Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

74 IVAN THE For a moment he eyed the two captiyes with a keen eye, but spoke not. ie At last one of those who had brought them said, ‘We found them inthe powder cave, and with a fire lit ; their object, no doubt, was to blow it up. What shall we do with these spies and informers? Shall we shoot them or hang them? Shooting would be best, it is quickest !” The chief, for such he was, who sat silent, seemed for a time undecided what to do, as if he considered shooting or hanging very nice and delicate points to decide upon. ‘¢ What have the prisoners got to say for themselves?” the chief at last said. a” ee Harry, in a bold and fearless yoice, told the melancholy story of his shipwreck. PR ee OR aN Ee “Have you rich friends in England, young man ??) the chief at last said; ‘‘because if they would pay a handsome ransom, I don’t mind sparing your lives)" 9) “ Rich? I believe yer |’ said Darby, now in high glee at the prospect of escaping shooting, hanging, or being skinned alive. “Rich? Oh, you should only know who his father is. He can pay any price. Yes, he could fill this’ shtp with money. ‘This young man, my master, is the son of——?? °° ™ ‘« Silence, rascal |” growled the captain, with flashing eyes. “Silence! or else’ I'll send’ a )ullet “whistling down your LATGagie ee ae ie eet ee Rn a ee ee “A bullet whistling down my throat? Oh lor’!?’ gasped Darby, with a comical expression, as if he already faintly felt it doing so. co gigabits Coetantoh tag Vaca iene “ Who is your father, youngster,’ asked the chief, placing his pistol on the table, and casting a warning look at Darby, “if this fool here is a servant of yours?” “ My groom, six;” said Harry, proudly. “Well, it matters little'to me what he is, but if he is your servant you or your parents ‘can’ well afford to pay a heavy sum for your life and liberty.’ I ask not’ who nor what they are, for it matters nothing to men like us, if'they be as high and mighty as Earl Percy. ” : ‘Harl Percy |—what !—that is his—Oh lor’ |” gasped Darby, who saw the pistol presented ‘at his head again.- “‘Take that murdering thing’ awaly from between “ny eyés, and Til be as mute‘ds aemodube |? Darby sighed.) Mo sso) He aie be ee “Silence, kildve |” the chief growled again to Darby. {¢ it he only ‘sighs above his br ah once mH fet aad les | Cut h 3 throat |’? Swore'the chief to"a nly {Ocking © hs Then addressing Harry ‘one more, he continued, “I was about to say, save’ for’ that fod}°s'intentption, that to men like Ws, it‘matter$ dothing who’ or*what Your Parents are ; Whetherit might be’ King Jantes’s son;'"or even’ ‘Earl Percy, Ivan’s bitter enemy ae Wales @utac. You seen’ a gentleman,’ and are ready and willing PO" pay the prite of ransom."') Ane / no Vine 06 Be. pr cr “Tom |” said Harry. ‘Well, then,’on those conditions we spare your life. The papers will soow ‘bé prepared‘ for your Signature ; but of course,” added the chief, with a contemptuous laugh, ‘“‘you would not sign a heavy bond for the life of such a knave as your servant there, I take it that you would rather have him out of the bargain altogether, for I have not soiled my hands in human blood for some time, ‘and’ ‘would ‘like’ to blow out this talkative villain’s brains !” | Darby groaned, and for once in his life his legs began to uake, | ¥ 4 Harry persisted, however, in claiming the life of his faith- ful servant, and at last it waS agreed that Harry should sign a bond to pay £2,000 each for his own'and Darby’s life, an agreement that seemed to please the chief, “For,” he said, ‘the schooner sails ‘to-night for the mouth of the Thames, so that when we get’ there we will give you a chance to write to your parents ; but, in the mean time, you must be closely confined, and if they cannot, or are unwilling to pay the ransom agreed upon within three days, why, then, we shall’serve you as Wwe do all spiés, blow out your brains, and throw your bodies overboard tb fatten the sharks |’)! So saying, the chief gave orders to some half-dozen of his men to secure the wreck, and prepare to sail in the schooner. * “Tyan expects us, he said, “ and our assorted cargo is just what he needs,” TERRIBLE. > a Harry and Darby were closely confined and locked in the small cabin, and ere long, from the busy tramp of feet over- head, and noisy voices, they rightly conjectured that the schooner had weighed anchor, and was on its voyage to England. " When the vessel had been a few hours at sea, the cabin door was opened by the captain, who sat down to a bottle of rum, and began to smoke and drink very heartily. “What was the news in London when you left?” he asked at last." " ag aa 85. “ Hatry told him all he knew; but never mentioned him- self personally in anything. §"" ‘~ nj “So thee is a deep conspiracy to dethrone the king, eh? and platé the Prince of Orange on it,é€h? Ah! well}that is old' news. JZ knew that long ago; t ‘before they do that Ivan and other gentlemen of my atquaintance will haye some- thing'to say, and much to do in thé throat-cutting line. “I now some of the conspirators ;' Hat] Percy and others ‘are in it.’ Ivan has got his eye upon hith. Then there’s Captain Blue'Jacket, and his ‘Fly-by-Night’s, they, too, are traitors ; but, 'if'éver they fall foul of Ivah's gang, they will never live Yo repent it. JZ know One’ Wh6d has been on the Sharp look-Out for Blue Jacket,” said the ‘captain, with a ferocious erin, “Did you never! hédr of"Count Vincento? He’s a par ctar friend of mine, ‘A Clever fellow, not a better shot or swordsman in the world. “Did’you never hear of him?” “Ye-e-s,” stammered Harry, wit a great effort, and turning deadly Pale. *” 1 Wats — “Ah ! ‘you may well turn pale,’? mused the captain, with a ferocious laugh, and gulping Gown’ a large draught of rum, ‘Tou may well turn pale, his namie'isa perfeet terror to all the enemies of King James, He’s killed many a good dozen fine réntlemen in his time, Judge Jefferies knows him, and well 1¢'‘may, he has done many an odd job for the judge’ by quietly putting troublesome, talkative traitors out of the way. I expect’to see him in a few days; he’s the one that will Present the bounty paper at your father’s house. You see I’mn'not used to mix in gentlemen’s society, but he is, Oh, our master, Ivan, knows how to manage matters ; he’s got all sorts and sizes in his band.” — ‘ During this conversation Harry Percy’trembled in every limb, for now he knew that through some mischance he had fallen into the hands of those very men that he wished most to avoid. ha id VO RATS ae ~*’ Darby was literally staggered as he listened to the dis- jomed conversation of ‘the smuggler, or buccaneer, or what- ever He was, for he;! tbo,’ discovered that they all belonged to ‘van ‘the’ Terrible’s baiid'? and had the captain known who and what his prisoners were, Darbyfelt sure that both of them Would ‘have’ beer! thrown overboard to fatten the sharks ere et was’ wi a i ht heart, therefore, that he thanked his stars that the! fér 4s . he did, for had he breathed a word of Earl Percy being Harry’s father, or even hinted at Count Vincento’s death, and the manner of it, he knew that the cruellest tortures and death would have been their certain fate. For several'days the schooner beat about upon the stormy waves, but did not sight land at all except at night, for reasons the captain and crew best knew, but did not choose to explain. 7 ar et ' Where the barren island was, or its name, Harry could not guess ; but it was apparent to him that both its name and whereabouts’ in the broad ocean were deep secrets with the captain and his ferocious men, Confined below as they were both night and day, Harry and Darby saw but little, if, indeed, anything, of the course the schooner was taking. a Upon the third day, however, and just as the vessel sighted land near the Mersey, a violent storm arose, which threatened to sink the schooner. : ’ ~ Two men were lashed to the wheel, the white waves dashed — over the decks, and washed away two of the crew.° _ There now remained but four men and the’ captain to nayi- gate the schooner. . bee ' The storm increased, the vessel pitched and rolled all night Ecomicbhooks.com te us captain had forced him to silence when ~ :