The Island Bride — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

YUE THREE CONVICTS. * “and I can’t imagine why the marines warn’t sent for us, as they must have guessed that we swum ashore, unless the stew ard blinded their eyes with some story which gave ’em an idea that we committed suicide by drowning ourselves, sooner than to be carried to Botany Bay.” “Or p’raps,” said Clark, “ the ‘ship foundered in the gale th next night. It was a-blowin’ awful, and there ain’t many ships that could weather sich a tempest !” “ Well, here we are at any rate—safe and snug,” cried Tom, “and now the question is, what is to be done with that young cove. His male friends have all left him, and it’ud be an easy matter to pounce upon him and squeeze the breath out of his body, after which we might take possession of his widow.” “T don’t exactly like the idea of killin’ him,” said Bill. “Sup- — pose we set him adrift on the raft.” “ Ay, and have him picked up afterwards p’raps, and blow on us, getting us all muzzled again!” cried Tom. “ Dead men tells no tale!’ exclaimed the other two, simul- taneously ; “ he must die !” “That's my way of thinking,” said Tom, “for d’ye see, it won't do to have him her@ spying on us.” ' “ Well, boys, what sxy you=it 1s agreed on, isn’t it ?” inquir- ed Bill, “ we are to make way with the young man ! Ym sorry inyself, but I don’t see as it can be helped.” “ Ay, ay, he must die!’ gruffly responded the others. “ Which will be to-night,” added the wearer of the brown > cap. “Twe of us can creep into his hut and settle him with knives; or one ef us can use this,” he added, drawing a pistol from his pocket. “This useful instrument, which was_ given tous by the steward.” | “T hope J shan’t be one of them that’s picked out to de this disagreeable business!” cried Bill; “ it isn’t exactly in my line.” “Pshaw !” exclaimed Tom. “ You're like a sick old wo- man: The young man has got to die some time; he may a8 well die first as last. That's logic /” Weldon did not wait to hear more. Alarmed more on Minnie’s account than his own, he hurried to the spot where ve had left her and drew her closely to his bosom | She noticed the troubled expression of his face. COMIC HOOKS .COM : /