The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

4 - io r rita! | ak 2 ’ 7 aS 122 THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, The sleep had not refreshed the Young Ap- prentice. On the contrary, he felt sick and faint, and a deadly feeling of hunger and thirat oppressed m. “Can it be that I have slept till the second morning ?” thought he. ‘Can it be that I am standing here, all these miles from London, while outside the Tower of London they are making preparations for the execution ?” The thought ronsed him to the necessity of immediate action. He rang the bell violently, and then turned to Ben Firebrace. ‘Wake! Wake, Ben!” he cried, shaking him violently, ‘“ Wake, wake!” No reply came. The trooper breathed heavily, but he did not more, “ Wake, wake!’ shouted the Young Appren- tice, in his ear. Still no reply. The landlord now entered. , “ Ab | sir,” he cried, ‘“‘ then you are awake at ast, 1 “What mean you?” exclaimed Harold, “it is early yet,” ‘Well, considering that you slept all yester- day, I do not wonder you are atirring betimes,” “All yesterday! Is this, then, Thursday morning ?” cried Harold, “ Aye, then, it is,” said the landlord. ‘“ Then I am too late, too late!” cried the Young Apprentice, in despair ; “ he will die ere I can reach him. Tell me, what is the hour?” “ Five o’ clock,” And the distance to London ?” “Thirty miles,” “¥ will try it, I will try it,” cried Harold ; ‘‘wake, Ben, wake, I say.” Bat there seemed no chance of inducing him to move, “ You had best leave him here in my charge,”’ said Boniface; “I fancy there is some pict against you. You have evidently both bcen drugged.- While you were asleep, yesterday, a man came bere and desired to see you and wished to bribe me to allow him up into your chamber. Finding bribes had no effect, he tried threate, which had less effect, for I pitched him out of the house. He was coming back at once with his friends to burn my house over my head, but I have seen nothing of him. I suppose the troop of Cromwell's friends who passed yeater- day cleared the road of him ard other vermin. I will take care of your friend, never fear.” “Good,” said the Young Apprentice, whe really saw the uselessness of any farther pt to wake Ben Firebrace. “Good. I will go alone ; are our horses in the atable ?” “Yes.” . ‘I will take the beat and then depart.” He hurried down at ones, and in a very few moments had saddled the light steed. Having then slang at his side some biscuits and a metal bottle of ale, he rattled out of the courtyard and dashed away in the direction which the landlord had pointed out to him as being the nearest to London. For many miles be dashed on unmolested. But towards seven o’clock he saw before him a party of horsemen, four in namber, who were evidently on the look out for some one. A glance at their dreas, however, .soon told him that they were Puritans ; and re-assured by this, he pressed onwards once more. No sooner, however, had he neared the place where the strangers were, than he saw the error he had fallen into. They were enemies in disguise, and the first one who rushed upon him was Lord Raymond. ‘We have him now, my friends,” cried the arch-traitor ; “at him—at him !” Not yet,” shouted Harold, defiantly ; “ you have me here, bat you have not caught me yet.’ Swinging his long bright sword round like a gleaming lightning flash, he brought it back with all the force of his young nervous arm, and the headless trunk of one of his foes fell forward on the horse's neck, while his head rolled away into a ditch. “Ho! ho!” shouted Harold, swinging round his sword again, asif it were the hammer with which he had forged it. “Ho! ho! there is one gone; who will bethe next? Come, my Lord Raymond, let us try a game of thrust and parry together. You wear not the steel we fashion at our anvil, so have & care.” ‘‘ Accursed whelp !” shouted the arch-traitor, as he saw the other two men hesitate before attacking the bold Young Apprentice, “I will myself despatch you to your last home.” So saying, he dashed furiously forward, and the two mortal foes were in an instant engaged in a desperate hand-to-hand conflict. And all this time Time was melting aay, and the Ewecutioner and the Awe were approac ing nearer and nearer! The two companions of Lord Raymond made no attempt to meddle in the combat, Ind the adversaries dashed to aud fro s0 furiously, that it would have been unsafe for their leader's sake to have attempted any aggressive movement, Presently Lord Raymond lost his temper, and began to make uncertain and hasty strokes. Clash—clash—clash ! went the swords; more fast and furious than ever rose the combat, and the Young Apprentice was just beginning to drive his adversary back, when a cloud of dust was seen in the distance, and a band ood soldiers were seen approaching at full s Lord Raymond at onoe leaped on ome side and sprang over the hedge. “Follow me, my men,” cried he, “As for you, devil's imp, I will yet be your destruc- on 9 “To London with Leslie’es * shouted the Young Apprentice, exultingly and defiantly, as he sprang off once more at full speed. On, on he dashed ; but it soon became evident to him that the stfength of his horse was ex- haused. The errand on which he was engaged, how- ever, gave excuses for everything : so seein ca splendid steed waiting at an inn door, he left his own reeking animal in its stead, and dashed away on the fresh one, GOVE OOO