Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

; = bee ee $H 23% =e Oe t's —_— ss = i th is own steed. 2 tee Less than a minute sufliced for him to reach the spot Saber _ ‘where the first traveller lay. Ina moment he flang iyarseli from tho saddle almost i ape before his horse had stopped. e From his pocket he produced a lantern, #23, trawing back tho slide, t turned the rays full upon the jee et the fallen man. é “Right,” he said— I am right.” ee. He stooped dowr. as if about to pick up somstning. At this moment the prostrate stranger groaned. oe J ie ae +5 “ ; 7 Seeing this, Tom ssusiaered he had remainod a passive spectator long enough. ____Dismounting with ease and rapidity from his steed, he ‘ran on tiptoe towards the spot where these cvents were taking place. The second traveller was stooping down over tho first, so Tom had him decidedly at an advantage. With a powerful grasp, ho seized him by the back of the neck. = With a yell of fear, this man raised himself, and en- ; - deavoured to twist his head round 50 as to obtain a view of his assailant. In vain, however. 3 In his sudden fright he let go the lantern, but luckily z it chanced to fall in an almost upright position. io Some of the rays fell upon the dress of the first tra- veller, and no sooner did he perceive it, than fom King uttered an ejaculation. Nv “A messenger,” he cricd—‘‘a royal messenger! I :: _ know the livery well.” ; These words reached the ears of his two friends, as Z he fully intended they should, and they both hastened 'to- ss wards him. he eas “Yes,” said Sixteen-Stri ing Jack, as soon as he-arrived, Wits a King’ 8 messenger, sure cnough. And look—what's © this ny He picked up the lantern, and turned its rays upon the ‘second traveller, who held in his hands a little leathern bag, attached to which wasa strap so that it could be glung across his shoulders. “Why, that’s his despatch,” said Tom. ~ moment!” es ae The second traveller resisted, holding tightly to the strap. a wae - ~~. ~ - ‘ Seize it this 5 a But Claude, with ready thought, drew his sword end severed it. : = Finding himself thus foiled, the stranger, with a sudden cry of rage, made a tremendous effort to relcase himself from Tom’s detaining grasp. , Luckily for him, it happened that our friend was not ~ quite so vigilant as ha should have been, his attention was being too much given to the proceedings of his com- rades. ie ere consequence was that tho effort was success- u No sooner, however, did he break from his hold, than _ Tom drew forth a pistol. “Fold!” he cried—“step this: moment, or I fire! se Stop, I say! The consequences of refusal will be on _-your own head!” Ee _ Butthke flying man paid no Bs, FASE to these words, and Tom, hastily levelling his pists) et the rapidly-re- x treating ficure, pulled the trigger. fs oe There was a lovd report, followed by & screaming ay, ae then all was still, If there had becn any doubt as to the aE © cs the wounded man, 1b would have been set au rest Fy a glance at the leather bag Claude had obtained. Say On one side it was mounted with the royal arms in __ @dver, and over the lock an the other sido were the same figures, only smaller. ieee “Our friends looked at each otherin bewildered su prise, gs well they might, for so suddenly had all this occarrod _ that they were scarcelv able to como toauy conclusion ro- _ wpecting it. That the King’s messenger had been shot down by the a second traveller, who had been waiting in ambush for him, seomed pretty evident, and that he was anxious to obtain possession of the leather bag was cqually clear— Ce eae in fact, constituted the motive for the crime. Whether the messenger was dead or caly wounded eur ‘ges at present | knew not. Sa 4 = Pe A a THE KNIGHT OF TUE ROAD. aah for I he filtered a faint cry, and slackened the pace | 1428 seers —-——- Asking for the lantern, however, ‘tom hing siceped down in the endeavour to ascertain. The roadway all around was dyed with vrood, which poured at an alarmivg rate frum two wonnds in the mes. senger’s breast. tom King tarned up the messengci’s coat in such a manner as to cover them, and pressed his hand upon ate : By this means the flow of blood was temporarily 2zhecked. “ Speak,” he said--“speak if you have the power. The man who shot you ween: is batilee, the letter-bag 4 ig safe. Uave you any requsat to maka?” The man strugeled painfally to speak. He fought wildly with bis hands, plucking at his throat as though there Was some obsiruction there impeding speech. At last,in words: “ Nowgate—Newgate—New—— He stopped. A gush of blocd issued from his lips, and with @ cen vulsive shuddering of the limbs he fell back dead. in scarcely articulate aceents, he pronounced the ” CHAPTER DCCCLYXE. TUE THREE WIGHIWAYMEN WITNESS ANOTHER SPRANGE SIGHT OM THEIR WAY TO LONDON Wien the first shock of horror and surpi ISG Was over Tom King bent down over the body of the unfortunate messenver. His object was to ascertain whether life was yet ex- tinct. Iie hoped that there mizht bo some flutterings of existeuce that might be temporarily increased in str ength. The man had said too little. It was necessary that many questions shouid be an- swered before the minds of the highwaymen could be completely set at rest. One glance at the fallen jaw and the filmy eycs agsured Tom that this kope was over. The immortal essence had for ever gone. “ He is dead, cemrades,” he said, as lhe resumed an eréct position. ‘This is a black , pieee of work, and as yet l can SCRTOSEY comprenend it.’ ‘' Wor I,” said Claude and Jack. There was a pause, for ‘l’om wondered what should be tha next step he shouid take. He asked the opinion of his comrades upon it. ‘“My friends,” he said, “ what are we to do next? In what way shail we act, and what effcct do you imegize this cecurrence may have upon our future plans ?” “Tt will require time to think over these things,” Claude, ‘don’t you think so, Jack ?” “1 do indeed, and if, Tom, you would be guided by mo, and——— “ What is it you advise ?” “Why, that without further delay we make the best of onr way ih the White Horse Inn, at the risk “ Never mind the risk.” “ Let us go-—lIct us lay all the facts before old Matthew, and let us hear what he has to say respecting them.” “7 can think of nothing better,” said Tom. “But aro we to leave this poor fellow here ?” “No; and yet I do not sce how we can be of any benefit to Lim.” ‘No, nor I either, only we may draw him on one side out of the way, 80 that he may escape further injury fzom any chance passenger.” H Yes, gos—by all means we wili do thsi, and we will fasten his horse close by, leaving those who find him to mace what construction they please upon the Whole rastter.”’ This suggestion was prompily carried out, Despite ‘the repugnance they could not help feeling as Eandling 2 dead body, the King’s messenger wus carefully raised and placed in a leaning position ageinst a little embankment at one sida of the highway. His horse, which had stood perfectly still duri¢g tne whole of the time, they secured to the low-lyiag tancn of a tree, anlso left him. Just as they remounted their steeds and wore at 2 tara ewany, Tom oxzclaimed: said - NiGboOoks (E (G(O) (> (E(0)