Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 220: what you’re looking at

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

PIR pe : ey AS ‘Sin’ ¥rild’s men, as soon as he had got high enough, one by one began to climb the rope, and they looked hke so many rats on a string. As the atrain upon the rope increased, some very eus- ' picious cracks were heard, calculated to excite the greatest ‘uneasiness in the minds of those who heard them. Jonathan, however, would not bave stayed for a much greater danger than that. . Unheeding the ominous sounds, he continued his up- ward course; but, in spite of all his efforts, he did not gain much upon Captain Howlet, who had had an excellent start. So long, however, as he did not reach the top of the rope much before he did, Jonathan did not care. The darkness increased rapidly the higher they went up, for the only light of any kind there was in the place, was such as proceeded from the lanterns bis men below oad with them. Not once, though, did Wild look down. He fixed his eyes steadfastly upon the dusky form of the pirate-chief, and his burden above him. More and more indistinct did they become, and he had to strain his vision to continue seeing them. Suddenly, however, they disappeared. Almost the same moment, too, the vibration of the rope from above ceased utterly. ** He has reached the top,” thought Jonathan, and he increased his speed. At this time he was probably fifteen or twenty feet from the floor of the cavern. Hanging below him were four or five of his men. The strain upon the rope was very great, but still not more than it could bear with safety, provided it was secured properly at the top. But there was the question. Directly he reached tho top of the rope, Captain Howlet found the panel open, as Edgworth Bess had left it. This was fortunate for him, since if enabled him to gain the chamber with all the greater ease. Thrusting her first through the aperture, the captain followed. An awful expression of diabolical malice was on Zia face. His secret was discovered. His band destroyed. Himself a fugitive. But let the extremity of his fortune be what it might, he determined not to abandon the young girl, for whom he had conceived go violent and uncontrollable a passion. She was atill insensible, and lay in a huddled-up mass upon the flooring, just where he had placed her. So great was his fatigue, that he found himself com- pelled to rest a minute or two in order to recruit his strength. He laid himself down at full length upon the floor. But ere he had been a second in this position he crawled forward a little, and holding his head over the verge of the abyss, peeped down. Far below he could see the lights which were carried by the men on the floor of the cavern. Then he, with difficulty, made out the form of Joua- than Wild ascending the rope. This every now and then cracked with the atrain that was put upon it. The sound came to the pirate’s eara. It gave him a new thought. The malignant expression upon his countenance deepened. 7 paising himself a little, he sought with his Land in his elt. He dvew from a sheath suspended from it a large and beautifully-tempered dagger. The few raye of light that found their way into the apartment seemed to focus themselves upon it, for, as he moved it, a faint gleam betrayed its presence. Holding this dagger firmly in his right hand, he again sank down, so that his head was over the abyss. This time he could tell his foes were much nearer. But he could almost have shrieked with exultation at the utter discomfiture they were about to receive at his hands, but he deemed it most prudent to stifle the incli- nation. Gently, so that his foe should have no indication of what he si ahoat, and ao take the alarm, Captain Howlot felt OY Lee cope, 4 TEE BRC OEY | Re Rar gn al Peat espe, To AK lane OOO OE EE I AI, a PY SOO I TT SEI” I PS ST LT rep | ee Tyee on sateen. “eG a ARSE Fi ° oem , oe mor a ————SS A FRE oS Oto SORRY hel RITESKI: A ROMANCE. ans It was stretched to such a degree that it felt more like bar of iron than aught else. With the same gentleness as he had before used, the pirate, as soon as he had found the rope, drew his kuife across it. hag first stroke, only the outside of the ztrands were severed. At the second, tho dagger sunk further in. He did not remove it from its position, but gently drow it across for the third time. A tearing noise followed. The remainder of the rope, unable to bear the strain, was giving way thread after thread. Those below must have had some idea of their peril, but before they could escape, the rope, with a loud snap, gave way altogether. fv quwwsscere =e, CHAPTER CLI. JONATHAN WILD HAS A NARROW ESCAPE OF HIS LIFE, AND 18 MORE THAN EVER DETERMINED TO BRING THE CAREER OF CAPTAIN HOWLET TO AN END. AS soon as this sound reached his ears, Captain Uowlet gave way to the inclination ho had felt to indulge himself in a loud shnek of laughter. It was discordant and unmirthful, and echoed mourn- fully in the cavern. It was accompanied, too, by another sound, which all but drowned it. This was the horrible cry of fear which Jonathan and his men uttered when they found themselves falling throngh spaco. A few fleeting seconds passed. Then they reached the hard, rocky floor of the eavern with a dull crash. Quickly succeeding it came the pene of excruciating agony to which those gavo vent who had received the slightest injunies. ‘The others were either dead, or in a state greatly resembling it. It was rather strange that the thought did not occur to the crafty and politie brain of Jonathan Wild that the first thing the pirate would be likely to do upon reaching the top would be to sever the rope, and thus cut off all access to him. Had he thought of it, he would not have trusted himself to climb up it in the manner he had, for fear of the con- sequences. he best of us are apt at times, especially during any great excitement, to omit to take into consideration all the probabilities of the caso. In this instance Jonathan did not. All seemed safe and still, so he continued his upward course at the best speed he could make. All at onee, however, he fancied he felt the rope lengthen. repetition of the same thing told him that it was no fancy, but reality. A. cold sweat broke out all over him. The rope was giving way. Under the impulse of the moment, he did what was, under the circumstances, the very best thing he could do. He relaxed his hold upon the rope, and slipped down. But, before he conld reach the head of the man next him, the rope above, with the snapping sound we have recorded, gave way altogether. Involuntarily, Jonathan shut his eyes, and uttered a groan of horror. He fully believed that his last hour had come. The helief was shared, and the cry of horror echoed by all who hang below him. Then they reached the bottom. In this tortune favoured Jonathan Wild to a greatei extent than such a wretch deserved. Thosé who were lowest were worst off. Received the greatest injuries. He was at the top. Consequently, when all fell, he never reached the rock at all, but came down on the mags of men beneath him. The shock of the fall was great, of course, and for a minute or so he was unconscious. At the end of that time, however, he was in full pos- sessien of his faculties, both bodily and mental. IIc Lad scrambled to his fect before the men who had are ae . e P eeiear Tate hee «ce woken aw SS ate Newew ye P Pea. Pte Lf A GO Soe oe COMmiIcoooe E SEO va