Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 361: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. ne ee ee In spite of his bravado, he was always awed by a thunderstorm, and this is not at all remarkable, for a hundred and fifty years ago few people, except the well- educated, could be brought to beheve that the tremendous strife of the elements proceeded from purely satural causes. Now Jonathan was far from being in a position to claim the title of being a well-educated man, though be had rather more learning than his fellows; but there was a large amount of superstition mixed up in him, and every now and then it showed itself. As he walked up the staircase after the landlord, althongh he allowed no sign of it to be visible, he felt very uneasy in his mind. “Lights!” he eried. “Curse you all, you carry lan- terns, don’t you? Why don’t you show a light in this infernally dark place ? ”’ ’ He spoke these words in a loud voice just as he reached an angle in the staircase, which was very dark indeed. The men halted immediately, and produced their dark lanterns. There was a moment’s delay while they hghted them. But this was soon accomphshed, and then from the united lanterns there came quite enough hght to illuminate the staircase. In the meantime the landlord was pondering over the disagreeable position in which he found himself placed. He had no wish that Jonathan should succeed in effect- ing a capture, and he was quite ready to do anything that would be likely to prevent his doing so, if be could only gee an opportunity. But it was in vain he cudgelled his brains. He could think of nothing. When the lanterns were fairly alight, they resumed their way up the stairs. But still the hghtning and thunder continued with un- abated violence, indeed, if anything, the peals of thunder increased in loudness, and the flashes of hghtuing in brightness and frequency. At length the room in which the fugitives were was reached. Jonathan and his troop halted before the door of it. i this the room ?” asked the thief-taker of the land- lord. “Ttis, Mr. Wild.” ** Very good. You have kept to in, and I will keep to mine. urther trouble.” Then, going close to the door, Jonathan Imocked loudly upon the panel of it. But his sammons was unanswered. There was no more notice taken of it thanif the room had been empty. Wild next tried the handle. It turned round, and he endeavoured to push it open. It was fast. He shook it in its frame. “Surrender!” he cried. “Surrender! It is folly to resist, and make a foolish struggle to avoid capture. am here in force. My men surround this housg, so it will be impossible for you to leave it. Give in, therefore, and you shall be treated gently. Refuse and resist, and the consequences be upon your own head. I[ call upon you again to surrender. Surrender, I say!”’ Jonathan waited a moment to see whether any reply would be made to this speech, which he considered a highly conciliatory one. But no notice was taken of it. Those within the chamber—if any were within it—were silent as if they had never heard a word. This infuriated Wild, and he caught hold of the handle of the door again and shook it violently in its setting. He hammered, too, with the butt-end of a pistol] upon tue panel. But it was all to no purpose. “There is no help for it,’’ he said, at length, to the landlord. You see, they are such obstinate people that they will compel me to break the door down.” * T hope not, Mr. Wild. **T’ll see that the damage is made good.” “Oh! it isn’t that, but just think what a name m house will get. LI wish you could capture them quietly.” ** Well, I have tried, but, you see, they are determined to fight to the last. However, a thoaght strikes me.” your part of the bar- ou shan’t have any eee grr ctr TR EE, Serene ee * - 359 “What is it, Mr. Wild ? ” ** Have you got a ladder on the premises ? ” **T daresay we have, sir.” * Very well, then; I will go down with you and look forit. You, Smith and Goggs, remain at the door and see that no one passes out. Stop there till you have orders from me. The remainder follow me quietly down stairs.’ With these words on his lips, Jonathan turned round and commenced the descent of the stairs. The landlord did not dare to refuse to follow him, though, at the same time, his determination to aid the fugitives was unchanged. CHAPTER CCXLIV. RELATES WHAT TOOK PLACE AT THE INN AFTER THE CAPTURE OF JACK SHEPPARD, BLUESKIN, AND EDGWORTH BESS BY JONATHAN WILD, WitTH the exception, then, of the two men who had been left to guard the door, the whole party went downstairs. The lJandlord could not, of course, say no to any of Wild’s propositions without throwing himself open to suspicion; so he made a point of readily conceding to every one of them. Accordingly he led the way into the yard at the back of the inn, and looked about for a ladder. The storm was still raging, though not mueh rain fell; still the clouds were very black overhead, and completely shut out the sky from view. The ladder was found, and Jonathan ordered his men to carry it round to the front of the house—after giving a word of caution to thoss who were posted at the back not to relax their vigilance, but to keep as sharp a look out as possible. ; phe landlord now saw what Wild wanted with the adder. He had it reared up in the front of the inn, and put close to the sill of the window which looked into the room in which our friends were. No sooner was it placed—and care was taken to do it as noiselessly as possible—than Jonathan sprang to the foot of it, and rapidly began to ascend. His men followed quickly after him. But we must leave him for a moment, while we more particularly revert to the proceedings of the fugitives who were in such a desperate strait. And let not the reader be surprised when we say that they almost lost all hope. No wonder that they should do so, for all their endea- vours to get free from Jonathan Wild were unavailing. Clasping her hands together, Edgworth Bess cried, in a despairing voice— “Oh! what shall we do? Tell me, what shall we do? Or must I give up all hope, and resign myself once more 4o the fate of being made prisoner by that bold, bad man P” * Do not despair yet,” said Blueskin. ‘* We will doour best to prevent such a thing,but I am afraid the odds are too much against us for us to hope for that.” “Oh! fly—fly. Let us fly.” * We canuot.” F tne horses have not come; but yet we might go on oot. *“How far before Jonathan’s men—who are well mounted—would come up to us? Besides, we should never have the chance of making the attempt, even if we were inclined.” * Why not.” i eI know Jonathan Wild well, and am quite certain that, having seen us here, the very first thing he would do would be to surround the house with his men, so that it would be utterly impossible for us to leave it without being seen by one or the other of them.” “Oh! Tam distracted. Let us submit to fate. doomed to be his victim.” **Nay—nay, be calm. Recollect the old adage, “allare not lost who are in danger,’ and perhaps, even now, things may take a more favourable aspect than they appear to wear at present. Be calm, and leave all to us. We will do the best we can, both for your sake and our own. *¢ What shall we do, then?” asked Jack. | “ T can hardly tell, but I should propose this.” ¢ What ?” * += I am v (SO) (SO) 5}