Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

74 SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. and when £ tumbled down the steps—oh ! lor, it’s awful, itis! I -won’t go on deck again till day- hieht.” ‘‘ Jerry, you are a coward.” ‘“‘T ain’t afraid of a man, but I can’t fight the devil!” said Jerry. “Give us a swig at the srog. Jmall over shaking like a ragina storm of wind.” Peter did as requested, and Jerry took a deep draught, the tin can playing a tune all the while on his lips, so violently did the hand of the seaman shake. ‘Ship, ahoy !” | The two sailors looked at each other in un- feigned surprise. | “It’s all owing to having a woman on board,” whispered Jerry. ““'That’s not a devil’s voice. I tell you that’s the fellow we left to come aboard, and he’s in the boat now.” , ‘Ship, ahoy!” came in louder tones from the stern of the vessel. Bear a hand here !” “Go on, Jerry.” “JT shan’t. You go.” “No! you.” | | ‘Then we'll both go,” said Peter. take a marlin-spike a piece.” “Tt won't be no use.” “Why not ?” “Cos you can’t hurt the devil.”’ “The devil take me, if I don’t try, if he runs foul Gf me,” said Peter, bracing up his nerves for the half-dreaded encounter. Arming themselves with a couple of marlin spikes, the two men went out of the cabin. But here they paused. | Neither cared to go first, and, as if by mutual aoreement, after a time they walked slowly up the stairs together to the deck. : Both looked anxiously around. ‘‘'There’s were he stood,” said Jerry. And a heartfelt sigh broke from his lips when hie found the deck deserted by all but himself and companion. “Ship ahoy !” Iie now ran to the stern of the vessel and looked over. — ‘There was Jack without his mask, and attired i his black cloak, sitting in the boat. ‘* Ahoy there !” cried Peter. ‘“ Just be kind enough, my friend, to assist me aboard,” said Jack. “Iam not used to climbing ropes ; I have been bawling myself hoarse ever “ Let’s since you left the deck. Not very kind of youto eo away and leave a saturated fellow in the boat like this.” ‘Well, ’'m blowed !” said Peter, ‘Well, I’m jiggered!” gasped Jerry. ‘I say, messmate, have you seen the devil while you have been there ?” Not unless you are he,” was Jack’s reply. “No, no, ’m not; but haven’t you seen some- body awful looking ?” “Not that I know of; never saw anybody worse than myself. But just hold out your hand and let me go and see the girl. I suppose ?” “ As lively as a rat in the ship’s hold,” said Peter, finding his courage returning, and plad to ‘She’s all right, SL eS a | have somebody else beside his messmate aboard. 4 “ Here, catch hold !” 4 Jack took the man’s hand, ostensibly for as- | sisting himself up, but in reality to make it | appear he was unable to get on the deck with- | out assistance, and so give the seamen no room — to think that he and the figure who had alarmed ~ Jerry was one and the same. ia When he reached the deck, he said— ae “T must convey this poor girl to some place ~ where she can be properly attended to. I be- — lieve you are kind enough to doall in your power i | for her, but she requires the aid of one of her ~ own sex. You canaid me to gether ashore, and | I will reward you both for the trouble you have oe been put to. — «a “No, you won't,” said Peter, bluntly. “No, | you won't. 7 * I might fall overboard myself to- } morrow, and it’s hard lnckif we should refuse to | another what we should like done to ourselves.” — ‘Very good, my friend. I admire your senti- | ments. Now lead me to the girl, a nd perhaps: AN you will give me the glass of grog you pr ‘We 4 “With all my heart, said Peter. ‘This: ee The next minute Jack stood beside the » he had saved from death. | oe SS og = THE LIBERTINE AND SPRING-HEELED SACK ae OU RIcHARD CLAVERING sat with a fierce, gloomy | look upon his features. | or || Before him lay an open letter he had been | perusing. 1) Beside it was a plain gold wire hoop. —_ ) On these his gaze was fixed. |) a ean Not with the happy glance which a rae Olt undying love would be supposed to call up, but — with a fierce, sullen, gloomy scowl = = = | The little hoop had fallen from the scented | sheet as he broke the seal from that. yo of such exquisite tint, but which contained 4 ¢ | of such meaning. A | “ And so she demands that 1 shall make her 4 my wife,’ he muttered, at length; “and if I refuse I am to be held up to infamy and scorn. — By heavens! she is bold to write thus to me— | me, at whose feet she has knelt ere this; rc whose frown could cause her heart to shrink | within her bosom, and whose smile was a reward | greater than all else in the world, and now she ~ demands—threatens. Fool! fool to leave those 4 f <— dice where her hands could reach them—to trust i her with the great secret of my success. Better | a man trust his greatest enemy with a secret — than the woman who professes to love him!” He took the paper from the table, and ran his — eye over it again. b e | ‘““*T have made every preparation for our marriage,’ she says. By heavens! that is cool. ‘ As you must desire secrecy, I have chosen the little church near Clapham. I shall await you there at nine o’clock to-morrow ‘toraine a send you the ring. Beware you fail me not!’ And these are her words, and tome!” t _ He tore the tinted paper to shreds, and flung the pieces at his feet. | ne i'd Ay Then taking up the little ring, he held it, musingly, between his finger and thumb, = _* ° GOmMIGDOOKS:com