Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 340: what you’re looking at

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

vv 1712 for he showed no symptoms nor inclinations of renew- ing the contest. Wiping away the ensanguined stream that flowed from his nostrils, he returned to the secret entrance. ‘“No more dallying,’’ he said to his men, who could not help smiling at his Indicrous appearance, “ Down with you! Take them alive or dead!” The officers, it would seem, were a little stung by the taunts to which Isaac had given utterance, for with a great assumption of boldness and couraye they dasked down the steps. Some had taken the precaution to provide themselves with lights, and as soon as these reached the bottom they held them aloft. A ruddy light was cast around. But it fell only on the damp walls. The highwaymen were nowhere to be seen, CHAPTER MXIX. MR, BISHOP TRIES A SHOT AT BLACK BESS. OF«this, however, Bishop was ignorant, for he very prudently kept in the rear, and did not reach the bottom of the steps until after all the others, ** Down with them!’ he cried, now thoroughly infuri- ated, and only too glad to find some object to-expend his wrath upon. ‘‘ No quarter! Shoot them down and make an end of it !’’ The officers were silent. Of course, as there was no one to be seen, no dis- charge of weapons took place. * Why don’t you fire?’ yelled Bishop, **There’s nobody here, sir.”’ ** Nobody here?’ hescreamed. ‘ Forward—forward, they can’t have got away—they must be somewhere close at hand.” The lond, mocking laugh of Isaac above, who had heard what had passed, made the officer’s blood boil in his veins. The next moment he stood at the bottom of the steps. When here, he had ample proof that his men had spoken correctly. 3 Not a trace of the highwaymen could be seen. The men, however, in obedience to his commands, had rushed along the passage into the chamber habitu- aliy occupied by those of whom they were in quest. But not the least trace could be perceived of them here. ““'This way, idiots!’’ roared Bishop—“ this way! Can’t you see? this way! Where are your eyes, dolts P” The officers hastened to place themselves by the side of their leader. He was pointing to a passage that branched off from the bottom of the stairs, but which, strangely enough, they had not noticed. “That is the way,” he said. ‘ Quick—quick! they have not had time to get far off. Quick—quick, I say!”’ The officers hurried down the passage with great alacrity. They could feel that fresh air was blowing in their faces, and this circumstance caused them to push on at the greatest speed they were capable of making. In ashort time they found the passage communicated - with a series of vaults or dungeons. They did not turn aside or pause to attempt to enter any one of them, for the strong massive doors were all closed, and had been apparently for many ceuturies. Moreover, they fancied they could hear in advance the trampling of footsteps, though probably the sound was no more than the echo of their own feet. Suddenly they came to a door that was partly shut. Pushing it open, they found themselves in an arched stone chamber. At one time it had been used as a repository for the dead, as numerous coffins, or, rather, the remains of them, could be seen stacked up in niches against the «7ils. Upon these, however, the officers scarcely bestowed a glance. ® Their attention was attracted and absorbed by the dusky figure of a man which they could indistinctly see creeping through the window—or, more properly speak- ing, the grated aperture at the end of the vault furthest from the door. “Fire—fire!” roared Bishop. ‘‘ Why do you pf Fire—fire !”’ _ BLACK BESS; OR, | a See aaa aacaaaaaaaaaaaaacaaacaaaaaaaaaaaaaacaaasaaaaaaaacaaaaaa aceasta nicest, taal Half a dozen of his men obeyed hiscommand. _In_ the confined space, the noise resulting from t simultaneous discharge of so many firearms was somée thing terrific, Mingling with the loud report carne a lond splash ag of some heavy body falling from a considerabie height into water. The vault was instantaneously filled with dense blue ata which the light of the torches could not pene- rate, *On—on!”’ cried Bishop, setting the example of rushing forward. His men kindly gave him place, and allowed him to take the lead, The disappointment and rage of the chief officer at the present juncture are beyond all expression. But what most galled him was not his defeat, but the mockery of Isaac to which he would be subjected. At the extremity of the vauit, and rather high up from the ground, was an aperture in the stone wall. It was not much wider or higher than was requisite to permit the passage of a man’s body throngh it. Being near the foundation of the old castle, the wall was of uncommon thickness, The aperture gradually widened to about double the size at the other end. By the aid of his men, Bishop was raised up suf- ficiently high to enable him to crawl along this tube— for this was what it more resembled than aught else, He called aloud to his men to follow him speedily. So little time had been lost by these proceedings that when he reached the end he caught sight of those of whose capture he had a little while before made ago sure, But upon reaching the extremity of the aperture Bishop paused, and well he might. At a distance of about fifteen feet below him was a wide sheet of water, which, from its appearance and situation, was no doubt the remaius of the moat which had at one time surrounded the castle, In the act of swimming across this piece of water was Sixteen-String Jack. His comrades were all standing on the opposite bank, shaking and wringing the wet from their apparel. Bishop's position was a most awkward one, yet never- theless he endeavoured to draw a pistol from one of his pockets. The attempt was very nearly costing him a good ducking, for he leaned forward so much that he all but lost his balance. Dick Turpin divined his intention, and producing a pistol, levelled it at him. ‘Retreat, Bishop, retreat, and leave us in peace! Retreat, I say, or I fire !’’ Bishop had a conviction that from that distance Dick’s bullet would be unpleasantly effective, so he drew back with a suddenness that was ludicrous. ‘“ Back again!”’ hecried to the men. ‘‘ Up the steps, and run round to the other side of the keep—they are all there, and if you are speedy you may yet be in time! Down with them, if you have the chance! Show them no mercy !”” An immediate movement followed this injunction. The men had made so sure of gaining the large re- ward on the present occasion that they could not bear to entertain the idea that they were about to lose it. At any rate, they “termined upun making a last great effort. : : Accordingly, very little time was lost by them in gaining the upper alr. To tell the truth, they much preferred being there to groping about in the subterranean portfon of an old ruined castle. : For a brief space, however, we will return to the movements of the highwaymen, which must to our rea- ders possess infinitely more interest than the doings of the police officers. Already a tolerably good idea can be formed of the manner in which the escape from tha subterraneous passeges had been accomplished. : Lsaac little thought how truly he spoke when he said that the two minutes’ delay granted by Bishop was Just what the highwaymen wanted to allow them to get off. Such, however, actually proved to be the case, __ Sixteen-String Jack, who had been the first to mention (e(o) A allite so *ee : est hot 4 x VvOOKS.CONn * | | Tat go (nae, re ~ 2 hee . mL