Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 298: what you’re looking at

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

318 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. eee en ee answer to them that has better right to ask me than you have,” “ This is mutiny,” ‘No ; obedience to the bond which binds our secret brotherhood, It is a long leap and a short shrift. with the Mackeen, who was our mortal enemy,’ “He was no greater enemy than the rest of mankind,” growled the Omadhaun, ‘all are of a piece—one mass of wickedness and’ corruption— wretches, who sin evenin their devotions, and of such hardness of heart’ that they do not even thank the deity for the warm pure air they breath.’ While yet speaking, the Omadhaun’s attention was attracted by a glittering object lying on the floor of the apartment. It was the portion of aygolden cross) He clasped it furiously, and burst forth into a terrific laugh. ‘ She is found,” he shouted, “I felt that heaven could be so unjust. Tell me, Redmond, as you value life, from whence this bauble came.’’ “From the neck of the maiden we have but now condemned,”’ , The Omadhaun gave a violent shriek like a wretch to whose flesh a red-hot iron is applied. Gnashing his teeth, he flew to the door, when twenty knives barred his progress, ' ‘‘ Let him not pass,”” commanded the ringleader, Redmond O’Hanlon. “* Monster ! Why do you stand before me? Know that inthe woman you would sacrifice you behold my own child—my restored daughter.” “She must die—our oath compels it. back, for we are desperate !” The Omadhaun made no reply, but for a moment remained mute snd irresolute ag one stricken power- less and paralyzed. Shortly, as if passion had restored him to the vigour of youth, he began to pace the floor with hasty strides, He no longer laughed ; he was terrible to behold as he paced to and fro, The fox was turned into a hywna, Stand Unobserved, he then unsheathed a long, sharp | knife, With this he dashed into the multitude that opposed him, and cut his way in safety from the farm, taking the precaution to barricade every en- trance and outlet, At this juncture, the trumpet of the advancing military was heard, while from the windowa it was discovered that the house was environed on all sides by soldiers, A pause of. awful silence succeeded, broken only by the conyulsive respiration of the Rapparees, who found the trap set for them complete, A smart fusillade, or yolley of musketry, was now commenced between those without and those within the farm, The latter dispersing and scattering themselves over the building, and keeping up an incessant fire — from the windows and every aperture of the same, | A few minutes only had elapsed, when it was dis- | covered that the farm-house was on fire, This event was succeeded by terrible. The flame, which had been now burst forth with a fierce“glare, and a sound resembling an earthquake fell upon the ear, _It was the explosion of a mine, that had been — sprung by the military, THE END, another equally | artially smothered, | It seemed to threaten, by ae force, destruction to every object for miles around. a eae oil The ion for some minutes, was filled with a dense black volume of smoke, and total darknéss reigned in heaven and on earth. agit é: amine As the sombre cloud dissipated, the strife between the Rapparees and their assailants was clearly shown to be at end, their charred bones, and the bla kened ruins of the fortress they were holding, being the only vestiges of the recent conflict. * * * * * } Some two years had elapsed after the event just related, when some hunters by mere chance came upon a lonely cave in the Mintrea Mountain. Ht Their leader was no other than Jack Sheppard, who still retained his assumed name of Hawk-eye among them. In the vaulted chamber that was at once entgred were discovered two bodies in an advanced state of decomposition, and apparently clasped together with the firm embrace of death. One of the wretched beings was a female, who, notwithstanding the hideous spectacle she now presented, gave evidence that in life she possessed beauty, The other figure was that of a male, who, by his aspect, seemed to have perished in intense and — convulsive agonies. ; 2; His black hair, blanched by sorrow in a single night, still fluttered in the current of air that forced a passage through the gloomy sepulchre. : His singular posture attracted the attention of those who looked upon his festering carcass, ) He was leaning over the woman at his side, to whom he had crawled on his hands and knees, and holding her hand with a supernatural force, the bony fingers meeting round the wrist, as if they had been riveted to the fleshless arm. There, never turning his eye from the only object for which he had ever existed, he was mute, immovable, and motionless as one thunderstruck. Streams had flowed in ‘silence from that eye, which till then had not shed a single tear. Jack Sheppard, in the meanwhile, began to pant. The perspiration trickled from his brow as he recognised in the fearful and livid mass before him the remains of those who were once known to him as Jael, the gipsy girl, and the mysterious Omadhaun, A letter found on the last-named revealed his real name and character. The superscription ran as follows :— “JONATHAN WILD, ‘“* Newgate, ‘‘ London.’ Thus had perished the once bitter foe of Jack Sheppard, TABS The highwayman carried on for many years his occupation of hunting in the wilds of Ireland an : lived to be very old, phar’ it He was prosperous in his worldly dealings, and at length became a rich man, but after the discovery of the melancholy end of his betrothed, was never a happy one,. qaan..ock Our hero and Violet passed the remainder of their days at the mansion which the lady inherited by right at her father’s death, ; Here, in seclusion, retirement, and study, the former touched the verge of the present century, his wife haying paid the debt of nature some few ears previously, . say Jaros ‘ The tourist in travelling in the vicinity of, the west Irish coast may still see the rnins of the dwell- ~ ~ ing-house of ROVING JACK, . - . Eras — ~~ ee Ss ate : ! / Eomicbooks-com i>