The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

118 ‘Did you hear what old Whitechoker was talking about when asleep. t’other day in the public-house parlour ?” “What, about some will in:which two kids) were concarned 0?? ‘““Yes—he little thought we heard him,” “The old cock seems! to lay great wally on that ere dociment ; and if ve comes across it, vhy, ve’ can make as much out on it as he.” “ That’s what I have been thinking.” “And that’s vhy I vants to get into the old bloke’s’ private room for,’’ said Puggy, grinning. “T tumbled to it all; I dare say this night’ s vork ’ll pay us tidy, if ve only does it clean,” Slowly and cautiously the two robbers approached the Hall. They kept close in among the shrubbery, and then ran nimbly across the grassy lawn out of sight, Once at the back of the building, they were safe, Warner lifted Puggy up on. to the immense water-butt near the kitchen door, In a few moments he clambered cleverly on to the window-sill of the first floor. The window was. opened withont difficulty, and Puggy was soon safe inside. Warner followed suit, and, with the aid of a small stont rope, which Pugey threw down to him, soon clambered up and joined his companion, They were both without boots, and walked abont noiselessly. It. was. arranged that one should search and rob in one direction, while the second did so in another. They separated in the long dark gallery, and each went his way slowly. With both hands groping against the walls, Paggy made his way towards old Jonathan’s private study, and with false keys opened the coor. He entered, and looked about for a moment. to gee, as well as he could, what the. place was like. He was about to return to inform Warner of his success, but the door had been closed behind him, This puzzled Pug for.a. moment, but he produced again his skeleton keys, They were useless. He could not re-open. the door ! af How’ s this?” thought Puggy, ‘it’s rayther strange,” He tried dnd tried again, but the door was firmly fastened. In, a few seconds he began to fume and. sweat and inwardly rave, but it was all to no purpose, “IT can’t be trapped,” he thought, ‘‘ the window is good enough. I have the coil of rope wound round my body, and can easily get out that way,’’ He walked across the room, His foot pressed a secret spring in the floor, A plank rose up slowly and noiselessly. A phosphorescent glow issued from the aperture. With staring eyes and trembling limbs his asto- nished gaze beheld the snow-white skeleton of the murdered girl, the same which old Giles had seen on & previous occasion, Puggy was almost paralysed with fear, and shook in every limb, ae could not but look at the strange unearthly sig For some time he gazed; but the sight of pre- cious stones glittering among the snow-white THE BOY 118 __ THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI's YOUNG CAPTAIN, OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. remains of silk and faded flounces roused. TELS eV nae aE PUP EERO GL || SUD ane ae oe eee mean soul to energy again, ‘‘Dead men tell no tales, I’ve heard,” thought Puggy, “neither can they hurt a cove ; but I never dreamed o’ seein’ sich a sight.as this’; and diamonds, too! lor, look at,’"em shining there’; but what makes the bones so bright all, atfonce? it reminds a-cove 0’ the ‘ Will-o’-the-Wisps’ one sees in the Lincolnskire, marshes, Here goes, I'll Just see what these spark- ling things are good for.” But first he opened the window and fastened the end of the rope to the cornice, so as to make his escape, if need be, at a moment’s warning. He hastily returned to where the bones lay buried: The plank had descended again. * That won’t do for me,’ ’ said Pugey ; a light and have a good look ; I’ll do it, for them ’ere stones seem’ to be worth no endo’ money—any one on ’em’s worth a Jew’s eye. 9 He lit a small lantern he had brought with him, and sure enough trod on the secret spring again, but by mere accident. Up rose, the plank..on. its end, but this time so suddenly that it gaye him a violent. blow on the face, which_almost knocked him down. So, eager, however, w dead, that-he heeded not the bump which instantly formed on his nose, and put forth his hand to take off a glittering jewel which sparkled on one of the bony fingers, P The'small white fleshless hand suddenly clasped’ his own, and held him like a vice. If he had been seized by the fangs of a rattle- snake, he could not have felt more pain. “Tl strike It was not the pressure so much as an intol- lerable something which chilled his yery marrow. The bony fingers felt to him as if they were red- hot, and gradually burnt his own flesh, With a groan of horror he started back. His hand had upon it the impress of the bony fingers, and the outlines were as black as ink. He. started to his feet, like a man who had, suddenly confronted and shaken hands with the devil, His hair stood on end. His eyes protruded ont of their sockets, and he had searcely strength to stand, On) the instant a heavy hand grasped him by the shoulder, He had not’ power to resist. His, heart failed him, and he sank upon his knees edie like a leaf. Instinctively he turned his head. His teeth began to chatter, and he felt half’ choked. There stood beside him the headless spectre of Bromley Hall, With a sudden bound, and electrified with horror, Pugey sprank to his feet with all the strength that remained in him, He rushed to the window. The headless spectre followed him, . Without a second thonght, Pugey seized his rope and rapidly descended he scarce knew or cared whither, He had not gone many feet when the rope slipped from above, With a wild cry of agony and pain he fell upon a row of sharp spikes and broken bottles, which decorated the orchard walls, Stunned, half dead with fright and pain, he had if it can be opened, was the thief to desecrate’ the GComichbooksnco —