Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE bewildered state into which the awful and unexpected vision had thrown him, and he groped his way back to the Red 200m like a man that was staggering from drunkenness. How long the spectral vision had lasted neither knew, but, as they regained the Red Room, the palace clock slowly chimed. ‘‘ What is that?” the old man asked in alarm. “Tt is the clock,”’ One! two! three! sounded from the palace turrets. ‘‘What! three in the morning? It cannot be!” said Dreadnought, hastily striding towards the door; “ by my soul I thought it not so late by two full hours! Quick, quick !” he said, addressing those who stood at the chamber door, “away with ye to the outer chamber !” They did not require a second bidding, for each one hastily strode from the spot, little heeding or caring for the body of the murdered man that lay weltering in gore, or the other unfortunate courtier, who, stupified with brandy, lay coiled up in the room still further on; for each one of these dark and swarthy villains trod upon the prostrate bodies without feeling or remorse, and made the best of their way to the room in which the king and Tippler were prisoners. Before the old man had left the Red Room, however, he clutched Ivan by #@e arm in the darkness, and said, in a whisper, ‘‘ Where is the engine of death ?” “ Tt is safe,” said Ivan. ‘‘ What have you done with it ?” ‘‘] wrapped it in a bundle so that no one should see it and placed it in a corner of this chamber ere we went to seek the Secret Cabinet.” “Tis well! Find it; place it on the table.” “7 will.” “ Are you sure the fusee will burn?” “ Quite sure,” ‘How long will if burn ere it explodes and blows up the palace ?” “ Tifteen minutes,” ‘“Then light the fusee and let us instantly fly from the spot |” Pin did as commanded. The large and heavy bomb-shell was unwrapped from its covering and placed on the floor, Sects “ Are you ready?” he asked, in a hoarse whisper. “‘T am,” was the old man’s response. Ivan applied a match to the fusee, and instantly a red glow at its end told him that it burned. Without another word both Ivan and Dreadnought rushed forth from the Red Room in great haste. Clutching his treasures with a grip of iron the old man led the way and ran through several apartments until they reached the one where the king was confined. The king was in the act of being unbound from his chair, and about to fight the duel, as we have already seen, when Dreadnought rushed into the apartment, pale and breathless, “Away ! away!” he cried, “I have found all, nay, more, than what I sought. I triumph! I triumph! Away, away ! a few moments and ye are all blown into eternity |” This sudden announcement seemed to fill all with fear and horror, for they rushed from the room and escaped in the manner we haye already described they came, and, within a few minutes, were safe and beyond the precincts of the palace, darting through the darkness with the swiftness of winged spirits of evil. Not one had remained behind, : ‘But why all this hurry?” Leonora gasped, as Ivan th Terrible dragged her along through the mists of the park, “ Prattle no more, foolish wench,” said the old man, savagely striking her across the back with a thick stick, “ Do as thou art bidden. I have not done with thy pretty face yet, or else I’d have left thee behind to be blown to atoms like the rest in that doomed palace,” On, on they rushed from the palace garden wall as fast as they possibly could, breathless and panting. “On! on!’’ growled Ivan to his friends, with an oath. “Stop not a second, Ask no questions, There is good cause 58 TERRIBLE. for speed, There is safety and life in each step forward Death is close behind us !” “Qh! merey! mercy !” the unhappy girl exclaimed, in tones of anguish. ‘I cannot go any further, I am weak and faint.”’ “What says our pretty decoy?” growled Dreadnought in a savage mond. “She wants to lag behind,” said Ivan, with an oath. “So as to. go back and give the alarm, and expose all, eh, pretty face? No, no. Pull her along}Ivan, and if she refuses hill her! She has served our purpose to-night, we may not want her again, you know; if we do, we can soon find another ; pretty, silver-tongued girls are cheap.” ‘Oh! in pity spare me!” sobbed Leonora aloud, as she sank upon her knees, and craved mercy and compassion. The old man, for the second time, struck her a violent blow upon the body, and she fell to the ground with a loud and piercing scream. ‘* W hat’s that noise, Ivan?” Dreadnought asked, as he heard a dull sound approaching rapidly. “It cannot be any of the king’s mounted guard in pursuit, eh?” As he spoke the sounds came nearer and nearer. Ivan and the old man tried to lift Leonora’s prostrate form from the ground, but could not, With many oaths and curses Ivan beat and kicked her, _ ‘©Qh, finish her! Give hera taste of cold steel, and that will quiet her for ever, for she might escape our vigilance, you know, and divulge all our secrets.” “ Well thought of,” said Ivan, as he seized the insensible girl by her long, fair hair, and brandished his dagger on high. "He was about to strike his unresisting and innocent victim, and both he and Dreadnought were so engrossed in what they did, that neither fora moment took heed of the approaching sound. “Strike |” cursed the old man, aloud, eternity.” : At that moment, however, a horseman rushed in between the assassins and their victim, and as he did so strack heavily both right and left with his long, lead-loaded riding-whip, — “Tis the guard! ‘tis the guard !” Dreadnonght shouted, as soon as he recovered from the blow. ‘ Away, Ivan, away |” Like shadows, or evil spirits, both Ivan and Dreadnought rushed from the spot, and sought safety in flight. r The gallant and handsome young horseman dismounted from his steed, and bent over the prostrate and unconscious form of Leonora. © It was Captain Blue Jacket! “Send her into we CHAPTER XXXI, BLUE JACKET’S BRAVERY— THE KING’S ANGER — LORD TIPPLER HIGHLY INDIGNANT—THE BOLD MAN’S PATE— THE KING’S LIFE SAVED—THE DASTARDLY REWARD. FoR a moment or two Blue Jacket stood bewildered and astonished at the sight of the helpless girl that lay un-— conscious at his feet. - “Hilloa! There has been foul play here!” he said, and raising her in his arms he supported her light and fragile form as if she had been but a baby. ‘‘ Some scoundrel or other meant mischief,” he muttered, ‘and ’twas lucky I heard her screams, poor child, or she might have been dead ere this.” So saying, he produced a small flask of brandy, and applied it to her lips. The spirit was strong and potent, for it almost instantly revived her, and restored consciousness, Opening her eyes in strange wonder and alarm, she exs claimed, striking her forehead, “Oh Heavens! Now I remember all, the palace |’’ she said, ‘‘ There has been murder there |! Away with me! There has been a deadly plot to destroy the king! Fly, fly ! and we will save them! Moments are precious! We can yet save them all !” “To the palace?” muttered Blue Jacket, who thought that that was the last place in the world that he had any wish to Away! Away to visit, ‘‘The palace? Why, pretty one, you must be dream- ing, You are surely mad !” cComichooks:com —_— ——— _ i