The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

An ceksbichciineneiint Mit Cie SM EEO Great and bold a villain as he was, Warner hesitated for a moment as he descended into the apartment. ‘Who knows but that there may be treasures concealed here ?” This thought gave him extra courage. With the lamp and dark lantern raised above his head, and pistol in hand, he descended into the | apartment, It was a large, round, vault-like room, and the only light in it was a feeble ray of pale moonlight, which streamed through long, narrow windows, barred with iron, and some six feet from the ground, An ancient bedstead, of costly materials, dusty, and long disused, stood on one side. A large bookcase, a wardrobe, couches, easy chair, and other furniture were there, the mouldy gild- ing on which looked dull and sombre in Warner’s lamplight, In the centre of the room stood a writing desk, and strewn upon it were piles of letters, reams of paper, and a small lamp, with matches, ready for immediate use. “This place is old,” thought Warner; “ but for all that some ‘one has been in the habit of using it, and lately also, for there must be some other entrance into this place besides that narrow door, or how could all» this cumbersome furniture have been brought in ?” Lamp in hand he advanced to the writing-desk, and sat down. To amuse himself he lit a cigar, for the dense, unwholesome atmosphere was almost overpowering. He began to rummage among the papers, and at last eagerly seized one, the handwriting of which was peculiar, “T ought to know this writing,” he mused. “ It’s old Flint’s, for a hundred! It can’t be possible that the lawyer and old white-choker knew each other ! But yet it might be.” He looked at the signature of the letter first, and dropped it in surprise. ‘‘It zs Flint’s |” he gasped, in astonishment, and read the letter from beginning to end, When he had finished, he exclaimed, half aloud— “Oh! the damnable villany of the pair of rogues! Jonathan Gravestones is his name, eh? A pretty scandal to pretend to be a parson! Why, here is a compact between them for deliberate murder I He searched further among his papers, and the more he read the more he was astounded ! ‘What a treasure is here,’ Warner sighed, as he threw aside some of the papers, and put others into his pocket. ‘‘ What a bloody career of villany this reverend gentleman has gone through to be sure, and yet when we proposed turning to housebreak- ing for a living, he turns up his eyes in horror! Oh! he’s an artful old thief! When I return to London, I'll torment his life out ; and in paitnership with Flint, eh? No wonder this part of the Hall has been locked up for years |”? Full of curiosity," vose from his s. at, and ap- proached the old bedstcad. It was dusty and moth-eaten. On the bed lay a small axe, The edge of it was exceedingly sharp. Blood- -stains were upon it, and the marks of some man’s gory fingers were distinctl visible upon the white oak haft, ” . i - - ° . ec aN - —_—__— THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. “ Hillo, Mr. Jonathan, what means - Gebak “aualala”ancvillatan ax ue eadocwamnee | vet Meelis eemeee mameeanehe inn naman this 2?” thought Warner, He turned down the bed-clothes. The sheets were all stained with what had once been blood, The pillow, just on that part where the head should lie, was severed in two! Warner measured the cut in the pillow with the edge of the axe, and both corresponded in size and length ! “There has been murder here!” he thought: ‘‘But where could he have concealed the body ?” In the room was an old iron chest of great gize and strength, At first it looked like an ottoman, for it was covered with drapery, nor would Warner have dis- covered his mistake, had not his foot acelin kicked it. It had a hollow sound, and he tried to open it, After much labour he managed to wrench it open by the aid of a ‘‘jemmy.”’ Inside he saw the remains of various old parch- ments. A silver-hilted sword was there also, and a slouched hat, with drooping feather, such as might have been worn by some young noble in former days. Underneath these he also found, carefully packed, a complete and costly suit of gentleman’ 3 wedding garments, all untouched, and wrapped up just ag they had come from the tailors. Beneath all these things, however, aud covered up with empty money bags and costly jewel-cases, Warner’s eye lighted upon a human skull, It was evidently that of some young man, and was white and fleshless., He took hold of it and placed it on the green- covered writing-desk, for the purpose of more closely examining it by the light of ae dark lantern. Warner sat in the old arm Chair, gazing at this human skull, and wondering whose it might haye been, and the possible history of the murder. Judge of his astonishment, however, as he in- tently gazed at the eyeless sockets of the skull, The jaws began to wag ! It spoke to him, Full of horror, Warner listened, as the fleshless jaws moved, and a sepulchral yoice issued forth in calm, solemn tones, and said— GQG60o™—”0—_—_—»0_qga<gag3—e—eoss—ssSsSsSssS LOOK OUT FOR THE BOY SAILOR; OR, LIFE ON BOARD A MAN-OF-WAR. A most interesting and powerfully written Tale, to be complete in about 30 Numbers. No. 1 with No. 2, and a LARGE EN-. GRAVING, GRATIS. Eomichoo