Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, VS hl ae, ** Hell-and-Fury !” * ** Hell-and-Fury ?” Yes, Rather a rummy name, wairn’t it FY * Very.” * So everybody says.” 6 But why was he called that ? ” © Because it was a word of his—a sort of—sort of a | alon What is it, Jim ?”’ “ Blest if [ know.” ** Hexpleetive ?” ** Yes, that’s it. <A sort of a herpleetive as he was always making useof. Yor dnstance, if he was astomshed, he'd say, * Hfell-and-Fury !’ ” “Oh! that’s it?” **Yes. Consequently, you see, he got to be called that for a name tor want of a better, and I shouldn’t wonder if that isn’t the way half the people come by the queer names they’ve got.” 4 I shouldn’t wonder; but what were you going to tell ** About Hell-and-Fury!” “Of course.” “Why, it’s about fourteen year ago since he was brought into the old stone jug.” “What was he?” ** T ought to tell you that firet. out hightobyman.” ** One of the jolly old sort ?” ‘Yes, there was nothing of the sneak about him. He’d take up his station in the middle of the road, and when a carriage came by, he would ride up to the window as bold as brass, and, drawing a pistol, cry, ‘ Hell and fury! Bim jover what you’ve got, or I'll sink every one of oul?” &¢ My eye ' 93 You may well say that. He waa the daringest chap as ever I’ve heard tell on, bar none.” * And you've had a pretty good experience ?” “I believe you. Why, 1 was born in this old place, and I have never slept out of it since, and now I’m getting quite an old man.” ‘Hear, hear,” cried the rest, bangix: their glasses on the table, impatiently. ‘‘ Let us hear » eit you have got to say about ‘ Hell-and-Fury.’ ” ole cosy CHAPTER CLXXIV. RELATES HOW HELLE-AND-FURY WAS BROUGHT TO NEW- GATE IN A CARRIAGE AND FOUR, AND HOW JERRY ABERSHAW DANCED A HORNPIPE IN HIS FETTERS. ALL right, mates; all right. But don’t besoimpatient.” “You're so awfully long-winded.” “ Well, then, I'll sum it up ina few words. He played the hightobyman for some time with very great success, and nobody could capturehim. People gotatraid to travel about, for, if he stopped decent-looking folks, and they had got no money with them, he used to ill-treat ‘em awful.” “Did he?” “TI believe you; but at last they nabbed him, and it was the clevcrest trick that ever I heard of.” ‘How they nabbad him, do you mean?” *€ Of course I do, stupid; how you keep cross-question- ing a fellow; and if it hadn’t been by a trick, they would never have caught him to this day.” ‘¢ What was the trick ?” ; “Why, a party of officers hired a magnificent carriage drawn by four beautiful horses.” . © Whatever for ?” + Wait a bit, and I'll tell you. This wi. cept very quiet, but, when all was in readiness, ten of the best police officers all armed themselves and put on various disguises. ‘Tho carriage was going to start from Edgware, so they made their way one at a time to that place. One who knew how to drive four-in-hand was dis- guised as a coachman, and another of them, dressed in plain clothes, sat by his side. ‘*Two more were disguised as footmen, and wore a very vich livery indeed. Of course, they stood at the back of (he carriage.” ‘““'Yes—yes.”’ ; “Then the other six officers, dressed in plain clothes, * A fact. He was a real out and & &s — sp “Ghee Ocoee Se EE OE ees ee ~~ So FE Se I OS ere ee ee 251 got inside the carriage, and, preparations being quite come plete, they set off towards London.” ea ™ ** 1 see it now.” “No you don’t. Hold your row, or else I stops this Ylessed minute!” *“No—no!’’ cried the rest. 66 hd e O Never mind him, go om “Well, then, as I told you, when they had all taken their seats, the carriage was driven in the direction of London, and a very aristocratic turn-out it looked, I ean assure you, and was enough to deceive anybody. _ “They calculated that it would deceive Hell-and-Fury if ke happened to be on the road; and so it did, for just after they passed through Kilburn-gate, they heard the clatter of horse’s hoofs, and a mounted man rode up. “* Halt!’ he eried, to the coachman. ‘ Halt, I say! Hell and fury, if you don’t pull up, you are a dead man!’ ‘These words were quite enough to let the officers know they had got hold of the right person, so the one who played the part of coachman drew up with all the pleasure in the world. “ Seeing this, Mr. Hell-and-Fury rides up to the coach- window, and catching hold of it by the top, lets it down with a crash, while he put a pistol inside with all the boldness you can think of. ** But inside the carriage was quite dark, for they had not lighted the lamp, so he did not notice what a many people were inside. *** Hell and fury!’ he cried. ‘Your money or your life! Quick! I have no time to lose.’ ‘While this was going on, you must know, the two footmen, according to a previous arrangement, slipped down off the board at the back, and coming round to the side, one caught hold of him by one arm and the second by the other. ‘* Hell-and-Fury turned round with an oath, and tried to shake off his foes; but it was all to no purpose. They were used to that sort of thing, and besides, the two strongest men in the force had been selected to do the job. ** By the time he had twisted himself rouud, the two got off the box and laid hold of the bridle of his horse, while the others opening the door, rushed out in a body, aud he was overpowered. ‘He struggled manfully, however, to the last, but it was all to no purpose. What chance had one man got against ten who were bent upon taking him prisoner ? ** Accordingly, after a time, they pinioned him and put him inside the carriage, while the one whose seat he had taken mounted the highwayman’s horse, and rode on in advance to Newgate to bring word that the celebrated Hell-and-Fury was caught, and that they were bringing him there securely bound and a prisoner. ‘The greatest excitement took place, of course, and every preparation was made for his arrival, when, sure enough, soon afterwards the carriage drove up to the door of the lodge. ‘He couldn’t complain of the way they brought him, for I should think he is the only highwayman that ever has been or ever will be brought to Newgate in a carriage and four. * Well, when it stopped, they opened the door and lifted him out all bound as he was, for they were afraid to loose him, and in that state carried him to the strongest cell in the prison. ‘There they put him in some heavy irous—the very same ones, Mr. Sheppard, that you had on before your trial,’”? remarked the speaker, by way of parenthesis, and looking at Jack as he spoke. “What next, Bob ?”’ ‘Well, in course of time, as you may suppose, he was had up afore the beak, and a ease of highway robbery brought agin him, which was fully proved, and so he was cast for death. ‘After that, of eourge, he was brought here, and I was one that sat with him. It turned out while he was here that he had some rich and powerful friends, who tried hard to get him off, and who supplied him with lots of tin. ‘He was a perfect gentleman when you came to know him, though he was able to act the blackguard uncom- monly well; and it’s my private belief that he was the rakish, good-for-nothing son of a family of rank; but nothing more was known of him except what was guessed, and which, of course, might be right or wrong, though, $ AE OE TD CECE I EFT ag a Nn a ee COmiIcboooks (SO) 5}