Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

ease hat the animal bound along at a rate I should never have believed him capable of accomplishing. “T uttered a cry of rage, and then set forward in pur- suit, thought my anger quickly changed to mirth when - I saw the grazier making vain and frantic attempts to stuff the tail of his shirt in again. “—Inafew moments I ras level with him, and resolved have no more delay. : a { seized hold of the booty, and with one strobe of the sword cut the tail of his shirt off completely, and here it is.” Despite the anxiety tnat all felt, it was impossible to repress a hearty laugh, and for several moments the ‘roof of the old kitchen fairly raug again. Jack held aloft his trophy with great glee, ‘Phen, untying it, disclosed a good round sum in notes and gold, as the farmer had said, ‘* Bother these things,’ he cried, alluding to the bank- notes, ‘they are almost useless tome. I have a good mind to carry them about me, and should I ever meet him again I will give himachance of buying them back at a reasonable rate.’ : : There was anothor laugh at this, but Sixteen-String Jack took it quite seriously. Then Claude, imagining the right moment had come, took advantage of a pause in the conversation to speak, “Well now,” he cried, “‘ all the adventures have been told ; there are no signs of the captain at present, and I think we ought not to put off any longer a discussion upon where he is likely to be.”’ ; Just then he saw Maud turn pale, and fall back half fainting in her chair. : ‘“‘T think,’”’ said Tom Davis, rather gruffly, “that you are alarming yourself without due cause. Give the cap- tain time, and I will be bound he appears. What do you think he sent that note for? He meant us to re- | main quite easy until heappeared. Just waita moment and I will read it to you again.” | ©Oh, [know all about that.”’ said Claude, impatiently, “only such a long time has elapsed I think it strange he has not appeared.”’ * Let us give him till daybreak, at any rate,” said Tom Davis—‘ten to one if he would think of coming back before then, if he had the opportunity.”’ *'lhen you have not long to give him,” returned Claude, “for in an hour, or even less, it will be quite daylight ; the uawn must be now almost here,’’ A deep silence followed these words—a pause that seemed to have something very ominous about it. Mand was slowly recovering herself, and the others, with averted eyes, were each waiting for some one to speak first. But the silence endured and remained like a spell. Then Claude rose, and, going to the window, let down the shutter. As he did so, aclear grey light came pouring into the kitchen, ‘Tt is already daybreak,’’ hesaid, ‘Behold! is he now?” _Again there was a silence. But this time it was broken in upon by a most dis- cordant, unmelodious sound—one that made them sll start, and one that actually caused the blood to rush back to their hearts with a sickening sensation. “Goodness gracious!’ exciaimed Tom Davis, as he sprang up from his chair and then sank down again— **Foodness gracious, wha ’s that P’’ W here CHAPTER DCCCXLVI. THE HIGHWAYMEN OBTAIN SOME UNEXPECTED IN- TELLIGENCE AS TO DICK TURPIN'S WHEREABOUTS FROM THE ITINERANT NEWSVENDOR. Tue hideous sound came again. We This time, however, they were more prepared jor it than they were upon the previous occasion, and therefore were able to form a better idea of how it was produced. ‘It’s a horn,’ cried Tom Davis, as he rushed towards the front of the house—‘‘ it’s a horn, or a trumpet, or something of that kind. Whaton earth doesit mean?” His movement was immediately followed by the rest, and in an incredibly short space of time the kitchen wae vacated, a THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD. 1387 ** Be careful how you show yourselves,” cried Tom) - who, even in this moment of excitement, had not for- gotten his caution, The highwaymen shrank back. ‘You have a look first, Tom,’’ they cried, “and let ‘us know what it is.’’ | Opening the door, he looked out. But at this moment there came another blast, louder and more disvordant than the former ones. Then a cracked, wheezy voice was heard to say: ‘* Most important—important—important !” Then followed another blast. ‘“It is a man,” cried Tom Davis—“ an old man with a long, battered tinhorn. Whaton earth does he mean by kicking up all that uproar ?”’ “Here you have it, good people,”’ continued the same strange voice—‘‘ here you have it; all the particulars from the beginning to the end, and most extraordinary they are. Here you have ’em—here you have ’em, and the price no more than a penny !”’ He blew the horn again. “T can’t make it out,’ cried Tom Davis; “he isa most extraordinary-looking individual, and he is carry- ing a packet of papers in his hand; they must be about some important event that has just occurred.”’ ‘Get him inside,”’ suggested Claude Duval, “‘ and give him something to drink; that will stop his noise.” Before this advice could be acted upon, all heard dis- tinctly the following words. Strive as they would, not one could move until the man paused to blow his horn, which he made a point of doing at every full stop in his discourse. ‘ Here you have it,” he oried, ‘‘ the important and un- paralleled details of thecaptureof the notorious highway- man, Dick Turpin, who surrendered himself prisoner yesterday, and now lies in the prison of Newgate await- ing the order for his execution; and only one penny.’’ The sound of the tin horn drowned the stifled shriek that burst from the lips of Maud, and without another sound she sank perfectly insensible. Mrs, Davis and Ellen at once gave her their whole attention, leaving the highwaymen to themselves. ‘Just what I feared,’’ was Claude Duval’s comment. “We all guessed it,’’ said Tom King, “only we did not want to say a word about it before Maud. Let us get that rascal in and get all the details we can from him.” ‘ Allright,” said Tom Davis. ‘ Just step on one side and leave it tome. Ou no account permit yourselves to be seen, because it is very likely he has been furnished with a description of all.’ Upon this caution the highwaymen all withdrew, and Tom Davis going to the front of the inn, saw that the man had moved a little way. But he bawled after him, and the man, turning round, hastened towards the inn at full speed. He detached a paper from his bundle, evidently ex- pecting that Tom Davis was about to be a purchaser. ‘* ‘What’s that you are saying ?”’ he asked. “Tt’s about Dick Turpin, the highwayman,” was the reply, given in a more natural tone of voice; ‘he was captured yesterday and taken to Newgate.”’ “Was heindeed? Well, come in and havea draught of ale, and let us knowall the particulars. I’ll have one of your papers as well, for, though I’m no scholar my- self, there may be others who would like to read it.”’ ‘‘ Allright my friend,’’ said the itinerant newsvendor. “Tl tell you all the particulars, and that’ll save you the trouble of reading.” ‘*Come, then—come in.”’ The man willingly followed Davis into the kitchen, where he sat down. A jug of ale that one would think would take him | some time to drink was placed before him. Then Ton eagerly questioned him for information. ‘Well, you see,’’ replied the man, ‘it happened in this wise: Dick Turpin was overtaken and captured by a party of huntsmen, and now, as I have told you, isa prisoner in Newgate,”’ ‘‘ And so he ought to be,’’ said Tom Wavis, ‘I have been expecting to hear this for a long time, and Iam only afraid the news is too good to be true.’’ ‘Well, and so am i, and that’safact. You see, there printers they get hold of any lie er idle tale and print it; Eomicbooks:.co