The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 371: what you’re looking at

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

ee neem eee eee Se OO THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. the whole history of Mexico from the time of Mon- tezuma down. “You never heard, I suppose, how young Don Carlos (Don Toros’ son) won his fame and fortune, did you ?”’ a “No,’’ said all, “ but we have read of him in history.” ““T dare say you have,” said Don Roberto, “ but I am nearly one hundred years old now and know more of such things than most people, therefore if you will poke up the fire and pass the wine around I will tell you a story of more than passing interest about young Carlos and the first Spanish settlers in Mexico.” , ‘‘ Hear, hear,” said all. And old Roberto began :— “The tall black towers of Toros Castle loomed out in grim and bold relief against t!e moonlit sky. ““Watchfires flickered an1 flamed on its many- gabled battlements. ‘A solitary banner floated lazily in the soft Sep- tember wind, and all was still. ‘The vale, with its green and mossy hills, stood out in the far perspective of ethery blue, where twinkling stars sparkled and shone with ever- changing ray. . “While midway in the blooming, undulating landscape of a thicket and dense forest, the river wound round and round like a silvery thread that marked the bloodstained borders of Mexico and Texas, ‘‘All the earth seemed sleeping in the lap of love- liness and peace. “The very air was laden with the perfumes of field and forest. “The mocking-bird, with thrilling song, warbled on bush and tree. “Save this, and the gently moaning night winds, naught caught the ears of trusty sentinels who, with sword and spear, battle-axe and mace, walked their nightly rounds on the castle walls of Don Toros, the lord and bold defender of far-famed Rio Grande. “The draw-bridge was up. “The castle, towering to the midnight skies, was silent as the vaults of death. “Two steel-clad trusty knights stood watch and ward at the massive gates without, tlhe deep moat rippled sluggishly in the moonlight, reflecting myriads of twinkling stars. ‘Yet within, and close to that black and massive gate, there slumbered in picturesque carelessness and confusion a hundred grim and valient men-at- arms, who, in an instant and at a single word, would have been ready to contest the right and with their dearest blood any who dared insult or assail that solemn portal with unwarranted rudeness. * Silence reigned in all the spacious courtyards of the castle. “None but the steel-capped sentinel, with flash- ing sword or spear, walked in the granite-paved, far-echoing, moonlit galleries or cloisters. ‘The banquet hall, a common resort of knights and squires, pages and attendants, bad lost its busy appearance of feasting and revelry. “Long oak tables were rolled against the lofty wa!ls, where flapped in fitful gusts of wind a hun- dred victorious banners, and where flashed in the twilight a hundred shields of far-famed knightsand lords, who did homage and gave service to the warrior, Don Toras, “ Around the blazing faggots of the banquet-hall gathered gallant knights in dazzling armour, ‘© Some told the tale of wars, of wounds and scars SS 365 - received in battle, while attendant squires and pages, highly born, whispered apart in silence, or in secret sighed for the long-sought time when they should have won their ‘ golden spurs’ on the field of victory and honour. “Weary stag-hounds lay on the rush-covered flocr, soundly sleeping at their masters’ feet. ___ Yet, even in slumber, they dreamily growled as if then engaged in some exciting chase in the well- known forests of Texas, _ “ Knights and nobles were there, indeed, clothed in steel from head to heel, with swords of pon- derous length and weight belted on their thighs, and nodded drowsily in the fire-light, or walked to and fro. “ For none knew at what moment the alarm might be raised from the watch-towers or postern gates that the enemy had burst across the border, bent as usual on some predatory inroad, and prepared to destroy or kill with fire or sword all who dared oppose their ravaging march through the adjacent country. “Horses in the stables were always saddled, and ready for instant use. “Knights themselves, and all in Toros Castle, were wont to stand prepared for conflict both night or day. “Nor was it an uncommon sight to see lords sit at the banquet table cased in mail, to carve the baron of beef with gloves of steel, raise golden goblets and quaff ruby wine through their visor- bars, or, with corselet laced, to lay them down to rest beside the faggot fire, and pillow their heads on cold, hard bucklers, “Such was the warlike custom rendered neces- sary at every castle and stronghold through the restless violence of the merciless Borderers, and at no place were such preparations on a grander scale than at Toros Castle, for it was famed as being the most formidable one along the Rio Grande. “Yet, while all was still in that grim, gigantic pile of battlements and towers—while the old don slumbered peacefully in his gorgeous chamber, for- getful alike of foreign wars, of intrigues at home, or the incessant inroads into his domains by ruthless hordes of marauders, there was a youth who faced his chamber with restless step, and could not slumber. “It was young Don Carlos. ‘“A bold and handsome youth was he, of feature fair, and flowing raven hair. “‘ His step was elastic. “ His form and figure noble. ‘There was fire in his eye. “A dilating nostril and a stately manner which bespoke alike both his descent from kings, and an unbrooked ambition and fiery temper. “Again and again did he gaze from his lofty casement upon the far-off silvery Rio, splashing and flashing and sparkling Jike a mass of many- coloured diamonds twinkling in a bed of green. ‘‘ But he sighed. and waited hour after hour. “Yet left he not his post of midnight obser- vation. “Tn this chamber also a noble, fair-faced youth lay upon a couch of sable furs. “ The book had dropped from his sleepy hands. ‘He was fast bound in slumber, and smiled un- consciously in his sleep. “ This was his faitbful companion and friend. “ Young Don Carlos again and again looked forth from the lofty turret far away towards the towering hills of Texas, but saw not that which his keen eyes so eagerly sought. 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