Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

A its > eae PB THES KENIHT OF T ET ROAN. ee ee ee a al ————— oOo Ho was very anxiot to make certain that his prisoner Waa safe. He had ~eceived a message from the squire, biddi.z him bring the prisoner befere him and two other magis-. trates at noon on the morrow, and he had heard quite enough to be aware that tag magistiate had a personal ¢ feeling in the matter In these parts the. squire was absolute, and &kaowiue his pow-r made the constable exceedingly anxious that nll should go well with the prisoner, of whom, {t need scarcely be stated, ho stood in great dread. Some time elapsed, during which he remained in dvep reficction. Dick’s breath came short and fast, lie wondered whether the chance he had hopeu jor aud calculated upon was really about to present it- self. “ Ain’t you going to let me go home?” said Simou, at last, breaking in upon his superior’s meditation. ‘Iam cold throngh to the bone, and if I stop here much louger I shall go to sleep!” “You had better not!” said the constable. “But [ll tell you what you shall do. You shall take my lantern, nd I will take the blunderbuss, and you shall open the door of the cage, and peep in to see whether the prisoner is all right.” But Simon did not relish this proposal. *‘ And where shall you be?” he ventured to ask. “ Why, keeping guard outside here, you idiot!” was the reply. ‘If he attempts to escape, why, pop! and dowa he goes!” “T don’t like to go in by myself in the dark,” said Simon. “I am frightened.” “Tt won’t be in the dark.” “ Yes it will!” “ How can it be, if you take the lautern with you ?” Well, that makes no difference. Ani I'll tell you what it is,” said Simon, with sudden boldness, ‘I ain’t. going in by myself, and that’s a fact!” The constable seemed about to break forth into some ebullition of rage; but, if so, he controlled the im- pulge. ‘Don’t be a fool, Simon,” he said—‘ don’t be a fool! You have nothing whatever to fear. Take the lantcrn, and walk in boldly.” *t Not first,” said Simon, more doggedly than before— “not first. Arter you, if you please.” eee CHAPTER CMXxX. [(N WHICH DICK TURPIN, THE PARISH CONS@#ABLE, AND SIMON CIIANGE PLACES. Tie constable hesitated a moment or two, and it was about an even chance whether the door of tha cave would be opened at all that night or nut. The desire to ascertain whether his prisoner was safe, however, overcame every other consideration in his breast, especially when he remembered how serious the consequences would be to him should an escape take lace. r Sinking his voice, he continued : “T really think he is a dangerous fellow, Simon; but two of us needn’t be afraid of him. Look here. we'll both go together, and take one peep to ascertain that he is all safe, and then we'll lock the door again.” _“That’s more reasonable,” said Simon—“a good deal more reasonable, and 1 don’t mind it.” The matter being thus arranged, the constable took up the blunderbuss, and Simon took the lantern. The pair of them, advancing a few steps, stopped before the door. The key was thruss into the lock, and tuzned. At this moment a faint, smothered cry, svunding like ® groan, came to their ears. It made both of them start with affright. The constable trembled from head to foot, and even his very lips turned white as he ejaculated: “Why, what was that, Simon—what was that?” “ Blest if I know! Hava vou got the blunderbuss ?” ** Yes—yes.” 3 7 On full cook ?” “Yes—yea.” cae aq Msroy. '’ said a faint voice. “Have pity upon me! a Ras ee REP oak Sr em Bee oe ee cae os ee —— -_ , --_—_— LLL ES a 1439 ff you have any feclings of compassion, éom“4 allow me to P rish here in this manner!” “Why—why, Simon—_” “Yes, master ?” a sounds as if he was uncommonly bade isn’t it ?? Oh, very !” “Just push the door open a little furthtr, and poke the lantern fa. Don't be frightened, I'll stand behind you with the wiuuderbuss. I’ll keen hii back, I'll war- rant!” Simon was rather curious to snow what was the matter with the prisoner, and his curiosity enabled him to some extent to overget his fears. Thrusting in the lantern as he had been directed, he bent forward and glanced around tle interior of the cage. “ Well—well,” said the constable, anxiously, vainly eu- deavouring, by standing on tip-toe, to peep over hig factotum’s shoulder, ‘‘can you see him ?” “ Yes, master. J can gee him plain enough.” Wohero is he 2?” | “Tfe do seem uncommonly bad, to be sure.” ‘But where is he, I say ?” “Lying on his blessed back, master—flat on his back, and he looks to me as if he was about to kick the bucket.” “But he mustn't,” said the constable—“but he mustn't !” “ Wave pity,” said Dick, again, in a weak voice—“ do have pity upon me! Help me, or I shall surely dia!” “But you mustn't!” roared the constable. Dick responded with a groan. “T wonder what’s the matter with him, master ?” asked Simon. ““T don’t know. What’s to be done 2?” Simon scratched his head, but did not reply. ‘ He’s handcuffed—yes, he’s handcuffed, and there are two of us, and we've got the blunderbuss,” pursued the constable, with more determination in his voice and manner. “ We oughtn’t to be afraid, eh, Simon ?” *¢ No—no ” “Weought to bea match for him. The only thing L wish is, that it was a little lighter—I don’t like the dark.” At this moment, Dick renewed his appeal for assistance, and, judging by the tone of his voice and the manner in which he was lying on the ground, it would appear that he was very bad indeed. The motionless manner in which he continued to remain served to inspire the constable and Simon wita courage, 3 They began to think there would surely not be so much danger after all in venturing into the round-house in order to see what really was the matter with the prisoner. Accordingly, after much hesitatioa, and taking their steps insuch a manner that they seemed haif inclined to» turn round and run away again, they approached the spect where Dick was lying ‘¢ What’s the matter ?” said the constable, more boldly, and grasping the blunderbuss while he spoke—“ what's the matter? Whatdo you want?” ‘Oh dear—oh dear!” *‘ Don’t speak and look like that. what’s the matter ?” Dick groaned. “Oh!” he said—“ coh, if I could only get up just a very little! I fancy I should be better then!” “And why don’t you get up?” “ T—I can’t; but I will try.” Apparently with great pain and difficulty, Dick slowly raised himself from the ground. Simon, holding the lantern in his hand, looked on with the deepest interest, and the constable—who, prudently o Why don’t you say otherwise, had got behind Simon—peeped furtively firs: © from one side, then from the other. All at once, however, with the suddenness of a light ning’s flash, Dick started up. No movement could possibly have been made mon rapid; but the fact was, he had been vareful to get in sucl a position first that he could spring to his feet withou ditliculty. h’e <Si'CO Pa im _ In doing so, he gaye Simoracy gawd nyorve ~ ey bX