Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 231: what you’re looking at

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

~ ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 251 The supposed terrible death of poor Simon Smut had rendered his companions mad with rage, Iury and vengeance found ladders, and torches multiphed two-fold. Wirth Wolfgang beheld the rabble preparing to mount the eminence upon which he had been stand- ing from all sides, ‘Suddenly a flood of flame burst upon the scene of confusion, which, up to this moment, had been buried in darkness. Newgate was burning ! In a few moments the whole city, to a consider- able distance, was illumined by the flames. The outline of its vast proportions projecting far above the neighbouring houses formed a gigantic patch of shadow amidst all the glare. The whole vicinity was at once in a commotion, The bells of the churches proclaimed the intelli- gence of fire. The living mass in the streets were yelling, screaming and climbing. Wirth Wolfgang, apparantly powerless against such a host, trembled for Jael, Wringing his hands, he swooned from sheer despair, _—_—_ — CHAPTER CXII, THE CONTINUATION OF THE RIOTS IN LONDON— ARRIVAL OF THE MILITARY—THE FIRING ON THE MOB FROM THE WINDOWS—HOW JAEL, THE GIPSY GIRL, GOT OUT OF NEWGATE, AND WHAT TOOK PLACE AFTER THAT EVENT. WirtH WOLFGANG did not long remain in his state of stupefaction. His critical situation at once aroused him from his lethargy, and seemed to tell him that he must be up and doing. The brave Dutchman, assailed on all sides, had lost, if not all courage, all hope; not of saving himself—he never once thought of that—but of saving Jael. He ran in consternation round the gallery of the column, It was on the point of being carried by the mob when their further ascent of the Newgate tower was abruptly stopped. A tramp of horses was heard in full gallop, and making for the scene of action. Presently a wide column of cavalry, riding at speed, and a long file of flambeaux, poured with a tremendous noise into the multitude. They were headed by two leaders, Roving Jack and Tom King, They had come to the rescue, . The affrighted spectators turned and faced about, Wirth Wolfgang heard the din, saw the naked swords, and our hero at the head of the horsemen. He observed the confusion of the rabble; the consternation of the stoutest, the alarm of the weakest, At the sight of the unexpected succour he mus- tered strength and threw down the foremost of the assailants, who were already striding into the gallery. The mob defended themselves with the courage of despair. Taken in the flank and rear, with their backs towards Newgate, they were at once the besiegers and besieged. The conflict was terrible. The soldiers gave no quarter. Those of the rabble who escaped the point of the sword were cut down by the edge; being badly armed, those massacred foamed and bit. Men, women, and children, darting at the horses, clung to them, like so many cats, with tooth and nail, Some of the mob thrust their torches into the faces of the slaughtering troops ; some, being pulled from their horses, were literally stoned to death ; while others shared a fate as fearful, being hacked to pieces by the blunt blades of the enraged enemy, One was conspicuous above the rest of his fol- lowers, — He was armed with a sharp scythe, attached to the end of a long pole. With this formidable weapon he mowed at the horses’ legs, and brought down more than a score of riders with the apparent ease of cutting a field of clover. This individual was the prime mover of the enter- prise, Joe Blueskin, He appeared likely to exterminate the whole phalanx opposed to him, when a shot laid him prostrate. The windows of the neighbouring houses had, during the terrible conflict, been thrown wide open, The occupants, being of a wealthier class, took part in the affair, and bullets were showered from every story upon the rioters in the streets below. The region was soon filled with a dense smoke from the gunpowder used, and streaked ever and anon with flashes of fire poured forth by the mur- derous fusillade of musketry. The desperate multitude were at length discom- fited. Their want of discipline and proper weapons had materially assisted in their overthrow, It was a piteous sight to see them fleeing in all directions, wounded, scared and bleeding, leaving their dead comrades in heaps upon the pavement, When Wirth Wolfgang, who had been busily engaged watching the progress of the terrible struggle from the leads of Newgate, witnessed the defeat of his supposed enemies, he gave way toa transport of joy. “ Prave poys !” he exclaimed, ‘‘ you haf saved ma fraulein, de duivel. I had almosht fear for her at von time. Ja, Ja, Muntmeester; but if any unfor- seen accident had come to de yonker, donder und blitzon, who shoult lay de fault on mein shoulders ?” With a quick step the Dutchman then hurried to the retreat of Jael, the access to which he had so gallantly defended. His surpise—his terror—his dismay may be ima- gined on reaching her asylum to find it empty. This circumstance we must explain. When the mob had commenced their attack upon Newgate, Jael, overcome by the powerful excitement she had suffered, had fallen into a slumber, Although her sleep was heavy she was soon aroused, The incessant shouting and increased tumult awoke her before she had rested many minutes. At first the superstitious fear of the gipsy assailed her. She fancied that some unhallowed beings were engaged either in mysterious rites, or in infer- nal battle. Presently the truth was revealed to her, and she learnt that the conflicting host were desperate men and women struggling with frantic might. Her terror here tookanewform. Had her asylum been discovered by her enemies? Was it her life or liberty they sought ? Had she to live or die? Whilst wrapt in the burst of anguish, Jael heard a footstep approaching her; she looked up and observed a stranger. She could not distinguish his features for the person stood in the shade of the room, which had no light in it save the occasional iS. C Om