Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 135: what you’re looking at

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OE TOT MME ea = SS ee eee ed BLUESKIN : A A ROMANCE, a 18 wd Alas! how often is it the case when we think we are | the right scent now. How I got my intelligence is plain most prosperous, and all things going well, that we find ourselves suddenly heset with difficulties and dangers on every side. So it was with Wild. To anticipate any of the surprising events which are to come anid be but to destroy the interest of the narrative, so we forbear doing so. Levee came to the door, in reply to Wild’s summons. ** Pinching Tom!” ** Just come in, if you please, My. Wild, and he wants to see you, sir.” * Send him up.” ** Yes, Mr. Wild.” Two minutes afterwards Piuching Tom entered, and by the expression of his face, Wild could tell that he was the bearer of intelligence of some importance. The reader will remember that Jonathan had set him to find some traces of young Stansbury. ‘*T have been making inquiries unceasiugly ever since I left you, Mr. Wild.” ** And have they resulted in anything ?” > “Only a confirmation of your suspicions, Mr. Wild.” Sit down,” said the thief-taker, gracivrsly, “and tell me briefly what you have done.” **In obedience to your instructions, Mr. Wild, I went to the Bank of England, and verified the statement which had been made to you.” ** And you found it correct ?” In every particular. The young man was remem- bered by several of the bank officials, for his conntry-cut dress made him aconspicuous object. I found the man who had last seen him. He was one of the porters. © And where was he last seen? ”” om Going in the direction of Bishopsgate-street, My. * Indeed,” said Jonathan, “ that locks as though I had hit upon the right nail.”’ “That was just what I thought, Mr. Wild.” “Ya—ah! Goon. What next ?” JT thought I would go direct to King-street.”’ Wild nodded. : * About halfway down, on the right-hand side of the street, I found a public-house answering to your descrip- tion.” ** And the sign?” “The * Pied Bull.’” ** Right.”’ ** Next door, too, was the large empty house you spoke about.”’ Goon. What was your next step?” * ] did not venture into the public-house, chiefly because { feared it might be the means of arousing their suspicions, so I proceeded with great caution to make my inquiries of the neighbours.” “Well?” * Just opposite the ‘ Pied Bull’ there is a little tailor’s shop, in Sieh a man always sits.” ** T know the place.” _ ** He was one of the persons I made inquiries of, and it was from him that I got the most definite informa- tion.” *¢ What did he tell you?” ‘He remembered seeing a young man, who agreed with the description which I gave of him, enter the ‘ Pied Bull’ about two months ago, and what made him recol- lect the circumstance was, that his hittle child was play- ing in the roadway and was run over. A crowd quickly Pailetted, and among them was this voung man. who gave him five shillings to pay the doctor.” *€ So he recollects bim ?” Perfectly. Later in the same day he saw him enter ee * Pied Bull, and that was the last he ever caw of 1m.’ * And did y2u uear any rumours about th ‘souse, among the neighbours ? ” _ * No, Mr. Wild, I did not. Several—in fact, 1 might say all of them—remiember the circumstance of the child Leing run over, and one or two aaw the ‘country gentle- mau, as they call him, give the five shillings to pay the doctor, but the tailor is the only one who actually saw him enter the ‘ Pied Bull.’ ”’ ** And is that the extent of your information ?” “Very nearly, Mr. Wild. I have no doubt we are on Se eS oe OP ee enough, but J can't make out how you got yours, Mr. ild. ‘Nor will you! Have you anything more to say 2” Only with respect to the empty house.” ‘* What about it °” ‘* | made inquiries as to how long it had stood empty, and asked for the reason why it was not occupied.” ** Yes; I wanted to Know that.” ‘The reason given was, that the landlord of the ‘ Pied Bull’ had bought the house some years back, along with his own, when both were put upto auction. It was his intention to make the two houses into one, and make ae eneine improvements, but nothing has yet been one.”’ ‘* And does he give no excuse for that ?”’ “ Well—yes. He should be obliged to wait a bit before he could doit. Trade not being over brisk, and having bought the houses, and paid the whole of the purchase- money, he had not enough to make the alterations he desired, but that he should do se as soon as he had an opportunity.” ‘And so the people had no suspicions ?”’ ** None; and the placa had been so long in its present condition that they almost forgot it had ever been other- wise. ** And what do you make of the affair, Tom f”’ ‘Well, Mr. Wild, I hardly know, but I think a good many things go on atthe ‘ Pied Bull’ as hadn’t ought to.” ‘* Right ; and it is not the only one of the sort in London, to my knowledge. However, Tom, I want this affair thoroughly sifted, and if all turn outas I fully expect it will, it will turn out a good thing for me, and | won't forget you. Above all, be careful, because I should be defeated if any hint of my intentions got wind.” ‘Trust me, Mr. Wild.”’ * And now, Tom, listen. Take yourself where you like during the day, but come to me to-night at about twelve o'clock. Provide yourself with a lantern and spade, and we will pay a visit to the ‘ Pied Bull.’ ” “Very good, Mr. Wild,” said Pinching Tom, as he rose te go. ‘We shall make some discoveries, I doubt not.’ ** Sh—shall we go alone ?”’ “Not altogether, so you need not be afraid. I shall take care to have some men stationed within hearing.” With this assurance Pinching Tom was tolerably con- tent, and he withdrew. ; Jonathan Wild finished his brandy, and theu went down into the office to transact business. But with the details of that the reader would not care to be made acquainted, since in them there was nothing of any special interest. During the day several members of his band brought him messages from Wilkinson, but the intelligence he wanted and expected did not come to hand. And so we pass over the time until nightfall, when Pinching Tom and Jonathan set out on their adventurous expedition. CHAPTER XCI. JONATHAN WILD AND PINCHING TOM MAKE AN ENTRANCE INTO THE WALLED-UP CELLAR. Lonpbon, in the earlier part of the last ceutury, was in- deed a fearful place. It was the resort of the most desperate characters that existed, aud outrages at which we should shudder with horror were then nightly perpetrated. Above all, there existed frightful dens into which strangers and travellers were decoyed, and from whence they never came forth again. sae | At that period, too, the difficulty which surgeons had in finding subjects for dissection led to the establishment of a class of ruffians who, at a later date, were known by the expressive name of “resurrection men.” The frightful deeds which these men committed have frequently furnished subject-matter tor the novelist, but no one has yet dared to portray the more awful and dis- gusting side of their character. The reason of this is obvious. We will give it in the words of a bighly-talented and yee eee ————_ e } © | (SO) CO) MICLOOOKS (SO) 5}