Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

128 him in charge till we return with the other pri- soner,” “ Very good, Mr. Wild.” ‘¢ And now to horse, the rest of you.” ‘6 Which road shall we take?” asked the farmer, ‘There is a short cut across the fields,’’ returned Wild. ‘* You are a hunter, sir, and well mounted, and will not mind a little rough riding.” * T shall enjoy it,’ returned the farmer. Barney was handcuffed, thrown across the back of the horse, which was led off to the tavern. “You mustn’t be too hard upon that poor deyil,” said the farmer, pointing after the ostler with his whip; “we are all liable to temptation, and it could hardly be expected that the poor rogue should refuse a purse of gold to be earned on such easy terms.” “ Mind your own business, sir, and TI will attend to mine,’ replied the thief-taker, roughly. The farmer coloured with anger. “ Zounds! sir!” he cried, testily. ‘‘ You may be a good officer ; but I must tell youthat I think you a confounded unmannerly fellow.” “ How so? The scoundrel has forfeited his life to the law, of which I am the servant,” returned the thief-taker, sternly. ‘‘ He shall swing, if there’s not another rogue left unhung in England.” Then he turned to his followers. “* Are you all ready for the start?” ** Yes, sir,’’ responded the men, respectfully. “Then forward, gentlemen,” returned the thief- taker, cracking his whip. The horses gallantly leaped the fence, and the next moment were skimming like swallows across the broad fallow land. CHAPTER LVIII. THE PURSUIT—TOM KING GIVES WAY TO REMORSE, | | I Tom KING, meanwhile, had galloped his horse to a turning in the road where there was a high bank, thickset with trees, and surmounted by a tall hedge- row. : Here he dismounted. He tethered the horse to the branch of a tree, Then he took a pistol from each holster, and thrust them into his belt. He took off his laced hat lest the glitter of its gilt brocade should betray him. He clambered up the bank, j Screened from the 1oad by the trees, he crouched own, His post being elevated above the surrounding country, which consisted of flat fields and meadows, he peered through the bush, His view ranging across the wide field, he could see all that was passing in the lane on the other side of it, ‘Will the dog betray me?’ he muttered, as Barney stopped the pursuers. ‘If so, what will become of pretty Bess? I wasa fool to trust him.” In a state of great excitement, he watched what followed. ‘‘ Humph ! that’s the farmer I stopped last night,” he thought. ‘‘The chase will be a hot one.” He saw Wild and some others dismount. He breathed a curse as he noted the ostler’s eager gestures, But seeing that the man was pointing in an opposite direction to that which he had taken, he felt re-assured, ee ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. a ‘Ha! then he’a jannock, after all!” he ex- claimed, Then he saw the man seized by the officers, He breathed hard with excitement. The purses were produced. “The game’s up!’? muttered the highwayman, ‘‘ That fellow is true steel to the backbone. I wish I had Dick here, aid but a couple of the others, and we fain would wrest him from the bloodhounds ; and yet that Turpin is such a graceless brute that I don’t believe he’d stir a finger to serve his best friend in distress,” Wild’s furious gesticulations now commanded his attention. “That villain!” he hissed, boiling with rage, “that devil, who buys his victims body and soul only to bring them to destruction! Ha! if he were within pistol shot, dam’me, I think I’d have a crack at him now.” So saying, he took aim through the bushes, Then, as if convinced of the utter futility of attempting to reach his mark from such a dis- tance, he lowered the weapon, . “‘ Pshaw ! it’s no use,” he cried, impatiently ; “ it would only make matters worse for the poor beggar Barney, and Bess, too. I fear it will go hard with her.” At this moment Wild felled the ostler to the ground, “Phew! It’s getting too hot for me,” thought Tom: ‘I must put Lightfoot on her mettle.” He descended the bank. He untethered his horse from the tree. Mounting, he shook the rein, and dashed away, | He cast a hurried glance behind him, The road was clear, -, Drawing the rein, he allowed his horse to fall into a quick trot, GRAND DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES !! | | | | j | SSS > - : ) 1,400 VALUABLE PRESENTS GEVEN AW AW WITH THE BOYS OF ENGLAND, Consisting of Ponies, Pet Dogs, Pigeons, Ducks, Fowls, Rabbits, Concertinas, Watches, Cricket Bats, Balls and Stumps, | Bows and Arrows, Fishing Rods, Quoits, Boxes of Colours, Sets of Characters, Scenes, Stage Front, etc., etc. ORDER No, 1 OF THE | BOYS OF ENGLAND. - ONE PENNY WEEKLY. | With No. 1 is PRESENTED A LARGE AND MAGNIFI- | CENT ENGRAVING OF THE BATTLE OF CHEVY CHASE, AND A SET OF CHARACTERS FOR A NEW PLAY. FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF ANY OTHER BOYS’ JOURNAL. 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