Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

SPRING-HEELD JACK.: —— = a os y ‘¢ Not all they. came fo 1a - a They—who? your tite ‘companions [he ce Yes. 9 -* And what have they come for ? No’ false- i hood. I can tell i in. a Moment whether : you speak. truth or not,” said Jack, beginning to think that after all poaching was not. the pay gts of the | men he had followed. ‘“To rob the house.” | - wtb ‘Oh! to rob the house,” ee, ack, « Ye—yes.” I A ‘Well, I know that. Now, no lies, for I know,”’ as Seven.” ‘¢ Ain’t there more 73 ‘No: six without me.’ “ And how do they aie to do that ae “By forcing one of the windows.” “Where are they now 2’ “Gone up to, the house.” «While you were sent here to keep a look ont, eh?” ‘No; oh, ‘said Jack, mee Don’ t bs pea 2 SUPA ‘Tt will be better | to speak the whole truth.’ 'Y es—yes.”” ~T knew that 5 so Ae: s; the use of trying & to deceive me,” ./ | | » The man ae no: Pele | ‘It was very. evident, that he looked 1 upon Jack as.,some. superaatural being; for he could not keep.a limb of himself still, ‘They are bold men,” said-J ack, after a pause, “+o expect,to succeed,in such an:undertaking, where there are at least ten male servants in the laces hak |: re ‘There’ was,’ ’ said the man; “but the erat is. in. London, and, there’s only. the housekeeper and, the gardeners in the place.”’ Jack started and felt somewhat ill at ease at this, information , which. was news to him. - He felt that he was not much of a match for six strong, men, rendered desperate by the fear of discovery ; ; but still he resolved, that his friend’s| house should not he robe if he could Rex eny it. But how to prevent it was the thing. «“ And solyou wish to. have nothing to do with the robbing’ of the house,” he said, after a pause. | ‘“No, I dont ; and I wouldn’t ha’ e come if I'd ‘a known what they were up to,’’ said the man, “You wouldn’t?” said Jack, doubtingly. ‘No, I wouldn’t. L don’ t. mind snaring a rabbit, but I ain’t.a bur glar.’’ As Then your sympathies are not with your companions in this business,” said Jack, ‘© What's that?” asked the man. “ You do not side with them " ~ No, I don’t.” “Then will you side with me.’ The man stepped back. ‘No, curse me if I sell myself to the devil ; that would be popping out of the frymg-pan into the fire.” , Jack was abont to assure the man that he had no pretensions to the title of that gentleman, but a moment’s thought made him feel he had perhaps better ‘let the rustig fimagine he |was that ersonage.- ery well, ” he “citi after a ‘pause, ‘I shall THE TERROR OF. LONDON, .,} haye. you, all. one; for pat one.of, these. days How many -are there ? : ‘| another road, and es was evident to Jack | six desperate ruffians, he dashed madly towards . Poaching ; AS ai crime; ‘and I claim all crimi sooner or r later, ‘Now there is a means by w you may escape my power, but you do not feel disposed to adopt them.” “What be they-?”” asked the man, anitkle | SBy doing»right. vonrsel, and preventing, | others doing wrong. By preventing this © Hue ee YOR | TR yourself out of my in-. fluence,” ) he ol aif, ad al Youd | ’ 2 ” doing it, seeing. as how they've set their nas on the job. - ot te qe I expect for 12? eer they'd. about, do. fei} 74 ent, “ Very well, ‘ ' gaid J ack, « bianss ru ate it meselte ‘Six, you say 2 2? 4 * Vos,’? 2 eM + you for once’ take my adviee aid? get. off these grounds at once?” said Jack, as he nioved away, ‘for if I find. you when ie come back you'll repent it.” | “Then I'll be off at. ane. you may be sure,’ said the man. “I haye no wish to, see Ye, gain in a hurry, I tell you.” And the fellow turned and darted ris HD wards the road. The mansion was ‘abouk: a quarter of a mile. | from where our hero stood, and was si erg! in | an enclosed piece of round which. opened, t ati, the burglars intended to obtain access to this by scaling the wall which bordered the preserves. Mo | Anxious to make the inmates acquainted with | what he had learned, and aiso to preserve his. |) friend’s. property, he ‘hurried along across’ the, preserves till he came to the wall, and, after. , ape a | ; ia “But I don't see how T can ables the Wg cai a a 3 - | assuring himself that no-conevad! ab ut, he sprang over it into ,the jepclosiine and urried towards the house... Just as he had reached it, a ery broke from a. nian’s lips} and a:tall fellow sprang upon him. | Jack eluded his grasp, aud trusted ‘to his mask to seare the man; but he now reckoned . without his host. Thé moment, the fellow per- ceived it, he whistled, and the. other five men | were instantly at his side: ) ‘It’s Spring-heeled » Jack,” said “the man, pointing to our.hero. “ He's discovered our» came and our safety must be purchased by ie life.” Each man; at this, sprang digits him, bat, Jack took a terrific’ Jeap backwards, and, seei ie how small-was his chance of coping with ee the iron gates on the opposite side of the. rounds to that from which he had entered. _ 4) ‘Kill him! kill him ! ” shouted the man who. had beforé spoken, as one and all darted after, im. Jack: trembled for his owh safety, SO ity were they behind him, but he struggled on, and. as he neared the gate, took, one of his terrific. leaps at the very moment that one of the fel-. lows seized his eloak, To Fortunate was it for J ack that it was but, in- securely fastened, for it came off his shoulder in the man’s arasp, and Jack cleared the ate gate in safety, and ‘alighted upon the oppesite | IOO “s-com Ae (El)