Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 246: what you’re looking at

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246 not positively alarmed. Here was a phenomenon, for which he could not account. Again he placed his hand to his eye—only one light—removed it, and two were visible. He shifted his lantern into his right hand, and placed the left to his right eye, and the same effect as before was apparent. He placed the lantern on the ground at his feet, and leaning his back against the front of one of the houses, dived his hands into the capa- cious pockets of his great coat, and shook his head ominously. ** T won’t touch the darned thing agin, and yet it’s the best lantern I ever had. There’s some- thing queer about it, or—--No, no, [ know what it is now—l’m drunk, to acertainty, and see double. Yes, that’s it! and I suppose I may as well own to it. It was the hot rum-and-water at the Feathers as did it, and I had better go back and have a snooze in my box till morning. Past twelve—damn it! Whatis the time, I wonder ? Oh, Kimber! Kimber! you are a pretty watch- man.” * Hi! Watch! Watch! Thieves! thieves! Watch !*’ shouted a female voice in the distance. ‘* Hallo! what’s up ?” eried Kimber, making a sudden dart forward, and, losing his equili- brium, went sprawling along the pavement. ‘*“T’m down, blessed if I ain’t,’’ he added, as he tried to grasp his lantern and regain his feet. ‘Lord ! how very slippery it is to-night. These paths are all on the slant, and a fellow can’t keep his footing.’’ ‘¢Watch!. Police!” ‘*’'There she goes again,’ muttered Kimber, as he rose, and again fell. ", Curse the path! I can’t standonit, Hallo! What’s the matter ? ” “Who calls?) Where are you ?’’ “Thieves! Watch!, Police!” came again in a shrill female voice from the farther end of the street, and the noise of one or two windows hastily thrown up mingled with the sound. Once more Kimber was on his feet, and draw- ing his rattle from his coat pocket, swung it round and round with all his force, each turn of his arm threatening to hurl him on to his back. ‘“What’s the matter, watchman? Is the house a-fire?’’ asked an .old lady, as she pro- truded a red face encircled with a monstrous frill, over the window-sill of the house opposite which he stood. Oh, dear!” cried another. dered ?. Anybody killed ?” ‘“ Kimber’s drunk,” said the man who had before asked the time, and who now again ap- peared at his window. ‘‘ There’s nothing the matter, only the watchman ought to be lugged to prison. He’s drunk, and don’t know what he’s doing.”’ “Tl take you up, you scamp, if you take my character away,” cried the watchman, angered. ‘‘ You never had one—go home !”’ “Thieves! Watch! Police!” ‘* Somebody’s calling for you down the street, why don’t you go, watchman ?” cried an old man from a neighbouring window, “ instead of annoy- ing people with that row.” ‘‘ Mind your own business,’ ber, ‘ or I'll teach you,” ‘ Who's mur- , answered Jim- SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON, ‘Teach me! you don’t know your own,” retorted the man, ‘* and you shall be reported for this unseemly conduct. “Go to the devil!” eried Kimber, giving another swing to his rattle, to drown the voices of his questioners. “Watchman,” said a tall man in a cloak, who had come along the street at a hurried pace, | “you are wanted yonder. They have been calling for you some time.” ‘“Mind your own business,” said Kimber. ‘““T know my duty.” ‘‘You are a saucy knave,” said the man. ** But, of course, if you do not choose to answer the eall for you, it is no businessof mine.”’ And so saying, the man was about to turn away, when the old gentleman at one of the windows asked— ‘“ What is the matter, sir? That was a woman’s voice that called out for help, I think, ” | eS VESS | vies “Ts it a robbery, sir? or is she being ill- used 2?” Fh “Neither, I believe. She has been alarmed by Spring-heeled Jack.” | ‘“‘ Spring-heeled Jack !” echoed on all sides, “Yes. Such I have learned to be the case,” said the man in the cloak. ‘“‘Spring-heeled Jack!’’ said Kimber. “ [ should like to take him. Ive been looking out for him for’ some time, and I'll have him yet.” : “Then why don’t you go ?”’ “ What’s that to you? ”’ ‘“‘ T see, you are afraid of him.” “Me afraid ? ”’ “Yes, you.” “ Don’t say that again.” “Why not?’’ | ‘‘ Because don’t. I ain’t afraid of nobody,” growled Kimber. ‘‘ But I’m not going to hurry myself for nothing. He'd be clean off before I got half way there. No, no, I ain’t such a fool as that. But let me get within arm’s reach of him, and I’ll stop his springing and his liberty at the same time.”’ wae “Vou will, eh?” ~ { Ewall?’ © ‘© You think so.” aa “| know so. I don’t think anything about it. Heain’t such a fool as to get too near Paul Kimber, I can tell you. He'll keep away from me, as far as he can.”’ ‘Humph!” said Jack—for heit was, “ That’s your opinion, is it?” “To be sure it is.” “Well, keep it.” “T mean to, and keep him when I get Iold of him,” said Kimber. “Perhaps you may find your mistake out before long.”’ “* And perhaps I mayn’t. Let him come within reach of that hand, and it’s all up with him for some time—the vagabond !” ‘Why don’t you go and see if you can catch him now ?” asked the old man. Because I don’t choose.”’ | “Then, perhaps, you'll choose to take yourself off, and let honest people get a little sleep.” <Ss.co | oele) Comic —_—_—_—_————— ee eee ee ee eee ———— A a .