Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

Care et 2 Oe ee es tre pee. ee eee se 102 hack out of the reach of. Jack’s arm, evidently having no desire to feel its force farther than he had done. ~ ; | Jack ran his hand over the door in search of the fastening, keeping his eye strained through the gloom towards the man at the further end of the passage: : _ He was fearful lest. the fellow might have companions in the house, and finding that he could not intimidate our hero, would call them to his assistance, and compel him to gratify their demands, be they ever'so exorbitant. At last he found the lock, and placing his fingers on the handle, to his horror, found he could not move it. The man had secured the door, and he was a prisoner in that strange, dark house. Jack was not a man to be easily frightened, but he could not help feeling uneasy at the posi- tion in which he found‘himself placed. ‘““ Locked !”’ exclaimed Jack, : ; ‘You're trapped,” said the man. Jack sprang towards him. - “Unfasten that door, or I'll crush you,” cried our hero. ; } “Stand off, or it will be the worse for you,” was the reply. .. And 'then’ the whistle. oe Jack started. His worst fears were realized. | There were companions of the fellow within eall. 3 | “You'll eo without my leave, will the man. , “ We’ll see about that.” The whistle was replied to by another, and a ray of light streamed through a chink. in the stairs which ran up at the end‘of the passage. ‘“T must not be recognised,” ‘said Jack, men- tally, and quickly pulling his mask *from his nore he fixed it on his face. Then, stretching out his left arm, he Seized the fellow by the throat, and placing his own ‘back against the wall, held the ruffian as Ina Vice at arm’s length Deteremit.: lash eae : 3 At the first attempt, to interfere with me, I will'beat that face of yours to'a jelly,” he said. At this moment, from out of a small doorway under the stairs, a man, attired only in his shirt and trousers, issued, bearing in his hand a candle in a flat tin-candlestick. a “ae “What's the row, Joey; what’s up 2” he exclaimed, as his head and body, preceded by the candle, came through the doorway. Then, catching sight of the masked face of Jack and his companion, he uttered ‘a ery of sur- prise and terror, and permitted the candlestick to drop from his grasp to the floor. The light was instantly extinguished. , But during the moment that it shed its rays alone the passage, Jack had taken in every ob- ject, and felt that he now knew how to proceed to effect his escape. | And Joey, too, had seen more than Ne éx- pected—namely, the hideous:face’ of the man who held him in his grasp, and all hig courage vanished on the instant. “Bob ! Bob!” he half shrieked, “‘ come here! oh, come here!” » But Bob, so far from complying, hurried back fellow whistled a low, shrill q” . you ?” said eee ey ee COM. . “ SPRING-HEEL’D JACK : THE TERROR OF LONDON, “ a ee a as ae eon ie ae eT LT i iltaies.l ibes) ipa eS . by the way he came, shouting out for Tom as — loud as he could. | the Jack Taking advantage of the man’s terror, said, as he shook him violently— ans __ “T's no use trying on any games with me, If you would have me spare you, open that door? — “Who the deyil are you?” gasped the man. , ‘‘ Perhaps you will find I am a devil if you do not comply instantly with my demand. You think you have caught me in a trap; but be- ware, or you will find yourself in one you will not be able to get out of.” | re Finding that the man did not return to his aid, the fellow, after making another effort to free himself, said— Bs “Let go, and I'll open the door.” a “No,” said Jack, fearing treachery. ‘“‘ Open the door, and then Ill let you go. I'll ask no more. Open at once, or fear the consequences.” We dragged Joey along the passage to the door. | ““ Now,” said Jack, “delay no longer.” The fellow placed his hand beneath the lock, but made no attempt to undo its fastenings. * Quick,” said Jack, giving his head a bump against the panels of the door that made Joey’s eyes fill with innumerable sparks. a “ There, curse you !’’ said the man, flinging the door open. ‘‘ Now, give us the money you promised... | ‘“No,” said Jack, hurling him back along the passage, and leaping over the threshold. “ You thought to make a mark of me, but I have marked you in return, The punishment you have received was well-merited, and that shall be your reward.” I ga And Jack pulled the door to with a loud bang behind him, as two men sprang into the passage | from beneath the stairs, bearing lights in. their hafids. ne : CHAPTBR XXXVI. : atl THE ESCAPE—A STRANGE FARE. | Bor Jack's difficulties were not quite over yet awhile, for as he sprang away from the door o the house, where he had been made prisoner, he ran full butt against a miserable, thin, shrivelled- up old man, who, bareheaded, was wringing his hands together, evidently in the greatest of an- suish ; and Jack being considerably the heavier of the two, drove the other, with no inconsider- able violence, into the kennel. oe * “ My gold! Oh! you are he who stole my gold,” cried the old man, struggling to rise. Jack saw in an instant that if was Jerard Scrivener, the miser, who had hurried on as fast as he was able, after those who were in pursuit of our hero. | ese. “Confound it!” said Jack the frying-pan into the fire.” ie And he was about to hurry on, when J erard, by a desperate effort, clutched at the folds of his qloak, and dragged himself up. _ ae * Oh! you villain ! you robber !” cried Jerard. * where's that paper you have robbed me of, 80 . that you may get my gold; all I have, all that’s to keep the poor old man. Give it me! Ill tear it from you, Help—help |” | : “this is out of i i al Fo i i sWOOKS , com