Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

a cme arr et —E- (EE a ne a eS em re a SS aay SS Oy Ee ee oS 0 SS a SED te ———ae a a Ne ey if 0 DB RES 8 PE UT re OR PO TE TIE ERE RE GRP EEE TyRegermentes wert won gere TE Oe oe eee. x tart a ne ema rs. OTE say As before, bowever, his companion made no reply to his question. This behaviour puzzled Jack exceedingly, who began, like the landlord, to entertain an opinion that Joe Blake as he ealled himself, was something morethan he professed » to be. And in that conjecture they were perfectly mght. In the progress, however, of this narrative the mystery in whieh he inshrouded himself will be dispelled, and the reader put into possession of one of the most extraordinary life romances that could be imagined. It will not fail to be suspected that there was in some way a connexion between the shroudmaker and Jonathan’s licutenant, and we may as well state here that such was actually the case. But of the nature of the connexion we can at present say nothing. Jack’s.disposition was one that might truly be called an impressionable one, and the peculiar cirenmstances atten- dant upon the rescue of the girl had not failed to exert a deep and lasting inflnence. Wis mind was oeeupied with and about her exclu- sively. It tormented him to a degree that his comrade should actually have some knowledge respecting who and what she was, and yet refuse to inmpart it to him. The cart sped os its way. A few minutes after they had passed the chureh of St. Giles’s-in-the-Fields, they beard the hour of midnight pealed forth. Another turn tu the left and they were in the Oxford- road, This was completely deserted; neither horse nor man appeared in view. As, however, at the period of our story this place was open country, the wind swept along it with great keen- hess. It was rather strange that on that night Jonathan Wild and Quilt Arnold—Blueskin and Jack Sheppard shonld both be out on that particular night and bound on perilous expeditions. There was not a word further uttered by either Sheppard or Blueskin until the railings which surround Hyde-park were reached. Then the latter spole. “Don’t be sulky, Jack,” he said. ‘If it was in my power to communicate to you what I know I would do so treely, but I cannot.” . ‘Why not? In what way is it a secret ?” “Thus. J could not answer you without giving you a glimpse ofsiny own life—I mean without enabling you to form an idea who I reaily am—and that would be impos. sible.” Jack was silent. ‘© T will, however, promise you to do all I can to serve the girl, but you must not expect to know all my thonghits. The time will come, perhaps-——perbaps not.” He turned into the Uxbridge-road along which they went at unabated speed. “And now, Jack, listen to me. Disnuss from your mind all thoughts except those immediately connected with the business we areupon. Less thana quarter-ot-an- hour now will take us to ‘ The Grange.’ ”’ “Tt’s no good asking me not to think about her,” replied Jack. ‘“* 1t would be inpossible.” “Oh! stufl! bea little bit more lie a man, or I shall be ashamed of you.” The remainder of the distance to Kilburn was passed over in silence. And now the moon rose above the hugo masses of clouds upon the horizon, and shed a subdued hght upon the scene. Picturesyuely situated upon a piece of gently rising ground, was a quaint, red-brick building. When they were within twenty yards of if, Blueskin | pulled up, and pointing with his wlip, sard— ‘ Yonder is the place. We mu2t we go further, the grating of the wheels may be heard. It is a neat-looking place.”’ * Who lives in it ?”’ said Jach. “A yetired city merchant, named IMadley. immensely rich, so we ought to make a good haul! He is It is not, however, for booty in the shape of plate or money _that I go, but for some papers also.” ~ A, oe en 7 et ee BLUESKIN : A ROMANCE. While speaking, Blueskin and Sheppard alighted from the cart, and led the horse to the side of the lane, where, as is not infrequently the case, grass was growing in abundance. The horse immediately bent his head, and began cropping the sweet herbage. Shut up in a London stable'as he was nearly all the year round, and fed upon nothing but dry food, a meal of grass was quite a luxury. “Tt won't be worth while to tie him in any way,” said Blake. “1 know him. He will stray only a few yards from where he now is. Just get up on to the step of er eart and give me the bag of tools I left upon the seat. “Here you are! Why, what a weight they are!” “Yes, rather. Come along now, at once. We are already later than I intended to be ; however, perhaps it is quite as well.” c¢ Why ? 393 «] t will have given everybody time to get sound off to sleep. As Blueskin had been informed by the person whose duty it was to take an accurate observation of every place that was to be entered, ‘‘The Grange’? was completely surrounded by a high brick wall. _ He had come provided with the means of surmounting it. Upon reaching one particular spot, he opened the bag of tools, and took therefrom a bundle, which, when unrolled, proved to be a strong rope ladder. Jack looked with great curiosity to see how 1t was to be made serviceable. Then he noticed that to one end of the ladder was fastened a piece of iron, which curved over aud formed two hooks large enough to hold on a wall. Blueskin held this part m a particular manner with his night hand, while in his left hand he held the other end of the repe ladder. Ife stood a little way from the wall, and swung his arm backwards and forwards. Suddenly, then, after taking a very careful aim, he let go of the iron part, and up in the air it went. As it descended, it caught upon the top of the wall, and Blake, by a sudden jerk, secured it there. It made a sharp clinking sound as it struck against the brickwork, but it was so explosive that it was a thousand aoa if it attracted notice, had anyone been about and ieard it. To throw the ladder so that the iron hooks should cateh upon the top of the wall, of course required no small amount of dexterity and skill, but Blake, by long practice, was able to accomphsh it with as much precision as a Mexican can throw the lasso over the neck of a wild horse. Jack was quito lost in adnuration. Wonderful!” he said. “If I had not seen it done I] should never have believed 1t!) That’s what I call down- right clever!” ‘Ob! if that snrprises you, you shall be astonished presently. That is the easiest part of the whole affair ! Now, then, you go up the ladder first, and I will hold it steady at the bottom for you, as you are not used to it. When you get to the top sitastride the wall, and wait till I join you.’ Jack Sheppard was very lithe and nimble, and he climbed up the ladder with the agility of a young squirrel. On reaching the top, he, in obedience to Blueskin’s instructions, seated himself across it. Then Blake himself ascended. Beneath them was a summer-house or arbour, which stood at the extremity of a little garden. This garden was at the rear of the building, which was the part Blueskin lhad chosen at which to make his burglarious entry. CITAPTER XXII. TILE LISCOVERY AND TUE ALARM. Our friends—for such we think our hero and Jack are fuirly entitled to be called—were certainly, as yet, oniy at the commencement of their work, but still, so far all bad gone well. No alarm had been given, and they looked forward confidently to bring the matter to a successiul issue. es 8 ae en eg SS A GRRE oe > Oe E- S Dow eeaswa ee ee t a =P. @ cet ont here, for if| THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN BLUESKIN AND THE MASTI/?-— 3 ee SS oo OO ECO DOO SS (SO) =} ® mrp Tr ey ee ee: | lon aaiek 1 TW ftalanaan ag a aR Al 7 > Per ry yw. | at» _ ee Sy eAirTt?