Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 277: what you’re looking at

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

J REE Se a g -ehief officer. BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. ** A poacher!” exclaimed the chief of the police. “Is that all ?”’ - “JT don’t know. We tracked him as far as the hut by his blood, whieh has dropped al]l about. But he must have been succoured by some one.” ** How ean you tell ?” “Not only have we heard voiees within the hnt, but many footprints could be seen about the door of it. We have called to them to surrender, and fired upon them, but they have taken no heed.” “We are on the right seent, Pll be bound,” said the Birds of a feather always flock together, and 2f we donot find the three in here it is very odd to me. At any rate, we ean but try, and we shall be sure of a eapital reward if we find the birds we want.” ‘Then yon will assist us ?’’ said one of the keepers. Wo will.” ** We were deliberating when yon came up what measures ill. we should take to oust them, but were unable to think of anything likely.” ‘We'll see to that,” said the chief officer, in an ener- getie voice. ‘‘ Now, my lads, be lively. Place yourselves in a ehain round the hut, and see that no one leaves it. We’ll soon have them out, I’ll be bound.” The officer thought it a pieee of good generalship to give these orders in as loud a tone of voice as he possibly eould, in order that what he said should reach the ears of those within, and have due weaght upon them. Indeed, with many men less courageous tlian our fnends, this was a very likely means of obtaining a sur- render, but with them the attempt utterly and completely ailed. But as they listened they could hear the officers form a cirele round the hut, in obedience to the orders they had received. There was, however, despite their bravery, an uneom- fortable feeling about the hearts of all. They looked upon their ultimate eapture as inevitable and certain. So many men would make short work of demolishing the hut altogether. Jaek was tull of despair. e He thought that to be captured and taken back to Newgate would be so bitter, that death was a thousand times more preferable. Was he doomed never again to see Ldgworth Bess on earth ? Had he seen that fair and persecuted girl for the last time P Truly there now seemed little chance of his seeing her. Two alternatives stared him in the face. Capture. Death. ~ For the first he felt that, should he once more fall into the hands of the myrnidons of the law, sueh preeautions would be taken as to make it a matter of total impossi- bility for kim to escape. Then with respect to the latter, though not accustomed to speculate deeply npon such matters, Jack thought that if,what be bad heard respecting beaven and he!l was true, there could be no hope then, for that the same place would receive both he could not oring bimself to believe. But the natural bravery of his disposition soon rose above this feeling. Blueskin and Johnson looked calm and determined. They each held in their hands a pair of loaded pistols ready for immediate cerviee. The disposition of the eflieers round the hut was soon made, and they found themsclves almost able to touch one apother. The chief having seen this done, again eailed to those within to surrender. But it was all to no purpose, he might just as well have addressed himself to the wooden walls of the hut. And now a disagreeable idea oceurred to the chicf officer, and that was that his prey had, in some manner or other, managed to make their escape before the inyest- ment of the building by his men. Acting under this idea, he summoned two to his side, and said,— ** Draw your eutlasses, my lads, and attack that door. You will soon have it down, Il warrant.” Nothing loth, the officers drew their cutlasses, and began striking the door with them. Chips flew at every blow. a a IT EE, aT TT PT OT OL Ee er ell yo a) ts oa It was quite clear that a little patience wonld onable them to effect an entrance, and perhaps more expeditiously than in any other way. Our friends scon found out what their encmics were about, and Blueskin said,— “We must put a stop to this someliow cr another. We have plenty of ammunition. Let all three of us go to the door and fire through it simultaneously, and then drop flat to the ground before they have time to return the discharge.” “ Acreeds; i¢ will hinder their opcrations a little, and allow us time to think, ifit dees no other good.” “That is a great good. Come on!” The three then stealthily crept to the door, which was of uncommon thiekngss, aud composed of solid oak; so that the police had not yet succeedcd in making a breach through it. Blueskin gave the word to fire in a whisper, and it was immediately fellowed by the report of the six pistols, which raised such a report as to be absolutely deafening. A loud yell of pain from those without mingled with it, which pretty plainly showed that they had done some execution among their enemies. In anticipation that their fire would be responded to, Bloeskin had commanded them to drop to the floor, where they would be almost sure not to meet with any injury. Aecordingly they did so, and the policy of the movement econ became apparent. Directly they recovered trom the consternation which this vigorous assault produced, all those near the door who had firearms discharged them at it. But none were aimcd low enough down to reaeh onr friends as they Jay on the floor. ‘© Load again,” whispered Blueskin; ‘* but don’t move.” Scarcely had heuttercd these words than another volley was fired, and then the attaek upon the door was reconi- menced. For a little while Blueskin suffered them to go on unmolested. Then rising as before, and lis eemradcs with him, they stood at the requisite distance ficm the door, and pulled their tnggers. The six reports followed, eehced, as upon the previcns oecasion, by the yells and groans cf those who were hit. Lhe attack npon the decor ceased. It we ean keep that up, Jack, I think we shall take some of the courage out of them.” ‘Yes; but what is to become of us when we reach the end of our ammunition ?” “What, indecd! but don’t Jet ns culic:ste cil. We have dore better, so far, than I could have expected.” Jaek shook his head, and so did Johnson. Neither felt so very well satisficd, nor did Blueskin in his heart, only he desired to kecp up bis comrades’ spirits as well as possible. The officers seemed to have retired to deliberate, for a deep silenee, except that the murmuring of voices could now and then be beard, ensued. Some uew plan of tactics would have to be adopted, that was elear, forif the inmates kept up as vigorous a resistince as they had begun, their numbers would be feurfully reduced befcre the door cenld be broken down. The meu Lupg back, tco, a great deal. Lhe ehief himself was wounded, and the others by no means cared about exposing their bodies to so terrible and deadly a fire. Hence, a temporary ln!] in the proceedings took place, while they considcred what had bettcr be done. soe CHAPTER CXACII. THE OFFICERS OF POLICE AT LAST SUCCEED IN EFFICTING AN ENTRANCE INTO THE HUT THROUGH THE LOOP, Tuat four men, and one of them seriously wounded, should be able tor any length of time to Lold out egainst such overwhelming numbers, was absurd. In the end their captnre must take place, and the ie ‘officers, while they maintained their cirele round tlie but, felt that it was utterly impyosible for any one within the building to leave it unperceived. Still tha amount of trouble and less they had already experienced, without having gained the slightestadvantage, Was annoying in the extreme. ; The door seemed the weakest point at which the atlacsz ~~ | cComiclboooks (SO) 5}