Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

SPRING-HEEL'D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. “Oh! mercy on us,” cried the lady, recognis- ing the voice of her husband, and stepping along the little garden to the gate. “ Dear me, I must go and fetch the key, for I locked it lest Spring- heeled Jack should get in.” ** Damn Spring-heeled Jack !” roared Baker. ““ Well, you’ve no need to be angry with me for protecting your house in your absence!” exclaimed Mrs. Baker; “but if you are vexed at the treatment you have received, I don’t think it right to blame me for doing all I can to make the place secure.”’ ‘“‘ Make haste and fetch the key, ’m shivering with cold!” cried Baker. Away went the woman back into the house for the key of the gate, as the door of the next villa closed on the form of his no less fortunate com- panion. Never did the moments seem to Baker to pass so slowly away. His impatience to get into his own home was very great, for he feared that pag peeled Jack might yet again stand before im. And this fear was realized. As he stood grasping a rail of the gate in either hand, and looking anxious into the dark passage for his wife’s return, he felt a heavy slap on his shoulder, and turned, with a cry of terror, to see his tormentor at his side. “ ‘The—the devil!” he gasped. “ No,sir, your servant, Spring-heeled Jack. I could not resist the pleasure of again seeing you ; in fact, I was anxious to learn from your own lips how this coat fits you.” And as he spoke he seized a lappet of the garment in either hand, and by a sudden jerk, unfastened every one of the buttons. Murder—murder!” cried Baker. “ Mary —Mary—make haste, I’m being murdered !” “You snivelling cur!” cried Jack. ‘“ You deserve to be dragged through a horse-pond !” His cries quickly brought his wife to the door, who uttered a low scream as she perceived Jack bound away, half across the road at a single leap. ) . ‘Let me in—let me in!” gasped the trembling man. ‘* He’s frightened me to death.” Jack was by no means frightened at the appearance of Mrs. Baker, but at that moment he perceived the two policemen whom he had passed, and afterwards evaded, making quickly towards the spot, and felt it necessary for his safety to place a little distance between himself and them as quickly as possible. Trembling as violently as her husband, and screaming loud enough to wake the dead, the lady endeavoured to open the gate to admit her spouse, but her agitation was so great that she dropped the key, and was unable to find it. “‘ Get over Baker, get over, for goodness sake ! ” cried his wife. ‘I can’t find the key.” This advice Baker soon availed himself of, and placing one foot on the lock, Hung his other leg over the top of the railings. But his troubles were not yet ended. The long tails of the policeman’s great coat caught on the spear tops of the iron railings, and ashe leapt down to his wife’s side left him attired, except his shoulders, in only his torn shirt. Imagining in his fright that Jack had once ~~ ' ———= = —— re MiGodOOo ee — ee Ss 13 more got hold of him, he kicked and bellowed for mercy, whilst Mrs. Baker covered her face with her hands as if to hide her blushes, and screamed and bellowed in such a tone that the windows of the neighbouring houses were flung up quickly, and night-capped heads protruded over their sills. Lights were held out of some of the windows, and their glare was cast upon the strange figure of Baker, as he stood on the little pathway of the garden, seemingly held by the top of the iron railings, “Shame—shame!” yelled an old lady in a cracked tone froma neighbouring house. “ Dis- graceful for people to be disturbed in the dead of the night by a drunken, dirty fellow. Send for the police—lock him up, the nasty, indecent, rude, unmannerly wretch. Oh! ugh! to have no more respect for decert people than to expose himself in his shirt in the open streets !” ‘““Go in, old woman,” said a young man at another window, who appeared greatly to enjoy the fun, “or you'll set the curtains on fire with your blushes. I say, Baker, don’t kick like that, you see there is a modest young damsel looking at you.” 2 “For God’s sake, somebody come and help me!” cried Baker. . “Get your missus!” cried one. “Go in!” roared another. ‘Why don’t you wear longer shirts?” ex- claimed a third. ‘Mrs. Baker, why don’t you sew a piece on the tail ?”’ “ Shocking! horrible! disgraceful! villainous!?’’ cried the old lady. *“ Why the?devil don’t you do it, then!” said Baker, waxing wroth, “ instead of stopping there looking at me? You ain’t got no shame in you,” ** You viie, drunken rascal! mean ?” yelled the old lady. ‘“ Means ? why he means that you can’t take your eyes off him,” said the young man. “ For it’s a sight you don’t see every day.” “You blackguard young monkey! I wish I was there, I’d——1’d”—— | “ Give the world to be, wouldn’t you ? ** cried the youth. “I say, Miss Framp, why don’t you get married? You wouldn’t mind it then.” With a howl of rage, the old lady and her immense frilled night-cap disappeared, and the window was flung down violently. Mrs. Baker, by this time, had released her husband, who, no sooner found himself free, than he dashed into the house,-followed by his amiable dame, and quickly closed the door behind them. : Meantime, Spring-heeled Jack had bounded away at terrific speed, followed by the officers. No longer were there any hedgerows over which he could spring to avoid their grasp, and therefore he had to trust entirely to his speed of foot. Away they went, Jack and the two policemen, at one time the former gaining considerably upon them, at another, finding them almost at his heels. “ Give it up, Jack,” gasped one of the men, speaking with difficulty from want of breath. “ We shall run you down toa certainty.” What do you