The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

160 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. a —————————— So it was with Warner, Puggy, old Flint, and Jonathan, who were now safely in the remorseless hands of Bill, Jack, and Alf, three notorious rascals. Joey, the costermonger, had once had small deal- ings with these three rogues. But although he still kept up his acquaintance- ship with them, he wisely followed costermongering rather than run his head into the same noose, which already dangled round the throats of his former (palsx. 4 3 But why did Bill resolve on robbing the Phcenix Bank ? Flint, in his hurried flight from the parlour of the public-house, dropped three or four notes for five pounds each. «They were on the floor, and as Bill, with awful curses on his lips for his ill-luck, picked them up, he determined to get them cashed at once. He retraced his steps to the bank, got coin for the notes, and then wended his way back to the Den, through one Jane, down another, up this court and into that, until at last, unobserved, he reached his anxious companions. When he told them, on the sly, all that had happened they were in a furious passion. Jack and Alf wanted to drag Jonathan to Bow Street at once. But Bill wouldn’t hear of it. “T’ve had my eye on the Phenix Bank a long time,”’ said he, “and it wouldn’t be a very difficult job to clear out the whole concern.” “ How do you mean ? ” “ Why, this is Saturday ; it won’t be opened till Monday ; we’ve got lots of time to do the trick in.” “ But it’s watched both day and night.” « “T know itis; but that old lawyer told me on the way that the cove as we’ve got here knows tlie parties who live in the house. He can call, and manage to let usin. One of his former pupils isa clerk also there.” i “Good idea—but will he ?” “He must,” said Bill. ‘‘Once in, we can do the trick nicely in a few hours, during Sunday.” After a very long consultation among themselves, it was resolved to attempt the bank robbery. For the sake of his life and liberty, Jonathan at last consented to do what they required of him. He even went farther, and as he knew the bank premises well, he eyen made a rough plan of them. But he had his own motives in doing this, as we shall shortly see. “T’m beggared now,” thought Jonathan; “ Any- thing to get out of the hands of these hard-fisted rascals. Oh, that I had old Flint’s head under my heel this moment!” he thought. “But that can never be. I shall never see him any more. He has outwitted me. I must play the tool to these low- lived rascals; but I will have ample revenge. Let me alone for that,” * * © Ht * * It was just past bank hours; business for the week was ended, and the clerks behind the counter of the Phoenix Bank were working extremely hard to balance their books for the day, in order to get aay to their respective homes to enjoy an evening meal, The clink of cash and slamming of books were heard in all directions. Some, with immense rolls of notes, were counting them out preparatory to deposit in the huge iron safes—which, with yawning doors, were standing ready to receive them—in the “ strong room.” Young, active, sprucely dressed, and good-looking clerks were shouldering “ Ledgers,” ‘ Day-books,” 24: JA 6.7 and the like, carefully placing them in proper order in massive iron receptacles. Quicker than one unaccustomed could imagine, the counters were cleared of all the paraphernalia pertaining to a first-class bank; and accountants, clerks, messengers, cashiers and managers were yawning and stretching themselves in self-compla- cent gratulation at the close of a very long and heavy week’s business. The doors had been shut for fully half an hour, and the customary cards with “Bank closed” printed thereon were dangling inside the stout plate glass windows, informing all who might be par- ticularly interested that money could not be received or paid across their counters until 10 4.M. on the following Monday. The watchman was already in the establishment, preparing for his responsible duties of the coming night. Smith, Brown, Jones and Robinson, gay young clerks, were “skylarking” and touching up their toilet in an adjacent room. The grey-haired cashier had buttoned his over- coat up to the throat, and was on his way home; so that one by one all the employés had departed, and felt infinite relief when stretching their weary limbs in the street, and inhaling the exhilarating breezes of a cold, frosty, and snowy December day. All the clerks had gone—save one. And he, utterly unconscious of things around him, — sat before the fire, deep in thought, and was follow- ing out a train of pleasant fancies suggested by the ever-changing panorama, rising and falling in the fitful embers, wherein streams and waterfalls, cot- tages, gold mines, fair ladies and castles, were con- tinually passing and repassing before his eyes, until at last he sighed, and relapsed into deep me'ancholy. The upper part of the house and premises on which the Phenix Bank was situated was used as the private residence of one of the directors, a Mr. Carrington, whose son Charles had for several years gone to Bromley Hall Academy, and was educated there. © This was the youth who, the day in question, still sat lolling before the fire in the bank parlour, musing of the present and the past. « The hall bell rang, and a servant presented a card to the director’s son, who smiled as he said, ‘Show the gentleman in, and then go upstairs to inform my father, if he is in, of the Rev. Jonathan Gravestone’s arrival.” The servant did as he was ordered, and went upstairs. Jonathan was along time rubbing his boots on the mat in the hall ere he walked forward into the parlour. “ What, my old master at Bromley !’’ said Charley, rising and shaking Jonathan very heartily by the hand. ‘I am most delighted to see you. When did you arrive in town?” ‘Only an hour ago, but, my old pupil, you seem very thoughtful. What is the matter?” “ Well, I was thinking at the moment of old Lawyer Fiint. How rich he has become lately, and what large sums he has from time to time deposited in and drawn from our bank, for different persons, and in strange names.” “Indeed,” said Jonathan, with a ghastly smile. “T know him well ; have you seen him lately ?” “We drew five hundred pounds out of bank this afternoon, and yet he has no practice. I never heard of him being engaged in any great case.” “Nor I; but he seems to possess money, at all events, and that’s the great thing,” GComicbooks co