The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

¥ ey eS —anetl 92 “ Blindfold bim !”’ They proceeded to do so. “Hold!” said Frank, with a proud look of con- tempt, “take that handkerchief away. I have fazed death before, and beg, as a dying favour, that you will not bind my eyes.” “Granted,” said Basil. “Stand aside from him, - men.” His orders were obeyed. «Let three men load their carbines, and be ready for the word to fire !” This was done. One of them, the tallest and ugliest of the three, was Cavolti, who seemed to delight in the task before him. ‘‘T will give you one more chance for life,” said Basil. ‘Will you reveal the names of the traitors among us who played me false? Breathe their names, or point them out, and whoever they are they shall die in your stead.” “ Right.” “Bravo, Captain Basil ; they deserve it !” ‘© Will you ?—once !” “No,” was the solemn answer; “not if I were about to sacrifice a hundred lives !” “ Will you 2?—twice !” “JT will not. Question me no farther, but fire !” ‘‘Carbines! attention! ready! take aim! Will you, for the last time, tell me?’’ “No 1? Basil was on the point of turning to give the command to fire, when Annette, with a piercing scream, rushed upon the scene, and fell between the victim and the executioners, exclaiming— “Twas J, Basil! ’twas I! Spare him! he is innocent! ’Twas I, Basil! ’twas I, Basil! Spare him! spare——”’ and fell prostrate to the earth. (See Illustration.) CHAPTER XXXIV. THE PLANS OF CAVOLTI—THE SECRET MEETING OF FRANK AND AGNESE—THEY ARE DIS- COVERED — THE INSULT—THE MEETING — FRANK’S GENEROSITY — AGNESE IS MYSTERI- OUSLY STABBED—THE DEEP REVENGE, THE sudden appearance of Annette among the brigand band, and just at that moment when Basil was about to give the order to fire, caused great. commotion to all then present. “ Hold !” cried Basil, ‘‘ hold!” he said, throwing up the carbines ofthe three villains. ‘‘ Howisthis? What brings Annette here ?” “ Spare him! spare him!” said the sobbing girl, with upraised hands and streaming eyes. ‘It was I, Basil, and I alone, who led him and his followers from the cave.” “You ?” said the grim chief, in sudden surprise. ‘What, Annette ?” said Cavolti, in mute wonder, “Yes; *twas I, and I alone, believe me. Do not harm him, for the youth is innocent.” ' ‘Fire |” said Frank, bravely, but feebly. “Touch not a hair of that girl’s head; [am to blame! she is innocent |” | ‘“No! no! no!” gasped Annette, hurriedly, “do not belive him ; he wishes to shield me and suffer death ; but he is innocent, on my oath, I swear it |! Let me die the traitor’s death! Do not shed a drop of the brave boy’s blood |” ‘There is some deep, unrayelled mystery here,” Basil growled ; ‘‘for the present we will defer the execution until more is known aboutit. Seize the girl, and lead her forth to adungeon, Let us see SS THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. what close confinement, cold water and bread can do.” In a whisper he addressed one of his men thus, “Has the young English youth sent the money for Frank Ford’s, head?” “No, captain, not yet ;. he promised it.” “Promised it! Ha! ha! that will not do for us.” ‘‘ He says the coin shall be forthcoming when his head is secured, but not till then.” ‘And then, perhaps, he will not pay at all, as the deed will then have been accomplished. No, no; this youth is a bold, brave fellow, and I would much like him to join our band.” “ True, captain ; there is no doubt as to his courage and intelligence, he has shown it on more than one occasion ; but Cavolti, your chief officer, hates him.” ‘And that is one of the reasons why I like him all the more,” said Basil, with a grim smile. “He shall not suffer, at least, at present; he shall live until we get the money, and, if that is not quickly done, we will force him in some way to Join our band. Think you it could be done?” “‘T have no doubt of it, i& Cavolti could only be appeased.” ‘Leave that to me,” he said; “we will geta head, but Frank Ford’s is worth more to us than the reward offered for it.” “But beware of Cayvolti,” said the arch villain Basil was talking to. ‘‘ Never fear; I am as deep as he.”’ “<Unbind the youth,” said the bandit chief. Taking Cavolti on one side, he whispered some- thing-in his ear which made the black-looking rascal grimly smile. “ We will use this youth like a decoy bird,” said Basil; “his followers will never rest until they have found out his place of retreat. It will then be easy to entrap them all.” “Tis well,” said Cavolti, with a grim smile; “I never thought of that before.” “Leave it to me. We will give him partial parole.” “But he might escape our mountain bounds,” “No fear of that ; our guards are numerous ; he cannot escape their vigilance. Besides, if we keep him too closely confined he will not have any chance of holding out signals to those who are in search of him. We will give him the free range of our bounds near the cave, and he shall be well watched, Do you see my plans?” “T do,” said Cavolti; “but somehow I fear 1m,”’ “Fear him, and you a herculean man ?” said Basil, with a smile, Cavolti made no reply, but bit his lip. Although he and Basil appeared thus for the moment on such friendly terms, they were, at heart, enemies, for Cavolti, in his advances to the fair AenEeGs had only met with rebuff and scornful ooks. “Do as you please, Captain Basil,’ said he; ‘but, if you were to follow my advice, you would shoot the young English brat at once; there is something in his eye that bodes no good to you or the bandit band.” ‘‘T fear nought, and more than that, I will set watches around him, What say youif I prompt Agnese to coax him, and gain all the secrets she can out of him respecting his band. That would bea capitial idea ; he would never suspect her to be a female spy.” Basil’s words were like wormwood to Cavolti, who smiled sardonically, and slowly left his chief. ‘‘ Agnese set to watch him, eh? Perhaps so ; but f Comicbooksreom a