The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

134 THE CHIIZD OF WATERLOO. flashed from his eye; the man returned his gaze, but he could not avoid the recognition. It was the mendicant. ‘‘ Blur an’ ouns!” exclaimed Rafferty, ‘‘here he is; seize the murdering thief!” As he spoke, he made arush at the man, who, by a skillful maneuver round a cart, evaded the seizure. ‘‘Stop the murdering thief; stop him, Master Henry, dear; he’s the varmint, I know, him; ah, my jewel! bad luck to you, you blackguard!” ~ This was uttered by Brolickbones; as the mendicant saw that Mr. Henry Morton was close upon him, and dodging round a cart, when chased by two, was a losing game, he dashed past Rafferty, who seized him by the coat, but alas! for the article —it was insufficient to hold him by, and away he went, leaving a fair handful of material in his band. ‘“« After him, Rafferty!” said Henry Morton; “after him; keep him in sight. Stop thief! stop thief! stop thief!” This was the cry which Morton uttered from time to time, and echoed by Rafferty, as they dashed along some few yards behind him. The cry wasuttered from time to time by others who saw the chase, and more than one man stepped out to secure the fugitive, but that was not to be effected, for each, as he opposed him, was leveled by the mendicant as if he had been a child; and on he went with undiminished haste. At length they came helter-skelter to places that had no thoroughfare, and then they hoped, indeed, they had a chance of securing their man. Through these streets little or no effort was made by any one to stay the progress of the fugitive, who seemed to be under no apprehension, but continued his flight among dogs and children, and fowls, that seemed to congregateabout for the ex- press purpose of in:peding the pursuers; and on more than one occasion they had nearly got stopped; and on every occasion there seemed more intention to aid and abet the flight than to stop the runaway. ‘* Now we have him,” said Rafferty. ‘‘ Now we have him.” But Brolickbones was mistaken. Both parties had diminshed to less than half the speed with which they had started, and breath was at a premium, and enough could scarcely be had to carry them along with safety. Suddenly the mendicant paused, and balanced himself, and then dashed in at an open doorway. Mr. Morton had at that moment reached him, thinking he was about to return and retrace his steps, and was not prepared for his sudden disappearance in that manner, but was compelled to overshoot his mark, and pass the door. This Rafferty endeavored to avoid by laying hold of the door to stop himself, but only did so in a slight degree, and then came with some force against Mr. Morton, who had just re- covered, and was about to return and enter the house in pursuit. ‘‘Do not lose sight of him, Rafferty. He went in hera He must not be lost: he must be run down,” comicbooks. com