The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

eS a tN ee THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. 166 - Four.of them, disguised as wood-cutters, with two others to assist them, and who were well acquainted with every nook and corner of the forest, deter- mined to enter at nightfall under the trees of Hornsey Wood, and bivouacked in silence. At about four o’clock in the morning they sur- rounded the retreat of the two outlaws. Ned. Warbeck aud one of the wood-cutters, with musket in’ hand, and finger on trigger, gently drew aside the leafy door, when they perceived the ter- rible couple lying amid bundles of hay and, picked bones. A gun, loaded and cocked, was lying between them. Captain Jack opened his eyes, awoke less by the noise than by the vague uneasiness that must ever haunt the guilty. Seizing his gun he cried, ““ Help ! Bates, help !” But Ned covered him with his musket, while one of the wood-cutters. seized the gun, and two others rushing ‘in,in another moment both the rascals were safely handcuffed, “Ned Warbeck,” said Captain Jack, ‘it was not right of you to betray your friends in this manner.” “Thank you,” Ned laughingly replied, ‘but I prefer such friends as you at a distance, anywhere except in our own neighbourhood,” The Captain cast an evil glance at Ned, and fol- loved on to. prison. No. sooner did. the Jaw show itself stronger than Captain Jack’s, roguery, than the tongues of the people loosened, and singular revelations were made ; the former related that several times during the hot days of summer Jack and his friends used to arrive by dozens, and shutting the gates of farms, they opened the doors leading into the cellars, and helped themselves to the farmers’ cider. Then stripping themselves of their:clothing, con- verted thus the yard into a ball-room, where they performed the wild antics .of the “‘ beggar’s dance,” resembling some of the strange scenes described by travellers-of what they. had witnessed among cer- tain tribes of African and-South Sea Islanders. In other places they. would make themselves quite at home, especially Captain Jack, for no sooner was his tall figure recognised, whether he was alone or accompanied by any of his friends, immediately all the servants, ploughmen, and shepherds assembled round their dangerous guest to attend upon his wants for fear of being shot. The tales told by these oppressed people Tey ealed more than one hidden crime. To render his authority secure and to prevent desertion and treachery, Captain Jack hail esta- blished among his regular, followers a:sort of bond of union secured by, an oatl: of vengeance, Every member of his new gang, convicted of having betrayed, their, associates, or of refusing an order issued’ by Captain Jack, was pitilessly massa- cred, and the executioners selected from among themselv eB, It was in this manner that a’ poor lad suffered for a crime against the association. He gave, thoughtlessly, no doubt, some wrong information respecting some farm they were going to attack, - ath was seized, and’ carried to the camp of Captain ack His accuser was no less;than old, Bates, who had stolen the sails of a windmill for some purpose, and the boy had:made known this trick to Captain Jack. Some time afterwards the 'boy spoke rather: freely ofthe projects of the! gang uzos the fabs of a very poor man near by, Thereupon it was resolved he should die. Captain Jack pronounced sentence upon him, and he was beaten to death with sticks. The terror inspired by Captain Jack had hitherto deterred the peasants from giving information to the magistrates of the murder of this lad. His bones lay bleaching on the ground where he had fallen, and no one had ventured to inter them. The, remains of the poor boy were collected as evidence against Jack and old Bates. Another was murdered in the weod for having taken the part of an innkeeper against his comrades, who wanted to cheat him at the reckoning. A third was also murdered for a similar offence. They tied him to an oak-tree and burned him alive, first cutting off his ears, and nailing them to a tree, as a terror to others of the gang. Several would have met with similar fates; and only escaped by a miracle. “ Come. here,’’? said Ned: to Master Tim. . ‘‘ Have you not often said aud boasted that:you would take Captain Jack as a deserter from the king’s army ?” Poor Tim looked pale, and turned about anxiously for succour, and trembled in every limb, Several peasants whom Tim had not perceived at first, and several others, formed a circle around him, which gradually grew narrower and narrower, and of which Tim himself formed the centre. “No, sir; I did not say so,” replied Tim, very modéstly. ‘You lie,” said Ned, laughing, at the same time striking a heavy blow on the side of Tim’s head with his stick. The: poor groom cast a terrified glance around, and perceived a fellow-servant who had more than once taken his part.: But this companion now gave him a very different reception ; now, he smote him a blow on the arm with a walking-cane which almost broke the bone. ‘Then Ned and others rained a shower of blows upon him until herfell to the ground, well punished for all his past boasting. The energetic and unwearied Ned kept up the pursuit of the gang for one hundred and fifty days, without halting to rest, or scarcely ever putting off his clothes and arms, or quitting his horse’s back. . He made captures almost every day. . The terror. that had formerly possessed the neighbourhood had now passed away; and two or three mounted men were quite sufficient to send away any of the fugitives, and more than enough to secure Many vagabonds. It was a truly grand affair the trial of those mem- bers of Captain Jack’s band. The mass of positive evidence was immense, but scarcely equal to the suspicion that attached to the prisoners tor other crimes in which it'was supposed they had taken a part. To let light into this chaos, to collect all the scattered ‘proofs, to- separaté the facts from sur- mises, to complete imperfect cases by evidence withdrawn from other cases, and to sift the truth out of constantly varying testimony on the part of W.tnessee, was a most difficnit task. Continual error and confusion ‘arose from the various aliases assumed by the more notorious meuwbers of the gang, while the differences in the calendar between old and new style added to the difficulties that beset the ministers of justice, » Nothing of the kind is more curious than the interminable questions put by the patient counsel, repeated in each new trial month atter month with untiring perseverance, and which most: tequaiily elicited the same answers, But at times the monotony was telieved by. 7 er Farner naan seas cei e oen Gom Eboo S (E(o)/ AA)