The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

o% THE BOY SOLDIER; OR; GARIBALDI'S8 YOUNG CAPTAIN. 51 “Give him to me; Mark; save yotirself; my boy,” said Fatty, puffing and blowing liké 4 yount whale, ’ Mark would not. ‘A Fatty, However; seized Buttotis by the heels, while Mark held tip his head, arid in this way they gallatitly brought the brave boy to shore. _ Fatigued as the brave young Garibaldians were, they easily captured nearly all thé Italidn’ who opposed them; and marched them off as prisoners of war. Mark was wounded slightly by the riflé shot in thé shotildér; bit did not heéd it much, but helped Fatty to revive youn? Btittofis; which He soon did: They Catried him iti a blanket, whilé Hugh Tracy and Dick Fellows cared for Frank, who was qtickly put under thé skilful cate of 4 surgeon. Then the procession marched back to their camp. Not oné of théir own patty was Killed, and as they passed the camps of other troops, they found them drawn up, and at that momént about to march out to the rescue of the brave band of English Boy Soldiers who had fought so well. | CHAPTER XXV, THE HHADLESS SPECTRE—SHANKS IN TROUBLE— OLD JONATHAN’S YOUNG WIFE—A WOMAN IN LOVE AND HATRED—CASPAR IS CAST FRIEND- LESS ON THE WORLD—THE CONFESSION; THE terrible aspect of the headless #host standing so close beside him with his hand laid on the old gardener’s shoulder was Sométhing so unexpected and horrible thaf Giles trembléd in every limb, and felt alniost distilled into a jelly, ~ = “Heavens !” he gasped, as he looked at tHe héadless apparition. , ‘ Heé wotild havé sunk to the ground, But thé grasp of the leddless being held him up without the least apparent effort, 5 | : ’ “Tu thé name of all that’s holy téll me who and what yé ate?” said Giles, with 4 great effort. The headless being stirréd not, | _ Y¥ét 4 voice, calm; sepulchral, and of thrilling toné, which ame as if from the depths below, answered, slowly, | “ T ati the Mystéty of Bromléy Hall !”” “What would you Have nié do? Oh, speak | let me not die of fear,” said Giles; “Get thee hénce to thy cottage, then ; let not the master of Bromley Hall ever suspect that you kidw aught 6f his bloody sé¢rets, els¢ death will follow.” | “Be mite, Know iothing; prétetid , sillinéss; véngeanéé will come, and thy aged hands shall help if on.” “T will obéy.” . . * Mark ime ; whats you ate téld to do, do Ye Without quéstion, dnd, ere midnight chimes from pig village lock, I will visit thee agajn——hbut stay not heré’ one home Jonger than nedéssary, of you are lést, Fasten down that panel in the floor } time will shortly reveal all to you. For the present; fatéwell !" = ‘A RET pe As hé spoke, hé raised his Hand from Gilés’s shoulder, who covéred his face with his hands as the figure appeared to sink throtigh the floor t ae Wor a few thomeéents old Giles stdod trembling with wonder and gurprise. * BR. Yn “Was he dreaming?” Ke thought, “or had all this strangely horrible apparition been réal?” While He stood mute, and with trembling limbs, the panel of thé floor was closed of its own accord | The boards flapped to again as if fastened with sprifigs; and iiidé the old gardener start again, and return to Comscioushess, = | | His lamp had gone out; he was in total darkness, For 4 niottient he knéw not what to do. Hé srdped about and found his extinguished lamp, bit that was of no earthly use to him. He was now startled afresh by the sounds of light footstéps approaching along the corridor, It was by this corridor that he had to escape ! What was he to do? He listened. Wa Rey The fOotfalls weré licht and cat-like, Were they those of thai or woinan ? Hé knew not, i ce ha’ | Sappose he had been watched or tracked thither? is a Suppose, also, that they had come to murder eat these things flitted through the old man’s Aid he trembled, for he was weak and feeble, atid triable to make any stont resistance in case of néed, - Wifete Should he hide? , _ ; While he thdbght of all these things he heard thé suppres8ed breatliing of, some one near him, “Ts that you?” sighed 4 faint voice. a a moment there was no answer. “Ts that you?” wis repeated, _ eyes,” sighed another voice not far off, as of somé one approaching in the contrary direction, _ Old Giles was in a fix ; he was caught both ways, and knéw not what to do. eid At last he laid hiniself flat on the floor of the corridor, with his face downwards. In a few seconds, through the intense darkness, he espied the shadowy form of a woman approach- ing on one side, and in the opposite direction the figure of a man. . They were both creeping along ‘like guilty things, ahd as if afraid of the sound of their own footsteps, and were feeling the sides of the wall as they advanced. . ) “Who could they bé? and what were their mo- tives ?” thought the old gardener, What other horror was he about to witness ? e knew not, but held his breath. t that instant some one stumbled over him, and féll with a loud noise. In an instant Gilez vanished from the spot. It was the titor Shanks and the mistress of Bromley Hall! & Wit could they want there af that lone- hour, and in total @arknés? =, r “Ob!” groaned Shanks, in pain, as he lay Same n.the floor, “oh! that must have been 4 host or the devil himself.” ee Se “Silence, fool |” said the faint voice of Jonathan’s silty wife. “ Hus-s-sh! Do you want to alarm he whole house?”?, rape * “Did you not see it?” said Shanks, trembling in every limb. “It flitted down the corridor like a spitit. The house is haunted; Iknowitis.” “ Hus-s-sh, booby,” was the female’s answer. “Come this way ; you aré timid ; be not a coward. Follow me.” grad a hie , Shanks crawled along in great pain, and followed ius mistress into the very library old Giles had just left. +e ap She locked the door upon them. They were now alone, “What want ye with me, mistress?” Shanks asked, in a doleful tone. , “Are you certain that Jonathan did go. to London, and that he does not suspect our meet- ings ?”’ conmilcebook ~ C©