Jack and His Seven Foes — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES. * 91 nothing, he beheld him erect, ghding round and round the camp-fire with ehastly eyes, grim in death, staring at him. Ilis time had begun at last. He dared not wake his comrades, and watched on, although it seemed to him as if eternal night had fallen upon the earth. “The sun will never rise again,” he said. But at lasts the welcome flush east- ward told him that the night was over, and with some sense of relief he made up the tire. While he was thus engaged, Make- peace Jibber opened his eyes, yawned, and sleepily asked— “Who's that moving about there?’ “Me,” said the Sneezer, in an ered tone. “What the deuce are you domg there ?”’ “Come, that’s a good ’un,” said the Sneezer, night.” “As Fm a sinner; that’s Jibber. ‘“ Wake up, my hearties.”’ A touch with his foot roused the others, and they got up, rubbing their arms, and stamping about to shake off the cold. ‘* He’s been watching all night,” Makepeace Juibber, eloomy Sneezer. him ?”’ “ Confounded greedy,” erer. “So like him,” ‘said the Panther. “Oh,*you are a nice lot,’ said the Sneezer, “ but you might bea little bit grate ful, és (’'m anything, if ’'m paid for it,” said abber, “but nothing if there is no money coming in.” They partook of a breakfast consist- ing of biscuits and meat, and raw whisky, and being just daylight by that time, Jibber suggested that they should go over and see if the Pantaloon could be found. tos was agreed to, and without m searching they found him. He lay at the foot of the clitf, doubled up like some automaton figure carelessly thrown aside. alhng head first, he had broken his neck, all his limbs had been dis- | ‘after leaving me to watch all ” said said pointing to the “Isn’t it greedy of said the Swag- an alil «@? located by the shock. Already some animal had been eating away part of the face. “What shall we do with him ?” asked Makepeace Jibber. ‘Don’t think I could touch” him,’ rephed the Swaggerer, with a sickening sensation at his heart ; “ he was not very lov ely in life, but in death he is repul- sive.’ * Pull some long grass,” “and cover him up. over him.”’ There were plenty of stones about, and they erected over him a hill of stones that would defy the efforts ot such animals as were thereabouts. On a tree near they cut his initials and left him. “ Phew !”’ said the Swag ‘verer, as he walked away, ‘‘I don’t lilke attending funerals, and never did.” “« Especially when they are the fore- runners of your own,” said Jibber. The gibe was not particularly relished, and there were signs of ill-humour apparent when they returned to the camp-fire. As the day wag now warm, and it was not needed, the Sneezer was directed just to keep it going, so as to save re- liehting by-and-by. At noon the watcher of the night fell asleep, and when he awoke he found a considerable addition to the company had arrived. All the rest of the gang had come in, and the united force now numbered six- teen, a set of rufiians without a redeem- ing quality among them. ‘Makepeace, standing on a huge stone, suid Jibber, We'll put a cairn “was making a speech, and the “Sneezer awoke to hear the pith of it. ‘All together,” he was saying, “ sink or swim, live or die, and the man who aitempts to leave us or betray us forfeits his life.” A murmur of assent arose trou the group, and Jibber proceeded to empha- size the th reat conveyed in the last few words. ‘And i. only die,’ he said, “ but die a death that those who witness 1t are not likely to forget. I’m a marcifal man when ae: 1g8 go easy, but when it’s rough I rile up, and then there’s not much to stick at.” “We know,” they shouted ; “bully, cConnicoookKks (C©)