Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 227: what you’re looking at

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

ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. i pam if not ectually about. to. be under- taken. ’ Here and there were mén and even women cronch- ing, and whetting some rusty blade or otheron the pavement. | Some were engaged in a temporary forge, the glow of whore fire.cast a red glare on the eharacters th it surrounded it. The occupation of these individuals was the making of pikes, brown ‘bills; and such offehsive weapons. While far and wide might be seen members of the motley eréw priming or loading every: descrip- tion of fire-arm, from the old arquebuss to the modern musket. Fiom the conversation of the topers, that is to to say, of those drinking at the rude-tables, it would be difficult to say what was the nature of the project. They merely appeared to be in high spirits, and, between the legs of each might be seen some glit- tering weapon of steel. otwithstanding the confusion which reigned in this assemblage three principal groups crowded round three principal personages. — The reader has been acquainted with them here- tofore. Their names being— Baptist Kettleby, Master of the Mint. Simon Smut, the “locum tenéns” of the Lord Chancellor of the Cadgers, who, being too drunk to fulfil any onerous office, had retired, not from office, but into a,neighbouring coal-box for the night, And last, but not least, the high spice toby-gloak, Joe Blueskin, of immortal memory. Amidst the din, which was something like that within a bell in a grand peal, was heard the voice of the last party mentioned. “Come, coves of cant, arm yourselves; make haste, we shall start iu an hour for Newgate,”’ The voice of:a young warrior next rose above the uproar. | esis A rusty breast-plate guarded his panting bosom, and a perforated saucepan; in place of a helmet, protected his head. This individual possessed a saucy, réd snub: nose, locks of light hair, rosy lips, and darting eyes. The organs of vision having a slight tendency to obliquity, which might be ungenerously termed: a squint, ry He had a belt stuck stock-full of daggers, a long sword at his thigh, and a large jug in his hand, from which, ever and anon, he took “a lusty pull.’ Every mouth around him was drinking, cheering and laughing. “ Gentlemen blackguards,” he vociferated ; ‘‘for Iam now one of your fraternity, and I mean to extiuguish myself.’ “Hear, hear!’ and roars of laughter from the opposition. “No, I don*t mean that exactly, ’cos I don’t in- tend to put my light under a bushel in this ere noble cause, No! I repeat, with repetition, that if you will allow me, I will show you that this is to be a glorious day.” A gentleman with a black eye and a short pipe suggested the substitution of the word night, in the place of that of day. thar “Well, a glorious night if you like,” retorted the speaker, boiling with- indignation, and bubbling with beer ; “but that’s neither here nor there, ’cos I’m a vagabond, and my name is Simon Smut,” “Bravo! bravo! the ayes have it,” ~ pT TREKS BXOKO) “Teonld lay a wager not one o’ you would turn back on the prigving Jay.” ‘“* Not'one,; uot one.”’ ‘Then, brothers, we- ate) going on a rare expe- dition.” ‘“‘ We are valiant coveys.” ““And going to break into Newgate to carry off poor Jael the gipsy girl in defiance-of the bench of ae sag a all the judges and thief-takers in the and. ‘‘ We'll lay siege:to Jonathan Wild’s house; and burn him like a rat in his hole. rion ‘There'll be lots of plunder, and we shall do the trick in less time than an alderman takes to eat a basin of turtle soup.” The rest of Simon Smut’s harangue was lost in the tumult and bursts of laughter that swelled around, and his eye swam in ecstacy as its, final sentence was hailed with three separate, distinct, and tremendous cheers. Then followed a moment of comparative guietude, during which Blueskin, as leader of the expedition, instructed his army of knaves in the order of battle. While this was going forward the crew continued to arm themselves at the further end of the cave, where such whispers as these might be heard pass« ing from one to the other, -“ Poor Jael,” said a gipsy, ‘she is our sister ; we must release her.” ‘Ts she still in the *Stone Jug?” asked a Jew- looking pedlar. “ Bither there or in Wild's house, we don’t know which ; our spies have failed to make out how she has been conducted hither.” “| am only surprised,”’ returned the other, ‘‘ that we know thus much, seeing that she was clandes- tinely carried off atter the fire at the ‘Dog and Duck.’ ©! ‘“ We should never have made the discovery at all but for the Dutch skipper, Wirth Wolfgang,” said the first speaker; “he had been in league with Jonathan Wild -for some secret purpose on the the night in question, where by accident he learnt the plot. Following on the footsteps.of the plotters he was a witness of the abduction and: retreat of the gipsy maiden.” “(My handicraft will be in requisition to-night,” cried one of the smiths working at the forge, and taking notches out of a broad-sword. ; ‘‘ And mine too,” replied another ; “ I’ve shod and sharpened three score of pike, and a dozen bills since morning.” ‘‘ Yes,” continued a third, ‘and, 1 warrant me, before long they will do their work, and maby a one will be food for the crows.” “True; but first we must force the Poultry Compter’s boys,” interrupted a fourth, ‘‘and then we shall be strong enough to venture upon New- ate.” : ; Blueskin, having giving his orders, next proceeded to gather and distribute arms during the singing of one of the peculiar songs of the lawless crew. ** When brayé Duval to the crap was brought, At the ‘ Crown” he took his very last draught ; He took the bowl, he drank aud smiled, Saying, ‘ Your turn will come,’ to Jonathan Wild. And so say we, sO say we, Tra-la-la! tra-la-la!” “ Comrades,” said Blueskin, “you know what hour it is?” . At the sound of his voice there was a hushed silence and quiet like the calm that ‘presages the hurricane, * Stone Jug, or Newgate.