The Island Bride — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

A CLAY PIPE-BOWL.. 57 “J have it,” interrupted Minnie, clapping her hands and saughing gleefully, “it belonged either to. Squint or Bolt. You forget that they smoked.” Harmon shook bis head doubtfally, “Hach of those two men smoked a brierwood,” said he “Dut,” he added, perceiving that she now looked alarmed, “ they may have had clay-pipes too.” ' He threw the pipe-bowl into the water, and they continueg fixcir walk ; but Minnie could not help noticing that he seemed a littie more thoughtful than usual. They had not proceeded far, when she suddenly stopped, and clutehing his arm, pointed toward a small rock that rose from the shrubbery on their left. “Dear Harmon,” she faltered, “ I was not mistaken this time—I am sure I was not; I saw it plainly, a brown cap/ J don’t think my aunt was deceived, after all !” Harmon started and looked puzzled. “ Surely there can be no person besides ourselves upon. this island !” he exclaimed, “and yet,” he added, smiling in the mist of his perplexity, “if there 7 a brown cap here, there must be a human head under it! Wait here for me, my little wife,” he continued, as he darted into the shrubbery ; “ this mv-s- tery must be solved without delay.” He hurried swiftly on and soon caught a glimpse of the brown cap as its owner glided through the tall bushes far ahead of him. Much astonished, he quickened his pace; but he had not proceeded much further when the cap suddenly disappeared from his view. He continued his way, however, for a quarter of an hour longer, when, hearing the low murmur of voices in earnest gouversation, he stopped. He now stood upon the edge of ‘a ittle valley, the sides of which being fringed with shrubbery prevented him from seeing the speakers, who were ey idently seated, somewhere ahead of him. Crouching upon his hands and knees, he crept cautiously forward until he suddenly beheld three men reclining upon the grass On un open space of ground; two of them smoking, and the other carelessly fingering the handle of a long sheath-knife stuck in a leathern belt about his waist. Though their faces were partially turned from kim, Weldon saw euough of them COMIUCOOKS. COM