Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE “Two hours,” Nat thought, and immediately commenced to work, _ He lit his dark lantern and examined the locks of his prison door, , They were on the outside, and firmly bolted. Nat was just on the point of beginning to work upon the plaster and stone-work when he heard some one breathin g very hard through the key hole. . Nat started back in alarm. ‘They haven’t got wind of it, surely 7” he thought, He listened to the hard suppressed breathing. “Friend?” whispered Nat, “No,” was the response, _ Nat bit his*lip with vexatién, and almost made the blood come. ; ' ‘“Who are you?” whispered Nat, “ Nobody,” was the response, ‘What do you want?” “ What do you want ?” was the answer. _. “To get out, to be sure,” said Nat; “leastways, if I can a . a honestly without breaking more than one or two eads,”’ The person, whoever it was, chuckled through the key hole, and whispered, 6c Nat.” ‘© Well 2” You know what JZ want?” “What's that ?” iT; Money.” “For what ?” ** Silence.” “Oh, now I understand you, my most mysterious friend ; and how much will keep you quiet ?”’ : * Anything you like to give. “But I hayen’t got a farthing, onmy word. They’ye taken all I had.” “But you can owe it.” _ “ Jest so ; but you ain’t the sort to trust.” “ Yes I am, if you promise.” “How much.” “Five hundred, and no questions asked.” Jest so.” “Well, it’s a bargain. In five minutes try the door,” “All right,” said Nat; ‘“ but who the devil can it be I wonder ?” : } _He waited five minutes, and then. tried his cell-door, It was unlocked and unbarred. Nat at first thought he must be dreaming, but when he opened his cell door, and felt the cold air blow in his face he was satisfied that it was all reality, and that some mysterious person must have liberated him. In his stocking feet, and with the crow-bar in his hand, Nat Fathom crept along the ‘stone passages towards the door which admitted into the court-yard. He was very cautious not to be perceived, and as he was about to enter the court-yard through this door, he was startled to hear the same mysterious voice say, - . “Don/t forget the girl, if you are a man, Nat,” Fathom felt the blood tingle on his cheek, and breathed. “ Don’t forget the girl?” he,mused, “Qh! now I under- stand ; but how am I to get at her ?”’ _ The night was quite dark, so that Nat very easily crept into the court-yard, and by sidling along the wall he came directly under the governor’s house. | “Now I am safe,” he thought, -“ ‘The governor’s house forms an angle with the wall ; if I can only get up into one of the old-fashioned balconies, I must trust to luck for the rest.” “ hile he thus thought, a coarse hatsh voice said close to ‘“ Who are you? Stand there !” Ort Nat was almost horrified to find himself so close to one he did not know. | | | | “Who and what are you?” said the voice again, In an instatit Nat Fathom perceived that it was one of the prison-guards going his rounds. | There was no time to be lost. Every second was of importance, a wo - TERRIBLE. 155 With the agility of a wild pawther he jumped upon the guard, and with one blow of his iron bar felled the man to the earth, stunned, but not killed, While he leaned over his victim the prison clock struck twelve. The time had passed he knew not how, but so quickl y' thet he could scarce believe his senses, At that moment he heard Sharkey’s well-known whistle. “Tis he,” thought Nat. .“ True as steel, and punctual to a minute ; all is right.” He raised his head, and looking upward he saw the figure of a pale, fair girl in one of the balconies, “That must be the wench I was told about,” thought he, “T wonder if she has seen all ?” “ Who are you 2” Nat said, half aloud, ‘Haye you seen all 2” ‘“*T have.” “Who and what are you, a.friend or enemy? quickly, I am a desperate man.” “Iam a prisoner here,” said the girl,in accents of deep distress, “Can you save me?” “Can I? Yes, my girl, andI will,” replied Nat, firmly clutching his iron bar. Without more words he clambered into the balcony like a cal. ; “Now let me see the man who will dare harm you,” said Nat, kissing the half-astonished girl. “But how can we escape ; the doors are fastened on the outside ?”’ Nat Fathom at once tried the lock with more violence than prudence, but it resisted all his efforts. ‘‘ Then we must go by the way I came,” said Nat, glancing at the window. ‘I fear I cannot,” replied Leonora, for it was she. “You must,” said Nat, grinning. : He then tore several long strips from the carpet of her room, which he joined together till he had sufficient length to reach the ground outside the walls. Fastening the extemsore rope round her waist -he first lowered her in safety to the garden of the house outside the walls, and*then leaped partly to the ground, swinging him- self by the carpet rope. . The noise he made, although but slight, gave the alarm,to the guards within the walls. Lights were now seen moving in the room they had so recently quitted. A man whose features Nat Fathom could not discern peered forth from the window, and at once perceived the method by which the fair prisoner had escaped. “ A rescue !—arescue !” he shouted, “ Below there, cuards, ho! The prisoner has escaped |” The two fugitives hurried as swiftly as possible across the dark garden, and gained the gate, But ere they could unfasten it the door of the house opened, and a party of men rushed towards them, sword in hand, and with torches. , One outstripped all the others, and in a few seconds had nearly reached the runaways. “Rascal! what are you doing here?” he exclaimed aloud in fiery wrath. * Hloping witha lady,” replied Nat, coolly. Seeing that Nat Fathom was not 4 man easily. daunted, the pursuer drew his sword, and made a desperate lunge at him, Nat tripped up one of his pursuers, and secured his sword that fell to the ground. | The heavy coat he wore saved Nat from the treacherous blow. “ Ah ! cowardly scoundrel !” he cried, springing furiously at the would-be assassin, “ you have failed, and that failure signs your own death-warrant.”’ is own sword leaped from its scabbard as he spoke, its point directed towards his foe. The fight was short though ferce, In less than five seconds the man Jay bleeding on the ground, By this time other men had reached the spot. De OmiGDOOksdGom Speak