Jack and His Seven Foes — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

56: JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES. with whose society the “ Rattlesnake ” appeared to be highly favoured. When he was sect free again there was a bianched look upon his face which could not be accounted for by so short a confinement. Dribbles the Sneezer asked him if he had been tortured. “Yes,” replied the Pantaloon, “ tor- tured by being alone. Save me trom it again.” “Time passed slow, eh?” Dribbles asked. ee “Time was nothing,,’ said the Panta- Joon; “it was those who were on board the ‘ Albatross’ that worried me. They were constantly afore me—ghdmeg on and on, and yet never passing away.” “Tt was all fancy.” “So it may have been, but it wasn’t the less awful.” “Why didn’t you sleep away the time P”’ “Sleep!” said the Pantaloon, with a haggard look. ‘ve not closed my eyes all the time. Dribbles, I am sixty years old, and I can’t call to mind one year of my life that isn’t shameful to think of.” | ‘“That’s a poor look out.” ‘It is terrible. As a baby, of course I did nothing ; but when a boy, I began bad. I was cruel to small, helpless things. I robbed and pilfered. I lied, and so I grew up to be what J am.” ‘“There’s a pair of us,’’ said Dribbles, with a miserable shiver. “I was a begegarly little sneak when I was a kid. I pretended to be good, and I robbed my little sister’s money-box. I did heaps of things that thinking of makes me shrink into my boots.” “Tf ever I get ashore, and clear away from him,” said the Pantaloon, jerking his thumb towards the cabin, “ I’ll try and be a better man.” ‘“‘T will be better,” said the Sneezer ; “PH get work, and live honestly. No chap could be more sorry for his sins than I am.” And then they rolled their wicked eyes, and felt almost pious. We shall see by-and-by how, when things appeared brighter, they kept this vow made in a time of trouble. A week passed, and there was no sien of Jack or his attendants, and the amazement of his foes deepened. They were so much upon the deck - and aloft that it seemed to be impossible for him to lie so close, without enduring something akin to imprisonment. But he did not appear. | The “ Rattlesnake ’’ was becalmed for four days, and nothine was seen of him, and nobody named him. Where could he be? A hopeless thought flashed into the mind of the Swaggerer. Was he ill ? : He might be, even dying, and oh, joyous thought—perhaps dead ! The regular crew held no communica- tion with the Swaggerer and his com- panions, and he knew it would be useless to ask for information from one of them, but he thought that Slocum was worth trying. Accordingly he touched his cap to the mate, and asked if he might ask a question. “Of course you may,” Slocum, with a grin. “Ts anybody ill aboard?” enquired the Swaggerer. “Ti!” exclaimed Slocum Kerry, indignantly ; ““what the deuce do you mean by that? The captain isn’t the man to put up with people being ill. He soon takes that sort o’ nonsense out ol.’em.”” “T don’t mean the hands,” said the Swageerer, hesitatingly ; “ but—but—”’ “ But—but,” said Slocum, mocking him. ‘ Do you mean the feet P” ‘‘T mean there are others aboard who might be ill. I—I mean no harm—” replied “Oh, yes, you do,” said Slocum coolly, ~ interposing; “but you dursn’t do it. It you could have your way, you'd flay us all alive and bile us to death, but you ain’t got the pluck to try 1t on.” The Swaggerer bit his lip; but he was burning to know why Jack kept out of sight, and he put his question in a more definite form. ‘‘T’m alluding to the passengers,” he said. ‘We haven’t any,” said Slocum. ‘To the captain’s friends, then.” “Oh, are they the people you are troubling your tender heart about? Well, you can make your mind easy. They are right enough.” “Not seeing them on deck,” said the Swaggerer, ‘I got anxious.” ‘Perhaps 1f I were to Soe it to COMMIGL OOKS a CO OMMUC