A Silver Brand — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

A SILVER BRAND, 153 “It’s more than I can tell you, sir, but for all that they seemed to understand one another very well. I saw them again when I went out to the nets, and they had takena pretty long course to make the island, and her pleasant laugh came over the water to me, and I says to myself, ‘You dear little Serena, you are having a nice time, but I hope there’s no snare set for your innocent feet. It won’t do for pretty things like you to trust too much to these foreign jackanapes.’ That’s what I thought, sir, and I’m glad as I’ve had a chance to speak about it to you, who she calls her friend, and who I know is her friend.” ‘‘A snare, indeed !” groaned Nat. “Curse his treachery.” ~ Kh?” ejaculated Mike, staring blankly at the speaker. ‘“‘She is missing, Mike. Serena has not. been seen since last evening. She and her boat and a young girl who went to meet her are all missing.” , “The Lord save us! and what does he say about it? He can’t deny my seeing them together.” “ He is not to be found. I cannot find a trace of him. Mike, look out for any track of him, will you, and when I come back let me know if there’s anything discovered. You sha’n’t lose by it.” | ‘““Bless your soul. I wouldn’t mind losing if, I can be of service. The pretty schoolmarm missing—Nell will ery her eyes out. She’s just got ready for:school. JTll do my best, sir.” 7 | Nat hurried on to overtake Paul, and all the way he clenched his hand and ground his heel down sharply into the sand, while he thought, bitterly : , “T can’t help suspecting him, and yet it cuts me to the heart to do it. Iwas growing so fond of him; he seemed so frank and manly and noble-hearted. Ah, what duplic- ity must dwell in the heart, that one so young is able to deceive so thoroughly. Oh, Stephano, Stephano; it is a terrible mistake that you have made! But why has he taken both? It all puzzles and baffles me.” Paul sighed heavily as he saw Nat’s gloomy face when the latter overtook him just as he entered the village. “You have learned nothing favorable, I see. Do you know I have thought of something which has almost tempted me to rush back to the island. You know that cave just beyond the breakers; I’ve heard the fishermen’s curious stories about it, but I never cared to venture my- self into that surf to get a glimpse of its wonders. What if their boat was caught in the current and sucked into the cave. Such a thing might be, I suppose.” GEomichboo cS (Efe)