A Silver Brand — page 263: what you’re looking at

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or A SILVER BRAND. : 255 cover my slipping below the stream to anchor. If we get this cargo off our hands safely it will give us a handsome profit. You’ve kept a good lookout over the house and the cave ?” i “Yes, captain, and I’ve got a handsome speculation a-going. I want to tell you about it,” said Jack Robinson, in a low voice, with a significant gesture toward the sail- ors at the oars, “but there’s no need of too many hear-— ing all I say.” The tarpaulin hat was bent nearer, and the two whis- pered under its broad brim for ten minutes and more. “T reckon you’re right, Jack,” commented the man he called captain, and who was really the master of the little vessel used in their illegal business, when at length the two heads were drawn apart. “It will be a paying thing. I’ll see you through, and the voyage will just jibe in with my notions.” ‘‘And how soon can you go?” questioned Jack, anxiously. “There’s a devil of a search going on, and I sha’n’t feel just safe till we are clear out in blue water. You’ll leave another man with Mike to look after the house. Of course I go myself with ’em.” “Well, let mesee. It will be a week at the best. I must get rid of this that I’ve got on my manifest, and take.in another cargo for a blind to get through the cus- tom house. It can’t be done under a week, Jack.” “T wish it wasn’t more’n an hour longer,” muttered Robinson, discontentedly. “I could work like a tiger then.” | | ‘““Well, well, you’ll need to work hard enough to-night anyhow. I’ve ventured deeper than ever before. This case here is full of velvets. What do you think of that, old boy? A nice profit old Moss must allow us, or he won’t get the goods.” The rest of the talk related to their smuggling arrange- ments. An hour afterward the rocky shore was alive with men working swiftly and noiselessly, some unlading the constantly arriving boats, others towing them safely through the surf, and still others dragging the packages and cases through the underground passage, and stowing them in the stoned room leading from the cellar. Cautiously as they worked the noise made aroused | Serena, who rose silently, and crept out into the other room. Stephano was already at the cellar door, listening. “There is some strange proceeding going on,” he whis- pered. “Iam trying to understand what it means,” Eomicbooks co