The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

ee ______ nein alicia eee 4 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. could do with soap, comb, and brush would never keep his front locks from always standing on end. “ Now’s my time for a jolly good feed !” thought Buttons. ‘The boys will be blamed for all that disappears. Now’s your time, Job; the preserves await you |” He did not like the master much, or any of the family, for they half-starved him, and were per- petually knocking him about and abusing him, Poor Job, the unfortunate “ Buttons,” had no friends save the young Garibaldians, and when he heard of the riot, and of the master’s disgrace, he raised a faint shout of joy, and forthwith rushed to the larder to help himself to all the luxuries he could lay hands upon while the noise and confusion lasted. He remained in the larder quite long enough to _ demolish a bottle of jam, and his face was smeared all over with it. He was just finishing his stealthy repast when he heard the heavy fall of some one down stairs. * He dropped the jam-pot with a loud smash upon the floor, and rushed out in alarm, He had awful fears of the master catching hint in the act of petty peculation, and he shivered in his shoes ! “Oh, crikey!’ said Buttons, when he saw his master sprawling and groaning upon the floor. “Oh, here’s a go! he’s half killed! what a jolly lark! I wish it had been Missus though, or that ugly tutor, Shanks! Here’saspree! the young Gari- baldians have raised the standard of revolt! I hear ’em! Oh! that’s theircry! “ Liberty or Death !” just so. Icould tell Frank Ford’s voice among a thousand. Hooray! I’m one on ’em, too. Here goes to strike against short commons and tyrants !” So saying, Job, or the enthusiastic “ Buttons,” rushed into the kitchen, tumbled over the cat, upset the cook, and seized the rolling-pin ! So armed, he dashed upstairs, bent on giving Joel Flint “one for himself ” on the sly. But though the young Garibaldians had defeated the grim old master and his half-starved assistants they had not come out of the battle without losses of one kind or another. Dick Fellows had his left arm in 4 sling. Another one had a huge bump on his head, A third had a very suspicious black mark under his eye, and so with others, who, more or less, had received as hard knocks as they had given. “ Hurrah for Frank !” some shouted, in boisterous mirth, ‘Yes, three times three for ‘ Gallant’ Frank, cap- tain of the Garibaldians !”’ “Three times three for ‘ Gallant’ roared a number of merry voices. “What shall we do next?” shouted some. ‘They have gone down to fetch the village con- stables !” cried others, “Who cares for the Bobbies?” laughed Frank Ford, ‘There are only three in the village, and we are able to beat off any dozen of them.” ‘So we Can, so we can,” ‘Let ’em come, that’s all ; we’ll shew e’m what stuff English boys are made of, won’t we, lads ?” * Bravo, rank ; we’ll follow you anywhere.” “Then let’s go and liberate our companions the master and assistants have locked in the library,” said Frank ; ““we must not let them guffer for us, shall we, boys ?” “No, no.!’”’ roared many voices, ‘To the library! to the library, lads! Follow me !” said Gallant Frank, long ruler in hand, ‘Bravo, boys! Lead the way, Frank! we’ll show Frank !” ee we te old Gravestones whether he can half starve us, and do what he likes,” said Dick Fellows. “Tead on, ‘ Roaring’ Dick!” sang out a dozen merry voices, ‘To the library, lads! to the library !” ‘ With a loud, wild shout that echoed throughout the whole Academy, Frank Ford and his brother Tom, followed by Dick Fellows—‘ Roaring” Dick, as he had been christened—and a number of other determined youths, rushed out of the large school- room, and mounted the stairs. ; On their way they were vigorously opposed by Joel Flint, old Gravestones, the master, and a body of assistant tutors, . These worthies had been so roughly handled in the recent melée that they did not at all relish the idea of any fresh encounter. a But Joel Flint, who had a deadly hatred of Frank Ford and his friends, as will be afterwards seen, hit right and left as the young band of Garibaldians attempted to mount the steep, broad staircase towards the library, “ That’s it, Joel ! that’s it Joel !”’ cried the master, ‘have no mercy on the young blackguards !” ‘‘Go and fetch the village constables, quick!” roared out Mr. Shanks, the long-legged, herring- bodied, half-starved, cadaverous-looking head tutor. “Go and fetch the constables, boys ; quick !” he shouted, ‘‘ or we shall all be murdered !” A blow from ‘Frank’s ruler soon laid this long, lean gentleman flat and sprawling on the floor. “Come on, lads,” cried Frank, “‘ mount the Stairs, and fight your way up, our companions of the band must and shall be liberated.” ‘Bravo ! bravo !’’ shouted his campanions, ‘Three cheers for Garibaldi !” “One cheer more for Garibaldi’s young captain, © brave Frank Ford !” After much hard fighting the young Garibaldians fought their way upstairs towards the library, the prison-house of their young companions, | When they arrived almost at the top of the land- ing another and a stranger episode took place. Mrs. Gravestones and her scraggy daughters, with the aid of several servants, procured several buckets of water and slops. From their elevated position on an upper landing | they could see the whole battle raging below. With shouts and shrill cries of passion, these in- furiated females stood ready to shower the water and slops down on the young Garibaldians. “Throw it down, wife! throw it down!” said Gravestones, with upturned face. ““Now’s your time, madam !” screamed out Joel Flint; “now's your time! Drown ’em! drown em |” At the word of command Mrs. Gravestones and the other females poured down the water and slops ! But they missed their aim. So excited were they that it all fell upon the master, assistants, and Joel Flint, buckets and all ! Old Gravestones and his friends now retreated slowly, and shut themselves in the library, followed by Joel and the rest, The Garibaldians were disappointed at this trick, but not discouraged. They rushed at the door, and hammered at it with all their might, but without making any impression upon it, Joel, the cowardly cur, with the master and his chief assistant, Shanks, no sooner got into the library than they began to vent their vengeance upon seyeral of the young Garibaldians who were prisoners there, These Joel hit and cuffed with all his might, Gomicboo } (OLN .