The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES. 195 cending once more to the top cell, he fixed his new tight-rope apparatus. It answered the purpose even far better than he had expected ;—and, with reviving spirits, to work the Magsman went again. The clock struck two as he thus resumed his toils; aud he muttered to himself, “ If nothing more happens to hinder me, I shall be safe away before that bell speaks again.” Tremendous were the exertions hich the Mags- man now made to accomplish his purpose; the ma- sonry fell about him in large pieces—the dust in- volved him ina dense and palpable cloud, floating amidst the darkness—and the perspiration streamed down his face as if water had been poured over his head. At length, immediately after the fall of a stone which had resisted his efforts for several minutes, his crow bar struck against the lead which covered the flat roof of the gaol! Then he paused, and listened with the deepest sus- pense. From this cruel and almost agonising uncertainty he was speedily released : for three low but perfectly audible knocks upon the lead, convinced him that his friends were there ! Again he renewed his toils ;—and every moment the hollow in the ceiling grew larger and larger. Presently the lead was lifted from over the exca- vation—the fresh breeze blew upon his burning features—and as he looked up, he saw a countenance bending down over the hole thus formed. “ All right, Mr. Warren—there’s nothing to ap- prehend!” were the reassuring words that met his ears, and which were uttered in the well-known voice of the Kinchin- Grand. A few minutes’ more labour sufficed to widen the aperture sufficiently to enable the strong arms of the Kinehin-Grand and two powerful men who were also with him, to drag Joe Warren up through the hole; —and he now stood upon the leads of Newgate! A repe, which had been fastened to the chimney of Mr. Shrubsole’s house, enabled the escaped felon and his three friends to gain the roof of that dwell- ing, inte which they entered by means of a garret window. “ Now you ean refresh yourself with a drop of somethink short,” said the Kinchin-Grand. The Magsman instinctively thrust out his hand in the dark, and grasped the ease-bottle which his faithful and considerate friend thus tendered him, Long and deep was Joe Warren’s draught; and never, never in all his life had the ardent alcohol seemed so welcome, so good, and so invigorating, “You have this night done a thing that’ll immor- talise you,’ said the Kinchin-Grand, inspired with a sentiment of profound admiration for the daring feat which the Magsman had so triumphantly achieved and which had thus enabled him to eseape from the strongest prison in all England. “ Well, L don’t think it was a bad nicht’s work, young fellow,” returned the Magsman. “ But who are your two friends, that I may thank them for the service they have dove in helping you in this mat- ter?—for it was too dark on the leads to catch a glimpse of their features—and here it’s darker still.” “T suppose that the names of Dick the Tramper and Miles the Buzgloak ain’t unbeknown to you, Mr. Warren?” said the Kinchin-Grand, with a chuck- ling laugh. **T should rather think not?” exclaimed the Mags- man, evidently delighted to be in such good company. “Tip us your mawley, Dick my boy—now, Miles, give us your hand—and thank you both kindly for this night’s assistance.” “It was easy work so far as we was concerned, after all,” observed the Tramper, who spoke in a thick, husky tone, which was natural to him, “And had it been ten times as difficult, we’d have done it for you, old feller,” added Miles the Buz- gloak, “Lord bless ye! what a lark it was,” exclaimed the Kinchin-Grand, having drained the flask which he had passed round. “ Fust, when we double-knocked at the door, crack went a pitch-plaster over the mouth of the old woman as opened it—and she was pinioned in ajifley, Then we stayed as still as death —and up comed a tall genelman, whom we sarved just the same. Then comed the boy—and smack goes the Burgundy plaster again, Last of all old Shrubsole makes his appearance ——-” “ Well, we musn’t stay chattering here,” inter- rupted the Magsman, somewhat impatiently, * Where’s Lizzy Marks ?” “ Keeping guard on the people of the house down in the kitchen,” replied the precocious captain of the Kinshin-Prigs. “ We carried ’em all down there, and took off the pitch-plasters from the three as had ‘em dabbed on their faces; and your missus is a-keepin' them quiet with loaded pistols. But come along down stairs—and we’ll call her up.” The villains accordingly descended the several flights leading to the passage communicating with the front door; and the Kinchin-Grand hurried down into the lower regioas to communicate to the Gallows’ Widow the welcome intelligence of her flash man’s safety. But she had already heard the sounds of the heavy footsteps on the stairs; and rushing from the kitchen, she hastily gave the pistols to the Kinchin-Grand whom she met on her way, and a moment afterwards was hugging the Magsman wita the most unfeigned sincerity, When this transport of feeling was over—a feeling which even that criminal and degraded woman could experience as well as the Duchess clothed in silks and satins,—the Gallows’ Widow recovered all her wonted calmness and self-possession, “You must go out alone first—we’ll follow in an hour,’ she said. “ Yes—you must have a full hour,” she continued, in a low and rapid whisper, “ before we leave this house or allow the people in it a chance of freeing themselves from the cords that bind them, Here—I have provided you a large slouched hat—a cloak—and a thick shawl-handkerchief to tie round your neck,” And as she thusspoke, the woman took the various articles enumerated from a bag which in the mean- time had been lying on the floor in the passage, The Magsman speedily put on the disguise so con- siderately provided; then having taken leave of Dick the Tramper and Miles the Buzgleak, and having whispered two or three words in the ears of the Gallows’ Widow, he issued from the house, COA Cclooolkks.com