Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 286: what you’re looking at

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

a ———————— | 306 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. Be EE EE EEE EEE it was supposed was sleeping when the intruder entered: ~ That was a moment of agony, As he gazed upon the slumbering man his feverish brain retraced the past in all its horrors. Amidst the vivid lightning’s flash he deemed he saw his drowned child call upon him to avenge her melancholy fate, With a tiger’s rage, the father, in a paroxysm of insanity darted on the man that had unwittingly been the cause of the daughter’s death. His hands grasped wildly the throat of his prey. His glaring eyeballs held a terrible commune, and his lips breathed silently with curses the victim’s name, There was no hesitation, no mercy, no uncer- tainty. Betore the aroused theomaas could defend himself from the insidious attack his skull had been dashed against the rock, and his heart torn from his warm body. Whether there was truth in these incidents, or that trumpet-tongued rumour spoke falsely, none could determine ; butone thing was without denial, namely, that within the short space of eight months after the above related legend eight men had been employed in the service of the beacon, and had as strangely disappeared as their former colleague. In fact, public mind yielded so to terror that, though the government had offered most liberal terms to any one who would take charge of the Pharos,* no one save the Omadhaun could be found to hold the office, These particulars related impressed themselves strongly on Jack Sheppard as he passed along the Cleugh a Dhoil, or Devil’s Glen. He also remembered since the catastrophe had taken place the scene of it had been avoided, at least after nightfall, by all as being the battle ground of the fairies, or good people, and the kelpies, or evil spirits. Jack Sheppard’s courage, however, manfully combated and overcame these intrusive sensations of awe. He summoned to his side the brace of grey- hounds who had accompanied him in his sport, and looking to the priming of his piece, with a lighter step trudged homewards on his journey, While thus proceeding, he was rather glad to distinguish a friendly voice shout in his rear, and at the same time make a proposition to become his fellow traveller on the unfrequented road. He slackened his pace, and was quickly joined by a gentleman who had been at the chase like him- self, It was his friend and patron, Roving Jack, who resided with his father-in-law, Sir Jocylyn Tremaine, the baronet who, taking part again in the coming insurrection in favour of the Pretender, was settled on a small estate which he inherited in the neigh- bourhood, ‘* Now, Sir John,” exclaimed Jack Sheppard, “ I’m glad to meet you at any time, but more so than ever on such a desolate spot as the Oleugh a Dhoil.”’ Our hero smiled, “Where have you been hunting?” continued the highwayman, “Up the Curragh Bawn and the surrounding mountains,” answered Roving Jack, returning the greeting, ‘But will our dogs keep the peace, think you ??’ continued the speaker, indicating the animals playfully running by his side. * Pharos, or ancient light-house. ee ee ee ee ee ee aa a TE EE Ee Never fear them, Sir John,’ replied Jack Sheppard ; “ they’ve scarcely a leg to stand on.” ** How so 2?” ‘‘T’vye led them such a rare dance since sunrise, but 2ll to little purpose, for no birds have I seen to-day, and I begin to think that, with the trouble- some times, they’ve taken wing and fled out of the country. ’ “Well,” said our hero, ‘‘ I have been‘more fortu- nate ‘than you, Jack ; I haye shot a few brace this morning. You shall have half of the spoil,” he added ; “ ‘and then you will not disappoint——” 66 Una. “Phe sr andaaiia colleen that has ensnared your heart for the last six months.’ “ Many thanks, Sir Jobn ; for her sake.” “T will come with them to your farm to-morrow myself,’ returned our hero; “mayhap you will find me a plate at your table ?” “ Willingly,” exclaimed Jack Sheppard. “ Una’s foster-mother, Bridget, ‘will be delighted, Sir John, for the good dame conceits herself that she’s not distantly related to you, and } your father, who was killed by——” “ Hush—hush, Jack,” interrupted our hero ; a Word | about that, it’s a story better forgotten.” ‘I don’t t Was so, Sir John; if it had been my have kept it in ‘mind till the day I nury received,” ‘ muttered Roving [ will accept the present ‘© not fier | T shoul: ad got some amends for the’ in “JT know my own affairs best,” Jack, somewhat angrily. “eT hat may be, Sir dpb.” | answered Jack Shep- pard, unabashed by the r ath: ; but still you must admit that you have hear that Sir Jocylyn’s friend treacherously teed you sire after he had mas- tered his ad ersazy word.” “fe, was a Foelise wae I tell you,” exclaimed our hero, still SN with excitement, “ occasioned by wine and] po You know among Prelatists and Jacobites rancour eyer exists, Many weapons were drawn in the foolish dispute you have alluded to, and it is impossible to say’ who gave the blow that brought my father to an early and nntimely grave.” “IT can guess what bridles your tongue and spirit, Sir John,” whispered Jack Sheppard. ‘All the world knows your courage but——”’ “ But what ?” 7 ‘The two bright eyes of Lady Violet is the reason why her husband's steel is in its scabbard.”’ Our hero offered no reply to this apparently offensive remark, but rode moodily on with his companion, who paced with him on his side. Suddenly, the ‘horses on which the riders were seated swerved from the roadway, as if affrighted by the appearance of some extraordinary visitation. “Ha |" exclaimed Jack Sheppard, with difficulty retaining his saddle, ‘‘ what in the fiend’s name can yon phantom be ?” The object which alarmed the speaker startled for the moment even bis less prejudiced companion. The moon, which had arisen during their conver- sation, was struggling with the clouds, and shed only a doubtful and occasional light, By one of her beams, which streamed upon the column of the beacon light of which we have spoken, and which the horsemen had now ap- proached, they discovered a form, apparently human, but of most singular aspect. “Shall I give the fiend a shot?” exclaimed Jack Sheppard, who still persisted that it was an appa- rition that had come before them, “For heaven's sake, no,’’ returned his companion, holding Goya) the weapon which he was about to Leen rrr cccccc emcee reece sneer GEomichboo CS (EO)