Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

en a EI IN RI ae ——— BLUESKIN : & he was one to whom the kindlier and gentler feelings of our nature are strangers. ‘Now, Johnson,” said Jack, as he finished, ‘‘ I appeal fo you. What am I to do? Blueskin, the friend who always saw the best way out of danger, is, as I have told you, no more. Therefore, Lask you, what am I te dnP” CHAPTER Cl. JOHNSON, THE LANDLORD, SHOWS JACK SHEPPARD A CUNNINGLY-CONSTRUCTED HIDING- PLACE IN THE STAIRS. JOHNSON shook his head. “Tt wish I could tell you what would be your best course of action,” he said; “ but, if you will beheve me, I feel fairly at a loss.” “*T must get away from here.” “TI don’t doubt that would be the best, but then you should cousider ’’—— **T do.” -*“ How do you propose to act, yourself? If you have already deterunned, it 1s useless for me to suggest any- thing.” ‘** Forgive me, Johnson; | should not have spoken as I did. I have no plan, but only a desire, and that is to get away from here.” “That is only natural, but yet utter madness. What good would it do for you to throw yourself into the arms of the Philistines? Rest assured, if you do, they will not let you go again. Then let me ask you, suppose you are put in Newgate, what chance will you have ot aiding the poor girl then ? and that she stands in need of your succour I feel confident.” * It is that which maddens me.”’ “Hush!” said Johnson: “calm yourself, or you will be heard by those below. I must begone, too, or my long sore may excite remark, if uot suspicion. Be stall !”’ Jack sank back upon the bed from which he had risen. ‘“ Beheve me,” continned the landlord, ‘that in the present awkward posture of affairs, the best and only thing you can do is to consent to the course which I at first proposed. It is the only one that presents any reasonable prospect of success.” ‘** And that is, to remain hidden here P”’ * Exactly. You may uot have to stay more than an hour or two, who knows? Perhaps not even so long.” ** And perhaps three days.” “You must stand your chance of that; better endure captivity voluntarily than against your will.’ ** And to where do you propose to lead me P”’ “That I will tell you shortly. Stay where you are a moment, while [ go and see whether the coast is clear.” As he uttered these words, Johnson went towards the room door, and, opening it a little way, put his head out and hstened. The day was now coming fast, and as it was only for this that the officers waited, their renewed search might be looked for every moment. All was silent in the direction of the staircase, so John- son beckoned Jack towards him. But betore the latter obeyed the summons, he whis- pered iu the ear of the widow, who had been of such essential service to him, a renewal of the promise he had madc. to testify how deeply he felt her kindness . This done, he rejoined Johnson. ** "Tread lightly, for your life,” he said. ** Must we descend the stairs ?”’ * Only the first flight.”’ ** And where is the hiding-place ?” That I will soon show you. The only thing I want to impress upon you, is to be perfectly silent in all vour movements.” : You can trust me.” As nowwelessly, then, as foot could fall, the pair crept down the staircase. The widow stood at the top, looking down at them with fearful interest, but Johnson, as soon as he pereecived her, made a rapid and imperative sign for her to retire, which she urmediately obeyed. To go as quietly as they did, necessitated their going slowly, so that, although the flight of stairs was only = - er as A ROMANCE. ons twelve in number, yet it took them a long time to reach the bottom. Upon doing so, however, Johnson made a sign to Jack to 1¢main just where he was while he crept to the head of the next flight of stairs, and which went down to the ground floor, in order to listen again, and further make sure that no one was observing. This excess of caution made Jack impatient, but the landlord was unquestionably right. Finding all secured, he stealthily returned, and touched Jack on the shoulder to arrest the whole of his attention. Kixpecting something to happen of rather an extra- ordinary character, Jack readily complied. It so happened, however, that just. where they were then standing was the darkest part in all the staircase, so that he had to strain his eyes somewhat to sce what was going forward. In the first place, then, he observed Johnson count the fifth stair from the bottom. This done, he proceeded to catch hold of the edge of it, much in the manner that one would take hold of a sliding shelf to draw it from its position. But he tugged at it in vain, for it did not movo. He pulled Jack towards him, and whispered in his ear— “The top of this stair is not fixed, like the rest, but made to slide in and out of a groove. Beneath is a place large enough for you to lie down in, but it is so long since any use was made of it, that the wood has stuck. Help me to pull gently, and then it will come out.” This was enough to make Jack fully aware of the nature of the proposed hiding-place, and he set about giving effectual assistance. Taking hold of the stair with both hands close together near one end, he whispered to Johnson to do the same, and both exerting a uniform amount of strength, they had the satisfaction of seeing the sliding piece of wood yield gradually to it. envit was quite taken out, it revealed a dark-looking place, which could, however, only be perceived by being of a deeper shade than the stairs above and below it. ** Tu with you,” whispered Johnson, ‘‘ you have no time to ose!” But Jack held back a littl for the place looked exceed- ingly forbidding. ‘* In with you!” repeated Johnson, “ the place isa great deal more comfortable than it looks; you will find the inside hned throughout with thick felt; and then, as for discovery, that is out of the question: I dare wager my life they will never find you here!” And, mdeed, the landlord’s euloziums were far from being ill placed, for a better hiding-place, and one more likely to elude discovery, could not be imagined. Overcoming, then, bis repugnance as well as he was able, Jack got into the cothn-like place. For his slender anatomy he found there was ample accommodation, and the words of the landlord about its being more comfortable than it looked, were fully borne out. As.soon as he was fairly in, the landlord began to replace the sliding top of the stair. ‘“‘ How about air for breathing P”’ asked Jack, before the aperture was quite closed. “Ob! you'll find that all right,’ was the reply. ‘ All you have to do is to remain quite still until I come to let you out.” Or till I am discovered.” “ You have no occasion to frighten yourself about that. They will never find you, without they pull the place all to pieces, and that they are not very likely todo. Now, quick, before I close it, are you all right P” “All right!” responded Jack. | Scarcely were the words out of his mouth than Johnson slid the top board of the stair into its accustomed place, aud when that was done it did not present to the dosest examination the least difference in appearance to the others. To make sure that all was just as it should be, however, the landlord trod upon the stair, to fiud whether it was as firm as the others. He was rejoiced to find it equally so. Then, feeling that he had already been longer absent from the oflicers than was exactly prudent, he descended the stairs. The greater part of them, he found, were seated in tha “ge EO DOO|KS EO