Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

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Now, { daresay about the premises you have got some kind of sleeping drug or other—I mesn such stuff as you would mix with tho ale.’ “¢QOh, yes,’ I answered, with a wink. know all the tricks of the trade.’ *“¢] was in the public line myself once,’ this officer said, and then he told me to draw the cork out of one ot the bottles of wine, and pop enough of this drug into it to cause anyone to become insensible after drinking a couple of glasses or so. “T promised, and just then the missis called me to go down into the cellar and fetch up the wine, so, you see, everything favored me.” Tom King listened to these revelations with the ut- most amazement. ‘‘ Well, captain,” said the ostler, “I saw this—that all was plain and straightforward—that I could set you free without any trouble at all, besides which I could play the officers a very good trick. So what do you think I did? Why, I drew the corks of every one of the bottles as fast as I could, and poured enough of the stuff into each; then corked them up again.” ‘Hxtraordinary |!” ejaculated Tom. “I should almost have said incredible, only what has happened fully con- firms all you have stated.” ® “Yes, captain, it’s true—quite true.” ‘‘But how comes it,” added Tom, ‘that the officers did not notice that the corks had been previously drawn ?” ‘Ah, captain, I see you don’t know any of the tricks of the trade. Why, there’s a corkscrew down in the cellar—a hair corkscrew, they call it—with wires almost as fine as a hair, and yet strong enough to draw out @ cork. When it is done the cork can be put back again, and the hole that is left is so small that no one could find it un- Jess they guessed it was there and searched very narrowly for it.” ‘¢' That accounts for it at once,” said Tom King. ‘ But I feel that I shall never be able to thank you enough or to do sufficient to show you how much I appreciate the service you have rendered me, But fear nothing. You shall not go unrewarded—I will take care of that! I shall always remember that I owe you my life.” “‘ There—there, captain, that will do—I don’t want any more of that! I consider that what I did just serves the officers right. It’s a case of the biter bit.”’ ‘Well, but how shall you proceed?” said Tom— “\ what’s the next move ?” “© Well, captain, that I leave to you. I thought, per- haps, you might be able to jump on to the back of your horse, and gallop off, but I sadly fear you are too weak and exhausted for anything of that kind.” ‘7 don’t think so,” said ‘Yon, and immediately he made an effort to rise to his feet. " He quickly found he hag miscaiculated his strength entirely. He swayed to and fro for 4 moment, then fell bask on to the mass of hay and straw. ‘I ges you te | CHAPTER CMLXVI. IN WHICH TOM KING GAS AN AMPLE REVENGE UPON THE POLICE OFFICERS. ‘THERE you go, captain,” said the ostler, “I knew jus¢ how it would be. You are clean done up, and no wonder ; and what’s more, if you are able to move for the next day or two, it’s an odd thing to me.” “ Then,” said ‘’om King, “i amas good age dead man already, for I must get away from dhe inn before the officers recover their senses.” | “Yes, yes,” said the ostler—‘ either you must go or the officers, Yes, yes—that’s quite right.” “What do you mean?” said Yom. “Do you for a moment suppose the officers will leave without making a rigid search of the promises ?” “Yes,” said the ostler, “I think it very likely they ill. _ BLAOK BESS; GB “Gut how long will it be before they recover Irom ne effects of the drug ?” ‘Some hours, captain—I gave it ’em strong.” ‘Well, then, I have that much rest before me.” “So you have. But, captain, ’ve made my mind up — i one thing.” ‘‘ And what may that be ?” “Why, that you can’t go away from the inn and ensure - your safety that way. The officers must go instead, leaving you here snug and comfortable.” “You wvaid be a clever man, Jack, if you could manage that.” “Well, I don’t know; it seems to me nothing would be easier.” ‘You are jesting.” “ Not a bit, captain. Of course I needn’t tell you what the officers hoped to do was to leave Blogden here, over- powered by the drug, while they took you in the waggon to London.” “ Yes, that was their intention, simply because ho had won the greatest share of the reward.” ‘* Well, perhaps you know how it was arranged for the © waggon to be made use of ?” “ Yes, I think I do.” “Bat,” said Jack, very impressively, ‘that particular arrangement was made with master, and now he’s lying on the bed upstairs as drunk as a pig, and it’s a question who will recover possession of their senses first, he or the police officers.” ‘ Well, but I can’t see what you are driving at.” ‘‘ Oh,” said the ostler, with a twinkle in his eye, “it will be the richest joke that ever was heard of in this world! I wiil tell you, captain: When the waggon goes by, of course it will stop here—it always does; then I shall tell the driver that a party of gentlemen have stopped here, and, being overcome by liquor, wanted to ride back in his waggon to London.” aa But the landlady,” objected Tom—* she will tell him all.” ‘Not so,” said Jack. “I will try to keep her out of the way if I can. And then, I must tell you that she hates the sight of these officers, simply because they have made her husband so drunk. Won’t it be a good joke, captain? Can’t you fancy what a lark it will be to carry those clever gentlemen one by one, and lay them down in the straw at the bottom of the waggon? ‘T'hen away they will go, and ten to one if they wake up much before they reach London.” In spite of the pain he suffered, and the perilous nature of his position, Tom King laughed most heartily at this idea. : It was a thought that had never occurred to him. “If it can be done, Jack—if it can only be done! Yet upon second thoughts, I think I had better endeavor to leave here.” “Why, captain—why ?” ‘‘ Because discovery of the part you have taken fs certain, and the consequences will be serious to you.” ‘‘T can’t see that, captain—I can’t seo that at all.” * Indeed! Why not?” ‘‘ Because the officers, being ali drunk alike, won’t be able to reproach one another, and you may depend that those who are in the secret of drugging Blogden will be careful to hold their tongues. Then when they come back we have only to say that, not properly understand- ing the arrangement that had been made, and having no means of asking questions, we had done the best we could under the circumstances.” Tom King tried to rise again. He would infinitely have preferred to leave the inn behind him; but, to his dismay, he actually found that he was more helpless and weak than he had been a short time before, ‘‘¥ou must leave itto me,” said the ostler, decisively, “and if you will only let me carry the matter out, rely upon it, it will end quite well. Hark! As I live, I can hear the ‘waggon approaching now. We shall soon know whether we are to be successful in getting rid of the office rs or net.” | 3 Tom King was close to the opening in the loft, which served as a window, and being in this position, he was able to hear with tolerable distinctness the approach of the waggon. . The tinkling of the bells upon the horses’ harness soom a Eomicboo