Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 257: what you’re looking at

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

$$$ OS en = nd SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. 959 room, and, placing the dice upon the table, walked towards the window. Timothy was by his side in an instant. ‘‘ Well?” he said, in a whisper. “ Capital,’ was the reply. “ Flor and Em have found out where the old man keeps his ready cash, and I have a pretty weighty bag of gold in my pocket now. We must fleece him all we can to-night, and be off before morning.” “Yes. You see the count put the drug in his glass ?”’ “1 Bo FTG bag ‘“* He will be a child in our hands in another hour. We must lead him on, then clean him out. Take cheques, notes—anything ? for we can cash them ere he can prevent us. Did you tell Flor to keep her eyes open ?”’ “Allright. She has taken stock of everything before this.”’ “Be careful. The old fool must not only lose his wife but hismoney. Flor’s beauty has turned his head quite, I do believe. J did not think the man who could make a fortune by work could be so easily gulled to lose it. Pass me some of the old boy’s tiv to make a show with.” “Hem! hem!” coughed Dunfred, as he observed Bacon approaching them. “Change for a fifty ? oh yes. How will you have it—all in gold?” “Tt will be more handy as we are going to play for small amounts,” said Timothy. “Oh, do you stake the naoney?’’ said Bacon. “T will get some gold. I have nothing but notes about me.” And he moved away as he spoke. “No, no; don’t trouble—don’t trouble,” cried Dunfred, quickly catching his arm. “But Ihave plenty upstairs,’ said Bacon, “and will get it in a minute.” “There’s no necessity, my dear sir,’’ said Timothy. “But I would rather.” “T bee you will not trouble yourself. You are so lucky, that you will not require it. Be- sides, if you lose you can pay your losses when we are done.” “Very well,’ said Bacon. account.’’ ‘We are sure of that.”’ “ Are you ready ?”’ SAYS, “ And your friends ?”’ “ Quite.” “ What shall be the first stake ?”’ said Bacon. “Oh, something small, as we play more for T will keep fair - amusement than anything else. Say ten guineas —will that do?” ‘WALES. “Then the highest number clears the table of thirty pounds.” “Forty, you mean.’ | “ Ah! wins thirty, certainly. There’s my ten.” ‘‘ And mine,” said the count, who had received | it of Dunfred. ‘And mine,”’ cried Dunfred. -“T must take up ten,” said Bacon, “and place this note of twenty down as my stake. Now, I have gold for the next ten.” , . “ Just so,’”’ said the count, shaking the dice. “Eleven! Now, Dunfred.”’ “Eight!” cried Dunfred. Timothy.” ‘After our worthy host. my fate. He is so lucky.” “Twelve!” cried Bacon, gleefully. “Just as I said,” remarked Timothy. “Six! It’s Bacon’s. He has the devil’s luck and his own too. Shall we double this time ?”’ This was agreed to. The dice were again thrown, and Timothy won. The next time the stakes went down to ten, and Bacon won. Another ten, and still he won. The old gentleman was getting excited, his face was flushed, and his eyes rolled over the table and from face to face of his guests. He laughed uproariously ever and anon, as he won, and at length suggested that the stakes should be a hundred pounds.’’ The others consented. Bacon cleared the table, and offered to double the stakes. This was agreed to, and he lost. Still his excitement increased, and the stakes were proposed at a thousand. Again he lost. “I will keep account,” he said. ‘Iam un- lucky now, but my luck will soon turn.” “To be sure it will. It’s time it did,” said Sir Timothy ; ‘‘ quite time.” And he looked round upon his companions. Bacon’s manner became more and move excited every moment, and a thin white foam gathered round his lips. The narcotic was working, and his blood was on fire. ‘7 will make a fortune to-night,”’ he cried, at last, “‘or I will lose one. Ten thousand pounds. Have you the courage to venture such a sum on one throw of the dice ?”’ ‘Oh, that’s a mere nothing,” said the count. ““ Vl make it twenty, 1f you like.” “No. Ten—ten is all the available money I have, the rest is invested in the farm.”’ ‘Well, ten be it,’ said Timothy. ‘“ Ten thou- sand each, and he who wins has got forty; a pretty little sum for some people, but nothing to me. Well, let it be ten, then. Of course, we can’t stake so heavy a sum, but the acknow- ledgment is sufficient among gentlemen. Who'll throw first ?”’ “1,” said the count. “Six! Dunfred threw next—eight. his shoulders, and turned away. Bacon grasped the box, and shook the dice furiously ere he flung them out upon the table. “ Kleven!” he shrieked. “ Eleven !”’ ‘““ Capital throw! No beating that,” said Sir Timothy. “It’s hardly worth while my attempt- ing it. But Ill take my chance, of course.” He stuck his glass in his eye, and coolly shook the dice. Then, flinging them out upon the table, he cried— “Seventeen! How strange! I never thought it ; but positively I’ve won—yes, won!” — “‘ No, rascal, you have lost !” eried a voice. And the next moment the hand which held the dice-box was grasped tightly, while another hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned to confront a man whose features were hidden beneath a hideous mask. “Go on, Sir Then I shall know That’s lost.” He shrugged