Young Briton, No. 422 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

A YOUNG GENTLEMAN’S JOURNAL, <° 25% \ Ag we ANDY AND THE CROCKERY CAME DOWN WITH A CLATTER TOGETHE?. SHADRACH O'CONNOR, THE BRAVE IRISH BOY’ —_—_—___¢—___. CHAPTER XII. OUR HERO INTERRUPTS. A LIVELY LITTLE TUSSLE BETWEEN TWO GENTLEMEN OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER. CY RULY, the two boys were both in a woful plight. Their clothes were torn, their faces, hands, and bodies cut and bruised. Stephen, besides, had only one boot—for had not he shied the other at the smuggler ?—and this he took off, and threw away. Shadrach’s arm, however, was much better now. Though stiff, it pained him but little, for the Salt water had dried up the wound. Ove: more than one heather-clad hill they wearily plodded. Trea they again sat down to rest. A'l was solitude. 2" on Nct a sign of a human being or habitation Could be seen. Still, our hero was familiar with the spot. Often had he spent his idle hours there, pon- dering over Dennis’s cruelty to him, and brooding over his unknown parentage. | Naturally, therefore, similar thoughts came into his mind now. ‘*What are you thinking of ?” asked Stephen, who had been closely watching him. ‘Sure I feel very sad, like ye did, agrah, jist now. “Why?” again put in Stepben, mainly for want of something else to say, ‘‘T was thinking,” began our bero. His good senee, however, telling him that that wes No time for giving way to grief, he suddenly stopped, and added— * But, faith, we shall have many things to tell weD another by-and-by, I’m thinkiu’, so we'll lave it all tothen, and manewhile thry our best to get to the village. Oome, aroon!’’ Once more the two lads plodded over the hills. Their progress was but slow, and few their words. At length Shadrach’s eyes brightened. For the first time he remembered that the | beautifol girl whose life he had saved had ex- tracted a promise from him that he would come up to the “ big hoose’’ that very day. Yes, he would give her an opportunity of showing her gratitude. He would go to her at once, Stephen and he, friendless and homeless as they were, would go to her together.’ ‘‘ Faith, it’s not to the village we'll go at all, at all,’’ exclaimed the lad, turning to Stephen, who was painfully plodding at his side. ‘ We'll be afther payin’ a visit to the castle.’’ Stephen looked at him in surprise. ‘‘The castle!’’ repeated he ; ‘** what castle ? ”” ‘“ Whoi, the big house up there,’’ pointing straight ahead. Stephen was more puzzled than before. ‘‘ And why will you go to it ?’’ he asked again, Ina few words, Shadrach described to hia companion how he had saved the young lady’s life, and then altering their course they made direct for the house in question. Shadrach especially felt lighter of heart as he walked along. Tbe young girl’s face—that sweet face that for some reason or other seemed so familiar ta him—filled his thoughts and gave elasticity to his steps. It was not long before they came in sight of their destination. A noble mansion it was, though s0 isolated. The park-like grounds strangely contrasted’ with the rugged hills that surrounded them on all sides, Some quarter of a mile from the mansion iteelf was a peculiarly shaped hut, built half under the ground. Sbadrach and Stephen had to pass close to it. At firetthey thought that it was untenanted, but of approaching nearer they heard angry voices proceeding from its interior. They stopped and Hstened. The next moment a girl’s voice cried for hel p. There was no mistaking the voice, either. It sent a strange thrill through our hero, for it-was the voice of her he had saved from 4 watery grave—the voice of her he had come to Bee. EOMiicdoo (C <S (C(O)