Captain Joe; or, The Days of the Mint — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

THE HALFPENNY STANDARD. 53 = —_— ‘'be old man was furious as he heard these words, and saw her approach the door and open it. She took the lamp from the table and ushered them into the passage, while the old fellow, as soon as they had quitted the chamber, rushed to the window, threw it open, and in aloud vuice yelled ont—— “ Hi!—here, constables—the thieves are here !” Then he ran to the door and locked it, and reloaded his blunderbuss and fired it in the air to attract the attention of the runners. This is just as the highwaymen could have wished it to be. By drawing their attention to the window, he of course drew it away from the right spot, and ere any of the runners had ap- proached the house the highwaymen had reached the front gate. This the young girl opened, and then said in » low voice— *“ Gideon Hasper, yon owe to me your saféty, I make no boast of it, but I do wish you to know that you are indebted to Fanny Armstrong. Do not wait to question me now; let your thoughts wander erie over the ast, and they will tell you a : ’ Gideon thought a moment. “ Yes, yes,” he cried, “I do remember. You will see me again.” “Qnick, now,” said the girl, as he bent dowu and, before she was aware of it, pressed his lips to hers. ‘ Do not risk your life by folly now. Fly!” The two robbers waited for no more. Hurriedly rushing into the street, they looked for the means of escape. On qne side there was no thoroughfare, but on the other was a wide archway leading into another street. Towards this they hurried, expecting by turning to the left to be able to evade the runners, aud, proceeding at a trot, and keeping well in the shadow, they reached the street unseen. Everything eeemed now in their favour, and so, keeping on at a steady trot, they made for a part of the town which was well known to Gideon Hasper. They knew, of course, that the whole neighbourhood was aroused by this time, and consequently it would be difficult to venture out of a certain circuit. “We must make for old Dame Molyneux’s strong box,” said Gideon. “This way— follow me.” Diving throngh another archway, and into @ narrow, twisting street, they soon reached a kind of square court, at the end of which stood a stone building, with iron gates and two low stone posts before it. Darting towards this, Gideon was peering up to see if any light was observable in any of the windows, when, from another narrow passage there darted forth three men,. who Joudly called on them to surrender. There was no retreating now. Fight they must; and so, drawing their swords, they stood in an attitude of defence. ** We are three to two,” cried a rasping, unpleasant voice, the voice of the tallest of the three men; “you had better sur- render, Gideon Hasper."’ “Ah! who is thet who knows my name?” cried Gideon; “is it you, Luke Spalding P” “Tt is, to your cost, Gideon,” replied the other. “To yours, not mine,” cried Has er; “this sword shall drink your heart’s blood; villain, deceiver false friend !” Then came the flash of swords, and the three men rushed upon the two friends. The neighbourhood had, as Hasper said, been roused by the Bow Street-runners, and detachments had been sent in all directions —some composed of civilians and others of constables. The most absurd and extravagant reports had been circulated. The “two most notorious highwaymen ” known in London were said to be escaping. Murder:as also laid to their charge, the murder of ‘Mrs. Marlow. This, as the story flew from mouth to mouth,, was enlarged upon; and it was stated that they had broken into the house, robbed it, and murdered all the inmates. Fortunately for them, however, three only of the pursuers thought of making their way towards the spot which Gideon Hasper had called-Dame Molyneux’s strong box, or the fate of our friends would have been sealed. : As it was the fight was desperately uneven. ; The three men were none of them bad swordsmen; and as Gideon Hasgper atonod with clenched teeth and stern eyes, he felt » deadly doubt within him as to the result of the struggle. But he fought coolly and collectedly. His wrist seemed strong and pliable as steel, his eye sure; and Dick Marlow gazed with admiration at his elegant poise of figure as he delivered his thrusts, and pairied those of his enemies. At length, as one of the three men came sidling up behind Gideon, Dick delivered a side thrust, which, coming unexpectedly, stretched him lifeless on the stones. “Now, then, we are two to two,” said Gideon with a sinister smile. “ Dick, keep your man in play and kill him if you can. As for my enemy, he may say his prayers at once.” ‘* Not so,” replied Luke Spalding, coolly ; “T cannot hia calmly enough to say my prayers yet. I will do that when I have killed you.” The fight now became more interesting. There was no longer any necessity to watch the doings of a third adversary; and so the combat.was man to man, sword to sword, Fortune befriended Dick Marlow. He had a very decent swordsman opposed to him, but he had learned the art of fence very accurately himself, as the constable £00n saw to his cost. Wounded in the arm, the man sprang forward angrily, and in doing so tripped over the body of his dead companion. In an instant Dick saw his opportunity, and took advantage of it. His sword was drawn back, and then with a sudden lunge it was driven through the constuble’s chest. As he did so, @ dry, chuckling laugh sounded in the night air, and Gideon Hasper literally flung bis adversary off the point of his sword, ‘* Ha, ha! Dick,” he cried, as Luke fell at the side of the other constable, ‘‘I knew my words would prove true, Kneel and feel his heart—let another besides myself assure me of my good luck.” Dick knelt as requested, and felt the man’s heart. “ His heart beats not,” he said. “ He is dead, then,” said Gideon Hasper, with a smile; “my vengeance has begun. Ah! Luke Spalding, you will betray no - more friends, and make no more enemies. Come, Dick, let’s make a bolt of it. The place is not safe now.” They darted off once more, and following the way by which the constables had come, reeched another thoroughfare unseen. But as soon as they had emerged into the light there was again a loud shout, and in an instant some dark forms sprang out from the doorways and rushed after them. “We must separate,” cried Hasper. “I didn’t reckon upon this. Curse the folly of going to your mother’s.” Away they dashed through the dark streets at a tremendous pace until they reached a narrow passage where the light was stronger than elsewhere. Here one of the runners raised his pistol and fired, There was & sharp cry of pain, and as Gideon leaped through into the passage Dick Marlow staggered and fell. The wound was only in the arm, bat it was a terribly painful one, and he had stumbled over a large broken piece of pavement. The delay, however, was not fatal. The runnerstame dashing up, but Dick had caught sight of a narrow alley, into which he dashed, and found himself once more side by side with Gideon Hasper. ‘Meet me to-morrow night,” said he; and then he paused, adding after a moment, ‘No, no; I won’t leave you. Follow me, and we will go to Tom the Brushmaker’s. Our plan of robbery at Sir Gilbert Bram- bles, must be abasdoned for a time, but we'll have an adventure worth two of that.” And once more on they sped. CHAPTER XVII. MORE MYSTERIES, THE meeting atthe‘ Willow Tree Inn” was postponed, naturally enough, through the events of that day, and on the second and third day Sir Gilbert Bramble’s house had been unentered. On the evening of the third day a strange scene took place in the city. A storm had been raging throughout the day, but as the sun descended it gradually abated, the wind became hushed, and at length the rain entirely ceased, and twiligh, set in calm and beautiful. The hour was ten o'clock. At this time might have been seen, wend- ing her way with hurried steps past St. Duonstan’s obiarch, Fleet Street, the elegant figure of a handsomely-dressed female, who seemed bent upon an errand of vital im- portance. She was very young and extremely beautiful, but her countenance was pale and careworn, and there was an expressiol about her eyes which showed that her heart was no stranger to grief. She looked eagerly up at the clock of the old church, and when she beheld the time she increased her speed, as she murmured— “‘T shall be too late. The delay may have ruined all, and ere I can arrive he may be lost. Oh! Heaven aid me, and give me strength to accomplish my task.’’ She ran, or rather flew, on her way, and breathless with exertion and excitement, she seemed every moment ready to sink into the earth. “She had scarcely, however, proceeded many yards when two fellows who had been lurking in a dirty and lonely alley flew out upon her, and endeavoured to snatch rom her a parcel which she carried under her cloak, while at the same time they made use of the most bold and insolent language, as each of them laid hold of her arms and prevented her from escaping from their power, (To be continued. ) coniclbooks. com