The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 203 ‘Nothing; but I'll tell you what it is, there’s somebody in the house who are as thirsty as coach-horses, or they wouldn’t have taken the largest jug. We must make a careful search all over the house. Come on.” “Yes; let's have some beer, now we are here.” Accordingly they both drank heartily of the beer, and then, in putting the jug by, their eyes fell upon the dish in which the meat pie had been. No sooner had they become aware of the extent of their deprivation than they both stared, and their countenances changed; a dull, leaden expression came over them, and they looked at each other in dismay. ‘* What do you think of this?” inquired one. ‘ Didn’t we have some of that for dinner—eh ?” ‘We did.” | ‘* Well, then, where is it gone now? It; was there, you know; you'll admit that?” ; | ‘Yes, [ must admit that—I can’t helpit. I saw it put there myself. But what shall we do?” ‘*Do? why, search the house right over—every hole and cup- board, until we find the wretch, and then we’ll have his ears or his life.” | ‘* He must not escape us; he will know too much if he be per- mitted to leave this house alive. We shall not be safe, depend upon that.” ‘“‘I think not either. There,” he added, shutting the cupboard door; ‘‘ there now, that is safe; we may as well go up to the first floor, and there commence our search.” Hearing these words, the mendicant closed the door of the closet, and then shut the shelves standing on the stairs behind this closet. This was scarcely effected before the men entered the room, and looked round, and walked across the floor. **T thought I heard something here,” said one. “Did you? Well Pits might. All TI can say is, it isa queer affair. The beer and the pie area mystery to me. But look about—there is a closet.” The closet-door was opened, but it seemed the men were not acquainted with the secret of the movable back, for they did not attempt to open it. Soon after they both quitted the room. to examine other parts of the house. He could hear them go into various rooms, and then return another way. The mendicant ate the food he had so opportunely come by in quiet, and quenched his burning thirst with the beer. He had suffered dreadfully from the exertion he had made to get away from the officers, and in the continuance of his flight. <A less active and powerful man would have dropped ‘dead long ago; and as it was he had bled at the ears and nose. His eyes were bloodshot, and his whole appearance was soiled, and it betrayed every sign of the struggle he had been engaged in, and his dress appeared torn and destroyed, such as it was. He sat there for sone time, until he had eaten as much as he required; the re- mainder he secured, and having emptied the jug, cautiously stole back to the cupboard on the stairs, and deposited it on the comicbooks. com