Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

ed the Ebles where > they found the horses om Davis s glanced around him, ud finding enly the Pigee were near, said: “YT feel very, very uneasy, I can ass. Le vou.” “What about ?” ek _ & Why, that locket.” - “Jn what respect?” “ Why, don’t you happen to know tnat Wistdwor Castle 4s always well guarded by a strong force of military, and - more especially when the King happens tobe there? By wnat means do you hops to pass the sentinels 2” Tom drew a long breath. im “Tt will be an awkward job, Iam afraid,” he replied, i at length; “brit yet, if courage, coolness, and stratagem ia Ae sare effect our pur posa, rely upon it we shali sue- aa Well, 1 Icave you te it,” said Tom Davis. ‘ You are - nn mone y used to getting yourselves out of scrapes than I an, rhaps you will be able to think of something that I mA . ee -Showla not.” meh _ “Phat is very likely indeed,” said Tom Kine. ‘And eae pew farewell! You may expect us at day br eak, if we k meet with success; if not, we shall remain somewhere close at hand, on the watch for another opportunity.” ee With these words, Tom sprang into the saddle, - His companions had already mounted, and they steal- __ thily took their departure through the plantation. ie On the present occasion, Tom King was, to all intents s=8 and purposes, the leader of the expedition, so, without % oie saying a word upon the subject, Claude and Jack placed ___ themselves slightly in the rear, prepared to follow wher- | aes _ever he might lead. ' tao 2 -. Tom’s brain was too busy to permit of speech ; more- over, the rapid pace at which they were going would | = have made conversation very difficult. He had resolved at once upon the route he intended to Pe _ take, and, having crossed the Thames, he took off across ‘the open country, thus materially diminishing the distance pate to his destination. 7S See - There was another reason for this course, which was BS "that they were now scarcely likely to meet with an in- ge ten: -terruption of any kind, whereas, had they kept on the _. high-road, they might have encountered some of the numerous bodies of “police that they knew were on the ae 3 Solpit for them. _ There was only once that the highwaymen paused, and "that was at a small roadside inn situated about half- way. They were attracted to it by a dim light that was shining from one of the windows. % a? The clatter of their horses’ hoofs as they drew up in front caused the landlord and the ostler to make their ap- _ pearance. “Will you alight, gentlemen 2” gaid the former. = Fe *‘"here’s every accommodation.” Pee - No, no,” returned Tom King, hurriedly—“ we cannot a et A little hay and water for our horses is all we aS See and while they are eating it we will take a draught eae Of Sta best October ale.” “ “set ery good, gentlemen.” estay here did not occupy many minutos, yet both ee on ho "Ses and riders felt much refreshed by it, and in better ___ tune for performing the remainder of the j journey. Eeasss N vith undiminished speed they galloped on, untii by the mes at lig it of the new moon they perceived in the distance __ the massive tower of Windsor Castlo and the vast cxpanse forest all around it. Pa oe Great cireumspection was now required in ali their = pues pee: but, with a boldness that was somewhat sur- 4, a> prising, T'om kept on iv a straight line for the castle. Bc ae. ‘*] wish we had had the opportunity of reconnvitring, _he said, slackening his speed at the same time. “ ot = =a task would then ‘have been so much easier. Now I can scarcely. tell how we are to discover which is tha weakest Ss _ point of the defences.” . “Let us draw a little closer,” said Claude Duvat-—:- we shall be better able to judge then.” Ina few minutes afterwards, they found themselves in 3 —s position that afforded thera a view of a considerable eh _ portion of the castle, and here, concealal by the shadow S 2 some huge trees, they paused, ‘ms 33 Soa aon ne) a i* ca their ze beat apse he building before them. THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD, ‘or some moments not a word was spoken—all had 1407 “ And go that is Windsor Castle ?” muttered Tom King at length. ‘I have never been so near it before,” B Nor 1,” said Claude Duval. “Dut there’s ono thing that strikes me very forcibly.” “What's that ?” “ Why, supposing you should ae over the difficulty of effecting an entrance, how should you manage, ix so vast a building, to find the King ?” Tom shrugged his shoulders ‘There is time enough to think about that when I get inside,” he said, “It’s “foolish to burden the mind with too much.” “Yes, [agree with you there. But then, sugpose the King should be in some part of the castle remote from the point at which you may enter, and that you may ba so fortunate as to guess the route, how far do you think you could proceed without being seen by some one who would know immediately that you were an intruder 2?” “There are too many supposes, Claude,” said Tom, with a light Jangh, “but I know what you mean, Tho difficulty of getting inside the building is almost insur- mountable, and you wished to remind me that wher that was done "much would still lif before me to be accom- plished.” “That is precisely what I meant.” “Well,” said Tom, “just let me getinside. If I can do that, I shall have great hopes of performing my mission. Let us draw a little closer.” “ Be cautious,” said Sixteen-String Jack, “or wo may be secn All right! Tread as silently as you can.” Slowly “and with extreme caution the highwaymen drew somewhat closer to the royal residence, and this they were enabled to do unperceived, in consequence of the huge trees that were growing everywhere. At last they saw before thema wall, the height of which might be twelve feet or rather more. Beyond that appeared to be a garden, and further on still the walls of the castle itself. As soon as he perceived it, Tom said: “That looks a favourable point at which to makes tha aitempt. What say you, comrades ?” ‘That wall might easily be surmounted, certainty.” they said, ‘But then, thatis not all. Look—vwaat'do you think of that ?” Tom looked, and then, round an angle in the wall, he saw a soldier come in sight. The mechanical manner in which he walked a certain number ef paces, and then turned round aud walked back again, showed that he was a sentinel. CHAPTER DCOCCLXL TOM ZING GETS ONE STEP NEARER TO THE ACCOMPLISH- MENT OF HIS PURPOSE. BREATIILESSLY the highwaymen watched the dusky ficure ef the seutinel, until he disappeared round the angle of the wal! Iiven afier tims they did not venture to move or speak. At length, in a faint whisper, Tom said: ‘ Remain where you are, per fectly still, Let us notice how long a time will e'apse beforo he comes in sigit again.” ~ They waited, and from the duration of his absence, they guessed that he had a tolerably long walk to perform. When he had disappeared round the corner for the second time, Tom said: “Follow me. We wi: see where ho goes to, and what he does.” With greater cauticn than ever they slowly mads their way fromthe trees, until they performed the end they intended, The wali was still before them, only in this place it seemed to be somewhat higher. It required a piercing glance to make out tho figure of the sentinel. But at last they perceived him at some distance. Then he paused, and he was seen to be jssued by another. A salutation of some kind was exchanged, and they turned again. “ Well, now,” said Tom Hing, “the guestion is, would ad (E(0) Eomicbooks P a a