Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

86 IVAN THE _In a few seconds a bran new rope of great strength came dangling down the pit... “T told you so,” said Blue Jacket, pointing to the new rope, the end of which had two large hooks attached to it. ‘There is no time to be lost,” said Ned. “I thought I heard voices in the mine,” Red Jacket fastened the rope around Ned and Scarlet Sam, and the weight told those above that all was right, They were hauled up at a rapid rate. The noise of distant voices was now plainly heard, Tt mas Ivan and his men! They had been to Blue-Jacket’s dungeon. They had discovered his escape, and their murdered comrade! They were raving with fury, and cursing and howling in the mine like so many demons, They were rushing towards the pit. Every moment seemed an age to Blue Jacket and his faith- ful follower. The rope was not yet lowered to them, _ Lights were now rapidly approaching the pit, and both - could hear Ivan terribly cursing, ‘‘ We shall have to fight, Red-Jacket,’”’ said his chief, “and I have no weapons. Lend me your sword; you haye two pistols. We may yet escape from these fiends.” Ivan and his followers were now not more than twenty yards away. Blue-Jacket and Red-Jacket perspired with excitement. If the rope did not descend in another moment they were lost. It came ! Seating themselves one on each hook, they slowly as- cended. The moment was one of peril and excitement. They had got some forty feet up the pit when Ivan and a gang of ferocious followers, lamp and cutlass in hand, stood looking up the shaft, cursing and swearing in the most frightful manner, j ‘‘ There is no one in the shaft,” said one, ‘‘ Liar !” roared Ivan, “ Don’t I hear the windlass working ? Send a bullet whistling after them, whoever it is!” said he. At that moment several of his men discharged their pistols up the pit with a loud shout of rage and anticipated triumph. The bullets whistled past Red-Jacket and his chief, but happily did not hit them. The leaden hail, however, struck the sides of the pit, and loosened a mass of brickwork and stones, which showered down upon the startled men below, and knocked many of them senseless to the earth, They fired again and again. The more they did so, the greater was the deadly shower of bricks and stones. When Blue-Jacket safely reached the top of the pit he was so much excited and faint with his long sufferings, weakness, . and heavy weight of chains, that when he trod the floor of the cavern he fainted, and would have tumbled headlong into the pit again had not the strong arm of brave Red Jacket Beized and dragged him away from the dark and yawning brink, But yet, how were they to escape? The ‘‘ Kel” and others, it is true, had managed to purchase a new rope, and had returned to Aaron’s hogse, but they had been pursued by officers who recognised them, and now the slop-seller’s dwelling was occupied by a guard, who were searching everywhere for their place of concealment, CHAPTER XLV. WILL WINTER IS CAPTURED BY THE “FERRET” AND AGAIN THRUST INTO PRISON. WILL WINTER and his bold crew of Watermen’s Appprentices were highly elated at the success of their adventure. Will arranged his plan for the following night to rescue Blue-Jacket from the Tower. TERRIBLE. * But,” said he, ‘‘although I could by my authority, sum- mon every apprentice in London, yet I don’t think if wise to do so, His escape can be managed without a popular tumult ; therefore,” he said, particularly addressing the Ap- prentices who had rescued him from gaol, “as you also are high in authority, see that no more than a dozen stout-hearted young men assemble to assist me to-morrow night. gst “ But, you know, sir, your own private difficulties ! they answered, alluding to the awful charge which Tvan had pre- ferred against him. “ What must we do in case anything should befall you ?” , (Tt4s sufficient that I assure you that I am innocent. Make no moyement among the Apprentices until the last moment, even should you see me on the way to a gallows. ‘“Why not? Must we see our -honoured Grand-Master so degraded ?” ; E “ Never mind the apparent disgrace. It is sufficient, I say again, that yow and the whole body of Apprentices know of my entire innocence, Mark me, the authorities do not know who or what lam. Ifthe Apprentices make any premature move in my fayour it will disclose all; I shall be removed from London, and tried, if not, indeed, executed, at some town milesaway. If anything should befall me between this and to-morrow night lay your plans quietly, and watch the course of events. Let your best and heaviest blows fall in the very nick of time.” ‘ The boat had now reached Westminster Stairs. Will Winter disembarked, and the friends for the time being separated. Will Winter, alone and sad of heart at the fearful charge under which he had been thrust into prison, was slowly wending his way to a friend’s house. He would, indeed, have gone to Michael, the cloth-worker’s, his beloved old master, but he full well knew, from the words of his vile accusers, that robbery, if not murder, had been committed there. What horrible crimes were these to be accused of ! No one who had ‘ever known him would for a moment imagine him capable of such atrocities. And to his beloved old master, too, Michael, the cloth- worker, a man that was universally lovedand respected by all his fellow citizens, yea, from the lord mayor himself down to the commonest night constable. No, no, Will Winter was too well born ; he was too much of a true gentleman, youth as he was, to soil his hands in any work so dirty and abominable in the sight of all men, Yet, what was he to do ? He could not go home, Whither must he hide? Would he hide himself? No! With a brave bold heart, he resolved to surrender himself to justice and stand the accusation against him. Yes, he had resolved to do this after he had rescued brave Blue-Jachet fron. Lambeth Tomer, but not until that was ac- complished ! With this resolve in mind, he slowly, sorrowfully, and thoughtfully wended his way along the silent streets, But he had been watched ! A posse of men had seen him land from the boat at West- minster Stairs ! One of them, screened behind an old wharf, had heard their whole conversation about Captain Blue-Jacket ere they had separated ! This cunning spy and eaves-dropper waited until Will Winter had parted from his courageous young friends, for he feared to approach him in such company, He knew too well, and several very ugly scars upon his nose, cheeks and brow, could bear good testimony as to what the London Apprentices could do when fully aroused. He had more than once suffered at their hands in street brawls, and long ago had wisely made up his mind never to attack more than one at a time. _ For he fall well knew that it was the boast of all Appren- tices that any one of them was more than @ matoh for four night constables ! When, therefore, this sneaking spy saw Will Winter part comichooks:;com