Commodore Junk — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

64 COMMODORE JUNK, suspended themselves in mid-air as they probed the nectaries of the flowers with their long bills. “You're beauties, you are,” said Bart, stopping to wipe his brow; “but I’d give the hull lot on you for a sight of one good old sarcy sparrer a-sitting on the cottage roof and saying chisel-chisel. Ah! shall us ever see old Devonshire again }” The parrots hung upside-down, and the tiny humming-birds flitted here and there, displaying, from time to time, the bril- liancy of their scale-like feathers, and Bart glanced at his fellow-convict and was about to work back, when there came a sound from out of the dark forest which made him stare wildly, and then the sound arose again. Bart changed colour, and did not stop to hoe, but walked rapidly across to Abel. “What's the matter?” said the latter. ‘Dunno, lad,” said the other, rubbing his brow with his arm ; ‘but there’s something wrong,” What is it?” “ That’s what I dunno ; but just now something said quite plain, ‘Bart! Bart !’” ‘‘Wonsense! You were dreaming.” * Nay. Iwas wide awake as I am now, and as I turned and stared it said it again,” “‘ Tt said it?” ‘Well, she said it.” ‘¢ Poll parrot,” said Abel, gruffly. ‘Go on with your work. Here’s the overseer.” The young men worked away, and their supervisor passed them, and, apparently satisfied, continued his journey round. ‘“‘ May have been a poll parrot,” said Bart. ‘They do talk plain, Abel, lad ; but this sounded like something else,” “What else could it be?” CONNIElLOOOKS