The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

116 “When each of them started on the high-road to ruin, they shuddered at the thought of bloodshed. But not so now, ; "= They had rapidly ripened in iniquity, and, as is nearly always the case,— Their days were numbered ! * * : * * When Jonathan woke from his sleep, and began to think of what he had done, or assisted in doing, he shuddered and turned deadly pale. The “ Pug,” however, whose maxim always was that “it was mueh better to be hung for a sheep than a lamb,” called for a large quantity of beer and spirits, and, though he did not pay for it, took great care to consume most of it himself. . ‘‘ What shall we do?” said Warner; ‘‘we had better not show ourselves out in the daylight much.” ‘“Do!” said Puggy, ‘‘vhy, nothin’ is easier to do than this: let each on us go and take rooms over the vater, and commence business on our own account; if you’ve missed the coin -in one job that’s no reason vhy you should have the same ill- luck alvays.”’ “ What do you mean ?” said Jonathan. “Mean, my joker! vhy this: I knows as nice a nest of cracksmen in the Borough as ever handled a ‘jemmy.’ I'll introduce yer; they knows me, well.” “And what then, turn housebreaker?” asked Jonathan, looking pale, and trembling, ‘‘Cracksman, yes; why not? You needn't look so shivery, you know how to knock a ‘slop’ on the head as nicely as ever I seed it done in all my life ; so you needn’t feel squeamish about handling a wrench, screw-driver, or a nice little leyer,’’ ‘* But I object,” said Jonathan. ‘Does yer?” said Puggy, in an angry tone ; “but J don’t ; and let me tell you, old ’un, it’s too late for any backing out now you know, because if you don’t oe ae we shall know how to serve you; that’s at. ‘Serve me ; what do you mean ?” “Why, introduce you to Bow-street, to Sergeant Gale, a gentleman of very active habits. I dare say as how you’ve heard of him afore. Look at this will you?” = Thus speaking, Puggy handed over the “‘ Mornin’ ‘Tiser’”’ to him, in which was an account of young Caspar’s trial. Jonathan rapidly glanced over the column, and was thunderstruck, “My wife act thus in my absence !’— Two children discovered |”—« What, old Giles give evi- dence like this !—“The prisoner acquitted |?’— “Shanks and my wife arrested for perjury !’? he said, half aloud, but unaware that he had been heard. Puggy and Warner were astonished at Jonathan’s change of countenance, and heard all he said. ‘‘I told you he was no novice,” said Puggy, ina whisper. “Oh! he’sa deep old file,’ So firmly were the villains convinced that their new associate was the real owner of Bromley Hall Academy, that they taxed him with it, amid much bantering and rough joking, Jonathan wasso stupefied with what he had read, that he turned all manner of colours, as he said, aint pitas eee tone— is log ut I will have ample revenge, will murder the wanton hussey, and Shake mites More drink and very little extra coaxing got Jonathan into such a maudling state, that he dis- closed much of his past life, which fairly astoni both Warner and the Pug. ’ y astonished THE BOY gOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. »¥ 4 a J : . ’ J c A They were both delighted at Jonathan’s open confessions, and slapped him heartily on the back, as they over and over again swore that he was a “prick,” During the day, as it was wet, foggy, and dis- agreeable, the Pug ventured out, and soon found the cabman, smoking his pipe upon the rank, He had made a large hole into his two sovereigns, and from his flushed appearance it was evident he had been drinking heavily. The Pug tipped him the wink, and they both retired into a tap-room. :.. “What's up now?” said Cabby, winking and blinking, in a half-drunken state, ‘‘ Another par- tic’lar job, eh, Puggy?” “ Jest so. Does yer Borough ?” in ‘‘ Does I?’? said Cabby, in disgust. ‘‘ In coorse ; vot part o’ towns it I don’t know? Vhy vot do you vant?”’ Proi eae much ) about the ‘‘D’yer know where the ‘ Councillor’ hangs out?” “What, that long-headed cove as had seven- pen’orth once for getting into my uncle’s in the Strand ?” yt i ¥ex.2 “In coorse I does. night.’ “ Any swag 1” ** Lots.” ‘What sort?” : “ “He lodged at a jeweller’s one night, and took it into his head to leave abont four in the morn- ing,” said Cabby, winking and shoving his red nose into a quart pot half filled with stout. ‘‘I happened to be near, yer see, and he gave me the job to drive him home.” aes “I twig,” said Puggy. “Vell, I and them other parties vish to call on the Councillor to-day, Jest drive us there; itll be allright.” . . © In a few moments Puggy jumped into the four- wheeler, and, in less than half-an-hour, Warner, Jonathan, and the Pug, were in close conference with the Councillor, And with the aid of spirits and malt liquors were soon as thick as thieves, That night they all went to the theatre together, to drive off the blue devils and enjoy themselves. . It was while they were there that Jonathan thought he espied old Flint in one of the boxes, How he went and dogged him home we have already seen. Little did Flint imagine, however, that his night’s pleasure would have such an unlooked-for ending. I had a job o’ his’n other CHAPTER XLI. SEVERAL STRANGERS MEET UNEXPECTEDLY AT BROMLEY HALL—ARREST OF PUGGY. W1TH all his diligence and activity, Sergeant Gale was not yet able to trace the murder of old Ford to the right cause. _He had various surmises about it, but so unde- cided was the evidence and suspicions in his mind, that he feared to take any one person into custody until he had fully completed his chain of © pradence against “other parties’ he was in search of, Old Flint, he thought, could not possibly escape, and yet what evidence was there against him ? | Comparatively nothing, Gale felt certain that the old lawyer, wicked as GComicboo (S@) a