Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

forward ! The officers were now close at hand, and em eould not hear them approaching so closely without a sensation of uneasiness creeping over him, though he hal the greatest confidence in the stratagem he had adopted. He was pleased to find that there were no signs of the officers abating their speed in the least degree. He could hear them urge their horses onward both by voice and by the smacking of their riding-whips. ° With a sudden rush the whole troop swept past nim, 2nd no sooner had they done so than he was irresistibly impelled to r-i=s his head above the wall! a little, and peap at them. They did nov remain long in view, being hidden trom 4 sight by the thick, interposing branches of hundreds of trees. Nevertheless, he ceuid near them, and this sufficed to let him know they were still gaiioping along the high- way. : e Now,” said Tom, to himself, “‘forward once more— And every step I take will indeed increase the distance between the officers and myself! If I am care- ful, in a littie while I shall be rid of them, for no one has seen me enter this place, and there will be nothing to serve them as a clue to the way I havo taken.” {magining, however, that little advantage was to be gained by keeping close under the shadow of the wall, Tom gradusvy increased his distance from it, being in- duced to do so by the fact that the vegetation was more scanty further from it, and consequently he was thus enabled to make better speed. And now he came to a portion of the park—for park it was—consisting only of turf, and being eutirely destitute of trees. Over this he went at full gallop, then stopped, for be- fore him was a dense preserve. He hesitated a moment as to whether he should endea- vour to force his way among the thickly-growing trees. But he resolved not to turn aside; he was going now in the right direction, and the chances were that this plantation would not be of any great extent. Just as he was about to enter it, he perceived a board nailed up to one of the largest trees. Some words were painted on itin white letters, but this was all he could make out—there was not light enough to read by. ‘A caution against trespassing, I suppose,” rmuttered Tom, with a light laugh. ‘“ Well, I need aot trouble about that. If anyoue attempts to interrupt my progress, they oe find they have an ugly customer to deal with |” With this reflection he pushed his way through the trees, hoping in a little time that they would become less dense. For the most part, they were saplings, with thin, supple boughs, which were easily displaced. fs Every now and then the faint cry of some night bird would reach his ears, and then there would be a whirring and fluttering of wings as some large bird or other would ‘be disturbed from his perch. Tom's mind was now comparatively easy, for he fully indulged in the belief that he had got rid of tbe police officers entirely. All around him was so very still and quict, and so un- suggestive of the presence of his fellow-creatures, that it is no wonder such a feeling should occupy his breast. That confidence, nevertheless, was suddenly shaker. His horse stopped abruptly, and uttered a loud cry, unmistakably of pain. It struggled and kicked furiously; but one foot was fast. It plunged again, and then Tom was consciogsy ket one of the horse’s hoofs had struck against som other obstacle. The action was instantaneously followed DY & flash and a loud report. At the same time the horse plunged again, sree, and then feli down all at once as if struck by lightuing. Tom with difficulty disengaged his feet from tes gtir- rups in time erough to prevent himsclf from reseising any injury by this fall, but he did so. _ These last events had occurred so suddenly ad se un- expectedly that for a few minutes he was stunned ang __—ssompletely bewildered ; not being able to comprebng THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD. 1351? what had happened, he was surprised that the report of the gun should not have been followed up by any attack upon him. He stooped down to look morv closely about him. Examination served to banish his bewilderment. It was plain enough to see what had happened. The owner of the preserve, in order t? prevent others from poacking on his domain, had p!aced man-traps and spring-guns in various places. In one of the former Tom's horse ld placed his fere oot. It was this waich had brought him so suddenly to a stop, and which elicited the cry of fright and pain. The horse was now lying quite still, either dead or dying, and so artfully had the deadly weapon been con- trived that its contents had proved mortal. Tom congratulated himself upon his own narrow escape from sudden death, the recollection of which served to make the calamity of the loss of his horse sink into com- parative unimportance. Any attempt to recover his horse he saw was fruitless, and how to repair his loss he knew not. Yet a moment’s thought told him that probably in the grounds some other horse would be found which he might be able to capture. The trappings would be necessary, and these he has- tened to divest his horse of. The saddle had been removed. He was in the act of pulling off the bridle, when there came suddenly upon him the flash of many lights, the sound of voices, the tramp- ling of footsteps, and the crackling of the underwood. “Stand still!” roared a loud voice—“ stand still! If you move one step we will all fire, and your death will be certain! Surrender—you are our prisoner !” Confused by this sudden and unexpected turn of affairs, and dazzled by the lights which proceeded from the lan- terns carried by the men, Tom stood still, as he had been commanded. He gazed anxiously around, and saw that he was surrounded by several men—onc-half bearing lanterns, the light of which was turned full upon him; the other half with guns pressed against their shoulders, and with the muzzles pointed at his breast. CHAPTER CMXXX. IN WHICH THE GAMEKEEPERS MAKE TOM KING A FAS? PRISONER. In that brief, rapid, but comprehensive glance, Tom King saw something more, which served, to some extent, to allay the alarm that was rising in his breast. The men by whom he wus confronted and called upon to surrender were not attired either in the costume of police officers or of dragoons. They were, indeed, as their dress plainly showed, neither more nor less than gamekeepers, who, hearing the explosion of the spring-gun, had hastened to that part of the preserve. “T surrender,” said Tom King. of attempting to make nay escape. with an accident.” The word was repeated by the gamekcepers in tones of surprise ait derision. , But three cf them stepping nimbly forward, placed themselves or on each side and the other behind him, “What ara you apout todo?” heasked. ‘Why do you make me your prisoner ?” ‘For poaching.” Tom leughed loudly. “Poacaing ?” he said. “The idea of such a joke! } should like to know who ever heard of a man going poaching on horseback.” “Well, if not poaching, it’s trespassing,” said one of the gamekeepers, in @ gruff voice, “and that’s all the same to us—Sir Thomas does not allow either the one or the other; so come alon~!” “byoh, pooh !” said Tom—‘ there’s no necessity what ever to trouble Sir Lhomas in the matter—I am sure it can be settled easily between us. Look here—you can see what kind of an accident I have met with. In my iznorance of where I was, having lost my way, I blur- ‘‘ T have no intention You seelI have meg dered into this preserve. My horse put his foot into the trap, touch the wire cennected with the spring-cmaa, ard so has met with his death.” : GOMICDOOKSZEOm