The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 339: what you’re looking at

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

an THD BOY) SOLDIER}; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. Mexican independence, and nothing more, _ We came not to disturb you in your hunting ground ; and, in token of the truth of what T say, I will make a league with you, offensive and defensive, which shall date from this day and for evermore, We will live together henceforth in peace and without envy or distrust.’ “ These words, and many acts of. kindness, soon convinced the Indians of the truth of my intentions. They had a week to consider my proposal, but in less than six hours they agreed to all my terms and smoked the pipe of peace, | “We are now the best of friends, and our ad- ventures with them my next letter will show. ‘* In haste, * Your Brother, ‘PRANK FORD,” ' CHAPTER CXII, THE MEETING OF JOEL, OLD FLINT. AND WARNER —STRANGE CHANGES OF FORTUNE—JOEL. IS _ REDUCED TO BEGGARY AND KICKED OUT OF ~ DOORS BY HIS OWN SERVANTS, Ir will be remembered-that ina previous chapter the sudden intrusion of:Warner upon old Flint and his son was fully described, and how much aston- ished the two rogues were at the unexpected and unwelcome visit, At first Joel thought to strike awe into histvisitor by assuming a very savage and determined air. But Warner was:much too) old.a-rascal to be im- posed: upon by, any such tricks, and, as. we have before described, he not only forced Joel and his father to remain seated, but drew his revolver, ‘Dare to stir, either of -you, make the least noise or give an alarm, and I will-blow the brains out of both. of you.” 7 : --Ehere was- something so» determined, and yet, ‘at the same time, so cool,-in Warner’s. manner, that it chilled the blood of both father, and son,. »wJoel,-in all-his life-had never -felt so-uneasy as he now. did under. the determined eye of the intruder, There was a deadly devilish twinkle in the stranger’s. eyes, truly, which neither father nor son eould.look upon or withstand. They cast down their eyes to the floor like guilty things, but.spcke not a single word. » This was the moment of Warner’s triumph, He smiled on the’ two villains, and exhibited his white teeth, which shone like the fangs of some monster, | He next approached the table, and helped him- self to a draught of brandy, _ Yet all the time he kept an eye on the lawyer and his son, and held his revolver, firmly in the right hand, For he knew of old how slimy and treacherous the lawyer had proved to him. He felt certain that if he only turned his back upon either of them for a single moment they would stab or shoot him. : Seating himself in such a manner at the corner of a table that he had a good view of what each of them were doing or likely to do, he pulled out a 330 cigar, lit it; and began to smoke. with all the non- chalence inthe world. “ So we have met again, eh, Flint ?” said Warner: ‘You managed to escape, then, from the cords with which I bonnd you?” ‘©Well, and if I have, what of that?” the lawyer replied, in a surly manner, feeling confident once more that he would be still able to escape from Warner, ) ‘And so you have found out your long-lost son, I find ?”’ ‘He has, sir,’ answered Joel, proudly; “and what of that? Can it concern you in any way, might I ask ?” ‘‘Oh, yes, a very great deal, I can assure you,” said. Warner, laughing. ‘“ You are rich, you know.” “ Who told you so, sir?” “Why, the appearance of your luxuriously-fur- nished apartments, your servants, and such-like, tell me that without asking any questions,” ‘Well, sir, and if I am rich, it cannot concern you,” said Joel. ‘I know not what business you have here with my father ; but as to me, 1 know you cannot have anything to do. In fact, sir,” said Joel, with the airs of’ a very superior person, “if you must know, I have just returned from abroad, where I have realized a vast fortune.” “Yes, a vast fortune,” said the father, rubbing his hands in great glee at his son’s ready lie, “ Yes, a vast fortune, acquired abroad.” “ Oh, indeed,” said Warner, with an incredulous smile; “he has been luckier than you or I, then, eh, old Flint ?”’ said he, “T made my fortune, sir, by extensive specu” lations in California and other places.” “You were never in Italy, perhaps, were you?” asked Warner, with a slight smile. “Yes, I was, sir; I have travelled there,”’ ‘And never met any one of the name of Tom or Frank Ford, I suppose??? “No, never; but if I.had-done so, if would have given me great pleasure in thrashing both of them,” said Joel, with a flushed face,, “I. remember -both of them at Bromley Hall,,and——” “ You. also remember,. perhaps, how,-often you were thrashed by Tom Ford,..don’t, you??? said Warner. “TI have heard all about it.” Joel looked at Warner as if astonished. ‘“‘ Know all about it?” said he, ‘‘ Know all about what ?” “Why, Tomasso, the detective; the fire, in the »? Custom House building ; the wreck, and the—— Stop,” “said’ Joel, rising hastily, “Stop,” he said, red with rage. ‘Who told you all this non- sense?” ‘Nonsense. you call it, eh?” said. Warner, “ You would not think it nonsense, perhaps, if you knew as I do that the détectives have discovered that you were not drowned on the’wreck of the ‘Dolphin,’ and that the two officers who came over from Leg- horn with you are even now trying to trace you.” “Impossible! > All°that’ you say, or insinuate about my son, is pure invention, Warner,” said old Flint, ina sudden burst of anger, “He has made his fortune honourably, and has returned to England to enjoy it, like a true gentleman ; and more than that, he doesn’t want to be annoyed by——” “ Any such beggars as you are, I suppose,” said Warner, laughing. ‘I understand, and small blame to him, either, for of all the miserable, miserly old CLIOOKS Colin C@ in