Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 214: what you’re looking at

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

234 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. re be able to fulfil his duties as their legal functionary in the matter in hand. “ Unroll myself?” answered Simon. I do.” “Thou acknowledgest thyself one of the crew?” interrupted the master of the Mint. * One of the crew ?” “In course ‘Echo not my words,” he continued ; “but tell | me if thou art willing to become a subject of the _| ficiency in the craft of ‘ fly faking,’ shall render it kingdom of slang.’’ ‘Decidedly so.” “Good; then let us at once proceed to the in- | auguration.” A wild shout was raised by the whole assemblage, — who placed Simon on an oaken table. The principal, turning to the novitiate, with a dirty skin of parchment in hand, upon which were mscribed certain strange characters, commenced his harangue in a solemn yoice— ‘‘Kneel down, Simon Smut, and repeat the re- quirements of our fraternity.” He obeyed the mandate, while the Master of the Mint mounted on the table, and stood by his side. “In the name of High Pads, Queer Gills, and Sarkmen, I swear to be true to this brotherhood. That I will obey the authority of those who reign in the region of scamp, That I will never peach, split, or blow the gaff on my pals on the mouching lay. And finally, I will serve truly, and interfere never with the rights of Crank, Cuffin, Dimber- Damber, or Olli Compolli, by which title his excel- lency the upright man is distingnished. In witness thereof, ‘So help me Salamon!’ the oath of our creed.” After repeating the abjuration Simon Smut re- ceived a smart thwack from the lath-sword of the Lord-Chancellar of the Cadgers, who performed his office with all due honour and drunken gravity. “To be admitted into our fraternity,” said the Master of the Mint, ‘thou must show thyself worthy of such an honour, therefore at once prove thy skill at picking a pocket.” On a given sign several vagabonds brouzht for- ward a portable gibbet, from this was suspended the stuffed figure of a man, the effigy being covered with as many bells as a drove of Castilian mules, Baptist Kettleby pointed to a rickety stool placed under the above-named figure. ‘‘Get upon that,” he said. The words were addressed by the Master of the Mint to Simon Smut, who the next moment mounted, The stool quivered under his weight, but by oscillations frequent of arms and legs, he contrived to maintain his centre of gravity. “T shall break my limbs,” cried the equilibrating individual, “ Better them than thy neck beneath the ‘ wooden shroud,’ ’’* “ What am I to do now?” “ What Ishall tell thee.” Proceed |” “Stand on tiptoe that thou may’st reach the dummy uncer the halter.”’ ** Vonsider it done,’’ “In the pocket of the same you will find a purse.” “ What then ?” ‘See if thou canst filch it without making any of the bells speak.” “ Should I succeed ?”’ ‘Thy freedom of the Mint is granted, and thou ee Fe EE rn * Wooden shroud—the gallows, art an established, enfranchised, and complete vagabond.” - “But, spite o’ me, should the tinklers chatter ?” exclaimed Simon, “‘ Why, then, my queer cull,” chimed in Blueskin, “thou wilt be soundly thrashed within an inch of thy life. ‘This wholesome chastisement will continue for a week, or so; or rather, to such times as thy pro- unnecessary. “Then, and not until then, shall we call thee a comrade, and a worthy member of the community of the ‘Island of Bermuda.’ ” * “Come, quick, varlet, said the Master of the Mint, stamping his foot impatiently upon the barrel he had remounted, whose hollowness caused it to sound something like abig drum. ‘To thy task; recollect if I hear a single clapper, thy shoulders smart for it.” The “motley crowd applauded the words of Baptist, and ranged themselves in a circle round the tristful tree. Their pitiless langh greeted Simon as he advanced, whilst the bells of the effigy, with their tolling tongs, seemed to him as so many serpents, ready to bite his tremulous hands as he came near them, Suspecting, correctly, that there was no evasion of the ordeal for him, Simon went to work resgo- lutely. He crossed his left leg over his right. This wouldn’t do, so he changed the position of the right leg to the left. That was better. He raised himself on tiptoe, and, breathless, stretched out his arm to the effigy. His finger, in safety, had reached the coveted pocket. In another moment, the purse it contained would, in all human probability, have left its receptacle, but for an unforseen accident. -Simon was seen to totter ; the stool upon which he stood was seen to totter; and the figure was seen, not only to totter, but literally to perform the evolutions concomitant witha song called “ dancing mad,” and give forth the stunning jingle of some thousand bells, The mystery of the mal-adventure was soon made apparent. The frail article of domestic furniture had dislo- cated a joint, or, rather, broken a leg, and thrown poor Simon off his balance. | Mechanically catching at the dangling dummy, he had of course come to the ground, and the im- pulsion of his body set the chimes ringing their ominous peal. As he lay, like one dead, with his face towards the ground, he heard the coarse ribaldry and diabolical laughter of his persecutors, _ Their mirth was not of long duration, for before it had scarcely commenced all were startled by a piercing shriek ; it proceeded from the neighbour- ing street, which was extremely dark. A wick, steeped in oil, and burning in an iron cage at its corner, enabled, however, an observer to distinguish three forms—a woman struggling in the grasp of two ruffians, who vainly endeavoured to stifle her cry of terror. , “Help! help! for heaven’s sake! screamed the unfortunate girl. {A “Halt! scoundrels, and let the wench co,” roared a horseman, ina voice of thunder, ’ . * The Island of Bermuda, the Mint was so termed by its occupants, na eee A - COMICDOOKS.COM