Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

1444 BLACK Brss: on, = —_———- —_———-- _— the records without looking back to the past.”’ _ |gome, that Dick said: “J suppose so,” said Turpin, rising and going te-| ‘Since we are to sit here » fey moments tocether,. wards the books, in which, as may be imagined, he f2It | Mr. Bradbury, there’s a little sv'sject I should Like te more than a common interest. talk over with you.” The Governor placed himself by his side, »nd, witha/ “Indeed! Whatis it P’ brush that he had picked up, removed & ortion of the ‘Well, one that tarns on’ to be ef RO importance dust covering the books, so that the uttering could be | now; but would you mind favouring me with a sight of eGen. the warrant that hes been re-indorsed for my execntion a “sam no book scholar,” said Turpin. “ Suppose “ Bow strange !” thought the Governor, for just then you reach down one or two of them and glance over the | he remembered the word: 2e kad mace uso of whem pages; you may find something.”’ leaving the cell. The Gascaics evidently thought the suggestion a| ‘Then aloud he added good one, for he at once took down one of the dusty| “Iam happy to obligs yuu mM mich a supple tinng as volumes and turned over its mouldering pages. that. Here itis.’’ haze been here I have had enough to do in keepees 2 It was after a pause that had ) egua to grow rrk- “Tf,” said Dick, “ you could only find a plan or map| He rose from his seat 33 ke Speke, aed pinced a of some kind, that would be all we should require; |} parchment in Turpin’s han! but stay—what’s that ?” ‘There,’ he added, pointing to some ¥F ting on the Even as he spoke, the Governor paused in turning | outside of it. “you see the secretary ha just signed over the book, for in between two of the leaves a| his name, and put the date.” folded sheet of paper had been placed. “ Yes, I sce,” said Dick; “ but Iam not quite satis- This he at once spread open, and he had to be par- | fied.”’ ticularly careful in the process. “Indeed! In what way can I satisfy you?”’ The paper was so old, and so decayed by age, that it| “I don’t understand these documents myself,”’ Dick almost fell to pieces beneath his touch. answered. ‘ Suppose you open it, and begin to read it.” Upon it could he traced several indistinct lines, and “Tt ll take some time,”’ said the Governor; “ but, in the lower right-hand corner in large letters was the | however, I can’t refuse you.”’ word “‘ Newgate.” Accordingly, he opened the warrant, and went “This must be the very thing,” said Dick, bending | through the preamble at the head of it; then uttered a forward eagerly. shout of surprise. The Governor hent down too, and managed to de- Dick gazed at him quietly, and from his manner it cipher the words: ' was evident he expected some such manifestation from “Plan of ye Prison of Newgate. Anno 1611.” the Governor. ‘‘ That’s the thing,”’ said Dick, as the Governor read “ What’s the matter?’’ he inquired, seeing that the these words aloud. “I think we are all right now.”’ ~ | Governor looked more and more amazed. : Long and anxiously did that strange pair bend over Mr. Bradbury did not reply, but looked at the war- the mouldering old map and follow out with their | rant again, as though in doubt whether his eyes had Singers the various lines upon it. served him aright. It was necessary that the examination should be aj; Then, with a look of consternation, and almost of careful one, and it was some time indeed before they | horror, on his countenance, he dropped the paper, and could exactly make out the bearings of it. stared at Dick, who simply said: At last, having succeeded, the Governor said: , “Well?” “Hore, if anywhere, are the means of communication. “ Well ?”’ exclaimed the Governor. ‘“Itis not at abl Whether such may exist to this day is very doubtful, | well. Batlet me look again—I cannot even now beneve and yet I have a recollection of seeing an old door at | it!” the extremity of one of the underground passages, the He glanced again at the warrant, and then said: cells leading out of which,” he added, “‘ have for a long “No, there can be no mistake—this is not the war- time been disused in consequence of the damp.” rant for your execution.”’ ‘Then I have good hopes of it,” said Turpin. “ At} Dick nodded as if he felt quite certain this was a any rate, we will go there and look.” fact. “ Aoreed,’’ said the Governor, folding up the map and “ Tndeed,’”’ continued the Governor, ‘‘it is @ warrant cesboring it to its place. ‘‘ What a fortunate dis-| for acompanion of yours—to wit, Tom King.” covery !’’ he added, as he turned back. “T don’t doubtit,’’ said Turpin ; “but I am just alittle “ Most fortunate! And now, to set the point at rest.” | curious to know by what means you could make that “In a moment,” said the Governor— in a moment; | warrant serve for me. You told me I had been tried but I feel faticued, and exhausted, and chilly, this | and sentence passed upon me, which was true, though evening. Suppose we have one glass together ; I should | not at Newgate.”’ be better prepared to start then.” “ Ah!” cried the Governor, drawing a breath of re- ‘As you will,” said Dick, carelessly. “I hold you | lief; “you have been tried then P”’ responsible for my safety. You know what the King “Yes, certainly, but it was only fora boyish freak. I has written, and he will look to you to carry out his | was taken up on a charge of deer stealing, and brought commands.” before a magistrate named Sir Thomas Deane, whe found “Yes,’’ said the Governor, “there’s no doubt about | me guilty and pronounced sentence. But what has that. I will hide you somewhere, rest assured, and | that to do with the present matter ?’” between now and morning there is time enough and to “ Nothing atall,’’ saidthe Governor. “ The blunder is spare.” mine—a most awful blunder, I must say, yet howit has “Very true,” said Dick; ‘and I would rather be | remained undetected passes my comprehension.” seated here in your pleasant company than down below} “Itis by no means clear to me,” said Turpin, “‘ thougk by myself.” I could give a guess. But expcain it.” The Governor went to a little cupboard, and pro-| “I will,” said the Governor. “ Candidly, then, I must duced a couple of glasses and a bottle. tell you that the impression was quite strong and fixed A small kettle was simmering by the side of the fire. | in my mind that yon had been confined in Newgate——” aud with the water he made two glasses very bot and! ‘“SoI have,” interrupted Dick very strony. “Tried and condemne?”” Surely, of all the strange positions im which Dick had “Which I ha~< not,” he interrupted, agaim. been placed, this was strangest of all. “Well, T fully believed so, and I thought you onty Who in the whole world would credit that a nototous | escaped when Newgate was attacked by the moh. Thas highwayman like himself, whose capture had been a | wee curing the time when Mr. Cawthorn was Governer. source of so much trouble, should be seeted quietly by D ek nodded. Ses. the fireside drinking a glass with the Governor #£| “TJ wa; in Newgate then,”’ he said, “ but I was awast- Newgate ? ing trial—not eondemned. Tom King was here too, Yet there he was, and could any of his comrades brit | and the warrant was all in readiness for his execution, have had a glance at him, they would have seen f asst | but, luc fly, he escaped. at heey Bete < ho looked very comfortable indeed. “Theat where the mistake is,” said the Governce. a comicbooks.com