The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

—— — —__— THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. 5 None of them were half his own size, or near his own age, for he was a tall, gaunt, ugly youth of eighteen, while neither Frank Ford nor any of the Garibaldians were more than fifteen or sixteen. The cries of the young prisoners reached the ears of their comrades outside on the landing. “To the rescue, lads! to the rescue!” shouted “Gallant Frank” and “ Roaring Dick.” This appeal was answered by a deafening, deter- mined cheer from their followers, which so terrified the mistress, her daughters, and servants, that they locked themselves in their bed-rooms, and barred the doors, ‘*Do you think they’ll dare to break into the aoe 2” gasped old Gravestones, looking deadly pale. _ “Dare? Aye, they’ll dare anything, the young imps of the devil! Don’t you hear them cheer- ing?” said Shanks, “T do. The school will be nought else than ruins if they go on in this way, Mr. Shanks,” sighed Gravestones. ‘ Do you hear that other cheer down stairs ?” Ti | do,” “What can it mean?” Shanks, the long-legged tutor, did not know, but the truth was this :— Frank Ford, finding that his followers increased more and more every moment, sent his brother Tom below, to lead the insurgents there, Tom Ford was in his glory. He addressed the boys in a few stirring words. Standing on the steps of the Hall-door he said, “We have revolted against the master, boys, be- cause he half starves us.” “Bravo !” “That’s true |” “He keeps our pocket-money, and illtreats us!” ‘““ He does! he does !” “The band of Garibaldians have risen in insur- rection against his miserly, stingy ways!” “Quite right!” “Don’t we pay well for our board and school- ing?” *“We do, of course !”’ “Then, shall we be treated like Hindoos !” “No, never !” ‘Phen strike for Liberty and Justice! Join the Garibaldians under Gallant Frank and Roaring Dick |” “We will! we will !” “Follow me, then! .Three cheers for Gari- baldi !” The cheers were given lustily, and with a right good hearty will. “ Down with tyrant masters !” ** Ho-o-ray |” : “Follow me, lads,” cried Tom Ford. ‘To the larder! to the larder!” , “To the wine cellar! that’s the place, there’s plenty of wine there ; but we don’t get any of it.” “That’s true; our ‘relations send it to us: but we don’t get any of it.” _ “Old Gravestones drinks it all.” “ Liberty and justice !” “ Hurrah for Garibaldi !” Locks and bars in the cellar doors were wrenched off, and the doors themselves broken open. ! Wine, fruits, pastry, beer, ale, and quantities of edibles were seized and consumed on the spot ! Chief and foremost among them all were the Fat Boy and Buttons, These two youths were now in their glory ! The entire school was now almost in the hands of niggers or the young Garibaldians, who carried everything before them. \ “ Lock and bolt the school gates, lads,” said Tom Ford. ‘‘ Don’t let any of the villagers in.” This was quickly done, and to prevent any one climbing over the wall, several of the band steod sentry upon it ready to give the alarm should any one attempt to climb over to the rescue. But while a large number of the students were thus engaged below in the cellars, and lower parts of the house, Frank Ford and his companions were having a dreadful fight. They got into the library by bursting open the door, and the contest there became fierce, hot, and determined, The prisoners no sooner saw tkeir friends than they turned upon the master and his assistants with great fury. With a well-timed aim gallant Frank hurled a heavy book at the master’s head which struck him fairly between the eyes, and his nose swelled up on the instant to treble its ordinary size, and that was by no means very small. - With eyes blackened and swollen, and face and shirt front smeared with blood, the master jumped into the midst of his assailants, and fought his way towards a small private door, and vanished none knew whither. . Mr. Shanks, Joel Flint and ascore of overgrown boys beat a retreat, and hastened from the spot, shouting, ‘Fire! fire!’ ‘‘ Murder!” ‘ Thieves!” ‘Robbers !” “ Police! police !’’ in wild, discordant voices. Mr. Caspar, a favorite tutor among the, boys, finJing that he could not restore order or harmony, gave up his cane to Frank Ford, and left the spot laughing, and loudly cheered by the young Gari- baldiaxs. Shanks, however, managed to escape the same way as the master had done, through the small private door of the library. “ Hang the luck!” said Roaring Dick, in disgust, “He has escaped us !” “Td give a sovereign to have him here, the brute!” said Frank Ford, in anger, ‘“ Ob, I would pound him !” ““Can’t we break that door in and seize them both?” Frank suggested. “ Of course we can; here goes. Come on, lads,” Dick replied, and they all assailed the small private door with redoubled energy and fury. “Tt could not be forced !” It mwas lined with wron, barred! | “ There is some mystery here!” said Frank, ina whisper to Dick. ‘Tam sure of it,” was the almost inaudible reply of young Fellows. There was a mystery ! A dark, deep, cruel secret it was. Well might the master, and Shanks, his slavish, cruel, hireling assistant, tremble with fear when they heard the fiery students banging against that iron door ! doubly bolted and CHAPTER II. 4 THE MIDNIGHT MURDER—CONSPIRACY TO DISIN- HERIT OLD FORD'S NEPHEWS—THE HAUNTED HOUSE— POLICEMEN ON THE WATCH—THE UN- KNOWN ASSASSIN— THE HIDDEN TREASURE— VILLAINS FOILED, THE night was intensely dark, and black, heavy clouds rolled lazily in the heavens, \ eoniicbooks.co