Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

a Pe ee ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 210 a ee ee Smiling, Peveril continued. ; “Thou’lt never reach Newgate by the time.” “Indeed ; I should like to see who will prevent me,” ‘““A power stronger than thee and I possess. Dinna yer struggle wi’ it ; or yer’ll come off second best, mun.” “You are prevaricating, farmer; I see you are hinting at danger, Speak freely. What do you mean?” = ‘Well, then, that the storm that is now about to burst over us will render the road impassable, and that you and your prisoner may chance perish in a flood.”’ 3 “Tf you are speaking truly, ’twould be as well to delay our journey.” “Do as thee wilt,” said Peveril, with a cunning leer, “ only recollect that I warned ye.” With the words, he raised the inanimate Hllen, and consigned her to the keeping of an aged female domestic, who boré her earefully from the room. Jonathan Wild paced abstractedly to and fro. Ever and anon he glanced at Jack Sheppard, and narrowly observed the farmer. The latter gave neither sign nor token by his countenance of the stratagem he had formed in his head for the release of the captive. ~ After a pause, he addressed him. “I can rely upon the information you have given me?” “It is strictly corréet,” answered the old man. “ Ask any of the neighbours, and they will tell thee that after rain the valley be inundated, and that to cross it, even by day, is perilous to horseman or traveller on foot.”’ ‘Then my mind’s made up; I’ll pass the night at the farm, where you must find means of disposing of the man I have taken in custody.” “I can readily do so, Adjoining the house is a temporary stronghold, used in days gone by for purposes of security } its windows are grated, its doors secured by bolts, bars, and locks,” “This is fortunate,” eriea the thief-taker ; “within its walls I’ll bestow the prisoner,” At a signal from their leader, the whole party at once proceeded to the fabric that the farmer pointed out to them. It appeared evidently to have formed at one time a place of duresse or dungeon, most probably during the Commonwealth or the wars of the Roses, Its fitness and strength at any rate justified such a conclusion. As the officers and their prisoner arrived at the. old building, the latter was in the midst of the circle, who carried each a loaded pistol in his hand, He was,not bound but deprived of every means of resisting his keepers. He looked somewhat dépressed, but cast a defiant’ glance upon them, Rae £1 ul Jonathan, Wild, before, entering the porch, made an examination of the so-called ‘‘ fortress.” ) It was all that he could ‘desire, It had an outlet'to'a neighbouring churchyard: - It possessed; but few windows, all: at'‘a’ consider- able altitude from the ground, and guarded, as also, was its single door, by. bars and strong ironwork, The “interior was then surveyed by the thief- purpose in every taker, ‘and found to answer his respect,) a8, far As security and attempt at escape were concerned, Jack Sheppard had scarcely been conducted into this ‘prison when a distant’ sound disturbed ' his gaolers, ot | We 4 Theix,, principal) issued ‘from, the gate:to learn the cause of interruption, (+ pec To his surprise he perceived, a horseman making a descent down a steep embankment a little to the left of the spot upon which he was standing. The horse plunged, and fell down the declivity, dragging its rider with him, entangled in the stirrup. The termination of the event could not be ascer- tained by the observer, as everything at the bottom of the valley was screened from view by intervening brushwood and clusters of overhanging foliage. Jonathan Wild despatched messengers to the scene of the disaster. What came of it we reserve for the next chapter. CHAPTER XCIV. SHOWS WHAT TOOK PLACE IN THE CHURCHYARD AND ITS IMMEDIATE VICINITY. THE men soon returned who had been sent out to learn how the horseman had fared in his late perilous descent, As luck would have it, he had escaped witha few scratches. =e i Jonathan Wild was somewhat taken by surprise at the further intelligence he received. “The man is not seriously hurt, you say?” en- quired the thief-taker of the assistants. “No,” said one, who turned out to be Qnilt Arnold, “there are no bones broken, and his wounds, such as they are, will heal before morning.” **He’s a lucky fellow,” said Wild, “that he has suffered no mischief; for, I take it, in these out- andish parts, he’d get very little attendance from @ surgeon,” ' Quilt Arnold drew the speaker aside after a pause, and addressed him in alow tone. — “You are wanted,” said he, Wild started. | 4s yt “Hush !—be cautious, or you will. rouse sus- picion.” Lipid apn “Who the devil can it be 2?” ‘You have named the party rightly. It is the devil, and no one else, for he alone can frighten you. But now he came up and whispered in my ear the pass-word of our community, ‘and bid your master, Jonathan Wild, come to me without delay. ’Tisa matter that concerns him nearly. Tell him within the hour to meet me in the ruined church hard by. If he refuse within the hour he will rue his negli- gence,’ With this he vanished like a spectre. I fear he intends some evil towards you.” *‘ Nothing more likely.” ‘You won’t.go, of course ?’,. ; “OF course I shall ; it may be necessary to have a knowledge of his purpose,” ‘But danger——” | [rn ‘\Idefy, Jonathan Wild fears neither man; nor devil.” re vor « ; od VY MTA Sn i believe it,” *K Ko *K a liox TJ Joc: fest? To an old monastic structure,..whither)bhe had’ ’ - been directed, Jonathan Wild bent his, footsteps. :.., The old church seemed despoiled and esos d, and abandoned to the ravages of decay and time. Its roof and walls, crumbling anuilivy-covered, rendered it): even pristine days of glory. ' ; Brier and weed usurped the pavement, and OBE- grown were'the monuments anid Marble tombs, - The only object:varying from the scene of speace e\ was the figure of the thief-taker, whose; steel scab- |, JOO ~ “You speak truly ; for till now’ I could scarce ft more picturesque’ than in its cS. CO)