Penny Dreadfuls, 1867 · page 127 of 300
Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 127: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 147 of "Roving Jack, the Pirate Hunter" This page contains running prose narrative from a Victorian penny dreadful serial. The text describes an attack on a building called the Owlet's Roost by pirates led by a character named Barrabas. Defenders inside, including women named Nell Peveril and Violet Tremaine, retreat to the basement as the entrance catches fire. After an hour of suspense, the pirates regroup and approach with ladders, attempting a coordinated multi-point assault. Nell and her companions prepare to defend themselves from the windows, though she orders them to hold fire until the attackers are closer. The narrative emphasizes melodramatic tension and danger throughout the siege.
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ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 147 ‘Then we must trust in Providence,” she replied. The faggots and the straw were piled around the door and the wooden porch or verandah before it ; a twinkling flame was seen, which each moment became larger and larger, _ The fire began to curl round the two wooden pillars that supported the verandah, till at length the whole structure was in flames, This was of course a great advantage to the pirates, and a disadvantnge to those inside. ‘Ha! ha!” laughed Barrabas. “See how the flames light up the windows! you can see where to alm your bullets now, my lads!” His crew of ruffians poured in another volley, with a loud shout. One of the men in the Owlet’s Roost was struck in the forehead by a bullet, and fell down a corpse. Another received a pistol shot in his shoulder. In the meantime the house began to fill with smoke, which accumulated in dense clouds in the front rooms ; so, by Nell’s advice, they retreated to the basement of the building. ‘‘ What shall we do now?” said a groom, looking towards the two ladies for an answer. ‘We must wait and see what their next move will be, They have. set the entrance on fire, but that is all the damage they can do at present. The barricade in the entrance-hall will not .be touched by the flames, and will keep them at bay for some time.” ‘Hark! they are trying the door again,” said Violet, “They may batter down the door itself with long poles, but they cannot enter until the fire has in a great measure burnt itself out,” In a minute or two there was a great crash, The pillars that had supported the verandah had given way, and it was now blazing fiercely in a large heap before the door. The pirates now left off firing, and it was very difficult to tell what their intentions were, One part of the brave little garrison kept watch over the side entrance, in expectation of an attack in that quarter. But no further attack was made either on door or window. Half an hour of anxiety and suspense thus passed away. : CHAPTER LXVII. ‘BARABBAS’S ATTAOK ON THE OWLETS’ ROOST, IN vain did Nell Peveril and the servants at the Owlet’s Roost endeavour to discover some signs of the enemy’s presence or some clue to his plans. One or two of them gave it as their opinion that the pirates, frustrated in their endeavours to force an entrance, had retired to their boats, and gone away, But Nell Peveril knew the dwarf better than to believe that, All that she could do was to send one of the ser- vants up to the roof, to look out and discover their motions, Violet Tremaine and the others kept below, that they might be out of danger. “Good heaven! what a dreadful night this has been !” exclaimed Violet. ‘ How many hours is it to daylight, do you think ?” “Two hours, at the very least. But the fate of this house and its inmates will be decided ere then, I fancy.” “Heaven protect us! coming ?” ““Where?” asked Nell, ‘ Here, on the lawn,” Nell looked ont, and indistinctly saw a group of men advancing, In a minute she could distingnish their forms more clearly, ‘Yes, youare right! They are carrying ladders |! They divide into different parties—they intend to attack us in several places at once !” Then she drew herself back from the window and clutched her pistol. “We must fight hard, now !” The servants divided themselves at the windows facing the lawn, which had before been sheltered by the verandah, ‘Shall we fire now ?—shall we fire now?” they asked, “No; do not fire till the muzzles of your pistols are at their hearts, They cannot’mount more than two at a time at each window.” The ladders were fixed, and the pirates with a loud cheer, began to ascend, Violet Tremaine was even persuaded to fire one pistol as she stood trembling, and supported by her stronger-minded companion. The two men fell back from the ladder, and Nell gave a cry of exultation. ‘We shall conquer yet,” she cried. At the same moment her weapons were wrenched from her grasp, and she found herself stru geling in the hands of.a couple of ruffianly-looking rascals. A scream of terror from the lips of Violet Tre- maine arrested her attention, and half turning her head, she saw that her gentle friend had also been But see—are they not seized, The author of all this mischief was at hand, exulting in the terror and misery he had caused, The dwarf gloried in the success of his enter- prise. - “Help! help |!” screamed Violet. “Yes, my beatity, you shall have help when you get to your lover,” cried Barabbas. “Release me, ruffians! Help! have pity on me !” Oh |. heaven ! SOT