The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 195 “Go quietly,” said Thorburn, ‘‘and you will be carefully treated; but if vou go on in this way you may depend upon it we shall drag you by the heels till the pavement wears a hole in your head.” The mendicant, however, seemed to have no fear of such an operation, far from it; he seemed to imagine it a motive for ad- ditional exertion, and the three lay struggling and rolling on the stairs. Of course this could not be done without causing an uproar-in the house. Poor Mabel sat in the room lone, and terrified at the sounds that reached her, for they told her plainly of the des- perate nature of the resistince the mendicant was making to the officers. She clasped her hands in an agony of fear and supplication, praying for a termination of the dreadful struggle, but not a fatal one, which she most feared. The people in the house, consisting of various lodgers, came out to view the struggle, and, as in all similar cares, they took part with the weakest against the officers. Indeed, some people never can bear the idea of an officer doing his duty. It grates against their feelings, and they fancy they can feel the grasp of the official on their own coats. Thus it was, the officers were assailed with hoots and groans, and, as they struggled to- gether, they encouraged the mendicant to resist. ‘ That’s right, boy, stick to °em,” said one man; ‘‘ what your hands can’t do, let your teeth. . | This advice was takeu; for the mendicant suddenly seized Thorburn by the cheek with his teeth, which caused the other suddenly to loose his hold, and exclaim, as he seized him by the throat— ; ‘‘ You infernal, tiger-like villain. I'll strangle vou; and, as for you,” he added, addressing those who were advising the pris- oner, ‘“‘if you go on in this manner, I shall be obliged to return for some of you.” | “Ab! you’re a fine fellow. Why, you are big enough to eat him, and there are two of you, and yet you can’t hold him like men, The mendicant, however, gained his object, and that was to free his arms—one of them at least—for Thorburn’s grasp was at his throat, while his companion held him by the neck and one arm. During this time the mendicant made so much resistance as to keep the two officers well employed, though the yrasp on his throat was becoming each moment more dangerous and more distressing. His breath, already short. was nearly stopped; and but for the sudden release he knew he could procure, he must have surrendered. He got his hand into his pocket, and pulled out a small pocket-pistol. With some difficulty he contrived to’ cock it, and then, placing the muzzle close to Thorburn’s body, he discharged the contents full into him. The unfortunate man suddenly let go his hold. stood upright on the stairs, and, placing his hand to the lower part of his body, exclaimed— comicbooks. com