The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. “ So I perceive,” said the stranger, coolly ; “and I’m the last man in the wide world to make you enemies.” He was cloaked, and wore his hat over his eyes, Astrongly-built, elegant-looking gentleman he was, ' with pale face, fine eyes, and a dashing moustache. His hands were remarkably white, but he seemed to have the strength of a vice in them. He took a chair, and drew up to the fire. ‘That chair belongs to one of our party, sir,” said Faulkner. “ Then let him get another,” said the new arrival, very coolly. ‘‘ Waiter, bring me a bottle of wine, and call the landlord. I wish to speak to him,” Nat brought the wine. The stranger sipped it, threw a sovereign to the waiter in a careless manner, saying— “ Keep the change. Here, landlord, 1 want my horse looked after, give him the best stall in the stable.” “There is not a stall vacant, sir.” “Then turn some horse out, and put mine in, I want a bed also, the best bed in the inn,” ‘‘ All my beds are occupied,” | “Tt matters not; do as I tell you, or you'll repent it.” “You are a werry rude bragadocia fellow to speak thus in the presence of gentlemen,” said Tom Bates to the stranger. “ What do you say, old bilberry nose? Mind your own business.” “T say, sir, that in the presence of gentlemen—”’ Gontlemen, ha !/ha !—that’s good, hang me if it isn’t—you look very much like a gentleman, cer- tainly ; if that large wart was off the tip of your nose it would much improve your appearance.” Sir-r-r|’? growled Bates, rising in anger. “What do you mean? Do you know who I am?” said he, slapping his sword hilt. “Oh, sit down and take it coolly,” the stranger replied, laughing, ‘“ Don’t stand there gaping like a half-stuck pig. Know you, of course I know ou.” ae Then, sir, if you do, you know me to be a gen- tleman—an administrator of justice.” ‘“‘T know you to be a d—d old thief, the biggest liar, and, at a pinch, the biggest coward in all London,” the stranger replied. “Thief! liar! coward!” gasped Bates, whipping out his sword, “Ifyou are a man, defend your- self.” “Tf you are not a fool, sit down; you can’t frighten me. I’m too old a bird for that.” This quarrel had now thoroughly aroused Cap- tain Jack’s party, who were noisy and boisterous ; but they did not interfere, for they imagined that Bates was more than a match for the stranger. “Draw, I say!” growled Bates, “or Ill slay ye like a dog! Clear the way, there, comrades; leave this impudent rascal to me,” “Sit down, or ’ll knock your head off!” was the cool reply. Bates, all furious and maddened at the stranger’s calmness, made a fierce lunge at him. The instant he did so, however, the stranger fired a pistol, and knocked the large wart from the tip of Bates’s nose, and next instant gave him such a& smack on the jaw as laid that hero sprawling on the floor. Tom Bates was thunder-struck, and sat upon the floor looking at the stranger with eyes of wonder- ment. His friends were equally astonished, and for a moment it looked as if the whole party were intent on slaying the new comer, =< % 23 Stand back,” said he, waving them off; ‘put up your sword. I fear ye not, ,vagabonds, but seat to me ; if one dare approach nearer I'll scalp im.’ There was so much of determination, and an air of superiority about him, that all stood still and looked at him as if transfixed to the spot. “Tisten to me, knaves,” said he, eyeing every one of them with a keen look, ‘‘How many chief high roads are there leading out of London?” “Thirteen,” Captain Jack answered, after a moment’s thonght. ‘But what has that got te do with us?” “Much more than you imagine. Since you left London, a new gibbet has been erected on each of those thirteen highways, just where they branch off at the cross roads.”’ “ Well!” said all in a breath, “and what of that? I don’t understand what all of this means,” “But J do! It means this; those gibbets have been raised at the sole expense of a particular friend of yours.” “ For whom?’”’ “ For each of you.” ‘And who is this very particular, very friend of ourn?” growled Faulkner, “Tam he!” said the stranger. The rascals were tongue-tied at the stranger’s boldness as he went on. 4 cae came to conduct Bob Bertram to Lon- on ” ‘We did! who could have told you?” “Who told me that each of you went plundering on the way, and divided the booty just now?” “Ha!” said Captain Jack; ‘‘ watched, be- trayed |” xs “Silence,” said the stranger; “if you do not wish to be gibbeted before your time, This youth is accused of murder, but he did it not. Heis not in Darlington gaol.” “Not ia gaol?” “No; he has escaped,”’ “ How know you this?” “T just came from the village. All is in an uproar. Wildfire Ned, Sir Richard Warbeck’s adopted nephew, is the hero who released him,” The thievish thief-takers were amazed at what they heard. “And now,” said the stranger; ‘‘since your mission here is ended, return to town ; do you hear me? Return this very hour and carry this strange rews to the proper authorities. And mark me, Captain Jack, every one of you remember that if you do not track and discover the real murderer of Farmer Bertram in less than two months, I'll re- port you to the king; your death-warrants are now in my pocket. See them,” said the stranger, ex- hibiting a bundle of printed forms. ‘Here is one for Captain Jack, another for this red-nosed ass on dear, ‘the floor—Bates, I mean—a third for Faulkner there ; in fine, I have been kind-enough to pro- vide each of you with a passport into the other world. As you may observe, they only require my signature.”’ ‘And who the devil are you?” gasped out one and all. “T1l let you see—but I had better write it on one of these death-warrants, say yours, Captain Jack, it will save me trouble afterwards, Land- lord, pen and ink.” “Do you know that name?” gaid the stranger, after writing it. All the rascals looked at it in astonishment, “ The devil !”? said Captain Jack. “Not the devil, exactly,” said the stranger. =O ANKE SOKO)