The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

68 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDIS YOUNG CAPTAIN. ~~ ee ——————————— play and sing, eh? Well, by golly, dat beats all— yab, yah!” ‘‘Hus-s-s-h!” said Gale, ‘I’ve dressed myself just like Jack Jenkins ; but he’s locked up.” “Locked up ?” “Just so. He got drunk last night, and got seven days for thrashing two policemen, I have come to take his place. Don’t you let out; none of the other chaps will know me.” é ‘‘Dat’s sure,” said Bones, “you deceive de devil.” “ That’s what I thought; but don’t you whisper a word of this to the other lads.”’ “De Lor’ bress yer soul, dey wouldn’t find you out in aweek, But what’s up now?” “Why, the old chap, Flint, that absconded from Green Court.” “What, have yer copped him ?” “No; but I think we are on his track. Which round are you going to take to-day?” “Well, de chaps think o’ goin’ round Regent Street, and them places.” “Why not go round Hatton Garden ?” ‘Lor’ bress you, we can’t yearn a penny in dat quarter,” ‘But there are a good many quiet old lawyers there.” * Dat’s just it. Why, dey wouldn’t give us a solitary mag if we was to sing for amonth. Dey orders us off, and one ole gent come to the window with a gun and threatened to shoot us.” “Indeed! And how was he dressed? thing like old Flint?” “Lor’ bress yer, no. Old Flint had whiskers ; this ole cock hasn’t got any at all, I’m sure it’s not Flint.” “Perhaps,” was the dry reply ; “ but do as I tell you, Joe; I'll pay you well enough, Here come your companions, Silence, mind !” “Just so, massa; mum’s de word !” So well had Gale, the detective, studied the ways and habits of street “niggers” that he deceived the sable band, who did not for a moment suspect that the banjo was in any other hands than those of their old companion, Jack Jenkins. After drinking down to the bottom of several pots of porter, and favouring the landlord of the public-house with a few artistic flourishes with toe and heel, the nigger band started on their rounds. They called and performed at several places, but - the more the detective sang and thrummed his banjo, the more was Joe Banks astonished at his talent. “ By golly, you beats de devil!’ he whispered, more than once, in a quiet way, and burst out into frequent roars of laughter, which the by-standers seemed much to enjoy, for they showered coppers into Bones’s hat more plentifully than was ever known before. The tambourine player was in ecstacies at the unexpected display of Jack Jenkins’s talent, and so successful were they in their rounds that Joe Banks vigorously attacked more than one foaming pot of porter at different public-houses, in order to drown his exuberant feelings, After a time the black band of minstrels, in their walks, came to Hatton Garden, and opposite the very house where lived the pugnacious lawyer that Bones spoke of, “ Dat’s de crib,” said Joe, in a whisper, “but you must look out, for dat gun o’ hisn is loaded, and he’s more dan once threatened to shoot de whole lot of us,” “Never mind,” said Gale, “give him another chorus,” Any- So saying, the band struck up a chorus, and sang long and lustily. h The figure of an old man was seen peeping through the blind, and walking to and fro in his apartment in a state of great restlessness and annoyance. : = Wee lh ‘By golly! he’ll let us have it after a bit,” said Bones, grinning. ‘ Look out, chaps !” But still they sang on, and more discordantly than ever. The occupant of the room was seen to frequently shake his fist at the minstrels, but they took no notice of him, and continued their noisy songs. At last the window was thrown up, and the old man came in sight. 4 Directly Galé caught a clear view of the man’s face his eyes glistened with delight. ‘‘Now’s the time,” said ‘Gale; ‘“‘Z’2Z give him a chant which shall shake his nerves, if he’s got any,” ‘Go away, go away, you noisy vagabonds ; be off this instant. How dare you interrupt and annoy people in this manner from day to day? Depart, I say. I'll call a policeman,” the old man stammered out very fiercely. Bones and the rest: took no notice whatever of the old gentleman’s anger, but continued singing all the songs they could think of, particularly the most doleful and sentimental ones, greatly to the parlour occupant’s horror and disgust. ° . ** Begone, you noisy rascals, begone,”’ he said, “Is that like his voice, Bones ?”’ whispered Gale. ‘““ Werry like ; werry like, indeed, massa.” ‘““Then here goes for my song, let’s see how he likes it—join in the chorus.” But before he commenced the old man rushed to the window, gun in hand.* “Vanish,” he said, cocking the weapon, looking angry and determined. ‘Go this instant, or I’ll murder some of you.” ** Dat won’t do, massa,” said Bones, laughing; “if you mean to do dat, you know, to dis ere darkie, you might give ole Massa Ketch a nasty job. Yah, yah! Now den, brudder Banjo, for dat ere new ditty 0’ yourn.” On this challenge, and despite the old man’s angry curses, Gale commenced in a lond voice to sing a song, the chorus of which was— Sing, sing, ye darkies, sing, A mystery strange—a horrid thing, A headless nigger was brought to light, The murderer fied in the dead of night, And never more was seen. Had a thunderbolt fallen at the feet of the old man he could not have been more surprised. He changed all manner of colours, trembled in every limb, tried to speak, but could not gasp out a single word, and at last dropped the gun, tottered from the window, looking pale as death. “Ha, ha! It és Flint,” said Gale, “I am on his track |” CHAPTER XXXIII. BASIL, THE BANDIT CHIEF—KING OF THE MOUN- TAINS—THE ITALIAN’S DECEIT—FRANK FOILS HIM—THE ROBBERS’ CAVE — THE BANQUET— THE POISONED DRAUGHT—A GIRL’S DEVOTION —AGNESE THE BANDIT’S DAUGHTER, DIRECTLY the Boy Soldiers found themselves s0 suddenly surrounded by the black-looking band, who, with levelled guns, stood on all sides of them, the truth flashed to Frank’s mind that they had been artfully deceived by the supposed Friar Basil, and that he had conducted himself and followers a) a ee ee * See last week’s illustration. i cel Gomicsoo (<(0) m