Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

206 IVAN THE enemy |’? at the same moment laying a hand on one of his pistols. ‘No, not your enemy, Blue-Jacket, if you will only do my bidding.”’ ‘‘ And what is that ?” “Why, lay still until the officers have secured all these bloody-stained villains, and then I will prove to you that I am the best friend you ever had.” Ah}? “Yes ; but know this much for the present, I am a _thief- taker.” ‘““T know it of old.” ‘And though I do take a good many of them, I let, others remain at large until they have fully served my purpose.” ‘‘ Served your purpose? What mean you 2” _ _ ‘Why, make my fortune to be sure, and then, when a par- ticular party has done all I wants him to do, I tells him to ‘close up business ;’ but if he don’t I nabs him, and afterwards hangs him,” ‘Then this is the last of the ‘ Red House ?’” ‘It is; it might not have been, however, but they played me false.” / ** Indeed !” ‘“ Yes; they took to killing instead of keeping to thieving, and what they stole they hid away for the most part, and wouldn’t share with me; so having now run their race they are sent to the gallows to be hung out to dry ; but hush-sh! I hear them ascending the stairs. They have secured the three ruffians, Don’t you hear them rumbling upstairs?” 4 ‘© Yes,” ‘‘ Ah! there they are.” The officers sure enough had found out where the Unknown had secured them in a deep cellar, and now led them forth into the front room in triumph with ropes tightly wound round their wrists. The old woman’s eyes first caught sight of her husband and his two accomplices and she uttered a loud scream, ‘Silence !”’ said the chief officer. “JT did not do it, I did not do it!” she said, loudly, never stained my hands in human blood; ’tis all a lie. did it, so did they.” ‘ Silence !” the officer said. are all professional murderers.” “No, no’; mercy! spare me!” gasped the woman, falling on her knees, and wringing her hands violently to and fro. ‘Silence, I say !” said the chief officer. ‘You are an old liar! Where is the young man who called here to-night ?” “A young man? What young man?” said all the rascals, ina breath, . “A young man ?” said the woman. “You must be mistaken, no such person has been here ; it is all a false report, we are all true, honest people, aye, fervent Christians.” “Fervent rogues and villains!” growled the officer, “ and if we had only suspected you before it would have been well ie Sel an unfortunate gentleman who has fallen into your ands.” ‘Oh, believe me, you are mistaken,” said the woman, wildly ; “we have never done any harm, Only let us be free— let us go, and we will assist you to find out what has become of this missing gentleman to-night.” e ‘Why, you lying old devil, you said just now that they did —your husband and the other two hang-dog-looking rascals, Come, come, your whining is of no avail now; ’tis not a bit of nee you might as well confess all, and make a clean breast of 10.” ‘Well, then, spare me, and I will,” said the old she-devil ; “Pll tell you all and tell you truly—the young gentleman was murdered! Zhey did it.” “ Hell-cat, you lie!’ said the husband, ina burst of furious passion. At the same moment he rushed at his wife and kicked her in the face with such violence that he broke all her teeth, and smothered her face in blood. . ‘‘ Away with them,” said the officer, in disgust, ‘ this is no place for confessions ; they’ll have plenty of time to do ali that where they are now going to, Come on, men, lead them forth ; away with them, and three of you remain behind ; we “T He “You are all of a kidney ; you TERRIBLE. must search every hole and corner of this place before we all leave.” * The three murderers were led forth from the house, followed by the wife, who had almost to be dragged along. ‘In a few moments two of the officers ascended the stairs to search the place, lanternin hand. = = ‘“‘ Shall we rip up the flooring ?” said one. “Yes ; but not yet.” x As they spoke, one of them lowered his lantern, and dis covered that two of the boards were loose. < He was within a foot of where the Ferret and Blue-Jacket lay concealed. : ‘Oh, I know what we’ll do,” said the other. ‘‘ What’s that ?” : “Tt will take too long to tear up the flooring, we will thrust our swords through the seams of the boards, and if they don’t pass through, then we may be sure there is concealed tréasure ~ there or something.” “A good plan.” ‘Then let us commence.” The two officers drew their swords, and prepared to thrust — them through the seams of the flooring, just above where the two bold men lay concealed. CHAPTER XCIX, INCIDENTS IN THE EARLY LIFE OF IVAN THE TERRIBLE, But while the exciting events now occurring between Ivan’s band and the London Apprentices absorbed much interest in the every day gossip of the times in which they took place, many persons asked, “Who is Ivan ?” “What is he?” ‘* Where does he come from ?”’ bd These questions, though uuanswered by the many, could | have been easily explained by Andy or others of his followers — who were most intimate with him, had they thought proper to do so. The first incident in his life which marked him ont as a desperate villain occurred on board one of the men-of-war in the service of King Charles II, Ivan was then a young man of tremendous strength, but of his past history few knew the smallest particular. He entered the navy, but for what purpose none could imagine, for he was not forced to do it from any stress of want or poverty. / Although a stranger, he was, by some mysterious agency, rated as midshipman on the books. Father or mother he had none, yet that he had powerful friends somewhere was evident from the fact that he never was in want of funds, but always had morethan sufficient for his wants, * With this bountiful and never-ending supply of cash, he treated the sailors with a lavish hand ; but particularly a score or more of rough-handed, conscienceless scapegraces, who looked upon him as a demi-god, and would have followed him to the devil had he bade them. While the ship of war was out cruizing in the Atlantic, they fell in with a merchantman that carried the enemy’s flag. It was a Dutch ship, and was returning from the Hast - Indies, very heavily laden with a costly cargo of silks and other — things of value. | The frigate made her a prize, The Dutch crew were transferred to the frigate, and a lieu- tenant, with twenty pressed men, were put on board to nayi- gate her to England, These men included nearly all of Ivan’s particular favourites, aud, as he thought the present opportunity was a favourable one for carrying out his own dark designs, he asked permis- sion to go with the lieutenant as second officer in the Dutc prize, Ce COMIGIOOKS, com