The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

flesh wound, and with a how! of rage he sprang upon the young girl. It was well for her that he had not his sword drawn at the moment, or he would certainly have buried its point in her heart. As it was, he struck her on the head with the butt end of his discharged pisto!, and the young lady fell with a groan to the earth. He had just finished rifling her pockets and was about to help himself to her jewellery, - when he heard Peter (uelf’s voice, exclaiming loudly— “ We are attacked, fiy for your life !” The words so paralysed the energies of the cowardly captain, that, instead of leaping to his feet, and flying from the spot, he remained kneeling and gazing round him in terror. When he did recover sufficient self possession to enable him to rise and follow his companions, he found himself surrounded by a body of rustica, some with rude fire-arms, and others with pitchforks and long knives and clubs in their hands. Resistance from a brave man would have been of very little use, and the coward made no attempt at it. He cast one wild look around him, and losing all his presence of mind, he dropped on his knees and begged for mercy. “Mercy!” shouted a big labourer, who was atanding over him with a pistol in his hand ; ‘ves, we'll give you as much mercy es you've shown to that poor young lady and the poor fellow who was the guard ol the coach. Come, get up on your feet, and go with us, or I| shall blow your brains out on the spot.” There was no alternative but to do as he was commanded. Leaving the young lady in the charge of her father and the wife of one of the rustics, the party proceeded into the wood, with their prisoner in the midst. On arriving at a little clearing, some two or three hundred yards from the road, they halted to deliberate. Collecting some dead branches and leaves they set fire to them, and, in a few moments a goodly flame was darting up towards the dark sky and sending a red glow over the wild acene. The heart of the wretched Alsatian sank within him, Were they going to burn him, that they had made this huge bonfire, and in this deserted Bpo He was soon enlightened on this point. His sword and pistol having been taken from him the one who seemed the leader of the party tore his mask from his face. In an instant there was a howl of execration from all around, Asis usual in such cases the men who had never seen him before in their lives recognized in him the perpetrator of every highway outrage that had been committed for months. ‘‘ Let us hang him,” said the leader. The shout of acquiescence which was the answer to this proposition sank like a death- kne!l into the heart of the coward. There was no doubting the fact that all the angry men around him were unanimous in wishing for his death, and there stole into his mind a conviction that his last hour was come THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. 92) and that he was at length in the power of men upon whom all appeals for mercy would be thrown away. “Oh! mercy! mercy!” he cried, throwing himself down upon his knees in the middle of the group. ‘Oh, Quelf, if ever I get hold of you won't I make you pay for this ‘” He glanced round him. Not a single look of compassion upon any one of their faces, All were stern, determined, implacable. The leader had taken a rope from one of his companions, and, mounting on the back of another, had begun fastening the deadly coil to a high branch above him. In a few minutes all was ready, aod the Alsatian was dragged beneath it. The trembling wretch was so overcome now with terror that he could scarcely speak above a whisper. Death truly stared him in the face, not one single hope was left him. ‘Mercy ! mercy !"’ he gurgled out, but no one heeded him. The men who had decided upon his death thonght more of the scene of crime they had witneased on the high road than of his wild eyes and writhing form. Captain Lackland was forced to mount upon the back of one of the men, while the rope was adjusted round his neck by another rustic, who had clambered up to a branch of the tree above him. The prep irations being complete, the ruatics thought tha: nothing further was to be done than to apring from beneath the wretched man and leave him to his fate. But Captain Lackland’s despair suggested to him one more chance for life. Before the man beneath him had time to move away he tore one of his hands from their fas- tening, and clambered up to the bough above him just as the man who had fastened the rope sprang to the ground. For an instant the rustica were taken aback. Bat only for an instant. The captain was allowed no time to untie the rope. Taking steady aim the leader of the party fired. The ball took deadly effect. With a loud yell the Alsatian sprang forward and fell with a thud to the full length ef the rope. There was no time even for a cry. His neck was stretched out to the full extent, his faca became blackened, and in a few mo- ments he was dead! It was horrible to gaze upon his features as they became disto and purpled with agony, and many of those who had acted as ruthless judges of the Timid Heart turned away to avoid the sickening sight.: “Now then,” said the leader, ‘let us leave this spot. His companions may take from this a salutary lesson.” So saying, he led the way from the spot, and soon the dead man was alone in the wood. COMME DOO CO