Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 351: what you’re looking at

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

_- J want you to view our position in every possible way, and to assist me to come to a determination, for I never __ felt less able to rely upon my judgment in my life.” “You may depend that we shall do our best,” said Tora _ King; “but still, for all that, Dick, I consider yeu era \ the proper persoz to speak first in the affair.” OHAPTER MXXITE. _+=SYENTS OCCUR AT PEE INN WHICH CAUSE DICK TURIN . TO ALTER HIS ARRANGEMENTS. _— ha “Srvce you will have it so,” began Disk, I can only fa my chief anxiety is to discover what has become of Maud.” x “Yes, certsinly—that is the first step,” assented Tom + Sar “Bt is stil my impression,” continued Turpin, “ that, ___ despite our unsuccessful efforts to discover ner, both she and Jack the Ostler have been pounced upon suddenly by the officers, made prisoners, and carried away.” “This must be ascertained,” said Sixteen-String Jack Z : _ —there must be no doubt about it ; and should things turn out as you imagina, she must be rescued.” “ Or I die,” said Dick, with earnest emphasis. “ And so say all.” Dick was much gratified by the ready response from his eumrades ; it was a proof of that oft-made assertion that they would if requisite die to serve him. “Then, now,” he continued, “let us think which would be the best and likeliest way for us to gather the infor- mation we require. I confess, for my own part, that the _ likeliest course seems to hover about the ruins, which I believe might be dune without the risk of much danger.” ; ____In this opinion his comrades coincided. im ‘““You are forgetting me,” said Tom Davis, who had been waiting for an opportunity to speak. “I can sce very plainly that I ama very great clog upon all your movements, and that I shall be the means of materially ‘Increasing your danger.” J cannot deny that,” said Turpin; “still, the evil, such as it is, cannot be avoided, therefore must be endured.” g *“T do not agree with 771.” “ Very likely; but you need not imagine that wo shail show ourselves so ungrateful for what you have doxe ta our behalf as to abandon you now to your enemies.” ‘Tt would be no abandonment,” answered Davie. : “ But it would.” , “Nay, listen. Do not you think that the landlord’s __ eredulity could be turned still further to account 2?” =e was a general laugh at this question, and Dick asked : “ How ?—in what way?” “Why, could you not induce him to give me safe _8shelter fora few days? I could easily meet you when and where you liked to appoint; and I should think the threat of the disclosure of his plot against his wife would be sufficient to overawe him should he prove re- _ fractory.” ye “We will discuss that further presently,” said Dick. a, § are idea is not a bad one; but, first of all, we will’ He paused abruptly. iz His comrades started rapidiy to their feet. The deep and sleepy silence which had hitherto pre- vailed around them was now broken in upon by sounds which were precisely of such a character as to excite ap- prehension in the breasts of our friends— The hoarso murmur of many voices— The heavy trampling of many feet. “ That means danger,” said Claude, as he hastily seized his pistols. Dick held up his hand. “Silence!” he said. ‘* Do not let us be too hasty. Ap- __ proach the window with me and reconnoitre; but take care that you are not seen by anyone without.” | a sensible suggestion was immediately complied with. Peeping cautiously through the panes, the high- _ Waymen caught sight of a large crowd of persons ap- — Proacams _ They were allon foot . 4 7 . * +4 . sa” Se, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD. 1723 Amidst them seemed to be some object which attracted all their interest. Dick and his comrades gave a sigh of relief. The new-comers were not police officers, though a eet and a beadle could be distinguished among the rong. As they camo nearer, it was perceptible that those persons occupying the centre of the crowd were engaged in carrying some heavy object. What it was our friends had no means of telling, The very moment, however, that Dick discovered what these people.were about, he experienced a sensation such e3 one might imagine to be produced by the pressure of an icy-cold hand upon the heart. His cheeks blanched, and fe leaned forward without daring to breathe, for now his mind was occupied by a worse foreboding than he had hitherto entertained. The procession, if sach we may term it, came steadily along the road. It was approaching the inn, and by the glances given and motions made by the beadle and the constable, it would seem as though this was to be their destination. We cannot possibly describe with what intentness and anxiety all the highwaymen watched the movemeuts of the throng. All seemed to feel that it was in some way connected with them and with their fortunes. At length the door of the inn was reached, and then all doubts as to the destination of these persons was set at rest. They stopped, and the beadle spoke fora fow moments with the landlord, who, no less full of curiosity than our friends, stood upon the threshold. What it was the beadle said the highwaymen could not overhear, but it was certainly assented to by the landiord. They could tell that by his gestures. The beadle raised his long gilt-crowned staff, and cried, in a loud, authoritative voice : “ Now, then, you who are carrying the body, this way! Keep quiet—no rushing! Only the bearers will be allowed to enter theinn. Mr. Samuels, please stand by that doorposf, and between us we shall be able to keep the rabble back.” The person thus addressed was the parish constable, and he took up the required position without a moment's hesitation. A great deal of dissatisfaction was, however, created among the crowd by this order, but the two officials stood firm. The crowd of people, being thus forbidden to entcr, clustered thickly round the door—so thickly, that none of our friends were able to obtain a single glimpse of what was carried hy so many men, From the beadle’s words, they knew it to be a body: but without this it could have been guessed by the expres- sion upon the countenances of the crowd. There was a hurried trampling of heavy footsteps in the passage outside—the same continued upon the staircase, then a heavy lumbering overhead, and finally comparative silence. Those five persons in whose fortunes we are so much interested stood and stared blankly at each other. But Dick Turpin was the one who was most overcome. His countenance was pale even to ghastliness, while the manner in which his features quivered was painful to be- hold. Fain would they all have hastenei to the room above, whither the body had been carried, and by one glance have satisfied the terrible doubts which assailed them hearts. But the fear of recognition held them back, for it could scarcely peppen that among so many persons the appear- ance of our friends was unknown. Y'he risk was one too great to bo run. “Jtis strange,” said Tom King, breaking the oppressive silence, and speaking with a palpable effort — “ very strange that this incident should have had such an over- powering effect upon us.” “T_I—-would give much for one glance at the body.” Dick did not speak. ‘Let us call the landlord,” suggested Sixteen-String Jack. ‘There is a bell here by which we covid summovr him.” Dick held ap his hands. “This susponse and uncertainty is paintul—very pain COLMIC OOS 6)