Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

916 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. The trap was completely set, and four boats moved silently with muffled oars on the Thames to the scene of action. Each boat was manned by twelve hands, and each hand furnished with twelve rounds of ball cartridge, with a further store if necessity required it. __. Arrived at the vessel, it was environed on all sides by the assailing party. 4 With stillness of death they ascended the wreck, and posted themselves in various portions of the same, More especially in the compartment adjoining the hold, where they could command their deadly aim at their unsuspecting enemy, and behind which they could raise a formidable barricade. . ‘The success of the project need not be told, since, with a single exception, the ocean banditti perished on that fatal night, * FS eon ¢ * ot Heavily .along the road which crosses , Enfield Chase, rumbles a carriage.’ oor One of those carriages of the early Georgian era. , Massive in decoration, ponderous in construc- tion. ne ; The vehicle is occupied by a personage equally portly and portentous.— . The Very Reverend , Doctor Ephraim Spintext,.a high church dignitary. ieee The exalted individual has many fat livings. And possesses, by virtue of his holy office, vast and broad ecclesiastical domains. Though a minister of the gospel, he is not averse to rational recreation or enjoyment when it comes in the shape of dinner parties, good cheer and old port. 3 +) He is now returning from a.participation of the second and drowsy under the influence of the third, In short, the learned doctor has had what may be aptly .termed.a skinful of wine, and is asleep-in his carriage, : . While in a pleasing dream of tithings, benefices, and preferment, his ear is assailed by the inhar- monious words, *“‘ Stand and deliver |” - Suddenly starting from his dream, the first object that meets the eye of the divine is a loaded pistol, peering gracefully through the window of the vehicle that carries him, Again the ominous sentence, “Stand and de- liver !” is repeated, with a command that his money may quickly change hands. | > MALVIA The proud parson now found that he was in the power of a highwayman, one of those minions of the’ moon who consider ‘objectionable a‘ nay to their answer. . The Very Reverend Doctor Ephraim Spintext was. a man who was endowed with a considerable shar of confidence, and began to lay about him. | Not with carnal weapons (he was a man of peace), but with more potent instruments. of defence, ' namely, texts of scripture, ’ He commenced his cudgéling of the bold robber with the eighth commandment— “Thou shalt not steal,” a Finding his adversary was about to patry ‘the thrust, and act upon the offence, he! followed up his attack with greater vigour by assertin g, | “And, furthermore, Solomon, who’ was surely a very wise man, speaketh in this: manner, ‘Rob’ not the poor, because he is poor,’” Dick Turpin, who was really the party addressed, : before easing the old cull of ‘his’ swag,’ determined’ to finish’the cant in his own strain,’ To attain such an end, the highwayman rubbed up his memory, -and treated his antagonist with some scraps from the holy writ. aig h 40 “<Verily, thou vessel of wrath,” said Dick. Turpin, assuming the air of the devout, “ ‘if thou hadst regardest the divine precepts as thou oughtest to have done, thou wouldest not have wrested them. to such an abominable and wicked sense as thou hast done.’ ” AUD. ds an® ad ‘Friend, if I have taken tithe, it hath been but. my godly possession. The prophet saith the labourer is worthy of his hire, andif I——”. “ Thou should’st have been content in sack-cloth and ashes, whilst thou wert wallowing in filthy lucre,” said the highwaynian. ai “Why, thou vile robber, dost thou aggravate my. misfortunes, and attempt to extenuate thine own. horrid crimes?” . ‘ Ae - “No aspersions on my profession, I beg, sir,” re- plied Turpin, “for Solomon’s words, which. you have just quoted, are also these, ‘ Despise not.a thief.’ : 3 hy y reeset ‘‘ But, it is of little purpose to dispute,” continued the speaker ; “my time is precious, as I haye.to_ wait upon a rich dowager before morning, and the, substance of what I have to say is included ina. few words,” ; ‘“ Which are——” “T require ‘your cash, ring, watch,” oe pen “TI cannot consent, friend, to such a request.” - ‘‘ May I never be brought to the crap,* then,” re-. turned Turpin, “if I don’t send your reverence out of the world, to your old master, the devil, in an instant,” pee? So a oe The terrible words had their desired effect. The minister was mumchance,+ and nodded | assent. _ she eng -. — Thirty broad pieces of. gold soon found them-, selves in the highwayman’s pouch, who, with a polite bow and a smile, bid his dupe “ good-night,” and.fhey, parted, ~, +s So" sre: Gea Dick Turpin had not proceeded far on his road. when he suddenly pulled up Black Bess, the mare. upon which he was seated. _ oe ‘“Now I come to think of it,’’ he said, **I’ve done | | wrong in letting off such a rich ecclesiastic as his reverence, Doctor Ephrahim Spintext, in such an easy manner. As he has come a long distance it is evident that he has more gold on his person than” in his purse. I mustn’t have done with him yet.” _ Coolly again taking out his ‘bull-dogs”’ (a pair, of pistols), he put spurs to his. animal and rode | after the carriage he had lately stopped... «5 4.) _He had not proceeded in its;pursuit three minutes, when he perceived that it had stopped before an old , country ale-house, called the ‘King Harry.” __._, _The .oceupant had descended to seek its shelter while the vehicle was, by his orders, to continue its , journey onwards. . 1 end qeenee. | “This proceeding, puzzled the highwayman, who could not make out why his dignity could possibly condescend to. rub its greatness against the oaken tables of such a humble place of entertainment. “T must do it,’ said Turpin. ‘ But,how to get at the parson, since he knows me, without exciting » suspicion? ’Tis too good a prize to let'slip, and yet, I don’t see my way clear how I can do the trick;’” Casting up in his mind tlle pros and.cons, he at length seemed to haye hit upon a plan by, which he could; effect his,\desired purpose of again robbing the reverend gentleman.s:))} jo.) f oY oh) Of and gold hunting: :