Commodore Junk — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

IN DEADLY PERIL. 81 Just then Bart stopped short, for there were steps outside, and a gleam of light appeared beneath the heavy door. Voices were heard, and the rattle of a soldier’s musket. ‘Changing guard,” said Abel to himself; and he found himself wondering whether the sergeant and his men would enter the prison. . To add to the risk of discovery, there was a shuffling sound on the left, and a clink of chains, as one man seemed to rise upon his elbow ; and his movement roused another, who also clinked his chains in the darkness and growled out an impre- cation. All this time Bart remained absolutely motionless, and «bel listened with the perspiration streaming from him in the intense heat. Then there was a hoarsely utierz:d command ; the light faded away, the steps died out upon the ear; there was a clink or two of chains, and a heavy sigh from some restless sleeper, and once more in the black silence and stifling heat there was nothing to be heard but the loud trumpeting buzz of the mosquitoes. Softly, as some large cat, Bart resumed his crawling move- ment, after thrusting back his leg and touching Abel on the chest with his bare foot as a signal. The building was quite a hundred feet long by about eighteen wide, a mere gallery in shape, which had been length- ened from time to time as the number of convicts increased, and the men had about two-thirds of the distance to traverse before they could reach the end, and at their excessively slow rate of progress the time seemed interminable before, after several painful halts, caused by movements of their fellow-prisoners and dread of discovery, the final halt was made. “Now, then, what is it?” whispered Abel. The answer he received was a hand laid across his mouth, F COMnicGloOol<s —3)