The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

T mton f My) y Se Se ROG hy AS 102 — THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, 4 Tt was a eound which he could not mistake— the heavy breathing of a man. Aware instently of the danger that threatened him, he sprang to the table, where he had left the lamp and the tinder box, and struck a light. By the side of the lamp he invariably laid his light sword, and he had just time to grasp it when he saw on the other side of the room the form of Captain Lackland, the Alsatian bravo. ‘Ah! my worthy captain,” hecried, “ are you here? What do you want ?” “Want, my young friend,” replied the des- perado ; “ whatshould I want but money—money and plunder. I have heard that our gigantic friend Leslie has abundance of valuables secreted in his house bere, and I have a wish to test the trath of the stetement. You were wrong te wake; all that was necessary for you to do was to lie still, let me take what I liked, and know nothing about it.” “You have mistaken my character, captain,” said Harold. ‘Neither you nor any one else shall rob my mastery, while I am here to defend his property. So now that you are here, the best thing that you can do is to go away as quickly as possible.”’ “So ho! my prince of apprentices,” oried Lackland, “ we have learned to threaten, have we f’ “I am not threatening,” said Harold, ‘‘I am warning. If you do not at once qnit this room I shall call aloud for Mr. Leslie, and he will be here to my rescue in a moment.” The captain laughed. Evidently he was backed up in his villany by some one who was either with him already or somewhere near at hand, ‘* Ah!” cried he, “I know too well the style and structure of this house to be afraid of an interruption. I shall first bind you and then shall be at liberty to go and come as I please.” ‘ Good,” said Harold ; “if you intend fighting we had better commence at once, for Iam sieepy and wish to retire again to rest.” With these words he advanced, sword in hand, towurds the braggart, who retreated as he came on, , Captain Lackland, as usual, had no desire to ght. When he had first resolved npon invading the house of the giant armourer he had a two-fold object which he desired to effect, as usual, by treachery. His two-fold object was to rob the armourer of his money and his jewels and to bind and gag Harold in his sleep so that he should be able to carry them off withont resistance. He was unprepared both for Harold's sudden awakening and for the determined front he showed. _ “Btay,” he cried; “one so young as you should not rush thus recklessly into the very jaws of death.” “ Death,” cried Harold, “will come at its ap- pointed time, I have no fear of meeting it at the point of your sword. Back then, I say! Fly while you have yet time, or I shall save #ome one else the trouble of ridding the world of a ceward and « thief!’ . _ Phe words had scarcely left the brave youth's lips, when a dark body, whose form he could not distinguish in ite rapid entrance, sprang in through the casement, and leapt upon his back. In vain he endeavoured to shake it off. It grasped | iis throat tightly, digging its nails deep into his fiesh, and gradually paralyzing his strength. The Al] iatian captain was now in his element. He ha! the opportunity now which he always coveted of helping to carry off a prize without any da’ ger to himeelf. uraing quickly round the table, therefore, and svoiding even now a too near approach to He .old’s drooping sword, he rushed upon the Y ,ang Apprentice from behind, and succeeded 7a throwing him on his face. ‘Now, then,” cried the voice of the first assailant, “now bind him while I hold him down.” Harold now knew his enemy. His voice was a familiar one—that of his bitterest and deadliest foe. Peter Quelf the dwarf ! This was his last thought. He was beyond the power of resistance now, for hia vindictive enemy had such a fierce clutch upon his throat that his faculties faded away, and he lapsed into insenaibility, ‘¢ Now, then,” said the captain, “now that I have di of him, I will leave him to you. Gag him and bind him well, and in the mean- while I will ransack the house,” Lackland meant nothing of the kind, and Peter Quelf knew it. ‘“« Come, none of your nonsense,” he said, “ you stop here and see to him while I go, I know the house better than you do, and there’s a good chance of being spitted if you make a blunder.” “Tam aware of it,” said the captain; “so I will take your advice and remain.” Quelf accordingly rose from the body of his foe and glided away, catlike, towards the door, while the captain hastened to bind the prostrate youth and gag him. This done, he resolved to make himself safe. Below the armourer's house, at the bottom of the river stairs, a boat was in waiting. “TI will lay this young fellow in the boat and leave him, while I will place myself outside the window. Then if there isa rush of people into the room I can run for it.” He accordingly proceeded at ouce to put this manly design into execution, Despite the rotundity of his figure, he was strong and tolerably active, and seizing the Young Apprentice in his arms, he lifted him up carefully, and descended with him into the yard. No one interrupted him. In fact, no one was near. Not a sound was heard save the murmur of unseen London life. “ Ab I” chuckled the bravo, as he carried his senseless burden toward the boat. “ Ah ! Quelf is successful. No one ia interfering with him. For this campaign, my Lord Raymond shall pay me well.” Arrived now at the boat he placed the Young Apprentice within, out of reach of the water, and and then returning, planted bimaclf on the sum- mit of the ladder to wait for Peter Quelf, a —=_ ae oe Meanwhiie the dwarf made his way, gliding ‘, aso cli a A) aS X > Nee) — a oe p> e a e o 7 Ayer \ a “. CO QO RAA Nora KS