Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 44: what you’re looking at

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eS SS 56 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. NN ea Pt TNS Meantime, the mob scrambled through the win- dows, and hurried in pursuit of the thieves ; the noise of the riot alarmed the whole neighbourhood, and soon the streets were filled by the excited populace ; alarm-bells were rung, and a troop of dragoons paraded the streets. Several persons were arrested, but, upon hearing their statements as to the cause of their exaspera- tion, were dismissed by the magistrates. This outburst of popular indignation was a deadly blow to the influence of Johathan Wild; his conduct was decried in the daily prints ; he was censured by the higher powers, and lost no little authority amongst his peculiar subjects, the thieves, It was long before he recovered his former power, but at last he succeeded in so doing, and established his ascendency on a firmer basis than ever, CHAPTER XXI, HOW TOM KING KILLED THE EXECUTIONER. ON the day succeeding that on which our hero stormed the ‘‘ Black Lion,” Tom King dressed him- self gaily and betook himself to the Mall in St, James’s Park, then a very fashionable resort. Tom seemed to be in an unusually thoughtful mood. _ He walked amid the gay and dazzling crowds of gentlemen and ladies promenading the long avenue with an air of abstraction. More than once the eyes of beauty rested ap- provingly on his handsome and dashing form, but, for a wonder, Tom was insensible to their ad- miration. At length he threw himself disconsolately upon a chair, He traced figures on the smooth gravel with his gold-headed walking cane, and muttered vacantly. The sudden pressure of a heavy hand upon his shoulder caused him to start. An ugly-faced, but strong-limbed, well-built AOU stood before him, in a handsome riding- ress. “Why, comrade, what cheer ?” ‘Ha! Turpin,” returned Tom, biting his lip, as if his friend were for the nonce scarcely welcome, ““T thought you had left town for Yorkshire,” ‘‘ Why, comrade, but for you I should now be on the road,” replied Turpin. “But forme? How’s that, Dick ?” “Aye, I went to the ‘Black Lion’ in search of you but found you had left. Joe Hind told me of your madcap adventure with Roving Jack,” returned Turpin ; “and I was so galled to hear how you and Jack Sheppard rescued the infernal young spy from the bridle-culls and spruce prigs, that I laid a plan with Marks and Peterson to waylay the young bloodhound in Wych Street—but, phew! he is the very devil !’’ “What ! He routed you—put you to the right about, and got off scot and lot? Ha—ha—ha |” ‘Tis rather an ugly jest your laughing at, Master Tom,” growled Turpin, with a villanous frown; “Marks and Peterson were both killed : Roving Jack then headed a mob of cursed shop- keepers and watchmen, and hang me if they did not burst open the jigger + of Joe’s boozing-ken, and his knowing customers were forced to scatter like 80 many rats at the snarl of a terrier, For * The riotous attack on one of the flash kens by the re- spectable “inhabitants of a thief-infested neighbourhood is my own part, the chase grew so hot, that I was obliged to mount my bonnie mare, and ride off to Black Mary’s Hole, where I passed the night, booted and spurred, and the mare’s girth for a pillow.” Tom King laughed heartily. ‘© Dam’me, that boy’s a startler |” he cried ; “he saved my dimber, Kate Dulcimer, from the harm- ing beaks; and they say he defied Jonathan the Great to the teeth ; and even struck him !” ‘“ And dimber Kate got off, then ?” “Yes,” returned Tom. “I escorted her to her lodgings in Spitalfields, and left her there.” ‘‘Humph! Then you’ve not heard the news?” “Of what? Of whom? O£ Kate?” asked Tom, quickly. ‘ “Aye; she has been nabbed by that infernal Wild, carried before the beak now sitting at Bow Street, and sentenced to be publicly whipped at Smithfield,” A fierce and dreadful oath burst from Tom’s lips. He sprang to his feet, and laid his hand on the hilt of his sword. Dick Turpin laughed. “Twill do her no harm,” he said, with a leer. ‘“‘T owe her a grudge—she hates me like venom, One day, when I attempted some endearing pleasantries, the vicious jade tried to stab me. Egad! sir; but the beadles will tame her wild blood, and teach her submission ; she will learn a lesson she greatly stands in need of. You're an easy fool, Tom ; you don’t understand such cattle, A woman loves the man she fears, and scorns the fool who does not rule her sternly. Dam’me, were she my dell instead of yours, I would bend or break her, I warrant ye |” * For an instant Tom glared upon the coarse and ugly face cf his partner in guilt with a look of deadly anger. Then he turned away, sneering his bitter disdain. “ And I am leagued with this beastly cur!” he muttered, sternly; ‘‘ but I will break the leash, and henceforth hunt alone,”’ With this, he rose, and stalked haughtily away, Dick Turpin bounded after him, “Hulloa, comrade!” he laughed; ‘don’t let’s split about the paltry wench—where away so fast ?”’ “To Smithfield,” returned Tom King, coldly; “and I hope you are bound for Tyburn.” Turpin growled an oath, and while with one hand he grasped his sword-hilt, with the other he seized Tom’s arm, * The “‘ gallant” Dick Turpin was one of the most brutal ruffians that ever disgraced humanity. On one occasion he put a poor old woman upon the fire in order to extort from her the secret of where she kept her paltry savings. On another, haying, in conjunction with his villanous gang, broken into a gentleman’s house, he dragged two fair and gentle young ladies from their beds, tied them to the bed-posts, and lashed them with his belt and riding-whip till they fainted; and this in the mere wantoness of cruelty. In the course of the pre- sent eventful history our readers will meet with many in- stances of the dastardly violence of this shocking blackguard, who has been elsewhere extolled as the pink of “ gallantry.” We have brought out the better qualities of such men as Tom King and Jack Sheppard, not to create sympathy for a pair of arrant rascals, but in some measure to relieve the dark and revolting picture that truth compels us to draw of the deeds of the ‘‘ gentlemen of the road.” NOTICE TO OUR READERS. REMEMBER THIS!—In consequence of the enormous sale of ““ROVING JACK,” the Proprietors have determined on pre- senting their Subscribers with a most interesting and novel gift. As it will take some weeks in preparation, we shall give particulars in No, 11. As the gift will be a surprise to our Readers, and a great expense to ourselves, we shall not issue it to any but our regular Subscribers. Remember !—This gift will be something new, and highly amusing. founded on fact. 24 JAG7 } + Door. NOTICE,—Order No. 10 of the “ Boy Soldier,” and receive Gratis, a S ; ’ ’ ’ lendid oT eg prs “GHOST OF BUTTONS AND OLD NICK APPEARING TO kAgLy y of the |