Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 292: what you’re looking at

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

Were. : + -, “ . +a, vt tS’ Tt 1664 | BLACK BESs OR ‘ Under these circumstances, despite the number of thei? failures, they not unreasonably hoped on the presemt a> casion to bring the chase to a successful termination, ie As for the highwaymen, their danger had been so im- Le minent and so great that, by comparison, they were now le at ease. ~ But Sixteen-String Jack, happening soon to look bac& = “ =i se, \y aA we . ew, Although he could not but condemn Claude’s act as being a mest imprudent one, yet Jack could not withhold his admiration of the motives which had nzompted hig friend to act in this manner. In a short time the waggon appeared in sight creeping on its tedious way like some huge black snake. “ Hold!” cried Claude. at the top of his voice. ‘ Hold, I say !” over his shoulder, perceived with what vigor their puz- But as the sound came trom the rear, all the wagyouer | suers were pushing on after them. did was te whip his horses, for he feared nothing was “You must push on, Claude,” he cried, ‘we have than another attack, out of which he might not chane, tol bara taking matters teo easily! Look behind you’ - come 80 well as out of the last. aud see how close they are.” This was a circumstance that signified little, for Claude Claude did so, and immediately increased his speed. - was soon able to overtake the slow-moving veiicie. “What eourse shall you adopt to shake them off?’ But even as he reached the back, some horsemen sud- | asked Jack, riding as close to his companion as he was denly reined-up in front, and in a loud voice called aponj able. ‘Have you made up your mind? It will never the waggoner to stop. do for us to have them dangling at our heels all night.” “Officers, by all that’s unlucky!” ejaculated Sixteen-~ ‘Tam inclined for making one good hard push—a String Jack, who at once perceived who the new-comers | sudden effort. So faras I can tell, that seems to me the most likely means of shaking them off.” ‘Tt does indeed.” ‘* Are you agreed 2” “ Yes, quite.” “Then make what effort you are able.” Now the police officers nad indulged taemselves in the fluttering but fallacious hope that the horses ridden by the highwaymen were weary. What words, ther, would suffice to paint their chagrin when they, aii at once, noticed their prey start off at almost a double rate. ; Already the officers had been urging their horses to the utmost of their capacity, so that the manner in which the two highwaymen shot ahead seemed alarming indeed. The one in command of the officers could not help feel- ing this, and he could tell that the same might be said of his companions, for the expression of their countenances spoke plainly enough. | Wishing to encourage them as much as possible, he . assumed a cheerfulness of manner that he was far from feeling as he said : “‘ Come, come, my lads, don’t be downcast at such a trifle as this. It is only a spurt, and will soon be over, leaving their horses more exhausted than before. You have only to keep steadily on their track, and we shall have them in the long run.” : If the police had not failed so very, very often, it ist — probable that this speech would not have been made with- out good effect. As it was, the officers would not allow themselves to be much animated by it, ang no wonder, for they saw the distance between them and the tighwaymen was rapidly and surely increasing. Claude and Jack certainly did push their steeds un- mercifully; but they did so, believing that it would turn out the best in the long run. The event proved that they were right. . It was shortly afterwards that Claude, looking behind him, exclaimed: * Look back, Jack! Your eyes are much better than mine ‘if they can descry them now !” “ They are out of sight, surely enough ; but it will not be for long—-we shall soon lose what ground we have gained.” “JT know thav, but while they are out of our sight we can make up our minds what step to take next.” ‘What do you think ?” ‘« Why, to hide will be best.” ‘We have no other resource. But whcre ?” “That is just the question. It won’t do to push our horses much further at this rate; if we do, we shall l.aock the poor beasts up completely.” ‘We shall indeed.” 3 Claude Duval teok a good look around hits. “For my pait,” he said, at length, in a deliberate tone of voice, *'! don’t believe we can do better than get under cover of yonder trees. They “re close at hand, and seem to form 2 purtion of a wood ef zo~y cousiderable extant.” “Bat we must get within tieir eLeiter unsecs.” “That will be easily managed tt we are speedy, ana ii even they do suspect us of having entered the wood. % ‘“‘ Impossible !” “Tt is trae, Claude. Fly—fly at once. That is the only chance you have of saving yourself! Fly—fly !” ‘Never—at least, not until I have performed my errand !” These proceedings occasioned a vast amount of com- motion inside the waggon, the inmates of which, filled with an insatiable curiosity, drew aside the back flaps just as Claude reined-in his panting horse. This was fortunate, as it prevented a delay, the conse- ‘quences of which might have been most serious for him. Claude knew just where the young widow was seated, so, leaning slightly forward in the saddle, he tosse@ the purse into her lap. “Take it!” he cried—“take it, and keep it, and vs- member that it is possible for a highwayman to have as much feeling as anyone.” At the same moment, Ciaude drew back, or, rather, at- tempted to do so, for all at once he experienced a sudden check upon his movements. The traveller seated next the end, and who had an- nounced his intention of appearing against Claude should he ever have the opportunity of doing so, seized him by the arm with a tenacious grasp. “Help, ho!” he eried—“help, ho! Assist me, all of you! The officers are at hand, and if we can only keep him a moment or so all will be well!” “Fool!” said Claude Duval, as, by an exertion of the - immense strength he possessed, he shook off the traveller's detaining hold. ‘You will tempt me too far!” But just as he spoke Claude gave his horse the reins, and pressed him sharply on the flanks with the spur. The animal obeyed the impulse bravely. With one bound it cleared the low hedgerow, and after- wards flew at a tremendous rate across the long stretch of meadow land that lay before it. Sixteen-String Jack, as the reader may make sure, was not very far behind his old ally. It must be understood, however, that the officers, when they rode up to the waggon and hailed the driver, never suspected for an instant that those they sought were so near. Their object in speaking to the waggoner at all was merely in order to ask him whether he had chanced to notice on the road any such persons as they required. The bulky waggon hid the highwaymen from their view, while the clatter of their own horses’ fect effectually drowned those of our two friends. But the loud cries coming from the intertor of the vehicle soon made them aware of what was amiss, though at first they were unable to credit that the highwaymen, bold as they knew them to be, could actually have the audacity to plunder the passengers in the waggon while they were by, and this, of course, not knowing the facts of the case, was just what they thought. With a fond hue and cry, the officers set of acroa “ne fields in warsuit of their prey. The highwaymen were fairly in sight, and their erati- fication was extreme accordingly. They had come out purposely with the hope of meet- ing with their prey, and this success so far waa auch me a a a a me i re ee a ee ns Le eg 2 ee ee ee more than they had ventured to look for. will be just like looking for a needle in a bottle of kay Their horses were fresh, and of the best quality they | for them to attempt to find us.” eanld procure. “So it would—so it would. Push on, a couple of The rigere thomsalves were bold and determined ' -atputes gallop will take us fairly under the treea” Gomicboo