Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

S.-w 3 ae eS ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 136 STREET Ta ETE ee ee ee Mr. Guffin, the beadle, with the gaolers and con- stables, had now joined the group outside. Mustering all his strength, and aided by Blue- skin, Jack, holding on by the coping stone, pulled up a great part of the roof, and immediately dashed it down on to the heads of the astonished and affrighted mob below. Then, sliding down a considerable way by a leaden pipe affixed to the back part of the building, he cautiously dropped into the neighbouring church- ard, i He looked quickly round for Blueskin. His partner in guilt and adventure stood beside him. “Oh, Jack!” groaned the dark-faced ruffian ; “my leg! I have been bitten to the bone by that cursed mastiff, What shall I do? I shall be nabbed. Can’t I hide here ?”’ “ Yes—yes, for awhile,” cried Jack, quickly. “This will do.” There was an unfinished grave at hand, covered with planks, Sheppard tore away the wood, and Blueskin sprang into the earth. Then Jack made his way over the church wall on one side. Mr. Guffin, and the rest, armed with pistols and blunderbuses, had proceeded upstairs. Jack Sheppard now joined the mob, most of whom were half blinded with dust. He greatly added to their mystification, and his own diversion, by hallooing out— “There he goes! Isee him! That’s his head below the chimney! No, it’sonly a tom cat, ah! There he is ! escaping down that street. Stop him! stop him !” The mob immediately gave chase at full speed. While they made their way down one street, he, very safely and coolly, walked off down another, CHAPTER LXIL THE ABDUCTION OF VIOLET TREMAINE AND NELLIE PEVERIL, WIRTH WOLFGANG'S schooner, the “ Raven,” lay off our hero’s native village, Scarborough. Is was a dull and misty day ; the filmy fog rested like a thin cloud upon the unruffled bosom of the sea, | Wirth Wolfgang paced the deck, . His step betrayed impatience, and from time to time he leaned upon the bulwarks and listened’ to the lapping of the waves along her taut sides. ‘At length was heard the dip of oars. “A boat alongside, mynheer,’’ said a seaman, touching his hat. A faint smile broke on the Dutchman’s stolid face, “Yaw,” he grumbled. ‘It is Barabbas,” The look-out hailed the boat. The cry was responded to by the dwarf, who in a few moments clambered over the side. “ Yon are welcome, Barabbas,”’ said the Dutch- man, speaking in his own language. ‘I began to fear that something bad had happened.” All’s well, mynheer,” returned the dwarf, with a laugh. ‘“To-night we will carry off our fair prizes—the old tower is as quiet as the Reef in a calm—and this mist favours our purpose,” “T wish it were done, Barabbas, for all that,” returned Wirth Wolfgang. ‘I promised Jonathan Wild)that I would sail for London.to-night,” ‘And you can well keep your promise, mynheer,” answered the dwarf; “for 1 shall carry off my lovely Nell at once, I have reconnoitred the OL IAGT ~~ nO Owlet’s Roost; Sir John’s mother is away in London, and Violet and my lass are alone in the old house.” ‘‘ How many men will you want, Barabbas ?” “Twenty, mynheer ; we can man two boats, and I will go ashore as s00n as you please,” “Good !” returned the pirate captain, violence,” | “We shall overawe the household by our num- bers, and violence will not be necessary,” returned the dwarf, ““T will summon the men at once,” Wirth Wolfgang, He gave a prompt command to the boatswain, The men mustered on deck, Twenty were selected, The boats were manned. Barabbas took command of the party. The boats were lowered. The party pulled ashore, They kept under the shadow of the overhanging cliffs. They reached a little green before the Owlet’s Roost by clambering the heights and following a rugged pathway. . The fog was denser than ever. The grave old tower loomed darkly through the mist. “Now, messmates,” said Barabbas, “I will give ye a few words of advice. are on a service of a delicate nature, and one that must be carried out with tact and discretion ; in the second, you must act promptly and with decision, for Mr. Wild is not the sort of person that it is safe to trifle with; you heard, too, what Mynheer Wolfgang commanded, that there should be no violence used, and that you should abstain from plunder.” “Aye, aye !” laughed the seamen. ‘And you will remember that Nell Peveril is my prize, Whoever dares so much as to speak to her, makes me his foe !”’ “ But no rejoined GRAND DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES!! ead eee 1,400 VALUABLE PRESENTS GIVEN AWAY WITH THE In the first place, we | 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. 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