The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 17: 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. So saying, old Giles went to an old worm-eaten cupboard, and opened it, When he had done so he turned round and said, “If you make any noise old Jonathan will hear it ; the small room with the iron door is next to the one we are now going into, Ill peep in first, and see if he is inside.” With an ease which surprised Frank and Dick, Giles crawled into the cupboard, and removed a small piece of wood from the back of it, which gave him an insight into the next room. “No one there,” said Giles. ‘‘ Come into the cup- board.” “We can’t: it isn’t large enough,” — “ But you must squeeze yourselves in.” “ What for?” * You'll see what for in a minute,” Frank and Dick crept into the cupboard with much labour. In an instant it turned on a pivot ! They found themselves in the next room ! The sight which they then saw filled them with surprise and indignation. CHAPTER IY. THE CAPTIVES RESCUED FROM A LIVING TOMB— AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION OVERHEARD— THE DARK CONSPIRACY—THE HAPPY RELEASE —FINDING OF THE MONEY SAFE—THE DISTRI- BUTION OF COIN. HUSH-S-S-H !” said old Giles, with a finger on his lip in token of dead silence. Frank and Dick looked on the scene before them _ with beating hearts, and cheeks flushed with anger, In a corner of that small, dark, damp, and com- fortless room lay a boy and girl asleep ! They were reposing on a dirty straw mattress upon the floor, and covered with a ragged counterpane. A single chair, on which stood a small basin of water, with soap and a dirty towel, was the only article of furniture in the place. A pitcher of water, and an old stale mouse-eaten loaf was near the bed. The girl appeared to be about fourteen years of age, a pale, pallid, pretty girl she was, with long, black, wavy hair, beautiful eye-lashes, and pouting lips, which disclosed in sleep her matchless teeth. She was thin and haggard from want, neclect, and cruelty, yet, for all this, as we have said, she was pretty, nay, captivating, and as she smiled in sleep she affectionately threw a slim, white, de- licately-formed hand and arm around her brother’s neck, and caressed him unconsciously. The boy seemed to be a little younger than his sister. » He had a manly face, but marks of sorrow had left deep lines upon it. ‘ Frank and Dick looked on in wonder. ‘‘What mystery is this?” asked Frank, in an almost inaudible whisper. “T will tell ye all by-and-bye,” said old Giles, with a deep sigh. - ‘But we must rescue and save these poor crea- tures,” said Frank. * Silence, I say,” old Giles answered, “ silence, or all is lost. Jonathan may overhear us, and then all our good intentions would be foiled. They shall be rescued, but not now. See how they sleep, poor dears! Old Jonathan puts drugs in their food so as to make ’em sleep as much as possible, 11 Hush-sh ! don’t you hear him talking in the next room ?” Frank listened, and heard his own name men- tioned, This excited his curiosity intensely, and he. put his ear to the key-hole. “Tf that young imp of the devil gets possession of my private desk I am lost,” said Jonathan to Shanks. “Why so, sir ?” “T received a letter from Flint this morning, together with 1,000 pounds in bank notes,” ‘Indeed ?” << 'Yes;”" * Micht I ask what for, sir—for what purpose ?”’ “That secret remains with me, Mr. Shanks. When you have married my daughter Sophia you will be a blood relation, and I can then explain all, but suffice it to say I have made up my mind that neither of them shall receive a penny of it. Iwill keep it for my myself, and transport the young ‘rascals for theft or on some other false pretence ;, it is easily done. I know that such a turn of affairs would greatly please Flint, their uncle’s lawyer.” “Tt is well Mr. Caspar never knew anything of those two brats, sir.” * Just so, just so; nobody knows a word about it, Shanks, but you, myself and my wife. Did you give them that sleeping draught as usual this morning ?” ‘“< Yes.” “That's right, let ’em sleep away their life ; they won’t get very fat on what Z give ’em, eh, Shanks ?” said Jonathan, with a fiendish grin. ‘‘T think not,” Shanks replied ; “ but it is a very great responsibility, sir.” “T know it, but I am well paid for it, you know. Those two half-starved brats are worth £1,000 a year to me.” ** Indeed !” “Yes ; I have had ’em here this last eight years or more. They haven’t been out of that room once since. I don’t know how it is, but they won't die, Shanks,”’ ‘No, they seem to linger on, sir. I don’t know what keeps life in ’em ; I’m sure their allowance of bread and water, and their daily sleeping-draughts can’t make e’m very fat.” ‘©T wish they would die, you know, Shanks, be- cause if they did it would be a thousand or two in my pocket, but why, you know, is a dead secret to any one but me at present.” _ * * * # * Frank heard all this conversation with a beating heart. The first impulse of his noble nature was to liberate the boy and girl, and then have Jonathan arrested. But he thought that after all he had done in causing the riot, and breaking up the school, his word would not be trusted by any one of a jury. He knew not what to do, and turned his head to consult Dick Fellows. - At that moment the boy and girl awoke. They smiled gladly when they beheld their old and long-tried friend Giles, but were astonished at seeing Frank and Dick. The young girl blushed, and hid her face be- neath the bed-clothes, as her gaze met that of Frank. Silence !” old Giles whispered to them. ‘“ Make not the slightest noise, as you value your lives. I have brought these two young gentlemen to assist me in carrying you both away.” 4~SOIWVA Re A cS . QO MICLOO© Co SoCO