The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’s YOUNG CAPTAIN. “ All right, sir, don’t be in a hurry ; as fast as I can, sir. ’Orses ain’t steam engines, you know, sir, and I don’t wish mine to bust his biler.” “Oh, that Thad a cab,” said Flint, half-aloud, just at the moment when a rough costermonger- looking fellow was passing him. “Hullo!” said the rough-looking stranger, ‘‘ what’s all this, eh? - Why, blow me, if there ain’t an old gent knocked all of a heap in the corner here. Hi, cabby !’ The rough- looking fellow approached old Flint and raised him up. Z “ Rather queer, sir ; “nasty night, ain’t it? A little too much wine, I take it. Ithoughtso, Hi, cabby !” Thus hailed in a very noisy style the cabman stopped, 4 , ‘ His fare, however, was so disgusted that he opened the door and slipped out without the driver perceiving it. ‘‘What d’ yer want a ailing me? as how I’ve got a fare.”’ “Well, if you has, it licks me,” said the rough- looking fellow, looking into the cab, and laughing ; *‘ you must a been havin’ a snooze, old ‘un ; there’s nary party inside as I sees on, but there is a hold party jest here as vants a lift up; he vishes to go to the city.” The old cabman cursed and swore. at the trick played on him by the piTaaBes and, in a very loud manner observed, “ Jest to think as how that ‘there party should a come puffin’ and a blowin’ up to the rank, and ‘drive like the devil!’ says he, and then, cause a Yorse isn’t a hexpress engine, he hooks it.’ I vish 1 honly ’ad ’is ’ead ’ere,’”’ said cabby, making pretence of having a man’s head under his left arm, “I vish I honly ’ad “is ’ead ’ere, that’s all, he’s a werry suspicious-looking article, whoever he vas.” After a few seconds old Flint recovered himself and explained that the dreadful thunder and light- ning had discomposed him for a moment and that he had fallen and cut his cheek.”’ “ Jest so, sir,” said cabby, winking at the rough- looking stranger ; ‘‘jest so, sir, it 7s werry queer weather ; unkimmon I might say.” ‘‘The old gent vishes to be took to St. Paul’s,” Don’t yer see said the rough-looking fellow, with a knowing . wink at cabby. “ All right, master, jump in.’ Flint walked slowly to ,the Hes and got in, but not before giving several quick, inquisitive glances at the stranger and cabby, who were whispering together. “T thinks as how I’ve seen your mug afore,” said cabby to the stranger, in a very dry and quiet way. *‘ Has yer,” said the stranger, “an vhot of it?” ** Just so,” * Vhere ?” ** At the Bailey,” said cabby, in a faint whisper, -and winking. “ Any swag?” “Not a ha’ porth ?” “Gammon! “Bill Barney, the pug, ain’t soft, Vhere shall I see yer to-morrow, Bill,” said cabby, with much earnestness, ‘‘ at the station, eh?” “The ‘Cat and Bagpipes,’” said Barney, with a look of anger. * Vhat time ?” “ Arternoon.,”’ “On the square, Barney; honour ?” “ Oh, in course.” A All right ; I'll be there.” So speaking together cabby drove off with his fare, muttering, -_ * Who’d a thought a seein’ Aim up here in this = 15 genteel part o’ the town ; summat’s up, or it ain’t Barney’s fault. Isuppose I shall see all about it in to-morrow’s ’ Tiser.” Barnéy looked after the cab for a moment, and then glanced at a handsome gold watch and chain he pulled out of his capacious pocket. “The old cock looked werry queer though ; but vot’s the use o’ the time 0’ day to him? Lor, how easy it slipped out of his pocket, to be sure, this ’ere pocket-book an’ all.” . Barney looked at the treasures with a fond eye, and then, after a moment of deep thought, ran after the cab. He soon overtook it, and, with great agility climbed up behind without being heard or seen while rumbling over the noisy stones. ‘‘T must not be seen around that there quarter in a hurry,’’ he said to himself ; ‘the sooner I gets out o’ the way the better. Nobody knows my lodgin’s, and if they does, vhy, I can get a dozen to swear I didn’t leave my crib all night; aye, I could have a dozen halibis for a pint 0’ gin, and square it with ’em all in less nor no time.” So thinking—cabby of Bill Barney, and the latter of cabby—the vehicle drove on through Lincoln’s Inn Fields, where Barney, unobserved, slipped off into a quiet street, and walked rapidly towards his “crib” as he called it, down one of the numerous dirty streets and alley-ways of Drury Lane. ss CHAPTER Vil. MYSTERY FOLLOWS MYSTERY — THE DOUBLE MURDER— THE HEADLESS BODY—FIRE IN THE COURT—THE BODY RESCUED BY LONG TOM THE COSTER AND ‘“BRUDDER BONES” —VISIT OF THE UNKNOWN, Piraeg THE old cabman drove his unknown “ fare” through the streets, perfectly unconscious that Barney the “ fighting cove” had been riding behind. “This ’ere’s a jolly rum go, an’ no mistake,” he mused, as he “touched up” his jaded animal oc- _casionally, with a low “ ge-et alorng, will yer ?” “T begins for ter think as how there’s some nice little game on hand, Howsomedever, I'll give ’im a call to-morrer or next day, and see vhat’s in the vind.” While thinking thus, old Flint inside pulled the “check string,’ and the “ four wheeler ” stopped. ““Vhat now, sir?” asked cabby. “Are there any public-houses open, cabby ?” Flint asked, in a weak voice. “Vell, it’s rayther early, guv’nor, but I dare say as how there's one or two in the Garden,” “Then, drive there; I feel faint. - You needn’t go right into Covent Garden, you know, but stop at the corner of the street.” “ All right, sir,” Once again cabby cracked his whip, and turned his horse’s head in the direction of the market. Ere long they reached Long Acre, when the cabman stopped, “We are quite near enough to a public-house now,” said Flint, nervously. ‘‘Do you go, and bring me a half pint of brandy ; you can keep the .~change for yourself,” he observed, handing cabby a crown-piece. For a moment the cabman imagined that “the old gent was arter doin’ ov ‘im out on his fare,” but when he had “collared the dollar ’’ he felt easy, and went to the nearest public-house for the brandy. When he returned Flint had disappeared, » oO Comicsvook (S©