Ching Ching's Novelettes No. 1: Snapson of the 'Snake' — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

( 14 ) that’s been going on, and we want our share of themoney. Pay him, so that he can pay us, and then you won’t be troubled with us any more.” “ Before you do that,” Snapson said, “‘ wait for two other people I’m ex- pecting every minute. I think I hear them on the stairs.” The old merchant glanced from one to the other, not knowing what to make of the scene, but ere an explanation could be offered the door opened, and:a quiet official-looking man entered. He went straight to the bedside and laid his hand on the old merchant’s arm. ‘“T arrest you,” he said, “for inciting Captain Snapson to commit murder.” ‘‘Snapson !” cried the alarmed old man, “ what new folly is this?” “Nothing new,” replied Snapson with a smile, “ I never meant to kill the boy, and I’ve not done it, but I thought I would pretend to, and bring an old villain like you to justice. I also wanted to disappoint them two sharks, who I knew were watching me for their own ends, and sol got up the whole thing. I pretended to bully the boy, and he and [ laid out the whole job, Lor’! how I laughed in my sleeve when he pretended to be afraid to go aloft, when he’s got a heart inside him that would take him anywhere. Oh! we played the game beautifully, and I kept him close in my cabin on the way home, so that neither of these fools bowled me out. Ha! ha! here’s the t’other party I expected.” Then there came bounding up the stairs a bright-faced happy boy, clad in a decent suit of clothes, and when he entered the room he ran straight into Snapson’s arms, who clasped him and held him tight. ‘“‘ Because I owed you a little money,” said Snapson to the dismayed old man, “you thought you had a hold on me, and that I, being poor, would be tempted to take your money ; but, ugly as I am, and the Lord knows I’ve got a phiz that would frighten a rocking-horse, I’m not a murderer in my HEagt or HEAD. So there you are, old man, just as you’ve run yourself ashore, and you've nothing to blame but your own wickedne:s.” - The merchant raised himself slowly up and strove to speak, but the words he would have uttered did not come readily. At last he said, slowly— “Tt is all a lie, I have nothing to do with this matter.” “That will be a question for the judge and jury,” said the officer, suavely. ‘Don’t you think you had better get up and dress yourself ?” “ By-and-bye, let me rest awhile,” was the weary reply. ‘I am an old man and you need not be hard upon me.” “There is no great hurry,” replied Snapson, “ but I feel it my duty to see you off.” ‘“ Have mercy on me!” the merchant moaned. ‘‘Tt is all well to prate of mercy, now,” said Snapson, “it would have been better if you had practised it long ago.” He had removed his hand from Will’s shoulder, and he now replaced it with a tender action very much at variance with his hard-featured face. “Tf you had been a man with half a heart in you, Mr. Warrington,” he said. “ you could never have even thought of dooming a young lad like this COMmIICcoOokS.G©