The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

114 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. rr ee Eee i iti a a I A a fall into the hands of them coves on the landing, does yer? Well, then, you just do as we tells yer. Get hold on that poker, and stand bolt upright behind the door; when it’s opened you slap him on the head, whoever he is; and you mind to do it; if yer don’t, why then [ shall do it to you, that’s all.” ‘What do you mean?” said Jonathan, in a half- whisper. “Vhot do I mean?” says Pug; “vhy I means that the ‘ slops’ are on the stairs, and if they cotch us in here we shall get scragged, that’s all—strung up like three whelps at Newgate, that’s yhot I mean.” “ Hu-s-s-h |” said Warner, “they are there again, ‘‘ Silence, caution !” Upon his hands and knees he crept towards the door, dagger in hand. The Pug pulled a ‘jemmy” out of his ‘large pocket. Jonathan, poker in hand, stood behind the door. All three-were ready. “ They have got keys with them this time,” said Warner, ; “You open one door, and I’ll open another,”’ said the officers ;-‘‘the rooms may be separate.” *“D’ye hear that?” whispered the Pug in Warner’s ear. “T do,” said the bold, determined villain. “ You and this old chap stay here ; / will go to the other door. Ifthe stranger misses his blow, you make sure of yours,” ‘‘ Never fear,” said the Pug. Warner crawled back again to the other door, and as noiselessly as an eel. The two officers were now busy trying to open the doors with different keys. At last they succeeded. . As one of them pushed the door open, he was struck a violent blow on the head by Jonathan, which felled him to the earth, With a loud groan he fell, The other officer would haye rushed to the rescue ; but before he knew what to do, Warner opened the door on one side, while the *Pug and Jonathan took him in the rear. Directly Warner saw him, he rushed at the | policeman like an enraged tiger. The officer was about to shout for help; but Warner seized him by the throat with a grip of iron, The Pug now struck him a yiolent blow across the temples, whieh knocked the officer senseless, “Fly | fly !’’ said Warner, They all rushed down stairs, A single officer was in the passage, and about to ascend, Jonathan, all haste and ‘fright, rushed forward, poker in hand, and struck him a terrible blow on the temple, which felled him. “Bravo! parson!” said Warner. “TI see you’re up to this kind of work. We mustn’t part with such a handy chap as you are ina hurry. Must we Puggy 2” “T should think not. His white choker is all a blind, you can bet onit. I shouldn’t wondar if he turns out to be the cleverest cracksman in all London,” Thus they spoke as they rushed through the open door into the street. “ Down one street, across another, through dirty alley-ways and by-streets, the three men rapidly walked, Jonathan trying to lag behind, go as to escape, After they had gone some distance, Warner called a cab, and shoved Jonathan into it. Puggy got on the box, but Warner rode inside. “Tc’s of no use repenting mow,old man,” said Warner, ‘‘for you’re as deepin the mess as any chap in London, /You ‘did’for.that last bobby ; he’ll never kick again.” “ Do-you think so? I hope-not.’’ ‘‘ Hope not! Why not? should die than all of us, You and I are sworn friends now. Give us your hand.” Jonathan was ina deadly fever of excitement, and trembled in every limb. | He had not dreamt that his adventure in old Flint’s office would have ended in wilful blood- shed. But, as we have seen, it had done so, And this reflection, that he had dyed his hands in blood, alarmed him for the moment, Not, indeed, through horror of the crime, but through fear of detection, apprehension, and punishment, = It is a true saying that a robber is a murderer in |.disgnise.* Truly he goes to rob only ; but in most cases he does not scruple to commit murder to save himself, if he can do so unseen, - The cab bowled along ; but where he was going to Jonathan had not the remotest idea. After some time, the cab drew np near the Seven Dials, and the party alighted. The cabman was paid. Puggy ‘“‘tipped him ” not to speak too loudly his suspicions {to any one, and, ere many minutes, all three villains were drinking together at an obscure public-house. Jonathan had not been used to strong drinks, and soon fell asleep on ‘a long form in the parlour of the ‘Cat and Bagpipes,” and while im this state Warner and Pugey rifled his pockets. — They didn’t discover much of value, except a few private professional cards, prospectuses of Bromley Hall Academy, and the like. < But in rumaging still further among a bundle of his private letters, Warner discovered two fifty pound notes. , ‘This isn’t so very bad,” said he ‘to Pug; “we might as well pay Bromley Hall a visit one of these dark nights. What say you?” ‘‘ With all my heart,” said Pug, ‘Since we are now obliged to turn cracksmen, and keep out of sight as much as we can in the ‘daytime, why, we might as well do the trick as genteel as possible.” “That’s my opinion,” said Warner, ‘And do you know, I think this old chap is not so innocent as he’d like people to believe, |if he does wear a white choker.” “We mustn’t part with the old cock,” said Pug. “Nor lose sight of him either; he knows too much of us already to let him go and blab all,” “What shall ve do vith him ?” “Why, force him to sign articles and join us,” Ree: he do the ‘respectable old gentleman ’ well ?” Just what “J was thinking.” “He'll never leave us now he’s stained his hands,” said the Pug ; “new beginners never get over that, Blood fastens 'em safe,”’ tty “Yes; but he’s no ‘innocent,’ as you call it. Look at his face as he lies in sleep ; where could you get a more hang-dog-looking countenance in all London ?” | “True ; at the best o’ times, the old cove ain’t much of a beauty—ha, ha! Well, old Caleraft ain’t icomichoo <SriGO) It’s better that he ee ee i —— |.