Novel complete.docx - The union jack library With which is...

The union jack library
With which is incorporated the black library.
The strange case of the Clyde Emeralds
The first chapter
The New Broom.
“Dukestown! Dukestown! All change for Dukestown!
Thank providence for that!”
Numbed and frozen Sexton Blake staggered to his feet, folded his rug, and took down his
suit-case.
Never had he endured such and Arctic and miserable journey. Line and rolling stock these
last few miles were a disgrace to civilization. A railway porter, hurrying forward at sight of a
first-class passenger, was bursting a blood-vessel almost merely trying to turn the door-
handle.
“Anything in the Van, sir?” he panted when he had wrenched the thing open at last. “Any
luggage?”
“Luggage!” snapped Sexton Blake. “No; the only kind of luggage one ought to bring on a line
like this is an old coke-pail or a baked potato can. It's perfectly scandalous! He continued
fiercely. Snow six inches deep and cold enough to freeze the ears of a brass monkey; yet
not a footwarmer, even, all the way up from the junction. You ought to get ten years all of
you, for attempted murder!”
The porter looked both startled and crestfallen. “Sorry sir” he apologized, “No fault of mine, I
assure you! Fact is, Dukes-town being a station for the prison mostly the management
reckons as most as uses it is convicts, and treats ‘em according”.
Well, that's what it comes to, don’t it? Explained the Potter hastily. “Still, p’r’aps now we’ve
got this noo gov’nor up here he’ll get things altered. Not for the likes of you so much as his
precious prisoners! He concluded.
“Oh?”
Sexton Blake wondered what the fellow meant by that. But as it happened that he was the
invited guest of this same Governor of H.M. Prison, Kingsmoor, he decided not to inquire
1
A Thrilling Long Complete Detective
Novel, in which SEXTON BLAKE turns
“Cracksman”.
Illustrated by
HARRY LANE

further. To the potter’s offer to carry his bag for him he replied with a curt “No” and so
humming it himself, he passed through the station and out on to the snow-laden road.
He regretted his hast refusal before he was through. It was not as if this was the first time he
had visited the famous convict prison and he ought to have known better. He had a mile to
plod at least, and the Snow was coming on again thicker than ever.
However he struggled through the long straggling street of Dukestown at last, and gained
the road leading to the prison.
The grim grey building lies isolated and exposed aimed the deepest wilds of the famous
Kingsmoor. The latter may be a beauty spot in summer, no doubt but in midwinter, and on a
might like this is only to be equalled by the North Pole.
Still Sexton Blake was tough, and the blood was beginning to stir again in his numbed
arteries. He drew within the shelter of the high prison wall at last, and so on past the great
granite gateway, where a Civil Guard challenged him, to the lamplit front door of the
Governor's house.