Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 350: what you’re looking at

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

ae ce Ta TE I PC SS IESE SOLES SE SSC IO 348 aD BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, He found a bottom beneath his feet, andthen he looked | judge whether there was anything going on upon the around him. A glance was sufficient to satisfy him as to the nature of the place into which he had penetrated. It was simply a cellar beneath a house. _ Having made this discovery, le did not wait to do more, but climbed through the hole again. It was lucky he did go. As soon as he reached it he heard Jack sayin accents of alarm. “ Quick—quick, my friend. We are only just in time. Wild’s men are searching the vaults, and are even now in the passage, or else one that closely adjoins it.” ‘Come on, then. I think we shall elude them after all.” ‘What have you discovered ? ” ‘That we have made a way into a cellar.” ‘Capital, then we shall be able to make our way into the street.” ‘I hope so. saved.” The poor girl uttered a ery of joy. But it died away upon her lips as the sounds of Wild’s men came, even there, upon her ears. “Do not bealarmed,” said Jack. ‘‘ Let me lift you up, and then you will be able to take hold of Blueskin’s hands, and he will draw you up in safety.” Edgworth Bess consented, and Jack raised her iu his arms in the best manner he was able. Blueskin stuck the wax taper against a portion of the broken masonry, and, leaning down, he took hold of the bands which were held up to him, and lifted her up as gently as he could. Jack, too, lent his assistance, and, by the aid of both, the poor persecuted heiress was placed in safety in the cellar of the house into which they had made go singular an entrance. The sounds of pursuit which had so alarmed them were now inaudible, ont it was by no means safe to argue from that circumstance that their pursuers were not close behind them, nevertheless. : ot pausing, then, for a moment, they crossed the cellar. Jt was rather spacious in its extent, and stocked with bales of some kind of merchandize, though of what description they did not look to see. They were intent upon other things, that were to them of far greater importance. Crossing this cellar, then, as speedily as possible, they eame to a door which yielded to their hands, for it was not fastened in any way. But it led merely into another cellar, similar to the one they had just left. he only difference was, that it was smaller and empty. At the end of it was a flight of brick steps, which, lead- ing upward, and that being the direction they wished to take, our friends did not hesitate to aseend them. But after mounting about a dozen steps, their further progress was stayed bya door which was immovable In its setting, and resisted the slight effort Jack made to open it 4 Bess, dearest, you will, after all, be The position of our friends was very: equivocal, and they were to the full conscious of that disagreeable fact. They had no idea whatever into whose dwelling they had made this surreptitious entrance. And they were equally ignorant of what was on the other side of the door, and what danger they would incur when they passed through it, supposing they were suc- cessful in their attempt to do so. More they did not dare to reflect. upou. The future was so uncertain that they did not dare to speculate upon it. But this was certain. They could not remain very long where they were, or Jonathan would be upon them. Jack Sheppard knew this. He knew he must act. Had it not been for the incentive which the poor girl who was under his protection was to him, he would never have gone through what he had, or accomplished so many daring feats. So, holding up his hand in an attitude commanding silence, he placed his ear against the panel of the door, and, as a preliminary step, hstened intently, in order to a ee a eS other side of it. But the silence of the grave seerned to prevail. After listening for several seconds, and with the utmost intentuess ‘and acuteness, Jack came to the conclusion ace in that direction at least, there was no one to oppose em. Then he took the taper aud examined the fastenings of the door. They were all upon the outer side, with the exception of the lock. But that was so fixed that he could tell at a glance there wag no hope of forcing it off. He turned to Blueskiu and asked him for his bunch of skeleton keys. They were handed in silence and, looking at the key- hole, Jack selected one which he imagined would just fit. It was a shade too large, but he quickly took another rather smaller, which he inserted and turned round. The lock resisted for a moment, and then flew baek ihe a snap that sounded quite alarming in the profound silence. In itaelf, however, the noise was but slight, still Jaok thought it prudent to suspend operations a few minutes while he listened to ascertain wi:cther any alarin had been iven, But allseemed well, so, gently and cautiously, he opened the door. All was darkness beyond. Emboldened, then, he pushed the door wide open, and crossed the threshold. Blueskin ventured to follow, bringing Edgworth Bess with him. He raised the taper in the air, and gave a glance round him, so as to learn in what kind of place he was. It was a small chamber, and the use to which it was put was obvious. All round it shelves were ranged, and upon most of these were eatables and drinkables of various descriptions. There was a door leading out of it and a small window. These things were perceptible at a glance, and Jack 1Qq—_— “T think the best thing we can do now is to spend a ae or two in loading ourselves with these provisions ere. “So do I, Jack,” replied Blueskin. “It won’t take long, and between us we can stow a great deal away.” ‘* And who can say how soon we may atand in need of food, and, perhaps, not have the remotest probability of getting any.” While the remainder of this little conversation con- tinued, both our friends busied themselves with cramming their pockets with eatablea of various kinds, and, in the ones of a minute or two, they had laid in a cousiderable supply. ow to get out was now the next question, but it was soon answered. , They would get out by the door. ’ To their joy they found it was unfastened, so much time and trouble were saved. Besides which, the circumstance reminded Jack of some- thing which he ought to have done before, but which there was still plenty of time to do, and that was to properly secure the door at the top of the cellar-steps, so that their foes should have some degree of trouble, at any rate, to pass through it. Vhen the door leading out of the pantry was opened, the three fugitives found themselves in a kind of under- ground kitchen. But in this place, which was not quite so dark as the pantry, there was no one to be seen. It was early morning, and the inhabitanta of the house were not yet astir. ‘The same care was taken to fasten the psntry-door. The key was sticking in the lock, so Jack turned it as well as shot two huge bolts into their sockets. With all speed they now made their way across the kitchen, and passing through the door, they arrived at the foot of a fhght of steps. These they did not hesitate to ascend. They terminated in what was called the hall of the house. 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