Penny Dreadfuls, 1867 · page 237 of 300
Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 237: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# What This Page Contains This is a text page from a Victorian penny dreadful serial (No. 33) titled "Roving Jack, the Pirate Hunter." The page features running prose narrative with one central wood-engraved illustration labeled "The Old Home" at its center. The text describes a highwayman's rapid journey on horseback (Black Bess) across English counties in pursuit of Roving Jack, passing through Hampstead, Hertfordshire, Huntingdon, and reaching Nottinghamshire. At a roadside inn during a violent thunderstorm, the protagonist Turpin encounters a mysterious, ghostly-looking stranger whose sudden appearance disturbs him, and he prepares to address this unsettling figure. The narrative emphasizes atmospheric drama and melodramatic tension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. - From this point the highwayman is commencing his journey in pursuit of Roving Jack. Ina short time he reaches Hampstead, and dashes towards Highgate. ing A Arrived here, Crouch End and Hornsey toll-bar _ are soon passed, the spikes of the barand a donkey- | cart waiting at the closed gate being cleared appa- - rently with ease by Black Bess and Turpin. This incident caused great surprise to the pro- prietor of the petty vehicle, and much chagrin to the bilked collector, who suddenly aroused from his last forty winks. ‘The poor fellow, who had been dozing all the night, was not in the best humour to be thus ousted the first thing in the morning. Skimming, like aa eagle on the wing, the brave mare and her rider next entered Hertfordshire. The limits of two counties left behind, they then entered merry Huntingdon, and in the fourth hour had accomplished sixty miles. Lincolnshire, Rutlandshire, and Leicestershire are next reached and travelled through, and Notts gained, The noble Black Bess, at this period, gave symptoms of distress, and for the second time on their journey the highwayman and his steed stayed to bait. While resting at a road-side inn a traveller entered the room in which Turpin was ensconced. As he did so, the heavens, which had-sten No. 33. THE OLD HOM®—(Sce No. 34) obscured by dark and lowering clouds, suddenly poured down a terrific shower of rain. The atmosphere became so thick that nothing was discernible, save that which was made so by the vivid lightning that ever and anon darted before the eyes of the terrified spectators, The forked fires, were, in every instance, suc- ceeded by a peal of thunder that seemed to shake - _ the earth beneath it with a violent convulsion. The appearance of the traveller in the chamber seemed somewhat sudden to Turpin. In fact, he rather glided than walked as he pro- ceeded, His countenance, as far as could be ‘discerned in the haze, was livid and cadaverous, while his gar- ments, mouldering and much worn, gave him some- thing of a ghost-like aspect. Without returning the fixed glances of his fellow guest, or deigning to notice him, he pursued his way to the further end of the room, and took a seat. Turpin, who had been engaged over a hasty meal, lost his appetite, and pondered on when and where he had met his mysterious companion. He felt a curious presentiment that he had seen him before. While yielding to doubt and fear, the highway- man determined to address the stranger. He wasfabout to do so when a dazzling flash GOMmiiGdoo