The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 196: what you’re looking at

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190 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. since | knew you I have had my hands steeped in villany and crime.” There was such a terrible look of vengeance in Jonathan’s countenance that Flint quaked for fear. ‘“What do you mean todo?” gasped Flint, in alarm. ‘ Put down that revolver. Don’t point it at. my head, for heaven's sake! Put it down, Jona- than ; I see a devil in your eye.” “Yes a dozen devils, Flint. Ha, ha! I have longed to meet you, I even prayed for it.” “ And why?” | ) ‘‘That I might have yengeance on you.” , 3 “Do not speak: in that threatening manner,” said Flint, in.a beseeching, tone. 75f3 “ But I do, though, and will. Ihave six chambets of this revolver loaded, and, every bullet shall be discharged through your old heart, unless——’’. . “Unless what?” said Flint, with a faint ray of hope dawning in his mind,, ‘‘ Unless what, Jona- than? Speak. For mercy’s sake take that revolver out of my face.” s ‘“My terms are—divide the booty.” “But I haven’t got it.” ‘But you know where it is.”’ “True; but the chest is far from here,”’ ‘““No matter; I must have some money. at once; get it how or where you can, or otherwise you die 1? ry : ‘But what gratification could it be to you to kill me’ whined ola Flint. , “I am willing,t» give you money, plenty of it; but, for Heayen’ssake, put down your revolver; your: hand might slip, and then it. would be all.up with me.” . . . Jonathan, still holding on to Flint’s horse, led it back towards the inn. ‘* What are you about to do, Jonathan?” ‘“‘ Why make you wait until I hire a horse also,” “ But suppose they have none.” ‘Why, then both cf us will ride together on one, Don’t think for a moment that I intend to lose sight of you this time, for you are too slippery to catch again in a hurry.” Now, as it chanced, the landlord of the inn had very good saddle horse of his own in the stable. After a little negotiation it was hired, at a high price, and after drinking a glass of brandy, and filling their travelling flasks, the two horsemen put spurs to their horses, and galloped away, CHAPTER LXXV, THE VILLAINS ARE NOT YET CAUGHT—THE PUR- LICAN'S HORSE WILL NEVER RETURN—THE PURSUIT—THE POOR PEDLAR’S JEOPARDY—THE DEAD BODY. “THAT stranger paid a tremendous: price for the loan of my horse,” said the old landlord, jingling Flint’s gold in his. pockets, I wouldn't mind hiring out my horse every day at that price. Just fancy aman paying, five, sovereigns for a twenty miles’ ride, He will return to-morrow mornin g, he says,” ; ‘I’m not so surejof that; husband,” said the old landlady, shaking her head; “I didn’t like the looks of either on ’em.,’’ “Stuff and nonsense, wife, You like the appear- ance of no one, to hear you talk.. It was very wonderful you ever took a liking to me then, I tell you they are both gentlemen, wife, or how could they, afford to sport their money in that way?” . The wife shook her head, and the innkeeper filled out for himself some rum and milk, muttering as he smoked, 13 BEOd Bs “ My wife is a simple woman. What does she know of this ere world of ourn? Not she; poor creature |! When she’s lived and knocked about, as I have, this six-and-fifty year or more, she'll know that these gentlefolk are queer fish when they are bent on a spree, ‘Didn’t the Marquis of Waterford sell real guineas in the streets for a farthing each for a wager? and what’s giving five pounds for hiring a good horse to that ?—why nothing. I made a great mistake, though.’ I should have charged him a ten pound note; he'd have thought more of me.” i O8B Atco While he thus thought, and smoked his pipe, the rain began to descend in torrents, i jana” Black, lowering clouds quickly encompassed all the earth. . 3 : Vivid lightning flashed across the scene, Thunder crashed over head, until it made the rafters of the inn shake again. The rain came down incessantly. EET Such a tremendous storm, and one so sudden, had never been known before, for the torrents of rain came down with such violence and fury that the roads were soon naught else but pools of water, ““My eye!” said the old innkeeper to one or two | who had dropped in out of the rain; “my eye,| mates | it do come down, don’t it ?” if lise ‘Yes, in buckets full,” was the rejoinder, as the © two wet and dripping strangers walked into the | taproom, looking like half-drowned rats. : “ And so sudden too,” said the landlord, smoking, | and poking up the fire into a merry blaze. “It’s playing the very devil with the forest,” said one, “How so ?” pith it] . “Why, the lightning is blasting the trees in every direction.” | | t od “ You don’t mern that?’ it in ooh “T do, though ; and more than that, master—if I didn’t hear somebody groan as I passed, you can hang me.” rf “Groan, man?” ‘* Aye, groan.” : “You must have been dreaming.”? | ridpant “No, I wasn’t, master. I was so wide awake that I ran away hither as fast as my legs could carry me. It was like the last gasp of a man who was dying,” ii ‘The deuce !”? “tec ‘‘There has been a murder committed there, or I’m not a sane man,” said the stranger... The publican eyed the man with a look of fear | and suspicion, but said not a word. cat “A murder, eh?” thought mine host. . “Well, this chap is a pedlar ; who knows but what he may have done it? I'll keep my eye upon him.” While the publican and his two customers were | roasting their shins before the fire, several horse- men rode up to the door in great haste, and dis- mounted. ti 2 r aa The noise of the storm was still so great without that no one had heard their approach. Oo bw _ They entered the tap-room so suddenly that the innkeeper and his customers were taken by ‘sur- prise, and rose from their seats. | They were seven mounted policemen, For a few moments no one spoke.) sh) Indeed, the publican’s breath was fairly taken ore of his body at the appearance of ‘the men in ue, | He changed all manner of colours, put the pipe: on one side,, and looked like a man who was ‘wanted ”’ for something or other,’ . ts : Eomichoo