The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 233: what you’re looking at

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

- ‘THE BOY’ SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. aAGe “2al | _. Never fear,” said all: “if they tr to entra us, we must do the Tate with tiem.” e hak All right,” said ‘the ‘count, “so the villains don’t disturb us in our rest to- -night, I don’t mind ; 80, good nicht, Pedro.” « Good night, gentlemen,” ? said Pedro, the guide, and he left Frank's tent. All ‘was still, and’ every, one. feeling safe and stints went to sleep. hey had’ not Besk slumbering more than an fa when. Pedro, ever watchful, went out tosee that the cam guards were all awake, and ‘doing their dity properly: One or two e found fast asleep i in the grass, and these he kickedso vigorously'that they jumped to | their feet in’ great alarm and astonishment. “ What the devil are yon all about, eh?” swore Pedtoe" “Do you want ‘us all butchered in cold blood by the Blackfeet? Get up, and if you dose off 2 Aadie, pel have you whipped Tight ‘soundly.’* He’ ‘Went’ further, and found young Buttons on guard, |!" : _ At first Pedro pond not see him, for Buttons was ‘crouched down upon the ground, intently watching something in the distance. | “What do you see?” Pedro. asked. “T can’t tell what it is,” was the whispered reply, “but for the last half-hour I have seeti'a great way ‘Off something danting among the high grass, like a man on horseback.” “Where ? Tn what direction al 1 Why, yonder,” said ‘Buttons, “direction meant, “Do you see it now?” Said the quick- i young acy Late “¥es T Gee Moerecee "6 What ean it be ps eB ““T can’t tell yet ; but. will soon ha’ out ee tier it bea man or a buffalo.” |” ‘So speaking, Pedro went to one of the camp fires ‘and seized a Butain o brand. This he'twirled around his! head thrice, and then threw it into the fire again. ** If you see any object approach our camp at full allop, don’t fire,” said he, to Buttons ; “it ma fe _ be some trapper who! has lost his way, or escaped from the Indians.” “ And will be know what you meant by that signal 2” Ta a “© Yes) if he’s trapper, he will; but if it’s an Indian, he'll think I was breaking up a faggot— listen !”” They did listen, and in a short time both could distinctly hear’ the rapid approach of some horse- man, ~ In five minutes the outlines of: the stranger ap- proaching could be plainly seen. He came nearer and nearer. - “6 TeGs a jtrappet,” said Pedro,’ We don’t fire or alarm the camp.” Buttons did’ not fire, and ° ‘shortly’ ‘the trapper galloped towards ‘them. ~ Halt ? said Buttons.’ — And on the instant the mounted | man stopped. _ ‘Pedro went out to meet him, and conducted him into the camp. He was. a tall, rough, eee! looking fellow, “without ‘arms or weapons of any kind, save a long, dirk: knife, pointing in. the fj His hair’ was hanging all over his face and Shoulders. ’ Blood was ‘tipon: his. hands, and his fice was dis- “coloured with goré which ran down from a bullet- wound in his cheek “ Water, water! p> he faintly asked for, and ‘aéémed to be so weak that hé c vould B hardly speak or Keep his seat in the.saddle, ; The horse te rode was an. Tndian: faustang, and foam was on every part of him, ¥ “Saved !, saved!” he said, ahd ‘slipped, Of his horse. “Are ‘you Mexicans, or Americans’ ‘ Neither,” , said Buttons, proudly, _ “ We “are Thelish volunteers, on our way to Mexico,” * ‘Good |". said the trapper, ‘I heard as uch; a ‘but could scarcely believe’ it. | The I Indians are on © the war trail, _and will ‘be upon’ you, before’ many | hours.” ° “How do you. ea that?” .said Pedro. ,. “TI Bavé just, escaped. | from the: Blackfeet, and AEH all.” “Come this way,”, said Pedro, and ‘he Ha ie | ‘trapper to Frank’s tent. eee as Frank, Hugh, Caspar, and, tte Cit, Were East asleep. at the time. — | aes 18 g- When they were icc de ‘Fatty “looke tonished at the grisly, blood: “tamed apprtnps of | the stranger. | | Pedro goon explained all to Frank. “Escaped from the Blackfeet ?”) Bibi the Count: “Yes, sir, atd the trath, of ‘the this Captain Tom Ford” and his tWo ships have been playing’ the very devil with ith Maxiniilian’s shij ping down in the Gulf of. Mexico, and.” the, ee eard that you were on you Wad to join Juarez i pee against the Freneti,” s - ot Quite true.” hole tnatt er is | a “ Juarez knew me t3 be a: svat “know Fahd ana gave mea dispatch 1 for. you." as Where i is it ike “ Thave destroyed. it? but. Jno - its britent very : well, word for word, J “ Wher. the French heard ‘of four coining they | acquainted Maximilian of” it, and cated the fact to his minister. ‘This minister,. who is a renegade "Wexidan, sent word to Eagle-wing, chief ‘of. the Blackfeet, “to intercept you on the plains, nate off, your cattle, fi then destroy you in the’ wildérnéss.” ” ‘he “communi. | ‘Juarez heard of this.and. sent a despatch t by h nie | to warn you in time. “But, unfortunately, four days on my journey to meet. “you, when I’ Was I had not, een iiore” than | surrounded by the Blackfeet, and, after’ a terrible | running fight which lasted half the day, my. ‘horse was shot from under me, and ‘there | Was Soa wORe ‘them wounded and helpless.” 7 ~°T tore up the message Juarez had giver me, and thus, if eyen they knew, how to read ite. they were unble to get any, information ” ‘about my journey. Re ak remained among then for, More than 4 week, and suffered all sorts of insults and ill- treatment, | “They had made up their minds to kill me, but were so occupied in looking after your trail, ‘that they put off roasting me until some other days for I could see they knew my real character. “They could not: speak any language “but! their ‘own, which I understood ‘well’ enough, but “did not f J pretend to do 80. ‘From their joyful .jabbering I knew they had ‘got on your trail, and last’ night one ‘of their numbers even penetrated into’ your camps——"* al “T told. you so,” said Pedro. “Aad got pack safely to his comradés; atid re- ported you to be very few and careless ; but that ‘you had lots’ of horses, and provisions: They held'a gratid council} ahd-resdlved to atitaek you and destroy your train. “T heard all about it, and “tries? fi plait some meatis of making my é8cape: