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Captain Hawk; or, The Life of a Highwayman — James Malcolm Rymer
“Captain Hawk” is a story of the escapades of a highwayman, con man, and general rogue who tries to take from anyone and everyone including King George of England. He has no qualms of taking money from gentlemen at gun point or conning beautiful women out of their jewels. But then he is caught on a murder charge and things take a different direction.
Novels and stories of highwaymen seem to have been hugely popular in the mid to late 1800's. This novel, originally published by Edward Lloyd in London, England, in 1845 under the title “Captain Hawke; or, May Boyes and the Shadow of Death”, is attributed to the author James Malcolm Rymer. This edition, published in New York in 1863, does not include an author credit. According to the “New York Daily Tribune” Vol. XII, no. 3618, dated Saturday, November 20, 1852, the title was also to be published in late 1852 by Ormsby & Backer, again without an author's credit.
This eBook edition was carefully prepared by referring to an original text to correct scanning errors that are common in other versions. Old spellings and word usages have been preserved, but obvious spelling and other typesetting mistakes in the original have been corrected. Some chapter numbers in the original were missing or doubled and have been corrected to a regular sequence.
This edition was prepared and edited by Snazz eBooks".
Original cover design and other original content of this edition are Copyright © 2014 by Snazz eBooks". All rights reserved. No reproduction by any means is allowed without permission.
Here is an excerpt:
At this moment there came from without the inn a loud melancholy wail of a dog, such a sound as that animal utters in its sagacity, when much distressed by some event which it wishes to communicate to human understanding.
The howl struck upon every ear most powerfully, and not one present was there, but who seemed at once to have a presentiment that something fearful had occurred. Even Sir John Boyes assumed a natural attitude and listened, forgetting everything in the expectation of some catastrophe which had occurred without.
Again, in a more wailing tone than before, came that lengthened howl.
“It's only a dog,” whispered some one, and then there was an universal movement.
Lady May moved swiftly towards the door. Before, however, she had reached half way, several persons had opened it, and there at once entered among the crowded assemblage a large mastiff dog. He was covered with snow, and, as he stepped, he appeared either to be lame or foot wearied. In his mouth he carried some dark object, from which a liquid stream came drop by drop upon the old oaken floor. He paused not until he reached the foot of the Lady May, and there, with a low whining sound of supplication, he laid the object which he carried.
A dozen hands were stretched to take it from the floor. It was a horseman's glove, so sopped in blood, that as it was held up to the light, the red fluid dropped from its finger's ends with a sullen plash.
For a few brief moments every one seemed petrified with astonishment and dismay. It was the Lady Philippa Boyes who then, with a shriek exclaimed --
“That glove is Ratchley's! that glove is Ratchley's! He is murdered!”
Novels and stories of highwaymen seem to have been hugely popular in the mid to late 1800's. This novel, originally published by Edward Lloyd in London, England, in 1845 under the title “Captain Hawke; or, May Boyes and the Shadow of Death”, is attributed to the author James Malcolm Rymer. This edition, published in New York in 1863, does not include an author credit. According to the “New York Daily Tribune” Vol. XII, no. 3618, dated Saturday, November 20, 1852, the title was also to be published in late 1852 by Ormsby & Backer, again without an author's credit.
This eBook edition was carefully prepared by referring to an original text to correct scanning errors that are common in other versions. Old spellings and word usages have been preserved, but obvious spelling and other typesetting mistakes in the original have been corrected. Some chapter numbers in the original were missing or doubled and have been corrected to a regular sequence.
This edition was prepared and edited by Snazz eBooks".
Original cover design and other original content of this edition are Copyright © 2014 by Snazz eBooks". All rights reserved. No reproduction by any means is allowed without permission.
Here is an excerpt:
At this moment there came from without the inn a loud melancholy wail of a dog, such a sound as that animal utters in its sagacity, when much distressed by some event which it wishes to communicate to human understanding.
The howl struck upon every ear most powerfully, and not one present was there, but who seemed at once to have a presentiment that something fearful had occurred. Even Sir John Boyes assumed a natural attitude and listened, forgetting everything in the expectation of some catastrophe which had occurred without.
Again, in a more wailing tone than before, came that lengthened howl.
“It's only a dog,” whispered some one, and then there was an universal movement.
Lady May moved swiftly towards the door. Before, however, she had reached half way, several persons had opened it, and there at once entered among the crowded assemblage a large mastiff dog. He was covered with snow, and, as he stepped, he appeared either to be lame or foot wearied. In his mouth he carried some dark object, from which a liquid stream came drop by drop upon the old oaken floor. He paused not until he reached the foot of the Lady May, and there, with a low whining sound of supplication, he laid the object which he carried.
A dozen hands were stretched to take it from the floor. It was a horseman's glove, so sopped in blood, that as it was held up to the light, the red fluid dropped from its finger's ends with a sullen plash.
For a few brief moments every one seemed petrified with astonishment and dismay. It was the Lady Philippa Boyes who then, with a shriek exclaimed --
“That glove is Ratchley's! that glove is Ratchley's! He is murdered!”
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