Penny Dreadfuls, 1866 · page 293 of 400
Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 293: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is a page of running prose from a Victorian penny dreadful serial. It shows Chapter MI, titled "Sixteen-String Jack and Claude Duval Follow the Mysterious Light Into the Recesses of the Wood," accompanied by an engraved illustration at the top depicting a violent attack on a prisoners' van by mounted highwaymen. The text describes two highwaymen who have escaped into a wood and notice a sudden storm developing—increasing wind, darkening skies, and threatening rain clouds. They discuss their narrow escape and wonder whether pursuing officers might find them. The page indicates this is installment No. 209, with No. 210 to be published next Thursday.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ita => . - Roman | o f so) SS <3 am, _ Eee \. e Ss @s —~ mit uN 7 ey a tZ aire Md oe a bee me - i . P med ‘ i de iF bes mm H ~~ Tae = f CHAPTER MI, SIXTEEN-STRING JACK AND CLAUDE DUVAL FOLLOW THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHT INTO THE RECESSES OF THE WOOD, As soon as the two highwaymen found themselves fairly past the border of the wood they pulled up. **Safe and sound so far, Jack,’”’ cried Claude Duval. . *“ Yes, undoubtedly.’’ — , ** Then we ought to congratulate ourselves upon our good luck.’’ “Decidedly. But hark! How the wind has got up and how the darkness has increased allatonce. What does it mean P”’ . - During the excitement of the chase, the two high- waymen had failed to notice the changes which had __ gradually come over the face of nature, The wind had increased from a stiff breeze to what | No. 209.—BLacg BEss. * Le | [fHE HIGHWAYMEN’S ATTACK ON THE PRISONERS’ VAN. | might, with scarcely any exaggeration, be called a hurri- cane. This had been accompanied with dense, heavy rain- clouds, which, by the immense force of the wind, were drifted furiously across the face of the heavens. There is no doubt that had the wind lulled but a single second they would have poured down their con- tents upon the earth. But the darkness grew greater and greater every moment as moreand more clonds were drifted in from windward. “ What a gust that was!’’ exclaimed Claude Duval, as the wind rushed and roared with terrific violence among the tree-tops. ‘‘ A gust indeed! And how dark.’’ * Yes; if the officers find us now, I will admit that they possess far more cunning than I give them credit for.”’ 142). GOMMCDOOKS (No. 210 will be Published next Thursday.