Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

ROVING JACK; THE PIRATH HUNTER. 259 Dutchman. ‘ His object was revétige, dire and deatily revenge. I witnessed then a scene of horror and darkness, such as froze up de curretit of _ mein blood; Dere was a flash, atid der pistol ball leapt from dé tube to dé rival’s heart !” You recognised the assassin 7” “What you say ish right, mynheer, His face was dat of your own, Dick Turpin |” ‘* And the victim ?” s eat best friend in dis wérld, de prave Tom ing !’ . ‘*Y am betrayed !” “Tush, donder and blitzen! You forget, munt- meester, dat all dis was only a dream.” For some moments Turpin remained motionless as a statue. 9 then shook his head doubtingly, and mut- ered— “Cursed chance, and I am without a Weapon !” After a pause, Wirth Wolfgang again raised his voice— “Before I go on with my leetle matter of business, I will settle one of pleastire:”’ “What would you do?” “Mein duty. I have a warrant for your appre- hension,” “Ah ! who has done this?” “Me, mien friend; you don’t reimémber me. I am your former accomplice, whose wife, like a tief as you are, you shtole from meéin affection and left to perish far away !” “Nay, recur not to the past,” cried Turpin, im- ploringly } “my interest.” Your interest ?” laughed Wolfgang, bitterly. ‘Before I ask for it, answer me von plain queéstion,”’ Which is ?” “To name de man who has destroyed atid broken mein peace for ever.” _“T have been to blame, certainly,” returned the supplicant ; ‘‘I know it, and do not attempt to deny it,” “Vine words, vine words indeed, to a man you haf ruined,” exclaimed the Dutch skipper; “but death and hell! why do Iereach? I mean to save Jean Ketch von trouble, and for fear you should shlip dro’ his vingers, I may as vell tell youn——” The speaker paused, and then continued, “Your hour has come, mynheer. You haf taken your last look of dis vorld.” af irth Wolfgang thus spoke, he cocked his pistéhy and held it to the head of Dick Turpin. The latter, seeing no hope of mercy, thought only of prolonging his existence, even though but for a few minutes, Aid might arrive. His cruel enemy might yet relent. At any rate, some contingence might occtr that would, perchance, save him, “ Hold!” he exclaimed, “this is 4 mean cut- throat sort of vengeance.” “Tam wronged.” “Beit so, That is the reason why, if you possess the spark of honour, you should give ‘me one of the weapons you hold in your hand.” “ Indéed !” “We can then decide our differencé by fair and noble means.” “Nt ditem ebiter, when you robbed me of mein happiness,” replied Wirth Wolfgang, ‘‘ you refused my challenge.” | T was a villain.” “Dat is goot.. Deréisno denying dat. You haf deserved no petter of me than to die a dog’s death by méin harid.” ‘You will give me a chance of my life?” Ja—ye-es, dough it is but a poor von, for if I miss you; it will be the first time I haf ever missed my man. Here is your weapon.” ; With these fwords, the generous Dutchman now handed Dick Turpin a pistol. As he turned his back to take his ground, his treacherous adversary fired at him. | The aim\was a bad one, and Wirth Wolfgang rushed fiercely towards the coward, who threw him- self on his knees, and implored for mercy. ‘' Why !” exclaimed the enraged skipper, “ you surely cannot have de face to ask dat?’ Do not murder me,” ‘Hat! ha!” exclaimed Mynheer, laughing in derision. “ De daivel take me,” he continued, “ if Iam not almosht ashamed to strike ‘such a puling miscreant. You haf not de heart to die like von man, for die you must, and dat before de night ish many minutes older.” “Nay; I meant you not unfairly,” said the pleading robber, “ the pistol went off unawares, on my honour—on my soul it did.” ‘Stop! for dere is one hears you dat does not like liars, Don’t swear away your precious .soul, and you are so near for to die.”’ Wirth Wolfgang uttered the sentence with solemnity, and raised his finger the while towards heayen. “ Grant me but an hour,” implored Turpin, in an abject voice, ; ~ “Not half an hour,” vociferated his enemy, “ not de fourth part of one. De stroke of seven is your death-knell.”’ Here the speaker pointed at the clock standing in the corner of the room. ; Its hands showed that it wanted but five minutes to the fatal period. Turpin still knelt and entreated to be spared, But Wirth Wolfgang continued firm and ob- durate. “Make up you accounts wid God!’ he cried, “ Pray, pray ; I’ll stand aside for de time.” “Ts there no hope for me?” sighed the trembling wretch. #‘Nochance? The seconds fly like light- ning, and a thousand bells are ringing in my ears, as if Satan himself was pealing me a welcome into hell, I can think of nothing—speak of nothing but death,” he continued. ‘Death! JI hear it in the roaring of the flames! I see the ghastly form in the shadows on the wall.” : Was there no escape? | Yes. Turpin heard steps—the tramp of horses, too. The sound seemed to come nearer and nearer. At this instant the chamber clock struck the se venth hour. The hour that was to seal the earthly career of Richard Turpin for ever. Wirth Wolfgang approached him. He cocked his pistol, and exclaimed, “The last moment has arrived. ready 2” iB} a “Spare me, spare me!” cried the victim of his wrath, in mortal agony, and averting his face from the eyes that glared so terribly upon him. Wirth, resolute in his purpose, seemed deaf to entreaty. As the last stroke of the clock struck upon the ear, he discharged his weapon full at the head of Dick Turpin. _ ms? He fell to the earth heavily,.a livid corse, first Are you ' heaving a deep groan, At that moment the outer door was forced open with a terrific cr.isb. CoORnMicloooks =