The Blue Clipper — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

“No, sir.” = “Too bad,” said Clare. “J shall muke my last bunt for them, to-day,” said Wat- son. “Then away we go, on another cruise, after that con- founded blue clippér.” With an armed boat's crew he was ashore, soon after. The men hunted in all directions, but met with no better success than before. : At night Watson was hurrying toward the beach where ‘h had left the boat, picking his way by the moonlight down the steep cliff in which had been the smugglers’ rendezvous, when he saw aliead of him a female figere, keeping iv shadow as much as possible ; he followed this figure, which he soon re- cognized as that of the smuggler's daughter, Nettie. Lately the guard had been withdrawn from this cliff, so that the girl could now go and come as she liked. Following WeF cautiously, Watson at length saw her enter the opening of a cavernous retreat, half concealed by vines, He still followed, and saw her reach the other end of the cave. She pulled ont a large stone. Another opening was visible, through which she crawled. This, like the place she ha just left, was lighted by a lamp. “ Ay, uy.” muttered Watson—* this cliff seems to abound in caverns, hollows and all sorts of winding passages. A criminal might easily conceal himself here withoy fear of de- tection.” The truth was, as he subsequently ascertained, that Nettie, on the night her skiff was pursued” by Watson's’ lieutenant, had known that the young man was not shot dead. She had guided the light vessel to the foot of the precipice, and, concealing her skiff in & hollow, had helped Wand, who had merely been struck in the calf of the leg, by the lieuten- ant’s shot, up the acclivity to the cave which now contained him. It had, at one period, been used for a store-house, Some straw, and plenty of old sails were there. Here Neitie made Wand a comfortable couch of the-sails, and here she had nursed him ever since he was shot, Now as Watson gazed, he noticed how her eyes sparkled _ppon the young captain. He shrugged his shoulders, ae - . , Feo gcomn - - bn *: