Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 134: what you’re looking at

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130 IVAN THE agony, and again a mighty yell of voices arose, which made the windows rattle ! Then ibere was a scufile as at the bar of the house, and the door closed violently. Then the door of the room in*which they were was flung open, and young Harry Percy appeared, his face crimson with excitement and convulsed. He closed the door violently, and fastened two transverse bars, which served to secure it within. All this was the work of a moment. As soon as he had done it, he hurried to the centre of the room. 7 In his hand was a sword, dripping with blood ! “Have I friends here?’ he exclaimed, excitedly, ‘‘ beyond those whom I brought among you here to-night ? If I have one friend here, let him come forward to my aid! I have stood by many of you here to-night, who would not be living now but for my sword and a heart that never failed me. Ifyou are brave, as I think you are, you will stand by me now,” ““ What has aroused Ivan’s gang?—what has brought them out?” asked Red-Jacket, advancing. “Tt is easily explained. The scoundrel, Sir Humphrey, as you already know, would have made Jessie, my sister Laura’s maid, his property with violence, and against her will, She struggled from him, and got protection from my man Darby, - here ; you saw him turn the knight out, and for this he has called down all the the ‘Forge’ upon us. He has offered gold in plenty, and they are determined to slay all who are withme, They will not hear me, I have pinked three or four of them, and if you will stand by me, the sight of a little more blood will bring the rascals to their proper senses,” ‘T’m your man, Harry Percy,” Red-Jacket cried, elevating } his voice, The tumult increased outside, Violent groans, yells, shouts of vengeance filled the air, Missiles were flung through the windows, and most vigorous efforts were made to force the outer door of the - tavern, which, at length, yielded with a tremendous crash. ' A vast tramping of feet in the yard told of the great body of ruffians who were trying to effect an entrance. Every one in the apartment now drew his sword, prepared to meet the coming attack. Harry and hisfriends stood together in a body, Jessie being screened from view. The room door sustained by the cross bars bent and trem- bled from the immense pressure from without, Every instant it threatened to give way beneath the force employed to break it down. * ee At this moment Jessie rose from her seat and spoke. Her appearance, to the wonder of all who saw her, was bold and defiant, : ; She seemed fearfully excited. She ran up to Harry Percy and whispered a few words in his ear. Te nodded assent, sheathed his sword, and hastened to one side of the room, while Darby, coming to the side of Jessie, whispered rapidly, ‘‘ Give me your hand. The moment the lamps are blown out, and we are in darkness, follow where I lead.” They did so. They had hardly understood what he said when the two large lamps in the room by which it was lighted came down ‘with a crash to the ground. The lights were extinguished, and Darby plunged forward, leading Jessie by the hand, He was followed by the others, closely aitended by Red- Jacket, who had caused the destruction of the lamps, Tbey soon found themselves in a narrow passage, along which they proceeded a short distance, when the voice of Jessie was heard in a loud whisper, “Tfere are steps. Descend. Go first, Master Ilarry, and leaye me here. [ will rejpin you in a moment.” As Harry commenced to descend he heard the loud crash of the falling door, and the yell of the murderous ruffians as they burst into the room whiclhe and his companions had just quitted, He heard also the bolt of a massive lock shoot into its TERRIBLE. box, bolts drawn into their cases, and then, though still in profound darkness, ere he had ceased to descend, he felt the right hand of Jessie on his shoulder, and could feel by the warm fragrance of her breath that her face was near him. The ruffians, when they burst pell-mell into the Jong room, over the fragments of the fallen door, led by Sir Humphrey Greathead, found themselves in utter darkness. They were warned by the voices of many of their coin- panions to hold off, or prepare for a desperate conflict. — With murderous villains like these a wise discretion is not altogether discarded. DR ee They had no desire to slaughter friends and foes indiscrimi- nately, even though their blood was now boiling, and not over particular at other times. Finding, therefore, that the lamps were extinguished and their deadly purpose in the room was, for a moment, thwarted, they paused, and arranged themselves as they thronged into the apartment in such a manner as to receive an attack or commenee one, if circumstances were favourable, + There were loud shouts for lights, and three or four busy knayves rushed out of the house and obtained lighted torches, with which they returned and quitkly lit up the room. The door was guarded, and the lamps being discovered were relighted and raised to their places. } This was all the work of a few moments, while the more sanguinary ruffians made a strict search for the party they had determined to sacrifice, When the room was relighted the forms and habiliments of those who forced their way into the room bore a striking con- trast to those who had formerly been there in the earlier part of the evening. Those who had come hither to dance and enjoy themselves had taken some pains with their exterior. The influence of woman was plainly seen, for, lax as was the morality of both sexes who frequented this dog-hole of a place, they had their preferences. : The intruders, on the other hand, dirty, tattered, filthy- looking villains, whose long, uncombed, shaggy hair and rough beards, whose ragged garments, scarcely covering their bulky frames, emitting a rank, disgusting odour, not only betrayed them;to be the worst and most depraved classfrequenting this dance-house at the Forge, and formed also a powerful indi- ‘cation to the wretchedness of their position, making them the ready instruments for plunder or murder in the hands of one who could pay them well—one, indeed, no less than Sir Humphrey Greathead, the libertine and well-known duellist, But while Harry Percy with his friends are descending the secret staircase in hopes of escaping from the dog-hole in which © they were, and while the whole house is surrounded with a terrible rabble, let us go back and see in what mannerand how much Sir Humphrey Greathead, the libertine, had to do with raising it, which will enlighten us somewhat as to the working of the dreadful place called the Forge. CHAPTER LXVII, HOW SIR HUMPHREY GREATHEAD RAISED THE RUFFIANS IN THE FORGE, AND WHAT THEY DID, WHEN Darby nad so bravely aud boldly plucked his rival by the nose, and turned him out of the public-house into the street, he hurried down one of the long, dirty, narrow streets of the “ Forge,” and along through the’ filgh and slush, until he reached a ‘public- house. The sign-board that swung in the breeze, represented three merry fellows drinking flagons of wine, and was called ‘The Jovial Thieves.” Without takingany notice of sundry ugly, dirty, and gus- picious fellows loitering about the door, Sir Humphrey Great- — head entered. . Stepping up to the bar, he exchanged a few words witha very flashily-dressed barmaid, who was in attendance. . The barmaid admitted him within the bar, and pointed over her left shoulder towards a little room, from which yoices were heard issuing, “™ Sir Humphrey opened it. and entered a small room, almost Eomichooks;com