The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

i ES eS ee 2 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S- YOUNG CAPTAIN. a CHAPTER I, ‘HURRAH FOR GARIBALDI |!” —THE RIOT AT BROM- LEY HALL ACADEMY—REY. JONATHAN GRAVE- STONES AND HIS BODY OF TEACHERS ASSAIL THE INSURGENT SCHOLARS — THE SCHOOL - ROOM BARRICADED —THE STUDENTS’ WATCH-WORD, ‘“ LIBERTY OR DEATH !’’—DESKS, STOOLS, AND BENCHES USED FOR BREASTWORKS—THE ‘“‘GREAT BATTLE AT BROMLEY HALL’’—CUT HEADS AND SORE BONES—CAPTAIN FRANK, LEADER OF THE STUDENTS’ BAND—THE GARIBALDIANS VIC- TORIOUS— YOUNG FLINT, THE SPY AND IN- FORMER ! “ HURRAH for Garibaldi !” “Nine times nine, and. one cheer more for the brave Garibaldians |” ‘Up with the Red, White, and Green !” Such were the shouts of the students at Bromley Hall Academy, when the news arrived there of the then approaching war for Italian Independence. “Silence in the classes !” roared old Grayestones, the reverend president, rising from his desk. “ Silence there, or I'll punish the first boy that raises his voice again |”’ ‘Hurrah for Garibaldi !” : “Garibaldi for eyer !” shouted twenty voices on the instant. “ Silence! I say, Frank Ford, and all the rest, or Ill lock you up and punish you!” “ ee cheers for the brave Italian !” said Frank ord, The cheers were given with such a triumphant shout that it alarmed the whole Academy. ‘‘ Down with schogl tyrants !” said Frank Ford, prantigaue a long ruler, and waying his handker- chief. “Seize that youth, Mr. Shanks!” said the presi- dent to his chief tutor. “Joel Flint, assist him. Knock the young scoundrel down if he resists !”’ Joel Flint, the sly, cunning lawyer’s son, the chief spy and informer on the whole school, rushed at his old enemy, Frank Ford. On the instant, young Frank jumped upon his desk, and knocked Joel down with the ruler ! “ H-o-o-ray | h-o-o-ray |” said the boys, with a wild shout of joy. “ Down with the Spy ! down with the Sneak!” — ‘Seize him, Mr, Shanks! seize him! Knock the young villain down !” cried the angry and tyranni- cal old master, seizing a small, stout riding-whip from the desk, and advancing to thrash the noisy youths, “Stand back, Mr, Shanks, stand back! We do not wish to hurt you,” said Dick Fellows, jumping to Frank Ford’s side. ‘Stand back, sir, we do not wish to hurt you. It is old Gravestones we have a grudge against. He and his wife half starves the scholars, and we won’t stand it any longer.” ‘‘ What is that [hear?” roared the master, getting red in the face. ‘What! to be insulted in my own place in Bromley Hall Academy by a dozen unruly boys! What next! Seize every’ one of them, I say, and birch them till they bleed again! Rush — on tothem, Mr, Shanks |” “Do you hear that, boys? We are to be half starved, robbed of our pocket money, refused holi- days, and then be birched till we bleed again. Will you submit to that ?’’ ‘““No! Never!” was the shout of about twenty sturdy youths, out of some one hundred or more, who were at that moment assembled together. Lock the doors, my boys, lock the doors,” said old Gravestones, whip in hand ; “ they shan’t escape my vengeance ¢/is time, I know them every one, Seize your sticks and rulers, boys, and help your master and the tutozs to subdue these vile young rebels. Every one who does so shall recelve a shilling, and two days’ holiday.” This promise was received with loud shouts by many who recognised Joel Flint as their chief and” leader. Joel himself, though bleeding from the nose, and with a black eye, quickly locked the doors, and” seized a poker. ‘“Come on lads,” Garibaldi !” . : In a moment the whole Academy was in the greatest uproar. Chairs, tables, benches, stools, writing desks, and all were thrown down, and the fight commenced in © earnest | : The red-faced, pot-bellied master, whip in hand, led the way, and laid about, him right and left, with more vigour than judgment, Many of his blows fell upon his own favourite scholars, who were all well-known “sneaks.” Some shouted, others yelled; ink-stands, copy- books, dictionaries, slates, spelling-books, Latin grammars, Greek lexicons, all were used as weapons or missiles. Blows were freely exchanged on both sides. Screams, yells, and cheers were heard on every side. Some were limping about with sore shins, Others had receive! nasty knocks with rulers from Frank Ford’s band of young Garibaldians. All was a-perfect Babel of confusion and noise, Some tried to escape through the windows, but they were too high from the ground. - Others rushed to the doors, but they were locked, and the keys were in the gaunt and angry master’s pockets. ~ Shouts of triumph and defiance rang out from Frank Allen’s brave band of twenty. “Seize them, lads: seize them,” cried Joel Flint, “give them no quarter, they have always been ‘the cocks of the school’ in everything.” ‘Do you hear that?” shouted Frank Ford and Dick Fellows, ‘‘No quarter, mind; let ’em have it! Haye no mercy on the half-starved, crayen crew.” Joel mounted on a desk and aimed a terrible blow at Dick Fellows with a long poker, which, had it hit him, must have killed him on the spot, At that moment, however, Frank Ford reared him- self up, and, with all his strength, gave the sneak, Joel, such a “‘nose-emder” with his right fiat as knocked him headlong off the desk head over heels among his noisy followers. ‘Hurrah ! boys, the Sneak shuns the combat,” said Dick Fellows, with aloud shout. ‘Give it to "em; *‘ Let ’em have it.”’ ‘Hire away! Don’t spare ’em.” ’ “ Down with mouldy bread and sour milk !” “ Wight for your rights.” ; “They have stolen our-pocket money and half staryed us,” said first one and then another of the twenty young Garibaldians. The master and his tutors now knew not what to 0. Frank Ford and his comrades defied all attempts to secure them. _ Some of the scholars were crying and bawlin; In various corners, _ Others had black eyes and bloody noses, present- ing altogether not a very enviable or inviting ap- pearance. _This partial defeat only exasperated the master, his assistants, and monitors all the more. ¥ Eomicboo said he, “we'll give them . (C©) ~ . -—~