Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

) = 178 SPRING-HEEL’D JACK : I never thought of being locked in. But never mind ; we should never regret what we doin a good cause, so I’ll wait with patience what may transpire.”’ Jack is not the only man who ever said one thing and did another. He found as time went on that his patience was getting exhausted. , His position was an uncomfortable one, his seat rather sharp, and his limbs became some- what cramped. Iwo o'clock had struck by the large time- piece in the hall, and Jack’s patience fairly tired out. He was about to vacate the cask, when he fancied he heard a strange noise by the bin to which his attention had been drawn by Myr. Larkin. Jack glared through the darkness towards it. The noise continued. : It was very slight, but quite sufficient to attract his notice and excite his suspicion. He almost suppressed his own breathing in order the better to make out what it could be. Once or twice he fancied it ma 15 be caused by rats ; but then, as it grew a trifle louder, the supposition was flune aside, and he strained every merve to see and hear. Suddenly a faimt glimmer of light played around the bin. Jack drew himself silently but hastily down into the cask, only permitting his eyes and fore- head to protrude above it. The ray of light became stronger, and then the figure of a man came from behind the bin. He held a horn lantern im one hand and a jug in the other. : 3 He nervously glanced around the vault, and Jack drew his head hack quite into the cask. ‘What a fool I am,” the fellow muttered, placing the lantern on the ground, “ to feel frightened, when I know old Larkin nor nobody else knows how I can get in here from behind the bim. He'll never find out the way ; but I mustn’t take any more of that wine yet, though the job pays me well. Ill just draw off a jug of whisky, and make a couple of bottles of it. Let’s see—that’s the eask. He won’t miss any from there, I don’t suppose; and if he does, he'll mever find out who’s had it.’’ The fellow strode up close to the cask in which our hero was concealed, and, falling ‘upon one knee, placed the jug under the tap of a neigh- bouring vessel. “This is the spirit,’ he said, as he laid his hand on the tap. “I don’t think there is another spirit to equal it in the world.” ‘“ Behold me!” eried Jack, in a deep, hollow voice, springing upright in the cask, and extend- ing his closed hand towards the man. Ihe fellow uttered a loud ery, and looked up. The light from the lantern he had placed upon the ground fell upon the hideous face and spectre-like figure of our hero. The fellow gasped, spasmodieally. A look of painful terror overspread his face, and his very hair appeared to extend jitself‘out upon his head. All power ‘seemed denied him, for still he kept his kneeling position. Fle eould only clare in| horrified ‘wmrazement upon Jack, whose body protruded from the ¢ask before him. | ree ee a HE TERROR OF LONDON. “ Go-0-0-0od Go-god!”’ gasped ter ON “it's } | the—the de-de-devil !” ; , “Happy to make your acquaintance, my friend,’ said Jack, still in the hollow tone of voice he had before assumed. “I’ve been wait- ing for you for some time. I want you!” feet. As he did so Jack bounded upwards, and out of the cask, right before him. “Oh! oh! oh? gasped the man. “ D—d— don’t.” nae ie vaults. | BRS Jack bent over him, taking good care to keep the rays from the lantern playing full upon his face. ate “You're fond of spirits, are you not,” he asked ? | “i “No, no.”’ | “Don’t tell lies. What were you going to do?” asked Jack. ~ “¢ No—no—nothing !”’ =~ ““ Lie the second,” said Jack. “‘ You came here that you might rob your master.” =, “‘ Upon my soul——” a “Hush! What did you require that jug for?” The man was silent. = | ‘“ Rascal !” said Jack ; “your peculations are brought to an end. [”—— © . “For God’s sake ”—- “ Silence! don’t mention that name in my presence.” ‘“T—I forgot that you don’t like to hear it. The devil never does,” stammered the man. ‘¢ You know me, then 2?” “Oh, dear! oh, dear, yes.” | fon , “Very good, then. You also know it would be useless to attempt to deceive me,” said Jack, erinning under his mask. | ee “<I won't try.” ‘You had better not.” “* LT won’t—I won’t.”’ es “ Now, then, to what extent have you robbed your master 2” ) Rg i ** Robbed !—” hs “Yes. No equivocation. It won’t do with me,” said Jack. “‘ To what extent, I say.” “T don’t know.” : : Hi: ‘* Lie the third. Beware of the fourth,” d Jack, taking a step nearer to the fellow, abo crouched lower to the ground in his terror. “ A very great extent,” he replied. “Tcan’t tell you how much.” —— ‘‘ Of course that don’t matiter, for I know,” said Jack. “ But how long have you carried on this game 2?” — ‘‘ About-six months.” - | ‘“ Does anyone assist you ?” ¥ ‘* No.” | ‘“ None of your fellow servants ? Speak truly ; — it. will be better for you to do.so,”; ° « 5 EL. * Not one.” | 2 evel to sine You are.alone guilty ?” nwo * ** Lam.? " “How h ave you managed to avoid discovery ° The man hesitated to answer this question, , “Speak, ortremble.”, { oft co Blad “By the door behind the bin.” .5 — . 7 weeping) | | e f*+@) —— | IOO (E(o) AM Ce The man let fall the jug, and sprang to his a And down he crouched upon the floor ofthe | s.com ‘