Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE among the boiling waves, the sails cracked and snapped asunder like paper. ' € The aspect of things looked dangerous in the extreme. _Wearied ont with incessant labour the captain and his four men were scarcely able to move a hand or foot, The land was in sight, the mouth of the Thames looked inviting a short distance from them; and the waters in the river were comparatively safe and calm, but the vessel could not reach that much desired haven of safety. _ The captain swore and raved and drank huge draughts of rum, and at last resolved to release his two youthful prisoners from the cabin, and force them to assist in working the vessel. ; . This was exactly what Harry and Darby most desired, and for what reasons will shortly appear. With this additional help the ferocious captain managed to weather the storm, but so weary was he that he resolved to go into his cabin and seek repose for an hour, Two of the crew did so likewise. . There now remained on deck but the two, men that were firmly, indeed, almost immovably lashed to the wheel, beside Harry and Darby. re. Darby, with a quick, intelligent eye, winked to Harry. “‘ Now’s our time, master,” said he. r It was night, and very dark ; therefore, while the captain and two of the crew were sleeping in the cabin, Harry locked and securely bolted the cabin doors! _ Going up to the men at the wheel they took their pistols and swords from their belts and threatened to kill them on the spot if they utterei a single word or sound ! ne at a time the two astonished men were released from the wheel and firmly gagged and pinioned by Harry and Darby and tied down to the deck { Harry immediately took possession of the rudder, and, catching a fair gust of wind, cleverly piloted. the schooner through the high tempestuous waters, and in less than hal£- an-hour it, gallantly rode the waves, and dashed into the mouth of the Thames at race-horse speed! If was now safe and secure from the storm! _ But should the captain and his men awake, what then ? This was a thought, that much troubled the two bold youths, but they gallantly determined to maintain possession of the deck at the risk of their lives ! | Darby, perceiving that Harry piloted the schooner in a satisfactory manner, trimmed the sails as best he could, and then, pistol in hand, stood watch and ward over the ¢abin door, for the captain had awakened and was loudly hammer- ing at it. . i If any of them rush out, kill them,” Harry said to Darby, but there was no need for such order, since Master Darby, in his heart, would have only been too glad for any of them to have shown their heads, for sword in hand, he was cutting and slashing about at numerous imaginary foes, and would certainly have brained the first one that dared to appear before him. With the wind and tide in their favour the schooner rushed madly through the waters, and, without heeding the warning voices of many boatmen to “take in sail,” they kept on their course until they approached Woolwich. eR Here they espied a government vessel lying af anchor, and towards it Harry boldly steered. When within fifty yards of the royal ship Darby let go the anchor and the sails and in a trice the schooner was safely moored under the guns of the frigate! . — © Both Harry and Darby gave three hearty cheers for the successful accomplishment of their dangerous enterprize, and in a few moments lowered a boat and pulled to the frigate, amd. in a few hurried words explained eyerything to the com- mander, even to his name and station. | Surprised and delighted at the boldness of the two youths, the commander of the frigate lowered two boats, and soon a dozen or more of jolly tars clambered on to the schooner’s deck and took possession in the king’s name, Harry and Darby, too much rejoiced at their own miracu- lous escape, and in too much haste to reach London, declined politely the commander’s hospitality for that night, and TERRIBLE. 45 determined to take advantage of the tide then flowing to reach the metropolis, Fh ge -Heartily shaking, hands, therefore, with the naval officers, Harry and Darby did not stop to see the buccaneers, heavily ironed and put on board the frigate, but, jumped into a boat, and were soon far on their way towards home, rapidly floating on the dark and silent tide. _. a tf waeae _ The boat shot past Greenwich like an arrow; up the stream it went at a rapid rate. | Deptford was passed and gloomy London Tower, in the inky darkness, and soon the little craft shot under the arches of old London. Bridge, while with light and merry hearts Harry and Darby sung loudly and cheerily. They were overflowing with mirth and jollity at their lucky escape, when, just as they had passed Temple Gardens, their craft mas rudely stopped by a snift boat manned by nine armed men ! CHAPTER XL. ‘“ THE FORGE ”—IVAN’S RETREAT—A HOT BED OF THIEVES, . MURDERERS AND OUTLAWS—ITS ORIGIN AND LOATH- SOME CHARACTER—THE DEN—COUNTING THE PRICE OF BLOOD—IVAN HAS ANOTHER “ JOB” IN HAND—THREE BOATS ON THE WATCH—IVAN’S WRONGS—THE BAND SWEAR TO BE REVENGED—THE OATH OF VENGEANCE— STRANGE KNOCKINGS AT THE DOOR—THE SURPRISE. “THE FORGE,” so called, to which Ivan and his,companions wended their, way, after falsely accusing Master Will Winter of the cruel murder and robbery of his beloved old master, Michael, the clothworker, was a large collection of old wooden, tumble-down, houses, on the. south bank .of the Thames, nearly opposite to where Hungerford Market formerly stood. Its streets, if streets they could be called, were narrow, unlit by a single oil lamp, filthy dirty and sloppy, from a daily flow of unhealthy tide-water. _—_— From a small collection of temporary houses, or huts’ and out-houses, which had been built by a tew industrious black- smiths in times long gone by, who had gathered there to do business with farm waggons going, to and returning from the London markets, thisso called ‘‘ Forge ” was soon surrounded by many score dwellings of humble and mean pretensions, in which lived not only the,very needy poor,, but were also the dark resort of terrible bands of ruffians, thieves, cut-throats, and desperate lawless men and noted outlaws, At the time of which we write, however, ‘‘ The Forge ” was such a notorious place, that once a criminal managed to escape there, it was almost an impossibility to effect his re-capture, The sight of constables, or officers of justice in any form, was detestable to the riotous denizens of that infamous locality of dirt, and crime, and smoke. So much so was, this the case, in truth, that no officer would jeopardize his life by entering the place without a strong force of soldiers, and even then, it was more than possible that the person or persons apprehended would be rescued again, or make his escape through its many dirty, narrow and dingy lanes, seize some boat by the river side, or secrete himself in some one of the many mysterious hiding places which abounded in that den of thieves. ) More than once had the lawless inhabitants of “The Forge” | assailed the soldiery and civil authorities with violence; and beat back all the armed force sent against them,-even to the shedding of blood. ; My lord mayor, therefore, and his many so-termed aldermen, might from time to time fume and rave, and inveigh against the infamous inhabitants of “The Forge ;” but none of them were sufficiently courageous to personally lead any expedition that might be sent to clear that nest and very hot-bed of in- famy andcrime. , : Such was the place, then, to which Iyan and his friends directed their way. When they had rowed for some time, Ivan directed the helm, and the boat rapidly advanced to the south bank of the river, and to a range of low woo#e~ pag p- @ clustered together on the PEGOMICDOOK som