Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 346: what you’re looking at

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

3718 After this the highwaymen rode on for a considerable distance in perfect silenca. Each one, indeed, was busy with his thoughts. At last they found before them a pretty narrow lane— one of those places that are so charming in the glorious summer time, either at sunset or sunrise. “ We will goa little way up and down this lane,” said Turpin, after a brief consideration. ‘If we do not suc- ceed in finding any shelter near, we shall, at least, have reconnoitred well, avd made sure that none of our enemies are lurking svar, 8» that, any way, the step is well worth taking.” : From this £3 eom.ades did not for one moment think of dissenting’. The hedge dividing them from this lane was a low one, so that it was easily overleaped. Tom King then went to the right, and Sixteen-Strirg Jack to the left. The other two waited for their return. Sixteen-String Jack was the first to appear. The expression of his countenance showed that he had made some welcome discovery. “ What is it, Jack ?” asked Dick Turpin. “There isan inn a little below here,” he said—“a capital place, and one that would suit us exactly, [should think.” ‘* Is it retired ?” “Very. About the most sleepy-looking place you could imagine, I should think, It looks as though never more than one traveller a week stopped there.” “ That is the place for us, then. Is it in this lane ?” “ Well, scarcely; for about a quarter of a mile below here, the lane, after a sudden turn, emerges into a cross- road, and this inn stands just at the corner.” ‘Wait a moment, then, I can hear Tom King coming. Let us hear what news he brings.” In a few seconds afterwards ‘Tom made his appearance. “There is nothing to be seen that way,” he said; “‘ the jane goes winding on for I don’t know how far, and the further you go the more unfrequented it looks.” “Then you have not seen anj¢g:, Tom?” “Not a soul.” “Then, Jack, we will bend our way to this inn you speak of.” The next moment the little party was in motion. It took them but a brief space of time itudeed, and on their arrival they found that Sixteen-String Jack’s de- scription had been a very good one. The noise of their arrival brought a fat, sleepy-looking individual to the door. This they conjectured was the landlord. It would seem as though he had only recently risen, for it cost him quite an effort to keep his eyes open suffi- ciently wide to observe our party. ‘“‘ Going to stop here, gentlemen ?” he asked, perceiving that they were drawing rein. 18. The reply evidently took him by surprise. He had expected a negai*ve, for such a laige party as that to stop at his door for refresiment was quite an un- paralleled circumstance. But the realisation of this fact produced a wonderful effect upon him. His eyes opened wide at once, and remained so with- out any trouble while he bawled aloud: ‘“Robin—Robin! You idle skulk! Robin, I say! This way!” In response to these words another sleepy-looking per- sonage came upon the scene. This was the ostler and general factotum upva the establishment. ‘“‘ Coming, master!” he growled, lazily. * Coming—com- ing! Oh, my eye!” The last exclamation was wrung from him by the us- expected sight at the front door. ‘Never mind your eye,” said the landlord, who had overheard the ejaculation, “*xt just attend to these gentle- men’s horses.” In the meantime Dick and his friends had dismounted. Just as the ostler took charge of the horses, Dick said : ‘YT suppose, landlord, you can find us accommodation for an hour or two?” “Oh yes, sir, the best—tne very best, I assure you!” “ Tiat is all right, then. But the fact is, yoa see, we BLACK BESS ; O8. ata <_— wees Se — have made a very long and tiring journey. We did nope to have accomplised the whole of {t without making any halt whatever, but one of our horses met with an accidert, you understand.” Dick made this remark in order to account for Tom Davis being unprovided with a steed. T'lie landiord appeared to be perfectly satisfied, and, witha great deal of obsequious ceremony, ushered them into a decently-furnished room. Dick looked around him with satisfaction. ‘The accommodation will suit us very well,” he said, “‘ nrovided you like to agree to one con" tion.” ‘‘ And what may that be, sir ?” “Wiy, that during our stay here we have this apart- ment entirely to ourselves; we should not like the in- trusion of a stranger. Of course,” he added, “we don’t want to havea private room without paying for it ac- cordingly.” “ Lor’ bless you, sir! Why, you need not have any fear upon those grounds. Why, | shall think business is very brisk if I see one more traveller between now and this day week.” Our friends heard this declaration with an amount of satisfaction which they could scarcely conceal. A good meal was then ordered as a preliminary, and during its preparation Tom King strolled about the pre- mises and peeped into the stables with the air of a list- less idler. This, in fact, is what anyone would have taken him to be by his movements. It would have proved a very great mistake, however, for Tom was busily engaged in making himself familiar with the whole of the premises, so as to know just what to do and where to go in case of an alarm. Situated as the highwaymen were, the reader cannot raul to see that this was a very necessary precaution in- eed. While thus engaged, the ostler crossed the yard, carry- ing under his arm a quantity of corn, which he had just received from the landlord. He touched his hat respectfully to Tom, as he said: ‘Perhaps, sir, you would like to see the horses have their corn.” ‘l'‘om assented eagerly, being only too anxious to em- brace any such opportunity as this for the reason above stated. There was only just sufficient accommodation for the horses. but ‘l'om King had the satisfaction of seeing each manger well filled with corn. After a few casual, unimportant remarks, he withdrew. ‘Ts all well at the back?” asked Dick, as sson as he entered the room they had engaged and closed the door after him. ‘‘ Yes ; we seem to have tumbled into capital quarters. I have seen the horses fed. Each one has a mangeriul of corn.” “Then they will do very well.” Just after this, the meal they had ordered was brought in, but before sitting down to it, Turpin rose upon some slight pretext and quitted the room. He was anxious to see for himself that all was as well as his comrade had reported. He was absent only a few moments. As soon as the landlord had retired and they were once more alone, Tom said: ‘You found all right, did you not?” “Yes. But did not you say you saw each horse well supplied with corn ?” “ Certainly I did.” “ Then they must have eaten it with amazing quickness, for now every manger is quite empty.” Tom looked incredulous. . “Tt is doubtless some roguery on the part of the ostler,” coutinued Dick. ‘ I have often suspected that some such trick as this was played. Of course, ii is impossible that the animals can have eaten such a large quantity of food in so brief a space of time.” “Well, just wait till we have finished this,” said Tom King, alluding to the meal they had beiere them. ‘I will go out again then and try to find out the trick, for some trick there is I am quite convinced.” “ And after that,” said Turpipv, sadly—* after that—— ° “We will hold a consultation,” interrupted Tom; “ and if we all lay our heads together you may depend we EOMIE