The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

130 tale. I have watched you throughout all this inter- view, You are an impostor, You are not what you seem. What ho! guards there!” he shouted, drawing his sword, ‘“ What ho! guards there! Seize this impostor, who comes in the guise of our old friend Teresa.” : In a moment several of the Boy Band had seized the would-be spy. : With a loud, meaning laugh, the intruder threw off all his well-maintained coolness, Frank and every one were astonished, It was Hugh Tracy, in a disguise loaned to him by Teresa, the spy. “Do you believe it now, Captain Frank?” said Hugh, laughing. ‘‘Cannot,” said Frank, astonished. ‘‘Qn my life, every word is true,” said Hugh ; ‘for that same night, after the duel, Teresa ex- changed part of my clothes for hers. A horse was in waiting for me, and here I am.” ‘‘ And Teresa?” “T know not ; but you may be certain she is not within ten miles of Basil’s cave by this time ; for once on the road, the devil himself could not catch Teresa.” CHAPTER XLVI, FRANK FORD’S ADVENTURES—HE IS APPOINTED SPECIAL AIDE-DE-CAMP TO GENERAL*GARIBALDI —BATTLE BEFORE CREMA—EXCITING SCENES, GALLANT young Frank had scarcely recovered from the surprise which Hugh Tracy’s trick had upon him, than he bursted out into loud and hearty laughter, They shook hands, drank wine, and smoked to- gether, and Hugh still persisted that a great. battle was expected in a day or two between the left wing of the Austrians, who had crossed the Oglio, and were threatening General Garibaldi and his volun- teers, who were at Crema. While sighing to think that his own gallant little band were too far away from Crema to take part in the coming conflict, an orderly rode up to the tent, and delivered a note to Captain Frank, He read it, and his face was suddenly flushed. ‘‘Why, this is from Garibaldi,’ he said, and read, ‘Captain Frank Ford will report at head-quarters, Crema, without delay. By orders of “‘GENERAL GARIBALDI.”’ “ What means this?” said Frank, But no one could tell. There was no time to lose. “ Garibaldi’s orders must be obeyed immediately,” he said, and mounted his horse. In a few minutes he was out of sight, Hugh Tracy was left in command of the company. Tor two days nothing particular occurred, But on the third day, about noon time, Hugh Tracy and his gallant little band were astonished to hear the incessant report of distant artillery in the direction of Crema. At first every one thought it-to be distant thunder, But Hugh Tracy rode over to a neighbouring vil- lage, through which the telegraph wires ran, and was informed by the man at the office that a great battle was then raging between the left wing of the Austrians and the voluntecrs under General Gari- baldi, near Crema, Hugh Tracy and all his men were annoyed that THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. i they could not share in it ; but an old officer, who was passing, smiled, and said, “Be in no hurry, my lads; Garibaldi knows you English volunteers too well: to let you remain idle long ; it will be yowr turn in a day or two,” And it was their turn in a.day or two, But we must not anticipate. Towards night Hugh Tracy again rode into the village, and found the electric telegraph operator nearly drunk, and singing all manner of strange songs, in joy over the victory at Crema. “Victory, eh?” said Hugh, ‘ I wonder what has become of Frank Ford?” “Who ?” said the clerk. “Why, of our young commander—Frank Ford.” ‘The devil! I should remember that name well enough,” said the half-tipsy clerk, ‘‘ for he is men- tioned in the dispatch which Garibaldi has just sent to King Victor Emmanuel.” “ Indeed !” ‘‘ Aye, he was appointed as special aide-de-camp to Garibaldi, who speaks of your young captain in the highest style of praise. He did prodigies of valour, the dispatch says.”’ “ Excellent,” said Hugh, as he rode back to the camp and told the company. No one could tell though whether Frank was or was not killed. A gloom settled over the whole company, when, after two days, he did not return, On the evening of the third day after the battle he did return. He was wounded in the arm, but not seriously. Great was the outburst of joy, and loud the re- joicings of his men, as, after a hasty supper, he raised his goblet on high, and drank three times three to Garibaldi and his brave volunteers, ‘‘T shall never forget that conflict,’ said Frank, when conversing with his brave lads round bis own camp fire again. ‘‘ All the roads from Crema to the camps were so strictly guarded, that no one could possibly gain egress or admission without ‘passes,’ undergoing the strictest serutiny from commissioned and non- commissioned officers of the guard, ‘‘ Sentinels were almost numberless, and appeared ubiquitous, “No ome could stir in any direction without coming in contact with foot or mounted patrols, and, although in uniform, and armed with papers duly signed, and personally known withal to many officers and men on duty at various places, from incessant travel to and from head-quarters, I was regularly halted and interrogated even as an utter stranger to them all, ‘The day preceding had been exceedingly fine. ‘The sun shone forth in unusual splendour, and our old army, four-fifths without tents, were in great good humour at the propitious state of the weather, for nearly all were to the ‘front,’ and bivouacking. ‘‘ After riding to and fro in all directions during the day, first from the right, then to the left, to head-quarters, and thence back again, I turned towards Crema, in no very good humour at the. constant duty imposed upon members of the staff. ‘ ‘Towards evening heavy clouds began to gather at the North, ‘ Dark, dense, stationary masses, which overhung. all our camps, and presaged a storm. “At sunset winds began to blow, flashes in the east and north, and low rumbling of distant thunder told the approach of heavy rains. “ Stronger and fiercer the north winds blew; nearer and louder thunders pealed forth, until GComicboo S (<(@) ta a EN a ae se of = OT a