A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

A QUEER RACE. 105 boatswain. ‘‘It cannot be true. You are making game of me! Say, now, you are making game of me!’ _ “*What mean you? Why should I make game of your” asked the queen, angrily. *‘ All that I have told you is on record. We have the log-books both of the Hecate and the Santa Anna. Mr. Hare did not die of the illness he was suffering from when he threw his diary into the sea; he lived to be an old man, and died on this island. I ean show you his grave. And the Mr. Fane he mentions, who took the command after Captain Bar- naby’s death, was my great-great-grandfather, and the founder and protector of this commonwealth.” ‘Then I’ve been defrauded!” cried Tom, savagely, striking his fist-on the table. ‘‘ That is what it is; I’ve been defrauded! It’s meas should have found that treas- ure! It’s me! It’s me! Haven’t I thought of it, and dreamed of it, and striven for it thirty years and more? Ay, they were right as called me Crazy Tom. I am crazy! lam crazy! and may God forgive them as has made me so!” And bowing his head on his hands, the poor old fellow wept aloud. ‘* Why does the foolish ‘man take on so?” asked Mab, who seemed equally distressed and surprised. ‘‘ He might have been visited with some terrible misfortune. It surely cannot be disappointed greed ?” ‘Tt is the shattering of a long-cherished delusion,” I said. ‘‘ The idea of finding the Santa Anna had become a part of his life.” ‘And he has found her. At any rate, he has found out what became oi her, and that is all he had any right to expect; while as for the treasure, I shall be glad to give him an ingot or two of gold ora few handfuls of | doubloons.” ‘‘[’ll have no gifts from nobody,” said the boatswain, ina quavering voice. ‘‘ If J had found it, all would have been mine; but I would have shared and shared alike with Mr. Erle. <Ain’t I speaking the truth now? Didn’t we agree to share and share alike?” | ‘‘Say no more now, TJ'om,” I said, soothingly. ‘‘ We will talk the matter over to-morrow, and | hope you will see it in another light. Go into the garden and smoke your pipe.” eomicbooks (e(@)