Commodore Junk — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

IN THE PLANTATION. 65 “ Sounded like a ghost.” Abel burst into a hearty langh—so hearty that Bart’s face was slowly overspread by a broad smile. ‘Why, lad, that’s better,” he said, grimly. ‘I ar’n’t seen you do that for months. "Work away.” The hint was given because of the overseer glancing in their direction; and they now worked on together slowly, going down the row toward the jungle, at which Bart kept on darting uneasy glances. “‘Knough to make a man laugh to hear you talk of ghosts, Bart,” said Abel, after a time. “ What could it be, then ?” “Parrot some lady tamed,” said Abel, shortly, as they worked on side by side, “escaped to the woods again. Some of these birds talk just like a Christian.” “Ay,” said Bart, after a few moments’ quiet thought, ‘I’ve heered ’em, lad ; but there’s no poll parrot out here as knows me.” “ Knows you }” “ Well, didn’t I tell you as it called to me ‘Bart! Bart!’” ‘“‘ Sounded like it,” said Abel, laconically. ‘ What does he want?” For just then the overseer shouted, and signed to the gang- men to come to him. “To begin another job—log-rolling, I think,” growled Bart, shouldering his hoe. At that moment, as Abel followed his example, there came in a low, eager tone of voice from out of the jungle, twenty yards away— ‘‘ Bart !—A bel !—Abel !” Don’t look,” whispered Abel, who reeled as if struck, and recovered himself to catch his companion by the arm. “ All right !” he said aloud ; “‘we’ll be here to-morrow. We must go.” E Eomilcbooks =