Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

| | | ET RS eee Oe EE 8, BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, en ing a little hill, saw the Oxford coach again about a quar- ter of a mile before him. ‘‘ That coach haunts me,” be said. ‘* But I wilt pass it this time, and I will give them leave to overtake me.”’ Down the hill he went, without slackening his pace, and he wae past the cumbrous conveyance like a meteor. And now a faint, cold, gray light began to steal up from the eastern horizon before him. The dawn of a new day was at hand. Gradually the different and more distant objects in the | landscape were brought to view. The night mists rolled over the fields in huge masses, and as the sun arose, they were rapidly dispersed. And still the horse which Blueskin had beneath him maintained its speed, and that, too, without displaying any symptoms of flagging or exhaustion. It was a match- less creature, and now that the sun shone upon him, he was able to perceive his beauties. In colour a dark iron gray, with a small symmetrically shaped head, arching neck, and slender sinewy legs. _ Blueskin was delighted with his valuable acquisition, and resolved not to distress the creature, so he tightened the reins. About mid-day Blueskin reached Hammersmith, at that time a suburban village, and some mules distant from London. He paused here in front of a public-house called the ** Fountain,” which was kept by a friend of his. He partook of some refreshment, saw his horse attended to, and then, telling the landlord that upon no account was he to make known the circumstance of his being in the house, he went upstairs, and threw himself upon a bed. He was much fatigued, so he determined to have a few hours’ sleep till nightfall, when it was his intention to proceed to London, procure a good disguise, and then make what inquiries he could as to the whereabouts and welfare of Jack Sheppard and Edgworth Bess. The latter, be determined, should be restored to her rights, and he would devote the whole of his energies to the accomplishment of that purpose. CHAPTER LXXXIX. JONATHAN WILD MAKES AN INSIDIOUS PROPOSAL TO JACK SHEPPARD. We last left Jonathan Wild at the wicket leading into the vestibule of Newgate, to which place he had repaired, in order to see in what manner Jack Sheppard had managed to escape from his cell. He clung to the idea that some one in the prison, wish- ing to be revenged on him (Jonathan), had put Jack in the way of making his escape. On being made acquainted with the actual circumstances of the case, and being shown the excavation underneath the cell door, as well as the inscription on the wall, he could scarcely conceal his admiration. Jack Sheppard stood higher in his estimation than he had ever done. Bravery was the quality in others which he most admired. Above all was he delighted when he learned how Jack had emptied the bucket upon them. Its contents were far from savoury, and it so happened that Mr. Noakes received the greater portion. Ha! ha!” said Wild. ‘ Capital! Upon my word its good. But you don’t half take a joke, oakes. Why the devil don’t you laugh ? Ha! ha!” * You be d—d,” said Mr. Noakes, whose temper got the better of him. ‘* Never mind,” said Wild. ‘“‘ Don’t make a fuss. You will be easily able to serve him out when you put him into another dungeon. Ha! ha! I can trust you for that. Ha! ha!” ‘* But, I tell you he has disappeared. Wecan’t find him anywhere. Every corner in the old prison has been searched, but all in vain.” Jonathan knew that well enough, but what he wanted to get at was the means by which he had got out. This no one knew. All agreed, however, that he was on ths stars and emptied the bucket on their heads ag they were aboxt to ascend. erm are ne 7, } a eee a Oye pane - eee 13l age eerie a ae Cee re —eme ee ~ ee SO Dee == Jonathan said not a word, but quietly mounted the He had proof positive that Jack had got out of stairs. Newgate, and that being the last place at which he was seen, he thought it would bea very strange thing if he could not discover the place at which he had made his exit. Ir .urn ke searched all the rooms with a minuteness that seemed ridiculous, until he reached the one where the child slept. He went to the window and looked out in the square pit-like place. Not satisfied, he poked his head out, and, on looking to the right, there he saw the bent leaden rain pipe up which Jack had climbed. ‘That's it,” he said. “The fellow is as nimble as a eat. That’s how he got out, you may depend.” In this conclusion he happened to be perfectly right. He did not attempt just then to verify it, because it was by no means his wish or intention to let anyone know Jack was at that moment an inmate of one of his own cells in Little Newgate. ‘* What a difference it would make,” he said, ‘‘ if he was just to join me in my schemes, instead of setting himself up In Opposition to them! Why, then I should always be successful, and with a band composed of half-a-dozen such spirits, I would dare all and defy everything. But it is uot to be thought of, [ fear. Still, I shall make one more attempt.”’ Wher he went down again, the governor was not visible. And as for the men on duty, they would no more have thought of asking Jonathan Wild a question than they would have thou ‘ht of speaking to King George himself, So Jonathan stalked out of Newgate, and bent his steps to his own house, It was then getting daylight. Just as Jonathan turned the corner of the Old Bailey, a thought darted into his head, which he evidently had a great idea of the excellence of. ‘Yah! Bo!” he said. ‘ That will do it. I shall have them both then quite safe. I wonderI did not think of that before. I shall then succeed in everything, even to bending Jack Sheppard to my wishes. I will go and see him in his cell at once.” Wild banged away at the door of his own house as he spoke, and, upon entering, took a light and went direct to the cells. What diabolical thought was it which had now entered the politic and crafty mind of the thief-taker? Some- thing more than usually cunning, or he would never have been so much elated. It will be seen in the course of the events which followed what his proposition was, and what results he hoped to obtain from it if, as he expected, it was accepted. Jack Sheppard, the reader will recollect, was left by Wild in the cell in a state of insensibility, produced by the punishment he had received and by the utter exhaustion of his system. It was some time before he recovered himself, and then he felt very weak and ill. The thought that Edgworth Bess had escaped from what was a thousand times worse than death afforded him some consolation, and he immediately felt himself better. Tle sat up. A dubious kind cf twilight only was in the cell, and that proceeded from the oil lamp in the corridor without, a few rays from which found their way in through a small grated aperture near the top of the cell door. “I trust,’’ he said, ‘“‘ that the poor persecuted girl has by this time found a haven of safety where she will be secure from Wild’s persecutions. What can be his inten- tious with regard to myself? Why, I wonder, did he spare my hfe when it would have been so easy tor him to ot it? It is quite at variance with his ordinary line of pohey.” At this moment the tread of a heavy footstep in the passage reached his ears. Nearer and nearer it came. Something seemed to tell him it was Jonathan Wild. It stopped at the cell door. The ponderous lock was shot back, and the door pers mitted to swing open upon its hjnges. It was Jonathan Wild. os 7 ac at ES 89 A es oe et Se ee eg TS woo Sy SA sey 2 nay Wet PTR Ao RE eae _ ee ot te CO) TEOMMTNELIOOKS (SO) 5}