The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 387: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER tHe LAST. IN WHICH INNOCENCE IS TRIUMPHANT, AND VILLANY MEETS A JUST REWARD ! Bur while the stirring events narrated in the preceding chapter were transpiring far beyond the sea, let us glance at the sudden change in affairs at home. Gale, the detective, now that he had old Jonathan, Barney, and others in custody, worked night and day to capture every one who in any way had anything to do with the murder of old Ford at the Red House. Slowly but surely he got upon the trail of the two miserable fugitives, Lawyer Flint and his rascally son Joel, alias Count Schmidt. With the instinct of a bloodhound, he followed them from place to place, and, when least expected, he pounced down upon them, and lodged them in one of the strongest prison cells in Bow Street. The old cabman was next looked after, and in less than a week was discovered one night waiting for a part of the Bromley gang of housebreakers, who, at that moment, were engaged in robbing a bank situated in a dark, lonely and unfrequented street in the city. Gale recognised the old cabman at a glance, He did not raise any alarm at the moment, but procured the assistance of several other officers, who waited until the burglars had finished their work, Their plunder was quickly placed in the cab, and when the driver was just in the act of whipping his horse to start off, Gale and his officers pounced down upon the vehicle, surrounded it, and, after a severe fight, in which knives and pistols were freely used against the officers, the villains were all secured, and conveyed to Bow Street handcuffed. Gale was wounded in this encounter, but not dan- gerously. But, judge of his joy when he discovered among these desperate characters no less a person than— Warner ! Gale forgot all about his wound, and felt so much rejoiced that he had at last captured every one con- cerned in the murder at the Red House, that he stopped out all night on the spree. The case was now completed. Yet one important part remained to be discovered. Where was the treasure chest ? This thought gave Gale much trouble for an hour or two. For it is always a rule of honour with expert detectives to secure not only whatever prisoners they are in search of, but the treasure also. Believing that Warner and his friends of the Bromley gang might know more about the im- mense wealth which had been so mysteriously stolen from young Flint’s lodgings than any one else, he visited the cells and had a confidential chat with one of the Bromley men who seemed more chicken-hearted than the rest. As this fellow did not much relish the idea of penal servitude for life, he told Gale all that he knew about the expert robbery, which, in a few moments, had reduced “Count Schmidt” from opulence to extreme poverty. 5 When the hiding-place of this treasure was thus discovered, Gale lost no time in securing it. eed THE BOY s0LDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. a ———————— a8] This, then, was the end of the brave detective’s labours in ferreting out all concerned in the bar- barous robbery and murder of old Ford at the Red House, When informed of the whole matter, Captain Tom Ford danced about the room for joy. _ He felt very impatient for the arrival of Frank in England, and the trial might have been put off for some time but for an accident. Warner was so enraged against old Flint, Jona- than, and Joel, that he sent for Gale, and made a full confession of the whole affair unknown to Flint, The lawyer, in turn, to save, as he thought, his old neck from the gallows, made a confession also to the prison chaplain, wrote it out and signed it with his own hand. But he did not mention a single word of what part he had taken in the murder long ago of the bride and bridegroom at Bromley Hall. But this was supplied by old Jonathan himself. Ever since the old villain had been in prison, he seemed haunted both night and day by frightful spectres. His oaths and blasphemy were appalling to hear, His hair turned gradually to a snowy whiteness, his teeth chattered, his eyes rolled, and he danced about like a maniac, In his fury he accused old Flint of every crime he could imagine, and when, in a temporary state of calmness, he told the tale of horror concerning his own and old Flint’s horrible deeds at Bromley Hall, he made the officers around him shudder again. Not only this, but he acknowledged the murder of old Flint’s clerk in Green Court, and of his sys- tematic cruelty and brutality to sundry children who had died under his hands at Bromley Hall. When these horrible revelations had been made, old Jonathan was seized with sudden cramping pains during the dead of night, in his cold cell. Thinking that the old villain was only raving, as usual, no notice was taken of him. But next morning revealed a most horrible spectacle. He was lying on the floor of his cell, curled up like a ball. His eyes were protruding, and he had torn the flesh from his arms with his teeth, in some in- tolerable agony. He was dead ! A more horrible sight could not be imagined than this, But of the rest, they lived to stand their trial for wilful murder, ‘Barney, Warner, old Flint and his son, were severally placed in the dock, and their own con- fessions were more than sufficient to condemn them. Flint and Joel were condemned to be hung. As they left the court, Joel stopped for a moment and seemed to shiver in every limb, His gaze encountered that of the handsome youth, Captain Frank Ford, and several of the Boy Soldiers, who had returned to England buta few days before. Joel stared, and a volley of insane curses poured from his lips, but he was hurried to his cell and heavily ironed. ee MICLOOKS. EO C©