Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 219: what you’re looking at

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

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Cote as md eS Seale { Peete eek ie ‘ ae RY i) fone | 2 eos ee Tee . cae aN Ei at f- Sc ok ASIA a a ‘ ae yeas oe * a4 ; sg fed ; ; “pounds, and let the remaining fifty be equally divided - tunong the ees which means you see that there is a certainty of all of you making a very tolerable day's - work, and there’s the chance of one of us earning some- _ thing worth our while to reccive.” _ SBlogden ceased, and watched, with eyes like those of « -yulture, the ecountenances of his companions. _ He ih filled with anxiety to know how this would be _ receive _ He was himselt an Inveterate gamester, and he was & oy Pu ee _ aware that those who were with him often passed away an idle hour or two with either cards or dice. _ He soon found opinion rather divided amongst them, hough it was plain to see there was not one who was ot willing to take the chance of securing so large a = “Take a hundred pounds from the chief amount,” said one, and let that be equally divided among the losers, and let the principal amount bo four hundred pounds _ instead of four hundred and fifty.” TJ have no objection,” said Blogden, “if that is more agreeable to you, and should we decide upon it, way, it will be the means of passing the time very pleasantly until the waggon arrives.” __ For the life of them the men could not resist the tempta- tion to gamble. _ They had already become sufliciently votaries of the _ vice to be infatuated with it, when Blogden cleverly pro- _ duced from his pocket a dice-box, and dropped a couple _ of the spotted ivory. cubes within it and rattled them. Whatever seruples or hesitations may have remaired in _ any of their breasts were banished. _ Their eyes gleamed wildly with excitement, api they _ drew their chairs up closely around the table. _ “Three throws shall decide it,” said Blogden—-' three _throws each, and if there are any ties, three throws again.” _ his being agreed to, the dice were thrown for the first _ time by Blogden himself. __ The others followed, and when all were dona it was found oddly enough that four had thrown and_ obtained pe isely the same number. _ “Then you stand out,” said Ble gden, in a husky voice. iu The matter will soon be decided now.” - But again ties were thrown, sad Blogden found that 4°28 the-chance rested between himself and the man who had proposed the alteration in the division of the - amount. _ The box was rattled, the dice thrown, then, with | _wild shriek of triumph, Blogden announced himself the - victor. : ___ “Mine,” he screamed—“ mine! The money is mine! _ The hundred pounds will be divided among you!” _ His associates shrunk back, and their countgnances assumed a sullen, angry look. _ Blogden observed it. _ Tt’s no good grumbling now,” he cried, “the bargain ca made, and cannot be altered. I hoped that fortune would favor me, yet scarcely dared think it. However, Iwill behave handsomely to you. We'll have wine all _round—that is, if such a thing can be found in the cellars _—wine for all of us!” Ror rose to go to the bar, and as soen as the door closed behind him his comrades whispered eagerly together for _afew seconds. ‘Then the one who had been so close to winning rose siso, and followed Blogden from the room. _ What was his errand, Tom King could not guess. He stretched his ears to the fullest extent in the hope of overhearing what the officers whispered imong themselves. _ But they spoke in such tones that he was unable to do _ Nevertheless, he found all these different proceedings ‘Yery distracting to him, while they annoyed him beyond Measure, for he could not help taking notice of al) that Was going on around, and the eventr were so strange and raried that they prevented that amount of concen- Wation of ideas necessary for devising some plan of _ The officers continued to whisper energetically until Blogden reappeared. ~ 7 oR followed by the landlady, who was speaking we isa on shrill, angry tones, a ee 7 i ‘ 7 7 Ss roe Se fal oe Ym ont: a ; RE art Vig oy ae GS ee anak ; Cans ” ay s 4; ~ - _ TH2 RNIGHUT O¥ THE 2GAn @ 4 a - » » x 2 CP se ve A PPS Poe hy "i - :" & e ere a oe ty yeeseeees Nea ae aes pen Pe LlY ahs Y wa, tam Pot d rae V, : « 2 at * . 3 + +> Chih Site, &) 159% (AS > wee Se sr «sere “J will send down in tho cellar ior what you want,” she said. “ But. mark this, not another drop more do you have afterwards! I will take care that you never enter my doors again!” “‘T have no wish to return,” said Blogden; ‘ but then wine we must and will have! It will soon be seven o’clock, and as soon as the wazgon comes up let us know, for we are going by it.” Blogden sat down, and, glancing around. immed‘ately detected the absence of one of his companions. *“* Hallo!” he said, ‘‘ where’s Cribbs 2” The ofacers preserved their countenances toferably well, and one said, in a tone of indifference: “He followed you from theroom. I thought he would have been back before this.” “Mr. Blogden,” said Tom King, “I wish to know how much longer you imtend to keep me in this position? My limbs are all so cramped, that I suffer intense pain from head to foot. The circulation of the blood is com- pletely stopped. Surely it is base and ungenerous to treat a prisoner in this manner ?” “Tt is your own fault,” growled Blogden—“ quite your own fault! If youhad given me your promise you might have taken it easy.” “But that was what I did not feel inclined to do, and which I still refuse.” “Very well, then,” said Blogden, “hold your row! You're worth four hundred pounds to me, and I'll take d—d good care that I never lose sight of you until you are safely under the roof of Newgate!” ‘We shall see,” said Tom King, quietly. ‘I believe there is such a thing as people being too clever.” ‘* Aha! no doubt,” chuckled Blogden—* no doubt—no doubt !” It was while this conversation was going on between the leader of the officers and the prisoner, that the man who had been called Cribbs returned, and slipped quietly into his seat, exchanging, as he did so, a glance of pecu- liar intelligence with his comrades, unseen, of course, by Blogd+nm, who had his back turned towards them. CHAPTER CMLXV. AFFAIRS AT TIE INN TAKE A MOST EXTRAORDINARY AND UNEXPECTED TURN. DireEctLy afterwards the door of the room was thrown open by the landlady, who séood on one side in order to allow some one else to enter. Being interested in everything that took place, Tom King languidly turned his eyes in this direction. He would have turned his head, but this was impossible, owing to the tightness of his bonds. Then he saw enter the room a person he had not yet seen at the inn. This man was dressed half like an ostler, half like a general servant, and in front of him he ¢arriecd a kind of tray, on which several bottles of wine were laid. Directly Tom King caught sight of this man’s face he felt perfectly sure that he had seen him somewhere before, but in what place, or under what conditions, his brain was then too much harrassed and perplexedto allow him to remember. bs “Here you are, gentlemen,” he said, as he set the tray down on the table. ‘Prime, this ’ere is, and no mistake! Iought to know, ’cause I’ve fetched it out of the cellars.” Then,” said Blogden, who was inclined to be par- ticularly liberal, ‘‘as you are a decent sort of a chap, I don’t mind asking you to join us in a glass.” ‘“ Well, sir, E don’t know as I shouid mind; but——” “ Jack,” said his mistress, in her usual shrill, angry tones, “do you know what you are saying? Do you know lam here? Leave the room this momen: {” Very much in the manner ofa kicked cur, éack sneaked out of the room. The Jandlady stalked after him, and door. “ There’s a nice better halffora mua to have!” said Blogden “Thank goodness she’s not Mrs. B! Now, then, my lads,” he said, “ we'll drink this nice little drop of wine. You see I have ordered a bottle a-piece for ug, and then we shall be in good trim for our journey,” Lt is worthy of remark that, mo sooucr wera these clesed the | words spoken than the offcers all sprang to thsir feet, Gomichboo CS G (0)