The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 153: 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. _ 147 oysters were beautiful; just order in five dozen more, and plenty of wine and cigars.” “ But, captain, pray proceed ; you sent for me, and according to your desire, I came, and have paid you well beforehand for the information you pro- mised.” * “ Just so ; but don’t hurry yourself. See how I’ll Bnack that bust off the mantel-piece with this shell,’ So saying, Master Buttons commenced throwing the shells about the room, and making a ‘“ cock-shy ” of everything. He next commenced performing on his trumpet until the reporter almost became deaf. Signor Dando tried to smile at the capers Buttons was making. But he saw there was no prospect of getting any information, so was about to depart. But this Buttons would not allow, so compelled the poor unlucky Dando to take off his coat, and dance a hornpipe to the abominable music of the brass trumpet. In truth, old Dando was compelled to jump about like a performing bear for the amusement of But- tons; and as often as he left off, the captain gave him gentle taps over the shins with a wal\king-stick. In truth, Master Buttons was very nearly intoxi- cated, and so was old Dando. But this did not end the performance by any means. Buttons commenced to play all kinds of tricks with the unfortunate man. He made him stand on his head. Next, with Frank’s sword drawn, he threatened to cut off Dando’s head, unless he stood on one leg and held the other one up with his right hand for five minutes. Next he got some soot, and painted whiskers and moustachois on his visitor’s face, to show him how much he resembled Colonel de Medicci. All these tricks and antics lasted for more than an hour, but still the incorrigible Buttons would not let the man go until he had tried him withthe boxing gloves, a set of which were in Frank’s trunks, “‘ 1'}1 give you a lesson or two,’ said the captain, capering round his victim ; “it’s excellent sport.” But poor Dando didn’t think so, ‘You are no hand at the ‘mittens,’ ’’ said Buttons, laughing, And at it they went tooth and nail. Dando was dying to get away, but could not ; and, although Buttons laughed whenever he gave his antagonist a good punch in the ribs, Dando was getting savage in the extreme. At last he waited for a good opportunity, and gaye Buttons such a tremendous thwack on the jaw, as laid the captain sprawling on the floor. Next moment Dando, puffing and blowing, flew down stairs, much like a man who has suddenly escaped from Bedlam. EL APLTER LIII. THE PUG TURNS INFORMER. THE mishap which befel the Pug in falling on the sharp spikes of the garden wall at Bromley Hall, and his subsequent apprehension by Gale, the detective, did not by any means improve: his temper or his language. He cursed and swore like a true blackguard ; but that only he was able to do, for he was strictly guarded by the domestics of Bromley Hall, who, with thick clubs in their hands, stood over him, ready to administer a sound thrashing to him should he at all prove refractory or troublesome. Meanwhile, Gale and the old gardener, Giles, went in search of Warner. | They searched high and low for him, but nowhere could he be fouud. Intending to renew their search at some other time, Gale returned to the Pug, and. conveyed him to the railway station. The Pug was very low spirited, and did not appear to be at all inclined to open his mouth. Gale, however, laughed and joked in such a merry style, and he was all at once so very polite and kind in giving his prisoner a pipe of tobacco, and a good stiff glass of brandy, that the Pug began to think that “‘the slop’ wasn’t sich a bad sort o’ chap arter all.” They had a separate compartment in the railway carriage to themselves, and, on the way up to London, Gale became very chatty. ‘* Bad job for you, Puggy,’’ Gale began. “ Yes, it were a nasty fall on to them ere spikes, and I feel werry sore about the thighs.” “JT dare say you do, But what took. you to Bromley Hall at all, Puggy ?” “ Nothing.” “Of course not. A man of your professional abilities don’t trayel from London for nothing. Ha, ha! you dont gammon me in that. way, Puggy,” said the detective, with a broad grin, “ What brought you in the first-floor, then ?” *‘T were only curious to see how the place was built, that’s all.” ‘‘ And curious to see what you could lay your hands on also, I suppose ?” ‘‘Me? Lor’ bless yer, I hadn’t the slightest notion of nicking anything.” “You hadn’t time, that’s all; but Ican tell you one thing, it is a very bad job for you.” “ What, being caught in the house?” “ No, not that.” ‘What then?” said Puggy, opening his eyes very widely at the detective’s solemn manner, “Oh, you know; it’s no use of you looking so innocent; you know all about it.” ‘‘ Know all about what?” persisted Puggy, with well-feigned innocence. ‘‘ About that affair of old Ford, the miser.”’ “Me? Upon my soul I’m as innocent as a kid.”’ “T dare say. I never knew a thief or a rogue as wasn’t, at least in his own mind, If you go to Newgate, and ask every one of the prisoners there, they’ll all tell you they’re innocent, but that won’t do forme. I have ‘ wanted’ yon for this job some time, Puggy.”’ : ‘““Who told you as how I were in it?” asked Puggy ; at the same time thinking of, and mentally cursing the cabman. “Tt doesn’t matter who told me, Puggy; but I know all about it,’ said Gale, with the air of a man who is cognizant of everything in life. But the truth was he did not know all about it. He was “ pumping” and “‘ bouncing” Puggy, who, Gale knew, was an arrant coward in his heart. ‘Look here, Puggy,” said Gale, breaking silence ; “you have got into a very nasty mess, and it is your own fault if you don’t get out of it.” “lm as innocent as a kid o’ that ere job,” Puggy persisted. “Innocent or not, it matters little, but you wouldn’t like to have a ‘lifer’ or ‘fourteen-penn’orth across the herring-pond’ for it, would you?” ‘No, not me.” ‘“ Well, then, you had better make a clean breast of it.” t CoOMmicbooks.€c© i eee