A Servant of Satan: Romantic Career of Prado the Assassin — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

2 wig . t it = =o oak | >. we ’ ad tw r - ES eS * . - ng = a os ? *. or» x * : ‘ foot 2 4 AP es re ’ + + j < oe dy wrt a eT iy 7% wy + » . A SERVANT OF SATAN. 111 be lots of people here who understand French, and I don’t suppose that you want everybody to know who you are.’ ‘They will find it out soon enough, to their cost,” replied the other, under his breath, as they strolled on. Frederick and his fellow-convict had been in the last stage of exhaustion when rescued by the Dutch bark, which was on its way from Amsterdam to Jaya, and during the first three days were unable to give any account of them- selves. On recovering, however, they informed the skipper that they were the solitary survivors of a French vessel en- gaged in the Polynesian trade. They asserted that the boat had broken loose from the sinking ship before its full com- plement of the crew had been embarked, and that, owing to the darkness, and to the gale which prevailed, they were unable to return to the ship. During the time which had elapsed since their break for liberty, both their hair and beards had grown, and more- over they had taken the precaution to remove from their scanty attire all traces which might have revealed the fact that it had formed part of the garb of a French convict. They now found themselves in a strange country, with- out a cent in their pockets, and without any honest means in view of obtaining a livelihood. The very clothes on. their backs they owed to the charity of the sailors of the bark. ‘They applied at several of the great warehouses and stores for employment, and, meeting with no success, then addressed themselves to the occupants of several of the mag- nificent villas in the suburbs, begging for food and money. The Dutch, however, are not of a particularly generous na- ture. If they err, it is on the side of economy and excessive caution. Everywhere Frederick and his companion were met with the same response, ‘‘ Apply to your consul.” As this was about the last person to whom the two ex-convicts - would have dreamed of addressing themselves, there seemed to be every prospect that they would spend the night in the Eomicbooks co 5 =) 3