The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 102: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 99 ‘‘T know my place better,” growled the sexton, ‘“‘ than to turn thief-catcher. Come, come, master constable, you who have the strong arm of tbe law to help you, you go down and take your man.” bole afraid there’s no respect to person, or the strong arm of the law.” ‘Give me a torch,” said Jem. He took one. ‘ Now, follow me.” And in another moment he stood in the vault beneath. However, in going down, he jumped on the prostrate form of a man, who uttered a wild shout with the breath that was sud- denly forced out of his body. ‘‘ Murder! help!’ shouted the officer; ‘‘he)p! help! murder!” ‘¢ What's the matter?” shouted the constable without. ‘“‘Come down,” said Jem. Some one who stood behind him gave him a push, and in an- other moment he too had put his weight on the body of the Bow street officer. Tom followed and the others too, and when they stood in the vault, Jem seized hold of the officer, and turned him over and over, and then said: ‘*'Why, who have we here? This fat man isn’t the man. How caret hem here ?” ‘* Who are you?” inquired the officer. ‘*Come, come, my fine fellow,” said the constable, ‘‘ we'll hang you on the old elm tree outside here if you resist or are insolent.” ‘i, I am not going to resist. For God’s sake, tell me who you all are.” ‘* That would be a long catalogue; but I am constable, and in- tend to secure you.” ‘* Constable ?” “Yes.” - “* Well—there, there—I’m a Bow-street officer, and I command you, in the king’s name, to aid and assist me.” ‘* Well, ’'m darned!” said the constable, bursting out into a Joud roar, in which he was joined by all present, ‘‘if this ain’t the clever man that’s come all the way from London to tind out a hole in the churchyard; well, I’m darned! But cheer up, old cock, it’s well there’s other people in the world besides your- self, or you’d have been left to starve on old bones.” ‘‘ How came you here ?” said Jem. ‘‘1’m hanged if I know; but I didn’t come here of myself, you may depend upon it.” ‘“‘Somebody got the better on you,” said the rural constable. ‘* And then, to secure you, put you down here?” aoe and took all my clothes—save such as you see—and my staff.” ‘‘ Well, that’s the effect of catching a tartar—eh? But, come, let’s undo him, Jads; he’s been long enough here, poor devil. A —a—officer must have his eyes open to take care of himself here, much less to make a prisoner.” The officer made no reply; he was conscious he looked very ridiculous, and merely availed himself of the rough but honest courtesy of the rustics. Thus they all left the yard tcgether, comicbooks. com