A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

176 A QUEER RACE. Not even the men who had been ready to fight for him had aught to urge in arrest of judgment. ‘Yes,’ said the queen, ‘‘ he deserves death. But the prerogative of mercy is mine, and I freely pardon him, as I have a right to do, for his offense was against me per- sonally. I pardon him, not because he is my kinsman, but because I believe that he is not wholly bad. He has been led away by pride, envy, and ambition; yet he has good qualities, and if opportunity be given him he will make reparation and redeem his honor. Another reason _ for sparing him is that we have need of him, as of every man who can wield a sword and draw a bow. The Cari- beroes are in Swamp Island, and I dare say by this time have crossed the creek——”’ “The Cariberoes!”—‘‘ Impossible!”—‘* Who says so?” _—-‘* Has anybody seen them?” and a hundred other ex- clamations of incredulity, astonishment and doubt fol- lowed the queen’s announcement, which caused almost as great a sensation as her own reappearance had done. ‘Is this really true, Mabel?” asked Field, when the clamor had somewhat subsided. ‘‘I know you think so; but there is such a thing as being misinformed. Has anybody actually seen the Cariberoes?” ‘“ Yes; we have seen them, been chased by them, and had to run and fight for our lives.” And then Mab told what had happened, from the be- ginning of our involuntary cruise on the Diana to our re- turn to Fairhaven. This done, she continued: ‘“So, you see, that which we and our fathers have so Jong feared has at length come to pass. You may he quite sure that the braves we encountered are either the forerunners of a large force, perhaps two or three thou- sand strong, or that a large force has already landed on Swamp Island. At any rate, it is not safe to act on any other assumption. You know, too, that many of the Calibans, who are of their own blood, being greatly dis- contented (I fear not without reason), will certainly join them—have probably invited them to come over, for sev- eral of late have mysteriously disappeared; boats have also been missed. Hence the danger is very great, and unless it be nipped in the bud the consequences may be disastrous, nay, ruinous. It willnot be enough merely to repel the invasion. We must crush the invaders if we Gomiecbooks (el @)