Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

t ) | , +) r — but perhaps the start they’d get,’ would kee : : p them .away from my plants, and. make their » owners believe I’m in earnest.” | »©, Theiold man went to a cuphbeazd, and, taking outa small tin canister, proceeded to, load-the: “There !” he said, wlien) he had, finished the ope ration, “I won’ put any shot in it. I dare say it will have some effect.on the brutes.” | |. Which brutes do you mean? The eats or their owners ?” asked his wife, still smarting with on. _ | “Ob! both of *em,” said Tobias. ‘I'll hang the blunderbuss up again, and mind you don’t touch it.” . | ‘“—_— » “Quite right, Toby. _ “ Me touch it!—not for the world. It mioht so off.” 2 _ There !” said the old man, returning ito its <i _ Now the first cat Lsee, or hear, there'll. e a noise, I know.” j= We ain’t a goine’to be, put upon. Common people, indeed !’’. . | And the old lJady stitched away at afurious rate. _» Tobias took his pipe from the chimney-corner, filled it with tobacco, and was about to apply a. piece of lighted paper to the bowl, when he dropped the hight, and sprang to his feet: _ “ What's that—what is it!’’ asked his wife,; dropping her hhands on her lap, and Jooking questionably into her husband’s face. table. -F Ves.” : 7 “ Cats,” he growled. ‘There! don’t you hear - ’em just outside the back door ?” _ Both listened intently. * Mol—row—mol—row.” | : i There was no mistaking the sound. Tobias took down the blunderbuss, and hi - wife, rising to her feet, took up the candlestick. “There's the beasts on the window-ledge, all - among those pots of geraniums,” said the old - Iday, as a scratching noise sounded plainly to the ears of both, and then, in loud and discordant; tones just outside the back window, came the “ Mol —row—wow—whew—whew—whew— - war—r—r !” Grasping the blunderbuss in his hands, with a determined look upon his face, old Tobias stealthily neared the back door. Close behind him followed his wife with the candle. | “ Don’t make a noise,’ whispered Toby, “ or you ll frighten ’em away.” “ Mol—row—mol—row—wow !” “ There’s a dozen of ’em atthe least,” whispered his wife. “ Qh, the brutes!” , The back door was reached, and the old man raised the latch as silently as possible. But ere he opened it, his wife said— “* IT think they’re gone ; wait a minute.” *¢ Mol — row — mow — mol — row — wheu— war—r—r !” _ There they are!” cried the ‘old man, flinging the door wide open, and ‘springing over the sill into the yard. ‘‘ Here—oh!” iw: He had come to a sudden stop—so. sudden, » ‘that he trod on ‘the toes ‘of the old dame, who “What! said Toby, laying his pipe on the. but quickly changed her tones to those of surprise and terror, as the fluttermg wick of the candle she carried in her hand, lit up the tall, cloaked form, and masked. face of a,strange-looking being, righti/beforethems) [[.) 91} we) jon no forests “di, amit a; ¢cat—it’s the devil!” gasped the old woman... .- at Sn evinae ait nf oni “ Mol—row—mol—row,!’’, came ,, from » the mask. .)' zed owoh bewoode orost 10 Gat or deyil!” ried; Toby, recovering par- tially ‘from: his surprise,.*‘‘:he shall have the,con- tents of this,” as he brought the blunderbuss up and levelled it at, Jack, who, overhearing, their conversation, had imitated the.cats. re “ No, no, no!,” eried his wife, springing out of. the doorway, and clutching at the weapon with her disengaged hand, | But she spoke too late. » wp a Toby,,who had guessed who our hero really | was, and knowing ‘that. the.blunderbuss -con- tained no shot, pulled the trigger. | With the loud explosion, mingled laughter, cries, and a loud splash, while sudden darkness shrouded the scene. The concussion of the air caused by the firing of the piece, had put out the candle, and the slight hold which Toby had of, the weapon per- mitted it to kick, and the butt, striking the old lady on the waist, sent her reeling backwards into ajarge.tub of waiter, just outside the back- door, wherein shesat. and sereamed lustily, while Jack made his escape, shouting with laughter, j and old. Tobias, the blunderbuss still:in his hand, stood bewildered and wnable to-moye. Tt was not till. Jack had cleared the little gate of the front, garden, and cave utterance to a loud ‘* Mol—row,”’ that Tobias turned to assist. his »| wife) from, her. anpleasaat position, and, as he ided; her, dripping wet, into the kitchen, he cursed the cats from the very bottom of his soul. CHAPTER LXIIL CLAVERING ATTEMPTS THE LIFE OF JACK, AND IS BORNE TO PRISON. SIDE by side at the edge of, the road grazed peacefully the grey horse and the roan mare. The bides of both animals still reeked with perspiration, for they had run a furious gallop ; but the sweet herbage quenched their thirst, and they, rubbed their heads together and champed;their bits with a feeling of satisfaction at the absence of the spur. Both had nobly fulfilled their mission, and the steam rose from their haunches in a cloud while thus they browsed along the roadside where the grass had not yet; been ruthlessly crushed into the sod by the trafic which now leaves few green tufts around London. ' They were, doubtless, happy ; but. how was it some short distance along the, road, where, stunned and bleeding, the. murderer lay with the tall form of the avenger standing over him ? That spectre ‘faee and demon form had done ats ‘work., .The libertine. and);the murderer, | terror:stricken. and powerless, had receiv-d a fall of such violence as,to render him insensible, land thejanimial Ke destrode-had plunged forward ‘owas close behind shim, and who roared in pain, | with sucli rapidity that when Jack succeeded in An | SPRING-HEEL’D JACK’: «THE TERROR; OF LONDON, 183 | Ghooks#eonn