Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 386: what you’re looking at

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

- or Ps — : Se 2 Sy & «2a Seat. i ga pe gam ees gS a pe | Yas eee i aia mais ae I oe 7 a OT re ee Ces 30 i eee ae i 384 Wild’s men in not providing themselves with lights before they mage the attack, some little delay took place while the lanterns were lighted and while an examination was made of the prisoner they bad in their custody. This afforded Blueskin time for reflection, and almost mechanically he cast his eyes around him in search of something which would afford him a chance of escape. “Tf I could but get inside the Abbey,” he said, “I might have a chance. The place is so vast, that it would ‘be no easy task for Wild to find me there. I wonder whether it could be done. I fear not. There is that window, certainly, but what a frightful height 1t is from the ground, and how should I contrive to reach it? Tam afraid there is not time even for me to make the attempt. Yet why not? I cannot possibly make my position worse than itis, let me do what I will, and so here goes for the attempt.” GE Having made this resolution, which he did very quickly for the words we have set down glided through his mind rather than were spoken, Blueskin sheathed his hanger, avhich he had drawn with the firm intention of defending himself with it to the last gasp, and made a desperate rush wat ‘the gray walls in order to reach the window, which scemed to him to lead direct into the Abbey. Had any one asked him whether it was possible to reach that window, he would have answered without hesitation iu the negative. That is to say, under ordinary circumstances, and with ordinary occurrences to influence his exertions. But when any one is urged onwards by threats of imme- diate death, it is incredible what a difference takes place. How the timid hare will fly when pursued by the remorseless greyhound ! With a frantic dash, then, Blueskin sprang up to the projecting gable of the old Abbey, and clung toit with the might of desperation. His fingers were bruised and his nails broken by his endeavours to obtain a hold, but he did not heed that, for he was at last rewarded with a firm grasp upon the stonework. Then, with an agility which no one scarcely would have looked for him possessing, he continued his exertions, and inounted upwards until he clutched the sill of the window which was to lead lim to safety. Having done this, he almost felt that his troubles were over, though, in reality, he had far from vanquished all the difficulties which interposed themselves between him and entering. Holding firmly with one hand, although he had scarcely sufficient strength to sustain his own weight, Blueskin, with his other hand, rapidly felt over the leaden framework of the window. To his joy, he found it was unfastened. It gave way to the slight pressure which his band pro- duced in passing over it, and swung open like a door. Here, indeed, was an incentive to fresh exertion, and the glance which he cast at the proceedings of Wild and hig men below made him indeed aware of ,the urgent neces- sity there was for him to be expeditious in his movements, if he did not want to have all his trouble for nothing. Summoning all his remaining strength into one spring, Blueskin raised himself upwards and crawled through the window. Fortunately there was on the inner side a window-sill of great and unusual width—indeed it was formed of the thickness of the outer wall of the Abbey. This afforded him a place, then, upon which he could rest. Gladly enough, then, he sat down, and as quickly and as noiselessly as possible shut the latticed casement and fastened it. He was just in time, for, peeping through the panes, he saw the men exhibit by their gestures the rage and astonishment which they felt at his unexpected disap- pearance. Tain would Blueskin, from the position he now occu. picd, have continued to watch the proceedingg of his ‘enemies, but he felt he must control this desire, since it swould expose him to the danger of discovery. A gleam of light cast upwards at that window from one ‘of the lanterns, might, perhaps, reveal his presence there. Accordingly he drew back, and sat ou the very edge of ‘the window-sill, with his legs dangling into space. oe now a rather serious question presented itself to im. } BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. ates de clon He was, undoubtedly, some considerable distance from the floor of the bnilding, and how was he to reach it ? He was not even in 8 position to say how far the ground was beneath him. Nor to ascertain it. And yet it would never do for him to remain where he was, . ie knew the character of the thief-taker too well to think that he would give up the hope of capturing him without making a thorough search. Some better place of concealment must be found, and that without delay. Blueskin always made it a point not to be without the means of procuring a light. He had too often experienced the utility of this not to be fully impressed with the value of it, and it may safely be affirmed that, unless some unlooked-for accident deprived him of them, he had always the means of pro- curing a light at his command. But, on the present occasion, he was unable to avail himsalf of the means in his possession, because, if he had done so, he would inevitably have betrayed his where- abouts to his foes. Some other means must be found, and Blueskin’s fertile imagination soon lighted upon one. He put his hand in his pocket, and drew forth a coin. He could not, in the darkness of the place, see what it was, nor did he care to know. It was a coin, and that was enough. He held it out at arm’s length, and then carefully released it from his grasp. Then he waited for the sound which it would make upon reaching the ground. _ And by taking notice of the length of time it oceupied in falling, he would be able to calculate the distance with sufficient nearness to answer his purpose. The sound reached his ears almost instantly, which showed the distance to be short—much shorter than he conceived it possible to be. _ But there was not one clear, riaging, metallic sound as it_ struck, but a succession of them, following each other with great rapidity, and each one coming with less dis- tinctness to the hstener’s ears than the preceding one. “Tt is a staircase,” gasped Blueskin, and, as he spoke, such a gush of pleasure came over him that he almost lost his seat. A staircase! What could be more fortunate? It was just the thing. He would be able to reach it without difficulty, and gain the floor of the Abbey easily. He had yet a chance of escape. Surely, on that night, fortune befriended Blueskin to no ordinary degree. Rapidly and cautiously, his heart animated by the hope that he should again bafle his foe, Blueskin lowered him- self from the window-sill, and had the satisfaction of find- ing, when he hung down to the fall length of his arms, that the tips of his toes touched the ground. Fearlessly, then, he released his hold and stood firmly upon the staircase. The interior of the Abbey was involved in the mest impenetrable darkness. Whether the staircase led up as well as down he could not see, and the only means by which he could satisfy himself upon that point was his sense of feeling. He soon found, then, that he was not at the top of the staircase, but he was still deprived of the means of know- ing whether it went up much higher or where it led. ‘it was a question as to which would be the hkehest to bring hix in safety—to ascend or descend. He choose the latter. As he went down, Blueskin soon became aware that the staircase was a spiral one, such as are constructed in towers and other buildings. As he went down, which he did with considerable rapidity, he noticed that he passed no more windows. This brought to his recollection the circumstance that when he stood outside, the window throngh which he ha/ forced an entrance was the nearest to the ground. “ Surely,” he thought, “‘ I may venture to light a matcl: and look about me. I do not think tbere is the least fear of it being seen by those outside. J will run the risk, at all events, for this Abbey is a curious old place, and, being a stranger in it, I ought to be more than usually careful in what I am abont.” 5}