Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 391: what you’re looking at

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

. re ; 2 < Fe , ; 7 . ct 1 7%, te — a - as e x . <- + tts en ee a a . “* ee vnrseetapet exes THE HT THES ROAD. > . 3 r bs, “ i + fee _ pr6 y? ‘ r . ; . ; 4 RS Fe ee I Rae CPE rr. i. See ey 7" ont ‘ey < emotions of admiration in every breast, but the feeling a ‘his was a sight which could not fail to excite some by which the officers wero actuated was far more like aggravation than aught else. “ne of those in command of the rest no sooner saw Black Bess rise from the ground than he made sure the wall would be cleared easily, in which he was proved to be right.» He gave vent to a cry of rage and disappointment. At the same time he rushed forward, He held a cocked and loaded pistol in his extended hand. His cry seemed to be taken by some more of his fol- lowers as a signal to rush forward as well, but perhaps they were only influenced by mere example. Be it how it may, they advanced, and had any immedi- ate effect followed the shot which their leader now fired, they would have been in readiness to act, The pisto) which, without any note of warning, had been discharged at the fugitives just as they were clearing the wall was not. ¢e all appearances, of any good what- ever. The fury of the officer was on the increase rather than otherwise, for he flung the discharged pistoi over the wall with the full fury of his arm. But despite the vigour with which the missile was hurled, it fell harmlessly upon the long rank grass, for Dick was by this time far ahead. Not once had he paused, but had kept all his energies bent upon the execution of one task—that of getting quite clear from the ruins of the castle in the shortest possibie space of time. CHAPTER MXXXVIITI. DICK TURPIN IS WITNFSS OF A VERY EXCITING INCIDENY. “Are you hurt, Maud?” was, however, Dick’s frst anxious question after the report of the pistol had died away. ‘No. Are you?” “T am whole and sound.” ‘* And Bess ?” ““ Whole and sound too, to the very best of my belief. I heard the bullet whiz above me. We must have begun to descend just when he pulled the trigger.” Maud shuddered. Buch narrow escapes as these—escapes which might literally be called miraculous—were truly terrible. The horse which Tom Davis bestrode displayed his qualities to good advantage on this occasion. The wall was surmounted with tolerable ease, and he was able to keep at the heels of Black Bess without Dick having to keep much check upon the rein. It became evident though that the officers did not intend to let them off any more easily than they could help, for they at once organised a pursuit which, in all fairness, must be said to have commenced with really mili- tary alertness. But our friends had the start, and there was every probability that, provided no remarkable and unforeseen accident occurred, they would succeed in keeping it. A chase, nevertheless, is proverbially a very doubtful matter. Like a race, ic is sometimes neither the swiftes. aor the best that wizs. “ Tom,” gaid Dick, in a loud voice, so that tnere should be no fear about his words being misunderstood, “ just let me see what speed you can make—push on to tne best of your ability, Never fear that I shall be left behind.” Tom Davis immediately complied, and the advantage of this method of procedure soon made itself manifest, for it prevented Dick from unduly checking his own mare’s speed in order to render it accordant with that of his companion’s. 7 On came the officers, however, with remarkabls vigour and spirit. All at once there was a kind of consternation in tke rear, and not one of our friends could resist the temptation _of looking back in order to ascertain by what it was occa- sioned. ~ The mvcn still continued to shine with a brilliancy ¥hich enabled them o distinguish objects at a consider- 3768 -_ Behind them, and distinctly visible in consequence of the j8ition which it occupied, was the old castle. _Not far from the outer walls they immediatety caught sight ot what had certainly distracted the attention of tke pursuing officers. This was nothing more nor less than a man mounted upon a magnificent black steed, which seemed to fly over the ground with the speed and grace of an antelope. The horseman sat in the saddle with the unmistakable ease of ote who has perfectly mastered the by no means easy science of riding. In fast as ho hounded on at this tremendous pace it might be said of him that— ‘‘Me grew unto his seat, And to such wondrous doing brought his horse, As he had been incorpsed and demi-natured With the brave beast.” Almost immediately afterwards a small troop of police officers emerged from behind a clump of trees. They were most certainly in full pursuit. On they went with full hue and cry. £o excited was Dick by this singular spectacle that he Pony forgot all about the peril in which he himself stood. His curiosity was raised to the utmosé pitch. The rider was a total stranger to him, and Dick was confident he could never have so much as glanced at that magnificent horse and have forgotten him. The course taken by this flying horseman served to bring him each moment more distinctly to the view of our friends. From the first Maud had watched him with the closest ttention, and now she exclaimed: “Yes, yes—I am certain I am right—it can be no other.” These words served to bring Dick back toa recollection of what was passing around him at the present moment. “ Who—who?” he asked, quickly. “What do you mean ?” oY; I am certain that is the stranger of whom I spoke.” ee That flying horseman ?” * Yes—Captain Hawk.” “Captain Hawk!” repeated Dick, musingly, as though he had a kind of half recollection that ke had somewhere heard that name before. “Yes. Look now! steed ?” “ Never but one,” answered Dick. He patted Black Bess upon the neck while he spoke. The pace at which Captain Hawk was going was something extraordinary. And now a rather singular event took place. That small knot of police officers who were in pursuit of Captain Hawk stood not the remotest chance of over- taking him. He went two steps to their one. The distance between them, therefore, could be seen to increase visibly every moment. By the manner in which the captain pushed on it would seem as though he had decided upon the policy of having a sharp push and getting the pursuit over with as little delay as possible. The course he took, however, was such as to cause him to approach in a diagonal direction on the large trvop of officers who were in pursuit of Turpin. Of this the captain must have been tgnorant. It would never occur to him that two parties of officers were out, and owing to the nature of his position it was scarcely possible that he could perceive them. The troop of police officers seemed aware of this, and also to arrive at the conclusion that the capture of Dick Did you ever see such a noble was a very doubtful matter, while that of Captain Hawk ~ seemed certain, for if he held on he would dash right into them. On eame Satan in that tremendous style which could not fail to rivet the attention of every beholder, The officers came to a halt. 3 No doubt it was galling to give Dick up in this manner, but they were resolved to maks @ prisoner somehow. It may seem strange that they did not divide their force, but then it must be considered that if they bad SES 20) OP . wt wie Gomichoo cS (E(0) Se. ia