Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

158 BLUESKIN? A ROMANCE. jp i Eg ‘er ee = ——e —and so far from causing her to shrink, it seamed to | cecasioned her, raised her arms and twined tuem <odows endow her with fresh vigonr. Again the swords clashed. Susanna bent all her energies yo attack, and, to tell truth, Julia had much ado to defend herself. She allowed no sound to escape her lps, but she felt more than once that she was wounded. Indeed, as it now turned out, they appeared to be pretty equally inatched. It would be hard to say what were the precise feelings of Blueskin and Sheppard as they witnessed this singular combat. They could not help thinking that the wife was in the right, so far as their own notions went, but still they did not for all that exactly like the idea of two temales engaging in a duel of so deadly a character. But they had given their words not to interfere, and so they resolved to keep to what they had said. As for the husband—the unworthy wretch who had been | the cause of all this—from the moment the contest fairly commenced, he ceased to struggle to get free, but looked on with a strange kind of fascimation. The movements of the combatants now became so rapid, that iu the darkness they could with the greatest difficulty be distinguished. Round and reund, backwards and forwards, to the right, to the left, leaving, whichever direction they took, a track of blood as they went. Still neither seemed to be seriously or dangerously hurt. Presently, however, there was one horrible scream of anguish, followed almost instantly by another. The weapons clashed more feebly. Then Susanna’s arm failed her. She staggered, and almost fell. In an instant Julia took advantage of 1t. With a ery of triumph, which the pam she was suffermg almost converted into a groan, she ran her rival through the body. The keen point of the rapier entered her breast, and such was the vigour of the thrust that the hilt struck with a dull sound against the part where the point had entered. Susanna. fell. A gleam of ferocious joy shot from the eyes of Julia, She tried to move—to speak. But utterance and motion were denied her. With a deadly teeling of sickness, « sensation as though the world was gliding from her, she fell tothe earth, bleeding from innumerable wounds. There was a momentary stillness. No one present had anticipated such a sanguinary ter- mination to the duel. Blueskin was the first to recover himselh. Relaxing his hold upon the husband's collar, he dts- mounted with great rapidity from his steed, and ran to | where the two women lay. Ile was immediately followed by Jack and the postilions, who had looked upon the whole seene with the greatest wonder and alarm. Susanna was nearest to him, so it was over her that Blueskin first stooped. Kneeling down, he raised her head carefully. A groan of terrible angnish came from her lips, and be was obliged to return her to her former position. “It is all over with her, I fear. She cannot possibly survive. 1 hope the other has escaped better.” With tottering steps, the husband approached the spot. What his feelings were no one knew, but he stooped down over Susanna, and groaned aloud. CILAPTER CVILI. VWNFORTUNATELY LAKES ADVICE. At that moment, perhaps, there pressed upon his mind with tull foree the consequences which his own actions had entailed. It was all his work, although, of course, had he heen permitted, he would have endeavoured to prevent matters going to the extreme length they had. Some fondness for this man must have had a home in Susanna’s heart, for when she found who it was that was bending over her, she, despite the frightful pain the action BLUESKIN JACK SHEPPARD'S —<—- Ins neck. But it was only for an instant. She could not possibly have long survived that ghastly wound in her chest, but the term of life that remained to her was shortened sensibly by taking that last embrace. Once, and only once did she draw him towards herself, a then, with a low moan of anguish, she fell back ead! In the meantime Blueskin had hastened to the other combatant, who was known to him only by her Chrishan name, Juha. Her condition was bad, indeed, but not so desperate as her rival’s. *‘ A surgeon ought to be had here at once,” said Blneskin. Then, turning to the terrified postilions, he added, ‘* Ride one of you to the nearest town, and bring one here without delay.”’ Jack Sheppard knelt down by the head of the injured wife, and with his hands gently put back her hair, which was streannng over her face. As he did so, his ears caught a faint sound coming from her lips. Still lower he bent his head and hstened. “A surgeon! a surgeon!” she said. one, or I die!” “All is well,” said Jack, soothingly, ‘‘ the postilions have departed in search of one.” —.. ; At this moment her husband approached. His appearance was grief-stricken in the extreme. “We will leave you,” said Blueskin, “‘to your own thoughts. Should hoth of these be brought to death, you will be morally their murderer. Now, Jack, mount, and let us be off” aull . ’ Charles, the husband, said not a word in reply to Blueskin. It is questionable, indeed, if he understood the purport of his speech. In obedience to his comrade’s words, Jack left his posi- tion at the woman’s head, and went towards the horses. “We had best be off at once,’ said Blueskin, ‘ before others arrive; and we have got no time to lose, for look, some one is coming now.” “There is. Which way shall we go?” ‘* Back to London.” ‘“* Agreed.” _ A sharp application of the spurs made the horses set forward at a good gallop. For some moments not a word was said, but when they drew in a little, and were beyond all signs or sounds of human beings, Jack said— = ‘Well, Blue, this has been my first adventure on the road. Heaven knows it has been a strange one!” ‘* You are nght.”’ “Tt is an imeident that would furmish matertal for much thought.” ; *“No one knows,” said Blueskin, “how many little domestic tragedies are daily enacted. You see we have come across one of them.” - ** And about one of the strangest, I should think.” ‘Does it appear so to you?” -— “Yes.” a * And you have the clue to the whole affair. Now, how incomprehensible it will appear to those who will arnive upon the scene !”’ ; = “True.” ** Altogether, I am much vexed at it.” 4 Why r 39 ‘“ Beeause it cannot fail to be productive of trouble to us.” ‘““ In what way ?” “We have allowed several persons to see us distinctly, and for a long enough time for them to he able to give a ininute and accurate description of us.” ** Very true.” “The little episode we have witnessed to-night will attract a great deal of attention among all classes, and the utmost paius will be taken to apprehend us, not merely for the sake of the robbery, but because we are mixed up in it, and may be supposed in a position to explain things.” ‘“‘ But there is the husband.” ‘* He will be careful what he says, you will have no desire to criminate himself.’ ‘* But the postilions P ”’ ** Quick! fetch may depend. He (SO) am