The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

ae a oc a a TS TSI SE 46 CHAPTER XXII, THE BANQUET--PROFESSIONAL DUELLISTS HIRED BY JOEL FLINT — THE INSULT — TONY IN RAPTURES, THE night was beautiful and calm ; the stars shone forth from pure Italian skies, while the horned moon peeped over the tree tops of the grove where the Boy Band were encamped. Sounds of martial music fell upon the ear from a large and distant tent, in which a party of officers were assembled round the festive board doing honour to the arrival among them of Frank Ford and his gallant English boys. Songs and toasts and-cheers were heard, and loudest among them all could be heard some half dozen English boys who were at the table. Here and there a sentinel could be espied in the margin. of the wood, and as he silently walked his post, his bayonet glittered in the starlight, Two men were seen to approach the banquet tent, They stopped, and for a moment conyeised in whispers. “ Any fear ?” said one, ‘“‘ Not the slightest.” ‘«‘ What soldier is on guard ?” ‘Pedro. He it is we shall have to encounter.” “ But will he let us pass?” “ T have no doubt ; leave that tome. Come.” They advanced towards the banquet tent, boldly. “Halt ! who goes there?” the guard shouted, “Friend, with the countersign.” “ Advance, friend, and give the countersign,” said the sentry. The two strangers approached, “The countersign !” said the soldier, levelling his musket at them. ‘The brave English Boys !” “ Right |” said the soldier. “ Pass on.” “Ttold you that was the countersign to-night for all the volunteer camps,” “Who told you?” “ One of the young Garibaldians—one that Frank Ford little dreams of.” “ How well he is watched,” “ Yourg Flint is no fool.” ‘He pays us well though.” “Yes ; and regularly.” ‘‘ But shall we not be detected ?” “No; trust tome, You seeI have twotickets to the banquet ?”’ * How did you get them?” f From the same one who gave me the counter- sign.’ “ Hixcellent,” 3 “ They will take us for strange officers, that’s all.” So saying, the two strangers walked into the tent, and took seats in a very cool style. . They were not noticed ; song and laughter were the order of the night. Frank was there, surrounded by Hugh Tracy, Dick Fellows, Mark, and a very large, red-faced youth, who it was easy to distinguish was Mr, Tony Waddleduck, who, witha face like a full moon, was bowing right and left, and drinking lots of the best wine, For some time he had been mistaken by the Italian officers for Captain Frank, who treated him to a great display of bowing and hand-shaking, which Tony amply repaid, and made several visits to the wine tables long before his young captain arrived, How he had managed to get a ticket of admission to the banqnet was a mystery to Frank, | THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALD!’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. The truth was Tony had been strolling out for a walk, and the sweet, savory smell of costly eat- ables in a neizhbouring tent assaulted his nose with so much order that he could not repress a sigh of regret. “ Oh | Buttons, if we were only the lucky ones, eh ?” he thought, and scratched his big head for an idea, He soon got one. : He boldly marched up to the cook, and bribed that functionary with a sovereign ! The sight of the precious coin delighted the chief cook, who soon managed to abstract a dinner ticket from the colonel’s tent, and this he gave to the delighted Fat Boy. This was how he got there; and, in order not to create any disturbance, Frank whispered to him to behave himself, and he might remain. To say that Master Waddleduck enjoyed the eat- ing part of the banquet would ill-express what he did and what he felt. He whispered to Mark “‘ that this was the happiest moment of his life,” and, as he did s0, sighed, and unbuttoned his jacket. Knife and fork in hand he made sad havoc with all before and around him, never having time even to pass the time of day with his next neighbour. After two courses had been gone through his vest was unbuttoned. After the third course his shirt collar was un- buttoned, and his face was as red as a beet-root with eating. In truth he astonished the waiters so much that they stood and looked at him in wonder, Two whole ducks, to start with, had mysteriously disap- peared from the dish before him; one bottle of wine had washed them down. Puddings whole were demolished, a perfect pyramid of tarts vanished like snow down his capacious throat, In truth it might be said on this occasion that Master Tony had stuffed himself up to his shirt collars, for his eyes were staring out of his head, and he could scarcely breathe, But still his jaws worked first on nuts and then on fruit until at last he was conquered, and fell asleep in his chair with a cigar in his mouth. The chief toast of the evening was, ‘* Capt. Frank Ford and his Boy Band of Gallan Garibaldian Volunteers.” The whole company rose, glass in hand, and honoured the toast with three times three, All we have said. Not all. There were two individuals who did mo¢ rise and drink, They sat with an alr of defiance, and with a smile of disdain upon their lips. “Gentlemen,” said the chairman, “I beg you all to rise to honour this toast.” : Still the two strangers kept their seats, moment there was a pause, ‘“Why don’t you rise, eh?” said he, looking daggers at the two strangers, ‘“‘We do not rise to drink the health of such pers sons as he is,” was their cold, ironical answer, “Sir,” said Hugh to one, “Sir,” said Dick Fellows to another, indignantly, “T repeat that we do not rise to drink the health of such a person as he is,” ‘What mean you?” ‘Turn them out,” ** Explain |”? “Who are they ?””_ For a Gomicboo (<©) 4 ; 7 ]