Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 334: what you’re looking at

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

. , s “ Se, ? - ** os : Th 3 Now that she had escaped so far her nerves became ; 2p ee A unstrung, and she had no longer the power to do »ny#!ng ; seem that the weapon had been Bi to assist herself. B; Tears were rolling down her cheeks. i: Her sudden prostration filled Hunch with surprise. Without exactly comprehending it, he said: “ Come—come, lady, you must not give way thus. A Coursge—courage! ‘The worst is over, though we aro | by no means out of danger.” Maud roused herself a little, as she asked: “ What is to bedonenew? Tell me—ch, tell me what will be our next step ?” “Why, to get avay.” “ But the officers are watching.” ; “rue, and on that account it will pe no easy matter. Yet it must be accomplisaed” “ And you remember,” said Maud, with a fresi burst of grief—“ you remember what I told you about my friends ?” ‘““T do, my lady.” “Time, precious time, is flying fast, and here am I doing nothing or their beialf. If I do not see them and warn them of their danger, they will go headlong tu death !” ‘Keep your heart up, lady. We have succeeded wonderfully at present. In the end, no doubt, all will be well.” These words had quite an encouraging and re- assuring effect upon Maud, who rose silently to her feet. Hunch glanced up to the window of the room they had just left, through which came a bright light and also the sound of many voices speaking in loud tones, 7 “They have made a discovery,” he whispered to ws Maud, “which will doubtless occupy them for some time. This is the opportunity we ought to seize to escape.” ‘Are there any horses on the premises ?”” Maud asked. “Tf go, let us endeavour to gain possession of them. We shall not only stand a better chance of getting away from these officers, but I shall be enabled to meet with my friends.” “ Yes—we have two horses in the stable close at hand; but-——”’ “But what ?” eS “‘T question very much whether there is the least hope of our being able to get possession of them unseen by the . officers.” “Ze ‘‘ Nevertheless, let us try,” replied Maud, with that de- Sieise cision which seemed to come natural to her in moments ote of the greatest difficulty. | “Come, then,” said Hunch, in a faint whisper-—“ follow me. I will lead the way.” Although the storm was over, yet the sky had by no means cleared, and the density of the clouds caused an intense darkness to prevail. Yet, by straining her eyes, Maud was able to keep the form of her strange companion in view. She followed him across a kind of yard, iittered over 2 with rubbish of every description. At length, without Laving apparently attractea the atteution of anyone, or raised the least alarm, they paused before a roughly-made door communicating with a wooden shed. This door yielded to the slight touch which Hunch ave it. 2 He beckoned to Maud to cross the threshold. Then closed the door again. “We may congratulate ourselves so far, lady,” he murmured, in the same cautious tones. “If I can outy manage to get the horses bridled. Ido believe we shall get off safely.” Maud’s heart beat high with hope. Hunch groped about in the dark. He must have been wonderfully well acquainted with the place, for he found what he wanted with very little trouble. As soon as the two. animals were caparisoned he cau- tiously led them out. The utmost rapidity now characterised every one of his movements. He assisted Maud to mount, and vaulted into the saddle himselt. <a. «+5 .* he reys* Ws a Pd LOE {clear start there was a strong probability of ultimate L/nm . “‘-~4 5: + ise ca iy > i ee ; J Y - . ¥ a 5 StOL eae ‘Oa. +h iit bell < < - aes. OT : Ft sp r ut — 7 n 16 wow rae whee 5 ars Ep tk > méan ; 2 i. wae Sy Ss hee _ The aiscnarge of a p ae ” ’ — fired merely a of attracting attention. “ Follow me,” cried ‘““follaw me closely, and all will be well.” Hunch, in his odd, shrill tones» ry o § . Maud followed this injunction without hesitation. Bota Dimly—very dimly before her she could perceive the form of the hunchback. In order to leave the premises at the rear of the inn it was necessary to emerge into the road. This was the moment of greatest danger. Hunch felt it, and knew that if they could once gete escape. The explosion of the pistol had put every one cf the officers on the alert. The alarm was general. “ Hold—hold!” cried a lowd voice, as the fugifives went dashing by. ‘ Hold, or the consequences of refusal be on your own Leads! Pull up, or we fire!” Hunch took not the least notice of this command, neither did Maud. The oflicers, enraged at this contumacy, at onee dis- charged a volley. The report was deafening, and for an infinitesimally brief space of time everything around was revealed by the flash. A faint cry came to Maud’s lips. As she uttered it she fancied one of a similar character came from her companion. Of this she could not be sure; but observing that he put his horse to additional speed she, without hesitation followed his example. . The officers were not mounted, and, consequently, the slight delay which was inevitably caused by their mount ing to their saddles enabled the two fugitives to get a tolerably good start. Maud called out several times to her companion to know whether he was hurt. But on no occasion did she receive a reply. She urged her own horse onward, and endeavoured to get breast to breast with Hunch, but was unable to d so, for the more she tried to overtake him the faster he went. Her fears were now aroused by hearing the tremendous clatter caused by the hoofs of the officers’ horses, which were thundering along at the top of their speed. At this moment Hunch; with great suddenness and abruptness, turned his horse’s head down a narrow lane on the right hand. So short was the turn he took that she*feared at first it would hurl him from the saddle. The manner in which he swayed about from one side to the other was truly wonderful to behold. Again and again Maud called out to him. But so far from taking any notice of her voice, he leaned first to one side then to the other in a manner more alarming than before. It seemed to her as though he was making frantic—nay, superhuman efforts to retain his balance. All these efforts quickly proved in vain. Wiih a sudden lurch his body fell over to one side, and reached the earth with a dull, sickening crash. Maud closed her eyes, and shrieked aloud in horror. The horse still continued his frantic career, and Maud’s horror was now greatly intensified by perceiving that, in falling, Hunch had not been fortunate enough to clear his foot from the stirrup. At every bound the now thoroughly terrified animal took, his body was dashed with fearful violence upon the creund. ~ Whether life was eatinct or not Maud could not tell, nor had she any means of ascertaining. In vain she urged her own horse to the utmost of its capacity, in order that she might make an attempt to put a stop to the frantic creature’s career. As before, however, Hunch’s horse maintained the lead, and at last Maud was obliged to resign herself to the conviction that it was out of her power to overtake Lim, or do anything to help or save him. ln the intense interest she felt in this pursuit she for Scarcely had he gained his seat than a loud ery ef | got fora brief period all about the police officers wks alarm was utterad by some one cicse at hand. ~~ > — y al . m4 - con , 6 . ‘a ; . WP > wy = ~~ fs were pursuing her so eagerly. 9 Eomice oe a + ae a * * ) . a ' _ a 7 aa “. ¢ rae, ay A 4 . * . re ¢ a ) : ce Co We us s we Ve iP 4 7 “ ‘- ee >" a a, he i. ‘‘s af Sh 4 7 : A a r See bs a m1) “2 > oD “4 A vee Fe ~ a ees ho aI = ~~