Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. 9] ‘Nonsense. Let us explore the place thoroughly.” | * Why do you langh ?” Blueskin set off again, and after going about six steps “At you, to be sure, for supposing this chamber to bo lower, he found he reached the bottom of the steps. They both laughed at this. one resembling that we have just left. Why, it’s the same.” The steps terminated in a kind of vaulted chamber; - Tmpossible.” upright in. ws ‘ From this there branched off no less than seven pas- octagonal in shape, and only just high enough to stand too long for us to explore such a place as this.” “Tam afraid so, but we will not go just yet.” They both advanced into the centre of the octagonal | apartment, and looked about them. The entrances to the subterraneous passages were all just alike, or so nearly so, that they could detect no | difference. There was nothing to choose between any of them so far as that went. ** Let us go down this one,’ opening just opposite him. “ A little way, but I don’t thinkit will be much use, for from the look of the place I should say it was used for e burial of the dead.” ‘Oh! who knows? Come on.” ‘Not without some precautions, Jack; I have heard a great deal about such places as these, and how heedless persons have entered and never found their way out.”’ ‘* Nonsense.” ‘Tt is quite true; they are all made just alike every- 9 said Jack, pointing to the where, so that by the time you have made one or two | turnings you cannot tell in what direction you are actually going.” ** What shall we do then? ”’ *‘ There is a means,” said Blueskin, ‘‘:if you still wish to enter and explore them. You must get mea piece of* mortar somewhere out of the wall.’’ CHAPTER LXI. RELATES THE STRANGE THINGS WHICH WERE SEEN IN THE SUBTERRANEOUS PASSAGES BENEATH THE NORTH TURRET. “4 PIECE of mortar?” repeated Jack, “what in the world for ?”’ ‘“ Get it, and J will show you.” Jack had very little difficulty in picking a tolerable- sized piece of mortar from between the interstices of*the stones. It was sticky and soft, but it was all the better , for that. “You take the hght,” said Blueskin, as Jack handed | him the lump of mortar, ‘‘ and lead the way.” About halt-a-dozen steps inside the passage he called to him to stop. ‘“‘ Hold the light down, so that I can see the floor.” Jack did so, full of curiosity to know what it was his companion purposed doing. He soon comprehended, and was delighted with it. The floor of the passage was of hard, dry earth, and on this, using the piece of mortar as a substitute for chalk, | Blueskin drew an arrow, with the point turned towards | | alarm, which sounded dismally in the cavernous place. the stairs—that is, in the contrary direction to that in which they were proceeding. “ Capital,’ said Jack. “It is a good device, and one that is often practised. At every dozen yards or so, I shall draw one of these arrows, so that we shall have no difficulty in returning, | or, at any rate, no hesitation as to which is our right conrse.” “T see. Come on.” | a The passage, as Blueskin had anticipated, was uni- formly the same in its general appearance. It wound | about in a serpentine fashion, and occasionally they came | to where other passages either branched off or led into | it. Whenever this ocairred he was particularly ca* ul with the arrows. **¥ do not wonder at people losing themselves in such a place,’ said Jack, as they emerged into a chamber resembling the one they had just left. “If I did not know it was impossible, I should say this was the spot we started from. Look, there are six openings, and the one we have just come out of makes the seventh. Here, too, is a door, with steps beyond it.” y “Ha! ha!” s a] “Qne would think so. I should have been of that Opinion, but we can easily convince ourselves. Look, here is the passage we have just come out of.” sages. oe “ Why, this is hke a rabbit-warren. Jack, 1¢ will take | Yes.” ** Well, I will draw an arrow. Now, there it is. If it is not the same chamber as the one we left, we shan’t find the arrow on the floor. We can’t mistake one for the other, because this is at the very beginning of the passage.” ** T see.” i ad the other is about half-a-dozen steps in, is it not ?’ — “Tt is.” “Very well, we will take them in succession, and rely upon it we shall soon find it.” Jacx could not bring himself to believe that his comrade was nght. He did not think it possible that they could have taken such a circuitous course as to come out at the spot from which they started. Such though, extraordinary as it seemed, proved to be the case. Just inside the third turuing to the left of the one from which they had emerged was the one they had entered such a short time before. The arrow which | Blueskin had drawn dissipated all doubt. mL very much enjoyed Jack’s astonishment, and he said— ‘““T have often read of,such things as this, and so the result was to some “extent expected by me, but it will serve to convince you of the necessity of talking the precaution I did, in order to find our way out again.” ** Tt is wonderful,” replied Jack. ‘‘ I can new scarcely realize it.” **T can understand that, and now let us try another. From what has happened, I feel almost sure that there is here some secret mode of exit. If we can find it the advantages will be more than we can correctly estimate, for not only may it prove of service to us, in case we should | have to escape, but also as a mode of entrance, for if I mistake not we shall find the outlet at some considerable distance from the ruins themselves.”’ “Tam ready, then,’ said Jack, ‘‘and I only hope your supposition may be confirmed.’ As he spoke these words, he followed his companion down another of the passages. The resemblance that was preserved was really wonder- ful. This passage was the exact counterpart of the others. For a Jong time they went on and on, until at last Jack began to think there was no termination. Blueskin led the way. Suddenly he trod upon some treacherous substance, ' which erunched beneath his feet, and, before he ceuld ' recover himself, he fell at full length on the ground. The lamp flew from his grasp, rolled for a foot along the tloor of the passage, and then disappeared. Tn an instant all was utter darkness. Jack Sheppard uttered a loud ery of astonishment and “All meght!” said Blueskin, scrambling to his feet. “Stand still, Jack. Confound it; but it 1s no more than |] deserved. I ought to have been more cautious.” ‘But the lantern,’ cried Jack; ‘‘ what has become of it P This darkness is awful.” “The fall doubtless put it out. Be careful not to move. We shall find it. That’s better.” Blueskin took a match from his pocket and ignited it. There was for a moment a bright flash of light, and he held it low down on the ground. The first thing that met his gaze was the substance which had caused his fall. “Good heavens, Jack!’’ he cried, ‘‘ this is a skeleton.” *¢ A skeleton ?”’ ‘Yes; all but crumbled to dust. It was treading on it that threw me down.” “Can you see the lantern ?”’ ‘No. I will crawl forward a little way.” He went down on his hands and knees. In his right hand he held the match, which, being com- posed of some ceraceous substance, burned for some few moments. rr e COMICMOOKS.cO