The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

42 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN, I ie ee a Italian sausages, of which Fatty was immensely fond, and could devour any possible quantity put before him, ‘Fine, ain't it, Buttons?” " T believe yer.” ‘© Who wouldn’t be a soldier ?”’ “ Ah! just so; all but the knocks, ‘When one of them there round cannon shots hits a feller aside of his nob it tickles him rayther.” “T should just say so; make him scratch his head a trifle, eh, Buttons? Any more sausage left?” “Yes, here’s another dose for you,” said Buttons, handing him a “chunk” of about two pounds weight, ‘Tt wouldn’t do for you to be a commissary,”’ “ What’s a commissary ?” “Why a chap as has the care of all the grub.” “ That’s just what I would like, I wouldn’t look after myself first, eh, Buttons? Ob, no, not the slightest,” ‘If you were you’d eat up all the grub,” said Captain Frank, who, some distance off, had been listening to the.comical snarling of Master Buttons and Fatty, could not but smile as he whispered to Hugh Tracy, “ Hugh, just listen to Fatty and Buttons; they are very loving now, but in a minute or two they will be quarrelling like a couple of angry dogs.” “Yes,” said Hugh; “but still they like each other.” “Like each other? I believe you, and would shed their blood for each other.” “ Fatty seems to take to Buttons amazingly.” “Yes, and Buttons to him ; they are a strange pair, always up to some devilment or other. Do you remember the trick Buttons played on him coming across the channel?” ‘“No; what was it?” “Fatty was getting very sea-sick, and Buttons tried to coax him into some exercise in order to shake it off, ‘You can’t do this,’ said Buttons, standing on one leg, and holding out the other with the right hand. “*Can’t I though?’ said Fatty, who considers himself one of the nimblest fellows in the world. Can't I though? You just see.’ I was standing by, and, after several tumbles, Fatty did it. ‘‘* But you can’t do this, though?’ said young Buttons, standing on-his head, “* Yes, I can,’ said Fatty, ‘but'the deck is too slippery.’ *“* Well, do it on this tub,’ said Buttons, “Patty did do it, but——” “What makes you laugh?” said Frank, “It would make the devil laugh to see what oc- curred,”’ “What was it 2?” “ Fatty’s head knocked in the top of the tub, and he went up to the shoulders,”’ ‘*In what ?” “In soap fat,” “You don’t mean that ?” said Frank, grinning, “T do, though,” “ But did young Buttons know it ?” “ Of course he knew all aboutit, and it was done on purpose ; but he never let out, for while Fatty was puffing and blowing and cleaning himself, the httle imp of a page was laughing till the tears ran out of his eyes, Had Fatty ever suspected it was done on purpose, I fear he would have given Master Buttons a sound hiding, as ‘much as he loves him, He is the very devil for practical jokes, and is the life and soul of all the Band.” After an hour or two of repose, Frank roused up Euptons, who, with Fatty, was lying snoring on the eck, “Come, Buttons, you must go with me into the cabin. I want to see and speak to Teresa the spy,” said he, ; ‘Don’t wake her up yet,”’ said Buttons, ‘‘ for she told me us we came on board that she hadn’t had any sleep for several nights.” “Well, then, let the young maiden sleep on. Have you made her comfortable?” ‘‘Oh, yes; she’s in the admiral’s bunk, and your brother Tom is at the cabin-door, guarding her from all intrusion.” ‘Right ; and now that we are sailing merrily towards the port of Ancona, and no enemy in sight, suppose you tell us how you got on in the Fort.” ‘‘Yes, Buttons, let’s have it,” said the young Garabaldians, who now clustered around him and sat on the deck, The Italian seamen seemed much interested to | hear all about it, so they also formed part of the audience, Frank and Dick Fellows translating to them Button’s story as fast as he told it. In order to “ whet his whistle,” as Mark the foster-brother called it, Captain Frank gave Buttons a bottle of wine, which he stood beside him, but kept a close watch on Fatty, who once or twice very cunningly stole it, and helped himself, ‘Well, here goes, gentlemen,” said Buttons, *‘T’'ll tell you all about it, provided Fatty doesn’t call me a liar half a dozen times in every minute, as he always does,” ; “Tl take care of that,” said Hugh, “If Fatty dares touch your bottle or interrupt you, he shall be put on short commons for a week, the worst punishment we could/inflict upon him, for we all know how he loves his bellyful.” ‘“‘ Well, then,” said Buttons, ‘‘ you left me on the wall of the Fort.” “Just so,” said Fatty ; “we know all about that.” “Silence, Paunchey,” said Hugh, flourishing a ropesend, ‘ Proceed, Buttons; we are all atten- tion.” “Well, as I lay on the top of the wall, I began to feel very shaky and very nervous, 1 stayed there for some few minutes, and then began to crawl like acat. I had a full view of the court- yard below, and could see the soldiers marching up and down. There were not more than half a dozen left in it, for all the rest had marched out through the gate to give battle to you in the ravine. The guards when left alone began talking to each other, and, thanks to the few lessons of German I learned from you, Captain Frank, at school, I found out that the female spy was confined in the colonel’s house, which formed part of the Fort. How to get there I didn’t know, but after a time I mustered up courage enough to crawl towards it on my hands and knees. I found a skylight open, and got into it. The place was all deserted; for every man was marched off to fight ; everything seemed in confusion as if they had hurriedly got out of bed ; watches and other valuables were lying about loose in the room, but I was so excited I did not touch anything,” ‘Oh, there’s a crammer,” I, though ?” “ Silence, Paunchey !” ‘As I descended the stairs I got into a room Where several officers had been playing cards and drinking wine. There were several purses lying there filled with gold coin. Itook a good drink of the wine, and thinking that a little money might come in servicable, took the purses.” ‘Halves, then, say I,” said Fatty, everything on the square.” “Silence, thick-head |” said Fatty, “Wouldn't “ Let’s have (S©) Gomicbooks eam a SS , im