Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 71, No. 436, February 1852
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
As matter of mere amusement, Mr Coke's last chapter is his best.
It is crammed with diverting stories of "smart" Yankees and other
originals whom he encountered in California. The whole book,
although in parts a little drawn out, does him credit, and will
doubtless be extensively read and well liked. For various classes it
has features of attractive interest. The emigrant, the gold-seeker,
the sportsman, the mining speculator, the lover of adventure for
mere adventure's sake, will all derive pleasure from its pages, and
occasionally glean from them a hint worth remembering.
STRUGGLES FOR FAME AND FORTUNE.
PART II.
CHAPTER VI.
When the curtain drew up, the stage was occupied by the two heroes
of the establishment, who said not a word, but rushed at each other
with prodigious swords, and hacked and hewed with the most amazing
vigour. The fight had a running accompaniment from the partisans of
the two belligerents. "Go it, Fitz-Neddie!" (this was familiar for
Fitz-Edward) was answered with outcries of "At him, Martingale!"
And, inspired by these demonstrations, the battle was prolonged till
the combatants were fairly out of breath. While they were resting on
their swords, and grinning horribly at each other, Miss de la Rose
rushed upon the stage, with dishevelled locks and white satin shoes,
and explained, in a very long soliloquy, the state of affairs. Baron
Fitz-Edward had made various attempts to storm Baron Martingdale's
castle, in search of his runaway ward--who, of course, was Miss
de la Rose herself; and, on the present occasion, he had been
surprised by the watchful Martingdale in the very act of applying a
ladder to the donjon wall. But virtue such as Miss de la Rose's has
surer guards than even the courage of Martingdale; for when that
noble warrior is likely to be overcome, there uniformly appears
the "sylvan demon, or the blood-red knight," whose strokes it is
impossible to resist. When this exposition of the state of affairs
had given breath enough to the still panting enemies to enter into
conversation, Fitz-Edward sneered, and scorned, and threatened, and
walked up the stage, and across it, and stamped with his feet, and
clenched his hands, in a way that brought down thunders of applause,
which, from another part of the house, were answered by rival peals,
when Martingdale gave full career to the rage that was in his heart,
and roared to an extent that shook the scene on which his baronial
castle was painted, "as if a storm passed by." If it had not been
of very strong canvass, it must have burst. While this dialogue
was going on, it was painful to observe that some duplicity was
at work, for several bearded fellows slipt across the stage in a
mysterious manner, and were evidently posted between Adelgiza--Miss
de la Rose--and the castle. The discovery of this stratagem was made
too late, and Fitz-Edward grasped the arm of Adelgiza in triumph,
and was about to lead her out for the purpose of being married to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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