Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

Ail shivered save Jonathan Wild, and ho was too intent upon what he was about to take cognizance of any other circumstance. But, for all that, one moment was sufficient to load his hair and appare] with moisture. ay The tide was flowing ont, so it was down tho river fiat Jonathan looked, under the full impression that he should again see the head of his ancient coadjutor andally. . Should he do so, ho had a pistol ready in his grasp, and that he would not hesitate to favour him with its contents there cannot be a doubt, for Blueskin knew too much, and was too deeply in many of his secrets, to make it safe for him to live as Jonathan’s avowed enemy. It was probable enough that the first shot he had fired was an effective one, but, if so, the body would ina little time rise to the surface, and this time he determined not to depart without assuring himself that he really was no more. Already had he had sufficient evidence to prove that Blueskin had a cranium of no ordinary thickness, and that he had as many chances of his life as a cat, and s0, on thig oecasion, he determined to be more than ordinarily particular. * Took about you, you villains!” he roared to his men, finding himself unable to distinguish anything resembling tvhat he looked for. ‘*‘ Do you hear me D1 ‘ Yos, Mr. Wild, sir, if you please,” replied the janizaries, their teeth chattering with the intensely raw cold. “Then can you see anything? Ha! what is that? There he is!” Bang! went Wild’s pistol. Something in the distaneo had eaught his eye, and eaused him to give vent to the hasty exclamation he did. The moment ho saw it he fired. Then, without waiting to see whether he had aecom- plished auy good by his hasty aim, he cricd— “ Row—row! Youder—yonder! Quick, I will guide ou!” > In obedience to these hurried and imperious commands, the waterman let fall his oars over the sides of the boat, and rowed with all the vigour which the museles of his arms would permit in the direetion Wild indicated. The smoke from the discharged pistol hung lazily about the surface of the river for some seconds, gradually diffusing itself until it becamo of such extreme tenuity that it was no longer visible. As soon as this was the case, it was with a voice of terrible exultation that Wild eried— “T seo him! There he goes! WLook—look! Keep him in sight, whatever you do! Weare sure to overtake him! Faster—faster! We shall have him yet!” The waterman began to feel some kind of personal interest in the chase, which was no more than natural, although he had been so frightened at first, but there is a contagious excitement in chasing anything, no matter, whether beast or man, which seems to bean inherent quality in the breasts of human beings. Bending his back, then, to his task, and exerting his utmost strength, he gave most vigorous long and lusty strokes, which caused the little bark to bound over the mimic waves upon the Thames with a speed that was really marvellous. But of this Jonathan, who stood in the prow of the boat, was uneonseious. To him the progress of the boat seemed tediously slow. Ilis eyes wero riveted upon a small dark object drifting down the river with the tide. Nothing, he resolved, let it be what it might, should in- duce him to remove his gazo even for a single moment, lest in that moment he should lose sight of what he had before so anxiously sought to see. And now, 9s the morning got more and more advanced and the daylight brighter, bo was all the better able to ereeive the object in the water, and, at last, there could eno possibility of doubt that it was the head of a human beiug. Despite, however, all the efforts whieh the boatman made, they did not gain very perceptibly upon it. Wild had not another pistol loaded, or he would assuredly have fired again, and, so great was his excite- ment, that the thonght did not occur to him either to order his janizaries to tire, or ask them tor one of their pistols. A ROMALCE. But soon the agitation and excitement which Wild had felt increased to an unbearable extent, for the swiftly- floating object was approaching the numerous vessels ei were moored off the Surrey side of old London- ridge. Once among the shadows and intricacies of those, Wild felt certain that all hopes of recovering him would be futile. To use an old and familiar illustration, it would be like looking for a needle in a bottle of hay. ‘* Row !” he yelled, and his voice sounded with remark- able distinctness over the silent river; for as yet the hour was too early for any of the craft to be in motion. “ Row! —curse you—row! or he will escape us! If he reaches the boats he is lost.” And so seemed to think the swimmer, for his speed could be seen to perceptibly increase. No doubt the so close prospect of safety nerved his fail- ing powers to fresh exertion. Perspiration poured from the head and face of the waterman, but all was useless, for in another moment the swimmer disappeared behind a huge, clumsy vessel. ** Damnation!” roared Wild ‘‘ But I will not give in yet. IIa! there he goes again! Fool that he was not to make the most of such a chance! Why, he seems to be swimming towards us.” And such was the case. Whether the wounds he had received from Wild’s bullets had bewildered his brain, or whether he had been seized with a sudden insanity, wo know not; but certain it is, that the swimmer now left the shelter of the boats he had seemed so anxious to gain, and was swimming towards Wild’s boat. CHAPTER CXXITI. JONATIIAN WILD MEETS WITH AN ADVENTURE WIICII TIOROUGIILY BAFFLES AND BEWILDERS HIM. A DEMONIAC roar came from Wild’s lps when he first perceived this circumstance, bui its note quickly changed to dread, for in this there was something so extraordinary that he could not contro! his apprehensions. ** Shall I fire now, Mr. Wild ?” said one of the janizaries ; *“he is close to us, and evidently mad, and there is no knowing what mad people may not do.” “Yes; fire in the devil’s name! Why did you not do so before? Fire!” No sooner was the command given than it was obeyed— for the janizary had a very wholesome fear of mad people, aud was only too glad to have the chanco of putting an end to that feeling and his tronble at the same time. The aim was a good one, for a lond shriek resounded over the water, and the swimmer turned round several times, ag though in tho agonies of death. “Now row,’ said Wild. ‘‘ We have him at last!” Quick! or he will sink, and we shall lose him that way, and I should not feel safe unless I saw his dead body with my own eyes.” ‘There ig a couple of boat-hooks | the boat,” said the waterman. ‘°° will be able to lay hold of him.” The janizaries stooped down and picked up two of those long poles, with strong iron hooks and spikes at their extremity, and used by the boatmen for various purposes. One was mueh longer than the other, and this was the one that was handed to Jonathan Wild. From its extreme length it was very heavy to hold, and few meu could have used it without a great deal of trouble; but Wild was gifted with more than ordinary strength, especially when his mind was fixed upon any particular object: and so on this occasion he took hold of the ponderous implement and wielded it with an ease and dexterity which instantly elicited the waterman’s admi- ration; who, nevertheless, did not relax in his efforts to inerease the speed of the boat. Quickly they reached the spot where the swimmer was still foundering and endeavouring with all his remaining strength to do battle with the waves. A decp red tinge was on the water around him, which showed that he was bleeding profusely from some wound or wounds. At last he came within reach. Jonathan Wild poised the ponderous boat-hock, and watched his opportunity. ing at the bottom of ake them, and you ee cake. ree BLUESKIN : 5}