The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

\" , © 14 THE YOUNG APPRENTICE; OR, “Tet me pray you, gentlemen, to tell me the cause of this visit.” ‘ Sir,” said Harry Martin, respectfully, “ sir, a great danger tltreatens you.” Master Laurence smiled. “Threatening me,” he said; ‘why, who can wish to injure me who never injured a maz yet ?”’ ‘¢ Treacherous liar!” thought Martin. Yet he concealed his thought, “Why, sir,” he said, “in these times friends are very few, and enemies very numerous, This very night your house will be attacked,” « Attacked 1” “ Aye, vigorously too.” “ By whom?” ‘‘ By the soldiers of the Parliament. The suspect you of having papers in your house whic tend to favour the Stuarts, They intend seizing them, your own person, and that of your niece, Mary Neville.” The old man turned deadly pale. “You speak to me in riddles,” he said, ner- vously, “yet still, still I will think of your advice. Stay, tell me is it of this night you speak ?” “It is, sir; I would be on the alert.” “ Aye, that I will; but tell me how many men have they ?”’ ‘“ Twenty staunch troopers; as brave a lot as ever mounted horse. Hark, here they come.” The master of the house, so quiet and inert before, now hastened to the window, and throw- ing it up, looked out upon the dark night. ‘You are wrong,” he said, as he gazed, “no troopers come this way. Afar I see a solitary horseman, and a young and a small horseman he is, from all I make of him. Ha! here be is in the court-yard ; what ho, there, my youngster; what is’t you want?” “T bring a letter to you from London,” said the boy, leaping from his horse, and approaching the door. Within a few minutes he stood in the room where the light of the dull lamp fell upon his face—the face of Harold Fordyce, the young apprentice, CHAPTER VI. THF PURITANS. It was with feelings of anything but pleasure that Harold Fordyce looked upon the ill-favored face of Master Laurence. The master of Neville Grange, however, smiled graciously upon him, “You are a brave lad,” he said, after he had read the letter which the young apprentice had brought. ‘ Robert and Allen, see that the outer doors are closed and a watch set. H Martin, your tidings have been corroborated, I regret to say, in every respect, I fear we shall have a sharp attack,” “ They mean business I believe, sir,’ said Martin. “Can you remain to aid us?” asked Laurence, The young man looked somewhat confused. He knew well that if he remained he would have to face Ben Firebrace the man whom he had betrayed, and whom he was preparing to betray still further. “No,” he said, “I should indeed be glad to aid you, Master Laurence, but I fear me I canr nt business which will ou will excuse me I am not reman. I have ur not admit of delay. sure,” Master Laurence looked as black as night. ‘’ Men who do not wish to fight are no use to any one. Go at once before our enemies arrive, I want no sluggards or cowards with me.” The man, nothing loth, bowed and withdrew. Francis Laurence turned fiercely towards Harold. “You too,” he said ; “do you wish to go?” ‘* Not I,’”’ said Harold, boldly, “1 remain here to see the issue of the fight, and take the news to my mistress.” , “Good,” said Francis Laurence, with a kind of gloomy satisfaction, “ good—you are a brave lad. Open the casement and let us listen.” Harold did as he was bidden. No sooner had he done so than a sound of horses feet were heard. Evidently the mounted troopers were ad- vancing along the gravel path, “ Shall I close the window again, sir?” asked Harold. “ No, wait till they approach close that I may see what they require,” The old man glanced out, leaning on the sill of the window. In a few minutes the troop was in front of the house. ‘“ What want you?” cried Laurence, as the new comers thundered loudly at the gate, “The delivery of the persons of Francis Lau- rence, and all his household, as traitors to their country,” said the loud clear voice of Colonel Graham, An angry laugh was the answer of Master Laurence. “ Tf that is what ye want, know that you are speaking now to Master Laurence, and this is his reply-——” With these words, he drew a pistol from his pocket and fired at the colonel’s head, which it only missed by a hair’s breadth aa it were, Then he slammed down the window, and called to Robert and Allen. “See that the outer doors are closed,” he said ; “let every one of my servants arm himself and defend this house, for if we yield it will be death to us all,” He had no time to say more for the attack began at once, It was a peculiar kind of attack. They did not fire at the windows or endeavour to pick off any of the figures which moved across the windows. They knew well that without any cannon it was impossible to force an entrance in the ordinary method of warfare ; so they sent cff in all directions and collected from the farm-yards near quantities of hay and straw which they piled agaiost the outer gate. Then when the pile was almost even with the top of the gate they set fire to it. A desperate resistance was now offered. Volleys of musketry were poured down upon them from the windows, The flames rose high, the old door soan caught fire and presently it fell in with a crash. With a shout of triumph, the Puritan soldiers rushed over the burning pile and reached the inner door. ny 7 SC 2 we GOVE OOO