Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

9 | IVAN THE TERRIBLE. It was a conflict between two deadly enemies—a duel in the dark! Two travellers, hoth unattended, had arrived at the “ Green Dragon” during the evening. ‘ They did not come together; one came at seven, and the other at nine o'clock, and each, after partaking of refresh- ments,- had been shown to his bed-chamber and retired to rest. ‘Their rooms were far apart, although on the same floor ; a very large ante-chamber, damp, unspeakably dark and empty, divided them, and served as a common entrance into both apartments. A man, scarce distinguishable in the darkness, issued silently from one of the chambers, and groping his way to the door of the ante-room, which opened on to the landing, carefully closed and locked it. He was in his night clothes, and crept on his hands and knees, A dagger was tightly clenched between his teeth | He listened ! “Now is the moment for revenge !” hé whispered to him- self. ‘Fhis poison-tipped weapon shall pierce his vile heart ! I have tracked him long, and now he is mine! Yes, mine! dead or alive |” ile peered through the darkness, and stealthily approached the door of the opposite chamber. Ee gently turned the handle. It was locked. He probed for the key, and thought to turn if im the lock with a very-small but powerful pair of pincers, but the key had been removed. ~ He crept back to his room, and shortly returned with a skeleton key. Tle peeped into the keyhole. A. fierce, fiery, and tiger-like eye met his own, He could distinctly hear heavy, suppressed, and painful breathing within the chamber as of spme wild and ferocious ; animal. The fierce and fiery eye seemed to ehill his very marrow. At that moment a tremendous clap of thunder crashed over the old inn, and shook it to its very foundation. With the dagger still between his teeth, he crept like a eat towards his own room, the door of which he had left open to enable him to see how to unlock the apartment of his victim, A flash at this mpment lit up the whole place, and then the | darkness seemed more profound ; but the momentary light showed him that the door of his own chamber was Closed. He felt as if he had been watched. Something, whether mortal or immortal, was near him, but: who, or what, or where he knew not. Upon his hands and knees, he made a complete circle arcund him with bis dagger, but its point met with no resis- tance. He moved hither and thither, but with the same result. His arm passed rapidly throngh the air in every direction, but the space appeared vacant. ' “Tis only imagination,” he thought; yet a cold, clammy moisture stood on his brow. His. breathing became oppressive, and a feeling of horror seemed to harrow up his very soul, - He listened, <A slight, soft and repressed sigh was heard, He turned, and two fiery eyes met his gaze. He crouched still lower like a panther when about to bound upon its prey. He was face to face with some unseen, unknown, but deadly enemy. "Twas now a question of life or death, for he could plainly hear the hard breathing of his foe, But the eyes had disap- ‘peared, Tt was no time for thought, he must take immediate action. “If [ do but only prick him with the point of this poisoned dagger he dies!” was his thought, . He crept inch by inch to where he fancied his foe must be, and. struck a fierce blow, but his dagger’s point entered on the hard floor, He crept from corner to corner but saw not the fiery, fearful eyes, but as he was about to re-enter the chamber he saw them again. ‘ He rose to his feet, and bounded towards them dagger in hand, but in the darkness a piece of furniture caught his foot and he stumbled. In an instant the deadly dagger was wrenched from him. He was grasped by the throat with a vice-like grip, and a struggle ensued that was fearful, awfal, deadly. One or both must die | eS Though violently struggling, and twisting and twining in their deadly embrace, they rolled about upon the floor without the slightest noise or uproar, for both were in their stockinged feet. No words were spoken, but the hard breathing of both told too well how herculean and desperate were their efforts. The longer the struggle lasted the more fierce and terrible shone the fiery eyes, They glared in the darkness ike burning coals; ‘then they suddenly flashed with devil-like brilliancy. , An arm is upraised! There is a stifled shriek—a heavy fall —and the struggle is over! ; The poisoned dagger had pierced the heart of its owner ! His body lies upon the floor without a moan or groan. “Ha, ha! Goutril! you sought your fate, and have met it !” hissed the voice of him whose red, flashing eyes seemed to gloat over the gory corpse at his feet. So you could not rest in France, eh, but you must follow me to my native land, Ha, ha! the biter bit! There you lay, my fine gentleman, and when I choose to honour France with a flying visit again I think Monsieur Goutril or his spies and detectives will never molest me again.” 3 So saying, he leamed over the body, and felt his viclin’s heart. “Dead as a door-nail!’ he said, with a low, chuckling laugh. “ J never miss! Wt matters little what weapon I use, ~ by night or day, my arm is true,” ‘ ‘‘My aim is true !” xe-echoed a sepulchral voice. CHAPTER II. / PHE BOND OF BLOOD—IVAN THE TERRIBLE SELLS HIMSELF BOTH BODY AND SOUL--THE MAGICIANS FATAL POWER —THE HAUNTED CAVERN, “ Tx villain stood in the dark chamber, and stared about ‘ee with the fierceness and ferocity of a tiger. “What voice was that I heard?” he half whispered to himself, “The voice of Dreadnought.” . : : “Dreadnought?” asked the villain, “What brings thee here ?” “Dost tremble, then? ’Tis not the, first time we have met.” “Tremble! No, not 1; I tremble at nothing,” the dark villain said, with scorn, “Dost know the year, the week, the day ?” asked the unseen, unknown speaker, in a hoarse whisper. ‘Yes, the day and the hour !” was the fierce, hissing, sound- ing retort. ‘Then, art thou ready for the compact ?” ‘The bond of blood ?” “Yes? “Tam.” “Then follow me.” ‘‘ What, through the assembled company below ?” “No, down the back stairs, through the stables; mount your horse, and follow me.” The murderer did as he was bidden, It seemed as if the voice of him that spoke had a super- natural influence over him, He mounted his horse and followed, The winds screamed and howled around him as he noise- lessly left the stable yard. Dark birds of night—ominous, unclean birds—cireled round his head. Me perceived before him in the darkness the tall, gaunt figure of an old man, whose long, silvery licks were ‘blown about in the breeze, GEOmiiEe boo CSE Gom .