Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 329: what you’re looking at

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

fo PRN BE | RIT: EAE POOR NCA OLE II A This, he imagined, would go farther towards reviving her than anything else he could find, ec, hastily pulling out the cork, be poured no inconsiderablo quantily of the | burning flaid down her throat. The efect was inefantanccus.:: She gazped viclently for a moment, and then recoversad. Blueskin looked belind him. ife caw Jack standing, with his eword drawn, over tho | trap-door through whieh he bad come. 1 4 lie only way in whieh be contd aid lim wns, as ho knew, to make all epeed with Edgeworth Meas to the attfie window, and thia ke at onco set aboat. With these few werda of explanation why they did net go further in the tims than they did, we will leave them, and turn onr attention to Jack Sheppard, As Blueskin had seen, he was standing with his sword wn, Jonathan Wild reached the top of the ladder, and saw his adversary there ready to reccive lin. But nothing danuted by the advantagcous position of his foe, Jonathan drew hig own hanger from iis ebeath, and held it beforo him to guard his person. Jack did not epenk. His whole attention was centred upon his adversary, and not the slightest movement that he made eacaped hia vision, As yet Jonathan Wild waa out of Lis resch, cr ko would have aseuredly attacked him. Cautionaly, hoWever, Jonathan mounted tho ladder. Then, with his eword ready for action, he made a sudden end impetuous rash upwards. Jack saw him coming. But almost before ha could atrike at his foe he was standing on the roof, In an instant Wild pressed forward and attacked Lis Soe with his beary hanger. Jack, however, etood firmly. Now the advantsge-was on VWild’s side. Jack waa not skilled in the use of the sword, and Jonathan waa. Moreover, the thicf-taker hada style of fighting peeuiiar to himeelf, and which would have embarrassed even an aceomplished fenecr. He relied aliogether upon the vigorous calircry of heavy blows, bronght down with the whoie strength of his erm, and sceh as would break through any guard. Bat Jack fouglit bravely against bim daring the fcow seconds that the ecnfict lasted. Suddenly, however, Jonathan Wild, with one of kis heavy blows, whiaked his sword out of his hand. Away it went whirling through the air, until if feil with a clattering sound upon the tiles. And now, if Jonathan kad wished to hava taken Jach’s life, he coald most assurediy Lave done so. But to have slain him with his own hand would not have eatisfied hia revenge. Nor would it have allowed him to fulfill his oath. Jack Sheppard, he resc!ved, shonld swing at Tyburn. Dropping his own aword, then, he made a resi forward before font was aware cf hig intentious, and grasped bim by the throat. Then a furious strnggie commenced. Jonathan evidently trought that when it came to a hand-to-hand encounter, Lis superior etrencth would make the contest a brief one. But he waa miataken. Jack’s muscles were lite steel, Paekwarda und forwarda they wert, now up tho sleping roof, then down, reeling alarmingly near the opon trap- door, whieh yawned for them hke a grave, and ao elcee to the low parapet which bounded the roof, thal it seemed #3 though they muat fall over it. But they did uet. Then Jack managed to break from Wild's crasp. With the swiftness of lightning he turned and tied. But Wild was after him instantly, and caught kold Gp tite skirt of Jack’sa coat as he climbed up the angular iling. _ Jack’s hold was a frail one, and this almost pulled him Gown, but he struggled manfully, and grasped the edge fro:n whiek the roof sloped down on both sidea. Ueedleas, however, of hia neck, Jonathan serambled ut nie end overtcok hia ere he could begin the secant, _ PIPL _ TE | BLUESKIN: & ROMANCE, tip pn a A A a I STIG IN I I I ES FT i SSS (tp ap DS Pr fg de yg S/F SS Sp, PD PPP Sa rs Sy NS 0 [ 327 Then in this perilous pogition, was their struggle re- newed with redoubled fury. But Jonathan soon got the advantszo again over his Opponent, Ie forced Jack down. Both were thon compelled to releaso the hold which they had kept upon the tiles, The consequence was that they slipped down with rather alarming rapidity. Jack was underniost. Wild's hands were tight upon his throat. The skarp edges of the red tiles eut hia head, tore bis clothes, aad grazed his akin as he shpped down with Wild upon him, Ile gave himsclf up for lost. ge unexveeted agsistanco suddenly presented it- self. Iilueskin had eafoly reached the attic window with Edgworth Beas. ifo had placed her in the room, requesting her not to stir while he went to effect Jack Sheppard’s reseuc. ‘The poor girl promised to obey. Ile, however, wade his arrival just in time to save his comraso. We bud a large pistol in his hand, but he was afraid to fire for fear of hitting Jack. He grasped it by the barrel, and got as near the com- batants as he conld. Then, seaing an opportunity, he brought the butt end down with full forec upon Wild’s head. pp be blow was an awlul one, and sufficient to extinguish ife. The thief-taker relaxed Lis grasp, and rolled down the rocf towards the parapet. CHAPTER CCXXVITI. JONATUAN WILD GIVES OUR FRIENDS A GREAT DEAL OF TROUBLE. BLUESKIN stretched out his other hand, and elutched Jack Shepnard, thus arresting lis descent. Jack soon aided himself. But no such aid was youchsafed to Wild. If not dead, Le was certainly ivseusible, for no one could have received such a blow as that without losing consciousness. Ile rolled down the tiles, then, and at length came wilh a dull crash against tho low parapet. There it was thought he would have etayed. ~ But an ominous cracking, crashing noise followed. he parapet was old and rotten, aud quite unable to staud against such a blow as that which Whild’s body rave it. = It erumbled away in a large mass, and the whela, Jonathan Wild end all, disappeared from the eyes of our two frienda, v Le were much atartled by this unexpceted occurrence, Jack Sheppard, however, recovered himsclf instantly, and, not withoat some misgiving, they went to see what had become cf their foe. “Tlais done for at last, 1 do believe,” said Blueskin. “T sbould never have thought it, for I have considered from the fret that Le was destincd for the gallows, but it geenis not.” “Don’t mako too sure,” said Jack, liim have a3 Darrcw an escape ag thia. down.” ‘they now reached the edge, and not trusting the paronet so rouch as to lean against it, they looked Own. Boneath them was the yard at the back of Wild’s sense, Just below, end net many feet off, waa a roof belonging to some outbuilding, and ou the top of this roof waaa larve water-tazk or cistern. t was uncevered, Jonathan Wild had fallen into this. He was not dead. : So thick was his skull, that the blow ha received 02:7 partially stunned him. . , The cistern, which providentially was just under wiser he fell, was almost full of water, aud ke fel! izto it with Ss tromcadous spiash. d The sudden contact with the cold water restored him no ““T have known Wait till we look “BS EO DOO (C <S (SO) 5}