Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

5 b 2 a ER, ee etree atte en ea eee — = 386 CHAPTER CXCIX., JACK SHEPPARD KNOCKS AT THE DOOR OF NEWGATE, AND DELIVERS THE LETTER TO THE MAN ON THE LOCK. TERRIBLE and spirit-crushing as were the numerous inci- dents in Jack’s life, that which we have just recorded will serve to show that they had not succeeded in wholly extirguishing that love of fun, frolic, and bravado which, in happier days, had formed a distinguishing feature in hxs composition. We think the letters themselves quite sufficient to make the reader understand what he intended to do. No good could possibly come of it. He was exposing himself to an unnecessary risk, and his enemies would be still more exasperated with him. But he determined to show his pluck, as he called it. He walked with a hasty and confident step in the direc- tion of Mr. Applebee’s, the printer. The hour was late, and few people were abroad. A steady, persevering, uncomfortable rain, too, was falling, and had been falling for a long time, and it was this that had in a great measure tended to clean the street of people. Jack hiniself soon found this inconvenient; and a hack- ney-coach happening to come by, he hailed it, and directed the coachman to drive him to Blackiriars-bridge. Upen reaching this place, which they did without the occurrence of any particular incident, Jack alighted, and having paid his fare, walked the remainder of the dis- tance. The printer’s address had been given in full at the foot of the bill he had purchased; and as the locality was well known to him, he found it easily enough. It was a poor tumble-down looking tenement in a back street, and from its windows there came but one solitary ray of hght. ; There was a knocker on the door and a bell-handle on the door-post, so Jack applied himself to both means of summoning admission, and made the quiet street echo and ring again. The appeal was answered in a httle while by 2 man who had on over his clothing a white apron. ** What the devil do you want ?’ To this polite interrogation, Jack rephled— ** Ts this Mr. Applebee ?”’ Which Mr. Applebce do you want?” The one that prints the dying speeches.” “That is my name,” said the man at the doog. “ You are Mr. Applebee himself?” That’s all right then.” * What's all right ?” ‘¢T heve got a letter for you.” Who from ?” ** Stop a minute.” Jack felt in his pocket and produced the letter. ‘There it is,’ he said; “ there is no answer.’ As he spoke these words, he placed the letter in the hands of Mir. Applebee, and darted off into the darkness in a moment, and was out of sight before the printer had time to break the seal. He did not run far, because of the fear he had of atiracting atteution by so doing. ‘That is done,’ he said. ‘‘I wonder what he thinks of it. I have lost half of the fun now. I should have liked to have seen him when he found it all out. How- ever, I must be content. Now, here goes for Mr. Noakes.” The distance to Newgate was not very great, so ho preferred to walk. In a little while the gloomy walls of the huge prison appeared before him. An uncomfortable sensation swept over him when he first caught sight of it, but he quickly banished the feeling. He had the letter in his grasp, so running up the little flight of stone steps before the wicket door leading into the lodge of Newgate, he knocked loudly at it. The man on the lock dashed aside the piece of wood which covered the circular grating, and asked what was wanted. ** A letter for the governor,” said Jack. ‘here was something in his. voice which sounded familiar to the janitor, and he peered cautiously through ox = S| Ge SS ee SDS Te ee rey BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. the bars, but the night was too dark for him to distinguish | Jack’s features. Nor did Sheppard wait for any lengthened scrutiny. ne pushed the letter between the grated aperture, and said— ** Give that to Mr. Noakes—there’s no answer.” He ran down the steps as he spoke; but the man on the lock, whose suspicions were aroused, dashed open the door, while he called ont to one cf his comrades who was sitting iu the vestibule— ‘““Ned—Ned! follow that chap that’s just bronght the letter. Hang me if I don’t believe it was Jack Shep- ard.” “Oh! gammon.” _“ Make haste. Ran afterhim and catch him. If Iam right, it will be a good thing for us, and if J am wrong it don’t much matter.” Ned seemed to see the force of this reasoning, for he darted down the steps in pursuit of Sheppard. But Jack was nowhere within sight or hearing. He had crossed the street, and hurried down one of the numerous courts that abound there. As he did so, he heard St. Paul’s clock chime a ouarter to eleven. He would have to make haste to keep his appointment with Blueskin at King Charles’s statue at eleven. Finding the streets now completely deserted, he went at a mu, which soon enabled him to get over the rround. If anything, the night changed for the worse. The rain came down more heavily. Jack was already soaked to the skin. In spite of the great speed he made, however, he did not reach Charing-cross until some few minutes past the hour agreed upon. He approached the large open space cantiously, and glauced all around him, to see whether any of his foes were lurking about. But all seemed clear, so he crossed over, making his way direct for the statue, though such was the murkiness of the night, he could not see it until he was close to it. There was no one there, apparently; but having pronounced the word Blue, in a low tone of voice, it was instantly responded to by the appearance of Blueskin. He had been standing in the shadow of the stonework a few paces off. *° You are late, Jack.”’ “T know it; but I could not get here sooner.” ** All right—a few minutes are of no importance.” ** Are we quite safe here ?”’ °° think so.” **T looked round me carefully before I drew rece.” So did I.” * T saw no one.” “Nor I.” “JT think we may venture upon saying we have the place all to ourselves, and Blue, tell me—de not keep me in suspense 1 moment—bhave you heard anything of— of Edgworth Bess? ”’ “Yes.” * What?” ** Be calm, and not impatient.” *T can, while anything else is spoken of. Your best course will be to tell me all you know at once.” **T saw Steggs, then. Jovathan Wild is from home, or was from home when I saw him. He had set out at the head of twenty men in pursuit of us.” “Hal” *‘Steggs took the opportunity to slip ont, and I was fortunate enough to see him. Do you know the position Steggs occupies in Wild’s household ?” “Not precisely. You have had no ogportunity of explaining things fully.”’ ; ‘No more I have. Well, then, you may take this for granted—we have not a better friend, nor Edgworth Bess a more devoted adherent than her old enemy, Steggs.”’ “ You told me that before, but I mistrust the man.” T think you hardly just. However, we met together, and decided to accomplish Wild’s destruction. We were both to unite and work to that end, exclusively of all others. Steggs made a proposal of a more daring nature than I could have given him credit for. It was to dis- guise himself, and seek employment of Jonathan—te CGOMMGIOOKSEEO 5}