The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. = sf * - 117 he might be, was too shrewd and at the same time too timorous and weak to commit such a crime. And where was the missing deeds and money ? Could they be traced? This was merely a matter of surmise. ‘“‘ Never mind,” thought Gale, “I am in no hurry. If there are more than two mixed up in this affair, they are sure to fall out after a time, and split on each other ; it’s always the way.” Caspar’s trial, however, served Gale very much, and from Jonathan’s sudden flight from Bromley Hall, he felt convinced that he and Flint had some- thing in common to do with both the murder and robbery. “Tt strikes me,’ thought Gale, “that this Jona- than and the lawyer have had a hand in more than one job of this kind. I will visit and search this Bromley Hall; there is some mystery about the place I should much like to fathom.” But, as fortune would have it, there were other persons besides Sergeant Gale who desired much to do the very same thing. These individuals were none other than Pug and Warner, Puggy kept very close to Warner for many reasons, but the principal one was because Warner, he knew, was the wrong person to be out of money long if there was any earthly chance of getting it by fair means or foul. “Tt would be a rare spree,” said Puggy to Warner the night they all went to the theatre together, “ it would be a rare old spree to go down and yisit Bromley Hall. The master and mistress are both away now, there is no one there except a few old servants and his two daughters, and I’d lay my ite there’s something handsome to be picked up there.”’ It was resolved npon by Warner and Puggy to visit Bromley Hall within the next two days, Puggy was very busy the next day collecting and borrowing ‘‘tools”’ from one professional gentleman or another. On the morning of the second day he and Warner proceeded to the railway station, each carrying a small carpet bag. As it happened, Detective Gale was going down to Bromley on that very morning, and arrived at the station just after Warner and the Pug. He did not see them with the carpet bag in hand, or it might have gone wrong with them. The bags were given in charge of the baggage master, and marked ‘ Bromley.” As they stood on the platform, ready labelled, Gale passed, and directly he saw the bags he touched them in a carele3s manner with his foot. “Hollo!” said he, “‘what’s up now? Have we got any cracksmen in the train? That carpet bag looks very much like one the ‘ Councillor’ had once.” He passed up and down the platform once or twice, and caught sight of Puggy in the train, “ What does He want here?” thought Gale. ‘‘ Who is that other gentlemanly chap with him? He doesn’t look much like one of Puggy’s class; I must keep my eye on both of them.” As it happened, Puggy knew Gale well, but Warner did not; hence, when he sawthe detec- tive, he changed colour and turned his head. “The werry cove as I didn’t want to see, by all that’s unlucky,” said the Pug, with a curse, ‘ Never mind, he didn’t see me, so it’s all right.” The train started, and in due time arrived at Bromley. But Mr. Gale had got out at a station ten miles nearer London. The Pug knew this, and was much pleased that it happened so. “Tf he’d a only seen us with them ere ‘tools,’”’ Puggy thought, ‘‘it would have been as good as ten penn’orth to both on us.” When they arrived at the village, and had re- freshed themselves, Puggy took a stroll towards the Hall, ‘to see how the land laid,’ as he termed it, As he approached the large building he pulled a small bundle of lace out of his pocket. “This here’s the fake for the sarvants,” said he ; “while I is argifying wi’ ’em about a yard or two o’ this here lace for their caps, I can take a good squint at the door-fastenings, and all about the outside o’ the building.” With great boldness and perfect coolness the Pug advanced to the Hall door and rang. The servants who answered the summons were shown the lace, and Puggy was directed to the back of the Hall near the kitchen entrance. After much discussion several yards of lace were bought, and Puggy returned to the village. “ Right as a trivet,” he chuckled, ‘‘ there’s nobody about, so that we can clear the place in about an hour,” Warner and the Pug fortified themselves with good suppers ere starting on their expedition. About. midnight they sallied forth, and in less than half an hour climbed the wall which sur- rounded the grounds of the Hall, and lay there in wait behind some bushes until such times as the last light should be extinguished. So far all their plans had succeeded. There had not been a single baulk or hitch in anything, and both villains counted on complete success, But there were two things which Puggy detested right heartily. One was steel traps, and the other watch-dogs, — Now, as it happened, both these miseries were to befall him, He had just jumped off the wall among the grass when his leg was caught in the steel trap. With an oath he tried to disengage his bleeding leg, but had the misfortune to arouse the watch-dog by a bell which communicated with the kennel and the trap by a wire pully. Hence Puggy had scarcely got out of the trap ere he was assailed by a couple of bull terriers, who snarled and rushed at him very viciously. A vigorous blow of bis ‘‘jemmy ” laid one low. Warner with a thick club, deliberately “ brained’’ the other dog, so that they were now both free from further interruption. When all was quiet, and as they Jay hidden be- hind the bushes, the voice of one of the domestics -was heard up at the Hall calling out. “Tozer | Tozer! here Jip! here, lad ! Good dorg.” “T)—n Tozer and Jip too,” snarled Puggy, with an angry oath, “if ’'d aonly knowed them dogs could a bit so hard, I’d a thought twice before giving Brom- ley Hall a friendly visit. Aye, call away my hearty, Tozer and Jip are both provided for ; you can shout till all’s blue, but you'll never wake ’em up again.” ay BS Now the plan which Puggy had made out in his own mind was this. It was no use to think of forcing the Hall door, neither did he much care to pry open the parlour shutters, and thus gain admission ; but he resolved to climb on to the immense water-butt in the kitchen-yard, swing on to the first-floor window- sill, and then get in. Warner listened to all Puggy had to say, but remarked— CO lNOOLK CO