The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

204 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. shelf whence he had taken it, then he as cautiously retired to the place where lie had before concealed himself. Scarcely had he done so ete the two men descended the stairs, having searched the house to no purpose, and were returning much annoyed, not to say somewhat dismayed, at an occurrence that seemed beyond their comprehension. ‘‘There’s nobody in the house, that’s certain,” said one of them: ‘“‘but that somebody must have been in, that’s equally certain.” ‘“Yes; but I can’t understand it at all. How they could con- trive to get out again is beyond my belief.” ‘‘ Well, perhaps they may have done with the jug, and put it back again. Ah! ah! I dare say that is a pretty idea truly, but we'll take another jug of beer down, and that will save our having the trouble to come and fetch it when we want it—eh ?” ‘‘ Well, I suppose a jug won't hurt us, as we have had more than usual exertion.” They both stepped to the cupboard, and then opened the door; one of the men lifted up his arm with the intention of taking down one of the jugs; but his eye rested upon the one he had before missed. For a moment he was trausfixed with amaze- ment; then, starting back, he pointed to the jug, exclaiming, — ‘‘ There—there!” ‘Well, what? Oh, d——e!” This exclamation was uttered in consequence of the eye of the other man resting upon the jug, to which his companion pointed; and he, likewise, took a step back, and paused a moment. ‘““ Well, I never! What’s the matter now? Who's done this? I never was in such a place.” ‘‘Such a place! I believe the devil’s got loose among us.” “* Don’t mention names while you are here; you don’t know who you might see suddenly.” . ‘*Come along. I won't stay up here any longer. My belief is, the place is haunted.” ‘‘'Won't you have any beer before you go? There is the jug, you know.” ‘*No, no; Pll have none. It may be in the butt, you know. Come down, I have had enough of this—quite enough for once; we don’t doubt the fact; do you ?” ‘Oh, no; but I’ll have some beer, if there be any deviltry in it or not.” So saying, he drew some beer, and the men descended again below, having first unfastened the door, being apparently con- vinced that they could do no good by fastening it. and it was possible the cause of their trouble might be kept in by it. . When the mendicant becimme convinced that there was no further search after him, he quitted the place where he had seated himself, and descended the narrow stairs until he came to the basement-story, and then he emerged into the under- ground rooms, which were old and dilapidated in the extreme; there were many of them. He could hear the sound of the men’s vuices in conversation, and to this he for a time listened; but being convinced that it djd not concern him, he left the comicbooks. com