The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 269: 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. ee eS esp sssssuunsansssso=ssene=snean-eonmee=pasemoes sane nans sesoopasansenn nena 263 Seen neem me oe ee room, and helped the rough-looking fellows very liberally to whatever they wished. But all this time Joel seemed to be sitting on thorns in case the strangers might prove to be too inquisitive about the iron safe, _ However, after much drinking, and swearing and smoking, the men hauled ont the safe and several trunks, and lowered them with stout ropes into the fishing smack, He himself got on board, and, leaving several of the men in charge of the wreck, he and two others hoisted sails and rounded a small headland, and soon lost sight of the unfortunate ‘‘ Dolphin.” CHAPTER. CI. 4: MOSS HAS TO PAY THE FIDDLER. ALTHOUGH the cunning old Jew, Moss, had not shown his weapon before, he fired, and it must be acknowledged that he took good aim, for one of the shots took effect in Warner’s hip. But it was “a glance shot,” Had it not in the first instance struck against some hard substance in his pocket (money), it would have smashed his hip. As it was it so stunned Warner, that when he awoke to consciousness he was surrounded by the master and mistress of the coffee-house, and several alarmed servants, He looked around him wildly, in hopes of seeing Moss or Barney, but neither of those treacherous rascals were in the room. Both had vanished the instant they heard the approach of the servants, thinking, or at least hoping, that Warner had been killed. So great had been their hurry, that they forgot the bag of gold which was on the table, and left it behind, “ This way, Barney, this way,” said the old Jew, as he lightly tripped downstairs, followed by the Pug, “ this way, follow me.” Into the yard went the Jew, followed by his companion, and as it was intensely dark, they escaped the servants, who were hurrying upstairs, Old Moss, with more activity than any one would have given him credit for, climbed on to the roof of a large dust-hole. From this he was within easy reach of a wall, on which he clambered, followed by the Pug. The descent into the next yard was easy, and as the back premises belonged to a public-house, they soon made their way into the bar, and thus escaped to the next street unseen or unheard, “Tt was lucky I had a reyolyer with me,” said Moss ; “I very seldom carry one ; but something told me that this stranger would prove too cunning for us, and so I brought it.’’ “D—n him!” growled Barney, who was suffer- ing intense agony from the wound in his hand, “d—n him! I only hope you have killed him, that’s all.” “JT did it in self-defence, you know,” said the Jew; ‘“there’s no knowing what he might have done to us.” ~< “ He’s done more than enough for me,” said the Pug, with an oath; “and if ever I meet him again, one or both of us shall die.” ‘You know him, then?” “Yes, too well. And,” thought Barney, ‘if the old Jew had only told me the stranger’s name, he would not have caught me in such a trap; but Pll be even with old Moss yet, as sure as I live.” Thus speaking, the worthy pair made their way to the Lane in a stealthy manner, LL a a a a ea a But the Jew’s thoughts were ever on the money which Warner had, “And we didn’t get the bag after all,” sighed old Moss! “oh! what a misfortune. I’d have given you half if you had collared it,” said the old Jew, sighing. ‘“T dare say you would,” thought the Pug; “but T was too intent upon escaping to think of money, for I saw ‘murder’ plainly written in Warner’s eye. He meant it, but was thwarted.” As old Moss had now no more occasion for Barney’s services, he bid him good night, and didn’t 80 much as give him a crown-piece. Well,” said Barney, as he walked off towards a surgery near by to have his hand dressed, ‘well, of all the hard-fisted old vagabonds I ever came across, Moss is the greatest. Just to think on it; here he gets me face to face with my greatest enemy, who stabs me, and yet, for all, he never says, ‘here, Barney, here’s a quid for you.’ Never mind, 1’!l serve him out, see if I don’t.” He went to a surgeon, who dressed his hand very skilfully and carefully, but he expressed his de- cided opinion that it would be almost a miracle if he didn’t lose the use of the limb for ever. It had been bleeding fearfully for some time, and the Pug felt very weak; in fact, he staggered from loss of blood, and at last fell right down in the surgery. “Send for old Moss,” said Barney, feeling very faint, ‘Send for old Moss, doctor; you know him very well, or, at all events, he knows you, it’s all the same. He will pay you for your trouble,” “Never mind paying me for my trouble,” said the kind-hearted surgeon ; ‘‘ but you want taking care of, J will send round for old Moss at once.” A messenger went for the Hebrew, who, however, denied all knowledge of Barney, and cursed and swore roundly at being disturbed in his supper, and wouldn't send the man a single shilling. “Never mind, my poor fellow,” said the good surgeon, “you are not fit to move about with such a hand as that, you must go to the hospital at once:” With more than ordinary kindness to his fellow man the surgeon called for a cab, and took the Pug to the hospital, where he was admitted immediately, and the desperate wound in his hand was again seen to, and ere long the unlucky Pug found him- self nice and snug and warm in one of the Hospital beds with kind nurses around him. “This is the style for me,” said Barney, when he had somewhat recovered from the weakness’ and faintness. ‘“‘This is the style for me; nice beds, clean clothes, the best of everything, and all for nothing. Good luck to the man who first, invented hospitals, say I.” The Pug, with all his cowardice, cunning, and revengeful feelings, could not help feeling grateful for the stroke of good fortune which had thrown him into such good quarters. “For,” thought he, “I hadn’t a ‘brown’ in my pocket, and where I should have slept to-night is amystery to me. But won’t I serve Warner and Moss and Matty out when I get well, though?” he mused. ‘“‘ Never mind, every dog has his day they say, and I suppose I shall have mine, I should like to have ‘copped’ that bag of shiners, though, and no mistake ; it would have set me up for a twelve- month to come; but Warner was too sharp for me, Lor! what a look he gave me, eh? I made gure he would have murdered me,” Thus ran the current of Barney’s thoughts, as beneath the clean sheets of his hospital bed, and his hand bound up in a sling, he lay wide awake, and thinking of the present and the past. CoMmicbookks.co©