Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 374: what you’re looking at

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

7) ey rs 9 £742 good piace to keep their ill-gotten wealth.” ~ “But where is it ?—that’s the question.” ‘We must find ont.” “T fancy that will giva us some trouble.” ‘No doubt. Lut what does it matter—we have tcthrag €ise to dor” ; “True; only it would be d—d annoying to worn for nothing !” By this time they had reachea the bottom of the statr- rase. Tom came from his hiding-place and looked dowr. The officers were busy looking for the means uf gain- ing admittance to the cellar—their impatience avd the fact that they had made no discovery hitherto causing them to abandon their expressed intention of searching the house methodically. The ground fioor then was, by mutual consent, left unexamined for the present. A door was found opening from under the staircase which apparently led down into the cellar. “This is the way,” said Knight. ‘Come on!” He commenced the descent as he spoke. His comrade followed without loss of time. All now was dark. As noiselessly as before, Tom King descended the stairs. Once more was the way of escape open before him. All he had to do was to make his way back to the little window by which he had entered, and so depart. But again he hesitated to avail himself of this oppor- tunity, though what he did seemed neither more nor less than daring danger to the uttermost. An insatiable and uncontrollable curiosity, not only tosee the cellar where the innkeeper and his wife had disposed of the evidences of their atrocities, but also to know what success the officers met with in their search for wealth, made him resolve still further to follow in their steps. There can be no doubt this boldness was engendered by the success he had previously met with. But other ideas were floating in Tom’s mind—ideas which he hoped he should so elaborate as to cause them to turn out to his advantage. What these ideas were will be quickly seen. it did not take him more than a moment to decide upon his course. By the time the two police officers had reached the bottom of the steps he was ready to follow them. He did so, and discovered that now there was little fear that his footsteps would be overheard. For some reason or other, the steps leading down into the cellar had been thickly covered with sawdust—- So thickly that, as Tom King descended, his feet sank decply into it, so that he was absolutely able to make his way down with the noiselessness of a spectre. CHAPTER MXXAITI. TOM KING TURNS HIS ADVENTURE TO GOOD ADVANTAGE, AND SUCCEEDS IN FRIGHTENING THE TWO OFFICERS. WueEN Tom reached the bottom of the steps, he found the officers before him in a cellar of considerable ex- tent. There were few barrels and bottles to be seen, how- ever. In the centro of the sawdust-covered floor was a large, “ Denend upon it,” said Knight, “they have choseu a | The other loose ERLAOK BESS ; OR eee © oe a ee —— a ee ee sf eee eee Ge threw it down. There was a succession of sharp blows, each one fel- i lowing its predecessor more swiftly, and then finally a heavy splash. ‘‘ Depend upon it,” said Knight, as soon as the sound had died away, ‘that no one ever thrown down that well would be found again.” ‘ It scems like it. The depth must be immense.” “Truly so. Dut we shall not find here what we seek, so Xt us set to work.” Hearing this, Tom King drew back. The cellar was searched thoroughly, but with no re~ sult. +, ned « brick at tho side of the wen, and 4u4 aN oF Tom King, however, was much interested in noticing — the busiuess-like manner in which they set about their work, {t was clear they had had plenty of experience. “ There’s nothing here,” said Knight; “ but still, don't despair—there is the other cellar to search yet, Perhaps there we shall be rewarded.” “T fancy that is the likeliest place.” “So do I.”’ Tom King up to the present moment had not noticed that there was another cellar beyond the one in which the two officers stood, and which communicated with it by means of a low, arched dvorway. The officers passed through this in a moment, and the effect was that Tom King found himself again in dark- ness. Determined not to miss seeing what they were about, he quickly crossed the floor of the cellar—which, like the steps, was covered with sawdust—and cautiously peeped in He saw before him a number of miscellaneous articles, chiefly, however, consisting of bottles and casks. : The latter the officers examined very particularly, as though they expected to find what they sought concealed in cue of them. If such was the case, their expectation was quick} realised, for Knight suddenly gave utterance toa lou ery, Which was unmistakably one of triumph. “Tere we are,” he said—“ here we are! Hurrah!” “ Quietly—quietly,” said his less-impressionable cet panion. ‘ Don’t make too sure.” “ Let’s settle it at once.” Knight beld in his grasp a small cask, or rather kez one of the kind used for sma)l quantities of brandy. This apparently was of great weight, and the conten’g were loose and rattled, so that there were reasensi'3 erounds for conjecturing that this contained what they wanted. But Knight, as he spoke, took speedy and effecius} means of removing all doubts whatever. Depositing the keg upon the ground, ke glanced around him, as though in search of something, His eye immediately fell upon @ wocden mallet and 3 chisel. Seizing upon these, he, by their eid, guickiy broke open the cask. '‘I‘he head fell out, and immediately thera rolied upon the ground a quautity of glittering objects of all descrip. tions. 3 Tom distinguished watches, rings, brooches, guinea silver coins, and, tn fact, almost evez¥ artisle cf person adornment that was of value. The contents of the keg could not bo estimated as being worth less than several hundred peundcs, so tha dark object, the nature of which he could not at the first | officers might consider themselves as being well paid for giance make out. | the trouble they had taken, as of course they intended ts This, however, he soon after found was tne wai} of | keep this little find all to themselves. which he had heard such a horrible account. It was bricked round to a height of between three and four feet. This was tho most notable object tke cellar eon- tained. The officers at once advanced to it. Tom, coreealed behind the brickwork, watched them eacerly. “Cunningham, my boy,” cried Knight, ia a voices of great exultation, ‘ this is something like, is it net 2?” ‘‘ Rather ; but no more than I expected.” “ Ha, ha! it’s capital Now you see whata thing i is to have a littie courage! Why, lor’ bless you, nina officers out of every ten would be frightexed to death t2 come down into such a place as this.” ‘‘ T caneasily believe that, for I don’t half kke ft ay Zhe one with the light heid it so that most cf £4s beara | geoff.” Were thrown down the terrible abyss. “How deep!” said one. “Flark! I can hear the water! @t s fearful rate.” “ Bah !—nonsense |” “But I tell youI don’t! I fancy that well scents a It seems to be rushing | whole place. To me it seems as though 1 kept oa drigk — ing blood inetead of merely breathing the air. Eomicboo * a y* —