The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

nnn PR a 100 Pe 2, eat Sc. 9 Saal ee en rea, PS you may think his conduct impudent, such 18 also our opinion of it, “ At the first notice of your arrest, we were both surprised and astounded. “We took council together ; you were at first doomed to perpetual imprisonment in one of the vaults, or tobe immediately put to death. “ At length your youth and courage prevailed, and it was resolved that you should be set at liberty, if you agree to the following conditions. “First, you must swear by what is most sacred to a sailor, your honour, never to mention to any one what you have seen here this night, not even to give the slightest hint about it, “Second, At your return to the landlord, you must tell him that you were dreadfully frightened and alarmed at the apparition you saw in his house, and engage him to pull it down, and make the best of the materials, as nobody will ever live among spectres who have sworn vengeance to him and his family if the house be inhabited. “Should you consent to these conditions, you shall be set free, and your servant also. “But mind, if you ever break the oath that is required of you, on the least danger threatening us, the next day shall not see you alive. “We have confederates in all parts of the country, who will avenge us, and strike the fatal blow your wild will would have deserved. ‘Your servant has seen nothing since he has been among us, “Should he attempt to speak of being let down a trap, and seeing strange men, contradict him flatly, and treat his speech as the wanderings of an imagination deceived by terror, or the effect of liquor. “I leave you now to your reflections, and give you an hour to make up your mind.” The captain then rose, and walked to and fro with hurried steps, and then left the vaulted chamber. Young Warbeck requested pen, ink, and paper, and wrote as follows:— “Captain, I have had for a few moments a most terrible struggle in my mind. “Honour and duty have alternately presented themselves to my imagination, but I have at last concluded that I can, by fulfilling what you require of me, keep the one unspotted without departing from the other. “T will take the oath demanded, “Your humanity and sense of honour have brought me to this determination, which fear or threats could not have extorted from me.” He awaited with impatience the captain’s return, who an about an hour re-entered and took his seat at table. Ned then handed him the letter he had just written, The captain cast a rapid glance over the contents, and rising bade Ned Warbeck lift up his hand, and solemnly take the oath. This done, he stepped towards him, and restored to him his sword, in token of freedom. He gave him also two guides, who led him quickly for about six or seven hundred yards, under immense arches formed by nature, and brought him out near a torrent bordered by a thicket of brushwood. T'wo horses were here in readiness for Ned War- beck and Tim. As they mounted to ride away, their conductors said, in solemn, warning tones, ‘Remember your oath !” “T will,” said Ned, in an under-tone, He and Tim rode rapidly Away. THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. CHAPTER XXXI. SIR ANDREW APPEARS IN A NEW CHARACTER—HIS DESIGNS ON DAME WORTHINGTON’S PROPERTY— HE CLAIMS RELATIONSHIP — THE POISONED DRAUGHTS—THE OLD DAME’S SAD EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD—A STRANGER COMES UPON THE SCENE—NEWS FROM NED WARBECK, THERE, was some mystery ‘attached to old Dame Worthington, Sir Richard Warbeck, and his two adopted nephews, Charley and Wildfire Ned. What this mystery was, no one could find out ; but Mistress Haylark swore in her own heart that there must be one, and she would have given her finger-ends to have found it out. All that we can say at present is that, in her youth and prime, good Dame Wortbington must have been a great beauty, for even now she bore traces of it. All we know for a positive fact is that, when rather over thirty, she condescended to marry a sea captain, who, through Sir Richard Warbeck’s in- fluence at the India House, had the command of a brig. There were no children from the marriage end old Worthington proved a worthless drunken fellow, and, when in his cups, gave way to all manner of extravagances, ; His jealous, uproarious disposition was fully manifested upon every possible occasio: whe ashore. ° When drunk he would lie on the sofa and sing uproarious song3 all night, to the infinite disgust of fellow lodgers. When, perhaps, only half inebriated, and tempted as usual by jealousy, he would toss the furniture about and break all the crockery. So that, everything considered, his absence was far more preferable than his presence. Hence, when the news arrived that the, barque “ Columbo ” had grounded in a gale, on the Florida Reefs, with the loss of all hands, Dame Worthington gave vent to her feelings in a few sobs and a faint- ing fit, but more than this she betrayed little of that grief which might have been expected from a loved and cherished wife. Her only true and fast friend through life was, as he always had been, old Sir Richard Warbeck. He furnished a private hotel for her, the manage- ment of which fully occupied her time and brought in much money. But now that Charley Warbeck was married and settled, she seemed in part satisfied, and looked even younger than ever. But still she fretted much for Ned Warbeck, who was at sea, for of the two youths she loved him much the best. He was younger, bolder, and far more handsome than Charley, but he was always a wild, harum- scarum youth ; and, since he had run away to sea the old dame fretted much, wept in secret, and would have given the world to have seen her darling boy once more. But everybody said that, since he had gone out in sets of the Skeleton Crew, he would never return alive. Don’t believe such idle tales,” said Sir Richard, often. ‘“ Young Ned has got as many lives.as a cat. Bu him where you will, he is sure to fall on his eet.” But now a stranger made Dame Worthington’s acquaintance, This was no other than old Sir Andrew ! He had got tired of country life, and determined to start again in the city. michbooksree 3,0) (UN