Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 387: what you’re looking at

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

PPE a ee fae Tek a a Ye he ,™ > a ‘ A Page OS ae ~ iv We + " es > ny P ‘ov nh? Pas SAY al ot Vow Mia? ge) + . ¢ re , | ae’ ‘ “a ’ gag rave 8 tas * 1 her YY Piet! op ys a. eho a fe * . | “ ‘ pet oe ms “ L rer : fi rs THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD. Esso. ame. -2 nes ee What can bring him back this way ?” It would seem strange he should thus have altered his direction. Maud looked again, fancying some accidental resem- blance had misled her. But no. The moon, which was shining so brightly, poured ner fall light upon him as he advanced, and made anything like difficulty of identification impossible. Maud’s immediate thought now was that se might be able to direct her to the ruined castle. Should she ask him ? ‘There was no time to deliberate. She made up her mind to do so, for it \as hard to say how long it would be before she had another oppor- tunity. Acting upon this decision, she stepped out of the sha- dow on to a spot where the moon’s rays fell undimmmed. Captain Hawk saw her immediately. She knew it, for the ejaculation to which he gave utter- ance was carried to her ears. He pulled up with great abruptness, and the manner in which his steed rose upon his haunches, in his endeavour to check his speed, told Maud how swiftly he had been coming on. ‘‘One word,” she said—" only one!” He did not reply, but simply held up his hand as though he would have commanded silence. At the same time he turned his ear in the direction from which he had just come, and listened intently for several seconds. Seeing him do so thrilled Maud strangely. It was an action she had seen Dick perform hundreds of times. ‘“] can spare a moment or so,” he said, patting his pant- ing steed; ‘but, you see, urgent business has compelled me to ride swiltly back to-night. However, as I said, I am now and ever at your service. Command me!” “Many thanks,” said Maud; ‘’ but the favour I require will scarcely detain you a second.” : ‘‘Speak—speak !” he said. ‘Speak freely.” Then, in an altered tone, he exclaimed: “Quiet, Satan—quiet, I say! Stand still, Satan! Woa, old boy !” These last words were addressed to his horse, which Maud noticed now more particularly than she had yet done. It was of a magnificent jetty black—truly, a beautiful ercature—such a piece of horseflesh as one rarely seesina whole lifetime. No briefer or more fitting description conld bs {ound than that given by Shakspere of the steed of Adon‘s :— “ Round hoof'd, short jointed, fetlocks shag and long, Broad breast, full eye, small head and nostril wide, High crest, short ears, straight legs, and passing strong, Thin mane, thick tail, broad buttock, tender hide, And what a horse should have he did not lack.” As she gazed upon him, Maud’s thought was, that if a atch or mate for Black Bess was anywhere to be found it certainly stood before her. But she had not then a very good opportunity of ob- serving him closely, for sie could tell, in spite of the rider’s manner, that he was most anxious to be off. What struck Maud most was the strange naine which had been given to the steed, and under any less pressing circumstances she would certainly have asked what had led to his receiving so unusual a designation. As it was, however, she contented herself merely with inquiring the way to the ruins. ‘‘Comynge Castle ?” repeated the stranger, slowly. i have heard the name somewhere, but I cannot remember where.” He observed the look of disappointment whicb clouded Maud’s face, and asked : _.. - “Can you describe the place? I may know it weli by sight if not by name.” As well as she was able, Maud gave a descnptiun of it. ““ Yes—yes, 1 know now. And it puzzles #22 how I forgot. Why, you have but to keep straight on the way I bave just come. till you reach the top of a steep hill. Pao} iy # - 4 “Whr—why,” she said, “surely that is Oaptain flawk! es 1759 Then, if you look over the flelds to the left, you will see the gray walls plainly enough in the moonlight. Ha! I - -F —~ ws hear them now,” he broke in, abruptly. “They still se at me. If I am not quick,” he added, addressing Mau ‘‘my friends will overtake me. Good-night. We shall meet again.” Without waiting for her te utter a syllaple, he let the reins fall upon his impatient courser’s neck. No other impulse forward was needful. Away he flew almost with the speed of an arrow newly discharged from a bow. A bend in the road quickly took both borse and rider from Maud’s sight. Strange thoughts were passing through her brain. What to think of her new acquaintance she scarcely knew. It was evident, however, that he was no ordinary individual. . Further reflection was at this moment cut short, for the sound which now reached Maud’s ears was such as to fill her mind with the liveliest apprehension. It was that produced by the hoofbeats of a number of horses—a dozen at the least. Maud, had she been asked; could not have told why she felt alarmed, nor why she felt impelled to break her way through a narrow gap in the hedge and crouch down, trembling, out of sight. She had not taken up her quarters here very long be- fers the horsemen whose approach she had heard came In sight. Maud could see them plainly through the interstices - near the roots of the hedgerow. Upon catching sight of them, she had to compress her lips very tightly to suppress a scream. Then she crouched down—lower—lower down, though this was needless, for there was scarcely a possibility that she could be seen. The riders were police ofticers, every one of them, They were all well mounted and well armed. They were lashing and spurring their steeds most un- mercifully, and dashed by Maud’s place of concealment like a whirlwind. ‘There was a jingling of accoutrements— A cloud of dust. Then they swept round the corner we have already mentioned. But it was not until long after the Leavy clatter of their horses’ feet had died away that Maud ventured to look up. Kven then she trembled so excessively that she was scarcely able to rise to her feet. The danger, however, was over, and when once as- sured of it Maud thought of her determination, and forced her way into the high-road again. It was not more certain that they were police officers wlo had dashed by than it was that they were in pursuit of the so-called Captain Hawk. But why ? » Maud, of course, was not in a position to return any definite answer to this question, and, moreover, her owr affairs now pressed too much upon her mind to allow hei to reflect upon any foreign subject. . At the same time, she could not help acknowledging tc herself that she fully shared in the presentiment that they were destined to become much better acquaintec — with each other. . The dread she was in about the officers who had passed by lent great speed to her feet, so that she reached the summit of the hill Captain Hawk had mentioned in much less time than she would have done under ordinary cir- cumstances. Panting and tired, she stood upon this piece of elevated eround, aud strained her eyes in the endeavour to catch sight of that well-known place, which almost seemed to her like a home from the length of time she had sv- journed there. 3 The sight of it seemed to have the effect of restoring her failing energies. Now that her destination was in sight, she seemed a!) at once t) become possessed of the requisite vigour tc reach it, That sbe should be so near to the ruins seems very strange. Such, however, was the fact, and it only serves to show how much she must have doubled upon her course. Years ; - a 7 CORNICE LOOKS AEC)