How Jack Sheppard got rid of his Irons.
About an hour after this, Jack ventured to emerge from his place of
concealment. It was still raining heavily, and profoundly dark. Drenched
to the skin,--in fact, he had been lying in a bed of muddy water,--and
chilled to the very bone, he felt so stiff, that he could scarcely move.
Listening attentively, he fancied he heard the breathing of some one
near him, and moved cautiously in the opposite direction. In spite of
his care, he came in contact with a man, who, endeavouring to grasp him,
cried, in the voice of Mendez, "Who goes dere? Shpeak! or I fire!"
No answer being returned, the Jew instantly discharged his pistol, and
though the shot did no damage, the flash discovered Sheppard. But as the
next moment all was profound darkness, Jack easily managed to break away
from them.
Without an idea where he was going, Jack pursued his way through the
fields; and, as he proceeded, the numbness of his limbs in some degree
wore off, and his confidence returned. He had need of all the
inexhaustible energy of his character to support him through his
toilsome walk over the wet grass, or along the slippery ploughed land.
At last, he got into a lane, but had not proceeded far when he was again
alarmed by the sound of a horse's tread.
Once more breaking through the hedge he took to the fields. He was now
almost driven to despair. Wet as he was, he felt if he lay down in the
grass, he should perish with cold; while, if he sought a night's lodging
in any asylum, his dress, stained with blood and covered with dirt,
would infallibly cause him to be secured and delivered into the hands of
justice. And then the fetters, which were still upon his legs:--how was
he to get rid of them?
Tired and dispirited, he still wandered on. Again returning to the main
road, he passed through Clapton; and turning off on the left, arrived at
the foot of Stamford Hill. He walked on for an hour longer, till he
could scarcely drag one leg after another. At length, he fell down on
the road, fully expecting each moment would prove his last.
How long he continued thus he scarcely knew; but just before dawn, he
managed to regain his legs, and, crawling up a bank, perceived he was
within a quarter of a mile of Tottenham. A short way off in the fields
he descried a sort of shed or cow-house, and thither he contrived to
drag his weary limbs. Opening the door, he found it littered with straw,
on which he threw himself, and instantly fell asleep.
When he awoke it was late in the day, and raining heavily. For some time
he could not stir, but felt sick and exhausted. His legs were dreadfully
swelled; his hands bruised; and his fetters occasioned him intolerable
pain. His bodily suffering, however, was nothing compared with his
mental anguish. All the events of the previous day rushed to his
recollection; and though he had been unintentionally the cause of his
mother's death, he reproached himself as severely as if he had been her
actual murderer.
"Had I not been the guilty wretch I am," he cried, bursting into an
agony of tears, "she would never have died thus."
This strong feeling of remorse having found a natural vent, in some
degree subsided, and he addressed himself to his present situation.
Rousing himself, he went to the door. It had ceased raining, but the
atmosphere was moist and chill, and the ground deluged by the recent
showers. Taking up a couple of large stones which lay near, Jack tried
to beat the round basils of the fetters into an oval form, so as to
enable him to slip his heels through them.
While he was thus employed a farming man came into the barn. Jack
instantly started to his feet, and the man, alarmed at his appearance,
ran off to a neighbouring house. Before he could return, Jack had made
good his retreat; and, wandering about the lanes and hedges, kept out of
sight as much as possible.
On examining his pockets, he found about twenty guineas in gold, and
some silver. But how to avail himself of it was the question, for in his
present garb he was sure to be recognised. When night fell, he crept
into the town of Tottenham. As he passed along the main thoroughfare, he
heard his own name pronounced, and found that it was a hawker, crying a
penny history of his escapes. A crowd was collected round the fellow,
who was rapidly disposing of his stock.
"Here's the full, true, and particular account of Jack Sheppard's last
astonishing and never-to-be-forgotten escape from the Castle of
Newgate," bawled the hawker, "with a print of him taken from the life,
showing the manner, how he was shackled and handcuffed. Only one
penny--two copies--two pence--thank you, Sir. Here's the----"
"Let me have one," cried a servant maid, running across the street, and
in her haste forgetting to shut the door,--"here's the money. Master and
missis have been talking all day long about Jack Sheppard, and I'm dying
to read his life."
"Here you have it, my dear," returned the hawker. "Sold again!"
"If you don't get back quickly, Lucy," observed a bystander, "Jack
Sheppard will be in the house before you."
This sally occasioned a general laugh.
"If Jack would come to my house, I'd contrive to hide him," remarked a
buxom dame. "Poor fellow! I'm glad he has escaped."
"Jack seems to be a great favourite with the fair sex," observed a
smirking grocer's apprentice.
"Of course," rejoined the bystander, who had just spoken, and who was of
a cynical turn,--"the greater the rascal, the better they like him."
"Here's a particular account of Jack's many robberies and escapes,"
roared the hawker,--"how he broke into the house of his master, Mr.
Wood, at Dollis Hill--"
"Let me have one," said a carpenter, who was passing by at the
moment,--"Mr. Wood was an old friend of mine--and I recollect seeing
Jack when he was bound 'prentice to him."
"A penny, if you please, Sir," said the hawker.--"Sold again! Here you
have the full, true, and particular account of the barbarous murder
committed by Jack Sheppard and his associate, Joseph Blake, _alias_
Blueskin, upon the body of Mrs. Wood--"
"That's false!" cried a voice behind him.
The man turned at the exclamation, and so did several of the bystanders;
but they could not make out who had uttered it.
Jack, who had been lingering near the group, now walked on.
In the middle of the little town stood the shop of a Jew dealer in old
clothes. The owner was at the door unhooking a few articles of wearing
apparel which he had exposed outside for sale. Amongst other things, he
had just brought down an old laced bavaroy, a species of surtout much
worn at the period.
"What do you want fot that coat, friend?" asked Jack, as he came up.
"More than you'll pay for it, friend," snuffled the Jew.
"How do you know that?" rejoined Jack. "Will you take a guinea for it?"
"Double that sum might tempt me," replied the Jew; "it's a nobleman's
coat, upon my shoul!"
"Here's the money," replied Jack, taking the coat.
"Shall I help you on with it, Sir?" replied the Jew, becoming suddenly
respectful.
"No," replied Jack.
"I half suspect this is a highwayman," thought the Jew; "he's so ready
with his cash. I've some other things inside, Sir, which you might wish
to buy,--some pistols."
Jack was about to comply; but not liking the man's manner, he walked on.
Further on, there was a small chandler's shop, where Jack observed an
old woman seated at the counter, attended by a little girl. Seeing
provisions in the window, Jack ventured in and bought a loaf. Having
secured this,--for he was almost famished,--he said that he had lost a
hammer and wished to purchase one. The old woman told him she had no
such article to dispose of, but recommended him to a neighbouring
blacksmith.
Guided by the glare of the forge, which threw a stream of ruddy light
across the road, Jack soon found the place of which he was in search.
Entering the workshop, he found the blacksmith occupied in heating the
tire of a cart wheel. Suspending his labour on Jack's appearance, the
man demanded his business. Making up a similar story to that which he
had told the old woman, he said he wanted to purchase a hammer and a
file.
The man looked hard at him.
"Answer me one question first?" he said; "I half suspect you're Jack
Sheppard."
"I am," replied Jack, without hesitation; for he felt assured from the
man's manner that he might confide in him.
"You're a bold fellow, Jack," rejoined the blacksmith. "But you've done
well to trust me. I'll take off your irons--for I guess that's the
reason why you want the hammer and file--on one condition."
"What is it?"
"That you give 'em to me."
"Readily."
Taking Jack into a shed behind the workshop the smith in a short time
freed him from his fetters. He not only did this, but supplied him with
an ointment which allayed the swelling of his limbs, and crowned all by
furnishing him with a jug of excellent ale.
"I'm afraid, Jack, you'll come to the gallows," observed the smith;
"buth if you do, I'll go to Tyburn to see you. But I'll never part with
your irons."
Noticing the draggled condition Jack was in, he then fetched him a
bucket of water, with which Jack cleansed himself as well as he could,
and thanking the honest smith, who would take nothing for his trouble,
left the shop.
Having made a tolerably good meal upon the loaf, overcome by fatigue,
Jack turned into a barn in Stoke Newington, and slept till late in the
day, when he awakened much refreshed. The swelling in his limbs had also
subsided. It rained heavily all day, so he did not stir forth.
Towards night, however, he ventured out, and walked on towards London.
When he arrived at Hoxton, he found the walls covered with placards
offering a reward for his apprehension, and he everywhere appeared to be
the general subject of conversation. Prom a knot of idlers at a
public-house, he learnt that Jonathan Wild had just ridden past, and
that his setters were scouring the country in every direction.
Entering London, he bent his way towards the west-end; and having some
knowledge of a secondhand tailor's shop in Rupert Street, proceeded
thither, and looked out a handsome suit of mourning, with a sword,
cloak, and hat, and demanded the price. The man asked twelve guineas,
but after a little bargaining, he came down to ten.
Taking his new purchase under his arm, Jack proceeded to a small tavern
in the same street, where, having ordered dinner, he went to a bed-room
to attire himself. He had scarcely completed his toilet, when he was
startled by a noise at the door, and heard his own name pronounced in no
friendly accents. Fortunately, the window was not far from the ground;
so opening it gently, he dropped into a backyard, and from thence got
into the street.
Hurrying down the Haymarket, he was arrested by a crowd who were
collected round a street-singer. Jack paused for a moment, and found
that his own adventures formed the subject of the ballad. Not daring,
however, to listen to it, he ran on.