Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

38 IVAN THE rope ladder from the balcony to the garden, You know the rest ?” Core C6 C0 pi ~ So saying the old man departed and boldly advanced to- Wards the soldiers, who, in heavy coats and with shining bayonets, guarded the palace gates, and, having shown them the pass, signed by the king himself, the officer conducted him to a small private door, through which he entered the royal dwelling. The other dark conspirators hid themselves, and, ere long, a soft, low whistle was heard from the other side of the wall, and a small pellet of paper was thrown across it, “Tis well; he has succeeded; here is the royal pass,” said one, picking up the small paper pellet which had been wrapped round a pebble, This will admit the girl,” he said to the others, “‘and we, you know, can easily admit ourselves. Ha, ha!” _ §$o saying, he gave the pass to Leonora, and accompanied her to a different gate to that through which the old man had previously entered. : The guard halted them, examined the paper, and allowed them to enter, 1 They crossed the large, silent court-yard, and had ap- proached one of the doors, when an officer appeared and examined the royal pass again. ’ “But this does not admit vow,” said the officer, thrusting back the one who had accompanied Leonora. “T know it,” was the masked ruffian’s reply, ‘but, you know,” he said, in a whisper to the officer, “you know, I thought she might not wish to obey his most gracious majesty, and so I came thus far with her.” ~ “Yes, yes; oh, I see; twas well you did. You may now retire.” But, although he retired and left the palace as carelessly as he had come, yet Leonora’s heart beat wildly with excite- ment as she stood in the entrance hall, and would have dis- closed her fears to the officer, but she saw a dark shadow glide near, and her heart sank within her, for she knew it could be no other than the much dreaded Dreadnought who was dogging her footsteps even in the sacred precincts of the royal palace. | All at once this shadow disappeared, and had hidden from view just atthe moment that the king himself appeared, and, taking the maiden by the hand, led her up the long flight of staircase and iuto a private chamber, the window of which looked into the gardens below. . His majesty spoke many tender words to Leonora, but she was too much terrified to reply, for at every step she took in that very dimly-lit palace and along the long corridor she perceived the shadow of the much feared Dreadnought ael- vancing befcre her with noiseless, cat-like tread. Directly the king led her into his private chamber she heard the sounds of a long, low whistle that came from the garden |! The sounds, simple as they were, somewhat startled her, and her lips moved as if she was powerless to tell the king all she thought. “ Why turn so pale, my pretty ?” said his majesty, with much show of feeling, ‘‘ Nay, I pray you, turn not so pale, I mean ye not the slightest harm. Tell me, I pray you, the cause of your tremors and terrors?” Leonora was about to make some reply when the low whistling sound was heard again ; but this time it seemed to come from directly under the window of the room in which they were. “What is that?” said.the king, turning suddenly pale and drawing his sword, ‘Surely it cannot be that any of mine enemies surround me ?”’ “ Silence, or death |”? was the reply of some one ungeen, “What! death !” gasped the king, in genuine alarm, “Am I betrayed in my own palace?” Before he could utter another word a heavy hand seized him from behind, and disarmed him in an instant, It was Dreadnought the Sorcerer |! In a moment the window was raised and acouple of cloaked and masked men jumped into the room, king’s neck, when, with a groan of terror and anguish, I ‘ with all on board, and with no one more so than Darby the One placed a dagger at the king’s throat and said, in: hoarse whisper, a ‘‘ Be silent or die! Give-an alarm or breathe a word, and this steel penetrates your heart !” '. : ris «“ Oh ! for mercy’s sake, I beg—” gasped the king. ‘Silence !” was the hoarse and whispered reply. nfl The point of the dark villain’s dagger just pricked the =. VN" , , sank into a seat and looked like one who had suddenly lost his reason, ’ th” a # , - CHAPTER XX. Ue HARRY AND DARBY'S ESCAPE—DARBY HAS “A RATTLING MILL” WITH THE SHIP'S BULLY—HANS DYKE, WHO AND WHAT HE WAS—THE DREADFUL STORM AND SHIPWRUECK —THE POWDER-CAVE—HARRY AND DARBY GET OUD OF ONE MISFORTUNE TO FALL INTO ANOTHER, J THE noble conduct of Captain Blue Jacket im-aiding the escape of Harry Percy and his faithful man Darby was not forgotten or unappreciated by either of those young and ad- venturous heroes. . at Harry and Darby manfully pulled away at their oars, and, the tide being very favorable, they escaped down the river in the mists and fogs of night, and safely reached the vessel which Blue Jacket had spoken of. — (a When morning broke the sailors, with hearty good-will, heaved anchor, and, with many a merry laugh and jovial song, they unfurled sails, and the vessel stood ont to sea on its” voyage to Cornwall. 4 Harry Percy was known by name to the jolly captain, and, when he had narrated the whole of his adventures, and par- ticularly of his duel with famous Count Vincento, the brave old. captain slapped him heartily on the back, and swore roundly that he was a gallant boy and would one day greatly distinguish himself in the world, ‘ For, d’yer see, youngster,” he said, “this ’ere chap as you killed in the park was a great ruffian and belonged to a des. perate gang of black scoundrels which infests the coasts under the leadership of a black-hearted villain which goes by the name of Ivan the Terrible, and when these ’ere land-sharks ain't got nothing particular to do at-sea they turns highway- men, house-breakers and cut-throats in general, so I’ve heard, and, therefore, I says again, ’m right-down glad you did for one of ’em. But, as to Captain Blue Jacket and Handsome Ned and Red Jacket, and such-like gentlemen called the ‘Fly-by-Nights,’ why I’ve a great respect for the likes of them, ’cause why, you see, they are all perfect gentlemen, and don’t interfere with any one but the very rich, and, then, if they has anything to spare they don’t forget tolend a right good helping hand to the old and neédy.” er (oe Hatry Percy was particularly glad to hear such sentiments from the captain, and swore in his heart that although he had never heard of the ‘‘ Fly-by-Nights” before, and their brave Captain Blue Jacket, he would never forget their kindness to himself and Darby in their hour of need, but would repay them a thousand-fold for all the service they had received at their hands. 9 Whether the brave boy Harry Perey did redeem this promise to his gallant friend Captain Blue Jacket incidents of this story will soon reveal; suffice it to say that for several days the voyage towards Glenloch in Cornwall proceeded merrily groom, : As to that frolicsome, devil-may-cate gentleman, a8 might be expected, he made himself perfectly at Nome with all on board, and particularly so with the black cook and steward, who were called Brutus and Cesar. | 1. Oe With these ‘gentlemen of color’? he was quickly on friendly if not intimate terms, as might be judged from the fact that he was often seen drinking hot rum With the stewa 1 Ossar and enjoying a good smoking dinner on the sly with the grinning black cook Brutus. ? The sailors liked him because he could sing plenty of comi¢ songs and dance a hornpipe to great perfection, ie > Comichoo » com S