Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

5480 ———e eee SE, eee eee cf to keep the coss ef a horse perfectly and dazzingly white. He began with the head first and foremost. ; With considerable skill he made a white sttr epon Black Bess’s forehead just between ber eyea which alone altered her appearance greatly. | So well too was this done, that it would hats required a very close examination indeed to have discovered the deception. « More white was placed around the lower part of the head in such a manner as to look perfectly natural. ‘hen each of her feet was painted white likewise. ‘“‘ There,” said the stroller, as he drew back, “ that’s an alteration, is it not? and it will stand everything except a good wetting; but you see how simple the operation is, and how quickly it can be renewed.” Dick was delighted, and so much was his mare dis- guised that he felt half inclined to make his journey upon her back. In this, however, he was overruled, for the stroller assured him that she should be perfectly safe. The cart was now quite ready, and Dick, having taken a last look at his bonny mare, hastened to the spot where Maud was standing in order to bid her farewell. At the prospect of parting and remaining for some time in the company of people who were perfect strangers to her, Maud could not restrain her tears. : ee wept and scbbed as though her heart would reak, She clung to Dick tightly, convulsively, for she had in her heart the presentiment that he would again fall into the hands of his enemies. But Dick endeavoured to make light of the whole matter, and finally managed to tear himself away. An old fustian suit of clothes was brought forward by the stroller, and these were large enough to allow Dick to place them on over his ordinary apparel. The effect of all this was to give him a@ much more bulky appearance than he usually wore. A dirty-white felt hat with a large flapping brim was placed upon his head, and it served in no trifling degree _ to conceal his features. Then round his neck he wore cno of those huge woollen mufflers so frequently seen wrapped around the mouths of carters and waggoners. Indeed, after a little trouble in disguising himself, Dick looked the character wonderfully, and when he cracked his whip and assumed a lounging, awkward gait, the im- personation was perfect. ‘‘Do not fear for me,” said Dick; ‘‘I feel quite assured all will be well; in such a disguise as this the cleverest police officer in London would fail to recognise me—even old Matthew himself will not know me. Depend upon it, Maud, I will be careful, and if possible I will be with you by daybreak in the morning, but if I don’t come you must not infer from my absence that 1 amin any danger.” ‘** Do come,” said Maud, wecping still—“‘do some, for I shall suffer a thousand anxieties until I witness your return.” Dick laughed at her fears, then, scrambling up into the cart, he seated himself in front of it, wrapping him- self up well in several old sacks and pieces of canvas, and when he had thus prepared himself in readiness to start, Maud could not help admitting that he looked as unlike himself as he possibly could do—indeed, the trans- formation was se complete that she could scarcely believe in it. CHAPTER CMYVII. DICK TURPIN’S DISGUISE IS PUT TO A VERY SEVERE TEST. Dick Turpin was not long in finding that the horse harnessed to the covered cart was of very irdifferent quality indeed, and required no small amount of whip- ping to urge beyond a jog trot of about four miles an hour. St was clear that he would have to rely altogether upon the excellence of his disguise and the unlikelihood that he should be suspected of playing suck a part. &. Should flight even become necessary it was quite out of tho question. As he rode on, however, @ consideration presented itself to him, which, in the hurry and confusion of events, he had overlooked. BLACK BESS; O8, This was that, as he was journsying towards London, he would run a very great risk of meeting either with Jack Marshall or some of his officers. They might allow him to ride by them unquestioned, but then again they might not, and Dick by no means relished the prospect of putting the ex--"‘ence of his disguise to 80 severe a proof. Had the horse been capable ur making , _ tle better speed, Dick would certainly have made his way to London by a very circuitous route. But time was of great importance, and he felt con- strained to take the nearest and most direct road. While jogging on thus and making these reflections, he suddenly perceived, upon looking up, a troop of officers at no great distance on the road before him. At the first sight he thought they were advancing, but quickly found that this was an error. For some reason or other they had come toa halt, and had collected intoa dense throng. What reason they could have for adopting this pro- ceeding, Dick, of course, had no idea, Yet he soon found by their gestures that a very animated discussion was going on among them. It must be confessed that Dick by no means relished thus riding direct among his foes, yet how was he to avoid it? In all probability his approach had been noticed, and if he slackened his speed or turned back, suspicion would be aroused. Clearly he had no resource but to drive on, putting trust in the hope that they would allow him to pass through their midst unquestioned. Dick felt uneasy, and to conceal his uneasiness he began to sing a song that he had learnt in his boyhood, and certainly the fact of his doing this was calculated to lead to the impression that he was quite at his ease. He next perceived that the spot where the officers had apoE’ was just where two roads crossed each other. Although he kept singing, Dick strained his ears in the hope of being able to catch some word or other uttered by his foes. But in this he was unsuccessful. At length, when very near to them, the whole body of officers, numbering altogether about thirteen, faced round and looked at him. “Hullo you there!” said a voice, which he recognised immediately as being that of Jack Marshall. ‘Stop your cont cutdes row a moment, and just pay attention to me !”” “ Murder!” said Dick, as he abruptly reined in his horse. The animal readily enough came to a standstill, ‘‘ How far have you come along this road?” asked Jack Marshall, in blustering tones. ‘‘ Be that ycur business now ?” asked Dick. “Tt 7s my business!” said Jack Marshall. see that ?” As he spoke he drew from his pocket a small constable’a staff with a gilt crown on the top of it. ‘Yes, I see it,” said Dick, whose voice was as perfectly disguised as any voice could be, so that it is no wonder whatever that Jack Marshall should fail to recognise it. ‘‘ Well, then, you will understand that we are officers, and representatives of his Majesty the King. We are in pursuit of a highwayman.” * Oh, murder !” “ Hold your row, will you, and just tell me how far you have travelled fF” ‘“* Well, sir,” said Dick, touching his hat, and suddenly assuming a very respectful demeanour, ‘‘ may be a matter of thirty miles or thereabout.” ‘Thirty miles,eh? And I suppose you have not. let anyone peas you on the road without just having a look at them, eh ?” ‘“‘ Well, I can’t say that I have.” ‘ “Then just pay particular attention to what I am going to say, and, mind you, I give you this caution, that if you speak untruthfully you will be liable to arrest aid imprisonment at any moment.” : Dick pretended to be desperately frightened. ‘Now, then, once more pay attention: Have you seen &@ man mounted on a black horse, carrying a female before him in the saddle ?” “Do you Gomicbooks (0) ‘