Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

1520 treless desirous of getting off Sir Thomas’s estate as quickly as he could. : Takings things altogether, he had much to congratu-! in late himself upon, though now, as he began to grow somewhat cooler, the effect of the different bruises he had received made themselves painfully apparent. At length, to his disappointment, he found . again opposite that high wall that had been erertea Upon the boundaries of Sir Thomas’s property—a wai! of such a height that it was quite out of the question tw think of getting a horse over it. & The only thing that remained in Tom’s power waa to follow its course until he met witha gateway similar to the one through which he had previously passed. This, however, might cause him some little additiazal difficulty, for probably thsye would be time to allow of men being posted at the various exits from the estate. Time was clearly of importawce, and so he again spurred his horse. : He was pleased to find that the animal of which hehe? s0 recently possessed himself was of tolerable quality. His stamp was good, though it would seem by his man- ner that he had lately performed a long journey, and had not yet recovered from the fatigue occastoned by it After going about a quarter of a mile further to the left, Tom found another gate, and just as he reached it he happened to look back towards the mansion. Then he saw in the darkness lights flashing about, from which it was evident close search and pursuit were being made after him. However, he was now quite clear and free from danger. He opened the gate and rode through on to the broad, well-beaten highway. At first he fancied he had emerged upon the very same road he had so lately quitted, but upon looking more carefully around he soon became convinced that this was an error. The road he was now upon ran almost parallel to the Dther, but it was at a considerable distanc4 from it. Turning the horse’s head in the direction of the coun- try, he allowed the animal to proceed at an easy rate, as there was now no immediate hurry, and he wished to re- serve its strength as much as possible. After going for some distance without accident, he reached a point where the road divided, forming what is called a fork. The triangular piece of ground formed by the junction of the roads consisted of a field well defended by high, thick hedges. Tom King as he approached gradually slackened his speed, for he was somewhat in doubt as to which of these two roads he should take. While in this state of uncertainty, a man suddenly started up from behind the hedge just at the sharp angle of the road. Tom uttered an exclamation as soon as he saw him. ‘'he man raised his hand, though for what purpose Tom did not guess. The next moment there wasa flash and a report, and, with a whistling sound, something sped past the high- wayman, which he knew at once to be a bullet. The occurrence was so strange @ one that he could scarcely make it out. ° This man had evidently been lying in wait for him to make his appearance, and yet how should he know that he was about to reach that point ? Again, it seemed as though the man had purpose? missed him—it was either that or else ha was a terribly bad marksman, for Tom was only a few yards distant. The most probable thing was, that this man had been placed there to watch for the appearance of some one else, for whom Tom King had been mistaken, The highwayman’s first impulse was to start in pur- suit of this man, who appeared to be at an immediate retreat upon discovering Lis mistake. But a secom thought induced Tom alter nis mind. : “Jt seems to me,” he said, “that I know the maaan of rendering some one or othor a valuable servica, That rascal beyond doubt has been posted here by some ops to assassinate some gentleman who is expected to be 7iSing this way about this time. I will save him—or. st any cate, I will put him on his guard.” pselt gocordingly, although he was running no smal gor-j ably good start. * he FEE : BLACK 2£SB} cn, _-— -—~—moe 5 ) sonal risk by so doing, Tom King turned his horse again, and rode slowly in the direction he had just been com-~- But ba did not go much more than a quarter -u a mile. ¥ fie pulled’ up then, for he by no means relisned getting tco near to Sir Tkomas’s estate. Scarcely nad ha come toa halt than the clear, unmis- takeble sound o% # horse’s hoofs upon the road reached his ears. “Pie intended victim comes,” -fe muttered. “ But, wkoever he may be, he shall be saved from the fate that aweits him! That rascal shall be disappointed !” Upon a second thought, Tom King thought it would be better to ride forward slowly to meet this approaching horseman then to remain in waiting, and he accordingly restrained his horse, allowing it to go simply at a walk. ‘n a few moments he perceived before him in the dis- tance the dusky figure of a man on horseback. To protect himself from the cold night air he had wrapped around him a thick travelling cloak. As soon as ever he was near enough, Tom King raised his voice, and said: ‘‘ Fold, sir! let me entreat you to stay—let me warn you that your life is in danger.” : The horseman checked his speed irresolutely, and seemed half inclined to gallop past our friend. It was by no means strange that he should have his doubts as to the advisability of allowing a stranger to come close to him at a time when the roads were so unsalv for all travellers as they were then. Tom guessed what was passing in his mind, and en- deavoured to reassure him. ..'* You need be under no apprehension,” he said; “ you will receive no harm from me—in fact, I have turned al- together out of my way in order that I might be able to give you this necessary warning. Bethink yoursclf, sir; have you an enemy ?’ The stranger hesitated for some moments before he re- lied. 2 Then, in a constrained voice, he said: “T think not.” “T differ with you,” said Tom. ‘Chance entirely has brought me upon this road to-night, and while riding a little distance further on a man suddenly started up from behind the hedge at the junction of the high-road, and fired a pistol at me. The shot could not have been in- tended for myself, but he was evidently placed there to assassinate some one who was expected to be passing by about this time.” The stranger received this intelligence with consider- able coolness—in fact, his misgivings as to the character of the man who had accosted him had increased, Perceiving that he paused, Tom continued: “If it was known to anyone that it was your intention to be upon this road at about this time to-night, let me entreat you to turn aside and travel by some other way ; if not 1 fear your life may be the forfeit.” The stranger walked his horse slowly forwards, and as he ‘did so he addressed Tom King in_ a sneering, sarcastic tone of voice. , ‘“My good sir,” he said, “I am obliged to you— infinitely obliged to you! But no doubt I shall stand as good a chance of escaping from the bullet as you did yourself.” “Stay!” said Tom, perceiving that he continued to ride on—“ stay—stay ! for 1 am convinced the man saw that I was not the person he was on the look-out for, though he did not discover his mistalse in time to check himself in discharging the pistol.” “T again repeat that I am obliged to you,” answered the stranger, as sneeringly as befor. ‘ My way lies in this direction, and I shall take it. You will excuse me, but I never like to form acquaintances on the roed, sa oblige me by kecping your distance.” As he spoke he spurred his horse, and the animal started onward at a kind of cantering salichs “ Well,” said Tom, to himself ‘this is a specimen of ingratitude surely, and yet, after all, the man is not to ba blamed. At any rate, I will try to save him even now.” Aceordingly, Tom rode after the stranger, who had nevertheless in this short space of time obtained a talex- (comicbooks.com > 4 ; : ~——+—> & es ee LM ett «