The Yankee Champion — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

Ce THE YANKEE CHAMPION. ‘““What’s the matter?’’ asked Nixon, starting aft. ‘‘Look there, sir.’’ The captain looked in the direction pointed out, and saw, just standing into sight beyond the head of Plum Island, a British sloop-of-war. Mason got up from the coil of cable and came aft. “That’s bad,’’ uttered Nixon, as he set his teeth together and clenched his fists. ‘“‘They must have come down here to look after the brig.’’ “Of course,’’ returned Maynard, at the same time looking half vacantly at the sloop-of-war. ‘‘Perhans they’ve come to relieve the brig,’’ sug- gested Baker. ‘It makes no odds what they’ve come for,”’ said Nixon. ‘‘One thing is certain; they’ll make us out for a privateer, and they’ll be likely to stop a spell out there.’’ “But we can get out,’’ said Maynard. - “Of course,’’ responded Walter. ‘“That fellow will do usno harm; but then we shall have to wait till night.” Jake Maynard happened at that moment to cast his eyes toward Mason, and he was startled by the expression that rested upon that individual’s face. It was a sort of diabolical grin, half of exultation and half of subtle villainy. The old man did not stop to study the expression, for he was confident that his own countenance showed the suspicion that had sprung to his thoughts, and he turned away his head © and looked again toward the English ship. ‘Capt’n Nixon,” said he; ‘‘I b’lieve some bloody Tory has been to Boston an’ posted ’em up on this affair. I know there’s a nest of the black scamps around here somewheres, ”’ comic ase cS co Spier feagune