The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 17 of murders! You, who have not even the poor credit of being ashamed of your foul deeds! You, the assassin of harmless men because you were foiled in your revenge upon one who had really injured you! You, a man in whom crueity became a principle because your revenge meant to be cruel! No! sooner would I pass away from this great world, and all its troubles, along with the heaps of slain who lie here around, than I would for an instant dream of uniting my fate to such as thou art!” ‘Taunt me not. For your own safety’s sake, taunt me not.” At this moment the low winding note of a bugle came upon their ears, and Sternholde started, as he strained his eyes in the direction whence it came. A body of Prussian troops, which had been pursuing the French for some distance, was returning, and taking the nearest route to Brussels, across the plain of Waterloo. | Now, too, were to be seen in the dim, waning light, the dusky forms of the soldiers as they came on at an easy pace, not absolutely formed in rank, but so much together, that at a word of command they could take close order, and assume a stricter appearance of discipline. The first rank that were advancing consisted of a body of light infantry, of some thou- sand or so strong. Each man was carrying his musket as it best suited him, and the ranks had the straggling appearance they present when troops are on the march, and permitted to relax in the order of their steps. Now and then the bugle sounded to bring up stragglers, and, after this tolerably strong body of infantry, appeared a dense mass of cavalry, covered with dust and foam, and bear- ing many external evidences of how hotly they had pursued the retreating foe for some distance, as well as what casual encounters they had had with some of the hindmost of the flying ost. These troops had pursued the French some leagues from Water- loo, and were only recalled when all effectual opposition was at an end, and the remnant of Napolean’s army was scattering it- self over too wide a range of country to render pursuit at all available or desirable. Infuriated at the opposition uf Marie to his wishes, Sternholde drew a pistol from his pocket, exclaiming: ‘Before yon advancing column nears us, choose between death and a voluntary flight with me.” “Voluntary!” ‘*Pshaw! I have no time to cavil about words. Make your choice —I swear that you shall die by my hand, or follow me at once into the ruins of this house.” ‘‘T will not purchase life,” said Marie, ‘‘ by dishonor; but while I have it, I will do my best to retain it. Help, help, elp! As she spoke, she rushed off in the direction of the advanc- ing troops, and so sudden and unexpected was the movement, that Sternholde let her get a considerable distance before he leveled the pistol after her retreating form. Then he found to comicbooks. com