Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 279: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. Now it was by no means the wish of the chief of the police to burn his prisoners to death. He would have much preferred to have captured them, and taken them alive to Newgate. He stooped down over the man, who had made several efforts to raise himself, but without success, as he spoke~ ‘Speak to me,” he continued. ‘ Do not exhaust your- self. I shall hear you if you speak no louder than a Accordingly, when he found that the door was so far | whisper.” burnt away as not to be able to withstand any resistance, he commanded his men te dash the blazing pile away, and scatter the portions of which it was composed about the clearing. The door was then fully exposed to view. It was nothing more thn a piece of red-hot wood. © Borward!” cried the chief, in a loud voice, in spite of the pain which his wound occasioned him. “ Forward! forward! down with the door! One blew will do it! Then you have them.’’ Animated by his words, and determined to put an end to the prolonged and sanguinary contest, the officers made a vigorous dash at the half-burned door. Now that the heap was removed, the progress of the fire was very greatly stayed. It raged upon the roof where the thatch was not destroyed, but it had not taken firm hold of the beams. But the door was in such a state as to enable them to force a way through it. That they would find their foes helpless and at their mercy they quite anticipated. ‘The interior would be filled with dense, suffocating smoke. The officers attacked the door with their cutlasses. It was very different now, though. Their weapons sank into it easily, and in less than two minutes it was entirely battered down. Such an immense quantity of black, pungent smoke rushed out that they were compelled to retreat before it. But a few minutes served to dissipate it, and then they dashed in in a body. At first they could not credit the evidence of their senses. The hut was empty. CHAPTER CXCIII. THE WOUNDED POACHER SHOWS HIMSELF GRATEFUL FOR THE SERVICES WHICH OUR FRIENDS HAVE DONE HIM, AND MAKES A GOOD RETURN. To explain the mystery of the extraordinary and incom. prehensible disappearance of Blueskin and his two com- panions, it will be necessary to return to their proceedings, and particularly describe what they were occupied in doing after the repulse of the enemy from the roof, and while the bonfire was made outside the door. The last discharge which the officers had made was rather a damaging one. All three were burt, but fortunately, only slightly. They were binding up their wounds, when their atten- tion was attracted by the wounded man who had been peummucouscions cause of bringing them into this great peril. ¥rom the time of the arrival of the police-officers they had paid no attention to him. It will be recollected that Johnson had poured a dangerously large quantity of strong brandy down his throat. It was a case of kill or cure, and had the man to whom the desperate remedy had been applied have been less habituated to the use of ardent drinks than he was, it would certainly have resulted in the former. But as it so happened, it revived him, though he was some time before he properly recovered his consciousness. He had been severely hurt, but not mortally, and the swoon into which he had fallen was mainly caused by loss of blood from the system. The sharp firing, and the noise which had ensued, did not in any way tend to restore him the use of his faculties, end it was not until the time of which we have just spoken that he had been able to come to a clear under - standing ef what had taken place. = But as soon as he did he called out to our three si1enus as we have recorded, but his voice was so faint that it could not possibly have been heard outside. What is it?” asked Jack Sheppard, who had not all through lost sight of the idea which had occurred to him —namely, that the man would very likely be able to give {hem some good advice under these perilous ecum- stances. “‘ What is it?” Sennen rece a a aT a a a ‘* ‘You have saved me.” “We have, so far.” ‘‘The keepers surround the hut—the strong, brave old but, and you have kept them at bay.” Wo have, but not without much trouble. Not only do as surrvand this place, but a large body ef 1 dlice, also!” ‘Ah! then we are lost.” ** Say you sor”’ * You are pursued, then.” “We are.” ‘Let me thiuk a moment. You are friends 2?” ‘* We have shown ourselves such.” ‘Then I will trust you.” ‘*'That is right—but listen.” What P” ‘Our foes are bafiled for the moment, but not defeated.” © T know it.” “They will renew the attack in some other way directly.” ** T know that too.” **T am glad you understand so well.” ** Yes, 1 have perfectly recovered my senses.” ‘You are better, then ?P ”’ *¢T think I am.” —' L am glad to near it, but are you aware that we cannot conquer those who are besieging us? do you know that in the end they must either capture or slay us ?”’ **T do, unless some outlet to the hut is found.” * Just so, that is it. We have searched if round and Sena hut the only one which we could find was the oor.” “ Ahf did you search narrowly ?” “ We did.” ** Better and better.” What do you mean—better and better P” **T mean it is so much the better for us. are they about now ?” All listened. “} know,” said Blueskin at length, * What is it?” ‘Thay are going to employ an agent to turn us out against which we cannot combat.’ What is that Pe” ‘* Fire.” Fire ?p” “Yes. They are heaping up brushwood outside the door, and then they will set fire to it, and either smoke or burn us out.” ‘¢ No—no.” It was the wounded man who spoke. *¢ What do you mean by ‘ No—no’ ?”’ ‘They will neither smoke nor burn us out.” ‘Then you know of some secret means by which this hut can be left.” 5 Hark! what ‘‘ But you must bear one thing in mind.” © What?” ‘‘The police are here in large numbers, and they have formed a complete circle round the hut, so, if we do Icave it, we shall fall into their hands.” “No we shan’t.” ‘Well, then, if you know of some secret exit, let us hear what it is at once, or the news will come too late.” *¢T will tell you.” “What is it, then? we quick!” ** Raise a little so that I can show you, and stir up the fire so that we can see about us.”’ Both these things were done. The hut was now filling rapidly with smoke. “* Do you see yonder chest?” asked the wounded man. He pointed as he spoke to a very large wooden chest in one corner of the hut. ‘Yes, yes. We seeit.” ‘‘That, then, is the outlet. Promise to take me with you, and I will show you how this place may bo Icft in perfect safety.” “We will readily promise that, since we determined from the first not to abandon you to your encmies.” EO DOO GC SS} o(CO)