The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

a er SSS ” — - — oe Se —< en) THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. 45 the chief. “‘ Take the apothecary, and make a * sandwich’ of him and the lying clerk.”’ Much to the astonishment of all present, the clerk and the apothecary were placed back to back. The slack rope of the great bell was twisted and tied round their bodies, and fastened into a knot. At a given signal the two skeletons who held down the great bell let go the rope. Up went the two unfortunate devils, shouting at the top of their voices, and dangling in mid-air, like a couple of spiders on a single thread of web. In like manner all the rest were “ sandwiched,” as if was called. ; Each rope was wound round the bodies of two at east. . And there they hung, to the infinite amusement of their tormentors, writhing and groaning, their own weight drawing down the bells from time to time, and making the most horrible and discordant noises. Satisfied with this pleasant handiwork, the Skeleton Bell-ringers left the belfry; and the worthy villagers, fighting like cats tied ona clothes line, pulling each other about, ana dancing a most piinful hornpipe between the ceiling and floor to the inharmonious jangling of the bells, were left all alone in their glory. CHAPTER XVI. PHILLIP REDGILL IS FOUND TO BE NOT 80 CLEVER AS HE CONSIDERED HIMSELF, PHILLIP REDGILL next appears on the scene of our story in his father’s offices. ’ His father was very rich, and had extensive dealings with ships and valuable merchandize in the City of Lcendon. He was a widower of nearly sixty summers, and had no child but Phillip. This youth had been well educated, and was allowed an ample income to live on. But he looked upon commerce as something de- grading, and felt ashamed to own among the gay gallants of the town that he was anything less than a person of noble blood, His propensities for gambling had well nigh ruined his father more than once. But the fond old parent had overlooked his son’s misdemeanours very frequently. At last it was discovered that Phillip had so fay: forgotten himself as to forge his father’s name to certain heavy bills, and squandered the money on gay persons of the town. From that time forth a great coldness existed between father and son, and Phillip was told for the last time that he must make his annual allow- ance suffice for his pleasures, and that should he again so disgrace the time-honoured name of Red- gill, he would take the consequences, for the law should be enforced, which in those days was “‘ death for forgery.” Phillip, however, had become so accustomed to high life about town, that he looked upon his father’s conduct as something very cruel, and re- solved to rob him all he could rather than be lowered in the estimation of his “ lordly” acyuaint- ances. A libertine soon brings many a good and rich parent to ruin, | But old Redgill was a man of firm purpose ; when he once had made up his mind to anything, and although he did not tell any one of his intentions, he frequently informed Phillip privately that his conduct was bringing sorrows and misery on his old age, and that if he did not reform he would disinherit him. _ All this Phillip Redgill looked upon as a good joke, and set his wits to work to get money as best he could by hook or by crook, so as to still keep up the reputation he had already gained among the gayest of the gay, as ‘‘ Reckless Redgill.”’ One of the first things which Phillip did when he found it no longer possible to “screw” money out of his rich old parent, was to form the acquaintence us the notorious Death-wing, chief of the Skeleton rew. Old Redgill had two ships on their way from the Indies, laden with gold, spices, and silks. In consideration of receiving half of the cargo, Death-wing and his infamous crew resolved to way- lay these two ships and attack them when about fifty miles from the Land’s End, This was done. s The crew of both ships were murdered in cold blood. The vessels were run into a snug inlet on the West coast of England, near to where Death-wing’s caves and store-houses were situated. Phillip received but one-fifth of the spoil, instead of one-half, But he was much too wise to say anything about his disappointment and annoyance. This system of villany was repeated more than once, but as his father’s ships did not arrive in port except at intervals of many months, Phillip often found his money running short, and without any visible means of replenishing his exhausted purse, Tn his father’s offices he had often heard of old Farmer Bertram’s indebtedness, and of how much money was still due on the mortgages at Four Ash Farm, r Mr. Harry Bolton, he also knew, was his father’s travelling collector, and was about to start on his usual journey. As we haye seen, Phillip forestalled Bolton’s visit to Four Ash farm, and by impersonating Bolton, obtained an intervtew with old Bertram and murdered him. Young Redgill was a cool-handed villain, and knew not what remorse was. Bloodshed to him was quite a usual thing, He was not a brave young man by any means, as Wildfire Ned often proved. | Bnt it was whispered by those who knew him best that when returning from wine parties he would have no scruple in picking a quarrel with any inoffensive citizen he might fall across, and feel no regret at drawing his sword and wounding any one who was unarmed. Many a simple shopkeeper and unsuspecting night watchman had been “ pinked”’ by ‘‘ Reckless Redgill,” and no one was any the wiser. ’ s, But, like all great rogues and rascals, Phillip was very careful, very careful indeed, in. picking quarrels, or drawing his “ toasting fork,” upon any one who was at all likely or able to resent it blow for blow. He had up to the present time run along in his career of crime undetected and unsuspected. But all things have an end, And so it was with Phillip. From petty thefts in his father’s offices he gradually and swiftly descended to _ greater villanies, until at last, as we have seen, even coolly- planned murder did not shock or retard him in his life of crime. Like an apple, he was only getting sufficiently MICOOOKS. CO