The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

yay a Sok © i | x THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. thought you had escaped, my hearties ; you are wrong.” “Stand back!” cried Morris Lambert, des- perately. ‘ You know not what you do. Stand back and let us pass, or my sword shall cleave a passage through your ranks !"” As Morris spoke, the giant armourer snatched a sword from the hand of one of the troopers. Whirling it round his head, gleaming like . flash of lightning, be sprang against his es, The two friends fought with the energy of d g men. But the battle lasted but a few moments. They had hewn their way almost to the edge of the stone-wall, when a sharp cry rang out upon the night, and Morris Lambert, dropping his sword, staggered towards the brink of the water. , “IT die, I die! Farewell, Leslie!” he cried, and with a last desperate effort to stand, he fell over and sank into the black river. “ He has kept his vow,” said the armourer, as he fought to beat down the swords of his foes. But it was in vain. Strong and gigantic as he was, he was now overmatched. Ten men, clad in half-mail, were opposed to him, and the small sword he wielded was as nothing compared to the heavy weapon he had forged with his own hands. At length, therefore, fairly overpowered by numbers, he sank exhausted on the ground, and was carried back amid the jeers and taunts of the soldiers into his gloomy subterranean cell. He had heard nothing of his friends with- out. All indeed seemed hopeless. CHAPTER IX. HAROLD FORDYCE AND THE MAN WITHOUT A NAME—THE SECRET CONCLAVE—THE PLEDGE OF REVENGE~THE PREPARATIONS FOR BAT- TLE—THE LETTER TO CROMWELL—THE DE- PARTURB OF THE YOUNG ADVENTURERS— THE FAREWELL. WHILE the giant armourer was immersed in the dark solitude of the Tower of London, his friends were not idle. As soon as Harold Fordyce had succeeded in emerging from the Judgment Hall he hastened homewards. He found Alicia and Ettie in a state of great consternation. Some one had seen the armourer conveyed away and had preceded him with the bad news. “Could you not save him, Harold?” cried Ettie, reproachfully, as he hurridly told his story. “TI could not,” said the Young Apprentice, bitterly ; ““my words went against him.”’ “And he is to die a cruel and disgraceful death upon the scaffold? Oh! my father, my dear father, will no one save you?” Harold was pacing the room excitedly. He stopped now suddenly, and raising his hand towards Heaven, said— ‘‘ I swear now, Ettie, to release your father or perish !” LY > a The young girl seized his hand and raised it to her lips, “Brave Harold, brave Harold!” she mur- mured, ‘“ After such a vow from you I will fear nothing. Yet if you fail !" She shuddered at the thought. ‘** He would save her father or perish |" Then she might lose both. “IT will not fail!” cried the Young Appren- tice. “I and Ben Firebrace and his troopers, and the Apprentices of London, will take him from off the very scaffold. Fear not; we will save him, or the best blood of his enemies shall float the scaffold from Tower Hill!” As he spoke these words with wild enthu- siasm, a loud knocking was heard below, and Harold hastened down, girding on his sword as he did so. Situated as he had been go for so long, he in- variably suspected treachery or the sudden oc- currence of some new calamity. Ere reaching the door he found that the old domestic had opened it, and on the threshold stood the Man without a Name. It was nearly dark now, and the stranger was masked and cloaked, but he knew him by his style and by his voice, “Ha!” he cried, as he saw the Young Ap- rentic approaching, “you have then arrived ome in safety. It is a matter of wonder truly, socing, what a den of injustice you had to escape om,’ “Tt is indeed a wonder, But I am truly glad you have come. I have sad company in this house ; those whom Frank Leslie has left behind him look to me for their comfort, and J, un- aided, can give them but little.” The Unknown placed his hand on the shoulder of the Young Apprentice. ‘They have a good and noble friend in you,” he said; “but come, we must not delay ; go, tell them you are going with me to see after their father’s safety, and bid them be of good cheer ; for we 2il/ save him.” . Harold at once hastened to do the bidding of his benefactor. In a few moments he returned, well armed. The Unknown smiled. ‘You are prepared for emergencies, my young friend,” he said, “Tt is best so; our lives, in London, at least are no longer safe. Whither are we going?” ‘‘Once more to the old house where we first met,” returned the Man withouta Name, “ You will find there Ben Firebrace, and some of his stoutest followers. If we cannot save him by fair means, we will by foul. Frank Leslie shall either be saved, or I will coast to the winds all my great schemes in life, and die with him.” ‘ T havesworn the same,” said Harold, ‘“ With such friends, he will surely be saved.” They had no sooner reached the street, than the Young Apprentice became conscious that they were being followed. He turned hastily round. Behind them, in the dark street, he could see the form of a youth. ‘Halt, sir,’ cried Harold ; * we are watched !” The Unknown started, and glanced back. “Ah! no,” he said, “that is my page. He follows me at a distance by my bidding, watch- ing for treacherous foes. I knew him not: he GOVE OO ©