And now the front-door opens to his touch: but—ah! he has blood upon his hands—the blood that had flowed from the neck of the murdered Jewess. He starts back—he hesitates for a moment,—but only for a moment: Old Death is not the man to remain long uncertain how to proceed in such a strait!
Thrusting his hands—his gore-stained hands—into his pockets, the demon-hearted monster issues as coolly and calmly from the house as if it were his own and he had nothing to fear. The fresh air of heaven—untasted by him for ten long weeks—comes gushing upon his face: he is free—he is free!
“Ah!” is the hasty ejaculation which now falls on his ear: he looks around—a man is bounding, flying towards him—and in another instant he is in the grasp of the Blackamoor.
A short and desperate struggle takes place; and a crowd immediately gathers near—for the Sessions are being held at Hicks’s Hall, on Clerkenwell Green, so that the neighbourhood presents the bustling appearance usual on such occasions.
“Seize him—hold him!” yells forth Old Death, as his powerful opponent hurls him towards the house-door, which the miscreant had not closed behind him.
“He is a mad-man—escaped from a lunatic asylum!” exclaimed the Blackamoor, horrible apprehensions filling his soul relative to the Jewess—for his eyes had caught sight of the blood upon Old Death’s hands.
“No—no—I am not a mad-man!” shrieked out the latter. “Seize him—hold him, I say:—he has escaped the scaffold—he is Tom Rain, the highwayman!”
At that dreadful announcement the Blackamoor was struck speechless and motionless, as if a thunderbolt had fallen at his feet; and in the next instant he was in the grasp of Dykes and Bingham, who, having business at the Sessions House, happened to be amongst the crowd gathered at the entrance of Red Lion Street.
“Yes—seize him—hold him tight!” yelled Benjamin Bones: “he is Tom Rain, I tell you—his face is coloured purposely—but I knew that he is Tom Rain!”
“And hold that miscreant also!” ejaculated Rainford—for he indeed the Blackamoor was: “seize him—let him not escape!” he cried, recovering the power of speech, as his eyes again caught a glimpse of the blood-stained hands of Old Death. “There has been murder committed in this house——My God! my God!”