The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. 37 “Keep your temper, Bates,” said Captain Jack; “‘let’s have no more quarrelling to-night, The young man didn’t mean any harm.” . “Quite true, gentlemen, quite true; we are two of the civilest fellows as ever. was,’”’ Tim began. _ ‘And who asked’ yow to speak ?” Bates growled, in such a wicked manner as made Tim stop on the instant. ; 5 .“ Misfortune follows misfortune,” sighed Tim to himself ; “‘it is out of the frying-pan into the fire. When will all these strange ups and downs cease?” “ The truth is, young man,’ said Captain Jack to Bob Bertram, after he had bandaged his comrades’ wounds, ‘‘the truth is as you say, we /ave fallen into rough hands to-night—very rough hands in- deed. Did you ever hear of a person hereabouts called Bob Bertram 2.”” - 7 “Yes, I think I have,” said Bob, coolly. ‘What ofthat. so Mere / “Well, its all through him that we’ve got all these cuts and wounds.” “Indeed! ” “Yes,” said Captain’ Jack, inventing lies as he went on’; “‘we are officers of the crown, and were sent to escort this Bob Bertram to London, but he escaped just in time. We got scent.of where he was hiding, and overtook the carriage in which he was escaping. Like brave men and good officers, we attacked it, but just as we were on the point of securing the rascal, out pounces a score of villians upon us from a wood. After a desperate encounter we killed and wounded a. great many, but were at last compelled to fly, for the whole village was at our heels,’’ | 7 ““Tndeed |” said Bob, in wonder; “but are you ‘sure that the person in the carriage really was Bob Bertram 7” “Not a doubt of it |” said Captain Jack, pleased with his well-told string of lies. ‘ During this conversation, and while Jack was dilating at great length upon the bravery of him- self and comrades, a stranger entered the room and took a seat on the dark side of the fire-place, Bob and Tim exchanged quick looks at one another on the stranger’s entrance, It was not Wildfire Ned, Who, then, could it be? It was Phillip Redgill. The place where he sat was shaded from the fire- light so completely that he had a good view of each person’s countenance, but yet no one saw his own, _ “You are mistaken, my friend,” said Redgill, at the conclusion of Captain Jack's remarks, ‘you are mistaken ; the murderer, Bob Bertram, was not in the carriage at all.” ‘No !” | **Who dare dispute our word ?” “Who told you so?” said Bates, Faulkner, and Captain Jack in a breath, and in tones of annoy- ance, | “ J did!” said Redgill, rising, “the murderer was not near the spot,”" “Not near the place ?” **No! he was pene quietly in the parlour of a road-side inn during the whole of the fight.” (“Prove:it. “To you want to make us all out liars, then ?”’ “T can prove it!” said Redgill, all the time speaking in a forced voice, quite unnatural to him; “and if you put me to the test, I can tell you where the murderer is now at this present moment,” 4“ Ha 1 ” ‘‘ Where?” “ There’s a good reward offered, tell us at. once,” said Captain Jack and others, : “You have not to look far for him,” said Redgill, with a triumphant laugh, Bob Bertram’s blood now ran cold. “T am betrayed,” he thought, “and must fight my way out of this,” “ And who told you ?”’ said Bates, “A youth called Ned Warbeck. I met him on the road : he has been to this inn once to-night, has he not landlord ?” “TI believe he has,” was the innkeeper’s answer. “ But where is this Bob Bertram, then?” said Captain Jack impatiently. “There!” said Redgill, pointing to where, Bob Bertram.sat, . ‘‘Iknow him, so does the landlord, and.so does that thin-legged groom in the corner.”’ But they held their peace. ° “Scoundrel!” said Bob «Bertram, rising» in- stantly. ‘‘Scoundrel!’’ he said, and fired. at, the informer. Redgill anticipated something of this sort, and dcedged so cleyerly that the shot missed its aim. __ In a second, Bob Bertram was surrounded by Captain Jack’s party, He fought most manfully to get: loose from his assailants, but they were too numerous for him, Besides that, his confinement and anxiety for the past few days had weakened him: very much, so that he did not at the moment possess one-third of his ordinary strength. Old Bates was the first who dared to assail Bob, but a well-directed blow, clean from the shoulder, knocked the red-nosed rascal off his legs, Right manfully did Bob fight, but it was all to no purpose, 4 He was bound with cords; resistance was hopeless « and useless. | He cast a look at Redgill—a glance that: was filled with venom and.scorn. “ Villain” hesaid. ‘‘ We have met before, blood- thirsty scoundrel! Doyou remember the night of my father’s murder, red-handed knave ?» You shall not always triumph; my day will come.” ‘“‘ What does the rogue say?” Redgill remarked, coolly. “Oh, never .mind Aim, sir,’ said Captain Jack, recognizing in Redgill the young man who had ~ escaped from the carriage and given him the purse of gold, ‘never mind him, siz; he’s only raving. Allyour great criminals rave and rant when officers lay their hands upon ’em; it’s quite natural, just like pigs when they're going to be’ killed—they always squeal most then, ‘Lor, bless ‘yer, sir, we’ve™ had lots of-criminals in hand in our time, ain’t we, Bates ?” “I believe yer,” said that worthy. Turning to Bob, who was bound now with cords he said, “ What d’yer mean by calling this 'ere gentle- man.names for,.eh? Why, we knows him‘ well,” said Bates, in allusion to Redgill. “Tf you do,” said Bob, “ take care of him; fe is the man who murdered my father, not me; his name is Bolton.” : “Quite mistaken,” said, Captain, Jack; ‘his name ain’b nothing of the sort—it is Mr, Phillip Redgill.” : *‘ Quite true,” said Phillip, with a smile of con- tempt, ‘And, now that I have assisted you in re- capturing this vile murderer, I will mount’ and journey to London.” ~ Quite right,’” “Many thanks, my noble captain.” “ A pleasant journey.” | NOW C@