Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 221: what you’re looking at

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

Deewen Se. A oes” = BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, ee ee Da er oe Ce ag TT aa OO 319 been standing below had recovered from the sullen sur- | stretched hands, but at length he managed to take a hold rise, ¥ Every breath he drew seemed to invigorate Jonathan, and to show him that, after all, the injuries he had received from the fearful fall were very slight indeed. “Quick! quick!” he yelled; ‘“‘never mind those who are hurt! Run some of you to the entrance of the cavern, and bring the two ladders with you. Let a dozen descend into the boat, and be rowed to the nearest land- ing-place to ‘The Larches.’ Surround the house, and see that the pirate-chief escapes not!” The men did not hesitate a moment, and well was it that they did not, but set off at full speed to the entrance. A dozen then made their way into one of the boats which had conveyed them thither, and were swiftly rowed away ito the darkness of the night. The remainder then drew up the ladders, which were of very great length indeed. The angles and turnings in the narrow passage leading to the cavern made it dificult for them to be carried, but these obstacles were, without much loss of time, over- come. By the timo they returned, they found Jonathan had prepared a quantity of rope, by the aid of which the two ladders were hastily but firmly lashed together. Thus joined, they really looked os though they would enable him to gain the point he wished to reach. The pirates had all been vanquished. Quarter had been refused to all of them, and all that remained of tho much- dreaded Howlet band were a few bleeding, wounded forms, from whom it would have been a mercy to trample out what little of that mysterious essence of lifo which clung to thom. This was not dono, however. Five men had been on the rope with Jonathan. Three of these were dead, and so were two mora upon whom it happoned to fall. Tho other two were only partially injured. Jonathan got off best of all. The time that had been taken to do all this waa reaily very short indeed, and before Wild had thoroughly re- covered his breath, he commenced tho secent of tho ladders. Thig time he took a lantern in his hand, in order t see his way before him. For fear lest tho ladders should give way whero they had been tied together, only one man was allowed to follow bin. Against what the top portion of the ladder rested, Wild, of course, had no idea. F As he mounted, which he did fearlessly and rapidly enough, he flashed his lantern about him. ree smaller cavern seemed to be of a very remarkable shape. enerally the height of a cavern bears some degree of proportion to the diameter. : But in this case, all such proportion was set at do- 2nco. The diameter of it was only a few yards, but the height ecemed many feet. The sides were smooth, white, and even. At last, as ho ascended, Jonathan camo to the conclu- sion that this shape was not natural, but that the roof of the cavern had been raised. As he got higher, he soon found that the sides tapered in rapidly, so that the appearance presented was that of some huge funnel. ve length he reached the top round of the second adder. He directed the light of his lantern upwards. Just out of his reach he could see the piece of rope dangling down where Captain Howlct had cut it. Seale he but grasp this, Jonathan felt that all would be well, Cautiously, for the attempt was full of peril, he mounted two more rounds, and stood upon the topmost one, hold- ing to the wall for support. t was an awful situation. Tho least tremor of the body, the least giddiness, sud ho must have been precipitated to the bottom. Nothing could have saved him. But Wild was cool and collected. Kiven now, the rope was barely within reach of his out- of it with his fingers. This grasp he soon increased, and then, when he had if in both hands, he quitted his foothold upon the ladder, and hung, suspended in mid air, by the mere strength in his wrists alone. It was a feat which few besides those who had trained themselves to the performance of similar feats would have attempted. Gradually Jonathan drew his body up until he reached the spring panel opening into the chamber which had been occupied by Edgworth Bess. He could not seo into this place, for when he had to make use of both hands, he had hung the lantern to his belt, it being provided with a handle made specially for that purpose. The panel had been left just as Bess had propped it open. No donbt Captain Howlet felt: pretty sure that he had discomfited his enemies for some time to come, and, that now tho rope was cut, it was quite impossible to ascend. But he did not know the man with whom he had to contend. He was, as the present narrative displays, a man with an expedient brain and an indomitable spirit, which would make him rise superior to any dangers. Tho faint night light which made its way into the room, enabled Jonathan Wild to perceive the outlines of the apertnro. But knowing he was unsupported, he listened before lie attempted to craw] in. All was still. Pho captain was notin that part of his residence, at all events. Jonathan, therefore, ventured to climb through the gliding panel. But he put himself in an attitude of defence as soou as he could, for fear the pirate should be lurking some- whero in the room. By flashing the light of his lantern round it, however, he assured himself that it was empty. The next step was to devise some means by which he could be joined by his men, for it would never do for him to engage the pirate single-handed. Kneeling down, then, he saw that the one man who had followed him up the ladder was at the top of it, unable to proceed any further. ‘* Descend,” said Jonathan, “‘ and bring back the coil of rope. I will fasten it afresh, and then you will manage easily. Quick, there is not a moment to lose!” The man, in his zeal to obey the thief-taker, did not stop to descend the ladder step by step, but striding his legs, he slipped down thie whole distance. Quickly seizing the end of the rope, and bidding two or three others to follow him, he ran up again. He found, upon reaching the top, that Jonathan had taken off his neckcloth, and was holding it down at the full length of his arm. The man comprehended in a moment what it was in- tended for, so taking the rope, he tied one end of the neck- cloth to it. When this was done, Wild drew tho ropo up, and, somehow or other, managed to secure it in the same manner as before. Then he called out to his men to ascend as quickly as they could. a eet CHAPTER CUIT. COLONEL THORNE TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF USELESS TROUBLE, BUT DETERMINES TO CHEAT JONATIIAN WILD. With the rope thus placed, Jonathan’s men had very little difficulty in making their way through the sccret pane, into the room where their leader wus waiting for them. Tho ladder, too, had been found quite strong enough to bear four of their number upon it at one time. Jonathan only waited until he had got half-a-dozen men around him, and then drawing his own sword, and hold- ing the dark /antern in his left hand, ho called out to them to do likewise and follow him. ee eee Rv one — ein a ee ool EO DOO) GC 6S (C(O) 5}