Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

hea 192 property!” shrieked the lady, tugging at the man’s head with all her might. ‘Let go, my good woman,” cried Jack, ‘or his face will be cut to pieces with the broken lass.” “ Serve him right, the wretch ! I won’t let go, so that he can run away. I'll be paid for my property, or he shall go to jail.” “* For God’s sake let go!”’ yelled the man. “T won’t!” cried the woman. ““Hold him tight, missus,” cried the boy. “‘ Lay hold of his ears and pull ’em half out as he did mine.”’ | ** Peace, lad!” said Jack angrily. “Get out of the way, governor, and let’s have a hit at him,” said the boy, raising his broom. “ Just one, that’s all!” “Stand back, boy!” said Jack, giving him a push ; “ the man has suffered enough punisiment already.” The boy did as requested, but the woman could not be persuaded to release the hair of the man from her clutches. On the contrary, she only pulled the harder, and the glass smashed from top to bottom. “* Hallo! here; what’s this?” was the first indication either ‘Jack, the woman, or the by- standers had of the approach of a géntleman in blue, who, as he spoke, elbowed his way through the little throng to the window. The boy set his broom down on the kerbstone, and, giving the arm of Jack a pull, exclaimed— ** Mizzle, governor ; here’s a bobby.” Jack turned, and stood face to face with an officer. ? “ Spring-heeled Jack!” cried the policeman, in surprise. | | “Sir!” said Jack, in an instant, perceiving that the man was one who had had good cause to recollect him. . “All right, Jack; up to your old again ; but you're nabbed now, my boy.” Jack sprang backwards as the officer stretched out his hand to grasp him, the little crowd giving way in surprise, and even the lady in the shop released her hold of the hair of the man whom Jack had dashed through her window. “Oh, jemini! Spring-heeled Jack!” cried the boy, flaunting his dirty broom; “ mizzle— mizzle!” | : ‘Pushing aside the persons in his way, the games officer strove to effect the capture of our hero, who eluded his grasp by a bound into the centre of the road. ‘‘f call on you all to arrest that man,” cried the officer, “‘ or aid me in doing so.” ‘Come on, my friends,” said Jack ; “take me if you ae owed if they shall,” cried the boy, placin his broom in the ridge of soft infidel ate sudden jerk sending a perfect shower up over the face of the policeman, and for a moment completely blinding that worthy. A peal of laughter followed this act, and the boy, springing to Jack’s side, cried— “ Come after me ; I’ll show you how to double on ‘em. Come on—come on,” So saying, he flung his broom over his shoulder, and dashed away at a good speed. UGS ' §PRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. | A moment Jack hesitated, then hurried off after the lad. TS , “Stop him! stop him!” roared the officer, wiping the mud out of his eyés with the cuff of his coat. “Don’t let him escape any of you, or it will be the worse for you.” | | And away he went, with smarting eyes, after Jack, followed by several of those who had been witness of the fracas, leaving the man to struggle through the broken window as best ‘he’ could, and square accounts with the lady of the shop for the injury done to her premises and stock-in- trade. | ‘““Come on,” said the boy, taking the lead, and panting for breath at every step, ‘‘ come on, sir, and they shan’t take you.” | | “Where would you lead me?” “Up here.” “Up there ?” “Yes.” ‘Look to yourself, from them somehow.”’ The boy looked behind him. ‘Go it,” he cried, putting out all his speed ; “they're close behind us, and’ there’s another policeman.” | PALO Wa | : “Two of them ?”’. oe “* Yes.”’ | “Whew !” whistled’ Jack, looking him; *‘ so-there‘is.”")+ ©5090 bent Saw ‘‘ And there’s another out there,’” said pointing right before them.’ ~ | | -“ Confound it ! so there is.” + a “Never mind, sir. You’ve no need to be afraid of him, ’cos we'll hook‘it‘down here.’ ’ So saying, the boy dashed across theroad, and into a dark entry. ; | “Don't be frightened,” said: the boy. “I ain’t a-going to hurt'you.”)*— 3) 5 | Jack burst out laughing. © ° : “Well, I’ve not much fear of that. the hounds are in full cry.” 9 ©) | “Stop him! down there—after him!” and such like cries came to the ears of Jack and his guide. : 859. 8I0F “They were in a dark, covered entry, which Jack had no previous knowledge of, and hence he was compelled to trust entirely to the lad’s guidance, | nt ODS Bw | ‘Now, my man,” -he said, “as you’ got "me into this scrape, you must get’me out of it, for I don’t know where Tam.” = 5 “*T do.” : “* Where ? ” ** Close to Mother Mokes’s.” ** Mother Mokes ?” “Yes.” ** Who is she?” ** Don’t you know Mother Mokes ?” asked the boy in a tone of surprise, still running on by our hero’s side. | | “ No, indeed.”’ “‘ Well, I’m blowed ! said the boy. | | ‘‘ Then Pm nobody, for I never even heard of the lady before.” : my lad, I will get away | behind the boy, . ‘iJ Hallo ! Everybody knows her,” ‘Lor’! you must be a ignorant chap, then. Why, Mother Mokes is Mother Mokes.”’ | ** Doubtless,” hye » “~comicboo <S.cOm —