Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. triumphantly ; “ the devil, himself, shall not snatch him from my hands,” The thief-takers obeyed this mandate, and hauled Jack Sheppard along roughly. Upon turning the next street, they found that part of the crowd which had been dispersed by the arrival of the soldiers, had re-collected. This throng of roughs—for it consisted ex- clusively of thieves, blackguards, and vagrants of the lowest grade—followed the officers and their prisoners in sullen silence. They seemed to be awed by the nearness of the military, who were slowly parading the streets behind them, and driving off the stragglers. Suddenly there stepped from the thickest part of the crowd a dashing-looking gentleman, whose distinguished air and fashionable attire stood forth in striking contrast with the rough garb of the other persons in the crowd. He passed close to Jack Sheppard. . ! The latter started, winced and turned his head, He had felt a keen steel edge lancing bis arm, The attention of Jonathan Wild and his as- sistants had been divided by some obstruction—a passing coach or wain, which had brought them to: a halt, In an instant, however, Sheppard had recognised the man who had pricked his arm with a clasp which he was hurriedly concealing, They exchanged one significant smile, and the man passed on. It was Tom King | Jack Sheppard had not advanced many steps before he felt the rope which had bound his arms slipping loosely round him, Tom King had severed the cord with his knife. A moment after, Jack had slipped one of his thin, supple hands through his handcuffs. He stood unbound, and with his arms at liberty. “So! have at ye!” he roared. Leaping on Jonathan Wild, he clutched him by the throat, and bashed his head against the wall. He then hurled him off, 4 Jonathan Wild stumbled, and rolled over on his ack, Quilt Arnold and old Mendez immediately sprang upon him, Hitting out with his left hand, from which the broken handeuff still dangled, he struck Quilt a violent blow on the face, which knocked him heels over head. Then with his right hand he seized the old Jew by the beard, and having nearly shaken his head off whirled him off and bounded away. Of course all this passed in much less time than has been occupied in the narration. Away he darted, the crowd making way for him, and encouraging him by their shouts and laughter. The fugitive took the middle of the road. Jonathan Wild and his men had now drawn their whingers. They cut their way through the yelling, blasphem- ing, but now shrinking crowd. At last they had forced there way into the clear part of the road. : Jack was discerned flying along like a hunted are, The Bow Street runners hotly pursued. “Arrest! arrest!” they shouted, breathlessly. “Stop him! stop thief! knock him down! ’tis Jack Sheppard !” 3 Jack, however, was too fiect for them. He distanced them, and turning the corner of the street, was too exhausted to proceed without stop- ping to recover his breath, ee ee eo i 123 Panting and sweltering with perspiration, he leaned against the wall, and pressed his hand to his palpitating heart. Nearer and nearer came the shouts of his pur- suers. Jack started like a hunted stag at the yelp of the hounds, He braced his nerves for a fresh start, He had not run many steps, however, before he was brought to a standstill by a formidable barrier. It consisted of the levelled carbines of a file of soldiers who suddenly entered the street from a narrow archway. v4 He turned, ‘ In vain, Jonathan and the rest were close upon im, “Halt!” shouted an officer. ‘Surrender! If you stir a step I will order my men to fire upon you,” Jack Sheppard stamped his foot with rage and despair. He folded his arms, and sullenly submitted to be again handcuffed by the grinning Hebrew. Jonathan Wild said nothing ; in fact he was too short of breath of breath to speak, but he fixed his eyes upon-his now passive captive with the venomous gaze of a rattle-snake. 5 A file of soldiers on either side, the constables in front and rear, bound and manacled, the unhappy and misguided youth was marched off to a neigh- bouring round-house, where he was to be confined till the morning, when the warrant could be made out for his re-commital to Newgate, CHAPTER LIV. STILL A PRISONER — THE MILITARY ESCORT — THE TAUNTING FRIEND—DESPAIR OF EDGE- WORTH BESS—HER ARREST— JACK’S IMPORTANT WAGER—THE ROUND-HOUSE, JACK SHEPPARD was not destined to reach his prison-house without further adventure. Up Drury Lane, through the rookeries that constitue Seven Dials, the daring felon was conducted by his janitors. St, Giles’s Round-House was already in sight. It was at that time, a square building, forming a sort of postern, and situated on one side of St. Giles’s churchyard, having the church and church- yard in its rear, with a street in front, As the cavalcade passed along by the railings of the church- yard, a girl of about eighteen darted from the door of a high, dingy, squalid-looking house. She was exquisitely pretty, and somewhat showily dressed, though her long fair hair was unbound and streamed in heavy tresses, Upon seeing the prisoner, she uttered a piercing shriek. Jack repelled her with a cold look, Again she uttered a piteous scream, and reckless of the danger she’ ran of being kicked by the startled horses, she rushed through the guards and constables and flung her arms about Sheppard’s neck, “ Oh, Jack ! Jack!” she sobbed, ‘‘ What is this? A prisoner, in the hands of this dreadfulman? Oh, I will go with you ; I will die with you!” “ Ah, Bess,’’ sighed her lover, ‘‘ this is your work ! But for you, I should now be serving my country and escaping my enemies. You have destroyed me —you, Bess, whom I loved, and for whose sake I have given up home, friends, peace, honesty, and COMnicooolkSseoO