The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

58 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. « Hurrah for Garibaldi! Hurrah for Captain : Frank !” They leaped the farm-yard gate in gallant style, in a free and easy, devil-may-care, break-neck manner, peculiar to young Englishmen, and were soon on the main road leading to Vienna. The twelve hussars, who were aroused from : sleep by the ringing cheers of the boys, rushed from the hayloft, half dressed as they were, and seized their arms, but before they could fire the - bold boys were séveral hundred yards away. “ Ain’t this fine?” said Fatty, who dearly liked horse-riding. “Spur up, Buttons; don’t lag be- hind! This is rare fun; much better than tramping it, eh, ¢orporal ?” “] believe you; sergeant,” said Buttons, much elated, and galloping madly along, ‘We shall have capital sport with these nags.” - They had not ridden more than a dozen miles when Captain Frank halted at the foot of a hill. He placed three of his men in a wood on one side of the road, and three on the other; the fe- maining four hé placed here and there on the road- side with instructions what to do in ease of need. (| He himself went up to the hill-top, spy-glass in hand, - He had not been long there ere he heard the rattle of wheels. es ‘In the distance he saw a four-horse coach ap- proaching very rapidly, ~ - _ -He expected that it would come up the hill, but it did not. ; Kage There were two roads, and the driver of the coach selected the one that ran round the hill, Frank was annoyed ; but he galloped back to his comrades, and they retraced their steps so as to meet the coach on the other road. . Half an hour's hard riding brought them to it, All the young horsemen went out of sight into the woods, and waited patiently. In about ten minutes the coach appeared, But.in its round-about journey it had been met Py oe a score of dragoons who had been waiting orit! This was a discovery that greatly surprised Frank and his boys; but they had made up their minds to have the coach, at any price, and so, therefore, prepared for a fight. Part of the dragoons rode some distance in front, as Frank cculd very well see with his glass, and he made up his mind to conceal his men, and dash in between the coach and its advanced guard. ‘“Do you see that canal yonder?” said Frank, pointing in the distance. ‘' Well, that is used for canal boats now. The mail coach will have to cross the draw-bridge. Let four of you dismount, and lie near the bridge, and when the six dragoons in front have gone over, rush out and swing it back- wards. Do it quickly and cleverly, that will stop the coach, and while all are surprised at the bold measure, the rest of us will secure the. mails.”’ Four of the strongest boys were selected and galloped to the canal bridge, which was always lowered after boats had passed for the use of ordi- nary road traffic. The rest concealed themselves, In ten minutes the advanced guard of six dra goons galloped past, and went clattering over the bridge. ’ In an instant four stout youths rushed out from their places of concealment, and with all their strength quickly pulled up the drawbridge, The coach was stopped on the instant, and ina second was surrounded by the boy volunteers, The driver was knocked off his box by Hugh a at pre = ee tee ce Tracy, who dismounted his own horse, and took the reins, Frank Ford, with revolvers cocked, turned out the inside passengers, but not before he was obli ged to fire once or twice, and bang several obstinate passengers on the head with his sword. ee Dick Fellows and the rest dashed at the remain- — ing dragoons with such force and vigour that two — or three of them were unhorsed, and tumbled into ~ the ditch. : Fighting now became general on both sides. ~ The dragoons who bad’ crossed the bridge were — unable to return, but they fired across the canal, and — more than once hit several of their own friends. The four youths who had drawn up the bridge, now y¥efmounted, and galloped to Frank’s assist- ance—foremost being Fatty, revolver in hand. Frank was engaged in a despcrate sword en- | counter with two ferocious Austrian officers, who | fought like demons. ; ion Had not Buttons knocked one of them on the head Frank would have been overpowered and slain. > Ofi all sides the fight continued for some time ; but giadually the boy volunteers got the upper hand, when, witha wild shout, they made a general charge and drove the Austrians helter skelter down the road right into the canal ! © 2 “ Hoo-ray !”” shouted Fatty in triumph. ‘That last charge licked ’em, eh, Buttons? like the last charge of the guards at Waterloo, and Alma, and Inkerman! Ho-o-ray for us! Three cheers for Captain Frank! Three cheers for old Garibaldi! Three cheers and a good hooray for everybody !” — It was a.gallant fight while it lasted. Sa “It was whatI call quick and° devilish,” said Buttons, wiping his perspiring face, and laughing. ‘‘Didn’t the devils fight, though? Never mind, we've whopped ’em, and nobody’s much hurt on our side.” : ae ets But though Frank’s foresight was the real cause of vietory in cutting off the advanced guard of dragoons, he took all the‘honors bestowed upon him an a very quiet and modest manner, and gave instant orders for a retreat into Italian territory. The coach was reached, and, by moonlight, Frank discovered many important letters, and much gold and silver in the mail bags, together with sundry Austrian despatches of great value. H ehad not: much time to read, but found that one of the de patches related entirely to important recent doin of his brother Tom and the Italian crew in th gallant yacht “ Kaiser,’ which had sailed out 0. Ancona, and been ‘‘ playing the very devil,” amo ng Austrian ships in the Adriatic. * z* * CHAPTER XXVIII. THE TRHASURES OF THE MAIL COACH—WHAT THE AUSTRIAN DESPATCHES SAID—TIIE GAL- LANT DEEDS OF THE YACHT “ KAISER,”—TOM FORD AND HIS BRAVE CREW—THE PURSUIT— FATTY TURNS CRACKSMAN—THE VOLLEY—THE ESCAPE —THE DESPERATE FIGHT—THE DES- PATCHES ARE READ ALOUD. Fatry, who was much tired with his long ride on horseback, coaxed Hugh Tracy to let him drive the -four horses, Hugh did not object, and Tony, full. of glee, mounted the box, and whipped up his horses in true coachman-like style. - One or two of the young band, slightly hurt, were ae ee ecomichoo com