Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

a Sow of) ee eee ae okoewe et ew me ‘ ber - A $ Rout r ae a; LIP sz eee” : 45 wt fey 5 ee 1450 BLACK enall be fortified against the heavy duties of this day. The prisoner is all right, I suppose ?” “Oh, yes!” said the Governor, licking his lips, and howing again so as to conceal his countenance 4s rauct es possible. ‘I have been most particular in my cnarge of him, and paid him a visit in his cell at midnigh*, erd left him there quite safe.” & “ And were two men outside the door?” “Yes,” responded the Gevernor, “ they haya kepy c#re- ful watch ever since.” “That's all right, then.” “Mr. Lupin,” said Mr. Moses, “it strikes me it would be no very bad thing if we were to pay a visit to the cell the first thing—just a preliminary visit, you know.” “‘Good—so we will!” responded his companion. “I am sure the sight of the rascal will impart an extra relish to every mouthful I eat !” The Governor began to tremble. The moment of discovery had come. ‘ “ll warrant,” said Moses Moses, “that, with all his bravado, this Turpin will not have so good an appetite for his breakfast as we shall—eh, Lupin ?” ‘‘No—no, decidedly not,” responded that individual, passing his arm through that of his fellow-sheriff. Mr. Bradbury, with a dreadful quaking at the heart, led the sheriffs to the vestibwe of the prison. Here they found the turnkey who tad behaved in so friendly a manner to Dick, with a huge tray of eatables in his hands. ‘¢ Wh—eh ?” said Moses Moses. ‘ Who’s that for?” ‘What is it—what is it?” inquired the Governor, addressing the turnkey. “The prisoner’s breakfast, if you please, sir,” he answered, respectfully. ‘I was just going to take it in.” BESS ; OR, ed i —_—_— ae li needed only one glanee to assure them all that iss cell was untenanted. The Governor pretended to look gstounded. “ Well,” he ejaculated, ‘this passes my comprehension altogether. TI left him here safe not inany hours ago. Miller, don’t you recollect that I did ?” “ Yes, sir, I do. I recollect it very well, and I will swear that since then we’ve never moved our backs from the door !” ‘Then how has he got out ?” cried Mr. Lupin, in such evident distress that it was plain his appetite for his breakfast had vanished. “By what means has he esraped P” This led to a close investigation of the cell, which, of course. produced no result except that of convincing them that ali was just as it should be, end that there was nothing whatever to show by what means the prisoner had departed Hae 4e vanished into air before their eyes, his disap- pearance could not have been more extraordinary or complete. For some moments the sheriffs stood staring dumbly at each: other, the Governor in the meantime looking at them furtively. At length, in a very pompous voice, Mr. Moses Moses spoke. “ Bradbury,” he said," you will have to account for this, and it’s a very odd thing to me if you don’t find yourself in cusiody before the day is out—indeed, I have & good mind to give you in charge now.” “My dear sir,” said the Governor, almost falling flat on his face—“tmy dear sir, don’t utter any such words !” “ But he is gone,” said Mr. Lupin, with a shriek—“ he is eone, and he has taken my appetite with him !” “ At any rate,” pursued Moses Moses, “these two men -_--- “Dear me!” ejaculated Lupin. “ The idea of a prisoner | shall be carefully locked up. They shall answer for their having such a breakfast as that! €hings was sltered. Newgate like kings—yes, like kings » ‘“* You can follow us, then,’ said Mr. Bradbury; “ we’re going to the cell now.”’ To the cell accordingly he marched, and, reaching the door of it, he found the two turnkeys much in the same position as he had left them the night before. They rose at once, seeing the Governor and sheriffs approach, and bowed he humbly. “All right?” said Moses Moses, * prisoner all right, I suppose ?” ‘*Oh, yes,” returned Miller, with great politeness. “ We've never stirred a blessed peg from this door sinet the Governor left us.” ‘‘'Then he’s sure to be safe—eh, Lupin ?” “ Yes, decidedly safe, my dear sir.” “Then,” cried Moses Moses, ‘just open the door, tt you please.” The Governor made a sign to the two men to remove the fastenings, trying hard all the while to look uncon- scious of what was about to take place. Little dreaming of the discovery they were about to make. the turnkeys pushed open the door. Miller crossed the threshold with the intention of warn- ing the prisoner that distinguished visitors were about to enter. But no sooner had ne gone far enough to enable him to command a view of the whole interior of the cell than he stood like a man suddenly transformed to ice, while ail that escaped his lips was the remarkable exclama- tion: “Well, blow my higgledy piggledy !” The other turnkey, guessing at once something was wrong, jumped into the cell and placed himself boside his comrade. ‘vhen, rolling his eyes around twice with a tersified ex- pression, he uttered a fearful yell. “* Dear me!” said Moses Moazes. “ An escape!” said Lupin, with a pang. ‘Ch, there’s Ru escape —something tells me there’s an escape!” “ An escape?” echoed the Governor. ‘‘lmpossible! I assure you | left him here safe at midnight, as these two men will testify.” “nheeding his remarks, the two sheriffs pushed their way into the cell, where the Governor thought it prucert to follow thoi. interrogatively— “What is it ?” Why, the rascals positively live in | | It’s time this state of | neglect of duty.” Two men more utterly astounded than were these twe turekeys could nov ,~~iblv be found. The astonishment depicted upon their countenanres was truly a sight to Jook at. Had they been by some extraordinary means convinced that they were not in Newgate, but up in the moon, they conld not have been more incredulous or over- whelmed. Mr. Lupin all at once recollected that the Governor had mentioned paying the prisoner a visit at midnight, and so he made some inquiries on that point. ‘he Governor assured them that he had then left Dick Turpin quite safe in his cell, and that when he opened. the door and went out, the men had carefully fastened it. This, however, did not satisfy the sheriffs. The more they thought the matter over, and the more they inguired into it, the more freely they became im- pressed with the conviction that the prisoner had made his escape at least by the counivance of the turnkeys. if not by that of the Governor himself. : : At any rate, they determined that a searching investiga- tion should be made. My. Moses Moses started the idea that Dick Turpin might still bs somewhere in the prison, and, unlikely as this idea was, it was seized upou gladiy by the two turukeys, who at once desired that the closest search should be made. They hoped, with all #4eir hearts, tssi Dick would be found, They knew thetr own innocence, but they felt that it would avail them nothing at all. We have overlooked the friendly turnkey, whose asto - nishment scarcely exceeded his joy upon finding that Dick Turpin had so mysteriously “isappeared, yet when the sheriffs talked about searching tha prison he felt fear- fully uneasy. Lie knew, from actual observarior, how close was the watch which the officers had kept ali around the prison, and therefore felt certain that by no poseibility could Dick have left its precincts unseen. Trembling, therefore, with dread, he waited with creat anxiety tie result of the search thsongh the priser, ; : ' s » Se ae on, ee ih ¢ a com (G