Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

——— Serene Wa it an oM@cer, Dick? Do you think it was an », Lam almost sure it was not, for no officer would 6 his way bere alone. But keep silent Let us ait for the next flash, which no doubt will reveal to us something more. At seesent do not trar—frzr ano _ enemy we have nothing to dread.” Nevertheless, Maud clung very closely and tigucly to the highwayman. - Another flash of Hightning quickly came, and tais time both the watchers were betier prepared. _ They saw, with great distinctness, a man slowly ead carefully creeping along the pathwiy. Despite the darkness and the meny diMlewitiss that were in the way, he had managed to accomplish a con- _ siderable portion of the descent, a circumsiance which strongly excited Dick’s wonder, since it showed that _ the man must either be urged onward by some powerful motive, or else he was very iamiliar with the nature oi the path which he trod. __ * Silence now, dear one,’ said Dick, ina whisper, “We may be in no danger of being heard, yet let us be careful. Let it be some sort of consolation to you to know that this new-comer, whatever may bring him here, is not a police officer.” +“ ¥et he may be iy search of you.” - *] searcely think so; but, at any rate, from om, man we have nothing to apprehend. If he saes us I will _. take good care he does not leave these gloomy deptlis to communicate the intelligence to others! Now hush _ —silence!” eas __ Maud was still at once, and after that neither spoke, Se but both occupied themselves to the utmost in watching - _ the perilous descent of this new-comer. At every lightning’s flash they found that he had A ‘< _ managed to accomplish a still greater portion of tho tlescent. | The vivid flashes now came at longer iatervais, tite _ thunder only rambled, and there was every indication =. that the sterm was rapidly passing over. At length, when the stranger had almost reached the bottom of the pathway, Dick whispered to his com- aha parion: “YT have been thinking, Maud, that it is of the ee highest importance we should gain some knowledge of a _ the motive that brings this mau here.” “Surely, yes,” was the response; ‘but how ?”- * Do not interpose an cbstacie,” said Dick, “* but promise to assist me.” “T will—I do,” “Then what I hayo to ask is, that you will remain here, standing beside Black Bess.” “ And you?” “J will creep cautiously across the bottom of the quarry. I am farniliar enough with it now to be able . to avoid all obstructions, and the darkness will conceal me from view.” Sy Maud trembled excessively as she said: .. = 2 ne det -~* ~. oe . *¥ou would creep, then, close to this man, and watch his movements carefully ?” e | “1 would iako care to keep cut of sight and hear- «Ing. — But cannot I come too?” a “You cannot, because then any slight sound that would be made by the progress of one would be doubled, and itis most important that cur presonce heya remaius — unknown.” — = Slowly and refuctantly Maud unclagped her arins, and Dick no sooner found himself free than, with a siow and cautious footstep, he began to make his way ir the direction of the bottom of the pathway, | The darknoss was profound, yet nw so great as it had been a short time before, for the clouds above weve becoming ligiiter in color. Wevertheless, it was no easy task to avecid the many fragments of rock strewn everywhere around, and still ; : 7 _ & attract attention. - Diek was full of the deepest curiosity to know wat prot pe ible motivo could have induced any person te deseon) ee dangerous a path into so desolate a place, especialy «during the raging of a star. Ip the hope that this curiosity would presently be miared, he crept suward stealthily, and af last, to his é. i-/ ‘ . more difficult to proceed withont creating ucise enough + Sve A yy tee .- &S79 great satisfaction, succeeded in reaching the bottom of thre pathway, as he believed, unobserved and unsuspected. He had only just time to crouch down behind a larga iutting piece of stonework before the stranger came inte view. : He was not more than two fect distant, a9 Dick saw him with tolerable plainness, and felt periactiy sure that he was no police oflicer, or af any rate, notin the garb of one. When the bottom of the old quarry was reached, the stranger paused and looked above. A deep groan then came from his lips, and ho half muttered some words, the purport of which Lick eould not eatch, Then, with a somewhat hasty tread and a firm step, the stranger crossed the bottom of the quarry in an oblique direction. “ What on earth can be his errand?” Dick murmured to himself. ‘Certainly he is fully impressed with the notion that he has this place all to himself, or he would be more careful to be silent in his movements.” While these thoughts were passing through his mind, Dick carefully emerged from his place of concealment and preceeded to follow in tho footsteps of the stranger, This he had no great difficulty in doing, and the thick ereen moss which was growing almost everywhere enabled him to tread with an almost-noiseless step. The storm by this time was quite over. The sky. was clearing fast of clouds, and there were in- dications that the moon would shortly make her appear- ance. The stranger did not pause unti? the opposite side of the quarry was gained, a spot not far from where Mand was standing—so close to it, indeed, that Dick feared he was making his way directly there, and justly dreaded a discovery. This fear proved groundless, “Oh for a gleam of light!” Dick heard the stranger say, in low, deep tones. “But itis useless to think of if; the moon will never light up these recesses. I forget—I for get—my brain reels i” These disjointed exclamations were in themselves highly provocative of curiosity, and Dick watched more absorbed than ever. For the next few moments he was scarcely able to make out what the stranger was about, but at last he discovered he was occupied in igniting a small lantern that he ord taken from one of his pockets. He closed the door with a snap, and then through the thick convex icns in front came abroad beam of light, which revealed with great distinctness every object oa which it fell. Dick shrunk down again in conccalment, fearful lest the stranger, before entering the recesses he spoke of, should flash the light around him in order to make quite certain that he was alone. This caution was unnecessary. Never dreaming that anyone was watching his move- mevts, the stranger, timidly and reluctantly as Dick thought, entered a small crevice or fissure in the side of the rock, so small, and. of such an appearance, that any- one gazing at it would have imagined that it was simply an accidental rift in the stone such as is often seen, and penctrated to a depth of a few inches only. The stranger, however, quickly disappeared. This proved that it was in reality the entrance to some cavern. Dick crept forward once more, and, as soon as he reached the indentation in the rock, redoubled his caution. Gazing in, he could perceive the faint glimmer of the lizht some distance off. Ié was too feeble to enable him tu see what kind of place it was into which he was intruding, but extending his arms well in front, he waiked forward on tiptoe, Hs found the ground beneath his feet tolerably smooth and firm. : liaving gone a little distance, he discovered trai tre ligh* Secame st@ionary. Orzeping onward again, and scarcely dariugg iv breathe lest the slight sound should be heard, he at last peused and found himself in a tolerably large cavern, tuat beyond ail doubt was the work of nature. Ty one corner of it the stranger was standing, and Dick after a hasty glance around glided towards him. ad -, aw AN Se 5% + Ris , Lar ee is = ve {eter p 15° 7 bas Le ieee ee Ww, EGOMIchoo <S.CO (C