The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 228: 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. “Do not touch it, on your peril! Iam desperate, and mean all I say.” bg So saying, Joel pulled.a revolver out of his breast pocket, “‘ You see this,’ said Joel. ried it about with me since I have known you, for I knew that the time would come when it would be necessary to use it.” Tomasso, for once, was foiled. With a sudden spring, he leaped upon Joel, and grasped the revolver, . For a moment they wrestled for the possession of the weapon, and at last Tomasso wrenched it from his grasp. : z With a blow of his clenched fist, he knocked Joel down, and he crouched beneath the Italian’s feet like a cur. | ‘Now who is master?’ said Tomasso, with a fiendish grin, ‘Rise, dog, rise, and do my bidding, or in less than a week you shall dangle from the gallows !” Joel rose very humbly, and looked haggard and chapfallen, “Go, take this order to the custom-house,” said Tomasso, “ and demand the safe. I will’ go andsee that no harm befalls you.” “But those two men who are guarding it will recognise me,” “Change your attire and disguise yourself. But why need even that, when you are innocent ?. Come, come with me—I will see you through this adven- ture. In an hour I shall be rich.’ _ $0 speaking, and like a lamb being led to slaugh- ter, Joel followed the Italian detective with tremb- ling limbs. CHAPTER LXXXVII, IN WHICH THE LOST TREASURE IS FOUND. THE safe really was, as Tomasso described, awaiting a claimant at the .custom-house; o70n » According to orders given them, two Englishmen were hired to watch and mind it. Not that such a heavy package could be well purloined out of the well-guarded government storehouse, but in order tosee who and what the person or persons might be _ who called ‘to inquire for or claim it. Necessity is the mother of invention, it has been said, and so it was in the case of Joel. He swore, in his heart of hearts, to ‘ be.even”’ with Tomasso, And so he was; for it is generally found to be true that cunning men can outwit the bravest people, though timid and cowardly themselves, Joel thought of a great many plans and expe- dients by which to entrap Tomasso. He received the order from the Italian detective to go and receive the safe. To the custom-house therefore he went, but did not go near where he knew the safe to be safely stored. He lounged about for some time, and then lei- surely strolled to the sea side of the custom-house, where a number of boats were plying to and fro. He hailed one, “Do you want a job to-night, boatman ?”’ said ° Joel, “To do what?” “Why, to row me up and down the harbour, I am in search of a great thief to-night,” iA Certainly, sir, When and where shall I meet you?’ “At this spot, about nine’ o’clock, Don’t, fail and I will pay you well.” | “T have always car-_ The bargain was made, and Joel retraced his steps towards the warehouses again. ; | Into one of these he stepped, without being per- ceived, and hid himself among the merchandise, From his place of concealment he commanded a good view of where the safe was, and of the men who constantly guarded it, both day and night, _ Joel had not been more than an hour concealed ~ in his hiding-place, when Tomasso, becoming im- patient at the long delay, entered the custom-house ; yard, and began to make enquiries concerning Joel, Among others, he particularly questioned the two Englishmen who were minding the safe and its treasure, “Have you had any one here enquiring about this large package, my men ?” said Tomasso. “No,” was the answer, “and I don’t think there is any likelihood of it.” “My mate here begins to think that there can’t be anything of value in it, or somebody would have called long ago.” ‘And so I do,” was the response. “ Here have we been a month or more minding this big ugly . package both night and day, and nobody comes for it, I suppose we shall have a twelvemonth’s work yet.” ‘I wonder if they’ve got serpents inside——” “ Or mummies, or what?” “No, my friends,” said Tomasso, “but I’ll tell | you a great secret.” ‘‘ What is it, master?” said the men, anxiously. ““Why, that big ‘package has a large iron safe | inside, and,” said he, in a soft voice, that Joel could | scarcely hear, ‘‘inside of that safe is a tremendous lot of gold and Bank of England notes.” al & | ‘“The devil there i8! I néver heard of that afore, master,” said the two men, in great surprise, . ‘Tt is crammed with money, I tell you, ‘so you must not let it out of your sight for a moment.” me well enough?” “No fear of our neglecting our duty.” | “I hope not; but now listen to me. You know | ‘“Yes.y “ Well, then, there. will be a young man who will | call and claim this package.” time. doesn’t belong to him, “Yes ; we have been on the watchfor him a long His name is Flint.” | “Yes, that’s the name, my men ; but the treasure The real owners are named Tom and Frank Ford.” “We have heard of both of them before, and » brave lads they are, on sea and land.” wherever they go, “Yes; but they get into all manner of scrapes They are gallant, hardy young fellows, though, for all that,” said Tomasso. “‘T don’t think it possible that either of the brothers will call at any time for it, for I have heard they left Italy several days ago.” “But since our orders are not to deliver up the — case to any one but the young Fords, it is more. than likely we shall have this job of watching it for some time to come,” “You are right, without you receive a govern- ment order to do otherwise.” you “ That’s right enough, master, we’ll attend to all say. I suppose you are after this young scoundrel Flint yourself?” “Oh, yes; I have been hunting for him in all directions, but can’t discover bis hiding-place.”’ - ‘And do you think it likely that Government will send down an order for it, master?” ~ “T don’t know for certain; it was spoken of the other evening by the Prefect of Police, who begins to think ‘that, perhaps, there is no money in the package after all, but some dead man’s body,” eee ee | GComicboo S CON