Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 223: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN: A ROMANOE, 99) and he drew no small amount of consolation from this gource. Urged, however, by the heat of the flames, as well as the impolicy of staying longer, he once more, and for the last time, raised Edgworth Bess in his arms. __ She moaned slightly, thus showing that, in spite of all her perils, she still lived. The colonel carried her towards the door. By the time he reached it, the temperature of the room had risen to an insufferable degree, and the walls were mere sheets of flame. The reader will not fail to have perceived, by his ac. tions, that the colonel entertained no idea of being in any imminent danger. He calculated that some time must yet elapse before his foes made an attack upon him, if they did so at all, - the terrible repulse he had given them by severing e rope. Leisurely, therefore, as one might call it, he had made his preparations for taking his doparture. @ quite expected he should he able to do so, and be unmolested. In this, however, he was doomed to be deceived. Hoe did not take into consideration the extraordinary character of the man with whom he had to deal. He thought him disabled from taking any active mea- sures just at present. How woefully he was deceived ! At that very moment, the men who had been sent by Wild in the boat, under the directions of the men who were well acquainted with the locahty, had reached the lawn, and formed a circle round the house, through which it would be impossible for him to pass undetected. We have said he took Bess for the last time in his arms, and advanced to the door. He had determined that, at all risks, she should share his flight. He flung open the door, and would have passed out into the corridor beyond. But just as he did so, his ears were saluted by a terrible shout. A roar. An exclamation came also from bis own lips, and he paused where he stood. Before him, blocking up the doorway, was Jonathan Wud and a dozen of his men. CHAPTER CLIII. THE COMBAT IN THE BURNING ROOM. SAVES EDGWORTH BESS, BUT HAS WITH COLONEL THORNE, ONE would almost have thought that, upon seeing this spectacle, the wild pirate-chief would have then and there lost all hope. But he did not, though what he did looked almost as though he had. Perceiving the state of affairs outside, he did not attempt to attack them, nor did he allow them a chance of attack. ing him, but, with the suddenness of thought, darted pack into the burning room, and closed the door behind im. This was a feat that looked hke absolute insanity or suicide. Jonathan was frantic. _Edgworth Bess, he feared, would after all be lost to im. The pirate-chief had chosen to perish rather than sur. render, and he had chosen that Edgworth Bess should perish with him. At least, such was Jonathan Wild’s idea. The first he might have done without the thiet-taker raising a finger to prevent it, but as for the second, that was absolute destruction to all his most cherished schemes. Accordingly he shouted to his men to batter down the door, setting them the example himself. But the wily pirate had taken care to fasten it securely o the inner side, and all their efforts to force it proved Fy ve. _It was not, however, with any intention of seeking so disagreeable and painful a death as that which fire would JONATHAN WILD SOME TROUBLE inflict which made the colonel retreat into the burning room, but he saw that it was absolutel?Y impossible for him to cut a way through the mass of men hefore him. It was not too late, he thought, to retreat into the room, and effect his escape by the window, and no sooner did the idea occur to him, than he set about putting it Into execution. The door of the room was fitted with a strong lock. The key was inside. To turn it took him but an instant only, and then he felt himself secure for a few minutes at least. But by this time the temperature of the room had in- creased to an almost insufferable degree. There was not much smoke, but what little there was was of a very pungent character. He inhaled it with great difficulty. His lungs seemed blistered by every breath he drew. It had the effect of restoring Bess to consciousness, for she uttered a piercing shriek, which came to Wild’s earg with the greatest plainness, and increased the agony of apprehension under which he already laboured. His blows upon the door increased mm fury. Already it began to shake beneath his strokes. Colonel Thorne, puzzled and confused by the heat and smoke and struggles of his captive, made the best of his way to the window. But just as he reached it, and dashed it open, he found himself confronted by another body of men. They were those who had been stationed on the outside. A horrible curse, which made the blood eurdle in the veins of Edgworth Bess, came hissing from the parched throat of the pirate-chief. He was ensnared. There was no way he could turn to make his escape. Crash, crash, came the blows upon the door, and at last, with a final effort, it was sent bodily inward. Jonathan Wild, heedless of the fierce flames, dashed in. The form of the pirate-captain and the girl he wished to save were clearly defined from the surrounding red. They were near the centre of the room. The colonel had been forced there by the flames, to stop the progress of which no effort had been made, and which had already seized upon the priucipal portions of the building. He saw Wild coming. Still retaining his hold upon Edgworth Bess, he drew his sword and made a fierce thrust at him. But Jonathan warded off the blow, and attacked him in his turn, though not with that fury which he otherwise would, for fear lest he should injure Edgworth Bess. ** Yield, villain!” he cried. ‘‘ Put down the girl, or give her to me, and you shall have a chance of your life! Do you hearme? Put down the girl, I say!” Our readers may imagine the state of Jonathan’s mind at seeing Edgworth Bess in such imminent danger of losing her life. As for the colonel, he might have died a thousand times if he thought proper. His life was of no value to him at all. But with the girl it was different. Colonel Thorne, however, although he saw no prospect of escape from a lingering death, would not release his hold, but struck at Wild with his heavy sword. The advantages were allon his side. Both were skilful swordsmen, but, then, Wild was afraid to strike. The interior of the room, too, was hke a furnace. Wild’s men, although he repeatedly called to them, were deaf to his calls. It looked too hazardous to enter, and they preferred braving his anger, if ever he came out again. Of this they had some doubts, for the flames had seized upon the woodwork of the door. The shrieks that came from the lips of Edgworth Bess, who was now in full possession of her senses, were really heartrending. Jonathan felt that he was blistering all over, that his apparel was already dried to such an extent that the least thing would cause it to burst into a flame. A species of madness must have seized upon the brain of the pirate-chief, now that he had realized lis truly desperate position. ; But he attacked Wild with the bindest impetuoasity. Suddenly, howezés, the thief-taker saw an opening for his sword, aoe ob Se a nlp al gp een ee ee eee ee nett neers eee eee scree ee A comicooolkks (SO) 5}