ng in the direction of the
sound, he discovered Thames Darrell, stretched upon the ground.

"Are you hurt, Thames?" asked Jack, anxiously.

"Not dangerously, I hope," returned Thames; "but fly--save yourself."

"Where are the assassins?" cried Sheppard.

"Gone," replied the wounded man. "They imagine their work is done. But I
may yet live to thwart them."

"I will carry you to the house, or fetch Mr. Wood," urged Jack.

"No, no," rejoined Thames; "fly--or I will not answer for your safety.
If you desire to please me, you will go."

"And leave you thus?" rejoined Jack. "I cannot do it."

"Go, I insist," cried Thames, "or take the consequences upon yourself. I
cannot protect you."

Thus urged, Jack reluctantly departed. Hastening to the spot where he
had tied his horse to a tree, he vaulted into the saddle, and rode off
across the fields,--for he was fearful of encountering the hostile
party,--till he reached the Edgeware Road. Arrived at Paddington, he
struck across Marylebone Fields,--for as yet the New Road was undreamed
of,--and never moderated his speed until he reached the city. His
destination was the New Mint. At this place of refuge, situated in the
heart of Wapping, near the river-side, he arrived in less than an hour,
in a complete state of exhaustion.

In consequence of the infamous abuse of its liberties, an act for the
entire suppression of the Old Mint was passed in the ninth year of the
reign of George the First, not many months before the date of the
present epoch of this history; and as, after the destruction of
Whitefriars, which took place in the reign of Charles the Second, owing
to the protection afforded by its inmates to the Levellers and
Fifth-monarchy-men, when the inhabitants of Alsatia crossed the water,
and settled themselves in the borough of Southwark,--so now, driven out
of their fastnesses, they again migrated, and recrossing the Thames,
settled in Wapping, in a miserable quarter between Artichoke Lane and
Nightingale Lane, which they termed the New Mint. Ousted from his old
retreat, the Cross Shovels, Baptist Kettleby opened another tavern,
conducted upon the same plan as the former, which he denominated the
Seven Cities of Refuge. His subjects, however, were no longer entirely
under his control; and, though he managed to enforce some little
attention to his commands, it was evident his authority was waning fast.
Aware that they would not be allowed to remain long unmolested, t