Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

_ “When Adrian recovered his self-possession he was alone, in presence of the hideous witness. «His name,’ he said; ‘I know not his name. Oh, that I had uever known him ! and he is gone, too, before I had time to tell him about the chal- lenge. Oh, if Iam shot! If I die in such a cause, with such a treasure inthe garden! Oh! life is too delightful to be risked,’ “In despair he rushed forward and seized the skull, “Wild, dreadful, mysterious being ! I abjure thee y——’ «Why, you are quite romantic to-day,’ said the _ Stranger, suddenly appearing; ‘you invoke me as if you were acting a tragedy. Your will?’ ** Help | help! life !’ “<*All of them, The count’s pistol shall miss it’s aim. Be confident and bold !’ ‘Adrian looked up. He was alone; a loud crack, as of a pistol shot, startled him, and when he turned to the table he saw the skull with its brow shattered to pieces, and, rolling down the ghastly cheek-bone, a drop of blood ! “In the morning Adrian met the count, and on the signal being given Adrian fired, and his adversary fell dead from a wound in the forehead, exactly in the spot where the brow of the skull had been broken. “**T fired in the air !’ exclaimed Adrian. “He is dead, notwithstanding,’ whispered the stranger. ‘You must fly! I am ready to help you.’ *“* Curses on you!’ cried Adrian, wringing his hands, ‘and double curses on me if I ever again apply to you for your help.’ | ‘‘* We shall see,’ said the stranger, as he slipped off among the trees. . “ Adrian was arrested, and sentenced to imprison- ment for life. “It was discovered that asum of money would open the prison door. “‘ But without the stranger’s assistance where was the money to come from ? _ “At last, however, ‘a note from the widow, offer- ing to share his flight, decided him. “The mysterious stranger as usual made his ap- pearance, | . “* You wanted money ; see, I have brought you some,” ‘“‘ Adrian did not speak. “«Tush, man, this is childish, Am I not your friend ? I am sorry to observe your locks are thin and bare, ha, ha !’ ““But the scissors were relentless ; the last lock of hair was clean clipped off, and Adrian was again alone. “The money, however, set him free. “His extravagance and. gambling still continued. * When his last-florin had disappeared he slipped back into his own country, attended only by his poor old servant William, who had never forsaken him. “Watching for the mystic time, they proceeded one blustering night, when the church celebrated the martyrdom of a saint, into his well-known garden, “ A watery moon feebly struggled through a mass of clouds, and the wind every now and then howled fitfully among the leafless branche’. : “Stealthily they crept through the weed-covered, neglected garden. “Adrian put his spade in the ground, while William stood by almost paralysed with his terrors. 4 open it here!’ exclaimed William. come closer than ever ! ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 63 “<The light more this way,’ said Adrian ; don’t tremble so.’ “ Adrian dug on; all was silent except the wind, and an owl high among the branches of the willow whooping its perpetual cry. ~ _ ©¢That is a bad omen, dear master,’ William. ‘Ol! let us leave this place.’ “*Hush!’ he said, ‘I feel something hard ; it sounds like iron. We shall reach it soon.’ “¢ Only listen to that owl,’ said William ; ‘it is now sitting on the hand-rail of the bridge. Hear its to-whoo | to-whoo "’ **¢Teave the cursed owl alone!’ cried Adrian, ‘ Here is the chest at last ! help me to get it out. "Tis not heavy.’ “* Not here ! ‘and said Oh, for the sake of Heaven, don’t ‘The owl has ~ Its eyes are glowing like fire! Let me go !—let us go \’ “<« Silence !’ cried Adrian, harshly, and forced open the lid of the chest, ‘“‘ At the bottom of the box lay, coiled up into a rope, with a running noose at the end of it, all the beautiful long hair which had been such a source of mealth and misery to its owner ! “The owl screamed louder and louder ; the branches of the willow shook and rattled a3 if a storm passed by ; strange sounds of joy and laughter filled the air; and, overcome with fear and cold, William sank senseless on the ground. “‘ When he came to himself, he leoked up at the old willow, and from the lowest branch he saw | Adrian swinging in his last strugzgles——” “Did he hang himself in his own hair, sir?” in- quired Morgan Gray. “ He tried it, sir,’’ replied the little gentleman, with a knowing shake of the head, and buttoning up his great cloak as if to depart ; ‘‘ but he cannot try that experiment again, His hair is never allowed to be a quarter of an inch in length.” ‘What? Adrian is alive, then?’ asked Roving Jack, . : “ Aye, and will soon be well, I hope. out of number four.” “‘ What, he is mad?” said Jack, pointeing o his forehead.” : “Tf you will visit me to-morrow you shall see him.” With this the old fellow wrapt his cloak closer round him, bowed to the party, and the next mo- ment he was heard galloping along the road, and his horse’s tread was lost only when he turned the corner of the street. ‘“ Who is that gentlemen ?”’ said Sir Maurice, to the landlord. “Don’t you know the great Doctor Nightshade ?” answered Morgan Gray. ‘“ Why, sir, though he lives in the Mint, and pays tribute to the Master of the Mint, in order that he may pursue his dark studies unmolested—for more than once he has been threatened with a prosecution for his un- hallowed practices in the Black Art—he is the best mad doctor ; bis cures are extraordinary. He once cured a pirate chaser, and that confirmed his reputation.” “« A mad doctor!” muttered Roving Jack. ‘ And the little devil would put me into number four— phew !” The clocks tolled eleven. “ Gonfound the old warlock!” laughed Sir Ranulph Gayton. ‘We have heen so enthralled with his ridiculous story that we have not, noticed the flight of time—and now we are too late for the comedy !” He is let commicaoolKS.conn