Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 284: what you’re looking at

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

eg Oe Re rR PEE ell seh No sooner did this rash and adventurous thought enter his mind, then he drew forth a halfpenny, and stepping up to the man, placed the coin in his hand, and received one of the printed bills in exchange. “Sold again!’ exclaimed the vendor. “Sold again to thin young gentleman in the velvet suit! Sold again !” These words had the effect of drawing public attention to Jack in a manner which he found neither desirable nor agreeable. CHAPTER CXCVI. RETURNS TO JONATHAN WILD AND RELATES Wht SUCCESS HE MET WITH IN HIS PURSUIT AFTER BLUESKIN AND JACK SHEPPARD. Ir will be recollected that after his return from witnes- sing the execution of Flood and Blewitt, Jonathan Wild had ordered a body of his men to collect together, and had placed himself at their head. They were every one well mounted, and fully armed. He led tho way up Giltspur-street, for he had made np his mind to track the fugitives like the Red Indians do their prey, and never to rest until he had overtaken and captured them. Le recollected perfectly well which way he had gone on the Saturday evening, and he now went over the same picce of ground, and at tolerable speed, until he reached that spot where he had been wounded. A savage sort of howl came from his lips, and he glared round about him like some ferocious denizen of the orest. The great northern road stretched out in front of him so far as his eyes could reach, but there was nothing upon it which indicated the route taken by the fugitives. He pressed onward for some distance into the open country, until he came to the turming upon the left-hand side of the way which they had taken. He pulled up here, and his men halted also. The question entered his mind whether they had turned down there or kept straight on. There was nothing save chance to enable him to answer the question, and chance did it. He came to the conclusion that they had diverged from the main path. Such a proceeding would be natural, because it would offer a chance of escape. Accordingly, after a few minutes deliberation, he gave the word to his men, and trotted down it. It was now about mid-day, and the sun was shining high up in the sky, with great brilliancy and power. All traces of summer had not quite departed, and the scene upon which Jonathan Wild and his men gazed was one of enchanting beauty. But neither the thief-taker nor his followers were men to appreciate the beauties of nature, no matter how lavishly they might be displayed. They saw nothing to admire in the gorgeous autumn lints which every hedge and every clump of trees pre- kented; and the twittering of the birds, as they leaped from bough to bough, and the gurgling of a little brook, somewhere close at hand, they passed by unheeded. But it was in truth a lovely day; such a one as puts new life and vigour into everything, and even Jonathan Wild felt exhilirated, but it was without knowing what had produced the feeling. Before they liad gone far down the lane, the attention of all present was attracted by seeing numberless kites and carrion crows In the air, flapping their wings lazily, as they all settled down in one part. Jonathan knew what this meant the moment he saw it. ‘There is a dead body of sone sort close at hand,” he said, ‘* that’s very clear. Smith, ride forward down the iane, and see what is the other side of yon hedge.” Smith was the name of the man who happened to be nding next to him, and the moment his imperious master spoke he rode off to obey his orders. A few yards further on he came to a gate, which he pushed open, and entered a field. Jonathan continued his course at about the same speed as he had all along been going, and arrived at the gate Jost as the man Smith was coming out again. What is it?” “A dead horse, Mr. Wild.” = re some saaes Reiger ee at eg EB HO we » AAO ately Fae Ut BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. ‘SA dead horse?” _-“ Yes; and there’s hundreds of birds and insects on it; it’s more than half eat away.” “Ah! A horse! Stop a minute, I’ll go down and have a look at it.” Wild alighted as he spoke, and left the reins for one of his men to hold. Passing through the gate, he made his way direct to where Jack and his companions had dragged the horse after it had fallen dead upon the roadway. _ As Smith had said, there were hundreds of birds nnd insects upon it; indeed, it was literally covered with them, and im the distance looked like a large black moving heap; but upon the approach of Wild,the birds ross slowly in the air. A fearful and horrible spectacie was then presented to Wild’s sight. ° The ficsh had been already half stripped from the bones, and the last rays of the sun caused it to emit a moat loath- some sinell. Jonathan turned his eyes away, and scanned the re- mainder of the meadow. Almost the first thing he saw was the cart. He hastened towards it. But there was very little information to be gleaned by its appeaarnee ; still Wild came to the conclusion that the horse and cart he then saw were the same as had served to carry the fugitives. They might be somewhere close at hand, and in hiding, even nw. ; ' At euy rate he felt sure that so far he was on the right rack. He turned back into the lane again, and mounted his 10rse. “Forward!” he cried, “‘ Forward!” We shall have them at last! I will hunt them down! Forward!” The troop was quickly in motion, and though they went at a tolerable sxeed, Jonathan kept an uncommonly sharp look out on both sides of him. Ere long, howover, he saw a cloud of dust on the road before him, which showed that persons were approaching in considerable numbers. But what sort of people they were, and whether they were mounted or on foot, was more than he could tell, for so dense was the dust, that not even his keen vision could penetrate it. Soon, however, his ear caught the trampling of horses a, i ee, hoofs, and as everything that occured on that road con- . cerned him, as he considered, he called out to his men to halt, and ranged them on one side of the road, 1n order to see who the new comers were. They had to wait for a considerable time, for though Eney mete evidently well mounted, yet they came along very slowly. The dust cleared away as they came nearer, and then Jonathan Wild saw that they were officers of police. The moment he made this discovery he rode forward to meet them, being anxious to know from them whether they a seen anything of the persons of whom he was in search. The police-officer who rode first seemed to recognise Jonathan Wild, for he quickened his pace, and was soon by his side. He touched his hat respectfully. A politic man was that officer, and he knew it was better to be friends with Wild than enemies. **Good morning, Mr. Wild,” he said.» The thief-taker vouchsafed to growl out “ good morn- ing’ inreturn, and then he asked— ‘Where have you been? What is your business ?”’ “We have pursued the prisoner who escaped from New- ate.” on Jack Sheppard?” c¢ Yes 33 “ And is that your party behind ?” “Tt is, Mr. Wild.” | “ And have you got the villain and hig accomplices safe in custody ?” ¢¢ No ! 33 €¢ No P a3 ‘We tried our best, and thought we should have had them more than once, but they fought like fiends, and suc- ceeded in a most extraordinary manner in getting out of our reach.” eA man Pte ceaag eae one ly a Oe PS a eee ee Gere a wee wt Oe (SO) C NOOlKKS CO >