Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 201: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE TERRIBLE. in silence, pulling his hat over his brows, and muffling his cloak round him. Ivan’s boat shot out into the stream, and glided away easily, but scarcely had it emerged from the shadows of the dark stairs when the constable at the top of the steps shouted aloud. “Boat | boat ahoy! Quick, here !”’ “Hoy there! first boat for me !” cried anether voice, which was none other than young Mark Maberly’s. He and the officer at the same moment approached the water's edge. The two looked at each other for a moment, and the bold youth felt quite certain he should always be able to recognise the features of the villanous-looking constable, who stood at his elbow, for it was an exceedingly ugly face, the lines im- printed by nature being crossed and intersected by the seams and marks of many wounds received in personal encounters with the notorious Forgers. ‘Here you are, sir,” said a waterman. “Forme? That boat’s for me !’’ said Mark hastily. “Beg your pardon, young fellow, it’s for me!” cried the officer, annoyed. Young Maberly turned, and said, in a firm voice, and with an offended manner, “Sir, whoever you are, I will not allow you to bully or in- terfere with me, apprentice as I am. #m determined to have the first.” “We'll see, my young snipe,” the constable said, con- temptuously, Without waiting to hear more the youth leaped into the boat, and not wishing the ugly officer to hear where he wished to go, said, 8 “ Pull out into the river.” The boatman obeyed, and pushed off, while the angry officer exclaimed, “Just you wait till we meet again, you young imp of the devil, we’ll see if you can fight as well as jump.” “Go along home,” said the waterman, laughing, ‘‘ and tell yer mother to take better care 0’ yer.”’ The man felt bound to espouse the quarrel of his fare, and would have done so even had blows been the result. “Do you know who he is?” demanded young Mark, grin- ning, ‘Well, sir, he’s a rum kind of a sneaking cove, always a prying into other folk’s business.” “Do you see that boat ahead ?’ Yes; sir.” “Very good; I want to followit. You shall have double fare if you keep it in sight without seeming to do so inten- tionally.” “ All right, your honour,” replied the boatman, and forth- I called a boat first, and with he gave a long shrill whistle. . “You will alarm them,” said Mark. “No fear, sir; it’s Ben’s apprentice boy pulling, and he knows what that means. So does the other boy, who won’t bring along your ugly friend quite in so much hurry after he hears that signal,” “My friend ?” said Mark, laughing. “ Aye, sir; the ugly cove,” Young Maberly looked behind him and beheld another boat in the stern of which sat the man with whom he had so nearly quarrelled. Who or what the strange man was, who seemed equally de- termined with himself not to lose sight of Ivan, Mark Maberly could not imagine, but he resolved to allow no obstacles to stand betweem him and his great effort to discover, and, if possible, secure Ivan in his hiding-place. “ Now, understand me, waterman,” he continued, “I wish — to follow that boat ahead of us, so as to see where it lands its passenger without being seen myself. My object is an honest one, and I shall leave it to you to accomplish.” “T tell you, young master, the best way to follow a boat is to go on ahead.” ‘ ‘ “ That is rather a strange method, certainly, waterman. “ You see if you wants to find out where they are going, all we has to do is to keep on ahead till they puts into some stairs, then they won’t suspect anything,” 197 ““A very good plan; but the man behind knows me by sight, I think,” said Mark, * Does he, sir, then the best plan will be for you to put on my old jacket and cap, and I'll be hanged if your own mother would know you then.” “Very good. Row easy for a minute while I change,” The boatman allowed his wherry to drift among some barges, Beneath ‘their shadow the change of costume was speedily effected, with the result of making the waterman stare when he beheld the altered appearance of his young customer. It certainly would have puzzled any one but a person well acquainted with the youth to have recognised him in his strange disguise, | “Well I never!” exclaimed the man, after a hearty stare. ‘* We shall never catch them, waterman, unless you make haste. I don’t wish to lose sight of him.” “Tll be alongside in five minutes, youngster. there goes your precious ugly friend.” The boat containing the officer shot past during the latter part of the waterman’s speech, and Mark was now lost in the chase, to his great disgust. This state of things did not last long, for after a glance to see the relative positions of the boats, the waterman bent to his oars-with such strength and determination that his light boat shot through the water with amazing velocity. At each stroke the wherry seemed to jump forward several, ards. me I said I’d overtake ’em, and now you shall see me pass ’em in good style. I won this ’ere boat on the Thames, so I fancy I can row a little, youngster.” In another moment they were alongside the boat in which the constable sat. He immediately cried out, to the great amusement of the waterman, ** Hullo there ! apprentice ?” ‘‘ What him with the long hair?” eNes:? “Do you want to know where I put him ashore ?” “Ofcourse Ido! Fool!” “Then go and find out.” The man began to get very angry, as was evident from his next words. “T tell you what, my man, if I wasn’t busy I’d just take you before your betters.”’ ; “They are no acquaintances of yowrs, I should think,” replied the boatman. “ Do you see this?” roared the infuriated man, drawing his official truncheon from his pocket. “Do you see this?” replied the waterman, putting his thumb to the tip of his nose. Then pulling away with great vigour, he quickly left the enraged official far behind. When they were out of hearing he turned to his fare and said, ‘© You see, sir, he didn’t know you.” ; “No; but you can get to the other boat now as quickly as you please.” ne As they passed Ivan’s boat the fugitive was heard to say to his boatman, ‘Now I think of it, you can put me ashore here.” With his hand he indicated a dark flight of stairs leading up to the neighbourhood of the Forge. The man, or~-rather youth, urged the boat towards the spot, and, after paying liberally, Ivan, feeling somewhat feeble, began to ascend the steps with caution, for they were worn and slippery. é : Young Maberly’s boatman, after resting on his oars for a few moments, followed, while the youth stood ready to throw of his disguise the moment he could leap ashore. The astonishment of the few watermen who were lounging about was great when they saw the young man emerge from beneath the boatman’s hat and coat. © ‘Who the devil is that ?” said one. - “That's just who it isle) /MG OOO 4ShCon) Halloo ! Where did you land that young scapegrace ~