Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

I 68 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. Dee a you to-morrow to say the job’s finished, and then you must tip up the shiners, But there’s one thing.” “ Well.” “ You must forgive my little pal, Jack Sheppard, for he’s the lummiest kiddy on the pad, and I loves him like a son !” “Ah! you’ve brought him up in the way he should go,” returned Wild, with a orutal grin, “and I’ll take my oath he shan’t depart from it,” “ That’s settled,” returned the robber, grinning ; ‘Cand, as for Roving Jack, he sleeps to-night in the bed of old Father Thames !” ¢ “Quick, then, or you will be too late. London Bridge! If you cannot do the trick to-night, lay a trap for him in the morning ; but return defeated at your worst peril !”’ ; Blueskin laughed and tapped the hilt of his sword, and then, taking to his heels, ran off at full speed in the direction of the Strand. “ Pity I must remove such a useful rascal,” mut- tered Jonathan Wild, as he re-crossed the road to Sir Ranulph; “ but, with Roving Jack, both he and Sheppard must perish. ‘Dead men tell no tales,’ Hackneyed sayings are mostly wise ones,” CHAPTER XXIV. THE THIBF-TAKER’S POLICY—SIR RANULPH AND WILD PLOT THE ABDUCTION OF BERTHA GRAY —THE PHILTER, “Wo is that fellow?” asked Sir Ranulph, of Jonathan Wild, when the latter had approached, “‘T cannot help thinking—though certainly I caught but a transient glimpse of his face as he passed under the lantern—that he is one of the gang of rascals that stopped my coach; his height, his lurching gait, his swarthy, villanous face. Zounds, Wild, I am sure it is the very scoundrel !” ‘‘You have guessed rightly,” answered the other, with a cunning smile ; “he is the Blueskin.,” ‘‘Then why, in the name of vengeance, did you let him pass unmolested? Why did you not at once arrest him ?” “You see, Sir Ranulph, if I had done so all chance of recovering your property would have vanished; these rascals stick together, and are a powerful confederacy. The present system of po- lice is very defective, and I am obliged to temporize with them.” ‘Ha! I perceive.” “Again, it is good policy to take advantage of their mutual enmities and jealousies; indeed, I have intrigued so skilfully, flattering here, bullying there, hanging one, reprieving another, that I can tell you, sir, nosing—that is, peaching or informing —has become the order of the day, and there is scarce a thief in England, and certainly not one in London, on whom I could not clap my hands at any time.” ‘Your system is a strange one,” “But success is the touchstone of merit ; at least, in such a case as this. The amount of plundered property that I have restored to owners within the last twelvemonth is something enormous.” ‘Wild, you are certainly a wonderful personage.” ‘“T try to do my duty, sir,” returned the thief- taker, with commendable modesty; “but let us speak of your little love affair. You were saying that the foolish wench had repulsed your advances ; you were about to add that, being determined to gratify your passion, you intended to carry her off ; am I right, Sir Ranulph?” lane ———— “Aye, but it must be done at once, Wild,” re- turned the young libertine, earnestly ; ‘‘could it not be managed to night?” ‘‘The night is passed, Sir Ranulph,’ returned Wild. ‘“ Hark, the clock is now striking one ; have you any special reason for wishing that the bird — should be caught and caged so soon, because ——” ‘Come, Wild, make no opposition ; show but zeal and promptness in serving me, and you will find me no stickler as to terms, Can it not be done at once ?” * Humph !” “ Your answer?” “The light is breaking ; it is some distance to Salisbury Court ; I must send for tools with which to effect an entry into the old inn. I have already set a waiter to keep watch ; I know in which bed- room the girl sleeps, and that she is its only occu- ant.” Ps Might not plans so well matured be carried into present execution ?” urged Sir Ranulph. ‘‘ But it was arranged in the first place that your sedan should be in waiting,” returned Wild. ‘ Be- sides, it will be almost impossible to convey the girl to your honour’s residence until to-morrow.” “ These are but slight obstacles easily surmounted. As for the sedan, you can manage withont that ; you can render the girl insensible by placing a handkerchief to her mouth, wetted with a few drops of a philter I bought from Doctor Nightshade ; then you can place her before you in the saddle, and wrap her close in a mantle ; it will be thought that you are travellers, and that she has fallen asleep, worn out by the fatigue of a journey.” “Tt shall be done, Sir Ranulph. We have certainly lost too much yaluable time, but my assistants are skilful cracksmen, and.we can’ do the: trick with ease and expedition.” ‘‘ Bravely spoken ; but, beware, Wild, noruffianism, Tf you harm one hair of her lovely head you shall not escape my vengeance.” “Fear not; atoo ardent love for the fair sex was ever my peculiar foible,”’? returned the vil- lanous-looking fellow, with a leer ; ‘‘ but where is the philter you spoke of, Sir Ranulph ?” “It is here,”’ returned the young nobleman, pro- ducing a little blue phial. Wild took it, and carefully unstopping it, applied it to his nose. In an instant his grey eyes swam dreamily, his jaw fell, and he staggered backwards, and would have fallen had not Sir Ranulph caught his arm, For some moments he stcod dull-eyed, and un- conscious as a sleep*walker; and it was not until he had rubbed his hands across his eyes, and had made several deep inspirations that he recovered himself sufficiently to speak. ‘S'death !” he cried, at length; “’tis a potent chemical. I must be careful how I apply it.” ‘“‘Aye, for Heaven’s sake, use discretion,” rejoined the young noble. “Old Nightshade told me that a single drop was sufficient to render a woman or a child insensible for hours,” ‘“Humph! this is a valuable acquisition,” said Wild, grinning ; “I should find such an elixir most useful on many occasions,” ‘Once more, be cautious,” rejoined the other, “T will, Sir Ranulph; but whither shall we take the girl? At once to your residence ?”” “Oh, by no means! Surely you can find a place whereto you may remove her for the present. I shall expect you at my house to-morrow, and, then, if all goes smoothly, I will bear eff my beautcous prize to one of my favourite manors, situated in a sequestered spot on the sea coast of Devonshire,” — —— GOmicbooksseom (@)