A Silver Brand — page 192: what you’re looking at

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

~~ 184 A SILVER BRAND, nick of time. The girlis in that boat, and there isn’t a better chance of nabbing her,” said one voice, eagerly. ‘‘But there are two of ’em, Jack, and gals will screech, and raise an awful row, and you say I mustn’t hurt ’em,” answered another voice more doubtfully. | “You fool. I didn’t say you wasn’t to gag’em. Just do as I tell you, and I’ll manage all the rest. Just you give her the card, and tell her somebody’s waiting out toward the cave. She’ll come, for I saw her looking at the card that day she dropped it, and I made sure it was some- body she’s mighty fond of. When we get them that far off, PU risk all the rest. You know women folks. They’ll sit as still as a mouse, if you scare ’em well with a knife or apistol. Ill be there waiting. Don’t waste the time now, but be off.” ; With this last word there came the grating sound of a boat pushed off, and then the short, swift oar-strokes Hae followed. . ~ Scearcely taking in the full import of the plot, Stephano .-yet comprehended that the innocent maidens were to be molested and frightened. He waited for the remaining ruffian to pass him, but he turned and hurried off in the other direction. The pathway thus free for himself, Stephano proceeded at once to the mooring place of Nat’s boat, and growing more alarmed as he dwelt upon the cir- cumstances, he was too impatient to untie the knotted cable, but hastily severing it with his knife, he leaped in and pushed it off. 7 Nat’s mooring place was. on one side of the island, and the direction which Serena’s boat had taken was exactly on the opposite side. Stephano was thus compelled +6 follow the shore for some distance before he could even arrive in view of the scene. Serena had lowered the sail, and allowed the boat to drift slowly with the current. She sat with her arms wreathed lightly around Lina, who had nestled her rest- less little head in quietude for once against her friend’s shoulder. They were both lost in the dreamy, delicious, - romantic influence of the scene and the hour. | Lina broke it at last with a long-drawn, tremulous sigh. “Oh, Serena, how beautiful this is, and how solemn. Do you know italmost seems tome as if my life here had broken up, and thatlam drifting swiftly upon the un- known secret that has hitherto baffled me? Do you know - I seem to be assured that we are not going back to the comicbooks (elo)