Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

98 IVAN THE you to consider the peace of the county. Now, don’t, don't, I beg of you.” “ Now, sir,’ said the hangman. ‘‘ Hear him !” yelled the people. ‘“ Let us hear what he has got tosay. Hear him !” The commotion now gradually rising, was fearful to behold ! The rage of the assemblage alarmed the hangman as he now crouched at the feet of Will, ready to perform his office. Will shook off the odious grasp of his filthy and dreadful hands, The sheriff shook so much that he could geareely hold the immense official watch in his hand, and then as Will Winter held up his right hand which he had dexterously drawn through the cords that had bound him, and commanded silence, a momentary shudder came oyer the multitude, and then all was silent. “T have very little to say; but that little, for the sake of those loved ones I leave behind, I feel I ought not to leave unsaid,” ‘‘ Hear him | hear him |” , ‘“‘ What shall Ido ?” said the sheriff. ‘ Be quiet |” “T am here to meet a shameful death in the sight of thousands, many who know me, for an offence that I neyer eyen thought of, Iam truly innocent. The legacy I leaveto those I love is justice, not vengeance: I pray the time may come when my innocence will be proved.” ‘Now, now,” said the sheriff to Scroggins. ““T am ready, sir," said the alarmed hangman, and his hand dropped to his side, ‘Save him, save him \”? “There, I told yeu,” said the sheriff, “ what it would be.” “Tt could not be helped,” said the governor, “God help us all if he is innocent |” “T die for the alleged murder of Michael the clothworkeg, my beloyed eld master,’ said Will Winter, brayely, “but I loved him; I neyer lifted my hand against him, so help*me Heaven !”’ The sky got darker and the wind was still,and rain now began to fall in large drops, The armed escort had their duty to do so far in preventing the people from pressing ont fhe scaffold, which the otherwise would have done and torn it down. | A couple of speatmen now appeared upon the platfoym, fo the sheriff Was quite unneryed, and the executioner cee trembling excessively in every limb, ‘“‘Come,” they said to Will Winter ; one taking his right arm and the other his left, they tied his wrists and then led him beneath the gallows, © The hang man then approached te do hig hideous office, The sheriff looked about him nervously, ‘‘The elergyman! Don’t hang him yet; let him speak to the clergyman, Where ishe? Where has he gone?” shouted the crowd, new flourishing all kinds of clubs and deadly weapons. “ Where is the clergyman ?” the sheriff gasped. “ He has fainted in the cart,’ said one of the spearmen. “Dear me, it is not right of him to do such a thing just now. What shall we do?” “J am here !” said the clergyman, tottering up to the steps of the platform. “ Well, my dear sir, do say the prayers, and let us get this job over.” ‘6QOh, heaven! Is there no hope?” the pious man sighed. “No what? No rope?” growled the sheriff, in alarm, ‘“‘ Hope, sir. I said hope.” “No, all we have to do is our duty. Now, sir, if you please. I want this job over.” The clergyman fell upon his knees on the scaffold and peat his breast. “Just Heaven,” he cried, ‘acquit me of any part in this great iniquity |” “Amen |” gasped the affrighted sheriff. be quick.” The rope was adjusted around the neck of Will Winter. Any one now might haye heard his heart beat, so still did the mob become. | i him |” eried the people. ‘Don’t hang ‘Come, Scroggins, TERRIBLE. One voice only called out, : “Thy shall not do it |” and that voice seemed to havefallen like a spark of hope upon every breast. The horror, however, of the scene appeared as though it had deprived all present of the power to interefere by word or action. ‘‘ Are you ready ?” ‘‘ Yes, sir,” said the hangman, to go underneath it to pull off the shifting board. “Tpnocent! innocent |!” shouted Will, as, getting one hand free, he pulled the night-cap from his face and cast it at his feet, ‘‘I am innocent !” : “Now, Scroggins, if you please. Amen! Yes, good day— I mean, now for it,” said the sheriff, more dead than alive, “Yes, sir.” 3 The clergyman made @ dart forward jto catch Will Winter from falling through the hole of the scaffold, but he ran against the sheriff, and they both fell headlong among the ex- cited crowd, x, The scene that now ensued baffles all deseription. said the sheriff. as he dropped off the scaffold OF et PO Se CHAPTER L. THE ATTEMPTED RESCUE OF WILL WINTER — SUDDEN APPEARANGE @F IVAN AND HIS BAND-—DESPERATE ENCOUNTER AT THE SCAFFOLD. THE scene of confgsion that ensued among the excited erowd waa indescribable, ‘Rescue! rescue!” cried a hundred angry voices, "Gut the rope! Cut the rope!” = * Down with the gallows is : The hangman, fearful of being seized and murdered by the angry mob, hid himself under the platform of the gallows, through which Will Winter's legs were now seen hanging. ‘Pull him down ! pull his legs, I tell ye, fgol |” said the voice of a ruffian, who, by some mysterious means, had alsq ~ secreted himself there. “Tf I do, they will slay me.” ‘Never mind that; do as I tell you.” 3 ‘Oh, but I de mind,” the hangman replied, trembling in every limb. “If my life is nothing to you, it is a great desl, to do with me, I can tell you. Who are you, pray? and how came you concealed under the platform of the scaffold?” “It matters not,” growled the ruffiap, “ Would you let the young rascal escape, then? Don’t you hear the noise and commotion of the rabble? They will tear the scaffold down in a moment.” <i “So it seems, The Lord have mercy on us! but these Appreptices are great rogues. If they do but raise their cry of | Prentiss and Clubs” it ie all over with us. ‘Then pull his legs, I tell you, and finish him. Don’t you see how he is struggling? In another moment they will cut him down.” ‘Then do it yourself, whoever you are,” said the hangman, “for it appears to me you are not braver than anybody else, or you wouldn’t conceal yourself thus from the excited and riotous mob.” | “Out of the way, fool,” said the ruffian, administering a violent blow to the hangman that knocked him senseless to the ground, ‘out of the way, dolt. JZ have conyicted him, and he must die, come what may.” _ It was Tyan himself | , In an instant he approached the legs of the hanging youth, and violently tugged at them, pulling them down with all his strength. + “There, that will do, I think,” he muttered, in a hoarse laugh, ‘“ ‘They may rescue him now as much as they please ; but his neck is broken, or I’m the greatest liar living.” At the moment that Ivan had’ pulled Will Winter’s legs, however, in hopes of breaking his neck, a strange and ex- oe oEt ee roe place among the mob. NS veral persons fought their way through the soldier. ; mounted the scaffold sword and pistol in hand: ae n. | saute were Harry Percy, arhy the groom, and Blues comicbooks ° . com