Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE from his seat on the bench, hurriedly left the court by a side door and disappeared, ‘‘ Murder !” “Shame |” “‘ The lad is innocent !” | “The jury was packed! All of them are cravens !” “They are not true Englishmen |” ‘They are all hirelings in the pay of Bloody Jefferies |” Such were the cries of many who had managed to sqiteezé themselves into court to hear the mysteriously hurtied trial. When Ivan and Andy endeavoured to get through the crowd of excited auditors they were instantly recognised and hooted. ' | “Kill em! Kill ’ét |” | “ Down with the perjured villains !” * Cut out their lying hearts !” | “They belong to a garg of cut-throats at the ' Forge |’” “They are two of Jefferies’s paid assassins |” Such were the cries of the angry people. It was fortunate for Ivan, and Andy, his disciple in wieked- ness, that they escaped by a side door, through the con- nivance of certain officials, or they would otherwise have been torn to pieces, For afew moments all was a scene of the direst confusion, noise and deafening uproar. A body of soldiers, with levelled bayonets, were called in, and not until then was the court fully cleared. Unconscious of all he heard, or of anything that was passing around him, Will Winter stood in the felon’s dock, looking deadly pale and perfectly stupefied, with the death sentence still ringing in his ears. “Come, come, you mustn’t stand there gaping all day,” said a rouch, hardened gaoler, sieziug him by the collar and rudely dragging him forth. ‘“ Perhaps you like to see this hubbub around ye? Come, this way,” he said, dragging Will Winter through a small side door out of the court. Through several small passages they led him, but whither he knew not. _ It seemed as if he was walking underground. At last they arrived at the door of a cold, damp, strong cell, They thrust him in before them, and, perfectly exhausted: he sank upon a rude bench. ¢ Doomed to die |” He gasped at length, as if awakening from some horrible dream; “to hang like a dog! No, no, surely Imust be dreaming. They would not; they could not be so hasty abott such a weighty matter as a man’s life. It, cannot be. Tell me,am I not raving? Is it not all some dreadful nightmare ?”” he asked the two gaolers, “Nay, nay, it be no dream, young man,” one answered, with & gruff, hoarse, pitiless laugh; “thee never was saner than thee art now.” “ Master Jefferies don’t take long to finish a man off, eh, partner ?” said the other, with a grin. | ‘No, mate; /e’s the one to give the hangman plenty 0” work, I’ve known the judge to condemn a hundred in one day. Atidy day’s work, eh?” “T believe ye,” the other replied; ‘‘a pretty round batch» that, for the hangman to dispose on.” With such cruel and rude jests the two hardened gaolers slammed the cell door to and securely bolted it | Will Winter was doomed to die; he was to be hung on the morrow ! ; In sorrow of heart he sank upon his knees in the lonely cell, and floods of tears gushed from his eyes. “Oh, my poor old mother ! this will break her heart. And my little brother, Frank ; who will protect him whea I am gone? His brother to die ona gallows! Oh, what misery ! What a lasting disgrace |” He would have spoken more, but his heart was too full. He fell fainting upon the stone floor of his cell a convicted burglar and murderer ! TERRIBLE. 91 CHAPTHR XLVII. HARRY RELATES HIS ADVENTURES TO HIS FATHER— LAURA’S DELIGHT AT BLUE-JACKET’S FAME—ESCAPE FROM THE SLOPSELLER’S—BLUE-JACKET’S RENDEZVOUS—HARRY AND DARBY RESOLVE TO RESCUE WILL WINTER—THE WEAK- NESS OF RED-JACKET AND HANDSOME NED, WILL WINTER’s sudden arrest and speedy trial was not even dreamed of by those who knew him. When Blue-Jacket, Handsome Ned, Red-Jacket, and others had escaped from the Slopseller’s premises, and eluded the officers by an underground passage which had been discovered by the “ Hel;” they made their way as quickly as possible towards the rendezvous of the “Fly-by-Nights,’ which was situated in asuburban spot known as Tottenham Court. ‘The first news which greeted their arrival was, that theit friend the Grand Master of the London Apprentices had been seized by the ‘‘ Ferret,” and accused of murder. As much as this surprised and incensed Blue-Jacket and his brave companions, they were incapable of rendering any immediate assistance to Will Winter, for the sufferings, con- finement, exeitements, and fatigues which they had all under-. gone for the past few days, had prostrated them completely, Blue-Jacket and his companions were furious indeed to hear the sad news, and made sure, from what he could hear, that the murder must have been the work of Ivan and his gang, who were bitterly opposed, not only to the “ Fly-by- Nights,” but particularly to the London Apprentices. Therefore, although he could not sally forth himself, he sent a trusty messenger of his band to seek out Will’s place of concealment, and to assure him that he would be watched both day and night by some of his men, and every possible assistance rendered to him. Harry Percy, in the meanwhile, had returned to his father, after his night’s adventure with Master Winter, and, greatly to his aged father’s delight, told himof his miraculous escape from shipwreck, and his daring capture of all his pitatical captors, While narrating to his sister Laura, his little brother, and Jessie, Blue-Jacket’s gallantry in releasing Darby and himself from prison, he observed that Laura frequently blushed scarlet, and seemed never satisfied in asking all manner of curious questions about that dashing and handsome young leader of the “ Fly-by-Nights.” While thus engaged in a lengthy narration of all things that had happened to him of late, a servant entered and in- formed Harry that Darby, his favorite groom, had ridden up to the mansion in the greatest haste, and demanded to see him on the instant. ‘¢ Wishes to see me, instantly ?” roused Harry, in momen- tary astonishment; “ What can he want of me?” ‘‘T know not; sir, but his horse was all a-foam, and he looked deadly pale.” He flew down the long flight of stone stairs with great ease and agility. Darby was in the court-yard, looking just as he had been described, and could scarcely speak. “ What ails you, Darby ?” ‘Oh; master,” said the faithful groom, trembling, ‘“ they have taken Master Winter !” «“ Taken Will Winter?” ‘Yes, master ; and have tried him for murder,” “ For murder ?” “ Yes ; and oh, master, they have condemned him to be hung to-morrow. Judge Jefferies tried him—-it’s all over !” For a moment Harry Percy could scarcely believe what Darby had said, until all the particulars of the clothworker’s murder were repeated to him again and again, «And the people in court cried ‘Shame ! you say ?” “Yes, master, and Ivan and Andy, two of them there riffianly cut-throats as lives at the ‘Forge,’ were the two principle witnesses against him.” “Tyan and Andy, eh?” mused Harry, biting his lips. “Well, then, now I can understand it all. Will Winter is in- | nocenit, I could stake my life Gonnicboolks acorn