The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 99: 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. 93 ee ek es father; but I did not do it! Avaunt! gory, ghostly, avaunt !” cs Phillip Redgill, my footsteps will follow you for ever!” said the voice, which died away in the distance. “Never! never !” horror. <2 caus ag repented the spectre voice. 1th his heart bursting in fury Pbilli I neck-cloth into ribbons, : euiesk ott His breast heaved with remorse and passion, Wine wine,” he said, with a fiendish laugh ; t wine, wine, I say !” Ilis wife handed him a goblet brim full. He gulped it down. He threw the goblet into a corner of the room, and in fury struck Fanny to the ground. The gallants present immediately stepped for- ward to protect the fullen woman, With bitter curses on their lips for his brutalit they drew their swords. : | oh “Ha! ha! my braves!” gaid Phillip, pale as a ghost, and looking half idiotic and wild ; “hal ha! my braves! I see, my wife hath many ready to defend her, Come on, then, one and all.” “So be it,” said Augustus Fumbleton, drawing his “toasting fork,” and assailing Phillip. “The man who lays his hand upon a woman except in kindness, is a scoundrel,” he added. Phillip was more like a maniac than x man. But just as the husband and the lover were about to engage, Fanny threw herself in between the com- batants., “Hold!” she cricd, in a voice of pain, and with blood streaming down her features. “Hold!” she cried, “ Phillip Redgill ! husband! murderer! if you will spill blood, shed mine !” “Murderer !” muttered Phillip, with chattering teeth! “murderer ?” “Yes, murderer!” gasped Fanny, with a firm, defiant tone ; “epirits of the dead haunt you both night and day.” “Liar! witch! sorceress!’ exclaimed Phillip ; “die with that lie in your throat.” He made a desperate pass at his injured wife. His sword was knocked up. Next moment he was the centre of a fierce and deadly conflict. The clash of swords, the sound of smashed mirrors, vasei, windows, and the like, was heard on every hand. * Away! away! damnable spectacle, said Phillip, staggering from * * * * When Phillip woke next morning he found his house deserted, No one was nigh. He lay upon the floor, with a sword cut acro:s his brow, amid the ruins of chairs, tables, glasses, and a thousand fragments of ornaments and furni- ture. “Where am I ?” he snid. And he looked round with amazement on the wreck, All things were in a wild state of confusion. His brain was all on fire with drink, excitement, and pain. “Oh, now I remember all,” he gasped. The memory of all which had happened that night flashed before his mind, While he lay in a state of stupor his eye eaught sight of a small dagger sticking in the card table, It pinned down a note. It was in Fanny’s handwriting. » been if I hadn’t 2?” He tore it open and read— ** Farewell and for ever for the rest of her days. ‘** Your worst eneiny, “* NANNY.” ‘““My wife absconded !| the house ransacked ! the servants gone! How isthis? What can it mean? Am I dreaming ?” ‘“Dreaming ? No, man; you were never more wide awake in all your life,” said a distant voice, with a coarse laugh. Phillip Redgill recognized the yoice. It was that of Captain Jack. ‘“ You here,” said Phillip, astonished. “Yes; and why not? Where would you have “1 don’t understand.” “J don’t suppose you do. A man that was dead drunk and half crazy last night, mixed up with tilt and point among a dozen or more desperate gallants is not supp%sed to have very clear brains the morn- ing after. ’Twas lucky we came to your assistance or you wouldn’t be sprawling on the floor as you now are.” *T don’t understand,” “Well, the thing is soon explained, I heard that a party of gambling youngsters were gathered at your house last night, and, knowing them to have more money than brains, I, Faulkner, and several others nade up our minds to give you a call, so as to relieve them of alittle of their spare cash. <As we approached the house we heard you all high in oath. “T rushed in at the doorway, but was fiercely beaten back by several gallants. “T gave the word ts my men to fall on the enemy without mercy, “Just at thit moment I perceived your wife hurrying downstairs, the way being led by one of her many lovers.” “Many lovers ?” said Redgill; “surely you do not mean to insinuate that my wife is a strumpet and——” ‘““ Never mind about wasting more breath about her, Redgill,” said Captain Jack ; “ because if you don’t know her character, I do, and have done so long ago.” “What !” “Nay, nay ; get not so hot, but let me continue with my story. Directly I gave the word to my men they each singled out a customer, and we fought desperately with our knives in the entrance- hall ; the place was too small for the proper use of our swords, sol am sorry to say,’ said Captain Jack, with a laugh, “that we had to cut the throats of one or two in the entrance hall (see Cut in No. 10), but it was all fair play. They didn’t know us, you see, so it don’t much matter. We quickly threw their bodies into the river, and they are food for the fish.” “ But my wife ?” said Phillip surprised. “Your wife, eh? she seems to give you much trouble all at once.” “ Well, what of her ?” “ Why, she has run off with the man who gave you that nasty cut across the forehead.” “And who was he ?” “ Why, that elegant young man Fumbleton.” A terrible oath escaped from Phillip, and he rose to his feet, looking like a blood-stained demon. “ T will be reyenged,” said he, “if it costs me my life!” ‘ And so you shall,” said Captain Jack, “if you only let the matter remain quietly for a short time. Fumbleton is rich, and can bear plucking.” “ Hehas been plucked many times, I hear,” said Phillip, “ and on one occasion to the tune of £2,000.” + -- ~~ -—- i Sl | @ ONMICGIOOKS «COMM