Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

NE LL BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, Then he, with great viciousness, stuck the sharp steel into the bleeding form. A deep and horrible groan followed. The hook had taken a firm hold, and graduaily and gently, so that it should not slip; he drew the wooden pole through his hands. The body followed easily, for it is well known how light a human being is when immersed in water. Then the janizaries, who had the other hook, fastened it in the clothing, and they hauled steadily, gently assisting their ferocious master. The boatman, right glad of the elance, rested on his oars, for the exertions he had made had greatly fatigued him. Another moment, during which the waterman looked on at the proceedings of the three men with horror and a sickened heart. The body was brought to the boat side. Then they had by far the most difficult portion of their task to accomplish. That was to lift the poor mangled body of their prey over the gunwale. But after a little trouble they managed to do this. eee body had come with the back turned towards them. As, however, they lifted it and it rolled into the boat, they saw the countenance. Bleeding, bruised, and disfigured it was, but still there was sufficient configuration left to make them confident that it was not he whom they sought—he who had leaped in so daring a manner off the bridge—he whom they had chased with so much toil and trouble down the Thames. In fine, it was not Blueskin. That was a point that admitted not of the least doubt or contradiction. Indeed, when they came to look more closely at the form which was now lying at full length on its baek in the boat, the two men were at a loss to eouceive how it was they had not discovered their mistake earlier. But the fact is, they never gave the subject the least thought at all. It never entered their minds for a single instaut that there might be some other person 1n the river besides Blueshin. We have, however, not said a word of the effeet which this discovery had upon Jonathan Wild. We feel our powers of depiction totally inadequate to such a task. Let it suffice to say that he poured forth a volume of the most horrible curses that could be conceived, and which only did him credit On the score of the copiousness of his vocabulary. His men. acenstomed as they were to the fearful impre- cations he at times uttered, fairly shuddered as they heard him; and as for the waterman, he sat speechless and aghast. This tempest of passion, from its very violence, soon exhausted itself. Wild grew calmer. He looked down at the prostrate body at his feet, and could hardly believe what his own eyes avouched. How was it the mistake had been made, for a mistake there was somewhere P But where ? When had it occurred? He was thoroughly foiled, and the more he thought the more did his perplexities increase. He was baflled and bewildered. Had he not, with all speed possible, after Biueskin took his mad leap from the parapet of the bridge, hastened to the landing steps ? Had he not dashed down them just in time to see the head of his heutenant rise above the water near one of the buttresses of the bridge ? Had he not instantly fired at the object, and received tolerable evidence that his shot had been effective ? Had he not hastened to the precise spot whero he saw the head disappear beneath the water, and had he not waited there until, in the distance, he had scen it rise again P Had he not fixed his eyes most steadfastly upon it, never allowing them to be removed for an instant, while the waterman rowed with all speed possible ? Yes, he had done all this. How, then, can the mistake have originated ? 179 It was Blueskin who had jumped off the bridge. That he would have sworn, for he had heard the familiar accents of his voice. Was it not Blueskin he had seen rise from the water ? That he could almost have sworn to as well, but yct there was a slight possible, though not probable, doubt. That doubt, however, he found upon further thought to be too sight a one to entertain. Then, as they chased the swimmer down the Thames, had he ever removed his eyes from him ? 0. They had heen fixed during the whole of the time. But stop. Although he had not removed his eyes, yet the swimmer was for a little while out of his sight. Was it then that the mysterious and incomprehensible change had been made? ; He could seareely think so, or imagine how it had been one. Yet that was the only thing at all reasonable that he could think of to account for it. And with that means he was very far indeed from being satisfied. Yet he reeollected how the course of the swimmer had been changed after he was a moment out of his sight. This looked very strange. It seemed to point to that being the time when the substitution was made. These thoughts passed through Jonathan’s brain with that rapidity of which thought ouly is capable. «Throw this fool overboard!” roared he, “and dc not sit there like idiots! Over with him!” Some lingering traee of life and consciousness must have remained inthe bleeding form, for as soon as the inhuman command was uttered, it gave vent toa feeble groan, as though of remoustrance. But it was unheeded. Wild’s janizaries were by no means the most tender- hearted of men. Catching hold of the poor wretch by the head and the heels, they swung him over 10 a moment. A faint ery for help! A heavy splash ! And then all was over. The body, like lead, sank down to the muddy bottom of the river. “Row across to those boats,” cried Wild, alluding to those lying at anchor off the Surrey side. ‘Ile is some- where there, I feel confident. Quick, it is broad daylight now, and he will have great trouble in getting away un- perceived.” As he spoke, the waterman again put his little vessel in motion, and as he did so the sun broke forth from the clouds which had until then enshrouded it, and his broad golden rays fell with full force upon the Thames. The spectacle was one of rare and picturesque beauty, but neither Wild nor the men he had with him were exactly the persons to appreciate it. The boats the thicf-taker had menti™ed were soon reached, and a most vigorous search made a.aong them. Of course, Wild would not have had the time to search every boat at moorings himself, but the alarm quickly com- munieated itself from one of the elosely-packed vessels to the other; and the inmates of each, on their own respon- sibility, diligently searched the one they occupied with every wish to unkennel the fugitive, whom Jonathan described as a murderer, and for whose apprehension a reward of fifty pounds would be given. Stimulated by the prospect of possessing this sum, the search was prosecuted by every one with the greatest vigour; and though no one was found, Jonathan was satisfied that Blueskin was in that loeality. This left him with the disagreeable conviction on his mind that he had got elear off. ew eee) CHAPTER CXXIV. BLACKFRIARS-BRIDGE IS REGAINED BY WILD, WHO IS AGAIN DISAPPOINTED, FOR HIS PRISONER AND THE GUARD HAVE VANISHED. ‘WHERE to now, sir?” asked the waterman. ‘Shall I put you ashore now ?’ ** 'Ya—ah COmiIcoooks (SO) 5}