Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 252: what you’re looking at

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

[ so om mew wee, amas YS Fg PEI FE a Tg a GENE TR Sa IT ST TT LE = a OL en * ; i unable to control his laughter, which, though not so] ‘hey were as certain tkey should vehement as before, had subsided into a very audible ehuckle. CILAPTER CLXXITI. es ale THH CONDEMNED HOLD IN NEWGATE. BOB BAINS RkK- LATES TIE STORY OF HELL-AND-FURY, Witn what different feelings Jack Sheppard left grating and returned to the condemned cell ! When he emerged from that gloomy habitation he had almost lost all hope. He had already begin to feel resigned to his fate. But what a change there was now. irs...” It seemed, indeed, as though he was already at liherty. He was careful, however, to conceal his elation, and he changed the expression of his countevance to one of sombre despair. a! His footsteps, which upon the first impulse had been springy and elastic, he altered also. . Any change in his demeanour would, he knew well enough, be immediately noticed by those who were ap- pointed to keep guard over him, and, if it was of a hope- ful character, they would immediately conjecture that he anticipated making his escape, aud such a watch would be kept upon his movements as to make it impossible. Already, in consequence of his former daring feat, they were unusually vigilant, and his best policy evidently was to act in such a manner as would cause them to abate that wigilance rather than increase it. : Hally alive to all this, Jack re-entered the condemned old. — His appearance would have deceived the acutest ob- my so admirably Jid he counterfeit deep and hopeless grief. He walked in and sat down on the stone bench assigned to him with the air of one who bas done with the e. But he brooded over the plan his friends had formed, and weighed in amore accurate balance his chances of escape. ‘ {! It grew dark rapidly, until at length those six persons who sat in that dreary place were unable to distinguish the outlines of each other’s faces. Then, and not till then, for he felt it would be a relief to do so, Jack permitted his countenance to be the true index of his thoughts. The more he pondered upon the plan, the more feasible it seemed. 7 Daring he had in plenty to enable him to attempt it, and, besides, he had this inceutive,that, let him do what he might, they could only hang him. The chances were all in favour of his bettering his position, and none for making 1t worse. Then he thought of the poor heiress, Edgworth Bess, who had made so deep an impression on his heart, and, in spite of his self-command, he was almost betrayed into uttering a bitter execration upon the head of her perse- eutor and captor. Fortunately, however, he controlled himself and was silent, though mentally he heaped up curses on his head. But still he had hopes that that providence or good for- tnne, which had hitherto watched over her, would con- tinue to keep her under its care. Blueskin, who felt almost as great an interest in her welfare as he did, knew where she was, and would nt he do everything he could to shield her from the maciina- tions of the thief-taker ? He consoled himself with the idea that he would. By that time to-morrow he hiniself would be at free- dom, and then he should be content. How long the time would seem, though, before that morrow came! What a many long weary hours would have to pass away before it came. He resolved—and wisely—to determine in what manner he should employ himself as soon as he got free, and what skould he the first step he should take. With Blewitt and Flood the case was very different. A change had come over them, but it wus a change in no way resembling that which had come over Jack. They had given up all hope. They had come to the clear and definite conclusion that no chain of events, however remarkable, could avert BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. Or 2 0 gg ee die at the appointed time as they were that they were then in existence. But instead of this conviction abasing them, as one would naturally suppose it would have done, they, with a rude and wild philosophy, determined that what littl space of hfe remained to them they would enjoy and pass in the most agreeable manner they possibly could. , There were many obstacles in their way, but then, as we have before stated, they had been visited during the day by several of their companions, who had supplied them with money. Under the old eriminal code there was, as is well known, many abuses, and not the least of them was allowing prisoners to receive money, with which they could purchase whatever they thought proper. And with those condemned to die a greater licence was allowed than with any others. Indeed, they were per- mitted to have just whatever they liked at their country’s expense. This is how it is when, in reading over the criminal annals of the past century, we find malefactors going to the scaffold in a state of intoxication. Some even were all but incapable of motion, and almost deprived of sense, but the ebriety generally manifested itself in acts of ridiculous and disgusting bravado. The first use, then, which Flood and Blewitt made of the money they had received was to hand it to one of the turnkeys, and order a quantity of drink. This was fetched in, and the wretched prisoners, and those who had been appointed to watch over them, joined in a debauch. The night was spent in the most boisterous revelry— singing songs at the top of their lungs, and telling tales in the lives of notorious depredators. Jack had, of course, been asked to join the company, and judging that he should best keep off suspicion by con- senting, he did so. A steaming glass of hot gin and water was placed before him, and a regular carouse began. No one would ever have dreamed that three of that bacchanalian company had been doomed to die in so short a time. But soit was. . .. The picture we have drawn is neither an exaggerated nor an untrue one. : The glasses were filled and emptied with extraordinary rapidity, and the more rapidly these processes were gone through the more uproarious did the company become. Louder and louder grew the peals of laughter as the fiery stimulant, mounted to their brains. - At length, one of the officers put his empty glass down wae table, and smacking his lips with satisfaction, said— Ah! my lads, this is what I call fun, and no gammou! That’s the style to doit! Why, I never recollect but one jolly set out like this here.” ‘* When was that ?” asked Blewitt. “Oh! many a year back now. That was a lark, I can tell you!” “ Order—order !”’ cried the voices; “‘ order, everybody ! Order for Bob Bains! He's going to tell us a story.” By degrees silence was obtained. “Oh! it ain’t no story particular that I’ve got to tell you,” said the officer who had first spoken, and who had been called by his comrades Bob Bains; ‘‘ but I recollect now a matter of fourteen year ago, when a werry remark- able character was ketched, and brought to the oli stone ug. ais Who was he P” * You mean, what was his name ?” Yes.” ‘Ah! that’s what I can’t tell you.” *Can’t tell us P ti 4 No.”? ‘ How’s that? Hadn’t he got a name?” ‘€T s’pose he had, but nobody never knew what it was.” * And wasn’t it never found out ?” *¢ Not as I knows on.” “ But surely there was a name you used to call him ‘Oh! yes; he had a sort of nickname, but it wasn’t his real one.” their doom. And what wag the nickname P” P COMmicboolks .conm