Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 242: what you’re looking at

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

238 While they were talking thus a horseman was heard ap- proaching. “Who can it be?” said Allan. “The postman, perhaps.” ‘‘ Not him ; it is too late for him to call.” “ House, ho! hillo, within there!” shouted a rough voice at the door. + Maberly immediately rose, and went to meet the stranger, ‘ Hillo, Maberly, is that you? Is Allan or any of ’em in the house ?” “Yes; get off your horse, and turn him into the yard ; he’ll find his way into the stable fast enough.” The rider did as Maberly told him, and soon found himself in the parlour among his friends, ‘““What brings you down here in such a hurry?” Allan asked, “ Anything up?” another inquired. “What news ?” asked a third. ‘Give me a drop of brandy, and I'll soon tell you.”’ “You look pale.” , ‘And so would you had you undergone the fatigue which I have.” “ Why, what makes you look so angry?” ‘‘ Bad news.” * Bad news ?” said all. “Yes, very bad news.” ‘What is it?” “Why, the persons Morton so much desired to secure and keep in town have escaped.” “ Indeed |” “Yes; Ivan was informed of it upon the instant and sent me down here to warn you to be on strict watch,” “The persons Morton so much desired to secure,” said Maberly ; “ who can they be to be sure?” é! ‘Why, young Percy, and his sweetheart, Miss Ashton.” ‘Ob! now I understand,” said the publican, coughing. “Then what had we better we do?” Allan asked, “Do? why distribute ourselves over the country, and watch the main road.” “But, do you know whether they have taken this road or not?” Maberly asked, in a doubtful tone, “ Not a doubt of it.” “Have you any proof ?” “We have traced them, I think, as far as the cross roads, but then I got befogged and lost all scent of them.” “How did they manage to escape Morton's vigilance ?” “ That I don’t know, nor did I enquire ; all I know is that word was sent to the Forge that they had eluded all Morton’s vigilance, and that they fled together on horseback,” *« Any one else with them ?” Maberly asked. “Yes; thatd ——d groom, Darby, as usual, is with young Percy. “‘ How much does Morton offer to give if we get the girl ?” “Five hundred pounds.” ‘‘That’s a very large sum, and would tempt’any man to do his best to capture her,” “ So it is.” “ And now I come to think of it,’ said Maberly, with a dry cough and a knowing wink, “JZ thinks I knows where they anel”? A cold sweat oozed from the brow both of Harry and Darby as they heard this. “Oh, the villain, he is going to betray us!” said Darby ; “let us fight for our lives, and escape.” ‘*Be quiet, or we are lost,” gasped Harry, in breathless excitement, “You think you know ?” said Allan. “Yes, I do, I’m sure on it ; but five hundied pounds is not enough, I think, considering how dearly Morton and t’others want to get possession of the heiress.” Hi Well, I dare say he’d give more, for all one knows,” said an, “We'll share and share alike,” another grunted. ‘‘ Aye, let’s have fair play in this affair, for we are all in it,” “Well, where are they?” ‘Not a hundred miles from here} they were on horseback, warn’t they ?” IVAN THE TERRIBLE, ** Yes,” “The girl on a grey ?” ‘© Yes.” ‘“‘The groom on a chestnut ?” Srey “Yes; that agrees with the description. ; r “And young Percy rode a splendid black ? “ Just so; those are the three horses which Morton says ar missing from the earl’s stables.” “Well, I knows where they are.” “ Where?” 2 “They are hiding themselves.” , ‘* Where ?”’ “Tn an old room not far from here,” Le “ What !| in this house?” said all, in a breath, rising. . For a single moment Maberly paused in his reply, and a malicious smile was upon his face as he calmly replied, ‘No! not here; they passed this house about two hours since, when all the lads were asleep, and I heard them agreeing among themselves to stop for the night at old Scare- crow’s place, the sign of the ‘Three Cranes,’ ” “What, at the old miser’s house ?” * Just so.” “ Then let us away at once and secure them.” “ Just so; and while you ae there,” said old Maberly with a broad grin, “ you might as well give his tumble-down place aregular good overhauling ; there are plenty of secret places in and out that old house, and he has no end of money hidden away, so they tell me,” The thought of discovering large sums of money at the miser’:, beside securing Miss Ashton, operated like a charm upon the Forgers, who hurried out of the house, and went down the road at full speed. ; “Don't forget my share,”.old Maberly shouted after them, “Come, lads, now’s your time,’”’ said the old publican, liberating Darby and Harry from their place of concealment. Both of them looked pale and excited. : “It was a pretty good joke I had with them, wasn’t it?” said Maberly. a“ «“'Y.e-e-s,” answered Darby, with a faint attempt at a smile. It was apparent, though, from the clenched fist of -the groom, that he would liked to have knocked him down. “Come, drink some of this brandy, my lads,” said Maberly ; “nut a bottle in your pocket, it will help you along the road.” ‘‘ But I thought you were going to provide a carriage?” “So Tam, and a dinner also, but not for you two young men; you must ride your horses ; come, quick, they are ready saddled for you in the yard,” “ And the carriage ?” “T have screened under the shadow of a large old barn down the road. Come, jump into your saddles, and follow me.” Harry and Darby did as they were told. Maberly went up stairs, and brought down Lizzie, who awas refreshed, and wrapped up ready for her journey, Maberly took her up in his arms like a baby, and took a short cut across the fields, a P He asked Harry and Darby to go by the road, and meet him at the old barn, but neither of them would, They leaped their horses, and went across the fields also. In avery short time the fields were crossed, and the old barn was reached. A small comfortable travelling carriage was in waiting. “T borrowed this,” said Maberly, “ or, rather, I took it with- out leave for an hour or two, from Lord Mountjoy’s stable, near by. - I'll return it within three or four hours, and he'll be none the wiser; if I hadn’t bribed the coachman, the blessed dogs would have pulled me all to pieces.” With much care and tenderness, he placed Miss Ashton in the vehicle, and jumped on the box. “Now, my lads,” said he, in a half whisper, “ I don't know as how we shal/ or shan’t have a fight on the road, but, in case we have, I’ve got three swords and as many pistols under the box seat, so let.each on ye take one, and ride beside the carriage door. Are you ready ?” All right.” Eomichooks.com