The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 60 to get in, he could not determine with any degree of certainty its size, or general appearance. His first impulse was to rise and rush toward the spot, but he controlled that by a more prudent one, which was, to remain where he was and watch attentively what was about to ensue, for he felt almost certain, although he could not have sworn positively to the fact, that the figure was trying to effect an en- trance into the church by means of the window, instead of try- ing to leave it. Such being his impression, it was obviously his best course to allow the entrance to be effected, after which he would have a far better opportunity of making prisoner the man, whoever he was, who was making so nefarious an at- tempt upon the sacred building. Jem’s heart told him that this man must be the murderer, and he could scarcely keep his joy within anything like reasonable bounds at the prospect of so soon and so easily capturing one who had endeavored to do him so deadly an injury as to draw down upon his head the consequences of a crime of which he was so entirely guiltless. The more he looked the more he felt that the figure was out- side the window; and now a circumstance occurred that added. the full force of truth to that supposition, for the fastening of the window was undone, and it was thrown open, evidently from the outside, because opening inward, as it did, the figure must have moved down from the sill instead of remaining where it was, had it been on the interior, instead of, as it was, on the exterior of the building. | Now that the old-fashioned glass-work was removed from be- fore his eyes, Jem could see much better than before, and he at once discovered the party who was endeavoring to effect an en- trance was a man of about the middle height, and apparently attired in very dark apparel. “Let him but get in—let him but get in,” thought the hostler to himself, ‘and if he succeed then in eluding my vigilance, he will be a cleverer fellow than I take him to be.” But this was a step which the figure did not seem inclined to take in a very great hurry. Be he who or what he may, he was sufficiently cautious, and took a long and anxious survey of the church before he would trust himself within it. Jem’s impa- tience increased each moment. He might easily have shot him where he stood, always provided Dame Strangeways’ pistol would have gone off, which, after all, was, perhaps, a doubtful point, but he never once thought of that. To fairly apprehend im, and have him convicted of the murder, was what he wished, and so to show him, ruffian as he was, that he had failed to fix the guilt of his own misdeeds on an innocent man. The win- dow was not above four feet from the ground, but the fellow stooped very low upon the sill before he would venture to leap in, eva then he might be said rather to drop, than to leap into the aisle. ‘‘l have him now,” thought Jem, and he sprung over the side of the pew with the rapidity of thought. Tt would have been better had he waited a few minutes longer, comicbooks. com