Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 398: what you’re looking at

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

LE =~ ™ 396 The driver, hearing these cries, so far from complying with them, ouly lashed his horse to make him go the faster, and he also took care to hold the whip in an aggressive sort of way, as though he would stnika any ene with it who attempted to impede his progress. But Blueskin was not to be baulked thus. Turning his horse round, he galloped along by the side of the vehicle, which he now saw was a post-chaise, and cried— ‘* Halt—halt, I say. I want to speak to you.” But the driver took no more notice of this appeal than he did of the former one. If anything, he lashed the horses faster. Blueskin was now by the side of the chaise, and his ears were saluted with another sound which reached his plainly above the trampling of the horses’ feet and the grinding of the carriage wheels. It was some one in a faint, smothered sort of voice cry- ing for help. This, coupled with the behaviour of the driver, made Blueskin feel certain that something wrong was going on, and he determined to put a stop to it if possible. His nature would not have permitted him to go by. ** Halt,” he cried again, still galloping by the side of the chaise. ‘“ Halt, I say, or, if you do not, you are a dead man.” Still no notice was taken. Provoked by this behaviour, Blueskin drew a pistol and fired it over the coachman’s head. He was rather surprised by the result. The man uttered a dismal howl, and fell off bis scat at once. By a sudden movement, and an exertion of the great strength which he possessed, Blueskin grasped the reins of the horse on the off-side, and turned his head round. he effect of this was to stop tle chaise at once. At this moment the window was let down violently from the inside, and a voice, furious with passion, cried What's all this? Drive on, coachman. Drive on. Don’t stop for anything. Drive on, I say.” ** He is past that, I taney,” said Blucskin, trotting up. Ah! a highwayman!” cried the voice at the chaise window. ‘ Take that.” Bang went a pistol, and Blueskin felt something hot fly past his cheek. He was safe from that shot at least. With all the coolness in the world he pulled a pistol from his pocket, and, cocking it, presented it full at the face of the man inside the chaise who had fired. He shrank back. Blueskin saw his advantage. In another second he was at the window. The man shrank still further back, until he sat down upon the seat. Blueskin projected the pistol into the chaise until he could almost touch him with the muzzle of it. ** Now, sir,” he said, “‘ another word, another move- ment, and I will scatter your brains for you. I cannot possibly miss such a good aim.” The face of the man turned a shade whiter, whether with rage or fear is not certain. Perhaps the effect was produced by a combination of the two. Blueskin’s tone of voice and the expression of his face let him know he had got a man to deal with who would stand no trifling. The same muffled voice again smote upon our friend’s ear, and, looking in the direction from which the voice proceeded, he saw, huddled up into a corner, something which his vision, assisted by his imagination, made him | h think was a woman. He opened the door of the chaise, and said— “If, as I suspect, there is some one in here against their will, come out—be free.” An uneasy movement followed these words, bnt the huddled-up figure got no nearer to the door. “She must be securely bound and unable to move,” thought Blueskin. He changed his pistol from his right to his left hand, and then, Jeaning as far as he could into the carriage, caught hold of the dusky-looking figure. e had to put forth considerable strength to move it, for it seemed to him to have no powers of volition of its own, BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE eee However, he managed to drag it towards the door of the chaise. _ The man now roused himself so far as to attempt an interference, but he was promptly checked by Blueskin showing him the pistol. Our friend was now quite sure that the huddled-up figure was a female. She appeared to be tied both hand and foot. Round her head and covering her mouth was a thick black scarf. This was not tied so tightly as to impede her breathing, or even altogether to stop her speech, for she could speak in a muffled tone. Blueskin encircled this form (which from its slender- ness must surely have been that of some young girl) with oe arm, and gently drew her up on to the saddle with im. But he svon found he was unable to keep her in this position, and at the same time maintain his influence over the man, so he was compelled to let her slip to the ground, which he did in the gentlest manner he possibly could. He next dismounted himself, and proceeding at once to the chaise door, he compelled the man who was inside to alight. He was evidently a coward, and destitute of all spirit to defend himself, or he would never have submitted to Blueskin in the way he did. But that is no more than any one might expect, for who but a dastardly coward would bind a young girl as ee done, and force her to accompany him against her Will. The threat of a bullet seemed to have a powerful infiu- ence upon him. With great speed and dexterity our old friend removed the scarf from around the lady’s head and face. He found it was of black silk, and of tolerable length. It was just the thing he wanted. Befora the abductor of the young girl was exactly aware of what he was about, Blueskin had formed a slip- knot iu one end of the searf, and thrown it over his head. He drew it until it fitted just tightly round his neck. This done, Blueskin secured the other end to one of the spokes in the hind wheel of the post-chaise. To be sure, the man could have released himself by un- tying one of the knots, but that was a work of time, and before he could succeed in doing that, Blueskin would be ready for him. Our old friend would have taken more pains to bind him, but that the condition of the young girl attracted all his attention. She seemed to have fallen into a swoon. Moreover, now that the scarf was removed, the light of the carriage-lamps shove full upon her face, and showed it to be one of rare beauty. She was young, too. It was not in human nature not to feel interested in such charms. Therefore he left the man as we have shown, and turned his attention to recovering her. The only means he had at his command were such as a pocket-flask of spirit afforded him. A small quautity of this he poured into her mouth, and also chafed her hands and temples with it. He was soon rewarded for his trouble by seeing her open her eyes and look around her. The swoon was not a very serious one, and she did not relapse. She was still bound, so Blueskin hastened to release er. In a feeble voice, then, for she seemed greatly ex- hansted, she spoke. ‘*SHelp—help!” she eried. from him—that dreadful man! from him!” ‘* Be under no apprehensions on that head,’ said Blue- skin, soothingly. ‘* You can rely upon my protecting you from him. It is beyond his power to harm you now.” The poor girl murmured her thanks, and Blueskin assisted her to rise to her feet. He then had a better opportunity of observing her. She was clad in plain-looking apparel—such as denoted her position in life to be the reverse of exalted. But her face! ‘*Save me—oh! save me Oh! I pray you save me COMmMIICDOoOKS.EcO© 5}