Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

er SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. street, up which he had come to reach the road, | Bill and arrived at its corner just as a crowd of) it about a dozen persons came bounding along. Jack turned, so as to permit the light of the lamp to fall on his mask, and such a howl broke from the lips of the mob as was sufficient to arouse the neighbourhood. “Here he is! That’s him! Spring-heeled Jack! Stop him!” and other exclamations broke the silence of the night as Jack bounded away in the opposite direction along the road to that where he had left Jane concealed. Jack cast a hurried glance behind him to see if Grasper or Bill were in the throng, but neither met his eye. Still he was certain that one or the other had given notice of his presence in that neighbour- hood. Nor was he wrong in his suspicion. ) As soon as the street door had closed behind himself and Jane Slater, Ralph Grasper at- tempted to leave the room, but Bill doubled his brawny fist, and stood, threateningly, before him. _ “No you don’t, governor,” he said. “I said I’d keep you here while they got off, and I mean to do it.” “You do?” said Grasper, whose rage was in no way abated at the treatment he had received at the hands of Jack, and the loss of his intended victim at the very moment of success. “T do,’ was Bill’s firm reply. “Then hark you, Bill Jackson,” said the mer- chant. ‘‘I know I am no match for you in physical strength, but I can punish you for all that. You recollect | employed you as a porter at my warehouse, and that you robbed me, don’t ou?” “Well,” said Bill, “you sacked me for it, didn’t you? ” “Yes. But I can still do more than that. I can transport you,” said Grasper. Bill staggered back. All his bravado was gone in an instant. “Why, you forgave me for it,’ he gasped. “Because I thought I could make use of you to help me‘to carry out any plan I had on hand. But since I find you are unwilling to aid me, over the seas you go, as sure aS your name’s William Jackson. You can keep me here as long as you like, but the longer you keep me the warmer I’ll make it for you when you stand in the felon’s dock on the charge of robbing your employer. What do you think of that? It’sa pleasant prospect, ain’t it ?”’ ‘A damn sight too pleasant,’ growled Bill. “ But what will you do if E let you go now? ”’ “Take no further notice of the affair, at least if you will arouse your neighbours and the police, and set them after this Spring-heeled Jack.” “ But if I do, he’ll make it go hard with me some day,” said Pill, dreading punishment whichever side he went on. “ That's nothing to me,” said Grasper ; “‘ you should not have suffered the fellow to enter the house.”’ “T didn’t know he was here. He gets into the place without opening a blessed door,” cried _— ee mt, A A A LLL A — — = — —— el i | n will be the worse for you.” “YU track him down,” said Grasper, furiously, “if I spend a fortune to do it, and lose my life in the attempt. So, let me pass, and go and arouse your neighbours. Five pounds, the reward I promised you, if you do; the telon’s dock and transportation, if you refuse.” The mention of the tive pounds had a great effect upon Bill—a much greater effect even than the threat of imprisonment—and he but- toned up his coat and stood back Hem the doorway. a ‘Tip us the tin, governor, and I’ll have the whole street out of bed in the twinkling of an eye. It don’t take the blokes as lives about here very long to look over their wardrobe.” Grasper took from his purse the gold, and gave it to Bill. ~ Now, go,” he said, “and arouse your neigh- bours, while I seek for the police. I observed from the window the way they took, and if we are smart they will soon be taken. Once he is in custody, the girl will soon be in my power again, and there will be a chance for you, Bill Jackson, earning a like sum to that you hold in your hand.” ‘Don’t have anything to do with it, Bill,” said his wife. ‘Don’t, there’s a good fellow.” ‘Hold your row, woman,” said Grasper. “Your husband, I presume, is master.” ‘“ Aye,” said the woman, bitterly, “and I am the slave ! ” And with a sigh she left the room. ‘* Now, there’s not a moment to be lost,” said Grasper. “ Hurry! hurry ! for I will triumph yet, in spite of Spring-heeled Jack or the devil himself !”’. | And catching up the candle, Grasper hurried’ down the stairs, followed by Bill. In a few minutes ten or a dozen persons were aroused from their beds by Bill Jackson to give chase to Spring-heeled Jack, whom he asserted had broken into his house, and Grasper, having succeeded in finding a watchman dozing at the corner of the street, aroused him, and he immediately joined the half-dressed throng who were assembled around Bill, who was relating things he had neither seen uor heard, but swearing fearfully that it was all true. Urged by Grasper, they were soon speeding along the street. But Bill, after running with them for a few yards, suddenly dropped back, and returned home. Intent upon again~ getting Jane into his power, Grasper did.not miss*him, and when, in about half-a-minute, he found himself left far behind, he came to the conclusion that Bil] was ahead with those whom he had aroused © ‘ from their beds to go in pursuit of our hero. They caught sight of Jack, as we have noticed, as soon as they reached the end of the street, and struggled hard to come up with him. But Jack dodged and doubled on them, and, by degrees, led them away from the locality where Jane was, and finally darting down a side street, effectually eluded them. Still, he was anxious to draw them as far as possible from the high-road, on account of Jane, com GDoo) 231 “and I’d advise you to let him alone, or eee we i .