Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

Pg GO OOO, EL, EEE SP cela — ad oot. he BILVESKIN: A ROMANO. 143 te eae eee neem naam ‘ = =r hee = LS CaS window, it was more in a listlesssortof waythananything} WVith great dexterity he stripped off Arnold’s neoke else, and all the while he waa revolving in his brain what would be his best course of action. How long he thus sat he knew not, but he was suddenly aroused by perceiving the door of Jonathan Wild’s house thrown open. The lamp in the hall cast a beam of light on to the road- way, and revealed two figures standing on the doorstep. One was the man on the lock, who was holding the door open. _ The other was Jonathan Wild. 7 a There could be no doubt of that. The outlines of his figure were well and sharply defined by the bright light behind him, and Blueskin was too well acquainted with hisilooks to fall into any mistake. He}let the blind fall, allowing himself only the smallest crevice to peep through. Wild’s eyes, he knew, were preternaturally keen, and seeing some one watching might in a moment haye made him suspicious that something unusual was going on. Still he did not lose sight of his object. It would seem that Jonathan addressed some words to the man on the lock, and then he descended the steps into the street. The door was closed. In the darkness he could Lardly distinguish the burly form of the thief-taker, but by not removing his eyes from him he managed to do so. Wild went in the direction of the Old Bailey, but at the corner he stopped and hailed a hackney-coach. In a minute more he entercd it, and was driven off. This little incident filled Blueskin with thought. Where Jonathan might have gone, or what was the business upon which he was engaged, did not occupy him fora minute. That would have been fruitless speculation. It had the effect of determining him to attempt to carry out a plan, the details of which he had been settling in his mind, It was bold and daring in the extreme, and that was all that could be said of it, without we add the word rash. Yetit was one that had some prospect of success, and after Wild’s departure, the more he reflected, the more decided he became to carry it out. Levee and Flood were seated just as they were when he came in, and there did not seem to be any symptom of their quitting their present quarters for some time to come. He waited a minute, and then rose. The reckoning he had already paid, so he had nothing to do but to walk out. 4 On reaching the street, he again looked up at Wild’s ouse. “Tt is a desperate chance,” he said, “‘ but if shall be tried, at all events. I can see no other means by which I can ascertain the fates of those for whose sakes alone I care to live.” He crossed over as he spoke. What he was about to do we shal! quickly geo, but we will venture to assert that it will surprise the reader. Springing up the steps before the door, he seized the knocker with his right hand, and knocked furiously. A gentle summons, he knew, [would meet with no attention. The door was quickly opened. But Blueskin was in readiness for action. sg With one well-directed and terrific blow of his clenched fist, he laid the man prostrate. So suddenly, too, was the deed performed, that it created no alarm, and before the man at the grating had recovered from his astonishment, Blake had closed the door, properly secured it, and sprang forward and clutched him by the throat in such a mauner, thas ho had scarcely power to gasp for breath, let aione call out for assistance. me A moment’s continuation of the pressure, and the man turned black in the face, and then fell backwards, either insensible, or dead. : : It was now time for Blueskin to turn his attention‘’s the man he had knocked down, and who, by various move- ments, showed that he was fast recovering his senses, He must be speedy, too, in what he was going to do, for before long some one would be sure to come down to the hall, though he had calenlated that about that time in the evening it would be deserted by all bué the two men on guard. oe: cloth—for he it was he had knocked down—and twiate ing it up in the fashion of a rope, placed it in his mouth, and then tied it tightly at the back of his head. The stout leathern belt, from which his hanger wag suspended, served as a means of fastening his arms behind hia back, and then he was quite helpless, either to cry out or move. This done, Blueskin, with allthe speed he could make, hurried to the man who had charge of the iron-grated door leading to the cells. Pra signs of returning animation, however, were ere, Stooping down, he felt about bis person for his keys, and as he knew exactly where to look, he quickly pos. sessed himself of them. To open the grating took him but a moment. The stone staircase was beyond. Lifting his foot, he, with one kick, sent the unfortu- nate man rolling down it. He feil against the door at the bottom with a crash. \ ‘He was hardly there, however, before Blueskin was himself. The key of this door he had ready in his hand, anda thrusting it into the keyhole, le shot the bolt back. To one so familiar with the intricacies of the place as Blueskin was, the task of searching the whole thoroughly was by no means a matter of difficulty. Lhe bunch of keys he held would, he knew, open every we there was, and so, one after another, he flung them ack. At each one he called ont the names of Jack and Edg.- worth Bess, but although he tried down all one side of the corridor, not one of the cells did he find tenanted. Crossing over, he began the other way, for the secret door, leading to the other cells he resolved to leave till afterwards. The second he came to was occupied by some one, but it was neither of those he soucht. He cast but one glance upon this person, for he had no time, nor had he inclination, to ask questions or lose precious time. His life, he knew, depended upon his speed, for that the state of things in the hall above could continue for any length of time without discovery by some one, was impossible. Three more doors were opened fruitlessly, and then he came to the cell in which Steggs was confined, though, of course, he knew it not. Looking very much the worse for his sojourn in that dark, pestiferous place, the villain who had been the ae of causing Edgworth Bess so much trouble, came orth. Blueskin recognised him instantly, and an angry look shot from his eyes. But he smothered his resentment, and went on with his task. Steggs, however, did not remember to have ever seen the handsome cavalier who unlocked his prison-door, but he noticed his angry glance, and his coward heart sank within him. He cowered down upon the cold flagstones in the cor- ridor, and crawled along abjectly after his deliverer, entreating him to spare his life; but Blueskin was by far too intent upon the business he had in hand to pay any heed to him. As the reader is aware, his search was a vain one, a both Jack Sheppard and Edgworth Bess had left the ouse. Convinced that they were not in the outer cells, ne ran to the secret door, opened it, passed through, and searched them, but with the same result. A groan came from his lips, when he assured himself that they really were neither of them there. In fact, so far did his feelings overcome him, tnat he was obliged to cling to the doorpost for a moment or so to keep himself from falling. But, mastering himself by a great effort, he strove to think what he had better do. His worst forebodings were confirmed. ‘Tt will be vain to search further,” he said. “ Jona- than has either destroyed them, or hidden them in some place where it will be impossible for me to find them, Curses on his caution!” RL a aE a Ta TT, Go NOOKS (SO)