The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 157: what you’re looking at

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THE BOY SOLDIER} OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. 151 eee ee Ae again ; besides,” thought Jonathan, “he might turn round and prove an informer.” More dead than alive, Flint was dragged out from his place of concealment, The door was broken open, and both villains were safe in the passage, The front door was only barred. Jonathan forced back the bolts and listened. There was the sounds of many voices in the ae of persons hurrying to where Flint had ived, Jonathan looked out, and found the coast clear. “ Quick! quick !” he said. ° Heand Flint hurried away as fast as possible, and turned into another street, They had scarcely done so, when several police- men turned the corner, and were enticed to join the chase which now ensued by the night-watch- men of the warehouse and others running after Jonathan and Flint, shouting, “Stop thief! stop thief! Burglars! murderers ! Stop thief ! stop thief !’” CHAPTER LY. FRANK’S HEROISM—THE LIFE-BOAT AND RAFT. WHEN Frank arrived at Modena it was his deter- mination to proceed to Florence by land, But he was informed that King Victor Emmanuel was then at Leghorn, in Tuscany, superintending both military and naval affairs in that province. Tuis was a sore disappointment to the young soldier, for he was in a great hurry to join his Boy Band again. Besides, it obliged him to goto the sea coast, and perform the rest of his journey by water, a prospect which did not, by any means, agree with the wishes of Master Buttons, who heartily hated the tossing and buffetings of the sea at all times. But there was no help for it. If the despatches from Garibaldi were to be de- livered at all it must be done quickly, Frank, therefore, directed his course towards the nearest seaport, where a frigate, several troop ships, and a valuable envoy were waiting to set sail. When Frank learned that his brother, Tom Ford, was at Leghorn, his heart felt rejoiced at the un- expected change in his journey, for it was now a Jong time since he had heard or seen anything of the gallant lad. The prospect of soon meeting Tom, cheered both Frank and Master Buttons, who went on board the Italian frigate, ‘Carlo Alberto,” with light hearts and joyful ’anticipations of a short and pleasant journey along the beautiful coasts of Tuscany. The “-Carlo Alberto,” the troop ships, and others, however, had not left port more than twenty-four hours, with a fair, fresh breeze in their favour, when a terrible gale arose. It was the first time that either Frank or Buttons had beheld the sea in such a wild commotion, and the sight was terrible in its grandeur. The noble frigate was borne like a weed upon the ocean, at the mercy of the mighty tempest, which howled through the rigging so as to deaden ‘the shouts of the brave seamen while furling the sails. Billow after billow beat over them, and, as the foamy waves dashed up their snow-white crests to heaven, roaring in the wildness of their fury, Frank stood calmly on the quarter-deck, with a proud smile on his handsome face. The troop ships and. others were now scattered far and wide upon the broad, storm-crested surface of the waters. But, now and then, some of them could be dis- tinguished as they appeared for a momeiit on the surging foam like dim specks on the verge of the horizon. Night came on, and with it ten thousand horrors. A pitchy darkness, which seemed almost palpable to the touch, hung with a funeral gloom above. The waves, lashed by the fury of the tempest, sparkled with diamond-like foam, All this seemed but to render the heavens above more dense and horrible. The wind now changed favourably, The ‘*Carlo Alberto” dashed through the liquid element with astonishing swiftness. But the shifting of the gale and sudden change in the whistling, howling winds, produced a still wilder commotion in the waves, which seemed to be struggling for the mastery, and threatening in- stant destruction on every hand. Wave after wave, and billow after billow, came raging after the devoted frigate, and threatened to engulf it. But, like a bird upon the wing, the gallant vessel lifted and rose to the swell, and rushed down the steep and yawning abyss, tracking her path with brillaney and light. The terrors and horrors of that fearful night were appalling, Buttons was more dead than alive. But Captain Frank, with that real bravery for which he has been always noted, was here, there, and everywhere, performing feats of daring, that astonished and delighted all on board. Morning dawned at length. But if the gale of the preceding night had been fur‘ous, it now became doubly so, and the ‘‘ Carlo Alberto,” which before had steered her course with majesty and pride, now lay groaning beneath the foaming and angry billows. Things were now getting desperate. Orders were given to furl the foresails. Sixty seamen sprang aloft to execute the order. @ They had already extended themselves upon the yards, and were in the act oi gathering up the folds of the sail, when a heavy sea like an Alpine moun- tain came rushing upon them. Their situation was most awful, No human voice could warn them of their danger in time, nor any hand be stretched to help them, All was now dreadful suspense, Still onward rolled the mighty waves. It struck the vessel fair upon the bows; and the decks were deluged with water (see cut in No. 18). A crash, with a wild, tumultuous yell ensued. When the spray had cleared away it was found that the foremast had been swept away, and over fifty of the seamen buried beneath the yawning waves. Some few remained entangled in the rigging, but man after man was washed away. One alone was left ! That one was the gallant Frank Ford ! ' He had, without being asked, led on the gallant seamen in that perilous duty, When discovered that it was none other than the gallant young captain of the Boy Soldiers who was thus clinging to the rigging, and suspended be- tween life or death, a shout of horror and pain was raised on every hand, ‘Save him !. saye him '” | “The gallant youth is lost!” were the cries of all. CoOmicbooks.€©