Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

1472 girl's father spe ome he in he We — not nave stop ere,”’ he *o @ yo ady was aear to fainting from fatigue,” pa ew Fo See & CHAPTER CML G8CK TURPIN FINDS DANGER EVEN IN THE WOOD PIGEON INN. A FEW minutes elapsed, and the postilion, having finished attending to the horses, withdrew himself into the interior of the inn in order to refresh his inner man. While he was thus engaged, a party, consisting of four mounted men, suddenly appeared in front of the ing. At first it looked like a mystery for them to appear so suddenly and silently. But the fact is they had made -heir way along the grass- grown country road, and consequently the hoofs of the horses had not made sufficient noise to attract notice. No sooner did the first horseman catch sight of the post-chajse than he uttered an indignant cry, and flung himself off his horse in what appeared to be a very dangerous manner. He was a stout, well-dressed, stern-looking man, appa- rently about forty years of age—perhaps he was younger. A piercing shriek coming from the room in which the young couple were seated was next heard, and testi- fied that she had witnessed this fresh arrival. The other three horsemen appeared to be the servants of the stern-looking man, who, beyond a doubt, was the young girl’s father. With the same reckless precipitation which had cha- racterised his descent from his horse, he dashed into the inn, and broke open the door communicating with the apartment in which his daughter sat. Shouting aloud, the stern-looking man cried: “ Draw, wretch |—villain |—scoundrel, that you are !— draw, I say, and defend yourself, or I will cut you down as you stand !” “No, no, father!” cried the young girl. “Spare him —sparehim! Your resentment now comes too late—he is my husband.” A fearful oath escaped the father’s lips. Then came a stifled cry, followed quickly by a dull sound. Dick could tell, as well as if he had been there to see, (hat the an father had spurned his daughter from him, and that she had fallen insensible to the floor. At present, however, he could not see any reason to interfere; yet he drew his sword, and crept closer to the door of the room. The young man uttered am angry shout when he witnessed this cruel act on the part of the bride’s father. Under the impulse of that anger, he must have drawn his sword, for the clash of steel was heard. Directly afterwards the door of Dick’s room was thrown open, and the landlord, as white as a ghost, and trembling from head to foot, made his appearance. “Oh, sir—sir,” he said, ‘you wear a sword! Put a stop tothat dreadful conflict in the other room! I shall re murder done in my house, and then I am a ruined man Dick only needed some excuse for interference, and, unheeding a remonstrance from Maud, he hurriedly left the room. But the three servants who had arrived with the stranger guarded the door of the room. Dick did not hesitate in making the attempt to force his ray pant them. fore, however, he had time to accomplish his purpose, ae aaw the young man’s sword suddenly struck aside by iat of his more skilful opponent. With his face more like a demon’s than a man’s, the angry father shortened his arm and gave a sudder and fearful lunge. The young man’s weapon was not in readise wo parry the blow. The point of the gtittering rapier entered his left breast, and such was the violence of the blow that the progress of the weapon was not stopped until the uilt struck audibly aguinst his breast. Quick as thought, the weapco was withdrawn, and agein passed through the young man’s body, who now 71 H@ BLACK BESS; OR, TS es ee . ~~ staggered . backwards, ped his. sword, clasped hada over his wound, made an effort to stand, and then fell lifeless to the floor. ‘“‘ At last, villain!” said the stranger, flinging down his blood-stained sword. Then, pointing to his daughta, and addressing his attendants, he said: “Qnick! Raise her and carry her away—the sooner the better!” At the first touch of thease tnen, however, ths young girl recovered her consciousness. She sprang tc ber feet with a wild, confused look .a ber eyes; then her gtance fell upon the form of her newly- made husband, lying still in death upon the floor, with the blood yet welling from his wounds. Tne cry that then escaped her lips would surely have pierced a heart of stone. Reieasiug herself sxddeniy from the grasp of the servanis, she sprang forward, aud, before uhe aould be prevented, flung berself at full length upon the young man’s body. Her tears and cries were then something fearful to witness. She tried a dozen different methods of recalling the beloved one to life, but, failing in them all, she started u again with a wild, hysterical cry, that ended in a dval loud, prolonged, unmirthful laughter. All who beard it were dismayed. The father uttered a groan of anguish. There could be no mistaking that fearful laugh or the strange glitter of the eyes—both proclaimed insanity. “ Seize her!’ cried the young girl’s father, addressing his servants—“ seize her, or she will do herself a mischief | Make her secure and carry her to the post-chaise !” The poor girl echved the last world, and then again broke out into a peal of frenzied laughter. The servants proceeded to carry out the instructions given them, but as soon as they touched the bride she uttered shriek upon shriek, calling all the while upon her husband to protect and save her, who, alas! no longer heard that voice which had ever been like music in his ears. Without more force than was absolutely required, the young girl was carried out of the inn and placed in the post-chaise. . Her father regarded her with a stern, unpitying look. One would have thought that this terrible eveut would have caused him to relent and to repent, but so far from it, his anger was increased. The landlord, whose dismay it is impossible to describe, hastened after him, and seized him by the coat. “Sir—sir,” he cried, ‘‘I am a ruined man—yes, a rained man! And it is you who have wrought the evil! Murder is inmy house! What is to be done ?” The stranger shook him off roughly. “Do what you like,” he said—“I care not. business of mine.” He was about to step into the post-chaise, but Dick Turpin advanced. What he would have said or done under the circum- stances is hard to say, for just at that moment the land- lord cried: ‘If my brother was only here now [ should be in a different position. He is the chief police officer in London, and will be here to-day. I can describe you to him. You shall, at any rate, reap the consequences of this deed !” These words made Dick stagger back, and well they might. His own safety rose instantly paramount te every other consideration. Could it really be possible that he had journeyed so far, and had in the end taken uphis quarters in a place where Jack Marshall would be most likely to find him P 7 The moment of irresolution and copfusion sufficed to allow the stranger to escape. One of his own servants sprang upon the hack of one of the horses | elonging to the post-chaise, and urged the whole onward at full gallop. The others followed on the steeds upon which they had arrived. In less than acouple of moments the whole party was out of sight, leaving the landlord daumbfoundered; per- It is no im (E(6) JOO cS com Pa - <<) oe = - v?. Pa _—— OAT