out of him, and he threw down the broken weapon. “‘T give in,” he cried, backing away to the side of the lane and facing the two dimly-seen figures in the darkness; ‘“ what do you want 3” Gomicbooks —_)