Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 281: 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. ad —e — ‘* He bean’t at home,” said the man. | “Then, I charge you, help me to secure this. man.” a 6¢ —_— ——?,_ = -——-—~™” can’t move my arms, squire; you’ve made | ‘em sore with “your whip,’ was the answer of | the exultant rustic. | t SP GaGVillgin!, Seize this. tan, I say !-or TPij— |JACK GIVES ADVICE TO ONE, AND A FRIGHT ‘To ' Pie | ANOTHER. “Now, squire, [ think I’ve given you good time to get your breath after your fall,” said| Iv was not till a turn in the road hid the squire | Jack. ‘‘So, now to business.”’ ‘from, his sight, that Jack turned to gaze upon CHAPTER XCVI. : ' ’ ' ‘““ Hodge, in the king’s name, I command you to help me,” cried the squire. : _ “ Tn the devil’s name, I mean you, Hodge, not to stand between us,” cried Jack. ‘‘ Now, squire, how do you like that ?” ~The whip descended, and curled round the shoulders of Hepworth, who uttered a mingled howl of rage and pain, and leaped backwards. ‘ Bravo ! measter—give it him!” eried the yokel. “ That’s just how he served I. Give it -| him, measter!—there be no one coming; and, - as [ll sting thee, my fine fellow. dang me, if I help him! Lay it on hard, mea- ster; don’t hit him as if you only wanted to ent a wasp off!” _ Again the whip flew in the air, and again tle thong encircled the squire’s shoulders. Calling loudly for help, the man danced about at every stroke, and tried to close with Jack, who, springing backwards and forwards, kept him off, and let every blow of the whip tell with sreat force on the squires body. “Ruffian! villain! scoundrel!” he yelled. “You shall pay dear for this !” * All right, squire!” said Jack,-in a tone of the most provoking coolness. “* How do you like that—and that ?”’ “ Hodge, help me—help me!” he pleaded. ‘*Can’t move, squire.”’ | “°Tisa le! Dll rum you—you villain! Tl —oh! oh!” The whip was again round his shoulders and arms ; then it twined around the calves of his legs, causing him to leap about in the most grotesque manner. © “Ha! ha! ha!” Jaughed. Hodge. ‘I say, squire, how d’ye like it? Stings, doan’t it? Ha! ha! ha!” “Ay!” hissed Hepworth ; ‘“ but not so deep Spring-heeled Jack, for every blow you have struck, I'll strike two, if it cost me a fortune, and take me a life- time to do it.” “Take that, to keep you in remembrance of your promise,” said Jack, once more whirling the thong around his head, and bringing it down _ upon the squire’s shoulders. “J will remember it, by hell!” roared the beaten man, and, with a look so full of malice, that Jack fairly started back. Never had he seen so diabolical an expression on a man’s face ; and, before his surprise had fairly died away, _ the squire had sprung beyond the reach of the whip, and the next moment Jack and Hodge watched him as he ran at full speed down the dusty road, Hodge, who was pressing his hands on his sides, and laughing uproariously. “ Dang it !” he eried. “ Dang it, zur, but that does the heart of Hodge good ; and he doan’t care the licking he’s had now, not abit. Won't I be telling ’em all at the village alehouse how ve whipped the squire, and how he ran off like mad, and won’t there be a jolly lot of happy faces when they hear it. Why, zur, there bean’t hardly a man in the village, but he’s sent to jail, for just taking a-few turnips, or breaking down a hurdle. It wur only last week he committed Roger Williams for trapping a hare on his estate.” ‘* And quite right, too,” said Jack. The rustic opened his eyes and mouth to their full extent, and glared into Jack’s mask, as if he couldu’t believe the evidence of his senses. ‘ D’ye say it, serve him right, zur ?”’ ‘To be sure, I did.” ) ‘What! for only taking a hare ?” 66 Yes.”’ ‘““ And he have plenty of them ?”’ “ What of that ?” said Jack. “ Eh? Ah! I doan’t know, zur,” grinned Hodge. : ) ‘‘ Look here, Hodge,” said Jack. “If you were to save a few shillings out of your wages, and some person came and stole them from you, what would you do?” | “ What wud I do ?”’ c¢ Ay.” “Why, zur, I'd give him a darn Jicking, if I could,” said Hodge. “* And if you couldn’t ?” ‘Why, zur, I’d take him ’afore the justice.” ‘“¢ And get him sent to prison ? ” ‘““'To be sure I would.” ‘* For what ?” ‘* For robbing I.” ret <1 ‘Then, you do not think that anyone has a right to rob you?” | ‘“ Why, lo; certainly not.” | ‘Then, why should the squire like to he robbed 2?” asked Jack. “ Why, that be only a hare.” ‘“ No matter what it be,” said Jack. “ It was the squire’s property, and the man who trapped it was as much a thief as he who took your money.” “Oh, noa. I can’t see that.” “You can’t 2?” STW Ose “And shall I tell you why you cannot, Hodge ?” asked Jack. ‘Eh! eh!” grinned the man ; “ if you can.” “Then, it is because you are an ignorant dolt, friend Hodge.” Hodee’s features drooped. Com | | IOOKS=EO