Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

Pere es oe O nem” £< ime eee oe ae ae eT fre > Loe erie en yirl’s heart as she hevrd it, and she almost sank to the ground. To the full was she conseious of the peril in which she stood, and that knowledge endowed her with strength to make a sndden rush to escape. ‘Hurrah !’ eried the chorus of voices. °¢ Hurrah! More sport to-night ! Hurrah for the brave Mohawks! Hunt her down! On—on, brave hearts! Rare sport— rare sport! Hurrah! hurrah! There she goes, along Flect-strect ! Tally-ho! Keep her in sight! Hurvah! hurrah ! Such were the loudest of the cries that made them- selves heard above other and minor sounds. Such were the cries that filled peor Edgworth Bess with the utmost alarm, and made her dy along the street with the speed of a hunted hare. Imminent, indeed, was her danger, and greater, perhaps, than ever she had known. By the dim lightin the streets, the outlines of the throng who had uttered snch strange crics and then rushed off in chase of her, could be partially dis- tinguished. In number they were, perhaps, rather ovcr twenty. The shape of their garments told at once they were persons of high social rank. All were armed with long glittering dress swords or rapiers, which they either heldaloft in the air, or whirled round their heads as they dashed onwards. This band of wild young men were at the times of which we write the terror of all persons who were com- pelled to be abroad after dark. By their barbarous acts and uncivilized behaviour they had earned for themselves the appellation of Mohawks— the collective name for oneof the most bloodthirsty tribes of the North American Indians. The Mohawks —or as the word) is sometimes written, Mohocks—were composed of a number of dis- solute young men, of ages varying from eighteen to thirty years. Among them might be found noblemen’s sons, officers of rank, and a goodly sprinkling of those indi- viduals whoseincome and mode of existence are profound mysteries to their most intimate acquaintance. In ageneral way, the evening would be'spent in furions revelry, or the amusements of the gaming table: then, when the sober portion of the inhabitanta of the metro- polis had retired to rest, they would sally forth into the streets, and sctting the authorities at defiance, commit all kinds of excesses. On these occasions they all seemed to beanimated by one impulse, and that was to strive to outdo each other in deeds of violence and barbaric cruelty. Wherever they went they left a track behind them which could be followed without difficulty. Watchmen were knocked down, or otherwise mal- treated—windows broken—signs pulled down—vessels on the river cut from their moorings, and sent adrift into the stream—carriages stopped, and their occupants subjected to every imaginable indignity—inoffensive peopie killed or desperately wounded—in fine, there was no species of enormity, no deed of violence or cruelty that they left uncommitted. — Many atime would the peaceful imhabitaats of the city be rudely startled from their slumbers by their demoniac war-whoop, and experience a feeling of deep thankfulness that they were not abroad and in their path. In all London there was not a human being: to whom they were unknown, by name at least, and Edgworth Bess was no exoeption to the rule. CHAPTER XCIV. THE MOHAWKS CUASE EDGWORTH BESS THROUGH FLEET-STREET AND THE STRAND. MANY and many a time had she trembled with dread when their fiendish deeds had been related to her, many and many a time had she hoped that she should “ever be exposed to their brutality. Mercy, she knew, was a word to which they never paid any attention, and that to imploreit would bebut to court their utmost malice and derisive langhter. To hunt a poor helpless girl through the streets would afford them unbounded satisfaction and delight. Instanecs are yet on record of their having performed worse deeds than this. Iu particulaxone where, having a re — aa ete ee er ee mete apa 9 eS Smee Wie ee Oe Cte Leepirane eR ~~ OP niga a BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, eo LS a IRR at procured a large barrel, they stydded tne inside with - iron spikes, and a poor woman happening to fall into their clutches, they put her inside it, nailed in the top, and rolled it along the strects. This will be sufficient to show that our heroine had good grounds for apprehension. But the dread she felt at falling into their power enabled her to make the most incredible exertions. With many a yell and unnatural cry, tho Mohawks dashed on in pursuit of the flying form which they could just distinguish before them in the darkness. There were no vehicles and no passengers in the street to impede their progress. ‘The hour was the one before day begins, and when London is like a city of the dead. As she sped along the corner of Fetter-lane she caught a transient glimpse of the lantern in the watchman’s box that was stationed at the corner, but she did not pause orapply tohim for protection; she was well aware it would be utterly useless. By some unaccountable perverseness, those who were chosen to be guardians of the night and preservers of the peace were invariably old men, who were equally in- capable of following any occupation, or of defending themselves or protecting others. Edgworth Bess, then, continued on her way, believing that her only hope of escape consisted in so doing. And in this she was quite correct, for the watchman, hearing the uproar, had very prudently ensconced him- self in the recesses of his box, and pretended to be very sound asleep. By soc doiny he hoped to escape the cbhservation of the much-dreaded Mohawks. But he was mistaken. The sight of the lantern which was hanging outside aes their attention for a moment from its original object. Watchmen were peculiarly their prey. Clashing their swords, and uttering their war-whoop, they made a simultaneous dash at this one. The box went over in a moment with a terrible crash. It fell face downwards on the pavement, thus bring- ing the watchman beneath it. A smothered sort of howl reached their ears. They responded to it with a triumphant shout. This was called ‘‘ coffining a watchman,’’ and was considered very fine sport indeed. & The whole proceeding occupied scarcely a moment of ime. ‘‘ Now for the girl !’’ cried one of theforemost. ‘Quick, or she will elude us!’ ‘“Yes—yes! The girl—the girl !’’ exclaimed the rest, as they bounded with fresh energy after the breathless creature. What te do she knew not. There was a vague notion in her mind that she might run the whole distance to Drury-lane, and succeed in keeping ahead of her pursuers. But as yet she had gone only a little more;than half the distance, and already she felt her respiration impeded, and her limbs scarce able to maintain her weight. Terror, however, acted asa sharp spur to urge her on, and although she felt as ‘though each moment was going to me her last, she flew forwards with undiminished speed. The loud cries, trampling feet, and clashing weapons of her pursuers seemed, nevertheless, to grow nearer and nearer, and more alarmingly distinct. Her eyes grew dim. Her brain reeled. She staggered more than once, but each time was fore tunate enough to keep her footing. But she felt her senses were leaving her—that it would be beyond all possibility for her to hold up much longer. Temple-bar was passed. Then she saw, looming before her in the darkness, the dim outlines of St. Clement’s Church. It was just at this moment a more than usually loud shout of gratification was uttered by the Mohawks, as they perceived how quiokly they were gaining upon the object of their pursuit, and who it would have been moro consonant to human nature for them to defend in- stead of persecute. But it was by no means part of their plan to come up with her teo soon, and so they slackened speed a little. What they wished was to keep her well in view, aad as Se COmicboooks.com CY, pm A Rear A SA NEES NTE IE TE OE SE L,I = ~~ eres ee ee ee eee 4