The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

2iZ which the clouds seemed laden, burst not forth— aud stil! from between the black masses piled one above another on the face of heaven, the stragyling rays of the moon peeped timidly forth. The wind bad risen to asomewhat hizher key—and the air was intensely cold : but the ruffians, heated as they were with brandy and excited by the object which they nad in view, felt rot its chilling influence. Silently they now pursued their way, the Magsman acting as captain and as guide; and as those six forms moved from the bottom of the Punch-Bow! towards the acclivity on the summit of which the main road ran, they appeared to be fiends of darkness in the faint and uncertain light of the moon. On gaining the top, or brim, of the vast hollow, the party was divided into two sections. Miles the Buzgloak, Dick the Tramper, and the Kinchin- Grand were ordered by the Magsman to conceal theinselves amidst the furze which the low embankinent. over- looked; while Joe Warren himself, accompanied by the two men completing the band, crossed the road and ascended the portion of the hill which oom- manded tne route. Being thus disposed of, the ruffians lay in wait patiently and silently. At length the rumbling of wheels and the noise of horses’ hoofs met their ears. They all listened at- , tentively : the sounds came from that quarter whence they were expected ;—and there could be no doubt that thie was the vehicle whose presence was the ob- lect of the night's adventure. Ina few moments two lights, glancing like meteor» began to emerge as it were from the obscarity ; and the prozress of the carriage along the road on the brim of the Punch-Bowl was thus marked by its lanterns. On came the vehicle: and now it was near enough for the ruffians who lay in ambush, to observe that it | was a long hearse-like concern, drawn by four horses, \ and with the driver seated on a high bex in front. An escort of four dragoons guarded the pondeaseus machine—two riding on one side, and two on. the]. other. In this manner the cavalcade was jogging along, _ + when, all on a sudden, the Magsman leapt from the overhangjng hill upon the roof of the vehicle; and; hurling the driver from his seat into the middle of the road, he sprang upon the back of one of the wheel-horses, and cut all the traces in a moment. At the same instant that the Magsman thus took the initiative, his two companions threw themselves from the overhangiug eminence upon the couple of 4 dragoons who rode on that side of the vehicle: while the two mounted soldiers riding.on the other side ware as suddenly assailed by the Busgloak, the-Tram- per, and the Kinchin-Grand. . Shots were fired—and a severe conflict took place. Away sped the four harses whieh the Magsman had freed from the vebicle: frightened by the repeort.of the pistols, they galloped along the road, their thun- dering hoofs raising every eoho in that vast abyss the brim of which the terrified animals were thus madly skirting. But.all that we have as-yet described was the work of searcely a minute; and the proesedings of the Magsman were executed with wondrous rapidity. Having cut the traces and thus rendered the vebicle stationary by emancipating the horses, this desperate individual passed like lightning underneath the ponderous machine; and with one blow of his — —_ — = «= — ~~ oe i a a qa” -_ THE MYSTERIES. ‘edge of the Punch-Boewl—aad huried it over the low nT A club he knocked off a massive padlock which fastened a door at the Sack of the huge hearse-like carriage. The vehicle instantaneous!y vomited forth its con- tents in the shape of a dozen convicts, heavily ironed ; and amidst the very foremost, the Magsman had the satisfaction of recognising, by the flickering moon- light, the countenances of his friends Briggs and the Big Meantime. the four dragoons and the five villains oppesed to them had majntained a desperate struggle on either side of the vehicle: but the release of the convicts decided the fortune of the fray in a very few moments, The soldiers were made prisoners without : any loss ef life; and they, as well as the driver of ! the van, were bound securely with strong cords and , deposited, powerless, beneath the overhanging hill Then, in the sheer spirit of wanton mischief, the whole gang of desperadoes—liberators as well as con- victs—seized uson the carriage—wheeled it to the doe GE 6 Ge? 6 LEI eR etme embankment into the abyss, Down—down thundered the ponderous machine, rolling over and over with rapid conoussions that sounded like the sharp and successive reports of a brisk cannonade: down—down it went, tcaring away furze, brambles, and rank grass,—end ultimately dashing to pieces at the bottom of the Punch- Bowl. Satisfied with the work of destruction, and taunt- ingly wishing the four dragoons aud the driver a good night, the party hastened away froin. the scene of this exploit; and having gaiued a neighbouring wood, the Magsman produced a quantity of files and pick-locks from one of bis capacious pockets. By means of these implements the convicts seon removed their fetters; and we need hardly observe that great - was their joy at this triumphant and unexpected de- liverance—for not even the Beggarman and Briggs pee BOAT OS, a areneme ie SED chide ee ee Dame ow o Soe amuhee. *OR ast 4m ete =a + iad been previously aware of their friends’ determi- nawtios to attempt their rescue. ° an CHAPTER LAI. PAULINE AND GABRIEL. Tt was eleven o'clock on Sunday morning; and Pauline Clarendon was seated alone in a small par- lour at the house which ber father had taken about five weeks previously in Cavendish Square. The young lady was dressed: in an elegant but une assuming style; and the dark colour of her gown eet off to the utmost advantage her pure and sthinless complexion. Her deep brown hair, so mch with ite natural gloss; showered in a myriad ringlets over her well-shaped shoulders; and her neck, grandly white aud geatly arching, resembled a polished ivory pillar against that flood of luxuriant curls witich swept her back. Upon her countenance a sof melancholy rested « and, although the light of heaven appeared to ilinme the depths of her eloquent blue eyes, yet her features expressed a. in pensiveness which imparted to her entire appearance an:ineflably charming air of re- flective sweetness. ‘Frem the reverie inte which the lovely girt hed fallen, she was presen@y aroused by a’ double knock at the frort door; and starting from her seat, she threw agiance at the mirror over the mantel- piece. A snile of satisfaction played for a moment upor CONNEC OOO ‘SS CO