The Island Bride — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

4 SIGNAL OF DISTRESS, 87 rageous manner—getting married against my wishes and living on a barbarous island? How can I feel any interest in them, after that ?” : “Don’t ery, I beg of you,” said the benevolent parson. “Your wishes shall be obeyed. Perhaps I can persuade the captain, after we shall have been picked up, to send a boat sto the island.” So saying, he fastened his pocket-handkerchief to the end of the paddle and waved the signal about his head. It was soon detected by the watchful mate aboard of the distant craft, which was none other than the Reindeer—the one to which Weldon had formerly belonged and from which had becorae separated, “Captain Landyard !” cried Dumps, as the skipper, a good- natured looking man with a round face, emerged from the companion-way, “ there’s a boat almost alongside of us, with three men in it, and, about a league astern, there’s a raft with two persons on it a-signalizin’ to us.” He had scarcely spoken when the whale-boat glided along- side. Thenext moment the convicts were on deck. Dumps eyed them sharply. “We're shipwrecked sailors,” said Clark, acting as spokes- man; “ we belonged to a whaleship that was wrecked off the island yonder, some months ago. We've been livin’ ashore ever since,” ‘What was the name of your vessel ?” inquired the captain, who had been peering keenly over the rail at the whale-boat | now under the main chains, Clark colored and exchanged glances with his companions, “It was the Charles Tompkins,” boldly answered Wilkes. “The Charies Tompkins,” repeated the captain. “I have ever beard of any such vessel in the whaling service. How Happens it that your boat has the name ‘ SourwHamprTon,’ painted upon the gunwale—eh ?” s The convicts betrayed some confusion until Wilkes made ~ che following reply : “The boat is one we picked up, some time before we were wrecked.” “Wasn't there a young man in it—a middling-sized, com _ pactly-built young man with blue eyes?” inquired rr Cap tain, “‘ broad shouldered, and wearing—” % f Conmiclooks. <~onn