med expedient, in more recent times, to keep a watchman at the
top of Newgate. Not many years ago, two men, employed on this duty,
quarrelled during the night, and in the morning their bodies were found
stretched upon the pavement of the yard beneath.

Proceeding along the wall, Jack reached the southern tower, over the
battlements of which he clambered, and crossing it, dropped upon the
roof of the gate. He then scaled the northern tower, and made his way to
the summit of that part of the prison which fronted Giltspur Street.
Arrived at the extremity of the building, he found that it overlooked
the flat-roof of a house which, as far as he could judge in the
darkness, lay at a depth of about twenty feet below.

Not choosing to hazard so great a fall, Jack turned to examine the
building, to see whether any more favourable point of descent presented
itself, but could discover nothing but steep walls, without a single
available projection. As he looked around, he beheld an incessant stream
of passengers hurrying on below. Lights glimmered in the windows of the
different houses; and a lamp-lighter was running from post to post on
his way to Snow Hill.

Finding it impossible to descend on any side, without incurring serious
risk, Jack resolved to return for his blanket, by the help of which he
felt certain of accomplishing a safe landing on the roof of the house in
Giltspur Street.

Accordingly, he began to retrace his steps, and pursuing the course he
had recently taken, scaling the two towers, and passing along the wall
of the prison, he descended by means of the door upon the Lower Leads.
Before he re-entered the prison, he hesitated from a doubt whether he
was not fearfully increasing his risk of capture; but, convinced that he
had no other alternative, he went on.

During all this time, he had never quitted the iron bar, and he now
grasped it with the firm determination of selling his life dearly, if he
met with any opposition. A few seconds sufficed to clear the passage,
through which it had previously cost him more than two hours to force
his way. The floor was strewn with screws, nails, fragments of wood and
stone, and across the passage lay the heavy iron fillet. He did not
disturb any of this litter, but left it as a mark of his prowess.

He was now at the entrance of the chapel, and striking the door over
which he had previously climbed a violent blow with the bar, it flew
open. To vault over the pews was th