Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 200: what you’re looking at

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

196 IVAN THE ‘‘ Dominic give the sign, and listen that it be properly answered, We must be on the alert, for, from all I can hear, Jefferies and Sir Humphrey have sworn to arrest the Council of Ten by fair means or foul, and arraign us for high treason. It may be one of their spies.” ; “Spies ?” said all in a breath, with looks of anger and in- dignation. At the same moment they drew their knives and daggers, and clustered round the door. The knock was repeated more loudly than before. Dominic Dolio struck the table thrice, heavily and loudly. He at the door answered with six distinct blows on the pavement with his staff. “?Tig No. 6,” said Will Winter, “ask him if his news is of moment, if not he can wait until we have closed our sitting for there is business of the greatest importance yet before us undone.” Dominic now struck the table four times very slowly. It was answered by four very heavy and rapid blows on the pavement with his club. “Open,” said Will, changing colour, “his news is of moment; ’tis Mark Maberly outside, one of our best and most trusted messengers.” The door was instantly opened and Mark rushed in. He was but a mere youth, looked pale, and was breathless with haste. For a moment he could not speak, and, after bowing to the Council of Ten, he almost fell into a chair, so exhausted was he. “ What news, Mark?” asked Will, several times, without a reply. ‘“¢ [—Tvan ” Mark began, “Tvan, Mark, what mean ye?” asked several, in haste. “‘ He—he is——” “What? Speak on.” ‘“‘ Escaped |” “Escaped, say you, Maberly?” Will Winter remarked, sal at ‘Why your last report was that he was safely in aol !’’ “So I told you,” Mark returned, “and such was the truth two hours ago, but since that time he has escaped. He was visited by the old Sorcerer, and afterwards by a strange Perey in the garb of a lawyer, who was called Councillor ash.” ‘‘ How Enow you all this?” “T was on the watch as usual, and, so secretly did he escape, that until the gaol-guards went in pursuit, I knew it not.” “And what did you do?” Will asked. “‘T aroused all the apprentices I knew around the neigh- bourhood, and they began immediately to assist the officers.” “With what success ?” “The officers were as thick-headed as usual, and would have given up the hunt, for they feared to encounter the villain, but myself and other apprentices discovered that Ivan had been slightly wounded by a shot, and was then concealed in a low public-house.” ‘Did not the officers assist you ?” ‘“‘ By the time that we had discovered his whereabouts all the officers had departed. “© Well 2?” “We assailed the place, but at the first alarm the villain secretly fled.” “Did you not pursue him?” “We did, and kept him in sight until he reached one of the by-streets near the river, but there we got off the scent, and I ran hither with all haste to inform you.” “Mark, you did weil; but rest content, the river is well guarded,” ‘‘ Suppose we separate, and each go in search of the fiend ; we may yet arrest him ere he crosses the river and gains the Forge,” said several. ‘“A good suggestion, let us act upon it at once,” said Will Winter ; ‘‘for the present, then, let us separate. Make the most haste you can to the river side, but use great caution and prudence, for the streets and alley ways near the boat landings swarm with lvan’s followers. A hundred against TERRIBLE, ten are odds too heavy for us; we must capture the villain by stratagem, no force will do it.” — The council of the Apprentice chiefs shook hands and were about to separate. : jie ‘“ What shall be our pass-word to-night,” asked Dominic. “Tn honour of the youth who has acted so well his part as a, London Apprentice let the sign be ‘ Mark,’ and the counter- sign ‘ Maberly,’” said Will Winter, in a whisper that the ‘Messenger No. 6,’ did not catch or understand. “ Agreed,” said all unanimously. “Let each one guard a boat landing ; if Ivan dares show his face there the signal- whistle shall be sounded, and he is ours.” “ Well said,” Will remarked, “‘so now let let us away. All honour to him that captures the villain, he shall be placed high in the councils of the apprentices. Mark, good-night ; get you home; come to the council again to-morrow night, you are too young to encounter the dangers which the Council of Ten have agreed to face. Mark, good-night, you have the thanks of the council.” 2 , Will Winter and the other chiefs separated, each going away hurriedly in different directions, leaving young Maberly standing at the house-door, muttering to himself. “T have failed; Ivan has escaped me. Let me see, what was it our chief, Will Winter said? ‘ All honour to him who captures the villain, he shall be placed high in the councils of the apprentices’.” After a moment he said to himself, “Why should Z go home, and let them encounter perils alone? Am I too young and feeble to attack the villain? No! I will-not return home. I, too, will watch by one of the boat landings; the honors shall be mine, if I die in the attempt.” With these thoughts Mark Maberly darted off like a deer towards the river, CHAPTER XCIII. THE PURSUIT AFTER IVAN—THE YOUNG WATERMAN AND THE OFFICER, How Ivan escaped from prison we have seen in a previous chapter. The manner of his eluding the officers and apprentices who went in pursuit has been described in young Mark Maberly’s own words, Wounded as he was, Ivan rushed through the dark streets, and was soon lost sight of in a narrow lane not far from the Thames. Therefore, hugging himself in the idea that his visit te that dangerous rookery had produced the desired effect upon his pursuers, and that he had effected his escape successfully, Ivan, bleeding from his wound, passed on through the filthy lane till he reached the river side, some distance above old London Bridge, He then paused a few moments, in doubt what step to take next, and drew back into the shadow of some dilapidated dwelling houses that fringed the water. In this he was imitated by the two watchers, who, unknown to each other, had dogged his steps. One of the constables had not for a moment lost sight of his man from the time he left the public-house, for he knew thera was a large reward for him. Ivan, however, did not long keep the two watchers in sus- pense, 3 ‘ He determined to proceed to the ‘‘ Forge ’’ by his favourite method, a boat, as that gave him the nearest approach to a certainty of not being followed. Accordingly, walking down a rough flight of stairs to the river side, he Jumped into a small boat in which a boy was lying asleep. He shook the lad roughly by the arm, and, when he gazed up in some alarm, said, “Row me to the stairs at the ‘ Forge.’” Re: All right, master,” replied the youth, beginning to unmoor the boat.