Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

__ @own went the Captain, and that’s all about it.” ____- “Down went the Captain ?” said the officer. “What do --- you mean by that ?” _ Dick grinned again so as to show all his teeth, then __ pointed to his horse. The officer uttered an impatfent exclamation, then, turning round. he addressed himself to his cesepaiions, and said: : 9 * No doubt this fellow here speaks the truth ; ke would be sure to leave the highway at the first opportunity; he would suspect that another party was a little in ad- vance.” 3 “He has. ten to ona, got under cover of that waeoil.” _-__ gaid another officer, who had been standing up io his ___ S§tirrups and looking around at the face of the country as well as the darkness would permit. ~~ * No doubt. Ride an a little way; before going far we ‘must come to a gate which we can pass through, and that would be much better than risking a leap.” _- ‘The officers were unanimous on this point, and set their harses in motion. Dick bawled after them. “ Here-—here,” he said—" stop a minute.” They stopped of course. “ve done what you wanted,” he said, *‘and one good turn—lI’ve heard say—always deserves another, so per- gaps some of you will help me to get Captain up, for I can’t do it myself.” The officer uttered an-oath, which was the only reply he condescended to make to Dick’s request. fe Like his followers, he was quite indignant at the idea Z of such a thing. Dick smiled quietly to himself, and soon had the satis- faction af secing the officers push opena gate and pass through it into the meadows. - “T hope it will do Toma good turn,” he said—‘' I do with all my heart! I hope too that he has left the bigh- road and taken to the fields, otherwise he will standa _ good chance of falling foul with Jack Marshall and his troop.” Indeed, Dick was more uneasy on this point than he cared to confess even to himself. He did not tor a moment believe that Tom would be likely to continue galloping along the high-road, and there was a strong probability that upon coming to the spot where Dick had met with Jack Marshall he would turn either to the right or the left. When a choice is to be made between a right road and a wrong, the latter is almost sure to be chosen, end it was this that made Dick uneasy. “T can’t help him any further,” he said, as he applied the whip vigorously to his horse; “he must do as I am | doing—shift for himself in the best way he can.” ._ At length, after bestowing many lashes, the xnwilling beast struggled to his feet. _ Dick harnessed him as rapidly as ho could, then, re- Fs mounting to his seat, continued his interrupted journey. _ “Tf things are to go on af this rate,” he muttered, “ it _ will be daybreak before I reach Drury Lane. At the 2 best I shall have a good deal of trouble in leaving London a sb ~ before the day has fairly begun.” _ This seemed very probable, for the night was growing much advanced, and even if he was so lucky as to meet with no other interruption, a long time must necegsarily elapse before he could reach Drury Lane. At length Dick managed to whip his horse into a shambling, cantering kind of gallop, which, although it threatened every moment to break sdine portion of the harness, #ad made the cart jolt most fearfully, ys gat ever the ground in something like tolerable style. - It was a speed, however, that could not be maintaiued. Gradually the animal's pace became slower and slower, a until the highwayman was seriously afraid that he would come to a dead stop, > eh It was iust at this crisis that he perceived befure nim -‘{m the distance a faint, twinkling light, and as soca as ba perceived it he began tu wonder whereabouts he waa. eon « That surely must be the Boar’s Head Inn. Yes,” ko evidently it. Well, I crust no one will be staying there, in which case I wiJl run the risk of making a half my- With this determiaation he pushel on, Fut ‘he horse =~ 2. . a 7 o> tm t as a eae «Fe \ ‘* —s —! ——~ - a 7 Boe eh a 8 as BET og . 2 <5 AP eae Tee ere ae © ene pA aa vn te ia | fi Pe dows Bow Bier coy ine o(010) KSC - : a . > - . Sees Re rae re rea as a . A mh) ‘a ¥ f e > ern Ys es) re gb) aan. ~~. ‘a4 ~ ~~ THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD, ee es 2a 32k) Coe he said. “I never saw such a leap in my life, and thew | was fearfully exhausted, and he trembled at every step, and could scarcely put one foot before another. About ten minutes ter the front of the roadside ina was reached. Tke light he had seen came from a candle fixed in one of the windows, and this was the only sign of inhabita- bility that the house displayed. The stoppage of the clumsy vehicle, however, attracted the attention of those within, for the landlord came bustling out and immediateiy began bawling for the ostler at the very top of his voice. CHAPTER CMIX. DICK TURPIN FINDS HOMSELF BESET BY DIFFICULTIES AT THE WHITE IIORSE. Tuesé cries at length had the ettect of causing a dwarfed, ill-shapen man to make his appearance. He ¢ame hobbling forward, and grumbling in no measured terms at having been disturbed, especially by a man of Dick Turpin’s appearance. The landlord contented himself with turning back into the inn, for he knew thet, as a rule, drivers of covered earts were not ve.y profitable customers, and it certainly was a waste of time to bestow any extra civility upon them. Dick dismounted with great agility, and, going close up to the ostler, he said: “ Just do as I want you, and say nothing, and it will be a good job for you.” The only reply Dick received was a stare of wonder- ment. “ Fetch me first,” he said, “a quarter of a peck of oats in a bucket, and half a gallon of new ale—be quick.” The ostler hurried off to obey this commaud. It may have been that he guessed something good for himself was about to result. At length, appearing with the articles ordered, Dick took the bucket containing the corn from hiin, and then, very much to the ostler’s amazement, emptied the whole of the ale into it, and stirred the oats well up with his hand. The coz was then put before the horse, who at once made 4 vigorous attack upon it. “Well,” ejaculated the ostler, ‘that’s a rum trick for you to be up to, any way.” “ Very likely,” said Dick; ‘but you need say nothing about it, need you?” ‘Oh no, I can keep my mouth shut as well as anybody else.” “T thought so. Then just go into the house and feteh another half gallon of ale.” “ Another half gallon ?” Yes, I’ve said it; there’s the money to pay for what I’ve had.” Dick placed half a guinea in the man’s palm. He goon returned, and Dick took one draught from the foaming tankard, then, giving it back to the ostler, ha said : ‘You can drink the rest and keep the change for your- self.” | The ostler nodded, and winked, and grinned, and went through seyeral strange antics, by all of which he in- tended to imply that ke should maintain an iaviolable secrecy. The horse devoured the oats eagerly, yet scme time elapsed before he had finished his meal. A draught of water was next given him, and Dick pra- pared to resume his journcy. The effccts produced by this stimulating food wora really wausderful. The horse no longer seemed like the game animal. No sooner did Dick apply the whip to him for the first time than he started off ata rate that must have astonished himself. Tbe rest of the journey was accomplished without the oceurrence of any other incident worthy of record. Towards the last the horse got terribly knocked up, _ eantinued, as he glanced quickly around him, “that’s s but then Dick knew he could be well attended to at the White Horse. More from mere vravado than aught else, Dick made his way to Drury Lane dy driving up Long Acres, and (0) = a