Page:History of Jack and the giants (1).pdf/17

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JACK AND THE GIANTS.
17

How Jack searched their cave, and delivered many men out of captivity

JACK having thus dispatched these two monsters, resolved with himself to eater the cave to search of these giants treasure; he passed along thro' many turnings and windings, which led him at length to a room paved with freestone, at the upper end of which was a boiling caldron; then on the right hand stood a large table, whereat he supposed the giants used to dine: then he came to the iron gate, through which he looked, and there beheld vast many miserable captives who seeing Jack at distance, cried out with a loud voice. a(illegible text)! young man, art thou come to be one among us in this miserable den? Ay, quoth Jack, I hope I shall not tarry long here: but pray tell me what is the meaning of your captivity? Why, said one, of them, I'll tell you we are persons that have been taken by the giants that keep this cave, and here we kept till such time as they have occasion for a particular feast, and then the fattest among us is slaughtered, and prepared for their devouring jaws; it is not long since they took three of us for the same purpose; nay many are the times they've dined on murdered men. Say you so quoth Jack, well, I have given them both such a dinner that it will be long enough ere they have occasion for any more The miserable captives were amazed at these words; you may believe me quoth Jack, for I have slain them with the point of my sword and as for their monstrous heads, I sent them into the court of King Arthur, as a trophies of my unparalleled victory: And in testimony of the truth of what he had said; he unlocked the iron gate, setting the miserable captive at liberty, who all rejoiced like condemned male-factors at