"Hurrah!" shouted the mob below.
"Hurrah!" answered the mob on the tiles.
Then, over several housetops might be seen the flying figure of Sir Francis Varney, pursued by different men at a pace almost equal to his own.
They, however, could keep up the same speed, and not improve upon it, while he kept the advantage he first obtained in the start.
Then suddenly he disappeared.
It seemed to the spectators below that he had dropped through a house, and they immediately surrounded the house, as well as they could, and then set up another shout.
This took place several times, and as often was the miserable man hunted from his place of refuge only to seek another, from which he was in like manner hunted by those who thirsted for his blood.
On one occasion, they drove him into a house which was surrounded, save at one point, which had a long room, or building in it, that ran some distance out, and about twenty feet high.
At the entrance to the roof of this place, or leads, he stood and defended himself for some moments with success; but having received a blow himself, he was compelled to retire, while the mob behind forced those in front forward faster than he could by any exertion wield the staff that had so much befriended him on this occasion.
He was, therefore, on the point of being overwhelmed by numbers, when he fled; but, alas! there was no escape; a bare coping stone and rails ran round the top of that.
There was not much time for hesitation, but he jumped over the rails and looked below. It was a great height, but if he fell and hurt himself, he knew he was at the mercy of the bloodhounds behind him, who would do anything but show him any mercy, or spare him a single pang.
He looked round and beheld his pursuers close upon him, and one was so close to him that he seized upon his arm, saying, as he shouted to his companions,--
"Hurrah, boys! I have him."
With an execration, Sir Francis wielded his staff with such force, that he struck the fellow on the head, crushing in his hat as if it had been only so much paper. The man fell, but a blow followed from some one else which caused Varney to relax his hold, and finding himself falling, he, to save himself, sprang away.
The rails, at that moment, were crowded with men who leaned over to ascertain the effect of the leap.
"He'll be killed," said one.
"He's sure to be smashed," said another.
"I'll lay any wager he'll break a limb!" said a third.
Varney came to the earth--for a moment he lay stunned, and not able to move hand or foot.
"Hurrah!" shouted the mob.
Their triumph was short, for just as they shouted Varney arose, and after a moment or two's stagger he set off at full speed, which produced another shout from the mob; and just at that moment, a body of his pursuers were seen scaling the walls after him.
There was now a hunt through all the adjoining fields--from cover after cover they pursued him until he found no rest from the hungry wolves that beset him with cries, resembling beasts of prey rather than any human multitude.
Sir Francis heard them, at the same time, with the despair of a man who is struggling for life, and yet knows he is struggling in vain; he knew his strength was decaying--his immense exertions and the blows he had received, all weakened him, while the number and strength of his foes seemed rather to increase than to diminish.
Once more he sought the houses, and for a moment he believed himself safe, but that was only a momentary deception, for they had traced him.
He arrived at a garden wall, over which he bounded, and then he rushed into the house, the door of which stood open, for the noise and disturbance had awakened most of the inhabitants, who were out in all directions.
He took refuge in a small closet on the stairs, but was seen to do so by a girl, who screamed out with fear and fright,
"Murder! murder!--the wampyre!--the wampyre!" with all her strength, and in the way of screaming that was no little, and then she went off into a fit.
This was signal enough, and the house was at once entered, and beset on all sides by the mob, who came impatient of obtaining their victim who had so often baffled them.
"There he is--there he is," said the girl, who came to as soon as other people came up.
"Where?--where?"
"In that closet," she said, pointing to it with her finger. "I see'd him go in the way above."
Sir Francis, finding himself betrayed, immediately came out of the closet, just as two or three were advancing to open it, and dealt so hard a blow on the head of the first that came near him that he fell without a groan, and a second shared the same fate; and then Sir Francis found himself grappled with, but with a violent effort he relieved himself and rushed up stairs.