Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

258 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. Having recovered the shock, he turned to the spot where the visitor was stationed, but found his chair unoccupied, while he himself had passed noiselessly away. Dick Turpin, dumb-founded, hastily quitted the room for the stable of the inn, in quest of Black Bess, Here the figure again presented itself. The gloom at this spot was darker than ever, and, though in close proximity, he could not dis- tinguish the features of the spectral intruder, who raised his hand menacingly on quitting, or, more properly speaking, vanishing from his sight. Shaking off his apprehension, Turpin once more started for York. As the bell of a distant church struck five on that eve the river Ouse was crossed. He had now only nine miles to finish his journey, and an hour left from the given time of its comple- tion. Long before it the spires of York had broke upon his view, and he had arrived upon the city’s bound- aries. The minster proclaimed six o’ the night, when Black Bess tottered and fell. The poor beast had been ridden to death ! As Turpin carelessly contemplated the quivering carcass, he exclaimed, “T’ve done it, though; I’ve killed the best mare in England.” Muttering, he continued ‘“‘ The eye of posterity will be upon ug ; 200 miles in 16 hours, eh! Winged Pegasus couldn’t have kept our pace, ‘The feat will immortalize horge and horseman, and children unborn will laud the deeds of Dick Turpin and bonny Black Bess |” The highwayman was roused from his reverie by the sudden appearance of a man, who seemed to issue from a tangled thicket adjacent, He at once recognised that it was the same stranger encountered on his journey. Seized with a peculiar sense of danger, Turpin fled swiftly from the presence of him he had reason to dread. Having gone some distance he glanced behind, and, to his surprise, if not terror, beheld but too plainly that the pursuer was rapidly gaining upon him, This caused the highwayman to renew his exertions, Heedless of every impediment, he dashed madly on. The other followed in the path like his shadow, On the outskirts of the city of York was a solitary dwelling. This Turpin had succeeded in reaching just as the one who was giving chase was within a few yards of if, With a wild effort he rushed into the tenement, which appeared deserted, Fastening the doors and shutters of the house, he congratulated himself on the protection offered. To his dismay, he next found that he had left his weapons in the holster of the saddle of Black Bess, And that in dire emergency was without arms. His fears were then increased by a loud knocking at the door. This at once told how intent his supposed enemy was upon the prey he had, for the moment, lost. Presently the windows of the rcom were dashed in, Dick Turpin gave himself up for lost, conceiving, and with some show of probability, that his per- secutor was forging an entrance there, Ile was deceived, All was soon quiet. He listened. No sound met his anxious and keen ear. All seemed silence and security, But, to assure himself of the latter, the high- wayman took the precaution to examine the closets in the apartmenf, and, finally, the well staircase which led to the upper chambers of the house, Scarcely, however, was the latter door opened than, awe-struck, Turpin beheld the man whom he had hoped to have ayoided, In the aperture frowned the gaunt form of the mysterious stranger. He stood before Dick Turpin. He was now holding a pistol in his hand, His countenance was stern. His look betrayed the vindictive feelings that struggled within him. The glance that was cast seemed to strike the bold robber as a basilisk. His stout frame shook, His lips quivered, and he sank powerless. On the ground he lay as one in a trance, devoid of sense, feeling, sight. - After a while he woke to consciousness. The terrible figure had changed its character, and appeared to have assumed that of a Dutch captain, Was this a dream? Or was it reality ? The first fumes of fear having gradually dis- persed, Dick Turpin rose to find that he was not invested by a spectre, but by a creature of flesh aud blood, and that it was indeed Wirth Wolfgang who stood before him, His terror, without being ‘augmented, altered its form. He now conceived a notion of the possibility that his flight had been discovered and followed up. “You have discovered my retreat, then, Wirth?” said Turpin, exhibiting a composure he was far from experiencing, “Yaw, you may say dat,’ was the Hollander’s reply. “You bear letters of marque, eb, privateer?” _ “Nein, mynheer,’’ answered Wolfgang; then, turning the conversation, continued, “’Tis a verre long time since we haye greeted, goot friend, and yet I shoul’ haf known you if we had for to meet on a proad plank on ze Atlantic.” The peculiar manner in which the last words had been spoken, caused Dick Turpin more than ever to regard his companion with a feeling of distrust. Being determined at once to learn his intentions, he exclaimed, 3 ‘“What brings you to this part of the country, Wirth ?” ‘Vell, a leetle business and a leetle pleasure.” “Well, business first—it should, according to the maxim, precede pleasure.’ = ‘ “Dat ish goot! Never take von reef in until you are in der channel, Listen! I haf had yon dream last night,” TOSTED “A dream 2” = “Yau; and a very droublesome dream, too, I was spanking dro’ de vaters in my yawl. Vhat do you think I see on de banks?” . Leal ““T can’t imagine.” oat “I see two men ; one pursued de oder, His eyes glared wildly, and dere was murder in his step.” “ Murder?” stammered out Tur in, glancing wie eeLty and suspicion at the utterance of the word, pedis “Yau, mynheer, dat ish drue,” continned the — = Gomicbooks (fo)