The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDIS YOUNG CAPTAIN. Tom, for it really was no other, shook the inspector by the hand cordially. The policeman who had arrested him now tried to smile also, but Tom looked upon him with con- tempt, and passed out of the police stafion with a party of strangé gentlemen who had interested themselves in his behalf. | Tom Ford, it shonld be explained, had been fully commissioned by President Juarez as captain in the Mexican Republican Navy, and had been ona loti¢g cruise after several of the’ Emperor Maximilian’s ships, which were reported to be in the east Atlantic. HBL TE Not falling in with them, he had made sail for England for supplies, hoping at the same time to furnish his ship with a new assortment of the very best arms and guns which money could produce. But this was not his only object now that he had come to England. His own and his brother’s honour and fair fame were uppermostin his mind, and he determined, if possible, to solve the mystery of his uncle’s cruel murder, and to ascertain, as far as he could, where the property had gone to, and how it had been dis- posed of. He had not left the police office then more than half an hour when the inspector, warming himself before the fire, was accosted by Detective Gale, who came in all wet and muddy. * Well, Gale,’ said the inspector, “what news? Have you got any clue yet to those affairs you have had so long in hand ?”’ “ No, not the least.’ ** Bad job.” “So itis. Ihave been on the track of the vil- lains several times ; but have always lost the true scent again,” — “ Are they in town, think you?” “Tam almost certain of it. Two of them were on their way to Southampton; but the accident happened in the tunnel ; they took advantage of the confusion and uproar, and, as far as I can guess, they ‘doubled’ on us, and have returned to London.” ‘‘ What do you intend to do?” “JT think of giving it up as a bad job, and will give it up.” Detective Gale, up to the present time, had enjoyed the reputation of being one of the sharpest and shrewdest men in the whole force. But now it seemed that fortune had turned from him, and he was laughed at by less competent officers, who had always looked upon him with envy. Give it up? Don’t say that, Gale. What would the Commissioners think after you have been for so many years successful ?” ‘“‘T can’t help it ; the rascals are too slippery for me, and I fear they are in some scientific gang, who have lots of money, and can travel about ex- tensively.” “May be so; but, for all that, I-wouldn’t resign the job now that I had spent so much time and labour over it.” “Tf I could only find one of the old man’s nephews they might throw a deal of light upon the whole affair ; but they are both out of the country ; in Mexico, so I am informed.” “ Mexico ?’”’ said the inspector, pricking up his ears, ‘“ What were their names?” “Ford,” “Their Christian names ?” “Frank and Tom.” i “Good,” said the inspector, instantly producing the charge-book. Here is one of the very youths— i 239 Tom Ford. Do you see it, captain in the Mexican Republican navy ?” “ Tmpossible !” said Gale, in great astonishment. * And come to England, eh ?” “Yes; that doesn’t look as if he were guilty of murder, does it ?” ‘“No ; but where is he now, think you?” _“ Can’t tell.” “ Will*he appear to-morrow ?” “No doubt of it.” “I’m too impatient, and shan’t wait till then ; I'll go out and seek him at once, to be very flush of funds and gay ?” “Very much 0.” | “Then, most likely, being a gay young devil, he’ll go to. Cremorne, Highbury Barn, or the Argyll.” ‘€ More likely than not.” | “Can you give me a description of him?” “Yes,” said the inspector, “ about five feet seven inches in height, sunburnt complexion, dark curly hair, and slight moustache ; thick-set, and strongly built—a perfect young Hercules in muscle ; gentle- manly appearance and address; wears a brown paletot, over an undress naval uniform, and alto- gether is just such a fellow as a young girl would take to.” | Richt,” said Gale, “and now I’m off.” ~ Without another word, Gale started off to look after Captain Tom Ford. £.° * * * * Tom Ford, however, when he left the station, strolled off to enjoy himself. “ He had not been gone more than half an hour however, when he was “spotted” by Master Barney, who had crept from his garret in Cauli- flower Alley. “He isa youngster, and can hit hard,’’ thought the Pug, “but what of that? He’s got plenty of chink, so it seems. I wonder if he couldn’t be ‘sounded.’” , So thinking, he’strolled along behind, and at a very respectful distance from Tom Ford, who now alone was sauntering towards the Holborn Casino. On the way Barney encountered three or four well-known “ prigs.”” yar = These gentlemen were hard up’ for “ small change,” and accosted Barney, asking him if he wouldn’t “stand a pot.” Fe phe ; Barney, however, was too busy with his own thoughts, and made up his mind not to lose sight of Captain Tom. : ‘‘Do you see that bloke yonder ?” said he to one of the prigs. “What, that young toff?” it) Yes.” “Well, what of him?” “ Why, he’s got any amount of tin.” “ How do you know?” “He and I had a ‘turn-up’ in the street a little while ago, and I could hear the ‘shiners’ rattle in his pocket as plain as anything ; and more than that, he’s a foreigner.” ‘‘ What's his little game, then?” “ Why, he’s looking after my woman, I expect.” “What, Matty?” *¢ Wea,” : «“ And ain’t she ‘fly’ enough to ‘do the trick’?”’ “She ‘fly’? No, not a bit.” ‘‘ Where is she? ”’ “On her walk, as usual,” “Then suppose you keep an eye on the ‘toff,’ while I go and give the tip to Matty?” “ All right; and if she don’t ‘cop’ the lot, I'll smash her,” said the Pug, with a brutal oath, Does he appear” Comicboooks.c©