Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

140 But whither, he knew not. | Still, to continue his flicht in the open day was fr aught with too much danger. If none attempted to arrest, he would be re- cognised, and his course pointed out to the pur- suing officers of justice. While thus thinking, he neared a small wood. | He knew it to be the private property of a gen- tleman of his acquaintance, and he determined to seek a shelter within its shadow till nightfall. - “Tf JT am pursued,” he muttered, “ my pur- suers will give me credit for placing a greater distance between.myself and-the scene of my crimes, and I may learn the route they take, and thus avoid them; though what I have to live for I know not Still, to be borne to prison, and launched into eternity by the public executioner —Great heaven! the thought drives me mad! 1 I must live!—live! I cannot—will not, die!’ Glancing along the road either way, ‘and assur- ine himself that there was no one in sight, he plunged into the wood, and dismounting in the centre, tied his horse to a low branch of a tree, and sank down at the foot of its trunk. Wearied with the furious gallop—a prey to the most agonizing and fearful thoughts—the multy man suffered his forehead to fall upon his hands, and tears to gush to his eyes. - He rocked his body to and fro. Groans escaped his bosom, and he struck, his chest with his clenched fist. * Fool !—fool!” he eried. done ?—what have I done ?” “© What Lave I The wind, as it rustled the leaves above his head, appeared to murmur the word “ murder,” The guilty man sprang to his feet and looked upwards. ‘Who spoke?” he gasped ; “or was it only fancy—the taunting voice of conscience? It must have been, and yet how it lias made me tremble ! What a chill it has struck to my heart!” He sat himself down again, ae rocked his body to and fro. For three long hours did the puilte man sit there, reviewing his past life, and present and future prospects. For three long hours did he give himself to an agony of thought, So absorbed had he been, that he heard not the clatter of a horse’s hoofs on the road beyond the wood, nor through the interstices of the trees did he perceive the form of our hero galloping at full speed on the gray horse. : Jack had passed the wretched man, believing, as Richard had said his pursuers would, that the murderer would not dare to rest so'short a dis- tance from the scene of his crimes. The shades of evening were falling when Richard Clavering arose from his grassy seat— arose with a wild and haggard look in his eye— a pale face, yet fevered brow. His hair, ruffled by the wind, was matted about his temples, and this made him look even more weird than he would have done. He sadly lamented the fact that he had no hat, as a man riding hatless alung the public road was 4 circumstance sure to be aphipet Still, there was no help for it, and so he went up to his horse, untied it from the branch, and leading it to a small pond of water, overhung SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. whether he was mistaken or not. Bs id i. and almost hidden by trees, permitted it to slake its thirst in the cvol, refreshing liquid. vg He stooped down and bathed his face and hands, then leaping into the saddle, urged ae animal into the high road. It was fast getting dark. As the clouds of night floated up, the sit Richard Clavering sank lower and lower. He dreaded to be alone in the dark, with the white face of his murdered wife in his thoughts. — The wind, too, moaned dismally, and the guilty man cast continual and hurried. glances. behind — him. As the night grew blacker, superstitious fear assailed him. At one time he imagined he heard the death- shriek of the ill-fated Jessie. At another he saw her phantom form float past before his horse’s head, and, with a stifled cry of terror, he reined in his steed. Then dashed onward again, straining his eyes through the blackness, fearful of pursuit, and sométimes imagining that he could hear the sounds of voices in the wind, and the tramp of — the horse’s fect of. those who sought to effect his 4 capture. fs In vain he struggled to shake off the eetne Ft which took possession of his breast. The miore | he tried the less he succeeded, for darker and © more dismal became his thoughts. | He had come to a portion of the road which was so narrow that it would scarcely allow two. al vehicles to pass each other, with high hedge LOWS: ot on either side. oe) Not a ray of light broke from the clouds. — ae A pitchy darkness reigned around. . He shuddered as he reached this spot, lit i looked eagerly forward into the darkness. , a Then he struck his heels into the animal’s | flanks, anxious to get again out into the broader | road, which opened about a mile further on. a “The horse had plunged into a gallop when df Richard fancied he heard the tramp of another n steed beside him. Wa He clutched nervously at the bridle, and — | abated his horse’s pace, in order to be assured _ a 4 | = A. - el Oh om aS The sound came still to his ears, and aprseed . to come from the opposite side of the tall em on his right. He shaded his eyes with his hand, and par- a tially turned in his saddle. | He fancied he could see the head and shoulders | slay a man above the hedge a few yards behind J The next moment there was. a break in Pr at hedge, and, as the roan mare flew past it , the guilty rider per ceived a dark figureona white horse pass _ | the gap on the other side, and he almost fell his saddle as a loud, hollow voice exclaimed “Murderer !” . Pe. | By an effort recovering from the shock, Rich : a Clavering struck his heels madly into the fo 4 of the mare. Away flew the animal at terrific speed ; | over the hedge, which now grew shorter shorter, the guilty man saw the dark sua the pale horse riding step by step by his side. — Richard felt all the blood in his veins running — a cold as ice through its channels, He could fel, 2 | 900 ; com Gc