Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 306: what you’re looking at

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

——<—— ~— oreo i 3ng ee wy ee UO ecm ip as ae eet! & Sey ae oP ae Musing thus, Jonathan went out into hall aguts. Quilt Arnold was standing there. “Has anyone else been, Quilt ?” “No one important, sir.” “Good. Have you heard anything of Jack Sheppard ?”’ “Nothing, Mr. Wild.” “Curse him! But let him go ou, [4m eure te bave him in the end.” “Of conrse you are, sir.” “Tam going round the corner to get something to eat, so, if any one comes, you will know where to tind me.” Jonathan did not wait for any reply, bat strcde out of the front door. Crossing over the road, he turned the corner of Gilt- spur-street, and entering the eating-house where he usually took his meals, he sat down and ate a bearty meal, enough to last him for twelve hours at least. Then he returned home. Quilt,” he said; “to-night, between nine and half: past, have a troop of a dozen men, ail well mounted and armed, at the door. I shall start at that hour with them to search the highroads round London for Bluesiin and Jack Sheppard. Do you understand P”’ } “ Quite, Mr. Wild, and you may rely upon i) Deing one.” “That is enough ; see to it.” *€ Shall I provide a horse for you f” “Yes, let it be a good, sound, strong ane, crpab:e of enduring a little fatigue. While I am gone you mvst take charge of the house.” ‘Very good, sir.” “* I have been knocked akout a great deal lately, ani don’t feel altogether so strong and well as I ougit. fancy it is sleep I require, so I shall go up stairs and he down till then, so do not let me be disturbed by any one, but, if I should not be down at nine, call me.” You may rely upon all your commands being properly obeyed, Mr. Wild.” Jonathan ascended the stairs. But, before he entered his own sleeping chamber, he went up to the second-floor landing, where he found Steggs sitting at his post. “Ts all well?’ he asked. “Quite, Mr. Wild.” ; “That is right. Be watchful and faithfal.” **'There’s nothing at all happened.” ‘It is very strange,” muttered Wild, as he descended the stairs, ‘‘ very strange. I cannot make out Mary’e death at all. Confound her, too, her dead body must be somewhere in the honse. It must be disposed of. I have been in a whirl ever since Jack Sheppard escaped from Newgate, and I have forgotten all about it. I must not negleet that longer than to-morrew. She must be buried, at any rate, but I would freely give a hundred pounds this moment if I knew how she had come by her death.” Thus speaking, Jonathan went into his room, and oe bimself down on the bed, and was soon deep in sleep. Edgworth Bess was safe yet. CHAPTER CCXII. BLUE&SKIN AND JACK SHEPPARD ARE CHASED ACROZS JIAMPSTEAD-HEATH BY JONATIIAN WILD. JONATHAN WILD awoke with the sounds of sore alack stwking the hour of nine in his ears. He leaped to his feet instantly. a the stairs he met Quilt, who was coming up to call “Ts all ready P”’ “Yes, Mr. Wild.” Jonathan could not get the thoughts of kia quondam wife out of his head, so he guid— Quit. “Yes, Mr. Wild.” “When—when Mary Milliner was ki‘iad, what becume of Jier body ?” ** It was put back into her room.” ** And is it there now P”’ “Yes, Mr. Wild.” “That should not have heen. ettended to before now.” “What will yon have done with ha: ?” “ Buried, of course.” SLe caught to have been a a eS ee eee Se joe! ap a a CP aE 2 TO TE a I SL ALI SO Tn I SL I I EO TT, RIOTS Sag en SS wy YR, SO _O O gig D Po eat ie iatealingtiaptel. no Oe, BLUESKIN: A ROMANCZ. ee ee eso - Where, sir? “Remind me of it when IT come back, and I will cee what ie to be done.” “All right, Mr. Wild.” Jonathan passed out of the front door. Thirteen powerful korses stood in the street. a nelre of them carried Wild’s janizaries upon their acks. The thirteenth was set aside for him. The long sleep he had had, had done wonders in refreshing him. He felt almost like himzelf again as going down the steps he mounted his horse. He was well armed, and his men also. Which way to look for those he so wished ¢o capture he had no idea. He would have to trust to his luck entirely. What his determination was is easily explained. Beginning with that movement, he had made up hie mind to patrol the various highways leading from Lcndon every night until he learned something of them. He had plenty of ways to choose. There was the North-road—the West-road—the Edg- ware-road—the Dover-road. But after a moment’s deliberation he determined to erie a of these, but go in the direction of Hamp- stead. No sooner had he come to this decision than he gave his men the order to move forward. He led the way down Snow-hill and over the bridge, a the Fleet-ditch, and up the steep ascent of Holborn- Then turning to his nght, up Grays Inn-lane, he made his way in an almost direct line to the place he wished to teach. From what we have related, the reader must be aware that Jonathan Wild must have reached the heath at about the same time as Blueskin and Jack Sheppard—neither of whom for a moment thought their enemy was so near. But such strange coincidences will at times occur. The only difference was, that the two highwaymen and the thief-taker reached the heath frem two diffcreut oints, : it was Jonathan and his paity who had arrived so suddenly and unexpectedly upon the spot where the encounter with the traveller took place, and the thief: taker guessed in a moment who the robbers were. Accordingly, he fired his pistol, though he might have known that he was too far off to do them any harm. He stuck his spurs into his steed, however, and pursued our friends vigorously. The steep bill tried the horses greatly. But on reaching the top of it they loosed theiz reins, and truck tho horses sharply. They went down at a fearful speed. Jonathan Wild knew the traveller must be cn the road- way somewhere, for he had met his horse, and he had the conviction on his own mind that those who were flying on the road before him were no other than those whose eapture he so earnestly wished to aceomphsh. The grounds he had for coming to this conclusion were not very definite. Still the idea was hanging in his mind that they were most likely to be found upon the highway. He knew they had no means of subsistence, and that they must live. The readiest means, he argued, that would cceur to them to get what they required, would be going on the highwap. A desperate robbery had been committed. He had arrived just a little too late upon the sdene of action. He coald tell, however, by the regular bes! or the horses’ hoofs, that there were two persons on the road before him, and thus strengthened him in his notion that they were Blueskin and Jack Sheppard. . That he was quite correct in this chance suppositior the the reader does not require to be told. “ He plunged his spur deeply into his horse’s sides— so deeply that the poor animal would bound fo- ward as if mad, and utter occasionally sharp cries of om ase ee te om @z-> five pain. a At the top of his voice he called out to bis men, oferne ¢ Se EE oe ce ew we we Re we er EES OY ee re en A ee EO mes et =O! ee | A mrs em Ny re ng cp ge a a PES SR TT EE A a nu COMmICNOokS.G©