The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 11 would look at the crimson stain, as if, young as it was, it could moralize upon that. theme. The light which had gleamed for one instant had faded away again, and the young ensign fell into a train of musing, in the midst of which he was interrupted by the sergeant, who sud- denly said, with a groan: ‘*No luck, sir; no luck. Parties are in the field picking up the wounded, and they’ve got lights, sir, Well, sir, they were coming on this way as clean as a whistle, sir, when they met some other poor devil and cafried him off; so here we have to wait, perhaps a mighty long time, sir.” ‘‘We must take our turns, Rafferty.” ‘* Bedad, sir, I suppose we must. So you’ve got the Frenchy’s child, sir, Do you know, it strikes me you ain’t a married man, sir.” Tam not.” ‘I thought you wasn’t, sir; but, however, if- your honor goes on in this way, it will be a mighty great convenience to you when you do happen to marry, you know, sir.” “A convenience! How?’ ‘Why, sir, you’ll have a nice little family ready-made.” ‘‘ Rafferty, you would not have had me refuse to take charge of the poor. helpless little child ?: ‘* Refuse, sir! I have vou refuse! Do you think I have no bowels, sir? Bedad, sir, I ain’t pagan, anyhow. Refuse, did you say, sir? Id take the poor little small creature myself if ou didn’t like the job. Oh, murder, who's this, I'd like to now ?” | A tall, stalwart-looking man strode up to the spot. In his hand he held a strange shaped sword; it was short, and wide to- ward the point. He was dressed in a costume more of a civilian than a military character, and as he came up he said: ‘**T heard English voices. Where are you ?” ‘‘Here, my broth of a boy,” cried Rafferty. “ Here, here,” said the young ensign; ‘‘ for God’s sake, get us some assistance to take us off the field.” ‘‘T will see if Ican mention you to any of the parties who are out. Have you seen any French about here? Alive, I mean ?” “Not that [am aware of.” “‘Confound them—I have not come across twenty alive. Those, however, I have finished.” ‘‘ Finished!” cried the ensign. ‘*Do you mane finished,” said Rafferty, ‘‘to be took as a polite name for murdering, sir?” ‘‘ My name is Sternholde, You may have heard of me.” As he said these words he walked away. “Do you know the jontilman ?” said Rafferty. ‘‘T bave heard of him. He is an attache in some capacity to the staff of Blucher, and came with dispatches to the duke this morning. He is notorious for his antipathy to the French. Some of our men call him the battle fiend, for he never will knowingly leave a Frenchman alive. Even if he seriously comicbooks. com