Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

2. Eee ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 117 ee ET I a “God bless yer honour,” returned Jack, with un- All’s bob, guv’nor,” returned the Jew boy ; wonted earnestness, “but mind, I goesh reg’lars in the reward,” They parted, and the robber walked on with a ‘You shall have five poundsh, my poy.” heavy heart. “Five devils! Ve go halves, guv’nor, mind that,” aay Te, And so saying, Benjamin took to his heels, and raced down the street, for Jack Sheppard had now CHAPTER. L, turned the corner. THE TREACHERY OF OLD ISAACS THE JEW a CLOTHESMAN, CHAPTER Ll. No sooner had Jack Sheppard left the shop of the old fence than the latter threw on his hat, and, | JACK SHEPPARD RESOLVES TO GO TO SEA— shambling to the door, looked down the street TRACKED BY THE JEW BOY—THE OLD TAR— after him. BARABBAS MAKES A PROPOSAL — JONATHAN ‘“Dere he goesh,” chuckled the rascal, rubbing WILD’S PLOT TO CARRY OFF VIOLET—THE IN- his hands with great satisfaction, ‘He tinks I TERRUPTION — BLUESKIN’S WARNING |— THE vouldn’t risk my life for five hundred poundsh’; vhy, ATTACK—FLIGHT OF JACK SHEPPARD. I would shell my shoul for half that shum! Hi! | MEANWHILE the unconscious ‘victim of this Benjamin! vhere are you, you shon of a tog? here, treacherous plot walked onwards till he came to be quick, you fillain |” one of the back streets near St, Katherine’s _ A ragged, cunning-looking Jew boy came growl- | Docks. ing up a stair which descended to the kitchen He turned down this vile, dirty, and narrow below. thoroughfare. _“ Vot do yer vant now?” he grumbled, stretching He reached the door of a low public-house called his arms, and yawning. the ‘‘ The Three Ravens,” ‘‘Come here, Ben, my shon,” cried the elder, The windows were open, and exhaled a villanous trembling with eagerness, and dragging the boy to | compound of vile smells—the aroma of fried fish, the door. ‘ Look there.” steaming punch, tar, and tobacco smoke. Vell, vot am I to look at?” A terrible noise sounded from within, gruff “Shtrike me! are you plindsh 2” laughter mingled with high oaths, the pattering of “No; my eyes is vide open.” feet as of people dancing, and the squeaking of ‘To you shee that fellow there? Look, he ish | fiddle strings, shpeaking to de old shentleman in de prown Upon the door-post were several placards, adver- coatsh ?” tisements for able-bodied seamen to join various ‘ Who ish he ?” ships now lying in dock, but outward bound for “He’sh nopody elsh but Shack Sheppard—he! | many different ports, he!” Jack stood for some moments regarding these ‘Vhot him as broke out of the shtone jug ?” posters with an anxious look when a fine, rough- “The fery shame, Benji tear.” looking old sailor came to his side, and clapped him ‘““There’s a reward offered for him, ain’t there ?”’ on the shoulder. ‘“Yesh ; five hundred poundsh.” “What cheer, my hearty,” he asked, in a deep, ‘“Oh, my eyesh! Ash he peen here ?’’ hearty voice, ‘‘ are ye looking for a berth ?” “Yesh! he as jusht left.” “Yes, mate,” returned Sheppard, starting, and ‘But vhy didn’t ye call in the runners?” grasping the pistols in his pocket; “I want to “ Vhy, shmother me, do you tink dat it vould | join some outward-bound ship.” have peen prudent to enrage the fillain.? He vould “ Are ye a seaman ?” asked the old tar. have cut my throat.” “No; unfortunately I am but a land lubber, “ And vhat did he vant vith you, father ?’ never served abroad in» my life,” answered ‘“Vhy, you shee, Benji, my shon,” returned the | Sheppard, old Jew, laying his finger on his large hooked nose, ‘‘ Ha! you don’t say so, and such a likely young and winking, ‘‘he vonted shome feathersh to fly | sapling, too,” returned the old sailor, regarding vith ; he ish going to eshcape from Englant, and | him with a favourable eye. ‘‘ Well, my hearty, he vos vithout moneysh, sho he left thesh fine | it’s never too late to mend, eh?” clothesh in exchange for the ragged old shuit he “I hope not,” returned Sheppard, sighing. vearsh now.” * Heave to, then, Ilike the cut of your jib, my ‘But ish he armed ?” cheery,’ laughed the sailor, ‘‘and I'll see what I can “Yesh, my shon ; sho you mush pe fery careful,.’’ | do for ye. I’m second mate of the brig ‘Mermaid,’ ‘“Vhat arms does he carry—barkers ?”’ as purty a craft as ever hoisted the blue peter. So “ A pair of brads I showld him,” let us get into the caboose, and talk the matter ‘ Vhy, you old, fool, vhat did you do that for ?” over a glass of grog. I think I can find ye a place The old fence giggled, and rubbed his lank, skinny | on our ship’s books.” hands. The two men entered the tap-room together. ““ They vosh loaded, too, Benji.” It was crowded by a number of sailors and their “The devil they vos!” cried the Jew boy, | friends, noisily carousing. aghast. The old sailor led the way to the chimney corner, “ Yesh, put I took coot care to shtop de fents | and seated himself. vith pits of vire, my darling.”’ He motioned Jack Sheppard to take a chair by ‘Ho! ho! you're a deep ’un.” his side. ' _“Put look, my prave Benji, de old shentleman They called for a glass of grog, and lignted their ish leafing him. You mush tog his stepsh, find | pipes. vhere he goesh to, and vhere he putsh up for the Jack Sheppard looked round him, night, and then you can, run off to Pow Street and He started, and rose to his feet. fetch Mr, Qvilt Arnold and hish men to arresht the A strong, broad-built, but dwarfish seaman had rascal,” taken his station at the door, 5}