Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

3632 _—_— = CHAPTER CMXXXVIL. 88 WHICH TOM KING’S MISFORTUNES CO% rINusB PO INCREASE. “Hart!” cried Tom King, in a loud voice—“ halt, I say! Btop —stop, if you value your life! Pull up thie moment !” Tom accompanied these words by seizing the briate of one of the leading borses and pulling it vigorousle, tus materially assisting tne coachman in bringing the carriage to a standstill. Tom King perceived, for the first time, that behizd the carriage a footman was seated, and he began to tnink ¢f there were many inside he should have rather long odds to deal with singleehanded Therefore, almost without reflection, he put into execution a stratagem whick had well served himself and his companions on many occasions. The coachman, thoroughly terrified by T’om’s words, and hearing the explosion of the pistol, sat trembling on his box, hardly certain whether he was alive or not. Tom heard the window of the carriage let down with a sharp, crashing sound, but he paid no heed to the circum- stance. Turning his head round, as though addressing some one at the side of the road, he cried, in a loud voice: “ Understand me, my friends, I intend to manage this little affair single-handed. Do not fire, Claude, nor you, Jack, on any account, until I give you the signal—do not interfere until] I cal] for your aid.” Having thus apparently settled this matter, Tom turned his horse’s head round, and trotted easily and carelessly up to the door of the carriage. He saw aslight movement within, and the faint light given from the cloud-obscured moon rested upon some- thing glittering. What it was he knew not, but he abruptly changed his course, and the next moment a pisto] was discharged. Not the slightest injury resulted from it, however, and, without perceptibly changing his course, Te™ Made his way to the door of the carriage. e still held a pistol in his hand, which must have been seen, for the inmates of the vehicle shrank back. At the same moment, a faint, half-smothered scream came upon bis ears. ‘“] know not to whom I am indebted for that shot,” said Tom King, coolly, ‘‘ but let me state at once that Ii shall] not forget the favour. Now, then, quick—you have money. and 1 wantit! Surrender it to me quietly, and you may proceed upon your journey without any further danger or delay. If you refuse, you will only have your- selves to thank for the unpleasant consequences,” The interior of the carriage was quite dark, so that Tom was unable to see who it contained. But he heard a sweet, pleasant voice say: “Oh, papa, give him money—do not deny it—and let asrideon! Do not provoke him to violence.” “‘ Hush—silence!” said another voice. ‘* You know not what you ask. Any concession that I might make may be the signal for greater extortion; we should not be left with one article of value.” ‘‘ Make the trial,” said Tom. ‘Gold is all that I require. Time is pressing, and I am anxious to depart.” “Then,” said the same voice, in firm tones, “I am determined to defend what I have witk my life; so now beware!” ‘‘] regret to hear you say as much,” said Tom “Regret it ?” “Yes, because it will force me to extremities.” Just then Tom looked up, and found himself meraced by a danger wnich he had never for a moment taken into accour ft In fact, he had bsiteved that t®e words he umd wiwees would be quite sufficient to deter the coachman ara fo man from making any movemeat whatever But in this he was mistaken. The footman, with a surprising amount of boldness, considering that he had no weapon of defence but a long wand or staff, had climbed slowly from his seat behind on to the roof of the carriage. Then, suddenly drawing himself up to his full height, we raised the staff above his head. with the intention of «4 ware 1om’s first words. BLACK BESS; OR. bringing it down with his utmost force upou the head os the bighwayman. But Tom saw his danger, though only just in time te save himeelf. Quick as thought, he pulled the rein so suddenly and violentiy that the horse, in turniag round, “ose up for an instant on tts hind legs. At this same instant of time, another p:sto’? was dis- charted from the interior of the carriage. ‘tke footman, being in the act of deliverirg the blow, could not save himself. Ile had put forth his utmost strength, intending that tle one blow should be effectual. Therefore, the staff passing through the air with great awiftness, and not meeting with the impediment he had calculated upon, overbalanced him, so that he fell with great violence into the roadway. This event was scarcely noticed by Tom, for, to his surprise and corsternation, his Lorse staggered for a second or so, and then fell down as though struck by an invisible hand. He had barely time to disengage himself from the stir- rups, and so save himself from an awkward fall. The fact was, the bullet from this second pistol had lodged itself somewhere in the horse’s head at the mo- ment when the animal raised itself upon its hind legs in turning round. For the second time, then, Tom King found himself deprived of a steed. The gentleman in the carriage, seeing what had hap- pened, though greatly bewildered by the rapidity with which these events had taken place, now called out: “ Drive on, coachman—drive on with all speed! Don’t spare the lash, and we shall outstrip the rascal easily !” “ But John,” said the coachman, who thought more of his fellow-servant than the gentleman appeared to do. ‘Don’t you see that John, sir, has fallen headforemost inte the road? Can you leave him where he is?” ‘‘Confound you, yes!” was the reply. ‘He can shift for himself! Drive on, I say—drive on!” ‘No, coachman!” said Tom, who had by this time re- covered himself. ‘“ You had better not attempt to move —that is, if you have the least regard for your life!” While speaking, Tom King advanced, and the coach- man, seeing him, shrank down, and covered his face up with his hands. He could not bear to look upon the death-dealing wea- pon that waa pointed so menacingly at him. Ts had a purpose in all his movements, and it was quickiy carried out. Thrusting his pisto] into his belt, he drew his sword, and with the sharp, glittering weapon, instantly severed that portion of the harness that connected the leading horse nearest him to the others. lt was a magnificent creature, though it showed signs of being greatly terrified. Quickly sheathing his sword, Tom hastened to pat it upor the neck, and so quiet it. Again producing his pistol, he laid it upon the ground, first having satisfied himself that it was in readiness for immediate use. ‘Now, sir,” he said, addressing the occupant of the carriage, ‘whoever you may be, let me bid you to be- ware! You have had two shots at me, but, for your own life’s sake, do not try a third, or try in any way to inter- rupt me in what I am about.” Tom did not wait to see whether due attention was given to his words or not, but with remarkable dexterity stripped off the trappings belonging to the grey horse. Having done so, he stooped down. and in the course of a few moments transferred the saddle and bridle from the dead steed to this new one. Then, vaulting into the saddle, he again placed himself beside the carriage door. “Do cot say I have not treated you with forbearance ‘But perhaps you know scarcely any act will tempt me to offer violence? Understand me, however, that I will be trifled with no longer! Your money I must and will have! Better give it ~ ne thus than compel me to take it from you!” “Why, curse your impudence!” said the gentivman, “ere you not content with what you have alreae? This is too good a joke! MHave I lived to see a rascal mount one of my horses, and thes demand my purse ?” Gomicbooks (Eo)