Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. 205 upon the information which I send you as being quite correct. “The particular cliff which the cave is in you will be able to find easy enough, it being, as I said before, the one as the house is built on. Well, in the side of the cliff there ig a kind of crack, for I can call it nothing els, which is the entrance. “But you will have to come in a bout, and bring a ladder with you, for the way into the passage aa leads to the cavern is in the top part of this crack in the cliff. “You won’t have much trouble in getting in if you once find the place, for there is only a wooden door to stop you, which you could break down at a blow. ‘*The pirates don’t suspect at all what I am, and I have been very careful in my behaviour. They think them- selves quite secure, and in no danger of detection. ‘*The sooner you come, Mr. Wild, and make the attack, che better, for, just at present, all the men are in the cave, and I think some little time will elapse before they set out upon another cruise. I ought not to forget to tell you that they number twenty altogether, and that they all wear masks made like an owl’s head when they attack any vessel, and they certainly do look very awfu] when they have got them on—enongh to ternfy any one who is not up to their devilment. ** Howsoever, Mr. Wild, I shall have to finish this here letter, although I have gut a great deal more to say; but I am afraid some of the men should catch me, and wonder what Iam at. I should never have been able to write to you at all if I hadn’t smuggled the things in wie me to do it with, though that’s neither here nor there. “‘T needn’t tell you what renown you will gain, Mr. Wild, if you meeel in bringing this gang to justice, for they are that daring and ferocious, that, to my certain knowledge, people are afraid to go to sea for fear they should fal] into their hands. ‘TI trust that what I have said on the outside of the box wil] make any one who finds it forward it to you, for I shal] have to watch my opportunity, and throw it into the water when the tide is running in. I shall have to ron tle risk whether it comea to you or not, but if I don’t hear from you in,ten days, I shall send again, and trust to being more lucky. Mr. Wild, ** I am your very humble servant, ** GEORGE HAWKINS.” The reader will, of course, from what bas gone before, be able to come toa tolerably correct conclusion respect- ing this letter. t must be understood that Jonathan Wild made a bar- gain with all thieves, that if they would give him a share a rele plunder, he would take care to keep them clear of the law. But any one who would not submit to his exactions, or any one whom he found had cheated him, or made the attempt to do so, were marked out for immediate ven- geance; and that vengeance consisted always in effecting the capture of the offending person, and, if they still re- fused to come to terms, lodging them in Newgate, pre- ferring and substantiating a mock charge against them, and having them found guilty, and executed at Tyburn. Rarely, indeed, did he fail in accomplishing thia; and at last 16 grew to be quite a settled thing, if Jonathan Wild appeared against a person, that he was condemned to death. . Jonathan, tosee that no one escaped his clutches, always had spies about; and from some of these he had heard the rumours and speculations which were nfe concerning Colone] Thorne, who appeared in London ¢0 erratically, and who, when there, spent money in so lavish a manner. In a moment, when he was made aware of these facts, Jonathan Wild jumped to the conclusion that this Colonel Thorne was a highwayman, and that the money he spent ‘so freely was acquired by levying contributions upon the purses of others. But he could bring nothing definite against him. Spies be sent out after himin abundance, but all the intelligenca they could bring bim waa, that when he left London it was to visit an estate which he had upon the sea-shore, and which was appellatively désignated ‘‘ The Larclies.” He learned, moreover, that, during his stay at this place, he led almoat the life of a recluse, being very a rarely seen abroad, and permitting no visitors, except at long intervals, to the mansion. He sought in vain for the knowledge he required to con- vert bis suspicions into certainties. One of the men who had been appointed more espe- cially to the business of watching Colonel Thorne—by name George Hawkins—had, while st Dover, of course heard the wonderful stories related of Captain Howlet and his ferocious band. From time to time he had picked up little scraps of information, and the result of them was the suspicion that Colonel Thorne was not a highwayman, but a pirate. This, and the reasons he had for forming the opinion, he had communicated to Jonathan Wild, and it had been agreed upon between them that Hawkins should endeavour to join the pirate band. This had occurred about a month previous to the com- mencement of this history, and by Wild (owing to the number of things he had upon his mind) had been almost if not entirely forgotten, until this letter came into his hands in the extraordinary manner we have described. In order to make all clear, however, we must state that the letter which Hawking had so incautiously dropped, and which had led, not only to the discovery of his treachery, but to his summary execution, was one which he had written some time back, but which he had been unable to send off. * It will be perceived by comparing the two letters (the former of which is given in the one hundred and twenty- second chapter), that though they are essentially the same, yet the one which came into Jonathan’s hands contains some additional and later information which he did not seem to be in possession of when the first was written. The roar to which Jonathan Wild gave vent when he read this letter may now be fully accounted for. No pen or language could, however, depict the eagerness with which be perused every word of it, and when he had finished it once, he read it a second time. This enabled him to perfectly understand it, which could hardly be said to be the case at first, for Mr. Hawkins’ style of composition was rather involved. The fame of Captain Howlet bad spread itself all over the kingdom, to the terror of those engaged in maritime pursuits, but, despite of all the exertions made by the naval authorities, all attempts to capture Lim and his band, and bring them to justice, had failed. Now Jonathan Wild felt that he had him 10 his power, and that he could crush bim when he chose. CHAPTER CXLITI. JONATHAN WILD PAYS A VISIT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AND THEN SETS OUT TO MAKE AN ATTACK UPON CAPTAIN HOWLETT. WitTHout the slightest fear of contradiction, it may safely be asserted that no one was ever so impressed with the importance of promptitude of action as Jonathan Wild was. No one had heard more about Captain Howlet and the exertions which had been made to capture him than he. The reward, too, which had been offered for big appre- hension was something over £500, but it was not that sv much that tempted Wild as the personal feeling he had imbibed against the colonel, and the reputation as an indefatigable officer he should acquire by capturing him and his much-dreaded band. It was only by occasionally having recourse to such artifices as this, that he succeeded in blinding the eyes of the public and the authorities to his real proceedings. Knowing their value, therefore, he was always on the look out for the securement of such offenders as were of least value to him, and whose apprehension would redound most to his credit. On this occasion he had a double atimulus for instanta- neous exertion. Hawkins had stated that all the crew were then in the cavern, but that he knew not when they would set out on a@ cruise. The advantage of capturing them on land, and much in the manner of mice in a trap, was obvious, and although Jonathan had much important business on hand, ne resolved to cast it all aside, and devote himself to tme Jack Sheppard, he considered, he could make gure at any time he wished. ea a a a EO I TC ET TIN Pee ere REE tat 1S CPG mT iemited Ctangeattagape dag O'S! “Py; (SO) C NOOLKS (SO) >