The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

See a are er ee Ee THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. 124 wlan Tog A ee eee my path. I wish he were dead ; yes, buried at the bottom of the ocean he loves so much !” “ Aye, but there’s no killing a lad like him,” said Captain Jack; “he’s got more lives than a cat, and as to drowning, it’s out of the question, for he swims like a duck and can float like a cork.” “Then what do you propose ? ” “T can’t propose anything if you can’t raise the wind. If you will be hanged, it’s. your fault, not mine. It would suit me to know yu were in a penal settlement quite as well as to know you were buried,” “You are quite disinterested, Captain Jack, and very polite.” “T always was.” “But suppose I do not give you money, that I do not hang or be transported—what then ? ” “Oh, that’s impossible ; out of the question entirely ; you must do one thing or the other. Do you refuse to raise the money ?” ‘No, I do not.” “Well, then, I have got pens, ink, and paper in my pocket ; write a note, and I will take it to any place you like.” “You are a cunning rascal, Captain Jack.” “No matter; time is flying—there is no use of wasting compliments. Can you raise the amount by writing for it 2” “Tn a case of life or death I think I could.” ‘“‘ Well, that’s sensible. Here is the pen.” “But suppose I refuse?” “Well, then, you are a doomed man, that’s all, and there’s an end of it. Good-day !” “Stay ; do not go yet. Upon second thought, I think I will write a note. Will you wait for an answer ?” “Of course, if the money is llkely to be forth- coming,” “ But it’s contrary to the rules of the prison to write letters unknown to the governor, you know,” “Oh, the governor be d——d! What matters? He’ll not know a syllable about it. Here you are; scribble away.” Phillip Redgill took the pen and paper. “Go out for a minute, Captain Jack, and stretch your legs. By the time you return I shall have the note written.” Captain Jack strolled out of the cell carelessly, Directly he had gone Phillip Redgill pulled out his pocket knife, and made a small wound in his arm, The blood gently flowed. With the liquid he wrote a note in a strange hand, and in a still stranger character, which ran thus, D——w——G,—By our solemn oath, help me. note will explain all. This night decides my fate! PHILLIP REDGILL, When Captain Jack returned, the prisoner had finished his note, and directed it with ink to— CAPTAIN GINGLES, Blue Boar, City. Strictly private and confidential. My former “Captain Gingles, eh? Is that the name of your friend ?” “Yes,” “It’s a queer one, any way,” said Captain Jack, taking the note, and balancing it between his fingers in a musing manner. “ He’s got plenty of cash, I suppose ?” ' “Yes, lots of money—that’s why he’s called Gingles, for he’s always got his pockets well filled, and is fond of gingling it about.” “T see, I see; but what time have I to present it ?” “Don’t go there before twelve o’clock to-night, for he always likes to have his wine undisturbed. You must catch him when he is coming out,” “Very good.” } ; «¢ And when shall I see or hear from you, Captain Jack ?” “ Directly I get the money—to-night, perhaps, or to-morrow morning early.” : “ That’s satisfactory. Give my respects to Gin- gles, Captain Jack.” “T shan’t fail. Keep up your courage ; you will only be transported if we get the coin.” So speaking, he left the prisoner, who, strange to say, now began to smile and look quite elated. “Tt is my last card,” said Phillip, to himself, “ and I have played it. Death-wing will surely not prove a craven to one who has so much and so often be- friended him. If all goes well, I may yet escape out of the clutches of this stony-hearted Captain Jack ; and if I do!” he said, clenching his fist, and striking it heavily on the table—“and if I do, Ill have revenge on him first |” Captain Jack went his way with the note in his pocket, and as he was about to leave the prison he met the turnkey who had been speaking with Phillip. ; “Hello! who gave you liberty to leave the prison, eh ?” *‘T only went across the road to have a drop of ale.” ‘Oh, that’s nothing, eh, you rascal? Don’t you know that your prisoner is one of the most deter- mined villains that ever lived? Keep inside, and mind your duties, and if I catch you having any chat with Redgill, or up to any nonsense with him, such as taking letters and the like, I'll have you publicly horsewhipped, mind ye.” “Letters ?—me take letters, Captain Jack? I'd never dare to do such a thing.” “T wouldn’t trust you further than I could see you,” was the reply. “Now go-and doubly lock the prisoner’s door. If he escapes I will hang you instead, mark me.” With these words Capt. Jack went his way, and he had not gone far when he entered a wine-shop. *‘T wonder what this Redgill has said in his note: There’s no harm in opening it. I can soon seal it up again.”’ So thinking he opened the note. “ Hillo, he’s written it in red ink! How the devil did that happen ? My ink was black. No matter, it seems he’s cleverer than we thought; he’s got some things concealed on his person yet, I fancy, although we searched him twice. No matter, let’s see what he says. “What does this ‘D—w—g’ mean ?”’ thought Capt. Jack, as he puzzled himself over the note. “There is some mystery here, or why say ‘by our solemn oath’? Perhaps he belongs to some secret band, who knows? It was well I opened it, or perhaps I might have fallen into a trap ! “‘* My former note explains all,’ does it ? What other note has he written then, I wonder? How could he write unknown to the prison officers, eh ? “Ha, ha, Mr. Phillip Redgill, I begin to smell a rat,’ thought Capt. Jack. “He has made friends with some one in the prison, no doubt; that cross- eyed turnkey, I shouldn’t wooder. Oh, if I catch the rascals up to any kind of tricks to thwart me in my plans, I’ll have them all hung, that I will. “* This night decides my fate,’ eh? Quite right there, Mr. Phillip ; quite correct, and no mistake. ‘But I must be careful.’ Yes, Capt. Jack, you JoOmichbooks.co 5}