Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 302: what you’re looking at

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

1674 It was strange that the captain had not made this dis- covery sooner. “Yes, we are strangers,” said Jack, “ but, beyond say- ing that, J do not intend to give you any infoxma- tion. “Tdo not want it—I do not wantit! I fancy, too, that there is little need for me to tell you what is the meaning of all that has occurred.” “I think we comprehend it pretty fully.” “‘ T had laid my plans well—yes, exceedingly well. All went well to the last—quite well; then I—I—I——” He gasped painfully several times for breath. But at each effort to recover the wonted action of his lungs, he grew palpably weaker and weaker, until, afier a long-drawn sigh, he expired. After this there was a momentary silence. It was broken by Sixteen-String Jack, who simply ex - elaimed: He is dead |” “Yes, quite dead,” said Claude, touching the bleeding mass with the toe of his riding-boot. ‘ Now let us get to the upper air; this place stifles me.” He pushed forward as he spoke ; but Jack cried : “ Hold—hold, my friend! You forget.” “Forget what ?’ “Why, it is just within the bounds of possibility that some of this man’s companions may have escaped the effects of this explosion; if so, it is clearly no more than our duty, bad as they are, to render them what assist- ance lies in our power.” This was something whivh Claude could not dispute. He turned back, though somewhat reluctantly.; Jack led the way with a rapid step across the cave and paused at the door, or rather where the door ha been. The doorway was now filled up with earth, and a little examination seemed to show them that the force of the explosion had caused the roof and side of the inner cavern to fall in. Therefore if any of those unfortunates who entered it had happened to escape from the explosion they must have been buried under many tons of earth. ‘We can do no good here,” cried Jack; “they are past our help.” “ Hark!” Both listened. a the silence of the very grave itself reigned around em. “ All is over,” said Jack—“ all is over. awful slaughter |” He shuddered as he spoke, and turned to leave the cavern. Claude hastily followed him. As he did so, his eye fell upon the pile of glittering gold, eontohy strangely enough, had remained undis- turbe ‘** What shall be done with this ?” he asked. ** Nothi t least, nothing just at present. Like you I feel sick and faint. Some other time perhaps——” — Jack ceased abruptly, for just at that moment a death- like feeling came over him. With an effort, he shook it off, h.wever, and managed to stagger across the cavern. The steps were ascended with still greater difficulty ; but at last the top was reached, the strange covering was removed, and then, with a sensation of most indescribable and inexpressible relief, the Lighwaymen found tho freeh breath of heaven blowing in their faces. But what an OHAPTER MV. THE TWO HIGHWAYMEN MEET WITH A SINGULAR INCIDERT AT THE ROADSIDE INN. For some moments Claude Duval and Sixteen-Strfng Jack literally seemed tc Gc wothing but drink in the cold night air. o words cam describe how welcome and refresning it was to their panting lungs. “Thank Heaven, Jack,” said Claude Duval, “that we are safely out of that place! It will be some tim before I feel inclined to burrow underground again, I rather “eink |” “It bag bear em awiul gog ©: Would—ob. would that BLACK BESS; uid, Icould have guessed at the intentions of that monster! It is terrible to think that so many have perished.” “Well, Jack, yon may think so.” * Do not you er” “T cannot exactly say Ido. They were a very bad let indeed—that is quite certain; and we may be sure that if they had lived, evsry one would have come to some bal end or other.” ‘That may be, and yet-———” ‘Do not waste time to speak of them. better ?” ‘* Much.” “Then, my friend, if you will be guided by me, you will do your best to recover possession of our horses, and after that we will make our way back to the castle.” ‘T shall be ready in a few moments, but I cannot so readily banish from my mind the remembrance of this affair. Besides, before we leave we ought to take accu- rate note of the exact position of this place, so that, shonld it ever be necessary, we can find it again.” “T don’t think there will be much difficulty about that.” Sixteen-String Jack looked well around him, so as to imprint every feature of the place upon his mind, then glanced upwards to note the pos#ion of the stars. ‘‘T shall know it again,” he said. ‘“‘ But the gold which was upon the table—what about it, Claude?” “Tf you ask me, I shouid say let it remain where it is. What would it be worth, think you, to encounter that dreadful scene again ?” Jack was silent. ‘‘My opinion is,” continued Claude, “that the best thing we can do is to lay all the facts before the captain when we return, and hear what he has to say upon the subject.” “ Apreed, then. There am many things connected with the affair which I should much like to have cleared up. But I suppose we can do no more than indulge in speculations ?” “Nothing; but, for all that, I feel tolerably certair that we shall come somewhere very near the truth.” * Do you think so ?” ‘““Y¥Yex These men have been in the habit for some time pass s§ committing depredations. The booty was brought here. At first, no doubt, it was intended that all should be fairly and equally divided, but the spirit of avarice came in and took a lodging in the captain’s breast. That led him to the dged he perpetrated to-night.” ‘Yes, that must be so.” “He must have availed himself of various opportu- nities to lay a mine beneath that small cavern, in which, of course, his companions, when they entered it, believed the booty was stored.” ** He must have made some excuse to them to get away from them during some part of their last expedition.” ‘Yes, and all the rest is clear.» As soon as all were standing in the treacherous inner cavern, he applied his light to the train of gunpowder. That, it seems to me, is the long and the short of the whole affair.” “But bow awful!” “Truly so.” Sixteen-String Jack sat still for some time in perfect silence. At length rising and giving a parting glance around him, he exclaimed : “Come, Claude, let us go. But, like you, I think I shall be most reluctant to visit this place again.” Without another word, the two highwaymen set out in quest of their horses. As may be imagined, it was no easy task for them to retrace their steps among the trees, for not the slightest trace remained to show them the track by which they had come. They soon discovered, too, that the wood was of @ mush greater extent than they had at first imagined it to be, and the trees were all so much alike that they began to fear their search was a hopeless one. Suddenly, however, Claude paused and exclaimed : “ Hark, 5 ack—did your hear that?” “Yes, quite plainly. It was a neigh, and of eourse from one of our horses. We must be close to them now.” : ‘Have you a good idea of the direction from which Are you | the sound proceeded ?” (eo) Eomichooks