Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

BS32 wr oer > ae speed, reached the cross roads that they would not be able by listening to detect thascouad of his horse’s hoofs. Suddenty, however, while going at fuli gallop, he perceived something unusual in Bess’s manner. Her neck was outstretched, sad be ears ware pre- jected forwards. At the sume instea.at, Muead seid: “ Hark—hark! Dick, I ean hear che officers now! How is it they have come upon us 30 quickly ?” Quite puzzled this cireumstance, and scarovly able to credit it, Dick brought Black Bess to a halt, and then Horsemen were approaching—there could be nu (oabt about tat. But he quickly found they were proceeding from 8 direction opposite to that which he had first experted. “Tt is ten to one another troop,” he said, in snswer to Maud’s query, “and it’s lucky we heard them when we did, otherwise we should have dashed at full speed into their midst. They are frightfully close at hand, and I fear they must have heard us.” Maud clung to Dick in alarm. “We are in danger,” said the highwayman; ‘but we are not lost, for all that. Cheer up! This will be my best course now. Cling tightly.” He turned Black Bess so that she faced a low hedge- row growing on one sido of the road. She comprehended his wish, and with one bound cleared the obstruction easily. Soft green turf was now beneath the hoofs of Black Bess, and it made a wonderful difference to her. She flew onward as if she had suddenly received a fresh accession of strength. The night was still cloudy, with the moon breaking forth at intervals, and now, at this moment, to Dick’s vexation, a cloud parted, and the moon peeped forth. The silvery light stole in an instant over the whole landscape. ‘I fear we shall be seen,” said Dick. “But the same light which enables them to see ms will enable me to see them. Ah! look—there they are!” The piece of ground on which they now were was of greater elevation than the road itself, and as Dick looked back he perceived the second troop of police officers, whose approach he had so opportunely heard, standing in a dense throng close to the spot where he had over- leaped the hedge. hen, looking a little way to the left, he saw the ether troop coming on at full s Ir less than a moment the two forces would unite “They see me,” he exclaimed. “But no matter} fear them not! Forward, Bess,” he added—“ forward, my lass! All depends upon your speed! Let us see what you can do!” It really seemed as though the gallant creature com- prehended the purport of the words that had just been uttered, for, without any further incentive for exertion, she all at once broke out into that long, stretching gallop which seemed to require no particular amount of exertion on her part, but yet which got over the ground in a style truly marvellous. A succession of broad, undulating meadows was quickly ed over, and when Dick drew rein again it was not until he had placed many miles between himself and the spot where he had last stopped. He was now nearly at the brow of a steep hill, and he looked back from this advantageous position, in order to ascertain whether the officers were still upon his track. But the moon was once ggain covered by clouds, and it was impossible for him ta see to any great distance. He listened; but no sound resembling the clatter of horses’ hoofs reached his ears The silence was alone broken by the ¥histling or wo wind among the tree tops. “ Do you really thipk that you have distanced them ?” siked Maud, se ie aan ee recover herself from the state ot right in which she had been for so long a time. ‘7 trust so,” answered Dick; “but at present f Is im- pessible to say. I will let Bess go gently to the sammit of this hill, and then we will pause again.” “ And,” pursned Mand, “supposing that yon should fad yoursert quite clear of the olfivers, what will be yonr rag stop 2” BL/ OK BESS; OR. ee for be wished to get ec far before the officers Dick peused a moment before he replied. “T can hardly answer you,” he said, “ ox by seytag ¢hat I should push on ata gentle rate amd look axyound me tur some plase of shelter where we could remain can- cealed until the time comes for ms ta mesh my eom- panions.” Mand sighed. Were,” she sca°d—”* where is this glace of eom:eal- ment and safety to be found ?” “We must wait and see,” returned Dick, lightly and carelessly. ‘We have found ere now, and doubt- less we shall find’them again ; we shall have to place our- selves entirely at the mercy of circumstances.” During this brief conversation Black Bess had been making her way at a slow walk up the steep declivity of the hill. Now the brow was reached, and Dick brought her to a standstill. At the same moment the darkness was dispersed, for the moon broke out once more into her full lustre. The thick obscurity seemed to roll away like mists before the rising sun. And so Dick looked back in the direction he had just come. Distant and more distant objects wore by degrees brought into view. An ejaculation broke suddenly from his lips, which was echoed by one from Maud. Dick looked again, for he could scarcely believe in the reality ef what he saw. “Confusion!” he mutiered. ‘They have managed somehow to steal a march upon us; but how—how ?” Surely by some means or other they must have pos- sessed themselves of fresh horses.” Coming swiftly along, and at no great distance be- neath him, Dick saw the full troop of police officers. They were making good speed, he could tell that, but whether they had really obtained a change of horses was more than he could determine. As the moon was shining fall upon Dick on the top of the hil) he could doubtless be seen very plainly by the officers below, for the forms of himself, Maud, and Black Bess would be thrown into full relief by the sky behind them. Imdeed, something Hike a shout, sounding faint and far off, came upon Dick’s ears, as though the officers had really recognised him. It was only for a moment that Dick allowed this to give him any concern. He saw that Maud was alarmed, and endeavoured to act in such a manner as would lead her to believe the danger was not so great as it actually was. Accordingly, with the resumption of that reckless, daring spirit that would peep forth at times, he dropped the reins on the neck of Black Bess, and pulling off his hat, made a kind of mecking bow with it. It was rather a gesture, to be understood by the officers as a challenge to follow him. ‘Dear Maud,” he said, “fear nothing. If they are in the humour for a good ride to-night, I will not disap- Sarees Cling tightly to me, ane then all will be well.’ This injunction was scarcely necessary, for Maud held a Dick as though she felt that here only safety she could Ow. At the same moment, Dick gathered up the reins, and gave Black Bess the impulse forward. She willingly responded to it, for the brief halt they had had was sufficient to enable her to recover to some extent her spent breath. Away, then, at a terrific pace she sped. Their way lay all down hill, so that comparatively fitth exertion was required to carry her over the ground. Away—away they went, with a speed that was absolutely terrific and alarming—a speed that no one would have thought of making in the darkness excent from the conviction that by that means waa their only chance of escape from death. And it was in darkness, fer the ciouds, driven before the strong bresse, had again completely hidden the moon's disc. How long that fearful gallop lasted, Mand sever knew. To ber it seemed a long and endless time (e(0) JOOKS