Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

1518 Ped. | “That may beall right enough,” said the gamekeeper who had last spoken, ‘‘ but it is trespass, and we have atrict orders to take all trespassers into custody.” ‘Ves, I know all about that,” said Tom, “ but there are exceptions to every case, and I suppose a little cons sideration from me will put matters quite straight.’’. There was a silence, and ‘Tom said: ‘Tet me see. Why, thero aro six of you. Sow 7 suppose a couple cf guineas cach, or something like that, would be very acgeptabls to all of you, and no one would be the wiser.” ““ Well,” said the samekceper, “of course, if you are prepared to treat us liberally, that’s another thing, and your busiaess might be urgent enough to makeis werth while to pay something to be let off.’’ ‘‘ Decidedly,” said ‘l’om— decidedly.” Ho plunged his hand firat into one pocket and then into another, but, to his consternation, discovered he had not about him anything moro than some loose silver. The gamekeepers began once more to look distrust- fully and suspiciously upon him. Tom was greatly mortified, for he saw that if he had only happened to possess a few guineas ho would easily have got out of his present situation. Not thatit was particularly an alarming one, but, then if he did not extricate himself from it at once, there was no knowing what complications it might lead to. ‘* My good friends,” he said, ‘‘ Lhave not about me the amount [ promised, but I give you my word of honour you shall have it at any time that you think proper to appoint—say to-morrow night. I will meet one of you, or all of you, anywhere you choose, and will give you the amount,”’ ‘Oh, gammon!’’ said the one who, by the common conse: t of his fellows, took the lead in the affatr— “eam yon! I thought how much you were going to give w:in money. You will take notice,’ he added, ad- dressing the others, ‘that we are all witnesses to his having offered to briba us with money to got cff.”’ ‘* Yes—yes.”’ 6 Now, take care!’ said Tom. “I give you my word, and you may dopend that I shall not go back from it; but if you refuse, why, then you wiil find that I shall turn out a rough customer to deal with.” ‘© Oh, all riglit,’’ said the gamekeepers—“ we will take the risk of all that. Now, then, just march along, will you, or it will be the worse fer you!” While these words were spoken, those three game- keepers who had already taken hold of ‘l'om King tightened their grasp upon him, while the three others immediately p.aced themselves m the rear, and pressed the muzzles of their guns azainst his back.’’ : In this position he was commanded to proceed, and threatened, in ease of his refusal, that the guns should be discharged, the men alleging that Sir ‘Vhomas would take care to hold them blameless. There was an amount of rough, savage earnestness about the manner in which these men spoke that could not by any possibility be mistaken, ‘J'om King instinctively felt that they would not hesi- ate to carry their threat into execution. He most bitterly regretted now that he had ailowed himself to be taken captive ast all, since by so doing ho had shut himself out from all chanco of regaining his liberty. Disacrceable and repugnant as & was tohim, hoe had no other resource than to comply with the demands o? these men, and to inirch izzominionsly forward. They pushed him on, indeed, at a mech greater speed, and with much more violence, than was at all moces- B&ry. Vom King disdained to say another word to those fellows, but ho kcpt himeelf pawticularly on the alert, so as to be ablo to take advantage of any trifling circum. stance that might arisc that was capable of being turned to his benefit. Tho men knew every inch of the ground, and Conse. quently took the shortest way ont of the preserve. ‘Tom then found himself in» large meadow, beyond which over tho tree tops he eculd dimly distinguish ths chiinoneys of a habitation, ‘his he expected was the residence of the Sir Thomas who had been mentioned by the gametree,ers. In the saine manzer as before Tom was hurried across con. ~ dat “a A yet aly ed ¢ fen a a ee eee ar ee rs A ST I yh IE -* f ist oe 34 ae Hates kes 7 nat. +4, ri, ¥ BLACK BESS OR, eo i ee this meadow, and so by a rather cirsuitous route to the back part of a large, old-fashioned building—one of those comfortable residences of dull red brick which the great Randed proprietors were so foud of building two or three © ‘e centuries ago. A As the hour was late, this mansion—for such i$ might be termed—was plunged in darkness, sava and except that from one svlitary window came forth a beam of light, Manifestly their destination was this building, and Vem began to wonder whether it would not be better to rua the risk of ratsdving a wound from the gun rather | than suffer himself t2 be carried beneath any roof. at A But before he had time te make up his mind on this point a door was opened, through whieh he was q-ekly hustled. ‘hen he found himself in a small chamber sn the : ground floor, wherein a hugo fire was burning. | { This chamber, he imagined, was chiefly for the use of the gamekeepers while engaged on night duty. An old man, with a stern-liooking face, to whom the gamekeepers showed some degree of deferenco, was the only inmate of this apartment, and he rose slowly to his feet when the throne entered. ‘‘ A prisoner, Ambrose,’’ said one of the gamekeepers. “We caught him trespassing in the north plantation. Just opea the door, will you, and we will make him right till morning.’’ The man addressed as Ambrose took a huge key from his pocket, which he fitted into a small, strong-looking door, which Tom did not notice until he thus went towards it. The gamekeepers pushed him on, so that he was com. pelled to follow in the footsteps of this man. Passing through this door, however, he found himself at the foot of a winding flizht of stairs, and then he was made to ascend them, very much against his will. The ascent was long and tryiug, and ‘Tom felt certain that he must be at the very top of the building. ‘ Suddenly Ambrose stopped, and pushed open another door that grated harshly upon its hinges. Across the threshold of the room into which it Jed Tom was thrust, and then, as quick as lightning, the door was closed, locked, and bolted, ‘Tho man descended the stairs again, after which all was still, As Vom had comprehended, the room in which he now stood was at the very top of the mansion. It was always used for the reception of those prisoners who might be made by the gamekeepers during the night, aud it was rarely indeed that it was without an occupant, for Sir Thomas was one of those strict preservers of game who looked upon the unlawful slaughtering of a bird or hare asa crime almost worthy of being punished by death. As often happens, however, the very severity of the 4 punishment did not deter the people from continually poaching upon his domains, and it was supposed that he lost more game in this manner than any other resident in the county. The chamber was very dark, but Tom King managed after awhile to see dimly about him. Articles of furniture thera were none--not even a beuch on which to sit. ‘Shere was only one window, and that was scarcely des serving of the name, being merely a square opening in the wall, placed so high up as to ka considered out of reach of everyone, Upon that windaw Tom’s eyes a3 ones Reed them- selves. From what the reader knows already of his character, it may be guessed that he did not for one moment intend to submit quietly to any fate Sir Thomas or his myr- midons might.design for him. His immediate object was to escape, and that object he determined to effernt somehow or other. Walking close up tu the wall beneath the window, he reached up with his hands as high as he could, and found that the tips of his fingers were a few inclies from the gill of the window. A slight spring from the ground, however, enabled him to hook his fingers over it, and the grasp thus obtained was sufficient to enable him to draw himself np until his breast was level with his hands. ks.¢ Then he saw, somewhat to his choo AA, ee 7 ; ~