The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 211: what you’re looking at

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

208 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO, done; but we are by far too old hands to be taken in in that manner. It won't do.” ‘You won’t take my life?” said the mendicant. ‘¢But we will, though,” said Giles. ‘‘You would have taken ours, or helped to do so; but we must do a little in the way of self-defense. Murdering you, or hanging us, comes to the same thing in the end.” The mendicant struggled fiercely for a moment or two; he seemed to think there would be no chance of life, save in his own effort, and, for a moment, he had nearly freed himself from their hold; but the man called Giles threw himself, with his knees, ou the mendicant’s chest. The blow was a dreadful one, and caused him to straighten himself out, and he was instantly secured in that position; when Giles, having pulled out a large cotton pocket handkerchief, instantly covered the mendicant’s mouth and nostrils, and then leaned upon him with all his strength and might. The struggle was a short but fierce one, and soon ended. The mendicant was stretched motionless on the earth, without a sign of life. ‘¢ He’s not done for,” said Giles. ‘‘I expect we shall have a supper out of this.” ‘Out of what !” ‘‘'We can dispose of the body, you know.” ‘“Oh, yes! where shall wetake him?” “Tllshow you. Put him in asack, and we’l] manage all else; there will be time enough yet to get to the house. We shall get a few pounds for him; not that that is much, but then we a have got rid of the body, and it is worth something to do that.” ‘* So it is,” was the reply. They now produced a large sack, into which the body was thrust, with some exertion; such as bending the legs, and soon, until they contrived to secure the mouth of the sack with a piece of cord. This done, a short consultation was held. They all agreed that they would take it at once in turn, as they went along. Shouldering the burden, they left the house, and pro- ceeded to a surgeon. where they knew they could dispose of it; and they were speedily shown into a small room, and awaited the presence of the surgeon. ‘¢ Well,” he said, as he entered the room, ‘‘ what have you got now for me? Some of those short poor wretches that you have brought us lately ?” ‘No; you have one here that you won’t match every day in the week, even alive.” ‘Come, that’s good.” ‘Ay, he’s long and broad, and a regular good ’un, and wouldn’t have disgraced a grenadier company.” ‘‘ Well, what is it to be—five pounds ?” ' «Five pounds! Well, doctor, we must take it elsewhere. I thought we'd give you the first chance; but we must do more than clear our expenses.” ‘‘How much do you want?” comicbooks. com