The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 160: what you’re looking at

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eee Cl rr 154 beings, and about to leave the raft to its fate, when a heart-rending cry reached Frank’s ears. He turned deadly pale as he heard it. ‘Put back to the raft again,’ he shouted. Before the order could be obeyed, gallant Frank leaped into the foaming water and swam to the raft. Lashed to the edge of the raft, and bound to- gether with strong cords, were an aged man and his only daughter. They were still aliye, but half concealed from view by the dashing blinding spray. Like a Newfoundland dog Frank bravely battled with the waves, and swam towards those two help- less beings, With his knife he severed the rope which bound them, and dragged them on the raft. As he clasped the young girl in his arms his senses began to reel. He tottered and fell, They were none other than Sir Edward Lan- caster the banker and his daughter Nelly } ‘Saved! saved!” said Frank, in a loud tone of triumph, ‘Saved! saved 1? CHAPTER LVI, THE HAUNTED WING OF BROMLEY HALL, THE position of Warner in the old and long de- serted wing of Bromley Hall, where we last left him, was most perilous and awful, The words uttered there had filled him, chilled him with deadly awe. He wished to eseape from the chamber of horrors, and yet felt impelled from some undefined impulse to continue his researches, He could not escape the way he had come, He tried to do go, but the heavy door was im- movable and solid as the wall itself, ‘‘ Must I be buried here alive?” he thonght; and as this terrible conclusion flashed across his mind, he was seized with grim despair, He knew not what to do, or in which way to turn, “Tam caught in a trap!” he mused, “and am buried alive,” : Cold sweat poured from his pale and pallid brow, He had now no thought of his companion Pugey, or of the danger of any detection ‘This is a most awful place to be in,” he sighed ; ‘and I would give £1,000 to be safe and sound out of it again,”’ He groped about, but for a long time his lamp revealed no possible outlet for escape. As he stood sounding the walls with a sword he had found, his foot came in contact with some secret spring |! A door which was made of solid masonry to cor- respond with the walls, suddenly opened inwardly ! A spacious porch stood before his astonished eyes | A massive iron gate with ponderous knocker en- closed a long stone passage, as dark as pitch! A cold unearthly dampness was emitted from this gloomy passage. “I will arm myself and explore it,” thought Warner, ‘‘‘tis a safe means of escape doubtless, and leads to some old, unused, and mysterious part of Bromley Hall,” All was as still as death. _He looked in at the lower bars, but could not distinguish a single object through the impene- trable gloom, THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDIS YOUNG CAPTAIN. er ae * After a short parley with himself, he entered the porch, and, seizing the massive iron knocker at the gate, lifted it, and, for a moment hesitating, at length struck a loud stroke. The noise resounded through the whole place with hollow echoes. All was still again. Nerved with grim despair, he repeated the strokes more boldly and louder, Another interval of awful silence ensued, _ A third time he knocked, and athird time all was still, In the distance, however, a faint glimmering light was now seen, He fell back to some distance, that he might discern whether or not it had or had not been a light he had seen in the gallery before him. It again appeared in the same place, and quickly glided away ag before. At the same instant a deep sullen toll sounded from some distant turret. Warner’s heart made a fearful stop, He was awhile motionless. Then terror compelled him to make hasty steps towards the outer chamber again; but shame and fear stopped him, and urged by curiosity and a resistless desire of finishing that night’s strange adyenture, he returned to the porch, and working up his soul toa full steadiness of resolution, he drew forth his sword with one hand, and with the other lifted up the latch of the gate, The heavy door creaking upon its hinges, reluc- tantly yielded to his hand, He applied his shoulder to it, and forced it open. He quitted it, and stept forward. The door instantly shut with a thundering clap, Warner’s blood was chilled. Turning back to find the door, it was long ere his trembling bands could seize it. But his utmost strength could not open it again. He looked straight before him, and beheld across a hall, upon a large stairease, a bluish flame, which cast a dismal cleam of light around, He again summoned forth his courage, and advanced towards it, . It retired. He came to the foot of the stairs, and, after a moment’s deliberation, ascended. He went slowly up, The flame retiring hefore him, till he came to a wide gallery. The flame proceeded along it, and he followed in silent horror, treading lightly. For the echoes of his footsteps startled him. It led him to the foot of another ‘staircase, and then yanished, At the same instant another toll sounded from some distant turret. Warner felt it strike upon his heart. He was now in total darkness, and, with his arms extended, began to ascend the second staircase. A dead cold hand met his left hand, and firmly grasped vt, drawing him forciblu formard! He endeavoured to disengage himself, but cculd not. He made a furious blow with his sword. Instantly a loud shriek pierced his ears. Lhe impression of the dead hand was left in his! His hand felt as if on fire, and he rushed forwards with desperate fury ! The stairs were narrow and winding, and inter- rupted by frequent breaches, and loose fragments of stone, The staircase grew narrower and narrower, and at length terminated in a low iron grate, ae Gomichboo ae