The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 13: 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. iF In truth he had lodgings at several places. This house was No, 56,. Barlow Place, and from his third floor front room he hada full view, both night and day, of “ Red Lodge,” and of all who entered or left the so-called Haunted House. From some strange cause, he had hired lodgings also in a house in the next street, the back garden of which communicated with the garden of No. 56, Barlow Place. He also had an office in the city, and at each of these three places he was known by a different name. In the city he wore a moustache. At Barlow Place he only wore whiskers; At his other lodgings opposite, No. 56, he was always clean-shayed, and with not the least sign of a hair upon him | He had very great reasons for this strange conduct, and so suspicious was he of everything and everybody that he feared least his own shadow even might, by some strange chance, reveal to the world who and what he was, or what his intentions were. When the policemen had gone far out of all ‘hearing, he glided from his place of concealment like a guilty shadowy thing, and crept across the road towards Red Lodge. He crouched low as he passed under the wall which surrounded this Haunted House, and made his way towards the back entrance of the lodge. For a moment he listened, and seemed fearful of being seen or heard. Alow whistle —a.very faint note—was borne upon the wind, He stopped. Presently a man appeared at the back gate, and opened it. *‘ All right,” said the man, a strange, villanous- looking fellow, with a hairy cap, “Is the dog dead ?” Yea,” “T thought so.” : | “T did for him with a piece of poisoned meat. The cook is out.” “ And the butler, too ?” *‘T’ve seen nothing of him all night.” “ How long have you been here ?” ‘Two hours or more.”’ Ts the coast clear ?” “ ¥t is.” “ Have you listened at the old man’s door?” “JT have.” “Ts there any one with him ?” “Old Davy the butler has been with him all the time, I think.” “ What have they been talking about ?” ‘“‘ He says he has been much worse since he called in Dr, Warner.” .- ‘‘Oh! indeed! who is this Dr. Warner ?” “Don’t know; never saw him. He has altered his will once more.” ‘The devil ! he is always. altering it.” “That’s no {matter ; it won’t hurt us much, I think.” “ Not a particle.” ‘“‘ But are you sure he ordered all his securities and leases to be turned into ready money ?”’ “Yes; I heard him tell the lawyer so last evening.” “And he is to call with the money to-night ?” you said. ‘Yes; in bank-notes.” “All right. The prize is ours, my boy. When are the two lads expected home ?”’ “Tn an hour or two. He has been raving about Frank and Tom all night, and has left them every- thing,” “There won’t be much left for any one, after we have had our hands upon it. He’s worth half a million altogether.” “ Half a million, and all in’ one pile!” said the villain, in astonishment. * Yes, perhaps so ; if the lawyer does what the old man has told ‘him, he will bring it with him to- night,” “ Then, [had better stay about here, and be ready to help you?” “No occasion. Do you £0 and watch in front of the house. Mind no one sees you.” All right.” “ Have you laid hands on anything yet?” “Well, not o’ much value,” said the ugly rascal ; “but, as I was looking about, I prigged this out of his nephew’s room.” What?” ‘‘ Why, this, you see,” said the ruffian, exhibiting a gold-handled dagger. “It’s a pretty little’thing, and I thought as how it might prove useful in case any one should tap me on the shoulder, and say, ‘Look here, Bill, you’re wanted.’ ”’ “Let me see it. Why, this is young Frank’s ?” “T know itis. I took it out of his room, as he’s not at home. I thought a boy like him wouldn't want such a thing as a dagger.” “You need not take that away ; we musn’t play our game for such trifles as this, I will return it.” s* Just as you like, but you’d better keep it ; it might come in useful if you were disturbed, you know.” “Nonsense,” said the elegant stranger, in a soft voice ; ‘‘ there is no work of that kind needed.” He made a motion to his rough companion, who left the spot noiselessly. . He looked after him to see that the ruffian had disappeared, when he rapidly passed one hand across his face, and in a second his false whiskers and moustache disappeared ! He next pulled off his wig, and placed all these articles in his hat. : With noiseless step he ascended to the sick man’s chamber, and listened at the door. — He -peeped through the key-hole, and saw old Davy nodding, half asleep, in an easy chair, beside the sick man’s bed, who was groaning and moan- ing, and faintly calling for his nephews, Tom and Frank. Slipping off his cloak, he placed it with his slouched hat in a small cupboard on the landing, He next produced a new opera hat, flat as a pan- cake, from under his waistcoat, and put it on. So changed did he now appear that it would have puzzled any one to have recognized him. He touched Davy, who woke up out of his doze with a sudden start, and for a moment looked as if he beheld an apparition. “ Hullo, doctor, is it-you ?” he said. “Yes, Davy, I have taken so great an interest in Mr. Ford’s desperate case that I could not sleep till I had called again.” “Werry kind o’ you, sir, but I don’t think as how all the medicine in the world ‘ll do him any sort 0’ good now, sir, He’s werry low, sir, werry low ; he’s fast asleep.” “ Does he speak much, Davy ?” “Oh, yes, sir, he raves enormous about his nephews, Tom and Frank.” “ Why, Davy ?” “Why, you see, sir, both o’ them young gents are his brother’s orphan children, and wild, harum- scatum young devils they are too; and for all Mr, 4 oe MIGIIOO CO S5CO