The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDIS YOUNG CAPTAIN. a for your trouble if you lan? us near the new battery.” “Here they come,’’ said one of the boatmen, in mortal terror as he pointed bick with his finger to a large yawl which shot out suddenly from the shore, with six sturdy fellows pulling at their oars, Three or four others on board of her were endeavouring to get up their rigging, which ap- peared tangled and confusel at the bottom of their oat. The white splash of water, which each moment fll beside the pursuing vessel, showed that the process of baling her out was still continued. “Then the devil admire me, but it’s the old ‘Dolphin’ the villains, have launched to pursue u3,”’ said one of Frank’s boatmen. “What's the ‘Dolphin,’ then ?” asked Tom, smiling. ““An old boat that belongs to the Marquis de Sangri, that hasn’t seen water except when it rained these four years or more, and is sun-cracked from stem to stern.”’ “She can sail, however,’ said Tom, who was looking intently at the pursuing craft, and was not at all pleased with her rapid progress through the water. “No mistake about that, sir; they say she was once a smuggler’s boat, and she’s well used to sailing. But see, sir, how hard the crew are pulling after us.” “Lay out wpon your oars, my merry men,” said Tom, “ the wiad is failing us.” The sailors now began to flag lazily, and the wind to die away. “Tt’s no use, your honour ; we shall only break our hearts in trying to escape from the ‘ Dolphin ;’ they are sure to overtake us,’ said one of the boatmen surlily. - “Do as I bid you,” said Tom, in an angry tone, and looking daggers at the boatmien. you. What is that I see ahead of us ?” “Tt is called the Oat Rock, sir. A vessel with grain wag coming up the river, and struck there, and went down with all hands on board three years ago.” “ There’s no channel between it and the shore,” said another. “It’s all hidden rock, every inch of 1G. ° “Good,” said Tom ; “ here comes a fresh breeze, my lads.” The sail fell over as he spoke, and. the little craft lay close to it until the foaming waters bubbled over her lee bow. “‘ Keep her head up, sir ; higher, still higher, sir,” said. one of the boatmen in fear. But Tom, at the helm, little heeded what they said, but steered straight for the dangerous channel spoken of between the Oat Rock and the shore. “ Heayen preserve us,” said the terrified boatmen, ina breath. ‘ The Englishman is steering straight in among the rocks. Death is certain ; we shall all be drowned.”’ | “ Sacristi,’ said one, in a fierce tone to Tom; “why don’t you keep her head away from the fatal channel ? I shan’t be drowned for any of your mad English whims,” As he spoke, he rose up, looking black as thunder, and drew a dirk, muttering curses between his teeth. ‘Sit down, sit down there and be still,”’ said Tom in a determined tone. “Sit down, I tell you. Don’t I know more about a boat than such a thick- head as you are ?” To show what he really meant to do if.the boat- > “Do as I tell man did not obey him, Tom drew out a revolver from his breast. “Sit down, I say, and don’t stir for your lives until IT order you,”’ he said, with an angry oath ; ae ae you want some leaden ballast to make you 0 80,’ i “ Here, Frank,’’ said he, coolly handing over his revolver; “take this, and’ if those ugly-looking rascals dare do anything contrary to my orders hile I am steering, pull trigger and let ’em have it. You understand me ?” The boatmen sat down sulkily, muttering all manner of strange things, and with flashing eyes. The small craft was now actually flying through the water. Tom’s object was a clear one to the Count and Frank. ‘They saw that sailing as they did, their craft was no match for the “ Dolphin” pursuing them. Their only chance for life and safety lay in reach- ing the narrow and dangerous channel between the sunk rock and the shore. By doing this they could very greatly distance their pursuers. Nothing but the great danger behind them could warrant such rash daring. *The whole channel was dotted with patclies, of white and breaking foam, the sure evidence of the dangers beneath. Here and there a dash of spurting spray flew, up from tlie dark waters where some cleft rock lay hidden beneath. Escape, however, seemed impossible. But who would not Lave preferred even so slender a chance of escape, with so frightful an alternative behind them, of falling into the hands of De Sangri’s infuriated tenantry ? As if to add terrors to the scene, Tom had scarcely turned the boat ahead of the channel when an ominous blackaess spread over all around. Thunders pealed forth, and, amid the pattering of hail and the bright, almost blinding flashes of lightning, A squall struck them! The squall struck the little craft suddenly with great violence, and laid them nearly keel uppermost for several minutes. The little craft righted herself, however, and rushed through the dark and blackening flood almost half filled with water. All on board were obliged to kaeel down, and hold tight to the gunwales for safety. Roll after roll of thunder, loud and deafening broke right over head. In the swift, hissing, dashing rain around them every object was hidden. The other boat was now lost to view. The terrified boatmen looked more dead than alive. They were livid pale. Bach moment they expected to find a watery grave. : They knelt down, and began to pray. Tom and Frank were the only two persons who seemed careless, and indifferent to all dangers. Even the Count felt fearful, and as he looked first at Frank, and then at Tom, those two gallant youths chatted and laughed. “These English are sea-devils,” he muttered, “they don’t know what peril is, they laugh during this horrid storm, as if it were only child’s play.” As Tom, still at the rudder, guided the craft, he could not help but smile at the frightened boatmen, and was about to give them a word of comfort when—