Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

= | . | Ee ET ge ¢ a THN KNIGHT OF THE ROAD. —— ————————oo EE OS es Sega “All the better reason, then,” said Dick, smiling, “why | nearer the bridge he reduced his horse’s pace, which should go out in sf real service.” | **No, no—for once stay h-.9!”’ bad “As you wish, Maud,” sai’ Dic’. after a brief pause ; then, turning to the ostler, | 3d: “ Take the saduls and bridle off again. Black bess shall have e rest te- With these words Maud and Dick made their way down below, where we will leave them watching for the return of Olaude Duyal and Sixteen-String Jack, while we follow in the footsteps of Tom King. The elation of spirits which he experienced increased rather than otherwise as soon as his horse broke out into a gallop. The animal was very fresh and full of spirit. in consequence of the long rest it had had. Fy Tom King was so familiar with the country that he was able to take his way almost in a direct line to the bridge over the river Brent, which, it will be remembered, was the appointed spot. He was sorely tempted to indulge in some adventure on the way; but the uncertainty of how long it might be the means of delaying him, and the remembrance of the im- portance o@ reaching the bridge early, enabled him each time to overcome the iaclination. Coming at length to a portion of the river Brent at some distance from the spot where it flowed under the Kdgware Road, he pulled up his steed and indulged in a brief cousideration as to the best thing he could do. He quickly determined to follow the windings of the little stream, which, at the place where he had halted, seemed more to deserve the name of brook than the am- bitious appellation river. Tom recollected that near the old bridge the river was bordered on one side by a line of tall, stately trees. Under cover of these he expected to be able to reach the appointed spot without danger of being seen by any- one. The event proved him to be perfectly right. The night was not a dark one, yet the shadow cast by the row of trees was dense indeed. Upon reaching the bridge, Tom alighted, and secured his horse to a tree in such a manner that he could feed in plenty upon the luxuriant grass beneath his fect. This done, the highwayman crept cautiously forward on foot, and at length took up his position behind a pro- jecting buttress of the structure. The kind of recess in which he took ap his station wag wrapped in such obscurity that a passer-by would have required a keen eye to detect him. rom this point Tom King commanded a view of the whole of the bridge, and also of a considerable portion of the road stretching towards London, so that it was quite impossible for anyone to approach from this direction un- seen by him. The silence was profound, and on that one particular ight the Edgware Road appeared to Le deserted. his soon began to grow very irksome to ‘'om, when, all at once, the idea fiashed across his mind that old Mat- thew’s messenger might have come and gone, and that the leiter he was waiting for might be at that very moment lying beneath the stone. This was a point Tom resolved to sati#fyhimself upon without delay, but first he listened intéétly in order to make sure that no one was close at hand. The continuance of the unbroken silence made him certain that he had the place all to himself, and thata more favorable opportunity than the present could not be found. Accordingly he quitted his hiding-place, and with rapid steps made his way to the opposite end of the bridge. lecting the stone which had been described te bim, he lifted it carefully. But there was no letter beneath it. Resolved to be satisfied bsyond all possibility of doubt, he lifted successively every stone he could find loose upon the parapet. ey This examination convinced him that old Matti.av’s messenger had not arrived. The clatter of a horse’s hoofs coming upon his ears &« this moment warned him to once more seek shelter in his hiding-place. : Ere long a horseman appeared in sight, and as he drew quest of them. I might chance éo be | made Tom think that this must be the messenger. He quickly found, however, that he was mistaken. The traveller had merely reined-in his steed to e228 bim up the rather steep hill which led on to the bridge. Upon reaching the summit the horse was again put is motion, and the traveller rode on. Tom guzed after him longingly. Somehow or other, and certainly without &vy good or yuflicient reason, the idea had taken firm possession of Yom’s mind that Matthew’s messenger would be of the tale sex and that he would arrive on horseback. Therefore when, some time afterwards, his quick ear detected a light footfall ou the hard road, he paid no at- tention to it. Presently, however, a fumale form appeared walking slowly up the hill. Tom looked at her attentively for the simple reason that he had nothing else upon which to bestow his notice. As she came nearer, Tom perceived there was a certain air of mystery about her, for she glanced behind her re- peatedly with an air of apprehensiveness, as though she feared some one was behind her watching her move- ments. Upon nearing the bridge her pace increased until she fairly stood upon it. Then she stopped abruptly. She listened. Then, with great rapidity, she darted to the left side ot the bridge, lifted a loose stone from it, and afterwards Tom distinctly saw her place a letter beneath it. No sooner was this action performed than the girl bounded on as swiftly as an antelope, passing Tom King in his hiding-place so closely as almost to touch him with her garments. ““'That’s neatly done,” said Tom King. ‘“ And now for the letter. ‘he sooner I take possession of it the better, that’s certain! Ah! what is that?” Tom heard a slight noise, and darted back into his place of concealment just in time. Peering out cautiously, ke saw a dusky figure ap- proaching. It was a man. He was glancing around him with great keenness. When he came fairly on the bridge he paused, and Tom King heard him mutter: ‘‘'Phat’s the little game, is it? Well I’ll see if I can’t spoil it, as sure as my name’s Bishop. I'll keep an eye upon you, my lady—lI shall know you again, never fear !” Upon hearing these words, Tom King did indeed con- gratulate himself upon having got back to his hiding- place in good time. He could see the new-comer now very plainly. His dress proclaimed him to be a police officer. It wasindeed no other than the in#ividual who had tried so unsuccessfully to capture Dick Trpin in the stable at Piccadilly. ‘“Confound the fellow!” Tom King said, mentally. “He has been following and watching that girl, and of course has seen her secrete the letter. Tom said this, and endeavored to reconcile himself to it as a certainty, yet at the same time hoped that the con- trary would prove to be the case. Whatever suspense he may have felt in this respect was very quickly put an end to, for Bishop, the officer, said: “T saw her with a letter—I’m sure I saw her with a letter, and she has hidden it somewhere on the bridge— under one of these loose stones, I expeet.” From these words it became mani‘ost that he rad not been near enough to observe whese the letter had really been placed. But in a very matter-of-fact, business-like way he lifted the stones one after the other, looking carefully ander every one before he replaced it. All at once he uttered an ejaculation The letter had been found. ‘What shall I do now?” asked Tom King, of himesif. “1 must have that letter, and the question is which will be the best way to obtain it ?” This promised to be a very difficult problem, and its difficulty was increased owing to the fact that Tom King's altention was pretty fully occupied in watching tks 1653