Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 298: what you’re looking at

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

a * BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. ee “¥ did; bat” —— ** But this seems jike a prison,’ as he glanced at the stone walls. It certainly has that appearance,” said Wild; ‘‘ but it is all the safer for that.” > remarked his lordship, CHAPTER CCV. BLUESKIN AND JACK SHEPPARD COMMENCE THEIR AD- VENTURES IN SEARCH OF MONEY IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT THEIR SCHEMES. THaT Jonathan Wild meditates some treachery towards Lord Donmull the readers muat feel certain, because, as they are well aware, it was not in those gloomy dungeons beneath his house that Edgworth Bess was to be found. But leaving them upon their erraud, we will return to Blueskin and Jack Sheppard. When the former reached the water, being an excellent swimmer, he quickly rose to the surface, and turned his face towards land, to be on the look-out for his com- panion. He saw him fall, and swam towards the spot. But Jack rose at some little distance. He reached him, however, in less than half-a-dozen strokes, and the first sounds almost of which Jack was conscious, were those of his comrade’s voice. ‘* Are you hurt?” he asked. «¢ No a3 “Follow me,then. Swim for your life, or Jonathan will have us, after all!” ** Where shall you go?” This was a pertinent question, but it was one which Blueskin was not able to give a direct answer to. In fact, the leap into the Thames had been taken sud- denly, and without knowing what he shonld do, so that he now found himself completely at a loss. But this, certainly, was no time for deliberation now. ack noticed his comrade’s silence, and guessed in a moment the reason of it. ‘Let us swim to shore, Blue,” he said. “If we go down the river, Jonathan is sure to overtake us. Let us get back to shore.” *‘A good idea,” said Blueskin. ‘“ We will land close to the ken.” Accordingly, they swam back to the shore, just at the time Jonathan was lowering himself into the boat. For some distance all along the river side, it was fenced in with wooden palisades, which had been driven deeply into the soft ooze at the bottom of the river. At low tide they could not possibly have reached the top of these, because there the bed of the river was exposed, and would have swallowed them up like a bog. Bat being high tide they were, after one or two attempta, able to clutch the top edge of the palings with their fingers. Here they remained a little while, not daring to move, for fear that if they did, some sound would reach the ears of Wild, and show him where they were. With what eagerness they watched their enemies’ actions can readily be guesaed. The light of the torches which they carried made their position continually apparent. Once they had a narrow escape of discovery. The whole of their attention was rivetted upon Wild in the boat, and they gave no thought of those who had been left to search along the banks. A party carrying torches suddenly appeared, and they had only just time to release their hold upon the palings and duck their heads beneath the water, when the glaring hight was thrown upon the very spot they had so recently occupied. Of course there was now no trace of them to be seen, and having satisfied themselvea, the janizaries passed on, having missed their prey by a hair’s-breadth. They stayed, however, long enough to try the eudurance of our friends to the utmost, for they were almost dead for want of air. They then resumed their grasp upon the palings, and Jonathan’s boat was far out in the stream. Tbe men were dispersed along the banks. Biueskin gave one glance at the objects wherewith he was surrounded, and then he led Jack forward with con- fidence, for he knew exactly whereabouts he was. In a short time they emerged into the Strand, close to the spot where Jonathan’s horses were waiting. Jack proposed that they should steal a couple of them and make off, but Blueskin overruled him. “It will be by far too dangerous,” he said. “I want to get Jonathan off our track if I possibly can for a little while, 30 as to allow us time to breathe, and if we take those cattle, he will be after us like a shot. No, Jack, it won't do, though I should like to spite him, nevertheless, ba ne shall have plenty of chances of doing so by- and-by.”’ ** Where are we bound to, now ? ” ‘We ought to change our clothes.” “So we ought; but where is there a place?" “* I think 1 can find you one in Seven-dialg.” “All right.” The distance from Charing-cross to Seven-dials is not very great, and the two friends made their way towards it at full speed. In Little Earl-street, Blueskin stopped before a house, which differed from those adjoining in having no shop window. Indeed, it looked like a private house. At that hour the street was quite empty. The house before which they stopped, like the others, presented no signs of habitation. But Blueskin rang a bell, the handle of which wus concealed in the door-pest, and waited patiently a minute or two for admission. * What place is this, Blue ?” ** A fence.” “ Yes; I know the man who keeps it.” * Is he to be trusted ?”’ * Fully.” “ That is all right.” ** You have only to tell him ycu are an enemy of Jona- than Wild’s.” ““QOh! indeed! Why?” ** Jonathan had his only son executed about three ycars ago, and ever since that he has sworn to have his revenge upon him.” “And he is friends with whosoever ip a2 enemy to Wild!” é¢ Yes.” “Then we shall be bosom friends, I’! swear.” | At this moment the door was opened, and a little old man appeared upon the threshold. ; He held a thin candle, or rather rushlight in his hand, and with his other hand he shaded it from the draught. This caused nearly the whole of the light to fali upon his shrivelled countenance, which it lighted up with a remarkable distinctness, ; The moment he made his appearance, Blueskin uttered some words in a rapid tone of voice, in a language which Jack did not understand. But to the old man they appeared perfectly com- prehensible, for his face brightened, and he stood aside, and held open the door in order to allow them to enter. Blueskin stepped over the threshold, and Jack followed him unhesitatingly. They halted, however, while the door was fastened, and then the old man preceded them along & passage, which terminated in a small and tolerably well-furnished apartment. There was 3 large fire burning in the grate, and the atmosphere within it was most insufferably hot. But our friends were rather glad of this than other- wise, for walking in their wet garments had chilled them. “ And what do you want with Tumposki?” asked the old man, aa he set the rashhight down upon the table. “Speak! The poor Jew is always willing to laten to your commands.’ ‘Poor Jew!” said Blueskin. ‘‘ Stuff—you know you judging this to be a favourable opportunity, they dvew } ere about the richest man in your tribe.” themselves up and over. Right glad were they to find themselves once more upon | Richest man in the tribe. dry ground, and they shook the water from their apparel, ead telt after al] but little the worse for their adventures. serine ie e Npreree = oh Bo er te enw SO eee ss aes 0 aegtely h eed. D6 ew “IT? Oh!—oh! Ha!~ha! Very good. I like that Ha !—ha!” ‘“ Well, never mind your riches, old man. Do yo the state we are in? ae) ew ee COMICELOO© SS (SO) >