Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 310: what you’re looking at

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

= ee Oe eet I en ow em, & — - _— . . —— > a : 4 = ee a rege " id, 20 rim. ul ' y 312 ee 3 _SPRING- HEEL'D. JACK : << =— ~~ es Po -e 2, “’ Gone nae Cried: Mrs! , Titekson 7 fey’ ve got ‘added: that if he. Obtained’ the estittes, ile would away,! 1 Naar ry hoe ¥ She , nted £6. the winders on “the opposite side of the alley, which was: nwide | Open. -, “° Some. of you. 90. fora doctor, and call at the | station, and ask ‘the” inspector . to’ send down a couple of men;’’ said Bristles, as he sprang over the prostrate bodies, and looked from the wil- dowrinto the next yard. Two..or three imniediately started. off, while Mrs. Jackson sat'down beside her husband. “Oh, Bill,’ Bill!” she cried; ‘‘ they shan’t escape |_“they shan't escape !” e pag “Not, if, I knows it,” said Bob. ~ there's one ! TIL nave him.”’. He clampered out. by the. window as he spoke, , and dropped’ into the next yard; but his feet had searce touched the ground, when his. staff was torn fre om his: hand by the landlord, who dealt him a heavy blow with’ it upon “the: fore- head. - Phen, throwing the weapon: down, was about to continue » his flight, when he . was evasped: from behind, and: the next instant, a couple of officers’ leaped the wall of the house beyond to their brother’s assistance. «._ Lights flickered from different windows, and floods of light danced into the dirty yards of the wretched dwellings, which were now filled with police, seeking the capture of all who had been present at the fatal affray, not one of whom but was taken ere he could make good his escape. And while this transpired, Bill was carried home, followed by his weeping wife, and Pappy was borne to the hospital to have his wounds dressed. There was no hope for Bill; his wretched life had come to a close, and poor Mrs. Jackson, if she had lost a husband, had also got rid of a cruel monster. | CHAPTER CVIT.: JACK RENDERS. TWO HAPPY. AT A> ‘CRITICAL WS va oc 33 ‘MOMENT. . Alter As Jack could learn nothing, after, paying au visit to Jane Slater, he, returned to his hotel about two |, o’clock in the morning, and retired to rest, little dreaming that the ruthan who had been the source of. the girl’s abduction, had paid the debt | of nature, and died as he had lived, drunk, and with an oath upon’ his lips... > The next morning he paid.a visit, to. Mr. Brief, the lawyer, where he met: young Richar dClaver- | ing, whose sorrow at, his sister's 5. absence had made him quite. ill. But Jack bade him keep. au ol reat. ‘andiMr. Brief endeavoured to assuage his grief by telling him that his , affairs assumed: so cheering an aspect. that ib would: only? “be® a matter of form to carry them into court. Mr, Loraine, too, was convinced, at dength, that he had no chance of contestin; the other’ s right, and had made, through his mit an offer not to oppose the claim if ten thousand pounds were given him, ‘with which he offered to go to America, and never return, to England. . This offer was refused» by Richard, who de- sired to have the case settled in such a manner that there could be no after proceedings; but _ LENCE MMAGAcmCG oil ona = ——-- - COMmebooks.com “THE TERROR ‘OF LONDON. | oO -ywigee t. @ ~ ete nm eo Cw 4 ee a SS ee * oe “Se me —_—_—— give, that sum to the~ mah” swho wo Id, be com- ‘Delled to forfeit them, ~~ #3 Jack ‘admired | this” resolve, ‘aud. invited the young man- to meet. chim in - the evening » and assist him in,the search for, his,s sister: and, with, a_stronger attachment to each | other t ‘than’ “ever, they. parted. ge , ‘ Jack’s was a nature which must ‘be ¢ ever aA | He was not a man to loll “in *an™ easy “chair, and © yawn: half the day away—he.must e doing some-" a thing, even if that something™ was ‘discfeditable ~ to himself. ~ , nh ene. So, after-a late dinner, he once more stroll i | out into the air, sauntered slowly. through’ th parks, and, without ‘heeding whither he’ arent, ! found himself, just before dark, in the Bdgware- road. | Suddenly, recollecting “his= appou itment ‘with. | Richard, he took his watch from his oocket and: ‘consulted its dial—he had yet. tio hours ‘to wait | ; for the time agr eed upon, | “ Twohours yet!” he muttered. “« “Well, how to pass them is the thing. I’suppose J T had better count the flag-stones; “for, by my faith aL know. , not how to kill the time. He is a hay py. 7 fellow who has to labour for his daily bread—always providing there is no lack of work, and it is well paid for. But to a man like me, who never soiled his hands—albeit, I have often stained my conscience—time drags so heavily, that he knows not what to do to keep his mind employed. Tl count the flags. It isnota very artistic occupa- tion; but I shall learn something thereb by, more, Pl wager, than the man who laid” them down. I shall know how many of these ‘stones it took | — to pave the road ; however, that 1 is worth know= ing,—so here goes,’ y Cyr Jack commenced counting the flags, amusing himself, at the same time, by trying to place his foot, at each step, in the centre of the stone ; but the slabs being’ of different“ widths, he gave up that portion of “the task, for fear that the persons who were near him’ should i imagine ‘him to be intoxicated, from the unevenness “Of his strides. Still he continued. to. ‘count ; and tv do so, of course, kept his eyes fixed downwards, when sud- denly he pounced on a small” object glittering on . the stone at his feet. Tt was a pin, and a good sized pin, too, There was nothing of an extraordinary character i in the little object —it 1 was nothing but'a comnion brass pin. still, Jack: stopped to look at; it—then stooped and picked , it up, held’ it between his fingers, and, finally, stuck it in the lappel of his. coat. Many, persons would have done the same with the little piece of brass wire, and thought no more about it ; but Jack never recollected doing _ . such a, thing before, nor “could. *hé tell what prompted him to do so now.. ‘He- had often observed. a pin on ‘the _ground, but never con- descended to stoop, to pick it up. “What induced him to do so now, he knew not ; but something did, and that’something he was not philosopher enough: to understand. He continued: his alte counting the stones, and, ever and anon, looking at the round shining head of the in, as it stuck out of the dark cloth into which pe had inserted its point ; and had ~ oo - _— - hee oe ~~ee ew ~ —_o- + —_ 4 mh oe +) . eet > - f pee ™~, — «4 . a a