Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 258: what you’re looking at

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

278 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. Every object around thera was now disclosed, and the chamber, hitherto dark, made light as day. Great and deep was Sir Ranulph’s mortification to find it empty; but he confidently reckoned on coming up with the runaways, the overturned fur- niture revealing that their absence had been but lately. Midnight was tolling, and it became necessary to take some decisive step. No further time was to be lost. Sir Ranulph gave orders to his men to arm and | follow him, The order having been obeyed, he next posted them so as to surround the house and grounds attached to it, with a view to keep the fugitives within tbeir precincts, The wooded garden, in the rear of the premises, became one of the first points of attention. ; Its intricacies were examined with additional a ae but nothing was found lurking within them, The weather had now begun to show itself fayour- able to the enterprise. The dark clouds which had obscured the heavens gave way to the moon, which had forced herself through her ebon rack, At this moment the whole party stood still. One of their number, in the struggling rays, had seen a dark object issue from a chimney of the building they had quitted, and alight upon its roof. ‘What can it be?” said Sir Ranulph, addressing the party who had given tlie intelligence, “So far «s I can judge, it is a man,” - Of what dréss and appearance ?” A satisfactory answer having been given the baronet exclaimed, in exultation— “’Tis Jack Sheppard! We have uncaged one bird, then ; the others can’t be far off.”’ Having uttered these words, the speaker called together his force, and disposed of them at points where the highwayman had been seen, and at which he would most likely attempt to descend. They crept as near to the spot as they could, taking care not to lose each other’s support. As their comrade had averred, Jack Sheppard was seen making his way on tke house top. He was an adept at climbing, which seemed to him as a result of professional education and long experience, He leapt from prominence to prominence with the light step and prowling sagacity of the hunter of the wilds. Suddenly his progress was arrested by another individual who, without doubt, had descried his mode of escape. Young, active, bold, and possessed of presence of mind, the highwayman turned to face his new enemy, There was a desperate struggle, and one of the combatants went sheer down twenty feet. He struck against a projection, which launched the wretched man outwards, and he fell with such force that his skull was crushed like an egg-shell, ‘Who has fallen?” said Ranulph, vainly en- deavouring to conceal his agitation at the late conflict, “We can’t tell,” was the general reply, “the features are so disfigured.” ‘We shall soon discover,” said the baronet, while a cry resounding through the air proclaimed that the fox who bad been chased was now spared. The proceedings of Jack Sheppard, to which the exclamation related, had been unfortunate, He had no sooner overcome the antagonist, whom he hurled from the roof, than it was covered by twenty more to oppose him, Their torches gleamed as so many furies urging his soul to perdition. This determined band at once threw themselves upon the highwayman. After a severe struggle he was thrown to the ground, two of the number being drawn forward by his strenuous exertions falling across him, yet, notwithstanding this advantage, Jack Sheppard hoped in the end to circumvent his pursuers, 3 Suddenly, by a superhuman effort, he sprang up, — and dashed forward to the very extremity of the parapet that encircled the roof of the invested building. The deed was so unexpected and desperate that | assailant and assailed stood passive in each other's © The latter was the first to recover consciousness and activity, The point upon which he stood was scarce wide enough for two persons to stand abreast, and being provided with a massive weapon in the shape of a broken rafter, could hold his position against a myriad of foes, But these preparing to use fire-arms, such a re- sistance on the part of Jack Sheppard would haye been madness. Turning, be found the angle of the neighbouring house abutted within twelve feet of the spot upon which he was standing, Quick as the thought he sprang towards it, though the chasm beneath was sixty feet. Providence, who delights in those who dare, placed her sheltering wing over the adventurous high- Wayman, t He gained in safety the wished-for haven in de- fiance of the threats and menances of his enemies, not one of whom had the temerity to follow his bold example. Had those sentinels who witnessed this last ad- venture remained at their post instead of indulging in anadle curiosity or worse passions, they would doubtless have observed: two -individuals issue from an embowered retreat in the gardens attached to the tavern, yclep’t the ‘‘ Deyil’s Punch-Bowl.” The one was a young lady of slight and sylph-like form, so delicately made, and so beautiful in countenance, that it seemed the earth on which she walked was too grossly massive a support for a creature so rial, Her eyes showed token of tears; but they were tears of joy. ; While her colour was heightened by the flush of intense emotion. The other was a youth of noble bearing, upon whose arm his companion bent, and like her he seemed to be avoiding observation by gliding beneath huge trees that skirted their path, and whose boughs swecping the ground on eyery side ensured them against discovery, unless in case of actual search. These individuals continued to advance, directing their course to a portal of Gothic appearance which formed an egress from the now deserted garden, Here they paused and looked from the grated en- trance, as if to observe that it was unguarded. Satisfied that no one was about, they passed through it hastily, and were soon lost in the shadow of the night, " As the reader may have anticipated, they were our hero and Violet Tremaine. Thus the exploit of Jack Sheppard, which had ended in that worthy’s escape, had also caused the preservation of the lovers, f amar Seeman = me ECOMICHboOoks.co