Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

I SE OE EA A a 182 “Oh! goon, Jack,” growled Bill, “ you'll waste all the blessed time disputing afore you begin.” “Then let us sit down on this stone seat,” said Shep- pard, “and wait for Wild’s return, and while we are sitting and waiting, what’s to hinder us from having a little eom- fortable talk P”’ “ Nothink at all.” “ ** Sit down, then.” Accordingly all three repaired to one of those recesses in the bridge, which we have before mentioned, and here they sat down, Jack Sheppard occupying the eceutre position, with Bill en his right hand and Mat on his left. It was only fear of their master, tho thief-taker, that made them keep sucha tight grasp upon him as they did. In their hearts they both admired and liked him, and would have been glad to give him a chance of eseare, tf it could have been done with safety te themselves. Jack cleared his threat. oo. He had no idea what he was going to say to his jailers, aud he had no time left him for consideration. * Of course,” he began, ‘‘ you understand that Blueskin and Jonathan Wild are deadly enemies, aud that they will mers again hold the same relative positions as they once ] 2? ‘It strikes me very forcibly,” said Mat, “‘that Mr. Wild will put an end to his enmity before he comes back, for he has sworn to take his life at the first opportunity, and you know when Jonathan Wild says a thing he always ees it.” * Pho—pho! Den’t you mind him. Now, I don’t mind letting you into a secret.” “What is 1b?” ‘That leap into the Thames was all planned before hand.” ** The deuce it was!”’ *€ Yes, and what is more, Blueskin is sure to get off.” ‘Ts that a part of the plan, too ?”’ ** Tt is.” ¢e Oh t 2) ** But I don’t see” —— “And I shant tell you any more te help you, but you ean take my word for this, he will get off.” ‘You are not joking, Jaek P” ¢¢ No.” “Then Mr. Wild will be a few savage.” ** Most likely.” ‘Then [ll tell you what, Master Jack.” ** Tell it, then.” ‘* You're very clever, but if Blueskin gets off, I'll take jolly good eare you don’t, there now.” * You are quite at liberty. I don’t want anything of the sort.” ‘“T suppese not.” *You wouldn’t be off, if yeu had the chance ?”’ “Don’t he a fool, Mat. What's the good of going en in this ridiculous way when time is precious, and we have some very important business to discuss P”’ “Oh! go on.” ** Well, I will go on, if you'll only let me. That’s just what I’ve been wanting to do all along.” ** Begin, then.” * Do you understand about Blueskin ?” ** Yes.” **That’s all right, and will prepare you fer what I am going to say next. You quite understand that Blueskin will escape from Wild in the river, let him do what he will, because you see, he has a plan that will do it.’’ ** But you told us all that before.” This was very true. But Jack’s invention was not fertile enough to enable him to coneoet a plausible stery on so shert a netice, and so, a3 the reader has seen, he strove all hecouldte delay commencing. All of a sudden, however, and just as the patience of the two men was quite exhausted, an idea sprang into Jacl:’s mind. 3 It matured itself instantly. Not only would it, if successful, answer his first purpose, but also prove of much future benefit to him. What it was will be very quickly seen, for he proeceded to unfold it to Mat and Bill,as they respectively called themselves, witheut delay. BLUESKIN : ee a a ee aS Te aa tac aaa aca tataammmmaad A ROMANCE, id CHAPTER CXXVI. A VERY STARTLING PROPOSITION IS MADE BY JACK SHEPPARD TO MATTHEW FLOOD AND BILL BLEWITT. ‘You must have noticed,” began Jack, “ that, now I have come to the point, I hardly know how te express myself; but I havo reselved not to let anything of that sort stand in the way, but speak out at once.” ‘* By far the best plan.” “IT am glad you think so, because I want more var- ticularly to talk about Jonathan Wild.” *““ T suppose so.” ** And yourselves, too.” “What ?” , 7 as with respect to your positions under him.” *“ What sort of a master do you find him.” ‘Very middling as to that.” “Very bad, yeu mean,” said Jack. ** Well, very bad.” **T cau see that. with his brutality.” ‘* We are obliged.” * Not a bit of it!” “ But I say we are!” “Tow sor” * Why, he can tuck any of us up at Tyburn any session he pleases, and so we are compelled to bear his bad temper It’s a mystery to me how you put up ‘| as well as we can.”’ “A fig for Tyburn !” ‘Indeed! You don’t know what it is!” “Tdo! It don’t frighten me in the least!” *T believe that, Jack! Ah! I wish I had got your pluck !” ** Pho—pho! to make to you.” *“ Make it, then!” ** Don’t be startled ! ** Let us hear 16!” * What de you say to leaving Jonathan’s service ?” *€ Leaving Jonathan’s service ?’ * Yes!” ** Can’t be done! ” “ Pho—pho!”’ You must be mad to think of such a thing!” **Tt’s you that’s mad! Jonathan is enly a man, though you would fain make him something more. But take my advice. Defy him!” “Defy him!” ** Yes, and then his power is atanend. It ceases from that very moment! Don’t you think so?” 7 § No { a3 **Leok at myself! I defied him!” “ T know that.” ‘ And who has get the best of it?” You.” “Of course!” *¢ But you are one of a thousand!” "Tf you choose to think so, lam. But you try it, and you will find yourselves the same.” “TT doubt it!” “But you haven’t quite heard what I was going to propose. You understand, of eourse, that Blueskin and myself are united to make eommon cause against Jonathan Wild!” * T know.” “Hitherto we have come off first-rate, when you take all things into consideration, have we not ?”’ ** You eertainly have.” “Then, just look here, if us two can do what we have, by ourselves, mind you, what doe you think we could do if there was four of us?” * Four of you?” “ Yes, four. Double the number. we could doP”’ “ T don’t know.” “‘ Why, it’s plain enough. We should do twice as much, and then, where would Jonathan be then ?”’ This was rather an unanswerable question, so the two men remained silent. ‘* Ho would be nowhere,” continued Jack, triumphantly. “Nowhere. He wouldn’t daro to show his faco to us.” It’s nothing! But I have got a propesal What do you think em a et inmate mace (SO) CloOOO|KKS.€O 5}