The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 342: what you’re looking at

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

TL 336 And with a loud laugh Warner slammed the door of the room and went downstairs. He met the footman in the hall, to whom he salid— “My man, if you will take my best advice, go and demand your wages and leave the house ; the Count upstairs is an impostor, and is ‘not worth a single farthing.” “Indeed, str!” said “ Jeames,’ ” in amazement, “You astonish me, Why, I I always thought he was possessed of thousands.” || “Tt isnot so. He has not enouen to pay for a night’s lodging, I tell you. Besides, he and the: pid man, his father, upstaine are thieves.” “Thieves ?” . “‘ Nothing less, I assure, you. if “You frighten me,’ sir. | Why, eee : are Seis of tradesmen in the neighbourhood ‘who hare trusted him for large amounts?) 1) “Then, tell them to send) in their ecountal at once—or, what is better, ‘have the: ate knayes arrested.” Thus describing “Flint e- his son, Warner left the house. “ Jeames” was nob! long: in informing the house. hold of all that he knew and suspected } | The servants were up in afms in no time, The man cook threw his Site Iai pers about any a phrenzied fury. / He pulled his whiskers, got le in Aika face, cursed | and swore, and flourished a large darying knife in a most desperate manner, threatening, all bite of things to everybody. | The females ran upstairs, Kips packed Hotes hoe . in great haste, while “J eames,’? the — “footman,- tucked up his sleeves, and ; Said jae ‘himself to- punch somebody’s head. <—— 7 In the meantime, however, old Flint Gnd aH son had not been idle. arian They prepared for instant departure. “Tt won’t do for us to remain here a snes hour longer,’ said the old man, “If the police get wind of this affair, both of us will + discovered, and then it’s all: up. ¥ (1 Joel packed - his bears hastilsi, and, crammed into them everything he’possibly:could,;. In less than’ twenty! minutes -hey had closely packed several trunks with everything of, eric nee and then rang the bell for ““Jeames,’’ \| The summons was not attended, tose He rang again and again... .\, But still there was.no response. on ‘This is strange,” thought, Joel ; ‘ but an hour ago these servants, would almost fly to,.obey my wishes ;, but, now, they. are all as deaf as door posts,” “T wonder if that villain, Warner, has divulged any secret,” said old Flint. “No, it cannot, be,” said Joel. val wish; IT had shot him,” “That would have made too much noise’; ‘a knife would have done it more quietly, “Then why didn’t you do it?” srowled J oel, ** He was too powerful for’ one ‘man,) or for two either.” Joel sneered at his aged’ parent, and rang the bell again more violently than ever: Jeames,”’ if the truth must be told, had been so much overcome with Warner’s strange news that he had visited the wine cellar, and helped himself so liberally to wines and other liquids that he was half drunk. At last, however, he heard the bell, and in his shirt- -sleeves, and a bottle in hand, he struggled up- stairs, | iQ AU67 ; THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDIS$ YOUNG CAPTAIN... ‘+ came) clamouring into-the room, When theré, however, he encountered the man = 280k. who administered such a vigorous kick, that ‘‘ What means this?” demanded Joel, in angry tones. ‘‘ Where is your coat, sir? and what means that bottle in your hand ?”’ “Tt means this,” said “Jeames,” stuttering and spluttering ; ‘fit>means this ’ere, I want’s my wages and extras, right down on the nail, and, if you don’t let me have it, Ishall be under the pain- ful necessity of punching your head, for I’ve found out you’re no account at all, and there’s an end on it, and notbetter than a chimney-sweep in dis- guise. There, them’s my sentiments !” ‘‘ Rascal!” gasped Joel. “Knock the’ drunken villain down,’ Flint, very valorously, — ss You'd) better come and try it on, old ’un,” said the tall. footman, holding up his hands in a pugilis- _ ti¢'attitude: |)“ I’ve got pie of friends to back Mme ; here they. cone.’ — At that moment,*all the servants in the house * gaid old Seeing the footmen in his shirt sleeves, and in | fighting attitude, the servants made sure he had been, struck by some one ; and, therefore, encouraged bua on) by, shouting— : | Hive ib-to ’ ‘em, Jeamas, ve “4 Hit ’em in the eyes,” Call the polices® — K Jeames” “squared up to his late master, and, althongh not sober, he quickly knocked the count | sprawling upon the floor, Old Flint, hearing the alarming cry of ‘* police,” ' rughed through the angry group of servants, and | managed to reach the head of the stairs. _it sent old Flint headlong down stairs. ~~ Neither Joel nor his father dare shout for help, + for fear of attracting any attention from officers in the streets ; and this was the reason why they bore rr isnt punishment so meekly and silently. But directly Joel got upon his legs again he pulled out a dirk knife, and, with sundry horrible’ oaths, threatened to kill all who came near him. One of the maid-servants, however, with a broom-handle struck his arm so violently that the knife fell harmlessly upon the ground and made Joel dance again with pain. ’ He knew not what to do, To stay among his infuriated dameaties woud have been, madness, he. thought ;.and yet, what must he do? z Leave all his luggage behind? . This,,.was,,a.sad thought to J oel, whose. sole wealth. in. the world..now, consisted. of clothes, and. the like, “Go. and fetch a constable,” said the footman ; ‘‘he shan’t use knives among us English people!” — One of the servants ran downstairs with this intention, when, with,a sudden bound, Joel burst from the circle of his. tormentors, and cleared the stairs a dozen at a time, his hair all dishevelled, his coat and trousers torn, a bloody nose, and a black-eye, In, this unenyiable guise he ran forth into the street, hig servants shouting and bawling at his heels like sO many wild animals, “Stop thief ! stop thief!” was the cry, . But Joel, with the swiftness of a startled hare, ran down a mews, and, disappéaring in a dirty, narrow court, filled with costermongers’ barrows and baskets, he was lost to view. Breathless, tattered, and now reduced to beggary, the lawyer's son was a guilty fugitive on the face of ae earth, despised by all and hateful even to him- self, GComicbooks (E@)