The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 294: what you’re looking at

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

SEE —_—_ THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. Os cr “ By whom ?”’ ‘“By Warner, I believe, in the first instance, for he says he found a letter in a side-pocket of the cloak,” “P——n!” said Joel, in a hot rage. “You must be raving, old man.” “No, Joel, I am not; I fear me that the officers are more after you than me.”’ ‘You are an old dolt,” said Joel; “and, if it is only to whine and snivel that you come here, why, you had better depart at once.” ‘ Pity a father’s feelings, my son.” ‘Better attend to your own, I think,” said the young man, with a coarse laugh ; ‘it would do you much more good, Will you leave England if I give you sufficient money to do so?” said Joel. “TI ask you for the last time ; if you do not accept my offer I must leave you to your fate.” ‘‘ You would banish and transport me then ?” “ Would it not be better than to be dogged night and day by the police ?” ‘‘T confess it would,”’ ‘Then, you agree?” 6 I do.” “Then, sit down, and let us talk ‘over matters calmly and quietly,” said Joel. ‘A gentleman below wishes to speak to you, Count Schmidt,” said the servant, entering. ‘‘ What sort of a gentleman ?”’ ‘‘ An oldish-lookish person, sir,” ‘Show him into the small drawing, room,” The servant did so, and went below to the regions of the kitchen again. ; While he was gone this gentleman boldly walked upstairs, and listened at the door to what was going forward, Joe: and his father were quarrelling and using very high words. “They are talking about money matters, Il hear, so it is about time. I think to have something to say in the same matter.”’ Without knocking, he entered Joel’s apartment, to the great astonishment both of father and gon. “Who and what are you, sir?” asked Joel, in an angry tone, “ Your friend or enemy, as the case may be,” Old Flint trembled in every limb, for he had a suspicion that the intruder was disguised, and not in his natural appearance. “How dare you, sir, make use of such language in my place,” said Joel. *“ Dare, eh ?”’ grinned the stranger. ‘Yes, dare! Speak, quickly, cr I will have you arrested ; the police shall be made acquainted with you.”’ ‘And you also,” said the stranger, “if you don’t keep a civil tongue in your cheek.” «Me, sir? What does the impudent fellow mean? Have me arrested? Why, know you who and what am ?”’ “Oh, yes, I know all about you,” said the stranger, ‘‘ and perhaps better than yourself,” Joel Flint, in a passion, would have attempted to use violence on his strange visitor, But the old man begged of him to be calm, “You came lately from Italy, I believe?” said the stranger. “T did. And what of that ?” “Your present name is that of the Count Schmidt ?” ‘“My name, sir, has always been the same, I have never had cause to disown or change it.”’ ‘‘ Perhaps not,” said the stranger, chuckling, | ¥ TP ‘Who is that old man there, who looks so pale and trembles so much 2” ‘A visitor on business, if you will pry into my affairs.” | “Why don’t you say your father, at once,’’ the stranger laughed; “the resemblance in ugliness is so great that no one would be mistaken in taking you for what you are.”’ “Tt is not my father, sir!” f ‘You are labouring under a mistake ; it ¢s your father, but you are ashamed to own him, and he is or was a lawyer, and his name is Flint.” Father and son looked at each other in astonish- ment ; but at last Joel, mustering up all his courage, said, ‘‘ And pray what is your errand here!?” “To get some money.” “From whom ?” 4 “Why, both of you.” “And why? For what, pray ?” *‘ Because I have earned it, long ago.” “This man must be an escaped lunatic,” said Joel ; “I will soon rid the room of his disagreeable presence.” He walked up to the mantel-piece, and took down a revolver, and was about to turn round, when the stranger pulled out two pistols, and levelled them at the heads of both father and son. “ Stir,” said he, “ and I will blow your brains out, both of you.” - Joel put down the revolver, and turned pale, for he was a braggart, and not a brave man, “Do you know me now?” said the stranger, throwing off his wig and false whiskers, It was Warner! CHAPTER CXIL A SANGUINARY BATTLE IN MEXICO—THE FRENCH SLAUGHTER THE MEXICAN IRREGULAR SOL- DIERY — FRANK FORD’S ACCOUNT TO HIS BROTHER TOM, “DEAR TOM,—Since my last letter Iam sorry to say that squabbles have entered into the council of the Mexican leaders, and, as might be expected, disasters have befallen them, “IT gave my counsel honestly to them, and advised them not to force or accept a pitched battle with the French, for it cannot be expected that raw levies like those we have here can cope with the disci- plined forces under Marshal Bazaine. “All my good advice, however, has been thrown away. ‘Fight the French they would in the open plain, and dearly they have paid for their temerity. ‘‘The Mexican forces, under the leadership of Juarez, moved out of, Monterey to encounter the French force, and were thoroughly beaten. ‘* { was not there myself, but have learned all the particulars from a French officer, who was taken prisoner by a scouting party of our Boy Soldiers some six days after the battle. “T cannot do better, then, than to give you in substance the Frenchman’s account of it; leaving. you to deduct a little on account of his lively imagination. ‘During the night of the 27th the whole army was in motion to march against the Mexicans, “ For several days General Juarez had waited for us in the plains before Medellin, having previously surveyed, with the help of engineers, the advan- tageous position where his army way stationed. ‘The Mexicans, to whom pitched battles had GComichoo