The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 316: what you’re looking at

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

ask no questions. And now, M. Tallache, I will go, when I return I hope to be crowned with glory.” In a very short time Gabouche and his com- panion, mounted on fine, Epirited horses, were speeding away on their road from Calais, They had with them the disguises necessary to change them from police officers to highway- men, and having accordingly made enquiries of their companions, whom they met on the Pau road, they soon found that they were on the right scent. lunging away along the road, they discovered, when they reached Angiers, that their victims had rested there an hour and then hurried on once more towards Belleville. The two officers did not wait for much re- freshment, but hurried on once more, Gilbert Osmere was ill at ease. ‘We are come on a wild-goose chase, indeed,” he said. of Why 80 99 “ We are following men whose names we know not.’ ‘ J know them.” ‘‘ And whose persons are also strange to us.” “T have seen them.” “And what is to be the reward ?” “They will be shot and you and I will be romoted,”” Gilbert Osmere ed, “These words have little enticement for me now,” he said; “I’ve heard them so often that they have ceased to have any charm or meS-ing rd forme, They only mean, now, that the prefect has discovered an idea—requires some one to work it out, and lies to get him to do it. Never- theleas, let us push on,” Hour after hour they rode, and at length day- light came, It was a damp, foggy morning, and the im- press of horses’ hoofs was plainly marked on the wretched country roads, Ever and anon the officers stooped forward and anxiously scanved the ground, in search of the trail of the fagitives, Hour after hour they rode, and watched, and listened attentively, and thus time progressed, until the hour of eleven had come and gone. They now arrived at a spot where three roads branched off. * Hallo,” said one of the officers, “this is a puszler, and no mistake, Now, which is it to “Let us dismount and seek for some traces of them,” They did so. Taking the reins of the horses in their hands, they made a close examination of the ground, and after some difficulty they found out some recent traces of the hoofs of two horses, They were visible in the road to the right. “ That's the road we came,” said the officer. “Tt is on the homeward track.” ‘And that’s their road, as safe as possible, Where should they go, if not back to Paris; it’s the only place in which they can enjoy even comparative safety ?” ‘You are right ; and I'll atake my life these are their marks, 80 come along.” They remounted and spurred their horses forward. THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. They were fine, fieet steeds, well caloulated to perform the task required of them, and as yet they exhibited no signs of distress. Forward they went, and still the marks of the horses’ hoofs were visible, and reassured the officers that they were on the right scent. Onward, on, and at last the hour of midday tolled from some distant church. ‘‘ Tf we don’t overhaul them by sunaect,” said one to the other, *‘ it will be a bad job, for under the cover of night they may again, and more succeasfully, baffle us,” “ Well, I agree with you ; buat it’s no manner of use to try and get more out of the horses, they won't stand it much more at this pace.” They now exhibited strong and unmistakable signs of distress, They were in a perfect state of lather, and their stride seemed to fail. ‘It's no use losing them, even if they drop under it, for it’s now or never.” “You are right; better kill the horses than lose the men. Go on again,” They once more spurred their jaded steeds, and they nobly answered, buat the fire seemed to be fast fading out of them. ‘“T begin to give it up as a bad go,” said one of the officers ; “one half hour more and we are beaten.” They were in a road bordering a little wood in a semicircle. The turn in front of them wonld reveal an extensive tract of country. Oa the road still forward, each moment telling more fatally upon their horses. It seemed as if the assertion of the officer was to be verified, and that another half hour would indeed tell in a fatal manner upon their steeds. They new almost reeled, and snorted violently as they attempted to keep the pace their riders required of them. On, on they went, and the bend of the road was reached. Before them lay a flat country, through whiok they could see winding away into the misty distance the road they were pursuing. They strained their eyes, and endeavoured to catch a glimpse of those whom they were pur- suing. “Tf they can’t be seen now we may as well give it up as a bad case, and ease the horses.” ‘¢ Harrah!” burst from the lips of his com- panion as he strained his eyes into the distance ; “hurrah | see there ! see there !”’ On either side of the road was a tolerably large hedge, and this seemed to grow narrower in the distance. Just visible above this projection in the ex- treme distance could be discerned two moving objects. “By St. Louis, we're upon ’em now; that’s the Englishmen ; or I am 3 Dutchman.” ‘Go on, go on, we'll have ’em now.” Highly excited at the prospect of a successful termination to the chase, the men lashed their jaded steeds into the semblance of a gallop, and then urged them on by every means in their power, They shouted and coaxed, they raved and lashed, and patted them, and the noble beasts continued to strain every nerve. They were bathed in ateam, and froth started m\( “J GOhVCOO © CO