The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, do his work, fire at the prisoner, and end this scene,” “Then,” cried the Man without a Name, waving his bright sword aloft, “then your blood be upon your own head !” In an instant his sword had described a half- circle in the air, and the headJess trunk of the blood officer sat upon the horse quiver- ing with the sudden departure of life. ani was the signal for the commencement of strife, The place of the chief officer was at onoe filled by a subordinate, and the mounted soldiers made a charge. In an instant all was confusion. There was not much room for the cavalry to manoeuvre, and in the surprise and excitement, friends and foes soon mingled in one struggling mass. While this was going on, the giant form of ie was seen advancing along towards the scaffold, bound and helpless between two soldiers, while the executioner, dressed in black and bearing his huge axe, preceded him, masked and horrible. Scarcely had he arrived upon the scaffold, however, when a loud voice stayed the com- batants for a moment, *‘ Hold |" cried he, “See how Providence, even at the last hour, watches over the inno- CCRt. , All eyes were fixed on the scaffold. There, erect, stood the giant armourer, By his side was the masked executioner, “See,” continued the latter, “see how I execute the commands of the law upon the guilt- esa,”” Then with his sharp sword he cut the bonds which held the armourer, and the giant was once more free ! After this the executioner removed his mask. “See,” he cried, “see who it is who has done this deed. I, Simon Lawless, a friend of Crom- well’s, a hater of monarchy, a true republican ; I free this man, sentenced unjustly by a repub- lican tribunal. Here is my axe, Leslie, use it for your liberty.” | The armourer seized the huge axe, which it had been hoped would be the instrument of his death, and whirled it round his head, © Ho, ho! he oried, “this puts me in mind of my er, We will cleave our way home with this. Ha! my brave apprentice, you are fighting there for me, then. I will come to you 99 Leaping over the side of the scaffold, in spite of the rta of the soldiers to oppose him, he rushed, followed by Simon Lawless, to the spot where the troops were trying to make a stand againat the followers of the Unknown. None could stop him, and few cared to try. With his huge and brawny arm he dashed down all opposition, and reaching the side of his friends he burst into a laugh of welcome that rang cheerily into the hearts of those who were there to aid him. “ Ha, ha, friends !’”” he exclaimed,5“‘ we meet again. We'll make short work of these fellows. Back there, back there! Ha! another, and yet another! You'll have a sorry crown to show at your next meas, friend. What desperate dogs ye are; ye would devour me! Never fear, Id rather be torn to pieces thus, than lay my head down to be chopped off. So, the axe is sharp ! It is better for you than me !” Thus laughing and talking as he fought, tho giant kept whirling the huge axe around his head, and creating such dismay among those who surrounded him, that they began to believe in his possession of a charmed life. His merriment was terrible to them. It meant death to all who neared him, Yet for some time, urged on by their officers, they pressed round them, At length they wavered. Death was piling itself around them. “ Charge, friends, charge!” cried the Un- known. “Now is your time! They will fly "? Just as he gave this order there was a loud outcry. “ Here they come, here they come!” shouted a hundred voices ; and a body of cavalry dashed recklessly in among friends and foes. “ Back, behind us !’’ cried the Young Appren- tice, thrusting himself before his master. “They shall not reach you.” ; “No, no!” exclaimed Leslie, clapping him on the shoulder, “ do you think I would leave you, brave lad P Here, clear the way here, you rascals, I wish to go homewards !” These cheery words were addressed to some mounted swordamen, who made a sudden dash at im. They had little chance. The huge headsman’s axe swuny round like a lightning flash, and the foremost rider fell headlong to the ground dead and nearly clovea in two ; while the second, unhorsed in the tamult, was cast upon the sharp point of a pike. The fight was now becoming fast and furious. It was a struggling, groaning, yelling crowd ; a mass of human beings seeking each other's lives ; foes and friends so joined as to be unre- cognisable. In the midst of this, when the giant armourer and his friends were being pressed backwards by the thron g, the Young Apprentice, who could see further the others, through being on horseback, shonted aloud— ““He comes! see, he comes! The Pardon once more |’ “Who comes?” exclaimed Leslie. ‘Ben Firebrace; he has in his pocket the duplicate of your pardon,” It was trae. There certainly was the brave captain. “Give way here, unmannerly dogs,” he shouted, “ here is pardon for Frank Leslie if he lives ; and death to ye all from Oromwell if he is derd ? What have we here? Room, room, I say! Where is your officer?” Thus shouting and laying about him, he managed to force his powerful steed through the throng, and approached the scaffold. “Here is Frank Leslie's pardon! Where is your officer ?” [GOMPEIO.O <S) fy an | CO lin