Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

66 IVAN “T saw at a glance that arobbery had been committed, from the looks of confusion of all’therein, There were many loose coins scattered over the floor.” ‘‘ Just so, just so.” ‘An empty money bag or two were also on the floor.” ‘* Proceed ; I am all impatience; but about the murder, good citizen, quickly I say, tor my blood boils with horror,” quoth the chief officer, with looks of eagerness and great curiosity. | “Tn a dark corner of the counting-house I saw two men struggling ; it was this fellow and his master, as I take it.” “Oh, horrid !—horrid !” “The old man was beaten and mashed about the face with a pistol, and perfectly insensible. This youth was too much footsteps behind him; but ere he had fairly murdered the grey-headed merchant, I pounced upon him, and, after a severe struggle, secured him, until these companions of mine here hurried to my assistance, and tightly bound and gagged the strong young villain.” “ Bravely done, good citizen ; you deserve a large reward for your gallantry, and no doubt will receive one when this atrocious crime is brought to the notice of his most gracious majesty,’’ said the chief officer, with a very important manner, | ““ What is your name, fellow ?” asked the officer, ' _ “He said his name was Will Winter, when we questioned the rogue at first.” “What! Michael the cloth-worker’s apprentice! Poor old Michael! What! set upon and tobbed and murdé¥ed by his favourite apprentice! Oh, shocking! Why, sirs, an’ you had not caught him in the very act, I should not—I could not have believed it. Vow, you see, young vagabond, what comes of bad company and late hours, don’t you? and malig yourself conspicuous at nightly meetings of the ‘ United ’Prentices.’ Zounds upon them all! these ’Prentices’ Guilds atid Ciubs are the ruin of the nation ; they are a pernicions band of yonng yogues. They are well nigh dead, however, thank Heaven, and E hope whe we make an example of this youth here— Scourge him, brand him, put him upon the rack, and such like—he'll maké an open confession of All their treasonable doings. When this Master Winter shall hang in chains upon the lonely cross-#oads of some wild and neighbouring heath, methinks the Londo# Apprentices will give up their nightly meetings, and abandon their Guilds and Clubs: Away with him, gaolers, to the strongést cell you have,” Will Winter, still bound and gagged as he was, stepped forth from the préséieé of the éhief officer of the guard, and was led away between two buily gaoléfs to the strongest cell in the guatd-howse. | As he weit, however, his beating was proud and defiant, He cast a lone ad withering look upon his ruffiatily ac- cusers, and, with a smile of contempt and scorn, entered his cold damp cell. The officer thanked Ivan and his friends for what they had done, and they departed, promising to be present at the trial on the following day to give their testimony. Instead of going direct to the so-called “Forge” on the south side of the Thames, they immediately went and secured their hidden treasure of gold, and then, with stealthy steps, crept towards the river bank, jumped into a boat they found tied up at an old dark and deserted wharf, and soon were lost to view in the heavy mists and fog. Cunning, sly, revengeful, and full of hate as Ivan and his friends had thus proved themselves, they little thought what was in store for them, They had been tracked ! Livery movement they had made had been watched by a single man ! When they jumped into their boat and pulled away from the old deserted wharf, the cloaked and masked figure of a man had been crouching near them. He heard'every word they uttered, and took note of their coarse laughs and jeers and blasphemous oaths. As they left the shore he stepped forth from his hiding- place, and shook his heavy hand, as if in imprecations on . THE TERRIBLE. . the bow. intent upon killing the old man right out to hear my soft | | him, Tommy. But what makes you look so solemn and their guilty heads, and solemnly sighed the single word, * Vengeance |” He clapped his hands thrice. A switt boat immediately darted from its place of dark concealment. It was manned by six stalwart men, whose features were invisible: | They spoke not, but rowed with muffled, noiseless oars, ‘ The stranger stepped proudly into the boat, and stood tip in the stern, holding the rudder, ‘To the Forge,” he said, in a whisper. His noiseless crew obeyed. Tlie light eraft shot through the waters like an arfow from Jt tas the Man of Mystery ! CHAPTER XXXVI, THE OLD MINE MYSTERY— AARON THE SLOPSELLER’S VILLANY—THE “BBL’S” STARTLING DISCLOSURBS=THE SKELETONS—THE SUDDEN AND MYSTERIOUS DISAPPBAR- ANCE OF “SCARLET SAM ”"—THE PECULIAR DESCENT INTO THE MINE—IVAN THE TERRIBLE AND OLD AARON’S SECRET CONFERENCE—THE ROBBERY—THE MAGIC CUP- BOARD—TOMMY’S ALARM—BOLDNESS OF RED JACKET, WHEN the Voice of some unseen being was suddenly éard echoing up the mite, it took all by surprise, et They looked furtively around them, as if they éxpected that the “ Hel” had eunningly entrapped them into some out-of-the-way place, in order to betray them. - th Red Jacket and Handsome Ned involuntarily seized their pistols; and pointed them menacingly at Tommy’s head, The “Eel” was thunderstruck, and turned deadly pale when he perceived the surprised, angry, and revebeetal faces of those around him. ui “What meatis this?” Red Jacket demanded, in a@ fit — tone, “ Bxplain |” exclaimed Handsome Ned, laying a rough atid determined hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “ Have you browght us here to ‘ cage’ us; my fine, cunning, slippery fellow ?” For a moment the * Hel” was astonished, but ere long he regained his siial good-humoured smile, and laughed if a low voice. ke “ Upon iny soul, I am as much surprised as you are, for I never dreamed of hearing any human voice in such a deserted, dark, unearthly hole as this. Old Aaron, however, always delighted in dark, unfathomable mysteries, and I dare say this old mine is one of ’em.” “Well, if he did, Nat Fathom has fathomed the last for him,” grinned Handsome Ned, “and if you don’t explain this one, maybe we might take it into our heads to pitch you down this dark pit, my merry lad ; so prepare to descend.” 3 “Well, you needn’t be in such a hurry,” Tommy replied, — moodily, ‘It requires all a fellow’s nerve to descend such a place as this. Hold up the light, and let’s have a squint at this cave first ; there may be treasure hidden here.” i “Yes, so there might ; I see one or two now,” said Red — Jacket, holding up the lamp, and thereby discovering several — skeletons in the cavern or vault. ‘Are these the sort of — treasures old Aaron dealt in? Surely he couldn’t have got all his wealth out of such as these ?” a “The devil |” exclaimed the “ Hel” in intense astonishment, as he gazed at the bleached forms of the grim skeletons. — “The devil! Well, I always thought that old Aaron was bad enough, but didn’t think that Hh) ‘He had a dead-house underneath his slop-shop, eh ?” said — Red Jacket, with a grim smile. ‘ Ah, you didn’t half know { a white ?” “ Do I look white?” asked the “ Hel,” with a visible tremour. “Yes, you do, in truth, as if you had seen some awiul apparition.” y ‘ 4 ae devil !” still sighed the “ Eel.” “This, then, accounts — or all.” | ‘All what?” asked Ned ' Sa GOUL cComicboo