Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

<9 aoe 2 re eos ~ . ae oe a yf ae oe * = ; %e3 * " pr , ts ? ine a . $ ae = ae " . 5S se Ly ‘> Aan é - ‘ ~ Pe Se: - ae me ? aa “Good! And is the trap-door above secured ?” _* Yes, captain.” “Ts that you, old Robin ?” iste he “ And you have fastened it ?” “T have.” “Then we need not be much afraid of being disturbed. » Beat yourselves, my gallant comrades—seat yourselves once more around this board, which has witnessed so many of our meetings. Come, come—be quick. As you know, we have much before us to-night.” ** What the deuce,” Jack asked himself, “can it be el about ?” Consequent upon these words from their captain, the men assembled themselves round the table, choosing for seats whatever movable object came nearest to hand. And now our friends found themselves threatened with a great danger, because it was altogether unlooked for. One man walked deliberately up to the barrel beneath which Jack was concealed, and placed his hands upon it, in order to roll it up to the table. Jack considered all was over. But a feather will serve to turn a balance. If the man had actually moved the cask, Jack’s presence must infallibly have been discovered. At the very moment that he stooped, however, the captain called out: “Don't roll that great lumbering thing up to the table ; see, there are plenty of seats without that!” With a grumbling sound, the man rose again. What a long-drawn breath of relief Jack gave ! It was about as narrow an escape from discovery as anyone well could have. Little dreaming what had been the consequence of his speech, the captain, with a kind of forced hilarity, invited the men to seat themselves around the table. They complied, and in a short time something resembling order was obtained. Several bottles were placed upon the table, containing Wines and spirits of every variety. Glasses were rapidly filled and empted, and et length the captain rose to his feet and glanced down the table at the two rows of ferocious-looking faces. There was a general silence. “My gallant comrades,” said the captain, “Jet me, first of all, drain a bumper to the good luck that has attended us in our late enterprises.” The bumper, without the least hesitation, was drained with enthusiasm. In fact, the men seemed as ‘though they were quite in- elined to drink upon the least pretext or provocation. “Now, then, friends all,” the captain resumed, ‘‘ac- cording to our usual custom, let the proceeds be pro- duced. I will set you the example.” So saying, he took from his pockets a considerable quantity of gold coin, which he’ placed in a heap on the table before him. No sooner had he finished, than those around him followed his example. In the space of a few moments the table was covered with an immense amount of money, which was roughly made up into one great heap. ‘Ts not that a glorious sight, my comrades? Have we not had aslice of luck ?” Various murmurs escaped the lips of the men—ap- parently murmurs of dissatisfaction. ide: evident the captain took them for such, for he cried ; ! ““What—what! do I hear grumbling? Who could find fault with such a night’s work as this? What do you all mean? Speak, somebody! Let me know what is passing in your minds. Remember, no concealments is our rule.” Some whispering followed this speech, and then one of the men, with the common consent of kis fellows, said : © ‘ “ Captain, it is because we are satisfied, not dissatisfied, with our night’s work that we grumble.” The captain opened his eyes wics with aatonish- ment. “Because you are satisfied ?” “Yes. You seem surprised. But it is because we see what can be done if we remain together, that makes us dislike agreeing to your proposition. Now it’s out, THS ENIGHT OF THE ROAD. I ' * St. 2 re * eh oe ee dh ee ’ CE BE APE ERE Gh hc ol Pht ORM et ey ma Tg 7 é'e '' SS .. a Wa ‘> 4 = . I - « 4 4 . ~ <u 7 e . ° - fe a » 1671 and I hope you will not be offended, captain, but that you > will think twice before you act.” The captain’s countenance was fully revealed to Six- teer-String Jack, who noticed that there came over it an awful and ominous change. It would seem as though the captain fiimself was cone scious that his face betrayed the state of his mind, so, to conceal it, he poured out a glass of brandy and held it to his lips. Rut Jack noticed that his hand trembled so excessively that much of the brandy was spilt. But of this fact the captain either was, or affected to be, unconscious. The men sat in what seemed to be a sullen silence. They were evidently waiting in great anxiety for the captain to speak. _Th ~ had not long to wait. CHAPTER MIV. IN WHICH THE, €PTAIN FINDS THERE IS SUCH A THING AS RETRIBUTION EVEN IN THIS WORLD. THE captain, still holding the glass of brandy in his hands, rose deliberately to his feet. “My comrades,” he said, glancing all around him, “I am not altogether surprised at your feelings in one re- spect. Butin anotherIam. I quite thought that this business had been so far settled as to need no further dis- cussion, but simply a few plain statements from myself. What say you ?” There was a silence. “Then,” said the captain, after a brief pause, ‘I shall take your silence for consent. What I have to say, then, is this: long time in perfect immunity. We numbered twenty at the first, but one after another your companions have in various ways been removed from you.” The captain moistened his mouth with some brandy, for he spoke with difficulty. “‘T need scarcely remind you of the terms of our asso- ciation: We were to remain banded together for a cer- tain time for the general good, then at the last all which we had was to be equally divided and the association dissolved. ‘‘ The time has now come, but at the very last moment it seems to me some of you are inclined to raise disputes, Once for all, I will not listen to them; the general safety compels the adoption of the plan I laid before you.” The excitement under which the captain labored visibly increased. To what point his remarks were about to tend, or what would be the upshot of the whole affair, the highwaymen could not, for the life of them, imagine, and this made them look on with redoubled instead of diminished in- terest. ‘Tt is not necessary to tell you that we have been sur- prisingly successful, and I have no doubt many of you think that the association can be carried on for a much longer period to our mutual advantage.” There was a general murmur of : “We do—we do!” “ That is just what I thought, but let me assure you it ig an errcr—a fatal error; and what is more, if we were to adopt it we should lose what we have already, instead of gaining more. No, no, take my word for it, the scheme has been carried on quite as far as will be safe. After to-night, any attempt to prolong it will end in destruc- tion.” There was a whispered conference among the men, and then one said: ‘ Well, captain, you know very well by the terms of our agreement that we are bound to obey you. We have always doze so, ?™d don’t intend to break through a good rule now.” We have carried on our little transactions for a “ That is weil!” cried the captain, trying hard to stifle the sigh of relief that rose to his lips. “But” said the man who had hitherto served as a mouthpiece for the expression of the opinions ot his conm- rades, ‘after this association is dissolved, 1 suppose there is nothing to preveuit those of us who choose to do so forming another association of a similar character ?” ‘‘ None whatever,” cried the captain—‘tnone whatever —only bear in mind no persuasion will induce me to join you” 7 EONMICE OCC) C] KS iGO