The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 376: what you’re looking at

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

370 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. EE SSS “ Both the youths drew their swords, prepared to fight hard for their lives, “But at that instant some villains, with a loud . laugh of mockery, threw their lassoes with unerring aim, and both Don Carlos and Spinola were dragged to the earth insensible and almost strangled. _ “They had fallen alive into the hands of Prince Catalka and his Indian allies! ‘ But this was not all. ‘«‘ A deeper plot was laid for old Don Toros. “ Catalka was much more cunning than ever old Don Toros had ever imagined. . “This plot which Catalka was now developing, had long been in the mind of the crafty native. “Tt is true that he and his people had been defeated in battle more than once by the Spanish invaders of that part of the country, under the guidance of old Toros. “ Part of his lands, in truth most of them, had been seized by Toros ; and the native prince, though pretending submission and obedience to the newly- arrived ruler, had vowed in his heart not to rest either night or day until he had taken signal revenge. ‘‘And the method of his proceeding was simple enough, ‘‘He had discovered, through the agency of an Indian spy, that young Don Carlos was enamoured of his only daughter, Elvina, and that they had often met secretly in the lonely mountain gorge. ‘‘ When sufficient time had been allowed to pass, Catalka imagined that the passion of young Carlos was inflamed, and thus he had entrapped him and young Spinola, yet not before all his plans were fully prepared for immediate execution. “The watch-fires, which Don Carlos had not observed at the moment of departing from his father’s castle, were for no other purpose than to signal to Catalka’s friends to act the part they were each intended to play, and to inform them that the present moment was the one agreed upon. ‘The method and plan of Catalka was this, “Directly the two youths had left the castle— which he felt certain Don Carlos himself would do, upon receipt of the fictitious despatch from Elvina, Hubert, the trusty messenger, having been stopped and killed, according to Spinola’s dream— a large party of Indians were ordered to appear suddenly before the castle of Don Toros, and invite an attack, ‘This the Indians did. “ As soon as old Toros was informed of this he laughed good-humouredly, ‘He did not think it possible that mere Indians would dare to oppose his knights, and other armed men. “ Nor was he incorrect. “For when Don Toros ordered out a party of armed men, the Indians fled towards the defiles of neighbouring mountains, closely pursued by the old Don’s adherents, ““When this was accomplished, however, a courier arrived at the castle-gates, post haste, and almost out of breath, informed Don Toros that the party of knights and soldiers who had but recently gone sons were almost surrounded by Catalka’s whole orce, “But this information was not wholly true, ‘The Indians enticed the Don’s retainers and ae into a mountainous defile, and a fierce fight ensued, ‘‘Had the Indians stood their ground there they ° would have been exterminated by the knights, *‘ Be this as it may, old Toros, in a great rage, rose from his couch, and, gathering all his men together, he sallied forth from the castle, bent upon slaughtering not only the Indians but the whole of Catalka’s forces. ‘* He took a different route from that pursued by the first detachment, and left the castle almost without a guard. “Tt was at this moment that Prince Catalka himself, at the head of a select and brave body of natives, suddenly appeared before the gates of the castle, smashed in the gates and gained possession, to the dismay and horror of its inmates, “Thus, at one and the same time, 80 craftily had he arranged all his plans, Catalka not only secured young Carlos, but enticed the whole force ont of old Toros’s stronghold, and then captured it. ‘Leaving a strong guard behind, Catalka in less than an hour sallied forth from the conquered stronghold, and marched straight towards the mountain pass in which his Indian allies were hotly engaging those sent after them, ‘““Thus taken in front and rear, Don Toros’s fol- lowers coul:t not successfully contend with their numerous opponents. “Tn less than half an hour Catalka gained the - victory. ; “‘ Many of the Spaniards, both of high and low rank, were killed or captured, and the natives took up the line of march to the spot where the false guide had taken Don Toros and the last of his men. “Old Toros and his followers had unwisely fol- lowed the guide up a narrow ravine, which ended (at the distance of several miles) very abruptly in a solid wall of rock, through which there was no passage at all. ‘OF this old Toros was not aware, nor would he have followed the Indian guide at all unless the latter had expressly and most solemnly assured the old Don that Catalka and his whole force were there concealed, After wending their way up this treacherous ravine for more than a mile, the guide slipped from his horse, disappeared among the brushwood, and escaped, ‘‘Old Toros was now convinced that he had been deceived. He, nevertheless, cheered on his men, and made every preparation in case he was attacked. _ Still proceeding farther and farther up the ravine, in order to reach more quickly the territories of Prince Catalka, which, he knew, were just beyond the mountain range, his vanguard galioped back with the startling information that there was no outlet of any kind, . “With dreadful maledictions on the heads of — Catalka, and all who had aided him, Don Toros prepared to retreat. ‘But at that moment fearful sounds reached his — ears, ‘Tt was like that of distant thunder. ‘‘What could it mean ? “No one could tell. > ‘Not a man dared whisper his suspicions. “Again and again the sounds recurred, and they reverberated along the broad, dry, and timber- edged ravine, with sudden and loud explosions. ‘‘ The nearer they approached the mouth of the ravine the more freqeunt and ominous were the sounds which fell upon the ears of the benighted Spaniards. : ‘The mystery was soon explained, “ Catalka and his men, now joined by all their forces, having in their midst young Carlos and Spinola, had allowed old Toros to pursue his way a ae GComichbookssco