Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

Le SPRING-HEEL D JACK: and then, as it again disappeared behind the | THES TERROR OF LONDON. He did not go many steps, however, before tall tombstone, he uttered a yell of horror, his foot, striking against one of the grass-covered dropped his staff from his hand, turned, and mounds, sent him sprawling, and as he fell he sped with the greatest alacrity towards the gate, | struck yelling out in affrighted accents — “A ghost! a ghost!” The cry was taken up by those outside, and | Jack, anxious to increase the impression, believing ‘that it would tend to enable him the easier to. beat a retreat from the churchyard, sprang up on to the top of the tall headstone, stood there for a moment, and then disappeared again behind it. *Thereitis! thereitis!’ exclaimed a number | of voices, and 2-dozen fingers pointed towards the stone. “Where 2 where!” exclaimed. those whose attention had been otherwise attracted. “There! Don’t you see? That. stone. It was a white figure—so tall—such awful eyes and horns!” and numerous other exclamations. The officer, who had turned to-the gates, was now endeavouring to climb over them into the street. : : | | . **Why.don’t you do your duty?” said. a weazened-faced, elderly man, who had been sum- moned to the spot by the clamour. ‘‘ You're a pretty fellow for a policeman if you run away from a shadow!” I tell you it’s a ghost,” said the officer, fairly out of breath with his exertions. “‘Bah!” said the elderly person, contemp- tuously. frishten people, and you ought to arrest him.” “You had better do it yourself,” said the officer. “I am too old, but I help to pay younger men,’ wasthereply. “ You ought to be ashamed of yourself, and deserve to be reported. ‘There’s a policeman! there’s a policeman ! ” This remark called forth jeers from the crowd, and ashamed at the cowardly part he was play- ing, the officer dropped down again into the ehurchyard, and, looking at those on the other side of the railings, he said— “ Who’s afraid? I tell you what, there ain’t one of yer got the pluck to come over here.” ‘** Ain’t we ?”’ said one, a tall, strapping coster- monger, grasping a railing in either hand and drawing himself up them. “Come on, then, if you have!” said the officer, with a sigh of relief at the prospect of having some one to keep him company. ‘‘ Come on, then, and let’s see what you'll do!” The man soon succeeded in climbing over and dropping down beside the constable. ' “ Now, where’s the ghost ?”’ he said. “There,” was the reply of the policeman, pointing to the spot where he had seen Jack. “Then [ll have a shy at him.” ' Feeling his courage greatly revived by having so powerful a companion at his side, the officer once more made his way among the graves, searching for his staff as he went. | This he saw at last, and, as he stooped to pick it up, Jack sprang from behind a headstone, and alighted on his back. So sudden and unexpected was this act, that the officer uttered a cry and fell flat on his face, while his brave companion turued and fled at a terrific speed. ! ————— ‘‘Tt’s some rascal got in there to| 5 his head with great violence against the footstone, completely stunning himself for the moment. . The instant he recovered from the shock he was up again and off towards the gate, over which he clambered in a manner that would have done credit to an acrobat. : Another shout arose from the assembled mob as once more they caught sight of the white figure, and the excitement became intense, amid which the costermonger slunk away from the scene. | As soon as the officer fell to the earth our hero sprang away, and once more hid himself behind one of the numerous stones. “Help!” shouted the constable, scrambling to his feet. and looking with horror around him. He had clutched at his staff, and retained it in his hand, and as he called..out he made frantic blows with it at the air. “There he is agaiu!” shouted’the mob, as they | cuught another glimpse of Jack, as he endeavoured to steal away to the opposite side of the church- yard. The policeman looked around, and seeing nothing, again walked towards the gate. But he paused ere he had taken half-a-dozen steps. Lhe mob were again uttering numerous excla- mations at his timidity, and he hesitated. The faet was, he knew not which was best to encounter, the jeers of those outside, or the supposed ghost - within the churchyard,—the former he couldill brook, the latter he dreaded. - So looking nervously around him, and utterly bewildered, he placed one hand on the tomb- stone and panted for breath: | _As he thus stood, Jack sprang up behind him, raised his right hand, and brought it duwn with all his force on the crown of the officer’s hat, driving it completely over his face down to his chin. aa See ‘“ Murder!” shrieked the constable, making a desperate blow with his truncheon, and bring- ing his knuckles into contact with the headstone of a neighbouring grave. ‘“‘ Murder! Help! Help!” | “Ha! ha! ha!” laughed Jack, striking another blow at the officer’s hat, and driving it still lower. ‘“* My brave fellow, why don’t you do your duty !”’ Then giving him a kick behind, the officer started forward, and, being unable to see where he was going, ran full butt against the footstone of a grave, and fell over it, hurting himself very considerably. es 3 Jack saw that the man’s cries were bringing him assistance, and while the officer lay on the ground, frantically tugging at his hat, and endeavouring to force it up from over his face, and .several of the mob had proceeded to climb the iron railings, he darted away as quickly as he could to the opposite side of the churchyard. Here he crouched down within the shadow of a tomb, hastily changed his cloak, and cast an anxious look along the railings for the best place to escape from the ground. | ee oe eee a t— eC; _— cea aE a LE] |__ iGO 29 GDOGKS =O On ae—e—er et” a =a we 8 ee ee eee mm ee ee or mm TT mee (EO)