Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 348: what you’re looking at

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

ee _. - a a ee 7 AMS AGREED 353, Springs Ac emer ANE art erase ate, ay a, © EE TT eT DID AY F RES « TT Nema eat a 346 Presently, however, they found their passage barred by a door. Juek hastened forward to examine it. Ie could see no fastenings, so he trie? to push it open, It would not move. Bat, ppon exerting a greater pressure, it gave way, having got stuek in its framework by the damp. The moment this door was opened, they were rewarded with a gush of fresh air which came through it. The taper now revived, and gave out quite a brilliant hieht, They pushed eagerly forward through this door. Jack, however, turned back to see if be could find any fastenings to it on the other side, but there were noxe. And now the appearance of the passage totally changed its eharaeter. Ylitherto it had been arched and bricked, but now it was ouly cut out of the solid earth, and both walls and roof were composed of blaek-looking soil. The floor beneath their feet was moist and stiely. But paying uo heed to this trifling inconvenience, they | pushed along with all the speed they possibly could, in the hope of findiug a way out. Whereabouts they were was more than they could tell. Whether the cathedral was above them, or whether tlicy had: got altogether beyond its preciucts, was more than they knew, thongh sueh knowledge, if they had only pos- sessed it, would have proved of infinite value to them in their present position. On, on they went, the passage seeming endless; but they noticed as they advanced that 1t got more and more confined in itg dimensions. Their pursuers, if they had been clever enough to get precisely on their track (which was seareely hkely), were nowhere within hearing, so there was some hope to be gleaned from that cireumstanee. But at last this passage, whieh seemed interminable, had au end, and our friends reached it. When they did so, they looked about them with some dismay. Instead of finding the egress they bad expected, the passage abruptly terminated with a mass of earth before them, as though it had been begu and never completed. “What is above us, Blue?” asked Jaek, after they had fnlly taken in their new position. JT wish I knew!” “We must take our chance and find out, for 1t 1¢ ~te certain that the only thing we can do is to bore our. sy out. We cannot return, and we have only sott earth to deal with.” ‘But we have no tools.”’ **'Then we must make shift without them in the best way we are able.” “ We are in a very awkward position, Jack.” Do not despair, Blue.” ** It is enough to make one, when we reflect a little upon our position. I am afraid you do not fully realize Nee do.” “We are here, just hke rats in a trap, waiting to be caught. This passags we have been unfortunate enough to get mto is one ot those which were intended to be formed into vaults, but which have never been com- pleted.” *That’s about it.” **'The workmen have gone so far and then leftit. Now, if we remains liere, we are sure to be found sooner or later by Jonathan Wild, it we do uot perish of starvatiou in the meantime. If we attempt to leave this plaee, we must retrace our steps, and the immediate eonsequenee of that will be, we shall fall into our enemies’ hands, for, though we are armed and resisted to the last, yet it is absurd for us to hope to obtain the vietory over such numbers.” Upon heariug this dismal account of their position, poor Kdgworth Bess’s heart sunk within her, and, elasping her hands together, she burst into tears. Ob! this is all my fault,” she sobbed. It is I alone who have brought you into this great perl. It was my utter carelessness. I ought to have looked where I was going, and not lave run blindly into the arms of Jonathan Wild, and set him upon our track in the way I have done. Do not reproach yourself—pray do not,” said Jack, BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE, soothingly. ‘* No blame attaches itself to you. You run a feartul risk of being immediately captured by that bold bad man, who is the evil stur of your existence.” ** But then, if le had taken me in the churehyard, you would have escaped. Now we shall al) fall into jis hands,” **No—no. I hope not.” * Do you think there is room for hope ?”’ ** Indeed I do. Blueskin, here, takes rather a gloomy view of our situation, but, then, he is doubtless suffering much angvish from his wound, and that will make a dif- ference to any man. Believe me, I am very far indeed from the thought of relinquishing all lope. I think it quite possible we may once more escape from the clutches of our areli enemy, Jonathan Wild.” These words, which were spoken in a tone of confi- dence, had a cheering influence upon Edgworth Bess, and she evidently thought their position less desperate than at first. Where they stood they could hear no sounds indicative of the approach of their foes. In that vast edifice it would be a matter of considerable diffeulty for Jonathan Wild, clever as he was in such matters, to get exactly upon their traek. So many turmugs would present themselves to his notice, each offering an equal chance of success, that it would be a matter of impossibility almost for him to Int upon the proper one, without some person’s knowledge on the subject which would serve him as a guide. Waving spoken to Edgworth Bess the words of consola- tion we have recorded, Jack Sheppard looked all around him to find some elianee of making their escape. At length le addressed lis companion. * Blue,” he said, “‘ I do not see that we stand the ghost of a chance of making our escape, except we adopt the means which I first proposed to you.’ * You mean boring a passage out P” c¢ Yes.” ‘That will be a work of immense labour.” ** Perhaps not. It may be that we are not far from the surface, and that a few moments’ vigorous work may open to us a way to freedom.” ‘It is just possible that such may be the case, but in my judgment not at all probable.” “But we ean try, and anyhow it is worth our while.” “The worst of it is we have no tools.” That is awkward, I admit; but then we have our swords, and with them [ should think we shall not have mueh trouble in making our way through this soft earth. Let us try, at all events.” There was certainly no harm in doing this, so Blueskin ee the example of Jack Sheppard, and drew his sword, The little wax taper was given to Edgworth Bess, and she held it as high up 1n the air as she could. Going, then, to the extremity of the passage, Jack and Blueskin looked closely at the wall of earth that was before them. There was, however, very little to see. Certainly nothing to choose for a place at which to com. mence their operations. But Jack with his sword gave a vigorous thrust at that part of it where it was joined to the roof, or rather where the wall ended and the eeiling began. The earth was very soft, for the sword-blade buried its self immediately. ‘“Come on, Blue; lend us your aid. Bless yon! we shall have no trouble in earving our way out.” As he spoke, Jack pulled his sword out again and began picking away the earth. a | It tell down on to the floor of the passage in large umps. : This was encouraging, and Blueskin gave his help as well. Kdgworth Bess made herself useful by holding the light, and in that way aiding them in their operations. They worked with right good wlll, and they soon made quite a large breach. Every moment, too, their task grew lighter, for the earth fell in large portions and with greater ease. Blueskin did not like to confess it, but he was terribly fatigued. i There was, in the first place, his wound, which had never been properly attended to. RE NR See re PS > =P sr np Sen” "SINUSES RSS DOO 3} (SO) Cc <SHIGO 5}