Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 381: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN: A RONANCE. a, During the time they had been re-united, the chances of explanation had been very few indeed, and so they had much—very much to tell each other. The varied occurrences of the past were all talked over. In the meantime, Jonathan Wild and his men, led on- ward by the spy, approached the spot where their little vessel rested. Cautiously and stealthily they all came, treading with the utmost care, so that no sound should reach our friends and give them warning of their approach, the tlef-taker and his band crept down to the water’s edge. The same pains were taken, too, to prevent their being seen as there were to prevent their being heard. They kept close in the shadow of the buildingz con- tiguous to the river, so that their outlines could »9% kg distinguished on the dark background whic they farmed. In this way they contrived to creep very close to their vietims. ee surface of the Thames was involved in the utmost gloom. But preseutly both Jonathan Wild and his son and the other members of the band could perceive a small boat resting on the water, and immediately after could detect two persons seated in it, and hear the murmur of their conversation. With straining eyes, Jonathan gazed upon this spec- oe? and as he gazed he drew nearer, nearer, and nearer still. It was just at this moment that Edgworth Bess, who had turned to look towards the shore in the hope of seeing Blueskin—it was just at this moment that in a con- vulsive, agitated manner she clutched hold of Jack by the arm. Then, with her finger pointed towards the bank, she said, in a low whisper— “* Jack—Jack.” * What is it?” ** Hush—hush.” ‘What has alarmed you ?” “Do not speak. -Look—look, oh! look in the direction to which I point. What can you see?” “* Nothing.” ‘Are yousureP I fancied I could see the figures of many men on horseback, looking like shadows in the dark- ness. Look, can you see them ?” Even while Bess spoke there crept over the surface of the water a faint flush of leaden-coloured light. It came from the rising moon. That orb could not, however, be distinguished yet, though a few of her most powerful beams forced a way throngh the mass of clouds upon the horizon, and it was this which cast the gray beam of light upon the river. Kvery moment, too, the light grew brighter. It was this which enabled Jack to see the objects which the quick eye of Edgworth Bess had discerned. ‘* By heaven!” he involuntarily exclaimed, “it must be Wild and his myrmidons. It is—it is! They have tracked us even to this spot. Oh! Blueskin; where is Blueskin ? ” There could now be no sort of doubt as to the eharacter ‘4 tne moving, shadowy-looking objects upon the river's ank. Jack Sheppard was for a moment so much agitated that he knew not what to do. His companion was no hetter; indeed, she had cowered down in the boat the moment that she learned her implacable foe was so near. Jack’s agitation procceded sclely from Blueskin’s con- ition. What should he do P He had heard no sounds of conflict rise upon the stiil night air, as he certainly would have done if any encoun- ter between his comrade and Wild had taken place. The presumption, then, was that they had not attacked Blueskin. Then, probably knowing nothing of the presence of his foes, he would come down to the river bank, and fall an easy prey into their hands. But Jack could not see in what way he could aid him; and himself and Edgworth Bess were menaced by a danger of no common description. Hlis immediate plan would be to sce in what way be could avoid it. In waiting for Blueskin upon the desperate chance of being able to aid him, he might involve poor Kdgworth Bess in irretrievable ruin. These thoughts flashed through his mind with great rapidity, and 1t was while they did so that his irresolution coutinued. But he made up his mind, and, with one vigorous stroke of the oars, he shot the boat out into the stream. He was able to do this suddenly and quickly, because, while waiting for bis comrade, he had been compelled to keep the seulls in his hands and use them slightly, to counteract the effeet of the current, for the tide was flow. ing out rather rapidly, and would soon have drifted him to a considerable distance if he had not taken these pre- cautions to keep himself stationary. And thus Blueskin was left to his fate, to fight his own battles as best he could. aa then how was Jack to help acting in the way he i It was the only chance he had of saving himself and the heiress from eapture, and better one perish than all. But still it was not without avery uncomfortable feeling at his heart that he acted in the manner we have described. Jonathan Wild observed the sudden movement of the boat, and guessed what had occasioned it. He had been seen, and they had taken the alarm. There was now no need for further concealment, and, furious with rage to think that he had had all his trouble of making such a stealthy approach to the water’s edge for aothing, he shouted in a loud voice to his men— ‘Fire! Curses on you all! fire! Take careful aim. Tire, I say!” As he spoke, the thief-taker discharged the pistol which he still held in his grasp. A straggling kind of volley followed from his men, for all had not the weapons in readiness at precisely the moment when he gave the word of command, but they obeyed as soon as they were able. But Jack was far out of the range of the pistols, and the bullets fell harmlessly into the water. The next moment he disappeared in the gloom of the river, for the clouds behind whieh the moon was grew denser and denser, until at length they shut out her light completely, leaving no traces whatever of her presence. Wiuld’s son was the only one who did not fire. As soon as the report of the diseharge had died away, he said, addressing his father—~ * You're a d—d fool, guv’ner; that’s what you are. Now I wonder what good it did you to waste such a lot of powder and shot in that sort of way ?” What could be ‘Pshaw, boy! cease your folly. done?” “Why, you had a d—d sight better not have doue anything than kiek up an inferual row like that. Why, you'll “spread the alarm all over the place, and not only lose those, but Blueskin also.” ** Who says I have lost them ?” “T do. How the devil are we to get at them? Why, if there was a boat all ready for us to jump into—which there isn’t—we should have the devil’s own job to find them, for they are quite out of sight, and the river’s as dark as piteh.” “What do I care for that?” roared Wild, who, after the failure of his design, and the disappointment he felt in consequence, was not exactly in the state of mind to brook these remarks by his son. “I will have them—I have sworn it. A boat—a boat! Find mew boat, and I will not quit it until I have found them.” The men did not wait for any further commands, but seeing the state of fury in which their imperious master was, dispersed themselves up and down the banks of the river in search of a boat. But nothing of the kind could they find that looked at all as though it would answer their purpose. “ Now, guv’ner,” said Wild, junior, who remained quite unruffled during his father’s storm of anger, “as I have said to you before, don’t be a fool. Just listen for o moment to reason.” * Reason be d—d.” ‘““) kuow that’s what you always say, and that’s how it is you don’t get on. Reason won't be d—d.” * 7 didn’t mean that.” “The more fool you, then, to say what you don’t mean = COmIIcoooks (SO) 5}