The Island Bride — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

58 CAST AWAY. to convince him that they were very rough and unprepossess ing.. Their beards were long and grizzly, their hair uncomb- ed, and the gray shirt and pants worn by each looked as though they had not been washed for several weeks. Upon the head of one of these men Weldon saw the brown cap. Its owner evidently was unconscious that he had been pursued. He was lying upon his back, laughing in a silent but hearty manner at some observation made by one of his companions. “T tell you what, Bill Choke.” he said, after having indulg- ed his mirth to his satisfaction, “it’s amusin’ enough—the idea of us three—convicts at that—stumbling upon this island which that young lubber—accordin’ to what I heard the par son say, tother night—thinks is Ais property. It’s very amusin’, too, to think of that pretty gal which has married the young lubber !” “You are sure, Tom, of what you told us last night, ain’t you?” inquired one of the men, addressing the wearer of the brown cap. “ You are sure that they’ve all left the island ex- ceptin’ the young man and his wife ?” “Why of course I am, Clark. Didn’t I see it all last night; the sailing away in the whale boat and all? How can I help bein’ sure. Besides, I’ve jist been on another scout, and I seen the young couple a-walking along the beach as loving as two turtle-doves, which they wouldn’t have had much chance of doing previding that old prying she-bear in the pea-jacket had been around.” “Well, we have got into good quarters—there’s no disputin’ that pint!’ exclaimed Choke, “and you may all thank me for it. It was all through my acquaintance with the steward of that blamed ship, that we got our handcuffs and chains tak- en off just as we were a-passin’ this island, on the night be- fore the gale. But, if I hadw’t jumped through the port-hote and taken the lead, blow me, if I think the rest of you would have attempted it !” “Tt was nat’ral that we should feel a little doubtful,” re- plied Tom, “ seein’ as we didn’t know the steward. When he said the island was less than a league distant, how did we Know but what he had made some lubberly mistake, and that the sllore was too far off to be reached by swimming !” “We must have been missed the mext morning,” ebid Bill, . | connicloooks.comn