Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

C—O ee ee Ee ee Oe lie, «= st«*«<i«é‘«“t YRC RPT ER _ ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. a a ie et et Se ee life itself! This is the hardest to bear of all my sorrows and sufferings! ” “Forgive me, dear, dear Jack,” sobbed the girl, as she tenderly kissed his pallid cheek. “I didnot think of this. I could not bear to be parted from you. Oh, pray forgive me!” “Tt is fate |” he sighed deeply. “It is not your fault; kiss me, wench. There, there ; don’t cry so, you unman me, and this villain exults in my pain, Leave me, Bess—good bye.” »® But the girl refused to quit her hold of him, and remained with her pretty head bowed on his breast and sobbing in the most heart-breaking manner. ‘Why, lass, cheer up, now,” said Sheppard, sooth- ingly, ‘and I’ll promise that I’ll be with you soon; no prison shall hold me from you; keep up a brave heart, my pretty Bess.” Jonathan Wild, who had looked on with a malig- nant sneer, now rudely seized the girl by the arm, dragged her off, and shook her roughly, “Ha, ha! you huzzy! so the decoy has brought you into the trap, ha?” he growled, with a brutal oath. “Come, you must to Bridewell, madam.” Edgeworth Bess clasped her hands and shrieked for mercy. Jack Sheppard struggled with the constables, who held him back. His cheeks flamed scarlet, and his eyes blazed with fury. “ Hell-hound !” he gasped ; ‘‘ release the girl, or by all that’s holy you shall bitterly rue this day’s work,” Jonathan Wild laughed heariily at the impotent’ wrath of his prisoner. ‘And who shall be your dread avenger?” sneered the thief-taker. ‘My name-sake—Roving Jack !” cried Sheppard, fiercely. ‘‘ Aye, you may scoff my prophesy ; but I feel within me a firm assurance that you will not survive me many months, and that you will be brought to the halter by Roving Jack |” “Away with him!” growled Wild. ‘ Quilt Arnold, you must sleep to-night in the round- house. Woe to ye, sirrah, if you do not keep good watch over your prisoner. As for this jade, she shall be carried at once to Bridewell—drag her away.” Edgeworth Bess once more uttered a pealing shriek and threw herself upon her lover's breast. “Save me, Jack! save me !” she gasped, Sheppard was silent with rage and despair. The old Jew, Mendez, and several of the watch- men, dragged her away. Jack Sheppard was led to the door of the round- house, which was immediately opened by the parish beadle. Jack Sheppard was passed in, and locked up in a sort of cage at the back of the apartment. Iidgeworth Bess, who was still within a little distance of the round-house, when she saw the door closed upon her unfortunate lover, whom she, herself, had so shamefully betrayed, ‘uttered one piercing scream, and fainted in thetarms of the watchmen, CHAPTER LY, EDGEWORTH BESS RELEASED FROM THE CON- STABLES BY TOM KING, ‘‘CoME, my tear, ton’t be sho fiolent,” cried old Mendez, winding his arms round the waist of Edge- worth Bess, who recovered her senses after a short time, and struggled hard *to get away; « nopody —_—— —— shall hurt yoush, my tear, I vill take care of thatsh; put you musht go qvietlish. You know vot ish my ordersh; shtrike me funnish, but it ish not my vault, you know; pe quiet, then, and I vill do vot I can to get you out of your troublesh.” The old Hebrew spoke in fawning tones of en- dearment, detestable to the hearer, Bess, finding resistance useless,» gave up her attempts at escaping. Still she sobbed bitterly as she walked on. Mendez and the watchman still kept hold on her wrists, The old Jew continued whispering soft things in the distracted ear of the luckless girl. He pressed her hand, and even attempted to kiss her, ‘“My tear Edgevorth Bess, you have a friendsh in me ash vill die for you,” he murmured with fervour. ‘Ah! I am not very youngsh, dat ish troo; but vot then? Holy Abramsh! a man ish not old at my age, I vill pe sho kind to yoush.” “Oh! you old monster !” sobbed Bess. “If you are so fond of me, why don’t you let me go?” “QO! no l—no!—no !” chuckled Mendez, stroking his red beard and chuckling. ‘ You are a pird too purty to be let out of the cage. I must keep you fast, my dimber dell, and if you don’t like me, and vill shtill snub me, and treat me bad, vhy then, my ‘tear, vhot can I do put leave you to your fate, and to the mershy of the law.” “O do pray let me go !” cried Bess, again bursting into a passion of tears. “No; dat vould never do, my tear. like a good girl, and pe quiet.” e Hulloa, Mister Abraham,” cried the watchman, “this arn't the way to talk to sich a baggage as is a disgrace to her seck. Bring her along.” And uttering a savage threat, the watchman dragged her roughly by the arm. They were now passing through a poor neigh- bourhood ; but at back of the houses, which fronted another street—on one side was a wide open space where some buildings had been pulled down to make way for some new structure—a hospital or a prison—this space was skirted by a long low wall. As the constables hauled along the sobbing girl, they were suddenly startled by aloud halloo from behind the wall, They turned to see from whom the cry came. A dashing fellow, mounted on a splendid white horse, leaped over the wall, and lexeilinis a pistol at the old Jew’s head, called out in a voice of Come along thunder, ‘‘Stand, you vagabonds! - Release that girl, or I will fire !” The watchman relinquished his grasp, and crouched trembling against the wall. Tom King—for it was he—now galloped his horse to the side of Mendez, and seizing the old scamp by the bushy, red beard, hurled him aside. “Your hand, Bess, ” he cried. ‘Spring. So!— so !—now for a rough ride. J am pursued by Wild, Quilt Arnold, and a dozen of the traps, Hold fast, and away !|” He shook the rein. He dashed down a street, Windows flew up. Heads were popped out. Men and women rushed to the doors, , eee halted, and stared at the reckless ider, Children scattered in all directions to avoid being crushed under the horse’s hoofs. A donkey cart, driven by a loutish costermonger, stopped the way, ——T a oO cComicbool (eo) S E ) — NC ee | . —_— a